BHS Jacket 2023/24 Issue 3

Latinx Heritage Month

Latinx influence on California culture

BY HANNAH GROTHREIDY staff writer

When looking at America’s Latinx community, it is difficult not to talk about California.

According to the Public Policty Institute of California, one in every four Latinx Americans live in the “Golden State.” Latinx

Californians are the largest racial/ethnic group in the state, with 99 percent of Latinx immigrants coming from Latin America, and 77 percent from Mexico alone.

Latinx influence in California goes beyond statistics and demographics. It covers a wide range of cultural impacts as well.

Among these are art, language, and food: pillars of culture. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the state.

The cuisine of Cal-Mex (California-Mexican) is one

of the most common and recognizable aspects. The architecture and landscape of the state is closely linked to its Latinx influence and history.

California’s Latinx history began with Spanish colonization in the eighteenth century. Spanish settlers established missions and presidios throughout California, which laid the foundation for Latinx influence in the region. This time period also introduced Catholicism and Spanish architecture, which continue to shape California’s culture today.

The state later became a part of the Republic of Mexico in 1822. 24 years later, in 1846, the United States invaded California, and after the MexicanAmerican war which lasted two years, the state became a part of the United States through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in 1848. This PAGE 13

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Gender non-conforming Latinx students

BY VIOLET MILLER-BRADY staff writer

“A lot of the newer generation is becoming more accepting about (being) queer and Hispanic, but people who are older and have been around for longer haven’t really been exposed to it since they’re used to their more traditional ways,” said Bex Campillo Quitano, a junior in Arts

and Humanities Academy (AHA). For gender queer Latinx students at Berkeley High School, identity can be a complicated topic due to the lack of acceptance of their gender and sexuality that is felt from traditional values prevalent in Latinx culture.

Spanish itself is a gendered language, and as a gender queer or non-binary person, it can be difficult to find ways of introducing

and talking about oneself in a way that people feel fully describes their identity.

Latinx is an Americanized term that has become fairly common in recent years, but it can’t be used in Spanish.

“Latine” is a term that some people have adopted, although it isn’t familiar to all Spanish speakers.

“There isn’t really a pronoun in Spanish where it’s in the middle. … I don’t mind (elle), but I just

personally don’t use it,” said Campillo Quitano, who uses he/him pronouns and identifies as a trans man but chooses to present as somewhere “in the middle.”

Using “ellos,” which translates to “they” in English, can also be used to address non-binary, trans, or gender queer-identifying people. Native Spanish speakers sometimes use this term to talk about people that they don’t PAGE 10

BHS Jazz must continue to diversify, honoring jazz’s roots Listen

BHS sports sees increasing attendance

Jazz music has its roots in many cultures, yet BHS Jazz doesn’t reflect this diversity. Read what the

on

KAI HANSCHEN

ALEX MORGAN

Alastair Kudsk, a BHS senior, uses he/they pronouns and is half Mexican.

Task force begins working on financial reparations within BUSD

BY EVA LEVENSON staff writer

The Berkeley Unified School District Reparations Task Force, announced by Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel in March of 2023, is dedicated to exploring and enacting policies that support descendants of formerly enslaved people connected to BUSD. Reparations are defined as making amends for a past wrong done to a person or peoples, and it often includes monetary compensation.

Formed from the social outcry and racial reckoning following the murder of George Floyd, activists and community members banded together in the growing Black Lives Matter movement with a plea for political steps to end the growing injustice.

On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, a community letter was sent to the school board with an urgent call for the creation

of a reparations task force. The letter was written by nearly 100 Berkeley residents. It described the reasons they felt a need for reparations.

The letter to the school board mentioned that the opportunity and achievement gap between African American and white students is still too large in BUSD. It said the way to solve this problem was by addressing the root cause, the root cause being the institutional and systemic racism extending from the enslavement of African people.

Superintendent Ford Morthel headed her constituent’s call for action. With the support of the school board, she spearheaded the creation of the BUSD Reparations Task Force.

The goal of the task force, “Is to have a group of minds, take a deep dive into the who, what, when, where, why, and how we can make reparations a reality for individuals with connections to BUSD,” said

Laura Babitt, one of the task force committee members, and vice president of the BUSD School Board.

The task force understands the institutional racism ingrained in our country that extends into our school district, “This is not a problem of the past. I really want to encourage folks to think about (how) that the vestiges of slavery are felt in a very actual and sincere way by Black folks in this country,” said Kad Smith, facilitator of the BUSD Reparations Task Force during the informational meeting on Thursday, March 30, 2023.

The BUSD Reparations Task Force is an advisory committee, which means it has no political power of its own. However, they can present and influence the school board’s decisions on this matter.

This task force is meant to specifically support African Americans who are descended from enslaved people. Most descendants of enslaved

people in America have not gotten physical reparations. However, the issue isn’t just the wealth gap between white people and people of color, it is broad. Babitt said, “For me, it would mean acknowledgment because we’ve had world leaders apologize for the enslavement of my ancestors, but those are words, and they don’t change my current reality.”

The members of the BUSD Reparations Task Force are pulled from a wide variety of positions, two of whom are school board members: President Ka’Dijah Brown and Vice President Laura Babitt. There are slots for community members, parents, BUSD staff, and a youth representative. In total, there are 18 committee members.

As a general member, Berkeley High School senior Raniiya Nolen said, “Reparations is a chance to level the playing field ... and help Black people thrive.”

Though the community doesn’t yet know what these reparations are, it is clear that

having them for could make a difference for BUSD students and families.

School board discusses changes in curriculum and sick leave

BY YOSHI ROHN staff writer

On Wednesday, Sept. 20, the Berkeley Unified School District school board approved changes to the BUSD curriculum and heard complaints about teachers’ sick leave policy during a meeting. The new curriculum was developed by the BUSD’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction with the

intention to engage the diverse student body to achieve academic excellence. The department’s director, Chris Albeck, said one of the goals is “to disrupt patterns of predictability for communities who have been historically underserved.”

The changes will affect subjects including ethnic studies, science, literature, and multilingual learning and will be rolled out over the next three years. Teachers

have already begun training to teach the new curriculum.

“Overwhelmingly, the teacher responses have been very positive with reports of students feeling affirmed by the curriculum, excited and engaged, with teachers telling me, this is what they want to be teaching,” said Joemy Ito-Gates, a Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA) for Ethnic Studies. “Ethnic studies matters because it is rooted in teaching our children a culturally affirming curriculum that uplifts historically marginalized communities in Berkeley and because it has been proven to have multiple academic benefits.”

Ethnic studies’ third-grade curriculum will be split into four “Ripples”. Ripple One is focused on students’ selfidentity, while Ripple Two is about connecting to the school community. Ripple Three is about the Ohlone community, and Ripple Four is aimed toward Berkeley role models.

Literacy education within BUSD will now include a reading academy for Kindergarten through fifth

grade, involving over 200 elementary educators and 22 hours of in-person and online learning. Many teachers have been working tirelessly to start to implement these lessons, going through 30 hours worth of training sessions.

After two years of piloting three curricula, the new science curriculum will be Full Option Science System (FOSS) Pathways, which is a newer curriculum that is being developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science. It is based on the content of the FOSS Science Program and it aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards, which have been adopted in all of California as well as Berkeley. It will address core science content, highlighting certain science practices such as analyzing data or cause and effect.

“The main purpose of all of these professional development opportunities is to provide access to the common core standards, to increase reclassified fluent English proficiency rates, and to enable our multilingual learners to achieve academic

excellence,” said Kathleen Marte, a TSA for multilingual learning. The professional development opportunities have over 40 teachers attending the training.

Another topic of discussion was the Mental Health Needs Assessment Update with Rosina Keren and Dr. Phillip Shelley. “This was a very thorough evaluation of what’s going on in our district with the need assessment, we interviewed over 200 people with (an) eye for equity the whole way,” said Keren. “We had a focus group specifically for families with children of African descent, we had a focus group for families who spoke Spanish, we had another focus group for general families.”

This update has worked to have teachers use a traumainformed lens in providing services to students, with a lot of teachers also having a strong social-emotional curriculum built into their teaching. And for kids with a need for counseling, the educators have been switched over to their own school psychologists, therefore making them more integrated.

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One of the main topics in public comment was the sick leave policy. “I got COVID(-19) for the first time this school year on the eighth day of school, and because I needed to take Paxlovid, I experienced very common rebound effects and basically had COVID(-19) twice in one go. After seven days of testing positive with mild symptoms, I had a few days of testing negative and feeling fine, going back to work,” said Zia Manekin-Hrdy, a teacher at Malcolm X Elementary. “Then I tested positive again with much worse symptoms. This meant I was required to isolate for five days two separate times and missed two weeks of work. Out of my eleven PTO (Paid Time Off) days, I’ve already used nine of them this year due to COVID. (-19)” Manekin-Hrdy added. Manekin-Hrdy advocated for five added paid days because while this still wouldn’t cover the number of days she missed, it would have helped her. Many other educators have also experienced this feeling and share the same desire for this to be solved.

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Berkeley teachers petition for sick leave

BY PENELOPE PURCHASE staff writer

Two weeks into the 202223 school year, Malcolm X Elementary teacher Zia Manekin-Hrdy fell ill with COVID-19 for the second time that school year. She originally had a few days of negative testing, before testing positive again. Both times, she was required to isolate at home for five days, which ate up nine of her eleven total annual paid sick days. She returned to school following the mandatory isolation period with a negative test but still felt residual symptoms from the illness. According to Manekin-Hrdy, the financial stress of consuming any more sick leave days pushed her to return to teaching earlier than she would have preferred.

“If I knew that my ... leave (time) was something separate, that wasn’t deducting from days when I can take care of my family … I probably would have stayed home for two more days,” said Manekin-Hrdy.

Experiences like this are one of the reasons why Berkeley Independent Study teacher Jonas LaMatteryBrownell began a petition to restore five extra sick leave days for staff in the case of

COVID-19.

In 2021, the state set aside money for teachers who caught COVID-19 and needed extra paid leave. The paid sick leave was then taken away in September of 2021. Currently, if a staff member catches the virus, the mandatory days they are absent are deducted from their overall allotment of eleven days of sick leave per school year.

“School employees (are) put under the stress of worrying about quickly using up their paid leave,” said LaMattery-Brownell. “When they get infected ... (teachers) are just not as able to set that stress aside in their precious everyday service to students.”

According to Berkeley Independent Study teacher Yvette Felarca, the lack of paid COVID-19 sick leave is especially difficult for new teachers who haven’t had the opportunity to save up sick days from previous years. If a staff member happens to catch it and be out sick for two weeks, then they’ve lost all their sick days.

“Teachers are going to feel economic and financial pressure not to report if they’re infected with COVID(-19), not to even try to find out for fear that if they’re confirmed, that they’re going to have to

report it, then they’re going to lose all their sick time,” said Felarca.

As the petition written by LaMattery-Brownell states, restoring the additional days would support staff members to avoid coming to work while infectious and help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our schools.

In fact, teachers are exposed to COVID-19 more than their students might think.

At the height of the 2023 surge, teachers were getting “at least one close contact exposure notice every day,” said a BUSD faculty member, who asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons.

