BHS Jacket 2022/23 Issue 2

BERKELEY HIGH

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no. 2

since 1912

Dressing on the gender spectrum: Students find growth through fashion and identity PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA BIRENBAUM

ENTERTAINMENT

MALINA MEISSNER

BY SIMON POLICY & RUBY FREEDMAN staff writer & entertainment editor

“Especially as someone who’s struggled with (gender) dysphoria previously, I rarely feel it

anymore,” said Ty Walthall, a junior at Berkeley High School. “Being able to dress in a way I feel comfortable has really affirmed my gender identity and made me a lot more comfortable with my body and who I am.”

Walthall’s daily outfits, which feature vibrant clothes and makeup that accentuate their blue-streaked hair, are a vessel for them to show the relationship between gender identity and style.

The world of fashion is not perfect. Being

thoroughly laced with harmful mass production and otherworldly price tags, ignoring fashion’s tidal wave of ethical and societal problems is pretty much impossible. Yet, despite its flaming red flags radiating the color of crimson toxic

waste, many still love the creativity and expression it provides. It’s a way to show how people feel about themselves. For many BHS students, gender is crucial for identity and expression.

BHS junior Simone Strader described how her

relationship with fashion has been a consistent source of self expression as she has grown in recent years. “I think I’ve definitely evolved how I present myself and how I look throughout the years … It definitely is attached to finding PAGE 9

INVESTIGATIVE

AfAm Studies’ roots in student activism

BY AELIA GYGER staff writer

“Student activism. I think that is something really beautiful, and is what shaped this department.” said Dawn Williams, or “Doc Dub,” a teacher at Berkeley High School. “Our department was introduced in 1968, and it was all thanks to our beautiful Black Student Union.”

Williams teaches AfroHaitian Dance, and is the co-head of the Department of African American Studies at BHS, along with Spencer Pritchard.

In 1968, the BHS BSU demanded the development of a culturally relevant department. In a series of strikes not only led by the BSU, but also parents of Black students at BHS, the AfAm

Studies department was founded, originally called the Black Studies Department.

The success of the African American Department at BHS established the baseline for deeper Black education in schools all around America.

When extended education of Black subjects was introduced, it was common for the average student to not know historical figures such as Fredrick Douglass, said Indiana University Bloomington PhD student Aaron Fountain, who specializes in the radicalization of high school students in the 1960s and 70s. “The gateway for Black Studies departments everywhere began to open with the help of Berkeley High students,” Fountain said.

The curriculum PAGE 6

Housing demand pushes out Downtown businesses An increased push for housing development in Downtown Berkeley has strained long-time businesses. PAGE 7

ANNELISE SCHOUTEN

FEATURES

Balancing jobs and school strains students

BY MIRABAI PARNALL staff writer

In the fourth grade, Tyler Blue, now a senior at Berkeley High School, got his first job, and he’s been working ever since.

“With my family circumstances, I’ve been doing any and everything

to make a quick dollar,” Blue said.

“My job was (to sell) stuff on the street ... (in eighth grade) I did roofing, cleaning houses, and then my first check job (was) working at a camp,” explained Blue.

From there he worked at his uncle’s air conditioning business, a movie theater, and now Whole Foods.

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Balancing homework, social life, and more isn’t foreign to high schoolers.

Having to go to work on top of all of that can be even more mentally exhausting and lead to less study time and overall stress.

Last year, as a junior, Blue worked at Regal and was considered a parttime employee. However,

his schedule put him there seven days a week, with eight hour shifts, from after school to sometime between 1:30 to 2:30 in the morning. On top of that he had school work, and woke up each morning at six to go to school.

“Having a job while having homework, it’s stressful,” Blue said. PAGE 7

Entertainment Music Playlist: Rhythm and Blues Check out a playlist of R&B songs submitted by students at BHS! Artists range from UMI to Erykah Badu. PAGE 9

2

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

news editors: Kira Rao-Poolla & Kaiya Jordan

NEWS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

kiraraopoolla@students.berkeley.net

School board covers Bridge Program staffing, new tardy policy

BY AARON STEVENS staff writer

On Wednesday, August 24, the Berkeley Unified School District School Board convened, discussing topics including staff shortages within the Bridge Program, mask enforcement, new contracts for teachers, and the new tardy policy at Berkeley High School.

During the public comment section of the meeting, BHS student Jonathan Schwartz

brought up the new tardy policy in which all entrances close immediately after the first bell. Students must then enter through the main office and show their school ID, after which they receive a pass to their next class.

“This doesn’t sound too bad, except for that last step of going to the front desk. There have been lines of 20 to 30 minutes,” said Schwartz. He also mentioned that the new plan was meant to discourage students from being tardy, yet

J HORSLEY

often made them significantly late to class. Schwartz added that the new policy would disproportionately affect students who rely on public transit to get to school.

“My idea is just to open the gates 10 to 15 minutes after first period class time,” Schwartz later shared, as this policy wouldn’t unnecessarily hold back students who may have only been minutes late.

Throughout public comment, parents of BUSD students expressed their

concerns about staff shortages in the Bridge Program at BHS. The Bridge Program, which has existed for over a decade, was founded to help close the achievement gap and uplift students who may be struggling academically.

Currently, the program lacks a full time teacher.

“When we found out about Bridge, we were really excited about the opportunity to join a program that was going to offer my daughter academic support,” one parent shared.

“We’ve been pretty dismayed to find out that there still isn’t a teacher.” Another Parent Commented.

Later in the meeting, School Board Director, Julie Sinai expressed support for hiring a permanent teacher for the program. She also mentioned that the LEARNS program was facing similar staffing challenges.

“Just to clarify, the challenge with the Bridge Program is not an issue of funding,” Sinai said.

“The school board made it very clear that we’re funding the program. The challenge right now is staff, it’s finding a

qualified teacher.”

A BUSD parent also shared a letter he wrote to the board and superintendent about masking and COVID-19. He explained that multiple school locations still have signs up about masking that don’t follow current BUSD COVID-19 protocols, which state that masks are required, despite protocols saying that masks are now strongly recommended.

At another point, a video from Matt Meyer, president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, was presented to the board. Meyer requested improved wages and better compensation for teachers and staff, also adding that the district needed to lower class sizes. “All of our proposals fall in line with current budget realities. They recognize cost of living increases never experienced in many of our lifetimes,” Meyer said. He also added that nearby districts with settled contracts were receiving near or more than what the union was asking for.

Student Board Representative, Ian Segall , addressed the issue of

teachers not being financially compensated for writing letters of recommendation for students applying to college.

Segall mentioned that teachers at BHS can expect to be asked a wide range of five to 65 letters of recommendation per year.

“The time spent on these letters is extra to their normal teaching time,” Segall said.

“Compensation for this is usually distributed individually by each of the small schools, and unfortunately, this year, many of these provisions are being taken away.”

He continued, describing how these changes have caused many teachers to opt not to write letters of recommendation.

Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel also shared her “90 Day Plan,” focusing on listening and learning. She said that she wanted to visit each school location in BUSD by the end of the school year to engage principals, teachers, and other staff. “Particularly, over the 90 days, it’s my intention to really understand the culture, history, and current experiences in BUSD,” Morthel said.

New Universal Meals Program: BHS free school lunch continues

BY YSABEL CHU staff writer

As a result of California’s n e w “ Un i v e r s a l M e a l s Program”, designed to expand on the federal National Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, B erkeley High School, during the 2022-23 school year, will continue offering two free meals to all students every day regardless of family income.

According to the Berkeley Unif ied S cho ol Distric t Director of Nutrition Services, Bonnie Christensen, free school meals have historically been funded mostly by the federal government. If a student fell under the national poverty level, they would qualify for free or reduced meals. Students would be identified when they received their meal, and BUSD received reimbursement from the federal government depending on whether the meal was considered free, reduced, or

paid.

Keely Shaller, a BHS freshman, commented on the impact of school lunch, “It’s free. I don’t have a lot of money to get lunch or make lunch all of the time, and I find school lunch really helpful. It is not fine dining, but it’s edible and healthy enough.”

During the 2021-22 school year, California used its budget surplus and federal COVID-19 aid to allow public schools to provide two free meals daily to all students regardless of household income.

This year, BUSD would have had to operate once again under the usual National S cho ol Lunch Program, however, California recently implemented the Universal Me a l s P r o g r a m , w h i c h allocates funds to reimburse public schools, so that all students can receive two free school meals.

“C a l i f o r n i a r e a l i z e d because of COVID-19 that so many kids in our state are food insecure,” Christensen

said. “So it doesn’t make sense anymore to charge for meals.

The best thing to do in order to have actual equity and to address food insecurity issues is for California to pay for all of the students to eat for free.”

