BHS Jacket 2022 Issue 10

BERKELEY HIGH

PUBLISHED BY AND FOR THE STUDENTS OF BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL

www.berkeleyhighjacket.com • friday, january 28, 2022

no. 10

since 1912

How Is BHS Responding to the Omicron Variant Surge? BY JOSEPHINE MORASKY staff writer

In the past few weeks, over 300 students attending Berkeley High School (BHS) tested positive for COVID-19, due largely to the surge of the Omicron variant and increased rapid testing in Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD). The BHS administration has worked to add precautions, attempting to lower the number of COVID-19 cases and keep instruction in-person. On January 8, BUSD Superintendent Brent Stephens shared a brief stating that BUSD schools will stay in-person through the Omicron surge. In the month of January so far, there have been 821 positive COVID-19 cases in BUSD, with 301 of these results coming from BHS. These case counts resulted in 12 percent of the BUSD student body being absent on January 10, which went down to 10 percent later that week. In response to the increase in case rates, BHS recently began testing students during PAGE 2

915 TOTAL CASES IN BUSD AS OF JANUARY 27

NEWS ART BY OLIVER PARSONS & GRAPH BY JEROME PAULOS

INVESTIGATIVE

Schools Shift Away From AP Classes BY KIRA RAO-POOLLA staff writer

This year at Berkeley High School (BHS), over 900 students registered to take more than 1,600 Advanced Placement (AP) exams, and last year, even in the midst of the pandemic, students in schools across California took more than 600,000 AP tests. Despite the popularity of these tests, many private schools in the Bay Area are moving away from AP classes, including Lick-Wilmerding and Marin Academy. Among these is Head-Royce School, which recently decided to phase out AP classes and replace them with honors-level courses. Mark Schneider, who currently teaches US History at Head-Royce, previously taught the AP version of the class. He described the rationale behind the school’s decision.

“Probably the biggest reason is that teaching to an AP test can be stifling,” Schneider said. “If done right, decoupling from APs allows [for] the opportunity for more innovation, collaboration, and deeper critical thinking in the curriculum, instead of … ticking off the checkboxes of what needs to be covered for the exam.” Masha Albrecht, a BHS AP Calculus teacher, agreed with this critique. She added that the College Board, the company that offers AP exams, has too much power over the curriculum. “It’s partly an academic freedom issue,” Albrecht said. “I am a mathematician, I know what calculus is, and I feel like having them make the decision for what my course looks like is inappropriate. That’s a decision that I can make wisely.” According to Schneider, colleges assess the level of rigor the student has pursued based on the PAGE 8

Is the Recent Crackdown on Crime Justified? Two staff writers offer opposing views on San Francisco Mayor Breed’s crime plan and its implications for Berkeley. PAGE 5

J HORSLEY

EDITORIAL

Humanities Courses Are Important Too BY CLARA BROWNSTEIN news editor

The humanities teach us how to understand each other and the world. Yet, their perceived value is undoubtedly declining, and Berkeley High School (BHS) is no exception. In an informal Instagram

poll, the Jacket found that 76 percent of about 200 respondents said that they did not find humanities and STEM classes equally challenging. When asked what subject they found most challenging, 81 percent said a STEM subject, while less than 1 percent said English or history. When students were asked which subject

Black History Month: Submit art and writing to the Jacket ! Scan to submit by Sunday, February 6.

was easiest, 71 percent chose a humanities subject, while 2 percent chose STEM. While not necessarily representative of the feelings of the entire student body, this suggests a trend that cannot be ignored. A preference for STEM is also evident in the class choices available at BHS. Among core classes for

underclassmen, the only “advanced” classes are Advanced Math 1 and 2 and Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry. Labeling a class as “advanced” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more challenging, but this speaks to the school’s priorities, which are shaped by the community and its parents. Specifically, BHS’s advanced PAGE 6

Dragons For Dinner: BHS Boys Varsity Soccer Takes on Rivals Bishop O’Dowd The January 21 home game had high fan turnout and ended in a tie. PAGE 16

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

NEWS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

news editors: Naomi Rubalcava Levinthal & Clara Brownstein

naomirubalcavalevi@students.berkeley.net

BUSD was able to provide data about the number of teachers across the district who were absent for any reason. The graph displays data from every Wednesday since October 6, 2021.

JEROME PAULOS

Berkeley High Expands Precautions to Combat Omicron Variant

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

their English classes, as well as offering after-school testing, with the goal of testing every student twice weekly. On Wednesday, January 26, Principal Juan Raygoza said that BHS tested 960 students, finding seven positive cases. BUSD also purchased 40,000 KN95 masks to distribute. Teachers and students received two of these masks in class this week and were told to make them last for two weeks total. A d d i t i o n a l l y, B H S expanded the definition of “fully vaccinated” to include a booster shot while urging all students and staff to get the vaccine. Around 92 percent of BUSD staff have received vaccines, while somewhere around 80 percent of Berkeley students over the age of 12 are vaccinated. Dr. Arthur Reingold, a professor and division head of epidemiology at the University of California (UC) Berkeley School of Public Health, has had experience working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and said there are benefits and risks to keeping schools in person. “The upside to keeping school in-person is we think that it’s better for education, it’s better for socialization, it’s better for all kinds of things at that end of the spectrum. … The downside, of course, is that these can be places where viral infections like this can be transmitted from one person to another, if people aren’t

very, very careful,” Reingold explained. L ast year, around the middle of January, California e x p e r i e n c e d a s u r g e of COVID-19, with a weekly average of about 44,000 cases. Presently, California has a weekly average of about 120,000 cases. Despite the current high case rate, the mortality rate last January was much higher, with a weekly average of about 500 deaths compared to 103 now. This decrease in serious illness is mostly a result of the high number of vaccinated people, as well as the new variant. However, Reingold said hospitals all over the US have continued to be overburdened by the Omicron surge despite the lower mortality rate. He attributes this to the fact that 40 percent of the US population isn’t fully vaccinated. “Even though on average [Omicron] produces a milder illness, even a tiny percentage of people with COVID-19 who end up going to the hospital, to the emergency room ... [makes] it hard for hospitals and health care,” said Reingold. BUSD put a policy into place on January 3 that requires all students over the age of 12 to be fully vaccinated or receive weekly COVID-19 tests. The district is also working with Berkeley’s public health department to increase athome and in-person testing. Superintendent Stephens shared the participation data of at-home tests over winter break with the Jacket. “63 percent of our student population participated in the

at-home tests, which is a much stronger rate than the state. I understand that the state participated in the at-home tests at about a 20 percent rate,” said Stephens. The increased accessibility to at-home tests enabled Jennifer Campbell, a psychology and sociology and world history te acher, to ident if y her positive COVID-19 test over winter break. She contracted COVID-19 twice throughout the pandemic but said her second experience took less of a toll due to her vaccination. “In some ways, it was sort

of okay. I’m getting vaccinated, boosted, [and I’m] super healthy … so it was so much less stressful,” said Campbell. Campbell’s experience of contracting COVID-19 has not been rare, as teachers continue to catch the highly transmissible Omicron variant. This has caused repeated absences for BUSD staff, particularly among newly hired teachers, and has generated immense pressure on the administration. “We’re right now seeing staffing shortages unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. We have double digit

absences among our teachers every single day in the district,” said Stephens. “It is most acute at BHS, where we’re seeing somewhere between a dozen to about 18 staff members out and uncovered every single day.” These staffing shortages have made it increasingly difficult for schools to remain open as teachers continue to test positive for COVID-19 and are forced to self-isolate, leaving classes unattended. Te achers, sp e cif ic a l ly new hires, are leaving their positions mid-year, according to Matt Meyer, the president

Approximately 12,000 kits, containing two COVID-19 tests each, were issued to BUSD students before winter break.

of Berkeley’s teacher union, the Berkeley Federation of Teachers (BFT). The administration and B e r k e l e y P u b l i c He a lt h Department have expanded the accessible vaccine sites, adding to the precautions put in place to keep schools open. “I would encourage anyone who isn’t vaccinated to get vaccinated. I think people at this point who are refusing vaccination, whether they’re famous tennis players or quarterbacks or whatever, they’re making a mistake,” Reingold said.

JEROME PAULOS

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

NEWS

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BHS Holds Town Hall to Discuss Possible Bell Schedule Changes project-based learning, and longer time periods between classes. Blatt a ls o share d t he Ma ny B e r k e l e y Hi g h timeline for the redesign, School (BHS) students and explaining the steps that have staff are concerned about already been taken to begin the current bell schedule, this process and those that are including its impact on still upcoming. students’ mental health The bell schedule and learning. To address redesign committee — these concerns, BHS is “We are asking ourselves some hard made up of teachers, currently planning an counselors, and updated schedule which, questions. What things are coming a d m i n i s t r a t o r s — if approved by the school up for our children that we are not was formed earlier board, will go into effect currently supporting at BHS?” this school year. The next year. On January town hall was a part 13, the bell schedule of their January “listen Harrison Blatt, redesign committee and learn” p erio d. To improve students’ mental health, some BHS staff want to implement a block schedule. PENELOPE GILLIGAN BHS Vice Principal held a family town I n F e b r u a r y, t h e hall to gather feedback committee will present said the parent of a BHS indicated that last year, over we’ve done it because we’ve had regarding the proposed a proposal to the school f re sh man , w ho s e Z o om 77 percent of BHS teachers to. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful schedule. students would not have all board, which will be decided name only read Anna. “With supported a change in the opportunity to do it because we Harrison Blatt, a vice of their classes everyday, but on sometime in March. If it is everything that’s going on schedule or felt that a change want to, because we’re making principal at BHS and the instead have fewer classes for approved, scheduling details with the pandemic, this is just was necessary for the school a change to the structure that administrative liaison for longer amounts of time. The will be finalized, and staff not the time for this kind of next year. In addition, another we believe in?” the redesign, began the town total instructional time every will receive training between change. It’s pretty amazing that 14 percent of teachers said Toporek acknowledged that hall by explaining why the day would not change. February and June. As of now, you guys are even keeping the that they did not feel strongly it would take strong teacher administration feels there is a In comparison to the the committee does not have ship afloat, so I would suggest either way, leaving less than commitment to make the new need for a new schedule. 10 percent of teachers who schedule work, but said that schedule used during remote an official schedule to propose. that we not rock the boat.” “We are asking ourselves learning, it is unlikely that a Another repeated concern support the current schedule. she hoped to get more people As Blatt opened up the some hard questions,” Blatt “term schedule” would be used. meeting to public comment, was that teachers would not In response to concerns on board by showing them said. “What things are coming Students would most likely still some main concerns that have enough time to rework t h a t t e a c h e r s w o u l d evidence that demonstrates up for our children that we have all of their classes for the emerged about the possibility their curriculum before next b e o v e r w h e l m e d w i t h how this change could benefit are not currently supporting entire year, but they might not of a blo ck s che du le r e d e s i g n i n g t h e i r everyone. at BHS?” curriculum, Toporek This data collection will have all of their classes on any were that it might be Having six periods every day said that she regularly be happening as part of the Blatt listed several student given day of the week. difficult for students to needs that may not be met A block schedule would focus in longer classes, is unsustainable and exhausting redesigns her lessons current “listen and learn” stage by the current schedule. He support the addition of a flex and that students need anyway. of the plan. The committee for both students and staff. said that the current schedule or advisory period, a block of stability instead of an “ I r e w o r k m y may hold another English at BHS does not allow time time used for social-emotional overwhelming change. curriculum every year, town hall to accommodate to build social emotional support, getting homework Another common worry was fall and would not receive whether or not the bell those who wished to speak but support into the school day. d one, re me d i at i on , and that the block schedule would training on how to best utilize schedule changes,” said were not able to due to time In addition, teachers have diving deeper into academic lead to the end of late start the longer class periods. Toporek. “We tailor our constraints. Staff, students, expressed that they struggle subjects. According to Blatt, Mondays, although Blatt did Despite these concerns, lessons to our students, to the and their families, will have to facilitate deep learning other benefits of the proposed not say so. BHS histor y teacher and moment, to everything that’s additional opportunities to within the current 58 minute schedule could be increased “I want to request that we member of the bell schedule going on. We’ve made major provide feedback through class periods. He also said he professional development not implement this [block redesign committee Amanda changes to curriculum in the surveys and discussion-based had received feedback that for teachers and staff, more schedule] in the short term,” Toporek shared data that past two years in a row, and conversations.