“When someone develops ... symptoms … it is critical they don’t come to school to spread it,” said LaMattery-Brownell. “When school staff are paid to stay home when infectious with COVID

(-19), they can much more easily do that.”

According to Felarca, the current sick leave policy not only increases infections, but is also inequitable. “All the countless students and staff who were also medically fragile … are literally risking their lives every day,” said Felarca, “We do offer an online option … (but) that doesn’t still address the problem.” Other educators in BUSD hold similar opinions.

“(For) people who, you know, maybe have certain chronic illnesses, or are immunocompromised … (the threat of) COVID(-19) isn’t ... ‘over’ at all,” said the anonymous source when talking about the reality of the situation. “I feel like it’s a disservice to people who are in the position (of having the virus) if (the) COVID(-19) policy doesn’t include them.”

BUSD policy limits questioning of students

campus, we can’t question juveniles anywhere in regards to criminal matters without contacting the public defender’s office if they are a suspect.”

Today, data is all around us, and for many of us, our personal data may be our most valuable asset. Whether it be the Chromebooks we use in school, or various online educational solutions, our data is often collected and used behind the scenes, while we remain in the dark about its usage and importance.

Recently, it’s felt like Google products and software have had a stranglehold on our educational institutions. For example, the Chromebook. Almost every class at Berkeley High School has one, yet how have they become so prevalent throughout the school?

Last month, the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) School Board passed a policy that limits when the Berkeley Police Department (BPD) can question students on campus. The California School Board Association published a document to establish guidelines on this issue.

On Wednesday, Aug. 23, BUSD presented its rewritten version of the policy. It said, “Law enforcement officers may only interview and question students that are implicated in a crime on school premises and may only remove students from school premises when

appropriate and when no alternative means or locations are available.”

Currently, there is an onsite police officer at Berkeley High School. They usually only involve themselves in potential criminal acts, whereas the administration and the safety officers solve miscellaneous problems around campus.

Administration tackles school rule-related issues, which can look like students being late to class or negative cheering and traditions at school spirit events.

Lionell F. Dozier II, the on-campus police officer for BHS, said, “As far as questioning juveniles on

The statement released by the school board stated, “Keeping students safe is crucial to their development and success in school and a top priority for the Governing (School Board). When students feel safe at school, they have a greater chance of thriving both academically and socially.”

A lot of the issues the on-campus police officer deals with are done behind

and admin,” said James Dopman, the Law and Social Justice teacher.

The school board policy reiterated the importance of the purpose behind police intervention at BHS. It said, “This decision (of police intervention) should be reasonable and take multiple factors into consideration in order to protect all students involved, (the) school community and the public.”

From a first glance, Chromebooks provide almost everything a school could dream of. A low maintenance, easy to scale and set up infrastructure, minimal resources making off task activities harder, as well as a built in tracking system to keep an eye on students. However, one of their biggest draw-ins is their affordability, starting at just twenty dollars a month, with many of the licenses from Google already built in, Chromebooks appear to be a steal for making technology more accessible for all schools. This low price point helps develop Google customers throughout their educational journey. A massive part of operating a tech company specifically, is developing an ecosystem of workflow to intrap your users in conveniences. Although not used in schools, this is exemplified by Apple’s ecosystem in which compatibility outside of that ecosystem is near impossible, making sure users stay with the company instead of trying out competitors. By nearly monopolizing the tech-educational market in 2020, Google has simultaneously monopolized us as students by developing habits of work, and pushing us deeper into their ecosystem.

closed doors. “When it’s an official investigation, sexual harassment or assault, Berkeley High is taking (it) way more serious(ly) than it did in the past. That’s going to be a confidential meeting with the individual, with police, and possibly, if there’s a criminal act that was violated, with parents

By approaching BHS in a “tactical way,” hopefully, it will help break the stereotypical trend where students of color are unjustly accused. “When you have untrained officers who don’t know how to interact with teenagers, on campus, looking for crimes, they’re going to find it. That is going to disproportionately be students of color,” said Dopman.

To avoid discriminatory trends, BPD has the school resource officer position open for volunteers from the department, rather than assigning someone. They want the officer to want to be on the high school campus, rather than looking for crime that isn’t there.

Your data is quite important. Yes, it really is! However, it’s easy to understand why Chromebooks have become so prominent in BHS because of their low upfront costs, and by extension, the ecosystem which they hold up. In reality, however, Chromebooks can often end up being a much more expensive long term solution. Chromebooks lack repairability as their parts are very rarely found separately. This, coupled with their short lifespan has resulted in not only unexpected high costs, sometimes more than regular Windows laptops, but also a considerable amount of e-waste that pollutes our environment. Although Google promises eight years of updates for its products, that timer starts ticking when Google certifies the product, not when schools obtain it. This leads to many schools purchasing Chromebooks on the verge of expiring, and having to not only purchase new ones, but dispose of the old.

Online data privacy is often incredibly easy to take for granted, especially with how busy we are as students, but in our increasingly online world, it has become a core part of someone’s identity, whether they realize it or not. In 2022, the Dutch government implemented serious restrictions on the use of the Chrome browser and Chromebooks within their schools, citing potential violations of privacy law. The truth is, even government organizations have not had specific access to how Google collects data using Chromebooks. That should be unsettling, especially considering Google’s long track record of concerning privacy collection.

ALISA KARIN KOLPAKOVA

BY LUCY GRIFFITH staff writer

QUINCY MORRIS-FRY

A police car parks outside of the BHS front office.

“When students feel safe at school, they have a greater chance of thriving ... ”

BUSD School Board Released Statement

Latinos Unidos Club plans to host Latinx Heritage Assembly

BY MINAMI SOGA staff writer

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, the Latinos Unidos Club will host their annual Latinx Heritage Month Assembly in the Florence Schwimley Little Theater. In the assembly, they plan to showcase various aspects of Latinx culture through performances.

“Having this month is such a beautiful way to reconnect with one’s culture: The music, the food, the traditions or, overall, the language of being able to communicate with loved ones,” said senior Yatxiri Campusano Huizar, the vice president of the Latinos Unidos Club.

In the past, the Latinos Unidos Club has organized different fundraisers, hosted assemblies, and participated in Día de los Muertos events as a way to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month. The club has been a part of helping to bring awareness and inclusivity of other cultures to Berkeley High School for

over five years.

Isabel Nieto Gonzalez, the president of the club, said that the club plans to have a variety of performances in the assembly, including a band performance, dancing, recitation of poems, and a speech from the Native Student Union.

“We hope that these type

senior and the vocalist for the band performance, shared why she wanted to participate in the assembly.

“I like singing and it’s an assembly about my community and my heritage, so I want to do something that will honor it and contribute to it in a way that’s expressive,” she said.

of events gives a bigger perspective on what all the Hispanic cultures offer, and also to give Latinx students a chance to get their word out there and to say how they feel,” said Gonzalez.

The club has been busy in preparation for the upcoming assembly. In the search for student participants for the assembly, Gonzalez expressed that when looking for performers, she seeks people who are interested in displaying their skills for others.

Josefa Landaverde, a

Through the band’s performance she hopes to be able to share the beauty of their culture and their culture’s music. She believes that the songs will resonate with others and are significant as they acknowledge the diversity among people’s physical appearances.

Zarian Jacka, a senior and a part of the band performance, shared the band’s experience while preparing for the assembly.

“We’ve struggled a little to find people to play all the parts necessary for our songs, pick songs that we can manage, and make adjustments or arrangements where necessary,” said Jacka. “Once we get all of this organized,

though, it should go pretty smoothly.”

Gonzalez added that, by hosting these kinds of events, she hopes that students will be able to connect with more Latinx students at BHS.

According to Gonzalez, familiarizing people with the Latinos Unidos club can establish more opportunities for students to come together to learn more about one another’s cultures, values, and

traditions.

“We encourage our club members to talk about their culture to other people that might not be that involved

about Latino heritage by showing cultural dances, poems, as well as singing. Embracing our different Latino ethnic backgrounds is our goal. We are really excited to present this assembly to everyone.”

or know much about the Latino heritage, especially now because it’s Latine heritage month,” stated Huizar. “By this assembly, we hope to inform others

Students who would like to attend the assembly are welcome to do so in the BHS Florence Schwimley Little Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 18, during school hours, with further details coming soon.

Berkeley Poet Laureate Program amplifies youth expression

High.”

Julia Segre, a junior in Academic Choice (AC), served as the Alameda County Vice Poet Laureate during 2022-23 and is considering applying to be this year’s Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate.

they can also find, ‘oh my god, this is a way that I can express how I’m feeling.’ It’s an emotional outlet, which is a very important thing to have in your life.”

access points to talk about those things that we have experienced every single day.”

BY MAYA DANG staff writer

This year, Berkeley Public Library (BPL) announced the first ever Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate Program, which was started by a committee of eight Berkeley Public Library staff in late 2022. The program aims to elevate the voices of Berkeley’s youth through poetry and provide a chance for youth to explore their civil voices. The Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate and Vice Laureate will serve for the calendar year of 2024 and have the opportunity to perform at different library and city functions, lead a community artwork project,

and participate in several writing workshops.

“We wanted to form a community of writers. Everyone who applies will be invited to workshops throughout the year,” said Robyn Brown, teen librarian at the North Branch Library. “I think our sense of community and creative outlet for teens is kind of why we wanted to form it.”

Laureate program) is a really good opportunity for students to engage creatively in writing,” said Amanda Daly, an English teacher in Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS). “This is a

For Segre, having the title of Vice Poet Laureate was important because it exposed her to more opportunities to use poetry as a method of implementing change. The position of Vice Poet Laureate was also important to her because it introduced her to many people who could refine her poetry skills.

For Azaria StaufferBarney, a junior in Berkeley International High School and a student who is applying to the BPL Youth Poet Laureate Program,

For Roan, the Youth Poet Laureate program has him thinking more about poetry and having it be more present in his life.

“I’m hoping that this program will inspire young people ... ”

Terry Taplin Judge for BPL Youth Poet Laureate Program

For others, poetry is a form of emotional expression.

“Everyone who applies will be invited to workshops throughout the year.”

Robyn Brown

Teen Librarian at North Branch Library

Berkeley High School students are among the people who are applying to be Berkeley’s next Youth Poet Laureate.

“I think (the Youth Poet

really great outlet for them to express the kind of things that they feel are important out in the world and have a direct connection to their audience, to their larger community of Berkeley

“I started writing poetry because someone I knew wrote poetry and it inspired me,” said Lincoln Roan, a senior in CAS and a student who applied to the BPL Youth Poet Laureate program.

“I feel when you share writing that’s coming from your heart and your lived experiences, people can find relatability in that. And

poetry is a way to get your emotions out into the world and challenge people to write and think about the world more critically.

Stauffer-Barney also sees that the Youth Poet Laureate program could spark ideas for new poems that she could write.

“Poetry has always really been connected to the feelings that we have not only within ourselves, but out in the world,” said Daly. “Poetry, the exploration of poetry, the writing of poetry, the sharing of poetry, gets to a lot of issues that are current, gets to experiences we’ve gone through. Poetry allows for a lot of different

“(It) makes me write more because I rarely will actually crank out a full poem. Because I don’t write over the course of a week, when I write a poem,” said Roan. “I write it in one sitting and the sad truth is that I am better at writing poetry when my life sucks more.”

