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Listen to the The Buzz: Community within the AFAM Studies Program
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The Jacket’s podcast brings you an episode exploring African American Studies at BHS, and the unique community that it builds through its various classes.
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ILLUSTRATION BY IRIS LE LIBOUX
BHS CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH PAGE 3 NSBE FOSTERS BLACK PASSION FOR STEM PAGE 5 CONSENT EDUCATION NEEDS REPRESENTATION PAGE 6 RECIPE SUBMISSIONS ON PAGE 9 WORD ON THE STREET: WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST CONNECTED TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY? PAGE 10 CONTROVERSY OF THE BLAXPLOITATION GENRE 12 BLACK ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT PAGE 16
STUDENT SUBMISSIONS PAGE 8 FEATURES
Spotlight: Young Black women who are up for the challenge BY CARINA THOMAS staff writer
IRIS LE LIBOUX
It is their experiences as Black girls and their confidence in themselves that allow Berkeley High School students Markayla Griffin, Amaya Houston, and Tamar McKey to have a positive impact on their community through taking on academic and leadership challenges.
“I’m confident within my ability to do my work, that I don’t really care how other people look at how I look,” Griffin said. “At the end of the day, my work can speak for itself.” Griffin is a senior at BHS and has demonstrated her passion for justice and community outside the school’s campus by serving as an intern for an environmental justice research program during the
summer before her senior year. When Griffin first heard about the internship opportunity, she questioned her qualifications for getting accepted into the internship program. “Being a Black person trying to reach the world of academia ... you don’t really have time to celebrate your accomplishments when you actually should because you’re left feeling like it’s not
enough,” said Griffin. However, Griffin’s curiosity about what academic opportunities entailed later empowered her to improve in her studies. “I was like, I want to see something; I want to see change,” she said. Once she was accepted into the environmental justice internship, Griffin began to conduct research about the PAGE 10
2 F R I D A Y, F E B R U A R Y 9 , 2 0 2 4
news editors: Finola Jackson & Aaron Stevens
NEWS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
aaronstevens@students.berkeley.net
BUSD likely to drop staff parking lot plan following criticism BY PENELOPE PURCHASE
In Nov. 2020, Berkeley Unif ied S cho ol Distric t revealed plans to build a threestory staff parking garage with rooftop tennis courts. The funds for the $27 million project would have come from Measure G, a $380 million bond for school construction that was passed in March of the same year. However, due to pushback from climate activists and other concerned community members, this project will likely be thrown out in favor of other, more sustainable options. On Tues day, Jan. 16, the Berkeley City Council approved a proposal that w o u l d g i v e r e s i d e nt i a l parking permits to around 60 percent of Berkeley High School staff members. This proposal, authored by council member Sophie Hahn, would lessen the need for a new parking garage. It suggests that BUSD “consider formally
withdrawing” from the project and use the bond money from Measure G to improve the school in other ways. An alternative plan for the money was proposed a few weeks ago in a meeting with the Director of Facilities, Principal Raygoza, and other staff members. Instead of spending the $27 million on a parking garage, the money would be used to improve other aspects of the BHS campus. One part of the proposed plan was to build a two-story CTE building containing a new robotics classroom. According to robotics coach Dirk Wright, the current classrooms are unable to meet the needs of the robotics team. They don’t have the room to bring in larger materials, and the room is not equipped to handle things like welding or even building with large equipment. “For a math teacher, a square room with tables and chairs in it is probably most of what they need, but … (for us), the kind of traditional
classroom spaces we are in right now just are not able to host these classes,” said Wright. The proposed building would also contain features s u c h a s ge n d e r- n e ut r a l bathrooms and tennis courts. Twenty years ago, BHS’ home courts were taken out and replaced with staff parking, and they have never been replaced. According to tennis coach Jeffery Jue, who has worked at BHS for ten years, new courts are long overdue. Without home courts nearby campus, the team has had to rent space at UC Berkeley, which is approximately a 30-minute walk away. “(Berkeley High School) is the only public high school in the East Bay that does not have home courts on or close to campus. … Not having courts on campus made it difficult for the students’ travel time,” said Jue. Jue considers the solution of parking permits to be a winwin, saying that it would solve not only the parking problem,
but the tennis court problems as well. The potential benefits of an alternative plan are not the only reasons community members oppose the parking garage plan. According to Tom Lent, the E-bike Project Coordinator for Walk Bike Berkeley, the parking garage has the potential to impact the environment negatively. “It would have been a really unfortunate waste of dollars … and would’ve locked us into decades of unsust ainable
driving as a primary transport for people getting to and from Berkeley High (School), which we, as you probably well know, cannot afford given the current climate crisis,” said Lent. According to Liza Lutzker, a BUSD parent who also works with Walk Bike Berkeley, the school district needs to take action on its sustainability plan, and a new parking garage would do the opposite. Lutzker suggested that instead of spending millions on a parking garage, BUSD should collaborate with
the city to find an alternative solution to the parking problem. She and other Walk Bike Berkeley members have been attempting to broker a deal between the city and the district to allow teachers to park in the parking garage two blocks from BHS, but due to legal restrictions, the deal didn’t go through. “I’d really love (BUSD) to put their money where their mouth is and help their staff get to school more sustainably,” said Lutzker.
The construction proposal would also add two dozen new parking spots for BHS.
IDA MARSHALL-LAPPE
LCAP committee discusses three year plan for Berkeley schools BY RORY NADEAU staff writer
Every three years, school districts across California create a three-year Local Community Accountability Plan (LCAP) which is re v i e w e d a n nu a l l y a n d establishes district priorities with the hope of serving school communities. 2024 marks the
beginning of a new three-year plan, and on Jan. 23, Berkeley Unified School District’s LCAP committee met to build a plan for how the district would serve its students for the next few years to come. LCAP’s actions are focused on serving what the district calls “unduplicated students”, which refers to students who have historically been underserved and neglected
by the school system, namely English learners, foster and unhoused students, and students with socioeconomic disadvantages. In order to effectively serve these students, BUSD has set out five main goals to focus their efforts around. These goals include academic excellence, inter vention, creating a safe and welcoming school environment, measuring
NATALIA KASS
outcome data, and increasing attendance for unhoused students. While the official priorities for the coming LCAP cycle have not yet been set, LCAP advisory committee co-chair Lindsay Nofelt noted that BUSD will likely focus on achieving goals they have already set out in previous years. “Generally, they’re going to keep the same five goals,” said Nofelt. “There’s still goals we haven’t met yet so we’re going to keep on working on them, and work on the wording of the fifth one because it’s still so new and rushed from last year’s plan.” Nofelt also noted that the complexity of LCAP documents themselves can stand in the way of an essential factor in the success of the plan: consistent implementation across BUSD campuses. “(The district is) made up of all these places, and we all need to pull together in the same direction in order to affect change,” said Nofelt. “It’s
not easy, and sometimes it’s not fun, but that’s what I would say, is that the LCAP plan is nothing without the efforts of the individual schools.” “For the high school, I would say probably focusing on providing counseling to students,” BSEP/SSC representative Sami Khayatei Houssaini, said when asked about what he hopes BUSD’s new LCAP cycle will focus on. Khayatei, a BHS senior, noted that while there are numerous resources that are important for students to have access to, ultimately, the district should work to ensure that students are granted easy access to counseling “so that they really feel supported at school.” As the LCAP committee moves to the next phases of LCAP engagement, they will be opening surveys and other resources to allow members of the community an opportunity to offer input and set expectations for what programs have been successful and where improvements are needed. This input will be
taken into consideration as BUSD finalizes its next 202427 LCAP. Liza Estupin, Director of BUSD’s Categorical and Special Projects, explained that there are various ways that members of the community can contribute to the district’s LCAP priorities such as committees, board meetings, engagement sessions, and other resources. “Throughout the academic y e a r, t h e r e a r e m a n y opportunities for Educational Partners to provide feedback ... which is a very important and valued aspect of the plan,” Estupin said. She also explained that despite the LCAP centering resources for students, there is still limited student engagement. “I hope to hear from more of our students. The district wants to know what our students need and what is important to them. A change that I am looking forward to is the inclusion of student membership on the PAC beginning next academic year,” explained Estupin.
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NEWS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2024
BHS classes celebrate Black History Month BY ERIN LIAO staff writer
Since 1976, Black History Month has been celebrated every February across the U.S. During this month, many Berkeley High School teachers cover topics related to Black history in the country. Dawn Williams, cochair of the African Studies Department, as well as a teacher for both Spanish in the African Diaspora and African Diaspora Dance, shared how she covers Black history in her classes throughout the year. “In our (dance) class, we’re learning about Black history all year long. So it’s not just February, we just have performances at a higher rate,” said Williams. She also talked about her Spanish class. “I get different facts every day, and at the end of the month we do this big Kahoot game and the winner gets a gift certificate to a Black business with cupcakes,” said Williams. Spencer Pritchard, who teaches African American History and co-chairs the African American Studies department, also said that he teaches Black history throughout the year. “Since I teach Black
history every day throughout the year, we keep doing what we have been doing throughout the year,” said Pritchard. “In fact, we learn the history of (Black History Month) at the beginning of the school year when we learn about Carter G. Woodson and his impact on education within the Black community. We do have department-wide events where we celebrate the month that my classes do attend.” Armana Aradom, Black Student Union (BSU) co-president and a BHS sophomore, said the club plans to spread awareness around Black history through bulletin announcements. “This year, (the BSU) is planning to appear on the bulletin three times a week to shine light on the unsung Black heroes and pioneers of our nation,” said Aradom, “We hope these school-wide announcements will educate our peers on the positive global impact of Black Americans and change the narrative of what it means to be Black.” Pritchard talked about why it’s important for teachers to add Black history into their curriculum. “Black History Month is a great opportunity for people to learn about Black history, especially those who don’t
think about Black history much throughout the other 11 months of the year,” said Pritchard, “Studying the history and culture of African Americans, whether you identify as that or not, is empowering and provides you a richer sense of where we have been, how we are all connected, and how we can address many issues that plague our communities today.” However, Black history has been often limited to the month of February, instead of being included in the curriculum year-round. “Since elementary school, my Black history lessons have only been taught in the month of February,” said Aradom. “Although I’m
grateful for these teachings, it never sat right with me that we only spend a maximum of 29 days a year reflecting on Black history in our general curriculums. Improving education around Black history can be done by making Black history something that’s celebrated year-round; we don’t have to concentrate all of our learning in February.” Williams emphasized the importance of acknowledging Black history as part of American history. “Just acknowledging that Black history is American history, that it’s important to do something to acknowledge the accomplishments and attributions of Black people in this country,” said Williams.
Jenn Hartman teaches a class about Black history.