BY SASKIA FREEDBERG staff writer

having six periods every day is unsustainable and exhausting for both students and staff. Blatt shared changes that the bell schedule redesign committee hopes will address these problems. One is the possible implementation of a block schedule, meaning that

Independent Study Student Brings BB Gun to BHS Campus BY LAUREN HUANG staff writer

A student from Berkeley Independent Study (BIS) was reportedly seen carrying a BB gun at Berkeley High School (BHS) around the end of lunchtime on January 19. School Resource Officer (SRO) Geoffrey Mitchell and two police officers from the Berkeley Police Department (BPD)

apprehended the individual in Downtown Berkeley after they had left campus. A BB gun is a nonlethal weapon, sometimes used as a toy, that shoots metal BBs. A similar incident occurred in October when two adults entered the school and a student reportedly saw one flash a gun. BHS ramped up its safety efforts in response to this event, some protocols include checking photo IDs

of entrants and locking the school’s gates shortly after class begins. These efforts, however, were still unable to prevent the recent trespasser from entering with the BB gun. The evening after the disturbance, Principal Juan Raygoza sent an email to the school community which informed them of the event. The email read, “Although witnesses who suspected this individual might

The school resource officer is often the first to respond when on-campus violent incidents occur.

JEROME PAULOS

have a weapon did not in- is equipped to announce a gate,” Raygoza said. dicate that they had seen a lockdown in response to a Academic Choice Enggun drawn at any time, any security threat, both cases lish teacher Meikko Lee weapon in the possessaid that she and sion of any person on her colleagues are our campus (outside of “I identified the individual and not told much else our SRO) is a threat to about what to do in saw them leave campus in such a the case of a security the safety and well-bequick fashion that I didn’t have threat aside from ing of our school comtime to call for lockdown.” munity.” alerting administraRaygoza had been tors. notified of a possibly Considering the Juan Raygoza, armed individual by school’s safety proBHS Principal BHS administrators, tocols, Lee said that who were alerted by “they feel a little bit students. Having been reactionary instead alerted, Raygoza and Officer resolved themselves too of proactive. Most of the Mitchell responded to the promptly for a lockdown incidents ... have been from scene and saw the individual to be necessary. In the case students who are not BHS leave campus, according to where a lockdown would students. Yes, there are [fewRaygoza. It was not until the need to happen, Raygoza er incidents] now, but it’s individual had been taken said that November’s lock- still happening.” into BPD custody that it was down drill has prepared Lee pointed to the issue confirmed to Raygoza that BHS staff and students for of having an open camthe suspect had a BB gun. handling such an emergen- pus, paired with sociologiThe occurrence was sim- cy. cal tensions caused by the ilar to the October incident After the BIS student had pandemic. She said that when the non-student tres- been taken into custody, an open campus is not the passers were seen exiting Raygoza and the principal safest option given recent campus as Mitchell arrived. of BIS, Heidi Weber, worked events. “Just because some“In this scenario … I closely to conduct an inves- thing worked a couple years identified the individual tigation of the event. ago, doesn’t mean it’s going and saw them leave campus “To all students and staff, to work now, especially in a in such a quick fashion that if you know of anything that pandemic where there’s so I didn’t have time to call for could be dangerous, just much uncertainty, which lockdown,” Raygoza said. alert an administrator and obviously causes a lot of Although the PA system allow us to try to investi- conflict,” Lee said.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

NEWS

District Purchases 2,300 Chromebooks for Student Use at Home BY ELLA CREANE staff writer

Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) recently purchased 2,300 Google Chromebooks that are now available for students to check out through their school libraries. In the most recent newsletter from December 2021, BUSD shared that approximately 2,300 students in Berkeley schools didn’t have access to a personal device for distance learning, which led them to apply for federal funding to purchase Chromebooks that students could check out of school libraries. Students can keep the devices at home until the end of the school year and use them for any number of things, including online research, digital schoolwork, and, if necessary, distance learning. The technology divide in schools is a problem further exacerbated by the pandemic, and with the threat of distance learning looming over schools once again, making sure all students have access to technology is

a pressing issue. “It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, but I think that distance learning brought into focus that this is something we needed,” said Matt Albinson, an instructional technology specialist for Berkeley High School (BHS). “If we go out of school again, we don’t want a situation where we have to take apart all of our [Chromebook] carts like we did last year and give those out. We want a separate supply of Chromebooks that can come and go from students’ homes, rather than disrupting our school supply.” With the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreading across the country, cases are reaching record highs. Albinson has been concerned about the state of in-person schooling. He remarked on the added pressure that the virus wave has put on the project, and the ways it has hastened their process, as well as their goals. “We hope that this program can help make sure that everybody has a computer at home, so they aren’t cut off from school alto-

gether in the case of virtual learning,” Albinson said. “Inequality in the students who have access to technology and don’t have access to technology is definitely what we’re trying to address. We’re trying to close the digital divide, between students who have easy access to technology and the students who don’t.” Bradley Hilton, the district’s technology supervisor, also commented on the impact a lack of access to technology can have on students. “Students at BHS who don’t have a computer of their own to use are often left behind, forced to use a small cell phone screen or a library computer to write their Google doc or do online research,” Hilton explained. “This forces them to spend more time to achieve the same result, and can often create additional hurdles for students who may already be facing other obstacles.” As technology becomes further incorporated into everyday schooling in general, the issue of technological inequity is spread-

Students without access to a computer at home will be able to check out a Chromebook for free.

ing far beyond the setting of the pandemic and distance learning. Keldon Clegg, the other instructional technology specialist at BHS, discussed the difficulties of regulating student-brought technology and finding ways to allow students to use the best resources available to them while still maintaining a fair environment. He also considers there to be many parts to technology inequality, making the problem extremely complex. “WiFi ... is a massive

inequity, and schools can only go so far,” Clegg said. “Hotspots aren’t a great solution, especially in distance learning, where you have to do video conferencing, which takes up large amounts of data. This program is just a piece of what has to happen. A lot of other things need to happen in tandem with it.” This is one of the reasons easy accessibility to the Chromebook checkout was one of the district’s priorities. Any student is able to go to the library and check

NOLAN WHITEHILL

out a Chromebook by filling out a simple form with parental consent. Students don’t have to be on free or reduced lunch, and the only documentation required is that showing they’re a student of the district. “The Chromebooks are there and they’re available,” Clegg said. “It’s always good that students know that if they’re in need, the library is a place they can go to get access … We want to emphasize that if you don’t have a way to get technology, you can get it from us.”

School Board Discusses New Policies to Weather Omicron Surge

BY SHYEL MEISELS staff writer

The Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) School Board held its first meeting of 2022 on Wednesday, January 5. Due to the Omicron variant’s spread across the US as well as Berkeley and its public schools, the meeting focused on how the district is handling this COVID-19 surge. Public commenters raised concerns about the safety of in-person school due to increased transmission. “I am calling on BUSD to shut down face-to-face instruction in our schools and reinstate virtual learning for everyone in order to stop the tsunami of this [CO-

designed for kindergarten updated mask policy, bet- email address run by BUSD through 12th grade and ex- ter enforcement of mask- were significantly higher cluded the preschool popu- wearing, and requirement as well. Up-to-date COVlation. That is a big prob- of full vaccination for BUSD ID-19 metrics within BUSD are available on the lem in the design. … BUSD COVID-19 There is a group of us who are advocating “We are on the brink of not being Dashboard. able to sustain in-person classes. Stephens also very strongly for prementioned the severe school testing.” This is the number one issue that shortage of teachers In a pre-recorded we all need to be focused on.” and other classified video, Berkeley Fedstaff such as custodieration of Teachers Matt Meyer, ans, secretaries, and (BFT) President Matt BFT President after-school staff, Meyer discussed as well as ways the measures that could school board plans help BUSD schools employees, which includes a to remedy this issue. One remain open. method is to increase the “Because this variant booster shot. “We are on the brink of pay for substitute teachers transmits so much easier than previous versions, our not being able to sustain to three hundred dollars per current practices are not in-person classes,” he said. day for the month of Januenough to prevent transmis- “This is the number one is- ary, which is $25 higher than LYDIA KIM VID-19] surge,” said Yvette said. sions in our schools, as we sue that we all need to be in Oakland Unified School Felarca, a BUSD teacher. District, the next highestSchool Board Direc- have seen this week,” Meyer focused on.” “Berkeley’s policy to keep tor Ana Vasudeo said pre- said. BUSD Superintendent paying district in the area. schools open will guarantee schoolers in BUSD are not BUSD will also use stratMeyer also mentioned Brent Stephens gave a prethe spread of infection to allowed to go to district test- the number of new CO- sentation surrounding CO- egies such as canceling specountless children and their ing sites due to state regula- VID-19 cases in the district VID-19 transmission and cialist classes in elementary families.” tions, though BUSD wants over the first few days of new policies that will be put schools — including muBUSD special educa- testing to be opened to all 2022. into effect. He first discussed sic, physical education, and tion teacher Deborah Thies students. “There are so many [CO- the four main ways BUSD science — and having the brought forth conVID-19] cases that is accumulating data on teachers of those classes fill cerns surrounding the current BUSD COVID-19 cases: iHealth in for their absent coworkCOVID-19 in pre- “Unfortunately, the state’s testing staff cannot keep up Home Test Kits, all-day test- ers. High school teachers schools. Thies said she programs were designed for kin- with contact tracing ing at the Berkeley Adult can also use their prep perirecently became a priand testing,” he said. School, families of students od and get paid to substitute mary caregiver for her dergarten through 12th grade and “This will only get reporting positive cases to a teach. excluded ... preschool.” “elderly and unwell” Stephens reiterated the worse, as we have designated email, and surparents and is cononly been back for veillance testing at Berkeley importance of staying home cerned about catching schools. if COVID-19 symptoms are three days.” Ana Vasudeo, COVID-19 at work Testing at the Berkeley observed, correct masking, In order to School Board Director and infecting them. keep children in Adult School and surveil- and vaccination. “Our students are “[Getting vaccinated and in-person learning lance testing in the first not yet eligible for vacrather than back in week after winter break both boosted] is the single most cination, they are not al“A lot of us share that distance learning, Meyer yielded more positive cases important thing you can do lowed at the district testing same frustration,” Vasudeo outlined new practices to than in previous weeks, and for your family to protect site, and many are not great said. “Unfortunately, the be adhered to by students reports of positive student their health and safety,” Steat effective masking,” Thies state’s testing programs were and teachers, including an cases of COVID-19 to the phens said.

OPINION BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

opinion editors: Anjuna Mascarenhas-Swan & Lianna Leung

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

anjunamascarenhass@students.berkeley.net

Should Bay Area Cities Be Cracking Down on Crime? YES

NO

BY OHAD AVIRAN-FINKELSTEIN staff writer

BY ULYSSES NOE staff writer

Recent headlines paint a grim picture of unsafe conditions in the Bay Area. Crime in San Francisco has risen over 12 percent in the past year, while Oakland’s violent crime rate was over three times higher than the national average. The Berkeley High School (BHS) community also witnessed an increase in violence in the form of fights, firealarm pulls, and the defacement of bathrooms. Recently, Mayor London Breed of San Francisco announced plans to develop the Tenderloin district and crack down on crime, drug usage, and violence in the community. Breed’s plans for the Tenderloin are essential in helping the homeless population receive much-needed support. Every day, two people die of accidental drug overdose in San Francisco, largely due to the outdated infrastructure in the Tenderloin, where streets are littered with heroin needles. Accidental overdoses, mainly due to fentanyl, killed almost twice as many people as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In San Francisco, it is mandatory for all police officers to carry NARCAN (Naloxone), a nasal spray that undoes the effects of opioids like fentanyl and heroin. Over 8,000 lives have been saved in the past year because of this remarkable medicine, and with more police officers, more lives can be saved. A major element of Breed’s plan is to build a service center to provide food, clothing, and shelter. The center will be open to everyone and will give referrals for housing, mental health care, addiction treatment, and more. This service center will help disrupt the “revolving door” issue, where criminals are imprisoned for brief periods of time, then not fully rehabilitated, and soon after being released commit crimes again. By providing mental support for any that need it, treatment for substance addiction, and care for homeless families so parents can work, this center will work to overall push people towards a safer path. Additionally, the San Francisco Police Department is working with Healthy Streets Operation Center (HSOC) to provide such mental support and help with substance addiction. HSOC was created by multiple city departments to help give homeless San Franciscans food, shelter, and opportunities to launch a new life. Without a crackdown on crime, the situation in the Tenderloin will remain unchanged, and likely get worse. Action is what we need, not silence, and that is exactly what Mayor London Breed is planning to do.

