BERKELEY HIGH
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www.berkeleyhighjacket.com • friday, November 4, 2022
no. 6
since 1912
NEWS
STUDENT SUBMISSIONS ON PAGE 9
ART SUBMITTED BY DAVID GUERRERO
BY TASNIM AIT DJEBARA staff writer
This week, Berkeley High School students participated in a Unity Week: the entire school dressed as a certain theme each day. Students and staff were both excited
and nervous for this week. Unity Week was organized and executed by Associated Student Body leadership. According to Hasmig Minassian, a Universal Ninth Grade teacher, the week’s objective was to give students the opportunity to participate, have fun, and
unite. “I don’t support the Unity Week when the students start crossing the line and taking it from a fun school event to coming to class under the influence and rallying,” Minassian said. “I think whenever students are feeling outside the
boundaries of day-to-day academic school then it seems some students take it as a form of permission to be more casual and the casual nature leads to sexual assault and sexual harassment.” Isla Petty, a BHS freshman, similarly expressed PAGE 2 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSHUA SWIFT-RAWAL
PHOTO BY NOLAN WHITEHILL
Listen to the Jacket playlist: Bay Area Rap and Hip-Hop
IEP and 504 plans struggle with access and funding
Listen to the playlist featuring Bay Area rap artists. Submit to next issue’s country playlist through this QR code. PAGE 14
Government funding and lack of awareness have posed a struggle to those who need IEP and 504 plans. PAGE 11
Listen to the The Buzz: The process of classroom grief Listen to the most recent episode of The Buzz: The BHS Jacket Podcast. Listen on Anchor, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
news editors: Kaiya Jordan & Kira Rao-Poolla
NEWS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
Kaiyajordan@students.berkeley.net
Homecoming theme sparks debate over cultural appropriation BY AVHA MEISELS staff writer
On November 5, Berkeley High School student leadership is holding a Homecoming
dance, which will take place at the Donahue Gym. The dance will have a tropical theme, in collaboration with the Polynesian Club, according to Drew Henderson, junior class president and lead organizer
ELLIOT SCHRAG
of the event. members of the Polynesian lei holds a large amount of Henders on des cr ib e d Club. The club will also present cultural significance to those of how the students in charge on the dances’ significance Polynesian descent. He added of planning Homecoming to the culture, which will that grass skirts and coconut wanted to make sure it was allow students to educate bras are not appropriate to appropriate as soon as they themselves on the culture they wear to the dance: “We just were informed of the theme, as are celebrating, Henderson don’t want to see our culture it touches on a few cultures. He said. worn as a costume,” Nautu approached the said. Polynesian Club He n d e r s o n during the club e x plained “When it’s people wearing it fair to hear that the main (Polynesian clothes) as a costume without reasoning behind their thoughts, a n d a s k e d i f knowledge of the culture, we’re just getting partnering with made fun of.” they would be the Polynesian interested in Club was to being involved ensure that no Angel Nautu in the planning students felt that BHS senior of t h e d an c e , their culture especially was being regarding aspects that relate A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e taken advantage of or to their culture. P o l y n e s i a n C l u b h a s misrepresented. He spoke with “We didn’t want to annoy helped decide what attire is a few students who voiced their someone by representing their appropriate, urging students concerns about the theme, and culture in a dance without first to avoid plastic leis, as well as how it could be inconsiderate asking someone a part of that grass skirts and coconut bras. to certain cultures. culture,” Henderson said. According to Angel Nautu, a “I’ve already reached out to According to Henderson, senior in Communication Arts some of those students about Homecoming will feature and Sciences and member of their thoughts and concerns two dances performed by the Polynesian Club, a proper and got to talk to them over the
phone,” Henderson said. “We came up with ideas on how to better ensure that not only are we appreciating the culture, we’re pushing other students in the direction of appreciating the culture.” The theme has sparked conversation among Berkeley High students about the differences between cultural appropriation and appreciation. According to Nautu, seeing one’s culture r e p r e s e nt e d c a n b e a n extremely positive experience, though problems arise when the culture is being taken on as a costume, with no thought to the history or people behind it. “When we see other people appreciating our culture we get excited, we get happy, we support them when they’re educated about the culture.” Nautu said. “But when it’s people wearing it as a costume without knowledge of the culture, we’re just getting made fun of.”
Unity Week starts amidst freshmen, admin hazing concerns CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
both her concerns and excitement for Unity Week and Red and Gold Day. She mentioned how her fear and others’ should not be normalized. “Overall Rally Day and Red and Gold Day are the same exact thing. No matter how the school rebrands it, everyone’s actions and behavior will stay the same,” Petty said. “At this point, it’s too deep of a tradition to change anything. I think there will always be drinking, smoking, and hazing. There’s not much Berkeley High can do.” Petty thinks that school pride is important, but it is also important to remain aware
NEWS BRIEF BY KAIYA JORDAN & KIRA RAO-POOLLA news editors
of the darker parts of the event. Petty hopes everyone can have a safe Red and Gold Day this year with no major consequences. Sydney Lehrer, a BHS freshman, shared her worries on freshman hazing. According to L ehrer, Freshman Friday was intense and not an enjoyable experience. Due to the fact that seniors and juniors were yelling chants in the hallways, Lehrer felt intimidated. She worried that Unity Week was going to be the same thing in the sense that there may be hazing. She also talked about how annoying egging was and how scary it was during lunch. “I’m scared I’ll get egged on or screamed at by an
upperclassman. I’m really not looking forward to the Friday of Unity Week since that’s Red and Gold Day and am not going in the breeze at all. I definitely will be begging my parents for a ride home so I don’t have to walk past mobs with eggs.” Lehrer had said. BHS celebrated Halloween by dressing up in costumes as
a part of Unity Week. Students who wore costumes went all out from the kind of makeup they did (spooky and festive), to their costumes. People dressed up as things such as inflatable dinosaurs and cows, fairies, pirates, ladybugs, comic book characters, ghosts, and vampires just to name a few. The variety of the costumes
The fire alarm went off twice Thursday, sending all students to the field.
FUNERAL FOR JAZY AND ANGEL SOLELTO On October 27th, a funeral was held at St. Joseph the Worker Church for Jazy and Angel Sotelo Garcia, two BHS students killed in a shooting a few weeks earlier. According to an article from Berkeleyside, a few hundred people were in attendance, including many family members, friends, and soccer teammates, who decorated the grave and gave eulogies for the brothers.
demonstrated how creative and crafty BHS students can really be, especially students who made their costumes
themselves. Lots of classes shared candy while doing work and engaged in Halloween related activities.
Students crowd the field during the Thursday fire alarm.
NOLAN WHITEHILL
TEACHER LETTER OF RECCOMDENTAION
CHEER AND FOOTBALL SENIOR NIGHTS
According to an email from Juan Raygoza, BHS principal, Berkeley Unified School District and Berkeley Federation of Teachers recently ratified a labor agreement that allows teachers to receive inservice credit for writing letters of recommendation for Berkeley High School students.
On Friday, October 28th, the Berkeley High School men’s varisty football team held their senior night. The team won their game 53 - 14 against Mount Eden. The BHS cheer team celebrated their seniors by presenting them with sashes during a brief ceremony during their class periods.
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
NEWS
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‘We are the future’: BHS students plan to work polls, volunteer BY YSABEL CHU staff writer
With the midterm election approaching on November 8, many Berkeley High School students have found ways to engage in political activism and volunteer opportunities.
In particular, BHS clubs have been participating in political activism. The BHS Teen Reproductive Justice Club recently worked on sending postcards to infrequent democratic voters in Pennsylvania and Nevada. “We were writing in favor of pro-choice candidates for
LUCY RICKART WEBB
the Senate,” said Maddie Metz, a senior in Academic Choice (AC) and co-leader of the Teen Reproductive Justice Club. “With the Roe v. Wade decision, our hope was to motivate Democratic voters who care about reproductive rights to go out and vote, (especially) the infrequent voters at midterm elections.” Additionally, some BHS students have chosen to serve as election poll workers for the midterm election. According to Madeleine Regan, a poll worker for the upcoming midterms and a junior in Berkeley International High School (BIHS), election workers help set up the polling areas and make sure all equipment is functional. On election day, they facilitate voting, collect ballots, and assist people with disabilities or people who can’t speak English in receiving accessible voting materials. “I think politics are interesting,” said Regan,
explaining why she became an election worker. “It has a huge impact on our lives. I thought that having some experience working at the polling areas would be good because I’m interested in going into public relations or international relations and (wanted to) understand how elections work today.” Gemma Shabel, another poll worker and senior in BIHS, talked about the way election workers can impact politics. “I think that voting is super important,” Shabel said. “A lot of people simply don’t vote, so doing something to encourage people to go out and vote is really important. Also making it a more positive experience, so that people (will vote) again.” Several BHS students discussed what they had learned or gained from participating in political activism. Shabel described how being an election worker has helped her feel less hopeless. “Times have been very
stressful recently and I’ve been feeling a little bit helpless, if I’m not doing anything,” Shabel said. “So this was just a small way I found to be able to feel like I was helping a problem. … It’s useful, I think, when you’re feeling kind of helpless to go do something that could potentially help someone.” Metz expressed how working in politics has helped her have conversations with people who hold different political beliefs. “I think I’ve definitely learned how to try and effectively have conversations with people who don’t see things the same way I do,” Metz said. “I think that’s a really valuable skill in life. You’re not always going to be able to convince someone of something, but being able to have a dialogue and actually think about what they’re saying is really important.” Stella Pfeifer, a junior in BIHS and a co-leader of Women’s Student Union,
talked about whether high schoolers can have a large impact in politics. “I think we can make such a large impact because we are the future,” Pfeifer said. “We are the ones who are going to be living in this country for the next 50 plus years. We are the ones who are directly impacted by so many different issues. So I think because of that we can have a very strong impact because of how passionate and united we are.” Metz’s advice to any high schoolers who would like to make a difference in politics is to remain patient and to strike a balance between normal life and political activism. “Be patient with yourself,” Metz said. “It can be a pretty frustrating process when you don’t feel like you’re making a difference. But keep working at it, we need people being advocates for these issues. And try not to get too wrapped up in it. There’s a healthy balance between political activism and living your life.”
