BHS Jacket 2022/23 Issue 13

BERKELEY HIGH

PUBLISHED BY AND FOR THE STUDENTS OF BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL

www.berkeleyhighjacket.com • friday, March 17, 2023

no. 13

since 1912

STUDENT SUBMISSIONS ON PAGE 9 ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIELLA BUSANSKY & J HORSLEY illustration editors

ENTERTAINMENT

African Diaspora dancers celebrate Black identity, womanhood

BY ADITYA SRIDHARAN staff writer

Dancers rehearse choreography during lunch.

MALINA MEISSNER

“This dance really characterizes what Black women went through,” said African Diaspora dance teacher Dawn “Doc Dub” Williams, speaking on Djouba, a Haitian dance being taught in the African Diaspora Dance class this year. In the dance, female

dancers will carry babies on their backs while their work lies in front of them. “They have been working and taking care of children for civilizations. You have your daycare on your back and your work in front of you,” she said.

The dances taught in African Diaspora Dance reflect both the marginalization of Black women as well as their empowerment.

African Diaspora Dance at Berkeley High School remains a unifying force that interconnects both Black and female identities. The class cultivates a profound sense of womanhood, rooted in female empowerment.

Additionally, it continues to speak to Black history through its movements and their origins.

While the dances portray the true struggles Black

women face, the style is also rooted in empowerment.

Senior Thaila Jenkins is leading the choreography for “Woman” by Doja Cat. For her, empowerment stems from the femininity and sensuality of her choreography.

“I was trying to embody femininity,” Jenkins said.

“I think that’s a big part of womanhood… Allow yourself to embrace (femininity) and to not be afraid PAGE 14

She/they pronouns: Students navigate expansive gender

Girls lacrosse takes 13-11 win against Casa Grande

Title IX process possesses strengths and limitations

Students using she/they pronouns dive into expansive and constantly shifting gender identity. PAGE 10

While their season started out slightly rocky, BHS came back strong with a 13-11 win against Casa Grande. PAGE 16

BHS staff and students spoke on the strengths and limitations of the Title IX reporting system. PAGE 8

2 F R I D A Y, M A R C H 1 7, 2 0 2 3

news editors: Kaiya Jordan & Kira Rao-Poolla

NEWS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

Kaiyajordan@students.berkeley.net

BHS 2023 Election Convention features diverse array of platforms as well as your peers, one of our goals is to ensure that your thoughts are heard and represented through our On Tuesday, February 28, actions and we will use both the 2023 Berkeley High School physical and virtual means Election Convention was held so that you can more easily in the Florence Schwimley share your opinions with us,” Little Theater. In preparation Lee said. for voting on March 28, The following speeches delegates from social studies were given by prospective classes spent the morning school board representatives. hearing from candidates This position is currently for elected positions. The held by Ian Segall who sat as convention was hosted by a panelist for this portion.

Anna Khan-Akselrod, the The candidates, Katelyn Liao, Commissioner of Elections, Jonathan Schwartz, and Sasha w i t h t h e h e l p o f Jo h n Friedman are all currently Vi l l av icencio, juniors. the Director Segall explained of Student the need for the “There is not enough representation or Activities. candidate selected diversity specifically in leadership.”

The first to be able to categor y was communicate Zariyah King, candidates for with adults as well BHS sophomore Sophomore as students when Class President serving. and Vice Liao spoke first President. Sofia Bloom and representation or diversity, and addressed her ability to Sophia Nishioka are running specifically in leadership,” said serve effectively. against Armana Aradom and King. “We are here to ensure “With my past experiences, Denise Hernandez. Student that your voice is heard and including speaking to state representation was a key topic action is taken upon your senators at the state capitol within both of their speeches. feedback.” about consent education, “We are tired of positions of During their opening I have developed the skills power going to those who don’t statements, the other team ne cess ar y to s er ve t his understand our experience, spoke on lack of diversity as position,” Liao said. that one of a female minority well, with Hipona describing Schwartz delivered his student,” Hernandez said. her qualifications to handle this statements next and included The other team addressed as the current Commissioner that, “I am the only candidate t h e i s s u e o f s t u d e n t for Multicultural Affairs. on this stage to have actually representation as well.

Hipona’s running mate, been to the school board and “We’re only two people, Naisuler Lee, talked of their advocated for students. I’m which limits our outlooks plans for working on the issue the most passionate and best but has inspired us to create while in office. prepared to get something concrete solutions to relevant “As the junior class leaders, done.”

BY ELOISE THOMAS staff writer

issues,” Bloom said. “These communications with clubs allow us to have a wider scope to gain knowledge on topics we haven’t been educated on yet.”

The next speeches were made by the prospective Junior Class Presidents and Vice Presidents. Zariyah King and Zamahra “Winta” Clark ran as a team against Jessica Hipona and Jacob Naisuler Lee. The issue of diversity and representation took the stage again. “ There is not enough

Sophomore Class President candidates Armana Aradom and Denise Hernandez talk to

Offical Election Handbooks displayed at 2023 Election Meet and Greet.

Friedman was last and described his main campaign goals.

“The mental health of Berkeley High students has been on a rapid decline,” Friedman said. “To make a change, I will interview students, conduct surveys, and engage my peers in coming up with solutions to this problem.

I will present our findings to the board and demand that they implement policies that improve the mental health of Berkeley High students.”

The two candidates for Associated Student Body (ASB) president were Gursimar Kaur, the current Chief of Service, and Drew Henderson, the current Junior Class President. Henderson ran with Erin Freeman, the only candidate for ASB Vice President and the current Junior Class Vice President.

“I stand here today to propose plans which I believe are vital to addressing and working on key issues such as lack of communication, lack of community and to an extent, school spirit.” Kaur said in her opening statement.

Henderson and Freeman spoke of plans that are already underway to improve mental health by discussing it in earlier grades.

“We have been, and are currently working with Mr. Raygoza, the Health Center, and middle schools to give presentations talking to them about mental health. (We’re) trying to fight the stigma around the topic and also inform the ninth graders on the resources they have within the health center,” Freeman explained.

As the only candidate running for the position of Chief of Service, Kainoa Tomikawa won his election by default.

The office of Chief of Publicity was by far the most popular, with 9 candidates vying for the position: Antonio Nordman, Ki’Donyae Bell, Liam Tucker, Tyler Kim, Daniel Vencill, Cami Sackey, Melody Castro, Noe Linvill, and Amaya Houston. One current Chief of Publicity, Ari Fendel sat as a panelist for the Q and A portion.

All non-senior BHS students can begin online voting on March 28. Results will be announced on April 1.

CANDIDATES FOR SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT

COURTESY OF TAYLOR AND JAYLA JOHNSON

Taylor Johnson and Jayla Johnson Taylor Johnson is running for president, and Jayla Johnson is running for vice president. Their remarks centered largely around making senior year enjoyable for the Class of 2024.

“Rally Day is a massive highlight of our senior year, so to make it shine, we’d like to make an official Rally Day parade to show off our jacket pride,” Jayla said during opening remarks.

COURTESY OF ELIZA MCGLASHAN AND FINN BROOKS

Eliza McGlashan and Finn Brooks

Eliza McGlashan and Finn Brooks spoke next, and outlined a plan to reduce the stress of senior year which involved “Encouraging, or to the extent possible, mandating flex days to work on college apps or other work as well as coordinating with teachers and previewing syllabi to ensure that there are fewer work pileups around important deadlines.”

Charlotte Daphne Lee

COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE DAPHNE LEE

COURTESY OF TOBY JACOBSON-BELL AND MEI SAPHIR

Toby Jacobson-Bell and Mei Saphir The next running team was Toby Jacobson-Bell for President and Mei Saphir for Vice President. “While school spirit is what makes senior year so memorable we cannot only focus on that. We want to bridge the gap between the admin and students, so that we can have a fun senior year while prioritizing safety and supporting students,” said JacobsonBell.

Disclaimer: Mei Saphir is a Jacket writer.

PATRONS & SPONSOR S PHOTOS BY MALIN MORELL

Charlotte Daphne Lee is running for president of the senior class with no vice presidential running mate and spoke of her plan to improve the school environment.

“I plan to achieve this by showcasing more student artwork around our campus and I hope to work with the administrators to paint a mural that reflects the creative talent in our school,” Lee said.

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NEWS

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

3

BHS Robotics reaches semifinals at FIRST Canada Competition field, as well as requirements mechanical team will start Team Berkelium spent Feb. which are students on each friendly … I mean, you that every team must build building things out of wood, 28 walking along the coast team that take account know, we’re still competitive their robot with to have a or just scrap pieces of metal and exploring the Royal of how other teams are on the field and we still want chance. and use drills as motors to British Columbia Museum, doing, had opportunities to to win, but it’s what FIRST Lao serves as the Imagery test them out,” Lao said. before their practice take notes during ranking Robotics, the organization, From Feb. 28 to March Lead for the team, and was She added that every matches the following day. matches, Lao said. have coined a term for what 4, Team Berkelium, one of the students who First Robotics Competition During practice matches, Lenka Simon, a BHS they called co-opetition.

Berkeley High School’s attended the the team got sophomore, is one of It’s sort of gracious robotics team, traveled to competition. to familiarize the co-managers of the professionalism.”

“We’re still competitive on the field and we Victoria, British Columbia S h e t hems elves team, alongside James Simon said that each to participate in the For d e s c r i b e d the Underwood. Their position match began with the robot still want to win, but it’s what FIRST Robotics, with Inspiration and Recognition how the the organization, have coined a term for what real “field,” during the competition was moving autonomously with of Science and Technology team is where the to talk to judges about their pre-programmed directions they called co-opetition. It’s sort of gracious (FIRST) Robotics Canada o r g a n i z e d robots would team and robot in order to for 15 seconds. Next, the professionalism.”

Competition. A total of 53 into different c o m p e t e , win an award outside of drive team was required to students went on the trip, s e c t i o n s , rather than how many points the robot start manually controlling according to Emily Lao, which focus the replica scored during competition. the robots movement. The Lenka Simon, a BHS senior. The team on various they had This award would give goal was to pick up and BIHS sophomore succeeded in reaching the aspects of built in the them an opportunity to place cubes and cones onto semifinals, as one out of 35 the robot’s r o b o t i c s make it to the competition platforms, and in the last 30 teams participating in the design.

(FRC) team gets six to room at BHS. championship. seconds of the match, the competition.

“The CAD team, which eight weeks of planning They were also able to Simon described how goal was to get the robot The robotics season stands for computer aided and building season before practice with the other the environment of the or multiple robots in the started on Jan. 7, when the design, will start working on taking their robots to teams that were potentially competition and team alliance to balance on a team began reviewing the prototypes digitally to get competition. in the randomly assigned attitudes differed from those tilting platform. details of the competition specifications. And then the After traveling on Feb. 27, alliances, which Lao reflected they would on Team compete with “We’re a little out there, but we have a B e r k e l i u m ’ s during Thursday lot of fun and we make sure to bring our dynamic and and Friday’s how the trip full selves to the competition.” matches.

The served as a competition was team bonding Emily Lao, organized such experience. that each alliance “I think just BHS Robotics Image Lead was made of three the energy of separate teams our team is that then fought against they had encountered at really great. I feel like it other alliances. past competitions. encapsulates Berkeley High Thursday’s matches were “I’ve been to other pretty well, in which we’re ranking matches where robotics competitions, a little chaotic,” Lao said. each team was ranked with where it hasn’t been exactly “We’re a little out there, but the other teams. BHS was like this. It (was) a little bit we have a lot of fun and we ranked eleventh during more tense,” Simon said. make sure to bring our full these matches. Scouters, “But, this one was really selves to the competition.”

COURTESY OF EMILY LAO Team Berkelium’s robot competing in the FIRST Canada Competition.

BY VIOLET MILLERBRADY staff writer

‘Freedom! The Black Panther Party’ authors present at library “The revolution, the act, and the remaking of our world is not a static thing.

It is changing and evolving with us and around. My On March 2, the writers hope is that this book can be of the novel “Freedom! The an inspiration, a small seed story of the Black Panther planted to help activists of Party,” Jetta Grace Martin all ages grow, aspire, and and her father, Waldo E. work toward their best lives, Martin, presented at the and as individuals and as Berkeley High School members of a community to library. The author’s visit participate work included a to make the kind small-sized of world we all discussion “We want people to go out there and as want to live in.” between the After giving authors and John Lewis would say, make good trouble ...