According to Terry Taplin, current judge for the BPL Youth Poet Laureate Program and Berkeley City Council member for District Two, it’s important that creative people and poets see themselves as worthy of taking on community leadership positions, either within politics, government, or community.

“I’m hoping that this program will inspire young people, not just to write poetry, but also to address these social issues through poetry and engage in political discourse and social discourse in that way,” Taplin said.

SANAM ROZYCKI-SHAH

SUNNY BEVIS-LIPTON

“ ... it’s an assembly about my community and my heritage, so I want to do something that will honor it ... ”

Josefa Landaverde

Performer in Latinx Heritage Assembly

BHS student Julia Segre intends to apply to the Youth Poet Laureate Program.

“Having this month is such a beautiful way to reconnect with one’s culture ... ”

Yatxiri Campusano Huizar Vice President of Latinos Unidos Club

Isabel Nieto Gonzalez, President of Latinos Unidos Club, is helping to plan the assembly.

OPINION EDITORS: YSABEL CHU

OHAD AVIRAN-FINKELSTEIN

Holidays of all cultures must be recognized

BY ELIOT PERDUE staff writer

As summer gradually turns to fall, Berkeley High School students are beginning to cozy up to the holiday season, planning their Halloween costumes and perfecting Thanksgiving pie recipes. But what does the holiday season mean to students who celebrate holidays that aren't as widely acknowledged?

When it comes to a school as diverse as BHS, the full spectrum of holidays that students celebrate must be considered when celebrating as a community. The school often holds art

galleries, and cultural clubs hold events in celebration of certain cultural holidays. But we need to begin acknowledging these holidays on an even larger scale in order to eradicate the alienation or embarrassment many people may feel when participating in their cultural traditions.

Some people may argue that cultural holidays do not need more recognition and should be celebrated primarily by people of that culture in order to not subject them to appropriation. However, it is important for BHS to bring attention to the multiplicity of cultures within its community. It is

often necessary for students to see representation of their cultures to connect with them fully and without shame.

This is also why it’s important to not group cultural holidays with more generally celebrated ones. It’s common to see holidays such as Halloween and Dia de los Muertos being grouped together due to overlapping dates and traditions surrounding them. Hanukkah and Christmas are also often grouped together for similar reasons. However, in reality, the holidays are completely different, and grouping them together strips them of their cultural significance.

In America, it often seems as if there are pushed expectations of what holidays to celebrate. It’s typically expected of people to celebrate Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas. Occasionally, we are given days or weeks off for national holidays. However, national holidays are often Christian ones, predominantly celebrated by white Americans. This agenda may also cause many immigrants to abandon cultural celebrations, in exchange for American assimilation, because they

SABINE SHAFFER

do not feel their traditions are valued in American culture.

Because so much of the holiday spirit is an effect of its marketing, people who celebrate holidays like Kwanzaa or Dia de los Muertos may feel excluded from the typical holiday cheer due to their lack of marketing. A question often asked is whether the excitement of the holiday season is only a side effect of that excessive marketing, or if people’s excitement is genuine and comes from a place of nostalgia surrounding the holidays. By bringing more attention to these cultural holidays, the goal should not be for them to receive excessive marketing, or for people to make money off of them. The goal should be to educate people about the different holidays, and for people to become more accepting of other cultures so that everyone can feel safe to celebrate in the way they want.

America’s diversity is only increasing, so why don’t we celebrate the holidays of the cultures that are now part of America? It’s time we acknowledge holidays from around the world when celebrating the holiday season.

AP Latinx Studies would benefit students

BY SABINE ROSEN staff writer

Now that the College Board has created AP African American Studies, it's time for them to launch AP Latinx Studies. In schools all over the country, students should be able to learn about many different types of literature and the histories of different peoples.

AP classes are managed by an organization called the College Board. In 2022, the College Board introduced a new AP African American Studies course. They have worked on the class structure and course material for more than a decade, and have just recently launched the class to a few schools to pilot. AP African American Studies will be available to all high schools in the 2024-2025 school year.

In the United States, especially in California, there is a large Latinx population. As of 2022, 19 percent of the US

population is of Hispanic descent. This is almost a fifth of the total US population, and in California, it’s even larger. Latinx people are the most populous ethnicity in California, with more than 40 percent of the state's population tracing their roots back to Latin countries. Because of how large the Latin-American population is, California should undoubtedly be offering an AP class in Latinx history and literature.

Though AP english and history courses already exist, traditional US history and literature frequently focus on the stories of white Americans. Contributions to American history by people of color are often brushed under the rug. An AP Latinx course would be an opportunity to highlight some of those contributions.

Additionally, AP courses boost students’ GPAs and often allow them to receive college credit. Providing AP classes in a variety of topics will encourage more students to take them and allow those students to reap

the benefits they bring.

The more variety students have in class choice the better. There have been multiple studies showing that when students are interested in the content of their work they pay closer attention and process the information more efficiently. Similarly, when humans are interested in a task they use more of their self-regulatory skills and persist for longer. One study done by Dr. Erika A. Patall, a professor of education and psychology at the University of Southern California,

supported these ideas. She surveyed 218 high school students and found that for the students who reported that they were interested in the material also found that they were more engaged in the course.

An AP Latinx studies course will likely help to make the Latinx population feel more represented, and it will be a great opportunity for many students across the country to learn more about a different culture. There is no reason the College Board shouldn’t create an AP Latinx studies course.

HOW I SEE IT: NEURODIVERSE AT BHS

KARIM MELEIS

When I’m walking the halls of Berkeley High School, it seems like everybody but me is making chit-chat. I always wonder: How do they do it? How do they always have something to talk about? For years I have felt like I am on the outside of social situations, looking in.

I am a socially awkward autistic teenager who has always struggled to make friends. When I tried to chat with my peers in middle school, I could never find anything to say. For a long time, I gave up on my dreams of making friends. I didn’t talk to my peers. I never hung out with anyone. It was isolating and miserable. I knew that I wasn’t alone in my social challenges, but I felt alone. A couple years ago, I accepted my neurodiverse identity, rather than feeling ashamed of it. I realized that I didn’t have to be alone. Someone had to bring all the neurodiverse people together as a community. So, I founded a neurodiversity club at my old school, establishing a haven for all of the neurodiverse students there.

Moving to Berkeley from the East Coast this year was a liberating experience. I found myself in a community full of supportive people that truly cared about me and my challenges. Recently, I have started going to the Neurodiversity Club here at BHS and have met some friendly people. I managed to come out of my shell, and you can too. Here are my tips for breaking free of your shell as a neurodiverse teen:

Believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it! The first step in making friends is to give yourself positive messages. Tell yourself that anything is possible if you think you can do it. Imagine yourself where you want to be socially, and you will soon find that you’re there. Find your tribe. Sometimes, having a special interest can feel isolating. You may think to yourself, “Nobody else is interested in this, so I’ll never be able to connect with anyone over it.” That’s not true! I guarantee that there are people out there who are interested in who you are. You just need to find them. There are scores of clubs at BHS that cater to kids with specific interests. If you can’t find a club that’s right for you, then start one. It’s possible to find your tribe, even when it seems impossible.

We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. If you mess up, it isn’t the end of the world, even though it can seem like it. It’s important to never let mistakes get you down. Making friends has been a hard-fought battle for me, with many ups and downs. You might not get it right on your first try, but you will succeed if you accept that you made a mistake and resolve to do better next time.

In the coming weeks, I will continue to use this column to discuss the challenges faced by neurodiverse students and share tips for solving them. Sending positive vibes your way!

JO PURCELL

Specification of classes improves students ' futures

As students get closer and closer to entering society as fully fledged members, the question of what they will do throughout their lives quickly becomes of the utmost importance. Although this question might be hard to answer for some, many students have already decided what they want to dedicate their lives to, and want to get a taste of the career that they want to pursue. Despite offering some specialized courses, Berkeley High School lacks more specific classes that feed directly into topics that students are interested in. Adding these specialized classes will provide students with a head start to their future careers, and will set them up for success.

Adding emphasis on a certain subject throughout high school helps strengthen college applications, as colleges would see that a student follows a common theme, providing students with the opportunity to amplify their passion.

Additionally, this gives colleges the impression that the student is well prepared for the major they choose. This extra specialization will provide BHS students with the opportunity to stand out from other applicants, and will make colleges see the student as a much more credible and worthy candidate.

If a student knows what overall field they are interested in, such as English or STEM, but don’t know what subtopic they want to pursue, the addition of specialized classes would let them try out several subfields and decide which one they want to commit to based on which classes fit them best. Career-specialized classes also provide students with an excellent opportunity to get some real experience in their chosen field of focus.

If BHS was to add specialized classes, they would not only benefit students who have already solidified their future career plans, but will also provide students who haven’t decided what they want to pursue in the future with an opportunity to discover their passion. If more specific classes are offered to students, then students will have more chances to try out several topics that they are interested in, and narrow it down from there. For example, if a student was interested in pursuing electrical engineering or linguistics, they would be able to take classes for both throughout high school, which will provide them with a basis on the topics. This would also help the student to decide which area of study they want to focus on in the future.

This type of program has already been adopted by several countries around the world, such as France, Denmark, and Japan, all of which consistently rank at the top of the list of the best

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There are, however, some negative outcomes. This addition could cause students who don’t know what careers they are interested in to fall behind. If some students have already made up their minds about their future careers prior to high school, and some haven’t, the ones that have yet to decide could fall behind their peers who are already set on a career. These students may spend their time trying out many different topics, which could cause them to fall behind others attempting to pursue similar subjects. Despite this population of students who may fall behind, this will have a minimal effect, as they will still be able to specialize in what they hope to work in eventually, which will greatly aid their futures.

The ability to choose a focus topic earlier would greatly benefit BHS students. This extra specialization will help students in deciding what they want to focus on and pursue in their future careers, allow students to get a head start on learning more about their focus topics, and will provide them with extra support for the major decision of what they want to pursue in the future. The addition of these classes will have a direct and positive impact on the BHS student body, and if BHS was to implement this, students’ futures would greatly benefit.

All Latinx cultures deserve to be celebrated and appreciated

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There are 33 countries in Latin America in the world. 33 different cultures each with their own different type of food, music, dance, language, and way of life. However, in America, some Latinx cultures are represented much more than others. It’s important to represent the entirety of Latin culture, especially during Latinx Heritage Month.

In the media, a few Latin countries are more commonly represented than others. For example, Mexico is a country that has a huge influence on the media, including music, movies, food, etc. Even when walking down a street in Berkeley, one will come across an abundance

of Mexican-American restaurants, but far fewer other Latinx restaurants. Cinco de Mayo and Dia de los Muertos are both celebrations that are widely known and often practiced. However, people can sometimes associate these celebrations as defining all of Latinx culture.

It is undeniably necessary to celebrate Mexican culture. However, by condensing the many Latinx cultures into a single group, generalizations will be made and the individuality of each culture will be lost.

Some Latinx students at Berkeley High School have been assumed to be a different Latinx ethnicity than they are. Alejandro Vasquez Acosta, a junior at BHS, said, “I remember in elementary school, I’d be like, asked if I speak Mexican. So yeah, I’ve

always tried to distinguish myself.” He is one of many Latinx students who have been met with harmful generalizations.