Latinx Heritage Month assembly features dance and spoken word freshman year similarly included music, dancing, and food outside of the theater, which made her On October 19, 2022, feel seen and proud of her Berkeley High School held culture. a Latinx Heritage Month “During the event, it Assembly at the Little felt so satisfying to see all Theater with around 220 this hard work pay off. It students in attendance. was amazing to see people Students and leaders of enjoy the performances,” BHS’s Latines Unidos Club, Cuatatl-Tello said. “After Ivan Cuatlatl-Tello, Paola the event, it felt great to Bedolla García, and Jasmine see people exposed to our Moreira-Cortés, along with culture and having Latinx literature teacher Amanda students happy after having Moreno, organized the their culture represented event. in some shape or form. It According to Cuatlatlwas amazing to see our Tello, the assembly was performers content with the hosted in order to celebrate work that they put out to the Latinx Heritage Month. audience.” In addition, a goal was to Bedolla García show the diversity in added that she felt the artistic mediums accomplished because “Through these types of events, after the tragedy used by the Latinx we hope to expose other students that hit BHS’s Latinx community. “Through these to a different culture to highlight community, many types of events, we of the club members our uniqueness.” hope to expose other were affected. students to a different “It was amazing Ivan Cuatatl-Tello, culture to highlight that we were able to BHS senior our uniqueness,” create this assembly,” Cuatlatl-Tello said. said Bedolla García. “Hopefully, individuals will why I might have felt a bit “And to have their become more interested ashamed to share my own support and help and have in learning about Latinx culture was because we don’t everything go so smoothly. culture in greater depth.” tend to see these differences I’m very proud of our club.” Cuatlatl-Tello also spoke in culture in Berkeley,” Moreira-Cortés added about how students of Moreira-Cortés said. “Lots on, saying that even though Latinx descent feel isolated of people don’t see these this event was successful, the in humanities classes things everyday, but I events that foster cultural or predominantly white wanted people watching the pride should be more spread classes, and when assemblies assembly to understand that out. like these happen, students it’s more than just a dance Instead of honoring the can feel included and proud or a culture. It’s part of who community for just a month, of their culture. you are as a person. It’s what talking and being educated The assembly consisted resembles you.” about different cultures of poetry performances, Bedolla García, a BIHS should be normalized Aztec and modern dance, senior, added on, saying throughout the school year. singing, and a guest speaker that the event during her Josefa Landaverde, a BY MAYA DANG staff writer
from the local Bay Area organization, Los Pobres Artistas. The assembly included a promotion for clubs that foster Latinx cultural pride like the Native Student Union, Latines Unidos, and the Spanish National Honor Society. Moreira-Cortés, a senior in Berkeley International High School (BIHS), added that these types of events foster cultural pride because they encourage students to want to participate. Knowing that there are people who look like those performers in these events encourages students to participate. “I think part of the reason
junior in Academic Choice (AC), performed La Llorona, a significant song to the Latinx community. “I don’t think anything really motivated me,” Landaverde said. “I just wanted to contribute to my community.” Ishy Hechavarria Davis, a senior, performed a poem called “Cuban Heaven.”
“At night, stars are dancing, insects are singing,” Hechavarria-Davis said. “Street lights dimming. To Cuban heaven, everyone is like a diamond in the sea of glass, cars old and preserved. The streets of oceans with ripples.” Dylan Salazar, a senior in Arts and Humanities Academy (AHA), recited a
poem about his encounters as a Peruvian-American called “Peruvian American Disambiguation.” “For the colleges love so that they can show diversity on their web pages, who this school calls Latino,” Salazar said. “Who my parents call mijito when they can’t be by my side because I am in America.”
Students perform Aztec dance in front an audience of 220.
Drummers perform at the October 19 assembly.
PHOTOS BY EMILIA FREILICH
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
NEWS
Chris Kindness Award inspires major media outlets around the country. People love the simplicity of the idea. They are inspired by it.” Alan Ross, a Berkeley BHS students agree: resident and current sophomore Parks Ramsdale Berkeley High School is glad to hear that Berkeley parent, is the founder citizens are putting in the of a recent, local project effort to raise awareness for called the Chris Kindness kindness. Award. The Chris Kindness “I’ve lived in places Award is an award around the nation that honors and that are very c o m m e m o r a t e s “People love the simplicity of the idea. different from people who Berkeley and I They are inspired by it.” have positively think Berkeley is influenced the a great place to Terry Chytrowski, community initiate change,” regardless of their Marketing Communications Consultant Ramsdale said. “I age, profile, or how don’t think a lot of big or small their people from other impacts are. It is to be given finally pursuing the project. places would take the time monthly with a reward A large aspect of this to pay attention to this and consisting of one thousand project is the community’s I think it’s really important dollars. Berkeley residents response to it. The goal that we are.” are encouraged to spread the of this idea is to impact Ramsdale also included word about the award itself Berkeley and all its citizens his perspective regarding that the kindness being spoke to what he believes and to nominate anyone to not only provide the influence the award brought to light could make a worthy nominee would they feel inclined to at www. materialistic recognition to could potentially have someone’s day and as an offer. chriskindnessaward.org. one’s acts of kindness, but on the Berkeley “Whoever wins The award also motivates to also create a space and community. shouldn’t have had people to spread their setting to acknowledge and “As it grows “I don’t think a lot of people from to do something own kindness as much truly appreciate them. it will show that other places would take the time to big, doing small as possible: to consider Terry Chytrowski, people still care pay attention to this and I think it’s acts of kindness themselves, the earth, and a friend of Ross and a about kindness. I is really what true really important that we are.” the people around them. marketing communications also think that the kindness is and The original idea for the consultant, is also working award will offer is what should award was inspired by Ross’s on the project. incentive for more be rewarded,” Parks Ramsdale, own loss of his parents, “I “I have never seen a people to care about Ramsdale said. BHS sophomore wanted to do something to community-based idea like it and each other,” BHS students honor them, in their name,” this get so much attention, Ramsdale added. “If are not only Ross said. so quickly,” he said. “In less it attracts enough attention, effect of that maybe even encouraged to spread The idea was further than a week of launching, I could see this on a national prevent negativity.” the word wherever and pressed in the aftermath we received calls from scale in some form. I think Additionally, Ramsdale however they can,but also BY ARIANA YEROVAM staff writer
of the passing of his child’s preschool teacher and the awards namesake, Chris. Ross described Chris as “the kindest person I’d ever met.” Furthermore, the idea was encouraged by a girl giving away homemade baked goods during quarantine for the sake of kindness. Seeing this motivated Ross into
CLAUDIA BLOOM
to nominate whoever they feel is deserving. This could be a friend, peer, teacher, adult, or anyone valued and appreciated. Students are also invited to volunteer through the website and to show their support through mirroring behaviors that the award emphasizes. The Chris Kindness Award overall, aims to remind people to be kind. “If we start noticing it when we receive it, we might also start acting on it towards others,” Ross said.
BSEP holds run-off election at first official meeting of the year
BY AARON STEVENS staff writer
Berkeley High School students voted in a runoff election on October 19 to appoint the student representatives for this year’s School Site Council (SSC). The student representatives had already been elected last spring, but an additional election was recently called due to downsizing. “The state of California couldn’t get enough people on SSC boards across the state, so they reduced the number of (student representatives) necessary,”
BSEP funds finance a variety Integrity, Strength, and number of representatives of programs and services, Empowerment (R.I.S.E.) for each school site council including teacher salaries, Program, and instructional has been reduced, according school libraries, the African materials, to name a few. to Kittredge. dance program, and the “With any luck, this will “Generally student voice music and jazz programs. be a pretty typical year, I is very important to the A significant portion of hope that we will be able to committee and it’s common BSEP funds are not initially look at the new programs that a student is the codistributed every year, so we funded last year like the chair, which helps to ensure the site council that students decides where get equal those extra “Especially for meetings that are only once representation. funds go during a month, I feel like they should be in person. Ad d it i on a l l y, the spring for students are So that we can really openly discuss.” the following full voting year. members on the Emma Kittredge, Last year, committee and the site council have been active BHS sophomore allocated 45 participants LINDSEY CHOU t h o u s a n d in all our said sophomore Emma dollars annually from the dollars towards hiring a Title IX advocate and see discussions, bringing a Kittredge, a BSEP student program. “staff member that will that progress is being made,” variety of viewpoints to the representative. BSEP was created support students who said Aaron Glimme, a BHS committee,” Glimme said. Each spring, the site following Ballot Measure inquire about, or complete, chemistry teacher and The site council met on council that a Title IX report,” member of the site council. October 20, following the Kittredge serves according to the Glimme has been on the site runoff, for the first time on outlines BSEP School Site council for several years, this school year. During “With any luck this will be a pretty typical Program Fund serving as co-chair as well. the use of the the meeting, the council Berkeley Schools year, I hope that we will be able to look Plan. Since the Members of these site discussed the possibility of E x c e l l e n c e at the new programs we funded last year fund plans are councils were typically having meetings in person, Program (BSEP) like the Title IX advocate and see that made for the required to consist of as they are currently virtual. funds for the following year, the principal, four staff The council also discussed progress is being made.” following school the Title IX funds members, three parents or the committee co-chairs year. BSEP went into effect community members, and election, which will happen Aaron Glimme, accounts for at the start of three students. The BUSD during the following BHS chemistry teacher about 20 percent this semester. school committee handbook meeting next month. of Berkeley The site council also states that there should “Especially for meetings Unified School also previously be two alternates for staff, that are only once a month, District’s annual budget, E1 in 2019, which meant directed BSEP funds towards students, and parents/ I feel like they should be in according to the BUSD that BUSD would receive 28 college and career advisors, community members on the person,” Kittredge said. “So website, and BHS typically million over the next eight the college preparation committee. But, this year, that we can really openly receives over one million years from local tax funds. class Responsibility, due to the downsizing, the discuss.”
OPINION BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
opinion editors: ella creane & ellora mookherjee amodt
UC top nine percent letters cause division BY SHANZA SYED staff writer
Sweaty palms, a racing heartbeat, and a terrible dark haze that doesn’t let any rational thoughts through. Everyone’s been there, feeling scared of the future. For high school seniors planning to attend college, there’s nothing more stressful than the long process they have to endure. College is a gateway to the next chapter of independence in their lives and the many opportunities and life experiences to come. It’s understandable that students would like to know which colleges are open to
them as soon as possible. Students can learn this through a letter informing them that they are in the top nine percent of seniors at BHS, essentially guaranteeing them a spot at least one University of California school. However, this practice actually does more harm than it does good. It is extremely divisive and discouraging to the vast majority of students who aren't in the top nine percent. At Berkeley High School, it's already common practice to share and wonder what grades others have. After all, it’s only human nature to compare oneself to others, and knowing one is
ADEA HANSEN-WHISTLER
behind the curve is a deeply disheartening feeling. It is detrimental to mental health, and can also makes students reluctant to apply to any top schools, as they feel like they can’t get in. Furthermore, being in the top nine percent of one’s class may not be fully representative of the types of universities that one can get into. Gemma Shabel, a BHS senior who received a letter, said, “My grades in classes don’t always reflect how I’m performing, and so I don’t think it's really fair to put someone at the top of a class based on one grade.” While colleges do look at grades, they also look at a wide array of things like extracurricular activities and essays. Simply being in the nine percent might give some students a false sense of security while crushing the self-esteem of other students. Since the top nine percent is calculated using UC GPA standards, it is quite likely that the letters disproportionately favor students in Academic Choice and Berkeley International High School
who have more access to weighted classes than Arts and Humanities Academy, Academy of Medicine and Public Services, and Communications Arts and Sciences. Clearly, this isn’t a helpful or equitable way to help seniors navigate the stress of college. On the other hand, those in favor of the top nine percent letter argue that it’s nice for students to be alerted because knowing one is almost guaranteed to get into a “good” college provides a solid safety net. While this may be true, it instills confidence in those in the top nine percent at the expense of the 91 percent of students not included in this group. Most students in the top nine percent are already aware they are highachieving, so the letters don’t really make a difference in stress or whether they apply to the UCs. The UCs should not continue on with these letters, as they overstate the importance of grades in college admissions while discounting access to weighted classes. This process sows division amongst seniors, perpetuating a hierarchy that doesn’t properly acknowledge students successes beyond just their GPA.