We hope this book will inspire them.” a brief synopsis BHS student of the book, book club as the authors well as a Q Dr. Waldo E. Martin, discussed the & A led by Co-Author of “Freedom! The story of the most challenging BHS African Black Panther Party” aspects of writing Diaspora the book, from dance teacher developing D a w n able to have access to an themes to surprises found Williams.

Jetta Martin is a in-depth history of Black in their research.

Both Martins talked BHS alumna, dancer, Panther Party as a young the difficulties choreographer, writer, and adult fueled her desire about having multiple recipient of the Cornel to create the book. This of West Prize and the Kathryn wish also inspired a sense collaborators on one project.

Ann Huggins Prize. Waldo of urgency in her writing In their eyes, contextualizing Martin, is a professor of process and led her to cater the thoughts of three History at University of the story towards a younger different people and putting them down on paper was California, Berkeley, with a audience.

Jetta Martin expressed one of the more challenging focus in African American history. The pair published her goal for the impact of the aspects of working on the the novel in January of book on all audiences. “We book.

“The biggest challenge 2022 along with Joshua are still witnessing the very Bloom, Director of the real effects of police brutality I would say, was trying Social Movements Lab in and violence against Black to synthesize everyone’s Sociology at University of people,” Jetta Martin said. thoughts and ideas to try

BY JOSEPHINE MORASKY staff writer

Pittsburgh.

Jetta Martin explained how the book, which reads almost like a movie, is rooted in the chronology of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. It begins with the party’s foundation in 1966, and, from then on, covers its history, goals, and ideology. According to Jetta Martin, a wish to have been

to make the book better,” Jetta Martin said. “And unfortunately, I’m just gonna be real with y’all. I write out of order, which is really not great for a mostly linear book … So that was also a little challenging, like trying to piece it all together at the end.”

When it came to research, both Martins had moments of surprise and inspiration. The young age of many members in the party was a surprising factor for Jetta Martin and was another influential factor in catering the book towards young adults. Aside from this previously unknown factor of the party’s past, Jetta Martin explained how growing up in a household with two professors, one being a historian, allowed her to obtain knowledge of the Party before beginning her research.

Waldo Martin found surprises in the enormity of the Black Panther Party’s impact.

“When I initially started the project, I had a limited idea about the global impact of the party,” Waldo Martin said. “The party had influence on virtually every continent in all kinds of ways, some of which we were able to understand and unravel and some of which I

continue to learn about.”

As the presentation went on, the Martins discussed thematic topics explored in the book, including the Panther’s belief, “All power to the people”. Ending the presentation, Waldo Martin shared his own hopes for the impact the book might have on audiences.

“We want people to go

out there and as John Lewis would say, make good trouble,” he said. “We need a lot of good troubles in this country. And so we hope this book will inspire them because Huey and Bobby and the party are deeply inspirational. So the struggle continues, my brothers and my sisters,” Waldo Martin said.

Martin wrote the book with her father.

COURTESY OF JETTA GRACE MARTIN

4 FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023 BAY BRIEF

NEWS

People’s Park case awaits court decision

GURSIMAR KAUR

BY LUCY GRIFFITH staff writer

Women in the present day economy contribute to approximately $7.6 trillion in economic activity, according to RBC Wealth.

But, as we celebrate another Women’s History Month, it’s worth exploring women’s position and contribution to the economy today. Since the 19th Amendment, known popularly for giving women the right to vote, there has been an uptick in women’s active engagement in the political and economic scene of our nation.

However, despite our many celebrations of women each March, we as a society still struggle at achieving equality, both nationally and internationally.

As of 2022, women make up a majority of the college-educated U.S. workforce. Women’s homeownership stood at 61.2 percent by the end of the last decade, and according to Top Media Advertising, 91 percent of new home purchases were by women. More single homebuyers are women than men, according to National Association of Realtors. Latest 2023 statistics suggest that 29.2 percent of chief executive positions are held by women, which is higher than the mere 15 percent in 2019. These statistics suggest that we have come a long way from the situations around women’s role in the economy. As Berkeleyans, or members of the Bay Area in general, all of us are living in a place that’s comparatively progressive to other parts of the country.

We have put a lot of emphasis on women empowerment. But, the question remains: is talking about the issues actually solving these issues in the real world?

Sexism remains incredibly prevalent in our society. Talks of gender pay gaps happen throughout different industries. Mortgages can be more expensive for minority groups like women. Gender roles remain an obstacle in women’s careers. 50 percent of the world’s population is composed of women, yet, women are only able to contribute to 37 percent to the global GDP, according to World Bank. In the tech industry, only 30 percent of workers globally are women. On the political stage, only 19 countries have a woman as head of government. There are only six countries where women constitute 50 percent or more of the parliament, according to UN Women.

Gender roles in our society are reflected through the industries that have remained predominantly female staffed, such as education and nursing. As of 2019, 74.8 percent of the education and health services industry were occupied by women, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Besides the heavy gender roles in our work sectors, women in the workforce must also deal with the pay gap inequality. For 20 years, the gender pay gap has sat steadily at an 18 percent difference. Women earn 82 percent of what men earn for the same jobs. It is astounding that there has been virtually no change to this number since the beginning of the century.

It is apparent that yes, there has been progress in women’s contribution to the economy in the past 100 years. However, there are factors at play that work as obstacles to hold minority groups back. This progress needs to occur more rapidly. How long are we going to overlook the inequality and lack of access to economic opportunities for women at a global level?

In the ongoing controversy over the People’s Park project, construction has come to a halt indefinitely, and will not resume until the legal battle is resolved. Construction materials were removed from the site on January 9, according to Berkeleyside.

“Since the end of August, beginning of September, we’ve tried to get (the University of California) to take them away,” said activist Lisa Teague, regarding the construction materials. “It had turned into a whole complicated thing, and they just now were (removed).

We were thrilled.”

On January 12, both sides made their case in a series of oral arguments in court regarding the UC’s Environmental Impact Report. The court sided with the activists, causing UC Berkeley to appeal to the Supreme Court of California. The Supreme Court usually takes a minimum of 18 months to hear a case, meaning a significant delay in construction if the project were to continue, according to Teague.

Enrique Marisol, an activist and community member, described the diverse groups that utilize People’s Park, which include unhoused individuals, hippies or free spirits, and street kids, creating a majority youth-centered community.

Marisol added that he knows many people who are passionate about the park. He said, “I’ve heard multiple people that have been out here for decades that are like, f--- it. I don’t care if a cop shoots me.”

UC Berkeley proposes four specific objectives for the property, the first

An excavator remains at People’s Park after UC Berkeley construction was halted in January.

of which is to address the student housing crisis.

Dan Mogulof, the assistant vice chancellor of the Office of Communications and Public Affairs for UC Berkeley, said, “It is hard to fully become part of the university’s community if you can’t even live in the city where your university is located.”

The UC also wants to address the crisis of unhoused people by including a path to permanent housing. The plan includes building a daytime gathering center that would provide showers, food, and access to psychological and employment counseling.

Additionally, UC Berkeley wants to commemorate the park’s history by creating a memorial walkway that honors the path where the protesters walked in 1969.

UC Berkeley plans to build two housing facilities on People’s Park. The first building would create 1000 new beds for students and the second would provide “supportive” housing.

In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, the UC produced a report which examined the potential environmental impacts of the project and offered alternative solutions to any

issues.

However, two local activist groups, Make UC a Good Neighbor and the People’s Park Historic District Advocacy Group, claimed the UC didn’t adequately consider several issues in their report, including social noise from students occupying the new buildings and displacement in the Southside neighborhood.

They argued the UC should have considered alternative sites for housing. Teague explained options for alternate sites.

“For instance, the Channing parking garage, where they could construct beds for 2980 students,” Teague said. “Nobody likes the building; it’s not a historic landmark.”

Activists also wanted the Environmental Impact Report to address the possibility of lowering UC enrollment to curtail the student housing crisis.

According to Teague, the court disagreed, saying that issue was out of the UC’s control.

On February 25, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom released a statement explaining the limitations of the California Environmental Quality Act process, and expressing a need for change in order for California to build more housing.

According to Mogulof,

NOLAN WHITEHILL

the only way to resolve the housing crisis is to use all the land UC Berkeley owns.

“It’s not an either or, it’s an all of the above,” Mogulof said. Building on two sites has already started, one near Albany and the other on University Avenue and Oxford Street, and the UC is in the beginning stages on the Bancroft Way site.

Mogulof continued. “So you don’t have to believe what we say. Look at what we’re doing,” he stated, referring to the 4.5 million dollars the UC committed to addressing the crisis of unhoused people in Berkeley.

“Let’s make this a better city,” Mogulof said. “We carefully have designed a plan that’s a win-win-win.

It’s a win for students. It’s a win for unhoused people because of the land that we’re donating for new housing. It’s a win for the public with revitalized open space.”

Despite public support for the project, the protesters have no plans to give up their cause. As Marisol said, “It is not ending soon.”

Mogulof acknowledged that getting both sides of the story is valuable.

“It’s so important that people should take the time to read for themselves, not messages that one side or another puts out,” he said.

BHS Mural Club promotes re-use center

BY MAYA DANG staff writer

“It was a really fun experience, painting and designing something that everyone can see and enjoy,” said Taylor Kelso, a freshman at Berkeley High School.

During February 18, 19, and 20, 2023, the BHS Mural Club painted a mural aimed towards promoting re-use at the school, according to the club’s president, Carina Nottingham.

“We were inspired by the beautiful Bay Area and the soon-to-be BHS Re-Use Center, as well as the hills along California highways

with wind turbines,” said Nottingham.

According to Kelso, the Re-Use Center at BHS is going to be a place on campus to get school supplies and textbooks and

clothes like a thrift store.

“I love art, and I feel like mural painting is a great way to use your voice and leave a mark in a way that a lot of times we don’t really get a chance to,” said

Nottingham. “I like being able to share things through art and painting this mural, we definitely got to say things about re-use and climate and the beautiful place we live.”

Sitting next to the football field, the BHS Mural Club’s painting reads, “BHS Re-Use Center.”

NOLAN WHITEHILL

OPINION BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

opinion editors: ella creane & ellora mookherjee amodt

Women’s fear of men deserves validation

BY SIMONE FAULKNER staff writer

When a little kid is bitten by a dog, it’s understandable that they might be scared of all dogs from then on.

When one hears about someone else being bitten by a dog, it’s understandable for them to be scared of all dogs from that moment on.

When a woman is harassed, abused, or assaulted by a man, she might be scared of all men from then on. That is also understandable. And it cannot be disregarded.

91 percent of rape and sexual assault victims are women and 99 percent of their perpetrators are men, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Justice. Rape and sexual assault are an incredibly prevalent topic, and with these statistics, people

must acknowledge that assault is an issue most often victimizing women and perpetrated by men. In conversations surrounding assault, there is an omnipresent fear that women will be harmed by men.

Even if a woman has not experienced rape or sexual assault, she still might have a reason to fear men.

Women frequently deal with violence, danger, and overall unsafety that is most often perpetrated by men. They are also surrounded by the stories of women who have experienced what they fear most. From a young age, women are taught to protect themselves because they know there is a possibility of it happening to them.

Stella Wellborn, a senior at Berkeley High School said that she carries a bottle of pepper spray,

ELIOT PERDUE

shares her location with her friends and family, and pays close attention to her surroundings when she’s out because she’s been told horror stories of what could happen to her.

She isn’t alone — women are constantly informed that they are inherently vulnerable and that they need to worry about their safety. They’re conditioned to feel like someone’s prey, so they shouldn’t be blamed for fear of their predators.

More than just physical assault, women are afraid of men in other social situations. 32 percent of women report receiving unwanted attention from male strangers, which often result in avoiding walking near men.

While it may be understandable for women to have a generalized fear of men given the experiences they’ve had or heard of, not all men are to blame.

There are certainly men that women don’t have to worry about and don’t deserve to be put into the same category as those who do such awful things, but women don’t always know that. It’s not a matter of which man a woman is afraid of because there isn’t a formula to tell whether a

man will hurt them or not.

