BHS Jacket 2023/24 Issue 2

Berkeley Eviction Moratorium expires: ‘Currently, I’m homeless’

BY MAYA DANG staff writer

On Aug. 31 2023, Berkeley’s Eviction Moratorium expired, following a 41 month-long hold on evictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The moratorium, which enhanced protections for tenants against eviction, kept many families housed within an uncertain situation. Now, the impacts are being felt. Berkeley’s Eviction Moratorium prohibited evictions except for those required for public health by the City of Berkeley. The moratorium also allowed eviction if the property was taken off the market, or if eviction was necessary for the health and safety of residents. Currently, residents may be evicted if the landlord can show “good cause for eviction” under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance or state law.

According to Leah SimonWeisberg, chair of the Berkeley Rent Board, the Eviction Moratorium was an effective policy for mitigating housing insecurity during PAGE 3

Relationships with counselors are vital

BY ADITYA SRIDHARAN staff writer

Students are often encouraged to build relationships with their counselors, but the value of a strong student-counselor relationship can be overlooked. The support and stability counselors are able to bring to students’ academic lives is indispensable, and cultivating a strong bond with one’s counselor is essential to making the most of this critical relationship.

There are a multitude of reasons to build a bond with your counselor, in addition to receiving a good letter of recommendation for college. Counselors help students strive for academic success, find extracurricular opportunities, and plan for life after high school.

A College Board summary containing the findings of six studies on the effect

of school counselors on student outcomes wrote that a solid academic counseling program drastically increased students’ ACT scores, the number of students taking the ACT, and enhanced students’ results in math and reading as measured by state achievement tests.

Stella Pfeifer, a Berkeley High School senior, spoke about how students should go about building relationships with their counselors and whether it should be on the students or the counselors to reach out. “Self-advocacy is a great skill … I think all students should be actively reaching out to their counselors. … At the same time, students are busy, and I think it’s important for counselors to make their faces known,” said Pfiefer.

Pfeifer also spoke about her relationship with her previous BHS counselor. “I had Ms. Offerman since freshman PAGE 5

FEATURES

ALEX TRIPCEVICH

New teachers adjust, seeking community

BY ELSA DIETZ staff writer

“It’s a lot of things to adjust to (since) it’s such a huge campus compared to my old school … I’m trying to get the lay of the land, you know, what are the norms?” said Justin Valencia, a new Berkeley International High School (BIHS) Global History and IB History of the Americas teacher. The start

of a new school year brings in new teachers and new students alike, and it can be challenging to acclimate to a completely new environment.

“It can be very difficult because it’s kind of like the first day of school at a new school … There’s always these small things that you don’t think about that are different, even … down to like, you know, not knowing where the bathroom is, or like not knowing other teachers,” said

Roberto Figueroa, a new Jazz Lab 1 and 2 teacher.

Although the transition to a new school can be difficult, Valencia appreciates both his students and his fellow staff members for helping him through this change. “I have a super supportive staff. We’re a very close cohort in terms of how we collaborate, which has made my transition a whole lot easier,” said Valencia, who explained that a close community of teachers can be

rare to find.

For Angie Soto, a Spanish teacher, part of the difficulty of coming to a new school was creating new lesson plans and classroom decorations. “I didn’t have many decorations or stuff, as other teachers will have at this point … I feel like I’m doing everything from scratch right now,” said Soto. Soto, who taught in Colombia and Spain before moving to the Bay Area, noticed a lot of differences PAGE 10

SABINE SHAFFER

Angie Soto in her classroom.

The BHS Health Center has started offering free Fentanyl strips

BY MINAMI SOGA staff writer

This year, the Berkeley High Health Center began offering free fentanyl strips to Berkeley High School students, in collaboration with the Harm Education Reduction Organization (HERO). HERO

is a student-led organization that promotes harm reduction and aims to create a safe space for drug education through restorative justice rather then zero-tolerance.

The HERO club proposed the idea to bring fentanyl strips to BHS in response to rising fentanyl overdose rates in teenagers. According to the

Center for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl overdose rates in teenagers have doubled in the past three years. Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs to increase the potency, but users are not always aware of its presence, as it is odorless and tasteless.

Fentanyl strips are small strips of paper that indicate the presence of fentanyl in a substance, which protects students from accidentally consuming fentanyl.

“(My) main concern was just how much more common fentanyl lacing was becoming and how, over time, the most common drugs to overdose on have shifted,” said Nina Thompson, the president of HERO. “At least at Berkeley High, almost no one is intentionally taking fentanyl.”

HERO operates upon the idea that some students will take drugs, but that harm reduction tactics and drug education are effective in

CLAUDIA BLOOM

promoting student safety.

Menaka Gentle, a Universal Ninth Grade Ethnic Studies teacher who teaches harm reduction, also believes that these fentanyl strips are necessary and will help protect students.

“It’s really important not to demonize or put down people that are experimenting, because that has never helped,” said Gentle. “Your brain is really plastic right now, which means that you’re basically hardwired to want to try new things and take risks. (But) some of those risks are really dangerous.”

for fentanyl strips from club members and a parent volunteer. The parent volunteer first donated fentanyl strips to HERO for club members to distribute at BHS and to

“(My)

Nina Thompson, HERO President

HERO initially contacted the Health Center to establish a protocol for obtaining fentanyl strips. Currently, the club acquires the strips, then provides them to the Health Center for distribution.

HERO obtains funding

assess interest among students. The parent also bought the second set of fentanyl strips. The club is currently planning fundraisers to help restock the strips.

Thompson hopes the fentanyl strips will be effective in preventing students from accidental fentanyl consumption.

“They greatly reduce the risk of overdose from

fentanyl specifically, but it’s definitely not 100 percent,” said Thompson.

Gentle agreed with the projected helpfulness. “I think it’ll be extremely effective,” said Gentle. “Fentanyl has been the biggest killer with drugs for the past few years. And it’s in so many drugs. And since teenagers are at that age where they’re experimenting, and they may be trying new things, it could really help them and save their lives.”

According to Thompson, the HERO club has future plans to expand its drug and consent education to students to a greater extent along with informational announcements. They hope to provide other supplementary assets at school to further enhance student safety and provide the much needed resources.

Interim Principal Tonia Coleman reflects on goals for the year

BY LUCY GRIFFITH staff writer

Tonia Coleman is the interim Berkeley High School principal for the fall semester. She previously served as a vice principal under Juan Raygoza who is on paternity leave until January.

Coleman has worked with Raygoza since she got hired six years ago.

“I learned from him every day,” said Coleman. “His decisions are student centered and he is a model for the vice principals, counselors, and teachers. He does a fabulous job.”

These years of experience have set her up for success for the job, according to Coleman.

“I believe that being a vice principal at Berkeley High for six years put me in the best position possible to be interim principal.”

She continued by explaining that the vice principal position involves active participation in meetings

and brainstorming. However, as principal, she is included in all the decisions but isn’t the “point person” as she was as vice principal.

psychologists,” said Coleman.

control, allows teachers to be excited about Unity Week.”

“That’s all that we want, for our kids is to be in class learning, enjoying being on campus ... ”

When Coleman explained her feelings about starting the job, she said, “I was nervous … I was thinking about getting ready for the school year and getting up in front of the entire staff to do my welcome speech. It went very well and teachers are excited to be back, and I’m really enjoying the work.”

She expressed gratitude for her fellow staff as well.

“I have an amazing

Tonia Coleman, Interim Principal

According to Coleman, this year has been going “extremely well.” New updates include the wellness center opening and a successful welcome assembly.

She also noted the significant turnout at sports games, full of positive energy and cheering.

Demonstrations like these inspire administration to continue to host and encourage other school spirit events, including upcoming Unity Week.

“In the past, when we talked about Unity Week, we were not on board,” said Coleman.

As for other school events, Coleman said, “We are working on a senior surprise,” but declined the request to release further details.

During

Coleman’s term so far, she has implemented postive changes such as various students reading out the positive Friday shoutouts over the loudspeaker. She wants to continue to welcome new voices on the announcements .

“I would love for other students to come on and read the shout outs with me and promote their club or

whatever’s going on,” Coleman said. She ended by talking about what she sees her goals are for the term.

“That’s all that we want, for our kids is to be in class learning, enjoying being on campus, and looking forward to school events. It does not get better than that.” Coleman said.

administrative team, our vice principals, deans, our support staff, our counselors, and

“But the positive nature (of) students showing up and being engaged. but not out of

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EDITORS: FINOLA JACKSON & AARON STEVENS

Robert Stepsis, Claudia Polsky, Charles W. Wolfram, Christopher Lutes, Pedro Rodriguez, Joan Dorgan, Steven and Emily Birenbaum, Cheryl Berg, Uri Sarid, Michelle Sandberg, Dorothy A Haas, Joan Firestone, Denise Yip, Joye Wiley, Catherine Zhang and Larry Drumm

JAHAN INGRAHAM

“ ... being a vice principal at Berkeley High for six years put me in the best position possible to be interim principal.”

Tonia Coleman, Interim Principal

main concern was just how much more common fentanyl lacing was becoming.”

Tonia Coleman, interim principal, sitting in her office.

Berkeley faces the end of the COVID-19 eviction moratorium

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

COVID-19.

“While it’s ended now, I think it made a big difference for tenants,” said SimonWeisberg. “It kept tenants in Berkeley housed. And we saw almost no increase in homelessness, and we saw almost no evictions.”

Many communities who were kept in their homes during the time when the Eviction Moratorium was in place are now experiencing housing challenges.

Leticia Amezcua works in the Parent Resource Center, which aims to serve all BHS families with an emphasis on disenfranchised BIPOC families. She stated that evictions can impact both a family and a child’s education.

firsthand.

“...we saw almost no increase in homelessness, and we saw almost no evictions.”

Leah Simon Weisberg, Chair of Berkeley Rent Board

Some BHS students have experienced this impact

“Currently, I’m homeless,” said a BHS student, who wished to remain anonymous for privacy reasons. “I’m not in a stable place. I’m with a friend (and) I do not have privacy. I live with older people and they tend to go on with their lives,” she said. “And they go out partying and come home very late or want to party while I’m there. So I can’t rest, (and) can’t go to sleep because I have to go by what they say or do. It’s their place.”

According to the student, her education has been affected significantly.

“There is also a lot of homework and I also have to work. That is where I have to decide what is (the) most important: work or school,” she said. “I have to work and that means that I cannot pay too much attention to my schoolwork.”

apartment here in Berkeley. The rest have to move and find another school because

“Out of all the families that I can think of, only one was able to find an apartment here in Berkeley.”

the Eviction Moratorium on Sept. 12, 2023 and resulted in altercations between the BPOA and various tenant associations such as the Tenant and Neighborhood Councils and the Berkeley Tenants Union.