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed recently announced a crackdown on drug crimes in response to rising crime rates in the city. The San Francisco Police Department followed Breed’s announcement with a tweet reporting that, in the second week of December, 950 grams of illicit drugs and $3,400 in drug money were seized, and 17 dealers were arrested in the Tenderloin neighborhood. Breed’s commitment to stopping crime builds on the so-called War on Drugs that has been going on in the US since Richard Nixon’s original War on Drugs, which disproportionately impacted communities of color. Mayor Breed’s harsh-on-crime rhetoric, as well as similar ramp-ups in police enforcement across the East Bay, are a leap in the wrong direction. Not only does this stance fail to keep residents safe, it causes more problems. The issue with the Tenderloin is not a few dealers selling drugs and cannot be solved by throwing a few dealers in prison for life. Selling drugs is not okay, but it is often a crime of economic desperation, not maliciousness. Breed's crackdown on crime makes it seem that poverty is a direct result of petty crime. San Francisco is an unusual place, given its unique juxtaposition of poverty and unfathomable wealth; homeless people in the Tenderloin find themselves in the literal shadow of the headquarters of tech giants, including the Salesforce Tower. The Tenderloin exemplifies inequality in the US and fails to support its most vulnerable residents. Salesforce, which made $2.6 billion in 2020, robbed the citizens of the United States by not paying any federal taxes. In the blocks surrounding its building, however, San Francisco’s 8,000 homeless are carefully watched and arrested by police. The issue is not that there is too little money in San Francisco; the fortunes of local CEOs could comfortably support every unhoused individual. The issue not that there is too little space; about forty percent of all commercially available space in San Francisco is vacant. Through her tough-on-crime stance, Breed has chosen to work against economically disadvantaged people by persecuting them instead of offering help. A better solution would be for the community to create a social safety net. Money going towards law enforcement — and unpaid corporate taxes — could instead be going to affordable housing and rehabilitation for unhoused people.

ILLUSTRATED BY POPPY CHAMBERS, staff illustrator

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

EDITORIAL

BHS Humanities Lack Weight CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

math survives partly because of parental demand. So, why are humanities classes deprioritized, and how can we fix it? One reason is related to teaching style and subject matter. STEM classes typically rely on tests with right or wrong questions, whereas assessments in humanities classes are more based on expression and personal arguments. It also sometimes seems that STEM classes cater to advanced students and leave struggling ones behind, while English classes are designed to support less proficient students. The Jacket spoke to several teachers who said more students received failing grades in STEM classes than humanities. Amanda Marini, BHS film teacher and former English teacher, understands why English classes prioritize accessibility. As an English teacher, Marini focused on fewer and less demanding texts when she found that many students couldn’t keep up with the reading. International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator Keldon Clegg said many humanities teachers limit work because they know students are overburdened by STEM classes. Berkeley International High School (BIHS) English and African American Literature teacher Alan Miller echoed that

OPINION

sentiment, noting that he constantly sees students doing other school work — especially for STEM classes — during his class, but doubts that students do English homework during Math. English classes often allow more time for mindfulness, flex days, or other types of community building and stress relief. Berkeley International High School (BIHS) English teacher Melissa Jimenez thinks this comes with the territory. “When you're teaching storytelling and the impact stories have on readers, empathy is inevitably involved,” she said. “So when it comes to our relationships with students, it naturally follows that we maybe are quicker to empathize.” Yet, it isn’t fair that these classes shoulder the burden of hard STEM classes. BIHS recently switched from a "Literature" to a "Language and Literature" course, which embraces a broader definition of literature and gives teachers more freedom, reducing the amount of work assigned overall. Clegg said he used to hear from students that “the course doesn’t include me,” but now he hears more often that there aren’t enough essays. He still believes students are college-ready, and IB test scores have remained strong. He said that while students used to call the course rigorous, the staff concluded it was merely difficult and without a sufficient reward. While it is important not to conflate rigor with education, the fact remains that students do not feel equally challenged in all disciplines. So what’s the solution? One thing’s for sure, it’s not more class levels. Such “tracking” segregates students and makes it even harder for less advanced students to improve. Marini pinpointed the problem, saying, “if you [use tracking], you’re compromising equity and the ethical choice.” Instead teachers need to highlight differentiated instruction. Rather than giving extra or harder work to advanced

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students, differentiated teaching involves allowing for additional assignments, doing more small group learning, and generally raising the overall level of the class, while still supporting those who struggle more. To differentiate effectively, teachers need a few things. First, although it’s a big ask, it is necessary to have smaller class sizes. They are beneficial to all teachers, but they’re especially valuable for classes that focus on qualitative assessments and feedback. Differentiation can also be achieved through individual attention, with or without smaller classes. Teachers make strong efforts to do this, but the block schedule BHS is considering would create time for individualized instruction in the form of “flex” periods. It would also help if humanities teachers could consult on pedagogy across the discipline, as is done in STEM, with departments for each subject, rather than just each small learning community (SLC). Marini is a proponent of professional learning communities, or PLCs, in which a few teachers from the same discipline meet to compare notes on how effective they have found different methods of teaching the same content to be. BHS should also employ more common assessments, which would allow the school to understand how students’ English skills grow and change. These assessments yield information about students’ strengths, where they need to improve, and what pedagogical approaches work best. It’s hard to say where the problem begins, but the solution begins with discussions among teachers, students, and the community. If students want to make a change, Clegg said, they should share ideas with teachers, specifically in end-of-year surveys.

Hall Passes: A Small Bother Helps Restore Campus Order BY HOLDEN ELIAS staff writer

Since the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, Berkeley High School (BHS) has seen a steep uptake in disruption and violence on campus. Thirteen fire alarms have gone off, mostly caused by students intentionally pulling them either to get out of class or just to cause mayhem. Additionally, BHS has suffered an abnormally high rate of fights this year, making the teaching environment all the more difficult. In order to stop this spike in disruptive activities, we need better enforcement of order on campus, and a great tool to help security officers do so is by using hall passes. Hall passes are primarily a way to ensure that everyone is accounted for on campus. With hall passes, those that are not in class have a piece of paper with details about where they are going and what class they are coming from. This allows security guards to easily tell the

difference between the students who have permission to be out of the classroom and those who do not. From the standpoint of security, this information is vital to prevent disruption, as no one will be able to wander the halls aimlessly. In the past, teacher usage of hall passes has not been completely consistent, with some teachers letting kids leave class and go to the bathroom without using a pass. While that may have been more acceptable prior to the current school environment, several factors have made that increasingly dangerous. For one, safety officers are facing a huge staffing problem, with only eight security officers for the entire school. If teachers aren’t using hall passes, that makes the job of security officers even more difficult. Students cause major disruptions while out of class and on campus; we see this every day with the frequent false fire alarms and fights. Having students roaming about on campus certainly

contributes to these disruptions, so hall passes need to be utilized to keep order on campus. It isn’t as if using hall passes is that difficult — filling one in with the necessary details only takes a couple of seconds out of a lesson. The only argument against the benefits of hall passes might be the issue of sanitation; during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all become hyperaware of unsanitary systems and having a shared hall pass that students take into the bathroom seems like a terrible idea. However, this can easily be solved by just using a disposable pass. It is vital to have an orderly learning environment at BHS. Without it, both teaching and learning become more difficult, and student-caused disruptions hinder educational growth. According to Safety Officer Cornelius Smith, “The purpose of a hall pass is to make sure that everyone on campus has a destination, so that everything flows smoothly.” Who wouldn't want that?

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With a teacher's permission, students may use hall passes to travel around campus during class.

ISABELLA TASSO

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

OPINION

A Solution to Berkeley’s Traffic Fatalities

A biker rides along a protected bike lane on Milvia Street outside of BHS.

BY OHAD AVIRANFINKLESTEIN staff writer

Whether arriving to school by foot, bike, bus, or car, many Berkeley High School (BHS) students have either been victims of traffic collisions or have witnessed near misses. According to the City of Berkeley website, from 2010 to 2019, 2 percent of all collisions in Berkeley were fatal, and many more resulted in severe or minute injuries. Over 80 percent of fatal collisions happened on the same 15 percent of roads in Berkeley, which also happened to be the busiest ones. The City of Berkeley needs to update its infrastructure on these streets and follow the lead of other cities that have already successfully reduced their number of fatalities and overall traffic colli-

sions. This is where Vision Zero, a non-profit organization that started in Sweden but is now active in over 45 cities and approximately 20 states, becomes incredibly important. With only 2.3 fatalities per 100,000 people, Sweden has the lowest fatality crash rate out of any country that consists of more than 300 square miles. In comparison, the United States has 10.6 fatalities per 100,000 people, a drastic difference compared to Sweden. More surprising is Berkeley’s number of casualties per 100,000, almost three times the national average: 29.2. Vision Zero was created with the intent to share the success of Sweden’s extremely safe road system and make sure that the only number of deaths acceptable in collisions is zero. This, or at least a similar program, is

MALINA MEISSNER

what is needed in Berkeley. In Sweden, street infrastructure is built with special protection for cyclists and pedestrians. Vision Zero implemented this ideology in the fairly new biking lane barriers along Milvia Street from Hearst Avenue to Blake Street. This is a very popular biking route, especially for BHS students, as it connects Central Berkeley to basically all of North Berkeley. Additionally, inside a four-block radius of BHS and Washington Elementary School throughout the 2010s, there have been over 25 severe injury collisions and 3 deaths. This shows how dangerous Downtown Berkeley is, despite two schools being in the near vicinity. Another way to help create a safer environment for Berkeleyans would be to change crosswalk designs. Although Berkeley’s current

crosswalks work, they aren’t the most efficient. One of the main types of safe sidewalks that are seen all over Berkeley is called the zebra crosswalk. This crosswalk helps give drivers a sense of depth perception at night due to the semi reflective paint and lines that cross in between the two main ones. Presently, many of the crosswalks surrounding BHS are up-to-date on Vision Zero’s standard, but not all. For example, at the intersection of Martin Luther King Junior Way and Bancroft Way, the crosswalk doesn’t consist of a zebra pattern and has peeling paint. This spot not only connects students walking from the south to BHS, but also Washington Elementary students. This is one of the three major crosswalks on Martin Luther King Junior Way for BHS students and the closest to the street entrance to the G-Building and H-Building. Although there are many solutions to the issues discussed in this article, there are still unsolvable problems. It is impossible to make anything completely efficient in this world due to human error — in this case, jaywalking, faulty car parts, and more. In the end, Vision Zero will never be able to truly get to their goal, but they will save lives and are definitely worth the investment.

