BHS Jacket 2023/24 Issue 6

Niche drag culture within BHS empowers teenagers Drag culture is a vibrant social scene and form of self expression. Here at BHS, some students are getting involved in unique ways. PAGE 7

BUSD has one of the worst opportunity gaps in the nation.

But they can’t fix it alone. PAGE 5

BERKELEY HIGH

PUBLISHED BY AND FOR THE STUDENTS OF BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL no. 6

BHS and local government must collaborate to close the opportunity gap

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

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

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

since 1912

Teachers seek to incorporate Indigenous stories in their classes as Thanksgiving approaches

BY RORY NADEAU staff writer

At Berkeley High School, as Thanksgiving approaches, history teachers grapple with how to go about teaching the authentic history of Thanksgiving and how to educate their students on the experiences of Indigenous peoples in general.

BHS history teacher Jumari Callaway encourages her students to challenge what they may have been previously taught about Thanksgiving. “We kind of compare like, ‘what were you taught when you were five about Thanksgiving?’ with ‘what do you know now about Thanksgiving PAGE 2

SPORTS

Crew and mountain biking perception harms BHS athletes

BY SYDNEY LEHRER staff writer

Historically, crew and mountain biking have had primarily white demographics. This issue remains prevalent amongst both teams at Berkeley High School. “It’s definitely a rich, white sport,” said Ella McGlone, a BHS sophomore on the varsity women’s crew team.

Senior Miguel HuhndorfLima is one of the relatively few students of color on the BHS mountain biking team.

“I’ve definitely felt alienation and isolation on the team,” he said. “I’m not necessarily involved in the social aspect

as much as other people simply because the people there, I feel I can’t relate to (them) a lot of the time.”

For crew and mountain biking, a large part of the lack of diversity that hurts both teams is the continued perception of the sports as only having rich and white members. This is often due to the high financial costs of both sports, which can deter interested athletes.

However, these perceptions don’t come out of nowhere, with data from USRowing demonstrating that only 13.75 percent of their registered rowers are people of color.

“There’s definitely some stereotype about (crew) that’s almost PAGE 16

ROBERT GELLNER

BHS Talent Show performers gather on stage.

SANAM ROZYCKI-SHAH

ENTERTAINMENT

Students perform in dynamic talent show

BY CECILIA TILES staff writer

The 2023 Berkeley High School Talent Show was filled with laughs, song, dance, and surprise original raps. Families, friends, and

students arrived at BHS’ Little Theater on Thursday, Nov. 2, to watch an hour and a half of students performing their acts and talents. This year’s show was run per usual by the sophomore leadership and John Villavicencio.

A highlight of the night

was the remarkable dance performed by freshman twin sisters Catalina and Valentina Oyanadel Alfaro.

The two performed in near perfect unison to the song “Break My Heart Myself ”

by Bebe Rexha, dressed in matching green pants. They

started off the song hand in hand. The performance was upbeat, and almost eerie to watch as the two girls mirrored each other’s movements perfectly.

Whether it was a sidestep or an arm raise, they were in perfect sync. PAGE 13

2 F R I D A Y, N O V E M B E R 1 7, 2 0 2 3

news editors: Finola Jackson & Aaron Stevens

NEWS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

aaronstevens@students.berkeley.net

Teachers combat the misrepresentation of Thanksgiving’s history Indigenous community.

“The thing I think is most and has that changed?’ And relevant for kids is when we’re then, ‘what do those myths talking about Bay Street and about Thanksgiving do for the 4th Street because it directly is American identity?’” she said, something that they know and touching on the importance they participate in,” Minassian of students gaining a more said. well-rounded understanding E m m a Au e r, a B H S of history. “One thing I want economics teacher, explained my students to take away from that despite not being a history my class, in general, is to think teacher, they still integrate about perspective and bias Indigenous history into their and how that informs some curriculum wherever they can. sources of their information,” “I really felt kind of overlooked Callaway said. in my schooling around A nge l a Indigenous C opp o l a , a histories, and U.S. History p ar t of t he “... Native Americans are not figures t e a c h e r reas on w hy from the past, they are alive today.” at BHS, is I b e c ame a adamant teacher was to Angela Coppola about making provide what BHS U.S. history teacher sure to was missing consistently for me in my incorporate e d u c at i o n ,” Indigenous history throughout focusing on local issues like Auer said. her curriculum. “I don’t do the Berkeley’s shell mounds and Despite the history of ‘heroes and holidays’ approach the protests surrounding the Thanksgiving not fitting to history,” Coppola said. destruction of these sites into their curriculum, Auer Coppola specifically against the wishes of the local explained that they hope that CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

emphasized that an important focus for her when teaching about Indigenous people in the U.S. is not only remembrance but the recognition of current movements. “More important than history is taking great care to show my students that Native Americans are not figures from the past, they are alive today,” Coppola said.

Hasmig Minassian, a BHS Universal Ninth Grade teacher also takes time to highlight movements led by Indigenous people, specifically

history teachers, both within BHS and beyond, will seek to teach about it in a meaningful and thorough way.

“It should be sort of like a more in-depth history, not something that’s just like, ‘oh, let’s fill in a lesson today with Pilgrims and Indians.’ That’s not the way to talk about this,” Auer said.

Auer specifically mentioned

a mass hanging of 38 Native Americans of the Dakota tribe in 1862 for rejecting the reservation policy, which felt particularly significant t o Au e r. Wh e n t a l k i n g about Indigenous history, Auer explained that their experiences with the Sunrise ceremony at Alcatraz and the Standing Rock protest in 2016, as well as their knowledge

of such brutal events, have impacted their relationship with Thanksgiving.

“It’s a feeling of sadness and loss and remembrance, and for me, it’s not very enjoyable anymore. You know, I love my family, I love the food, but as far as the history of the holiday, for me, (it) is the history of conflict and of resistance.”

Auer said.

SABINE SHAFFER

BHS Site Council: Representatives share impact of lack of clarity

BY SYDNEY LEHRER staff writer

When B erkele y Hig h School junior Lenka Simon ran for the Berkeley High School Site Council (SSC) at the end of their freshman year, they said they weren’t entirely sure what they were running for. “I think the only students (who) know what the School Site Council does are the students on the School Site Council, and maybe not even that,” said Simon.

The SSC is a council of BHS-elected student, staff, and parent representatives, which meets regularly in the first half of the school year to discuss the quality of education that students receive at BHS and the ways in which they can improve it. The council does so by setting a Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA), meant to “create a cycle of continuous improvement of student performance,” according to the bylaws set

by BUSD. The council notes problems within the school

Sami Khayatei Houssiani and Lenka Simon are on the SSC.

JULES DROZ

and sets goals to improve on them, then works with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) to assess itself on the progress of these goals.

In the second half of the year, the same council is tasked with the separate responsibility of overseeing the distribution of over a million dollars allocated by the Berkeley Schools Excellence Program (BSEP). BSEP is a citywide tax that raises money for the success of Berkeley schools and students, and the money is meant to promote excellence in BUSD schools through small class sizes, student support, technology, and libraries, among others resources.

School Site Councils are regular in all schools and state-mandated in order to have equal representation in financial matters from the school community. At BHS, the SSC is combined with BSEP under one committee which oversees both roles.

According to Simon, who is beginning their second year as a student representative on

the SSC, the council can fall short on its duties. “We don’t get to do all of the things that we’re supposed to do,” Simon said. “And it should be a bigger deal than it is, but it isn’t really because usually it just means that the principal picks up the slack or something.”

Simon said that to their knowledge, over the past two years, the council hasn’t completed all of its duties, and they were surprised that a bigger deal wasn’t made of the fault. They blamed the lack of visibility for the council, as most students at BHS are completely unaware of the SSC. “I knew very little about what (the position) was,” said Sami Khayatei Houssaini, another student representative on the council, regarding his process in running for the position. “I had a vague idea of what they were supposed to do, but it wasn’t clear,” he added.

This lack of visibility means that once students are elected, they may be unaware of the duties they are meant to fulfill.

“As a student last year, it felt

like I was just saying yes to a lot of things because I wasn’t really sure what was going on,” Simon said.“If I had more knowledge about the council, I think I could have made a bigger impact and actually been a good representative of our school.” Simon said that they had felt overshadowed at times by administrators who are more knowledgeable about the council’s role in the overall school community.

Sifora Kahsay, another student on the council, said that although she and other students have much less experience than the staff on the council, she still feels respected. “They don’t treat us as students,” Kahsay said, “They actually treat us as part of the committee and that we have got voices, and our voices should be heard.”

According to Kahsay, one of the main reasons for the lack of visibility regarding the council can be traced to the image of the council that some students see as simply a layer of bureaucracy and a part of administration. Although most of the roles of the council

fall under finances and other matters of administration, Kahsay, among other students on the SSC, said that being aware and reaching out are first steps to being fully represented and having your voice heard, even with bureaucratic issues.

One of the main goals of the SSC, as set by state law, is to provide representation for various facets of the BHS community by allowing students, parents, and staff to have representation and input when it comes to funding decisions and setting goals for the school.

“I think that if (students) knew about these kinds of more specialized or more hidden decision-making bodies on campus, that they would probably be more understanding of how certain things go about at the school,” said Khayatei Houssiani.

“That understanding might create will and possibility to actually model the school in the way that they want the school to be. Knowing about (councils such as the SSC) and being able to participate in it gives more agency to students.”

PATRONS & SPONSORS

The Jacket needs your help! As a completely student-run, self-funded newspaper, we rely heavily on financial aid from patron subscription and business advertisements in our newspaper. Our prices are $60 for a one semester subscription, and $85 for a full year. Full sponsorships, which include a full year subscription, are $250 and up.

If you would like to subscribe or contribute any amount, please send a check to the Berkeley High Jacket, Business Manager, 1980 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704. Checks can be made out to the Berkeley High Jacket. For more information, contact Business Manager Drew Henderson at bhsjacketbusiness@gmail.com

SPONSORS

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

NEWS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

School board discusses student wellness

BY VIOLET MILLERBRADY staff writer

On Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, the Berkeley Unified School District School Board convened, discussing the upcoming Wellness Center at Berkeley High School, the impact on students from the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, and the upcoming modernization of Sylvia Mendez Elementary.

The BHS Wellness Center is set to have its grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, according to Doreen Bracamontes, the vice president of School Climate and Student Wellness. The Wellness Center aims to be a safe space where all students can reset, recharge, and make connections.

Peer educators and trained staff will be available to students at the Wellness Center for general support.

Support includes, but isn’t limited to, mental health services, consent education, and two-way referrals with the BHS Health Center.

BHS health peer educators spoke during public comment at the beginning of the meeting about their experiences with mental health at BHS and their goals for the program.

“Our main goal for this year is to advocate and bring awareness about mental health in our school,” one of the peer educators said.

During public comment, several family members of BUSD students, as well as several students and Berkeley residents, addressed their concerns about the current events in Israel and Palestine and the effect on students. Speakers held different views on what was happening, but a repeated issue throughout the meeting was the intolerance of hate speech against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab students.

Multiple parents spoke about how their students have experienced antisemitism at school and have had fear about openly saying or showing that they are Jewish at school.

“We together stand against all forms of hate, including antisemitism and islamophobia,” Enikia Ford Morthel, the BUSD superintendent, said.

Another topic of discussion at the meeting concerning the IsraeliPalestinian conflict was the content of BUSD’s current ethnic studies curriculum. Several people commented about how they feel the curriculum doesn’t

adequately cover Middle Eastern history.

During the discussion portion of the meeting, participants discussed the planning of the Sylvia Mendez Elementary School modernization, which will include upgraded classrooms and a new playground. Some voiced concern about completing the project with minimal disruption to students.

Sylvia Mendez plans to move some classes to several portables during construction. The South Wing of the school will

remain open while the North Wing is undergoing renovation. Construction is planned to start during the summer of 2024.

