BHS Jacket 2022/23 Issue 8

‘Love and pain’: Multicultural students at BHS navigate holidays

BY ADITYA SRIDHARAN staff writer

The anticipation of the holiday season is a true source of hope and relish for many students, with many beginning to consider the placement of their Christmas trees. Yet during

FEATURES

these times of supposed joy, the thoughts of many multicultural students are far from tranquil. A collection of reflections and hopes lies unspoken.

BHS senior Becca Cardiello sees her origins as the backbone of love and connection in her family. Cardiello was adopted from

Habesha Student Union starts at BHS

BY MADELYN PHILHOWER staff writer

“I grew up not knowing a lot of Habesha people in my classes or in school, separate from my sister,” said Maraki Mengesha A. “A lot of times I felt really isolated whenever there’d be conversations about culture, because I’d look around, and there wouldn’t be a lot of Habesha students there too.”

Habesha is a term that unifies Ethiopians, Eritreans, and all tribes living in that region. Now, Mengesha A is one of four seniors involved in the

creation of the Habesha Student Union (HSU) at Berkeley High School.

Sara Tesfai and Winta Tesfaldet were inspired to create the club alongside siblings Maraki and Makida Mengesha A., due to their involvement with an Eritrean community program in Oakland. “I feel like (the program) had such a strong sense of community, and I was like, ‘We should do that at Berkeley High too,”’ Tesfai said.

Unity is a key goal for HSU leaders. “You see so many Habesha communities in the Bay Area, PAGE 11

Apply to be a columnist for the spring semester!

Submit a columnist application by January 6 to liannaleung@students. berkeley.net. More info on PAGE 7

Tanzania and has a Korean mother and an ItalianAmerican father. “When I’m with my mom’s family we make dumplings, and on my dad’s side of the family we cook pasta,” Cardiello said. “Every Christmas, we do the Feast of the Seven Fishes, which is an Italian celebration,” she continued.

“There is something about my Italian family where the love is always always there,” Cardiello said. When it comes down to it, Cardiello sees both her mother and father’s cultural similarities. “You respect your family, you cook ... the language is the same,” she continued.

Sophomore Ori

Boozaglo is half AmericanAshkenazi Jewish and half Israeli-Sephardic Jewish. The differences she has experienced under the Jewish diaspora shaped her childhood. Boozaglo, whose parents are separated, spent her first few Hanukkahs alternating between both her mother and father’s homes. “I

remember walking into my mom’s house and smelling the soups, lighting the candles, and experiencing that warm cozy feeling,” Boozaglo said.

“When I went to my dad’s, there was beautiful Israeli music playing and the house was filled with spices and passion,” she continued.

Boozaglo’s PAGE 12

should find joy, safety, and community at school.

MALIN MORELL

FEATURES

A day in the life of Juan Raygoza

BY MATEO TSAI staff writer

Most Friday mornings, Berkeley High School principal Juan Raygoza delivers donuts. Clutching the pastry-filled box, he

ambles down BHS hallways, past classrooms filled with students watching the morning announcements. At long last, he arrives at one lucky classroom: the winners of the week’s trivia contest.

Inspired by a trivia show he saw one night, Raygoza

BHS boys soccer takes on San Ramon Valley in 4-1 win

BHS boys soccer defeated San Ramon Valley High School on December 3, winning 4-1. PAGE 16

started the tradition during the 2021-22 school year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced an end to schoolwide activities including assemblies and sports games. Activities such as these are a key part of Raygoza’s philosophy as a principal, that students

Raygoza’s high school experience growing up in the Los Angeles area heavily influences the decisions he makes at BHS. “Even though I’m now principal at BHS, I was really close to not making it through high school … I didn’t feel like I had any adults who cared about me at school, and who supported me, but I had a strong love for my family.”

As a high schooler, Raygoza always wondered if the administrators were in a room thinking, “What is best for Juan Raygoza?” As a result, he makes an effort to always consider what is best for students.

Students have turned Raygoza into a niche meme. Some whisper that his head cracks open at the end of each school year, only for a slightly smaller Raygoza to PAGE 10

Bilingual learning must be prioritized in BUSD

BUSD must incorporate expansive language requirements as a top priority for the student body’s future. PAGE 5

ALEX MORGAN

Principal Raygoza prepares for a day full of meetings, with a cup of coffee in hand.

UC Berkeley academic workers strike for higher wages, benefits

BY AARON STEVENS staff writer

Over the last few weeks, close to 48,000 University of California (UC) academic workers, 10,000 of whom are from UC Berkeley, are striking for higher wages and better benefits. The striking workers, the majority of whom are teacher’s assistants, academic researchers, or post-doctoral researchers, are represented by the United Auto Workers Union (UAW). Academic workers make up a quarter of the members of the UAW, which in total has nearly 400,000 members.

childcare, greater accessibility for disabled workers, and healthcare for family members.

“The main reason to strike is to show the university that we are the ones that do the work,” said Arlyn Moreno Luna, a doctoral candidate at the UC Berkeley School of Education. “We are the ones that teach. We are the ones that do the research. So if you don’t pay us a fair wage, you lose all of this.”

Over the past four years in order to help fund her

very disrespectful, and not showing good faith trying to bargain,” Moreno Luna added. “On Tuesday of the first week, they were supposed to meet to bargain, and they just canceled the meeting. They didn’t even say ‘Let’s reschedule.’”

Moreno Luna added that the UC bargaining team showed further disrespect by arriving 40 minutes late to the following meeting, which had already been delayed an hour.

“We are the ones that teach. We are the ones that do the research. So if you don’t pay us a fair wage, you lose all of this.”

“Our union stands with our members in California as they fight for fairness and an equitable collective bargaining agreement,” said UAW President Ray Curry in a public statement regarding the UC strikes. “This strike is the largest in the nation, the biggest of the year, and the largest at any academic institution in history.”

Arlyn Moreno Luna, UC Berkeley Doctoral Candidate

education, gain experience, and pay her rent, Moreno Luna has taken multiple positions teaching and assisting in research.

Academic workers are striking in several other places across the United States as well. At The New School in New York City, teachers and other staff have effectively shut down most of the campus by striking and will likely continue to do so for the rest of the semester. New School workers are also unionized under the UAW.

students is relatively high. “There’s a known idea that we’re all collectively here to support the teachers,” she said.

Some of the demands from the strike, in addition to higher salaries, include benefits such as subsidies for

Because undergraduate classes are often taught or supported by graduate students, the majority of classes are impacted until the strike is resolved.

“I think the UC bargaining team has been

“They’re pushing to have the new contract reflect and account for inflation from the last five years. The problem is the people who are negotiating with the union; they are the people taking all the money,” said Helena Lerner, Berkeley High School graduate, and current student at The New School. According to Lerner, support for the strike from

As of Thursday, December 1, UC Berkeley Academic Workers began to occupy California Hall and are not planning on leaving until the UC Berkeley Chancellor commits to a contract the workers consider fair, according to the UC Student Workers Union. California Hall, which is located on the UC Berkeley campus, houses the Chancellor’s Office.

“I want the university to stop messing around and negotiate in good faith so

our kids can get on with their education,” shared Chrissy Meuris, a parent of two BHS graduates and current UC students.

Morena Luna also said that the experience has built community between the UC workers, students, and the Berkeley community. She says that many local Berkeley businesses, such as Berkeley Espresso, have brought food, coffee, and verbal support to the picket lines. UC Berkeley undergraduate students have expressed support for the protesters by picketing with them and sharing their food.

“So far it’s been very

peaceful; it sometimes feels like a party because we can feel like we’re in this all together,” shared an international graduate student who wishes to remain anonymous.

On November 29, UC officials announced a tentative agreement in which increased wages and benefits would be given to post-doctoral scholars and academic researchers. But as negotiations for significant compromises continue to be made for academic student employees and graduate student researchers, strikes will likely continue throughout the fall semester, possibly persisting into the spring.

UC Berkeley graduate students strike on Crescent Lawn.

LARSEN PORTER

Berkeley and California vote on 2022 midterm propositions

BY SHANZA SYED staff writer

PROP L, M, N

For local legislation, all three measures, L, M, and N passed, with 59 percent, 65 percent, and 76 percent of the vote, respectively.

Measure L, which allocates funds to infrastructure improvements, would result in the improvement of roads across the city. It would also fund affordable housing in order to reduce the homelessness crisis in Berkeley and provide climate solutions.

Measure M intends to combat homelessness by incentivizing homeowners to rent out their vacant units by imposing a $3000 tax on landlords the first year, and a $6000 tax every year after that.

Lastly, Measure N targets the sphere of public housing by providing funding to build 3000 additional units of rent-controlled housing.

PROP 1

Prop 1, which would enshrine the right to abortion in California’s State Constitution, managed to pass with 66.9 percent of the vote.

PROP 26 & 27

Prop 26 and 27 failed, receiving 37 percent and 17.7 percent of the vote respectively. If they had passed, sports betting would have been legal in casinos on Native American land. This was made possible by the fact that Native Americans have some level of sovereignty over their land’s laws.

PROP 28

Prop 28, which is to dedicate $1 billion of funding to art and music programs at public schools, passed will 64.4 percent of the vote.

PROP 29

Prop 29, which would have required a doctor to be present in every dialysis facility for the procedure to take place, failed, receiving only 31.6 percent of the vote. This can be attributed to the fact that many voters felt it would force dialysis centers to close if they didn’t have a physician available on hand, and jeopardize the ability of dialysis patients to receive life-saving treatment.

PROP 30

Prop 30, regarding an additional tax on income over $2 million to pay for electric vehicle subsidies, failed with 42.3 percent of the vote. Some were concerned that rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber would be the ones benefiting from this policy more than others. Finally, Prop 31, which would ban the sale of flavored tobacco, passed with 63.4 percent of the vote.

School board: Literacy program update, two members retire

BY ELOISE THOMAS staff writer

On Wednesday, November 30, the Berkeley Unified School District School Board meeting included an update on the recent dyslexia settlement, speeches by two board members who are stepping down this year, and recognition of Berkeley High School’s partnership with the Berkeley Fire Department (BFD).

At the beginning of the meeting, the board spoke about the close relations between the BFD and BHS.

“The Berkeley Fire Department has been a long-standing member of BUSD’s Career Technical Education Board, playing a leadership role in guiding the program,” Board Director Julie Saini said. “As a result of this deep partnership, many of our students go on to very rewarding careers in fire, emergency response, nursing, and related healthcare fields.”

Saini continued, thanking the department and describing the effects of this partnership in shaping similar programs.

“As a result of the deep commitment for this program by BFD and IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters), local 1227, the B-STEP (Berkeley Safety Technical Emergency Program) CTE (Career Tech Education) pathway at Berkeley High School not only became a model for other career tech education Pathways at Berkeley High, but it is now a model for other School Districts and Fire Departments across the state,” Saini said.