Stereotyping all Latinx students can cause BHS students to feel that BHS is not a safe place. By assuming someone’s ethnic background, their family, culture, and even identity is disregarded. So what can BHS do to ensure full representation of Latinx cultures?

Vasquez Acosta said one solution is to “not just go towards one culture, because Latino culture is a whole variety of things. You have Afro-Latino practices from the Caribbean, you have lots of different types of music and foods. Sometimes you just get one side of it.”

During Latinx Heritage Month, BHS must make efforts to be inclusive. BHS Spanish teacher Carlos Poma suggested that a Latinx cultural festival during Latinx Heritage Month would help BHS do this. “It would be awesome to have a cultural festival,” Poma said, “For everybody to learn and enjoy, and have variety. That would mean a lot, not only to me, but you know, to people from different countries in general.”

By condensing a diversity of cultures and backgrounds into one, the message is sent that people don’t care to truly learn about others' backgrounds. Instead, we need to create an environment where all students feel they are welcome and belong, in order to improve BHS. To do this, our community must learn to recognize and celebrate the variety within the Latinx community.

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BHS Jazz must continue to diversify, honoring jazz’s roots

BY ERIN LIAO staff writer

Jazz music has always been an art engraved deep in several cultures, with an especially strong impact on African, Cuban, and Latin cultures. This has largely influenced this generation’s musicians, as many students idolize the well-known artists who built up the foundation of jazz. One of the most unique parts of the jazz program at Berkeley High School is the different styles of music they play. Throughout the year, the band directors explore different types of jazz with their students. However, the students in these classes tend to be predominantly white and male. BHS Jazz must find ways to encourage more students of diverse backgrounds to join.

The Latinx community has shaped jazz into its present form through the integration of tango

rhythms, bossa novas, clave rhythms, and much more. BHS Jazz leads a trip to Cuba every year, connecting and teaching students even more about the subject.

Despite its major influence on jazz history, the Latinx community is a minority in BHS Jazz.

According to Berkeley Public Schools, the student population at BHS is around 20 percent Latinx and the amount of Latinx students in jazz is far less, at around 12 percent. In the transition from middle school to high school, the amount of Latinx students enrolled in music changes from 28 percent to eight percent.

Another big issue is the gender ratio of the bands. According to Sarah Cline, the director of BHS Jazz, the program is currently around 30 to 35 percent female. Luckily, these statistics have been getting better each year. “Our biggest

improvements have been with girls,” expressed Cline. “When I got here (BHS), only 10 percent of jazz students were female, but now it’s around 30, 35 percent. So that’s something we’ve worked really pointedly on.”

Cline also notes that Black students are the most underrepresented in BHS Jazz. BHS’ student population is around 20 percent African American students, but the jazz program is only 8 percent African American. “We used to do Berkeley High Jazz auditions and we would have 160 people audition and there would be four people with African heritage,” explained Cline. “So (although) the issue is with Berkeley High Jazz, it’s also a larger issue.”

The Berkeley Public Schools website states that everyone in the Berkeley Unified School District experiences musical education in elementary school, but there are

Similar clubs aid their causes

BY ANNIKA JOY staff writer

There are over a hundred official clubs currently active at Berkeley High School, the subjects of which range from Taylor Swift to climate change, civic engagement, and beyond. In particular, there are many activism, specifically environmental activism, clubs at BHS. With multiple activism clubs centered around similar topics, one might wonder if these clubs are helping their cause, or if too many clubs are slowing down any progress that might be made. Although many clubs at BHS have similar focuses, their existence ultimately benefits their causes.

There are many reasons why a high school student might want to join a club, such as pursuing their interests, seeking to make a difference, looking to make connections with like-minded people, or wanting to become more active members of the BHS community. As genuine

as those reasons might be, there is no denying the influence of impending college applications and the need to build impressive resumes during the crucial four years of high school.

When considering this, one might link it to the fact that there are multiple clubs that center around similar topics, the most prominent being activism. These clubs support undeniably important causes, but one might wonder if the motivations for starting these clubs aren’t without consideration of how good it would look on a resume.

There are currently four official environmental clubs at BHS, each with similar descriptions and focuses, those being BHS LEAF, Green Team, Youth Sustainability Alliance (YSA), and Youth Vs. Apocalypse, as well as some others.

Regardless of the factor of college resumes, these organizations are doing great things for the Berkeley community and beyond. Their impact is extremely

issues with students of color disproportionately dropping out in the transition to middle school.

The progress made in the past three years can be easily seen through this year’s freshman class. Although not quite representational of the freshman population, the diversity of students engaging with music is

a huge leap compared to previous years.

Rather than ignoring different perspectives on jazz music, more opportunities should be created to encourage further engagement with other communities, starting with encouraging minorities in the program to form combos. There has already been a girl’s combo in previous years,

and it would be exciting to see this with other groups as well. By giving students opportunities to listen to unfamiliar music, the bands can provide opportunities to learn a new hobby. If the program continues to dedicate time to inviting diverse groups of students to join BHS Jazz, they could vastly diversify the program.

Native speaker program supports Spanish speaking students at BHS

BY ADITYA SRIDHARAN staff writer

Coming into high school, many Latinx students already have a strong degree of bilingualism. These students are in search of something more than just a language class, and Spanish for Native Speakers (SNS) does just this.

as the legacy of colonialism in Latin America, are discussed, helping students deepen their understanding.

important, as these clubs highlight important problems and raise the next generation of changemakers. “We’re not just making change here but we’re making change across the world, and our goal is to keep expanding,” explained Roan Maguire-Shashoua, the leader of YSA, when discussing the global efforts of their club.

BHS’s climate-oriented clubs have left a huge impact on BHS, and their impact is about to get a lot bigger.

“We have formed this little group called the BHS Green Alliance, and are already coordinating with the other environmental clubs,” said Ilana Nickolaus, the leader of the Green Team, expressing plans for a union between the clubs that will connect their shared interests.

While there are no bad intentions behind having so many similar clubs at BHS, there is potential to join these groups of like-minded people together to create a larger community of young activists striving to make a real difference in the world.

The SNS program was created in order to offer a Spanish track for students who already spoke the language at home. This mission cultivates a rich academic environment. SNS classes foster community, uphold high academic standards, share important cultural perspectives, and empower students.

With over 20 percent of Berkeley High School students being a part of the Latinx community, SNS offers an opportunity for those with Spanishspeaking origins to unite. The program embraces community in a way that is unmatched in many other environments, as learning with other native Spanish speakers can be a bonding experience.

The SNS program also presents a variety of cultural perspectives for students to interpret and analyze. From literature to film, the class focuses on stories from different Latin American figures. The history and culture of the Spanish language is explored, as well

Critics of the SNS program believe the classes completely separate native speakers from non-native speakers. This is not true. While the SNS program focuses on native-speaking students, there are also many non-native speakers in the classes.

Non-native speakers in SNS benefit greatly from the program. The exploration of culture in the class can contribute to global awareness and openmindedness. Non-native speakers can also grow academically with the help of their native-speaking

classmates. Due to the rigor of the classes, native speakers can help nonnative speakers improve their language skills. The opportunity for native speakers to lend support is uplifting and vastly helps non-native speakers. This is all to say that the SNS program is one of empowerment for Latinx students. It is a place to share their understanding and ideas with non-native speakers in acts of support. It is a program that cultivates a close-knit community of Spanish-speaking students, and is most importantly a program that teaches the important histories and cultures of the students who are a part of it.

LUCIA RADILLO

BHS Jazz Ensemble performs for the student body during lunch.

Teachers honor Latinx Heritage Month within classrooms

BY ELSIE YUEN staff writer

“I think that whether it's Latino History Month, or Black History Month, it's important for students of all cultures to learn about people that look like them and maybe have a similar upbringing to them because traditionally, in American education, we haven't necessarily highlighted these voices and these folks that are working to do something in their field, in their passions,” said Xochitl Dueñas, a Berkeley High School Latinx Literature teacher, on the importance of Latinx Heritage Month.

Indeed, national recognition of Latinx people came into fruition in 1968 under the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson, lasting just one week from Sept. 15 to Sept. 22. Only in 1988, under President Ronald Reagan, was it expanded to cover a 30-day period to become what we now know as Latinx Heritage Month. The start and end times of this month are significant; Sept. 15, the start, is the independence day of five South American countries, and the end date is Día de La Hispania, Spain’s national day. This month, teachers at BHS make special plans to celebrate. Among these is a project conceived by Dueñas, in which students study a Latinx figure significant to them.

“I had each student pick a famous Latino or Latina and sort of do a poster highlighting their life prior to maybe when they were famous or whenever they created an impact in society,” said Dueñas. “They also have the option to highlight maybe a family member, or someone who’s personal to them.”

According to Dueñas, the goal of this project is for students to learn about a Latinx person they’re interested in who may not otherwise be recognized in history at school. “And the kids have

not just maybe historical, but maybe Peso Pluma, for example, somebody that's all the rage right now in music,” Dueñas added. “Or, like I said, someone personal to them.” The project lets students learn more about historical Latinx figures and also the pop-culture icons and personal heroes who have influenced students’ lives just as much.

This kind of culture-oriented school project differs greatly from what students were assigned just a decade ago, and the lack of cultural representation in school is partially why teachers want to include Latinx history in their curriculums.

“For me, the reason I choose to incorporate these things is because I was never taught this when I was going through school,” Rafael Piedra, a Universal Ninth Grade Ethnic Studies teacher, said. “I’m a Berkeley High graduate. I never learned about it until I got to college. So, I kind of want my students to know a little bit about the things that happen in our own state when it relates to Latinx people. And I think it's important that I also put a little bit of myself into the curriculum so that students can feel more welcomed and also to see that we're all in this together.”

As much as cultural representation has improved, as demonstrated by the existence and celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, this time also gives teachers a chance to talk about the oppression of Latinx people in the past, given that the start day marks the independence of many South American countries from European colonizers.

“I think that it incorporates a lot of opportunities to talk about some of the historical reasons for why things look the way they do today,” Aislinn Klein, a BHS Spanish teacher, said. “The history of colonization, the history of revolution,

history of immigration, migration, voices, oppression, and just all of the different aspects. Just all the different things that continue today.”

Indeed, Latinx Heritage Month is a time to remember the struggles as well as the achievements of Latinx people, as both are significant. This month brings to attention how society can still improve in its representation and recognition of the Latinx community, though it has improved significantly in the past years.

“I feel like in terms of the Bay Area, we do a pretty good job of bringing Latine culture everywhere,” said Piedra. “Like, if you look around, there's a lot of events happening to talk about Latine history and stuff like that. So, I think we do a pretty good job, but I think in general, outside of the Bay Area, there is some stuff that we can still do.”

“I think (Latinx culture is) getting more and more popular, I'll say that, like, from when I was in high school to now but I also think that, you know, what's the harm of broadening that exposure as well,” Dueñas said. Some of this newly gained popularity is attributed to Latinx Heritage Month: by it being celebrated nationally, people who may not see as many Latinx people can still understand the contributions they’ve made to the country. In addition, from famous artists like Bad Bunny to actors like America Ferrera, Latinx representation has grown greatly in not much time.

“I think it's a huge part of our community here,” Klein said. “It's California history. It’s American history, and we don't talk about that a lot of the time.”

