BERKELEY HIGH
PUBLISHED BY AND FOR THE STUDENTS OF BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL no. 15
www.berkeleyhighjacket.com • friday, may 6, 2022
since 1912
‘Our Monologues’ Show Highlights Underrepresented Stories
ENTERTAINMENT MALINA MEISSNER
BY MARINA HOWARD staff writer
One word echoed throughout the performances of Our Monologues: “amalgamation.” Amalga-
mation was not only heard, but also seen: an amalgamation of voices, ideas, and identities appeared onstage, a multicultural melange of stories that left audiences laughing and crying. The production, formerly
known as the Vagina Monologues and then changed to Our Monologues, beautifully delivered its message to the Berkeley High School (BHS) community at Shotgun Players and the BHS Little Theater during the
week of April 11. The show’s co-directors, Anna Pelegrino and Riya Jivan, managed to not only put on a powerful performance, but also win the admiration of the entire cast. Both had begun their jour-
ney with Our Monologues in last year’s production, which was streamed online. When asked to run the show in 2022, both were ready for the job. “This show, we say it’s a healing process,” Pelegrino
explained. “It’s not just entertainment, it’s a big role to take on all of these stories that are very vulnerable. Some are traumatic, some joyful, you know we have this responsibility to do them justice.” PAGE 12
INVESTIGATIVE
BHS Party Culture Tied to Sexual Harm BY ERIN BARTHOLOMEW & ELLORA MOOKHERJEE -AMODT staff writers
In 2021 graduate Melani Garcia’s freshman year at Berkeley High School (BHS), she attended her first party. At the party, she said hello to a classmate who she believed to be intoxicated. “The first thing he does without even saying ‘Hi’ is reach straight for my t*t,” Garcia said. “I slapped him away and said, ‘Don’t f*cking touch me’ and he was like, ‘My bad’ and then he goes in for a hug and tries to grab my *ss.” “Again, I’m pushing him
away. ‘Stop f*cking touching me.’” Five years later, the party culture at BHS still hasn’t changed. “At every party, there’s at least one instance of some sort of harassment [or] assault,” said Lincoln Roan, a sophomore in Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS). “Anytime there’s teenagers at a party with alcohol, there’s some sort of miscommunication or someone just does not respect boundaries at all.” At these parties, things can quickly spiral out of control. Once hundreds of students start showing up to a house in the Berkeley hills, for example, the scene can get out of control, PAGE 8
BHS Best Buddies members Jonathan Schwartz, Natalia Blanco, Zev, and Bijou Fontaine (left to right) attend a lunch meeting.
FIONA FIREPINE
FEATURES
BHS Allies Enhance Special Education BY HANNAH GROTHREIDY staff writer
“[The disabled community] brings unique experiences, ways of thinking, and talents. It can take additional time to get to know some
students, but it’s worth it,” said Josh Austin, a teacher and education specialist at Berkeley High School (BHS). Roughly 320 students at BHS have Individual Education Plans (IEPs), which focus on meeting the diverse needs of students with
a wide range of learning requirements. “We have a large special education staff, which includes some teachers on special assignment and two special education administrators on site,” Austin said. “This allows the staff-to-student ratio to be relatively low compared
with surrounding districts, and for teachers and case managers to be better supported.” Austin has taught at BHS for 12 years. He is also the faculty sponsor for Best Buddies, a world-wide organization dedicated to ending the physical, PAGE 11
A NOTE FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD TO THE BHS COMMUNITY The Editorial Board would like to acknowledge the tragic loss faced by the Berkeley High School (BHS) community on Monday, April 18. During this difficult time, the board decided to postpone the April 22 print issue until May 6, out of respect and mourning for those most impacted. We have chosen to not cover the tragic loss in detail because we wish to honor the privacy of the people closely connected to the terrible incident, and give the community time and space to grieve. We hope to support one another as we make our way through the rest of the school year.
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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
NEWS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
news editors: Naomi Rubalcava Levinthal & Clara Brownstein
naomirubalcavalevi@students.berkeley.net
Seniors Reflect on Tumultuous College Admissions Process BY LAUREN HUANG staff writer
This year’s seniors were sophomores when COVID-19 forced the students of Berkeley High School (BHS) into lockdown, so they began their junior year in isolation. For some, this changed their outlook on their plans for the years following high school. The college application process, which typically starts during junior year, commenced for these students not at the College and Career Center (CCC), but virtually. Ultimately, the specifics of a college application journey is up to the individual. Students’ process lasts until the later part of senior year, when applicants receive word of admission, and then make final decisions about where they’ll be for the following year by May 1. Adeline French, a senior in Academic Choice (AC), found that it benefitted her to be removed from her peers when she began to think about college. She decided to not take the SAT or apply to schools with prestigious names because doing so wasn’t
necessarily important to her. Instead, she focused on aspects such as a school’s location and party life. “Those were things I would have pushed aside to fulfill people’s expectations of me since I am a straight A student and do well on my AP tests,” French said. “I was expected to go to a super prestigious school, but that’s not really what I wanted. [COVID-19] gave me the space to figure out what I did want.” Isabel Labra, a senior in Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS), took time for introspection during the period of isolation. In doing so, she decided to take a community college route instead of attending a four-year college right away. Labra said if it wasn’t for the pandemic, she would have chosen to go to a four-year school and do standardized testing because “it’s just what you do.” She had decided that community college would help her avoid debt from the cost of college. This also paired well with her wanting more time to choose what she wanted to pursue in the future.
She plans to undergo the University of California (UC) Transfer Admission Guarantee ( TAG ) p ro g r a m , w h i c h promises a spot at one of six specific UC campuses after two years of community college, as long as a student meets the GPA requirements. “I was stressed about going to community college because there is that underlying feeling that you’re not going to be successful and that you’re going to miss opportunities like the college experience,” Labra said. “But I stuck with my gut … I think it was the right decision for me.” Berkeley International High School (BIHS) student Emma Lynch applied to multiple schools through early action, which is a non-binding way of increasing the chances of acceptance into schools while reducing the stress of anticipation. They were accepted into Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) last December, which allowed them to determine how they would continue the application process earlier than a regular application would. “I didn’t let people know when I had gotten in because I
Students work on homework in the Black Scholars Center at Berkeley High School.