Why Halloween is truly for the imaginative BY SOPHIE DRESKIN staff writer
Every year on October 31, around Berkeley and throughout the country, excitement and elation fill the air. The day is like no other, magical in every way. Children run around their pumpkin-filled neighborhoods dressed up in adorable costumes, while their parents document every new piece of candy they put in their basket. Older kids, such as students at Berkeley High School, often spend time with friends or attend celebratory parties. Halloween brings an abundance of enjoyment in the form of costumes, friendship, tradition, and best of all, candy. Halloween provides people with the creative freedom to dress up and express themselves in a unique way. Unfortunately, it isn't necessarily socially acceptable to wear a costume in public every day, but luckily, on Halloween,
wearing a costume is the expectation. Whether someone chooses to become a slightly altered version of themselves or a completely different person is up to them. The holiday is the perfect chance to push imaginative boundaries. Although most of the time Halloween falls on a school night, students are able to make the most of the spirited holiday. Halloween is largely nonreligious and not very family oriented, so it is one of the only holidays that kids are unapologetically allowed to spend with friends. Though parties are many BHS students' activity of choice, what each person chooses to do with the night is completely up to them. While some enjoy confronting their greatest fears in haunted houses, others would rather spend a cozy night in, watching movies and eating candy with their closest friends. Some might argue that Halloween isn’t as fun as holidays like Christmas, where presents are often
part of the tradition, but not everyone realizes how much stress presents can add to a holiday. Not only do people have to worry about whether or not their friends or family will appreciate their gifts, but the tradition is also financially difficult for many people. Halloween is much more accessible as almost everyone can make a great costume by simply looking through their closet. Halloween is the one holiday where everyone is free to creatively expand their imagination, enjoy time with friends, and stuff their face with candy. BHS students have endless
fun opportunities and activities to take part in this time of year. From trick or treating, to watching Halloween music shows in local amphitheaters, there are endless options. Students also have an extra special treat this year. With Halloween being one of the unity week days this year, students were able to dress up and show off their costumes at school. Because this holiday is not just for one religious group, BHS students are given the opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate the greatest holiday of the year.
Students show their spirit by dressing in costume.
SUNNY BEVIS-LIPTON
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
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Ellacreane@students.berkeley.net
SHINING A LIGHT ON: LEARNING DISABILITIES SIMONE ZABARSKY
Did you know that Jennifer Aniston, best known for her work in the hit TV show “Friends” struggled with dyslexia? The learning disability dyslexia affects the ability to read, speak, and spell. It is the most common learning disability in the world, affecting 8090 percent of people who struggle with a type of learning disability, according to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. A learning disability is: a disorder that affects the ability to understand or use spoken or written language, do mathematical calculations, coordinate movements, or direct attention. I will be highlighting some common, and less well known learning disorders that many students face. One common learning disorder is dyslexia, which is easily the most common. Dyslexia is a learning disorder that makes reading more difficult, due to difficulty decoding speech sounds and understanding how they relate to letters and words. “Dyslexia results from individual differences in the parts of the brain that enable reading,” according to the Dyslexia Center of Utah. Some people have heard the myth that dyslexia is rare, however in actuality, it affects an astonishing 20% which is 1 in 5 of people. Kids and teens must be more educated about learning disorders. Albert Einstein opened up about his struggles with dyslexia, how it affected him as a child and how he persevered to become one of the most well known theoretical physicists. One common type of learning disability is dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is a math-related learning disability, making it harder for one to calculate, solve and understand number related concepts. According to The National Library of Medicine, it affects 3-7% of adolescents , but is vastly understudied compared to dyslexia or Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder (ADHD). Many struggle with math due to how fast the concepts are taught. Although many students may not have dyscalculia, it can help us relate to those who do. ADHD is fairly well known as well. ADHD can include difficulty paying attention, trouble controlling impulsive behavior and overly active/energetic behavior. While we have all struggled to focus, being easily distracted is not the same thing as having ADHD. One in 11 adolescents 4 to 17 years old have ADHD. If ADHD is this common, you would think it would be more freely talked about especially in a school or learning environment. Be empathetic to those you know who may be struggling with it. More kids are struggling with these kinds of challenges than you might think. If you are struggling with a learning disability or school in general, don't be afraid to reach out to teachers and loved ones to help you find the resources, such as IEPs or 504s you need to succeed.
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OPINION
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
EDITORIAL
Advanced Math track must be equitable for all Berkeley High School offers the opportunity for ninth grade students to take the Advanced Math 1 course. Math 1 students can also transfer into Advanced Math 2 their sophomore year, but only if they complete the necessary requirements, which include earning an A in the second semester of Math 1 and completing all supplemental summer coursework. After being placed into the course, students are able to continue on the Advanced Math pathway until senior year, or they can switch to a non-advanced math course. However, after sophomore year, students are locked out of the Advanced Math pathway, unable to transfer into any Advanced Math classes. According to the BHS Mathematics Department website, Advanced Math courses are “for students who have a passion for mathematics and want to invest extra time and effort
(in their math classes)." The Advanced Math sequence covers a broader breadth of topics at a quicker pace. Students should be able to join the Advanced Math track at any time during high school. In addition, entrance into the sequence should not be based predominantly on the placement test. Only allowing students to test into the Advanced Math sequence freshman year may drastically limit what they can achieve academically, blocking them out of potentially valuable classes, such as Calculus BC. Ninth graders may not necessarily know the full extent of what they want their high school pathway to look like. Preventing them from being able to place into a more accelerated math course past their first year of high school can inhibit the opportunities available to them. “It would be nice if students could just elect to be in Advanced Math,” said Anna Eisen, a senior at BHS. “It doesn’t have to be for people who are traditionally considered to be 'math people' or people who are at the top of their class, it’s just a really great opportunity to dig deeper into the subject matter, which is what all other advanced classes do, like Advanced Placement Chemistry digs deeper into chemistry than normal chemistry would.” In addition, the Advanced Math placement test may not accurately represent students’ learning abilities, especially those in ninth grade. Students enter BHS with varying degrees of mathematical knowledge depending on where they went to middle school. Consequently, their performance on the
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placement test before they are exposed to any high school math classes may not be indicative of their capabilities, and instead be determined by the coursework they had previously covered. “I think there are a lot of people who would do really well in Advanced Math but who maybe weren’t prepared very well by their middle school or who just don’t have the time to put in the extra work to take that placement test,” Eisen said. “If there wasn’t a placement test to get in, I think there’s a lot of people who would be really interested in taking it. It’s a really great class, and it doesn’t have to be just for people who score really well on the test. I think it's for everyone.” Eisen described how she did not test into Advanced Math 1 her freshman year, rather she took the test again and placed into Advanced Math 2 the next year. Eisen added that she received an email after she completed the placement test stating that she was expected to get a grade ranging from a low B to a high C in the class, although she ended the year with a high A. Her story is a testament to the inaccuracy of the Advanced Math placement test, in terms of determining the learning abilities of a student as they grow throughout high school. Additionally, some students have the learning abilities to excel in the Advanced Math environment, but aren’t able to fully showcase their skills in their placement test performance. Students deserve the opportunity to enter the Advanced Math track any year of their choosing. Moreover, being in Advanced Math shouldn’t be based off of the placement test, which isn’t at all indicative of students’ capabilities.
Can BHS afford to have sick students coming to school? BY CHARLIE TAMAGNO staff writer
Waking up in the morning with a sniffle or a cough used to not be that big of a deal. You would take a couple DayQuil and head to school. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, showing up to school a little sick was pretty normal. Staying home was only for when your temperature hit over 100 or it was absolutely necessary. But nowadays, after COVID-19 spread widely enough to keep us all locked inside for months, people are a lot more cautious when their classmate comes in coughing up half a lung. Coming to school with a mild cold might seem harmless, but it can be pretty devastating for those around you. The classic excuse that missing school isn’t worth it is used often. Nothing is
more important than being completely caught up on work, even if it comes with the risk of infecting those around you with whatever ailment you have. However, it is up to the student to inquire with teachers about the work they are missing and make it up once better. If you keep going to school and about your regular routine, even with what starts as a regular cold, it can quickly deteriorate into a more serious illness. If you don’t take the time to rest for a day or two when it begins to get bad, you might end up having to miss another week to recover from a sickness worse than the one you began with. With flu season right around the corner, and cold season quickly developing as we move deeper into fall, it's important to remember that your body needs to rest in order to heal. Infecting others is a serious consequence. You
can make someone seriously ill by attending school with a contagious cold, especially if you aren’t wearing a mask during that time. People who are immunocompromised can be significantly affected by even just a common cold, and attending school while sick can be devastating for those people. What is a common cold and stuffy nose for one person, can be significantly worse for another. As a reaction to living in a pandemic, people can be hypervigilant when it comes to coughing or sneezing in classrooms. It can be unsettling for some when the person next to them sneezes without covering their mouth, possibly spreading germs to all the desks around them. If you’re sick, and worried about whether or not you should stay home, while it sucks to be home and bored, it is crucial to do your part to not infect others.
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OPINION
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
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Homecoming tropical theme enables cultural appropriation could wear tropical colors or clothes you would wear in the tropics. Tropical decorations at a For Berkeley High dance do not appropriate School’s upcoming Pacific Islander culture. Tropical Homecoming It is possible be on theme Dance, it’s clear where the without crossing the line cultural appropriation and being disrespectful crosses the line and where in a way that most it doesn’t. It’s completely “Hawaiian” clothing is up to the students who in America. It is crucial attend whether this to make sure we do theme goes too far, not cross that line by becoming cultural wearing traditional appropriation or clothing, especially simply a fun dance without realizing “As a Pacific Islander, I don’t theme. If attendees its cultural want to see none of y’all coming dress in the far too importance. in with your straw hats, fake leis, common American Many may and all that,” appropriations say that this theme of indigenous is just for fun, and Lawrencia Hayes, Hawaiian clothing that it only becomes they’ve gone too a problem if people BHS senior far. However, if make it one. the theme sticks to However, nobody decorations and colors it wearing them even would be saying that if can remain respectful. realizing it. the theme was Asia and “As a Pacific Islander, However, the tropical students were expected I don’t want to see none theme can be done well to come in traditional of y’all coming in with and respectfully. There outfits or pieces of your straw hats, fake leis, are many ways that clothing from Asian and all that,” Lawrencia you can do the tropical cultures. That would Hayes, a BHS senior, said. theme without wearing never be acceptable. “Don’t dress up in cultural traditional attire. You Tropical themes have
BY SERENNA REDWOOD staff writer
clothing. Especially if it’s to make fun of it.” Leis and other traditional garments from Pacific Islander culture should not be worn for a school dance by teenagers who don’t understand their significance. The issue with a theme like this is it’s very likely that there will be outfits that appropriate the culture without the person
become so normalized that is acceptable to be used for parties and events. While it’s true that it can be done without enacting harm, it quickly becomes hurtful. People still don’t understand that leis and straw skirts are traditional garments to Indigenous Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. “It’s giving cultural
GABRIELLA BUSANSKY
appropriation,” Juanita West, a BHS senior, said. If people do the theme right, it doesn’t have to be harmful, but the current messaging around the dance and the attire for it appears to be leaning in an insensitive direction. BHS must avoid offensive outfits by being educated on the garments they are choosing to wear to
the homecoming dance. Using the tropical theme to wear Americanized versions of traditional Pacific Islander clothing often can send a message of insensitivity. It is imperative that BHS not encourage students to wear leis for Homecoming as it is very disrespectful toward Pacific Islander students.