“Even if I pass a man who doesn’t seem suspicious, I’m still on edge and a little bit scared, and I’ll try to avoid them,” Wellborn said.

It’s safer to be cautious of all men than to be irreparably hurt by someone who took advantage of your vulnerability. This is a reflection of the female experience, not an inherent reflection of men.

Imagine that 99 percent of animal bites came from a dogs. At that point, a fear of dogs would be more than understandable.

Because of a dangerous experience with one dog, or hearing about someone else’s experience, people see all dogs as threatening. People can’t know whether every dog will hurt them, so they are cautious around each one they encounter. Men cannot be equated to dogs, but the analogy serves to compare people’s recurring experiences that lead to fear. It’s understandable for women to develop a wariness for men and act cautiously if the vast majority of women have been harmed by a man. It’s not all men, but it’s almost all women. It's not a choice women make, it's the world they're forced to live in.

Fighting for women in STEM field is vital

BY OHAD AVIRANFINKELSTEIN staff writer

Women make up half of the United States population, but only make up about a third of STEM jobs. Women in STEM are only paid 89 cents per every dollar paid to their male counterparts.

In addition to this, women only make up 28 percent of the total AP Computer Science Applications class enrollment at Berkeley High School, demonstrating significant underrepresentation. This path leads to many women straying away from the field of STEM. In order to increase the number of women in STEM, we must create equal opportunities while closing the wage gap.

In the past couple of years, more women have been joining STEM fields, with one of the major causes being the opening of numerous womenonly STEM programs, opportunities, and scholarships. For example, the UC Berkeley program,

Expanding Your Horizons (EYH), offers girls fifth through eighth grade, an introduction to STEM. The EYH program was created to increase gender diversity in STEM by sparking an interest for girls. As the world becomes more and more dependent on STEM, a greater number of jobs will be created, and programs like these will inspire women to take these jobs, closing the gap between the number of jobs given to women and men. Programs like EYH inspire young women to explore STEM in a supportive environment, and if more programs and camps that have similar intentions get created, then much higher numbers of women will want to go into STEM-based careers.

BHS has made a very strong effort to increase women's representation in STEM. There are currently several female empowerment clubs at BHS, such as the BHS Steminist Club. The BHS Steminist Club brings in guest speakers from NASA, UCSF, and more to present

about their lives and jobs.

This club allows anyone to directly learn from women that already have careers in STEM. These women show others that it is possible to succeed in STEM as a woman, and give many women interested in STEM female role models to look up to. If more clubs similar to the BHS Steminist Club are created, then countless more women will be inspired to join the STEM workforce.

Although society has strived to become a safe and equal place, there is still a long way to go until we truly achieve equality, and increasing the representation of women

in STEM is a step in the right direction. Increasing representation will inspire change and serve as proof that women can pursue any career that they want, with absolutely no negative consequences.

We owe many great discoveries to women, such as the discovery of the double helix formation of DNA which was discovered

by Rosalind Franklin, Vera Rubin’s discovery of dark matter, Jennifer Doudna’s discovery and development of the molecular tool CRISPR, and so many more.

Opening the field of STEM to women would prove beneficial to everyone in humankind.

WINNIE HUANG

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

5

ellacreane@students.berkeley.net

WHAT AM I? YANCY MICEL ALEGRE-PACHECO

The game was rigged from the beginning.

It was made to support white suburbia and to have people of color at the bottom of the food chain. Learning about redlining in Mr. Day’s Ethnic Studies class strongly reinforced this.

Redlining was segregating when segregation was supposed to be “over”. Redlining was what the banks would use to classify an area fit to live in or not. The neighborhoods were preemptively expected to lose property value, and value in general, when more people of color inhabited the area. So when the government didn’t put any money or time in the neighborhood, it became “the hood”.

This upset me so deeply, it seeped into my mind even outside of school. We had an assignment where we could check neighborhoods that were affected by redlining.

I chose my old Oakland neighborhood on International Boulevard. I noticed that when I checked the neighborhood that I went to middle school in, there was definitely a difference. I was in the red, they were in the green. Then my eyes widened and I understood why there was such a difference between myself and my peers in Claremont Middle School. They were a gated community, they all knew each other and were born to know each other. Where I lived, we stayed inside, and only got to play out on the sidewalk if someone was watching. Seeing how my classmates in Claremont behaved versus how I was taught to be was an apples and oranges comparison — I was miles ahead of them in attentiveness simply because of the environment I was forced to grow up in.

When I went back to Rockridge to hang out with my friends from middle school earlier this year, my thoughts were clouded and I became teary eyed at the thought of how segregated it still is due to redlining. I noticed that although redlining may not be in action now, the effects of it are still ongoing and though the neighborhood may not intentionally be segregated, it was. I felt out of place when we started walking up to the hills of Claremont.

I saw white picket fences and lawns like the ones in movies. I saw gardens that were well kept and trees, some with lemons on them. If I didn't have friends who lived near there I would have never experienced such privilege. Seeing folks walking out of their houses, I never once saw an ounce of melanin. I was saddened and upset. However, I felt as though my sadness wouldn't be shared with the rest of the group, so I kept it to myself and left for home without saying a word.

We live in a society that is evolving to be better, I do believe this. But to evolve to become the best environment for everyone, we need to grow together. There is always one person with the fixed mindset who doesnt let the tangle of generational issues unravel. Don't be the beavers, creating a dam on the river of flourishment and improvement.

6 FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023 EDITORIAL

Sexual assault allegations treated like gossip at BHS At Berkeley High School, the ways in which sexual assault accusations are shared vary. In some cases, it’s directly from the survivor, like during the 2020 walkouts. In other cases, the source is murkier, with the allegation written on the bathroom wall or posted anonymously on social media.

More harmfully, sexual assault accusations can be brought up casually in conversation from someone who was not involved in the incident.

It’s important to note that the best policy is always to believe the survivor of sexual assault. It is their story and their perspective.

However, the situation becomes complicated when the accusation isn’t told by the accuser. Instead, the accusation is spread throughout multiple sources. It becomes part of the gossip mill. A name will come up in conversation, and someone will mention that they’re a sexual assaulter.

OPINION

Just like in a game of telephone, the details become hazier and the information less reliable with each new source that the information is passed through.

The experiences of survivors are just that: their own. It’s problematic when these experiences become publicized, especially in a manner that’s not respectful. It takes the narrative out of the hands of the survivor, leaving them with less control over it. Suddenly their story becomes warped, because when it’s not just the survivor telling their story, details change. Their story is out there, although it’s not quite theirs. The account of their experience should be accurate to their perspective, both to give them control over their narrative, and so that the accusation has a clear source. If there isn’t a clear source, it’s harder for people to trust the allegation, and if people start questioning the allegation, that’s incredibly invalidating to the survivor and their experience. Additionally, the BHS community should have the right to be able to believe and trust all allegations, both to support the survivors and for our own awareness and safety.

When discussing sexual assault, the key is respect. When an incident of sexual assault or the identity of a sexual assaulter is treated as a juicy piece of gossip, the situation is treated less seriously. There’s a difference between spreading awareness regarding members of a community, and treating someone’s trauma as a conversation piece. Simply rehashing the details of an incident of assault, with little intention behind the conversation, minimizes the trauma of the survivor’s experience. When we treat incidents of sexual assault as gossip, we subconsciously

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equate them with more trivial matters, almost like crushes. In reality, sexual assault is a crime, and a traumatic experience that sticks with both the survivor and perpetrator for their entire lives.

What do we do when we want to always believe the survivor, but it’s not the survivor telling us the allegation? Our instinct is to automatically trust the allegation. When we start to second guess allegations of sexual assault, problems arise. Which allegations do we choose to believe? Which do we choose not to believe?

Suddenly personal bias enters the equation when we start to make those choices. At the same time, asking for details about who was involved or what exactly happened isn’t always respectful of the survivor’s privacy. Asking these questions can also come off as not believing the allegation.

So it's necessary to think critically about what we spread.

Students at BHS must be mindful about what is being said, particularly regarding survivor's experiences. If unclear about a situation or an accusation, we all must acknowledge that, both to ourselves and to those we talk about that situation with. We also must ask ourselves if we’re trying to spread awareness or if we're just looking for something and someone to talk about.

It's important to think about the gravity of the situation and the people involved. Survivors deserve to have the space in order to tell their own stories, without people already having preconcieved notions about what happened; when we talk about their story, we need to be careful to give them that. Most importantly, before we say anything, we need to think about why we’re talking about it.

IEP and 504 plan accesibility remains crucial for students

BY ARIANA YEROVAM staff writer

In all environments, particularly academic ones, there is not always a general plan suitable for all different kinds of people and learners.

This is why more specific and specialized plans such as 504s and Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are necessary to provide a comfortable, effective learning environment for all students so that they can thrive. IEP and 504 plans are beneficial to a range of students and should be made easier for applicable students to access.

Diamond King, an IEP counselor at Berkeley High School, (BHS), reflected on the schools own process for distributing accommodations such as a 504 or an IEP. “I think it's a great process. I think access may be difficult because the information is not really readily available,” King said.

“I would love to see it more readily available and out there and open for parents and things like that: a clear kind of process of how to go about it if they feel like their kids may need some services.”

This clear process is crucial, especially considering that, as stated by the U.S Department of Eduction in Sec. 300.321 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, “The public agency must ensure that the IEP Team for each child with a disability includes — The parents of the child.”

If the system fails to provide parents, families, and other persons with necessary procedures and

general information, this prevents students from getting the help they need, otherwise further damaging their already difficult educational experience.

Students with disabilities may have a harder time in school, and a lack of assistance can further this disparity. According to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, they “have a lower four-year graduation rate than other student groups; a suspension rate that is almost double the statewide average; and a relatively high rate of chronic absenteeism, with almost one in five students with disabilities missing 10 percent or more of the school year.”

This highlights the importance of informing students on accommodations and how they can prevent these setbacks to increase each individual's likelihood of success.

As King pointed out, the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) is dedicated to increasingly providing students with the resources

they need.

“We have more bandwidth as the team grows, we're able to assess the kids and get them in the right place for the right services that they need,” King said. “The teams are getting bigger, like they've hired people to be directly over the 504 program.

We've also got more psychologists on campus and we're looking to have more counselors within the district to help with IEP counseling specifically. And so with that, we're able to save a lot more students.”

While one student may be prone to learning more effectively through speech, another may understand better through visual learning.

Each student is different, and by disregarding this, people are prevented from meeting their personal goals and from receiving a thorough education. In furthering accessibility for 504s and IEPs, one more step is taken toward creating a positive environment where all students are given equal opportunities to learn.

RUBY LEAVERTON

OPINION

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

7

Healthy eating culture in Berkeley has damaging effects on teens

BY SERENNA REDWOOD staff writer

Berkeley, as a very progressive city, has long been at the forefront of new ways to eat, specifically ways to eat healthily. From all-organic to keto, vegan, gluten-free, and a whole host of others, Berkeley has seen it all when it comes to diets. Much of this is beneficial to many people, as it can be easier to find a diet that makes them feel good and figure out what foods don’t make them feel good. However, teens are very susceptible to their parents’ influence and the influence of a healthy eating culture. If they are raised seeing others cutting out many different foods or if their parents don’t allow them to eat sugar or other foods, it can have a negative effect on young adults’ relationship with food.

Teens especially should not feel shame for occasionally eating sugar or too many carbs. From a young age, being taught that you have to eat a certain way and that

there are good foods and bad food is harmful.

Senior Ava Murakami, President of the Berkeley High School Body Positivity Club, believes all food is good in moderation. “We shouldn’t be labeling foods into good and bad because it tells us that we should only indulge in foods that we think are the ‘right’ choices,” Murakami said. “What you eat is an individual decision and it’s silly that there are categories of good and bad foods.”

The idea of good foods and bad foods can lead people to overanalyzing what they eat and cutting out all kinds of food. There are certain choices that it is good to make no matter what, choices like not eating at fast food restaurants everyday is good for everyone. The problem is in analyzing each individual food you eat and deciding if it is healthy or not and whether it is a good food or not; that is detrimental to one’s mental health and relationship with food.

Polaris Teen Center says that 50 percent of teen

girls and 30 percent of teen boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors. Having a healthy relationship with food is a struggle for a huge portion of teenagers.