Later in the meeting, a presentation was given by George Ellis, the program monitor in charge of overseeing the implementation of new policy driven by the recent dyslexia settlement. He gave his first report regarding the district’s progress in terms of a collaboration on the literacy improvement program.

“Before July … the structures for capturing progress on the literacy improvement program were limited. I did not see much cooperation across different departments and there seemed to be just a general lack of urgency in this work,” Ellis said. “Superintendent Ford Morthel came in, this work definitely got prioritized, and I saw the connection between the different departments was starting.”

Ellis also recommended the addition of a new position to help support the corrections being made to the curriculum.

“It would benefit this district to have a position dedicated to literacy. Most school districts your size have either a director of curriculum and instruction who would carry this work, or a director of illiteracy,” Ellis said. “Berkeley prioritizes equity, so you have a director of equity. Berkeley prioritizes research evaluation and assessment, so you have a director of BREA. If we don’t have a director of literacy or curriculum, what does that say about how it’s being prioritized at a district level?”

The literacy program was also discussed during the public comment section with Eva Levenson, a BHS student. She discussed her personal experience with literacy education.

“Please do everything you can to improve teaching instruction in our elementary schools,” Levenson said. “Every kid deserves the best science-based reading help.”

Finally, expressions of appreciation and heartfelt goodbyes were given to the two outgoing board directors, Sinai and Ty Alper.

“I want to thank both of you again for your commitment and your dedication to our community,” said Student

of California, Berkeley law professor and running a clinic that represents death row inmates.

Sinai also commented on her time on the board, tackling educational inequities.

Julie Sinai, BUSD school board director

Director Ian Segall. He continued, describing how Alper is a role model to students pursuing careers in law, working as a University

“My goal was to work with my colleagues to reverse the pervasive, persistent, and predictable opportunity gap in our district,” Sinai said. “I saw it as a time to do more than just move the needle incrementally on student achievement. I wanted to accelerate change for our district’s African American and Latinx students.”

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Catherine Zhang, and Larry Drumm

“If we don’t have a director of literacy or curriculum, what does that say about how it’s being prioritized at a district level?”

George Ellis, director of Caliornia Reading and Literacy Project

“As a result of this deep partnership, many of our students go on to very rewarding careers in fire, emergency response, nursing, and related healthcare fields.”

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,

ISA SHIMOMURA

BHS counselors and students offer college interview guidelines

BY AELIA GYGER staff writer

As the fall semester comes to a close, Berkeley High School seniors have begun to submit their college applications, and experience their first college interviews.

According to Sasha Gomes Libova, a Berkeley International High School (BIHS) senior, though some colleges require that students be interviewed as part of their application, most colleges have made it optional. Interviews are usually held by someone from the administration office or a former graduate, and can happen both online and in person.

Gomes Libova has done three college interviews so far, with several more scheduled to take place. In her experience, she has found that there are two kinds of interviews: one where the student has to lead the conversation, and one with a bit more structure.

“I’ve had different

experiences from each college interview,” Gomes Libova said. “(For) some, it’s kind of more conversational. They’ll ask a question that’s pretty straightforward, and then it’s up to you to kind of guide the conversation … and they’ll ask followup questions based on what you say.” She gave an example of this, saying that if you mention a specific class you’re interested in, they may ask what projects

Career Center (CCC), had several pieces of advice for students preparing for college interviews.

She recommended that students prepare an elevator pitch about themselves, consisting of a summary of the student, what they like, and their goals for the future, all of which should last no more than a minute.

you have enjoyed in your previous class.

“Some, it’s more structured. They have specific questions that are still usually pretty straightforward,” Gomes Libova said. “It’s just more question and answer format. So, an example of a question could be, ‘What are you looking for in a college?’”

Yasmin Navarro, a college counselor at the College and

Additionally, she suggested that students research the college they are applying to, and ensure they are able to answer the question of what draws them to the specific college. “You got to make sure that … if you’re talking about Georgetown, that you know what programs Georgetown has, and their dual enrollment, and that kind of stuff,” Navarro said.

According to Navarro, students should be prepared to answer questions about what they like to study and what they like to do during their free time. She also recommended asking the interviewer questions to create a more conversational, flowing discussion. “For example,

what was your major when you were at the school or what did you study? Or, did you always know the school was going to be (right) for you? Just kind of creating this conversation with the interviewers,” Navarro said.

information and statistics on the schools they are applying to, as well as how much weight the interview

“I’ve had different experiences from each college interview. (For) some, it’s kind of more conversational ... some, it’s more structured.”

According to Gomes Libova, each college is different; some consider the interview, while others they don’t. She added that students can find

Sasha Gomez Libova, BIHS senior

carries at a given school, through the Common Data Set online.

Navarro echoed these sentiments. She explained that “Some schools do weight (the interview) towards admission, but some schools just kind of do it as a general information session,” she said. She added that her final piece of advice for students throughout their college interviews is to “try to have fun with (the process).”

Students reflect on community service opportunities at BHS

BY KALI PROUD staff writer

Berkeley High School has a wide variety of clubs, with a total of 115 listed on their website as of Oct. 28. There are 14 different club categories listed on the website as well, the third largest being serviceoriented clubs with 18 registered clubs.

According to Chief of Service Gursimar Kaur, while many people expect community service to be a large commitment, that’s not necessarily always the case. “You can do service to the community on a daily basis,” Kaur said. “Sometimes students

stay behind class to help out their teacher with something, or sometimes students may do something that’s a really nice action for another person. That’s sort of like community service.”

She added that community service is often broader and more present in the community than many students take it to be.

One recent community service event was a fundraising bake sale organized by the National Honors Society (NHS).

Theo Gerst, one of the copresidents, explained that they were donating all of the money to the non-profit No Kid Hungry. “They’re a pretty large organization, and they give grants and

fund different schools and communities in order to provide meals for kids that cannot otherwise afford them,” Gerst said. “Ideally, it wouldn’t be an issue in our country that people aren’t getting food. We’re just trying to help out.”

Best Buddies, an international organization and club at BHS, has a different approach to community service. They focus on creating a community for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and mostly just provide a space for students to hang out and make friends. “The main mission is to foster friendships and create an environment where

IDDs are destigmatized and welcomed,” said Ian Segall, the club’s president. “In the club meetings, we really just hang out. There’s not really too much that we do because the main goal of the club is to foster friendships. I organize field trips. We do IDD campaigns where we try to educate our community on intellectual developmental differences, and we try to destigmatize them.”

The pandemic has created some difficulties for certain community service events. For example, Kaur is currently working on organizing an alternative to the BHS holiday meal, an event that BHS has been hosting for decades. “It was discontinued in light of COVID-19 protocols. Bringing it back is kind of a challenge because obviously COVID-19 is still a concern,” Kaur said. “Because we can’t have that many people on campus for a holiday meal type of situation, I was thinking of making it a to-go format where we can create bags of essential things that families will need, and give those out.”

Best Buddies has also

been affected by the pandemic. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 hit, so I didn’t get to experience a year and a half of (Best Buddies),” Segall said. “It was really hard to do field trips last year, so we weren’t able to do any.” However, this year

in community service for the first time, she said that it’s best to find something students passionate about and go for it.

“There are a lot of friendly organizations welcoming volunteers all the time, and you’ll fit right in.” She also recommended bringing friends along for extra support when trying new things.

the club has plans to go on a field trip to the California Academy of Sciences and take a trip to the movies. The club also has a few more events planned for the year.

“There’s this thing called the Best Buddies Friendship Walk, which happens in San Francisco every year,” Segall said. “Best Buddies clubs from all different high schools come and go on a parade type thing. It’s kind of a big fundraiser.”

From organizing fundraisers to just being empathetic and compassionate towards others, Kaur explained that there are many ways to be active in the BHS community. When it comes to getting involved

“In general, giving back (to the community) is something super important,” said Skyler Rockmael, co-president of NHS. She explained how community service can improve Berkeley as a whole, even if it’s the work of only one individual. “Helping people helps the person, and it also helps you. It builds character, it builds community. I think there’s so many benefits.”

Segall expanded more on the drawbacks of not being involved in community service.

“You can feel really distant and isolated,” Segall said. “(It) really limits your capacity for growth if you’re only really focused on yourself and you’re not looking at other people’s experiences within a community.”

“You got to make sure that … if you’re talking about Georgetown, that you know what programs Georgetown has, and their dual enrollment, and that kind of stuff.”

Yasmin Navarro, BHS college counselor

Students assess bake sale results in the College and Career Center.

SANAM ROZYCKI-SHAH

“Helping people helps the person, and it also helps you. It builds character, it builds community.”

Skyler Rochmael, NHS co-president

College counselor Maya Martinez works at her computer, where students are free to drop by. JAHAN INGRAHAM

CCC provides tangible approach to stress

SHINING A LIGHT ON: SELF-HARM

The College and Career Center (CCC) is one of Berkeley High School’s most developed and valuable resources. It was created to provide resources for students on the college pathway as well as assistance for those entering the workforce. In room D-221, students can meet with college advisors, career counselors, and essay readers, attend university presentations, and more. However, most students just go to the CCC to study.

for students to treat their mental health at school is to seek counseling in the Health Center, but the CCC can offer the same support. This is why students should be allowed to go to the CCC in the same way they can visit the Health Center.

meeting appointment, or their teacher allows them to leave for some other reason. A pass to the Health Center is automatic, whereas on the contrary, a pass to the CCC is conditional.

SIMONE ZABARSKY

The feeling of drowning in assignments is anxietyinducing and draining on the mental health of BHS students. The main way

When a student asks to go to the Health Center, their teacher is obligated to give them a pass. The teacher cannot ask them questions about their visit or when they will be back; they must allow them to leave class without much explanation. This is not the same procedure as when a student asks to go to the CCC. Students generally aren’t allowed to go to the CCC during class unless they’ve finished their work, have a substitute, have a

If students are dealing with anxiety and stress as a result of an overwhelming amount of work, they likely won’t feel better unless they can chip away at a meaningful amount of it. While visiting a counselor in the Health Center is helpful, going to work in the CCC could relieve more stress.

As a tangible way to deal with school-related strain, it provides an opportunity for students to decompress in whatever way works best for them.

Some students already abuse their ability to escape

BY SIMONE FAULKNER staff writer EMILIA FREILICH

class to go to the Health Center, as BHS has made it easy to get a pass — for the benefit of students — and it’s arguable that students would also ask to go to the CCC for the same reason. While this is true and likely to happen, teachers must give students the same benefit of the doubt that they do when signing passes to the Health Center.

To have more accountability when sending students to the CCC, teachers could ask what the student plans to work on, why they have to do it in the CCC, and why it must happen during class.

Going to the CCC is just as productive as going to the Health Center. Both function to provide resources for students and it makes no sense to inhibit students from utilizing them. Especially now, during college application season and with finals approaching, time spent in the CCC may be more productive for students. Without the structure of a classroom, students can get whatever work done that they need. Whether students ask to go to D-221 or H-105, they should be allowed to leave class, without having to work hard to convince their teachers.