Many teenagers turn to coffee to get them through a high pressure school day.
MEI SAPHIR
National voting age at 16 is imperative for this generation BY VIOLET MILLER-BRADY staff writer
In the 2020 presidential election, only 51.4 percent of citizens ages 18 to 24 voted. Young people have the lowest voting turnout of any age group and this means that our beliefs aren’t being adequately represented in the U.S. government. Lowering the national voting age to 16 would allow teenagers the opportunity work on changes to the unequal delegation of this country’s leaders. For many high schoolers, these are the years to start taking on adulthood responsibilities. We are strengthening our personal opinions and beliefs, while growing away from those of our families. All of the laws that adults have to follow, we must follow as well, yet our voices remain unheard during the making of them. In fact, in 2019 there were an estimated 53,000 U.S. minors tried as adults in the court of law. 53,000 people faced the possibility of their entire future being jeopardized because of things they couldn’t even vote on. If the voting age were to be lowered, teenagers living at home would be able to serve as a voice to represent not only themselves, but their families as well. This may seem too big of a job for teenagers because they still have to balance
school, a social life, and potentially a job, but it teaches them how to take on the responsibilities and learn the process of voting before they are completely independent. These are crucial skills for later in life, and if you learn them young and make a habit of voting before you are out of the house, it is much more likely that you will continue to do these things and won’t have to deal with the stress of learning them without the support system that is available in high school. A current pressing concern for many people in this country is the overturning of Roe v. Wade. There are now 13 states with a full ban on abortion and five more with
a limited gestation period in which the procedure can be preformed. In these states, if a 12 year old were to get pregnant, they would most likely be forced to carry to term. If kids are able to get pregnant, why can’t 16 year olds vote on the laws that affect what they are allowed to do with their own bodies? Those who pass these bills are people who aren’t affected by them, but if the voting age were lowered it could compel more of the younger generation to vote on laws like this that have the potential to uproot their entire lives. Lowering the voting age to 16 helps us to see a reflection of ourselves in the government.
Young voters play a crucial role in elections.
SASHA BALASUBRAMANIAM
Teenagers must not depend on coffee for danger of addiction BY SIMONE FAULKNER staff writer
I slept-walked through most of my junior year, as most eleventh graders do. My day was filled with classes, labs, clubs, a job, studying for the ACT, and playing a sport. I would stay awake into the early morning finishing my homework until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. For many high schoolers living this life, their drive is fueled by caffeine — though it shouldn’t be. One morning, I had woken up in a delirious fog, not knowing where I was, who I was, or where my homework was. I was the most tired I’d ever been. I needed to take drastic measures; I drank coffee concentrate. I had bought a 32 ounce bottle of coffee concentrate from
Trader Joe’s, and because of my hallucinatory state, I decided to drink it instead of my regular morning coffee. Coffee concentrate is almost pure, unadulterated coffee, with over five times the amount of caffeine that a typical cup of coffee has. I chugged it on an empty stomach and sat in my third period classroom shaking and sweating. My body was awake while my brain stayed limp. I walked through school the entire day feeling as if I was experiencing a perpetual seizure. I would have been safer if I had just gone to school tired. Though the ubiquitous Yerba Mate has more caffeine than a cup of coffee, the dark and bitter taste of coffee alone adds to the placebo of energy content. Some grew to love its acrid taste, while others abandoned it for other drinks to carry around
school. The proximity of Peet’s, Starbucks, K’s, and every other caffeine emporium in Downtown Berkeley, including coffee makers in BHS classrooms, makes coffee too tempting. Like most teenagers hear from their parents, coffee is bad for you. Not because it stunts your growth — which might be a myth, but is still a sign to stay away from it — but because it worsens your sleep and rots your teeth. The more you drink, the less you sleep, causing you to drink more. It’s a paradox. There are other ways to stay awake at school, ones that don’t compromise students’ quality of sleep . While coffee every once in a while is alright, it’s easy to get addicted. We don’t want to end up like our parents, continually repeating, “Sorry, I haven’t had my morning coffee yet.”
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
SPIRIT WEEK 2022
GLENN MAH
AVA MUSSI
I
SUNNY BEVIS-LIPTON
SUNNY BEVIS-LIPTON
NOLAN WHITEHILL
BY PHILIPPA ZLATEV staff writer PAGE DESIGN BY ANJA BALL ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA BIRENBAUM
BY AVA RAMSDALE staff writer PENELOPE GILLIGAN SUNNY BEVIS-LIPTON
FEATURES
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
features editors: Lauren Huang & Amelia WIley Moreira
laurenhuang@students.berkeley.net
BHS students navigate shift in Halloween norms BY JULIA BRIMMER staff writer
“When I was younger, I'd go trick or treating with my family,” said Lilly Cobb, a sophomore at Berkeley High School, describing her unconventional Halloweens from years past. “We’d dress up in costumes, and then we'd get candy from strangers as one does. … Then, my parents would allow me to sell them the candy for 10 cents apiece to put out for children the following year, because they did not want (my sibling and I) to get very hyper.” Today, Cobb doesn’t fully
understand the hype around the holiday. She enjoys the general season of fall but could do without Halloween. One of the most popular traditions surrounding the holiday is the practice of dressing up in a costume. On October 31, BHS took part in this tradition, kicking off the school’s Unity Week. “I'm gonna do corpse paint and (wear) a skeleton shirt, a gray sweater and look for the great pumpkin with my friends,” said BHS sophomore Scottie Hainsworth. Hainsworth didn’t dress up last year, and misses the nostalgia factor of wearing a costume. Ethan Grimes, a junior at
Theo Lemkin, Kate Wallan, Miguel Huhndorf-Lima, Holden Elias, Ty Walthall, and Kaleb Wagner pose in costume.
SUNNY BEVIS-LIPTON
BHS, dressed up as a British educational YouTuber named Tom Scott this year, as he looks up to him and hopes to make similar content one day. He has always celebrated Halloween and loves being able to dress up as his favorite character every year. Although Grimes wished he could go out and trick or treat, this year he had too much homework and instead passed out candy while reading books for school. However, there are students at BHS that are not as interested in dressing up for Halloween. “It takes a lot of effort to find a costume that you like, and then everyone judges you for what you dress up as,” Cobb said. Grimes also noted that high school students are often busy and just don’t have the time to participate in dressing up or trick or treating like they used to. “As I got older, Halloween seemed to creep up on me a bit more since I've been more busy with school work,” Grimes said. Simone Schubert, a junior at BHS, is Jewish, and her family doesn’t participate in
pagan holidays. Schubert recalled that even at her Jewish private school, many students still celebrated the holiday. They’d ask her what she was going to dress up as, and Schubert would have to say that she doesn’t celebrate Halloween. Though she doesn’t celebrate Halloween in the traditional sense, Schubert is well-researched in the history of its roots, and loves many activities often associated with the holiday. She often uses Halloween as an excuse to have a sleepover with her friends, watch horror movies, and dress up, all of which she said she’d take any excuse to partake in. “I don't think I'm missing out on that much,” Schubert said. “I'm missing the same childhood memories as a lot of people, but I have Purim.” Purim is a Jewish holiday that takes place in late winter or early spring, celebrating the salvation of the Jewish people after a court official attempted to “annihilate all Jews in a single day.” One tradition of t h e celebration is children
and adults dressing up in costumes. As high school students transition to adulthood, there is often the question of whether or not teenagers should partake in certain aspects of Halloween. The line between what is for kids and what is not are often blurry, as there is no actual expiration date on a person’s participation in any holiday. “I think that there’s an age where it switches (from) ‘I'm doing this because I'm a child,’ to ‘I'm doing this because my friends are all gonna dress up and I want to go out with my friends and do things’,” Cobb said.
CTE classes unite to build haunted house, escape room for students BY SAGE FELDMAN staff writer
In the courtyard attached to room G112, Berkeley High School’s (BHS) mechatronics, sound design, art, carpentry, and CAD (Computer Assisted Design) classes have come together in time for Halloween to create an interdisciplinary summative project: a combonation haunted house and escape room envisioned, built, and presented by students and staff alone. “It's become more interdisciplinary than we originally thought it was going to be,” said Cordelia Millerwhite, the instructional specialist attached at BHS’s workshop. In creating the haunted house and escape room, each class got to shine in their own way. “The whole thing was a big team effort,” said Dante
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROBERT GELLNER
Thomas, a senior in both the CAD Studio and Carpentry classes that are helping with the project. The idea for the escape room originated in his CAD class, which voted on creating an immersive experience themed around a spooky interpretation of Walgreens store. Thomas’s role has been a general one. “I worked on one of the puzzles… framing and wall install(ation) … I’ve contributed in the brainstorming and the execution phase,” he said. To give the haunted house a creepy atmosphere, students from the sound design class have created sound effects interspersed through the build. Studio art classes have been more involved with creating visual horror decorations. “(They’ve been) adding on… extra stuff here; making monster fingers and things to come out of the walls. And they made some kind of… floating eyeball that (is) great,” said Millerwhite. Mechatronics classes also contributed to the technical and moving aspects of the build. The whole set of the buildings are also being created from the ground up, built
by the carpentry class from repurposed wood. Getting all the pieces of the project together was difficult for Thomas’ classes: “I know that it isn't perfect. We had been lacking excess wood and we had been trying to scavenge materials by salvaging other things,” he said. The showcase aims to be as sustainable as possible. “Everything… will be recycled and reused,” said Wyn Skels, Career Technical Education (CTE) supervisor for the Berkeley Unified School District. “It’s quite an expenditure of resources and materials … (but) all this work (is) to be reused for other projects in the future.” The CTE classes, trying to put together the project in a short time span, operated under a 5-6 week production schedule. Their project has been impeded both by a lack of material and a lack of space, with the A Building under construction, CTE classes have had to make do with a more confined construction space, and the area occupied by the Sawmill haunted house and Walgreens escape room encroaches on the construction classroom. “It’s been a little bit challenging to work … in the shops (which are) extra crowded, because
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w e don't have all this outdoor space to just kind of use freely anymore,” said Millerwhite. What they produce was planned to be treated like a museum exhibit, according to Skels. “(There are) things in here that we're making that can be easily broken,” he said. However, the CTE classes also worked with Digital Photography to film a walkthrough video. “We hope to figure out a way that some teachers or some classes might sign up the way you might sign them up for any other exhibit on this campus,” Skels said. This interdisciplinary project is potentially the first of many. “I would love to see more projects like this; I think students seem to be very interested in doing larger-
scale things,” Millerwhite said. They see the buildings as the beginning of something bigger, where the creative talent of CTE students is recognized by the school and used to improve BHS. In the future, they think that CTE programs could integrate with other areas on campus and even the City of Berkeley. Computer science and stagecraft are not assisting the build, but future projects could include them as well. For Thomas, one of the students spearheading construction, “Having these big projects is really fun,” he said. “I’ve been sensing a lot of positive reactions to this project and I think it contributes to school spirit … (by) encourag(ing) collaboration.”
Students can attend the student made exhibit during lunch.