The campus will be impacted for two years by this construction. To address the various student safety concerns, the district has plans for filtration and dust mitigation protocols on site. The disrict will test materials before removing them to avoid dust from hazardous materials, and they will have a full-time hygienist to ensure safe conditions.

CLAUDIA BLOOM

Fall craft fair promotes student creativity

A BHS student examines a table of crafts on display at the Fall Craft Fair.

SUNNY BEVIS LIPTON

conceived with a fall theme, Youngblood and her collaborators remained open to any concept the students were enthusiastic about.

“The theme was open to the artist’s discretion, but due to the time of year, the fair had to be called the Fall Craft Fair,” Youngblood said. Despite the initial supposition that it was mainly for students enrolled in the BHS’s art classes, the Fall Craft Fair evolved into an event open to everyone.

The art department extended the invitation to all BHS students, ensuring that every student had the opportunity to participate and showcase their artwork for sale. “I put out a call on the announcements and bulletin to look out if there were any BHS artists who

wanted to create artworks to sell at the craft fair,” Youngblood said. Although this craft fair is accessible to all students, Youngblood is also open to the idea of staff members participating in the future.

Students created a wide variety of art pieces from a variety of mediums. Art included items such as baked goods, stickers, prints, lino block prints, crocheted pieces, embroideries, jewelry, ceramic pottery, bowls, T-shirts, patches, candles, and keychains. Students have dedicated several weeks to crafting these art pieces and have gone the extra mile independently to ensure their artwork has commercial appeal.

Ashley Alducin Munoz, a BHS junior, had been

BY KIMIA AZADPUR staff writer

On Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, Berkeley High School hosted its first Fall Craft Fair on the campus green during lunch, providing a platform for students to showcase their artistic talent. The fair featured a diverse range of creative works, from vibrant jewelry to realistic ceramic pieces.

The development and planning of the fair were relatively recent.

“The art department started planning to do fall festival events about a month ago,” said BHS art teacher Candiss Youngblood. The department gathered once a week from that point on to organize the fair functions.

While the fair was

inspired in her artistic interest by one of her role models, her after-school teacher. Since the teacher had left, Alducin Munoz wanted to commemorate her.

“My after-school teacher introduced me to how to make earrings, so when she left, I made earrings in memory of her,” Munoz said.

Adalilly Chu, a BHS sophomore, was influenced to make jewelry by her mother, who also enjoys making jewelry. “Most of the beads I buy are actually from my mom because (her mom) was really into making jewelry,” Chu said.

Noa Brysk, a BHS senior, had been motivated to make crochets as it helped keep her occupied. “Crocheting is really fun and it gives me things to do in my free time, keeping me busy,” Brysk said.

The price range for craft pieces was from five to 10 dollars. Artworks with greater complexity or size naturally commanded higher prices compared to smaller, more modestly crafted pieces.

“The price range is an average of seven dollars. … The size and effort put in could make it more expensive,” Youngblood said.

ETHICS OF TECHNOLOGY PENN LYNCH

In prior columns, I’ve tried to highlight the inadequacies of many of our relationships with privacy while on the internet. However, while it is very important to understand the critical nature of your privacy, that knowledge is of little practical value unless it is applied into action and praxis. Therefore, it is necessary for me to provide a jumping off point, the ideal minimum that one should engage with in order to protect their data privacy. Before I jump into it, I want to make it clear that the solutions I am proposing are not the most private or secure, but the most reasonably applicable for the largest audience.

Browser: As much of our online activity is done through the use of web browsers, it’s important to pick one which has respect for your privacy. For those who want a quick, easy solution, I recommend using a web browser such as Brave. Although Chromium based, Brave provides a more privacy hardened experience for users not looking to configure serious changes. For those more open to customization or “inconvenience,” I highly recommend either Librewolf, or Firefox, customized by the user for a privacy focus. I recommend using a locally run and open source password manager, preferably without network access to minimize the use of cookies and other avenues of tracking.

Operating System: Fortunately, picking an operating system for your device is quite easy. A lot is down to personal preference, which I don’t claim to hold objectivity on, but in general, BSD and Linux are great options. Other, non-open source platforms, have a high risk of built-in telemetry, or other data compromising utilities.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): To start, it’s important to mention that there is misinformation regarding VPNs. Commercial VPNs have a more limited use case than many companies, or those shilling those companies, would like for you to believe. In addition, even if you find a suitable use case, you’re only changing the hands of who you put your trust into from your ISP to the VPN company. Although 10, 20, 30, whatever amount of money per month might seem like enough for you to trust the company, it’s important to realize that if a company has your data, and a government comes in and asks for that data, your $30 is going to have little meaning. For this reason, I highly recommend you set up your own VPN services if your use case is appropriate.

Email: Like VPNs, there’s a lot of misinformation about what E-mail clients to use.

Although paid services might be slightly better in terms of privacy in comparison to the likes of Hotmail, Yahoo, or Gmail, even paid services will sell you out under the right conditions. Take for example Proton Mail, once considered a reasonable choice for privacy, providing the IPs of users to Swiss Authorities when prompted. If your data is being stored, your data is not safe.

General Practice: Lastly, it’s crucial to understand that the undisputed, best way to ensure you are not tracked online, is to not be online. Although that may sound ridiculous, digital minimalism is an important part of minimizing your footprint, as well as supporting your mental health. Furthermore, it is almost ALWAYS better to handle matters of privacy yourself, instead of outsourcing it to a company.

Even if it’s more difficult, you will be overall safer, while learning a sufficient amount of information about the internet and technology.

3

4 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

OPINION

OPINION

BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

opinion editors: Ysabel Chu & Ohad Aviran-Finkelstein

Ohadaviranfinkelstein@students.berkeley.net

BHS clubs need access to BUSD funding

NEURODIVERSE AT BHS

BY ARIANA YEROVAM staff writer

Berkeley High School offers over 100 registered, student-run clubs. From the StageCraft club, which seeks to raise funds to support oncampus productions, to the Supporting Girls Education club, which strives to monetarily support organizations furthering female education, many of these clubs require funding.

However, BHS clubs must be entirely self-funded and cannot easily seek funds through BUSD. This can be profoundly detrimental to clubs that have ambitious projects, require expensive equipment, or generally lack the necessary funds

to fulfill their intentions.

Student clubs should have access to district funding, as that money will allow them to partake in activities and projects that wouldn’t be possible without supportive funding.

One club that is actively damaged by this issue is the Berkeley Surf Club. The club, run by BHS juniors Sophie Jacobs and Morgan Ostrer, requires access to funding so that they can provide wetsuits, surfboards, and transportation for their club members who might otherwise not have access.

“We want a safe space and just an opportunity for people to make new friends that have the same interests and just have fun doing what they love outside,”

CARINA NOTTINGHAM

said Jacobs. “There’s only so much you can do without having a source of profit.”

Other clubs are facing similar issues.

Chloe Caldwell, BHS junior and president of the Protecting Animal Wellness (PAW) club, shared how her club is harmed by a lack of accessible funds. She said that while her club actively fundraises to donate to various animal shelters, they seek additional funds that could go towards bringing and transporting service animals to the BHS campus. As Caldwell said, “It would be great to have funding from our school because we are providing a service for our school.”

Caldwell additionally pointed out that her club, as well as many others, utilizes methods including bake sales and assorted fundraising tactics to raise money. While that’s expected and appropriate in some scenarios, funds provided by the district would help clubs achieve even larger goals.

The idea of clubs being funded by the district is not so far-fetched; the Berkeley Schools Excellence Program (BSEP) is an extremely beneficial special tax that provides means for Berkeley’s public schools.

The usage of BSEP funds is overseen by the BSEP Planning and Oversight Committee, consisting of parent representatives, so that the funds can be used where they were predetermined to be the fittest. Among these predetermined assignments is “Site Programs,” to which 10.25 percent of BSEP funds were designated in the 2022-23 school year.

“School Site Programs,” as defined by Berkeley Public Schools, “gives each school discretionary funds for sitebased programs such as arts and sciences instruction, academic tutoring and counseling, athletics and student activities, and before and after-school programs.”

A multitude of BHS clubs fall under that description; they shouldn’t be excluded from funding provided by BSEP and the district. These funds must be made more readily accessible to student clubs. These clubs are overflowing with passion, creativity, and expression.

They provide not only club participants, but also the entire BHS community, with diverse opportunities.

Giving so much to the school community, it’s time the district started giving back.

AP class tests should stay unstandardized

BY NATALIE GROSS staff writer

AP classes have become a cornerstone of high school education, offering students the chance to engage in rigorous coursework, cover extensive material, and potentially earn college credit. At the heart of the AP experience lies the AP test, a challenging assessment that not only gauges a student’s understanding of the subject matter but also holds weight in college applications.

Currently, teachers at Berkeley High School teaching the same AP subject use different inclass tests. Some people believe that AP classes adopting a uniform set of in-class tests would ensure consistency among students and improve AP test scores.

However, in reality, inclass tests should not be standardized because all students learn differently, and having the same in-class tests doesn’t let teachers teach in ways that work best for their students.

One of the primary arguments against standardized tests is the diversity in teaching styles among educators.

Each teacher brings their own unique perspective, approach, and emphasis to their classes. Allowing teachers to craft their own tests provides students with the opportunity to experience a broader range of teaching methods.

This diversity fosters a more inclusive, educational environment, acknowledging that students may resonate differently with various teaching approaches.

Another crucial aspect to consider is the individual classroom dynamics that may influence the choice of assessments. Teachers, being intimately aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their students, can tailor in-class tests to address specific areas of focus. This personalized approach ensures that assessments align with the progress and needs of the students in a particular class.

Some might argue that the ultimate goal of AP classes is to prepare students for the challenging AP exams, and standardizing in-class tests would benefit this goal. Standardizing in-class tests can align classroom assessments more closely with the format and expectations of the AP exams. This not only helps students become familiar with the type of questions they will encounter but also ensures that they are adequately prepared for the rigor of the external assessments. A standardized approach may contribute to higher success rates on the AP exams, benefiting

students in the long run.

However, while the point of AP classes is to prepare students for an external exam, the adoption of standardized in-class tests may not be the most effective solution. The benefits of diversity in teaching styles and the need for tailored assessments that address the unique dynamics of each classroom outweigh the potential advantages of standardization. The best tests would not only prepare students for the AP exams but also equip them with the critical thinking skills necessary for success in higher education and beyond.

Testing can look different in every AP classroom.

MALINA MEISSNER

KARIM MELEIS

When one of my teachers begins describing a group project, I often feel a sense of dread.

I know that for many students, groups seem to come together like magnets and metal. But for me and many other neurodiverse students, navigating group projects can be challenging.

For example, a neurodiverse junior in Academic Choice, who elected to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, finds it stressful “having to rely on others to perform well, as well as having the stress of knowing that others are relying on me.”

Neurodiverse students often have trouble working in a group because they find it difficult to navigate the social dynamics. They may struggle to engage in small talk, which can make it hard to break the ice with members and impact their ability to collaborate. In addition, neurodiverse students often find it challenging to figure out the right balance between working on a group project and socializing with their peers. Some neurodiverse students may find it hard to “turn off ” socializing to instead concentrate on the academic aspects. Other neurodiverse students may be so focused on the demands of the project that they have a hard time being flexible and communicating clearly with others.

Over the years, I have learned several strategies for working well with others, as a neurodiverse student. The first of these is to know yourself. Take some time to reflect on your strengths as a group member, and be prepared to voice your preferred role in a group project to the other members. This can help you to avoid panicking and withdrawing.

In addition, knowing your role ahead of time can also help to reduce your stress about a group project.

Secondly, I have found it helpful to understand whether you, in a group setting, tend to be an overachiever or an underachiever.

Being an overachiever is when you take on most of the work of the group project, while an underachiever tends to allow others to do most of the work. Clearly, neither is good, but there are ways to deal with both issues. If you are an overachiever, you should politely make it clear to your group mates that everyone needs to contribute to the project and resist the pressure to do too much of the work. If you are an underachiever, make a list of the tasks that need to be completed for the group project and see what has already been done. If you notice that a certain task is not completed, volunteer to do it. This will help foster an environment of collaboration with your group mates.