BUSD will continue to receive free lunch reimbursement from the federal government for the students who are under the national poverty level, and now also receive reimbursement f rom California for the students who are not.

“It seems really beneficial,’’ Sunny Bevis-Lipton, a student at BHS, said about the benefits of free school lunch for all. “A lot of people are embarrassed to say that they don’t have a lot of money or don’t want to say I need free school lunch. It could just be free for anyone (including) people who need it and people who want it.”

Even if a student can technically afford meals, free school lunch can still be useful as a convenient way to receive additional food, according to

Sophomore, Theo Koehler.

“School lunch is just kind of easy,” Koehler said. “In elementary school, either my parents would make me lunch or I would make myself lunch. And then I’d also get school lunch just because I was hungry,” added Koehler.

Additionally, since the qualifications to be considered under the national poverty line are the same for every place in the country, Christensen

argues that the eligibility rules don’t take into account the different costs of living in different areas.

“What is really great about this program is that it fixes the national poverty line problem,” Christensen said. “The Bay Area is very expensive, it is only getting more expensive. Every year, we see kids dropping off of the free and reduced program, even though they can’t afford

to pay for meals.”

Christensen reflected on the importance of schools providing food for all of their students. “(Food) should be equitable, and everybody has a right to high-quality, nutritious foods.” Christensen said. “Our job is to teach you, and to educate you, and to support the whole child. Part of that support is about feeding all of our children.”

BHS students line up for free school lunch, now offered twice daily to all students.

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NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

College applicants grapple with the overturning of Roe v.Wade “It’s scary to live in a state where my body can be restricted, but it feels good to be in a community surrounded by people who are pro-choice,” Roe v. Wade was a Supreme Faulders said. “In Ohio I can Court ruling made in 1973 that partake in activism and try to legalized abortion nationally. change the ways of the state.”

It was overturned on June Faulders also shared her 24, 2022, giving individual own perspective on how she states the right to criminalize feels that the changes abortion. will impact her Many students at personally.

BHS experience their “While these states “The idea that the people who views being reciprocated by the local government. are in charge of laws in the state may have terrible laws and ideas, there are However, Roe v. Wade where I live don’t think that I communities of people being overturned has caused many students should have the right to do what within them who are to reconsider many I want to do with my body makes striving to make a difference,” she said. “It me feel unsafe.” decisions, college is these groups that will among them. be able to change the Some upperclassmen Eve Li Leboux, workings of the state.” and graduates BIHS junior Claire Wolfenden, undergoing the a senior in Academic college process are Choice (AC), is reconsidering attending an out-of-state school, where be moving to a place much currently undergoing her own college decision process. She’s abortion laws may be different. different.”

This is evident for 2022 BHS Faulders expressed that also navigating her and her graduate Elsa Faulders. though Oberlin College is an community’s response to Roe Faulders currently attends extremely liberal school that v. Wade.

Wolfenden shared that the Oberlin College in Oberlin, ensured that reproductive care Ohio. Ohio is one of 12 states would remain accessible, the recent changes to reproductive that banned abortion after the abortion ban taking place in rights policies have impacted her. She said, “It furthered the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Ohio still has its effect.

BY ARIANA YEROVAM staff writer

3

“ R o e v . Wa d e w a s overturned after I had already made my decision to attend Oberlin,” Faulders said. “Since the school is located in Ohio, I knew I was going to be moving to a state where abortion laws would be affected. In California, I felt safe, but in a couple months, I would

conversations around who is making these laws, and how people feel they can react and take actions.”

For the next school year, Wolfenden intends to attend a research university, and is considering leaving the state to do so.

“In California, we have the privilege that our lawmakers and state are keeping abortion legal. For some in other states, they can take that trip if they need to get one,” she

said. “However, others may not have that luxury, and the overturning just creates more dangerous situations for people.”

Berkeley International High School (BIHS) junior Eve Li Leboux said that she also feels similarly.

“When thinking about w he re I wou l d apply, I definitely would not apply to a state that doesn’t allow the right to an abortion because I would feel unsafe,” Li Leboux

ELLIOT SCHRAG

said. “The idea that the people who are in charge of laws in the state where I live don’t think that I should have the right to do what I want to do with my body makes me feel unsafe.”

Li Leboux also shared that, to her knowledge, both her family and her peers felt the same way. “ T h e Un it e d St at e s Constitution is founded on ideas of freedom, and this is taking away my personal freedom,” Li Leboux said.

AAPI Literature class provides representation and community

BY MAYA DANG staff writer

After several years of advocacy, the Asian American Pacific Islander Literature class has finally started at Berkeley High School. The class is taught by Matthew Laurel, an English teacher and Academic Support Coordinator.

According to Laurel, the class was championed during the pandemic, at a time when solidarity in the AAPI community was critical, given the large number of hate crimes against Asian Americans.

The AAPI Literature

class used to exist at BHS in the 1990s, as a semesterlong class that was taught by current ethnic studies teacher Dana Moran, followed by two other teachers for a few semesters.

But, by the early 2000s, it was removed from the course catalog. Now, the class has been revived under Laurel with a new curriculum.

“It feels really good because it has been an idea floating around, (but now)it’s a safe space for AAPI students. It’s here, it’s solid, and it’s happening,” said BHS senior Julianna Loretto, student advocate for the class.

Loretto said that she hopes the books and excerpts that she’ll read in this class will expose her to different aspects of her culture, as well as allow her to gain a new understanding of experiences similar to her own.

Shai Eastman, another senior, echoed these sentiments, explaining the significance of this class to representation, as well as the importance of connecting students to their heritage.

“It feels really good (to have this class),” Eastman said. “It’s very important to represent AAPI students and get them more in touch with their culture and with

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authors who have similar backgrounds as them.”

According to Eastman, the class has started reading “Minor Feelings” by Cathy Park Hong, which is a series of essays about her experiences as an Korean American. She added that the books the class will be reading are very profound and distinctive.

“It educates people to a deeper and more personal level,” Loretto said. “If it is someone writing about an experience, then the reader is given insight into someone’s way of life that is different from their own. It shows the significance and impact humans have on each other.”

Sakiko Muranaka, a former Berkeley International High School English teacher, created the

curriculum in collaboration with Le Tran, a former social studies teacher at BHS, and Diane Kung, an Academy of Medicine and Public Service English teacher.

According to Laurel, they incorporated many student and teacher ideas, building a curriculum that still allowed for flexibility.

“Ms. Muranaka created a general template of what books we wanted to read. She talked to other AAPI teachers about texts they think would be the best to introduce, but the curriculum is not necessarily “set in stone,” Laurel said. “A lot of it is dynamic, so depending on how we feel, we could decide to do a different book, we can change things up.”

Kung added on, saying that the curriculum deeply

examined AAPI history and subjects including US imperialism and the portrayal of Asian Americans in media.

She described how she is particularly interested in highlighting AAPI activism and breaking stereotypes of the community.

While expressing his hopes for the impact of the class, Laurel commented on the challenges faced so far.

“We should have had this course long ago. It feels late to the party, to be honest,” Laurel said. “I’m not bitter about it, but I’m tired of being tired, of always feeling like it’s uphill. We were late to the course catalog, which was why we only had one section signed up. … I want to make a big impression on BHS. I want to make some noise. I want all the smoke.”

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Listen to the newest episode from The Buzz podcast: Exploring lunch culture at BHS Matthew Laurel, an English teacher, presents to students in his AAPI Literature class.

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OPINION

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

EDITORIAL

Fear tactics have no place in education Students spend a minimum of 720 hours in school every year. Every change and event in a child’s life during the school year reverberates around classroom walls and is felt by those surrounding them. Educators are granted one of the most powerful positions in students' lives. They have the ability to make or break a future, to help, or to irreversibly damage the psyches of their students. Compassionate teaching is the backbone of education, and it is the responsibility of the instructor to cultivate an empathetic and communicative atmosphere in which students will flourish.

Unfortunately, those who wield the most power are also those who often become the most sadistic. It is entirely too common to see fear used as a tactic of control in classrooms.

Policies that prevent students from taking tests due to absences, or late work that is automatically knocked down by 25 percent, are examples of a useless claim to power — the kind of things that don’t really matter in an educational sense but demonstrate the authority that a teacher holds, the capability to take your grade down at a moment's notice.

In these classes, respect is demanded, and those who do not immediately submit to the supposed authority of the scorned teacher face wrath. This is the wrath of a figure powerless themselves in so many ways, who is looking to gain

control over any aspect of their life. Teachers are underpaid and overworked, they are mistreated by the administration, admonished by parents, and expected to do the jobs of multiple people.