BUSD must prioritize bilingual education

BY CHARLIE TAMAGNO staff writer

In many countries around the world, having two or three languages under your belt by the time you graduate high school is an expectation. According to a European Union study, more than 56 percent of European adults speak a language other than the one of their country of residence. Korean students are required to take a full English course and be bilingual by their graduation. In stark contrast, only around 20 percent of Americans consider themselves able to fully converse in a language other than English, according to a United States Census report. The U.S., and by extension Berkeley schools, should aim to educate students to a level of working proficiency in a second language by their graduation.

At Berkeley High School, students are only required to take one year

of either a language or an arts class in order to graduate. The option to take a language class doesn’t even open until seventh grade, leading to a maximum of six years of possible language instruction. This, combined with the fact that many students find it excessive to add additional nonrequired years of language to their schedule, leads to BUSD students taking just a couple years of language on average. One or two years of classes, which are often not taken as seriously because of the nature of their choice as an elective, is not sufficient for any given student to become fluent.

The benefits of being bilingual are plentiful. Aside from the obvious: simpler communication with a wider scope of people, it makes students mentally stronger and increases their awareness of world cultures. Wrapped into language classes are insights into societies very different from the United States. According to the DANA Foundation, bilingual people activate

both languages whenever they speak. This creates better executive functions in their brain, as well as a strengthened cognitive ability in conflict management, meaning their brains become better at differentiating and picking the best of two options.

On average, it takes 600 hours of dedication to reach basic fluency in a second language. One year of school has about 180 hours of instruction for language classes. At a minimum, BUSD must require three years of a language. Starting a language in elementary school makes it significantly

easier to learn and retain, so even just offering second language classes in early years would be a great leap forward for BUSD students.

Being bilingual is an asset that will help students in their daily life, whether with interpersonal connection or in their careers. It should be a prime concern for American schools to educate their students to be members of the global society we live in today. BUSD should make incorporating more expansive language requirements a top priority for the futures of its student body.

Self-harm is oftentimes difficult to talk about. This could be due to tension or “awkwardness” people may feel around this subject, or because it may be an emotionally triggering, sensitive topic. Nevertheless, I believe that it should be addressed more. “Self-harm or self-injury means hurting yourself on purpose,” says the National Alliance on Mental illness. People do this for countless reasons — there is not one cause for self-harm, everyone's “reasoning” may be different.

The scary thing about self-harm is that because it's self-inflicted, most of the time people feel ashamed, so they may not know how to ask for the support they need, or in other cases ,they might not even want it. A common reason a teen might self-harm is due of a trauma or an event that had a negative effect on them that they are trying to “cope” with. Other reasons include pressures at school, bullying, financial worries, and dealing with difficult emotions and things like homophobia, racism, or other mistreatment. If you look at the reasons I just listed, you can note that a majority of them are issues that teens struggle with on a daily basis. This is a major reason why the rate of teens that self-harm is alarmingly high. “Over a one year period 27 percent of young adolescents reported thoughts of selfharm and 15 percent reported at least one act of self-harm,” says BMC Psychiatry. I wonder if some of this connects to social media's effects on adolescents being exposed to issues that have a substantial effect on their growing brains.

The Augustine Recovery Center states that, “On average, women deal with many issues that men do not experience. Discrimination, poor self-image, bullying, eating disorders, familial and cultural pressure, and sexual trauma.” For high school female-identifying students, pressures like these are very familiar to us, particularly due to the rapid rise of social media. Despite the prevalence of self-harm, it's still a difficult topic to talk about and lacks much needed resources. It's important to keep in mind that while women especially struggle with these issues, men do as well. No matter your gender, age, or race, mental illness can leave a negative effect. Educating yourself and the people who surround you is tremendously important for teen's well-being.

If you or someone you're close with may be struggling or experiencing this, professional help is incredibly valuable. Self-harm is very serious and should not be taken lightly. There is no shame in getting the help and resources you need. If you're struggling, the National Alliance on Mental Illness suggests “(showing) concern for their well-being and (being) persistent if they don’t open up right away.” If you need to speak to a professional, contact the National Suicide prevention lifeline which will connect you to a trained counselor.

opinion editors: ella creane & ellora mookherjee amodt

ROBERT GELLNER

Administrative assistant

Erika Pistoni recieves a pass from a student in the CCC.

Colleges’ for-profit approach must be re-examined

As Berkeley High School seniors navigate college applications, some choose not to apply to certain schools for financial reasons. As higher education costs increase, so does the scrutiny universities face about their financial practices. Higher education has been valued for centuries, and remains at the forefront of many high school students’ minds today.

Harvard University, the first university established in the United States, was founded in 1636. University of California, Berkeley was founded in 1868. Universities are held in high regard, due partially to their longevity, but also what they stand for: learning and personal growth. Yet the question remains: should universities run like businesses?

In reality, higher education is already a business. Universities exchange goods and services for money in the form of application fees and tuition from students. They also advertise their services, involving marketing and outreach,

like a business. The need for universities to keep their staff and student population happy is similar to an employer’s relationship with their employees. All of these aspects make college already run inherently like a business. However, the business model of universities often causes disparities with a lasting impact.

UC Berkeley earns money for their budget from things like state support, contracts and grants, and educational activities. But the largest contributor to their earnings? Student tuition and fees. Student fees made up 34 percent of UC Berkeley’s revenue sources during 2020, according to UC Berkeley’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer. This figure makes sense; students receive a service after payments are made, and university employees must get their pay from somewhere. Universities getting the majority of their income from student tuition isn’t the whole problem, but it does contribute to it. Although high tuition rates are practical for universities, the burden of paying for a college education becomes unreasonable when taking into account the other financial burdens faced by students, including student loans.

Student loan debt has reached $1.75 trillion across the US, as reported by Forbes. Additionally, when students must pay just to apply to colleges, the financial aspect of higher learning grows more daunting. Application fees, according to US News and World Report, range from $45 to $100 per school. Between ACT and SAT fees, paying for AP tests, private college counseling prices, and application fees themselves, students could face paying hundreds of dollars before they even know if they’ve been accepted to a school.

These statistics, along with the additional stress many

students face of their families not being able to afford to send them to college, have a major impact on who takes part in higher education opportunities. A study performed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that the “average student is more likely to attend college if the student thinks their family can afford to send their child to college,” and that only 38 percent of students who thought their family couldn’t afford college tuition were enrolled. As tuition rates climb, so does the disparity between low-income and higher income students.

On top of this, due to racial wage discrepancies, the issue of affordability of a college degree often unfairly affects students of color. Black and Latinx students are often less likely to be able to afford a college education, according to an NCES College Enrollments Rates study. While it’s necessary for a university to obtain some income from students and families, the current exchange fosters an unfair climate for Black and Latinx families.

Not only must universities uphold standards of education, enlightenment, and learning, they also need to consider who can access their education. These are crucial differences between universities and businesses which must be sustained in order to ensure the continued success and credibility of higher education.

Creating a space in which universities maintain the necessary business models while staying away from a for-profit agenda is no small task, but there are many ways it can be done. Expanding government funding through grants so tuition can be lowered for students, or increasing student accessibility to financial aid so all lower income students can receive support are crucial to alleviate the injustices caused by universities as businesses.

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Final exams fail to accurately reflect BHS student knowledge

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Students go from ice skating with friends over Thanksgiving break, to pumpkin spice lattes on BART, to a delicious feast of turkey, to studying each night till the quiet hours of dawn, to non-stop stress, tests, tears and panic over grades. Berkeley High School students take this sudden jump each year when finals week approaches. At the end of each semester, teachers assign a long final test or large group project covering everything taught. This is a typically stressful process that doesn’t correctly assess the knowledge of students. BHS should not hold finals week as it is designed right now.

the side effects of stress caused by finals week don’t just affect the health of students but also their test performances.

Chicago Times writer Alana Foley touched on the topic. “The students who normally do really well have a large capacity to hold information in their minds and use advanced strategies that require a

grades at the end of an otherwise successful semester.

...side effects of stress caused by finals week don’t just affect the health of students but also their test performances.

At BHS, finals week includes Monday and Tuesday as regular school days, usually used for reviewing or studying, and Wednesday through Friday as finals days. The week is designed with two classes per day with each period lasting two hours for the exam or project. BHS students spend hours studying to prepare for final exams, which builds up, causing sleepless nights and intense anxiety regarding their grades. Often, this chronic stress deeply worsens the mental health of students, reversing any attempts made by BHS to improve it with mindfulness, counseling, and therapy resources. However,

lot of cognitive resources,” Foley said. “But when they’re math anxious, the anxiety and the emotion system of the brain interfere with their ability to retain information, so they end up performing much worse than they otherwise would if they weren’t anxious,” she added.

Test anxiety can limit students from displaying the real extent of their knowledge and ruin their

Finals and tests shouldn’t be abolished, but instead, a different structure is needed where small tests covering the material are assigned throughout the semester. This would allow students to study specifically for each unit or section and actually learn and retain the information, rather than having to remember multiple units worth of information all at once. Oftentimes the full two hours given for testing ends up being too much time, and both teachers and students sit around in class doing nothing, wasting both the teacher and student's time.

In addition, teachers are often left with hundreds of papers and projects to grade over the holiday break, which takes away from their free time with their families and friends.

Overall the entire finals week system is problematic for the mental health of students. It does not allow for an accurate representation of a student's knowledge. Finals week must be modified. This is especially important now because of the high stress that students are still experiencing regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and other necessary academic obligations including the SAT, ACT, and college applications.

The current system does more harm than good; BHS must challenge the accepted way of measuring knowledge.

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UC Berkeley must cope with the over-admission of students

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they don’t have to pay the college for on-campus living.

During the past couple of years, University of California Berkeley has over admitted new students, causing several extreme effects, such as the destruction of People’s Park, increased rent, and even increased cost of living. UC Berkeley should cut down on the total number of students admitted each year, as it will lead to a better and safer city.

UC Berkeley is one of the most popular colleges in the entire country with over 140,000 annual applications per year. UC Berkeley is also a popular choice for Berkeley High School students, with numerous applications every year. BHS alumni who attend UC Berkeley benefit from in-state tuition, and the ability to continue living with their parents, meaning that

Each year, UC Berkeley accepts around 16,000 students, but only matriculates about 6,500 of them, meaning that approximately 40 percent of all students who get accepted attend the school. UC Berkeley only has the resources to accommodate about 30,000 undergraduate students at a time, as there are only eight residence halls and minimal other living options for students.

historical events like antiVietnam war protests, among others. In recent years, People’s Park has been home to a major homeless encampment.

In early 2018, UC Berkeley proposed a plan to dismantle People’s Park and replace it with student housing. This new housing will be able to ease some of the tension that the university is feeling with its over admissions, but it isn’t a long term solution.