Many neurodiverse students at Berkeley High School have struggled with group work, and many have managed to overcome their challenges. No matter how hopeless it may seem, everyone is capable of collaborating and working well in a group setting. Sending positive vibes your way!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2025 3

OPINION

It's time to bridge the gap: BHS and local government must collaborate to close the opportunity gap

BY PENELOPE PURCHASE staff writer

According to a study from Stanford University, Berkeley Unified School District has had one of the worst opportunity gaps, sometimes known as an achievement gap, in the nation since it was integrated in 1968.

While this is not what many would expect, as Berkeley has a set reputation for being committed to social justice, it is a trend that has persisted for almost 60 years and has become a pressing matter for the district. For this gap to be closed for good, schools and governments need to collaborate in addressing the factors that contribute to California's extreme opportunity gap.

When BUSD was originally integrated, it was part of an effort to extend equal opportunities to all students regardless of race.

However, race and many other factors still affect students’ test scores and other achievements today. This is because as of now, the government has not collaborated with the school district to fix the gap once and for all. However, this doesn’t mean that the district has given up, in fact, it means the opposite. O r i g i n a l l y, B U S D thought that integrating schools would be enough to fix the opportunity gap. Once that

ILLUSTRATION BY CARINA THOMAS & NATALIA KASS

proved false, plans changed.

In an effort to finally end the opportunity gap, the district has tried many things. The communities created by small schools, Universal Ninth Grade, the campaign to raise attendance, and even the City of Berkeley’s 2020 Vision have all been part of a larger effort to decrease inequality within the city’s education system. Yet, despite all of these efforts, the gap persists. It even increased in the time between 2009 and 2016, with a difference of five grade levels between the reading and math scores of white and Black students in Berkeley in 2016.

Even though these attempts haven’t had the impact they were meant to, BUSD’s efforts have still helped improve and shrink the gap. For instance, in 2019, only 27 percent of Black students met the state reading standards, but in 2022 that number rose to 30 percent. While this doesn’t seem like a large difference, it’s a huge improvement from the early 2000s, when 70 percent of Berkeley’s Black students were in the lowest 25 percent nationwide.

Despite this, it seems as if none of the district’s attempts at fixing the situation have had the desired result.

This may be because, according to the Vermont State Board of Education, two-thirds of the differences in standardized test scores are caused by factors outside of school.

While schools still need to keep working towards closing the opportunity gap, it’s also vital to recognize that the problem doesn’t stem only from school. As such, school districts are unable to fully close the opportunity gap because they don’t have control over all of the factors at

play.

For the gap to be closed and kept closed, the government must get involved and support school districts in creating equal opportunities for all students. While there have been some attempts at closing the opportunity gap from the California state government, like the allotment of money from the Local Control Financing Formula (LCFF) for improving the education of kids deemed to be at a disadvantage, none have succeeded. According to graphs created by the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, there hasn’t been a large change in the statewide opportunity gap despite the large amount of funding given to schools by the LCFF. According to certain civil rights and school reform groups, this is because they believe the extra money was used for purposes other than the intended ones, and the government put no measures in place to protect the funding and ensure it went to the right place. In fact, the LCFF

contains many loopholes that allow schools to avoid spending the money on its intended purposes, like one that allows unspent LCFF money to be carried into the next fiscal year and spent with no restrictions.

To effectively address the opportunity gap, Berkeley High must work with local governments in order to address the factors that contribute to California's extreme opportunity gap. By addressing the root causes of this opportunity gap, it is possible to create equal opportunities for all students regardless of race or background.

Only once this has been done can we close the opportunity gap once and for alL and achieve a more equitable education system.

INFOGRAPHIC BY REBECCA BIRENBAUM

6 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

OPINION

Grade inflation impairs student growth

BY SZE TING CHEN staff writer

Grade inflation is where a student’s given grade is higher than the grade they “deserve.” Typically, this results in a higher average GPA across the class, since everyone in that class has had their grade increased.

Sometimes, grade inflation is achieved through a process called “curving,” which is adjusting everyone’s grade by a set percentage.

Though helpful in certain cases, grade inflation has an overall negative impact on student learning.

Both the ACT and College Board have conducted investigations into inflated GPAs. According to the

ACT, “the average high school GPA increased 0.19 grade points, from 3.17 in 2010 to 3.36 in 2021,” while the College Board reports that the mean GPA of SAT test-takers increased from 3.17 in 1994 to 3.36 in 2012.

The ACT also found that in 2010, 40.34 percent of testtakers had an average grade of A, while in 2021 this figure was 54.92 percent.

However, this increase in GPA and average grade does not correlate with an increase in student test scores. For example, between 1994 and 2016, (when the SAT went through a redesign) the average critical reading score went from 499 to 494. When writing was introduced into the SAT in 2006, the average score

was 497 for that section.

By 2016, it had dropped all the way to 482. This shows that although students are getting higher grades in school, their performance over that time period has actually dropped.

If Berkeley High School teachers were to give out A's and B's at higher rates, students might be misled into thinking that they don’t need to work hard to get a good grade. Additionally, if teachers continue to boost grades, over time, students may start to study less for tests and not learn as much information, since they will expect a high grade no matter the results.

This mindset might also seep into their work ethic, creating students who are

BERKELEY HIGH Editor-in-Chief

Ella Creane

Copy Chiefs

Managing Editors

Marina Howard Lola Brownlow

Aynaz Faruqui Daisy Howerton

Copy Editors

Layout Chief Layout Editors

Rebecca Birenbaum Anja Ball Zoe Fung Lula Rosenbach Adrienne Melodia Photo Editors Gwyneth Fonte Illustration Editors Aaron Stevens Finola Jackson Ysabel Chu Podcast Executive Ohad AviranProducers Finkelstein Business Chiefs Sage Feldman Mateo Tsai Business Managers Kaiya Jordan Simon Policy Web Editor Colina Harvey Web Team Leo Silverberg

Charley Tamagno Jared Huang Zula Root Sophia Bezakova Santana Pearl Gibson

Visual Editor News Editors Opinion Editors Features Editors Entertainment Editors Sports Editors Investigative Editor

Josephine Morasky

Outreach Director

Amelia Reed

Faculty Adviser

Malin Morell Nolan Whitehill Alex Morgan Elliott Schrag Miriam Reichenberg Zazie Duchene Katelyn Liao Drew Henderson Sophie Pomfret Zoe Glass Keely Shallet Eliot Hertenstein Talia Rosen Averie Wade Luna Prestia Nathaniel Brundjar Peter Rodrigues

Writers

Aditya Sridharan, Aelia Gyger, Amar Walker, Amara Kapur, Anna Williams, Annika Joy, Ariana Yerovam, Ava Quandt, Avha Meisels, Carina Thomas, Cecilia Tiles, Clara Tjen, Eliot Perdue, Eloise Thomas, Elsa Dietz, Elsie Yuen, Erin Liao, Eva Dickinson, Eva Katz, Eva Levenson, Hailey Ostrer, Hannah Groth Reidy, Jasper Lovvorn Black, Julius Braun, Kali Proud, Kimia Azadpur, Lucy Griffith, Lucy Hohn, Luli Galinson, Maya Dang, Minami Soga, Muhammad Delgado, Natalie Gross, Penelope Purchase, Rigzin Gyaltsen, Rory Nadeau, Sabine Rosen, Sam Mascarenhas, Shanza Syed, Sophie Dreskin, Sydney Lehrer, Sze Ting Chen, Violet Miller Brady, Yoshi Rohn, Zachary Yoo

Photographers

Alex Tripcevich, Ashley Diaz, Atticus LaBang, Divya BenDavid, Emory Ely, Georgia Paulos, Ida Marshall-Lappe, Jahan Ingraham, Jules Droz, Julian Nathan, Kai Hanschen, Kayhan Tezcan, Leo Ostroy Harp, Lev Teiblum, Lila Hallward, Lucas Thompson, Madeleine Wilson, Malina Valdez Meissner, Mei Saphir, Quincy Morris-Fry, Riana Falcioni, Sanam Rozycki-Shah, Sasha Balasubramanian, Shiloh Wilson, Sunny Bevis-Lipton, Toscana Girard Maxon, Willow Priforce, Ziva Amendola, Zoe Kohlmeyer

Illustrators Alessio Manuel Gilabert-Papagni, Alisa Karin Kolpakova, Anisha Pinto, Anna Howell, Asha Torok, Carina Nottingham, Claudia Bloom, Emiko Aronen, Gwen Weber Stover, Iris Le Liboux, Isa Shimomura, Jay Trauner, Jennifer Yoc Ferreira, Jessie Lee, Jo Purcell, Lucia Radillo, Martin Luis Wagener Gaztelu, Natalia Kass, Oren Stiles, Sabine Shaffer, Sara Teitelbaum

Editorial Policy

The Berkeley High Jacket is a designated public forum for student expression without prior review by school officials in which students make all final content decisions.

The by-lined opinions expressed in the Editorial/Opinion and Entertainment sections and columns are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Jacket. Non-by-lined editorials represent the opinion of the Jacket and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Editorial Board. Any opinions or views expressed in advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of the Jacket.

We encourage students, staff, and the community to submit letters to the Editor for publication. All submissions must be signed; anonymous letters may only be printed with a two-thirds vote of the Editorial Board.

Not all submissions will be printed and may be edited to conform to Jacket policy or to meet space restrictions.

1980 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA | (510) 644-6121 | www.berkeleyhighjacket.com

unprepared for life after high school since they have been “trained” not to need to work hard or stay focused.

Some might say that grade inflation benefits students since it mitigates the pressure on them to do well in school. While this is a good point, we must also recognize the value in the learning and growth that can be achieved in receiving realistic feedback on one's work.

On top of this, students that are considering college may find different stressors in having to differentiate themselves from a student body with nearly identical grades.

The negative impacts of grade inflation cannot be ignored. The continuation

of grade inflation may cause students to unlearn the importance of hard work and good work ethic, which may cause them harm in their future endeavors.

Additionally, students who want to get into college

LUCIA RADILLO

will also have a harder time doing so, since grades may appear more similar due to grade inflation. All in all, grade inflation is not good and BHS should start looking for solutions to combat it.

FEATURES

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

7

Niche drag culture within Berkeley High empowers teenagers

BY LUCY GRIFFITH staff writer

San Francisco is known as a haven for drag culture, and parts of the East Bay, even people at Berkeley High School (BHS), have started to get involved in drag. Although less common, some teenagers have begun to express themselves through drag as well.

Nova Duchateau, a junior at BHS, performs in drag under the name Mysta Meanor. He started doing it before freshman year, at the end of the pandemic

shutdowns, and explained the effect of drag on his life. “I think that drag is a great way of showing selfexpression, and making your wildest dreams come true,” Duchateau said.

Duchateau has found that at BHS there isn’t a widespread drag culture. He explained how he engages with drag at BHS. “I have friends, especially a lot of AHA (Arts and Humanities Academy) seniors who like to watch Drag Race,” Duchateau said. “So, I talk to them about that sometimes.

When I have a show, I try to get as many of my friends to come. I also talk to teachers

because some teachers know students who have done drag in the past.”

Miriam Stahl, an art teacher at BHS, explained how she supports her students. “I just encourage the art form and the creativity that goes into the makeup, outfits, and the names,” Stahl said. “It’s one of the many ways that you can express creativity through color and craft skills and play with gender.”