This said, a child will always be more vulnerable than those who have had the time to reach emotional maturity.

According to the Center of the Developing Child, the formation of synaptic connections in the brain is strongest at the age of three, and after that, the possibility of growth and permanent behaviors slowly dwindles until personality is set almost in stone. These connections can be nourished over a lifetime, or weakened, depending on the frequency of use by their owner.

Let’s say a child has forgotten their homework, and when they go to class and admit this to their teacher, they are called out in front of an audience of their peers, or even belittled and admonished in private. The association that child now has with making mistakes is an unredeemable shame pinned to them by an authoritative figure. Every time someone scolds them for making a mistake, that connection grows stronger and stronger, while the smaller and less noticeable connection that allows for mistakes grows weaker.

One teacher who has put an undeniable effort into his compassion for students is Mikko Jokela. He currently teaches seventh grade humanities at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley. Jokela begins every year with a vow of solidarity: “We are on the journey together. I give students three promises when they walk in the door: I'm never angry at them, they automatically get my respect, and I will listen to them.”

He actively treats every individual with the recognition that they deserve, and in doing so models how to live in the

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world with compassion.

This is not to say that Jokela is perfect. Last year was a struggle for many teachers, as students were returning from a year-long lockdown in which they were not given the stimulation needed to succeed, and Jokela said that he deeply felt reprecussions for students in behavior, attentiveness, and mental health, among many other things. He elaborated on his personal struggle with maintaining his composure in the classroom.

“The pandemic has had a huge mental impact on our society, our students, and each individual. I would not say that I have completely prevailed, but I am in a better place now than I was last year,” Jokela said. He continued, “I have also started working 80% time because I need time to recuperate, meditate, and live a balanced life.” Jokela knows that being a good influence and good educator requires him to be at his healthiest in order to have the abilities and emotional capacity that he is asking of his students.

To reach and positively impact your students, you need to recognize and respect them. Public humiliation, excess punishment, and shame tactics may earn you a false title of authority, but the damage they inflict upon the children you claim to care so much about will last longer than your entire career. A real education is one of both knowledge and empathy, and educators are the ones gifted with the ability to instill these skills into our youth. Teachers worldwide should aspire to live by Jokela’s philosophy. “(Teaching) is so beautiful. I feel like it is the greatest honor a person can have,” Jokela remarked. “The students and I learn together: how to treat each other well, but also how to treat ourselves with compassion. And when we fail, we never give up, and rise above.”

Administration transparency is vital in ensuring BHS safety

BY AVA RAMSDALE staff writer

Many Berkeley High School students vividly remember when they first read about a bomb threat on BHS campus. Students were shocked to realize Berkeley Unified School District, along with the Berkeley Police Department, had been investigating the threat during the prior week, and members of BUSD had been told that the suspect “did not pose an immediate threat to the Berkeley High School community,” according to BUSD’s statement.

While it is vital that we as students demand transparency from our administration so that we feel safe in school, we have to understand that many administrative decisions are made because of information that students do not have access to.

The bomb threat was not the first incident that left BHS students shaken and seriously considering their safety at school. At the end

of May 2022, a shooting involving a 17-year-old occurred at Civic Center Park around the corner from BHS just after school hours. The most frustrating part for many families was that they found out about the incident through Berkeleyside rather than the school administration.

Despite being a cityowned park, many BHS students spend their lunches and free time at Civic Center Park, and parents were worried that their kids weren’t safe attending school. According to STRIDE Survey, this isn’t uncommon throughout California schools, as “52 percent of parents or guardians with children enrolled in public school would prefer enrolling them in private school” due to concerns about their child’s safety at school.

Students felt unprepared throughout the school year when they were blindsided with news of safety concerns happening within their community. Students felt they weren’t getting

enough news from their own administration, so they found further information through sources such as Berkeleyside and other local news. This detrimentally altered the level of trust between students and administrators.

At a school with over 3,200 students, every BHS student hopes that administrative choices are made with their safety and security in mind. And while we understand the risks of releasing incomplete information and potentially causing widespread panic, the lack of transparency at BHS heightened the lack of safety that students felt at their own school, to the point where some considered skipping school altogether in fear of their lives.

We can embrace this as an opportunity to create improvement in our school and make this year a safer experience for everyone.

In this year, administration and students must work together to create the change they want to see at BHS.

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LUCIA RADILLO

OPINION BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

opinion editors: Ella Creane & Ellora Mookherjee Amodt

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

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Ellacreane@students.berkeley.net

Informed citizenship begins with keeping up with the news

BY SHANZA SYED staff writer

​​ It often feels like so much is going on in the world that it is nearly impossible to keep up with all the “breaking news”. But is staying up to date really worth the trouble? Some people say it causes stress, while others simply don’t have the time or the care to follow up on things that don’t affect them. However, such an attitude can prevent accountability and allow history to repeat itself. This is why it is imperative that people continue to keep up with the news.

As the next generation, this responsibility falls to us.

We have to be vigilant for everyone and every issue.

Clearly, this responsibility can be an incredibly

stressful one. Nobody likes to know that their personal future, as well as the future of their country, is being compromised. And once someone’s in a doomsday mindset, it’s difficult to get out of a loop of constant negativity, which can impact mental health and a person’s overall life. However, while this is a valid argument, it doesn’t account for the fact that if people are not aware of what is going on, they cannot fix the very problems that are making them stressed.

Even in a city like Berkeley, where political conflicts and misinformation scandals seem unlikely, it is still imperative to follow the news. Well-educated citizens are simply more capable of voicing their thoughts about key issues and pioneering meaningful

change. Such is seen with regard to issues like that of People’s Park, where remaining an informed citizen is critical to staying involved.

Another example is the matter of Donald Trump, who had no regard for the people. He tried to push countless racist and homophobic policies while making a laughingstock out of the entire nation.

However, while he was doing all of this, the American people watched, and when they didn’t like what they saw, they spoke up. All across the country, people took to the streets in the thousands to protest bills and executive orders like the Muslim Travel Ban. When the time came in 2020, people united in droves to vote him out of office. This was only possible

because people knew what was happening.

Only because people saw and understood what Trump was doing were they able to decide that he went against their values, and it was time to vote him out. As the next generation of voters begin to decide the direction in which this country will go, keeping up with the news is important as a way to elect individuals who will act in our best interest regarding current issues.

However, Trump didn’t stop there. When the election results were being certified, Trump incited a coup, claiming that the election was “fraudulent”, simply because he lost.

His followers came out in full support of him, invading Capitol Hill. Yet after the event, Republicans tried to play it down. The reason

people were able to speak out against their lies was because they saw the news and were able to decide for themselves what the facts were. Calling Trump out was the public’s way of holding him accountable and letting him know where they drew the line.

There is no denying that

ALEXANDRA MORGAN

mental health is important, but people shouldn’t be complicit in injustice due to ignorance. Take breaks and know your limits, but make use of other healthy ways to relieve stress, such as talking to peers or family. In this ever evolving and stressful world, knowledge and peace come hand in hand.

The dangers of cancel culture

BY SERENNA REDWOOD staff writer

BHS clubs must be all-inclusive

J HORSLEY

BY SIMONE FAULKNER staff writer

Berkeley High School’s seemingly endless list of clubs is a representative microcosm and point of pride for the school. There are a multitude of clubs for every hobby, culture, food item, and niche interest, even branching into single articles of clothing. BHS clubs are unique, to say the least, and provide more than just a free period during the club fair or a laugh on the morning announcements.

They provide community — though some more so than others. Some friend groups have registered themselves as BHS clubs, and despite their exclusivity, they should respect the obligations of being a club and welcome new members who wish to join.

The sprawling club list doesn’t reveal what any of the clubs are actually like, just their purpose. There is no way for students to know the dynamics of these clubs when they are

surveying their options, and though most claim that they are always welcoming to curious students, it may be implied that some aren’t.

It’s unfortunate that it’s relatively easy to become a club, but so difficult for some to respect the meaning of being an organized group that represents BHS. A group just needs to write out a club constitution, construct a budget, and recruit a faculty member as an advisor.

They are then approved

by John Villavicencio, the BHS Student Activities Leader, after which they are recognized as an official club, and it becomes their choice to advertise themselves and welcome new members or not.

Some students might be nervous when thinking of joining a new club, regardless of their status as a friend group or open community.

One could say that the issue of whether exclusive clubs need to advertise and welcome new members shouldn’t be debated, as it’s likely students wouldn’t want to join a group that

is a pre-established friend group. While it is true that most students would feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in a space where they don't know their place, it is a club's job to accept new members. If a group is registered as a BHS club, then they have a responsibility to welcome all students.