In addition to UC Berkeley’s minimal provided housing, the cost of living off-campus is extremely high. Renting a house or apartment near the UC Berkeley campus sets students back financially every month.

Although People’s Park has always been property of UC Berkeley, it has functioned as a public park since the early 1970s, hosting numerous

If UC Berkeley lowered the overall admissions rate, then all of these problems would lessen considerably. If fewer students need housing in the first place, then there would be more housing available, completely eliminating the need to destroy People’s Park. This money could be put towards improving the current student housing, and can even be put towards buying new land around the school.

Lowering the

Vegan school lunch effectively reduces BHS carbon footprint

BY JULIA BRIMMER staff writer

When one walks into most modern-day restaurants, they can expect to find food options that suit their dietary needs. Everyone is entitled to a meal, regardless of whether or not they eat meat, even though select privileged groups are often the only ones with access to vegetarian and vegan food options. However, at Berkeley High School, vegetarian and vegan lunches should be the norm, not a privilege.

One may argue that instead of limiting food options to just plant-based ones, BHS should prioritize having a wide variety of options that satisfy all student’s dietary needs.

While every individual has their own food preferences, most vegetarian and vegan students at BHS follow those diets for environmental reasons. By cutting out meat at school

altogether, BHS could end up making critical positive impacts on the planet.

The animals that humans breed for food emit countless amounts of methane and physical waste, and when that enters the atmosphere, the Earth gets warmer. According to a United Nations’ study in 2006, the combined climate change emissions of animals bred for their meat were about 18 percent of the world’s total. In addition, The Guardian states that livestock feeds on over 30 percent of the planet’s non-ice covered land. Animals subsequently end up over-grazing, leading to soil erosion, desertification, and loss of the land’s fertility. Meat also requires drastically high amounts of water to produce, in comparison to vegetables and grains. For example, it takes around 60 pounds of water to produce one pound of potatoes, but more than 20,000 pounds of water to produce a pound of beef. That water could

be going toward combating deforestation or to families facing droughts, both of which are increasing due to climate change in the first place.

With these facts considered, eating meat is clearly harming our planet at an alarming rate, with meat production contributing to global warming, destruction of land, and the increasing scarcity of water. This proves that we as consumers must change the way in which we consume if we want to keep the earth alive.

The number of vegetarian and vegan students at BHS and in the general world is increasing. By providing students with plant-based meals, BHS could help provide students with the opportunity to benefit the planet when they might not be able to otherwise.

BHS is well aware of the benefits of plant-based diets. However, if our community is not using that reputation for good, what is the point of having it at all? Only around 14 percent of American schools even offer plant-based lunches, with much fewer schools offering only plant-based lunches, showing that most places are not brave enough to act this drastically. The climate crisis, however, needs drastic action. Berkeley has the opportunity to be a catalyst for the future of our planet, and this needs to start with school lunches.

acceptance rate does have some drawbacks. UC Berkeley is known for being a very democratic and open place, and lowering the acceptance rate could massively harm that reputation. If UC Berkeley was to accept less students, they would charge students more to make up for the money lost. Many students

currently enrolled at UC Berkeley already have trouble paying tuition, and increasing the tuition could force many students to completely rule out UC Berkeley as a choice for college. However, If there are less students, there is a much higher chance that professors will be able to communicate directly

BY The Buzz: The BHS Jacket Podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Check out bhsjacket.com/ podcast for more info.

with students. This leads to higher levels of understanding, affecting students on a personal level.

If UC Berkeley decreased the amount of students accepted, it would leave an overall good impact on students attending the school, Berkeley residents, and the administration itself.

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‘An up and down process’: Teachers grapple with supporting students through grief

BY JASPER LOVVORN-BLACK staff writer

“We need more long-term mental health support for every student on this campus given what has transpired over the last year,” said Anna Maine, Multilingual Program (MLP) co-lead teacher and English Learners (EL) Coordinator. Maine has been working to support grieving students after the recent tragedies that have shaken the Berkeley High School community.

“Grief is so different for everybody, and that’s the first thing we need to remember,” said Xochitl Dueñas, an English and MLP teacher.

BHS staff, including counselors, teachers, and other adults available on campus, have been involved in the grief support process by reassuring students, as well as remaining aware that grief comes in many forms.

“Our community was deeply impacted by the most recent tragedy,” Maine said. “Our students often arrive at BHS with a lot of trauma so these kinds of events can trigger things for our students.”

Support comes with a whole lot of grace, empathy, and understanding, according to Dueñas. She explained that everyone grieves in a different way. That means “giving students, staff, and everyone a space to process, to not jump back into things, as if things are normal,” Dueñas said. It’s important to have conversations about how grief looks in different stages, as well as “just taking it slow, and giving everyone all of the grace, patience, and time that they need to heal,” Dueñas said.

Students aren’t the only community members struggling with grief from the recent tragedy. “It's been incredibly sobering to see that you can't have it all together all the time,” Dueñas said. “Sometimes, it's okay to show your humanity to

your students, and that's a part of it as well.”

Universal Ninth Grade (U9) Hive 3 math teacher Emily Gilden, who taught one of the victims of the most recent shooting reflected on her experience with grief. “Angel was my student; I was quite close to him, so it's been really hard on me to focus and do anything, thinking about him,” Gilden said.

In reference to supporting her students, Gilden said that “It's been an up and down process, obviously.” Many of her students were heavily impacted by the tragedy, and she remains involved in supporting their needs and helping them catch up. Additionally, Gilden has been meeting with a group of counselors and teachers to talk through how to best support their students in the grieving process.

She added that she felt shocked when students closely affected by the tragedies this year and last maintained their school work. “What (they) would need – or what I would need in that situation – is not to feel stressed about keeping up with my classes,” Gilden said.

Maine echoed this sentiment, “We’re trying to get back to normal, because that’s what a lot of students seem to want, but it feels very abrupt.”

Following community tragedies, Maine refers her students to support available on campus. She also creates a safe space in her classroom by providing opportunities like an optional community circle or activities that break out of the normal school schedule, such as watching a movie. Since Maine teaches in the MLP, she also reviewed emotional vocabulary for her English learners so they could express how

they feel.

“A lot of the time, in various situations, teachers fill in that emotional support role, of course for tragedies, but (also on) an every day or weekly basis.” Dueñas said. The reality is that many teachers regularly provide support for their students, even outside of the extra emotional support needed during a tragedy.

However, according to Dueñas, “It's kind of an awkward space to do that at school because (everyone) should feel very safe here, and you have to honor the feelings that are coming up when they come up.”

This process can be challenging for teachers to implement into their classrooms while also balancing each individual’s needs.

As much as BHS is trying to be there for its students in terms of mental health, the school is not equipped well enough to adequately support each individual that has been affected by these events. “I think the school has a mental health crisis, which isn’t always the most visible” Maine said. “The district should spend a lot more time investigating what our students are going through.”

BHS is one of many high schools struggling with mental health crises resulting from recent worldwide, nationwide, and local events. “I would love to just see more personnel available for any student who is struggling to access it, because of the pandemic, because of many different events last year, because of this recent tragedy,” Maine said.

Gilden said, “There's definitely not a one perfect solution to these things. But, I think we're trying our best and there are a lot of support (systems) that maybe a lot of students don't see.”

“It's been incredibly sobering to see that you can't have it all together all the time.”

Xochitl Dueñas, MLP English teacher

ILLUSTRATED BY LUCY RICKART-WEBB, staff illustrator

FEATURES

BHS seniors weigh the pros and cons of out-of-state universities

BY AVA RAMSDALE staff writer

These months are crucial for seniors as they send in applications for regular decisions and receive early admission notifications.

At Berkeley High School, seniors flock to the College and Career Center (CCC) in the hopes of getting their essays read or receiving help submitting applications.

Many public and private school applications are due in early January, most of them being out-of-state for California students. Attending an out-of-state school means higher tuition and in some cases a higher application fee. Despite this, students apply to a variety of schools out of state, and some even apply to those outside of the country.

“The attraction to something different is what brings people out of California and into either out-of-state public schools or private schools,” said Anton Migdal, a senior at BHS. Migdal said when students like himself think

about going away for college, there is a longing for change and different experiences. To him, college is an opportunity to undergo new things, meet people and form ideas, diversifying yourself and your perspectives.

Simon Starbuck, a senior, said that “being in a different place is always a good experience and that a great time to experience something like this (is) during college.”

With students coming from a variety of backgrounds and places, college is the perfect opportunity for individuals to meet new people and determine their lifestyles.

Out-of-state tuition can become expensive, and students might be unable to afford such costly prices along with room and board. California public universities offer students top-quality education at a lower price than many outof-state schools.

For students who have grown up in Berkeley or the Bay Area their entire life, the chance to explore

a new place and gain new experiences draws many students to apply out of state.

Typically, in college, students have the chance to explore life away from home while still being guaranteed housing, food, and other necessities for the majority of the time.

For this reason, some seniors at BHS are reluctant to apply or seriously consider the University of California, Berkeley when applying for colleges. As students already spend time on the university’s campus, it wouldn’t feel like a true college experience for some, especially those who spent much of their childhood in Berkeley.

“I am applying to Berkeley, but I don’t want to stay in Berkeley,” Migdal said. “I do love it but I want something different.”

In addition, for some students, Berkeley is not the only place they call home, therefore they don’t feel the same draw to stay here that many other students do. Sarah Darzacq, a senior, said, “I definitely have less of

this feeling of, ‘I am leaving my one home’ because I have lived in France.”

Darzacq’s parents both attended French universities, so going through the process of applying for American schools was a completely different experience for her family. “It was hard to know the system,” Darzacq said. “I think that there’s definitely an expectation that everyone knows what they’re doing.”

While other students were able to receive application help from their parents, Darzacq felt as if she was at a disadvantage.

California students have the benefit of receiving in-state tuition, which is considerably lower than outof-state tuition, for some of the best public school universities in the country. Starbuck said that college is a nice time to explore outside of California, but the UCs provide high quality education nonetheless.

Starbuck based his college list less on the school’s location and more on what each school had

to offer him. While his list ended up being diverse in terms of location, each school had something that interested him, whether it was academics or a special club.

“One big thing that I definitely want to do in college is be on a formalized AU team, where you design, race, and compete in your own race car that

you’ve built,” Starbuck said. Many of the programs with this type of team aren’t in California, further encouraging Starbuck to apply out-of-state.

The urge to adventure and become your own person is a big part of the college experience, and for many BHS students, going to school farther away is the best opportunity.

Over 800 freshmen attend ‘ Wakanda Forever’ U9 field trip

BY VIOLET MILLER-BRADY staff writer

On December 1, the entirety of the U9 took a field trip to see the new Black Panther movie, “Wakanda Forever.” The trip was an exciting ordeal for both students and teachers alike, especially emerging from COVID-19 times, where field trips were nonexistent. Unfortunately, the logistics behind it provided some difficulties.