“Oftentimes focusing so much on what you’re eating can lead to picking apart your eating routine and trying to go for the ‘healthiest’ options which often aren’t even what your body needs,” Murakami said.

Trying to eat perfectly healthy and clean can also lead to more harmful practices like calorie counting.

“Starting with trying to eat ‘healthy’ foods can begin with the nutrition labels, and lead to overanalyzing your food and meals,” Murakami said. “Having a calorie count for yourself can put you in a hard position of limiting yourself to certain foods that are just not enough to sustain yourself.”

Eating healthy often means reading ingredient/ nutrition labels and doing research to decide what ingredients aren’t healthy, which can then mean

cutting out any food that has a certain ingredient.

Being raised by parents who care and have the resources to cook healthy food every morning and evening for their kids is a privilege. In some families where both parents work until late or there is only one parent, there’s no time for cooking meat and vegetables, and fast food restaurants are the easiest

and cheapest way to get a meal. Eating healthy or going on a certain diet can be an unaffordable luxury for many people. This can make those who can’t partake feel unworthy or ashamed of their habits for being unable to maintain a perfect, healthy lifestyle.

Ultimately the culture in Berkeley of eating healthy can mean over analyzing what you eat, whether or

LEILAH DOOSTAN

not the ingredients in it are healthy, and deciding what foods are good or bad. These are not healthy practices for teens to get into. It can lead to a bad relationship with food, calorie counting and other issues. Although it is good to be conscious of what you are eating, it’s important to remember that there is no such thing as bad food and, as Murakami said, “food is fuel.”

Women must find empowerment free of male gaze

BY KALI PROUD staff writer

The male gaze has objectified and sexualized women throughout history. The media consistently sets expectations about how women are meant to look and act, which ingrains these ideas into society. The male gaze places female empowerment secondary to men’s desires, making it even more important for women to find their own ways to empower themselves.

However, with the male gaze so prevalent in society, it can be difficult to tell what’s empowering and what’s harmful.

Determining exactly what the male gaze is key to eliminating it. Often easiest to find in films and visual art, the camera focuses on actresses’ bodies, sexualizing their appearances to appeal to male scopophilia. Revolving around a misogynistic lens, the male gaze often portrays women as onedimensional objects of desire.

It’s understandable that some believe that women who wear revealing clothing are feeding into the problem. They argue that wearing revealing clothing perpetuates the oversexualization of women, and on some level, this idea isn’t entirely wrong. The male gaze has a powerful influence on LINDSEY RAYON-PIXTUN

how women view themselves, meaning that some girls may accidentally objectify themselves in an attempt to match the appearance society wants them to have.

Advertisements for women’s clothing often push the idea that women must wear revealing clothing. This is problematic as such advertisements are heavily controlled by the male gaze, and it once again asserts that all women must act a certain way with no exceptions.

Consequently, the actual problem is not so much what clothes someone wears, but why they wear it. Empowerment means different things to different people. For some, confidence might come from wearing revealing clothes. For others, modest clothing may be more comfortable. There’s nothing wrong with either, as long as it’s for themselves and not anyone else. Arguing that all women should wear modest clothing isn’t productive towards fighting the effects of the male gaze, as it still enforces that all women must look and act the same way. Self-expression is valuable because it allows us to showcases our true selves.

Another similar argument is that it’s harmful for women to be openly sexual, comparing it to the way the male gaze oversexualizes women. The issue with this argument is that society has long dictated that women are supposed to be sexual objects, while allowing men to be sexual

individuals. This means that women being open about their sexual desires can actually be a form of empowerment against the objectification of women.

Men who are open about sleeping with lots of women often receive positive reactions and praise. On the other hand, women who are open about sleeping with lots of people are shunned. This maltreatment of women makes it important to encourage women who are comfortable about being openly sexual instead of condemning them. That isn’t to say that all women need to publicly discuss their sexual desires; similar to the matter of clothing, the most crucial and important thing is that it’s an individual decision.

The male gaze influences a lot of women’s self-image, but it shouldn’t control us.

Every woman has had different experiences, and how she empowers herself is something that only she can decide.

Believing that all women should feel empowered by the same things confines us to think along the same lines as the male gaze. The truth is that women are humans, and humans are complex creatures. It is very doubtful that there will ever be one way of empowerment that suits everyone, and this should be viewed as a positive thing.

The layers surrounding women empowerment shouldn’t be worrying. Instead, it should be seen as a display of our beautiful intricacies.

8

INVESTIGATIVE

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

INVESTIGATIVE

erinbartholomew@students.berkeley.net

investigative editor: Erin Bartholomew

‘Nobody knows these things’: The bureaucratic and mental process of filing a Title IX report in BUSD Step 1: Report

Step 4: Evidence Review

Any student, known as the Complainant, has the right to report, keeping in mind that all staff are mandated reporters.

The Respondent will be notified of the complaint.

Both Complainant and Respondent have a right to review all collected evidence during the investigation.

Step 2: Support

Step 5: Decision

All students affected by sexual harassment, assault, or battery have the right to individualized supportive service.

The Decision Maker will review the Investigation Report and all of the evidence and issue a Determination of Responsibility Report. The Decision Maker cannot be part of the investigation, in order to prevent bias.

Step 3: Investigate

Step 6: Social Justice

The Complainant and Respondent will be notified if the investigation can be taken any further. Each party will be interviewed. Evidence will be collected and taken into consideration, and a draft investigation report will be written up.

If found responsible, the Respondent faces behavioral intervention, in order to prevent them from repeating the same behavior in the future.

Information from BUSD and the Title IX office.

ILLUSTRATION BY ELIOT PERDUE

BY MIRABAI PARNALL & ERIN BARTHOLOMEW staff writer & investigative editor

“Even though the process is not the friendliest, there is a benefit to reporting,” said Jasmina Viteskic, the Title IX Coordinator for Berkeley Unified School District. “And the counseling component, helping you through it, seeing you after it, is what we want to focus on.”

Viteskic is often in her office at Berkeley High School. After years of discussion with the school district around the appropriate amount of aid students should receive with sexual assault and harassment, Viteskic started on Nov. 29, 2021.

Originally, Title IX had a different purpose. In 1972, Congress enacted Title IX, which prohibited sexbased discrimination in all federally funded educational facilities. In the 1970s, a series of lawsuits argued that sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. However, only in 2011 did the Department of Education clearly state that sexual harassment constitutes sex-based discrimination, interfering with students’ education. This began the long ordeal of Title IX being used in colleges, and eventually high schools.

However, with the presence of minors, Title IX is more complicated in high schools.

“In high school, the coordinator reaches out to each party; in colleges there are hearings.” Viteskic said. “For Title IX, (the incident) has to be assault,

or attempted assault. It has to be severe, pervasive and objectively offensive.”

If an incident meets this criteria, or if it occurred on campus or while the school had reasonable control over you, Title IX must be used. However, “For us, not a lot of cases qualify for Title IX, just because of the definition,” Viteskic said. “Not a lot of (kindergarten through twelfth grade) cases are assault on campus, or severe, pervasive and objectively offensive.” Since cases rarely qualify for Title IX, “We mostly use our California procedure, which is pretty similar.”

The California state law steps are much simpler, though. Viteskic said, “You file a complaint, you get interviewed.

Your witnesses get interviewed, the respondent gets interviewed. And then that's it. We collect all the evidence, there is no like going back and forth, we just issue a determination.”

Even with support throughout the process of filing a Title IX report, the process can be triggering for students.

Elise Nudel, president of BHS Stop Harassing, said that the reporting process itself is fairly easy. “But the mental side can take a toll on people,” Nudel said. The process “can bring up a lot of trauma and past emotions that you experienced from whatever happened.”

The steps to the Title IX complaint process are as follows. Report: A Complainant has the right to report, keeping in mind that all staff are mandated reporters. The Respondent will be notified of the complaint.

Support: All students affected by sexual harassment, assault, or battery have

the right to individualized supportive service. Investigate: The Complainant and Respondent will be notified if the investigation can be taken any further. Each party will be interviewed.

Evidence will be collected and taken into consideration, and a draft investigation report will be written up.

Evidence Review: Both Complainant and Respondent have a right to review all collected evidence during the investigation. Decision: The Decision Maker will review the Investigation Report and all of the evidence and issue a Determination of Responsibility Report. The Decision Maker cannot be part of the investigation, in order to prevent bias.

“Another aspect of Title IX is social justice,” Viteskic said. While students have a right to tell their story, “it has to be a process where somebody cannot come back and claim retaliation or harassment,” Viteskic said. “It's a balancing act.”

The rights of the perpetrators of assault spread further. Because public schools are required to provide equal access to education, “Technically you can have someone who goes through the process, gets expelled, and then they return in a year, because they still live in Berkeley, and they have the right to access public education. There is no way to extend the expulsion,” Viteskic said.

“You have to navigate between having the victim feel safe ... but you also have to provide education to this other person.”

At school, people often automatically believe their friends, rather than

the person who experienced harm, according to Nudel. She said that fear is the number one obstacle for a student filing a report.

“A lot of harm is committed by people that are considered popular,” Nudel said. When the perpetrator has a lot of friends, it’s more likely for there to be more of a negative stigma surrounding the survivor. “I think that when people (who) have a higher power commit harm, it's hard for other people to believe (the accusations of harm),” she said.

“Reporting is something that I really want to emphasize that we've done a lot of work to make sure that when kids do report that they are treated with compassion, and that they're supported through the entire process,” Viteskic said.

Because of this, school involvement and consent education are key. Consent education in BUSD has been criticized widely, resulting in major protests at BHS in Feb. 2020.

However, many are still disappointed today. Rosie Bessette, vice president of the Teen Reproductive Justice Club, wrote to the Jacket that she does think “there has been some change after the walkout. But there is a lot more that needs to happen.”

“What's really important is reporting.”

Viteskic said. “Statistically, it's really hard to report just because this dramatic thing has happened. And now we have to go through all of this right? To get somewhere. But at the same time, if you do not report, then it's something that you carry with you by yourself.”

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

9

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Using she/they pronouns, students expand gender identity

BY SAGE FELDMAN staff writer

Gender is a fundamental expression of individual identity, not just a spectrum but a plane that extends in multiple directions. With it comes societal baggage — expectations of behavior, pronouns, and other aspects of identity. But for many students at Berkeley High School, there are as many ways to use she/they pronouns as there are to be human, all of them valid.

For junior Arunima Stoller, who uses she/her and they/them pronouns

interchangeably, gender is intimately linked with expression.

“Gender is how I view myself and how I want the world to view me,” she said.

Stoller uses their pronouns to help better unify their internal and external selves.

“I’m a very femme portrayed person … I wouldn’t say that I dress (androgynously) ... (but) I hope people think of me and refer to me in their mind (by saying) ‘Oh that’s Arunima, and they are yadda yadda,’” they said.

BHS freshman Kai Kort, who uses they/ them pronouns with acquaintances and she/

they pronouns with people they’re close to, sees gender as something that is both embraced and constrained by society.

“There’s physical expression, emotional expression … verbal expression … everything can be a form of expression," Kort said. "If people aren’t binary, why do we confine them to binary terms?”

Emily Lao, a senior who uses she/they pronouns, experiences gender in a passive way, not leaning intensely towards any direction. “Sometimes I feel very fully a girl and sometimes … I’m not,” she

JAY TRAUNER

said. “It doesn’t cause me experience. epiphany for Stoller, but a any issues: I just exist.”

“I do find it very helpful slow building of feelings and For Lao, the baggage and to find the label: it can confirmation. definitions of being a woman sometimes help strengthen “I don’t think I really had and using exclusively she/ your sense of identity, and a big discovery where I was her pronouns overlap with sometimes help you figure like: ‘this just changed my their feelings of life,’” they said. gender, but do L a o ’ s not fully describe experience with who she is. When “Sometimes I feel very fully a girl and self-analysis and they define sometimes ... I’m not ... it doesn’t cause coming out was themself, their much the same. “It me any issues: I just exist.” femininity exists was never a really independently of formal coming Emily Lao, their gender. “If out thing. … I just BHS senior I identified as a started introducing different gender, myself with she/ I would still feel they pronouns and equally as feminine,” she out how you feel or who you didn’t treat it as much of a said. Terms like feminine are,” Kort said. “My process big deal,” she said. and masculine are often of discovery usually either Lao, who said that she assumed to be part and starts with overthinking is most conscious of her parcel with gender identity, things (or) intrusive gender when working as a but for Lao, they are thoughts … then I try to woman in STEM, thinks separate entities. Lao was think about my gender: how that people of marginalized able to come to terms with I feel, what I would like. identities are not as their identity by seeing Then I go … to look at labels supported as they could be. others around them not and see what I identify the “No one's getting treated conforming to a cisgender, most with.” differently on the team, binary norm.