WILLOW PIMADALY
BUSD updates district COVID-19 policies BY VIOLET MILLER-BRADY staff writer
On Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, the Berkeley Unified School District sent a newsletter to families regarding the new COVID-19 response policies. The email discussed the updated protocol, which now allows students to continue attending school after testing positive as long as they are not experiencing symptoms. On Thursday, Jan. 9, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued updated isolation guidance, which states that “recommendations move away from five days of isolation and instead focus on clinical symptoms to determine when to end isolation”. The guidance specified that individuals testing positive for the virus but not experiencing symptoms should continue to mask indoors for 10 days and avoid contact with persons at high risk. The BUSD newsletter notes that students may remove their mask sooner than this if they take two negative tests at least a day apart. Instead of preventing the overall spread of COVID-19, public health officials are now prioritizing the protection
of high-risk individuals to minimize social disruption, according to CDPH. “If you come to school with COVID(-19) and you feel fine, I think it can still affect someone a lot more,” said Julian Martinez, a Berkeley High School sophomore. Previous COVID-19 response guidelines were put in place to protect everyone from contracting the virus; however, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 81.4 percent of the total U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and with the availability of medications such as Paxlovid, as well as other preventative measures, guidelines are more lenient. Following the update, the BUSD COVID-19 Response Team attended CDPH and Alameda County Public Health Department meetings in order to develop and implement new COVID-19 response guidance within the BUSD school system. “As we have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the district relies on the expertise of our public health partners at the city, county, and state level,” wrote Trish
McDermott, BUSD senior communications officer, in an email interview with The Jacket. Throughout the pandemic, BUSD schools have sent out exposure notifications to students and staff exposed to the virus. However, according to the email that was sent out to the BUSD community, the district will not continue to do this. There is also no requirement to mask after exposure. “I have students that are hacking up a lung, and … they’re coming to school because they don’t want to get behind, but then that means that they’re going to affect other people,” said Samantha Borg, a BHS Spanish teacher. Enforcing maskwearing for students not
experiencing symptoms may be difficult for teachers, which is worrisome for Borg because her partner and multiple colleagues are immunocompromised. In her classroom, she continues to keep windows open when possible and leaves the air filter on as preventative measures. Sophomore Kate Springer-Sullivan caught COVID-19 right after winter break. Springer-Sullivan believes she got it virus from an asymptomatic classmate. According to SpringerSullivan, the classmate was complying with the mask mandate, although he later went home. “I don’t think it’s something you can go to school with because it’s still a bad thing,” said SpringerSullivan, “It’s a real sickness.”
ANISHA PINTO
GIRL LANGUAGE: UM,UH,ER ZOE WHITMAN
Have you ever tried counting how many times you say “um,” “uh,” or “er,” in a sentence? They’re words you, under no circumstance, can say in an interview. They’re words you try to stamp out of your vocabulary because they seem unsure and unprofessional. Supposedly they give the idea that you aren’t confident in your ideas, but the sheer amount of times I’ve use a filled pause is innumerable. If they’re so common in the English lexicon, there has to be a reason, right? Filled pauses are very common in English, with “um,” “uh,” and “er,” as just a few examples. When someone speaks and they say “um” or “uh” it tends to be in the middle of their thought or when they’re about to say something. Frequently when explaining yourself you need moments to think; most conversations are not entirely planned out beforehand. Saying “um” or “uh” gives you the space to consider while continuing what you’re saying. It allows you room to breathe in the conversation while keeping your place. When learning new languages at the start you will be hesitant when speaking. Filled pauses create the opportunity to look for a correct word or phrase. They’re a great tool when speaking because it acknowledges that you would like to continue and without interruption. When learning new languages one of my favorite parts is getting to know their specific filled pauses. For example, in Greek, one example is “Εεε” which means something similar to “eh” and is usually used prior to your sentence to show that you are about to speak, but need a minute to think. Filled pauses do not disappear with fluency; like I said earlier, just try and count how many you use one in a conversation. Although, fluency does come with smoothly adapting to new filled pauses. Saying one of the aforementioned filled pauses can cushion what will come after. Lots of communities use filled pauses, but they’re used in different ways. In predominantly female and non-male spaces it tends to be used to create something less harsh. For example, saying, “I really love your book,” can be seen as coming on too strong, but saying, “I uh really love your book,” is seen as a nice compliment. Both are complimentary, but one seems softer. The addition of “uh” draws less attention to the comment and yourself entirely. Filled pauses are sometimes considered stunted, making conversation feel more rigid, but if you really look at their uses you’ll realize that it’s actually the opposite. Adding in these filled pauses is a way of creating more fluidity in your language as you speak. When someone says “um” it’s because they’re letting another person know that they’re going to continue speaking, but need a second. By saying “um” you are signaling to the other person to wait and not speak so you can finish your thought. At the end of the day, a filled pause can be a useful tool when engaging in dialogue. It can help you explain yourself, smooth your words out, shift topics, and assist you while you look for a different word.
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NEWS
BHS Jazz visits Cuba, collaborates with Escuela Nacional de Arte BY MAYA DANG staff writer
During the week of Jan. 21, to Jan. 28, 2024, Berkeley High School’s juniors and seniors from BHS’s jazz program participated in a biennial weeklong trip to Cuba where they had an opportunity to learn from students in the Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA) and engage with Cuban culture, according to BHS Jazz CoDirector Roberto Figueroa. Amber Safir, a BHS junior who plays flute in the Jazz Ensemble, explained that the preparation of this trip included non-required recommended readings and movies. Safir said that during the finals period for jazz last semester, students watched a movie about Cuba to learn more about the history of the country. Elliott Martens, a senior who plays drums in the a Jazz Lab Band, said that another significant part of organizing the trip was packing all necessary music supplies, like reeds or drumsticks, and instruments. According to Martens, there were few sources to buy replaceable instrument supplies in Cuba. “We brought instruments and got a bunch of other
supplies. For example, I brought music stands and microphones,” said Martens, “And getting that all organized (is a big challenge).” According to Figueroa, it takes at least a year to plan the Cuba trip. Figueroa and Sarah Cline, the other jazz director, collaborated with the BHS Jazz Association and delegated tasks beforehand because of how many people are needed for helping with the process of the trip planning. “We get a lot of parents’ support,” said Figueroa, “Luckily, we have some great parents that do a lot of work to help us get this trip done (and) really put in the hours behind the scenes. (They) plan a lot of things such as getting materials ready for trip planning ... making sure that we have enough money on the trip, things like donations: We bring a lot of donations to Cuba. We had parents that helped us purchase the flights (and) had parents that helped us on every step of the way.” Fundraising played a key part in the success of the Cuba trip, according to Figueroa. He explained that the jazz program organized a variety of fundraisers such as a letter writing campaign, selling tickets to concerts, selling
concessions at concerts, asking for donations to fund the Cuba trip, hiring guest speakers, and providing scholarships for private lessons among others. He said that the jazz program welcomes donations to cover students fees but also provides support to families in need, offering partial or full scholarships. Martens also explained that they had master classes for each instrument to meet up with a different teacher, such as all drum students meeting up to have a lesson from the drum teacher at the ENA. They added that this included people at the ENA, but noted that it was mainly to educate the BHS students. Besides playing and learning Latin music, the musicians also experienced Cuba as travelers and students. “We went and toured the Viñales region of Cuba, which is where cigars are grown. And that landscape is just (really) beautiful,” said Safir. Martens explained that music is incredibly important and essential to the Cuban atmosphere. He said that everywhere that someone could go, there were talented musicians playing in restaurants or beaches to spread positivity
through music and create a vibrant ambience. “We were at a place having lunch in the middle of nowhere surrounded by beautiful greenery with huge mountains beside us,” said Safir, “And then there was just these five dudes playing trumpet and other instruments in there. (They were) the most incredible musicians.” Reflecting on the Cuba trip, Safir explained that what this trip meant to her was that it gave her an ability to reconnect with music and reevaluate why she loves music. Martens agreed. “The information you get as a musician but also as a human being is priceless.
And by the end of the trip, students were thanking my teacher for giving us the opportunity and making it all work. Everybody was unanimously like, ‘You
have changed my life.’ This is a life changing event that happened to me that I’ll never be able to forget the importance of,” said Martens.
Jazz students and chaperones walk in Viñales Valley, Cuba.
BHS junior Joaquin Cohen solos on the alto saxophone.
PHOTOS BY NOLAN WHITEHILL
School board speakers express concern over the BHS safety plan
Xochitl Duenas is a teacher for the BHS Puente Program, which works to support Latinx students. JULIAN NATHAN
BY JULIUS BRAUN staff writer
During the Berkeley Unified School District School Board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, the BUSD School Board allowed for public comments, board member comments, union comments, the approval of the consent calendar, and discussion of the governor’s budget update. A significant topic of discussion was about a new safety plan at Berkeley High School, as well as a progress report for the Puente Project at BHS. “Functionally, I’m here to tell you there is no safety
plan for Berkeley High (School),” said Stacy Hera, a representative of the BHS Safety Committee. The BHS Safety Committee’s job is to develop a comprehensive school safety plan, address safety issues at the school, and collect and present data to the BHS community. “For Berkeley High (School), the document approved last year is at best a Frankenstein copypaste text dump of a lot of processes, procedures, and scenarios that are superfluous in many areas,” said Hera. Hera described the safety plan as being “completely inadequate,” as well as “only referring to the needs
of kindergarteners.” An example from the document that Hera provided referenced a protocol where a plane may need to urgently land on campus, an excerpt taken from a school next to an airport. What is not included in the BHS safety plans are the following: A necessary earthquake plan, a modernized plan for unlocking gates and doors, or a plan for clear and immediate communication with teachers, students, and parents in the event of an emergency incident. There is currently no plan to manage sexual assault by a student on campus, nor a plan at BHS to deal with an active shooter.
According to a BHS staff to help advocate for the disadvantaged students who member interview with thorough changes required enroll in four-year colleges the committee, “If there to ensure a safer BHS. and universities and earn is a serious incident like a A slideshow presentation college degrees. shooter, it’s going to be total was later given by the There are currently two chaos and no one will have a Latinx Success Resolution Puente Program cohorts at plan.” Board on general updates BHS, separated into juniors Despite the lack of and progress from a BHS and sophomores. In the preparedness, there is a perspective. The presenters fall, the sophomore cohort critical opportunity to gave progress reports on went to UC Berkeley’s improve the school’s safety, Latinx data review for Puente Northern California according to Hera. In terms literacy and implementation regional conference, where of progress, the BHS Safety of a Latinx resolution, as students participated in Committee has conducted well as reviewed the BHS workshops. In the spring, several interviews with all Puente Program. the Puente Program is different types of people The mission statement planning for a college trip, within the school, held a of the Puente Program a chance to explore an art safety hearing where many is to “enable and inspire school in Oakland called public comments were our diverse student body The Crucible with the junior made, and shared that it is to achieve academic cohort, as well as more dedicated to a collaborative excellence and make events in an attempt to c o m m u n i t y - f o c u s e d positive contributions coalesce the two cohorts. process. to our world.” The goals “We know and the kids “(There) know that is a keen the services understanding that Puente “Functionally, I’m here to tell you that there p r o v i des, there is no safety plan for Berkeley is a need to the love, the High (School).” listen (and) nurturing, is understand something Stacy Hera and investigate that all before imposing students at BHS Safety Committee representative any sort of real Berkeley High suggestions (School) could or requirements upon the highlighted in the Puente use,” said Xochitl Duenas, school,” said Hera. Despite Program include providing a Puente English teacher at the committee’s efforts a focus on Latinx culture, BHS. towards helping BHS history, and language, as Puente looks to continue achieve a substantial safety well as helping students and extending services and will plan, the safety committee families to be specifically soon be hosting a college still needs the board’s and successful by increasing the knowledge event in the CCC district’s representation number of educationally for the BHS community.