“When you become a club, you’re taking on the responsibility of accepting new people and creating a community with whoever wants to join,” said Rylyn Jaggar, BHS Chief of Clubs.

It’s not a matter of the existing club wanting new students to join, it’s about the possibility of students wanting to join and deserving a friendly space.

The function of a club is to build community. It is hypocritical for a group to agree to the norms of being a BHS club, which includes a commitment to welcoming new members, and proceed not to do just that.

According to Jaggar, “that just goes against the spirit of what a school club is.”

We’ve all seen it happen before, when the ruthless whip that is cancel culture knocks down yet another teenage internet celebrity.

When a video from years ago of your favorite TikTok dancer singing racial slurs surfaces, suddenly that individual must be removed from the internet. When old tweets from a famous YouTube makeup artist are dragged out of the depths of the web, the YouTuber must disappear for a few months, just to reappear with a tearfully scripted apology video. These are prevalent examples of cancel culture, and seeing them online can deeply affect teen viewers.

They implicitly teach high school students that it is not okay to ask questions, and

therefore, students become afraid to learn why certain things are harmful to others.

The point of cancel culture is to teach people that the thing they said or did was harmful, why it was harmful, who it harmed, and why they should not continue the behavior.

Sadly, in actuality, canceling people does none of these things. Instead the people are attacked ad hominem and cast out without being educated about what they did.

Cancel culture creates a fear of being canceled and causes people not to ask questions when they don’t understand why something is hurtful. Instead of learning about the issue, its history, and who it harms, they will keep their questions to themselves for fear of a bad reaction.

While it does make sense

LEILAH DOOSTAN

that it’s necessary to remove someone’s platform when they’ve caused harm, cancel culture almost always fails in taking someone’s platform.

A celebrity will take a hiatus from the internet, return with an apology video, and still have millions of fans.

The same is true of cancel culture in real life. Attempts at removing someone's social power often end in meaningless drama, rather than a productive interaction.

Instead of simply attacking the person who caused harm, if we treat them with the kindness they possibly do not deserve, they will be more likely to be receptive to education on the issue. Instead of making them defensive and allowing them to make themselves the victim by acting cruelly, we should be kind and teach them how to do better.

In a world where we treat people who caused harm with kindness and teach them why their actions were wrong, they will then be able to educate others. At Berkeley High School, the political environment can be so charged that students are limited in asking questions, and, consequently, limited in growth.

This is why in order to cause real change, we must create space for people to ask questions and make mistakes. When they do, it is much more helpful to treat them with kindness, so that they can learn why their actions were hurtful and move forward.

6

INVESTIGATIVE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

No peace for powerless people: The activism that shaped the African American Studies Department 1968

1968

April 4: Black Student Union established at BHS

September 10: BUSD becomes first public school system to integrate schools

October 1: The BHS BSU's list of 14 demands are presented to the Board of Education

1968

1969

2022

Late October: BUSD school board agress to implement select demands

1968

AfAm department established at BHS (the first one in a US public high school)

AP Patterns in Black Literature class revived at BHS

QWEN BLAIR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

associate of the AfAm Studies Department, the late Clarence Hampton, spent months perfecting the curriculum before release. Hampton stressed the importance of hiring Black teachers, as they “establish rapport with Black students,” adding that “white teachers can help tremendously by integrating the materials of their courses and by seeing that they are well taught.”

There was an extensive list of new courses provided, like Afro-American Literature, Afro-American Economics, and African Civilization. The two

One class demanded by the BSU was Black Journalism.

classes already offered (History of Jazz and Afro-American History) remained, and continued to excite their students.

The demand for culturally relevant Physical Education led to the African Diaspora (previously known as AfroHaitian) Dance course, which was the beginning of Williams' position.

However, despite the determination of the Black Studies teachers, administrators, and department heads, many of the other classes offered in the AfAm department were cut due to a federal case discouraging the segregation in classes

COURTESY OF THE 1971 BHS YEARBOOK

at BHS. Featured in a 1977 interview, by the Berkeley Daily Gazette, Navies spoke on the injustice of restricting the “only comprehensive African-American student program in existence in a public school in America.”

Throughout the article, Navies criticized the loss of these spaces, saying, “we may have lost more than we gained.”

As is the longstanding disagreement of the difference between community and segregation within BHS. While the federal government made a point to put money in place in order to desegregate, this was not always the answer that the Black community was looking for. Annually, BHS would apply for and receive a $400,000 grant from the Emergency School Aid Act. This money was used to fund the AfAm Studies Department, but was quickly denied.

BHS was targeted, with the government insisting that “no student shall be allowed to attend any ‘racially identifiable’ class for more than 25 percent of the school day.”

These requirements cut the attendance of AfAm Studies Department courses in half, with 125 students prevented from taking its classes.

Quickly, the effect of money and attendance shortages caught up with the department, resulting

The AfAm History class was taught in 1969, and is still offered now.

in the end of many of the original courses offered.

The fact that the majority of classes of BHS were predominantly white was not kept in mind, which struck a nerve with Navies.

However, even as the guidelines were deemed unfair by Navies, he did not believe the grant was of the utmost importance.

“I believe that $400,000 is not enough money to justify taking … heritage and positive sense of pride away from Black students,” he said.

Navies’ wish for his department was fulfilled, with many original Black Studies classes being brought back, and new classes added to the key department, resulting in a thriving community present today. The AfAm Department currently offers courses such as African Diaspora

(Beginning and Advanced) Dance, African American History, and AP Patterns in Black Literature.

The mission statement of the current AfAm Department at BHS highlights the importance of educating, empowering, and appreciating Black students at BHS. The statement partially reads, “To educate students and the greater community with an awareness and appreciation for the accomplishments, contributions, history, and culture of people of African descent.”

Recent news proves that the effect from the BHS students, parents, coordinators, and teachers that helped organize the department is far from over. As of September 2 2022, 60 American schools are now offering a new course, AP African

COURTESY OF THE 1971 BHS YEARBOOK

American Studies.

It covers four hundred years of contributions from Africans and their descendants to the US, according to Time Magazine. Although this course is a pilot program, and students taking the exam will not receive scores or college credit, the creation can be linked back to the beginning courses included in the BHS AfAm Department.

The extensive history of the AfAm Studies Department continues to impress the nation, and pursues the emergence and progression of more and more courses surrounding Black education.

As Navies said, “We Black people must define ourselves and establish Black standards.

By looking at our past we can give direction to our present and future.”

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

FEATURES BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

features editors: Lauren Huang & Amelia WIley Moreira

7

ameliawileymoreira@students.berkeley.net

Efforts to increase housing pushes out downtown businesses Downtown and along our getting a project like his transit corridors will help permitted would take over our community become a seven years, one nowadays more equitable place.” can be approved in four to However, Rhoades five.

Twenty years ago, six and his team still fight Of the large chain movie theaters were within an uphill battle. In 1970, corporations that have easy reach of downtown Berkeley voters passed the closed, the Shattuck CVS Berkeley-goers. With the Neighborhood Preservation pharmacy shut its doors closing of Shattuck Cinemas Act, which caused great during Berkeley High in late May, Regal UA, “damage to our diversity School’s summer break. on the same street, is the and equity,” according In a nationwide shift in last one remaining, and to Rhoades. “(It was) motive, CVS is shuttering the 90-year-old Art Deco institutional racism, but eight percent of all its building is soon to leave as this time by the voters.” stores according to Monica well. Panoramic Interests, F o r t y - t w o Prinzing, head of CVS’s a cityspace years later, the western region corporate development act’s remnants communications. c o m p a ny, “(We can even the) playing fields for housing i m p e d e All prescriptions with plans to in the establishment have p r e s e r v e equity once we build more, and build taller, to progress regards to been shifted to neighboring R e g a l ’s bring down the costs of new housing” B e r k e l e y ’ s locations on Telegraph front-facing diversity.

Avenue, San Pablo Avenue, architecture Mark Rhoades, “ E v e n and University Avenue. in its Rhoades Planning Group, CEO with all of the “Maintaining access replacement housing we to pharmacy services of the are currently in underserved theater with a 293-apartment, 17-story as a designer are to combat producing … our town communities is an the inequities he sees in has been on a sharp curve important factor housing complex. of a population that has we consider when The project includes Berkeley’s housing system.

When Rhoades got become older, whiter, making store closure space designated for people in a low-income bracket. started as a city planner, and richer,” Rhoades said. decisions,” read a The building proposal puts he realized the control Some progress can be statement Prinzing sent the structure at over 187 the city of Berkeley had seen in the speed of which to Jacket. It added that its architectural Rhoades’ new building is there are four remaining feet high — three times over higher than the block’s other projects was inhibiting being established — while locations in Berkeley, and that CVS' establishments. Four blocks construction progress. Old in past years down, also to be replaced zoning laws were creating by a high-rise, is the busy a housing affordability intersection of Shattuck crisis and compounding and University where institutionalized racism. “(We can even the) McDonalds currently sits.