Their identity evolves but there's a lot more cis “Meeting people who as they learn more about (heterosexual) white men were comfortable and themself. than queer people or people identifying outside of the Stoller also emphasized of color,” they said. The gender that they were the importance of issue might be around who assigned at birth made me introspection in is tacitly encouraged and realize, ‘Oh, I don't have to understanding her gender. assisted at BHS. fit this,’ ” she said. “(In) quarantine I had a lot “(Solving the problem Labels feel constricting of time to reflect and … to is) about making spaces for for some, but for others they get to know myself better,” people to feel comfortable are essential in providing they said. Finding that she/ about exploring interests words for an unnamed they pronouns fit right was if they’re not cis men,” Lao feeling and a sense of shared not a sudden moment of said.

BHS JazzGirls Day develops outreach to prospective students 1981, Cline was one of two girls in the Jazz ensemble.

“When I came back in 2011, there were two girls in the Jazz music swept through jazz band. 30 years later,” the A Building on Saturday, Cline said. “I felt like women March 4. Dozens of young had made some significant girls and non-binary gains in the world in those students ages ten through 30 years. We were not being fourteen were learning reflected in the world of about the art of jazz. Known jazz at Berkeley High, or as JazzGirls Day, the annual anywhere in the world of event is meant to jazz, frankly.” help young girls From 1981 access the music to 2011, just and know that 10 percent of “We were not being reflected in the they have a place Berkeley High world of jazz at Berkeley High, or in Berkeley High Jazz musicians anywhere in the world of jazz, frankly."

Jazz once they were girls. Cline reach high school. wanted all girls Sarah Cline, The program in music to know makes a point that they have a BHS Jazz teacher to not use preplace in the jazz registration, and band, and could accept any and flourish there. every student that shows up going to play by ear and find JazzGirls Day holds this as on the day of. a direct connection with a central sentiment. In the The day started by our instrument,” said Darya past 12 years, the program welcoming the young Johnson, a professional has tripled the amount attendees in a circle of drummer and clinician at of girls in the BHS jazz nearly a hundred people, JazzGirls day. program. playing rhythm games with “At its core, jazz is Sarah Cline, the jazz older high school mentors. teacher at Berkeley High about your own voice in Girls and non-binary School and creator of community,” Cline said. students in Berkeley High JazzGirls day, explained her “We call it taking a solo Jazz attended the event as intention behind the event. when someone stands up mentors, bridging the gap When she graduated in and plays a solo, but it's

BY CHARLIE TAMAGNO staff writer

between the young kids and the professional adults.

Professional musicians, known as clinicians, ran the small groups in two different sessions. They began by teaching categories separated by instrument, honing kids’ abilities to play by ear in usual jazz fashion.

“Today we’re not going to play written down. We’re

not a solo, because you're playing with the rhythm section. You're playing with a community of people …

We all need to learn how to speak our own truth with community support.

Women and girls, our voices have been silenced for too long. We need to put our voices out there and learn how to support each other, be community for each other, and learn how to really come into our full voices.”

Johnson has played music all her life, and was one of three girls in her high school band. “All these young girls … It makes me very happy,” she said. “At the same time, it makes me a little envious … because I didn't have this when I was a kid.”

Being a girl in a jazz band was difficult for Johnson.

“It’s just great to see how much support and how much love and availability is being afforded to these young ladies. It’s fantastic.”

As clinician at JazzGirls Day, Johnson works to create the community she didn’t have in high school.

“I wanted more

experience around people like (these professional female musicians) who play jazz,” said Ro Hebert, a freshman at BHS, who participated in the event as a student. She learned about new jazz tunes and how to play by ear, and plans to audition next year.

Marly White, a freshman who started in jazz band this year, joined after hearing about JazzGirls Day from her middle school band director and attending for the past few years. “I saw girls playing big instruments

RUBY LEAVERTON

in third grade and wanted to be one of them,” White said.

JazzGirls Day is funded through a grant from the Bill Graham Foundation for the Arts. For anyone wanting to donate or fund the event, donations are accepted at https://www.bhsjazz.org/.

The day wrapped up with closing announcements and a drawing for scholarships to band camps around the Bay Area. The clinicians and Cline performed for the girls, improvising, to show just what it’s like to be a woman in jazz.

FEATURES

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

Band and Orchestra play at Carnegie Hall

BY YSABEL CHU staff writer

Before sunrise on March 4, Berkeley High School Band and Orchestra (BAO) students woke up to get on a flight to New York City. On the seventh they would perform in Carnegie Hall, one of the most prestigious auditoriums in the world. On the eighth, they returned to Berkeley, award in hand, accompanied by valuable new experiences.

According to BHS cello player Beatrix Brundjar, BAO usually travels every other year. Every four years, they go on a larger trip to a place further away. This year, they chose to visit New York.

Before the trip, Karen Wells, a music director at BHS, described what she hoped the musicians would gain from this year’s trip. “I hope that they get to have the ultimate thrill of playing in a world class auditorium,” Wells said. “And

they see how amazing they sound without nearly as much work as they usually have to do in a normal classroom. I also hope that they have the best performance of their life so far.”

The trip was large, with 88 musicians and 18 chaperones going. According to Wells, they had to raise over $40,000 for scholarships and various other costs, most of which was achieved through a letter writing campaign.

“We needed a lot to make it possible,” said BAO student Lillian Makler. “This is the biggest trip that Berkeley High School had this year. Because we’re taking 88 musicians, that’s a lot of money to raise so that we can cover different costs to make it accessible for all students who want to go.”

In preparation for their performance in Carnegie Hall, BAO practiced almost every day for six months, utilizing coaching and weekly sectionals to improve.

Students packed for a four-day long trip to New York.

YASMEEN BAWANY

“(Coaching and sectionals) is a time for each section to work on specific parts that they have more trouble with and get it better,” said violinist Simon Starbuck. “Getting a piece ready to be played, at Carnegie Hall especially, requires more than just group effort, it also requires each section to be able to play their part by themselves. So that’s where the coaching and sectionals comes in.”

In New York, the musicians had a full itinerary of activities planned before their big performance. According to Brundjar, the day of their arrival, BAO saw the New York Philharmonic perform. The following days, they watched the musical Hadestown on Broadway, attended a music w o r k s h o p, a n d v i s i t e d museums. On March 8, BAO played their long-awaited performance.

At Carnegie Hall, BAO performed for 20 minutes, playing the two pieces: “Helios Overture” by Carl Nielsen and “Summer Dances” by Brian Balmages. When Wells picked the pieces, she considered which would work well for a large orchestra and give everyone a chance to play.

The idea to perform “Helios Overture” came to Wells rather serendipitously.

“I was carpooling with another musician to a gig,” Wells said. “And we started talking about this piece.

And I thought, ‘Yeah, this is a nice piece. I wonder if (my musicians) could handle it.’ And I listened to it, and thought about it, and talked to Ms. Dougherty, who is the other musical director, about it. We both agreed that it would be a good challenge.”

After their performance, musicians reported a good experience. “I think it went pretty well,” Brundjar said. “I think a lot of us felt that ‘Helios Overture,’ in particular, was the best we’d ever played it. A lot of the things that had been going wrong just a few days before worked themselves out and people just played really well.”

The groups performing were judged individually, and each given either a gold, silver, or bronze plaque at the end.

BAO received a silver plaque.

Through this experience, students learned a lot — both about teamwork and what it is like to perform in a world renowned auditorium. “(Because of the concert hall) we could really hear each other, but we needed to put in an extra step in order to make it sound better,” said Starbuck.

“I learned that we all needed to be together for anything to work … Ever y b o dy’s important, even if it doesn’t feel like it. If everybody is just in time and playing their part, then it’s a lot easier to start, to end, and to play the entire thing.”

Past BHS teachers run Classroom Matters

BY SABINE ROSEN staff writer

Former Berkeley teachers Lisa Miller and Tatiana Guerreiro Ramos together run Classroom Matters, a tutoring and mentoring program for K-12 graders in the Bay Area.

They offer online, in-home or at their center tutoring with more than 40 mentors who are ready to coach students individually or in a group.

Classroom Matters has already served 15,500 students.

Classroom Matters started in the living room of another former Berkeley High School teacher, Molly Gerstein Gales.

Miller and Gerstein Gales founded the company in 2000, because of their “desire to work with students and their families and meet their individual learning needs,” according to Miller.

In 2008, Gerstein Gales left the company and Miller ran it alone until Guerreiro Ramos joined the company in 2010.

“I knew that a lot of kids benefited from one on one support … and I wanted to be able to help more students who weren’t doing well in their schools,” Guerriero Ramos said. For the past 12 years, the two have worked together, building a company

that has assisted tons of young students.

Being a woman business owner has not proved easy.

“I’m a Latina woman, so it’s sometimes challenging to be taken seriously,” Guerriero Ramos said. Guerriero Ramos is a single mom raising three children. Lisa Miller added, “I think one of the biggest challenges is that we are in an industry where people don’t value it in the sense that they want the services to be really good, but they also don’t want to spend a lot of money.”

Many BHS students take advantage of this resource.

One senior in AC talks about how she has used Classroom Matters for help with AP Calculus, AP Biology, Spanish, and literature. She recommended it to any BHS student who wants help with their classes.

“I like it because it allows you to work with a tutor who knows what your abilities are, and all of the tutors have been very knowledgeable on every subject.” She also said that, “I have ADHD, so my AP Bio tutor understood that (because) she also has ADHD and she kind of came up with solutions that are more focused towards my ability to learn.”

Classroom Matters has

tutors available online as well.

The anonymous senior from AC said, “It is nice that you have the option of going in person or online and I do mine all online just because then I can do it from home, but it is a nice option to be able to go in.”

Classroom Matters isn’t purely academic support. They offer many types of support like Individual Education Plan (IEP) and 504 plan advocacy, test prep, ADHD education and enrichment programs.

Since both the co-owners are parents and former teachers they are experts on how to help kids.

Miller talks about how, “Students need more mentoring and emotional

support. And that’s a very strong, major asp ect of what we provide.” Guerreiro Ramos also tells us how she understands kids’ struggles.

“Because I have ADHD, I can understand students who struggle with executive function (a set of skills that help you organize, plan, self control and self monitor, time manage and stay focused) and ADHD.” With courses to fulfill many people’s needs, Classroom Matters isn’t a company that just helps with academic tutoring, it’s a company where students can get supported in many ways and helped with their many different learning needs.

Classroom Matters provides academic support services.

GLENN MAH

GENIUS GREEN PLASTICS JULIUS BRAUN

Currently, humans absorb an estimated five grams of plastic every week, which is about the size of a credit card. It’s in our foods, it’s in the water we drink, and it’s in the air we breathe.

The main sources of these tiny particles of plastic known as microplastics, which are invisible to the human eye. Textiles, tires, and city dust combined make up 80 percent of the microplastics that we consume. Plastic is a cheap, durable, lightweight, and malleable material with practically unlimited applications, and it is being used in just about everything. The more plastic is used, the more difficulties it’s creating. As plastic has become more and more popular over time, its disadvantages have started to outweigh its benefits. A lot of awareness has spiked around microplastics, and new studies have helped to provide key information to aid decision makers and stakeholders in coming up with solutions to “turn off the (fossil fuel generated) plastic tap.”