According to Amezcua, who declined to share personal identification of the family to respect their privacy, a Berkeley family of six who was living in a small apartment was evicted and forced to move out. She mentioned that the challenging part of this situation was that they didn’t earn enough money to rent in Berkeley and it was difficult to find any housing that’s under $2000.

“Everything in Berkeley’s above $2,500 a month, and so it’s very challenging, trying to find a space for them that ... they can rent so that the kids can stay in Berkeley schools.” said Amezcua. “Finding a place doesn’t always happen. I haven’t been that lucky. Out of all the families that I can think of, only one was able to find an

ALEX MORGAN

it’s far out from here. Two families went to Sacramento (and) others have to move to Richmond.”

According to Irma Parker, a Family Engagement staff member at the BHS Parent Resource Center, eviction can happen for many reasons.

“Some are personal,” said Parker. “And some are just because maybe the landlord doesn’t care for the tenant or the tenant doesn’t care for the landlord.”

Parker added that landlords often feel financial

According to Simon-Weisberg, tenants should know that they still have protections and should reach out to the Berkeley Rent Board for assistance. She shared that the best thing to do to protect your tenancy is taking action and reaching out for help.

In the Parent Resource Center, much that they do in order to provide for families who need support are taking care of their basic goals, stated Amezcua. That could include food, lawyers, school supplies, clothes, or shoes.

“... I just try to find ways to motivate myself so I won’t fall ...”

Anonymous BHS Student

pressure to evict tenants.

A party was held by the Berkeley Property Owners Association (BPOA) to commemorate the ending of

“It’s an obstacle in my life and even though it’s too much, I know it won’t be forever. My father is ill and it’s something that I have to deal with at my age,” said the anonymous student. “But I just try to find ways to motivate myself so I won’t fall ... and I try to put on a brave face so that I can feel better ... I know there will be a time for new beginnings.”

AGES Club provides students free gender-affirming clothing

BY EVA LEVENSON staff writer

Berkeley High’s Alliance for Gender Expansive Students (AGES) started a free gender-affirming clothing program towards the end of last school year.

AGES is a student-run club dedicated to making a safe space for transgender and gender-nonconforming students.

According to club leaders, their goal is to improve the school environment and raise awareness around LGBTQ+ issues. The genderaffirming clothing program provides things such as binders, bras with padding, and much more.

“Genderaffirming clothing is really important to being perceived the way you want and having gender euphoria. It’s a special experience to have clothes that fit you emotionally as well as physically,” said Eva Patrick, a junior in Academic Choice (AC). “And having the gender-affirming care

that you need is important to achieving that for trans folks, especially.”

Gender-affirming clothing is clothing that helps create gender euphoria and comfort in one’s body. The free gender-affirming clothing program has helped dozens of students express their gender identity through clothing. AGES has raised over $1,000 this year and plans to help even more students in the near future.

The way students receive this clothing is quite simple. First, students fill out the form using the QR code on the posters put up around campus. Then, they will get emailed so AGES understands what size and garment they need. After that, they order it. It will either be delivered to students’ houses or to the school depending on

circumstance. If delivered to school, one can pick it up in the AGES room.

The gender-affirming program was created by trans students for trans students. CoPresident of AGES Zoe Wrubel said this program is important because, “it helps students express themselves without outing themselves.”

free gender-affirming clothing in presentations to classes. Other campaigns for the club involve getting more LGBTQ+ holidays onto the calendar and creating events

“It helps students express themselves without outing themselves.”

remain anonymous for safety reasons, said that the largest problem trans students face is “administration and the general public not caring enough about trans people to make an effort to make things welcoming”.

Scan this QR Code to fill out the anonymous form for free, genderaffirming clothing. The AGES Club will help provide things such as binders, padded bras, or anything else one may need.

Many students don’t feel comfortable asking their parents for gender-affirming clothing. Cost and accessibility are also big concerns. AGES understands these difficulties, and thus, the free gender affirming clothing program was born. According to club leaders, AGES also wants to increase awareness and information about trans rights by making presentations during the Universal Ninth Grade’s social living gender unit and help to refine the curriculum.

The club also plans to provide information about

for those days.

James, a co-president of AGES, who wished to

AGES is working hard to make every and all gender expansive students feel welcomed and heard by continuing to grow their gender-affirming clothing program.

Elliot Gerst, October Hertenstien, Zoe Wrubel, James, and Rory Dainelson promote AGES.

Leticia Amezcua, BHS Engagement Specialist

“It’s a special experience to have clothes that fit you emotionally as well as physically.”

Eva Patrick, BHS Student

Zoe Wrubel, AGES Co-President

ETHICS OF TECHNOLOGY

BHS organizes the annual fall Club Fair

BY ARIANA YEROVAM staff writer

On Thursday, Sept. 7 2023, BHS students attended the annual Club Fair to learn about and join the diverse selection of student-run clubs at BHS.

In a world increasingly dominated by technology, you would think an ethical approach to the issue would be at the top of our priority list. Unfortunately, due to the profit-first-ask-questions-later model that has proliferated throughout many Silicon Valley startups, ethics has been put on hold. But what makes technology ethical, and how does the failure to create such technology affect us?

With the rise of algorithms within the college financial aid and admissions process, the material consequences at the behest of those algorithms has become more and more apparent. The creator of the algorithm is given a near impossible task, the creation of a system that analyzes data in a humanlike way, without human bias. As put by Alex Engler of the Brookings Institute, “Higher education is already suffering from low graduation rates, high student debt, and stagnant inequality for racial minorities — crises that enrollment algorithms may be making worse.” Even when the task seems simple, a quantification of desired attributes in an application, the vast number of applications creates a tough situation for outliers in extenuating circumstances, often those which may hold the most promise. In addition, many institutions have been criticized for their prioritization of revenue within the application process, believing the high importance placed upon zipcode perpetuates racial and class inequalities.

With automation at many levels inevitable, thinking about where our practices can be improved is a necessary step towards equitable systems. Many opponents of algorithms used by colleges in admissions and financial aid have pointed towards potential reform policies, first among them, transparency within the effects of algorithms on acceptance rate, in order to hold the institutions accountable for the consequences of their use of technology, purposeful or not. Other opponents advocate for stronger human mediation, double-checking the work of the algorithm at a now enhanced speed.

Although student backlash is significant, many colleges are holding strong. In response to claims of inequity, Madeleine Rhyneer, dean of enrollment management at the Education Advisory Board said, “We try to remind them that there’s more power in their hands than they often feel is the case, as they’re putting their whole life in front of anonymous admission committees.’’ Rhyneer and many others argue that the role algorithms play in determining financial aid and admissions is easily offset by the other aspects of strong applicants. A bad grade from the algorithm is claimed to just be a drop in the bucket when compared to other qualifications.

As proven by documents from a Markup study, over 500 universities use an algorithm which has strong racial biases to determine the academic risk of students. For example, Black women were 2.8 times more likely to be labeled as high risk in comparison to white women, and Black men were 3.9 times more likely when compared to white men. If our algorithms don’t reflect a better future, it is likely that future will never come about.

Clubs covered a variety of topics from STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), to surfing and animal welfare. Besides a brief interruption from a fire alarm, the Club Fair ran for periods one through three, during which teachers were encouraged to bring their students to attend the fair. The Club Fair offered club-leaders an opportunity to promote their club, and provided students with the opportunity to learn more about what BHS offers, and how they can get involved.

“I think it was successful because a lot of students were around, so we had like 300 people sign up,” said Christian Cuatlatl Tello, president of the Baking Club. “It was really cool that we got to teach that many people and just tell them a little bit about us and what we can offer to them.”

This aspect of community at the Club Fair was shared among club leaders and students alike. Ori Boozaglo, a junior in AC, attended the Club Fair to “see what

kinds of things people were passionate about promoting through their clubs.” She thought the fair executed this very well and was able to reflect the student body well.

“I feel that there was a really great representation of all different kinds of clubs and different people who are running the clubs,” said Boozaglo. “I think that every student could walk around and see something that I was like, ‘Oh, I can relate to that.’”

Boozaglo also pointed out how the Club Fair was a reflection of our school’s intentions as a community.

“I think that I took away sort of like a snapshot of what our school finds important,” said Boozaglo. “It gives you an idea of, ‘What are (the BHS community’s) goals as a school?’ (and) ‘What

do we feel that we want to represent?’”

Of the variety of clubs that participated, many explore topics and issues that our school and society struggle with. Some of these are branches of larger organizations, including Soccer Without Borders, which promotes community and education through soccer, and Green Dot, which focuses on education and prevention regarding sexual harm.

Green Dot ambassador, Kaelan Cadrain, used the Club Fair booth to both recruit members and educate about sexual harm prevention. Through the educational material, students could “gain a better understanding of ‘see something, say something,’” a principle that the club emphasizes, and later, “it ...

can kind of just help them be less fearful of like, the situations that may take place on or off campus and know how to navigate them and get through them.”

Cadrain shared how the club fair prompted personal growth as well. “I feel like now I’m not as scared to let people know like, ‘Hey, this is the program I’m apart of, talk to me if you want to learn more about it,” said Cadrain.

With hundreds of participants, the 2023 Club Fair will have not only a direct contribution to clubs but can have a lasting impression on BHS culture as a whole. The Club Fair provided extensive resources and opportunities for the entire BHS community, from which students can benefit socially and academically.

School board meets to discuss fiscal year

BY PENELOPE PURCHASE staff writer

On Wednesday, Sept. 13, the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) School Board convened in order to discuss the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year, along with where the district would be budgetwise. The meeting was held in the school district’s office building but left the option for participants to join the meeting virtually as well. During this meeting, the board discussed BUSD’s spending and budget, while also leaving time for public comment.

Last year, the district met the three percent reserve required by the state of California and ended the year with unspent balances across a multitude of school programs and other projects. Despite the slight amount of overspending in certain pay grades, the district ended the year with a fund balance that exceeded their predictions by $700,000.

In fact, the district’s Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) for the 202223 school year showed a 20 percent increase in

balance, from the goal of $1 million all the way to $1.2 million. This was partly due to a myriad of LCAP programs that did not use the entirety of their budget, like the Site Coordinators for Family Engagement and the Advancement Via Individual Determination program.

Another, though smaller reason for the increase in balance was an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) error in the Extended School Year (ESY) budget. Apparently, the ESY ADA had been overstated for several years, and portions of the budget weren’t being used. This mistake has now been fixed, and the “impact will be in the out years due to threeyear averaging,” according to a slideshow created by Pauline Follansbee, BUSD’s Assistant Superintendent of Business Services.

However, due to the fact that ESY represents less than 1.5 percent of the district’s ADA, this didn’t make a large difference in the LCAP.

Another topic of discussion at last week’s board meeting was the Gann limit, as it was expected to be triggered last

school year. The Gann limit was established in 1979 with the passage of Proposition 4, which forces both local and state governments to spend any revenue, above a certain amount, on K-12 education and colleges, or to return it to taxpayers. However, although it was expected to be triggered last year, it had no impact on 2022-23 funding.