Since BHS doesn’t host any events, Duchateau has found other ways to engage with the community. He performs on occasion, usually lip-syncing and

ALISA KARIN KOLPAKOVA

dancing in drag. An event politicians think that and a vision to have the that he performs at is called, somehow (story times are) confidence to go out and do “Rollin’ with the Homos,” going to corrupt children.” (drag) themselves, as well as which is held every last Duchateau believes that showing up to events that Sunday of the month. drag queens or kings under only have adults attending,” Participants dress Duchateau said. “I up in drag and skate also feel like many around on some people just don’t “For little kids, there’s nothing cooler know how to start.” form of wheels. than somebody walking into the “I’m usually like Another BHS library with a lot of glitter on and student, the only one who’s Xaro my age unless I bring wild wigs and outfits to read stories.” Kaufman, shared friends,” Duchateau they didn’t know of a said. “There’s usually large drag presence Miriam Stahl some parents who at BHS. Kaufman BHS Art Teacher have their kids who got involved in are six or seven. another way. “My Every once in a connection to drag while, there’ll be teens, but 18 have a positive impact. is through my uncles and usually (there are only) “It’s shows like hey, we can cousin and we all watch maybe one or two other do this too,” Duchateau RuPaul together,” Kaufman (teenagers) out of probably said. “It separates drag said. “Personally, some over 100 people.” from people’s assumptions of my fits are drag-ish or There are other all-age about it that say it is hyper- inspired by icons like Raja, drag groups that hold events sexualized. I’m literally and Frank-n-Furter from at climbing gyms and drag wearing a wig, makeup, and the Rocky Picture Horror brunches in San Francisco. dancing to a song. Like, it’s Show.” TV shows are Events called “drag story not gonna hurt people. It another way BHS students hours” are held for can get involved in younger kids, where drag culture. drag queens get into Duchateau “It takes some guts and a vision to costume and read shared his vision to little kids. Stahl have the confidence to go out and do for the BHS drag (drag) themselves.” has donated her community.

“I books to them and think it would be encourages them to great to have a drag Nova Duchateau continue. She said, club here, that could BHS Drag Artist “For little kids, there’s organize drag shows nothing cooler than for students to view somebody walking and possibly to into the library with a lot of feels like it shows the reality raise funds for issues around glitter on and wild wigs and behind it.” the world,” Duchateau said. outfits to read stories. For Duchateau elaborated on “As well as maybe teaching some reason conservative why the culture is so small people some basics and the or radical right-wing at BHS. “It takes some guts history of drag.”

Early decision deadlines looming: Students weigh their options increasingly more expensive.

Between 2000-2021, average tuition fees have jumped 69 percent, from $8,082 to November marks the $13,677. Financial aid may time when students rush to have a significant impact submit their early action and on where students attend early decision applications college. In the early decision for college. At Berkeley High agreement, students are School, seniors applying to unable to compare financial college consider a myriad aid opportunities from other of financial and personal schools that they get into. factors as they This means that navigate the students who application heavily depend “Hearing back early can give you good process. on financial aid time to start your decision process.”

While both may not be able early action and to take the risk early decision of applying early.

Darby Curran require an early “ E a r l y BHS senior submission, the decision is two are very an option for different. Early students who action is a non-binding early every student. feel like their application application process. Early “(With early decision) is set up from the very decision is a binding early you have to be set on going beginning or at least is application, where students to that school,” said Curran. already very polished by the pick one school and must “This is where the financially time that the deadline comes attend if they get in. An early inequitable part can come up,” said Yasmin Navarro, a decision application may in, because you have to be set college counselor at the BHS give students as much as a on going there. Even if they College and Career Center.

61 percent higher chance give you no scholarship, no “It’s one of those things of getting into their dream financial aid, you still have where it’s like every student’s school, according to Forbes. to go there. Not everyone college journey is different.

For some, applying can because some people For some, an early decision early action can alleviate have to rely on the amount is the right choice, if they application-related stress of money that you’re gonna have a polished application, and provide extra time to get from the university.” if their family can afford the decide on a university.

In the past decades, application fees, and if they “I’ve already been college tuition has become can afford the school.”

BY AVA QUANDT staff writer

accepted to two of the schools I applied early action for,” said Darby Curran, a senior in Berkeley International High School.

“Hearing back early can give you good time to start your decision process.”

Curran emphasized that while she applied early decision and early action, it is not the best choice for

Early decision is most popular in the most selective schools, with acceptance rates of below 10 percent. A recent study from the Harvard-based research group found that students from higherincome backgrounds are more likely to apply early to highly selective and Ivy League schools.

Bennet Barahona, a BHS senior, considered a lot of factors when applying. He did not apply early decision, but applied early action to

several of his top schools.

He said that finances weren’t at the top of his worries, but that he could see how it could impact others.

“For me, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I feel lucky,” said Barahona. “But for other people, it definitely could be and so it might take more time for people to get their money for those application fees. So they might not be able to meet the (application) deadline.”

Application fees are part of the process, and applying

to a lot of schools early could be tricky for students who may need more time to pay for them.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that early decision is a requirement or something that I would push every student to do, but it is the right option for some students,” Navarro said.

“And so like if you are throwing your one Hail Mary at a 6 percent school.

Could you have used that money for something else?

Highly likely.”

ISA SHIMOMURA

8

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

INVESTIGATIVE

investigative editor: Josephine morasky

INVESTIGATIVE

josephinemorasky@students.berkeley.net

The Bla

ck Pa

nther Party's ongL

g n i t las

other members attended BHS. The creation students went to a school board

BY JASPER LOVVORN-BLACK of programs like the AFAM meeting ... (where) they brought staff writer department and the BSU came forth their demand,” Spencer directly from the work of the Black Pritchard, the lead teacher in Panther Party.

The formation of the the BHS AFAM Black Panther Party was crucial department, said. “The Black Panther Party just Ronald Stevenson, the founder of the to the activism that was taking “One of them had an enormous impact on BSU at BHS, was place in Berkeley during the was the creative 1960s. In 1968, Martin Luther Black curriculum any of the surrounding high one of the many recruits.

King Jr. was assassinated, which schools, (and) colleges.” committee.”

“The Black sprung forth more civil rights This activism Panther Party just activism. At Berkeley High School in was continued by Tamar McKey had an enormous 1968, students were at the forefront of BHS students and co-president of the BSU impact on any of this activism. their messages of the surrounding One of these student activists anti-racism and high schools, (and) colleges” said was Steve Wasserman, who was an ally justice were clear in a divided time.

Tamar McKey, current co-president to the Black Student Union (BSU).

Students ran camp-outs at school, of the BSU. “We led a student strike and a produced an underground school In fact, the creation of march and we had newspaper called programs like the BSU, the AFAM a single demand,” "The Packrat" “If we understand the department, and the free lunch Wasserman said. with help from Panthers, we understand program were inspired by the work “We demanded the the Black Panther of the Black Panther Party. establishment of Party, and more. that they were all about Today, these programs have African American This newspaper building alliances.” taken shape because of the activism (studies), or what and other forms at BHS as well as the Black Panther we call the Black of activism were Spencer Pritchard Party’s direct influence.

History and Studies not received AFAM history teacher “I know the Black Panthers Department. And to well by the BHS wanted to implement a lot of our astonishment, administration at educational stuff into what they the Berkeley Unified the time and many were trying to do. They're trying to School District Board, the school who were involved were suspended. educate the youth,” McKey said. board agreed.”

The Black Panther Party was Much of what’s taught in the This would make BHS the an Oakland based Black Power AFAM studies department comes first high school ever to have an African Movement that was formed in 1968. straight from the Black Power American (AFAM) Studies Department, The party strived for freedom, Movement which “the Panthers as well as the only current one at a high power, equality, and justice in grew out of and inspired,” according school. education, employment, access to to Pritchard. The teachings of the “The department (started) the resources, and the law. Founding Panthers are also central to the next fall, in ‘68 when the BSU (and) member Bobby Seale and many

Assasination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Students strike and demand creation of an AFAM department

1968

1968 1966 Creation of the Black Panther Party

Panthers begin free breakfast for children program

1968 Creation of AFAM department at BHS

1982 1969 End

of the Black Panther Party

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

in

c n e flu

H y e igh School l e k r e B t ea

Black rights solidarity since they of all peoples in the w e r e world, and the unity of all students formed by as brothers and sisters.” content the Black “For Black History Month, covered in Panther we've had a lot of events where AFAM studies.

Par t y. we take traditionally African One of the leaders of the B H S American food and give it out,” BSU in the 60s was affiliated with played a McKey said. the Black Panther Party. Pritchard major role A parallel can be drawn to the said, “It’s hard to think that in protests to Black Panther’s (the Black end apartheid, free breakfast Panther “I know the Black Panthers just one example of actions the program, a way Party and the BSU took. More recently, they've been wanted to implement a lot of to strengthen BSU) weren’t extremely involved in the Black Lives the community c l o s e l y educational stuff into what they Matter movement around campus. by bonding over related. If not were trying to do. They're trying However, there are challenges food as well as directly, then to educate the youth.” that the BSU, AFAM studies, and h i g h l i g h t i n g they were the legacy of the Black Panthers Black cuisine ideologically still face. Wasserman expressed his Tamar McKey, co-president of and culture. and tactically concerns with decreasing diversity in The BSU has the BSU influenced.”

BHS’s population. also provided One core “When I was at Berkeley High School, food for the similarity more than 50 years ago now, one out of community when they have been between the BSU and the Black every four residents in Berkeley was African Panther Party is that they both able to afford it.

American, fully The BSU also works build communities by uplifting 25 percent of the to speak out against Black voices and cooperating with “We led a student strike and town. Today (the the people to create a more just racial injustices as well as numerous other a march and we had a single population) is less world. demand. We demanded the than 8 percent,” he “If we understand the Panthers forms of activism. said.

“We are definitely establishment of African we understand that they were all Despite these involved in social about building alliances,” American (Studies), or what challenges, the justice around Pritchard said. we call the Black history and programs have B e r k e l e y A zine published by the studies department." formed strong H i g h , ” BHS Student Union foundations McKey said.

Program, a union of within the Black “So if there Steve Wasserman, ally to BHS students who community and were to be some worked towards civil the BSU their allies that sort of crime, if there rights activism, said, have continued to “We must recognize our relationship was to be something empower generation after generation. that a student wanted to change as students to an oppressive system.

“I think there is a legacy of activism We must then realize our need to about Berkeley High regarding which has been successfully embraced Black rights or equity, they would move together to fight it.” and expressed down the decades,” come to us and we do our best to The zine also describes anti Wasserman stated. support that.” racism as a demonstration of unity The BSU has always advocated for between all people, “We will fight racism with solidarit y– t h e

ORIGINAL PHOTOS BY STEPHEN SHAMES (FOREGROUND) AND DAVID FENTON (BACKGROUND), PHOTO COLLAGE AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY IRIS LE LIBOUX

9

FEATURES

10 F R I D A Y , N O V E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 2 3

BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

features editors: mateo Tsai & Sage Feldman

mateotsai@students.berkeley.net

Rising change-makers at BHS: ‘I feel the need to speak up’

BY CARINA THOMAS staff writer

Through joining clubs and various extracurricular activities, students get to explore their interests and become involved in the community as young and curious individuals.

However, when one senses that their community is missing something, some students go the extra mile.

These young changemakers show that during times of adversity, it is the people one is surrounded by, as well as their own passionate drive, that fuels their motivation to make their voices heard.

Nia Adeborna is a junior at Berkeley High School and recently became the vice president of BHS’s Black Honors Society. The Black Honors Society works to support Black students in their academic settings and give assistance on building passion projects and job

resumes. When Adeborna Berkeley campus and However, Makdisi knew was originally invited by attending a protest in there would be a backlash the club’s president, Zoe support of Palestine amidst towards what she was Patterson, to head the the Israel-Hamas war, Nur helping to organize. “(After) Black Honors Society as Makdisi, a senior at BHS, Muhammad and I put up Vice President, she did not partnered up with another the flyers, when I came to feel completely up for the BHS senior, Muhammad school the next day… half task. “I was very hesitant Delgado, to bring that of them had been ripped at first because I didn’t same attention to the BHS down,” Makdisi said. want that much However, r e s p o n s i b i l i t y,” despite these Adeborna said. “Try to find other people who care challenges, Makdisi But following about the same thing ... it’s a lot easier maintained her the continued beliefs and the desire than doing it yourself.” p e rsu a s i on to act on them. “At by Patterson, the end of the day, I Ilana Nickolaus A d e b o r n a am human and when eventually decided co-president of the BHS Green Team human rights are to accept the violated, I feel the position. need to speak up,” As Adeborna becomes community.