(Biopak.com) Poorly managed waste and littering are the most common ways that plastics get into our rivers and oceans. Once there, the constant movement of marine environments causes the plastics to break down into particles that are less than five millimeters in size. A study in 2017 found that the amount of plastic produced since its invention in the 1950s has been over 8 billion tons, and only an estimated nine percent of it has actually been recycled and/or reused. There is so much microplastic in our oceans today that they are actually known as “plastic soup.” The integration of plastic into almost every aspect of human existence, from tires, to cosmetics, to nail polish, to cleaning products, is not expected to go away, and is, in fact, expected to continue to rise as developing nations grow their economies, a process in which plastic plays a huge role. This means that we cannot actually turn off the plastic tap, because it’s here to stay. The solution is going to have to be that we completely change what’s coming out of the tap.

Green plastics, also known as bioplastics, are natural plastics that are manufactured from plants and fungi. They’re considered “green,” or environmentally friendly, because not only are they produced in less toxic ways than fossil fuel plastics, but they also cannot break down into microplastics, because they actually have the ability to break down completely into compostable, organic matter. The plastic tap needs to switch to this kind of plastic wherever possible. According to European Bioplastics, packaging is the largest field of application for bioplastics, with 48 percent of the total bioplastic market in 2022. Their data analysis also shows that the uptake of bioplastic materials are increasing, such as consumer goods, applications in automotive and transportation, and construction material.

When bioplastics are created, approximately 80 percent fewer greenhouse gasses are used than conventional plastics, in which their production and extraction methods are posing environmental and severe health risks.

Bioplastics can be composted by industrial compost facilities, while conventional plastics, if they aren’t contaminated with food, are grouped with landfill and incineration. Only a small fraction of plastic packaging is truly recycled; we must become more aware of this rampant issue.

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ENTERTAINMENT BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

Entertainment editors: Ruby Freedman & Marina Howard

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

2021’s “Dune” is a movie adaptation of the 181,493 word epic science fiction novel written

by Frank Herbert in 1965. So it is no surprise that this two-and-a-half-hour movie was barely able to scratch the surface of this very dense story. The second movie which is set to release later this year can hopefully tie up loose ends set by the first movie. There have been many adaptations of “Dune” throughout the years, most famously the “Dune” TV mini-series from the 2000s and the 1984 “Dune” movie. “Dune” has been called the greatest science fiction novel and the inspiration for the Star Wars franchise. The book’s large fantastical world and larger-than-life mythology still capture people’s attention to this day. People are drawn to it because of the themes of high fantasy fiefdoms and feudalism. However, the question remains whether movie adaptations of beloved novels (often complex and convoluted ones) are able to adequately satisfy both the reader and non-reader populations.

The story revolves around a character named Paul whose father is the Duke of House Atreides and whose mother is a member of a sisterhood who has trained to gain superhuman abilities. The Emperor reassigns their House to rule over Arrakis, the planet with spice. Spice is a product that the entire empire relies upon.

The conflict comes when House Harkonnen, who used to rule Arrakis, doesn’t want to give up their post.

This movie was full of vibrant landscapes and atmospheres. As someone who has read the book, the movie does portray the essence of the writing well. “Dune” isn’t a plot or character-driven story, instead, it uses complex worldbuilding to illustrate its themes. This movie explores the complexities of human politics. It shows how jealousy and greed can lead to total disregard for human life in the pursuit of power. This movie inspects social psychology and how taking action can rob you of future self-agency. There are strong Catholic undertones throughout this story and I feel like this helps ground it to reality. Through the nunlike figures of the Bene Gesserit to the biblical names like Paul, this story took inspiration from religion and that comes through in the movie.

Though this movie was made for lovers of the book, many of them ended up unhappy.

The movie underexplained many concepts and expected prior knowledge from the viewer. Unless you had a concrete prior grasp of these ideas it was a confusing movie that was inaccessible to the general public. The whole movie had an elitist air around it like it was made for people in the know, which it definitely was. To put it shortly, “Dune” was a long perfume ad with weapons and an intense alarmist soundtrack.

marinahoward@students.berkeley.net

‘Cocaine Bear’ offers gore, lacks message

BY ZACHARY YOO staff writer

In 1985, a bear did cocaine. That’s all that really matters. It does not matter that the bear overdosed and was found dead months later. It does not matter that this event came at the height of Ronald Reagan’s war against drugs, nor does it matter that the taxidermy of the bear, which still exists, can legally officiate weddings in the state of Georgia. Of course none of that matters, the movie “Cocaine Bear” isn’t interested in the historical happenings of the bear who did cocaine. It is interested

in the concept of a cocaine bear. What a question to ask.

What if a bear did cocaine?

The answer to that purely hypothetical question is a 90 minute horror-comedy that follows a bear on a cocainefuelled killing spree. Its fairly bare bones plot draws in anyone that might happen to be in the forest on a weekday; from teenage delinquents to park rangers to the associates of the man who lost the cocaine in the first place. There’s not much connection between plot points, which is okay for a film called “Cocaine Bear” as it doesn’t need to be “Citizen Kane.” While much of the movie is indiscriminate gory deaths of side characters, it

also features two children (who obviously can’t be violently mauled to death by a bear), with their mother (Keri Russel) playing the heroic protagonist and the drug dealer (Ray Liotta) as the villain. This conflict, though, is largely sidelined until the climax in favor of directionless violence and banter.

Said violence and banter are good enough. The film shows a bear attack in practically every way one could be visually interesting.

There’s no hesitation to show gore, with arms, legs, and even intestines at one point all being ripped apart by the bear.

And of course, the

ELLIOT SCHRAG

characters of the movie are more than ready to make fun of its absurd premise.

Most of them manage to make a good impression, and those who survive until the final act are sufficiently endearing.

Alden Ehrenreich’s character Eddie, a former drug dealer who becomes entangled in the whole ordeal, is a highlight. None of them, though, are hilarious.

Beyond that, there isn’t much to “Cocaine Bear.”

Though it does dip its toes into the ‘80s anti-drug rhetoric, it does not have any central message. The main strength of the film is the simply wild premise, but the main drawback is that even though it is an hourand-a-half-long experience, you can easily get the point at only 30 minutes in.

“You’re not gonna see any articles after, like, ‘Cocaine Bear Ending Explained,’” said Scott Seiss, a TikTok star with a small role in the film.

Nonetheless, articles with this exact title do exist. By having a plot and by trying to justify its existence as a movie that the audience has paid money to see, “Cocaine Bear” must overcomplicate itself. The concept of a Cocaine Bear could be great, but sadly, “Cocaine Bear” isn’t a great movie.

BHS film classes combat sexism in industry

BY HANNAH GROTHREIDY staff writer

The world of film opens doors to new perspectives, brings a variety of stories to life, and helps people express themselves. With all of its wonders, come hurdles. Disproportionate opportunities based on gender identity in filmmaking are among the largest obstacles still being addressed in the world of film.

Berkeley High School offers a variety of film classes, including IB Film, World of Media, Advanced Studio Editing, and Art of Video Production. Dahlia Hellerstein and Anna Eisen are both seniors in the second year IB Film class.

The course is taught by Amanda Marini, who has been at BHS for about 20 years.

“IB Film is genuinely one of the best classes I’ve ever taken,” Eisen shared.

“It changed the course of

what I wanted to do with my life. It’s an incredible place to be.” Eisen plans on going into film, while acknowledging that, as a woman, opportunities can be harder to find in the industry.

According to San Diego State University, from 1998 to 2022, the percentage of women working behind the scenes only increased from 17 to 24 percent.

Eisen pointed out that the film industry continues to struggle with equality and inclusivity, explaining that it “can be a competitive environment and can be a tough place to navigate.”

She went on to say that her experience with BHS film classes has led her to believe that it’s a good environment to start in. According to Eisen, Marini is one of the reasons for this, due to the thoughtfulness she puts into the diversity and inclusivity of her curriculum and classwork.

Marini teaches four different film courses at BHS. Reflecting on her

Eisen sets up filming equipment in the G-Building hallway.

own experience in the film industry, Marini said that most of the people she worked with, including her former professors, were male.

“I think having gender diversity within the teaching staff is really important,” Marini said. Offering a range of sources and examples in the curriculum is an important aspect of gender inclusion. While it’s possible to relate to films that don’t necessarily pertain to personal identity, it helps to see a similar experience reflected in films and film classes. “I really do think about the diversity of the

EMILIA FREILICH

curriculum that I present,” Marini said. “Trying to show films from different parts of the world and different viewpoints and different races and genders.”

It is essential to recognize the ground that female filmmakers have gained.

“While there’s a lot less opportunities for people of color and women in film, there are still people of color and women in film, who make incredible movies,” Hellerstein said. “And so having a female teacher who really emphasizes that has really helped avoid that feeling of, ‘Oh maybe this isn’t something I can do.’ ”

ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023

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Artificial intelligence steals techniques to fabricate new ‘art’ the artists that were used for their unique style get no money, no credit, and no acknowledgement that their Would the Mona Lisa technique was used. have been as popular if it Some have come to was created by Artificial the conclusion that AI Intelligence?

Consider is doing nothing wrong. people traveling from all Those promoting these over the world to the Louvre. art generators call it They would go there to see “inspiration,” and compare the Mona Lisa, painted by it to artists learning AI. It wouldn’t be the same, techniques from other because the meaning and artists.

However, they beauty of the art comes from discount the fact that those the artist that created it. artists are still human, and The detail, talent, and time they went through the trials that is spent on an art piece of actually learning how makes it especially valuable to do the art, rather than to humans. So what is the simply being programmed point of AI even trying? The to copy and paste. Imagine popularity of AI an artist that spent art has skyrocketed years studying, recently, but The AI algorithms work by studying finally perfecting not without millions of pieces of art from various their unique controversy and technique, only to artists in every era. backlash from find out that an AI real artists of the website swept all world. Trends on TikTok methodologies of countless of their pieces and started and Instagram of people individuals and can now rapidly producing art that using the AI generators to mimic their art nearly looked just like theirs. Only make art came and went, perfectly. AI profits off it’s not imagination, it’s a yet the AI stayed put. This of stolen techniques by reality for many artists. is a problem. While the making people purchase Artists have not been technology behind AI is the art, or subscribe to silent in their discontent brilliant, along with the art it access it. And worst of all, about this ordeal. For Amy

BY AMAR WALKER staff writer

can create, the way it trained itself to be so intelligent is immoral.

Popular websites like DALL-E 2 and Hotpot AI can generate infinite amounts of art pieces from absolutely anything imaginable. Combinations of things never seen before, with the only limit being human imagination. And not only that, it can make art in the precise style of any artist. So, how did it get so advanced?

The AI algorithms work by studying millions of pieces of art from various artists in every era. It has trained itself on the

Stelladia, a comic artist that worked for Disney Hyperion, it’s frustrating to find out that their art has been used by AI. As Stelladia told The Daily Beast, “most of the constant effort I put on my work just goes down the drain.” To put so much hard work into a piece just for it to be effortlessly replicated and sold is disheartening, especially without any credit

or consent.

The thing that makes art so special is that there is raw human emotion and experience behind it. When a robot can make any piece of art by the mere tap of a keyboard, it robs all of the meaning out of it. A painting that would have taken an artist weeks or even months to create can now be made by AI in less than

ROBERT GELLNER

five seconds. If artists could make infinite masterpieces, art would be boring and insignificant.

AI will never kill the artist because it will never be an artist. As advanced as it may get, it will never experience the world. Artists have soul, life, and the beauty of human error, all displayed in their art. And that is the one thing a robot can’t have.

Outdated film and TV must opt for disclaimers over removal

BY COLINA HARVEY staff writer

Thanks to the rise of streaming platforms, old movies and TV shows have been given a second life with a new generation of viewers.

Series like “The Office,” “Friends,” and “Breaking Bad” are very popular with young people, despite premiering before some of their fans were even born. However, the use of offensive and stereotypical jokes is much more frequent in older media and can hurt viewers whose identities

are turned into punchlines.

Comedy at the expense of historically marginalized groups was wrong then and is wrong now. This begs the question of if these jokes wouldn’t be included in a movie or show made today, should they still be available on streaming services?

Some creators of these movies and shows choose to remove offensive episodes or scenes while others utilize disclaimers to acknowledge the harm caused.

Many popular sitcoms of the past have episodes that feature blackface.