FIONA FIREPINE
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FEATURES
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
THE BASICS OF PLANT CARE VIOLET MCAULIFFE
Native students find community at NSU BY SASKIA FREEDBERG staff writer
The other day I stopped by my dad’s to repot a couple of recently sprouted seedlings, seeing as they were ready for a size up. The task was over, and I had the absolutely brilliant idea to carry all three pots up to my car, at once. This brings us to rule number one of plant care: do not try to carry three plants at once. Your radish sprouts will end up in a pile on the floor, or rather the concrete. But if you already have your clumsiness figured out, and you’re ready to learn the basics, then you can start with this article. Much like us, plants need four things to survive: food, water, light, and air. If you are able to provide your plant with all of these, it will thrive. I’m going to break down each necessity, and share a couple of my own personal tips on how I ensure my plants are in the right conditions. Thinking back to fourth grade science, do you remember learning about photosynthesis? It is the process in which a plant uses sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create energy and grow. Your plant needs water to survive, but can also die if you water it too much. Overwatering a plant clogs the soil and will suffocate a plant’s roots, causing them to rot. It is incredibly difficult to save a plant from root rot, and oftentimes the only fix is to salvage what you can by cutting off the healthy pieces of plant and placing them in water or soil so they root and create a new plant. Because different plants need different amounts of water, you should Google how much water each of your plants needs. If you are having trouble remembering the different watering needs for your plants, I recommend putting a sticky note with watering instructions on your plant’s pot. Different plants also need different amounts of sunlight to thrive. This is another opportunity to use Google! All of my plants need bright, indirect sunlight, but I find that getting a couple hours of direct sunlight can be really helpful for most of them. Too much sunlight causes the leaves of a plant to become crispy and brown, whereas a lack of sunlight causes a plant to start putting out smaller leaves or develop leggy growth (having very long stems with fewer leaves). Finally, the section of this article that I am most passionate about: FERTILIZER! Just like us, our plants need food to survive. Instead of eating, they get nutrients such as potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus through soil. In order to keep the soil packed with these nutrients, you need to add it yourself. Most potting soil mixes come with a slow release fertilizer that will keep the soil nutrient packed for around two months. When this time is up, you best get to fertilizing. I recommend picking an organic fertilizer such as fish or seaweed emulsion. Follow the instructions on the fertilizer to see how to use it! The first time I fertilized my plants was right before I left my dad’s for my mom’s. I came back a week later, and the amount of new growth was remarkable! If you have any questions or fun plant stories you want to see in an article please email me at violetmcauliffe@students. berkeley.net. I would love to leaf through the emails you send me. Have a plantastic day!
“Even though I grew up hella native, I still have difficulty connecting with my … heritage because of the white supremacist idea that ‘(Native people) don’t exist anymore,’ ” said Rita Azul Huhndorf-Lima (Yup’ik), and co-leader of the Berkeley High School Native Student Union (NSU). The NSU was founded last year but many of its members graduated in the spring, leaving only Huhndorf-Lima and her coleader Emiliano SantanaThoele to continue the club this year. “The sheer size of the school … makes it difficult to find each other, but I think the only thing we can do is just expand bit by bit by bit,” Huhndorf-Lima said. “And … let Native people around the school know that we’re here as a community.” Huhndorf-Lima and Santana-Thoele have done just that, slowly building
their club one member at a time this year. One of these new members is Jack Ibanez (Luiseño), a sophomore. They shared that the NSU has helped them connect to their heritage and culture. “Before I joined, compared to my cousins that grew up on reservations, I didn’t feel Native enough,” Ibanez said. “But being in this group made me feel a lot better about trying to get back in touch.” During the NSU’s weekly meetings, members have conversations about their experiences, do research and create art. “I … want to learn more about my peoples’ history and other tribes’ cultures,” Ibanez said. “We haven’t had that much education about Native history that wasn’t super romanticized. I want to be able to teach people what they missed out on.” Huhndorf-Lima also mentioned education, saying that history classes should include more information about Native people, as well as recognizing that
Today, NSU continues to reserve space for Native students.
Native people are still here, something that is often left out. “Ohlones, and only Ohlones, are mentioned very briefly, even though we live on their land. But they’re not the only Native people here in California whose cultures we actively intrude in,” Huhndorf-Lima said. “(Native people) are only mentioned like, ‘Oh, these people used to live here.’ Nobody used to live here. We all still live here.” The NSU provides a sense of community and a shared space of identity for Native students. “I think (the NSU is) a space to share a different part of yourself that is not always talked about,” SantanaThoele said. “A place to denounce colonialism and talk about a culture that is,
DIVYA BENDAVID
a lot of times, even within other brown cultures, shamed or frowned upon, and not very openly shared.” Before joining the NSU, neither Ibanez, SantanaThoele, nor Huhndorf-Lima experienced having a place to share their experiences and identities as a Native person at school. All three expressed appreciation for the opportunity it had given them to connect with other Native students at school. Santana hopes that the NSU is a “prominent club” that is “more known and … talked about.” Huhndorf-Lima expressed her hope that the NSU continues welcoming space for all Native students at BHS. “I really just hope that all the Native people here can find a sense of community,” she said.
Bell redesign considers deeper learning BY SAGE FELDMAN staff writer
“59 percent of our students (are) happy here,” said Yasmin Navarro, a college counselor at the College and Career Center, regarding a recent survey given to juniors. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could have happier students? … What does it take to have happier students?” These are the questions that the Bell Schedule Redesign Committee, a selfselecting group of Berkeley High School staff, hopes to find answers to. When in-person learning was postponed, the pandemic-altered world provided a platform for the reconsideration of the bell schedule. The Bell Schedule Redesign Committee formed in August 2021 in order to discuss possible ways of reshaping the way BHS’s bell schedule dictates the rhythms of its students and teachers.
“We believe (in) constantly assessing our effectiveness and working to improve the way that we … can reach our goal of educating and inspiring our children,” said Berkeley International High School (BIHS) Vice Principal Harrison Blatt, the administrative liaison on the committee. The committee has conducted surveys of the student, teacher, and parent populations, investigated model schools around the Bay Area, and conducted reviews of studies on the effects of different schedules on student mental health, with the ultimate goal of producing a decision by the 2023-24 school year. “During distance learning, we learned that rethinking the way that we organize our classes could offer a more sustainable or a more effective way of delivering content,” Blatt said. “When school was able to happen on-site again, the teaching community
LUCY RICKART-WEBB
felt a galvanization to make their return to learning be as effective as possible.” What a redesign could consist of is varied and still up for debate. The baseline keeps with what BHS is already doing — a six to eight period day with a late start Monday — but Navarro doubts that the pace of the school day at BHS is ideal for student success. “We only have a certain amount of willpower during the day,” Navarro said. “By the end of the day, you could be fried, absolutely exhausted … (having) navigated so many spaces, and … so many rules.” In a survey the committee conducted with BHS teachers, 79.5 percent supported a potential bell schedule that has them meeting with fewer students per day. The current process, said Blatt, is “unsustainable.” “It’s challenging to focus on deeper learning (and) to do things like projectbased learning experiences, longer discussions, and more extensive collaboration between students,” he said. As a solution, the committee is considering implementing a block schedule for BHS. A block schedule can take many forms, but is characterized by longer class periods. This ideally results in fewer mental shifts from moving throughout different environments. Supported by a slight majority of students, according to another committee survey, is the
idea of having three to four classes meeting each semester for longer amounts of time, allowing students to finish half their classes in the winter and the other half at the end of the year. Though this poses a concern on the effect on specialized classes, like APs. “Wouldn’t it be terrible if you took your (AP) class the first semester and your AP test (was the) second semester?” Navarro posed. She offered the idea of Saturday “boot camps,” helping refresh student memory, but at the cost of requiring weekend investment from students. Another option for a block schedule would — rather than switch classes once a semester — switch them every day. A similar approach is the “snaking” schedule, where the classes a student has cycle through the periods of the day, so one week they might have math third period and the next fourth. The snake structure aims to minimize the damage when a student arrives perennially late or leaves consistently early. The committee is also considering adding time to school for things like breaks or advisory periods, similar to the advisory model in Berkeley Unified School District middle schools. “Theories of learning are constantly evolving, and our society is constantly evolving,” Blatt said. “So in order to serve our students best, we need to evolve as well.”
FEATURES
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
11
Students with IEPs and 504 plans struggle with access, funding students can get in order to receive the support they need in school. Accommodations can range from having more time to work on assignments to taking breaks from class, with each accommodation geared towards the individual student. In order to qualify for an IEP or 504, students go through an official diagnosis and evaluation process to see how their learning differences affect their education, which can take months or even years. Itta Behrman, a junior with a 504 for dyslexia and ADHD, had difficulty getting her 504 transferred to BHS after her time in private school. During the process, Behrman said she was “pulled aside and (told), Hey, your grades are pretty good …you don’t seem to be struggling, so I don’t think you need a 504.” Though she was
required by law to follow 504 and IEP plans, but that doesn’t always guarantee that they will. Maccrae Murphy DeYoung, During his sophomore who has an IEP for dyslexia, year at Berkeley High School, had a teacher who “wasn’t Luke Prud’homme reached commutative about IEPs and out to his teachers about an (made it) really stressful to use incredibly difficult situation. any accommodations, and a “My mother was dying during lot of (other) students felt the the pandemic, and I was one of same way,” he said. the people taking care of her,” However, “Almost all Prud’homme said, “I wanted teachers are really accepting to spend time with her before about (my IEP), I’ve only she died, so I emailed all my ever had one teacher who teachers and got an agreement was weird about it,” Murphy from them that we would use DeYoung said. my 504 in a way that I could To O wen L atham, an spend time with my mother, IEP case manager at BHS, and I could take care of her.” working alongside teachers However, “One of my to develop supportive teachers… would not accept curriculum is essential to that I had a 504, (and) delivering accommodations. would not let me use any Unfortunately, it’s easier said of my accommodations,” than done. Prud’homme said. Although “We’re encouraged to his teacher initially agreed (connect with each other), to the plan, they but a lot of times we didn’t follow it or aren’t provided with the respond to any “There’s so many people who would time or the bandwidth of Prud’hommes benefit from having a 504 or IEP, (but) to actually get together the process, the time, (and) the money and decide (on how requests. blocks it from people.” W i t h o u t to) create a curriculum support, students that allows the grade with 504s and IEPs level material to be Itta Behrman, (Individualized accessible for learners BHS junior Learning Plan) can at different levels,” struggle in school. Latham said. “It definitely made things more eventually able to attain her In ord e r to i n c re a s e difficult,” Prud’homme said. 504, the experience frustrated accessibility to 504s and “It made me more anxious, her because “grades … aren’t I E Ps , b e t t e r aw a r e n e s s which is the reason why I have (the only) reflective factor of an d f u n d i n g i s n e e d e d a 504 in the first place.” how people’s lives are going,” across the board. Access to IEPs and 504s are two Behrman said. testing and information on kinds of accommodations that Teachers and staff are accommodations can help BY MADELYN PHILHOWER staff writer
more students succeed. “Most schools won’t test (for learning differences) because it costs money,” Mu r p hy D e You ng s ai d . “Berkeley’s IEP system is … an amazing program,” but in order for students to be better supported by IEPs and 504s, there needs to be “more testing at the younger levels,” Murphy DeYoung said. “There’s so many people who would benefit from having a 504 or IEP, (but) the process, the time, (and) the money blocks it from people,” Behrman said. Issues within the IEP and 504 programs trace back to a lack of funds devoted to
special education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law geared to supp or t f re e sp e c i a l education in the United States, promises federal funding in addition to state and local funds. However, since 2004, the federal government has not come close to paying the promised amount, leading “states to completely fund special education …because they haven’t been able to get that assisted funding from the federal government,” Latham said, “We’re forced to do more with less every single year.” Latham and the administration have discussed
the possibility of receiving sub pay in order to collaborate when the school day is over, but a tight school and state budget makes things more difficult. “ I ’m a b i g f a n o f collaboration, and I understand completely the need for paid collaboration time … (but) until we have that payed time, finding time with colleagues is pretty difficult,” Latham said. “The whole point of (504s and IEPs) is to make things more effective,” Prud’homme said. In order for students to succeed in education, access to accommodations must be effective too.