Makdisi said. more active in her “We printed out flyers all Ilana Nickolaus, a junior leadership responsibility, around the school, I posted and co-president of the BHS she has developed a new on my Instagram, (and) Green Team, decided to perspective on her position my friends shared it with take action against a large as vice president. “I guess everyone. … It was really and pressing issue, climate it’s not even (about) a spontaneous,” Makdisi change. In the beginning, leadership (role), it’s more said. In less than 24 hours, Nickolaus had doubts as to like a community. … You Makdisi and Delgado how she would get members have to build connections,” planned a walkout calling to stay involved with the Adeborna said. for a ceasefire that attracted club’s efforts against climate After going to the UC over 150 BHS students. change. She consistently

OREN STILES

strives to keep members engaged. “I really try to make sure that every week we’re doing something, we’re accomplishing something, we’re working towards something,” she said.

However, Nickolaus emphasizes that she is not working alone. “I’m running this club with my friend Anja, who is great and also helps me keep track of stuff,” said Nickolaus. “We keep each other in check.”

Additionally, working with

other club members and really getting to know the Green Team community makes Nickolaus feel less alone in the battle against climate change.

“Try to find other people who care about the same thing because they’re really going to help you,” Nickolaus said. “It’s a lot easier than doing it yourself.” *Muhammad Delgado is a writer for the Jacket, but was not involved in the process of writing this article.

BHS Speech and Debate works to continue increasing diversity

BY SHANZA SYED staff writer

Laughter vibrates through the air as members of the Berkeley High School Speech and Debate Club huddle around the front of G-215, intently listening to a heated debate on whether the Joker deserves a trial or not. Cell phone lights flash each time a speaker uses jargon, doesn’t make eye contact, or uses pronouns instead of specifying who they are referring to. Drills like this are commonplace for the team.

“You’re able to discuss lots of things, from really goofy topics like Batman versus the Joker, who’s worse, or to maybe more stale topics like should we stop building nuclear power

plants,” said Ricardo Ramos, a BHS senior who has been doing debate since his freshman year.

According to Ramos, a typical practice begins with what the club calls the ‘but, um game’ in which members give a one minute summary of an article they read while trying to use the word of the day and avoiding filler words like ‘but’ and ‘um’. Following the warm-up, they typically dive into specific areas of debate such as topicality or kritiks (challenging an opponent’s assumption), and end with specialized drills to help practice the topic of the day.

Outside of practice, members also have the option to participate in tournaments if they want to pursue debate at the competitive level. These

tournaments are often on the weekends and typically last the whole day.

If a team is lucky enough to make it to the elimination rounds, it might last the entirety of the weekend.

Those who do participate are often very hard on themselves, which is something Gursimar Kaur, one of the head captains of the team, has struggled with herself.

“Debaters tend to go very harsh on themselves. It can be very imposter syndromy almost. A lot of people can struggle with that in the debate space because of the way there’s a pressure of wanting to do well,” Kaur said.

Despite this, Kaur says that many debaters make friends with people at different schools through

(Left to Right): Hunter Valencia, Eloise Biddle-Gottesman, Elisandra Moulitsas, Jacob Goldman, Sophie Tsulaia, Amber Safir, Nathaniel Amish (back row), Wyatt Fortner, Gursimar Kaur, and Santi Bergman (front row) pose after a successful debate practice.

PHOTOS BY KAI HANSCHEN

tournaments. She also enjoys learning about current events through tournaments when she gets a resolution (topic) relating to a policy or issue that she simply hasn’t heard of yet.

This sentiment was echoed by the other head captain of the team, Elisandra Moulitsas, a junior in Independent Study at BHS. “I think that it’s really difficult to find articles that are explaining issues in (for instance) Thailand, (that) I wouldn’t ever think to explicitly look up and then I get a resolution on it and I’m like this is fascinating.

All these crazy things that nobody’s talking about are happening,” said Moulitsas.

On the other hand, Moulitsas admits that debate can be a “difficult space” with incidents of racism and sexism. Judges at tournaments have called her hair texture “unprofessional” and told her to “dress better.”

Debaters have made

xenophobic arguments about immigrants stealing jobs.

In the same vein, equity has been a long-standing issue for the team. During the 2022 club fair, the team saw their membership boom, only to have most of the new recruits leave due to the overly competitive atmosphere. Additionally, a disproportionate amount of students of color left, which Moulitsas and Kaur attribute to the club’s previously white-dominated environment.

“Anytime anybody had a white privilege, we (debaters of color) were always outnumbered. We were advocating for ourselves and it didn’t feel like we had support,” said Moulitsas.

“We were both varsity debaters at a time where every (other) varsity debater was white, and it was really ostracizing.”

Eventually, they voiced their concerns to their head coach, Joel Jacobs, who then led a team-wide discussion on how to make the space more inclusive to new debaters, especially debaters of color. A lot of the recommendations made were then incorporated into the club. For instance, people’s achievements are on the board for everyone to celebrate and there is now a special Slack Channel for debaters of color to discuss

any concerns they may have. In addition, novice debaters are given one-onone attention on Monday and Tuesday practices so they feel like they are part of the community and have space to learn how debate works.

“The way we started off this year was by telling the novices very clearly, ‘hey, this space is for you to do as much as you want,” said Kaur. “If you wish to be super intense and you want to do competitions and go all out and try to get trophies and be nationally ranked we’re totally going to help you do that, but it’s also on the other hand completely okay for that to not be your case.”

As a result of these changes, Moulitsas reports the debate team is “more diverse than it has ever been” and the situation is rapidly improving. Moulitsas said, “there is a lot of love” in the debate community, describing her relationship with her peers as akin to family.

Elisandra Moulitsas (left) and Santi Bergman (right) hone their debate skills during a practice.

FEATURES

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

Students pursue passions via music school

BY ELSIE YUEN staff writer

“Nothing else (besides music) interests me. It’s probably unhealthy, but it’s true. I don’t want to do anything else, and I don’t know if I would be able to do anything else even if I tried,” Elliott Martens, a senior at Berkeley High School, said.

Martens, among other BHS students, has decided to go to a music school, or a conservatory, for college.

These students’ musical careers have come a long way. Ivo Maringouin, a BHS senior, started playing the piano in fourth grade at his father’s encouragement.

He originally disliked it but ended up growing to enjoy it with the aid of good teachers. Over time, this passion turned into a possible prospect in higher education.

“I think that I always had an idea of doing kind of a cooler, interesting thing, and music just happened to be the thing that I liked doing the most,” Maringouin said.

Marcel Jenson, another BHS senior, said, “(Music) is just the thing that’s been kind of a rock for me, for my whole life. … It’s just been the center of my life for as long as I can remember.”

For Martens, their inspiration to pursue music in college was the Stanford Jazz Institute Workshop.

“Learning from virtuosos, hearing them play … I loved

it. If there is any experience I can do that allows me to do this all the time, I want to do it. And that’s music school,” Martens said.

Music school isn’t the only way to pursue music in college. Jenson plans to study music at a liberal arts school, but attend college there to “meet more people with different backgrounds.”

However, being a musician is commonly thought of as a lower-income job. “I think that my parents knew that I was actively picking a harder profession to be in than, like, being a doctor or lawyer,” Maringouin said. “They knew that it was going to be harder to get income.”

With this comes the idea that being a musician is a career “that’ll leave you in poverty, guaranteed,” Martens said. Moreover, the path to becoming a musician is costly. “It’s kind of an elephant in the room when someone brings it up. ... The elephant is that music school costs a lot of money,” Martens said.

Indeed, Juilliard, one of the most prestigious music schools in the world, has a yearly tuition of nearly $84,000, according to their website. And this estimate doesn’t even include the money it takes just to apply.

“The most important part of the application process is unique, stressful, and very expensive,” Martens said.

Students submit a video of them performing assigned

material. Every school has a unique list of songs they require, so “if you don’t plan things out, you’ll end up needing to practice to perfection and (record) 40 different songs or more,” Martens said.

If a student passes the preliminary auditions, they then travel to the school for a live audition. “Imagine if you had to fly to every college you are applying to just to turn in your application,” Martens said. “Except it all banks on your one chance for you to play a live audition in front of the greatest players in the world.”

Furthermore, competition to get into music schools has drastically increased in recent years. “In particular, jazz is extremely competitive,” Martens said. “This is because jazz is a genre where every professional jazz musician is a virtuoso.”

They added that becoming a great jazz musician takes “no luck, just plain skill.” Due to this, achieving greatness in jazz music requires deep

dedication. “The current best saxophone player ever practiced 10 to 14 hours every day of his life, so you’ll have to beat that,” Martens said.

Because of this, being a musician is a difficult career.

Despite this, many students said that their family and friends supported them and even inspired them to pursue this career. Jenson said that his family members “are musicians in the art business,” so he had “a really long line of support.” In addition, Martens said that most of their friends are musicians, and their mother used to be one as well, so they were “on board.”

Despite the hardships of pursuing music in college, these students have an important end goal: to become a professional musician. “There is literally no other reason to major in music performance if you don’t want to perform music.

No one is in it for the money.

They’re in it for the fun,” Martens said.

BHS students practice in an advanced music class.

SHILOH WILSON

Peer math tutoring program bonds students

Two students collaborate on a math problem.

BY AMARA KAPUR staff writer

In every Berkeley High School advanced math course, each student is required to tutor other students to get full credit in the class. According to Masha Albrecht, who teaches AP Calculus AB, it’s very helpful to the tutors and the tutees. “I strongly believe in tutoring,” she said.

All students can share the responsibility of helping each other. Instead of adding less helpful ways to get credit in the advanced math classes, the tutoring requirement was added to the curriculum over 30

LEO OSTROY HARP

years ago.

Until about a decade ago, the amount of hours students needed to tutor was much higher. Due to protests against these extended amounts of tutoring, the hours were reduced by as much as half.

Since then, there have been almost no complaints about tutoring, and some students even do it for fun. “In 2022 I had a student who tutored every day in my class,” Albrecht said. Tutoring had a big impact on him, and he went on to study math at UC Irvine. “He was an excellent tutor,” Albrecht said.

BHS students tutor at elementary schools, BHS bilingual classes, the

College and Career Center, and more. One former tutor started Willard Math Works, a paid afterschool tutoring project for high schoolers at Willard Middle School. Students in the faster paced AP Calculus BC class can also help students in AP Calculus AB, and are required to spend the most hours tutoring.

Charlotte Kurre O’Heaney, a senior in AP Calculus BC, strongly supports the tutoring programs. “The act of helping someone else reinforces your learning by making you repeat your knowledge,” she said. She added that because students are often around the same age, they can understand each other’s thinking better.

Greta Wang, another senior in AP Calculus BC, said, “I think the tutoring requirement exists because teachers can’t single-handedly help out all the students who need it.” She agrees with most of what O’Heaney says about tutoring, though it hasn’t been as helpful for her personally. “Tutoring isn’t useful to me, but I do

think and hope it’s a helpful resource for the students I tutor,” Wang added.

O’Heaney enjoys tutoring, but finds it isn’t always used how it’s designed. “People often do tutoring in the easiest way they can,” she said. She feels like sometimes people just help their friends, because it’s the simplest way to tutor. “I find it a lot easier than helping strangers,” O’ Heaney added. She doesn’t think her class would be too different without tutoring requirements, and admits that “it only really plays a role at the end of the quarter, when people start rushing to get the requirement over with.”

At one point, just having the advanced math students tutor for extra credit wasn’t enough. BHS hired seniors to come every day after school to help tutor. Every day, more and more seniors came.