Trachtenberg Architects, playing fields for housing which is also licensed in the equity once we build more, Regal proposal, is working and build taller, to bring with Rhoades Planning down the costs of new Group to dismantle housing,” Rhoades said. the corner to construct “Over time, the new housing a 26-story apartment building that would, upon construction, hold the title as the highest building in Berkeley, according to Berkeleyside. Current Berkeley zoning legislature does not allow for buildings this high, but the developers are hoping to push against Downtown Berkeley businesses (pictured above) are set to close as new housing developments take place.

BY SAGE FELDMAN staff writer

the 18-story restriction.

Spats Bar, which neighbors McDonalds, would be reinstated in some form in the building’s commercial ground floor, but the fates of the other three businesses remain uncertain.

Mark Rhoades, CEO of Rhoades Planning Group, is on the board of directors of the Downtown Berkeley Association and has lived in northwest Berkeley for twenty five years. His goals

decision may have been influenced by “local market dynamics, population shifts, [or] a community’s store density.”

Smaller businesses have also been pushed out of Downtown, like restaurants Tako Sushi, Shen Hua, and Sushi California.

For the owners of Sushi California, Berkeley’s construction has been an impeding factor since it opened 36 years ago.

“Ever since (my husband) came to the Bay Area from Okinawa in ‘72 … it was his dream to start a restaurant,” said Jahlee Arakaki, Ryoji Arakaki’s wife and co-owner of Sushi California. Now in their seventies, the Arakakis have decided to shut down their restaurant. “You get tired of doing everything

yourself,” Arakaki explained. As the owners aged, people with requisite training left the area and Sushi California’s service slowed.

“For years, (Sushi California) was open 7 days a week, then (it became) 5 days a week, then lunch and dinner, and then just dinner the last fifteen years,” Arakaki said. In the “grueling” industry, reducing the restaurant’s hours was the only way the Arakakis could take time off for themselves.

The owners kept Sushi California open well into their sixties, partly due to the community the restaurant attracted, including BHS students.

While maintaining the business during Berkeley’s developments, the associated construction is not always a bitter topic for Arakaki — next door to Sushi California, another residential apartment is being constructed, and she hopes that the next restaurant to take her lease can enjoy the type of next-door style patronage she and her husband desired.

Residents and store owners continue to stay afloat amidst a sea of inequity and unaffordability.

LARSEN PORTER

BHS students strain under the pressures of jobs and school CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

school, … usually, after practice ends I'm home by eight o'clock. [By the time] I'm done with everything, I get to schoolwork at 9:30 and I'm working like, late

year, and is now at Berkeley City College, had a job Fortunately, Blue said, throughout high school. “my teachers worked a “When I first came [to lot with me they knew BHS] I started working as about my situation…so my a gardener with a friend of homework load our family. I started was less than most working there and folks in my class.” they paid 15 an hour “Get a job...but don't let that stuff Ajmal Khan, at the beginning … a senior at BHS, it’s a great job,” said control you. You still want to live works as often Juared. As a junior, while you're in high school.” as he can, trying he worked as a cook to balance at a Thai restaurant, Tyler Blue, schoolwork and his and as a senior, he BHS student role playing on the got a job at Berkeley BHS football team, Bowl. but he can’t always Having a job find time to work during late.” can be stressful, especially Esteban Juared, who for students, but in Juared’s the school week. “We have practices every day after graduated from BHS last opinion, it can help you make

you more independent, which is something that is important for a lot of high schoolers to develop as they reach adulthood.

“I took all those jobs because I wanted to be more independent for myself…I’ve always been (independent). I never asked my parents for money,”said Juared. “When you buy your own things, and you know you worked for it, and you know you put yourself on it, it makes you appreciate it more.”

For Blue, independence is an important thing to balance. “To the younger classmen… I encourage

you to get a job, get a car, things like that. Do things that that's gonna make you feel independent, but don't

RAQUEL CLYDESDALE

let that stuff control you,” Blue advised. “You still want to live while you're in high school.”

8

FEATURES

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

Chiefs of publicity trio work to maintain video bulletin legacy

BY MADELYN PHILHOWER staff writer

“Look at him, look at Bowie the cat,” said BHS senior Valerie Le, as she pointed to a picture of a cat splayed out on a couch during the August 24 video bulletin. “In the words of Bowie’s owner, he’s just one big guy doing his thing,” Le said. “Everyone wish Bowie a wonderful day, and I’ll see you next time on BHS pet features.”

Le is one of three chiefs of publicity at BHS, who create triweekly video bulletins peppered with skits, jokes, and special segments such as BHS pet features.

Last year’s chiefs of publicity were Jack Wilan, Adam Wilan, and Lottie Dierks, whose announcement style made an impression on the current publicity team.

“We're trying to carry on Adam and Jack's legacy, because what they did was really incredible. I give a lot of props to them,” said Ari Fendel, chief of publicity and BHS senior.

“It's a big word, but they did revolutionize the chief of publicity position with the (announcement) videos.”

The videos are a relic of the pandemic, when announcements typically played over the loudspeaker went online. When school

Ari Fendel, David Rukin, and Valerie Le serve as the chiefs of publicity.

returned in person, Director of Student Activities John Villavicencio continued the announcements in video form. “Most schools do a video bulletin anyways…so I just asked, hey, can I take this over, and let's try it for a year,” Villavicencio said.

The announcements are recorded and played to classes three days a week.

For Fendel, being in the public eye at BHS has its ups and downs.

When one of Fendel’s video clips ended up having poor camera quality, he found himself being hounded by other students critiquing his portion of the bulletin for days. “I really like when teachers and students come up to me and they go oh, my God, you're that guy from the bulletin, I like the videos… (but) for whatever reason, being a public figure gives people what they believe (is) the right to criticize me to my face, which they do not have that right (to)” Fendel said.

David Rukin, BHS senior and another chief of publicity, loves being BHS famous. “I've been asked to sign autographs, I've been interviewed for things, I feel like a little celebrity

Co-Chief of Publicity Ari Fendel speaks to a student for the video bulletin.

sometimes,” Rukin said.

For Le, being a wellknown face at BHS helps her improve the bulletin. People often approach them with requests, ideas, and feedback on the announcement videos, which “gives us a good scope into what we should be doing (on the bulletin),” said Le. However, not everyone has the chance to see the chiefs of publicity in action.

“Our biggest problem is that teachers won't play the announcements,” Fendel said. “We're really trying to make (the bulletin) entertaining so that teachers will want to play them…It's disappointing, but I know that if we make a better product, then the teachers will be more inclined to… play it.”

Many students don’t

watch the bulletin during second period due to their classrooms lacking a projector or because their classes never set aside the time. “(If) there's time devoted to (the bulletin), we need teachers to play it, and if a teacher is not playing it, we need to figure out why…it ends up being a thing where some kids get information, (and) some don't,” Villavicencio said. “(I’m) pretty passionate about it because… until we get the community theater…(the bulletin) is the one place (we have) to gather and do something together.”

One way the student bulletin team is trying to increase viewership by including a wide variety of holidays, clubs, celebrations, and people in their videos.

NAVEEN SANKA

According to Le, BHS Pet Features is one way that the announcements are strengthening the community. “It brings people who aren't necessarily in leadership positions a chance to be a part of the announcements, and it's pretty fun,” Le said.

Le and Rukin have goals to improve the announcements by finding the right format and balance between delivering useful information and being entertaining. Rukin expressed that they don't want to, “reinvent the genre, but add to it, you know?”

Rukin said.

As for Fendel, all he wants is “to make everyone happy. That's my goal. I don't always succeed, but that's always what I'm trying to do.”

Is the new tardy policy beneficial or detrimental to attendance? which can cause waits of up to 20 minutes on certain days. This leads students to miss even more class than they would have if the other gates remained open for longer, as junior Sofia Weidler shared.

“You'll be a minute late and then end up being 20 minutes late because you're waiting in line,” Weidler said.

Ariel Kehat, a sophomore, experienced this firsthand.

“I got to school at around 8:35 a.m. So five minutes

culture),” Raygoza said. ”There are so many things that make BHS so wonderful and there are also some On August 15, the first things that allow students to day of school at Berkeley fall through the cracks. And High School, students one of those things — we arriving late to school were believe — is that a lot of our greeted with a surprise students are not in class and — all but one of the entry not where they're supposed gates were locked at 10:01 to be at all times.” a.m. Time for a walk up the According to Cassandra block.