“I will never go back to somebody and say, ‘You

didn't pay,’ because you just never know what the conditions are and you don't plan a field trip that you can't take everybody on,” said Hasmig Minassian, the leader of the Universal Ninth Grade (U9) and Hive lead of the Growth Hive.

U9 is made up of seven Hives, each with about 120 students and five teachers. The plan for the day consisted of three Hives (Hives 1, 2, and 5) walking to Regal UA Theater in downtown Berkeley at 10 a.m. The other Hives (3, 4, 6, and 7) followed shortly after

at 11 a.m. The first wave took up two auditoriums and the second took up two more, filling the spaces with students, teachers, and parent chaperones. Each wave returned to school after four hours. Overall, the trip went smoothly as there was enough adult supervision and good behavior among students.

The fundraising goal for the trip was $10,600 which at first seemed like an impossible feat, but was in fact doable. While U9 families were asked to contribute $15 per student,

the trip’s coordinators kept the varying financial situations of families in mind. Some families couldn’t pay at all, and others could pay for their child and several others. There was the question of whether every student would be able to go on the field trip if the fundraising goal was not met, but it was quickly eliminated. Leah Alcala, a U9 math teacher and lead of the Justice Hive spoke on the potential issue, saying that “families in Berkeley are pretty generous with donating… We’ll still go. Even if we don’t get the money from our families, we’ll fundraise some other way.”

There are two foundations that Berkeley High turns to when fundraising for things like this: the Berkeley Public Schools Fund (BPSF) and the Berkeley High School Development Group (BHSDG). These organizations are usually able to cover what teachers ask of them and like the rest of Berkeley, are “very generous,” Minassian said. The full fundraising goal wasn’t met by families, but BHSDG made up for the

rest of the cost of the field trip.

“Wakanda Forever” tackles ideas like colonization, Afrofuturism, and what it is like to be Black in a modern world.

Teachers plan to connect these ideas back to what is being taught in ninth grade Ethnic Studies and English classes and will potentially have post-field trip lessons on the subject. “We get the chance to engage with these themes of colonialism and how it affects other nations,” said Toviah Stein, a U9 Physics teacher in Hive 1.

In addition to the educational value of the film, the teachers chose to see it because they knew it would be fun for students. Since the U9 was founded, its goal was to have multiple trips each year. Due to COVID-19, this activity did not happen during the 2019-20 and 2020-21

school years, but the entire grade usually goes to the Exploratorium and an A’s game at the end of the year. The Exploratorium trip couldn’t happen this year, but when Victoria Augustine, the leader of the Leadership Hive saw that “Wakanda Forever” was coming out, she posed the idea for a trip, and the rest of the Hives agreed. Many students were excited for this trip and for some, it was their first time in a theater since COVID-19.

Before the field trip, Mark Adams, a freshman in the Respect Hive voiced his feelings on the field trip. “I think it's gonna be fun…I really liked the first one so I wanna see the second one,” he said.

Field trips are valuable to students and teachers as they provide the opportunity to have fun. “One of the reasons we can do this is because all of the teachers that are going, only teach ninth graders…and that is a unique position for the U9,” Minassian said. “Where my ninth graders go, I go. And, there's something powerful about that from a teacher’s perspective.”

features editors: Lauren Huang & Amelia WIley Moreira

CLAUDIA BLOOM

“Even if we don’t get the money from our families, we’ll fundraise some other way.”

Leah Alcala, U9 Teacher

Wakanda Forever showings are available in Downtown Berkeley and El Cerrito.

Here is an excerpt from a vignette collection, a set of short narratives from Platon Yerofeyev, who moved here from Russia in 2022.

In 2022, I moved to New York because of the circumstances, and since I needed money to live on, I had to find a job. There was one person who always helped me with everything while I was there — my aunt, Nargiza. She had been living in this city for more than 20 years, and she knew how things work here. When I told her that I needed a job, the first thing she proposed was to make a resume and try to find it online, so I did. After eagerly waiting for a couple of weeks for an email from any employer, I’ve decided to take action because this “waiting” could last forever. Still, I didn’t just spend all that time at home because it is such a big city, which couldn't be fully explored even for thousands of years.

One week later she called and said that there is a street in Brooklyn with a lot of restaurants and that I could try to look for a job there. The very next day I went there, and thought that it would be very hard for me because at that time I wasn't even 18 years old… As it was yesterday, I remember walking along the restaurants and choosing the one to be first. Fortunately, the first restaurant that I entered took me, and said that I could start working already in an hour. So, 30 minutes later they gave me the uniform, gave quick instructions, and since it was daytime, welcomed me for lunch.

As the months passed, I got used to the work and was feeling comfortable. Until one day. It was supposed to be an important day because somebody “special” was coming. As I approached the restaurant, I saw my coworkers rushing all around and preparing the tables. Then one later a huge group of old people came in and took a seat. Later, I discovered that it was the owner of the place. So we started to serve them, and the first thing we usually offered to our clients was water. That day I was one of the servers who worked with big tables. So I grabbed the pitcher with water, and as I approached the table with a smile on my face, the most terrible thing happened — I tripped and spilled all of the water on the owner of the restaurant…

Honestly, this was the most embarrassing moment of the whole summer. Right after the accident I apologized multiple times and started to clean right away. There were also pieces of glass on the floor because the pitcher had struck the glasses on the table, which had fallen onto the floor. After cleaning up, I was so embarrassed that I asked to work with other tables in another section of the restaurant. Fortunately, later my boss told me that such things happen and it’s okay. I was so relieved by that because I thought that I was about to lose my job.

Juan Raygoza: A day in the life at BHS

emerge. His face adorns some clothes, too. “I saw a student wearing a cape with my face on it for Jacket Friday (November 4, also known as Red and Gold Day),” he said. “If it brings joy to students, I'm all for it.”

Raygoza’s days vary. Some he may spend in meetings. Other days, emergencies come up that require him to drop everything, like when a group of people harassed BHS students just outside of campus. Some things stay constant, though. After dropping his daughter off at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley, Raygoza, equipped with a coffee, checks in to BHS at 7:30 a.m.

Raygoza's meetings are with his administration team, teachers, and professional development coordinators.

Lunch serves as an open period for students to come talk with Raygoza, which he purposefully reserves in his schedule so students don’t miss class time.

A popular place for many BHS students at lunch is Purple Kow, only a few blocks away. When Raygoza

drinks boba, he’ll order a Thai iced tea and salt and pepper chicken.

On any given day, Raygoza receives over a hundred emails, from all sorts of members of the BHS community. None go unread as each day, he sifts through his inbox to answer quick inquiries and set aside more complicated questions for later.

After making dinner with his family and putting his daughter to bed, Raygoza works late into the night. Between sips of coffee, he answers emails and occasionally talks with people over Zoom, eventually going to bed between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m.

When he isn’t working, Raygoza joins much of the student body in attending sports games, such as the BHS football team’s recent game against San Ramon Valley, their first playoff game in years.

Raygoza moved to the Bay Area from Los Angeles six years ago. Each year, he goes back for Christmas. “Christmas Eve, at my parents home, (my mom) makes tamales. So we've had that every single year, my entire life,” he said.

During the weekend,

Raygoza and his wife enjoy spending moments in the kitchen with their daughter, encouraging her to explore different foods as much as possible. According to Raygoza, one of her most recent culinary creations is a “mush sandwich,” which consists of milk, orange juice, and graham crackers. Despite its name, there is no bread involved.

Each morning, Raygoza and his daughter race to see who can put on their shoes

the fastest. “And every single morning, she beats me,” Raygoza said.

Why is she so much faster? Well, her shoes close using Velcro. But it’s Raygoza who gives her the advantage. “I make sure to move a little bit slower, so that she can put her shoes on quicker,” he said.

Afterwards, Raygoza will make his way to BHS, ready for a day of meetings, emails, and interacting with students.

Students navigate living with older parents

BY AMELIA REED staff writer

Sophomore Ilana Nickolaus and her sister, senior Naomi Nickolaus, share a 61-year-old father and a 44-year-old mom.

“Growing up, I didn’t really think about the fact that my dad was older than other dads, because he did everything that other dads did. The first time I really thought about it was when my dad retired when I was in fourth grade,” said Ilana Nickolaus. Naomi Nickolaus had a similar experience in elementary school when others were surprised by the difference in her parents' ages.

Naomi Nickolaus thinks her upbringing was in some ways abnormal because of

her dad’s age.

“When you’re further apart in age from your parents, it feels like you’re the one that's navigating growing up,” she said. She thinks his parenting differs from parents who had children in their 20s because he matured fully before he had children, unlike those who were still in the earlier stages of life. With an older dad, she and her sister didn't grow up while he was still figuring out what he wanted to do in the future, leaving them with a dad that’s relatively stable and organized in his parenting. Her father’s variety of experiences have been influential to Naomi Nickolaus' decisions on what to do after high school. She said, “He just has a lot of wisdom. He can talk

about a lot of different life experiences.” She said this has been very helpful when figuring out what she wants to do in the future. Her dad's sizable experience with school guides the way she thinks about college and whether it’s what she wants to do after high school.

With her dad getting older, Naomi Nickolaus worries about his physical health and whether he can participate in the activities they used to do together. “Now that I’m at an age where I’m more in shape, I notice (his age) more often because I worry that what I’m doing might hurt him in some way,” she said. Now, when they go on runs together, she notices her father getting more tired than he used to, which prevents them from training as much.

“My dad was born in 1961, so he was raised in the '60s and '70s when parenting was a lot more hands-off,” Ilana Nickolaus said. “I think this has made my dad less strict with me and my sister.”

She finds her parents allowing her and her sister to have more freedom, like letting them go out whenever they want, leaving them with less boundaries

than other parents.

“(My father) has adopted a lot of the practices that his parents used on him, and then put that down on me,” sophomore Azaria StaufferBarney said. Their dad, who is currently 57, adopted them when he was 46 years old. Stauffer-Barney’s father was wanting a child for a while before adopting.

Stauffer-Barney thinks that her father's age has affected the way he parents.

With the benefits their dad’s old age has when it comes to parenting, like his valuable advice, StaufferBarney sometimes finds downsides to their dad being older. Because he was raised during the '70s, he has more conservative ideas. Stauffer-Barney said, “He’s definitely not as what I would call progressive for Berkeley.” They recognize this difference their dad has from other parents.

While students who grow up with older parents carry a distinct experience from others, their upbringings can allow them to view life through a unique lens. Oftentimes, these circumstances benefit students with the knowledge that comes with the longerlived outlooks that their parents possess.

Raygoza stashes chocolate bars in his office. PHOTOS BY MALIN MORELL

After grabbing a coffee, Raygoza typically arrives at the office by 7:30 a.m.

but in school, (even though) there are so many Habesha students, they’re not unified as other communities are,” Makida said. “We need to have a space where we can come together, share our experiences, our culture, talk about the history and have more of a connection with people in the same culture.”