FIONA FIREPINE
Black Scholars Center Provides Resources, Creates Community BY AVA RAMSDALE staff writer
New to Berkeley High School (BHS), the Black S c h o l a r s C e nt e r ( B S C ) provides a space for students to do their homework, eat snacks, make friends, and work with others. They meet
twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays in room M104 from 3:30 to 5:00 PM, and there are a variety of students and teachers who attend. “We’ve already seen strong consistenc y of students coming because they feel like it’s a space where they feel comfortable, but also pushed to do academic work as well,”
said Spencer Pritchard, a cochair of the African American (AFAM) Studies department at Berkeley High School (BHS) and co-founder of the BSC. Pritchard and his colleague Dawn Williams came up with the idea towards the beginning of the school year. They were granted funds to start their new program, but not given
LYDIA KIM
was worried that other people’s perceptions about the school would influence me,” Lynch said. “I want to go to a school because it’s the right fit for me.” For AC senior Shani Griffin, starting the application process as quickly as possible helped her avoid associated stress. Her freshman year, Griffin sat down with a counselor and outlined a plan that detailed what she would major in, how long she wanted to attend college, and her budget. Griffin wasn’t so greatly impacted by the pandemic that she wrote a college essay about it. Instead, she wrote
about a topic that she felt more personally connected to. When the Common Application was available for submission, Griffin turned in her prewritten essays and then focused on obtaining scholarships. She enlisted in an online sports recruitment process to find schools based on their track programs. Griffin heard from varying colleges through the recruitment website. “I felt like with the whole application process, it’s schools picking you, but with the recruitment process, it’s you picking schools and then if it
matches, it matches,” Griffin said. Even with a 4.0 GPA, list of extracurriculars, and competitive soccer under her belt, French got into just one of the 10 schools she applied to. Although the school where she was accepted, the University of Oregon, was initially her second choice, only getting into one school made her feel as though she didn’t have a choice at all. “College is a means to an end,” French said. “I’ll end up where I’m meant to be and if the college I pick isn’t the right choice, the next one will be.”
access to those funds until more recently. Pritchard said that unforeseen obstacles and bureaucratic processes slowed the initial creation of the BSC, which occurred back in August 2021. Tat y a n a Ma r t i n e z , a student who attends the BSC, mentioned that they initially did not go to the meetings — as it was out of their comfort zone — but later decided to try going because “it seemed like a good opportunity and it’s something different.” BHS student Skypeyton Bolden said the BSC is newer to BHS, so therefore there have been few opportunities to publicize the program. Most students learn about the program through friends and teachers, who encourage them to join. She said she wants to be part of a community and meet new people, while also getting her academic work done. “I want to get out of my comfort zone, because I have anxiety, so it’s hard for me to talk to people if I’m not
comfortable with it,” Bolden said. Pritchard and Williams hope that the BSC will become a place for Black students to be part of an academic and social community at school. “[We] wanted a space for them to feel like they could fully be themselves while also pushing students to get tutoring and have after school support,” Pritchard said. Known by many of her students as “Doc W,” Williams is the African Diaspora Dance teacher at BHS, and someone who helped create the BSC with Pritchard. According to Williams, one of the important things of the BSC is that it is a safe space in which students feel comfortable to ask for help. “ I t ’s a l i t t l e m o r e comfortable when you’re in an affinity group and you feel a sense of connection with the people in the space,” Williams said. Williams said that the BSC is not just a place to learn but also a community and a place to make friends. She said it is a
safe space for students to relate to one another and a place where they can thrive. Currently, around 10 to 15 students attend the BSC, and Pritchard said that the program would like to reach between 20 to 25 students. He hopes that they can offer tutoring and other resources such as help with doing college applications, as well as finding internships and job opportunities. According to Pritchard, students in years past have advocated for having some type of resource center for Black students. Pritchard said establishing a community for Black students — particularly on campus — has been a consistent issue, and Black students don’t have the tools to receive substantial tutoring without resources like the BSC. “We push them to do work and support them,” Pritchard said. “I think we’ll really start seeing an impact on students’ grades as we’re able to host this [BSC] for a longer period of time.”
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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
NEWS
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The SLC Selection Lottery System: Helpful, Fair, or Neither? This can leave some BHS students without their first, and sometimes second SLC preference. However, every student When enrolling into her who is unhappy with their Small Learning Community learning community has the (SLC) in ninth grade, Berkeley option to reenter the lottery International High School in sophomore or junior year to (BIHS) junior Rylyn Jaggar try to get into a SLC that better ended up with her third choice. supports or challenges them. She is among a number of Ultimately, these factors students who did not receive are meant to increase diversity their first SLC choice. Though and equality, fit each person many may point fingers at the into the allotted space of each administration, the question SLC, and maximize student remains: how does the process happiness by sticking to work in the first place? student preference as much When each student submits as possible. a ranking of their preferred According to Rok, these are small schools, a lot of factors factors that “try to create some are taken into consideration to level of balancing within our increase equality and diversity. diverse student body.” According to Berkeley High Although Jaggar chose S cho ol (BHS) Vice both AHA and CAS Principal Kiernan Rok, before BIHS, she ended who is in charge of the up getting her third SLC lottery process, “the “The lottery balances [gender and choice. She questioned zone] so that there isn’t dispro- the overall value of small lottery process takes student preference into portionality, and then prioritizes schools. account.” “If you are in a small student preference as much as Another factor is “the possible within those parameters.” school that you don’t zone, which is a proxy want to be in, you are for neighborhoods in more likely going to Kiernan Rok, Berkeley.” Each student do badly in that small BHS vice principal is designated into one school, so I don’t think it of three zones based helps students as much on their home address. to be in [SLCs].” This applies to students in and is the largest, BIHS is the second In other words, those outside of Berkeley. largest, while the Academy for students who didn’t retain their “The last factor is gender,” Medicine and Public Service first choices may be struggling said Rok. “The lottery balances (AMPS), Communications more academically or socially [gender and zone] so that Arts Sciences, and Arts and in communities they don’t feel there isn’t disproportionality, Humanities Academy (AHA) entirely uncomfortable in. On and then prioritizes student all share a similar amount of the contrary, without these preference as much as possible limited space. communities, the opposite BY JASPER LOVVORNBLACK staff writer
within those parameters.” However, neither Rok nor the administration is responsible for assigning every ninth grader into an SLC. Rok oversees “computer software that is used to assign students based on those different inputs.” The system tries to create a balance of all three of the aforementioned factors by arranging as much student preference as possible while trying to remain diverse in gender and zone. Sometimes this can end up placing students into their fifth choice, in which case Rok would replace the student into a different SLC. Additionally, the SLCs don’t share the same amount of space: Academic Choice (AC)
could occur. Students may not to be there,” said Stephanie increasing the size of the be able to access communities Schaudel, a CAS History smaller schools at BHS. that continue to “I think that the challenge them in an smaller schools being academic or social way. “If you are in a small school that a bit bigger would be a For Jaggar, she ended really cool potentiality you don’t want to be in, you are at BHS,” Shaudel said. up enjoying BIHS. more likely going to do badly in “There’s definitely H o w e v e r, t h i s issues with it, but I have that small school, so I don’t think would also take away ended up liking the it helps students as much to be in from other SLCs that people and teachers a depend upon those [SLCs].” lot, even if the academic extra students to fill pressure is a little bit each class. Rylyn Jaggar, over the top”. “What I hear from BIHS junior Unlike Jaggar, BIHS students is that they junior Daisy Pariscan feel comfortable Kaufman isn’t happy going to any of their with their placement in BIHS. teacher. “Almost everybody CAS teachers if they are having “I’m trying to transfer into AC, who is here had [CAS] as one a problem, or can just be a little because I would like a broader of their top choices.” Often, more vulnerable to say, ‘I’m selection of classes, and there those who didn’t receive their having a really hard day, could are a bunch of extra projects in first choice ended up in AC I have this accommodation?’” [BIHS] that I am not interested or BIHS to comply with the Shaudel said. in doing.” lottery factors or the space “I think that becomes more “It’s very rare that [CAS] requirements of each SLC. possible when you are in a gets a student that doesn’t want S c h a u d e l s u g g e s t e d smaller community.”