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' Itjustmakes me smile':

Studentrecipe submissions

For sophomore Micaela Bedolla-Garcia, rice and beans is a meaningful dish to her and her family. “It kind of means how we got here because it’s Cuban, but with Spanish influence. My family originally came from Spain, then to Cuba, then to here,” she said. Bedolla-Garcia lovingly associates this dish with her grandmother because she often eats it at her grandparents’ house.

One of Bedolla-Garcia’s fondest memories surrounding rice and beans was “20 of (her) cousins, all around the table, eating the same dish, like 10 years ago.” She feels that this dish is an important key aspect of her family, and it makes her happy thinking about it. “It just makes me smile,” she said.

AcostaFerezi Fried Shrimp (Camarones Empanizados)

Ingredients:

• Peeled shrimp

• Flour

• Eggs

• Milk

• Bread crumbs

• Garlic salt

• Pepper

• Cooking oil

• Ketchup

for Latin x h istory month

Bedolla-Garcia Rice & Beans

Ingredients:

• Black Beans

• Bell pepper

• Onion

• Garlic

• Olive oil

• Salt

Instructions:

1. Soak a pound of black beans and one bell pepper overnight in water.

2. Boil for an hour.

3. Add sofrito: bell pepper, onion, and garlic cooked in olive oil, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and oregano.

4. Boil for another hour.

5. Add vino seco and vinegar.

6. Boil for one more hour.

7. Serve over white rice.

Englund Entomatadas

Ingredients:

• Onions

• Fresh or canned tomatoes

• Salt

• Garlic clove

• Mild/medium chile

• Whole epazote leaves

• Tortillas

• Cooking oil

• Queso fresco

• Cilantro

• Sour cream

• Eggs

Instructions:

1. Dry some peeled shrimp.

2. Cover shrimp in flour.

3. Beat eggs and milk to make egg mixture.

4. Then, cover shrimp in egg mixture.

5. Make breadcrumb mixture with breadcrumb, garlic salt and pepper.

6. Cover shrimp in breadcrumb mixture.

7. Fry shrimp in cooking oil.

8. Serve with ketchup.

“Your parents might make you chicken tenders or something, but we would eat fried shrimp,” said senior Annamaria Acosta-Ferezi. Acosta-Ferezi’s grandparents in Tijuana, Mexico began making fried shrimp, or camarones empanizados, because her grandfather owned a fish business and restaurant. “My family would eat a lot of seafood because it was what (my grandfather) dedicated himself to.”

When eating this dish, the she thinks of her grandmother and how this particular dish connects to her. “It was the last thing my grandma cooked for us before she passed,” Acosta-Ferezi said. She reminisced about going to her grandmother’s house and how her grandmother would have food ready and prepared at all hours of the day. “She would have a pot filled with food or soup and she would make you anything you wanted … Even if she was really tired or sick, she wouldn’t hesitate and she would just cook for you.”

She associates this dish with childhood and feels that it has the ability to “bring out your inner child.”

Instructions:

1. Sauté some onions, then add fresh (peeled) or canned tomatoes.

2. Add a little bit of salt, a garlic clove and/or a mild to medium chile.

3. Cook for 10 minutes at medium heat, then blend.

4. Add five-10 whole leaves of epazote.

5. Cook tortillas in a little bit of oil and briefly soak them in the sauce.

6. Fold the tortillas on a plate with a little bit more sauce on top.

7. Serve two-three tortillas per person, topped with queso fresco, sliced onion, cilantro, and Mexican sour cream. The dish is usually served with eggs.

Entomatadas, a Mexican dish made with tortillas, tomato sauce, eggs and sometimes beans are a favorite for freshman Alma Englund. Her father’s family originally made it in his native Mexican city, Oaxaca, and her mother learned how to make this dish from his family. They generally eat this dish as a meal for breakfast.

“It usually just reminds me of Mexico and my family there,” Englund said.

Englund grew up in the Bay Area, but goes to visit her family in Oaxaca often. “It’s a really cool place, it’s really beautiful, (and) it’s very cultural. (Oaxaca) very much still has a lot of native people.”

A memory that stood out to Englund surrounding this dish was “when (her) grandma came to visit from Mexico, maybe a few years ago, and she made this for (Englund and her family) one morning.”

COLLECTED BY CLARA TJEN staff writer

• Pepper • Bay leaf

• Oregano

• Vino seco

• Vinegar

• White rice

If you are in any way affiliated with Berkeley High School, it’s safe to assume you’re aware of the insane amount of restaurants scattered across the East Bay. Each weekday, at exactly 11:41 a.m., I hear those familiar three long lunch bell beeps. It always manages to transport me into a hunger-focused frenzy and causes me to completely forget about my current task. I immediately start to wonder what food choice would give me the most satisfaction for that particular day. Even with all these options, I often just resort to my few favorite lunch spots.

As I hurry to escape my classroom, I’m hit by the overwhelming feeling of choice. Within minutes, Shattuck Avenue becomes flooded with thousands of students, all racing to be first in line at Sliver or Starbucks. These options, while maybe obvious and convenient, don’t leave room for much variety. Even by just walking a few more blocks past the usual sandwich and coffee shops, a whole world opens up with an even wider selection of cuisines and flavors.

Because BHS is right in the heart of Downtown Berkeley, we have access to much of the East Bay’s vibrant food culture. Even during the weekend, I often find myself near downtown, wandering up and down Telegraph Avenue in search of the perfect snack. Most of the time this proves to be a harder task than I expect. How could there be so many options, yet I can’t seem to pick one?

When I start to feel indecisive, I often find myself gravitating towards one specific place: a small Nepalese restaurant called MoMo House.

In almost every country, across the entire globe, there is some sort of dish that takes the form of a dumpling. On top of what’s usually thought of as a dumpling exists perogies, gyozas, and just about anything else with some sort of filling, concealed inside a sheet of dough. In this case, chicken, beef, or vegetables are stuffed in the center of a thin wrapper and either fried or steamed, served with delicious sauces and optional cheese. If anything, I love momos just because of their simplicity and incredible flavors. Within every bite, you get a mouthful of each spice in the filling, tangy sauce, and the rich “broth” forming through the cooking process, all prominent by themselves while still creating symphony in a bite.

MoMo House sits almost at the corner of Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way. I love finding a seat in the corner on a quiet Sunday while enjoying these perfect bites. Of course, momos aren’t the only thing they sell, but to me, they are the most notable.

If you are a long-term momo enjoyer or just seeking a new place to enjoy, I recommend MoMo House for those days when you find yourself in a dilemma like my own, wandering through Berkeley with no real destination in mind.

Queer Latinx youth: ‘You get isolated’

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

know or don’t assume the gender identity of. However, addressing people this way still has a masculine connotation because “ellos” is technically a male pronoun. “Ellas” is the female term for “they,” but it wouldn’t be used in this context.

A common struggle that some students shared was that their parents and family didn’t know much at all about LGBTQIA+ culture. “My family is very conservative still and very religious so I feel like (my Latino and trans identities) intersect in a very bad way,” said Alastair Kudsk, a senior in AHA who uses he/ they pronouns. Their family in Mexico hasn’t shown acceptance of his identity and he mentioned that had he grown up in Mexico, he “probably would have stayed closeted for much longer”.

In Latin American culture, machismo is the aggressive pride in masculinity that plays

a large part in gender stereotypes. It is a main reason why many Latinx people aren’t accepting of genderqueer people because it creates a norm of gender binary.

Andy Melendez Garcia is a junior in AHA who uses they/them pronouns. Their parents are from El Salvador and when first expressing their gender and sexuality, their parents didn’t fully accept them because it confused them. “You kind of have to be either a man or woman so that people know how to treat you … Families treat you based on your sex, that’s just what happens,” said Melendez Garcia. Fortunately their parents have come to understand how they want to be seen and are open to new ideas about it.

One place at BHS that several genderqueer Latinx students have attested to finding community, is in AHA. They are surrounded by people that they can connect to and that accept them for who they are. AHA is structured to be

inclusive to many different types of students with varying identities. Campillo

Quitano discussed how for their sophomore year, they were in Academy of Medicine and Public Service but this year transferred to AHA where they have felt understood by both their peers and teachers and feel that it is a much more fitting environment for them.

“Everybody there in some sort of way (isn’t) exactly the social norm,” said Melendez Garcia. They talked about their experience in AHA as a place where they have a supportive community of people who they find they are similar to or

understanding of them.

Although Berkeley is considered to be a very accepting place for LGBTQIA+ people and Latinx people, it can sometimes be blind to the hardships that members of these communities continuously face. For those sharing both identities, not fitting into either the male or female presenting box, and instead choosing a place somewhere in the middle, it often means they are viewed as “other.”

“If you try to cross those boundaries, then you’re not a part of the community. You get isolated,” said Kudsk.

Why do substitute teachers at BHS sub?

BY SHANZA SYED staff writer

Many students at Berkeley High School see substitute teachers around campus on a daily basis. Substitute teachers are a vital part of ensuring that teachers are able to take days off when they need to, and students are able to continue their learning, even in the absence of a teacher. Yet for such a critical job, substitute teachers in California only make an average of $41,650 per year, according to Business Insider. So what’s it like being a substitute teacher and why do people become substitute teachers?

Timothy Finnigan, a substitute teacher at BHS, was drawn to the profession for different reasons. Fresh out of college after completing his undergraduate studies, Finnigan wasn’t sure what he

wanted to do. “Some people hear their vocation as a clarion call, mine was more of a muffled trumpet under a damp blanket,” he said. Wondering what “success” meant or looked like, he attended many seminars and read countless books by people who “made a living out of being great teachers,” which inspired him to become a substitute teacher. He wanted to escape the grind that he saw most of his peers engaged in and enjoyed taking advantage of the flexibility of the position to pursue his passions, ranging from Ayurveda to skiing and sailing.

In fact, many substitutes seem to appreciate the flexibility of the job since they can choose when or where they work. Many can travel and be a substitute

at the same time, or simply just take a trip and work when they get back. “I’m going to be traveling in a week from now so if I go away for a week or 10 days I don’t need to tell anybody or make arrangements,” said Stephen Hopkins, who’s been a Berkeley Unified

which students she wants to teach next.

Being a substitute teacher can come with challenges, such as a lack of benefits and no paid time off. It can also be isolating since substitutes move around a lot and work with different people every day, making it hard to feel part of the community.

School District substitute for over 10 years. Hopkins first started subbing because he needed to earn extra money to fund his travels, but he found that he enjoys it. He used to work in construction, and said, “Since teaching was a second profession, I not only wasn’t burned out, but every year I liked it more than the year before.”

As a former full-time teacher, Christine Mytko also values the freedom being a substitute teacher gives her. After leaving the school she taught at for 15 years, she liked the idea of being able to slow down and explore other things. She’s also interested in being able to sub at different schools and grade levels to find

For Finnegan, this was not something he realized until he became a student teacher at BHS and saw the relationships students had with their teachers as well as the friendships between staff members.

While Mytko is yet to sub in BUSD, she predicts it “being a growth curve” for her as she will be working with people she has never met before. Yet from her experience, she knows that “kids mostly want adults to be fair and keep things real”.

This is a sentiment that Hopkins echoes. “There are many students in different places who see substitute day as a day to mess around and cause issues, and that’s never any fun,” said Hopkins. “But then I have a student like today who came up and said ‘I think I’ve known you all my life you subbed for me way back in elementary school’ and here he is, a senior.”