OPINION BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2024
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opinion editors: Ohad Aviran-Finkelstein & Ysabel Chu
ohadaviranfinkelstein@students.berkeley.net
NSBE helps foster Black passion for STEM
RAPE CULTURE REVEALED: NEWS MEDIA
BY SHANZA SYED staff writer
As of 2021, careers in STEM continue to be whitedominated. White men alone comprise 49 percent of STEM professionals in the United States, while Black individuals, of all genders, make up only 9 percent of the STEM workforce. This underrepresentation can be attributed to structural racism, stereotypes, and a lack of representation in the past, leading to a strong need for spaces that can help create a coalition of Black students interested in pursuing STEM. The creation of more programs like the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Biotechnology will lead to more Black representation in STEM. Programs like NSBE provide a rich environment with many Black role models for students to look up to, giving them the self-confidence to pursue a career in STEM. “It’s sometimes hard to fit in … (Especially) when a lot of the others are friends or live in the same neighborhood and know each other,” said a Berkeley High School student who wanted to remain anonymous due to the personal nature of the
topic. A paper written by researcher Juan Del Toro of the University of Minnesota also found that if and when Black students do decide to pursue higher education in STEM fields, they may encounter several barriers along the way. For example, Black students may be stereotyped in class, both by their peers and teachers. In the case of biased teachers, they may be graded more severely or be subject to harsher disciplinary practices compared to their white peers. In the case of stereotyping by peers, Black students may be belittled and made to feel as though they do not belong. Even in a relatively inclusive environment like
BHS, the existence of these stereotypes can create a strong need for students to feel they have to prove themselves. “Since in a lot of my classes I am one of a few (Black students) I can sometimes feel a bit of extra pressure to do well in the class to prove to people that Black kids can excel in STEM,” said the anonymous student. Programs such as NSBE at BHS were implemented with the intention to increase Black representation in STEM by providing safe spaces for both Black students and professionals to continue to develop their interests in STEM. These programs specifically highlight and train Black students
interested in STEM. The addition of more programs like these would vastly aid the cause of increasing Black representation in STEM and help pave the way for the next generation of Black STEM professionals. Existing STEM clubs and classes at BHS are indeed inclusive, however, the fact of the matter is that it can be daunting to be one of a few Black students in a room. As such, spaces catered to Black students can help create an environment where Black students are surrounded by likeminded peers with similar experiences. This can allow them to focus on academics without worrying about how others will perceive them.
ALEX MORGAN
New People's Park plans aid community BY HAILEY OSTRER staff writer
East of Telegraph Avenue and surrounded by Haste Street, Bowditch Street, and Dwight Way, People’s Park is the center point of much controversy due to its unhoused residents and historical significance, as well as the long-established building plans that led to the park’s recent closing. The land that People’s Park sits on is owned by the University of California, Berkeley. Still, in recent years, it has been utilized less by the university and more as a
site for Berkeley’s growing unhoused population. Despite this, UC Berkeley has the right to renovate the space and make it a better place for all the people of Berkeley. By renovating, they are helping the land reach its full potential as a community space. In all the redirects, protesters from Berkeley and surrounding areas have lost sight of UC Berkeley's intentions for the space: a park area, permanent housing for the homeless, and student housing. People’s Park is a site linked to free speech and civil rights issues, but it’s no longer a park of the people
OREN STILES
like it was intended. Because of this, the UC Berkeley should have the right to renovate the park and turn it back into what it was meant to be: A space for the people of Berkeley. This significance to the people of Berkeley is one of the reasons UC Berkeley faces pushback for the development. However, with UC Berkeley’s housing plans, this history and culture will not be erased. A 1.7-acre space will be left that honors the turbulent history of the park. “This project is a win-win for our city,” said Mayor Jesse Arreguín when addressing a strategies committee, according to B e r k e l e y s i d e . “ Pe o p l e’s Park has a long and storied history, but I believe now is the time for a new vision for the park, one where we can honor its rich history and address the challenges of our time and preserve part of the park the community helped create over 50 years ago.” The main reason for pushback against the
building plans is because of the homeless population that lives in People’s Park. As construction begins, the park’s semipermanent residents have been removed. However, UC Berkeley partnered with the City of Berkeley, and together they put over six million dollars into transitional homes and resources for the unhoused people who were residents, and the vast majority took them up on it. UC Berkeley's plans for the land also include housing for 125 lowincome or unhoused people, different from a shelter, and with better living conditions than those that people living in the park experienced. This fact is continuously overlooked, even though it displays the fact that the university wants the best for the park’s residents. Understanding the outcome of the project, it’s easy to see that the People’s Park is being anything but ruined, and instead is reaching its potential as a space for bettering lives.
AYLA CONWAY
Seeing stories on rape and abuse in the news is far from uncommon. You hear about a high school soccer coach abusing their team, some powerful CEO assaulting co-workers, or a college student who got raped by classmates. How these atrocities are told is often veiled in bias. Quite frequently, media shows sympathy for the offenders, and animosity towards the victim. They focus on attacking the victim’s clothing choice and analyzing their previous sexual history instead of what the offender did wrong, even lamenting over how detrimental this could be to the offender’s future. In 2012, in Steubenville, Ohio two boys assaulted an intoxicated 16-year-old girl at a party — and recorded it. In CNN reporter Poppy Harlow's coverage of the case, she stated that it’s, “incredibly difficult to watch as these two young men who had such promising futures, star football players, very good students ... (have their) lives fall apart.” Similarly, another CNN reporter, Paul Callan, said, “There’s always that moment of just — lives are destroyed. But ... the most severe thing with these young men is being labeled as registered sex offenders ... That will haunt them for the rest of their lives.” ABC News published an article describing the trial as, “every parent’s nightmare and a cautionary tale for teenagers living in the digital age,” implying that the recording of the assault that led to the boys’ conviction was the real problem. Many sources such as Associated Press and USA Today stressed that the victim shouldn't have gotten drunk and spent the most time discussing regret towards the boys’ punishment (one year for one and two for another at juvenile correctional facilities). These statements portray the aggressors as the victims, suggesting that the victim was partly at fault due to her intoxication. This is messed up, just flat out wrong, and incredibly harmful to the victim and every victim of assault everywhere. It perpetuates that abuse is trivial and should not be punished, and that the abused are to blame. This fuels our rape culture. When people hearing about this and similar trials hear only sympathy for the offenders, and people faulting the victim, they’re swayed by the message this conveys and are more likely to feel similarly. When such an extensive group of people hears this, it’s a massive issue. People have proven to be incredibly susceptible to media bias, and when you have an entire nation being subtly fed this view, many are going to agree with it. It is, in a sense, brainwashing. It creates a culture, a rape culture, where people feel sympathy towards sex offenders who get punished and blame the victims for what happened, or for responding to what happened. This causes further harm by normalizing sexual assault, and making it very hard for people to come out about experiencing sexual violence or harassment for fear of being ridiculed.
6 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2024 EDITORIAL
Social media driven overconsumption harms BHS youth Due in large part to social media, consumer culture is on the rise. Nowadays, many social media users feel like they have to participate in every trend that emerges, caused by a fear of missing out. Trends that are being perpetuated on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have resulted in individuals purchasing and re-purchasing items in order to keep up with what’s popular. While overconsumption because of social media has impacted all age groups, it has most severely impacted Gen Z. A 2023 report by the International Council of Shopping Centers stated that 85 percent of Gen Z males and 86 percent of Gen Z females say that social media has impacted their spending habits. Social media-driven overconsumption fuels unstable consumerism and helps promote poor working conditions. Additionally, this can also cause individuals to not develop their own unique personal style, resulting in a sense of cultural monotony at times.
OPINION
All around Berkeley High School, you can see students wearing and using certain trendy products, such as Stanley cups, Uggs, and other items that reflect this pattern of young people following trends and contributing to overconsumption. Students at BHS should not blindly follow consumer trends because of social media. Instead, they need to make conscious decisions about their consumer choices in order to protect the environment and reduce the exploitation of workers, while simultaneously developing their own forms of expression. An example of overconsumption occurring because of social media trends is the rising popularity of the Stanley Cup. Stanley bottle, a reusable water bottle brand that used to be marketed to “outdoorsy, adventurous” men, has now become popular amongst Gen Z and millennial women. The 40-ounce Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler specifically, has become widely popular due to social media influencers on Instagram and TikTok promoting the bottle. Popular videos on TikTok include people showing off their Stanley bottle collection, with some having entire drawers filled with Stanley cups. It is problematic when an item becomes so trendy it becomes more than just a usable product; it becomes an accessory and symbol of status. This excessive consumption defeats the original purpose of reusable water bottles, which is to help the environment. Additionally, when any item starts to become “old,” in other words, not trendy anymore, people "need" to replace them with products that are in style. Hydro Flasks, which were a popular water bottle brand around the late 2010s due to the “Vsco girl”
BERKELEY HIGH Editor-in-Chief
Ella Creane
Copy Chiefs
Managing Editors
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Aynaz Faruqui Daisy Howerton
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Layout Chief Layout Editors Visual Editor News Editors Opinion Editors Features Editors Entertainment Editors Sports Editors
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Josephine Morasky
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Amelia Reed
Faculty Adviser
Malin Morell Nolan Whitehill Alex Morgan Elliott Schrag Miriam Reichenberg Zazie Duchene Katelyn Liao Drew Henderson Sophie Pomfret Zoe Glass Keely Shaller Eliot Hertenstein Talia Rosen Averie Wade Luna Prestia Nathaniel Brundjar Peter Rodrigues
Writers
Aditya Sridharan, Aelia Gyger, Amar Walker, Amara Kapur, Anna Williams, Annika Joy, Ariana Yerovam, Ava Quandt, Avha Meisels, Carina Thomas, Cecilia Tiles, Clara Tjen, Eliot Perdue, Eloise Thomas, Elsa Dietz, Elsie Yuen, Erin Liao, Eva Dickinson, Eva Katz, Eva Levenson, Hailey Ostrer, Hannah Groth Reidy, Jasper Lovvorn Black, Julius Braun, Kali Proud, Kimia Azadpur, Lucy Griffith, Lucy Hohn, Luli Galinson, Maya Dang, Minami Soga, Muhammad Delgado, Natalie Gross, Penelope Purchase, Rigzin Gyaltsen, Rory Nadeau, Sabine Rosen, Sam Mascarenhas, Shanza Syed, Sophie Dreskin, Sydney Lehrer, Sze Ting Chen, Violet Miller Brady, Yoshi Rohn, Zachary Yoo, Emmett Price, Julia Brimmer, Paolo Rivera, Taylor Reynaud
Photographers
Alex Tripcevich, Ashley Diaz, Atticus LaBang, Divya BenDavid, Emory Ely, Georgia Paulos, Ida Marshall-Lappe, Jahan Ingraham, Jules Droz, Julian Nathan, Kai Hanschen, Kayhan Tezcan, Leo Ostroy Harp, Lev Teiblum, Lila Hallward, Lucas Thompson, Madeleine Wilson, Malina Valdez Meissner, Mei Saphir, Quincy Morris-Fry, Riana Falcioni, Sanam Rozycki-Shah, Sasha Balasubramanian, Shiloh Wilson, Sunny Bevis-Lipton, Toscana Girard Maxon, Willow Priforce, Ziva Amendola, Zoe Kohlmeyer
aesthetic have now become a flash in the pan. This problem is especially prevalent in the fashion industry. Fast fashion brands like Shein and Forever 21, sell cheap and trendy clothing, which often aren’t worn for a long time. In addition, these companies often exploit their workers. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 11.3 million tons of textiles were landfilled in 2018, which was the last updated collection date. One way that social media perpetuates fast fashion is through “haul culture.” “Haul culture” involves TikTokers showing off their recent purchases or “hauls." Companies such as Shein pay influencers on social media to promote their products through these hauls, therefore sucking in Gen Z customers to buy more and more of these fast fashion products. One outcome that is directly seen at BHS is the lack of individuality among many students when it comes to their own personal style. While there’s nothing wrong with wearing clothes or having items that are popular or trendy, it can limit student expression to what is deemed popular. Those who dare to push limits may be judged or taken less seriously. In addition, it’s not unlikely to think that when these items become out of style, students will start shopping for new trendier items, therefore contributing to overconsumption. In short, BHS students need to carefully evaluate the consumer decisions they make, and be aware of the influence social media has on their own decisions, both for their own benefit and the well-being of the environment.