“Community” and “30 Rock” have both pulled entire episodes from streaming services because of their use of blackface. The creators of “The Office” opted to edit out the blackface scene in their Season 9 Christmas episode titled “Dwight Christmas” while leaving the rest of the episode available on streaming services. Although the hit show was attempting to use blackface to satirize a racist European tradition, showrunner Greg Daniels said that, “blackface is unacceptable and making the point so graphically is hurtful

JESSIE LEE

and wrong.” While creators addition to communicating of a “tiger mom.” The “tiger of these shows claim that that their racist caricatures mom” stereotype consists of they are trying to minimize were not acceptable. This parents who are very strict harm, removing these is especially important for and push their children to episodes from streaming content like “Peter Pan” achieve academic success and platforms also absolves them because children are easily is often associated with Asian of responsibility. New viewers influenced by the media they mothers. Mrs. Kim doesn’t who didn’t see the episode air consume. Although children allow Lane to listen to or originally will never know may not understand these play music, only lets her date about its use of Korean boys, and blackface. Over all forces her to attend a Over all else, editing racism out of religious college. else, editing racism out of old media T h i s old media helps the creators save helps the creators o v e rdramatized face. save face. representation of Disney has a long Asian mothers history of derogatory and disclaimers, they can give reinforces stereotypes and stereotypical portrayals of rise to conversations between can cause discomfort for different ethnic groups. In parents or caregivers and viewers, especially those the 1953 childhood classic children about these negative who are Asian. However, this “Peter Pan,” a group of depictions. stereotypical characterization indigenous people, referred Actions like these have is less blatant than those in to as “savages” capture the lost been taken to remedy the the previously mentioned boys. They are depicted with pain inflicted by negative shows and movies. Some red skin and they sing a song stereotypes in movies and viewers may not even notice called “What Made Red Man TV shows. Even so, these how this is harmful. Subtle Red.” Instead of editing this disclaimers and edits are use of stereotypes like this is scene out of the film, Disney only applied to egregious commonplace in the media.

Plus added an unskippable instances of racism. The truth Nevertheless, they still need disclaimer at the beginning is that many mainstream to be addressed because they of Peter Pan as well as “The TV shows and movies that can lead to microaggressions Aristocats” and “Aladdin”. include racism, homophobia, in real life as well as implicit The disclaimer warns that the and misogyny are able to fly bias. following program “includes under the radar because the Depending on how negative depictions and/ bigotry is more subtle. optimistic you are, you might or mistreatment of people The 2000s TV show believe that these companies or cultures. ... Rather than “Gilmore Girls” has an almost are well intentioned in trying remove this content, we want exclusively white cast. The to amend their problematic to acknowledge its harmful show is centered around past or you might believe impact, learn from it and Rory and Lorelai Gilmore, a they’re only trying to improve spark conversation.” white mother-daughter duo. their current image. Either Disney is not trying to Rory and Lorelai are self- way, removing racist scenes hide their past racism in the proclaimed “best friends” and pretending like they never way that other TV shows and and their relationship seems happened is less constructive movies, such as “The Office,” almost perfect at times. than acknowledging them are. And while the disclaimer Rory’s best friend Lane Kim and learning. Disclaimers was probably made to is Korean and one of the very need to be added to old protect Disney’s image as a few non-white people in the movies and TV shows if they corporation, it does the job show. Her mother, Mrs. Kim, are to be shown on streaming in taking accountability in is an exaggerated stereotype services in the future.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Revival of promposals spark excitement

BY MADELYN PHILHOWER staff writer

Boom boxes, big signs, and bare chests painted with the letters P, R, O, and M. These are all hallmarks of an average day in March at Berkeley High School during promposal season.

2023 has been no exception to this tradition.

Simone Landau, a senior at BHS, asked her boyfriend to prom by singing the words to “Dancing in the Moonlight” while friends played the drums, saxophone, guitar, keyboard, and more in front of the C-Building during lunch.

“I picked that song because we both love it, and we used to listen to it a ton at the beginning of our relationship,” Landau said.

Besides practicing with the band to prepare for the big debut, “the day of (the promposal), I left third period 30 minutes early with my friends and we took all the band equipment from the A-Building down

to the courtyard,” Landau said, “It took like six trips. ... We almost didn’t set up in time ... so I asked (my boyfriend’s) friend to stall him.”

Historically at BHS, promposals, where students propose to each other to go to prom, have gone all out. Mia Jeffery, a BHS alumni, choreographed and participated in a flash mob to the song “Take on Me” in 2018 for her promposal in junior year.

“In 2017, there was a competition run by Mr. V. (where) whoever had the best promposal would get two free tickets to prom ... and people got really creative with it, doing dances, giving out gifts, (and) singing,” Jeffery said.

However, in 2018, BHS stopped sanctioning promposals or holding a competition due to the distractions some posed to learning.

But in 2023, the vote for best promposal is back.

With prom tickets priced at $70, or $40 with free or reduced lunch, free tickets posed a powerful incentive

for elaborate promposals.

“There is a fine line between being fun and being disruptive with (promposals) that are huge spectacles at school,” said Joey Hall, one of the seniors behind the BHS 2023 Promposals Instagram account.

Promposals that happen in the middle of class can disrupt learning, frustrating students and staff and leading promposals to be painted in a negative light.

Because of this, “when people are doing promposals at school, I like that they tend to do them at lunch, because people are already out, it’s fun to see it, and it’s just a good time,” Hall said.

Most importantly, to keep promposals fun, consent is key.

“It’s important to know that the person that you might be asking won’t feel uncomfortable being in the public eye,” Jeffery said.

“They might not be open about their relationship status or sexuality, so you definitely have to keep that in mind when proposing.”

THE CROSSWORD

For Emmett Tjen, senior and co-commissioner of athletics at BHS, privacy was an important consideration for his promposal so that the special moment could be celebrated without feeling overwhelming.

“I decided to do it during the sixth period (because) we both have a free sixth period,” said Tjen. He added, “It was on the football field and I just told people that I wanted to be there, so it wasn’t super public.”

Tjen’s promposal was soccer themed, including flowers, a poster, two goals side by side labeled “yes” or “no,” and it ended in a soccer ball being kicked into “yes.”

Promposals also provide an opportunity for students to step outside of traditional gender roles assigned within relationships.

When Jeffery performed her flashmob, “a teacher was watching out the window, and she was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s a girl promposing to a guy!’” Jeffery said. “She was so happy and excited to see that, (which) made me feel validated and not weird for doing it.”

Landau also wanted to disrupt the idea that guys should ask girls to prom.

“I wanted to make him feel special,” she said.

Maia Kesler, a senior, platonically promposed to her friend by serenading her during fifth period, with

Kathleen McLoughlin hugs Anna Eisen after promposing. EMILIA FRELICH

Brown-Bankhead and Harris after lunch promposal.

the help of her guitar class and the permission of both teachers.

“A lot of the promposals that I see are straight, cis couples ... but I think that friend promposals are so sweet,” Kesler said. “It’s fun to do something out of your love for a friend.”

On Monday morning, the BHS morning bulletin announced that the promposal contest winners were Zoe Brown-Bankhead and Jackson Harris. BrownBankhead promposed to Harris with a flowers and a football that read, “You

MALIN MORELL

intercepted my heart!

Prom?”

Originally, winning free tickets had been a big motivator for Kesler.

However, though “that’s what the idea started from, now it’s just a really funny memory,” Kesler said.

Landau similarly viewed the vote as fun, but not her main goal.

“Though it would (have been) super cool to get the vote, I don’t need the title of ‘best promposal’ to know I am a winner,” said Landau, “I won the second he said yes.”

African Diaspora dance class explores Black female identity CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Quite a bit 5.Native American shell beads also called wampum 9. American emergency oil stockpile 12. Common anesthetic 14. 50% off, e.g.

15. Which, to Marcus Aurelius 16. Founding brothers of the company that owns Looney Tunes 18. Cavalry soldiers 20. Native Japanese religion 21. Odd 22. Patrick or Valentine, for two 25. Middle color of a rainbow 26. Consumer?

28. Tropical lizard family with 425 species 31. Line spoken to the audience 32. Author of Myra Breckinridge and Burr 36. Spy org.

37. Indian spiced sauce 38. Core English curriculum 39. Deal sealer 42. Wet impact onomatopoeia 44. Destroyer 45. Remote button 46. Area 51 prisoner 49. Song words 51. Sun umbrella 54. Mythical friend of Gilgamesh 57. Submachine gun made famous by mafia members 59. “Crazy” 60. Small area computer network 61. Wide ceramic jar 62. Jouster’s weapon 63. 1776 and 2000, e.g.

64. Notified 65. Tuts with disapproval

1. Feline sounds 2. Salt Lake City state 3. Follower of Jesus 4. Dyed the body with leaf powder 5. California time from Nov. to Mar. 6. Hearing orifices 7. Tons 8. British king during WWI 9. Act division 10. Cleanse, purify 11. Back from the dead 13. Stop working 17. Brother of Fred and George 19. Member of the Persian Zoroastrian group in India 23. East Indian flying squirrel 24. Underwater breathing aid 26. Every single one 27. Continent containing Brunei 29. Mechanical solar system model 30. ___ lines 33. ___ of grandeur 34. “What a shame” 35. Tardy 37. Chinese vital force 40. REM sleep byproduct 41. Dark sections of the sun 42. Related to the vertebrae 43. North American rodent also called a wood rat 46. Appropriately 47. Volcanic mudflow 48. Shackles 50. Ump 52. Norwegian capital 53. Hang loosely 55. Mallard, e.g.

56. Tribe from 2-down 58. Cellular transfer molecule —energy Raven Fonseca Jensen

— Nicholas McGlashan

of it. Giving face and giving fierceness (speaks) to female empowerment.”

“The ‘Woman’ dance has a very specific Afro beat behind it,” Jenkins continued.

While the movements speak to femininity, the music connects with Black identity. “It’s meaningful in the sense where it’s very uplifting for me. It’s fulfilling,” she said.

Williams spoke about the significance of Nina Simone’s “Four Women,” which is also danced to in her class. “There’s no monolithic Black woman,”

Williams said.

“She’s singing about four different biographies of women.

Different skin tones, different histories and different (movements).”

Williams described her experience dancing at a young age in a coed hip hop team. “We the girls were like, ‘I’m not gonna dance to that song because that’s not empowering,’ ” Williams said. “We put our foot down on some of the song choices. ... Making sure our lyrics were communicating what we wanted them to communicate.”

The class also learned about Sarah Baartman, “a Black South African

Dancers practice a hip-hop routine during lunch.

MALINA MEISSNER

woman who was taken away from her home and brought to Europe to be put on display at state fairs,” Williams said. “Her body was put on display, she was completely dehumanized.

Her story is so important because it speaks to how Black women’s bodies were viewed.”

Williams aims to combat this dehumanization of Black women. “This class is the celebration and honoring of the Black woman’s body in a way that is freeing,” she said.

“Being with the girls is really powerful, because it’s a diverse group of people, coming together and embracing (one another),” Jenkins said. “To embrace that energy and bring that vibe is what dance is about. ... We are, in a way, reclaiming power.”

“It’s honorable to be able to create this vision,” Jenkins said. “(We can) show people a vision of what it means to be a woman and what it means to embrace that feminine part of yourself no matter who you are.”

F R I D A Y , M A R C H 1 7 , 2 0 2 3 15

SPORTS

Late athletic start: Daunting but rewarding

BY ZADA SANGER & NORAH LEE staff writer and sports editor

For some sports, success is rooted in talent and physique, while for others it is diligence and time.

Simply put, there are some sports where it is nearly impossible to be good if you do not start engaging with them at a young age. On the other hand, there are sports where a late start does not diminish chances of success.

It can be very demoralizing to join a sport that requires a lengthy history for a chance at being good. So, what makes some sports more or less inclusive than others?

When Berkeley High School senior Ari Fendel decided not to go out for the freshman baseball team in ninth grade after playing throughout his childhood, “I thought I was closing a

door.” He said. However, his senior year, he stepped back onto the diamond for tryouts, making the varsity team.

This rare comeback to a sport where continuity is the norm found Fendel playing catch-up: “I’m trying to not ask too many questions. But I’m also very confused,” he said. However, despite the toll that four years off took on his play, he is certain that his childhood dedication to the sport was essential to his return.

“The muscle memory that’s developed from such a young age is so important.

I’ve lost a little bit of it (but) … if I hadn’t put in all that work as a youngster, I wouldn’t be able to do this,” he said.