The Board Policy’s Committed Reserve was also a subject of discussion, as it has to be reached every year that its conditions are met. The policy was approved in October of 2017 and the policy requests an annual commitment of an

additional 1 percent reserve. Any year when the reserve is under 1 percent, the budget has a positive certification, and when the general fund balance is greater than the general fund expenditures, an additional reserve must be set up. The reserve is required to be equal to half of that year’s increase in the budget.

During last year’s 202223 school year, three out of three of the mandated conditions were reached and the additional reserve was set up to be ready for use. It will be committed at the first interim reporting period.

SUNNY BEVIS-LIPTON

Club leaders set up stands to present to other students.

ALESSIO MANUEL GILABERT-PAPAGNI

Lack of PSAT access at BHS deprives students of opportunities

BY JULIUS BRAUN staff writer

Berkeley High School will not be offering the Preliminary SAT this year.

The PSAT is a practice version of the SAT, usually taken by juniors, that allows students to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship as well as assess their abilities in preparation for the SAT. BHS Vice President

Harrison Blatt said the PSAT will not be offered this year because there were "challenges in recruiting staff to work the weekend." In the future, BHS should resume offering the PSAT because it provides valuable practice for the SAT and easy, automatic access to the National Merit Scholarship application process. Although many colleges in the U.S. are test blind or test-optional, a high

SAT score can still help students stand out. High SAT scores are always impressive to colleges and can be especially useful if a student's grades are lacking, as a high SAT score can demonstrate their academic abilities. When students take the PSAT, they gain valuable exposure to a real test environment and the standardized test format. Encouraging them to take the SAT and

helping them earn a higher score. Wendy Morrison, a college counselor working in Berkeley, said, "The PSAT is an opportunity for kids who might not have the resources on how to navigate this whole college application world. If this test hadn't been presented to them as an option by their high school, they might not have considered trying it. But if it's conveniently offered, they might give it a shot, and then it could benefit them."

Another benefit of the PSAT is that it provides access to the National Merit Scholarship, which can be a huge boost for a student's college application and, depending on the college, can mean a significant amount of scholarship money. "It's a very nice distinction in terms of college admissions to be a national merit semifinalist or finalist. . . . It kind of heightens (the college's) awareness of you as an applicant," said Morrison.

ASHLEY DIAZ

Additionally, some colleges offer full rides to selected semi finalists and finalists, and other schools offer to pay half of tuition.

In 2024, the College Board will roll out a new digital version of the SAT. The PSAT would have allowed students to practice the new digital format. "I think it's unfortunate (the PSAT is not being offered) because I think it would have been a great practice test for the new digital SAT that will premiere officially in March of 2024," said Morrison. There are some resources online, such as Khan Academy's SAT Practice, that allows students to practice the digital version of the SAT for free. However, this still places an extra burden on students to find these resources and then practice on their own time.

There is also still a way for students to apply to the National Merit Scholarship without taking the PSAT.

According to the BHS

Etree, students who could not take the PSAT due to an extenuating circumstance can write to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation to ask about alternate ways of applying to the National Merit Scholarship. Although it may be possible to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship without taking the PSAT, it is definitely an added hassle for students. They must reach out to the College Board, and they have no idea what the application will look like. Students might feel uncomfortable doing this, and it may prevent them from applying for the National Merit Scholarship. By not offering the PSAT, BHS deprives students of an easy opportunity to practice for the SAT and denies them a straightforward way to apply for the National Merit Scholarship. The PSAT is incredibly beneficial to students; therefore, it is BHS's responsibility to offer it in the future.

Counselor bonds aid students

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

year," Pfeifer said. "I had a very good relationship with her because I talked to her a lot. She was always very responsive and helped a lot with the college process and choosing classes," Pfiefer added.

With almost 6,000 postsecondary colleges in the United States, seeking guidance from a school counselor is vital to finding the right institutions. Building a solid relationship with one’s counselor helps them understand your passions, skills, and hopes. With this understanding, counselors can provide necessary help finding colleges, facilitating the college process, and writing an excellent letter of recommendation.

If a student is not interested in college, there are also many options available to them after high school, and it can be very overwhelming to navigate them alone. Luckily, with the help of counselors, students don't have to. If a counselor has a good understanding of a student, they can tailor their advice to the student’s personal path.

A strong relationship with a school counselor can also be a very beneficial resource for students' mental health. Counselors can help students cultivate good academic habits as well as good mental health habits. Counselors also act as connectors between students and the school. They can help students advocate for accommodations, and answer any questions about

school students might have. Both of these things are easier when students and counselors have a strong relationship. When Ms. Offermann retired, Pfeifer and her fellow counselees were left in a tricky situation: their counselor leaving right before senior year. "I was definitely upset and (saddened) because I had a really good relationship with Ms. Offermann," Pfeifer said. A certain level of fear soon followed the frustration and sadness. Pfeifer had to build a relationship with a new, crucial figure for her college prospects in just a few months. "Senior year is when counselors start to play a big role, and I was scared when she left because I was back to square one," Pfeifer said. The emotions felt after counselors depart are yet another testament to the importance of students' relationship with them.

Having excellent counselors at BHS is a privilege, and students should take full advantage of it by building strong relationships with them."

The best part about having a good relationship (with my counselor) is simply having an adult I'm comfortable with and that I can go to with anything I need," Pfeifer said.

The PSAT allows students to easily prep for the SAT.

Academic pressure is deeply harmful to sick students

If one looks around Berkeley High School, it’s easy to see that students are coming to school while ill. In most classrooms, you’ll hear at least a few coughs and sneezes, student voices scratchy with the beginnings of a cold or flu. Still, students sit in closely arranged desks and walk the crowded hallways. They work and study for long hours instead of resting and recovering. In a culture that emphasizes academic achievement over health, students can experience significant pressure to attend school while ill. However, attending school while sick poses a physical risk to the community and oneself, and heightens the emotional risk for burnout. As a community, we must deconstruct the harmful mentality that academic success must always come before public and personal health.

Studies have illuminated the relationship between COVID-19 and consequences for at-risk groups. As of

BERKELEY HIGH

2021, 8.8 percent of Californians were diagnosed with asthma, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In moderate or severe cases, the condition leads to a significantly increased risk of hospitalization, being placed on a ventilator, or requiring intensive care if the person contracts COVID-19. Influenza A and B are also more likely to cause complications for various at-risk groups. This includes groups such as immunocompromised people, people with metabolic and blood disorders, and people with neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions. While an overachieving culture pushes for students to attend school and not fall behind, spreading illness can have serious consequences for people in at-risk groups.

The pressure of coming to school while sick isn’t just harmful to one's physical health. It can be stressful and emotionally draining to go through the day while feeling ill. Peers of sick students may feel stress from potentially getting sick themselves.

The fear of falling behind in school is not unfounded. With multiple AP classes and many extracurriculars, a few missed days can translate to an overwhelming workload and many hours of catching up. Missing a lecture can translate to a missed point on a test. Teachers only have so much power when it comes to extra accommodations for sick students due to busy schedules and high student-to-teacher ratios. But when students show up to school despite a severe

illness, they put others at risk, and slow their own recovery by not allowing rest.

Some teachers are certainly supporting students in catching up. Many offer office hours or extensions on late work. Others excuse certain assignments altogether and encourage the student to focus on current classwork. However, some provide inadequate support, and all teachers must be flexible and accommodating to students because compounded schoolwork can become impossible to fit into allotted days. The lack of flexibility and accommodation encourages students to remain in school when ill.

Teachers also experience pressure to come to school when mildly to moderately ill. They risk not being paid for the days they are absent if they exceed their 11 sick days, even if they have the flu or COVID-19.

The blame for spreading illness shouldn’t be entirely on sick students. Sometimes, students feel symptomatic but are still able to function in school, even if it means infecting others. Our school’s culture and society as a whole puts too much pressure and value on academic achievement, regardless of whether it jeopardizes the well-being of students.

Missing a few days of school will likely have a benign impact in the long run, and forcing students to come to school when ill, without a chance at recovery, is not a productive solution. It just leads to a sick and stressed out student body.

Young people's voices must be better represented in politics

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BY SABINE ROSEN staff writer

It's hard for students to learn about critical national decisions being made while simultaneously knowing that youths' voices are not considered. The average age of elected officials is increasing, and it is affecting the representation of the younger generation.

In the United States, a person must be at least 25 years old to be elected to the House of Representatives and 30 years old to be eligible for the Senate. This law allows some representation of younger voices, but unfortunately, young people are still much less likely to be elected. In the U.S. Senate, there are only two individuals under the age of 40. The Senate's job is to enact laws and be the people's voice. However, several Senate members are older than 80. People who

are 80 years old are not the average voice of the people, and their voices should not carry such a heavy weight.

Some people may say that the age of politicians is not an issue. They believe the older generation has been around longer and, therefore, knows more about this country and life than the rest of us. While some of this might be true, it is equally, if not more important, to have a diverse range of perspectives. New ideas on the United States’ issues are vital, and people of all generations have opinions to offer. It is in the country's best interests to represent the largest number of people possible to produce policies that serve the majority of people. Younger people are the ones who are going to live with the consequences or benefits of the decisions politicians are making right now, so they must be heard. This might not

feel important to the average person, but it must be recognized how representation affects issues people care about. For example, younger people have proven over and over again that they care about climate change. A study in The Lancet found that 70 percent of people aged 16-25 are extremely worried or very worried about the climate, and that thousands of students worldwide have protested for the government to take action to prevent climate change. Therefore, the question must be asked: Why hasn't the government taken serious action against climate change yet? Is it because they know they won't be around when the brunt of climate change hits the world? If there were more young people in Congress, it’s likely climate change would be treated like the monumental threat that it is.

At Berkeley High School, there are elected officials as well. Presidents are elected for each grade and there are many other leadership opportunities. BHS leaves these spots open for all students willing to run, and people in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade are brought together to form the BHS leadership team. The average age of the team represents BHS’s population, allowing all students to feel heard and validated. If every position were only given to seniors, the voices of all students would not be represented. If BHS can represent all ages equitably, there is no reason that the U.S. government cannot. More young people must be elected into office now to ensure youth voices are fully represented.

Freshman leadership lottery encourages diversity and equity

BY AVHA MEISELS staff writer

Every year, Berkeley High School holds a lottery to determine the upcoming year’s freshman leadership team. Any ninth grader is able to enter the lottery and it is completely random in order to give everybody a fair shot. This allows students who have less experience in leadership or who otherwise would have been too scared to campaign an opportunity to get involved with the school. BHS can then represent people of all races, genders, and be overall more inclusive, which is vital to forming a school that benefits every student. In order to create an environment where every student feels seen and supported, all students must feel able to contribute and lead.