Tesch, dean of attendance, All students arriving students need to be held to after the gates close in the a high standard. morning and after lunch “When you have a job, have to check in with their and when you’re going to student ID cards at college, you need to the main office on be on time,” Tesch Allston Street. This said. “So if we just let is not a new policy. It “You'll be a minute late, and then you come late, we’re was first implemented end up being 20 minutes late be- not holding a high in October 2021, expectation for you. cause you're waiting in line.” in response to an Part of our goal as a incident where a gun school is to support Sofia Weidler, was brought onto you with strategies BHS student campus by an adult. that help you be What has changed, successful in the real however, is the time world.” the gates close. Last year, late. And (there’s) this According to Tesch, the gates were closed and massive line that goes on between the first and second locked around 10 minutes around the block,” he said. weeks of school, tardies after the start of first period, According to BHS increased by 2 percent whereas now they close as principal Juan Raygoza, at the start of school and the second bell rings. In these decisions were made by 6 percent after lunch addition, an administrator in an effort to increase for fourth period. These and school safety officer are campus safety and hold numbers equate to around now present at every open students accountable for 100 students arriving late gate. being on time. to their classes each day.

One of the main reasons “This summer, my Around 600 students had the new gate policy is administration team and more than two tardies per unpopular is because of the I spent quite a bit of time period the second week of long lines to the main office, thinking about (BHS’ school.

BY MATEO TSAI staff writer

Safety is also on the minds of administrators — weapons were brought onto campus last year by non-BHS students, giving rise to the safety precaution that requires anyone who arrives after the bell to scan their student ID at the office. Weidler felt that the gate closures would not have much of an impact on school safety, saying that if a person had the motivation to get on campus, they could come before the gates lock.

The long wait times in the mornings and after lunch are caused in part by the rate at which students can be checked in. According to

Tesch, the school has only one machine to scan student IDs. The admin team has looked into other ways to speed up the checkin process. “The Dean of Students, (Shaheen) Mohammed, and I have been doing research to find other technology that would assist in checking students in and out,” Tesch said.

This technology is unlikely to arrive soon, though. For now, the admin team is hoping to get more staff at the gate and fewer late students.

Regardless of the varying views on the gate closure,

BHS’s job is to educate as many students as possible as well as possible. To do so properly, the school will need to experiment to see which policies prove the most effective in getting people in class, on time.

“What is going to nudge students to be in class, if there's just no consequences whatsoever for being tardy?” said Peter Seibel, a computer science teacher and instructional specialist at BHS. “But if there's super draconian consequences, maybe that's too tight and counterproductive.

Everyone's trying to find the balance.”

LINDSEY RAYON-PIXTUN

ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

BHS students shed light on the link between fashion and identity CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and growing myself and how I look throughout the years… It definitely is attached to finding and

growing into myself more.”

For many, fashion is a handy and versatile tool for expressing gender identity.

It can help to create a positive sense of security

For Ty Walthall, fashion is a crucial part of their queer expression.

and minimize gender dysphoria. However, in addition to being a vessel for one’s own style, fashion can affect how students are perceived and treated by others. Are students treated differently on days they dress more femininely than the days they dress more masculinely?

The answer is reflected in sexism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry that remain present in society.

For Pele Scher-Levin, a freshman at BHS, being judged by others based on their outfits is a frequent experience.

“Clothes are a big stereotype, so being gay, I might be seen more gay if I dress more feminine and less gay if I dress more masculine,” he said. ScherLevin added that when they dress on the masculine side, they feel more accepted or respected by men, both on and off campus.

Similarly to ScherLevin, others noticed a difference in how they’re

PLAYLIST: R&B

Scan the QR code to listen to R&B songs submitted by BHS students!

Broken Clocks - SZA No Love - Summer Walker, SZA Valerie - Amy Winehouse Say My Name- Destiny’s Child On & On - Erykah Badu Didn’t Cha Know - Erykah Badu Lemonhaze - PawPaw Rod

Doo Wop (That Thing) Ms. Lauryn Hill To Zion - Ms. Lauryn Hill, Santana Hill Pink + White - Frank Ocean Regulate - Warren G I Wanna Be Down - Brandy How Do U Want It - Tupac Headaches - Raveena Honey- Kehlani Love Affair - UMI

treated and seen while dressing in a more feminine style.

Many expressed that infantilization and objectification are an undeniable occurrence in our BHS community, and both become more apparent while dressed in feminine attire.

Walthall explained that they focus less on masculinity and femininity and instead try to express their queerness.

“I definitely get treated as a woman regardless of how I dress,” Walthall said. “Even if I dress very masculinely, people will still assume I’m a woman… I very much present a queer identity, which is what I’m going for… it’s an important part of how I present myself.”

For so many students across the gender spectrum,,

As Simone Strader has grown, her style has too.

9

MALINA MEISSNER

fashion lets them express who they are. How people interpret their appearance is another story, but at the end

of the day, Scher-Levin will always, “dress with what will make me most comfortable in my identity.”

The founder, Richard Hollingshead, came up with the idea for his mother, who felt uncomfortable with the small size of movie theater seats. Hollingshead later advertised his drive-in as a fun experience for families to enjoy. By the 1950s, drive-ins were opening up around the country after Hollingshead’s patent was overturned. It’s estimated that there were over 4,000 drive-ins across the U.S. However, according to The United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association, as of 2021, there are only 318 drive-ins left in the United States, leaving less than only 20 drive-ins in California.

Drive-ins offer the customer a sense of community that people feel when gathering together outside to share the same movie experience. Also, they are more relevant now than ever, given the conditions due to COVID-19. There is no need for a mask when inside a car since there is little to no contact between strangers.

An added benefit to drive-in theaters is that the

customer can bring in as many people as they can fit into their car. Unlike indoor theaters, there is less limited space in drive-ins because anyone who can fit into the parking lot is allowed in. This is especially useful during times when popular movies have just come out since they’re more likely to sell out in an indoor theater due to the limited capacity.

Other irreplaceable aspects of drive-ins are the increased space, the ability to chat without annoying your neighbor, and fewer interruptions, which are all things Hollingshead wanted when coming up with his invention. Drive-ins are a key part of American entertainment history, and must be restored. While indoor theaters have many benefits of their own, they can never replicate the appeal of being outside.

Taking away drive-ins will minimize options for people to comfortably enjoy films together. Drive-in theaters are a wholesome part of history that cannot be forgotten in the modern age.

Drive-in movies cannot die out

BY OCHI GRACE staff writer

On a Friday night in the 1930s, there was no better activity than enjoying a movie outdoors with family and friends for as cheap as only 25 cents per person.

Drive-in movies, once a goto activity for the weekends, have experienced a steady decline in popularity and locations in recent years. With the increasing accessibility of streaming platforms such as Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max, many people are less motivated to find a drivein theater. In the Bay Area, it can feel more convenient to stay in, or go to their local indoor movie theater than go to a drive-in, especially if the nearest one is in Concord.

Although drive-ins may come across as oldfashioned, they still fulfill a role that cannot be truly replaced. The first patented outdoor movie experience was called Camden DriveIn, which was opened in June 1933, in New Jersey.

GABRIELLA BUSANSKY

Drive-in movie theaters are sparse in the Bay Area, and are rarely full during a showing.

SANAM ROZYCKI-SHAH

10

ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

Military propaganda in film and TV: Contaminating films across the nation

BY ZACHARY YOO staff writer

When “Top Gun” was released in 1986, it was an instant hit. The film made over $350 million at the box office and has remained a beloved classic of American cinema. Claims that the film catapulted military recruitment rates the year following it’s release ran rampant among citizens across the nation, although these allegations were often oversold and over exaggerated. However, the film was in fact made in collaboration with the U.S. Navy.

Military propaganda movies are hardly unique to modern America.

Historically, film has been used as propaganda since its inception. In fact, the very first Academy Award for Best Picture winner, 1927’s “Wings”, was created with the army’s support. On the other side of the world, 2021’s “The Battle at Lake

Changjin” broke records as is that they are able to soldier, but is an instructor the highest-grossing film obtain the support of the in the final film so as not of all time in China. The Department of Defense to encourage relationships movie was commissioned in exchange for editing among military personnel. directly by the Chinese privileges of the script. The DOD even altered Communist Party, and has For movies that require pivotal moments of the film, been criticized for historical access to military bases and such as the circumstances of inaccuracies. The popularity equipment, it’s infeasible not Goose’s death, changed from of these military movies has to make the deal. How can a midair crash to an ejection. not diminished, regardless these companies be blamed The US government’s heavy of involvement by various for such an advantageous involvement in Hollywood government parties. creates, in a sense, Militaristic hits The US government’s heavy a monopoly over its persist in the United own portrayal. Though involvement in Hollywood States. Of course, its influence is more there’s “Top Gun: creates, in a sense, a monopoly subtle in some cases, at Maverick”, alongside the end of the day the over its own portrayal. other pieces which are US government seems more covert. 2019’s to always prevail. The “Captain Marvel” was made opportunity?