Breaking Down ‘First World Problems’ BY VIVIANA HILARIO staff writer

Imagine you’ve just tripped and fallen on top of someone, and you wince at the slight stinging pain from your scraped knee. Meanwhile, the person beneath you has rolled their ankle and fears that they may have broken a bone, as they are unable to walk. Do you relish in your own discomfort, or focus on the more pressing injury of the person before you? After all, just because they have it worse doesn’t mean you aren’t in pain. This, essentially, is the dilemma surrounding socalled “First World problems.” Although everyone is entitled to their own issues, it is imperative to take into account the very different circumstances of developing nations, and most importantly, the causes of this discrepancy. The fact of the matter is that living in a First World country does not mean your life is perfect. Everyone deals with their own struggles, ranging from menial things like running out of hot water in your shower, to greater hardships scat-

tered across the globe, including houselessness and unemployment. Although it is true that for the most part, things can always be worse, this doesn’t mean that people should not be able to complain about their struggles. The mindset that you must be perpetually grateful, never acknowledging your own problems, is unproductive and potentially harmful. Constantly ignoring one’s own struggles under the guise of gratefulness for living in the First World can only exacerbate these problems, turning minor struggles into all-consuming hardships. While First World problems can be valid, it is still important to acknowledge the discrepancies between living standards across the globe. Access to vital resources such as healthcare and education, as well as political and economic opportunity, is infinitely more attainable in First World countries than in many developing countries. This is true even despite criticism of imperfection in some First World countries. While we can still acknowledge the hardships in our own lives and address them

accordingly, it is imperative to acknowledge this global inequity. The reason that life in First World countries is relatively comfortable for many citizens is often directly linked to the exploitation of the citizens of developing nations. Exploitation of poorer countries is what fuels the more comfortable lives of many Western citizens. As corporations advance, it becomes increasingly harder to avoid contributing to this corruption. To this day, sweatshops and slavery run rampant across the globe. Regions outside of the First World are stripped of their natural resources, while putting the welfare of citizens in

ELLIOT SHRAG

peril — all of this for convenience in the lives of First World citizens. However, the solution to this international issue is not simply to ignore our “First World problems” as we mourn the lives of others. A global effort to stand up to these exploitative corporations and governments is the only solution to dismantle the systems which allow for such inhumane treatment. So if you’ve scraped your knee, go grab a Band-Aid; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking care of your own well being. But if the person who rolled their ankle before you hadn’t softened the blow, you may have been in much worse shape.

THE LARK OF CONVICTION ELI KNISBACHER

I’m an astereotypical human being, and as such, I’m in essence normal. One irregularity of mine, however, is particularly astounding: I’m neither a-, mono-, or polytheistic. And I’m Jewish. To repeat — I’m a bar mitzvahed, kippah-wearing Jewfro employer and don’t believe or not believe in God(s). Reassuringly, Judaism is more than a religion, my Jewfro is composed of atoms, and there exists a word to describe my condition: agnosticism. Why am I agnostic? Because I am equally incapable of defending God as I am a void. There is definitively some cosmic glue, some force pulling Earth towards the center of the universe, defining the spin and velocity of electrons; that gives me hope, that gave you life. Maybe hope is a neurochemical, life an illusion. Though, to the human mind, they don’t seem to be such. They seem critical, visceral, magical. And maybe they are. And maybe they stem from some being, some God, with the same characteristics. To which my logical mind interjects, “What about randomness? What about chaos?” Hope could just be a complex chemical constellation, life the culmination of variable upon variable, so many variables as to potentially be unique to Earth. But they’re both wrong: my existence is meaningful, not the product of a void. Yet my sentience can be monitored with an MRI, transformed by medicine. So I’m agnostic. I swim through the intermediate ether, taking breaths of the heavenly and sips of void as I desire. Am I not entitled to both, believing fully in neither? My starved lungs at times need to breathe comfort in the face of death; my parched lips need at times to drink certainty in the face of a lack thereof. Often, the ether can fulfill my desire to breathe in addition to my desire to drink. With the ether comes contentment: to be, to relax — in spite of, because of, or without God or void. One could say my position along with my argument in favor of it are jumbled. One could say that I lack conviction. Of this I am certain: in lacking conviction, I am steadfast, transfiguring my “lack” to something of a lark. And my Lark of Conviction has yet to conclude. My path may be jumbled, but jumbled paths can still be followed, and this one might have a noble end. It must be noble if while strolling my path I feel at ease, content, unburdened. Then again, maybe my argument could be refined. Maybe my path won’t end, leading infinitely deeper into my aquarium of ether. Maybe God exists, reassures, comforts, or brings joy. Maybe a benevolent being floats above us all, giving us virtues, families, and happiness, letting us die in wars, genocides, and pandemics. Maybe instead there is a void; science explains all. Maybe the confluence of innumerable variables that is this column is entirely random. Maybe said confluence was aided by no floating benevolent being. And maybe the maybes cancel each other out— Maybe the Lark of Conviction is that having conviction is to not be considering some major detail. Maybe uncertainty is more authentic than certainty ever will be. To expand on Shrödinger’s point, God simultaneously does and does not exist.

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INVESTIGATIVE

‘Just Ticking Off a Checkbox:’ Why are Private Schools Moving Away from AP Classes? CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

course options available to the student, which creates pressure for students to take as many AP classes as possible. Another major benefit of Head-Royce’s decision is that students no longer feel pressured to take AP classes if they are not interested in the subject. “It's not conducive to fostering a love of learning when students feel compelled to opt for the AP track, not because they intrinsically want to delve deeper into that subject, but solely because they want to impress colleges,” Schneider said. On the other hand, Academic Choice (AC) junior Jade Feria described how students can still pursue their interests while taking an AP class. She took AP Chemistry last year, and this year she is taking three AP classes. “There's definitely a lot of pressure to take harder classes, but I think a variety of AP classes helps because that way you can choose which ones you're more interested in,” Feria said. She added that while AP classes are more focused on the test format, they also tend to be more interesting. Schneider also suggested that differentiation between AP and regular classes can be damaging to the development and self-esteem of students.

“It really can be detrimental to students' development and identity when you have some students in the AP track and other students in the ‘regular’ track,” Schneider said. “I've seen the labels ‘smart’ and ‘dumb’ substituted by students when discussing the ‘AP’ versus ‘regular’ tracks.” Schneider added that standardized tests can be inequitably skewed because of unequal access to resources, such as private tutors. Albrecht emphasized this aspect of the AP exam as well, describing the racial disparities in test scores. “I've witnessed the bias as a teacher, and it's also well documented statistically,” Albrecht said. “Look at the scores by race on the math and physics tests. For Black students, it's a whole unit lower. … I know my students as mathematicians. I am often surprised at how well the white boys do compared to the other students.” Despite their many drawbacks, Schneider conceded that a possible risk of eliminating AP classes could be the loss of rigor. “A potential risk is that the curricular freedom is misused, and a rigorous AP class could be replaced with an unstructured class in its place, which would be a disservice to students,” Schneider said. However, he also noted, “APs are seen by some as a proxy for rigor, but rigor does not have to be sacrificed without APs — that's a false dichotomy.” Schneider added that so long as the school and teachers continue holding themselves to a high standard, reform does not need to happen at the expense of rigor.

While that might be realistic for a private school like Head-Royce, it may not be possible at a large public school like BHS, according to Maya Cobb, a student in Berkeley International High School (BIHS), who has taken several AP classes. “Obviously at private schools, you're paying to be there and to get a rigorous curriculum,” Cobb said. “In public school, everybody's lumped in the same kind of mold and you have to choose your own path. If you get rid of AP classes, it's not like you can replace a regular school class with an AP-level class.” One of the students who welcomes the challenge of rigorous classes is Feria, who described the importance of choice for students. “AP classes tend to be more interesting,” Feria said. “It's nice to have an option for a harder class.” Matt Albinson, AP testing coordinator at BHS, also alluded to the high cost of AP exams, and the fact that they are administered by a company that many claim does not adhere to its "not-for-profit" label. “I think the argument against AP is that AP is a company,” Albinson said. “They are charging our students to take their exams.” Nevertheless, he emphasized that AP classes are critical to the school’s rankings, as they provide a uniform method of assessment across schools. “It’s one of the few things that everybody in the country does,” Albinson said. “It gives our school a real, legitimate way of comparing ourselves to other schools. If every school is just doing their own thing, how do we know that BHS is a good school?”

ILLUSTRATED BY GABRIELLA BUSANSKY, staff illustrator

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

FEATURES

A mural outside of La Peña Cultural Center displays a festive and colorful scene. La Peña will host a Cuban music concert with local band Timbeko by the Bay on February 14.

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SASHA BALASUBRAMANIAN

UPCOMING EVENTS ARTS & CULTURE

MUSIC

MUSEUM EXHIBITS

PERFORMANCE

SCIENCE

Watercolor Class With Local Artist Join local artist Lucia Gonnella for a Zoom watercolor class on February 5 at 11AM! The workshop is accessible to all levels of painters and will go over numerous techniques. Zoom Meeting ID: 883 4461 9577 Password: 034826 Price: Free

Cuban Music Concert Just a four minute drive from BHS, La Peña Cultural Center is hosting a Cuban music concert featuring the local Cuban band Timbeko by the Bay. The concert will take place on February 14 at 8 PM. Proof of vaccination and identification is required. Price: $25 before February 1

Berkeley Art Center Exhibit Beginning on Saturday, January 29, the Berkeley Art Center will be hosting an exhibit titled Midas: How Art Becomes Life & Life Becomes Art. The exhibit features works from several Bay Area artists and is centered on celebrating the creative process. Price: Free

Poetry Night The Museum of African Diaspora and the Asian Art Museum will hold a poetry night for Asian American and Black solidarity, with readings by local poets Michelle Lee and Tongo Eisen-Martin on February 3 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM in San Francisco. Price: $6 for students and educators

Board Games at BHS Join fellow Berkeley High School (BHS) students in room D-218 to play board games such as Clue, Sorry, Candyland, and Monopoly. Board Game Friday takes place every Friday at lunch. Friends and beginners are welcome. Price: Free

Lunar New Year Symphony Celebrate the Lunar New Year with the San Francisco Symphony in a performance of Lunar New Year: Year of the Tiger to pay homage to Asian culture. The symphony will play at the Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on February 5. Price: $35-40

OMCA Exhibit The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is hosting an exhibit on afrofuturism, celebrating science fiction through the lens of Black culture. Mothership: Voyage into Afrofuturism will take place until February 27. Proof of vaccination is required. Price: $7 for students under 18

Berkeley Repertory The Berkeley Repertory Theater is performing Swept Away until March 6. Director Michael Mayer showcases the story of four seamen who survived a shipwreck in 1888. Tickets are available for purchase on the theater website. Price: $44 and up

Exploratorium Exhibit The San Francisco Exploratorium has an upcoming exhibit featuring a life-sized model of NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover, which landed on Mars on February 18, 2021. The model allows visitors to understand the complex engineering of this rover. To visit the Exploratorium, proof of vaccination is required. Visit the Exploratorium website to purchase tickets in advance. Price: $24 for those aged 12 to 17

Compiled by Margot Johnson & Amelia Wiley Moreira

‘100,000 Things You Don’t Need:’ Curiosity Shop Dazzles BHS BY SOFIA RODRIGUEZ staff writer

lived in the neighborhood many times, so he is very familiar with the area. Although termed “useless,” the objects the store sells have deep meaning. Upon entering the store, customers are immediately greeted by a variety of pins displaying feminist messages. Around the walls, there are paintings and memorabilia relating to American feminism as well. To Kalousek-Maritano, that is definitely something unique about his shop, alongside the fact that it has a whopping 45,000 piece collection of vintage costume jewelry, the largest collection in the world as far as he can tell. “I didn’t expect the reaction I got from [Berkeley

At first glance while walking down Martin Luther King Jr. Way towards University Avenue, it’s hard to notice anything out of the ordinary. However, after Winter Break, a new store named the Curiosity Shop popped up out of the blue — and literally, the outside is blue. Although the shop is new to Berkeley, the establishment has been around for more than 50 years. The owner, Bryce KalousekMaritano, started the busiamazing jewelry pieces and ness when he was only nine out-of-the-ordinary items, years old with the simple such as Pokémon cards, idea of making wire peace students are bound to find symbols during the Vietnam something of interest. War to sell at funChicory Ruyle, draisers. a BHS fresh"I didn’t expect the reaction I got from man, heard about The shop’s slogan is “small use- [Berkeley High School]. It's been just a the shop from a less objects,” and friend and has wonderful experience." it has followed visited it a few Kalousek-Marittimes, picking up Bryce Kalousek-Maritano, ano up and down some pins and Owner the West Coast jewelry pieces. from shop to shop, “The number of spanning from items and how Corvallis, Oregon, all the High School (BHS)]. It's it’s mostly vintage jewelry way to La Jolla, California. been just a wonderful ex- makes [the store] unique,” Kalousek-Maritano is a Uni- perience being here the last Ruyle said. “You can’t really versity of California (UC), couple weeks,” Kalousek- find [stuff like that] at ranBerkeley graduate and has Maritano said. With all the dom thrift stores.”

The new Curiosity Shop sells small but unique trinkets.