One problematic part of school leadership

elections is the aspect of popularity. Sometimes, students vote based solely on who they are friends with or who is most wellknown. These students aren’t necessarily always the best or most qualified option, but there is no way for faculty to distinguish if a student truly earned all their votes. Having a random lottery eliminates this problem for freshmen in leadership. Since it is their first year at the school, students have not had a chance to learn that much about which freshman would make good leaders, which is why a random lottery is a great solution.

Freshmen come from many different middle schools, including three public ones just in Berkeley. Every middle school has a different approach to leadership, so some students did not have the same opportunities as others to gain experience. These

students now have a fair shot to get involved. They can learn all they need to know in order to be prepared for running for leadership in the future. If there hadn’t been a random lottery, these students would have been stuck in a situation where they were interested in leadership, but had no way to learn how to campaign and win votes. While some may say that the random lottery gives jobs to students who have not earned them, this is not necessarily true. Though it may give jobs to students with less experience, this is only the case for one year. Every other year at BHS, leadership is chosen through votes or interviews. That gives students plenty of chances to win their spot in leadership based on their abilities.

Even if the freshman leadership was chosen through votes, the

students who win won’t necessarily be the ones who “deserve” it the most. Every student should have at least one fair opportunity to get involved with BHS leadership before it starts getting selected through votes. Having a random lottery in the first year of high school levels the

playing field for future years of leadership.

Having a randomized lottery promotes inclusivity and allows all students an equal opportunity to help BHS be the best it can be. By leveling the playing field freshman year, all students have an even chance at future BHS

leadership elections. BHS should strive to create a diverse leadership team that anyone can be a part of, no matter their social status or prior experience. In order to achieve this, having a lottery for the freshman class’ leadership team is a complete and absolute necessity for all future elections.

The Buzz:

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THE BUZZ PUBLISHES ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS, ALONGSIDE EACH ISSUE OF THE JACKET. FEATURING IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS AND INTERVIEWS ABOUT TOPICS THAT MATTER TO OUR COMMUNITY, WE EXPLORE STORIES THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF AUDIO JOURNALISM.

THIS WEEKS EPISODE: THE BUZZ: LET’S BE FRIENDS

THIS EPISODE FOCUSES ON THE FRIENDSHIPS WE MAKE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEIR IMPACT ON BHS STUDENTS.

WE INTERVIEWED STUDENTS AND A BAY AREA TEEN THERAPIST TO DIVE DEEPER.

LISTEN HERE:

JAY TRAUNER

Juvenile violence harms communities, Berkeley High School must intervene

BY AVA QUANDT staff writer

On Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, hundreds of kids broke out into fights near Emeryville’s AMC theater. It was the day of AMC’s four dollar movie ticket sale, and the streets were flooded with up to four hundred kids, who then broke out into violence. According to ABC7 News, one shot was fired and one juvenile was stabbed. This is just one example of the violence that can come from issues within the juvenile justice system that are harmful to the development of teens. Instead, a more restorative approach should be taken.

According to data from the Board of State and Community Corrections, in March of 2020, there were reports of 3,259 youth in county facilities, daily. “What we’re seeing is that especially in disadvantaged communities and communities of color — Latino and African American communities — youth are not treated as developing young people, but rather criminalized and punished,” explained Meredith Desautels, a directing attorney at the Youth Law Center.

Desautels specializes in the reformation of the juvenile justice system. She highlights the most prevalent issue in the juvenile justice system, one that draws parallels to the rest of the judicial system, that, “from the moment of arrest to incarceration of juvenile hall, to the sentences in the cases, young people of color are treated more harshly,” according to Desautels. This may come as no surprise. Since the War on Drugs started in 1971, mass incarceration continues to be a very concerning issue, which is exemplified throughout the juvenile justice system. However, what makes the flaws in the juvenile justice system specifically concerning is the fact that Berkeley High School students and the Berkeley community are directly involved.

While students are going through their high school years, their brain is going through crucial development. It is scientifically proven that during this development, teens are more prone to making mistakes, in which they could find themselves within a correctional facility.

“Over the past few decades, it’s become very clear that adolescence is a time of significant brain development. Specifically, it's the prefrontal cortex in the brain that’s still developing throughout adolescence. The parts of the brain that are still developing are the types of problem-solving skills, planning, impulse control, and ability to consider future consequences, the kinds of things executive functioning that are important to be able to function as an adult,” stated Desautels, explaining trends she has found throughout her time working with youth.

Treating teens and adults in the same form of punishment for mistakes is very unfair, to say the least. However, some argue that it would be equally incorrect to let teens and young adults

off the hook, as this sets them up for failure and could lead to the repetition of the same mistakes when they are adults. How does a community help youth in need of support? Obviously, there is a larger problem at hand that involves the entire juvenile system itself, however, there are some ways BHS could help support its students in an elevated manner.

According to the West Ed Justice and Prevention Research Center, studies have shown that heavy reliance on exclusionary disciplinary actions such as expulsion and suspension, “increase students’ likelihood of dropping out of school and becoming involved in the criminal justice system.” Luckily, BHS has implemented some forms of restorative justice, but there's still more to be done.

It is proven that the traditional forms of punishment practiced in the sentencing of teens are actually not beneficial to their growth and prevention of violence in the future. There are a few things that need to change. First and foremost, to prevent the acts of violence that could occur, it’s important that students and teens have at least one space where they feel they can belong and express themselves. BHS provides many options for students in a variety of areas that different students could have an interest in.

Furthermore, BHS could provide the crucial presence of an adult who truly cares and is concerned with each individual. It is really important that teens feel they have a positive connection with someone like a mentor, coach, or teacher. If a student is lacking the attention of a family member, this could be a great way for BHS to give beneficial support to the student. This connection is not one that is found in the judicial system. Desautels gives the example of probation officers by saying “their role is really punishment and control. Instead of a probation officer, what young people really need is a positive adult figure in their life.”

This support can look a few different ways. First, it's important that adult figures check in with students and make sure they are receiving some of the most basic needs; food, shelter, and clothing. Desautels highlights that “of course, a high school could not meet all of those needs, but what’s great about high school is that the teachers can get to know the students so well, they might be able to identify when those needs aren’t being met and try to work with organizations or city departments to make sure they’re able to access the resources that they need.”

However, support doesn’t always have to come from one individual. Support groups are a great way for students to really tell their story and feel heard.

If BHS implemented these methods, we could build a stronger community and lower the amount of students involved with the justice system. BHS could set an example to other schools and change the juvenile justice system norms. This could create a better future for us all. Next time you see or experience a situation like the one at AMC, challenge yourself by looking at each person involved, as a whole, and not defining them by a single mistake.

“Youth are not treated as developing young people, but rather criminalized and punished.”

Meredith Desautels

Directing Attorney at Youth Law Center

FEATURES EDITORS: MATEO TSAI & SAGE FELDMAN

Fall weather brings comfort to replace students' summer fun

BY CLARA TJEN staff writer

The start of the 2023 to 2024 school year comes with an adjustment period; not just for new classes, classmates, and teachers, but also a seasonal change from summer to fall. It may be difficult to leave the sun and the memories from summer break behind, but autumn brings a promise of new beginnings, opportunities to meet new people, and an assortment of old and new activities.

On top of giving students a well-deserved break, summer often provides various comforts. Rigzin Gyaltsen, a freshman, said, “Summer gives more opportunities to do things outside of your house.” Day trips to the beach, enjoying the warm weather, and having a flexible schedule are just a few of the luxuries of the summertime shared by Berkeley High School

students.

“The sun is really nice when you just feel it on your skin. I feel warm and like I could just go to the beach,” said Nova Duchateau, a BHS junior. Duchateau also added that he’ll miss being able to wake up in the morning to sunlight peeking through his window.

In addition, he feels that it’s nice to be able to have the choice of simplicity while choosing outfits in the summertime. “Being able to go outside with a t-shirt or a tank top and shorts … is nice.” He continued that it may not look fashionable,

brings. The Bay Area is known for not having vast seasonal changes, but there is definitely a noticeable shift in nature and the cooler climate as autumn approaches.

but it’s a good option to have available.

Senior Arunima Stoller is excited for fall, and the “baking … sweaters … (and) drinks” that it

“I like going on little hikes in Tilden. A lot of the trees don’t change color, but some of the trees do, so I feel like going to see the trees that do change color is always a cute little activity,” said Stoller. The cold weather also has them excited for “... hanging out and cooking dinner (with friends), as opposed to going on a trip or a big excursion. I kind of appreciate (the former) more because then I get to spend more quality time with them.” The feel of fall is distinct and gives students an opportunity to reset their balance. Ali Forbush, a sophomore in BIHS said, “I really enjoy the fall and I like the energy it has. As fall comes in, everybody kind of starts to settle into school and

just the energy feels really positive.”

Students get to know their daily routes to classes, and they find their comfortable balance between homework and extracurriculars, as day to day routines begin.

Stoller felt similarly, sharing, “I feel like for me, fall is more of a vibe than

a weather … I feel like everyone kind of slows down after summer and it's a lot more of a chiller climate.”

Layering clothing is a year round tendency for those worried about temperature changes, but when fall comes around, people can show off their sweatshirts

and sweaters all day long. “I would confidently say I prefer cold weather. I love wearing sweatshirts. I love just being able to feel comfortable,” said Forbush. The start of fall marks anticipation for the coming season and wistfulness for what is past, but regardless, the seasons will turn again.

Difficult classes: A decision students must make for themselves

BY VIOLET MILLER-BRADY staff writer

There are many AP, IB, and other advanced courses available at Berkeley High School, but how many students really want to be taking these classes? With increasingly competitive college admissions and pressure from peers, it's hard to say.

“If everyone else is signing up for a club, then maybe they feel the pressure to do the same thing,” said

Jesse Pabico, an AP Physics teacher. He used this example of people signing up for clubs to explain why students feel inclined to enroll in classes that they won’t end up utilizing after high school. Peer pressure, even if it isn’t overt, can lead students to make decisions that they may regret.

Pabico’s class happens to be very rigorous and he believes that most kids who take it are truly interested in the subject. “There's a certain level of math that you have to hit and if you

don't enjoy math, then you're probably not going to enjoy a math based science course,” said Pabico. He mentioned that you need to be able to keep up in class, and if you fall behind it is very difficult to catch up again.

Another reason that students would choose to take a class like AP Physics is to stand out on college applications. The minimum requirement to graduate from California high schools and to apply to UC schools is two years of

science, however admissions are very competitive, so students often choose to take more than this. “And even though you can get away with taking three years of science and applying to a place like Yale or Princeton, most applicants all throughout the nation usually take four years of science or they'll try to squeeze in a fifth year of science. They'll always go above the minimum,” said Pabico.

Junior Olive RobinsonMcGee took AP Chemistry with Sam Rozen last year and is currently taking AP Biology with Shannon Mueller. The reason she took these classes was to challenge herself, something she felt standard classes wouldn’t do. RobinsonMcGee stated that she wishes there were more challenging classes that were of greater interest to her. “It's hard for people to self motivate in a class that they're not interested in taking,” she said. For RobinsonMcGee, chemistry was hard to focus on at times. She also brought up her desire for AP electives available to students so that they could get AP credit while taking a

more captivating class.