Consent education needs to include diverse representation BY EVA LEVENSON staff writer
“For many Black survivors, feeling that they won’t be believed is a major barrier to reporting sexual violence,” reported RAINN, (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, “When survivors in the Black community do reach out for help, they are sometimes met with a lack of culturally competent resources.” Representation of Black people and other people of color in consent and healthy relationship education is crucial for empowerment and giving them the healthy relationship resources every individual deserves. Increasing representation in consent education would deconstruct the whitewashing of sexual harassment, making resources available, as well as making students of color feel safer reporting sexual harm.
According to The National Black Women’s Justice Institute, for every Black woman who reports rape, at least 15 Black women do not. This is horrifying. Representation holds deep influence over people feeling heard; that is why expanding representation in consent education is so important. Berkeley High School Stop Harassing is working to support this mission, increasing diversity in its consent education. For the past few years, BHS Stop Harassing has provided consent and healthy relationship education to Willard, Longfellow, and King Middle Schools. The current co-presidents, Reba Gamson-Knight and Katelyn Liao are both students of color. “(Diversity in the club has) gotten a lot better this year because we've been targeting our friends that are people of color,” said Gamson-Knight. The work they are doing is critical to cultivating a more inclusive discussion of consent.
Illustrators
Alessio Manuel Gilabert-Papagni, Alisa Karin Kolpakova, Anisha Pinto, Anna Howell, Asha Torok, Carina Nottingham, Claudia Bloom, Emiko Aronen, Gwen Weber Stover, Iris Le Liboux, Isa Shimomura, Jay Trauner, Jennifer Yoc Ferreira, Jessie Lee, Jo Purcell, Lucia Radillo, Martin Luis Wagener Gaztelu, Natalia Kass, Oren Stiles, Sabine Shaffer, Sara Teitelbaum
Editorial Policy
The Berkeley High Jacket is a designated public forum for student expression without prior review by school officials in which students make all final content decisions. The by-lined opinions expressed in the Editorial/Opinion and Entertainment sections and columns are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Jacket. Non-by-lined editorials represent the opinion of the Jacket and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Editorial Board. Any opinions or views expressed in advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of the Jacket. We encourage students, staff, and the community to submit letters to the Editor for publication. All submissions must be signed; anonymous letters may only be printed with a two-thirds vote of the Editorial Board. Not all submissions will be printed and may be edited to conform to Jacket policy or to meet space restrictions. 1980 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA | (510) 644-6121 | www.berkeleyhighjacket.com
JESSIE LEE
In a classroom setting, Black students and other students of color can struggle to feel included in the consent education taught by white teachers.“If you have a teacher who's white and they're telling you about all the things you can do to report and all of the resources that you have, in my experience, I felt like those resources may not be as open to me as they are to other students,” said Uma Kiyawat, an IndianAmerican junior at BHS. This means that students of color may feel less comfortable seeking out resources or support when dealing with sexual assault. “I think it goes pretty deep into families' in the BIPOC community; consent and sex is just not talked about as much compared to the white families,” continued Kiyawat. If things are not being discussed at home, then it's much harder for students to internalize information and understand how to seek out support just from school presentations. This creates another divide in the consent and healthy relationship education of communities of color. Additionally, people of color are more likely to experience sexual harassment, despite being far less likely to report it than their white counterparts. “People feel more comfortable when they feel represented by the people in power in general,” said Gamson-Knight. By increasing representation in consent education, resources would become more accessible and students of color could feel safer when reporting sexual harm.
OPINION
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2024
Cheating in school: A nuanced issue? YES BY SABINE ROSEN staff writer
EDITORS NOTE: Neither Sabine Rosen nor the Jacket condone cheating.
NO BY SOPHIE DRESKIN staff writer
Cheating is a word that garners many strong reactions when brought up in the classroom, as a topic that in many cases divides students and teachers. Cheating can be anything from asking a friend for help on homework to sneakily looking up all of the answers in the middle of a test. However, the one thing that holds true throughout any type of cheating is that it is never okay. Cheating is in direct defiance of what school is meant to teach. Honesty and accountability are important, and turning in work that wasn’t completely done by oneself is morally wrong. By cheating, students are not only breaking school rules but also important rules of ethics. Unfortunately, it is more common for students to cheat today than it was in the past. In the 1940s, about 20 percent of students admitted to cheating, but today, between 75 percent and 98 percent of students admit to it. One cause of this, according to Stanford University, is the rise in the competitiveness of college admissions coupled with the need to imitate what other students do. When students see their peers cheating, they often feel motivated to cheat themselves. According to a BHS student who had cheated in the past and asked to be anonymous due to fear of repercussions, “When I had seen my friends and classmates cheat, I felt like either I’d get a worse grade, or I could just cheat too.” The best way to end this problem is for everyone to take a step back and realize that cheating
In a survey of over 70,000 students, more than 95 percent of students admitted to cheating in school in some capacity. Cheating is often explicitly prohibited in schools, yet it happens all the time. Many things can be considered cheating, but the Oxford Languages English Dictionary defines cheating as to “act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.” However, this definition does not contain enough nuance. Sometimes what is considered “cheating” is simply students using their resources to the best of their abilities to give themselves the best chance for success. Even when schools try their hardest to make the school environment fair, it's impossible for all students to h a v e e qu a l
opportunities. When a student struggles to achieve good grades in class, some families hire a private tutor. While this is perfectly acceptable, it is extremely expensive and is not in every family's price range. Students with the privilege of having a private tutor have a huge advantage over other students. If a student feels they cannot keep up with another peer who has a tutor, they might rely on “cheating” to level the playing field. Collaborating on homework or projects can also be considered “cheating.” However, sometimes it is necessary and benefits the student’s learning and finished product. For example, if a student was absent from class or just very confused about the material, receiving help might be necessary to allow them to complete the assignment at all. Additionally, having someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of in the beginning can greatly benefit an essay or project. Still, when collaborating with others it is important students ensure they are also learning the material and that the work turned in is mostly their own. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) becoming more present in our daily lives, there are more and more issues with students using the technology to cheat. Of course, having AI write whole essays is a form of cheating
is n’t w h a t s cho ol is truly meant for. W h e n c h e at i n g in school, what people don’t realize is that in the long run, they are cheating themselves the most. Education is important, and students need to thoroughly learn all of the class material in order to progress. At BHS, classes like math are constantly building off of old is still material. “If a student tries to cheat in t u r n i n g math, they are really cheating in work themself, because they’ll be that is not even more lost next year,” said entirely your Monique Duncan-Harris, a BHS own. From using math teacher. bits of AI in a This is also a problem when it paper to stealing comes to AP classes. If students decide to look up all the answers test answers, cheating is to their AP classes’ tests all year, never acceptable. When turning by the time the AP test comes in work that isn’t their own, around, students will be wildly students severely harm their unprepared and fail. Cheating education, which never is a dangerous thing to do and should be taken for is only a band-aid solution that granted. can quickly lead to much deeper cuts. While some might say that cheating is justifiable in certain cases, such as asking for a few answers on the homework, it is still never okay. This breeds bad habits that often continue to become larger problems and
that is never acceptable. On the other hand, if students are using AI for something like kick-starting their flow of ideas, outlining their essays, or finding sources for a research paper, they have the justification to claim that they are using it as a tool. Students should be cautious not to over-rely on AI, but a little assistance, while technically still considered “cheating” by some, can actually act as a beneficial tool. Some people may say that “cheating” always harms the learning of the student. While this is sometimes true, it is also possible that the student is using their time saved to learn more important things. For example, let's say a student is assigned multiple pages of busy work in math. They choose to copy off their friends in order to work on an important and interesting English paper instead. Yes, they are robbing themselves of the opportunity to practice math, but they are still learning more than they would have been had they not “cheated.” Sometimes what is considered “cheating” is simply a student using their resources to learn and produce the best product they can. Despite what some say, the line between what is “cheating,” and what is not, is blurry.
CARINA NOTTINGHAM
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8 FRIDAY, FEBUARY 9, 2024
BLACK HISTORY MONTH SUBMISSIONS
SANIYA LEGGETT
ALASIAH HARPER
ALASIAH HARPER
MIEKO OGAWA-SIMMONS BORDER BY ELLIOT SCHRAG
SANIYA LEGGETT
LILLIAN ELLIS
FEATURES BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2024
features editors: Mateo Tsai & Sage Feldman
mateotsai@students.berkeley.net
Recipe submissions for Black History Month Lane-Scott Fried Chicken Ingredients: • Skin-on chicken • Oil • Salt • Ground black pepper • Louisiana hot sauce Instructions: 1. Heat oil in a pan over the stove 2. Put in the chicken and cook until it reaches desired crunchiness 3. Season with salt and pepper 4. Serve with Louisiana hot sauce and a glass of Kool-Aid
For Manny Lane-Scott, a BHS junior, a special family recipe is fried chicken. He and his family pan-fry the chicken, season it with some salt and pepper, and serve it with Louisiana hot sauce. Lane-Scott also likes to wash it down with a glass of Kool-Aid. He explained his favorite aspect of the meal. “I like mine to be crunchy," Lane-Scott said. "The crunch gives it all the taste. The skin, the meat, the bone, gives it the flavor and everything like that.” When his great-grandma was 14, she moved from Louisiana to Oakland and adopted the recipe from her sisters and brothers. It was passed down by word of mouth, generation to generation. Today, he eats it with his extended family every two weeks. “We have Sunday dinners, mostly after church. My family, my cousins, my aunts, and uncles come to my house and we all eat soul food like fried chicken, mac cheese, mashed potatoes, and potato salad together,” he said. Lane-Scott finished by saying, “Soul food is just delicious, and it came from African Americans always.”
Roberts Hot Water Cornbread Hot water cornbread is an essential family meal for junior Montay Roberts. It originated during slavery in the 1800s, specifically in Louisiana. His family uses the recipe on the back of the Martha White yellow cornmeal mix and replaces the milk with water, giving it its name. They also fry it rather than baking it in the oven. Roberts likes it because “it's different.” He grew up watching his mom and grandma cook the recipe, and reminisced, “I learned the recipe as I watched them. They would be telling me like, you know, 'Montay, come help.'” Roberts continued by explaining when his family eats the meal. “We make it (on) Thanksgiving a lot and family comes over and stuff. We eat cornbread with other meals.” Roberts and his family enjoy it over black-eyed peas or other meals.