GWENDOLIN WEBER-STOVER
A ‘hidden gem’: Thai Temple serves food and arts to public BY CLARA TJEN staff writer
The smell of fragrant Thai food, the sounds of animated conversations, and
the crowded courtyard filled with bright colored outfits hit immediately upon arriving at Wat Mongkolratanaram, also known as the Thai Temple. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays, 1911 Russell Street
The Thai Temple’s architecture is decorated with gold embellishments.
Dancers assemble behind the scenes before performing.
GEORGIA PAULOS
is bustling with people from a range of demographics. Pisamai Maga, a volunteer at the Thai Temple said, “All different populations (attend the Sunday brunch). Students, especially from Berkeley, come to have lunch and (be a part of) the community here and some stay for the language class.” Maga said laypeople (nonresidents) that visit the temple go upstairs in the temple to make merit — a spiritual practice manifesting good fortune or karma. Downstairs, volunteers run the food court. Although Margaret Sandiego, another volunteer at the temple, isn’t ethnically Thai, they still try to make it the temple each week on Sunday. “It’s something that grounds me every weekend and gives me something to do,” they said. “It’s an opportunity to get to know people and just be
of service to the community.” Many people go to the temple, whether they are Thai or not, in search of a good authentic Thai meal or just a welcoming Thai community. The temple offeres activities for a range of ages. Children can stay for the whole day on Sunday doing various activities at the temple including brunch, praying, meditating, and taking language, music, and dance classes. Nida Sanglerdkatanyoo, who attends the Thai Temple e ve r y Su n d ay w it h h e r family said, “(Besides the brunch), on Sunday we get to learn, study and meditate.” She also shared that one of her favorite activities at the temple is playing music for the other attendees on Sundays because she likes being able to provide entertainment for the community.
Visitors line up to purchase Thai food and watch performances.
Many of the teachers are from Thailand. Maga said, “(The teachers) do a year rotation and they come to help with (teaching) the language, dancing and music. These are teachers that are third year students at the university.” Attendees bring cash in exchange for tokens (1 token for 1 dollar), which they use to buy food from stands serving different types of Thai food. The food selection includes: Thai tea, sticky mango rice, and noodle soup. Each dollar goes to the funding of the temple’s utilities. Sandiego said that the kinds of food sold also includes “curries, veggies, fried chicken, taro fritters, pad Thai, desserts … all the types of Thai food you could possibly want, but it’s very authentic.” Each dish is made by the monks that live at the temple. The temple has its own unique leadership system, Maga stated, “The temple is run by a head monk that has guidelines with the religious aspects of it.” Maga is part of the committee of laypeople, who fill in by being responsible for other aspects like donations and volunteering. Many volunteers including Maga began volunteering when their children were younger. She said, “I’ve been coming with my sons since they were nine
or 10 and now they are 24 and 20, so a lot of us started when our children were small. But now that my kids are older, I’m here about every other week and I rotate with someone.” Thai men become monks at Wat Mongkolratanaram for var ying reasons. “A lot immigrated here from Thailand and just wanted a good familiar community and to be able to spread Thai culture,” Sandiego said. “A lot of Thai people don’t speak that great English but just their kindness and generosity to show people their culture (leads them to be monks).” During the week, monks that live at the Thai Temple participate in various services, help out with school programs and complete their daily rituals like praying. Maga also said that becoming a monk “is sort of like a rite of passage that male adults do to pay respect to their parents … It’s a lifelong thing, but for certain adults, it’s just a rite of passage and they may do it for a week, they may do it for 10 days, they may do it 3 months, it all just depends.” The Thai Temple provides a space for people in the Berkeley community to gather around food, language, and music. Sandiego said it best, “The Thai Temple is a Berkeley hidden gem.”
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
ENTERTAINMENT BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
Entertainment editors: Ruby Freedman & Marina Howard
ACCESSORIZING: THE MOST UNDERRATED ART IN FASHION MADELEINE KELLY
Accessories can make or break an outfit. But do you really ever stop to think about the implications a piece of jewelry or a belt could have on your look? For example, I bet you have a preference for gold or silver, but did you know there’s actually a way to tell which would fit your outfit more? Generally, the casual dress rule for those is: if you wear more black, wear gold, and if you wear more white, wear silver. This tip is for if you want your jewelry to stand out. If not, go for the opposite. There are so many contradictions that it can be hard to figure out what’s going to look good, so here is a guide on how to accessorize. Accessorizing is heavily influenced by what fashion movements or “aesthetics’’ you take part in. This can range from punk to cottagecore, and there are some general suggestions for these genres. For instance, something more alternative or “alt” (think steampunk or emo), usually has a lot of focus on accessories, so belts, necklaces, and shoes are more noticeable here. Alternatively, in more colorful or minimalist styles such as cottagecore or loungewear, there’s an additional focus on earrings, necklaces, and wrist jewelry. Here are just a few examples of accessories that you forgot were a huge deal: skinny sunglasses, scrunchies, sun hats, and big belt buckles (although that one’s coming back), just to name a few. Accessories will obviously transcend from one style to another, but this is just a basic overview to introduce you to the idea that accessories can be a part of trends, or even act as trends themselves. Berkeley High School falls into a weird place when considering fashion and trends. At a smaller high school, trends are easier to spot with a smaller quantity of students, whereas at a university, comfort is seen as a priority. Due to the larger quantity of students, people are bound to care a lot less about a stranger’s outfit. At BHS, I’ve noticed that we lean more towards comfort, but that there is also a strong presence of accessories as trends. Students at BHS seem to favor streetwear or loungewear styles and there are also definitely some Y2K trends prevalent (think lowrise). While belts are being used less as statement pieces at BHS, long necklaces are making a comeback. Shoes, especially sneakers, are continuing to stay very popular but statement socks have seemed to die off. Fewer rings appear around campus, but necklaces and earrings are still staying popular. Trends at BHS don’t fluctuate too much which, while it is a good thing for the environment, it remains possibly a little less good interest-wise. What is great about trends not shifting wildly is that you can take time to figure out how you feel about certain trends and make them custom to yourself.
Rubyfreedman@students.berkeley.net
Touring cycle drains performing artists BY OCHI GRACE staff writer
Booking concert tickets to watch a musician perform is not always as fun for the artist as it is for the audience. Performing live in front of thousands of people can be physically and mentally taxing. Not only can tours be straining for the main performing artists, but also for anyone within the traveling crew. For the artist themselves, background dancers, and film crews it can be an extremely stressful and a difficult lifestyle to keep up with. Although this isn’t always the case, people worry that artists who are frequently performing and overexerting themselves are more likely to burn out prematurely in their careers. Popular artists such as Tyler the Creator, Lizzo, Justin Bieber, and Kendrick Lamar have all toured plenty of times in their careers. While fans can easily enjoy
their performances, it’s easy to forget that tours often require artists to perform back-to-back for weeks or even months at a time, and it can take a toll on their well-being. “There’s so much that goes into touring and it’s really hard on your body,” said Justin Bieber in a GQ tour bus insider video. Artists who tour frequently risk a lack of sleep, high anxiety and stress, and feelings of loneliness from traveling for such an extended period of time. Although it may seem clear-cut, the mental impact of habitual tours and concerts really depends on the artist and how they feel about performing live. Some artists prefer a high-volume, energetic lifestyle on a regular basis. Others enjoy parading and interacting with their fans, but still look forward to getting back home as soon as possible. Michael Jackson famously said, “I go through hell touring,”
in response to being asked about his experience as an artist. While he expressed his love for his supporters and traveling, he made it very clear that touring puts him through major stress and he’d rather not do it. Record label companies will often encourage artists to tour despite their unwillingness to do so. This is done to ensure that the artist can get support for their albums and maximize profits. However, most of
ISA SHIMOMURA
the time, the profits made from the shows on tour leave only a portion of the money for the artist. This puts musicians into a loop of having to perform shows, release new songs because of their record label companies, and pay large amounts of taxes and percentages. This brings light to the impact of record label companies as one of the main contributors to performers losing passion for music and burning out.
‘WitchTok’ harms culture and the planet BY SIMON POLICY staff writer
Simply looking up “healing crystals” on Etsy will yield tens of thousands of purchasable results, with prices spanning from tens to hundreds of dollars. The funny thing is that many of the gemstones being sold aren’t particularly valuable and it’s not uncommon for the few justifiably expensive crystals to be fakes. The crystal market has boomed over the last decade, seeing a 50 percent increase in value from 2016 to 2021. The pandemic led to a massive increase in the purchases of spiritual and
supposedly magical objects. So why has the use of objects like crystals soared in popularity? If you’ve spent any time on TikTok whatsoever, you might already know the answer. In recent years, the app has developed a worldwide community of self-proclaimed witches, spiritual healers, and diviners, commonly referred to as “WitchTok.” Its content generally consists of spell and incantation instructions, magical advice, and content regarding crystal healing. Influencers within the community promote a combination of both modern hoax magic and real cultural practices.
“WitchTok” escalates the commercialization of spiritual items like crystals.
Like many other online communities, “WitchTok” is strife with a number of controversies. For one thing, the community has an undeniable commercial side behind its whimsical spells and hexes. As mentioned earlier, crystal sales have skyrocketed over the pandemic. “WitchTok” leans heavily into the promotion of gemstones and their healing properties, thus prompting increased sales. Spells also require a variety of magical ingredients, including anything from glass vials, to herbs, to incense, all of which are conveniently available for online purchase from individual sellers.
JAHAN INGRAHAM
Additionally, “WitchTok” has repeatedly been accused of cultural appropriation. Many of the “witchy” beliefs and practices cobbled together by influencers are plucked from real cultures, the most pertinent example being Vodoo. It’s an issue when these cultural practices are treated as little more than an aesthetic, thus taking away their social and historical significance. What’s perhaps the most worrying aspect of “WitchTok” is the spells themselves. The number of videos tagged as “weight loss spells,” is genuinely worrying for hopefully obvious reasons. There are also a slew of spells for love and romance, in which the spell-caster can supposedly cause a person to fall in love with them. An important thing to note is that, like many communities on the internet, “WitchTok” is very divisive and multi-faceted. Not all self-proclaimed witches on TikTok agree on the same beliefs and practices, with many calling out the greed and exploitation of others. There are plenty of influencers who post to share their worldviews and to make an attempt to heal those around them. Their content helps lift millions of people out of the monotony of life.