Sam Matsumoto is an Advanced Photography and BRIDGE teacher. They had a different viewpoint than Robinson-McGee, saying that BHS has more AP electives compared to the

to getting credit boosts and many students don’t realize that BCC and other classes are transferable to their transcript.

school they used to work at and their own high school. They did, however, agree that there is a benefit to taking challenging classes.

“I think I gained a lot just by taking those courses and the rigor of it really, I do think it helped prepare me for college and helped me be a better thinker,” said Matsumoto.

As both a Bridge and photography teacher, Matsumoto has seen students struggle with having too many AP classes on their plate. They added that they don’t think taking five or six AP classes is “worth it” for most students. They also talked about how AP classes are often advertised as the only route

Another main reason that students take challenging classes that don’t relate to what they want to do in the future is due to parental pressure. “Students are more engaged and want to do better if they're in classes they’re interested in and they want to take; (it’s) the psychology of ‘I'm choosing to do something versus someone telling me I have to do something,’” Matsumoto stated.

They also talked about how students who come from affluent backgrounds and have the means to get outside support are more often seen in AP and other high level classes, oftentimes because those are the students whose parents want them to take those classes.

However, there are still benefits in classes students feel they might not use. “There's a lot of value because you might not know ... (that) you're interested ... (you) might not be exposed to that kind of environment,” said Matsumoto.

GWEN WEBER-STOVER

“Wakanda Forever

“It's hard for people to self motivate in a class that they're not interested in taking.”

Olive Robinson-McGee, BHS junior

“I really enjoy the fall, and I like the energy it has.”

Ali Forbush, BHS sophomore

Students who graduate early: What are they planning to do?

BY AÉLIA GYGER staff writer

In order to graduate high school, students must complete a certain number of required classes such as four years of English, three years of Math and four semesters of physical education. The average student attends school for four years in order to graduate, yet some students finish their requirements earlier, and can then leave. To graduate early, students often end up taking classes outside of school or during the summer on top of their regular school work.

Graduating high school earlier is done for many different reasons. Barbra Mellion, a District Registrar at Berkeley High School said it allows students to have more flexibility in their educational journey. “They may wish to take a gap year for travel or personal development before continuing their formal education,” said Mellion.

Yet not all reasons for

leaving school early are positive.

“In some cases, students may face bullying, health issues, or social anxieties. Graduating early can be a way to transition to a more comfortable or suitable learning environment,” said Mellion.

Theresa Kubo, a freshman at Northeastern University, graduated from BHS at the end of her junior year in 2023. By having taken all the required classes on her own time, Kubo was able to graduate after three years of high school, and was able to move on to classes that she had more interest in.

Kubo. “I was stressing over classes and crying. And I was just thinking, why am I putting myself through all of this work and stress when (I already) know what I want to do?”

Graduating early was something that Kubo found very rewarding, and a ticket for her to pursue business. However, from Kubo’s experience, not all colleges viewed her early graduation as a good thing.

“I’ve wanted to do business my whole life, and at BHS there’s no business classes. There’s an economics class, and I really thrived there … but it was only for one semester,” said

“For a lot of UC’s, I had a GPA that was higher than what they wanted for their average, (yet) I didn’t get in. A lot of the academic counselors say (it’s) probably because I’m graduating a year early,” said Kubo. Graduating as a junior also meant her teachers didn’t give designated time for her college applications, unlike some teachers do during senior year. This meant regular homework for her classes, studying, taking extra classes, and applying to different colleges were all on Kubos’ to-do list at once.

Talking to advisors and

counselors allowed Kubo to graduate early. “Ms. Offerman was super helpful,” said Kubo, referring to Molly Offerman, a counselor at BHS who retired last year.

Alastair Kudsk, a senior in AHA, who plans on graduating a semester early from BHS, found a lack of support by the school, which motivated them to leave school early.

“The school needs to work for us, instead of us working for the school … I have ADHD. It’s a learning disability, it affects my ability to focus and meet deadlines, and school is not really meant for people who

have learning differences,” said Kudsk. They jumped on the opportunity to change learning environments.

“In my experience, the school has been extremely difficult for me to keep up with and when I found out that I qualified for early graduation, I took it immediately,” they said

Kudsk plans to get a job, take a couple of online college classes and then transfer to a California State University.

James Winer-Fashing, a senior in AC, also did not feel enough support from school, which prompted him to graduate early. After

graduating, Winer-Fashing is going to move to Boston.

Graduating early was made possible by WinerFashing taking two English classes during his junior year, and taking a statistics course at Berkeley City College over the summer. Now, starting his final semester, he’s taking both government and economics classes at the same time. He is doing this in order to finish getting all of his required credits in order to graduate early.

“I think that (life) will get better after I graduate,” said Winer-Fashing. “You can make it out early.”

Aiming to engage, new teachers bring new visions to their classes

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

between teaching in Berkeley compared to Colombia. “Berkeley is really rich in different cultures, different backgrounds, compared to Colombia … (where) we didn’t have as … (many) resources,” said Soto.

Despite the difficulty of transitioning to a new school, there is a lot for the new teachers to look forward to at the beginning of the new year.

Figueroa looks forward to the many performances that his jazz students are working hard to prepare for. “Here at Berkeley specifically, we do a lot of really cool trips and concerts. We get to play at Yoshi’s Jazz Club ... We also are doing a Cuba tour this year,” said Figueroa.

Soto’s favorite thing about teaching is building connections with her students. “I have 150 students and connections to explore, so we have something in common for sure. I’m going to try to make that connection and talk to (my students),” said Soto.

Valencia looks forward to engaging students in the material of his class. “(I look forward to) getting more into the nitty gritty of different topics, (and) get kids interested in these

topics,” said Valencia.

It’s easy to forget that Berkeley High School teachers are also starting a new year, getting used to a new schedule, and working hard to prepare just like students are. Some teachers, like Soto, Valencia, and Figueroa, are just beginning their journey at BHS.

Amidst all the chaos of the beginning of the year, Figueroa hopes that his students enjoy learning and performing jazz enough to continue playing outside of his class. “I hope that after I teach students that they have an appreciation for the music … There’s not that many young people listening to (jazz), but I hope to keep it alive,” said Figueroa.

Soto uses daily memes and engaging lessons to make sure that students have fun in her class. “I would love ... for them to feel free to come to me and … to

have fun in my class. That’s basically one of the things – to make fun, be fun,” said Soto.

Valencia hopes that his students not only enjoy history as a subject, but also find empowerment to become involved citizens.

“While there are all these, you know, terrible things going on … you have a way to have your voice heard within it,” said Valencia.

New teachers have to quickly learn new protocols while also guiding their students through difficult course material and making their lessons engaging and informative.

Although it can be difficult to transition, BHS’s new teachers are met with a wonderful community of teachers and staff, students who are accepting and ready to learn, and a wide variety of opportunities for them to explore.

Justin Valencia, a new BHS history teacher, stands at his desk. Roberto Figueroa co-leads the jazz program.

Angie Soto, a new Spanish teacher, hopes to make classes enjoyable for her students.

“Why am I putting myself through all of this work and stress when (I already) know what I want to do?”

Theresa Kubo, Class of 2023

After a year of planning, the BHS Wellness Center finally opens

BY SHANZA SYED staff writer

After returning to inperson learning in 2021, Berkeley High School saw a spike in conflicts, as students returned from isolation and re-learned how to interact with peers and balance their personal and academic lives. Seeing the community’s need, Juan Raygoza, principal at the time, received permission from Berkeley Unified School District to create a new administrative position for a Vice Principal of School Climate and Student Wellness. That position was filled by

Doreen Bracamontes last year.

During her first few months, Bracamontes looked at the existing support systems at BHS. “What I discovered was that Berkeley High was really ready to coordinate some of the individual efforts that were going on and designate some staff members to do that work,” she said.

“I had to identify what funding could be available in order to launch a wellness center and what would it really take. And I ran the idea by Principal Raygoza, told him all of the things I had discovered and asked him if I

could explore it with a team of people.”

With that, he set the stage for the development of a Wellness Center at BHS.

special education department, someone from the district office, as well as a few classified individuals. The team spent a lot of time researching wellness centers at other schools and chose to include resources like consent education and services like mental health counseling, that best fit with BHS’s needs.

Bracamontes then put together a group of people representative of the greater BHS community. This included counselors, students, administrators, the

“I know the school community is well aware, there were just some outright tragedies. We’ve experienced the loss of students for a variety of reasons,” said Bracamontes.

A parent volunteer offered to visit wellness centers to give feedback on ways to help improve the plan using their own experience with losing a child.

“Without somebody designated to be able to take that work (grief counseling) up and then look at how we coordinate it and provide those supports with all of our wonderful staff like our counseling team, it’s work that wouldn’t have gotten done without our existing staff members really working nonstop,” said Bracamontes.

Center at BHS, located in room H-104, is set to have a soft opening at the end of October. There will also be a grand opening that is currently scheduled for November, to celebrate the hard work and dedication of all those who have worked on making the Wellness Center a reality. “As ... (the Wellness Center) opens, students are going to tell us more about what’s working or what they wish was there or what they wish was offered and we’ll build that.” said Bracamontes.

Melissa Virrueta will be the Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator, which includes managing the daily operations of the wellness center and expanding programming, while Rachel Krow-Boniske will be the lead Mental Health Counselor. Stacy Shoals and

“I hope that students find a space in which they can take a break to recharge when they need to, learn about and connect with support, and connect with other students and staff members,” said Krow-Boniske.

Bracamontes adds that she hopes that the Wellness Center is a place that students can go to find new information. She also says that it’s important to note that students don’t have to interact or talk to other people. Students will also be given the option of taking a five to 15 minute break during class to recharge in any way that is helpful to them. This duration was decided upon using a Google Form survey where students stated how long their breaks typically lasted.

“What we know by the research we’ve done ... is that more students access support services starting with their schools,” said Bracamontes.

Doreen

Vice Principal of School Climate and Student Wellness

So, after a year of planning and coordinating, the Wellness

Yolanda Clark-Brown will be the Restorative Practices Coordinators, in charge of community building and addressing harm.

Emma Claus, a senior in Academic Choice, echoed the idea. “As a young person, dealing with emotions and issues yourself is really draining,” said Claus, adding that, “It’s really important that there are resources at school ... people at school who are willing to listen.”

Enthusiasm is key: Incoming club leaders foster community

BY CARINA THOMAS staff writer

By first period on September 7, dozens of tables with posters and free candy were set out on Berkeley High School’s campus green as students began pouring out of the buildings. The school’s annual Club Fair is an eye opening experience to the multitude of clubs that BHS has to offer. The Club Fair additionally serves as an important way for clubs to gain publicity.