Ingredients: • 1 teaspoon allvegetable shortening • 2 large eggs • 1 cup hot water • 1/4 cup pure vegetable oil • 1½ cups Martha White Self-Rising Enriched Yellow Corn Meal Mix • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1/4 cup sugar
Ingredients: FOR THE GUMBO SPICE MIX • 1 tablespoon dried oregano • 1 tablespoon dried thyme • 1 teaspoon powdered bay leaf • 1½ tablespoons garlic powder • 1 tablespoon onion powder • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or more to taste • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne, or more to taste • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) • ½ teaspoon black pepper FOR THE SEAFOOD GUMBO • 4 tablespoons salted butter • ¼ cup vegetable oil • ½ cup all-purpose flour • 1 small onion, finely chopped • 4 garlic cloves, minced • 1 small celery stalk, finely chopped • ½ red bell pepper, finely chopped • ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved • ½ cup dried shrimp • 1 tablespoon tomato paste • 5 cups store-bought or homemade chicken stock • 4 ounces fresh or thawed frozen okra, sliced into rounds (1 cup) • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce • 2 lobster tails, shelled and cut into ¾-inch pieces (optional; see Tip 3) • ¼ pound picked crab meat • ¼ pound sea scallops • ½ pound medium shrimp • Chicken • Sausage • Kosher salt and black pepper • 4 cups rice, for serving
Instructions: 1. Spoon shortening into an 8-inch ovenproof skillet, an 8-inch square, or a round baking pan. Heat over stove for about 5 minutes, to melt. 2. Whisk eggs in medium bowl. Stir in water, oil, corn meal mix, flour and sugar until smooth. Batter should be creamy and pourable. If too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of additional water. 3. Carefully tilt skillet to coat bottom with shortening. Pour batter into skillet. 4. Fry for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Johnson Gumbo Instructions: 1. Make the spice mix, placing all ingredients in a bowl and stirring until combined. Set aside 2 tablespoons for the gumbo and save the rest for a different use in an airtight container. 2. Heat the butter and oil in a 4 to 5 quart pot over medium heat. Allow the butter to bubble slightly, then add the flour. Stir to form a smooth paste. 3. Stir continuously as you cook the mixture for 10 to 13 minutes to make a chocolatecolored roux. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to avoid burning. It is necessary to keep a close eye on the roux during this step. Lower the heat if needed. 4. Immediately add the onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, and tomatoes, and stir well. The vegetables will stop the roux from overcooking and burning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to stick to the pan, around 5 to 10 minutes. Add the dried shrimp, if using, tomato paste, and the 2 tablespoons of spice mix, then cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. 5. While whisking, slowly add the stock and whisk until the stock is completely blended with the roux and vegetable mixture. Add the okra, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce and let simmer for 50 minutes over very low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the lobster, crab, scallops, chicken, sausage, and shrimp, and simmer just until cooked through, about 10 minutes more. 6. Season the gumbo to taste with salt and pepper, serve over rice.
COLLECTED BY LUCY GRIFFITH AND ILLUSTRATED BY JENNIFER YOC FERREIRA
9
An important family meal for Taylor Johnson is her mom’s gumbo. It's a stew that is served on a bed of rice; there are many variations of the recipe and it is served in a variety of cultures. She explained her ancestors' experience: “They were coming from Africa to America. They didn't have many ingredients but these were things that they could put together, like scraps of things, they could throw in a pot and cook over rice,” Johnson said. Johnson’s mom makes her gumbo with seafood, chicken, and sausage. The process of making the dish is difficult. She said, “It's a dish that takes a really long time to make, you have to be patient and really careful not to like to mess it up at all. One wrong move and you could (spoil) the whole thing.” Johnson’s family doesn’t usually eat together, but this meal is an exception. She said, “As a kid I would always need help from my family members to break the seafood open. The preparation of eating itself is really nice because you're doing it with your family.”
10 F R I D A Y , F E B R U A R Y 9 , 2 0 2 4
FEATURES
Young Black women who inspire unity at Berkeley High School
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
disparities in levels of lead, a potentially harmful natural chemical, from soil in low income and underrepresented Bay Area communities. Her findings were important in explaining how disproportionately high levels of lead concentration in soil can cause health risks to exposed community members. This issue shines light on environmental injustices negatively affecting neighborhoods of underrepresented socioeconomic and racial demographics. Later in December of 2023, Griffin got the opportunity to present her research at an international science conference held in San Francisco. For the newly published research author, attending the conference exposed her to an environment of like-minded researchers uncovering new insights about surrounding social
and physical environments by utilizing scientific methods. “All those minds were in one place, and I think that was really amazing,” said Griffin. Opportunities for BHS students to act on their leadership passions range from international science conferences to the more local BHS Associated Student Body (ASB) team. One of the roles in the school’s ASB team is the Chief of Publicity, where students elected to the position create entertaining and informational morning announcement videos that are broadcasted to the entire school, three days a week. This year, senior Amaya Houston is serving as one of three chiefs of publicity. “I wanted to run because I felt my personality would be good on the morning announcements,” said Houston. “I’m really high spirited; I always have a lot of energy.” To Houston, in the previous year, the bulletin
seemed to lack in racial representation. “A lot of my classmates and I felt underrepresented,” said Houston. The lack of diversity made it seem as if the news in the bulletin wasn’t really meant for the entirety of the diverse population at BHS. “Everybody needs to be represented in order for our school to feel unified,” said Houston. Houston also utilizes her appearance in the bulletin as a way to increase the exposure of Black culture and identities at BHS. “As a Black girl, I feel like we’re very free spirited,” said Houston, “And our actions sometimes can be frowned upon.” When this energy is not always welcomed, stereotypes can fall into play and create broad generalizations about a person because of their race. In the classroom, Houston has experienced the internalization of such stereotypes, which lead
to the questioning of her girls,” said Houston. schools from all across the intellectual capability as a Tamar McKey is a state. “It was just a really Black girl. “Sometimes I sophomore at BHS and co- close knit community,” said wouldn’t want to raise my president of the school’s McKey. hand because other Black Black Student Union (BSU). For McKey, her identity girls in my class just weren’t This year, the club was able as a young Black woman doing what I was doing,” to expand its mission and serves as a driving force said Houston. to reaching the And when ambitions and Black girls do goals she has. “Everybody needs to be represented in succeed and “My parents order for our school to feel unified.” achieve, Houston have told me feels that their you need to success can work twice as Amaya Houston receive a bitterhard to get half BHS chief of publicity sweet reaction as (far) because from others. “We you are a Black are seen as really woman in this amazing and awesome when goal of unity within the society,” said McKey. Within we do great stuff, but it’s Black community beyond the BSU, McKey is able to because we’re not expected the BHS Campus. help enhance Black culture to,” said Houston. During the Martin Luther and identity, creating a Being a key part of the King Jr. Weekend in January, sense of unity amongst bulletin allows Houston to the BHS BSU participated in Black individuals at BHS, use her leadership position the annual African Black while also connecting to change the narrative Coalition conference on with other clubs and local and to normalize diversity the University of California organizations. within leadership positions Santa Barbara campus “I love having a safe through inspiring Black girls in Southern California. space within Berkeley to seek out representation in There, the group was able High (School) to come their communities as well. “I to meet and connect with and just relax, eat food, just want everybody to feel multiple BSUs from various and talk about things that comfortable in their own California State Universities are important to us,” said skin, particularly with Black and a multitude of other McKey.
WORD ON THE STREET Where do you feel most connected to the Black community?
“I feel connected to the Black community here at Berkeley High (School) because I take African dance,” said sophomore Corina Blanton, later explaining the connection she gains from the class by being surrounded by other Black youth, as well as the appreciation she feels from others in the class interested in the art of African American Dance.
“Talking with people that are of the same descent as me, same color … that connects me to the Black community very well,” said sophomore Stephan Mears. Mears also sees the Berkeley High School’s Black Student Union as a source of connection between him and the Black community here at BHS.
“We all resonate with each other, whether it’s the way we grew up or the way something sounds we always find a way to resonate with each other. So that’s the coolest part about it. I guess it’s like second nature,” said senior Leoul Getaneh, expressing his deep feelings of affinity for the Black community.
“What connects me to the Black community is having other Black people in the community helping you out with your work and stuff,” said sophomore Marquis Rutledge. Rutledge believes that this kindness connects him to the Black community because of how welcoming it can be.
“Me. I’m a part of the Black community, (and) I feel automatically connected with everyone else,” said sophomore Shavon Johnson when asked what she feels connects her to the Black community. Expanding on her point she explained that a lot of her connection is shown through kindness.
“Black music. I think the most I feel connected to the Black community is through music,” said senior Yaminah Ratchford. She also said that at home she feels connected by food stating: “I really like the food. I do like soul food.”
INTERVIEWS BY ELIOT PERDUE staff writer
PHOTOS BY JAHAN INGRAHAM staff photographer
F R I D A Y , F E B R U A R Y 9 , 2 0 2 4 11
FEATURES
Dungeons and Dragons unites party of BHS math teachers BY ARIANA YEROVAM staff writer
Benjamin Nathan, Korianna Austera, and Michael Weitz: Berkeley High School math teachers by weekday, and Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) enthusiasts by weekend. Beginning during quarantine, they’ve been meeting semi-regularly to join in playing the game. The group initially started to play over Zoom and has continued to play since, now sometimes in person. Nathan, the group’s founder, has been playing D&D off and on for years. He began in his adolescence, and really started to pursue the hobby over Zoom during the pandemic as a way to socialize despite the shelter in place mandate. D&D engages many of his varied interests. “(So many) things … go into it, right? There’s the
math… there’s the fantasy … there’s the storytelling thing, which will get your theater people in …,” he said, “You’ve got all these different groups and every one of them, you’ve got to have an overbearing love for that thing.” Contrary to her friends, Austera’s first exposure to playing D&D was during quarantine as a part of this group. The community and friendship based dynamic of the group helped her get involved. “It helps that a lot of us have known each other, in some capacity, for years,” she said. Weitz is the group’s longest-playing member, having played since he was a student in middle and high school. He continued to play through college and began playing with his coworkers during quarantine. His experience with D&D has had an impact on him in an academic setting. “I think it made me
a better reader … Back then you had to do a lot of technical reading to understand the rules, paying attention to the turn of the phrase and of the sentence so you’d read the rules correctly. You had to learn some pretty precise reading, which is something I see my students struggling with today,” he said. D&D is a very mathematical game, and it requires proficiency in quick computation and probability. “It also helped my math: I got really into probability because going through high school I thought about dice and chances to roll things … These were things I was just sitting around at the time and thinking about. I loved it when they would talk about probability in class,” said Weitz. Weitz and Austera emphasized that they’d like to consider incorporating D&D into their teaching
(From left to right) Nathan, Weitz, and Austera pose in front of a whiteboard.
curriculums if given the necessary resources and time. D&D has even influenced Nathan’s teaching. “(D&D is) very good for improvising and half of the time with teaching, you’re improvising,” he said, “If we’re trying to figure out something it’s like, ‘Oh, you don’t get how that works? Okay, let me talk about this
in a different way, let’s try a different method.’” Similarly, all the teachers expressed that, at least on a surface level, they’ve been able to connect with students through their shared interest in the game D&D. Whether this connection with student’s came through Weitz’s prior position as the BHS D&D Club teacher sponsor, through Nathan’s
NOLAN WHITEHILL
everday anecdotal and D&D related t-shirts, or Austera’s casual shared experience with students, it has had an impact. The vastly interesting game of D&D has been around for many decades, and has bonded these three BHS math teachers, with their students, with their teaching, and with each other.