KAI HANSCHEN

Andy Melendez Garcia uses they/them pronouns.

Timothy Finnigan appreciates the flexibility of subbing.

“Some people hear their vocation as a clarion call, mine was more of a muffled trumpet under a damp blanket.”

Timothy Finnigan

BHS Substitute Teacher

Student entrepreneurs run businesses built on their passions

BY CARINA THOMAS &

DIETZ staff writers

Berkeley High School students often go above and beyond in honing their skills and following their passions. Some students have even taken it upon themselves to start their own businesses and experiment with entrepreneurship.

Corina Blanton, a BHS sophomore, found a passion for baking at a very young age. “I started baking when I was five and just kind

of never stopped since then. And then over the pandemic, I learned how to make cupcakes from scratch instead of using the boxes,” said Blanton, who runs a business called Corina’s Cupcakes.

She took her baking skills from her home kitchen to a licensed business during middle school, when she began selling her baked goods to classmates after school. Since then, Blanton has built a reputation for herself and her business through selling baked goods ranging from cupcakes,

cakes, and cookies to friends and peers.

“I think I enjoy mostly watching people eat (the treats) and just seeing their reaction,” said Blanton, “because a lot of people are like, ‘Oh my god this is really good!’”

Tyler Kim, a BHS senior, started playing piano on the street with no intention to start a business. After requests from friends and strangers on the street, he began giving free piano lessons.

“A random person came up to me and (asked), ‘Would

you give me lessons?’” After some consideration, he decided to try it. “I started giving free lessons to this random person,” said Kim. Eventually, these free lessons turned into paid, weekly sessions with regular customers.

Ava Distasi, a BHS senior, owns a jewelry-making business called Vita by Ava. Distasi was inspired to make jewelry at a young age after seeing some girls her age selling jewelry at an event. “I tried (making jewelry) and at first, I was really bad at it ... but I just kept working on it,” said Distasi. Eventually, her jewelry-making skills improved and around the age of 13 she was encouraged by her parents to launch her business. “I had originally just started selling jewelry because I wanted to make some side cash,” said Distasi. Recently, her business became a way for her to contribute to a cause she believes in, reproductive rights.

In June 2022, a Supreme Court ruling known as Roe v. Wade, which protected the right to legal abortions, was overturned. “I was very upset about that (and) I knew that I wanted to do something,” said Distasi. “So

I thought, hey, why don’t I just start donating whatever I have from my business?”

The fact that her business is supporting a cause that she is passionate about is very motivating for Distasi.

Running a business is a

Distasi

difficult task, and student entrepreneurs at BHS face the added challenge of balancing their business with their schoolwork.

For Distasi, this means setting aside just a little time out of each day to put toward her business. “If I set aside five minutes a day to run my business, then, you know, that’s enough for me just doing what I can with the time that I have,” said Distasi.

Adalilly Chu, a sophomore who also runs a jewelry-making business only works on her products after she finishes all of her schoolwork. “On weekends, after I’m done with all my studying and stuff, I’ll just start making jewelry for a few hours,” said Chu.

For Kim, it’s challenging

to find new piano students.

“It’s very slow, like, I might get a new student every two or three months,” said Kim.

Starting a business in high school can also be a very rewarding process for young entrepreneurs.

“It’s just nice to think that I’m doing something that’s a little bit bigger than me,” said Distasi, who hopes to donate $500 to the National Network of Abortion Funds by the end of the year.

Chu is proud of her originality when it comes to designing jewelry to sell. “(I’m proud of my) creativity because it’s kind of hard to make your own jewelry since, there’s so many people selling on Etsy,” said Chu.

“When (my students) present me their finished product I am just overwhelmed with joy,” said Kim, “because I helped this person … start with nothing and then build it into this amazing finished product and it makes me really happy that my students did this with my help.”

Whether the students started their business to support a specific cause or to make extra money, student entrepreneurs find value and meaning in their businesses.

Across generations: Latinx jazz, John Santos, Mario Barragan

BY KIMIA AZADPUR staff writer

Latin-American roots constitute a significant dimension of the national art form which is jazz. One of the most prominent Latinx jazz musicians in the Bay Area is John Santos. Santos, a seventime Grammynominated percussionist, has had a passion for Afro-Latin music, especially jazz, for most of his life.

“Growing up in SF’s Mission district … greatly informed my musical choices and career,” he said. Santos not only experienced a sensational music scene in San Francisco, but also recognized how this music had an important role in the American struggle for social justice. “It exposed me deeply to … the progressive movement of solidarity among countries and communities seeking social justice,” he said.

Santos began his music career when he was around 11. The first band he joined was his grandfather’s, who introduced him to the

tumbadora (conga drum).

“If I had to pick a favorite (instrument),” Santos said, “I suppose it would be the tumbadora, my first percussive instrument.” He never had a mentor, so his bandmates taught and influenced him. “The various percussionists

… our music is born from these struggles, unites us, and allows us to creatively define our history and identity in our own voices … There is no place for war in this day and age, ” he said.

Santos said that he aims to, through music, convey that racial discrimination has no place in our communities. In his inclusive musical approach, he tries to unite people and connect their stories, creating a tangible sense of togetherness.

his daughter … we would hang out, have playdates, go do tours … around the Bay Area.”

“I didn’t know how much of a big deal he was,” continued Barragan, “but my parents used to go to his shows before he knew them. So it’s kind of crazy how we met him. And then we created this lifelong bond.”

In his performances, Barragan tries to bring out patterns of music he has learned from Santos, especially in his handling of the tumbadoras. “In my solos, I’m bringing

African rhythms and Puerto Rican rhythms and Cuban rhythms all together from what I studied (with Santos) when I was younger.”

Barragan is in the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble at SF State, which is co-taught by Dr. John Calloway and Santos. Both Calloway and Santos are teachers who dig deep in Afro-Latinidad musical topics. Since Barragan is interested in a career in music, Santos takes him and his son to shows.

“It’s nice shadowing him,” said Barragan, “and seeing what he does at different

venues.”

Both Santos and Barragan dig into their cultural heritage and play a form of music that is exciting and authentic. Santos is a giant in that musical genre, and Barragan aspires to establish himself as a prominent Afro-Latinx musician.

There is a new CD release entitled “Vieja Escuela by The John Santos Sextet” featuring four of Santos’s mentors, to be released on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, with a concert at the Freight & Salvage. Students will be admitted at half price.

who came through (my grandfather’s) band playing tumbadoras, timbales (high-pitched drums), bongós, maracas, and güiro (notched gourds) guided me,” he said.

Santos wants his performances to communicate three important points to his audience. “We are one race with common aspirations and rights and there is an urgent connection between artistic expression and working-class social reality with its inherent struggle

Santos uses these key points to teach his student Mario Barragan, who is also a tumbadora player and sophomore at Berkeley High School.

Barragan was very young when he joined an AfroPuerto Rican folklore band at the La Peña Cultural Center. He was in a band with a small cohort of nine people who were also studying cultural music. Santos’s children were also in that band. The band played in many different venues in the Bay Area.

“In the band,” said Barragan, “I was … (good friends) with his son and

ALEX TRIPCEVICH

“It’s just nice to think that I’m doing something that’s a little bit bigger than me.”

Ava

BHS senior and owner of Vita by Ava

Mario Barragan is in the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble co-taught by Santos.

ELSA

Adalilly Chu, a BHS sophomore, runs a jewelery-making business.

“ ... there is an urgent connection between artistic expression and working-class social reality with its inherent struggle ..."

John Santos

Afro-Latin Percussionist

THE SHAME WIZARD: STIS AND GETTING TESTED

SHOES OF BHS

Last year, I joined a club run through the Berkeley High School Health Center called SHIFT, or Sexual Health Information From Teens. One of the presentations we do is about STIs - what they are and how you can prevent them. We also talk about birth control methods in a separate presentation.

During all of the presentations I did, there was at least one kid giggling as we talked about gonorrhea or chlamydia or especially, crabs (aka pubic lice). I get it, sex is funny and uncomfortable to hear about. Crabs sounds like it should be a part of a marine biology show, not health class. But these kids weren’t just uncomfortable — they were being mean because they were afraid. Of getting an STI, of being dirty, of their lives ending.

The truth is though, all STIs are treatable and most are curable. They’re also extremely common, with over 2.5 million cases in 2021 according to the Centers for Disease Control. Getting an STI is possible with protected or unprotected sexual activity, although the risk decreases by 98 percent with the former. Many STIs have no symptoms in immunocompetent people, though they can still cause problems later on. This is why it’s important to get tested.

At BHS, all students have access to free and confidential sexual health testing. Your teachers and parents don’t have to know, your friends don’t have to know, and even your partner doesn’t have to know- although, you may want to talk to them about getting tested too. You can make an appointment by calling into the Health Center, whose number is on the BHS website under “resources,” or you can go in and fill out a slip.

During your appointment, they’ll ask you questions about why you’re there and to fill out some basic confidential forms, then they might give you a swab to take into the bathroom for the test, along with instructions for it. Within a week, you’ll get your results either through a phone call or a follow up appointment.

If you do have an STI, it’s not the end of the world. You’ll be able to get treatment through the Health Center. You’re not dirty for having sex or an STI. It would be more shameful to knowingly pass it on. During SHIFT presentations, we advise sexually active people to get a test every six months, if there is a cause for concern, or every time a relationship ends and or begins.

Knowing all of this isn’t going to stop all of the stigma, but it might make you think about lessening it in your day to day life. If you’re someone who has preconceived notions about who gets STIs and from what, it’s time to get that out of your head. Heterosexual and queer people alike are at risk and can decrease that risk from consistent use of protection, such as condoms and dental dams. Stay safe, have fun, and get tested.

outlet one time and they had a shoe store with a bunch of different shoes on super sale,” said Gracie Koch, a junior in Academic Choice (AC). “I found two pairs of Birkenstocks that were like only fifty dollars, so I bought one ... because they are so cute and trending right now. And I wanted slip-ons to just wear around the house.”

Gracie Koch, AC junior

“I got these shoes on the side of the road two weeks ago,” said Ziporah Wolf, a junior in Berkeley International High School (BIHS). She shared her story about how the fates aligned to get her a pair of Sambas. “I was really sick, so I was not at school, and I (went) for a walk to rejuvenate myself. And then I walk out the door, and I throw up. So I’m like, ‘Wait, let me turn back.’ Then I (think), ‘No, let me just go one more block.’ Thank God I went one more block because these beautiful sambas in my size were on the side of the road.”

Alice Stone, a sophomore in AC, has been a loyal Ugg wearer since before they were trending. “I got my Uggs when I was in sixth grade during quarantine, because I just wanted some nice shoes. I saw that they had the ones with cheetah print and glitter, and I was like, ‘oh yeah, of course I want those.’ So I got them and for some reason they have fit me ever since then. They’re really comfortable and really nice and I love them.”

Alice Stone, AC sophomore

“It started out because I was bored,” said Taylor Keslo, a sophomore in BIHS. She was wearing personally decorated Converse. “They (were) black, and then I drew all over them in white. Once I got paint pens, I drew all over them with color. It became something really cool that I could do.”