Pentagon drew press when What this means is it assisted the production with the involvement of the U.S. Air Force and hoped to that the Pentagon is able of “Wandavision” in bolster female recruiting, to nitpick and enforce 2020. Though the series which was exemplified by changes on whatever they does feature a fictional the screening of Air Force want, whenever they want. government agency as ads before the start of the Because productions are the antagonists, they are movie. Whether this makes reliant on the Pentagon, it’s ultimately thwarted by the a difference in enrollment is their way or the highway. In heroic FBI agent Jimmy unclear, yet these companies “Top Gun”, the DOD made Woo. The Pentagon also persist in their attempts no both minor and major script collaborated with Marvel matter the circumstance. edits that the production on its show “The Falcon and What makes these military was forced to accept. Kelly the Winter Soldier”, which central movies so appealing McGillis’s character Charlie depicts the next Captain to production companies was originally a fellow America combatting a group

THE CROSSWORD

of political radicals who wish for a world without borders. Through media primarily aimed at kids and young teens, the Pentagon is able to co-opt ostensibly progressive TV to reinforce the idea of “America first.”

“Top Gun: Maverick” didn’t soar past a billion dollars at the box office because of its navy connections. It made that money because audiences loved it. That said, most

ROBERT GELLNER

viewers will end up leaving the theater with the greatness of the US navy at the forefront of their minds.

It’s clear that even whittled down by the Pentagon, military films can still be great. It is still frustrating that recommendations and reviews for “Top Gun” and films similar to it must contain an asterisk, a reminder that even at the movies, Americans must honor the stars and stripes.

ARTIST PROFILE

ASHLEY DIAZ

ACROSS 1. Venetian waterway 6. Part of a car, a pair of pants, or a chair 10. Irish moms 14. Women’s tennis player Naomi 15. Holders of cremated ashes 16. Fe on the periodic table 17. Recoil in fear or disgust 19. The man who “fiddled while Rome burned” 20. One between 13 and 19 21. Dense and green with foliage 22. Musical key associated with sad songs 23. Serpentine hiss 24. Knight honorific 25. A poem dedicated to someone 27. Partner of Dec. 28. The very top rank 31. Bring goods into a country 34. Occupied a property 38. British chip 39. Highest level of college education 40. Increase the bet in poker 41. Combine an acid and an alcohol to form a compound 43. Gain entrance 44. A vertical window next to a door 46. Adebayo, Miami Heat center 49. Male child 50. Take to court 51. Tire pressure measurement 54. Wide open with surprise or in awe 56. Winner of the Space Race 58. Back muscles 59. Uncool 60. Curved in the form of a sine wave 62. Green citrus 63. Monthly house payment, in short 64. ___ and in charge 65. ___, crackle, pop 66. US Cold War opponent 67. Put on clothing

DOWN 1. Revenue - ___ = profits 2. Fire leftovers 3. Nostrils, anatomically 4. Similar (to) 5. Computer network within a small area 6. Outlying part of a city 7. Periods of history 8. Held down (by) 9. Sound of disapproval 10. Maker of the Cooper 11. Location for sports games 12. Idiot 13. Sound of derision 18. Gustav ___, Austrian painter 22. The first menstrual cycle 24. BOO! 26. Quixote, slayer of windmills 28. Sniffers 29. Chemical group derived from ethane 30. Put into action, as a law 31. Drink cooler 32. Method of address to a married woman 33. F1 car tune-up location 35. Ascot, bow, or bolo 36. Female suffix 37. ___ Moines, Iowa 39. German pennies 42. Wedding words 43. Spanish waters 45. Supplier or distributor 46. Vital equipment for many sports 47. Repeatedly 48. “___ Mia! Here We Go Again” 51. San Diego baseball player 52. Group of male deer 53. Small islands 55. Little Bo who lost her sheep 57. Invasive Argentine insects 58. Deceiver 60. Private Dallas college 61. Aged— Raven Fonseca Jensen

— Nicholas McGlashan

Dance is a unique form of art; instead of a paintbrush or pottery wheel, the medium of a dancer is their own body.

For Ella Horn, a senior at BHS, this is what she finds the most beautiful about dance, and why she has dedicated years of her life to it.

Horn began dancing at the age of six, in a children’s ballet class. She currently does jazz dance for five hours a week at Shawl Anderson Dance Studio, but has dabbled in modern, ballet, hip hop, and even salsa.

While dance is a good form of exercise, the reason Horn has stuck with it is the way it makes her feel, saying “it makes me feel good and feminine and confident, which isn’t always how I feel in general.”

She has also found community within her current class.

She explained that “friendships in high school are very based on proximity … but dance is like a second community, a second family. We are all really close knit.”

All of these factors have added to her devotion for dance, but the medium of dance — the body of the dancer — is what she finds so unique about the practice. “You can have multiple different people performing the same piece and they all look incredibly different, but cohesive, because the movements are technically the same,” she described.

Dance has never been a career plan for Horn, but rather a way to find beauty, movement, and creativity within her daily life. Her relationship with dance is one that will last her well into maturity, and she plans on keeping the practice as a constant in her everyday life moving forward.

— Elta Tracy

SPORTS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

11

Sports team rivalries, big and small, ignite fiery spirit in athletes

BY HANNAH GROTHREIDY staff writer

She explained the rivalry’s effect on the energy of the team, that part of the reason everyone gets so pumped to play such stiff competition is because the victory feels so much sweeter. “[It] makes the win feel like a great accomplishment,” Schrag said.

Some rivalries come from personal discontent different from the competitive energy on the field. `

The spark of a rivalry isn’t always clear. Berkeley High School holds varied team rivalries specific to different BHS sports, and umbrella rivalries agreed upon by the wider school community.

BHS senior Lydia Schrag spoke on a historical rivalry for the girls tennis team.

“I joined the Berkeley High “[It] makes the win feel like great accomplishment.” womens tennis team as a freshman and Lydia Schrag have been a part of varsity for all four Girls tennis team captain years,” Schrag said.

“Our team’s biggest rival has always been BHS senior Yasmeen Piedmont. I’m not sure where this started, but it has Bawany is co-captain of been present since before the BHS field hockey team.

I joined the team.” One of Her take on their rivalry my greatest memories from against Lick-Wilmerding being on the team freshman High School was that it was year was the day our team not historical, or even very beat Piedmont for the first two-sided, but rather due to time in years. That year we frustrating circumstances of losing to them, as “(their) were league champions.”

coach made (them) run four and a half miles the next day,” Bawany said.

On a broader scale, Bishop O’Dowd is widely known to be a core rival of BHS, and the feeling is mutual. Flynn Balog is a senior at Bishop O’Dowd High School. He’s on the soccer team and has been since freshman year. When asked about rivalries, he quickly responded with, “Berkeley, for sure.”

“Berkeley and O’Dowd are the only a two really competitive teams in our league, and so I think it’s probably just stemmed from an ‘O’Dowd wins one year, Berkeley wins the next,’ type of thing,” Balog said. “We look forward to playing Berkeley every year. The games are always especially rough.”

When thinking about the upcoming season, Balog added, “I feel like the future for O’Dowd and Berkeley High soccer is pretty promising, so I can only imagine that the rivalry

continues.”

While some rivalries continue, others may be born. Football coach David Perry explained that the BHS football team is in a new league this year.

This means there are many new teams playing BHS this season, including Hayward, Mt. Eden, and Irvington. As the first season in the league, there

are no established rivalries.

However, expectations must be managed.

“My standard is the nameless faceless opponent,” Perry said, when asked if the athletic expectations of the BHS team varies depending on the opponent. “The standard and expectations for how we approach the game and play the game never change.”

ALEXANDRA MORGAN

While athletes may anticipate these games differently depending on past emotions, and the win may feel more gratifying, their mentality going into every game must be the same.

“Every team must be respected,” Perry said. “It can be dangerous to approach games differently depending on the opponent.”

Football home opener excites

BY METZTLI OLAGUE GUERRERO staff writer

The Berkeley High School Yellowjackets went up against the Miramonte Matadors on Friday, August 26. Per the game’s blackout theme, students arrived dressed in all black to show their Yellowjacket pride.