“I feel like this was really useful, and the seniors really enjoyed it,” Albrecht said.

“I didn’t have any type of tutoring at my high school, but it would have been fun to do.”

11

THE PERFECT BITE: NOODLE DYNASTY CLEMENTINE UHLANER

It’s almost impossible to deny Chinese food’s prevalence in the East Bay. It’s definitely one of my favorite cuisines, and I’ve spent countless hours exploring Chinatown in San Francisco and Oakland. Juicy dumplings and sweet and savory stir frys prove time and time again how much Chinese cuisene’s influence has shaped many parts of the planet today. After all, we wouldn’t have spaghetti without Marco Polo introducing the recipe to the Western world from China.

One of my all time favorite restaurants when I’m craving Chinese food, specifically a delicious, high quality noodle soup is Noodle Dynasty. It’s located on Telegraph Avenue right across the street from Rasputin Music. Although it may not look like much on the outside, the production is definitely impressive. Their soups are always slow cooked to perfection, specializing in different cuts of beef with soft, pillowy hand pulled noodles.

Chinese cuisine is so incredibly diverse, and rightfully so given the scale of their population and innovation. Especially with soups, the taste and feel depends so much on the region it originates from. Wonton soup, for example, originates from a Cantonese origin, whereas sweet and sour soup originates from northern China.

The taste and feel of these two soups could not be more different. It would be impossible to compare a thick, hearty soup with a thin, light one. Even just from within our community, it’s hard to find a noodle soup that tastes quite like another one.

Every time I pass by Noodle Dynasty, no matter the time of day, I always see either a giant line stretching out the door, or at least a resturant filled completely to the brim with people. Everyone always has a smile plastered on their face with giant bowls of noodles the size of their heads in front of them, occasionally with massive rib bones sticking out of it. It can definitely be a commitment to brave the wait, but it’s always worth it. Without fail, each time I’ve walked by, the smell of mouthwatering meat and broth wafts out the building and leaves me hungry.

When picking what to eat, you really can’t go wrong. Their menu is definitely sizable but not overwhelming. Obviously, the soups are delicious, and they waste no time advertising the 8-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour broths. I’ve never had anything on their menu I didn’t enjoy. That said, my favorite would absolutely be their beef brisket with thick noodles, a perfectly tender meaty balance with their signature broth. The brisket practically melts in your mouth, and I think about the steaming soup daily.

Even if you wait in line for an hour, the food is more than worth it. I daydream about the broth on every rainy day, and the depth and complexity is almost unmatched. Each bowl is everything a perfect noodle soup should be, and Noodle Dynasty is definitely one of my top picks within the Berkeley area.

ENTERTAINMENT

12 F R I D A Y , N O V E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 2 3

BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

Entertainment editors: Kaiya Jordan & Simon Policy

THE SHAME WIZARD: SUBSTANCE USE ANNABELLE TEMPLE-ARMSTRONG

Drug use is widespread among teenagers and there’s an entire culture around it. Adults try to downplay it, perhaps out of fear that they’ll accidentally encourage or endorse it, but that doesn’t create any room for conversation. A lack of easily accessible resources makes shame around substance addiction fairly common.

Everyday environment has a huge impact on why teenagers use. Substances can be a way of coping with the heightened stress that can come with being a teenager: school, which has an excessive amount of work, family, which can be difficult to navigate, or big changes, like getting ready to go to college. They are often used as a way of self-medicating, making sensations such as overstimulation less bothersome. People can also become dependent on drugs for genetic reasons. If there’s a history of substance abuse of any sort in their family, then it’s more likely that the cycle will continue generationally.

Either way, there’s a social stigma associated with the incapability to handle things alone, so people will use socially acceptable crutches, which creates the aforementioned culture around drugs.

So what can we actually do, if there are so many reasons that people are addicted to drugs? To start, I want to be clear that we should not shame people for where they’re at.

We can encourage people to be more mindful about their usage and find alternatives, using harm reduction strategies. It could look like not sharing, especially when sick, or finding other ways to satisfy the cravings, such as chewing gum, which helps make your mouth feel busy, or carrying around candy, which can help satisfy the hand-to-mouth movements.

One on-campus resource is the Harm Education and Reduction Organization, a drug education club that goes to classes and talks about harm reduction around drugs. I haven’t personally experienced one of their presentations, though, so I can’t speak to the exact contents.

The Health Center offers fentanyl test strips, which have instructions written on the packages. For those who use Kaiser Permanente, there is free access to Narcan, which can treat a narcotic overdose. You can also buy it at pharmacies and find out how to use it on YouTube.

It’s unrealistic to expect that substance abuse is something that can be easily battled.

It’s not a new issue among teenagers, but it is a worsening problem. Substances are more potent and more likely to be contaminated than ever before. Any hope of change needs to be led by destigmatizing use for people of all ages and providing easily accessible alternative resources.

No matter what you choose to do, you deserve to have the means to make your choices safer. Stay safe, have fun, and learn about substances.

kaiyajordan@students.berkeley.net

‘Priscilla’ reveals the reality of the Presleys

BY ZACHARY YOO staff writer

In Sophia Coppola’s new film “Priscilla,” a 32-year-old Elvis proposes to a 22-yearold Priscilla Beaulieu. He doesn’t get on one knee, and he doesn’t ask her if she’ll marry him. He says, “You’re going to marry me.” This is Priscilla in a nutshell, it’s full of similar little moments of dramatic irony, where the audience is acutely aware of the wrongness of the situation, but no one in the film could ever acknowledge it.

“Priscilla” is a slow burn that covers Priscilla Presley’s relationship with Elvis Presley, from meeting to divorce. It’s the sobering story of a schoolgirl (Priscilla was 14 upon first meeting Elvis) whose obsession and fandom was cruelly manipulated.

Instead of giving audiences the familiar glorification of Elvis, the movie follows Priscilla as she’s quickly whisked away into the megastar’s world, groomed to be his wife, and do nothing but his bidding.

Many comparisons have been made to Baz Luhrmann’s vastly different film, “Elvis,” which was released last year. But “Priscilla” is largely devoid

of all the excessive glamour From the very beginning, movie succeeds in shedding that defined Lurhmann’s when 24-year-old Elvis light on the disturbing film. When Elvis performs takes interest in 14-year-old and often neglected power in “Priscilla,” the shot is Priscilla, it’s unsettling. Elvis dynamic that existed silhouetted or shown on struggles to make awkward between Priscilla and Elvis. a blurry TV. Hardly any conversation, which makes “Priscilla” does not depict Elvis songs are heard at all. it appallingly clear how events in Priscilla Presley’s Instead, the film is life after her more concerned divorce, making with drawing The movie succeeds in shedding light it an incomplete attention to the on the disturbing and often neglected overview of a obvious power power dynamic that existed between woman who went dynamics in the on to have an Priscilla and Elvis. relationship. acting career and The film’s pacing manage Elvis’s is intentionally slow, even as little they have to talk estate. Regardless, the movie it covers 14 years of events about. As their relationship accurately rewrites the story over its runtime. The film’s progresses, Elvis becomes of Priscilla and Elvis from lack of glamorization brings more aggressive. Because a fresh, disturbing, and the loneliness of being he holds all the power, if triumphant perspective.

Priscilla Presley to life. For Priscilla wears a color he When asked by a British talk several sequences in the doesn’t like that means she show why they divorced, she movie, Elvis leaves town, should never wear it again. said, “I left because I needed leaving Priscilla isolated Any small disagreement can to find out what the world in their massive, beautiful easily become violent. The was like.” house. But even in solitude, she is defined by Elvis, and her whole life is still one of isolation. When she goes to school (a Catholic high school chosen by Elvis), people exclusively talk to her about her superstar husband.

She returns home to Elvis’s friends and extended family, except for her late dog.

But the film is at its darkest when Elvis is around.

The film’s true strength is in showing the unique fear that comes with being the wife of a universally adored celebrity.

IRIS LE LIBOUX

The issue with canceling streamable shows

BY AMAR WALKER staff writer

Streaming services should not jump to conclusions before canceling TV shows. Show fanbases grow over time, and when new series that are growing in popularity get canceled, it can be deeply upsetting to viewers. With social media like TikTok, an originally unsuccessful show can later gain a lot of attention.

Unfortunately, cancelation has been the fate of many beloved shows, and a lack

seven intolerable seasons before being canceled this year. The show went on largely due to its wide audience after the premiere, garnering over two million viewers. But overtime, the quality of “Riverdale” went way down, along with viewership, resulting in the long awaited cancellation.

On the other hand, some especially endearing shows are axed much too soon. The Netflix original series, “Anne with an E,” was based on the classic book series “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud

When the cancellation was first announced, the fanbase responded with outrage.

People on social media created petitions, hashtag campaigns, and spoke out in their desperation for more seasons.

Sadly, fan-favorite TV shows being canceled isn’t uncommon. “The Society” was a show about a group of high schoolers left abandoned in their town.

It got to one season before being cancelled, leaving JAY TRAUNER of sufficient profit often everything on a massive leads streaming services to cliffhanger. Filming during put their creations in the COVID-19 was incredibly guillotine. expensive, which There is a clear led “The Society” distinction between There is a clear distinction between to end abruptly, a show getting despite plans for a show getting canceled too early canceled too early and a show getting canceled when it future seasons. and a show getting If streaming should be. canceled when it services keep should be. Often, c a n c e l i n g streaming services and Montgomery. This popular well-loved TV shows, networks have a tendency TV show went on for just engagement rates will lower. to continue seasons of three seasons before it was People may become less shows that have been going canceled, upsetting many of inclined to get invested in for years, and when they its viewers. It was a surprise, TV shows if they’re just finally get canceled, it’s not considering there were nine going to be disappointed a surprise. “Riverdale”, for books in the series and the with the ending (or lack example, was dragged on for show had a lot of potential. thereof).

ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

BHS Talent Show features rock bands, dance, and a rap by Mr. V CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Both girls stepped off the stage smiling. Unbeknownst to the audience, this was their first time performing.

“We were a little nervous,” said Catalina Oyanadel Alfaro, speaking for herself and her sister. “But the audience was so cheerful. It was a very good experience.”

Another performer that night, senior Ty Walthall, agreed. “With the BHS talent show, you have people in all stages of doing what they’re doing. It’s relatively low stakes,” Walthall said.

However, for Walthall

this was far from their first experience.

Walthall, who sang “Anything But” by Hozier, also performed in last year’s talent show and has a background in theater.

Their soulful and strong interpretation of the song incorporated lots of physicality, and they exhibited a comfortable stage presence. The audience watched in complete silence before erupting in applause once they finished. The ease with which Walthall performed made it one of the most enjoyable acts of the night.

Matthew Huang singing and strumming guitar.

Another musical performance, an original rock song, was performed and written by a duo named Madrona. With Muhammad Delgado on guitar and Miguel Huhndorf Lima on drums, the song started off mellow with light drums and soothing but edgy vocals. Slowly, as the song continued, both performers got progressively more into the music.

Delgado gained confidence and started to sing the lyrics more loudly with more passion. At the same time, Huhndorf Lima began bobbing his head enthusiastically, with their twinning long wavy hairstyles moving along to the beat. The audience clapped and cheered loudly as Madrona finished their set.

A later memorable

Ty Walthall performing Hozier.

13

Manny Lane Scott with mic.

performance was by junior Miles Aki, who played “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi on the drums. Another returning talent show performer, Aki seemed very focused during his performance. With the rock song blaring through the speakers, Aki’s drum performance elevated the song by adding more beat, improvisation, and depth.

His enjoyment in his performance was clear, as he twirled his drum stick and later walked off the stage smiling. “It feels good,” Aki said. “It’s a little scary at first, but once you’re through with it, you’re proud of

PHOTOS BY SANAM ROZCYKI-SHAH

A BHS student breakdancing enthusiastically.

yourself.”