Taylor Keslo, BIHS sophomore

PHOTOS BY ZOE KOHLMEYER staff photographer

COLLECTED BY AMAR WALKER staff writer

Drake and SZA’s ‘Slime You Out’ review

a story with the lyrics. Drake goes through each month, with detailed changes that occurred in his romantic relationship during that time.

ANISHA PINTO

BY EVA KATZ staff writer

“Slime You Out” by Drake and SZA was released on Sept. 15, 2023, and so far has received mixed reviews. The single is a precursor to Drake’s upcoming album, “For All The Dogs,” set to be released on Friday Oct. 6, 2023. As a teaser for the single’s release, Drake posted a photo, that tagged

SZA, of Halle Berry being slimed — a tradition at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards where slime is dumped on a celebrity — at the awards in 2012. The sliming ties into not only the name of the song, but also a specific lyric from Drake which says, “I’m slimin’ you for them kid choices you made.”

Compared to the songs on his last album “Her Loss”, this track is slower, and tells

The lyrics depict the volatile nature of Drake’s relationship, stating, “March got you already second guessin’ titles, April, spring is here and just like a spring, you start to spiral … July, that’s when I found out you lie.” Drake’s lyrics go on to say, “You lucky that I don’t take back what was given … I could have you on payment plan ‘til you’re hundred and fifty.” Drake and SZA sing about toxic relationships, encapsulating a common feeling that you’re giving more than you are getting.

This song has sparked some questions regarding whether the lyrics dictate an actual encounter between Drake and SZA, seeing as

they dated in 2008. Each of their parts within the song almost contradict each other.

“Slime You Out” follows SZA’s slow and soft style contrasting Drake’s usual, faster-paced style. While the song’s energy may be a departure from Drake’s previous work, the lyrics are as expected. In the background of the song, there is a loop of the same sound using drums, bass, and a melodic keyboard, which ties into the feeling of the song, moody and angry.

Despite its criticisms, “Slime You Out” is climbing the charts, already hitting number one of the Billboard Hot 100. The collaboration between the two artists sparked interest all over the internet. And with its release comes a question: Is this Drake’s new style, or a one-off for his new album?

Ziporah Wolf, BIHS junior

Far-reaching Latinx influence on modern-day California culture

history is what California is; it started a chain of reaction for the events that followed. Most young students in the state learn about its history at some point in elementary school, ranging from The Gold Rush, to the missions, to the history of California’s government. Unfortunately, few elementary curricula dive deeper into the overlooked influence of Latinx culture in California. There are many lesserknown parts of Latinx history that are not taught or recognized frequently, with just one example being LGBTQ+ Latinx Activism.

Figures such as Sylvia Rivera, a Puerto Rican American activist, and José Sarria, a Colombian American activist, played major roles

in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

Rivera, one of the instigators of the transformative Stonewall Riots in New York City, was also a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front as well as the Gay Activists Alliance.

Sarria founded the Imperial Court of San Francisco, which is now called the International Court System, an association of charitable organizations that raises money for LGBTQ+ causes. Their impacts were ones of significance, despite the fact that they’re not often taught

about in standard course curricula.

Another example is the water and land rights movements, often associated with Cesar Chavez. His name is widely recognized across the country, assigned to a variety of landmarks. However the layers of his story, and the stories of many others, are not as widely acknowledged. Chavez sounded the alarm over the dangers of pesticides, but it never gained the same amount of attention as his previous campaigns.

It is difficult to pinpoint key historical events and aspects of Latinx culture in California because so many are closely linked to the foundation and building of the state. What is clear is that there are many reasons to

celebrate and appreciate the vibrancy of Latinx culture in California, whether it is through festivals such as Dia de los Muertos, Cinco de Mayo, or the aspects of the entertainment industry that have been impacted.

Latinx culture has undoubtedly played a key

role in the development of California’s cultural, social, and political landscape, and continues to do so. The culture and history is a contribution to the state’s vibrant multicultural fabric, and can be seen in various aspects of daily life ranging from art to food to politics,

all of which showcase the enduring influences of Latinx communities in California. Understanding the importance and significance of this is critical to properly valuing Latinx Californians and celebrating their extensive contributions.

Four must-watch movies from Latinx actors and filmmakers

BY ZACHARY YOO staff writer

REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)

“Real Women Have Curves’’ is a cathartic joy. Telling the coming-of-age story of Ana Garcia (America Ferrera), it is about the mothers who seem like they’ll never be satisfied, the fear of not being accepted in your body, and the awkward boyfriend you deserve better than. However, it’s also about concrete fears, things like the rent being a month overdue and the need to work rather than pursue education. But despite these stressors, the film never becomes dismal, rather the opposite. It is a warm portrayal of surviving these challenges and the camaraderie that is shared between the people who experience them together. It is both lovingly specific and widely relatable.

NO (2012)

“No”, is about the impossible questions. How can you campaign to a people so oppressed that they’ve never been campaigned to by more than one party before? How can you send a message of hope without glossing over unspeakable atrocities? Shot on the crummy old video cameras and in the aspect ratio of 80s commercials, the film is a dramatized depiction of the campaign to convince the Chilean populace to vote “no” to eight more years of the dictator Pinochet using the language of advertising. The film becomes about its inherent contradictions, as Marketing Executive René Saavedra’s (Gael Garcia Bernal) campaign becomes more and more appealing to a populace it does not reflect. In one scene, a basket of baguettes is procured as set dressing for a shoot. But, as the producers point out, no one eats baguettes in Chile.

RAISING VICTOR VARGAS (2002)

Adapted from an autobiographical short film by director Peter Sollett, “Raising Victor Vargas” depicts a lovably awkward, masculine, young adulthood. The film surrounds the friends and family of Victor Vargas (Victor Rasuk) and their endearing and occasionally hilarious romantic exploits. It’s sincere, and not at all trite. It’s a movie where none of the characters know exactly what they want, a movie that has no rising action or three-act structure. It’s unafraid to be uncomfortable, but also unafraid to be sweet, and the reward is a movie that is directly human.

CRONOS (1993)

Before he made it big as a three-time Oscar winning director of films like “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro was an indie horror director working with a modest $2 million budget. The only one of his films produced in his home country of Mexico, “Cronos” revolves around Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi) who accidentally becomes a vampire after finding a centuries-old device. Despite its lower budget and less refined feeling, it’s still Toro, more than anything surprisingly violent and audacious. “Cronos” is an eerie, classic horror.

GWENDOLIN WEBER-STOVER

This history is what California is; it started a chain of reaction for the events that followed.

The culture and history is a contribution to the state’s vibrant multicultural fabric, and can be seen in various aspects of daily life ...

COURTESY OF SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS

COURTESY OF NEWMARKET FILMS

Latinx artists at BHS use art to explore identity and expression

BY RORY NADEAU staff writer

Yatxiri Campusano

Huizar is a part of Berkeley High School’s community of writers. Her work expertly incorporates aspects of her culture alongside imagery and emotion that command change.

After taking a creative writing class in seventh grade, Campusano Huizar was exposed to a new style of writing: poetry. “I didn’t know you can rhyme,” she said. “I didn’t know you could do all this type of stuff, and also give a really big impact with your writing.” She quickly fell in love with poetry as a way to express her own struggles, issues impacting her community, and the overlap between the two. Throughout her poem, “Ya es Tiempo,” Campusano

Huizar blends English and Spanish together. While the poem was originally titled “It is Time,” she made the decision to change part of the poem into Spanish. She explained that despite being unsure about this choice, since her audience may not speak Spanish, she ultimately decided

to take ownership of her work. “It is my piece,” stated Campusano Huizar. “I can do whatever I want, so I switched it to ‘Ya es Tiempo’ because I felt as if it was more impactful.”

Through poetry, Campusano Huizar uses her own stories to tell the similar stories of millions.

She further discussed “Ya es Tiempo,” stating that “I would say that it really talks about my family and my issues, but also talks about people’s issues. It doesn’t even have to be a Latine person, it can be just immigrant families, immigrant children, or anyone that can resonate to it.” She explained that this poem highlights issues surrounding immigration laws, and the impact that they have on her family. “It’s time for a change, you know? It’s time for it to stop happening. It’s time for families to reunite with each other and not feel this type of pain everyday.”

Senior Amaya Dorman Mackenzie uses painting to reclaim her cultural heritage. She explained that, despite not having grown up with Latinx culture, she has always been curious about

THE CROSSWORD

it, and chose to explore it further through her art.

Dorman Mackenzie has felt hesitant to include herself in Latinx spaces, as she worries that her limited knowledge of the culture might stand in her way. “I guess there’s just a set idea of what Latina is,” she noted. The potential to help others with similar experiences has inspired her to share her stories. “My goal is probably to have a validating effect on people, especially those who don’t feel like they quite fit,” she said. Dorman Mackenzie also plans to do research surrounding Latinx art and integrate it into her own works.

Dorman Mackenzie’s art helps her understand her identity in other ways too, including her struggle with mental health. “A lot of my art has been about exploring a lot of my own feelings and trying to express them in a way that is beautiful.” She often depicts herself in her artwork, with detail and symbolism that enhance the emotion in her pieces.

Junior Lucia Rodriguez Gerstein explores a variety of mediums in her art. She works with clay, paint, and wire to create organic abstractions of the people, creatures, and patterns around her. When explaining her creative

process, Rodriguez Gerstein noted that it’s more about expressing herself in the moment than forcing a specific outcome. “I kind of just sit down and make stuff. Sometimes I like it and sometimes I don’t.” As she explores mythology this year, Rodriguez Gerstein has found herself looking to Latinx art for inspiration. “I’m focusing on stuff from the Aztecs and Mayans, looking at all of their deities and gods and how they relate to nature.” Rodriguez Gerstein plans to work with more three-dimensional media to bring her art to the next level.

Video game recommendation:

BY KAIYA JORDAN AND SIMON POLICY Entertainment editors

Little Witch in the Woods

— Raven Fonseca Jensen

— Violet Kessler

JULIAN NATHAN

“It’s time for families to reunite with each other and not feel this type of pain everyday.”

Yatxiri

Campusano Huizar

BHS

senior

Lucia Rodriguez Gerstein presents one of her artworks.

BHS sports see increase in crowd turnout

BY SYDNEY LEHRER staff writer

According to Robin Van der Vegt, a co-athletic director at Berkeley High School, prior to COVID-19, football and volleyball games at BHS often had a few hundred attendees at each game. This may come as a shock to anyone who has attended games this year, where stands have been packed with BHS students. Football games have often had between 1,500 and 2,000 students, a previously unthinkable number.

When Van der Vegt was appointed to her position five years ago, one of her goals was to bring more attention and enthusiasm to sports at BHS. She spoke about how she would attend away games, notice the spirited student sections that other schools had, and hoped to bring that excitement to BHS. This goal was quickly made difficult to achieve, as not long after starting out as athletic director alongside Ross Parker, COVID-19 shut everything down.

Once sports were able to return and BHS could start selling tickets once again, people wanted to go to sports games like never

sea

pink taking over

before. “There were even people trying to come who didn’t have any affiliation with the school … they’re just like, ‘Oh, something is happening. Can I go?’” Vegt said. She reported having to turn over a hundred people away due to limits set by the school. Once the limits of 750 people, then 900 people per game were lifted, attendance boomed.