Not only is the shop filled with interesting objects, but prices are very affordable, with some objects costing no more than ten cents. A friendly and relaxed shopkeeper, Kalousek-Maritano

YASMEEN BAWANY

always tries to give the best prices, and sometimes even rounds down from the actual price. Knowledge about the new shop has spread rapidly by word of mouth among BHS students.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

FEATURES BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

features editors: Raven Fonseca Jensen & Amelia WIley Moreira

BERKELEYAN TAKE ON THE WORLD NOAH RUDOLPH

“To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay.” This is the statement US President Joe Biden gave the evening of Thursday, August 26, after it was announced that 13 American service members stationed in Afghanistan and nearly 200 Afghans had been killed by suicide bombs at a Kabul airport. Most people in the US have heard about the conflict with Afghanistan. But what exactly is the conflict about? And why is Biden’s response to the deaths of the 13 US personnel, as well as many others, sending the wrong message? The date is October 7, 2001. The United States links the 9/11 terrorist attacks to AlQaeda, a multinational organization widely regarded as a terrorist group, which at the time operated under the Taliban regime’s protection in Afghanistan. Initiated by US President George W. Bush, US and British forces began airstrikes on Taliban and Al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan, which continued for five days. This commenced the longest war in US history. With nearly 3,000 American deaths and at least 2 trillion dollars spent on the war, America would benefit from peace. That being said, the process of exiting this war should have been treated delicately: nuanced and slow, with the safety of American military members and diplomats in mind, as well as the innocent Afghan civilians not involved with the war. However, this is not how things unfolded. On August 14, Biden declared an emergency evacuation with a deadline of August 31 for all personnel stationed in Afghanistan. Thousands of desperate families awaited departure at the airport in Kabul, fearful for their lives as the Afghan president left on a guarded helicopter and the Taliban seized control. Chaos grew as people began climbing onto the wings of airplanes in an attempt to escape the pandemonium below. Next, there were suicide bombings. Central Command Chief General Kenneth McKenzie stated, “We thought this would happen sooner or later.” Biden and the team behind this decision are somewhat responsible for what happened. However, Biden’s quote suggests that he didn’t expect to see this much violence when evacuating troops. The quote also suggests that the US will “hunt down” and “make pay” the terrorist organizations behind the bombings. Simply put, Biden’s response implies that the people in Afghanistan will continue to be unsafe. No matter what, the lives of 13 Americans will still be lost. The US government must scrutinize its own actions, not the actions off its offenders. Was our approach from the very beginning, 20 years ago, wrong as well? When faced with terrorism, why do we choose to respond with our own methods of terrorism? These are the questions needing to be asked.

Ravenfonsecajensen@students.berkeley.net

BHS Student Profile: Calder Underwood BY JONAH LACHS staff writer

Berkeley High School (BHS) freshman Calder Underwood has found purpose in philosophy. He has begun to develop his own personal ideology in order to find deeper meaning in his everyday existence. “It’s not the main pursuit of my life, but it’s definitely an important thing that I think about,” Underwood said. “[Without a philosophy or consideration for philosophy]... you’re just moving along with no real impact or reflection." Underwood discussed what he thinks of personal philosophies. “Your philosophies are a reflection of [your individual] actions,” he explained. Underwood prefers per-

sonal philosophies over social ones because he feels they are more impactful on a day-to-day basis. When asked what particular philosophies he subscribes to, Underwood said, “I’ve been reading a lot of Tolstoy recently, and one thing that Tolstoy talks about often is this idea of determinism.” Underwood explained that some interpret determinism to be the idea that individuals can only have control over their actions and can’t “steer” or influence massive bodies. Thus, individual actions have little to no bearing on anything else. “Of course, if you hurt someone, that does a lot of harm, but I very much respect the idea that massive world events are not determined by individual human will. … I just think the world is going to happen the way it

happens, and it happens that way because of millions of people’s actions.” When asked why he holds these beliefs, Underwood answered, “I guess I believe in them for the same

reason anyone believes in a philosophy, which is moral reflection. … To me, that means meditating on how your actions have affected others or how they haven’t affected the world.”

Calder Underwood is a freshman interested in philosophy.

MEI SAPHIR

Switch to Infinite Campus Proves Difficult BY FINOLA JACKSON staff writer

After a semester with Infinite Campus, the grade portal that replaced Illuminate Education, teachers and students alike are finally adjusting to the change. While Infinite Campus is a viable platform, the change has required teachers to climb a steep learning curve in an already difficult year. Berkeley Unified School District’s (BUSD) transition to Infinite Campus was not by choice. Illuminate Education discontinued its Illuminate Student Information (ISI) product at the end of the 2020-21 school year and now focuses on their Data and Assessment product (DnA). BUSD still uses Illuminate for some assessments and data storage. After Illuminate an-

nounced in 2019 that it would discontinue ISI, BUSD reviewed three other student information systems: Synergy, Aeries, and Infinite Campus. A group of more than 60 BUSD staff recommended the purchase of Infinite Campus after hearing presentations on each system. Infinite Campus cost BUSD $101,154 for the 2021-22 school year. Teachers attended an allstaff meeting before the start of school to learn the basics of the system. BHS also offered an optional, more indepth training. “[We were taught] the basics of how to set up attendance, and how to record [grades], just so we could survive the first week,” said Academy of Medicine and Public Service (AMPS) English teacher Diane Kung. “I had to figure out the gradebook more or less on my

MAHELA CABRINI

own [and] with other colleagues, partly because I was doing standards-based grading and there was no explicit training on standards-based grading.” Adapting to Infinite Campus proved difficult for teachers at the beginning of the school year. Kung said that there were some complaints from teachers, especially because they were in the middle of a major transition from virtual learning to in-person learning. “I think it created so much more stress on teachers,” said Kung. “It was just really inconvenient.” A major issue, according to Advanced Placement (AP) Biology teacher Glenn Wolkenfeld, was that until the end of November, Infinite Campus did not show percentage grades. This was not a problem with Infinite Campus, but with how BUSD configured the gradebook. “I thought that was a major equity issue,” said Wolkenfeld. “How would you know if you’re getting a high C or a low C, or whether moving up one entire letter grade, which is all that matters in the BHS system, [is] within reach?” According to various teachers, several other design features made Infinite Campus hard to learn and use. These included not automatically saving changes, not transferring scores from tests scanned on Illuminate, and not importing grade spreadsheet files. Kung said Infinite Campus has too

many icons, buttons, and windows, which makes navigating the website difficult. Overall, Infinite Campus could be improved by “a more intuitive user interface,” according to Matt Albinson, a Berkeley International High School (BIHS) computer science teacher. However, there are some aspects of Infinite Campus that teachers found to be an improvement from Illuminate. Ashley Daly, a Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS) math teacher, said that she appreciates the option of setting up a standards-based gradebook on Infinite Campus. “Infinite Campus does seem to make standardsbased grading a little easier, which is something I am trying this year along with several other teachers across communities in an effort to make our grading practices more equitable,” Daly wrote in an email to the Jacket. Wolkenfeld said that while adapting to changes in technology can be difficult, it is a necessary part of teaching in a technologydominated educational system. “When you have to make a switch ... it always takes up a bit of time and there’s always a learning curve," Wolkenfeld said. He continued, “When teachers are involved in things like that, that’s time they can’t devote to their students or to designing lessons. But technological change is now part of the educational landscape.”

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

FEATURES

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BHS College Counselors Reflect on Early Decision Applications BY KIRA RAO-POOLLA staff writer

December marked the release of many early action and early decision results for c ol l e ge a d m iss i ons . Students who submitted their applications in October an d Nov e mb e r, s e v e r a l months ahead of the regular deadlines, anxiously awaited their decision of acceptance, deferral, or rejection. This year, with further implementation of testoptional and test-blind policies as well as an emphasis on firstgeneration admissions, the number of early applications increased across the country, especially for selective colleges. Universities like Harvard, Yale, and Brown have reported near-record levels. According to Mary Jacobs, who has worked as an assistant in the College and Career Center (CCC) for seven years, not only are there differences between early and regular applications, but there are also different types of early applications. “Early decision is that school that you would commit to in a heartbeat and you are confident that you can meet the financial requirements,” Jacobs said. “Early action also gives the advantage of applying early and getting the decision early; however, you have some flexibility. You do not have to make a decision about an early action admission until May 1.”

Two groups of people generally submit early decision applications, according to Jennifer Hammond, the Ac a d e m i c C h oi c e ( AC ) and Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS) college counselor. Due to the financial implications, early decision may make the most sense for students who come from affluent families and are sure they can afford the cost, as well as students who have a zero Expected Family Contribution (EFC), meaning they can’t afford to pay any tuition and therefore qualify for a full ride. Early decision is a binding contract, so those who fall in between may not be able to commit to a school until they know their financial aid package. “It tends to be a competitive pool,” Hammond said. “Many students who apply early decision and early action are in a pool of affluent students, the generally ‘high-achieving’ population because they are well resourced and had access to lots of programs and SAT prep and things like that.” While early applications often include a more “competitive” pool, they may still offer a higher chance of success. Hammond explained that many colleges admit a larger proportion of early decision applicants because they guarantee yield, which is the percentage of students that accept the college’s offer and determines college rankings. Hammond also noted that

During the early decision college application round, BHS counselors supported seniors, many of whom were first-generation applicants.

many low-income students or first-generation applicants generally don’t have the information or resources to complete the process so far in advance. They may not be able to visit or learn about colleges without additional support, despite high motivation. “It takes more time and effort without the institution already established where parents in the home have b e e n t a l k i ng ab out t he four-year colleges that they attended, all the degrees that they earned, and things like that,” Hammond said. “They’re coming from a place of needing more support throughout the whole process. That’s what makes it somewhat

inequitable, but we still try to push for those early deadlines.” The test-optional and test-blind p olicies have increased the number of early applications from firstgeneration students, according to Hammond. “We have higher numbers of first-generation students getting in where we had fewer before because they just weren’t applying to begin with, and they actually have a very compelling application without that score,” Hammond said. “We had excellent results last year, [and] we anticipate excellent results this year, so I’m not concerned about that penalizing students at all.” Ya s m e e n R o d r i g u e z ,

a senior in AC, is a firstgeneration college applicant who applied early decision to Boston University this year and is still waiting to know if she got in. She submitted an early decision II application, which is still a commitment, but has a slightly later deadline in early January. Rodriguez described the impact of test-optional policies on her application experience. “I didn’t have to take the SAT or the ACT, so I didn’t have to stress out as much throughout the process,” she said. “It’s a relief for sure.” Rodriguez added that she is a first-generation college applicant, so her parents hadn’t been through the application

ASHLEY DIAZ

process before. Instead, most of the support she received was from school. At the CCC, she worked with Julia Maciel, a college advisor, as well as Mary Jacobs. Rodriguez explained how she began working on her essays in the summer, so the early application process was less stressful, despite the fast-paced timeline. “​​Deadlines are arbitrary,” Hammond s aid. “If t he deadline was for tomorrow, you’d get the thing done tomorrow. If the deadline is in a month, you’ll get it done in three to four weeks. If you give yourself the early application deadline, then at least you can set yourself up to have that opportunity.”