Despite it being a student talent show, John Villavicencio, also known to students as Mr. V, couldn’t resist making an appearance and came out on stage to thank the audience, the organizers, the performers, and tech crew for their participation and hard work.

He referenced a popular phrase among students and teachers this year: “Be there, or be square.” He then took this phrase and worked it into a Berkeley student participation themed rap, something that he has made a tradition of at the yearly talent shows.

With no hesitation, Villavicencio delivered his self-written rap with lines including “Berkeley, Berkeley, Yellow, Yellow, Jacket, Jacket, swagger” and referencing student leadership, saying BHS

leaders “change the world for you and me.”

Although slightly unexpected and surprising, the audience almost immediately took to his performance. Many laughed as Villavicencio enthusiastically worked his way around the stage.

The audience’s energy also continued through to the next surprise performance, where an unnamed student came on stage to give a brief, mellow, somewhat befuddling rap performance that amused the audience.

“I really, really liked it,” said freshman audience member Sofia Dodge. “I thought a lot of the talents were really good.” Dodge also noted the importance of having talent shows for students since “it’s a great way to interact with the community and support the school.”

Legacy of sitcoms: Comfort, familiarily, and a lack of diversity ignorant thinking onto viewers.

“There’s never enough representation, and we need a lot, because there’s not a In light of “Friends” single story to anything,” TV show star Matthew said Keldon Clegg, a BHS Perry’s death, news outlets, humanities teacher, magazines, and expanding on the even podcasts have “There’s never enough diversity of modern been looking back versus older sitcoms. on the golden age representation, and we need a lot, Most older of television, asking because there’s not a single story to sitcoms feature a lack if it has come to anything.” of diversity in their an end or entered casts. This does not a new and more Keldon Clegg negate the existence diverse era. With BIHS humanities teacher of popular Black and almost any show Latino sitcoms such being streamable at the click of a button, it’s continuously watching the as Fresh “Prince of Bel-Air’’ or “Moesha.” not as easy as it once was show.

“There are stereotypical Yet these shows aren’t for old television shows to get lost and forgotten with character tropes in sitcoms. time. What does this mean There’s the goofy one, and now for the legacy of these the one that’s really smart and responsible,” said shows?

As students navigate Bella Robinson, a BHS growing up, and working senior. There is nothing through the stress of high wrong with studying like school, it’s common to Rory Gilmore, or cleaning find comfort in familiar like Monica Geller when characters and cheesy laugh you need inspiration. The tracks, which is why so many problems arise when the high school students often so-called “inspirational and find themselves rewatching relatable” characters cause people to try and conform these timeless classics.

“In many ways, it to inhuman character tropes can provide a sense of that are hardly realistic.

Sitcoms have a large and comfort for people … just something to rely on important cultural impact because it’s always there,” on this country, particularly said Eden Ross, a Berkeley on the high school age High School student, group, but they have also reflecting on the comfort for a long time perpetuated of American Sitcoms. The unhealthy standards and

BY ELIOT PERDUE staff writer

characters are relatable, and each episode adds a new and interesting aspect to them as people. It’s easy to find yourself in an almost parasocial relationship with those characters, after

that inclusive either, as they also focus primarily on specific racial groups and rarely feature a diverse cast of people.

“In sitcoms where the characters are people of color, there are more serious problems mixed into the everyday ones”, said Robinson. It is true that sitcoms with POC casts are more likely to touch on more expansive topics and have more realistic family lives. But is this realm of inclusivity enough anymore? Or are people looking for more?

As time goes on, the excitement and popularity

of certain things usually go down. But with social media’s influence and accessibility of streaming services, older shows are taking much longer to die out of trends.

“There definitely is an impact of these shows through social media that can appear in stylistic choices or way of life,” Ross said, touching on social media’s aestheticization of 90s sitcom “Gilmore Girls.”

Social media has allowed audiences to idealize characters on another level, and further these shows legacies in American culture.

“Sometimes there aren’t things (in life) that you can find joy in. … So sometimes sitcoms aren the best way of solving an issue of representation or social issues,” said Clegg, touching on television reflecting the reality of the world in different lights.

The truth is, it’s difficult for sitcoms to tell realistic stories of life, due to the formula they so strictly follow. It’s unhealthy for people to model their lives after the lives of people whose actions have no repercussions, each episode starting anew as if the last had never happened.

ALESSIO GILABERT PAPAGNI

14 F R I D A Y , N O V E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 2 3

ENTERTAINMENT

Book to movie adaptions: A lengthy and complicated process rarely gets any input in this stage of the process, unless they have a big name for themselves.

The last stage determines Exploring book to movie whether the tireless efforts adaptations goes beyond invested in the process will just critiquing. There’s actually produce a film. a world of complexity This final stage involves behind the process of addressing the logistical adapting literary works to aspects such as securing films. The “Percy Jackson” financial funding, hiring movies are a prime example talent, and identifying an frequently called out for its audience for the movie. poor representation of the If the project receives the book series. However, it is green light, it proceeds. important to acknowledge That, however, is not always that critiquing a creative the case. work is much easier than The entire journey can actually producing vary depending one. Regardless of ... it is important to acknowledge that on the situation what people may critiquing a creative work is much and the author deem to be “bad” easier than actually producing one. involved. The path or “good,” it is of transforming a evident that there book into a film are challenges and involves navigating opportunities whenever this money without their several intricate hurdles, a filmmaker chooses to work ever resulting in a and the question of whether attempt a film adaptation film. This option includes the end product will be of a book. So what exactly many conditions for what considered “good” is an are these challenges and will happen if the book is entirely different question. opportunities, and how do successfully adapted.

Yet another challenge they shape the process of After the option is of the process is the length book adaptations? finalized, a screenwriter is of a book versus that of If an author is attempting required to write a script a movie; it is difficult to to have their book adapted for the film. The author encompass every character

BY HANNAH GROTHREIDY staff writer

into a movie or show, the process usually begins with a pitch, which often requires industry connections.

Depending on the agency that receives this pitch, and the individual tastes of those looking over it, the book may be deemed to be better suited for a movie or a TV show.

Subsequently, the process advances to “the option.”

An option is an agreement between a producer and author, where the producer gets the option to purchase the rights to the book.

Many authors receive

THE CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Rock group that’s back in black 5. Drink on tap 9. Relatives, informally 12. Tight-knit group 13. Singing syllables 14. Put into practice 17. Bread-based side eaten on a fall holiday 20. What one might say at the dentist’s office 21. Build 22. What artists’ do 24. “Yes”, in Madrid 25. Actor Vigoda 28. Ovens for ceramics 29. Fruit-based condiment eaten on a fall holiday 35. What drivers do to each other when at a stop sign 36. Singer Weird ____ 37. Arizona drink 39. To be straight forward (2 words) 44. Filler word 45. To be more emotionally unpredictable 47. Fluffy, white side dish eaten on a fall holiday 53. Swiss river 54. Cheerleading tool, when doubled 55. Short name for state Hollywood is in 57. Schedule 58. “Because seven ____ nine!”

61. “Of ”, in many languages 62. November meal with 17-, 29-, and 47-across 67. “The desert is getting _____!”

69. Without charge 70. “Bed” in Spanish 71. Praise poem 72. Clothing item that Edna Mode is against 73. Part of a staircase.

DOWN 1. ____ and pains 2. Healer, in DnD 3. Challenge often issued on a playground

— Violet Kessler

4. Business news program 5. Abbreviated sandwich 6. Scent, in perfume 7. ____ on the Shelf 8. Nickname for Nadal 9. Wolf whose escape is said to bring Doomsday in Norse mythology 10. Actress Bassett 11. Pa’s partner 15. MRI alternative 16. Word that’s never capitalized in titles 18. Prefix to many Caribbean islands 19. Yucky 23. Mesopotamian sky god 25. Can 26. Make moist, archaically 27. First responders, informally 30. Bread option in delis 31. Assistance 32. Basketball goal 33. Android-y font 34. Antlered animal 37. A common suffix for elements 38. A portable one often comes in handy on a long trip 40. Dutch cheese 41. “OOTD,” informally 42. Rock band, with Speedwagon 43. ____ we there yet?

46. And I ___! (VSCO girl catchphrase) 48. Feminine pronoun 49. Suggested 50. Persevere 51. Popular pet name 52. Evil idea 56. “It’s ____!”

57. Tack on 58. Beginning of Old Macdonald sound 59. Corps.

60. Annoying insect, for one 63. Colonel Sanders’ chain 64. Would-be amendment that supports equal rights for women 65. (nods)— Raven Fonseca Jensen 66. Wallace of E.T. 68. Zeus’s lover whom he turned into a cow

and event from a 400-page book within the confines of a typical one to twohour film. However, if an adaptation cuts too many of these characters and events, it often results in disappointed audiences who had been hoping for faithful adaptations.

Nevertheless, if a book manages to go through these stages, the result can be very rewarding for many involved. The author’s book may reach a much broader and diverse audience. It adds depth to the characters

and narrative, offering new dimensions to the story as it is brought to life on the screen.

Sarah J. Maas’s bestselling series “A Court of Thorns and Roses” is one example of a popular series attempting to become a film or series. ​​ In 2015, Tempo Productions optioned the film rights, and in 2018 Maas posted a photo of the front page of the screenplay, written by Rachel Hirons, but this fell through. Later, in 2021, Maas was heard to be working with Ronald

MARTIN WAGNER

D. Moore on a television adaptation of the series.

There hasn’t been any official word, however, for the possible future of this project.

Setting aside the effectiveness or quality of these adaptations, it is undeniable that merely reaching the stage of production or viewing is riddled with many different challenges. However, the potential rewards can offer a sweet and gratifying experience for everyone engaged in the process.

Crochet Club Spolight

Members of the crochet club begin a project.

LEO OSTROY HARP

“It’s teaching people (a) skill that they can use and take away whatever they want from it,” Aleka Vavloukis, who runs the crochet club here at Berkeley High School, said. “Mainly just the ability to do it and having something that they can do with their hands.” The crochet club focuses on making things using crochet and teaching members new stitches.

The club also holds an open space for people to sit and do art together. It meets every Thursday at lunch in room C-317.

The Crochet Club was started last year but is now run by Aleka Vavloukis and Nova Duchateau, two BHS juniors. When the club meeting starts, everybody eats lunch and gets out all of the necessary materials to start crocheting. They then learn new crochet stitches that they can use to make blankets, stuffed animals, pillows, and other things. The club gives people a chance to just sit and have a welcoming space to crochet and eat lunch.

“People can come and just eat their lunch and have like a free space and access to yarn and crochet hooks if they want to make something if they can’t get those supplies themselves,” Vavloukis said.

Vavloukis also stated the importance of having a space where people can be able to learn new things and have the opportunity to work on their projects.

“I think it’s important for students who want that space and access to learn the craft and be able to have that space,” Vavloukis said. “It’s kind of like a creative outlet.”

The Crochet Club’s biggest work of art is a quilt that they all worked on at the end of last year. Each person made a square and every member worked together to put the quilt together.

— Lucy Hohn

SPORTS

Girl’s wrestling grows in popularity, access

BY LULI GALINSON staff writer

MADELEINE WILSON

Akimoto thinks there has been growth in wrestling as a whole, which is why more women have been joining the sport. “Men’s wrestling is growing, so it makes sense that women’s wrestling would be growing,” she said. “I just think women’s wrestling is growing at such a high rate because it was so low before, like 20-30 years ago, women’s wrestling was barely even a thing.” She has also found community within womens wrestling. “There are just so many people who really want to grow women’s wrestling. So if you go out and look for it, you will find so much support and so many amazing people who want to see you succeed,” Paredes-Akimoto said.

Best places to mountain bike in Berkeley The Bay Area is an excellent location for mountain biking, and mountain bikers at Berkeley High School enjoy the wide variety of mountain biking trails and areas that Berkeley and the surrounding area has to offer.