GABRIELLA BUSANSKY
Members of BHS Mountain Bike Team Robbed at Gunpoint BY KIRA RAO-POOLA & SHYEL MEISELS staff writers
On Saturday April 16, several members of the Berkeley High School (BHS) Mountain Bike Team were robbed at gunpoint in North Berkeley. The group consisted of three coaches and two student-athletes who were returning from a practice in Napa in their minivan loaded with bicycles and other expensive equipment.
While unloading a student-athlete’s bicycle in front of her house on Virginia Street, the group was confronted by two men wearing full-face ski masks, one holding a gun, according to Coach OT. Both men emerged from a white car. “All of a sudden, I can hear a voice saying, ‘Don’t touch it, leave it alone,’” said Russ Fairles, one of the team’s coaches. “I’m thinking, ‘Why is someone saying something about how we’re taking the bike off the back? Why
would a passer-by be critiquing [us]?’ And that was when I realized that he had a gun.” After pushing the students out, one of the two men drove off in the minivan still loaded with four bicycles, while the other attempted to fit the fifth bicycle — which had just been removed from the rack — into the white car they arrived in, according to Fairles. When that didn’t work, he drove with his door open, one hand clutching the bi-
J HORSLEY
cycle, but dropped and ran weapon. nity,” Coach OT said. “[I’ve over it shortly thereafter. “As you can imagine, it seen] great camaraderie in “He drove partway down was a pretty frightening in- terms of coming together as the street, and then dropped cident. Not just the idea, but a group and as a communithe bike, and turned the the act of someone waving a ty, to uphold each other and wheels so that he could drive gun around,” Fairles said. to support each other. … over the bike,” Fairles said. “Even if their intent was We’re also members of the “You could hear it crunch as just to steal the stuff … wav- Berkeley Bicycle Club, and he drove over it. Almost as if ing a gun around is fright- [we have received] a lot of [saying]: ‘If I can’t steal your ening because it means support from the members bike, I’ll just destroy it so that they’ve got some sort of that community as well,” you can’t even enjoy Fairles continued. it.’ That sort of told me According to Fairabout the mindset of les, the police have “Every day they don’t catch the people doing this.” not found the robbers The minivan, four them, I’m worried that the mes- yet. They were able to bicycles, mountain sage to other people who would track them for a short biking equipment — consider doing harm like this [is] period of time ussuch as helmets and ing the location of a that it’s a low risk chance.” shoes — as well as phone left in the van, electronics and other though. Russ Fairles, objects left in the van Fairles described were stolen. his concern that such BHS mountain bike coach He estimates the a “brazen act” could total value of these take place in the miditems amounts to approxi- of means to cause bodily dle of the day in Berkeley, mately $35,000. harm. … So that’s a thought in front of a students’ house Since the incident, the in your mind as it’s happen- with a crowd of people team has set up a GoFund- ing: ‘Are they going to hurt standing by, without conseMe to replace what was us? Is it going to get worse quence. taken, and has raised over than just stolen things?’” “Every day they don’t $26,000 so far. Fairles added that the catch them, I’m worried that Any additional funds community support has the message to other people raised will be used to pur- been a “powerful and posi- who would consider doing chase GPS trackers and oth- tive reminder of the strength harm like this [is] that it’s a er safety equipment. of banding together,” and low risk chance. You might According to Fairles, the Coach OT echoed these get a lot of great stuff, all you event was “traumatizing” for sentiments. have to do is wave a gun and everyone involved, as one “There’s been a great out- take off with a van,” Fairles of the men was carrying a pouring from the commu- said.
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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
NEWS
Students in Special Education Supported by IEPs and 504 Plans BY SAMUEL FELDMAN staff writer
“We [at Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) are] creating a world where anyone can feel that they are important and that they have a space in our society to contribute,” said Shawn Mansager, executive director of special education for BUSD. “It is key to the school district that students with learning disabilities are able to participate in general education through the use of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and [are] aided by professionals to be the best they can be.” According to the US Department of Education (USDE), IEPs are plans for students with learning disabilities, wherein specialists, schools, and parents work together to create actionable goals for the students’ learning environment and their social and academic progress. Students are entitled to an IEP under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Per IDEA, the district must attempt to provide all students with a
free and accessible public school education that is appropriate for them. Nora Costello, a Berkeley International High School (BIHS) sophomore with an IEP, first started taking steps to get one in early elementary school. “My teachers saw me struggle with things that most kids find easy,” Costello said. “They recommended that I get tested [for a learning disability].” Mansager said Costello’s identification by her teachers was part of the preliminary process for getting an IEP. “At some point along the way, a student might not be making as much progress as we expected … [so] we have a student success team meeting,” he said. At the meeting, individuals such as a school principal, a special education teacher, or a school psychologist would be present. Costello’s testing was the next step in the IEP process, that of evaluation. “The evaluation process [looks] like interviewing the family, figuring out the history of the child … and starting to do some tests,
to see if they qualify with a disability,” Mansager said. BIHS sophomore Isabel Swing got a more general type of education plan, a 504 Plan, in elementary school, but later decided to switch to an IEP in middle school. “The IEP is a legal document that is a lot more useful for my future,” they said. This is opposed to a 504 Plan, which, according to the USDE, is much less set in stone as to what it provides. For Swing, the evaluation process was “very long,” to the point of being difficult to navigate. “I feel like it’s not extremely equitable,” they said. “It takes a lot of diagnoses, which are not easy to get, and your parents need the time to schedule all this testing.” Once a student receives an IEP, their IEP team helps develop a learning plan that works best for them. “It could be just academics, or if they need speech and language help, they will have a speech and language therapist; they might need occupational therapy or physical therapy,” Mansager
IEPs can provide students with extra time on assignments and assessments.