This year, BHS junior Tyen Zhu set up a booth for the school’s returning Interact Club, a group that is part of an international, community service-oriented organization known as Rotary International. After participating in a Rotary International leadership program over the summer, Zhu began to question why BHS didn’t have an Interact Club.

“I (thought), why not just start one?” said Zhu. He believes that bringing the Interact Club back to BHS after a year of absence would not only be a great opportunity to help others, but would also push him, as the club’s leader,

to commit to giving back to his community.

Similarly, Isabel Nieto, a senior at BHS, chose to step up and become co-president of Latines Unidos as a means to strengthen bonds between community individuals. Nieto describes her goal with leading Latines Unidos as working

spending almost every lunch and even missing some classes to help plan out our trip to Kansas City,” said Worku. She described how planning each meeting, as well as switching up agendas from presentations to guest speakers, and to trips for national conventions is a lot of work and requires a hefty amount of time management. “But it was all worth it in the end because we all had a lot of fun,” said Worku.

important,” stated Echo Rettstatt, co-president of the Story and Songwriting Club. Rettstatt works alongside Nora Sachdeva, the club’s other copresident and founder. The two have utilized Discord servers and Google Forms to communicate with members and understand what they want to see happen in their club.

expresses her love for teaching by serving as a novice captain of the Berkeley High School Speech and Debate Team.

towards creating a welcoming and safe space where students of various Latinx backgrounds can strengthen bonds through shared aspects of each others’ cultures. “I feel like this club will make the Latinx community here at Berkeley High bigger and come together as a community,” said Nieto.

“And just be more out there, do more events, and educate people on our heritage.”

Phoeben Worku, Berkeley High’s National Society for Black Engineers president, pointed out some of the challenges of leading a club.

“I remember last year, I was

Through the hardships and technical workloads of running a club, the passion of the leader is crucial. “I feel like if you’re kind of only doing it for college, it’s kind of like ‘meh,’” said Taylor Johnson, co-president of the school’s Korean Culture Club. “You’re reflecting that energy onto other people … and also the message of your club won’t be spread as much as you may want it to be because you’re not super engaged.”

In addition to enthusiasm, learning to build a club using member input is effective for keeping the club’s content engaging. “The ability to see things from a more bird’s eye perspective and not just your own and the ability to be decisive, I think is very

Leading a club is not only an opportunity for members to grow and learn as individuals, but also allows club leaders to explore their own passions

Eloise Biddle-Gottesman

In the previous year, BiddleGottesman was a novice on the team herself, and believes that being part of the supportive debate team majorly improved her public speaking skills. By taking on a leadership role in the club, this passionate debater can see herself reflected in this year’s novices. “It’s really cool to see how quickly people improve and gain confidence,” said Biddle-Gottesman.

As a sophomore, Claire Freytag, the president of The Berkeley Girls All Blues Club Rugby Team, agrees that taking on a leadership role aligns with her passion for rugby and allows her to further spread love for the sport. “I’ve never done this before,” said Freytag. She explained how she is feeling a little nervous about the new leadership position. However, she continues to remain optimisic and ready for the challenge that comes with the new role.

“We’ll see how it goes!” said Freytag.

“It’s really cool to see how quickly people improve and gain confidence.”

Eloise Biddle-Gottesman, BHS Speech and Debate Team

Novice Captain

LILA HALLWARD

“Students are going to tell us more about what’s working ... or what they wish was offered and we’ll build that.”

Bracamontes,

“As a young person, dealing with emotions and issues yourself is really draining.”

Emma Claus, BHS senior

The Wellness Center staff, Melissa Virrueta, Rachel Krow-Boniske, Stacy Shoals, Yolanda Clark-Brown, and Doreen Bracamontes show off the new BHS motto.

ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS: KAIYA JORDAN & SIMON POLICY

Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour inspires BHS staff and students

BY AMAR WALKER staff writer

“She’s an artist that other artists look up to,” said Lola Djavaherian, Berkeley High School senior.

Everyone knows her name: Beyoncé. On August 30, the Beyoncé Renaissance Tour came to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with the first track of the night being “Dangerously In Love.” She performed this beloved song to a sold out stadium, with cheers coming from 50 thousand fans of all ages.

Beyoncé, a major female figure and pop star, has been releasing many of the

greatest hits for decades, and the Renaissance Tour continues to solidify her multigenerational fanbase.

Over time, Beyoncé’s influence has shifted to include people of all ages and demographics, due to the growth of admiration, music being passed down from generation to generation.

“She’s always been a really influential person,” BHS sophomore Anisha Pinto said. Pinto attended the concert with her mom.

The two of them have been fans of Beyoncé ever since her first albums came out.

“My mom, when she

matter what generation you’re in. She’s inspired a lot of different generations.”

For Djavaherian, she has enjoyed Beyoncé’s music since a very young age.

was in her twenties or something, she (listened) to Beyoncé. And she passed down her love for Beyoncé to me because I grew up listening to it,” Pinto said. “Everyone knows her, no

The purpose of this tour was to perform her latest album, “Renaissance,” that came out in 2022. Renaissance, meaning “rebirth,” was a revival of her music with new styles and sounds incorporated into it.

“She’s evolving, and going back to the roots of Black music, house, dance, and ballroom, and being like, ‘I want the world to experience this.’ She makes it more mainstream,” said Rebecca Villágran, Berkeley International High School history and Latinx history teacher.

Villágran has been a fan of Beyoncé since the Destiny’s Child era. After Beyoncé became her own star, Villágran’s admiration of her grew.

While the album “Renaissance” was a hit, that wasn’t the only reason her fans came to the show.

“She’s a very popular artist, so I feel like I’ve always known her music, especially her earlier stuff,” Djavaherian said.

Djavaherian described her experience at the concert as “life changing.” It had a similar effect on many fans, some even leaving the show with tears of admiration.

“The crowd was much more hyped when she played her older songs. Cause that’s what everyone knows. Like, even if you’re not a huge fan, you know Beyoncé’s old songs,” said Pinto.

Current high schoolers grew up listening to her oldest albums, and for many, it’s what hits home the most. With Beyonce’s music comes nostalgia,

With that said, Beyoncé’s overall influence has not been the same her entire career.

“She’s changing with the times in a good way. In the 90s, you couldn’t be super politically outspoken,” said Villágran.

As Beyoncé gained attention, her platform expanded, and now she uses it to raise awareness towards other issues.

“She supports a lot of things, like rights for queer people and women’s rights,” said Pinto. Beyoncé has always been a feminist, and that’s shown in early songs, like “Independent Woman” and “Run the World.”

IRIS LE LIBOUX

especially for individuals who have been listening to her their entire life.

“Some artists are timeless,” Villágran said.

Beyoncé continues to demonstrate her support of many progressive movements, which makes a big impact, especially when it’s coming from a huge pop culture figure. “Beyonce is art, and what she’s contributed to culture is even bigger than her,” Villagrán said. “That’s why it resonates with so many people all over the world.”

Beyoncé may be getting older, but it’s very clear that her legacy has only just begun.

‘Bottoms’: A basic plot paired with campy, feel-good comedy

BY ZACH YOO staff writer

“Bottoms” was the mostwatched film on Letterboxd, the social media website for film nerds, on its first week of wide release. It’s been marked as “watched” by over 100k users, far more than other summer movies like “Gran Turismo” and “Blue Beetle.” But it has thus far made a mediocre nine million at the box office against an $11 million budget which does not count marketing. It’s not too hard to see through this discrepancy; the film was marketed as a showcase of online humor, with music that would be more fitting for a pop star’s fancam and lines that sounded like someone’s viral tweets.

The film is centered around two teenagers, PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie

(Ayo Edbeiri). Their school’s loser lesbians, they fabricate a criminal history and start a high school fight club in order to attempt to get laid. Weird across-the-board, “Bottoms” takes place in a bizarre parody world of high school movie tropes, where the star quarterback is the second coming of Christ and history teachers assign quizzes called “Feminism: Who started it?”

At times it’s hard to even parse exactly what exactly the film is mocking with just how many tropes it’s taking on. That’s not a complaint, some of the movie’s best jokes are derived from nonsensical details in the background.

The rest of the comedy gets increasingly unexpected. Rather than the grating humor the

movie’s trailers might imply, the majority of the film’s jokes rely on the deep awkwardness of the club’s interactions, particularly those about its leaders’ fake stories of their time in juvie.

It’s the kind of humor that is not directly funny, but where a laugh might escape like an uncomfortable whisper. The jokes are generally on the edge between low-hanging and effective and the much more subversive moments of dramatic irony. The movie uses its R-rating to its full extent. Violence is bloody and visceral, and any subject from sexual assault to terrorism is fair game in the eyes of the writers. But despite the audacity and edginess of the movie’s humor, its plot is basic.

The fight club is under threat when one football player with a grudge tries to

dig up dirt on its founders. If their lie about juvie is revealed, it could spell disaster for the club and the budding romance between leader Josie and her crush Isabel (Havana Rose Liu).

The generic plot doesn’t get in the way of the comedy. It’s more like it

amplifies it, bringing plenty of gags straight out of an 80s high school movie. It does, however, force a warm and happy romance subplot into a movie that is otherwise unashamedly offensive.

This is perhaps inevitable – there still aren’t many movies about lesbians, and

it would be a downer to have the film end with its main couple apart.

Bottoms” is, a crowdpleasing good time at the movies, before anything else. In striving to be a feelgood comedy, it also loses a bit of the edge that makes it more than just relatable.

GWEN WEBER-STOVER

“Everyone knows her, no matter what generation you’re in. She’s inspired a lot of different generations.”

Anisha Pinto, BHS sophomore

“Beyonce is art, and what she’s contributed to culture is even bigger than her.”

Rebecca Villagrán, BHS History and Latinx History teacher

It’s the kind of humor that is not directly funny, but where a laugh might escape like an uncomfortable whisper.

WORD ON THE STREET

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MUSICAL MEMORY?

Kajsa De Ugarte, a sophomore in AC remembers her family’s influence on her music taste. “My dad introduced me to a lot (of music) that I didn’t know before,” she shared, recalling her father playing records for her as a kid.

SienaLibrizzi,

Lily Lampach, a senior in Academic Choice, was reminded of her experience watching the musical “Frozen”. “Elsa and Anna singing about how they like to ‘let it go,’” she said, was particularly captivating at the time. While Lampach admitted that the aesthetics of the movie drew her in more than the soundtrack itself, she found this to be a memorable experience nonetheless.

“My earliest memory of music is probably dancing in the kitchen with my brother when I was like five,” said Felicity Anastasia, a senior in CAS. “We’d just have dance battles in the kitchen.” She noted that this experience continues to align with her current interest in performance: “I dance all the time, that’s my thing.”

Felicity

Sathya BaligaWalsh, a senior in BIHS, said that listening to music in the car was memorable for him. When asked why this was particularly significant to him, he explained his affinity for meaningful music, “I like where the artist is saying something (that) I can take and apply in my daily life.”