How Does Pressure from School Affect Teen Relationships? BY MAURICIO SIERRA staff writer

Winter is always a stressful time for students, with the end of the semester and final exams. However, it’s an especially hard time for graduating seniors, who also have to keep in mind their soon-to-bedue application deadlines. During these stressful months, there is a theory among high school students and alumni

that short-term relationships increase, contributing to what is known as ‘hookup culture.’ Even year-round, high schoolers see trends of longterm relationships decreasing in exchange for hookups or less committal relationships. In a voluntary questionnaire carried out on Instagram, many students offered their opinions regarding the question “Does school pressure promote hookup culture?” Makiyah Williams, a senior

in Academic Choice (AC), weighed in on the issue. “You rarely hear or see people in long-lasting relationships compared to hookups, which is literally becoming the norm now,” she said. She thought that this was unfortunate, because hookups take away from “actual genuine relationships developing.” Emily Sidharta, a senior in the Academy of Medicine and Public Service (AMPS), said that it wasn’t “school [that

Many students are too busy doing homework to search for romance, and instead turn to casual “hookups.”

causes] casual hookups,” and that it actually came down to “friend and peer pressure.” S i d h ar t a e mp h a s i z e d that this pressure to engage in hookup culture isn’t a universal experience amongst students, and evidently comes down more to particular circumstances such as friend groups and pressure from classmates. AC senior Madi Moore said that society, rather than school, causes hookup culture

MARINA PEDEMONTE

amongst teens. She said she wasn’t sure that “school added more pressure for this stuff.” Moore also said that it came down more to personal experiences and societal views than innate pressure from school itself. Other students who responded anonymously on social media concluded that at times, pressures in school have contributed to the decrease in more formal relationships amongst students, due in part to the academic workload, the pressures of high school (and upcoming college in seniors’ cases), extracurricular activities, and for some, even their jobs. Roberto Ocampo, a junior in AC, said that he disagreed with the theory and that he “did not see how [pressure] could affect people’s desires to have relationships.” He later mentioned that he thought it came down more to “the stress brought upon students [by school]” that led to making it “harder for relationships to form.” “People [have] other things to worry about and aren’t focused too much on that,” he said. Jonah Shick, a senior, believed that people were

“scared to try and commit to new things” in this generation. However, he wasn’t sure if it was “school, social media, society, or just [our generation] to blame” for this state of mind on this subject. In this generation, high school students have had to face immense obstacles. According to Mental Health America, “15.08% of youth experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, a 1.24% increase from last year’s dataset. In the bottomranked states, up to 19% of youth ages 12-17 experienced major depression.” In addition to the national mental health crisis, social media, societal expectations, and different goals, amongst other things, have led to t he d e c re a s e i n for m a l relationships between some teenagers in exchange for other types of relations that are often more casual. Along wit h t he drop in romantic relationships, however, comes a potential hope. The younger generation seems more open to discussing the mental health struggles that are becoming increasingly pervasive, which is a critical first step to understanding their wider social impact.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

Entertainment editors: Asha Baudart-Gehlawat & Ruby Freedman

GAVIN’S FROG LOG GAVIN TROTMORE

A distant croak reminds a hiker that they’re not so alone in their journey. A spree of tadpoles swims into the creek. Overgrown vegetation comes alive with minute rumblings and tassels. A heartbeat. Perhaps the most alien of creatures in our vast environments prompts the most self-reflection, making us ponder, what exactly makes me human? Frogs have a certain charm and foreignness that makes many ask this very question. Time slows down as the bullfrog preys on a passing fly; eyes are mesmerized by the bright saturated pigments of a poison dart frog. Join me with your amphibious ambition as we dive into the wide world of frogs. This may be the frog log, but we’ll start off with a toad. The fire-bellied toad features a mossy vibrant green on the top half of the body and a hazard orange on the bottom, all while sprinkled with a sporadic spotted and striped pattern. These creatures range from 2-3 inches long. As insectivores, they prey on feeble crickets, waxworms, and wiggler worms. Personally, I think the most enjoyable aspect of the fire-bellied toad is their bumpy, knobbly skin. This, coated in a painted mural of intoxicating spottings and picturesque coloration, makes these animals quite the spectacle. Our next subject is the Indian bullfrog. This frog sports a bright yellow pigment and is commonly seen with colorful blue throat pouches. As if this frog wasn’t enough of an extraterrestrial, it is also an invasive cannibal species. The amphibians eat native species’ tadpoles as an appetizer to their moistened, coarse meal. Along with small insects, this organism can also chow down on juvenile snakes, small birds, and small mammals. That a Kermit-like specimen can even prey on such feasts is surreal. Now we take a brief hiatus from our learning of various species to explore the meaning of frogs to different cultures. In ancient Egypt, our jumpy friends were seen as a token of water, renewal, and fertility. They were a symbol of the goddess Heqet, who often appeared with the head of a frog and the body of a woman; you could say she woke up with a croak in her throat. The importance of frogs was illuminated during the yearly flooding of the Nile River. With the mucus-glossed aliens thriving in the murky bogs of Egypt, it was a win-win. From a mere pollywog to a leaping condensation roamer, frogs serve as a metaphor for all of us. Despite starting as estranged-looking organisms, they always reach the end goal of a frog. Even if you start at what seems like nothing, you will reach the end goal of success, growing limbs one at a time. With every ligament comes knowledge. With every extremity comes growth. At long morrow, the tadpole breaks free from its aquatic impound, finally able to truly breathe for the first time. I hope frogs inspire you to breathe as well.

ashabaudartgehlawa@students.berkeley.net

Pessimism Unleashed in‘Don’t Look Up’ BY PEARL GAUTHIER staff writer

Don’t Look Up, directed by Adam McKay, took Netflix by storm after its release in December. It is quickly becoming one of the streaming site’s most watched movies ever. The film features a remarkably star-studded cast: Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio star in the film, with Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet, and Ariana Grande making notable appearances. The movie explores relevant issues such as climate change, unreliable media, and political corruption by parodying events from the last few years, but is notably

one sided. Instead of making progress in the name of these issues, Don’t Look Up fosters anger and self righteousness among its clearly intended liberal audience. In the film, Lawrence plays Kate Dibiasky, a sarcastic and outspoken college student, while DiCaprio is an anxious astronomy professor named Dr. Mindy. After discovering a comet destined for Earth that will lead to world destruction upon impact, the duo desperately tries to get any sort of attention from the government, the press, and the public in order to save the planet. It is quickly evident that the comet is a metaphor for climate change. Most of the film depicts a frustrating

LUCY RICKART-WEBB

sequence of events in which the scientists are ignored by the public, the media refuses to publish anything remotely truthful, and America refuses to accept reality and take action. While it is understandable that the film aims to criticize the way that the American government and culture have handled the threat of climate change, the message is unlikely to inspire any positive change. The film was a clear expression of McKay’s frustration with anyone who doesn’t share his political viewpoint, making it an unproductive social mockery rather than a call to action. The movie comes across as smug and oversimplified, and the metaphor becomes dull as the film goes on. The characters in the story are also remarkably one-dimensional. If the film is actually supposed to serve as a reflection of real-life American politics, the story fails to explore any kind of nuance or complexities within the issue. The main characters are portrayed as the good guys who are the only ones trying to save the world. There is no reasoning as to why the public is so ignorant, which does a disservice to the actual mul-

tifaceted issue of climate change and misinformation in American politics. The comparison between taking action against climate change and “looking up” into the sky to see a comet coming towards Earth is a stretch, even for a satirical film. In the end, the talent of the actors pulled the movie together. Watching Meryl Streep portray a corrupt Madame President and Jonah Hill play her chief of staff son made for a comical dynamic, although it was a painful reference to what the real presidential office has looked like for the past few years. Many of the references to modern day American culture — especially the impact of social media — were also spot on. It is evident that Netflix had a large budget for this film, which visually pays off in regards to the special effects. However, it is disappointing that the message behind the movie isn’t more productive. Don’t Look Up had serious potential for progress in the fight against climate change because of the large audience that watched it solely for the allstar cast. Hopefully, the next film of this caliber can inspire unity and change.

Does SNL Honor Its Liberal Reputation? BY ZADA SANGER staff writer

Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a sketch comedy show hosted by a celebrity guest each week. It first aired in 1975 and was created by Lorne Michaels, who is the show’s executive producer to this day. The show has won 81 Emmy awards but has been nominated for nearly 300. SNL is known for its liberal attitude, consistently giving the viewer a progressive take on current events. In recent years, it has garnered widespread praise for its persistent satirical commentary on the Trump administration and other American political failures. The show’s repeated attacks have cemented their notoriety as critics of emerging ultra-conservative agendas. Regardless, there is an undeniable contradiction between the show’s content and its business choices. This discrepancy is most obvious with the people who host the show. Typically, a celebrity host is promoting their new movie,

TV show, or album in their appearance on the episode. In 2015, SNL had Donald Trump host the show while he was campaigning for the presidency. Weeks before he made his appearance on SNL, he had given a speech where he called for a travel ban and mosque surveillance. How can something outwardly progressive like SNL give a huge platform to such a contradictory figure? This embarrassing decision by SNL reeks of hypocrisy and insincerity, as one of its most famous recurring bits is Alec Baldwin’s Trump impression. It was later found producer Lorne Michaels and Donald Trump were friends, and Michaels even requested that the cast tone down their criticism of the GOP candidate. SNL has also made fun of high profile billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk in a satirical way, critiquing the shameless inequity in capitalist society. Yet, on May 8, 2021, Elon Musk was invited to host the show. The seduction of an opportunity that would capture the audience’s attention outweighed

SNL’s commitment to its own ethics. This disappointing business decision takes a page out of Donald Trump’s own playbook: all press is good press. The worship of profit above all else, as seen with SNL, is rooted in capitalism. Despite portraying an image of liberalism, the show still conforms to the capitalist scheme normalizing the sacrifice of morals in the face of an opportunity for profit. It is concerning that even ‘left-leaning’ programs aren’t loyal to their supposed beliefs. Nevertheless, SNL is just like other major platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, where

it thrives on the attention economy; viewers and engagement are the markers of success for the program. At the end of the day, this still is the entertainment industry. Financial gain will continue to take precedence over politics in many areas. We should be careful not to offer too much praise to SNL and similar programs for “challenging the status quo” when their practices don’t really match what they preach. In our world where money and eyes reign supreme, SNL proves itself to be a proponent of capitalist practices rather than a defier of them.

ALEXANDRA MORGAN

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT

Typecasting in Film Restricts Creativity BY AVHA MEISELS staff writer

In acting, owning a signature “persona” has become the key to success. An actor’s tendency to consistently play one type of character, regardless of the film’s context, is what we refer to as “typecasting.” While it often serves to iconize actors — for example, Al Pacino as the mafia leader and Isabelle Hupert as the highstrung, sexually deprived aunt — it quickly becomes yet another way for the film industry to limit the roles minorities can land in movies. In the past, women in cinema were almost always cast in the same type of roles: a means to a man’s end, for which emotional depth was frowned upon. Although this still holds true, women to a certain extent have fought to have more leading roles, as well as more control in their

portrayal of a character. Besides some minimal reluctance and backlash, the rest of the movie industry seems to have followed this more progressive trend. A well-known example of this trend is seen with Scarlett Johansson, who has famously fought for better feminist representation in her

films. When she played the iconic character Black Widow, she was often overly sexualized, especially in contrast to her male counterparts. However, when her solo movie Black Wid-

ow was made, she became a producer, and there is a clear diversion from the hyper-sexuality displayed in previous portrayals of her character. The focus in this film is more on female solidarity and unity, rather than unnecessarily “male gaze” shots and scenes. In addition to this, Johansson took on roles in films like Marriage Story and JoJo Rabbit that are more focused on the character’s emotional content, rather than their appearance. While Johansson embodies this sort of “breaking out of the mold” narrative, she isn’t alone. Other women, such as Oscar-winner Viola Davis and the highly criticized but ever-persistent Kristen Stewart, have worked tirelessly to ensure they don’t get stuck in the pre-conceived notion of who their characters should be. Many people of color in the industry are typecast as stereotypes, while white

people are often typecasted to specific characteristics or roles. No matter the quality of an actor, people expect certain types of roles from them due to their race, which can make it harder for these actors and actresses to branch out and achieve the same level of success that others can. Even though many think that casting people of color in films is good enough, the industry has lots of work to do. In order to reach better representation, people of color have to not only be in films, but they must also have access to a range of character types. Even though we still have a ways to go, problematic typecasting has become less common in recent years. It’s easy to notice a change in these castings when comparing movies from even just twenty years ago. Based on the change in the industry, when it comes to typecasting, it seems like we will see more diverse characters in the future. ILLUSTRATED BY POPPY CHAMBERS

Solving Hollywood’s Recent Unoriginality BY ASHA BAUDART-GEHLAWAT entertainment editor