said. According to IDEA’s website, a tenet of the IDEA is that students are served in Least Restrictive Environments (LREs), making alternative classes or alternative, non-public schools the means of last resort. Costello’s IEP gives her permission to get extra time on assignments and a reduced workload, and Swing’s allows for notes to be brought during tests, among other accommodations. Costello and Swing have had no trouble from their
teachers about their accommodations, but both said it can be difficult to communicate them. “It’s been hard for teachers to know their students in larger small schools, so I have to remind them,” Costello said. Teachers are mandated by law to provide these accommodations, so when they are unable to, the district has to intervene. “99.9 percent of the time, the teachers want to do what’s best for their students,” Mansager said. “[However], the supervisor
ROWAN KENNEDY
might need to step in and help manage things.” The end goal, for Mansager, is to create a classroom environment that is accommodating without separating students in special education from their peers. “[We want] to create a classroom environment where students have different ways to share their learning and to express themselves,” Mansager said. “Every time we think a system is perfect, we need to look at where it needs to grow.”
‘Doesn’t Solve the Problem:’ Bissell’s Credentials Revoked
BY KAIYA JORDAN staff writer
In February of 2021, Matthew Bissell, a former chemistry teacher at Berkeley High School (BHS), quietly resigned after signing a separation agreement with Superintendent Brent Stephens. After 24 years of teaching at BHS, Bissell left and was able to resign with over 25 accusations of sexual assault. BHS alumni Rachel Phillips, a survivor of Bissell’s harassment, sued Bissell and BUSD in June of 2021. On March 22, Bissell’s teaching credentials were
for 20 years.” I think was a terrible mis- to remain teaching at BHS Though the revocation of take. I think he needed to for over 15 years, the school Bissell’s teaching credentials be fired,” Winer said. “He has implemented a number is an important step in hold- molested and abused girls at of policies to stop similar ing him accountable cases from happenfor his actions and ing. Viteskic elaboin bringing justice to rated on the current “You can’t just fire a teacher. [A policies in place and those harmed, it does principal] can’t come into school described the process not solve the broader tomorrow and be like, ‘You are problem of his case of hiring a new teachbeing swept under er. out.’ That’s not a thing.” the rug. “When you’re “[Revoked] teachhired into BHS, you Jasmina Viteskic, ing credentials go through a series Title IX coordinator doesn’t solve the Bisof onboarding trainsell problem,” Winer ing and part of that said. “If somebody training is on sexual gets found to be a sex of- Berkeley High for all those harassment,” Viteskic said. fender, then that has con- years and got away with it, “All of the employees that sequences. It seems ludi- without Berkeley High ever come into Berkeley Unified crous that Berkeley High really doing anything about have to undergo those traincan’t even manage to fire it. To me, that’s the prob- ings. … There’s also continsomebody whose teach- lem.” ual training throughout the ing credentials are removed However, the process of year on sexual harassment J HORSLEY & GABRIELLA BUSANSKY revoked. case. “There’s no indica- within a year because firing a teacher can be diffi- and Title IX, [which] we reThe loss of his credentials tion he ever stopped doing they’re so dangerous. That cult and expensive. Accord- fresh on every year.” is an important step in the that while he was at Berke- to me speaks volumes about ing to Jasmina Viteskic, the Winer believes a necesrepercussions of his actions, ley High. And there would Berkeley High.” Title IX coordinator at BHS, sary step in preventing cases but it also brings up ques- be no indication he would Bissell was able to resign firing a teacher can take a like Bissell’s from happentions around BHS’s policies. stop doing it in the future from BHS only two years long time, and the process ing in the future is stronger The loss of Bissell’s ago, even though includes many hurdles. communication from the teaching credentials there had been at “You can’t just fire a administration. means he is unable “The message must be “[Revoked] teaching credentials least 15 years of stu- teacher. [A principal] can’t to be a public school dents going to the come into school tomorrow sent to everyone, to the doesn’t solve the Bissell problem. administration with and be like, ‘You are out.’ entire community, that if teacher. If somebody gets found to be a “It’s certainly imultimately unsuccess- That’s not a thing,” Viteskic you’re going to sexually haportant for high sex offender, then that has conse- ful allegations against said. “Getting rid of tenured rass somebody, you’re not school students evhim. teachers is according to the going to get away with it,” quences.” erywhere that he’s Students went California Education Code Winer said. “There’s reno longer able to be to multiple principals and [teacher’s] contracts. ally only one way to say it, Jon Winer, a teacher. Particuand the athletic di- It usually involves a hear- and that is to let the whole Rachel Phillip’s attorney larly to the type of rector, but, despite all ing and would have a panel school know when there’s an female students who the complaints, Bis- that would solicit evidence incident. You don’t have to he would target and sell was still allowed and witness their testimo- reveal the victim, but let the sexually harass,” said Jon because he got away with to teach at BHS for longer. ny. That can last for a long whole school know [it hapWiner, Phillip’s attorney it [for] so long at Berkeley “Even then he was able time.” pened], and there is a fear for the Phillips v. BUSD High. He got away with it to leave and resign, which Though Bissell was able process in place.”