Tesfaldet wants the club to be a space where members can learn from other’s perspectives. Growing up, “I didn’t know enough about my history and heritage, even though I am a first generation (immigrant),” Tesfaldet said. To her, it’s important to be more aware of what’s going on and how privileged she feels to be the US, especially because of what’s going on in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The two countries have had a history of conflict, and

Eritrean students form union

war, political instability and unrest, which continue to plague the region. “There are some really heartbreaking things that are going on between different regions, especially in Ethiopia … a lot of killing and horrible things happening to communities and villages,” Tesfaldet said.

The HSU provides a space for students to learn about Ethiopia and Eritrea’s past and present. “We have family back home,” Makida said. “To be more informed about the topic and to be able to understand is super important, so that we can see the issues and … try to bring awareness.”

Ethiopia’s and Eritrea’s politics have impacted how the HSU leaders designed their club, down to the name they decided upon.

“At first, we wanted to call it the EESU, which means Eritrean and Ethiopian Student Union, because of a past club that one of my cousin’s had started at (BHS),” Tesfaldet said. However, “With politics and what’s going on back home, we decided that it’d be important to make the

to the HSU’s future plans. “I almost feel like not even calling it a club, but more just bringing community together,” Tesfaldet said. “Sitting down, eating snacks and talking could be an amazing meeting for us because that’s kind of the whole point. We want people to feel comfortable in a school where they know there are people just like them there.”

club name more inclusive, for people who might be close in culture and heritage, but might not identify as Eritrean or Ethiopian,” she said.

Community is necessary

To Tesfai, a more connected Habesha community at BHS could be as straightforward as greeting each other in the hallway. “(When I’m) walking in the halls and I see Habesha students, I’ll be like, ‘Oh, I wish I knew them … I wish I could talk to them,’” Tesfai said. “Creating this space for (Habesha students) to talk is what I would want to see in the future.”

One of the club’s goals is to plan a cultural day where they can celebrate Habesha food, clothes, games, and more.

Now that you’ve read my last column on the basics of plant care, maybe you have a few plants. Maybe (hopefully) they are even thriving. But are you thriving? The plant life can be a lonely one, but luckily it doesn’t have to be.

AVA MUSSI

Overall, the coleaders want HSU to be a place of connection and understanding. “When I was a freshman, I wish I had this club,” Maraki said. “Talking to other Habesha people, they’ve told me similar things where they feel like there isn’t a community of Habesha people that they really know to talk about their own culture … hopefully with this club, we can do that and create a community together.”

Teens consider significance of gift-giving

BY AVHA MEISELS staff writer

For many students participating in the holiday season, the season also comes the stress of who to give gifts to and what to get them. Not everyone has a huge budget for gifts. Nonetheless, gift giving is highly valued for many, and those that don’t participate can face stigmatization.

According to sophomore Maya Merhige, gift giving can be stressful at times. “There absolutely is this weird thing where you’re made to feel bad if you don’t give a gift,” Merhige said. “As I’ve gotten older, a lot of my friends don’t have spare money to spend on gifts, so you kind of come to an agreement where you’re not always gonna buy gifts.”

Merhige feels that the best way to give gifts is to find something meaningful to the individual. “For example, one of the coolest gifts I’ve received is when my cousin put me as a sponsor for an animal at the zoo,” she said. “So, I’m now a partial owner of two pandas which are super cool. It’s super memorable because it’s a really thoughtful gift.”

A gift doesn’t have to always be an object. In addition to adopting animals, some choose to name a star after someone, donate to their favorite charity, or write them a song. “Gifts don’t have to be big or difficult,” said Maddalena Walsh, a BHS sophomore. “You can bake something, or something like that. There’s a lot of pressure around getting people the right things, but just putting time and thought into your gift is the best thing you can do.”

Walsh feels that gift giving is a great way to express appreciation for people you love. “Giving gifts is an act of kindness, and it shows the other person that I care. I think there are definitely some downsides to it, and our culture can make it out to be a burden at times, but I think in the long run it’s a great way to express love.” Walsh’s advice to people giving gifts this season is to think of it as an act of kindness, rather than a responsibility.

There’s a wide range of gifts that people make for each other rather than buy. For instance, baked goods, art, jewelry, clothing, and cards are all popular gifts that

people make for each other. Creating a gift not only helps save money, but also allows you to make the gift unique to the person on the receiving end.

“I think gifts completely depend on who you’re giving the gift to,” said Dylan Terris, a BHS senior. According to Terris, the best gifts are thoughtful, meaningful, and last a long time. These factors are dependent on the individual and your

established relationship. Extravagant spending might not always compensate for the thoughtfulness that goes into supplying a meaningful gift. “Try to really think about it and not just spend a bunch of money,” Terris said.

Buy it, make it, or ignore it, gift giving is a personal choice approaching the holiday season. Walsh stated, “The most important thing is to just try to make others feel good with your gift.”

I am about to shock you. You can make more plants from your plants, therefore making more friends! I’m talking about propagations. Propagating a plant is when you cut off a piece from the mother plant and place it into water or soil so that it grows roots! The process of propagating my plants is what truly got me into plants because I was able to see what was happening below the soil, and it felt good to create my own plants!

There are multiple ways to propagate plants. It varies from plant to plant, but you typically want to locate a node (the part of a plant from which new leaves stem, typically looks like a little root bump) and chop the root below it. I change what medium I propagate in depending on the plant.

For plants in the aroid family (monstera, philodendron, and pothos to name some common ones), I prefer water propagation because in my opinion it is the simplest method! Once I’ve located a node on the plant, I use a pair of clean shears and make the chop. I then leave the plant out for a couple of hours so the freshly cut part of the stem can callous over, preventing it from rotting in the water. Lastly, I plop it in some water and change out the water every couple of days. In a few weeks, or sooner, you will see a root start to grow from the node, and once the root is a few inches long you can pot the plant in soil!

Succulents are also super easy to propagate! They are interesting in that they don’t need a node to sprout roots, so you can just cut off a leaf and put it in soil. Water it once, leaf it alone, and with patience it will grow little roots into the soil! I am not saying that when you spot a succulent in the wild you should take some for yourself, but I will say that no one can put a price on nature.

The best part of propagations is that when they are finally rooted in soil, you can share them! I love to give plants as gifts because I love sharing my interests with other people. When you give someone a plant that came from one of your plants, they know that it is something you put work into, and that you are sharing something that means a lot to you. In essence, this is the real reason I have so many plants. One propagation equals one friend, and one plant equals endless propagations.

Therefore, spending all of my money and free time on plants equals so many friends! If you ever see me around I am probably surrounded by hoards of friends. Now that you know my secret you will soon find yourself enclosed within a massive crowd of friends. Have fun and happy propagating!

Maraki and Makida Mengesha A., Lydia Biniyam-Robinson, and Winta Tesfaldet attend HSU.

“I didn’t know enough about my history and heritage, even though I am a first generation (immigrant).”

Winta Tesfaldet, co-founder of HSU

Entertainment editors: Ruby Freedman & Marina Howard

HOW TO DO RESOLUTIONS THE RIGHT WAY

MADELEINE KELLY

The holidays through a multicultural lens

multicultural background allows her to speak out for different Jewish communities.

Ariana Alharazy, also a sophomore, is halfEthiopian, half-Yemeni. Her family embraces the fusion of different celebrations.

“We celebrate the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas, but there’s a twist on it. We have samosas or injera, which are the foods from my cultures,” she said.

everyone,” she explained. When she meets her American cousins, her parents impose rules that she follows while “they do a lot of stuff (she) is not allowed to do.” But when traveling to see her Zambian cousins, she feels they live more conservatively and spend more time than she does on chores, babysitting, and making dinner.

or that my mom is Asian,” Cardiello said. “Most people really don’t care about (my) cultural identity and they see me as only a young Black woman. It’s bittersweet because when I leave the house, my cultures don’t mean anything to others.”

Alharazy finds this a difficult balance to maintain, with different expectations at different times.

When I first started at BHS, a lot of unrealistic dreams were blown out of the water. Perhaps it was mainstream media telling me that high school was full of singing 30-somethings, or maybe it was social media glamorizing the whole experience. Regardless, it has been kind of a let-down. What amplified this disappointment was the personal resolutions — fashion-related or otherwise — that I had set in the beginning.

“I’m going to have the prettiest notes, everyone will envy them.”

“I’m never going to repeat an outfit, I’ll be like Cher from ‘Clueless’.”

“I’m going to balance a perfect GPA and going out with friends effortlessly.”

Most, if not all of these, haven’t really worked out, and I know that it’s not just me, as I have been hearing these sorts of things from my friends. So what’s the common denominator? Spoiler alert: it’s not the fact that half of our bathroom sinks don’t work. It’s that our goals were too unrealistic for us to obtain.

On a more serious note, I had a specific list of things I wanted to consistently keep up with relating to fashion. I wanted to acquire a reliable set of basics (ew, boring), I wanted to not wear PJs or all-sweats to school (seriously so comfy, what was I thinking?), and finally I wanted to have Pinterest-worthy outfits every day (giving wannabe MC.) So obviously these didn’t work out, and I’ve accepted it. I broke each of those at different points this semester so I didn’t make it far. Additionally, I broke my formerly mentioned academic goals this semester too (RIP to my social life). So that’s an overview of all my goals. “But Maddy,” I’m sure my utterly rapt audience is saying, “How could this ever possibly apply to me?”

Well, I’m glad you asked. Because if I could make you more aware of the reason all our hopes are too high, you might not fall prey to the terrible curse that is ‘broken resolutions.’ It’s actually pretty simple, it’s the same reason everyone breaks their New Year’s resolutions: people don’t actually want them enough, they just like the idea of them. People like the idea of being able to attain the unattainable. Hence, why you can never uphold your goals. “That’s great and all, but how do I fix this?” This is going to sound crazy, but I actually have an answer in an advice article: start small with your goals. Then, when the time comes for you to actually perform, you can do so easily. Because any progress is good progress, right? It sounds so easy to minimize your goals, but by taking them in small steps you are actively progressing without the bad setbacks of quitting completing your unattainable goals. As winter break and subsequently the Gregorian calendar New Year’s is coming up, maybe try to make one of your resolutions laughably easy, so next year when you’re checking up on them, you will have completed at least one of them.

“For Ethiopians,” Alharazy continued, “Thanksgiving is heavily focused on not just your family but your neighbors, friends, and gathering together.” The mixture of her cultural foods and values in the American context has given Alharazy a sense of balance.

While joy flourishes there are also many hardships that come with being multicultural during the holidays. BHS sophomore Samaliya Manda has an American mother and a Zambian father. While she loves to experience the different ways of life that exist on both sides of her family, she hasn’t found a sense of peace yet. Manda’s family usually celebrates Western holidays but does not partake in many Zambian ones. For Manda, it’s harder to understand her cultural identity when she feels disconnected from both sides of her family.