In the past couple of years, an unprecedented amount of films to hit theaters have been remakes, sequels, or reboots of older blockbusters. The phenomenon puts into question the creativity — or lack thereof — that lives in Hollywood studios, prompting viewers to question why exactly this regurgitation of content has become so popular. Both profit, as well as lack of creativity, play a large role in this unfortunate new time for media. Out of the highest-grossing movies of all time, an overwhelming majority of them are sequels or remakes. This can be attributed to a number of factors, most notably the comforting appeal of these reboot-type films. From The Matrix to Jurassic Park, these movies have a surefire way of attracting viewers by using their preestablished cult fanbase’s devotion to ensure box office success. This is not to say that remakes and reboots have no value. Recent examples, such as Little Women or Dune, allow older stories to be told in a new light, and use a modern context to frame timeless ideas and narratives. It’s when these remakes become the only source of new content that a line has to be drawn. While reintroducing

older themes to modern society can have teachable moments, it’s also indispensable that we allow new ideas to be brought to the table, something that is inevitably much more difficult if we remain on this “do-over” course of action. So how can we try and influence Hollywood to stray away from these kinds of movies? Promoting a culture in which more original films, rather than a few remakes, are produced, could be a solution beneficial to all involved. And if the remaining problem is uninspired scripts, a potential fix, albeit one that’s long been looked down upon by media executives, is fan fiction. As a fan-run, predominantly female industry, the world of fan fiction is rarely taken seriously. Although recent films, such as the After or The Kissing Booth series, are famously adapted from popular fan fictions, these movies do nothing but perpetuate the stereotype of fan fiction as inherently hypersexual works, lacking in many of the subtleties and literary devices attributed to formally published books. This idea is severely misguided. Fanfiction took off on several websites in the early 2000s, with the most notable being Wattpad and Archive of our Own, popularly known as Ao3. Originally, these were stories depicting fan-created endings or spinoffs of their favorite shows or films, but as time went on,

Ao3 became an extremely popular base for creative writing. What started off as rewriting specific moments from a show became novel-length stories, using characters loosely based on those from authors’ favorite series, or often, completely original characters. Many of these stories received millions of “hits,” or reads, and every single one of them published receives no monetary compensation. What this means is that we have in our hands a seemingly endless source of mostly original material that is evidently popular among massive groups of people. So why does this well remain untapped? Most evidently, copyright issues. Creators have rights over their own characters, and you can’t produce new media with those same characters, at least not without paying a price. However, this obstacle re-

ally doesn’t present much of an issue. Not only are there thousands of stories written on these websites that are detached from other media content, they also give easy access to hundreds of popular authors — most of whom are young, college-educated women looking to work in writing. Considering all this, it’s almost unthinkable that all that raw talent and material would never receive any “official” recognition, especially when the scale of people it reaches is so extensive. Of course, there are other ways for Hollywood to promote creativity, but this actually seems to be the most secure, especially when it comes to popularity. The media industry has the opportunity to hear and spread new voices, and propel a culture in which we can destigmatize independent creativity and imagination, and put it to good use.

ANA JACOB

DECODING THE GREAT GATSBY LILIANE LOZAC’H

If you are one of the many high schoolers who have been subjected to reading and analyzing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, you might have, like me, found yourself reading certain paragraphs and thinking, “Nick has to be in love with Gatsby, right?” This classic American novel is set in the gleaming neighborhood of West Egg, a city off the coast of New York where socialites gather for drinks and festivities, held in the enormous manor of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby holds the biggest parties in New York every weekend, in fruitless attempts to attract his former love, Daisy Buchanan. Nick Carraway, a fresh face of New York, coincidentally rents a small cottage next to Gatsby and slowly becomes infatuated with the idea of his secretive neighbor. Although I’m sure Fitzgerald — notably racist and anti-Semitic — had no intention whatsoever of accidentally making his narrator queer, I’ve had countless conversations with friends that always culminate around one topic: there’s absolutely no way Nick Carraway is entirely heterosexual. Even a modern foreword written by Jesmyn Ward agrees: “They [the readers] pity Nick, too, because they understand he has fallen in love with Gatsby.” While most of you are probably familiar with the term “queer coding,” — the subtextual coding of a character in media as queer — I like to break it down into a series of tests to decipher if a character is LGBTQ+. First, how does this character depict the people around them? Although Nick leaves a lot to the imagination, his descriptions are always verbose when it comes to Gatsby. There’s the time-honored “there was something gorgeous about him,” not to mention the lengthy descriptions of Gatsby’s smile, hair, and posture. This, juxtaposed with his short and rather rude descriptions of women, — “His wife was shrill, languid, handsome, and horrible” — is evidence in itself. The second test: How does this character react to romance with the opposite sex? This is where lines get blurred in “The Great Gatsby,” because Fitzgerald is so adamant that Nick has feelings for Daisy’s closest friend, Jordan Baker. That would tie it up with a ribbon, wouldn’t it? However, whenever faced with emotional decisions regarding Jordan, he inevitably backs away. Not to mention, when Daisy and Tom bring up a rumor of an emancipated engagement back South, Nick scoffs the thought away. “I wasn’t even vaguely engaged,” he confesses to the reader, “I had no intention of being rumored into marriage.” Throughout most of the book, Nick generally treats the women he meets with a quiet distaste, and whether you want to chalk that up to sexism, queerness, or both is entirely up to you. The thing I love most about literature is that it’s open for speculation. You don’t have to believe Nick is queer, but you can also choose to see love where it’s written. Nick Carraway loves Jay Gatsby in every sense of the word. When faced with lines as beautiful as “[Gatsby had] an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again,” you must wonder, are we ignoring obvious signs of love in places where we simply do not want to see them?

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT

Chalamet’s Rise Represents Shift in Gender Expression Ideals

BY ASHA BAUDART-GEHLAWAT entertainment editor

Ever since the release of the 2017 film Ladybird — in which Chalamet plays the stereotypical "bad boy" — Hollywood has had one name in its mouth: Timothée Chalamet. The 26-yearold actor’s career seems to

have grown exponentially, and in merely a couple of years, his popularity is nearing that of actors like Matt Damon and Johnny Depp. His success story, however, is not as unique as it may seem and instead reflects the continuation of a trend that began in the late 1980s. Around the late '80s and early '90s, seemingly unlimited swarms of star-

MAIA KESLER

lings were rising from the depths of Hollywood’s studios. Among these were actors such as River Phoenix, Ethan Hawke, and Leonardo DiCaprio, to name a few. These stars appeared in a variety of movie genres but all seemed to be universally doted upon, stereotypically by young women. Seeing this same pattern in the 21st century with

THE CROSSWORD

Chalamet prompts us to ask the question: What factor ties all these seemingly different men together, so that they have consistently appealed to the same audience, decade after decade? When it comes to Chalamet, there’s a high level of unity between fans and critics. Most would agree that Chalamet is a good actor who's here to stay. This kind of solidarity is uncommon in the world of teen idols, who are usually labeled eye candy and then dropped after a few films. Chalamet, however, appears to be en route to the same kind of success his '90s counterparts experienced. This smooth career path is an unfamiliar narrative in the acting world, especially for younger actors, who are often forgotten once their target audience grows up and moves on to more “mature” content. So what quality has perpetuated the success of these men through the constantly fluctuating trends of Hollywood? We can turn a blind eye to many things, but imagin-

ing a world where raw talent is the only thing that factors into acting success is impossibly idealistic. If there’s any sort of circle we can draw around these men, it’s their physicality. Like Chalamet, Hawke, Phoenix, DiCaprio, and others all sport a more gangly, unathletic look than is typically seen as the standard of attractiveness for men. They all have somewhat delicate features and tend to abide by a more feminine standard of beauty. Fans' response to the attractiveness of these men signifies an interesting shift in society’s gender ideals. Before the “charm over chiseled” trend took root in the film industry, the ideal beauty standard for men was a muscled, stoic look. And while this still holds true in many sectors of our gendered society, today’s mainstream media is much more transparent about what people find attractive in men. These characteristics are embodied by Chalamet, who exhibits a mosaic of femininity and masculin-

ity, fusing confidence with fragility. In Call Me by Your Name, Chalamet plays a well-read, eloquent teen having an affair with an older man. In Beautiful Boy, he depicts a drug-addicted son living with a conflicted father. Even his portrayal of Paul Atreides in Dune is nuanced, adding on layers of emotional subtleties that aren’t typical of the classic, manly “hero.” In all of these roles, Chalamet displays a profound intelligence while simultaneously acting instinctively. Though Chalamet is today’s symbol of a more fluid manliness, the popularity of his androgynous predecessors signifies that androsexuals — those attracted to masculinity — have been ready to move on from the hypermasculine standard for decades. By celebrating less stereotypical gender expression, it is possible both to deconstruct norms that exist today, and to pave a path for even more radical and authentic forms of gender expression in the future.

Submit to the Jacket ! Black History Month Special Issue

What does Black History Month mean to you? The Jacket welcomes any BHS student to submit original pieces of art and writing to potentially be published in our celebratory issue on February 11. ACROSS 1. Wisdom 9. _____ up 15. A space made for hanging out: two words 16. An enzyme that catalyzes urea hydrolysis 17. Aches, pains, or sicknesses 18. Beyoncé, for example 19. To Kill a Mockingbird author 20. View 21. A religious group, typically broken from the main group 22. German author of The Neverending Story 24. Marine color 25. Controversial soccer technology 28. Battery chemical 32. Prefix meaning very small 33. Tales passed down by people 35. City home to the Estádio do Dragão 36. Most petite 37. Hamlet's killer 39. Classic sandwich cookie 40. Iridescent 42. Give a trial run 43. Maybe 44. A motivation strategy that focuses on doing things you want to do, in short 45. You might do this for a photo 46. Obtain fairly 50. 1975 movie directed by Steven Spielberg 51. Sports executives for drafting/trading players, in short 54. Spooky noise 55. Make 58. Read aloud: two words 60. Contemplate 61. Without doubt 62. Those who use horses or bikes 63. Sugar-related disease

— Nicholas McGlashan

DOWN 1. Important feature of graphs, maps, and images 2. E.T., for example 3. Whined or cried weakly 4. One of the earliest computer companies, in short 5. "You are," in Spanish 6. "Nada," in English 7. An archaic word for a coop 8. What paramedics provide, in short 9. The de Young, for example 10. Both a name of Norse origin and the genus of heather plants 11. Shipped off 12. Droop 13. Halfway between due east and southeast, in short 14. Masculine "the" in German 21. Onomatopoeia of something wet being squished 23. Actor Page of The Umbrella Academy 24. Something that is 78 percent nitrogen 25. Latin for moral excellence 26. Pays to enter a poker game 27. Spanish rivers 29. Sandwich shop near BHS 30. A protocol used to secure web connections, in short 31. Temperature, informally 32. Gloomy 33. Released from employment 34. East Coast clocks: two words 35. A small look 36. Small children or potato slices 38. Altar constellation 41. One of the most common verbs in English 43. What Clark Kent has 45. Latin for father — Raven Fonseca Jensen 47. Approximately 48. A course or path

Send submissions to Jeremy Herpin at jeremyherpin@students.berkeley.net or Lianna Leung at liannaleung@students.berkeley.net by 7 PM on Sunday, February 6.