OPINION BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
Opinion editors: Anjuna Mascarenhas-Swan & Lianna Leung
Berkeley Reparations Process Must Work to Counter Systemic Racism in Schools BY VIVIANA HILARIO staff writer
On March 22, Ben Bartlett, a Black Berkeley resident and city council member, initiated the first formal step in issuing reparations to Black residents in the city of Berkeley. This first step comes in a now approved proposal for the city to spend $350,000 on hiring a consultant who will directly engage with Black citizens to develop policy recommendations. Berkeley’s Black residents have demanded formal compensation for slavery and years of institutional racism, with these sentiments dating all the way back to the days of the Civil War. Bartlett’s plan is an important step in achieving equity for Black citizens, but it’s important for the city to consider reparations for Black students as well in order to counter the educational inequities within Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD). From Black students in BUSD being flagged as "needing urgent intervention" in STAR reading tests, to being sorely underrepresented in advanced math courses at Berkeley High School (BHS), the implications of systemic racism in BUSD are abundantly clear. At first glance, reparations may seem like the city of Berkeley simply handing out money with no further action. While this is an important part of the reparations process, as it provides direct compensation, it's
important to ensure that this form of reparations doesn’t allow the government to continue business as usual. There is also a need to address the root of the issues Berkeley’s Black residents face and create long lasting systemic and societal change. A key way to create deeprooted change is in the field of education. The National Report Card from 1992 to 2019 showed that only 15
School Board Director Laura Babitt, “What we’ve found is that even with government funds created to adjust equity gaps for Black and brown students, systemic racism still impacted the delivery of those additional services." Babitt believes that reparations should go directly into the pockets of families, so that they can choose how to spend the money. This money could go towards
"Our children demand change. This legislation presents a framework to take us beyond reaction and into true repair." Ben Bartlett, Berkeley City Council Member percent of Black students were proficient in reading, and only 13 percent were proficient in math. The process of reparations proposed by Bartlett aims to avoid the issue of money not being put to good use. This plan enforces recognition and accountability for the injustices committed by the City of Berkeley against Black citizens. It also funds education in support of Black students. Bartlett describes his plan for reparations as reminiscent of the truth and reconciliation process in South Africa at the end of Apartheid. This model aims to do more than put money in the pockets of the afflicted, although this remains one of the primary goals of reparations. As said by BUSD
freeing children from the obligation of working, as Babitt proposed. We have not solved racism and implicit bias in BUSD. So often, when we give more money to the district, we’re just giving money into the hands of people who don’t understand how to solve the problem," Babitt said. It’s clear that allowing Black families to decide how reparative funds are used is an important part of ensuring that the money isn't coopted. However, as Babitt points out, the systemic racism within governing bodies is also a major issue that interferes with the reparations process. Bartlett’s model strives to create a community dialogue where Black residents can share their experiences
RIOKA HAYAMA
in Berkeley. Conferences will also include presentations by experts, outlining the ways slavery and institutional racism have affected Black Americans for generations. However, for these reparations to truly be a valuable use of money, time, and resources, they must address the effects of racism that go beyond social aspects. Systemic racism is integrated into political systems, and as such, the City of Berkeley should not just compensate its Black citizens financially, but also hold itself accountable. The call for reparations for Black citizens is nothing new. When it comes to educational opportunities for Black students, reparations could be a way to make up for the generational wealth that runs in many white families. Babitt said that for Black students, “means of accumulating wealth have been cut off. You could have been an engineer in Africa, but when you come to America, all you can be is a janitor. That's part of why there’s such a wealth gap today which impacts race relations in many ways." Babitt continued, "[Recognizing] how slavery and redlining have impacted us all is an important step in understanding why reparations are needed and should be included in more holistic curriculums of systemic racism." Bartlett's program has had a promising start thus far. That being said, it is imperative to keep Black community members at the forefront of this process, as only the afflicted can truly know the compensation they deserve. The economic disparity between Black and white citizens has only grown since the creation of this country, but a hope for equity comes in the form of providing reparations, which are long overdue. As Bartlett said in a statement, "Our children demand change. This legislation presents a framework to take us beyond reaction and into true repair, of the person, the community and the nation." Here, Bartlett acknowledges the importance of centering reparations around the future generations of Berkeley's Black residents in order to truly counter a history of intense systemic inequality in Berkeley and beyond.
FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
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anjunamascarenhass@students.berkeley.net
THE BEAT GENERATION LILIANE LOZAC'H
The Cold War had just ended, leaving America in a perennial state of post-war societal conformity. One group of writers and poets, the Beatniks, sought to dissolve this monotony. The Beats were the grandparents of social disruption: they stood for indulgence, absurdism, and the rejection of government and society. These ideals were reflected in their poetry. Beat poetry was infamous for its nonsensical writing and obscene ideals. Some topics included narcotics, alcohol, and homosexuality. The Beatniks were an interpersonal group headed by poets Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, and the occasional woman, like Diane di Prima. Most famously, Ginsberg was one of the only Beats who labeled himself as gay and wrote openly about his sexual identity. In fact, most of the Beats were either homosexual or bisexual, or engaged in same-sex relationships without labels. Interestingly, most of these relationships involved only those who were within that small group of poets. This was part of the culture the Beatniks created and were surrounded by: hypersexual and overtly hedonistic, and taken by hearts instead of heads. Near this time, small activist movements regarding sexuality were breaking out in San Francisco. Gay bars and clubs emerged, and the Beats lived symbiotically with them. Though not many of the poets claimed to be a part of any “movement,” the effects of their personalized poetry cannot be disregarded, especially those that eventually faced publication. The Beatniks paralleled French Bohemian culture and the Romanticism period, though more in morals than in timeline. Poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Baudelaire had previously explored these forbidden waters during their lives in France. However, the Beat movement was one of the first to emerge in America that actively denied the heterosexual, conformative society. Both of these movements encouraged liberation of the mind and revered all things worldly. “[Be] submissive to everything, open, listening,” said Kerouac, in his Belief & Technique for Modern Prose. These two eras can take a bit of credit for leading the world further into progressiveness, and for opening people’s eyes to the fact that there was more to life than a white picket fence. The Beatniks' influence in major cities was preliminary to the Bohemia scene in New York, a precursor to what would later become the Gay Rights Movement. In fact, Ginsberg actually wrote Howl in Berkeley, and you can find a small museum commemorating the Beat generation in San Francisco. Not only were their actions influential, but the Beatniks' writing changed the way that we view poetry today. They wrote with reckless abandon and without intrinsic structure, redefining what a poem could be.