“I’m usually that one cousin that looks different than

“One thing that really sucks is that we don’t really practice any Korean celebrations,” Cardiello added. Growing up in New Jersey, she was a part of an intricate Italian-American family that left little space for exploring her other cultural facets.

“When I go to college, I won’t have the security of saying my dad is white

Raised by an Asian mother and white father, it can seem impossible to “fill the spot” of her Tanzanian heritage when others don’t understand the dimensions of her identity.

“Honestly, I don’t get a say, because people know (I’m) not fully Ethiopian or Middle Eastern,” Alharazy said. “During the holidays it can feel like I have to be purely American at school but then at home, I have to embrace my Ethiopian and Middle Eastern cultures.”

One thing remains clear: as multicultural students grow up, many of them feel a profound desire to connect and learn. “One of my big goals in life is to get closer to the Zambian side of my family,” Manda said. Cardiello feels grateful for the exposure that being multicultural has given her. She’s been able to explore the cultural perspectives that she is a part of.

For many students, what causes the most pain is also what is the most special.

According to Cardiello, “All the love and pain of the celebrations comes down to your identity, what you know about yourself.”

‘She Said’ explores the origins of #MeToo

the country. The #MeToo movement raised awareness of the widespread nature of the issue, including at Berkeley High School. In February of 2020, thousands of students walked out in protest of sexual harm on campus and a lack of resources, including consent education.

glamorize the work of these journalists. Instead, it candidly depicts the challenging and discouraging process of reporting when sources are terrorized and forced to stay quiet. Mulligan and Kazan portray the determination and emotional investment needed to break this story.

BY ELTA TRACY staff writer

Harvey Weinstein, a convicted assaulter, formerly one of the most powerful producer in Hollywood, is on trial again in California, this time on 11 different charges. The film “She Said,” which follows the investigative journalists who released his harrowing expose, has hit theaters.

The film follows

The article was published two years ago, sparking radical change not just in Hollywood, but across

“She Said” beautifully details the bravery and risk it takes to speak out and challenge these systematically protected crimes. Kantor and Twohey, as well as the women who choose to go on the record sharing their stories, face countless threats and legal restrictions. The film clearly illustrates how the US legal system enables perpetrators to continue abusing under the protection of payouts, NDAs, and occupational power.

The film does not

With Weinstein on trial yet again, “She Said” is an impeccably timed and important reminder that the work of Kantor and Towhey, #MeToo activists, and BHS student activists cannot be forgotten.

Although Weinstein now faces consequences for his actions, “She Said” hints at a disturbing truth: he was not alone. The film encourages critical thinking about those in powerful positions, the systems set in place to protect them, and what people can do to speak up.

— Aditya Sridharan

J HORSLEY

Megan Twohey (Carrie Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan), two female writers for the New York Times, through their investigation into gender based harassment in the workplace. This led them to uncover decades of assaults and rape committed by Weinstein when he worked as a producer for Miramax.

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

BY ZACHARY YOO staff writer

A young girl, Chihiro, travels with her family to their new home in rural Japan. As they take a shortcut through a mysterious town, Chihiro finds her parents have been transformed into pigs. As she searches for answers, Chihiro is welcomed into a world of ghosts, disembodied heads, men with six arms, shapeshifters, and other assorted oddities. This is “Spirited Away.” A true enigma of an animated children’s movie, one might expect it to wallow in obscurity, or at best become a cult-classic, but “Spirited Away” and other movies animated by Studio Ghibli remain massively popular around the world. Studio Ghibli is a phenomenon in itself, with multiple of its films often cited as the greatest of this century (or any), and its popularity reaching beyond just animation fans.

other anime. Obvious from the moment you compare “Naruto” to “Ponyo” are the visual differences. Ghibli’s characters are simply lacking the spiky colored hair and enormous eyes that define the quintessential anime art style. But more

many movies, and attracted popular actors like Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, Kirsten Dunst, and Uma Thurman to perform in English dubs. Ghibli’s deal with Disney made sure the company’s foot was in the door before many of its competitors. At the time, TV anime were only broadcasted late at night (if at all), and it was uncommon for any anime movies to receive distribution in the US. This wider release led to critical acclaim. “Spirited Away” is the only fulllength anime film to ever win an Academy Award.

(which consist of shows like “Sailor Moon” and “Ouran High School Host Club”) are only made with a young female audience in mind. Even beyond genre constraints, many modern anime are additionally reliant on knowledge of existing anime tropes, making them inherently unappealing to casual or first-time viewers.

than that, Ghibli films are top-tier. Each is thoughtful, relatable, and a joy to look at. This is the reason for Ghibli’s massive popularity, which even in 2022, is beyond that of other anime.

To be fair, Ghibli was not fighting the rest of its industry on fair terms. Due to their popularity in Japan and the admiration of some of the American company’s own animation talent, from 1996 to 2011, the company with distribution rights

The difference in popularity also comes down to target audience. Studio Ghibli movies are generally suitable for most demographics, and don’t struggle to hold the attention of the entire family. Concurrent to the thrilling action of “Howl’s Moving Castle,” for example, is a strikingly mature story about technology, war, and growing older. In contrast, the majority of non-Ghibli popular anime in the west (like “Death Note,” “Naruto,” “Demon Slayer,” or “Attack on Titan”) fall under one specific category: shounen. Shounen — which translates literally to “young boys” — is unsurprisingly aimed at

Studio Ghibli’s distance from other anime is deliberate. Hayao Miyazaki, the studio’s auteur, director, and co-founder, has often criticized the rest of the anime industry for its overreliance on tropes and consumerism. It’s because of this that Ghibli movies don’t release yearly, don’t coincide with a card game (à la “Yu-Gi-Oh!” or “Pokémon”), and are largely devoid of edgy rivals, spiky hair, and scantily-clad women. The first point is key: while other anime studios work on multiple projects every year, both for the big and small screen, Ghibli has always been a movie studio exclusively, and is more than willing to give films all the time they need in the oven. Some Ghibli movies are quite Japanese, similar to “Naruto” or “Demon Slayer”, but others like “Howl’s Moving Castle” are based on western works. Ghibli benefits from its

conventional anime art styles do in tandem. From just looking at the details in the background, or the shine on a character’s sword, it’s easy to tell when an episode of “Naruto” was made. This isn’t the case with Ghibli,

produced in the 2010s or the 1980s.

Intentionally, Ghibli sets itself apart from other anime, accounting for the flaws that make the medium simply unappealing large demographics, and avoiding many of the industry’s clichés. But that’s ignoring the more important reason: Ghibli movies are just excellent. Put simply, the reason why anyone in the world can appreciate Studio Ghibli is that no one else in the world can match their

SHOUNEN, translating to ‘young boys,’ is the anime subcategory that appeals specifically to the adolescent male audience. Examples include “Death Note,” “Naruto,” “Demon Slayer,” and “Attack on Titan.”

SHOUJO translates to ’young girls’, and it encompasses the animes aimed at young female viewers. Examples include “Sailor Moon” and “Ouran High School Host Club.”

ILLUSTRATED BY OLIVIA HIBSER, staff illustrator

BY SABINE ROSEN staff writer

“I love the creativity and expressiveness of the students, and I really enjoy helping them to see their visions come to life on stage,” said Linda Carr, head of the modern and jazz dance program as well as teacher for the Dance Production class at Berkeley High School.

The show, held on Friday December 2 and Saturday December 3, featured multiple pieces of varying dance styles, performed and choreographed by the students in BHS dance classes. The event took place at the Little Theater on the BHS campus, and lasted about an hour and a half with an intermission. After a whole semester of choreographing, practicing, and going through rehearsals, the dancers assembled a well

rounded show. Students from the beginner dance classes, the advanced dance lab, the dance production class, and one dance that was choreographed at an overnight retreat at Cazadero Performing Arts Camp performed.

The first dance of the show was titled, “Let Go” and was performed to the song “Freedom” by Jon Batiste. The performers were in colorful costumes, and the dance really set an uplifting mood for the whole show. The piece was jazzy, with a lot of partner work.

Further into the show, the first period beginning dance class came on the stage as the song “Mercy’’ by Duffy started playing. This dance had more performers than

all the other dances, but it effectively highlighted everyone on stage by use of the blue lighting.

Another stand out act from the production was performed right before intermission and featured the song “TiK ToK” by Kesha. It was choreographed by Tomas Rocha, one of the dancers in Dance Production. The audience burst out into song the second the music started, and students in the audience waved their arms and screamed enthusiastically. The balcony level of the Little Theater was especially energetic, elevating the show’s liveliness. The dance was performed by six dancers all dressed in matching gold and black outfits with high energy throughout.

The production was choreographed by many different people, giving the show a large variety

of movements and style. Most of the dances in the beginning of the show were choreographed by Carr with the help of her niece and fellow dance teacher, Niva Zakovitch. Carr has been teaching dance for 23 years, but has been dancing and performing her entire life.

to Carr, dance classes started the year by learning fundamental dance techniques. As the semester progressed, Dance Production

gaining knowledge from one another in the process.

The audience burst out into song the second the music started, and students in the crowd waved their arms and screamed enthusiastically.

The second half of the show was filled with pieces choreographed by Dance Production students. According

students got the chance to choreograph the pieces and pitch their ideas to the class, giving feedback and

At the end of the night, the show was an excellent way for BHS students to show their family, friends, and peers what they have been working on in their jazz and modern dance classes. The audience showed up in support, and the enthusiasm apparent in the Little Theater undoubtedly demonstrated that purpose.

GLENN

Performers took the stage with dynamic choreography.

Cross country makes state, breaks dry spell

their race. Junior Olaf Dietz was at the front of the pack, staying within striking distance of first place. As other runners began to tire, Berkeley made their move, with most runners passing multiple opponents. Dietz placed second with a time of 14.59.82 minutes, achieving his season-long sub-15 goal by a tenth of a second.

BY MATEO TSAI staff writer

On November 19 at the North Coast Section (NCS) finals at Hayward High School, despite injuries and illness, Berkeley High School’s cross country team defied expectations and made history, qualifying for state championships for the first time in 37 years.

At the crack of the starter pistol, BHS, dressed in red and gold, took off. Teammates waved enormous signs with heartfelt messages for the team’s seniors. If seniors did not qualify for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) finals in

Fresno, this would be their last cross country race.

The defining feature of the course is a hill, which must be faced twice in the three mile course. Gracie Koch, BHS sophomore, relishes the tactical element of hills.

“I personally like hills … You can catch people on them, but also you can also strategize to go easy on them, and let other people die out and catch them on the downhill,” she said. These sorts of mind games are a key element of cross country. Runners sometimes speed up around blind corners, hoping to gain enough of a lead to make other runners give up on catching them.

LIANNA LEUNG

A strong mental attitude is also important. Before each race, Koch wears her lucky braids, shorts, and earrings, and plays her lucky song — “Cardigan,” by Taylor Swift.