ENTERTAINMENT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
13
Lil Baby speaks to a deeper truth in new album “It’s Only Me” originally displayed on the monument. As he said in a recent Instagram post, “I want to be the best. What else?” Baby has worked hard to get where he is now, yet he emphasizes that his ambitious path hasn’t
On the last song on the album, “Russian Roulette,” Lil Baby raps about the recent passing of his best On October 14, Lil Baby friend and fellow rapper, dropped his new album, “It’s Lil Marlo. He raps, “I really Only Me,” where he grapples cried when Marlo died, I with honesty in his own felt it all in my stomach,” experiences. showing vulnerability Baby grew up in through his art and Atlanta, Georgia, defying the norm of He says, “Don’t compare me to with a single mom toxic masculinity. This no other rapper, I feel like my shit who experienced is one lyric, of one financial instability. song, in one album. real,” exhibiting how he isn’t “fake” As a teen he was These are small steps like other artists in the industry. encouraged to rap Rather, his true experiences drive the to expressing more and because he emotions, including narrative of the album. joined the industry grief, which should be at such a young age, acknowledged by male he earned the name Lil Baby. been easy. “I can’t show no rappers. Later in the song he At the start of his career, he feelings” is an opening line says, “Don’t compare me to didn’t believe he could make on the album, indicative of no other rapper, I feel like my a career out of rapping, and how men, especially in the shit real,” exhibiting how he instead sold drugs to help rapping community, are isn’t “fake” like other artists his mom make ends meet. expected to suppress their in the industry. Rather, his His long-awaited album, emotions. Many popular true experiences drive the “It’s Only Me,” features songs utilize insincere lyrics narrative of the album. Young Thug and Simultaneously, in Future, among many almost every song on He raps, “Better go hard, girl, this other acclaimed the album, he raps rappers. The album about hooking up yo tryouts,” showing this girl is one cover is a recreation with women. This is a of many, objectifying her based of Mount Rushmore common theme in the off sexual capabilities rather than with Baby’s face genre, especially in a valuing her other attributes. carved into the derogatory manner. stone at different Lil Baby reinforces stages throughout his life. or situations, defined by these ideas throughout his By doing this, Baby places toxic masculinity tropes album, an example of which himself on the same level of which include avoiding can be seen in the song significance as the essential authentic experiences and “Heyy.” He raps, “Better go American figures that were emotions. hard, girl, this yo tryouts,”
BY LUCY GRIFFITH staff writer
showing this girl is one of many, objectifying her based on sexual capabilities rather than valuing her other attributes. The beats on the album have a solid flow, unique from song to song and the lyrics roll nicely. However, the album consists of 23 songs, shaping up to be a run time of an hour and five minutes, which is decently longer than the average
studio work. There is little variation in vocal range and the monotonous tone of Baby’s voice is consistent, making it somewhat dull to listen to the album all the way though. Although the overall experience may be a tad bit repetitive, there were a few standout songs. The first track on the album, “Real Spill,” has an intriguing and unique beat drop and another later song,
“Not Finished”, is a great hype soundtrack for any party or get together with friends. Lyrically, Lil Baby does contribute to common misogynistic themes in rap, but also digs deeper into some very personal aspects of his life. Throughout the album, Baby reflects his growth as an artist and the events that have shaped him to be who he is today.
RUBY LEAVERTON
WORD ON THE STREET what is your favorite part of fall fashion?
Kelilah Newman-Anand, a freshman in Hive 6, loves a variety of autumn attire, but especially the snug and comfortable type. “Sweaters, and Doc Martens … boot-cut and flare jeans. I don’t know, just like warm and cozy clothes are literally the best,” NewmanAnand said.
Chang-Min Kung, a Berkeley International High School (BIHS) sophomore, said, “I like layering, and you can’t really do that in summer (or) spring because it gets hot.” She really appreciates how the change in weather provides that precious opportunity to layer.
Kira Cardenas, a sophomore in BIHS, enjoys the autumn color palette, and loves throwing on layers when the weather deems appropriate. “Sweaters, hoodies, jackets … and fall colors are my favorite, like warm browns, greens, and dark blues,” Cardenas said.
For Izzy Ely, a senior in Academic Choice (AC), a baggy, relaxed look is essential in autumn weather. “Layers, boots, hats, big pants, sweatshirts. I just like big, kind of comfy, but stylish clothes,” they said. Ely keeps it loose, but doesn’t neglect the importance of originality and fashion in their look.
Olivier Laurent, a junior in BIHS, likes “the ability to layer up and layer down as I choose.” Though Laurent’s favorite color scheme is dark, he uses fall to change things up. “I like being able to stand out, by going with very bright, very summery vibes. Just to throw people off,” he said.
Hannah Toch, a junior in AC, uses autumn as a chance to wear cozy and comfortable clothing. For Toch, the entire purpose of the season is “being warm, and being able to bundle up and be cozy. I mean, I’m literally the type of person to wear pajamas to school.”
INTERVIEWS BY AMAR WALKER staff writer
PHOTOS BY SANAM ROZYCKI-SHAH staff photographer
14
ENTERTAINMENT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
‘Black Adam’ action film feels half-baked laughing when the villain transforms into a man with a pentagram on his chest. The film makes room for plenty of references The best part of to the original comics DC’s “Black Adam” is (such as Johnson yelling the character Cyclone. “Shazam!” to activate his Portrayed by Quintessa superpowers) which might Swindell, the C-list impress diehard fans, but superhero with the power are bound to confuse most to control the wind dazzles viewers. on screen. She drifts The movie poses the through action sequences question, “What if a surrounded by fluorescent superhero was a trails of color, and bad guy?” which when shot in slow it later refines to motion, she’s a Nowhere in the film’s runtime are you “What should a simple joy to watch. ever more than minutes away from a superhero do?” At Un f o r t u n at e l y, punch or fire blast. first, the discussion “Black Adam” isn’t is painfully about Cyclone. u n i n t e r esting “Black Adam” (in one particularly instead of a solo movie is about Black Adam, a superhero portrayed about The Rock killing bad insightful line, Hawkman “Superheroes by Dwayne “The Rock” guys, the film introduces insists, don’t kill people”), but four other superheroes as Johnson. Johnson has it begins to grasp more well – the Justice Society called the film the “most important role of my of America. But there is a gripping ideas. In the career,” but unfortunately strange sincerity to it – the film, Kahndaq is ruled by most of what The Rock is film has plenty of jokes, the tyrannical Intergang, cooking fails to make Black but no one ever mocks and its citizens point out superhero Hawkman’s that the Justice Society Adam a satisfying meal. goofy costume or the name of America only seems The plot of “Black “Atom Smasher.” In this interested in maintaining Adam” is just unnecessarily case, the audience, rather the status quo, and never complicated. In it, Johnson than the characters, are cared to save them from is a enslaved person BY ZACHARY YOO staff writer
from ancient Kahndaq (a fictional middle-eastern country), who seeks vengeance on a tyrannical king. Revived in the modern world, he takes the role of an antihero–a champion for the people, but one whose disregard for human life angers others. The movie takes multiple flashbacks spread throughout its runtime to explain this backstory. And
THE CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1. Teenage infatuation 6. Demolish 10. Soy protein food 14. Quick to act 15. Unidentified, for short 16. Something with a pupil on the inside or petals on the outside 17. French department containing Grenoble 18. Created 19. Hurricane force wind 20. Mountain water sources 22. Blocked or slowed 24. Average, for Brooks Koepka 25. Crust or mantle, for example 26. Between Fri and Sun 29. Poison plant with red berries 31. Something that can be Cartesian or Euclidean 35. Português greetings 37. Dude 38. One who says 39. Socratic seminar prompt 41. Single-use contacts 43. Open or obvious 44. Fish eggs 45. River crossed by China during the Korean War 46. Scout badge 47. University of Florida athlete 49. Theory that says growth is stimulated by low taxes and free trade 50. Injected animal toxin 52. Brooklyn basketball player 54. A couple 57. Wayne Gretzky has 1963 61. Ralston who is the subject of the film 127 hours 62. One you look up to 64. ___! Blue 42! Set! Hike! 65. Pay to play 66. Hindu religious text 67. Fit for a king 68. Hoppy alcohol 69. Home neighborhood, to a Brit 70. Genetically controlled quality
DOWN 1. Vital energies 2. Say roughly 3. Operator 4. Las Vegas or Gaza landmark 5. Laughing scavengers 6. LA football team 7. Actress ___ de Armas 8. Mysterious SF serial killer 9. The ___ of my ___ is my friend 10. Orange and black flower 11. Located towards the mouth 12. Computer menu item 13. Consumed 21. Beetle larvae 23. Coke competitor 25. Southeast Asian language 26. Wicked city destroyed by God 27. ___ and kicking 28. Electric stun gun 30. Form of address for a married woman 32. ___ dumb as I look? 33. Christmas carols 34. Result from 36. Scribe 40. Total, full 41. Polka pattern 42. A really, really, long time 44. Siege engine for breaking doors 47. Like California 48. Vacation destination 51. Inexperienced and new 53. Microwave display 54. Swedish car maker 55. Sea eagle 56. Cast a ballot 57. Unfortunately 58. Norse epic poem or song 59. Language of Bangkok 60. NaCl 63. Strange — Raven Fonseca Jensen
— Nicholas McGlashan
the criminal syndicate. The critique of American intervention overseas (as well as the general idea of a superhero) is welcome, but doesn’t go far. The answer the film seems to come to is that being a superhero is whatever you want it to be. “Black Adam” leaves these ideas by the wayside in its later minutes in favor of more lightning bolts and magic spells. Thankfully, the action in “Black Adam” is commendable. Nowhere in the film’s runtime are you ever more than minutes away from a punch or fire blast. And because the film includes a total of six distinct superheroes, the flashing colors aren’t as repetitive as they easily could be. “Black Adam” also makes use of ample (definitely too much) slow motion which can add weight to some moments, but makes others look woefully silly. The resulting movie is a variety pack of special effects, both adequate and amusing. In many ways,
one’s enjoyment of “Black Adam” rests on their willingness to laugh at it. Like its antihero, “Black Adam” isn’t good or bad. It’s the unspoken third option. The film plays like a flurry of half-baked ideas, begging to tell a simpler
COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES
story. Ironically, it could have benefited from more Black Adam. For those along for the ride, the film is plenty of fun, but for most, “Black Adam” is just the start to what had the potential for a really great movie.
PLAYLIST: BAY AREA RAP
I Wond6r - xanmansleeze Pop Out - lilwavegod, ZoZurii, Cana T-Shirt Buddens - Lil B West coast - G-Eazy, Blueface, ALLBLACK, YG Black Jacobins (feat. Koran street) - FULLY, J. Stalin, Koran Streets Street Love Song (PTSD) EBK Jaaybo
Anti - SOB x RBE I Love You - Young Slo-Be N.E.W. Oakland - Mistah F.A.B. Chose On Me - Pimp Tobi, Lil Hen, PayJayee KickDoe - Daboii Wack Something - Ebk Young Joc, Daboii Superhyphy - Keak da Sneak
GABRIELLA BUSANSKY
Submit to next issue’s country playlist here!