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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
OPINION
ADVICE FROM COUNSELORS
Coping With Grief and Trauma After BHS’s Loss After a Berkeley High School (BHS) student’s death on April 18, some students and staff are processing grief and learning how to best take care of themselves and support each other. BHS intervention counselor Jasdeep Malhi believes it’s vital that students communicate how they’re feeling to their teachers in order to receive the support they need. “A lot of the staff are well aware that the students are still coping with grief,” she said. “But, I think one of the things that I’ve noticed is that students have a hard time putting that into words or asking for what they need.” BHS counseling intern Heather Bean said students can support their friends by offering to help them with “tangible” tasks like getting their homework from a class. However, she said it’s also helpful to ask people what they need because “sometimes it’s different than what you might expect.” Zach Meredith, mental health clinical supervisor at the BHS Health Center, said in an email to the Jacket that students can support their friends by listening to them
with “compassion and care." “It can be helpful when students talk about and share their thoughts, feelings, and grief responses with trusted peers and adults, rather than hiding ... its impact,” he said. Malhi also said students can support their friends by “showing up for each other,” and thinking about what they know their friends would appreciate. “[It could be] something as simple as you know that they like this drink at Happy Lemon,” she said. “They may not want to go off campus, but you go off campus, and you grab them boba, and they didn’t ask for it, but you know that about them.” Malhi said a video was sent out to teachers listing ways they could accommodate struggling students. The suggestions included using “Universal Design Learning,” which could entail allowing students to complete projects in place of assessments. Counselors will be available every day at lunch for grief support in the counseling offices in the D-Building. Students can also access counseling through the Health Center or setting up an appointment with their academic counselor. Malhi said some students recognized the importance of mental health in light of the incident, and sought help for other issues. “Students are realizing how much pressure they put on themselves,” she said. “That’s been really challenging, because they realize it, and then don’t know what to do.” For students struggling with academic pressure, Malhi recommended prioritizing assignments that will have the biggest impact on their grade, and asking their teacher what they should work on. She also said that when dealing with situations that feel
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uncontrollable, such as death and trauma, students should focus on things within their control. She said completing a project with a clear finished product, such as cleaning and organizing, baking something, or creating an art piece, can provide a feeling of “mental release.” Malhi suggested that students struggling to reconcile the celebrations that come with graduating high school with grieving the death of a peer can try to find a balance between “celebrating and remembering.” “In your celebration, there’s a memory,” she said. “You can find both in it. That’s part of your transitioning out and getting closure. Seniors understand that about each other, and it’s a matter of not forgetting.” Malhi said students should know that there is a way to handle whatever situations and emotions they’re going through right now if they reach out for help. “As someone who has experienced a lot of grief and trauma in my life, in high school in particular, one thing that I tell students is every situation, no matter how hard it feels in that moment, is temporary,” she said. “You may not be able to see that, but there is always a way forward.” Alameda County Crisis Support Services Hotline (24/7): 1-800-309-2131 Alameda County Crisis Text Line (4-11 PM/7 days/ week): text SAFE to 20121 Talk to your academic counselor in the D building (next to the cafeteria). Find your counselor at bhs.berkeleyschools.net/resources/counseling/. Counselors are also available in the Health center at H105
Californians Need to Defend the Rights of LGBTQ+ Youth BY ELLORA MOOKHERJEE-AMODT staff writer
California has long been known as one of the most liberal places in the world, and a place that has historically served as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ people. At a point in history where other states’ anti-trans legislation has become too much to bear, we must once again call upon California amenities in order to aid those who have been shunned by the rest of the country. To understand exactly why California must take action in defending the rights of the LGBTQ + community, specifically the trans community, we must first understand the specifics and severity of the conditions of trans people in other states. In early March of this year, House Bill 675 in Idaho was being strongly considered.
The bill would essentially make minors participating in trans-affirming health care illegal. Luckily, this bill was dismissed later that month, as it was seen as undermining parental rights. The Republican Senate majority caucus made it clear, however, that they were still against “gender reassignment.” Another event that garnered a lot of media attention was when Texas governor Greg Abbott directed the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services to open child abuse investigations against parents who pursue gender-affirming healthcare for their trans children. This event was later backed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who released a non-binding legal opinion stating, “There is no doubt that these procedures are ‘abuse’ under Texas law, and thus must be halted.” California acted fast in
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OWEN BLAIR
response to these legislations. Senator Scott Weiner, representing the state's 11th Congressional District, created a bill that would render unenforceable in California any out-of-state law that attempted the removal of children from their parents, after having received gender-affirming transition surgeries. He said in a statement, “What states like Texas and Idaho are doing to trans kids and their parents is unconscionable, and we must send a clear signal that California is a place of refuge for LGBTQ people.” This is a step in the right direction for California politics, which saved those who would have had to suffer the consequences of taking a huge step backwards in American politics. Living in California, and especially in the Bay Area, the BHS student body has become immersed in a culture that is accepting and encouraging of the expression of pride in identity. Having had a unique access to education on the history of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s our job to invoke change. Historically, California has been proud to serve those restrained from expressing their identity through discriminatory legislation. And throughout time, the effects of its support have been groundbreaking. In an age where LGBTQ+ children are being threatened with removal from their parents, neglected by the medical industry, and pushed to the margins of society, California must continue to move forward in ensuring basic civil liberties for all.
FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
OPINION
Career Path Freedom Is Essential for Youth
BY ELLA CREANE staff writer
What should I do with the rest of my life? This is a question that high school students at Berkeley High School (BHS) and across the world wrestle with. At an age punctuated by growth and uncertainty, planning for the future can feel like an insurmountable task. Interests are developing, priorities are changing, and students are continuing to mature. To decide one’s future when nothing is constant, except for change, is unrealistic. At BHS, students are given the opportunity to explore career ideas free of
expectation. Through job fairs, informational talks, and workshops, numerous doors are open for students to gain guidance. However, the societal pressure to know one’s future upon the moment of graduation is still real and present. High school is an opportunity to explore one’s passions without the pressure of adulthood. Many find that they discover their sense of self after graduating and leaving home. The experience of entering adulthood challenges deep-rooted ideas regarding oneself, which is critical when looking towards the future. Scientifically, the human brain doesn’t stop devel-
ELLIOT SCHRAG
oping until the age of 25. While adults approach situations using the prefrontal cortex, the rational part of the brain, teens think using the amygdala, the brain’s emotional part. To force students to choose a life path when their brains aren’t yet fully developed will only add pressure to important decisions. Young adults themselves often change career paths, so attempting to determine that path while still in high school is unnecessary. In many European schools, students are forced to decide between academic or vocational tracks by age 15. This grants further resources and preparation for
students and allows them to become extremely informed about whichever career path they might be taking. This extra support can be beneficial to students and help them feel more secure in their potential. However, when dedicating so much formative time to a single focus, students lose the capacity for deeply appreciating a variety of topics. Instead of being able to explore and build on a well-balanced background, students are specialized in a single subject from a young age. This limits a student’s awareness of interconnectedness, as well as their freedom, making it much more difficult to reevaluate or adjust their career path. To give students true freedom, the educational system must be reevaluated. The career-focused classes at BHS should be marketed to all students, regardless of their future plans. For students seeking college and career counseling, they should be made aware of all possible opportunities for the future, even if it isn’t what they’re initially seeking. For students attending college, entering undeclared should become the expectation, not the fallback. Curiosity is part of human nature, and to limit that natural process in favor of decisiveness is to limit growth.