At NCS, head coach Brad Johnson instructed Berkeley’s runners to keep pace with opposing runners before passing them later. “Both the girls and boys teams … cashed their state tickets in the last mile of their races … We waited, we were patient. We let other people tire themselves, and then we went for it,” he said.

The scores were tallied, and BHS girls placed second; they were going to Fresno. Emboldened by the results, the boys began

As the final runners crossed the finish line, the announcer’s voice boomed out: “Our top 3 are going to be Cal High in third place, Dougherty Valley in second place and Berkeley High in first.” BHS edged out Dougherty Valley by just five points, 51-56. Cross country teams compete for the lowest score.

The BHS team was exuberant. After several group cheers and two surreal award ceremonies, the giddy team celebrated at a nearby In-N-Out.

A week later, the team raced in Fresno at CIF finals. Boys placed 15th and the girls placed 20th within their division. Annie Jay, a freshman at Carleton College and a former BHS runner, came to cheer. “I wanted to come support them and give back to the team that gave so much to me,” she said.

Senior Jalen Madjidi said, “The pain in the race is only temporary, but the memory is going to be forever.”

Runners and artists take on Turkey Trot

BY SASKIA FREEDBERG staff writer

As a drone circled overhead capturing video, nine Berkeley High School students and BHS Director of Student Activities John Villavicencio, lined up on the football field to start the Turkey Trot. Despite being advertised as the hundredth annual, this was the first year that BHS hosted it.

“It’s not the hundredth annual, but it’s fun to make up those kind of random things,” Villavicencio said of his advertising strategy for the race on November 17, the Thursday before Thanksgiving.

“In my hometown … we did (a turkey trot) at my school … and I remember it being really competitive,” Villavicencio said. He added that he won his school’s turkey trot as a kid, which is “probably why it’s a stronger memory in my mind … I’ve been wanting to try to do this for a couple years.”

football field in the shape of a hand turkey, stopped at a table, drew a turkey by tracing their hand, and carried their drawing across the finish line with them.

kick everyone’s butt,” Villavicencio said.

do it again next year.”

Most seniors at this time of year are up to their necks in college applications. Agonizing about which parts of identity to include can be a massive struggle. How does a person write about themselves without seeming self centered? Or, worse, using aspects of themselves to seem like a better fit for the college.

Writing about being transgender in college essays is complicated. While it is a major part of my identity, it feels more like background information than, say, my experiences in advanced math or any other academic interests. Unless it’s necessary, bringing up gender identity in essays makes me feel like I’m somewhat victimizing myself. I don’t want colleges to accept me because I will diversify their campus. I want them to accept me because of my mind and interests. However, being trans is also essential to my perspective on the world and somewhat affects my interests and contributions to the community. It definitely has pushed me to become a more active member of this school in terms of creating change and being someone others can go to for help.

Even with all of this, bringing up the fact that I am nonbinary still might not be a good idea because of a state’s legislation. There are a number of states where being nonbinary isn’t viewed as a diversifying factor, but something shameful. Luckily, I am not applying to colleges where this is a factor, but that could change and this isn’t true for everyone. It remains something to consider.

On top of that, if I feel that colleges will be less likely to accept me because of my gender identity, I would definitely not talk about that aspect of myself in essays. However, that also makes me question whether or not I should even be applying to said schools.

Writing an essay solely about being trans also does not feel particularly relevant to my overall contribution as a community member. Colleges can tell you they just want to know more about you as a person, but “you as a person” is not an isolated thing. “You as a person” also means how you affect those around you.

The top five finishers were awarded a donation in their name to the Alameda County Food Bank.

Despite being advertised as the hundredth annual, this was the first year that BHS hosted a turkey trot.

Students who participated in the turkey trot ran a route along the

“I’m just trying to do something wacky and fun without the like, ‘You’re gonna run two miles,’ and … all the cross country kids come out and just

The first two students to cross the finish line forgot to bring their turkey drawings with them, and had to return to the drawing table. Villavicencio crossed the line third, the first successful finisher, but wasn’t an official racer. Thus, Jack Mackey-Williams, who came in just behind Villavicencio, was declared first place.

“I’m a cross country runner and I thought it’d be a fun experience to run the turkey trot,” MackeyWilliams said. “I think I’d

In addition to runners, members of Soccer Without Borders also attended the race.

“I’m a part of the club Soccer Without Borders and we were called here today for a mandatory meeting to help out,” said Sonia Sullivan. Partnering with the turkey trot as assigned by the club presidents, Sullivan was responsible for supervising the turkey drawing table and, “making sure everyone was doing the correct task, making sure no one was cheating.”

Sullivan said that she does not plan on helping out again next year, “because I will be running it.”

The only way in which I will talk about my gender identity is if it feels or seems necessary. One of the essays I wrote for my University of California applications was about my leadership position in the school’s Alliance For Gender Expansive Students (AGES). Even there, I’m not sure I explicitly mentioned my gender identity. Additionally, one essay asks me about what privileges I hold, and there it does seem important to talk about being trans.

Talking about gender identity and sexuality is a very personal decision. I find that using identity to seem more valuable as a candidate for getting accepted is a slippery slope. If you can find ways to incorporate that into your contributions as a community member, then great. I can’t tell you whether it’s a good idea to include your gender identity in college essays. Is it even safe? I think it really depends on the college and state that college is in.

Racers navigate tight turns as they trace a turkey on the field, led by Abraham Lee (center). JAHAN INGRAHAM

Victory glimmered on the faces and medals of the boys cross country team on November 19.

On

Boys soccer rains on San Ramon

BY LEO SILVERBERG staff writer

The Berkeley High School boys varsity soccer team took on San Ramon Valley High School on Saturday Dec. 3, during a cold and rainy afternoon.

The team was coming off of a 3-0 win against Amador Valley in their season opener, looking to continue their success. Given the weather conditions, the game started off slow for both teams.

Although Berkeley dominated in terms of possession in the first half, the game remained 0-0 at halftime.

Adams scored to even the game at 1-1. From there on out, the Jackets took control of the game.

Junior Niko Luckey scored on a penalty kick to increase Berkeley’s lead to 2-1. Later, senior Kanoa Kossa-Rienzi added on with a magnificent goal. KossaRienzi bolted down the field in a burst of speed as the ball was being passed back to San Ramon’s goalie. He jumped high in the air to

athletic goal.

“It was a long ball and I just sprinted my a** off past the defender. It was a 1-v-1 with the keeper, and I got there first and scored the goal,” Allard-Chigamba said.

His goal made the final score 4-1 in favor of Berkeley.

BHS Head Coach Andre Hebert praised his team’s efforts, especially their defensive presence, saying, “We defended really well when we needed to.”

He jumped high in the air to block the goalie’s kick, and scored. He celebrated with a backflip routine and was mobbed by his teammates.

After the second half was under way, it seemed as though things were trending in the wrong direction as San Ramon Valley scored the first goal of the game. However, only minutes later, BHS sophomore Oliver

block the goalie’s kick, and scored. He celebrated with a backflip routine and was mobbed by his teammates.

During the final minutes of the game, junior Pepukai Allard-Chigamba capped off an impressive BHS second half with another

Junior Kai Lucas also commended his team for defense. “It was a good game, we put them in a pack.”

With BHS only two games into their season, Hebert said that looking forward, his team still has a long way to go in terms of improvement.

Girls soccer stuns with 6-0 win

BY LULI GALINSON staff writer

On Wednesday, Nov. 30, girls varsity soccer had their first game of the season at Jacket Stadium against Pittsburg High School. It was a freezing cold night, but that did not slow them down.

The girls started off strong in the first half. Senior Myah Polzin made the first goal, with an assist from senior Luisa Bertolli. Polzin was out with a torn ACL last season, and this was her first game back. The second half kicked off with a header into the goal from Polzin that was saved by a header from Pittsburg’s goalkeeper. However, soon after the block there was a goal from defender Amelie Haji. This was followed by a goal from freshman Terren Davis, with another assist from Bertolli.

a Berkeley goal. It was deemed a “team effort” goal by the BHS coaches, bringing the score up to 4-0. Soon after, Polzin had an amazing breakaway from the 30 yard line straight into the goal. The game came to a close with wing player Alex Freeman scoring a point, ending with an astonishing 6-0 win for Berkeley High School.

Erin Freeman, who also plays wing, was very excited that the season opener went so well. “It was good to finally see the training

season coaching, as well as her first game as a coach. She acknowledged that Polzin was a big asset to this game. “Her (Polzin) scoring two goals was great to watch.” Harmon has a lot of confidence in this year’s team. “I’m excited to win a lot of games, hopefully, I feel like we have a lot of potential and I think we’re gonna just keep on improving.”

BHS’s other head coach Alejandro Mendoza has been coaching soccer for nine years, and plans to use previous connections with older players to help newer ones.

Myah Polzin made the first goal ... Polzin was out with a torn ACL last season, and this was her first game back.

that we’ve been doing pay off in the game, and seeing everybody play all together,” Freeman said. Like Polzin, both Freeman sisters were out with torn ACLs last season, so this was a big game for them, too.

“I use the players that I’ve known a little bit longer to influence and inspire the ones that are new,” he said.

In the middle of the second half, a series of headers that resulted in

Riley Harmon is a new soccer coach at BHS this year. This is her first

“First game, new season, new team, it’s always scary, but the (players) that are more familiar with it can get acclimated quicker, so I want them to help new players with the additional learning curve.”

Luisa Bertolli is a sports editor on the Jacket.

who BHS hasn’t beaten since 2008. “This year is looking really good. Everyone’s locked in, bringing lots of energy at practice, and just wants to play, which is definitely different from previous years,” he remarked. But basketball goes beyond the court for O’Brien; “Basketball taught me to be motivated to work hard … in all areas of my life,” he said. There is no doubt this squad will go on to achieve great things this season.

— Zada Sanger

EMILIA FREILICH

SUNNY BEVIS-LIPTON

Samir O’Brien started playing basketball in first grade after watching the movie “Thunderstruck,” which features Kevin Durant, his idol. Since then, he has developed his own profound love for the game. He is now a junior captain of the boy’s varsity basketball team at Berkeley High School. “Basketball makes life more fun. I don’t know what I’d do without it,” O’Brien said. This season, O’Brien hopes to secure a West Alameda County Conference title and defeat their rival, Bishop O’Dowd,

Senior Emmett Tjen takes it down the line as the rain pours down on Dec. 3.

Saturday, boys varsity basketball took home a 49-48 win against Whitney, and girls varsity basketball triumphed over Las Lomas 34-28. Girls varsity soccer beat Vintage 6-1 and boys varsity took home the aforementioned 4-1 win vs San Ramon Valley.

Luisa Bertolli heads the ball into the goal during the Nov. 30 home opener.

WEEKEND IN REVIEW: BHS TAKES WINS ACROSS THE BOARD