Last school year, in an attempt to capitalize on the momentum of increased attendance, the athletic department rolled out season passes. Students could pay a flat fee and attend as many home games as they’d like. The introduction of season passes made attending games more accessible to students, and this year they’ve become

more popular now that they can be purchased online.

“We just have a constant influx of people. It’s great,” said Magnolia Hougan, an athletic commissioner at BHS. Last year, barely more than 100 season passes were sold. That number has quadrupled so far this year.

Preslie Yates, a senior captain on the girls’ volleyball team, said that having more students at games “not only motivates our team, but it gets into the head of the other team and limits their confidence and (it) definitely encourages us when we know that our classmates are supporting us.”

The BHS fanbase has grown so much that it now has a traveling student section. Yates mentioned

WEIRD

WORST RACE EVER

ELI LEICHTER WILSON

how at one of her away games this year at Saint Mary’s High School there were so many BHS students who had traveled to see the game that it became a competition of which crowd could show more school spirit.

David Perry, the head football coach, has witnessed the attendance growth firsthand since he started his current position two years ago.

“The kids feed off of that energy (of a crowd), they feed off of showing out in front of their peers. It does have a great impact when your friends are up there watching you and your family’s up there watching and you want to perform for the people you care about,” said Perry.

MLB teams exploit Latin American youth

BY ELOISE THOMAS staff writer

In recent years, several Major League Baseball (MLB) teams have been involved in improper conduct regarding legal signing age for players in other countries. The prospective players most affected by this mainly reside in Latin American countries, most notably the Dominican Republic.

It has been reported to the MLB that players, some no older than 12 years old, are involved in verbal contracts with MLB teams, in which they have agreed to sign on to those teams when they have reached the legal age of 16. Not only is this detrimental, in that they are still young and not

in a position to make those life-changing decisions, but it can also negatively affect their futures and close them off to other opportunities.

Most young players entering into these agreements are offered money as a promised signing bonus, which they are given when they are the age of compliance and officially join the team. While it can be very beneficial for their families to have this money and more security in their future, it does not always achieve this effect.

After making agreements with these players it is not unusual for teams to later rescind their offers, which leaves players in an incredibly complex situation. Firstly, they no longer have the money that was promised to them,

which they may have been relying on. According to ESPN, it is common for players and their families to use this promise of money to take out loans to improve their current living situations. However, when that promised money is taken away, they are no longer able to pay off these loans, leaving them in more debt.

These types of agreements are often used to take aspiring players off the market and make them less available to other teams. In return for these agreements, players may be asked to not participate in showcases or engage in conversations with other teams as their participation is already promised to one team. As other teams see these players as unavailable, they do not give them the attention they normally would as they are committed to another team.

Along with recruiting difficulties, another set of opportunities taken away from these players is educational. It is not uncommon for players to be taken out of school early to have more time to devote to playing baseball. This lack of education can make other careers more difficult for players to obtain, leaving them in a difficult struggle to

join a team that for years has seen them as unattainable and therefore not paid any attention to them.

As previously mentioned, these practices are illegal for teams to participate in.

According to the MLB’s international amateur signing rules in the 201721 Collective Bargaining Agreement, a requirement to enter into an agreement with a team is that the “Player is at least 16 years of age or will turn 16 years of age prior to Sept. 1 of the current signing period.”

In order to improve the situation that these prospective players are in, some have suggested that the MLB have an international draft. The basic premise is that it would facilitate communications between players and teams, and add some structure to the system, and provide the players with more options. Unfortunately, progress on this has not been made.

This issue of inequality affects not only Latinx players, but also aspiring baseball players around the world and at Berkeley High School. This specific issue is just one of the flaws in the systems of professional sports, and those values can trickle down throughout sports culture.

Our next bizarre story from history takes us to a Tuesday, on Aug. 30, 1904, where 32 runners were about to depart from a dusty road in St. Louis, Missouri, where the Summer Olympics of that year were being held. They were about to run 24.8 miles — the marathon distance had not yet been standardized — on a day where the temperatures soared well into the 90 degree range. Among those at the start were Len Tauyane and Jan Mashiani, the first Black Africans to compete in the modern Olympics. They were joined by Félix Carvajal, a Cuban mailman who showed up at the start line wearing a beret, dress pants, and a long sleeve shirt. A fellow runner helped Carvajal cut off his pants at the knee and minutes later, the race began.

The race itself took place almost entirely on and next to extremely dusty roads, the issue being exacerbated by cars traveling alongside the runners. In fact, so much dust and debris was kicked up into the air that around 19 miles into the race, a runner named William Garcia collapsed on the side of the road, suffering from a ruptured stomach lining due to the amount of dust he’d inhaled.

The problems were made even worse by the lack of water. Along the entire 24-mile long course, there was only one functioning water station. While at first sight this might be mistaken for a massive error, it was completely purposeful. The organizer of the race, James Sullivan, was interested in the benefits and effects of “purposeful dehydration”, and from that, decided that the Olympics were a good time to test his theories.

Meanwhile, the two African runners, Tauyane and Mashiani, fared no better, although they were the most experienced runners out of the group. At around mile nine, Tauyane was chased off the path by a pack of escaped hunting dogs. He would end up finishing ninth. Also around mile nine, an American by the name of Fred Lorz was suffering from stomach cramps and hitched a ride from a passing automobile to the finish line. At the finish line, he was about to accept the gold medal when his deception was discovered and he was banned from competing for a year.

The actual winner was a man named Thomas Hicks. At mile 12, Hicks started begging his trainers for water. In response, they fed him a mixture of egg whites, brandy, and strychnine, a strong chemical used in rat poison. Right before the finish line, Hicks began hallucinating that he still had 20 miles left to run. He was physically carried the last few yards and across the finish line by his trainers, and was declared the winner before collapsing to the ground. Over the duration of the race, Hicks lost eight pounds. Next time you have to run a mile, be grateful that your journey doesn’t go how it did for these contestants. Out of the 32 original racers, only 14 of those runners finished. Oh, and Carvajal? He ate apples from an orchard, fell asleep at the side of the road, and still placed fourth.

A

of

in the student section for “Barbie” night at Jacket Stadium.

NOLAN WHITEHILL

FLAG FOOTBALL SPECIAL

Coach Carrero tackles flag football

BY LUCY HOHN staff writer

Jackets sting Monarchs with a 27-6 win

BY ANNA WILLIAMS staff writer

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, the Mount Eden Monarchs faced off against the Berkeley High School Yellow Jackets in a game of flag football. The game began with an exciting start. Despite Berkeley’s defense, The Monarchs were able to secure two first downs. After a stunning throw by their quarterback, it was first and goal for Mount Eden. The Monarchs’ quarterback was then able to run the ball into the goal line. However, Mount Eden was not able to get the point conversion as Ali Forbush, a BHS sophomore, hit the pass to the ground thereby denying Mount Eden the point.

This was new territory for The Jackets. In their previous games, they hadn’t allowed any points against them and had only allowed three first downs in their combined two games. “We’ve won with pretty much blowouts, so I

think we came in a little bit in our heads and we were kinda talking to each other a little bit scared, so I think that really was reflected in the first few minutes where they got their touchdown,” said Forbush. However, Mount Eden’s success was short-lived. On their next possession, The Monarch’s quarterback threw an interception, allowing Berkeley’s quarterback, junior Shayla Kerr, to throw a long ball into the goal line for a touchdown. The Jackets secured the onepoint conversion, giving themselves the lead.

When reflecting on the game, both coaches and players spoke about how proud they were that the team was able to adapt. Israel Carrero, Berkeley’s coach, said, “We have yet to have to respond to anyone and that shows a lot of character and I’m pretty proud about that part.”

After a Berkeley sack, Mount Eden elected to “punt” the ball. In flag

football, this means that the other team starts with the ball at their five-yard line. After three strong consecutive plays by Berkeley, their quarterback threw a stunning long ball to Forbush scoring a second touchdown for The Jackets.

Right before halftime, Berkeley secured the point conversion, making the score 14-6 for The Jackets. This touchdown was a key moment where the team demonstrated their ability to adapt. “I started reading their defense and how they played it, to where I was setting up a certain play, which happened to be the very touchdown at the very end of the first half … if they play high, we attack low, and if they play low, we attack high”, said Carrero.

The first play of the second half, Kerr threw a long ball to Forbush, who ran it into the goal line. Kerr again threw to Forbush for the point conversion, making it 21-6. After two more attempts by The

Monarchs to even out the game, their quarterback threw another interception, caught by Berkeley senior Jamaia Harrison. Kerr was then able to throw yet another long ball into the end zone. After the point conversion, the score was 27-6 for The Jackets. The final whistle was blown and the Berkeley supporters cheered.

When speaking about her goals for the flag football team this season, senior Amaya Houston said, “I just want us to be more in sync, I feel like when we grow a better connection as a team we learn the way each other plays, and we’ll fall more in sync.”

Forbush’s main goal is to increase the amount of recognition for her team. “We wanna compare ourselves to the guys football team … we’re out here, we’re doing our best, people are coming and watching, which is amazing, and we’re showing up,” she said.

Israel Carrero is the coach of the first flag football team at Berkeley High School. Playing football throughout high school at Livermore High School, he recently got into flag football and has been playing for the past five years. Since then, he’s learned that football and flag football have a lot of similarities in how they are played, but have “a ton of difference in the way (they) should be ran”.

Carrero believes that playing both sports has given him an advantage in coaching the BHS flag football team. Hired at the end of last school year, he’s worked to recruit girls to join the team. That unfortunately proved difficult, ending up with only 23 girls at tryouts.

“I had 108 young ladies tell me they were committed to coming out … by the end of (tryouts) only 20 wanted to play,” said Carrero.

Since games have started, the team has been getting a lot of support from students.

up to the first game, which exceeded expectations. Carrero even says there are girls who would like to join the team now. He said, “Working on campus I get young ladies all the time asking if it’s too late to join or when’s tryouts next year.”

Now that Carrero has a team that is playing and thriving he looks forward to the future of the team in two specific ways: How they see the game, and the product of their game, especially building a strong team connection.

“I want the team to see what it feels like to have a sisterhood where they know that each and everyone of them has each other’s back and form an unbreakable bond.”

Carrero has big goals for the future years to come. “I would love to schedule much more games, possibly travel for tournaments in state and out, have a JV and Varsity team and win a NCS State Championship,” he said. “But that is something we will need to slowly build for, of course.”

ATHLETE PROFILE

Zoya Pastika-Dressner is a senior at Berkeley High School and has been an athlete her entire life. This year she joined BHS’s brand new flag football team, where she plays as a cornerback and wide receiver. She thinks that the emergence of women’s football is a big breakthrough for gender equality in sports. “Football is obviously seen as so male-dominated, so I think this is a big step for women’s sports in general,” said Pastika-Dressner. The women’s version of the sport is more focused on agility and coordination as it does not include tackling. PastikaDressner has high hopes for the debut season. “People’s perceptions of the sport are a little biased, and they just assume that because we’re women we’re not as good as the men and we’re not capable of winning, but I think definitely this season we are trying to prove them wrong,” she said.

— Luli Galinson

WILLOW PRIFORCE

Israel Carrero, the first flag football coach.

Jamaia Harrison looks to score.