BHS played an amazing first two quarters with “stout defense and explosive offense,” according to head coach David Perry. After player Jalen Harris exited

with an injury, Zayne Brown came in strong on the defensive side, while Eli Moulton and Darius Thomas played “a tough game at offensive line,” and Jackson Harris made notable plays on offense and defense.

However, despite those efforts, the night ended with a 20-48 loss for the Jackets.

Perry emphasized that the loss will not define the teams outcome for the season.

“Everything is very fixable.

We need to protect the ball much better, eliminate penalties and march the

field,” Perry said.

Perry hopes to correct errors from these first few games by using the time between them to compile stats and discuss them with the team. Then, Perry plans to type up a practice schedule with points of emphasis for the week to look over. From this, they will create new depth charts and figure out the best schemes to defeat their next opponent.

With said merit, Perry believes he will be developing a playoff contender this season.

Football Coach David Perry

AVA MUSSI

Tennis Coach Jeff Jue

COURTESY OF BHS ATHLETICS

‘Full circle:’ Alum coaches return

BY ADITYA SRIDHARAN staff writer

The journey of attending Berkeley High School as a student, diving into a lifetime of sports, and becoming an alum coach is one that is profoundly rewarding. Being able to give back to the community you spent so many pivotal years in can be a central part of how coaches shape their teams and teach their sport.

A buzz of energy was apparent on the field on August 26 at the BHS football home opener.

LILA HALLWARD

Jeff Jue “It’s like I’ve gone full circle,” said Jeff Jue, BHS boys varsity tennis coach. “I had my first tennis lesson on those Berkeley High tennis courts.” Jue, whose passion for athletics developed in part from his father, who is in the BHS Athletic Hall of Fame, was the number one player on the tennis team and went on to play college tennis for Merritt College.

“Sports (were) very important for me. I felt connected, I really enjoyed

the athletics,” he said. Jue described his motivation for returning to the school community noting, “I always had a passion for coaching and it’s a way for me to give back.”

He emphasized how deeply rewarding it has been for him to pass along what he learned, especially back to students from BHS. Speaking on the values he brings to both practice and matches, he said, “(Tennis) brings people together. It’s not about me, it’s about us.”

This collective spirit and enthusiasm spurred him on.

“Share, uplift each other, we just try and get better each day,” he said. As a coach, Jue feels, “deeply honored” to be teaching at BHS and says he, “came back to (his) roots.”

David Perry “Walking these halls felt so natural, cause I’ve been walking them since I was a little kid,” said David Perry, head coach of the BHS football team.

“To be honest, I was not the world’s best student. I did not get focused on school like I needed to,” Perry said, “Later, realizing I wanted to be eligible for football and seeing how college was for me, I wanted to try and instill that in the kids in this community.”

Perry emphasized that “football can be a vehicle and can change the whole trajectory of your life.”

After graduating, Perry went to Contra Costa College, contemplated playing, but decided he wanted to become a coach as soon as possible in order to, “try and reach those students that need guidance and direction … I spent time getting equipped and going through training as a coach. I decided I wanted to come back to my community, teach and become an educator.”

Perry, who grew up part of the community, knew it was time to come “home” after being separated for too long.

12

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

sports editors: Luisa Bertolli & Norah Lee

SPORTS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

norahlee@students.berkeley.net

BHS girls volleyball defeats Deer Valley

BY COLINA HARVEY staff writer

GABRIELLA BUSANSKY

Parental guidance steers legacy athletes

BY FINOLA JACKSON staff writer

Mason Mullen, a junior at Berkeley High School, was encouraged to start competing in track and cross country by his mother, who competed in college and qualified for the Olympic trials. But early in his track experience, Mullen didn’t find himself feeling motivated by his mother.

“I had grown up my whole life watching her and (thinking), oh, well, I can never be as good as her at this,” Mullen said. “I didn’t really see it as an inspiration, more of a demotivation. But during quarantine,

she really took me under her wing. And I’ve noticed that I can really (succeed), I just have to put in the effort and listen to what she has to say.”

For many student athletes like Mullen, having a sports parent can mean extensive access to information about injury prevention and performance improvement, but also increased pressure and constant unsolicited advice.

Multi-generational athletes at BHS interact with their sports in different ways, but experience a myriad of similarities in how their home and sports lives intertwine.

For Mullen, his mom was his first coach: she started coaching the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School

BHS SCOREBOARD RECORD

Football

1-1

Boys Water Polo

0-2

LAST GAME

L 15-4 vs. American

9/9 @ Northgate 9/20 @ Alameda

Girls Water Polo Girls Volleyball

NEXT GAME

9/9 @ American W 39-24 vs. Miramonte Canyon

5-0

W 3-1 vs. Skyline

9/12 @ Piedmont

Berkeley Unified School District Berkeley High Jacket 1980 Allston Way Berkeley, CA 94704

Non-Profit Org. US Postage Paid Oakland, CA Permit No. 8334

Digital ticketing: https://sites.google.com/berkeley. net/bhsathletics/home

cross country team when Mullen entered the school.

Although Mullen now runs for BHS track, she remains a coaching figure and a support system.

Sophomore Anaya Lehman started competing in swimming because of her dad, who swam competitively in high school and continues to train. He put her in swimming programs as a young child, and supports her by offering injury prevention advice and cheering her on at races.

For Lehman, the ability to have conversations built on mutual understanding of a sport is a benefit of having a same-sport parent.

“Sometimes when I try to talk about water polo with my mom, she’s like, ‘What?’ ” Lehman said. “It’s good to have somebody that knows what I’m talking about.”

Sophomore Magnolia Hougan, who runs varsity track and cross country, said that having a sports parent can both ease and intensify the physical toll that training has on an athlete. Hougan’s father competed in track and cross country in

high school and college, and continues to train.

“I think, physically, I would definitely be worse off (without my dad having run track),” Hougan said. “But it goes both ways. I think I would probably strive to push myself a little less hard, and then I’d probably get injured less if I didn’t have a sports parent.”

Mullen, however, considers his mother’s experience in the sport to be central in preventing injuries. “I feel like I’ve avoided like a million different injuries and overtraining,” Mullen said.

“My coach at school just can’t always be there. There are too many kids on the team. … She’ll tell me when to take a day off, even if I really don’t want to take the day off,” said Mullen.

However, having a parent as a coaching figure can transfer some of the intensity of athletics into the relationship.

Mullen said, “Sometimes if I don’t perform, she can be disappointed in me. … It gets in the way of ... everyday things I would just do with my mom.”

On August 24, the Berkeley High School varsity girls volleyball team took on the Deer Valley Wolverines in the first game of their 2022 season. BHS came out on top, winning the game in straight sets.

Early in the first set, neither team was able to get a significant lead. Simone Landau, a senior, said that the tight score was partially due to “a lot of unforced errors, which I think has something to do with nerves.”

Co-head Coach Alison West noted that during the end of the first set, “(a BHS Player) hit a ball into a corner and they said it was out, and it was clearly like two feet in, and the line ref called it in and they got mad. …

That was a key point that kind of lit a fire under us.”

At the end of the first set, it appeared as if Deer Valley had won, 24-26. However, the last call made by the referee was disputed, and ended up being overturned, making the score 25-25.

As a result of the dispute,

the play had to be redone.

BHS went on to score two more points and take the first set.

The second set began very evenly, similar to the first one. Midway through, however, BHS started to create a more pronounced separation in the score.

“I feel like in the middle of the second set, we really powered through and focused in,” said Camille Jacala, a junior. BHS maintained the lead throughout the second set, and ended up winning it, with a score of 25-18.

Once again, the third set began with an even score.

After a while, BHS started to pull ahead, and they remained dominant throughout the set. They went on to win 25-18, therefore winning the game 3-0.

West credited the level of experience that the eight returning varsity players bring to the team as a reason for their success, stating that “most of them played tonight. So that was a huge strength for us.”

When asked about the team’s goals for the season, West answered, “banners on the wall. That’s our goal.”

Junior Elle Walker jumps for a kill against Deer Valley.

MALIN MORELL

ATHLETE PROFILE BRIANNA SMYTH, a senior in Academic Choice, had never even heard of water polo before she got to Berkeley High School. When her close friend Krithi De Souza, Class of ‘22 graduate and last year’s captain, recommended she try it, she did. Smyth has been a competitive swimmer for 10 years, and she has a special appreciation for water polo because of its unique sense of comradery. “Water polo is more lighthearted and fun instead of high-pressure because of the community,” she said. “When I’m playing, I feel excited, jittery, but not nervous because I have so much trust in my teammates.” Now in her senior year, Smyth is captain. “My main goal this season is to have every player feel successful and happy with their growth,” she shared.

“I want everyone to come away from it satisfied.”

YASMEEN BAWANY

— Zada Sanger