Siena Librizzi, a sophomore in AC, remembered that “watching the ‘Thriller’ Michael Jackson video with my mom and my brother” particularly stuck with her, as she appreciated the storytelling that came with it. “Seeing music videos is really cool, visualizing what you’re listening to– putting a story to it,” she added.

AC junior, Ranier Bissell, recalls listening to music in the car when he was younger. “My dad liked listening to the radio, and they would always play Coldplay.” Bissell described that while he doesn’t feel this had much of an influence on his musical consumption today, it is still something he can turn to for nostalgia.

BY RORY NADEAU staff writer

TOSCANA GIRARD MAXON staff photographer

Jazz combos at BHS foster creativity, community, and challenge

BY EVA KATZ staff writer

The band program at Berkeley High School brings creativity, community and challenge to the people in it. Combos, a combination of anywhere from two to 10 people with a mix of instruments, can be a great way for student musicians to not only practice their instrument, but also to play in a more casual setting.

“The specific way (combos are) interpreted here in the Berkeley High School jazz culture is, it’s a student led group meant to play jazz and all sorts of jazz genres,” said Elliott Martens, a senior in the jazz band.

Teachers in the band program highly encourage

students of all grades in their classes to form and participate in combos.

“They don’t always need an adult telling them what to do. They need to figure it out themselves and they need to choose the tunes. They need to figure out how to make them sound good,” said Sarah Cline, a jazz teacher at BHS. “They need to arrange the tune with the band, which takes a lot of listening and thought and coordination. It’s just such a great thing.”

When a group of students who participate in combos were asked whether they felt supported and creatively challenged, they unanimously and enthusiastically said yes.

Martens described the process of creating a combo.

“There’s kind of an art involved with finding the right people for the job,” Martens said. “Thankfully, Berkeley High has such a massive pool of musicians, so it’s not really hard to find somebody. … There are plenty of combos that form in friendships. If there’s a bunch of jazz kids that are friends with each other, they just want to play together in the form of a combo.”

Students in combos usually play a myraid of instruments.

“Most of (the people in the combo) are just in freshman band with me, so usually it’s a few different instruments, so I just asked one trumpet player, a bass player, (and) said, ‘Want to start playing?’ and they were like ‘Sure,’’’ said Vikram

Bisarya, a BHS freshman.

Students who are interested in forming a combo often ask friends and classmates. Combos are usually made up of a bass, drums, a piano, a trumpet and a saxophone. There has always been a culture of combos within the BHS community, bringing everyone together.

“It reproduces itself from year to year, which is really awesome,” Cline said when asked about the culture of combos. While the culture of combos hasn’t changed much in terms of the instruments, there has been some significant developments. Cline points out a very important difference in the band community. “(What) I’ve noticed since I got here is a

lot more girls being included in combos, making their own combos, and making girls and non-binary student combos together. It’s a part of solving the problem of, ‘how come there’s so many

guys out there on the stage.’” Jazz musicians are, in the near future, hoping to have combos playing in the courtyard during the week. Everyone is encouraged to come and listen.

RanierBissell,AC junior

Anasta sia, CASsenior

Lily L ampach, ACsenior

Kajsa De Ugarte,ACsophomore

AC sophomore

Sathya Baliga-Walsh, BIHS

PHOTOS BY

Hollywood shows innacurate depictions of high school life

BY HANNAH GROTHREIDY staff writer

From the John Hughes teen movies that dominated the 80s, to more contemporary series like “Riverdale” and “Gilmore Girls”, there’s often been a longstanding history of inaccurate representation of teenhood. Young adults are all too familiar with the time-tested tropes of complicated romances, dramatic friendships, and impulsive adventures. The transition between childhood and adulthood is, without a doubt, a fascinating time to depict in entertainment. And yet, most teen media seems to get stuck in the same cliched rut of high school inaccuracies.

was made up of a cast between the age range of 20-24. Nina Dobrev from “The Vampire Diaries” began to film at the age of 20. This phenomenon is problematic, as it creates standards for young audiences that simply aren’t realistic. Adult actors

which have all received significant praise and high ratings. Yet these shows, among others, may not represent the majority of teenagers lives.

“(Kids) see these people and then they try and strive to be them.”

Taylor Reynaud, BHS freshman

simply cannot capture the awkward phase between pre-pubescence and adulthood that all teens go through.

“They’re accurate depictions of some peoples’ high school experience,” Smith said. Reynaud commented on the possible causes for this by saying it is “probably older people writing (them).”

To start, many high school shows and films cast actors who are well beyond their teen years. “Pretty Little Liars”, for example,

Taylor Reynaud and Josephine Smith, both Berkeley High School freshmen, agreed that perpetuating these unrealistic expectations can be harmful to young audiences. Reynaud referred to shows such as “Euphoria”, “Never Have I Ever”, and “Heartstopper”,

It’s true that the writers and directors of these shows and films are not teenagers themselves. And while they have certainly been through the experience, it’s unlikely that filmmakers fully understand the intricacies of modern teenage life. This results in content that doesn’t reflect what today’s young adults experience.

media is having an engaged audience that wants to watch whatever has been created. The question, then, lies in whether following the realistic life of an average teenager would be

themselves?

“I think it makes it more dramatic and more interesting to watch,” Smith added, touching on the prevalence of unrealistic “teen” media. It’s unclear if less dramatized media would be able to compete with the teen shows we’ve grown accustomed to.

It’s unclear if less dramatized media would be able to compete with the teen shows we’ve grown accustomed to.

The last piece in producing any kind of

appealing to audiences. Do teens want to watch what they’ve been experiencing

“I feel like it would be kind of boring, but I feel like if it was well executed then I would watch it,” Reynaud said.

The harm inflicted on young audiences by unrealistic standards is another tough question to answer.

“I think ... (kids) ... see these people and then they try and strive to be them, but it’s unhealthy and inaccurate,” Reynaud said.

“I think there could be ways to portray the drama without setting negative examples for kids,” Smith stated.

While it’s unlikely that teen films are going away, it is important to consider how youth are represented.

Colossal movie flops of 2023 Movie Recommendations: Fall

BY SAM MASCARENHAS staff writer

“Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” was a highly anticipated fantasy adventure movie based on the popular roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons (D&D.) Fans of D&D were excited to see their beloved tabletop game brought to life on the big screen. However, despite the hype, potential, and star studded cast, the movie failed to meet commercial expectations. Even with the highly positive reception, the film only grossed $208 million at the box office worldwide on a budget of $150 million.

The D&D movie is far from the only high-budget bomb in 2023. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”, the muchhyped final film in the decades-long franchise, actually lost money. The movie drew in $375 million on a mind-boggling budget of $400 million. Other high-budget flops from 2023 include “The Flash”, “Shazam: Fury of the Gods”, and “Fast X.”

edition

BY KAIYA JORDAN AND SIMON POLICY Entertainment editors

Rushmore

a lot of money to make action films, and it requires a similarly large amount of hype to draw audiences back into theaters after the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, many theaters closed after suffering losses that were too great to rebound from. COVID-19 also led to heavy investment into streaming services, better-enabling people to watch movies without going to the theater.

has also had negative impacts on the quality of recent movies.

It’s clear that high budgets don’t guarantee high returns in this postpandemic era.

It’s not like all big-budget action movies are destined to be flops. “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3,” for example, had a box office draw of around $845 million worldwide with a production and marketing budget of less than half that number. Similarly, “Spiderman Across the Spider Verse” earned around $600 million on a $100 million budget. Both films delivered on every front, recieving raving reviews from critics.

One significant factor contributing to the lackluster performance of these blockbusters is their colossal production and marketing costs. It costs

Throughout the summer, strikes by both the actors and the writers guild in Hollywood significantly hindered film production.

— Raven Fonseca Jensen

Both strikes are continuing with no end in sight, which

It’s clear that super high budgets don’t guarantee high returns in this postpandemic era. “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” might be great, but as studios are learning, the movie industry simply isn’t where it used to be.

Max Fischer is an eccentric high school student who participates in nearly every extracurricular activity offered at the prestigous academy he attends. This Wes Anderson film follows him through an epic tale of intelligence, uniquness, and a brutal rivarly between Max and a middle-aged man.

The Boy and the Beast

Nine-year-old Ren is still grieving the loss of his mother when he finds himself transported into the magical kingdom of beasts. Ren’s taken under the wing of the beast Kumatetsu, a grumpy loner. Together, the two embark on an lifechanging adventure accross the mystic, parallel world.

Entertainment is taking media suggestions for spooky season!

SARA TEITELBAUM

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

Courtesy of Toho

Volleyball dominates Alameda at home

BY SOPHIE DRESKIN staff writer

On Sep. 12, the Berkeley High School girls varsity volleyball team played against the Alameda Hornets. Berkeley crushed Alameda; not one set was lost.

The first set was the closest. The points were tipping back and forth among Berkeley and Alameda, but with Berkeley slightly favored the majority of the time. With the Yellowjackets keeping their small lead throughout the set, they pulled out the first win of the game, winning the set 25-22.

The first few points of the second set were similar to the first. There was no significant lead on either end, and it seemed as though either team could take the win. However, Berkeley quickly began to creep ahead, towards the middle of the set.

The eighth point from Berkeley, when they really began to gain momentum, was won when senior Elle Walker, an outside hitter, got a very powerful hit.

Head coach Kimberlee Rock said that Elle, “took the net down.”

After this play, Berkeley began to fly past Alameda in terms of points, keeping their 10 point lead for the rest of the set. Junior and Libero Semaj Manuel got 12 serves straight during this set, which catapulted BHS to victory.

Manuel credited the large lead to the team’s communication. “(the team) did a good job talking to each other and connecting on a bunch of different balls.”

BHS kept their huge lead through the end of the set, winning the game 259. When asked about the set, Walker said, “We really stepped it up and had some nice hustle plays.”

The third set started with a tight score between the teams. However, BHS quickly got further and further ahead, eventually creating an 11 point lead.

Near the end of the set, Alameda began to slither back up towards Berkeley, on a possible come up. They started closing the gap, but were not completely

successful. Berkeley managed to pull through quickly in the end of the third set, winning 25-17, resulting in an overall 3-0 Berkeley win.

Rock noted that the seniors on the team played a large part in the win, “The seniors getting to play and all playing well was a great thing,” she said.

She also stated that the best part of the game was that, “It was a good team win; they played well as a team and everybody who stepped on the court positively contributed.”

Girls water polo crushes Lick Wilmerding

BY LULI GALINSON staff writer

Water polo season has begun, and the girls team is ready to dive in. On the evening of Wednesday, September 13, the girls water polo team played against Lick Wilmerding High School at home. The Jackets started off strong, with senior Eliza McGlashan scoring a goal within the first minute of the first quarter. This was quickly followed by a goal from senior Reba GamsonKnight, with an assist from senior Kendall Maddry. Berkeley’s defense managed to block all but two of the opponent’s shots in the first quarter, even when the team’s only goalie, Cece Lutz, was taken out for a 30 second penalty. Co-captain and senior Ellie Pett-Ridge Hennessy scored once, and

junior Eden Barnes scored twice. The quarter ended with the score at 5-2 with Berkeley in the lead.