Isa Bessette, senior and BHS rower, grew up swimming and playing soccer, and currently rows for the crew team. When

GWEN WEBER-STOVER

Bessette reached high school, she figured she wanted a change. “I knew that the sports I was in weren’t the right ones for me, but I was a little bit intimidated when I wanted to switch since I had done those sports where you have to start so young. … I thought all sports were like that,” she said.

Another BHS athlete, sophomore Tallulah Owsley, grew up doing gymnastics and now plays field hockey and lacrosse. Gymnastics is arguably the most known sport in terms of rejecting newcomers beyond a certain age. Owsley started taking gymnastics seriously at age six, yet considers herself to have joined too late. “Coaches won’t pay attention to you as an older kid. They only value the kids who started at two years old and are naturally gifted,” Owsley said.

The physical aspect of growing with a sport as your body and skill develops with it also gives early starters an advantage in certain sports. Part of why Owsley quit gymnastics this past year was due to a long term back injury from the sport.

Younger kids are also less afraid to try difficult skills, as older kids understand the risk of getting hurt. Owsley said, “when you start super young, you get used to the super high-pressure

environment. You also don’t get injured in the same way.”

Upon joining new sports, both Owsley and Bessett found value in how hard work and dedication — not necessarily time — were the most determining factors in one’s success. Bessett went on to commit to row Division 1 at Columbia University her junior year, after joining BHS crew as a sophomore. Bessete emphasized that she “was drawn to crew because what you put in is really what you get out and it was a sport where I could show my competitiveness and drive.”

Owsley echoed this sentiment, saying, “With field hockey and lacrosse, a lot of people start older and the coaches will really help you improve. It feels like hard work will pay off, and that you can still learn and get better, which is really different from (gymnastics),” she said.

Ultimately, the passion and drive of an athlete is what will set the ceiling for their ability, but the path of a newcomer can look very different based on the sport they choose. For Fendel, choosing a daunting return to baseball rather than feeling pressure to continue since a young age infused his season with intentionality.

“There’s something special about understanding that I’m really happy here.”

Tight-knit cheer squad years in the making

BY SASKIA FREEDBERG staff writer

The Berkeley High Competitive Cheer Team placed third in nationals this year, in a competition lasting from January 27 to 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The small, close-knit team of six has four seniors. According to Jasmine Moriera-Cortes, a senior on the comp team, this is the smallest the team has been — the minimum size to compete at Nationals in Vegas.

Moriera Cortes said “this is the first time competition is run again since 2020, so a lot of people in the competition team had never done competition before … this was a new experience for most of us.” Competition cheer involves stunts, dance, and jumps, and is different from sideline cheer at sports games.

The BHS team also faced other challenges including injuries, COVID-19 cases, and last-minute changes.

“We had a lot of difficulty this season with people not being able to compete, people no longer being on the team and we had to make a lot of changes very

close to the competition,” said Aubrielle Delane, a junior on the competitive cheer team.

The team did very well, however, and went on to place third at JAMZ Cheer and Dance Nationals in Las Vegas, better than any known BHS team in the past.

“We had a lot of fun but we also put in a lot of work to be able to get there … and we worked really really hard to place third,” Delane said.

The team had long practice hours everyday after school in addition to five hour practices on Saturdays.

Tiffany Sutherland, the team’s head coach, credits their success partly to her good rapport with her cheerleaders, developed through years of experience on the sideline team. “The fact that they have all been with me just made it easier. They know what I’m expecting out of them and they’re willing to go ahead and reach that goal.”

Sutherland also mentioned her team’s incredibly tight-knit culture, saying, “We try to make them be a complete family where everyone knows each other, they love each other,

BHS cheer team at a home game on October 7.

they’re down for each other.

And no matter what it’s like ‘yeah, I can talk about you but can’t nobody else talk about you.’”

Team culture as a key factor in this year’s success was emphasized by members of the team as well. “Us seniors, we had a really close connection with each other already before doing competition,” Moriera-Cortes said. “I think what really made us push through it was … that we’re so dedicated and a lot of us are seniors so we want to end with a bang.” Delane agreed, saying “The comp team right now, we’re like a family … We are all friends beyond the comp team.”

With two-thirds of the

MALIN MORELL

team graduating before they are able to mentor next year’s squad, Sutherland hopes to replicate the team culture and ensure that this year’s success is built upon through supportive and motivational team bonding.

“We have a lot of strong cheerleaders this year that plan on trying out for next season … So now we have to get them to do a lot more team building things in order to get them closer, so they trust each other and they feel like family.”

With hopes for a bigger team and continuing strong bonds, the BHS comp cheer team sees a bright future ahead. “I don’t see us going any lower than third place ever again,” Sutherland said.

FINDING FAMILY AT BHS CARINA THOMAS

When I say I preferred to work alone, I don’t mean it in a selfish way.

Growing up, I was always quiet and struggled with opening up and making new friends. While so many other kids my age hung out together during their free time, I buried myself in school assignments and unnecessary extra credit work; academic achievement was the only friend I needed.

One of the only activities I did outside of school to have fun was playing soccer. I’ve been playing soccer since as early as kindergarten, so the sport has seamlessly been woven into my life from the beginning. At the time, I didn’t exactly feel passionate about the sport — soccer was just a normal activity that I didn’t mind incorporating into my daily routine.

Earlier this school year, I decided to play soccer for Berkeley High. I didn’t expect to bond with my new teammates on the school team, since I’d never put making friends as one of my top priorities. All I focused on initially was returning to my club season as a more skilled and confident player.

However, the more I was around my school teammates at practice, the more I started to open up. We began gathering together everyday after school as soon as the end of school bell rang-- developing after school traditions like walking to K’s Coffeehouse for bagels, bundling together on the bleachers to watch JV soccer games, or on cold rainy days, going to our “secret” hangout/study zone by the stairs in M1. As we accompanied each other with bagels, laughs, and wacky 0.5 pictures, I grew from calling my teammates friends to calling each of them my family.

This tight bond translated to our performance on the field — we not only had an impressive win rate, but most importantly, we consistently played well and gave full effort, all while having fun. Anytime one of us was feeling down, there were nineteen players left on the team to lift that one player up. This support system that we built led us to collectively develop the understanding that the success of our team lay in the hands of each and every one of us.

With each game, I gained confidence and experimented with skill moves that I’d never executed before. Even when I failed, I received oohs and ahhs from my teammates both on and off the bench, and that support elevated my confidence. This immense passion and love for the sport I’d been playing all my life grew tremendously because I was surrounded by such an amazing team.

Through playing soccer at BHS, I’ve learned to work hard without sacrificing my relationships with peers. While I still strongly value my academics, I’ve finally begun to realize that prioritizing my academic achievements won’t bring me happiness without having friends by my side. Additionally, when I take the time to bond with others, we not only have fun, but we also reach success.

In the end, I returned to my club season as not just a more skilled and confident player, but also a better learner, supporter, leader, and person towards others and myself.

16 F R I D A Y , M A R C H 1 7 , 2 0 2 3

SPORTS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

sports editors: Norah lee & Luisa Bertolli

luisabertolli@students.berkeley.net

Girls lacrosse racks first win of season

BY CLARA TJEN staff writer

Swimmers on the BHS girls swim team dive into the pool during practice, cheered on by fellow teamates.

AVA MUSSI

Female coaches act as crucial role models

BY SIMON POLICY staff writer

In the ever-demanding world of school and club sports, female athletes are often pushed to the sidelines by male coaches. It’s an issue on the mend in Berkeley and many other parts of the country, but this genderbased prioritization still affects female athletes in most sports.

Savannah Johnson is a Berkeley High School student who plays on a Junior Varsity ice hockey team. Before ice hockey, however, Johnson was among the few girls playing in her baseball league..

“I never had a girl coach playing baseball,” she said.

“I’ve had great coaches who were incredibly supportive of me, but I really didn’t have any female role models in this sport … I had coaches who gave me special attention because they kind of wanted to see more girls in the sport,” Johnson said.

“I also had coaches who flat out told me at the beginning of the season that they did not want me on their team and were forced to have me on their team.”

Abril Esqueda is on the BHS swim team and a club team. Her experiences were similarly mixed when she first started swimming for a club team several years ago. While talking about Esqueda’s prior club team coach, she said that “he didn’t pay as much attention

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to me as he did to his male swimmers because I wasn’t as fast.”

Esqueda clarified that it wasn’t just her male coaches who prioritized male teammates. “I think both male and female coaches, though mostly male coaches, like to see results quicker and clearer,” she said. Esqueda said male teammates were prioritized on her first team, and she felt her coach largely ignored most female athletes. As of now, Esqueda has a very positive experience on the Berkeley High swim team.

“They (the BHS swim coaches) don’t really pick sides like ‘oh the girls are doing better than the boys, I’m going to focus more with them.’ It’s been like an equal amount of respect with both genders.” Esqueda’s experiences show that the issue of gender-based prioritization in sports is recovering, but the problem does, very much still exist.

Stella Wellborn is a BHS senior and high school girls varsity soccer team athlete.

Similarly to Esqueda’s early experiences with swim, she “noticed the boys team would always get the

better goals or the bigger half of the field.” Wellborn said that the prevalency of gender-based prioritization in sports, both in school and on professional levels, is part of why it’s vital to have female coaches as role models.

“This year on the varsity soccer team … we had two female assistant coaches, which is the first time in the program in years that we’ve had female assistant coaches,” Wellborn said. The new assistant coaches are students and soccer players at University of California, Berkeley. “It was a great step forward,” added Wellborn.

“It gave us people we could relate to ... and let us get advice from people who aren’t that much older than us and are women.”

For Jonhson, having female role models in school sports can help athletes have a more positive and inclusive experience. “I’ve had great experiences with being able to have role models where I can see these women went and played hockey,” she said.

“Seeing female role models is important not just for the girls but for the guys as well.”

Berkeley High School’s girls lacrosse team left the field brimming with excitement, hollering victorious cheers on the cold evening of March 2. It was the team’s third game of the season and first win.

Although their season started out slightly rocky, they came back strong against Casa Grande High School with a 13-11 win.

“We had a lot of participation across the field, everyone did their part,” said Lane Imen, a junior at BHS. The game started with a fast goal by Casa Grande in the first few minutes, but BHS quickly recovered with a goal by junior Sienna Prak-Perry. Prak-Perry had a successful game with an impressive total of six goals scored. Following PrakPerry’s goal, Lane Imen, Kate Imen, Christina Keung, and Sade Devine also scored goals in the first half.

Assistant Coach August Fern coached this game, as Head Coach Jessica Seggman was unable to make it.

“We were practicing a new defense and it was

really exciting to see it come together,” Fern said.

They utilized a new zonal defensive formation where defenders guard certain zones instead of manmarking.

Fern emphasized the critical role played by senior goalie McKenna Pattison, who held it down in the second half when Casa Grande were threatening towards goal, getting more shots off than they did in the first.

“The goalie, McKenna, had some clutch saves at the end, which were really key to keep us in the game.” Fern said.

In the second half, Berkeley continued their success with zone defense and also “did really good on (their) draws,” Imen said. Draws happen at each restart after a goal and the beginning of both halves.

By the end of the game, BHS spirits were high. The whistle blew as Berkeley’s defense shut down Casa Grande, yielding a quick counterattack for BHS. Continuing the season, Prak-Perry says the team is “looking to keep working hard, and definitely communicating constructive criticism … just getting better as a team.”

Junior Lane Imen speeds past a defender on March 2.

GEORGIA PAULOS

ATHLETE PROFILE “We like to talk about diving as a mental sport,” said junior Sada Linn, captain of the Berkeley High School diving team. Learning a new dive can be really intimidating. “A lot of times I’m nervous to try it, but it’s not as bad as you think,” Linn said. Divers often demonstrate dives for their teammates, building each other’s confidence while developing their skillsets.Working on a new dive sometimes involves a progression of specific jumps to help you build up to the new skill. However to “just try it and see what happens” is also important. “You just have to try things and work on it … and try to do it better the next time,” Linn said. This mentality is “something I’ve learned through diving for sure,” but it goes beyond the pool. “It’s a good mentality to take and use throughout life.”

CLARA ELM NETTESHEIM

— Saskia Freedberg