Alan Miller reflects on a life of teaching, inspiring, challenging BY MUHAMMAD DELGADO
staff writer
Over the 33 years that Alan Miller has been a part of the English department at Berkeley High School, he has gained a reputation as a hard working figure who expects responsibility from himself and his students. In recent years, word of Miller’s retirement has floated around, and now his final year at BHS is upon him. Miller grew up in a tightly packed Chicago household, with his immediate family and another family totalling up to 13 people occupying a five bedroom home. As a youth, Miller attended the Latin School of Chicago, a selective private school, where he won a poetry contest alongside Gwendolyn Brooks. Out of Chicago, Miller attended Amherst College where he studied English
and American Studies. When Miller graduated, he delivered a fiery farewell speech to the Amherst class of 1982. Miller lambasted his classmates who had not taken advantage of the significant privileges and opportunities afforded to them by attending such a prestigious private university. “If you’ve come here and you’ve never stepped … outside of your comfort zone, I said, you were not an educated person, and you just wasted your money,” Miller recalled of his address. The speech earned him some infamy in the school’s alumni publication, the Amherst Record, which wrote about the controversial speech for two years afterward. Miller left Massachusetts for the San Francisco Bay in the same year, coinciding with a recession that caused rampant budget cuts in schools. In 1991, Miller came to BHS after a two year stint as a girls’ junior varsity basketball
coach at Richmond High School. Before settling on BHS, Miller interviewed for Skyline High School when he came out as gay to his prospective employers. “This was 1989, so there weren’t any people dealing with issues like that, and so they said to me that they wanted to talk about it outside the room,” Miller recalled. He told them that if they left the room, he would walk away from the job all together. Skyline ended up offering Miller the job, but he decided on BHS instead. When he came to BHS he found that everything was based on seniority. The most senior faculty members had all the rights to parking spaces, teaching upperclassmen, and teaching electives; new hires like himself were more often relegated to teaching freshmen. “When I came in, they hadn’t hired an English teacher for eight years,” Miller
After over three decades at BHS, Alan Miller is proud of what he’s accomplished.
QUINCY MORRIS-FRY
said, “The teacher who was hired before me … was still temporary.” That meant the teacher went without any union protection while doing all the work of a full time educator. “I thought that was cuckoo,” said Miller, “I shut my mouth and joined the union and tried to figure out how I was going to kill that practice.” At the same time, Miller asserted himself as an educator, telling the principal who hired him that he “expected to teach Advanced Placement classes by the second year.” Again he threatened to walk out if they failed to meet that expectation. As a result, Miller began teaching an AP level course on patterns in Black literature in his second year of teaching and continued to do so for 13 years. Now Miller teaches IB English Language and Literature and African American Literature. He gets to school around 7:30 a.m. in the morning and meets with his fellow faculty members like Melissa Jimenez to have lunch and coordinate their curriculum. Because he does not take his work home, Miller will sometimes stay long hours after the school day in room C-117 finishing the day’s work past sunset. Miller became the vice president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers in 1993 and continued to serve until 2006. During their time in charge, Miller and BFT president Barry Fike directed the union’s energy toward representing Bekeley’s teachers. They visited every single teacher in the district over the course of two years, spending a whole day in each classroom. Miller wanted to
be sure that the challenges of Berkeley’s temporary and hard working teachers were addressed. “You can’t sustain a profession like this with martyrs,” said Mille, “That’s why at the end of my career, I’m telling teachers, ask for more and keep asking for more.” Looking back on his years of teaching, Miller is most proud of the guest speakers, field trips, and assemblies he’s been able to organize for both his own students and the whole school. “My guesstimate is that I’ve done over 110 assemblies over the course of my career here,” said Miller. These have included visiting world storytellers, poets, and notable speakers, assemblies about AIDS and gun violence awareness, and field trips to events like UC Berkeley’s Noon Concerts. Miller is a strong believer in opening up the learning environment. “I don’t think it’s all supposed to take place just in the classroom,” he said. On one occasion in 1996, Miller’s event featuring the authors Sonia Sanchez and Sapphire moved a student to tears. “She said that it was very meaningful for her to see these African American women writers,” Miller remembered, “She had never experienced anything like that … it was just such a powerful experience for her.” For a couple years, Miller taught in the short lived BHS program Life Academy, located in the portables at Washington Elementar y School. The students were “bright and funny,” remembered Miller,
but they each had troubles that made school less of a priority. At the same time, “They wanted to be here,” said Miller. Many of the students at Life Academy struggled with a lack of meaningful relationships with adults, low motivation, troubled home situations, and drug and alcohol problems. Over the course of his time there, he watched the students’ motivation and performance improve. “I’m proud that most of them graduated,” Miller said, “We got them off to a good start.” Although the program is gone now, and Berkeley has changed since then, Miller still suspects that those issues still remain unresolved. “I’ve learned that if you don’t really make it a priority to keep the things that have worked, they disappear,” Miller reflected. Since he started teaching at BHS, “a lot of the diversity ... has been sucked out.” After he leaves BHS, Miller plans to travel to Bangladesh, South Africa, and Nigeria, and, having received what he considers to be a “privileged education” and being printed in over 30 publications, he hopes to write about education. Miller is concerned by the culture’s growing abandonment of reading and writing, but he expressed his hope for BHS students saying, “I trust your generation much more obviously than I trust my own … My generation is quite happy doing a lot of stupid stuff and leaving things the way that they are.” In his many years at BHS, Miller has definitely impacted BHS’s faculty, culture, and most importantly, BHS’s student’s.
ENTERTAINMENT
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BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
Entertainment Editors: Kaiya Jordan & Simon Policy
GLOBAL ARTISTS: KEHINDE WILEY, A PORTRAIT OF BLACK BEAUTY MALIE MATUBREW
As we leave the calming, natural beauty of Rithika Merchant’s pieces, we turn to the visually stunning, absolutely gorgeous patterns and portraits of another favorite artist of mine, Kehinde Wiley. Kehinde Wiley was born in Los Angeles to an African American mother and a Nigerian father. He was raised by his mother, Freddie Mae Wiley, who cultivated his love of art from a young age. Wiley was very passionate and even spent a short amount of time at a Russian art school in St. Petersburg when he was 11, learning the portraiture techniques and styles that would remain at the core of his work throughout his adult life. After graduating Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Wiley went to Nigeria to contact his father and connect to his African heritage, which expresses itself in the vibrant colors, patterns, and subjects prominent in his work today. Wiley then went on to graduate from Yale University of the Arts, becoming a resident artist in New York City, where he still lives today, when he’s not traveling. If you have heard of Wiley, it was probably in reference to when he painted former President Barack Obama’s official portrait for the Smithsonian (it was also on exhibition at the De Young Museum a year ago). Obama doesn’t just ask anyone to paint his official portrait, so that should tell you something about the caliber of Wiley’s art. The Obama portrait is a perfect example of Wiley’s style: a glowing figure set against an absolutely stunning background, alive with intricate patterns and colorful flora. Wiley focuses almost exclusively on Black (African-diasporic) subjects, and especially likes reimagining baroque and medieval portraiture with a black artist, subject, and lens. He has remade many classic portraits, like those of Napoleon (“Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps,” 2005) or English kings (“The Triple Portraits of Charles I,” 2007), all with a new vibrancy. His subjects come from all over the world, and he usually travels to a specific country or city to do a collection, such as Havana, Haiti, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Ferguson, and St. Louis, Missouri. If I was to recommend any one collection, I would have to recommend “A Maze Of Power” (2023). It is an incredible set of portraits of presidents from several nations in Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Rwanda, etc.) Beyond the utter beauty of the paintings, they are extremely powerful. The presidents are sitting like the lords of old Europe, but they are not wearing old furs and European dress. Some are wearing sharp cut suits and others are in gorgeous traditional clothing, emanating power and pride. This collection perfectly encapsulates Wiley’s work: stunning, powerful, and Black.
kaiyajordan@students.berkeley.net
Controversy of the Blaxploitaiton genre BY ANNIKA JOY staff writer
The 1970s saw the rise of an entirely new movie genre, quickly capturing the public’s attention. Movies from this genre began to feature Black casts and protagonists, challenging Hollywood’s history with predominantly white casting. These movies often centered around popularized white stereotypes of Black culture, such as gang violence, drug use, lack of respect for authority, and sexualization. Taken at face value, it’s easy to see how this genre could be written off as the work of exploitative executives trying to draw money from Black audiences. But in reality, the topic is much more nuanced, and there are many lovers and defenders of the genre to this day. Independent films like 1971’s “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” are often referred to as the catalysts of the Blaxploitation genre. The movie’s plot exhibits the racial stereotypes that are central to the genre, following an African American orphan raised in a brothel. Similar movies were successful at the box office, leading Hollywood to realize there was a market for movies with Black casts directed at Black audiences. This marked a turning point for the movie industry, as Black actors had previously mainly been cast in minor roles. Over the next decade, an estimated 300 films were released that fit under the Blaxploitation umbrella. Though large studios were making serious profits off of genre, many of the greatest Blaxploitation successes were independently produced and directed by Black directors. Critics of the Blaxploitation g e n r e , including civil rights groups like the NAACP, claim that these films are harmful to Black communities due to the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes of Black-
American culture. The NAACP are the group that first coined the term “Blaxploitation,” using it in protests and news headlines against the genre. The NAACP then joined forces with the National Urban League and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to form the Coalition Against Blaxploitation, with a mission to stop the production of these films. The groups claimed that Blaxploitation movies played into white stereotypes of the Black experience, setting back the fight for racial equality. That being said, Blaxploitation films allowed for Black audiences to see themselves portrayed in a way that was not white-washed to promote cultural assimilation to white America. “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” was written, directed, produced, edited, and scored by African American filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, who also starred in the film. The entire movie was done on a shoestring budget of $100,000, making its success impressive. Co-founder of the Black Panther party, Huey P. Newton even spoke on the film, describing it as “the first truly revolutionary Black film ever made.” Filmmakers of the 70s used Hollywood’s perception of Black culture to create films that appealed to white America while more subtly creating space for Black culture, music, and fashion in mainstream media. “Blaxploitation films introduced Black audiences to the new ways in which ‘Blackness’ could be represented in mainstream films. This film genre features African
Filmmakers of the 70s used Hollywood’s perception of Black culture to create films that appealed to white America while more subtly creating space for Black culture, music, and fashion ...
ILLUSTRATION BY ELLIOT SCHRAG
American characters who are empowered and self-sufficient,” stated one Duke University source. It isn’t an unpopular opinion, as
Blaxploitation films undoubtedly changed the course of African-American depiction and perception through mainstream media. The Blaxploitation genre has had both critics and supporters since its inception, and it’s impossible to disregard the harms of the era when discussing the positive impacts. Regardless of whether one is a supporter or critic of these films, there is no denying that the Blaxploitation genre made (and continues to make) a lasting impact on Black representation in film.
ENTERTAINMENT
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2024
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‘Urinetown’: A modern musical, soon to come to the BHS stage BY LUCY HOHN x writer
“Urinetown” is a play set in a future world where intense drought has led humans to share a communal toilet, with laws prohibiting individuals from owning private toilets. In response, a wealthy
character, Mr. Cladwell, decides to use the situation to turn a profit. Cladwell forces people to spend hundreds of dollars to simply use the bathroom. Eventually, resistance takes shape in the show’s protagonist, a worker named Bobby Strong. Enraged by the exploitative and wealthy citizens, Strong begins to fight the injustice
The cast of “Urinetown” belts out a song together.
demanding change. To add an extra layer of theatrical drama, Strong is also in love with Cladwell’s daughter. At its core, “Urinetown” is a story of love, rebellion, and important political commentary. “Part of what we do in the theater is we do impossible things and that’s the joy of it. There’s this monumental
JULES DROZ
task and we all work Margaux Rocha is a tenth meaning they’re working together to make it happen grader and cast member almost seven hours a week. in this kind of magical way,” for the BHS production. As the date of opening said Caitlyn Louchard, “‘Urinetown’ is a really fun night draws closer, the cast the director of focuses on specifics the upcoming and technical bits. At its core, “Urinetown” is a story B e r k e l e y BHS freshman and of love, rebellion, and important High School cast member Amani “ Ur i n e t o w n” Meleis is excited to political commentary. production. see his hard work The idea of come to life on stage. doing “Urinetown” was first musical because it parodies “It’s not just normal suits shared by stagecraft a couple a bunch of other musicals,” and whatever,” he said, “It’s years ago and was handed she said, “It parodies super colorful costumes and over to Louchard to direct. musicals like ‘West Side lights.” When asked about Louchard has been involved Story’ and ‘Fiddler on the why people should attend, in the world of theater for Roof ’. For the musical nerds, Meleis said, “This isn’t like many years now. “I was an they’ll definitely love it.” an old musical; it’s more actor in the Bay modern, so more Area and I ran a suited to modern “This isn’t like an old musical; it’s small Shakespeare audiences.” company,” she said, “ Ur i n e t o w n” more modern, so more suited to “And I was on staff opens on Friday, modern audiences.” at Shotgun Players Feb. 23 and closes for a while.” on Saturday, March Amani Meleis T o d a y , 2. This production “Urinetown” cast member Louchard is is the first musical focusing more of at BHS since the her time towards pandemic in 2020, writing and teaching. “I love Rocha plays Old Ma Strong, and cast members are how much (these students) Bobby Strong’s mom. excited for the opening and love each other. They take The cast of “Urinetown” proudly encourage people such good care of each other, has been rehearsing ever to attend. “I think it will be and their commitment since auditions in September. really refreshing for people and joy is really inspiring,” On days they have rehearsal, to see a musical here,” said Louchard said. it lasts around three hours, Rocha.