Juliet Distefano, a sophomore on the BHS mountain biking team, enjoys the flowy trails and beautiful redwoods of Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland. Only a 20 minute drive from Berkeley, it is a popular location for BHS

WEIRD HISTORY: WOJTEK THE BEAR ELI LEICHTER WILSON

Girl’s wrestling is one of the fastest growing high school sports in the U.S. right now, and the Berkeley High School team is no exception. Last year, the team had seven girls who competed on the wrestling team, and this year there will be even more joining.

“It’s looking somewhere in the 11-13 range. So it’s been growing slowly. It Women’s wrestlers spar at practice. started with just two girls,” said head wrestling coach a contact sport, and we’re of wrestling. “(Wrestling) Benjamin Nathan, who is co-ed, and we’ve gotten to lets me push myself because where that doesn’t seem it’s either you get pinned or also a math teacher at BHS. Nathan wrestled like a weird thing anymore. you fight, and it’s a really throughout high school, And now people sort of good feeling at the end of and became the wrestling understand that it’s perfectly that,” Liu said. She also feels coach at BHS ten years ago. normal,” said Nathan. like girls are becoming more He has seen the widely accepted sport change a lot in contact “When I wrestled, in four years I saw over time. “When sports. “I think I wrestled, in four three girls wrestling, maybe. And now, as time goes on, years I saw three in martial arts most states have girls wrestling.” girls wrestling, and just athletics maybe. And now, in general, Benjamin Nathan most states have the amount of BHS wrestling coach girls wrestling. women has gone The girls on up,” she said. (the) team are S h i e l l a Wrestling has been a Paredes-Akimoto is the girls absolutely part of the sport now,” he said. He thinks very positive thing for wrestling captain, and one of some of the stigmas around athletes who have decided the two co-captains for the wrestling are becoming to join, no matter their entire co-ed wrestling team. less prevalent, which is gender. Padma Liu, A BHS She began three years ago, helping more girls become sophomore, is currently on and has been very dedicated interested in the sport. “It’s the team for her second year ever since.

Paredes-

BY ELSA DIETZ staff writer

F R I D A Y , N O V E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 2 3 15

mountain bikers. “Most of the trails are really covered and sheltered by redwoods. … There’s some trails that are more rocky and have some technical features, but there’s ways to get around them,” Distefano said. “I think it’s a very versatile place for everyone to go, no matter how long you’ve been mountain biking for.”

Of the many trails in Joaquin Miller Park, Kalu Caldas, a junior on the BHS mountain biking team, chose Chaparral Trail as her favorite. A challenging, technical trail, Chaparral is well known within the park.

“It’s part of what people call the ‘Three C’s’ in Joaquin

Nathan Ehrlich cuts around a turn on his mountain bike.

Miller which are Chaparral, Cinderella, and Castle Park (trails),” Caldas said.

For Caldas, the trail stands out for its difficulty and technical features.

“Chaparral is quite a bit of fun because it’s long enough and hard enough that it really pushes your skill set. … It’s probably one of the hardest trails that you can get to that’s legal within the East Bay,” Caldas said. Despite its difficulty, the trail can be repeated multiple times in one session making it ideal for practicing specific features. “It’s quite technical.

There’s a lot of rocks that you have to deal with (and) there’s a couple of sections

ALEX TRIPCEVICH

that get steep and you have to really deal with keeping your balance and keeping your control of both tires without sliding too much. … After that, you can sort of rip real fast down the rest of it,” Caldas said.

Another popular biking location is Tilden Park in Orinda. Boone Givens, a sophomore on the BHS mountain biking team enjoys biking in the Vollmer Peak area in South Tilden.

“It’s super pretty … (There are panoramic) views of the bay and it’s not too hot.

All the trails kind of stem from there so you can go anywhere you want,” Givens said. “There’s a couple of fire roads and then there’s five or six single track trails that go from there. Sometimes it’s dusty, but a lot of the time it’s pretty grippy dirt and (it has) a good amount of tree cover.”

The ideal conditions and variety of trails make it a frequent destination for the mountain biking team.

For Givens, the area holds a special significance as the place he first learned to mountain bike.

From Joaquin Miller Park to Tilden Park, BHS mountain bikers enjoy biking on many of the different trails that the Bay Area has to offer.

In April 1942, a group of Polish armed forces, along with several thousand deported citizens fleeing the Soviet invasion, passed through a city called Hamadan in Northern Iran. At a railroad station, the group encountered a young boy holding a brown bear cub, who told them that the bear’s mother had been shot by hunters. 18-year-old Irena Bokiewicz, one of the citizens traveling with the group, convinced the soldiers to take in the cub, who they named Wojtek (pronounced Voytek). In a refugee camp, Irena fed Wojtek milk from a vodka bottle. When he became too large, the bear was given to the Polish 22nd Artillery Transport Company, who gladly took him in.

Over the next five years, Wojtek became a valued member of the company. He was fed fruit, honey, and syrup, and is said to have often enjoyed drinking beer and smoking (eating) cigarettes. He drank coffee in the mornings and showered with the soldiers. In fact, Wojtek would use the showers so much, it caused water shortages in the camp and he was eventually banned outright. That was until the bear wandered into the showers, without permission, and discovered an Arab spy who was scouting the camp, upon which Wojtek was given unlimited shower privileges.

He was a true member of the unit: Wojtek is said to have slept with the soldiers at night, wrestled with them during the day, and was trained by his caretaker, Peter Prendys, to salute and march with the other men. He would chase after oranges thrown by the soldiers for grenade practice. He quickly became a mascot for the division, and the Polish armed forces as a whole: a silhouette of Wojtek became an official insignia and was put on banners, pins, and supply crates.

Wojtek toured through Iran, Palestine, and Egypt with the 22nd Artillery Transport Company. He stayed with them through 1944, when the group was assigned to fight alongside the British Eighth Army in Italy. When the transport ship carrying the men would not accept Wojtek, he was made an official private in the Polish army and was allowed aboard. Over the next three years, Wojtek became an iconic symbol of the armed forces and stories about him spread: multiple eye-witness accounts say that at the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek carried and stacked 22-pound ammo crates to and from the front line.

After the war, Wojtek was promoted to corporal and lived out his retirement at the Edinburgh Zoo, where he was frequently visited by his former comrades who would throw him cigarettes, and even enter his enclosure to wrestle. Wojtek passed away in 1963 at the age of twenty-one from damage to his esophagus. Since his death, ten sculptures of the bear have been erected in several European cities, including London, Kraków, Edinburgh, Duns, and Cassino. Wojtek exemplifies the bonds between humans and animals that can exist even during the chaos of war. He teaches us that loyalty, friendship, and resilience are qualities that transcend species, and we can all make a mark on the world no matter who we are.

16 F R I D A Y , N O V E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 2 3

sports editors: Colina Harvey & Leo Silverberg

SPORTS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

leosilverberg@students.berkeley.net

Race and wealth deter teens from crew, mountain biking CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

completely false, and so it really paints that image, not in a bad way, but in a way that would be really unappealing to people,” said McGlone. “If any low income minority communities know about us and that’s the only image they know about us, they’re not interested.”

Due to the lack of popularity and knowledge about rowing, the stereotypes around it being a “rich white sport” tend to stick more easily.

Huhndorf-Lima spoke on the impact that the demographics of the sports can have on interested athletes.“It’s definitely an intimidating thing. I can very well understand why a lot of people might want to stay away from teams like the crew team and the mountain biking team, simply because of who’s involved with it,” he said. “And then, especially within the group itself, obviously, you’ll see cliques and you see, like, who’s left out of these things, the impacts are very real. You can very well see them.”

The lack of diversity within crew and mountain biking can also be attributed to the financial cost. BHS’s athletes on crew pay dues worth $225 per month (for 9 months) without financial

assistance. For mountain biking, dues are still fairly high, with athletes paying $650 per season, on top of the price of buying a bike, which can be around $1,000 for a new bike. The BHS mountain biking team receives no funding from the school and is accordingly completely volunteer-run.

In 2016, the team started formally loaning bikes to those who couldn’t afford one.

Nick Hoeper-Tomich, the head coach of the mountain biking team, described the effect of the loaner bikes as removing a barrier to entry that had existed beforehand. He said that one of their long term goals is to transfer from being primarily funded by dues to being funded by grants, which could help promote socioeconomic diversity within the team by nearly eliminating the need for dues.

Looking forward, Marie Jones, the women’s crew varsity coach, expects diversity within the sport to change gradually. “There’s lots of efforts out there now to help introduce the sport to different populations,” she said.

“And it’s happening. It’s just happening slowly. The more information that can get out there, the more people can see the sport and what it’s about.”

The BHS

BHS graduate Amalia Kermaninejad rides a trail.

mountain biking team, in addition and overcome obstacles regarding it, to providing financial aid and loaner according to Huhndorf-Lima, who’s bikes, promotes diversity a part of the committee. in other ways, by first “We’re really trying looking at the “I’ve definitely felt to make changes representation alienation and isolation even though on the provided they may be on a team ... ” in their smaller scale,” said coaches and Hu h n d o r f - L i m a .

Miguel Huhndorf-Lima volunteers.

“We’ve raised money BHS mountain biker “I’m a big for scholarships, and proponent of if we’ve raised money you can see somebody for loaner bikes to who looks like you, leading something, try and get a wider range of doing something cool, you’re gonna feel demographics on the team, especially like you belong,” said Hoeper-Tomich. with LGBTQ+ plus riders, female “That’s what we’re trying to create, is identifying riders, and then riders of an environment where everyone feels color,” he said. like they see somebody doing the thing “That is a big part of what my that they want to do and they feel that goals are with the team is in terms sense of belonging.” He said that when of changing the dynamics around they were trying to promote gender the sport of mountain biking,” said diversity within the team, one of the Hoeper-Tomich. “All that is to attract things that had the biggest impact was people who aren’t necessarily looking hiring female coaches, and said that he like me. Because I look like the typical hoped to recreate that when it comes mountain biker. I understand that and to racial diversity as well.

I also want to make sure that when The team also has a committee my daughter is in high school, I want titled the Diversity, Equity and a typical mountain biker to be much Inclusion Committee, which meets more diverse.” monthly to promote diversity within the sport and address

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATE POREMBA AND PHOTO-ILLUSTRATION BY GWYNETH FONTE

Fall sports postseason recap and review

BY CLARA TJEN staff writer

All Berkeley High School cross country teams had a successful 2023 season, earning first place in the West Alameda County Conference (WACC) league. According to BHS senior Mason Mullen, “We’re just the fastest we’ve ever been.” In California, it is notoriously difficult to make it to the state crosscountry championships because California is one of

the most competitive states for running. Both crosscountry teams will attend North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 18, and a handful of selected runners will participate in the state championships the next Saturday, Nov. 25.

The girls volleyball team finished second out of seven in the WACC league standings. They made it to NCS playoffs, but lost in the first round to California High School. Elle Walker, a senior and co-captain on the team attributed

much of their success this season to the coaching staff, in addition to the relationships the players had on and off the court, “Our relationships grew stronger, which helped us in the game and in our communication to each other … Our bond as a team is what really got us to where we were able to be this season.”

The BHS football team finished in first place in their league and made it to NCS playoffs. They lost their first playoff game to El Cerrito High School on Friday Nov.

10. Coach David Perry said that “developing a strong standard within the football program, how we conduct ourselves on and off the field, a great coaching staff, changes on defense” all contributed to their success this season.

The girls’ flag football team had an exciting firstever season as a sport at BHS. They not only learned about the sport together, but also secured first place in the WACC league. According to senior Margaret Sandiego, the confidence and patience

A BHS player carries the ball against Irvington High School. GEORGIA PAULOS

the coaches brought to the team led them to the successes they had. Sandiego said, “I’ve played on various different sporting teams and I’ve never had coaches who put in so much of

their extra and personal time and devoting it to the team.” They made it to the unofficial playoffs (NCS playoffs will officially start next year), and lost in the — Luli Galinson semifinals.