2021 STUDENT SUBMISSION BY AMARI WILLIAMS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

SPORTS

ZOE FUNG

College Athletic Recruitment Relies on Funds and Originality BY ARIANA YEROVAM staff writer

A major part of adolescence is creating goals and generating opportunities for the future. For many athletes around the world and at Berkeley High School (BHS), this means undergoing the college recruitment process. However, not all sports are created equal when it comes to recruiting. Sports like football and basketball are generally much more recruitable than sports such as water polo and volleyball. This is due to many variables, from the money each sport generates to the programs universities offer. Leo Nierenberg, a professional athlete from Oakland, California who plays Minor League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds, started his experience with the col-

lege recruitment process the summer before his sophomore year of high school. Much like the experiences of other prospective college athletes, scholarship money became a deciding factor for Nierenberg. “Going out of state, it was very expensive, and it didn’t seem like [some out-of-state schools] wanted me as much because they weren’t willing to give me more money,” said Nierenberg. As of the 2020-21 athletic season, the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) awarded colleges with varying amounts of scholarship money based on the sport the money would be funding. The average athletic scholarships for both women and men are around $18,000, but sports like football give away 85 men’s scholarships per school while sports like fencing,

tennis, golf, volleyball, and water polo trail far behind with an average of 4.5. The recruitability of a sport can often be traced back to the college’s interests. “The school’s driving motivation is money. The teams that are bringing in the most money are going to get the most opportunity and most interest in their recruiting,” said Nierenberg. Depending on the school’s size, status, and financial capabilities, they are able to offer different opportunities to their students. Bigname schools usually have the resources to offer more scholarships. As Nierenberg put it, “They have a lot more freedom to do things in recruiting because of the number of scholarships that they are able to give away.” Junior Shima Dixon, a BHS girls varsity soccer player, and junior Enzo Dal

Bo, who plays soccer outside of BHS, also spoke on how the financial aspect impacts recruiting. Dal Bo stated, “Universities are each there because they want to win, they want to look good. Each sport has its separate business factor.” Another variable that arises in the recruiting process is how unique the sport is in comparison to others. Dal Bo said, “If you’re in a sport that has [fewer] players, less competition, then it’s easier to get recruited.” Dixon said, “Overall, [some] sports … have more people that have the same goals and are so similar to you that it makes it harder to stand out and to be recruited before others.” BHS girls varsity crew coach Marie Jones agreed that individual schools’ sports programs factor into recruiting, and this differs depending on the programs. Jones said, “I don’t think there’s any sport that’s [overall] easier or more difficult to be recruited for. I think it varies a lot for the school. If you want a big-name school for any sport, I think that’s going to be challenging for anyone.” There are numerous components for athletes to consider when evaluating the recruitability of their sport and when beginning their personal recruitment process. Regarding the experience, Dixon said, “You learn a lot from having the responsibility. ... [Recruiters and coaches] are not doing the work for you. You learn to work for yourself.”

Budget Leads to Sustainability in Sports equipment standard to be BHS Athletic Department met, and the older ones are is its constant efforts to reretired for use in drills and purpose as many materials practices. Parker explained as possible. “Old lacrosse ​ The sports world is that equipment for “the pad balls are heavily utilized … known for its grandeur and sports, like football and la- for deep tissue massages,” for highlighting the feelings crosse, … have a ten year life Parker said. New uniforms of camaraderie and nosspan,” so they get refinished are bought on a three-to talgia that come from every year. At the end of five-year cycle, with athboth observing and the year, BHS sends the letes bringing them back participating in com- “Since [BHS has] that finite padding in the equip- after the end of each season. petitions. However, budget, conservation of those ment and the helmets to Moore noted, “Since [BHS achieving these feats resources is hugely important.” a company that recondi- has] that finite budget, contakes work and a lot of tions them and makes servation of those resources carbon emissions. sure they are safe for use is hugely important.” James Moore, The Athletic Departthe next year. What can’t Driven by limited funds, BHS PE teacher ment at Berkeley High be refinished gets sent to the athletic department School (BHS) takes its recyclers who repurpose provides a strong example equipment and facility the materials to make of BHS’s creative path to usage very seriously. Since playable, so it goes in the more equipment. minimizing environmental the school district has finite trash,” Moore explained. One thing evident in the waste. resources, the department Moore mentioned that high maximizes the use of its ma- schools in other districts terials for both financial and also pass down equipment environmental benefit. to the middle or elementary Birdies and rackets for schools in a hand-me-down badminton and dumbbells system. and mats for general PhysiMaterials such as balls cal Education (PE) make for basketball or soccer frequent appearances in the rarely need to be replaced. classes of BHS PE teacher BHS Athletic Directors James Moore. He estimates Robin Van der Vegt and that about one thousand to Ross Parker said that they two thousand dollars are only purchase about two spent on badminton equip- to six balls for sports like ment annually, and these these every year. The newer items are some of the few balls are used for games or that are neither reusable matches where there is an At BHS, sports equipment is used for as long as possible. SAYLOR COLE BY SOPHIE HORVATH staff writer

nor recyclable. Moore emphasized that the school always uses equipment until the last moment possible. “A lot of the time, we’ll play with [the birdie] until the little cork gets knocked off, and then it’s absolutely un-

TITLE IX, AND THE 9+ WAYS TO MANAGE IT MIRANDA COUCH

Reporting a Title IX violation at Berkeley High School (BHS) isn’t easy. Just getting past Title IX horror stories and into G-202A feels almost longer than the 120 days before a complaint can get “determined,” though Jasmina Viteskic, our Title IX Coordinator, has snacks to make it easier. There are two kinds of reports: an informal report and a formal complaint. Informal reports are verbal, and you confide in BHS staff, who offer support and a complaint form. Since they’re mandated reporters, cases involving sexual harm go to Berkeley Police Department (BPD) or Child Protective Services (CPS), who will likely contact your guardians. Lesson one is that guardians are unavoidable. For a formal report, which is a complaint, you email complaints@berkeley.net and fill out a district form. Three steps follow: investigation, determination, and discipline. There are four places to report. First, BPD is the most direct way to press charges. Remembering lesson one, your guardians will be notified, but the school isn’t involved unless you want their support. A police report is filed, and you can take legal action from it until you’re 40. Second: the BHS Health Center counselors. They’re mandated reporters, but don’t report to the school. If you aren’t in direct harm, the Health Center can provide counseling that may not have to involve the police or your parents. This is a great option if you just want support. Third is any BHS staff. As mandated reporters, they notify Viteskic and an authority in cases of sexual harm, who will likely tell your guardians. This is similar to an informal report, but you specify intent to file a physical report and can initiate the complaint procedure. The final option is to notify Viteskic, whose office is in G-202A. She is a mandated reporter, so she’ll file a police report in cases of sexual harm, and police involvement means guardians. However, you don’t have to speak with the police unless you want to press charges. If you filed an informal report, there will be a small investigation. You can continue to receive support, and there may be a file on record or a guardian who was called, but then you’re done. However, there’s much more to a formal complaint. The second portion starts with the notice of allegations. You, the “complainant,” and the violator, the “respondent,” will both be notified of your rights, one of which is access to an advisor. Then the investigation begins. From your physical report, your recollection of events is recorded. In the investigation, both you and the violator will be interviewed separately. You’ll be asked follow-up questions to your report and physical evidence will be gathered. The investigator then writes a report, which they share with both parties, who can review it and ask each other written questions that inform a final report. This goes to the “decision maker,” a trained off-site Title IX advisor, who determines whether the situation has violated the sexual harassment policy and issues disciplines on an individual basis. For any questions, Viteskic is available in room G-202A, and her email is jasminaviteskic@berkeley.net.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

sports editors: Luisa Bertolli & Norah Lee

SPORTS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET

norahlee@students.berkeley.net

Sports Teams Adapt to Winter Weather BY FINN GARDNER staff writer

Black and white jerseys clash along the harsh dividing line of the BHS-O’Dowd rivalry on January 21 at BHS.

ANDREW HUANG

Dragons For Dinner: BHS vs. O’Dowd our center backs are both ball, turning things around tors Robin Vegt and Ross sophomores, so there were during the remainder of the Parker condemned this a little bit of nerves at first,” first half. chant as classless and inapsaid Andre Hebert, the BHS approached the goal, propriate, suggesting that Berkeley High School’s coach of the team. and O’Dowd kicked the ball they may even be forced to (BHS) boys varsity socAs the pressure mounted out of bounds, resulting in a forfeit games due to spectacer team took on Bishop for BHS, O’Dowd pressed corner kick awarded to BHS, tor misconduct. “Our teams O’Dowd High School on the advantage, makwill need to find more January 21, to cheers of ‘Go ing another shot at “It was the rivalry and feud be- appropriate sources of Jackets!’ the goal, only to be tween our schools that gave me inspiration,” they wrote. The game kicked off with blocked by the goalAfter half-time, O’Dowd on the offense, keeper. Unfazed, the edge. I knew it was my time.” BHS substituted in Jaimaking a shot at the goal, O’Dowd struck again yah Fuksman as the and Berkeley’s goalkeeper, on the rebound, this goalkeeper, along with Andreas Baechler, Patrick Devaney, lunging time scoring the first BHS boys varsity soccer player three other players. to make the first save of the point. Both teams made sevgame. Over the next 25 minAfter losing a goal, eral attempts to score, utes, O’Dowd dominated the BHS team clicked to- which was taken by Daniel but neither was able to gain possession with seamless gether, appearing more Banks. Banks kicked the ball an upper hand. Hebert compasses between players, put- confident. As such, despite toward the goal, where it mented that the “goalies ting pressure on Berkeley, the early advantage for was received by fellow team- made great saves, from both who struggled with defense. O’Dowd, BHS managed to mate Andreas Baechler, who teams I may add.” “We’re particularly young; take back possession of the recalled, “Danny set me up The game ended in a tie on a dime.” Baechler scored, of 1-1. Defensive player Emtying the game at 1-1. mett Tjen reflected, “I think “I give all the credit to we did a good job of defendDaniel Banks, to be hon- ing and putting pressure up est,” Baechler said, adding, there, but I think we could NEXT GAME RECORD LAST GAME “Realistically, it was the have done a better job of rivalry and feud between maintaining possession.” Girls Basketball 5-13 W 74-11 vs. SJND 1/28 @ O’Dowd our schools that gave me BHS currently stands secthe edge. I knew it was my ond in league, with O’Dowd Boys Basketball 1/28 @ O’Dowd W 68-64 vs. SJND 9-8 time. All the fans chanting trailing close behind at Girls Soccer 7-5-4 W 2-1 vs. O’Dowd 1/28 @ San Leandro ‘daddy’s money’ also got me third. The Yellowjackets will going.” get their next chance against Boys Soccer 9-3-4 W 3-0 vs. Alameda 1/31 @ Arroyo In a statement to the O’Dowd on February 11 on Digital ticketing: https://sites.google.com/berkeley. net/bhsathletics/home Jacket, BHS Athletic Direc- Bishop O’Dowd’s home turf. BY SHANZA SYED staff writer

While Berkeley does not experience extreme winter weather, with daily highs and lows usually in the 60 to 40 degree Fahrenheit range, the temperature change, early sunsets, and rain are still significant factors in the winter training of many Berkeley High School (BHS) athletes. Winter may not have as much of an effect on indoor sports like basketball, but for sports like mountain biking, weather can change everything. For BHS mountain biker Nora Kessler, a junior in Berkeley International High School (BIHS), winter can change practice times, cancel bike rides, and alter gear needs. “During the winter, the sun sets pretty early, so we have to shorten our evening practices [by an hour] due to safety,” said Kessler. “While I love some good mud, it just isn’t respectful for a team of over one hundred members to destroy these community trails, so we do our best to stay on dry trails and roads,” Kessler continued.

Coaches have found ways to adapt to conditions that aren’t ideal for the safety of athletes and preservation of community spaces. “If the conditions are bad and we know we won’t get a good ride in, our coaches alert us about off-bike practices,” said Kessler. While winter weather can challenge some sports, other sports like crew embrace it. Emmeline Robinson, a rower and Academic Choice (AC) senior, talked about why she likes the cold. “It’s really nice to know that we can always practice, and personally I don’t mind the cold very much because it also motivates me to work harder in order to warm up,” Robinson said. It’s not just rowers who favor the colder temperatures. Many other athletes thrive under these conditions. “Personally I prefer the cold weather,” said soccer player and AC senior Julia Thomas, “because then we are not running while being overheated.” Despite sometimes challenging conditions during winter, BHS athletes strive to succeed and remain productive in their sports in all seasons.

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BHS SCOREBOARD

BHS bikers adapt to muddy conditions on Tilden trails.

JEROME PAULOS

ATHLETE PROFILE SHIELLA PAREDES-AKIMOTO, a sophomore in the Academy of Medicine and Public Service (AMPS), began wrestling just months ago. In addition to providing a physical challenge, “a huge part of winning matches is mental,” she said. Consistent practices with female and male teammates have helped develop her skills and confidence. “[Wrestling] definitely is male-dominated. ... There are still a number of states where [girls wrestling] isn’t a sanctioned sport yet,” she said. Still, Paredes-Akimoto feels supported by all her teammates: “I’ve never felt like I was an outsider because I am a girl. … It’s one of the communities where I have felt the safest.” She described a recent tournament, saying, “I didn’t win, but ... I was able to get some takedowns and I took more shots than [usual]. … I am pretty proud of that.” Paredes-Akimoto hopes to improve her strength and strategy on the mat in the future. MARINA PEDEMONTE

— Stephanie Jersey