Redwood Literary Magazine helps student writers find their voice genuinely was invested. I appropriate and inclusive was knowing that other scary for a lot of people I thought a lot of our writers for audiences of all ages. people would be giving me know.” are very talented; it’s just This includes stories about feedback because I think Specifically in this issue, very low membership at the mystical questions that are that’s a barrier in writing Malone noticed a bolder and moment.” left unanswered, working for a lot of people,” Malone more confident approach Redwood Literary Ori Boozaglo, another towards self-improvement, said, referring to her own in the writing of the newer Magazine, a Berkeley BHS junior who found and the desire to explore a experience. “(The writing) is club members. High School student-run Redwood through very precious and “I will say one thing I organization that publishes its Emerging very personal, noticed is, typically when short stories and poetry, Writers program, Despite the current low membership, especially with we get new members who has just released its latest joined the club in this latest issue has thrived in terms of poetry and short are underclassmen, they issue. Redwood publishes her sophomore stories, which have a very timid voice creative variety and expression. a new issue each quarter, year. more often have when they’re working with and offers a safe space for “It’s such a something to do others or they’re writing young writers to express great community,” with a reflection their pieces, but compared themselves creatively. Boozaglo stated, “It’s super small, yet seemingly infinite of your life, just because to other issues, I’ve noticed Nora Sachdeva, a BHS nice to be a part of that.” world. that’s often where the ideas there was this confidence junior, began her journey Despite the current low Boozaglo’s short story, come from. It’s a very in a lot of the writers that I with Redwood in eighth membership, this latest “The Theodore Residence,” intimate idea, so that is very haven’t seen before that was grade through its Emerging issue has thrived in terms was inspired by a picture Writers program, which of creative variety and she found on Pinterest that encourages incoming high expression. spoke to her. school students to submit “Personally, I think “It was this drawing – a piece of writing for that this issue just shows and it inspired me to write publication. She has been how diverse our group of a story, sort of like magical on it ever since and just writers are,” Boozaglo said. realism, sort of a mysterious published the fourth part “You can find all different short story,” she said. of a story that she has been kinds of poems and short Malone, having been a working on over the last few stories in various ways that part of Redwood Literary issues. relate to you because there Magazine all four of her “I’m proud years at BHS, has of the fact that I seen a decline stuck with it and in membership “ You can find all different kinds of hope to finish it poems and short stories ... There (are) compared to before I graduate,” the first year, all kinds of writers on Redwood.” Sachdeva said. mainly because “The process was the original Ori Boozaglo tough, but I’m members have proud of myself now graduated. Redwood Magazine editor for being able to Malone hopes for write it out in a this to shift going story-like form.” (are) all kinds of writers on forward, and is very proud Meghan Malone, a Redwood.” of the club’s current writers. senior and the editor-inThe only requirements The process of publishing chief of Redwood Literary for the stories published personal short stories and Magazine, spoke on the most in Redwood are that they poems for anyone to read recently published stories contain no profanity, explicit can seem daunting to many and poems. Malone said, “I violence, or sexual content. young writers, but the result personally thought that the This policy ensures that tends to be gratifying. writing was really great. I Redwood’s publications are “To me, the scariest part Redwood Literary Magazine publicizing themselves at the Club Fair. BY HANNAH GROTHREIDY staff writer
very heartwarming. It made me very happy to see people who have never done this before get very invested very quickly,” Malone said. “I love writing for myself, my own creativity, but if people get anything out of it, whether it’s a little bit of escape from their dayto-day life, because that’s what fiction offers for me, then that’s great for them,” Boozaglo shared about her own work, “Or if it’s just a fun story for them or it inspires them in some way creatively, that’s really all I can ask for.”
LILA HALLWARD
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ENTERTAINMENT
66th annual Grammys Awards in review BY AMAR WALKER staff writer
The 66th annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. With popular comedian Trevor Noah as the host, comedic relief was sprinkled between rounds of surprise, excitement, and disappointment. Dua Lipa opened the show with the debut performance of her song “Training Season” and then “Houdini” with flashing and psychedelic lights. Despite the harsh rain and wind conditions, celebrities showed up on the red carpet looking as stunning as ever. Jon Batiste was dressed in one of the most “daring looks,” as quoted by the red carpet reporters. He wore a custom Versace silver suit and kilt. Other highlights on the red carpet included Summer Walker, wearing a fluffy white feathered gown with a matching hat, Doja Cat dressed in a mesh gown by Dilara Findikoglu, displaying her tattoos, and
Miley Cyrus in a golden chained piece by Margiela Artisanal. The nominees for Album of the Year had a large range of popularity, with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, boygenius, Jon Batiste, and Janelle Monáe all nominated. While all of these talented nominees were deserving of the award, it didn’t come as a surprise that the winner was Midnights by Taylor Swift, now a four time Album of the Year winner. The winner of Song of the Year was Billie Eilish, with “What Was I Made For” from the Barbie movie. The Song of the Year nominations included two songs from the Barbie movie, including “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa. Taylor Swift received her 13th Grammy for the Best Pop Vocal Album Award. Along with her acceptance speech, she announced her brand new album: The Tortured Poets Department, that will be coming out on April 19.
For many of the winning artists, it was their first-ever Grammy, including Miley Cyrus, Karol G, and Lainey Wilson. Tyla won the first Grammy for best African music performance, a new award added this year. The Dr. Dre Global Impact Award went to Jay-Z. In his speech, he spoke about how there is still a lot of progress to be made with diversity and recognition in the award show. He said, “Some of you may go home and feel like you got robbed,” and his advice was to “keep showing up, until they call you the greatest of all time.” The award for Best New Artist had many popular nominees, including Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan, and Ice Spice. The winner was singer-songwriter Victoria Monét, who spoke through joyful tears, “I’m finally sprouting.” As new performers took the stage for the first time, old performers came back for the first time in a long time. Billy Joel performed his first single in 30 years,
THE CROSSWORD
ACROSS
DOWN
1. Addis ___ 6. ___ Land (2016 musical) 10. Early Brit 14. Zodiac sign symbolized by the scales 15. Particle of matter 16. “Hell ____ no fury ...” 17. ___ ipsum 18. Painter Joan 19. “Other,” in Madrid 20. Extremely literal rhyming children’s book protagonist 23. Modern, in Berlin 24. Records, in shorthand 25. Incinerate 28. Spanish feminine article 29. Tilt 31. Corporate alternative to AKA 32. A den or guest bedroom, often 36. Land measurement on a farm 38. Taylor Swift’s 2023-24 tour 39. Patty Hearst’s SLA alias 41. Football kick 42. Greek wind spirits 44. Skincare accessories 46. Auberjonois’ character on “Star Trek” 47. Fill a cup 49. Plural ending for -y 50. Stratocaster brand 52. Neighborhood group abbr.) 53. University email ending 56. breakfast club 60. Elmer’s product 62. Cash register 63. Break up with 64. “Sleepless in Seattle” director Ephron 65. List-ending abbreviation 66. Key above shifts 67. Check someone’s ID 68. Makes a shirt 69. Leaves in, as an editor
1. “Ken’s buddy,” in “Barbie” 2. Tundra, for one 3. Astros first baseman 4. Songwriter Jacques 5. “Winnie-the-Pooh” author 6. Baby sheep 7. Finish in ___ (as a game) 8. Ruler 9. Record store on Telegraph 10. Church chorus 11. Dine and dash 12. “In a bit,” informally 13. Despite, in text-speak 21. Distant 22. “Harry Potter” character with Spectrespecs 26. Pipe under a bathroom sink 27. Histories 28. Major or minor constellation 29. One who likes solitude 30. Blood-related suffix 32. “____ Tranquility” (Emily St. John novel) 33. Overly proper person 34. Former vice president who tried to start an empire in modern-day Texas 35. Honolulu’s island 37. Tax experts 40. Farewell that literally means “to God” 43. Fencing weapon 45. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club” band 48. Speaks, as a poem 51. Existential fear 52. “In these _____ halls ...” 53. Make extremely happy 54. Bedding that requires a cover 55. Lyft alternatives 57. “The ___ Runner” 58. Mistake 59. Hundred prefix 60. Vitamin chain 61. Mauna ___
— Raven Fonseca Jensen — Violet Kessler
“Turn The Lights Back On.” Joni Mitchell sang “Both Sides Now,” as her very first Grammy performance at 80 years old. A few years ago, she was unable to speak due to a stroke, but she gained her voice back and was able to share her beautiful performance. The performers brought all of their energy and emotion onto stage. Luke Combs performed “Fast Car” with Tracy Chapman. She made history as the first Black woman to win the CMA Song of the Year as a songwriter. This performance was her return after not making a public appearance for many years. While it was a simple performance, it was very sweet to see them singing together with guitar at the mic. In the prelude to SZA’s performance of “Kill Bill” she spoke about how she had “so many points to prove” with her album SOS, which took 5 years for her to finish and put out. The album had themes of the ocean and intense fear and
anxiety. It was a dramatic performance, with trash can fires, female fighters, and SZA “killing” a man. U2 performed inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, a dome covered entirely with screens. It was the first time television cameras were allowed inside the Sphere, making it an exciting and fun performance. Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Jon Batiste, and
ANNA HOWELL
Fantasia Barrino honored the artists that were lost this year. Stevie Wonder sang “For Once In My Life,” as a duet with a video of Tony Bennet. Annie Lennox sang “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor, and Jon Batiste performed “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers. Fantasia Barrino sang “Proud Mary” and “Rolling on the River” to honor Tina Turner.