Redefining Chivalry: Truly Selfless Acts or Perpetuation of Toxic Masculinity? BY OHAD AVIRANFINKELSTEIN staff writer
Society has been patriarchal for over ten thousand years, but as times change, so should society. In the past, the accepted role for a man was to protect his family, and the job of a woman was to take care of the family. Now, this old-fashioned standard is fading, but there are still many societal expectations for either gender. Through the dissemination of harmful ideas about how men should act, toxic masculinity has emerged. We must develop a new definition for chivalry, one that places emphasis on acts done selflessly and with purely good intentions. Freedom of expression has expanded, but the ideas tied to gender have yet to shift. This is largely due to the entertainment industry. For instance, in movies like Beauty and the Beast and Frozen, the male protagonists risk their lives to save their true loves, spreading the lie that women can’t
protect themselves and that men need to protect them, no matter the cost. A study published in the journal Child Development found that 87 percent of boys have watched Disney princess media, meaning that their still-developing minds are being fed these ideas. Additionally, because the men in these movies look like the stereotypically “perfect” man, boys are more likely to want to act like them. This traps generations of men into thinking that these acts are alright, while they are actually extremely harmful. The recent Oscar cer-
emony is an example of these harmful ideals. During the ceremony, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after he made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair to fall out. Smith felt that his wife’s honor was under attack, but his wife didn’t feel the same. After the Oscars, Pinkett Smith revealed that she wished Smith hadn’t slapped Rock. Smith’s action is the perfect example of toxic masculinity, as he succumbed to the societal pressure to protect his wife when she didn’t even want his protection.
POPPY CHAMBERS
In 2016, Jamie Foxx showed what an act of chivalry truly is by saving a stranger from a burning car. Foxx saw a car wreck and quickly pulled the victim out. A few seconds later, the car burst into flames. After this, Foxx did not attempt to gain publicity or use the event to his advantage, but was just glad to save a life. With humanity modernizing, so should the definition of chivalry. The new definition of chivalry must be multifaceted: yes, chivalry can mean protecting someone, but it also means being kind and acting not only for selfish gain.
PURISTS AND PROPHETS ELI KNISBACHER
Surrounded by hazy New Mexican desert, a shaggy 30-year-old, Dave, sits cross-legged in the sand holding a flask of peyote tea. He drinks the entire flask. After a few hours, the all-encompassing dunes morph into rolling fields of daisies. Dave reclines. A colossal face, adorned with a flowing white beard and polarized John Lennon sunglasses, stares at him from above. “Dave,” booms the face. “I am your God. You must gather disciples and spread my message. My message is this …” Of course, few people would believe in the validity of Dave’s vision. Many of us would reasonably attribute our disbelief to the peyote — though Moses may have been tripping too. Others would disbelieve Dave because his experience would sound too far-fetched. Yet many of the latter potential disbelievers would worship a Judeo-Christian God, and by extension, believe in Judeo-Christian prophets. They would believe in the possibility of prophets, but they wouldn’t believe Dave. This seems hypocritical. Not considering the peyote — unless Moses actually used hallucinogens — Dave’s vision has much in common with prophetic visions in the Bible. Dave spoke to God, and God gave him a task to complete. Dave’s disbelievers, biblical purists, if you will, wouldn’t believe him because the Bible fails to mention his name. In doubting Dave, the purists would also doubt their ability to converse with God. Prophets communicate more frequently than anyone else with God, and in questioning the existence of modern prophets, they imply that nobody can communicate with God. In thinking of God beyond communication, the purists begin to worry: if God won’t respond to their prayers, what purpose does God serve? If God serves no purpose, to whom will the purists pray when their loved ones die? Who will bring hope into their lives when they feel empty? In doubting Dave, the purists doubt the existence of God. In doubting God, the purists doubt themselves. They challenge a critical part of their identity, and without it, their worldview begins to crumble. The Ten Commandments, the guiding principles for every Jew and Christian, seem devoid of meaning without God. Maybe adultery is acceptable. If religion is fake, maybe integrity isn’t worth the extra hours it demands. The Bible defines most felonies, and if an uncaring God wrote the Bible, maybe they too are acceptable. In doubting Dave, in doubting modern prophets, we lose moral motivation and turn to sins. To save ourselves, we must hear what the prophets have to say. We must listen to Dave. We must see beyond the peyote to realize that he conversed with God. All religious experiences like Dave’s must be considered without judgment because religion, while often practiced in groups, is an individual experience. The existence of a God can neither be proven nor disproven; thus, religion must be considered subjectively. Maybe religion is a visceral understanding of that which lies beyond, not a collection of holidays. By this definition, we all are prophets. We all converse with the Gods that govern our universes, be they scientific, heavenly, or otherwise.