SPORTS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
East Bay Rough Riders compete with flair BY LEO SILVERBERG staff writer
On the morning of Saturday, October 30, the Berkeley Racing Canoe Center hosted a festive, competitive dragon boating practice at the Berkeley Marina. Three teams participated in the event: Cal Dragon Boat, a team full of students from the University of California, Berkeley, DragonMax, a team of older
adults, and East Bay Rough Riders, a team of students including both Berkeley High School and El Cerrito High School (ECHS) students. Spirits were high, and dragon boaters were dressed up for Halloween. The Rough Riders arrived coordinated; each member donned baby Yoda ears. The costumes seemed to have no negative effect on the racer’s performances. Although the Cal Dragon Boat team was victorious in
Rough Riders race wore baby Yoda ears and big smiles on October 30.
most of the races, the Rough Riders came out with a win in the 300 meter race. According to Rough Rider Coach Lawrence Pang, this was the second annual Halloween dragon boating event. Each team raced in the waters of the Marina in a long boat with 22 people per each. The day consisted of many different races: short distances, long distances, and even a backwards paddle. In dragon boating, teamwork and team
CLARA ELM NETTESHEIM
chemistry are extremely important, a point of emphasis throughout the day. The dragon boaters could be heard from the dock counting loudly with each stroke to keep their boats in unison. “The more we communicate with each other, the better our team is,” said Logan Shrem-Fisher, a student at ECHS. ShremFisher also emphasized the importance of non-verbal communication. “The middle of the boat sets the pace and the front of the boat has to feel it,” she said. “If you don’t know anybody, it’s kind of hard to do that.” “Everyone has to be paddling together or else you hit each other’s paddles, and you don’t really go anywhere,” said Stix Garrison, an ECHS student who joined the dragon boating team because Coach Pang was their math teacher at ECHS. Pang compared dragon boating to other water sports, and said it is uniquely, “very accessible, open, and inclusive.” Ren Senant-Giraud, a junior at BHS, agreed, and added, “We have spirit!”
Tryouts must balance safety and success BY FINOLA JACKSON staff writer
With an extensive student-athlete population, tryouts at Berkeley High School are engineered to help coaches make difficult cuts. While all tryouts comply with the California Interscholastic Regulations 18 hour per week limit, they are still intense, and can pose an injury risk, especially to those already injured or physically unprepared. Soccer tryouts cut athletes each day. This year, they included fitness evaluations, technical drills, and scrimmages. According to sophomore Thomas Eknoian, who played on the freshman soccer team last year, the pressure of being cut can prompt athletes to
push through injuries at tryouts. “I just went all out (at tryouts),” Eknoian said. “I knew if I left anything on the table, I was not likely to get on the team.” Eknoian said that there is more space to rest, and pay attention to your body, once on a team. “The majority of injuries I see (during tryouts) are either things that happened before tryouts, or they had some (preexisting) mild injury,” said BHS Athletic Trainer Lauren Small. “(I also see) the people who didn’t really do any sort of conditioning prior … then just tried to go from zero to one hundred.” Small recommended athletes to get maximum sleep, proper nutrition and hydration, and warm-up and cooldown properly in order to
Boy’s soccer had their second day of tryouts on November 1.
promote performance and safety. For track, a no cut sport, the ‘tryout week’ is for athletes to determine if they want to be on the team. Few major injuries develop during this, because “running injuries develop over time,” according to sophomore Ilana Nickolaus, who competes on varsity track. “However, if you
LILA HALLWARD
aren’t running at all, and you start running every day of the first week, (tryouts) can be a lot.” BHS soccer coach John Tamrat emphasized that balancing safety and success during tryouts, “means not playing when you’re hurting, communicating when you’re injured, but giving everything you’ve got.”
How much sleep does BHS get? 150-200 mg 5.88%
200+ mg 4.98%
The Jacket surveyed 224 BHS students on their average sleep duration and average daily caffeine intake. Here are the results. 9-10 hours 10.41%
100-150 mg 14.03%
11+ hours 0.90%
4 hours or less 2.71% 5-6 hours 24.43%
None 42.08%
50-100 mg 14.93%
ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSIE LEE
50 mg or less 18.10%
BY ZADA SANGER staff writer
7-8 hours 61.54%
GRAPHS BY ELIOT HERTENSTEIN
A TRANSGENDER EXPERIENCE SOL DE UGARTE
Something that I think all students at Berkeley High School can agree on is the state the bathrooms are in. Whether or not you feel comfortable using the gendered bathrooms at this school, there are big issues. Some things students can work on fixing ourselves. Destroying things like locks to stall doors and soap dispensers just makes everything more difficult for everyone. We as a school community need to be more cognizant of each other. This is something that stretches further than just the bathrooms. Spirit week has changed its name because of the way we treat each other. Now bathroom rules are becoming more and more rigid, really just doing more harm than help. For nonbinary students and others who feel uncomfortable (or are unable entirely) using multistall restrooms, it may take longer than ten minutes to even get to a bathroom to use. There are a total of two gender neutral student bathrooms on campus, and one of them is usually locked. The Jacket has created a log to track the availability of them, which is a big help, but it doesn’t solve the problem of the scarcity of these bathrooms. I think the only real hope with this is creating gender neutral bathrooms in the A building when it opens. However, there are things that the administration has ignored. Locks are missing on stall doors, some sinks don’t work, and toilet paper is frequently out. These are all things that can’t just be automatically changed and I get that. The custodians are understaffed and overworked, making it hard to know what to prioritize but that doesn’t mean this situation can be pushed under the rug. Talking about bathroom issues is a little bit strange because, well, using the bathroom isn’t something people want to talk about in depth. This tiptoeing approach is definitely being taken advantage of. A Title IX officer was only hired to our school after students stood up and didn’t stop talking about an issue for months on end. This hasn’t happened with the bathroom issue, and so nothing has really changed. As students we are expected to stand up for what needs changing despite these things being basic and necessary. High school bathrooms are never going to be perfect but they should at least be usable. Cracking down on kids loitering and vaping in bathrooms is only going to cause more problems than it solves. By shutting down or locking the two gender neutral bathrooms on campus, this school is making the nonbinary and trans population feel less than and, quite honestly, unsafe. That might be a little bit dramatic, but most trans people I know try to make it through the day without using the bathroom at all. This is, obviously, extremely unhealthy and worrying. If there was more care around the upkeep of bathrooms at our school this would be less of an issue. This isn’t just a bathroom issue, we as a community need to care more about each other. Friendly banter between classes is fine, but destroying bathrooms and making it so less people can use them for what they’re made for is not okay.
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
sports editors: Norah lee & Luisa Bertolli BY COLINA HARVEY staff writer
SPORTS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
FALL SENIOR NIGHTS
GIRL’S WATER POLO
prevailed during the second set, winning 28-26. Berkeley then dominated the 3rd and 4th sets. According to senior Caroline Harper, “this was the best we have cohesively played together in the whole season.” Sarai Gliksman, another senior player, said, “Usually we’re pretty motivated, but today we just weren’t gonna lose. That was definitely not an option.”
MALINA MEISSNER
Gliksman defined the tone of the game as bittersweet. “This team has been part of me for so long, or I’ve been part of it and yeah, I guess it’s coming to an end. It’s sad,” reflected Gliksman. Senior Mckenna Pattison affirmed this sentiment. “I’m probably gonna go cry after this, but it’s happy right now. I feel good right now,” she said.
FIELD HOCKEY
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On October 18, the Berkeley High School field hockey team’s senior night celebration began with the eight seniors running through a tunnel to their team, waiting with signs and flowers. The team was not able to defeat their opponent, San Francisco University High School, but despite the 6-1 loss, BHS was satisfied with their performance. Senior Darya Massih said that the team did “really well considering we played one of the best teams in the league. Our passes were on point and our energy was up.” She stated that when she “looked around the
Field hockey plays under blue skies on October 18.
field, everyone was smiling and that made me want to play harder.” Lane Imen, a junior, was motivated to play well for the seniors. “A lot of them are my best friends and we’ve been playing
BY HANNAH GROTHREIDY staff writer
BOY’S WATER POLO
Seniors Amelie Haji and Ruby Thompson give Laverne Manuel the “team grandma” award.
Fans packed into the Donahue gym on October 19 for the Berkeley High School women’s volleyball senior night against Castro Valley. Co-Head Coach Em Huang announced the seniors as each walked down a balloon path alongside loved ones, and teammates cheered them on. BHS won the first set 17-25, but Castro Valley
luisabertolli@students.berkeley.net
Within the first 10 minutes of the boy’s water polo senior night against San Leandro High School on October 19, Berkeley High School was ahead 4-0, and the roars of the crowd fed the energy in the room. Prior to the game, head coach of the boy’s water polo team, Brodie Jasper, mentioned each senior and their contribution to the team, to which the crowd responded with applause and encouragement. Juan Pablo De Anda, a senior, has been playing on the boy’s water polo team for three years. He shared that he has appreciated being a part of the team and community, and is grateful for all his teammates’
support. To him, the wins and losses aren’t what he values most on this team; rather, he views these times as opportunities for the team to become closer. De Anda said, “I tried to have as much fun as possible and… enjoy the moment.” The final score of 18-4
elicited celebration among the crowd and team. “Keep up the hard work,” De Anda said, offering some words of encouragement to the team members he will leave behind post-graduation next year. “Keep up the good energy. Keep winning. Try your best.”
Senior Ikky Ramirez Cruz palms the ball on October 19.
LARSEN PORTER
GIRLS WATER POLO With chants ringing through the swim hall and benches packed with viewers, Berkeley High School proudly displayed its love for the girls’ water polo seniors on senior night, October 19, against San Leandro High School. “It was so amazing to see so many of my friends come, the parents, the celebration, and everyone was cheering
each other on, but it was also bittersweet ’cause I know it’s (one of) the last games with these people whom I’ve known for four years,” said Anna KhanAkselrod, a senior who has been on the girl’s water polo team since freshman year. “They’re just all such sweet and kind people,” Morgan Ostrer, a sophomore on the team, shared as she reflected
on her senior teammates. “They’re so genuine and authentic.” After an hour-long game, the BHS team left the pool feeling jubilant following their 18-3 victory. With the senior class leaving the team, KhanAkselrod left behind a twoword message, adding that, while it most directly applies to water polo, she views it as a motto for life, “Fourth quarter!”
LUISA BERTOLLI
together for a while and I just wanna make sure that we have a good game,” said Imen. Massih added that “everyone was just pushing a little harder than usual to make the night for the seniors.”
Girl’s water polo seniors joyously support their teammates on October 19th.
MALINA MEISSNER
ATHLETE PROFILE Brothers Jackson and Jalen Harris have been star players this season on the football field. While being brothers who play together isn’t always easy, they say that the whole team is very connected. “The football team is like a brotherhood, so we all push each other to be better, as players and as young men,” said Jackson, the older of the two. Though they haven’t had any fights this season, there is definitely a bit of competition. When asked if there was any rivalry between the two, Jalen said, “Yes, definitely,” While Jackson said, “I’m better, and that’s pretty much it.” Despite this, the siblings make a very good team on the field. They have a play where Jackson, who plays wide receiver, throws, runs, or hands off the ball to Jalen, who plays running back, in a formation that is fittingly called “Brothers.” PENELOPE GILLIGAN
— Luli Galinson