‘American Fiction’ review “I see what you’re doing,” Thelonious “Monk” Ellison’s agent says about half an hour through “American Fiction,” a new film from writer-director Cord Jefferson based on the 2001 book “Erasure.” “Good, because it’s not subtle,” Monk retorts. This is the joke of “American Fiction,” wherein Monk (Jeffery Wright), a Black academic and novelist facing financial hardship and disinterest in his latest work, sees a bestseller from another Black author (Issa Rae), “We’s Lives in the Ghetto,” which depicts a heightened and exploitative picture of Black life. Angered by what he feels is pandering, he writes the book “F*ck,” an equally trashy, stereotyped version of the Black experience, under a pseudonym. To his ire, the book becomes a bestseller and critical darling among white audiences, and the plot progresses from there. It’s a smart, hilarious takedown of the types of work critics might call “necessary” or “powerful,” and a legitimately emotional narrative in its own right. The satire is well-played. The film avoids low-hanging fruit (at least, most of the time), instead carefully planting little jokes that chip away at the film’s overall message. The aforementioned agent character, Arthur, and Monk’s gay brother, Cliff (Sterling K. Brown, nominated for Best Supporting Actor for this role) are particularly funny. But satire doesn’t always take center stage. Just like his book is not representative of Monk’s actual life, the movie is more than a gimmicky comedy. Underneath all of that is a played-straight drama about Monk’s normal struggles with a dementia-stricken mother and a grief-stricken family. It’s all very adult, affecting, yet dull hardships. And while “bitter, antisocial academic” is no novel character archetype, Monk is funny enough and portrayed more than well enough that he remains compelling. The comedy and the drama go hand-in-hand, as well. Of course, despite the general unseriousness of Monk’s book, it does contribute to the exact cultural perception of Blackness that he despises. Whether or not that harm is offset by the financial empowerment of a Black person facing legitimate hardship becomes a key question. But likewise, Monk’s thoughtful regret about his situation is greatly contrasted with the ad execs, critics, and movie studios seeking to capitalize on his work.
— Zach Yoo
COURTESY OF MGM STUDIOS
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SPORTS
Critical boys soccer game against O’Dowd ends in 0-0 draw BY LULI GALINSON staff writer
On Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, Berkeley High School boys soccer faced off against Bishop O’Dowd High School. This was a vital game for the team, as they had already lost to O’Dowd earlier in the season. The team needed the win to continue to have a chance to win the regular league season before playoffs. It was a high-intensity game right off the bat, and Berkeley kept good control of the ball. O’Dowd had a few shot opportunities in the first half, but the defensive line and senior goalkeeper Toby JacobsonBell managed to block all of the shots. This game also had a large turnout of fans who came
to watch the game, with O’Dowd being Berkeley’s athletic rival. “The fans may have been a lot more rowdy and intense, and when there’s a lot of fans, there’s a good atmosphere,” Jacobson-Bell explained. “But it’s also when players can kind of lose their heads or do silly things. We just tried to keep everyone on the same page about what the goal was,” he said. Despite Berkeley coming very close to scoring multiple times, when halftime came around, the score was still 0-0. In the second half, the game remained tightly contested. Senior Harlem Clemons came very close to scoring after an impressive solo run up the field, but O’Dowd’s defense managed to fend him off. Co-captain and senior
Niko Luckey felt that the team tried their best this game, but he was still disappointed in the team’s inability to put a shot in. “We created chances, but for scoring, we just weren’t able to finish. That was a big issue,” said Luckey. The real action of the game picked up close to the final two-minute mark, when injury time began and the Jackets started fighting to put a shot in. There was a foul near O’Dowd’s goal, giving Berkeley a free kick with a good chance to score. It was saved by O’Dowd’s goalkeeper, but quickly after Berkeley got another free kick. Although they did not score on it, they got a corner kick, taken by Senior Oliver Gill. O’Dowd’s defense was able to stop the ball from getting to the net. All of these plays happened in only
Senior Oliver Gill winds up for a dangerous free kick.
a couple of minutes, and all of the Berkeley fans who had come to support the team were very eager for the team to score a goal. Berkeley got one final corner kick at the very end of the game, taken again by Gill, but the team never managed to put a goal in. The game ended in a 0-0 tie. The team was
ATTICUS LABANG
disappointed with not winning the game, but senior defender Kai Lucas thought the team showed improvement over the season so far. “I would’ve definitely liked to win, but we did get better from the last time we played O’Dowd when our performance was a bit subpar. So it was a nice way to cap off the rivalry,”
he said. With boys soccer no longer having a chance to place first in their league, the team has shifted their focus to making it farther in the North Coast Section playoffs. Lucas said he hoped for, “A long playoff run, hopefully we get some more wins, and close off the season with everything going well.”
BHS wrestling bests Hayward and Tennyson in home meet BY MINAMI SOGA staff writer
Juniors Sebi Minn-Murray and Elouan Pecson set up a soccer camp for kids last summer.
QUINCY MORRIS-FRY
Coaching younger kids allows athletes to build connections BY LULI GALINSON staff writer
Student-athletes are always searching for ways to improve at their sports. It’s been said that there is no better way to get better at something than to teach other people what you already know. Many students work for youth sporting programs all around the Bay Area, helping to coach younger kids in the sports they play. Students commonly do this as a way to make money, make friends, or just to feel more connected to their sport. Berkeley High School juniors Sebi Minn-Murray and Elouan Pecson started a small soccer camp for kids last summer, with one of the main reasons for the camp being MinnMurray’s younger siblings. “My brother’s eleven and my sisters are seven, so their friends and classmates came to the clinics,” he explained. The duo advertised for their clinic in multiple ways.
They started social media accounts for their clinic, and also sent out emails to parents of students at Malcolm X Elementary School. While it was difficult for them to get kids to come the first couple times, they eventually amassed a good amount of people to come to their camp. “I know I love soccer, and I just wanted to make them see what I love about it. Playing with the kids was fun, and I really just feel like it’s all about patience with them,” Pecson said. They felt that while the kids they were coaching were little, they still got something out of doing it. “I feel like at that young of an age, there wasn’t that much to teach them tactically, mostly just passing, but as you’re teaching them you do get repetition with the drills,” said Minn-Murray. The pair plans to run the clinic more in the future. “We plan on doing it again this summer, and maybe on three-day weekends too, so parents can have some time off,” Pecson said. They
do want to come more prepared the next time they run it. Minn-Murray said, “We’d just bring more supplies in general, and also tell people more in advance, less last minute.” There are also many pre-existing programs that high school students work with. Sophomore Zachary Winslow coached for both the Golden State Warriors Basketball Academy and the Berkeley High Basketball Camp last summer. “It was a good experience and a way to show my passion for the game,” said Winslow. “I also got to learn how to deal with small children, and I think that’s definitely a good skill for other parts of life.” Winslow connected with players at the camps and even took inspiration from them. “I actually saw some kids one time who were doing a nice ball move I thought looked really useful, so I added that to my arsenal of moves that I have for basketball,” he said. “One kid used a spin move once that I actually decided to use in game, and it worked.”
On Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, the Berkeley High School wrestling team had their only home meet of the season in the Donahue Gym. The team fought against Tennyson and Hayward High School and claimed their ultimate victory, beating both schools. The event was a dual meet, which is when wrestlers are matched up with an opponent in the same weight group as them. As opposed to this, in high school wrestling there are also competitions against dozens of schools that are done in a bracket system for which wrestlers are again separated by weight group. Arthur Wesig, a senior BHS wrestler, described having to cut down on weight for the meet stating that “there are certain weight groups and you got to cut weight. You want to be at the very top of your
weight group, so you get the most advantage,” he said. BHS started off against Hayward with waves of wins and losses. BHS began strong, winning the first few matches by a landslide. As the matches continued, Hayward started gaining momentum and BHS faced several losses. Despite this, BHS wrestlers adapted to their respective opponents during the span of their matches with the help of their coaches and teammates who were shouting words of encouragement and advice on the sidelines. Eventually, BHS wrestlers prevailed and broke through, winning their last few matches with pins, which is when a wrestler is able to “pin” their opponent’s shoulders onto the mat which immediately ends the match. Some flexibility had to be made, as the teams didn’t have wrestlers of the same weight group. Benjamin Blair, a sophomore on the team, shared not feeling any nerves despite having to be
BHS students practice in their home gym.
MADELEINE WILSON
pushed up a weight group and going against someone “almost 12 pounds heavier” than him. “I didn’t really feel much during the match because I’m kind of used to it, and I know I put in work before coming here. Like being nervous doesn’t do me any good. So I wasn’t nervous,” he said. Wrestling relies on weight and strength but is also a very technical sport involving a lot of skill. In order to prepare for matches, BHS wrestlers described preparing themselves mentally and practicing their technique. Shiella Paredes-Akimoto, the captain of the BHS girls wrestling team, recalled her match, reflecting on skills she wanted to improve on. “I’d say I definitely work on transitioning between one pinning maneuver to another. There was a moment in the match where I tried to transition and my head wasn’t in the right position … so it’s something I’m going to take into practice and work on,” Paredes-Akimoto said. After taking a break during Tennyson and Hayward’s matches, Berkeley returned to the mats wrestling against Tennyson, going back and forth between wins and losses. Behind the intense matches, much teamwork could be seen as wrestlers and coaches shouted from the sidelines to advise those on the mats. After a long line of matches, Berkeley won the last match through a forfeit from Tennyson, winning against both Hayward and Tennyson.
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sports editors: Colina Harvey & Leo Silverberg
SPORTS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
Leosilverberg@students.berkeley.net
Black Athlete Spotlight BY ANNA WILLIAMS staff writer
Zariyah King Zariyah King is a junior and guard for the Berkeley High School girls varsity basketball team. While she and her family were living in Georgia, they lived across from a basketball court where her brother would take her to play with him. When she moved to Berkeley, her mom started working as a janitor for the Piedmont Recreation Center, so she was able to play for free in their recreation league. She continued to play in middle school. However, it was in high school that her focus on basketball increased, when she learned about scholarship opportunities. King hopes to be able to play D3 basketball in college at NYU. “I think just the more I watched basketball over the years I started to see myself as a player … and then I was like yeah this is definitely something I want to do,” King said. She began to add her own training sessions with her brother on her off-days and before practices. While she has had many accomplishments in her career, she considers her greatest accomplishment to be winning most improved player at the banquets, an end-of-year celebration. “That (most improved player award) really hit home for me because I had been training with my brother a lot, and just to see that people were recognizing it too,” said King. NOLAN WHITEHILL
Trey Johnson Trey Johnson is an outfielder for the Berkeley High School boys varsity baseball team. He has been playing baseball for over 10 years. Despite his dad having played football, Johnson fell in love with baseball at a young age. He knew that he wanted to play in the MLB after seeing Josh Donaldson play for the A’s back in the day. “I remember watching him and I thought I wanna be him when I grow up,” said Johnson. Johnson reflected on the lack of Black representation in baseball. “I don’t wanna say there’s racial discrimination, but I feel like (baseball) is just not as opening for other African Americans,” he said. Since joining a competitive travel baseball team when he was nine years old, Johnson has had the opportunity to travel all over the country. He has been able to travel with his team to places like New York, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. He recalls those travel experiences as highlights of his time playing baseball. TOSCANA GIRARD MAXON
Donte Joseph
TOSCANA GIRARD MAXON ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANJA BALL
Donte Joseph, a sophomore at Berkeley High School, plays guard for the boys’ varsity basketball team. Joseph has been playing basketball his whole life because of his brother. “The main thing that made me get into (basketball) was my older brother because he was like my main inspiration. He was like getting into it, and he was really training, so he just took me under his wing I guess. And I started loving the game,” said Joseph. He was able to make varsity as a freshman, a huge accomplishment given the competitive nature of the sport. The faster speed of pace found in varsity basketball helped Joseph progress tremendously, as well as h i s drive to be on the same level as upperclassmen. Joseph is also driven by a desire to support his team. “What motivates me to keep playing is trying to win Berkeley High (School) the state championship,” Joseph said. “That’s what motivates me to keep playing.” After BHS, Joseph has big goals for his basketball career, including playing college ball and eventually making it to the NBA.