For Pett-Ridge Hennessy, being a co-captain means balancing the interests of the team and the coach. She said, “(It’s) making sure that everyone is feeling safe in the water, feeling good in practice, feeling like part of the team and feeling supported by their coaches. So just connecting the team.”

Halfway through the first quarter, almost every player in the water was subbed during a time out. Not only is water polo draining, but it can also get very aggressive.

“There’s a lot of stuff that happens under the water that isn’t seen and I think that is different from every other sport because you can see everything when you’re above ground, but in the water, it gets a little

bit nastier,” Pett-Ridge Hennessy said.

Lick Wilmerding got possession of the ball at the beginning of the second quarter, but they were not able to score. Berkeley scored five more times before halftime. There were goals from junior Phoebe Jasper-Hwang, Maddry, junior Zoe Glass, and back to back unassisted shots from Barnes, ending the quarter with a score of 10-2, Berkeley in the lead.

Throughout the game, Lutz blocked many of the opponents shots. She has been having a successful season this year, and attributes this to working hard in practice and help from her teammates. “It’s a very teamwork driven sport. It’s a water sport, but unlike swimming, you really have to be friends with your teammates and work together in order to do well.” Lutz said.

She also gave a shout out to Barnes for making many powerful plays. “Eden made a lot of really good steals and we scored off a lot of them,” Lutz said. “So I thought those were good.” She is hopeful that the team can make it to the North Coast Section playoffs this year.

In the third quarter, Lick Wilmerding managed to score twice, but Berkeley’s scoring didn’t slow down. McGlashan scored within the first 20 seconds of

the quarter, and through the rest of it there were shots by Gamson-Knight, Barnes, and two goals from Hennessy.

Gamson-Knight is the team’s other co-captain. She also enjoys how much teamwork water polo requires. “There are six people in the pool plus your goalie. So if one of those players is taking shots for themselves or they’re slacking off, it really shows.” Gamson-Knight expressed. She also thinks of water polo as a great emotional outlet. “I honestly think a lot of water polo players are really quiet in their lives. But in the pool, it’s really aggressive and it’s a really good way for quiet girls to get out their anger,” she said.

In the fourth quarter, Berkeley was in the lead, but they still continued to put up a fight. Hennessy scored quickly, but this was followed by another goal from Lick Wilmerding. However, they came back, and Hennessy scored again. Later, there was a goal from junior Morgan Ostrer, followed by another from McGlashan. In the last 30 seconds of the game the opponents scored a goal, however the Jackets responded and ended with a bang. With eight seconds left in the game, GamsonKnight scored to bring the final score to a 20-6 Berkeley win!

Many consider Ernest Hemingway to be one of the greatest American writers of all time. He published some of the most famous novels of the 20th century and won a Pulitzer Prize and a Nobel Prize in literature. But, he’s not who we’re here to talk about today. We are here to talk about his lesser-known younger brother, Leicester Hemingway, who in July of 1964, founded his own country in the middle of the ocean.

Born in 1915, Leicester Hemingway led a largely unremarkable life. He published several books that were received generally positive, though his most famous book was about his older brother. In 1964, perhaps tired of being overshadowed and looking for an escape, Hemingway constructed a 240-square-foot raft out of bamboo, iron piping, and rocks and tethered it to the ocean floor off the Jamaican coast using an old Ford engine.

At the time, the tiny plot of ocean Hemingway called home was technically in international waters. To stake his claim, Hemingway referenced an obscure law from the 1850s which stated that any US citizen could take possession of unclaimed islands that had “guano” deposits (bird feces that can be used in fertilizer). The law was passed as a result of a boom in gunpowder sales, which guano can also be used in.

Using an old typewriter, Hemingway drafted up his country’s constitution. He copied The United States Constitution nearly word-forword, changing any instance of “United States” to “New Atlantis,” which is what he called his new nation. He claimed the unoccupied half of his raft was U.S. territory, while the other half was the nation of New Atlantis (an area about 60 square feet).

By 1965, there were six residents of his country, including Hemingway’s wife, two daughters, a family friend of the Hemingways, and his assistant. Hemingway was voted president by all six members, including himself. Doris, Hemingway’s wife, sewed a flag for the nation.

Hemingway first funded his raft with sales from his book, but as money dried out, he turned to stamp-selling. Unfortunately, the Universal Postal Union did not recognize his homemade stamps as legitimate. He also created his own currency, which he called the “Scruple”. It consisted of fish hooks, shark teeth, beans, and other trinkets he found drifting on the ocean. Despite Hemingway’s lofty goals, which included eventually constructing an actual island out of rocks, the raft met its end in a storm about two years after its genesis. The wreckage was beyond saving.

Over the next 16 years, Hemingway dabbled in other pursuits: for five years, he published a monthly fishing magazine marketed towards men. In 1982, at the age of 67, Hemingway took his own life after struggling with health issues for several years. And that’s the story. Perhaps the next time your English teacher assigns Ernest Hemingway, you’ll think of his ill-fated brother and the floating micro-nation that never was.

In Donahue Gym, BHS’s girls varsity volleyball gathers as a team before a set.

COURTESY OF NAWOO KIM

Girls water polo players battle for the ball.

Multi-sport athletes: ‘(It’s) a little hectic’

BY ELOISE THOMAS staff writer

“I went to a mountain bike race in the morning, I left as soon as I was finished, slept in the car, and then had to go to a track meet at 9 p.m. So that was a little hectic,” said Berkeley High School sophomore Carina Nottingham. Last spring, Nottingham participated in both the school mountain biking team and track team. She is one of the many multi-sport athletes at BHS who manage a packed schedule in order to play the sports they want to.

For some athletes, such as BHS senior Will Polishuk, this means back to back workouts some days. Especially during basketball season, when he has baseball practice during many of the days that he also practices for basketball.

In addition to the difficulty of doing both, sometimes the challenge is deciding which sport to prioritize. “Sometimes there are both things going on, and you can’t be in two places at one time,” said Polishuk.

For other athletes, like sophomore Camille Cunningham, this means choosing one sport over the other. Last year, Cunningham decided to leave the BHS crew team after joining a climbing team. Crew was a time demanding sport with practices five days a week, leaving little time for climbing especially when she joined the team and started going to more practices.

Cunningham’s passion for one sport made it worth the loss of the other. “I just decided that I wanted to

climb. And that was more important to me than crew was,” she said.

In contrast, Polishuk’s enjoyment of both sports was what made doing both worth it. “It is difficult, but I like doing it so much that I don’t find it hard to do,” said Polishuk.

Polishuk decided to stick with just one sport for college, and is committed to play baseball for PomonaPitzer. Much of his decision was based on the future and the opportunities each sport would give him. “I have definitely prioritized baseball. I’ve always played both, and I’ve always loved both. But baseball is the one I was better at and I knew I wanted to pursue in college,” he said.

According to BHS senior Marlow Buettner, who plays both baseball and soccer, playing multiple sports has helped him improve his athletic skills. There are many ways that cross training can help advance skills in both sports, and help athletes learn new techniques that can be applied in many situations.

“I think playing just one [sport] can take away from using your athleticism,” he said.

Polishuk has also found that having complimentary sports makes doing both easier and can be beneficial.

“In terms of athletic performance… baseball helps basketball and basketball helps baseball,” he said.

Nottingham agreed, saying, “Biking is a great way to keep my cardio up for running, but still have a lower impact sport, where I feel less likely to get overuse injuries, even though mountain biking does have its own injury risks.”

BHS football home opener was success

BY SYDNEY LEHRER staff writer

On Friday, Sept. 8, the Berkeley High School Yellowjackets faced De Anza High School in their first home game of the season, defeating them by a score of 41-14. The bleachers were packed with students dressed in all black to show their support for the team, and the crowd was rowdy.

“I think playing just one (sport) can take away from using your athleticism.”

Marlow Buettner, BHS senior

After losing their first two games of the season, the Jackets were expected to be evenly matched, but they started off hot to begin the game. A 70 yard rushing touchdown by junior wide receiver BJ Thurman got the Jackets rolling within the first 30 seconds of the game. “We came out with a lot of energy,” said senior quarterback Deontae Faison. I think we’re happy to be home finally. And that really boosted us.”

Late in the second quarter, De Anza scored its second field goal, placing the score at 28-14 going into halftime.

The Jackets strengthened their defense in the second half, shutting De Anza out, and scoring another 13

“I would have more regret if I had chosen one (sport).”

Will Polishuk, BHS senior

Despite the social challenges that come along with a restrictive schedule, Polishuk found being a part of two teams to be a highlight for him. “Playing on both teams is definitely the most fun I’ve had in high school,” he said.

Multi-sport athletes face many obstacles trying to juggle schedules, multiple workouts, and academics, but Polishuk has no regrets about the sports he played at BHS. “I think I would have more regret if I had chosen one (sport),” he said.

points before the end of the game.

Junior William Graham said that the win felt like a relief, although, “(This game) proves we can win, but it also proves we still have a lot to grow,” he said.

Faison was proud of his team’s win. “I feel like we embraced each other’s game, and we came together and really fought hard for this one,” said Faison.

Head coach David Perry reflected on what this first win meant for his team. “We’d like to say you either win or you learn, and we have learned a lot about ourselves, about being humble, about playing tough, and just staying and sticking with it,” he said. “It was definitely kind of a weight off our shoulders.”

He also praised the team’s offensive and defensive lines, and said that in future games he looks forward to building up their running game.

Thinking about the season ahead, Coach Perry has high expectations. “The seasons looking bright,” he said. “We expect to be in the playoffs and I think this is a stepping stone into the right direction.”

Berkeley High School junior BJ Thurman is a wide receiver on the varsity football team. As a child, he always liked football, but he focused on basketball because his dad played it. However, his focus switched to football in sixth grade. Finding it to be more interesting than basketball, he has been hooked on the sport ever since. “It has taught me a lot of stuff … once I got started, I was roped in,” said Thurman. This led him to really enjoy the family aspect of the team, and he developed close friendships with teammates. “It’s real love behind our team,” he said. “I feel like I can do anything with the guys I play with, even outside of football,” Thurman said. Thurman has received several offers to play football in college, and while he is grateful for each one, he hopes to go to school in the East. No matter what, football remains something Thurman loves. “If I mess up, I’ll mess up, if I ball, I ball,” he said.

— Sze Ting

Chen

PHOTOS BY MEI SAPHIR

SPORTS EDITORS: COLINA HARVEY & LEO SILVERBERG

GEORGIA PAULOS

BHS student section cheering on Friday evening.