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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
INVESTIGATIVE
‘A Window for Rape Culture to Blossom:’ The Impact of Party Culture on Rape Culture consent,” said Roan. They also said that “some influence. Being under the influence “enpeople will talk about how they prefer sexual exables boys to engage in more aggressive and as students bring in alcohol and other periences on different types of drugs.” Roan exramped-up behavior, while girls tend to bedrugs. Garcia recounted, “I’ve literally been pressed that while it's not necessarily problematic come more dazed and susceptible to harm,” at parties [and have] seen people overdose physically, it leads to a problem regarding boundGarcia said. “Both parties become signifiand have to go to the hospital.” aries and consent. cantly less able to make critical decisions as The problem is that teenagers will attend “People who are interested in someone will be the lines between what is okay and what is parties with the intention of having a sexuvery touchy or overwhelming and won't realize not become blurred.” al experience, but, “people also go there to that they're [harassing someone] because they “The more the person has to drink, get drunk,” Roan said. “Nobody should be think it's just being flirty, or they're confident bethe deeper parts of the brain are affected as mixing alcohol with sexual experiences. It cause they're drunk," Roan said. well,” explained Luu. One such part of the never leads to anything good.” Roan said that lines get crossed easily when brain is the limbic system, which is associatDavid Luu, who previously worked at people are at a party and run into others who they ed with emotions. When someone consumes BHS as an Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Edused to be romantically involved with. When a greater amount of alcohol, they are more ucator, said that the reason for this is that those people are drunk, they can belikely to have a heightened emotional reonce inebriated, the first part of the brain come very physical, emboldened by sponse. “When people are engaged that gets affected is the prefrontal cortex, the alcohol, in conflicts, they're more apt to responsible for critical “Nobody should be thus more act in an emotional way because thinking and decisionlikely to make of the depression of the limbic making. The first thing mixing alcohol with sexual sexual or rosystem and also the depression that happens is “you mantic adof the prefrontal cortex.” loosen up a little bit … experiences. It never leads vances. Roan The way these emoSome of those inhibitoto anything good.” said that “I'll tional responses come out ry barriers where you're try and push behaviorally differs “dependfeeling kind of self-conaway from ing on the way the person scious, they start to fall them. And [has been] socialized: either away.” it won't go male or female,” said Luu. Luu explained that farther than Roan noticed this in that alcohol is a “depressant that. But it's still just uncomwhen inebriated, “guys drug,” so it slows down one’s thought profortable ... to be around. And will definitely get cesses. Messages in the brain are passed not exactly enjoyable for me.” either aggressive along more slowly when alcohol is present “Being at a party and beor just emotional. in the blood. ing drunk and having a They'll get anFor teenagers, consuming alcohol is even person who’s also drunk gry really fast, or more risky than for adults because it’s comforce themselves onto emotions, when bined with two other factors. For one, teenyou ... You’re not fully they're triggered, agers’ prefrontal cortexes have not finished "Boys ... engage in more present in the moment to will be more exdeveloping. Also, teenagers don’t have as aggressive and ramped-up actually grasp what’s haptreme than they much life experience, which often informs pening,” Garcia said. This would be if they responsible decision-making. This combehavior, while girls tend can be caused by the fact were sober.” bination of lack of experience, underdethat drugs impair people's As closely veloped prefrontal cortexes, and impaired to become more dazed and decision-making and comrelated as party thought processes “can impede an individsusceptible to harm.” munication skills. “Differculture and rape ual's ability to make good decisions” as well ent drugs can cause anxiety culture are to each as removes one’s ability to give consent, acor different mental impairother, Roan said cording to Luu. ments to where you won't that drugs are not Once alcohol and other substances are necessarily feel comfortthe reason people used at a party, boundaries begin to be able enough to speak up,” are getting assaulted and crossed. In terms of sexual assault, people Roan said. raped, and that ultimately, the people make decisions that they typically wouldn’t As students become inand perpetrators of assault are the problem. They when sober. For instance, “people can fortoxicated, patterns emerge pointed out that someone who doesn’t have any sense of get to ask for in how different boundaries is much more likely to cause harm when people’s behavior drunk at a party than someone who knows about changes when consent and how to respect their own and under the other people’s boundaries. “I think party culture created a window for rape culture to blossom,” said Garcia. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Lincoln Roan, BHS student
Melani Garcia, BHS alum
ART BY J HORSLEY, PAGE DESIGN BY LOULOU ZIEGLER
FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
FEATURES
J HORSLEY
BHS Field Trips Start in Spring BY AELIA GYGER staff writer
In recent years, cancellations on field trips have been common due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, there was an average of at least three field trips per year for both Academic Choice (AC) and Berkeley International High School (BIHS) and freshmen, according to Hasmig Minassian, who leads the Universal Ninth Grade (U9)
and teaches Ethnic Studies and Social Living. This year, there have been no trips for freshmen and few for everyone else. With cases of severe COVID-19 decreasing, more field trips are being organized for Berkeley High School (BHS), something that both students and teachers are looking forward to. Field trips can serve as a way for students to connect outside of the classroom, as opposed to the usual school setting. Studies have found
that taking a break from the classroom and going somewhere else can be highly beneficial for grades, especially for the 65 percent of the population who are visual learners, according to inc.com. History teacher Kelly Boylan is new to BHS, so she hasn’t been able to organize any field trips yet, but would love to in the near future. Boylan said that her class, had learned a lot about current events and local history, and thought that it would be
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valuable for students to see trip. “I enjoy them … I think Part of the BHS orchestra what they were studying in field trips are important. also went to an A’s game on person. [They] let the kids explore April 21. Freshman Haley “I think it's important for more out of [school].” Matthes-Davis was one of students to be able to conSuzanne Chenault, a the students to help lead and nect what they learn in the French teacher at BHS, also play the national anthem at classroom to the real world,” thinks that field trips are the A’s game, along with said Boylan. “In my class, essential for students. In several local elementary we learned about the Native the past, she and her stu- students. She said that it was American occupation of Al- dents have gone to the Mu- different from prior field catraz in the 1960s. I'd love seum of Modern Art each trips, as there were fewer to be able to take my stu- year. Chenault said that she stands at the baseball game, dents to actually see some of wishes for more field trips, and overall a different feel. the marks that the protesters but pointed out how money “It was just a different way left on the island and some might pose an obstacle. of doing it,” said Haley. “You of the messages.” “I believe that the dis- know, walking around with Un for tu nately, masks on. It was COVID-19 has weird, but it wasn't made field trips bad.” “I think it's important for students harder to plan. The small “It's hard to orga- to be able to connect what they learn schools at BHS — nize field trips right in the classroom to the real world.” C om mu n i c at i on now because … it's Arts and Sciences hard to go anywhere (CAS), Arts and Kelly Boylan, that doesn't require Humanities AcadBHS teacher vaccines, because emy (AHA), and we have to go places the Academy of that don't require Medicine and Pubvaccines,” said Minassian. trict needs to help teach- lic Service (AMPS) — are Minassian herself was ers by providing financial also starting to take more the main organizer of a field [means],” said Chenault. She field trips. For instance, trip for U9 students to an A’s noted that there are many CAS took a field trip to look baseball game on May 4. “It's cases where teachers have to at murals last week. just for fun, and this really is pay for student transportaStudents can start to get just for community build- tion, most commonly BART excited about the possibility ing, but so much of student tickets. of more field trips to come learning is tied to the reFor the U9 field trip, in the near future. Rose lationships that you build Minnasian noted that a gen- Williamson, a BHS junior, outside the classroom,” she erous contributor paid for added, “Field trips [can] said. BART tickets, and that the broaden a point of view and Manny Lane-Scott, a field trip team also reached broaden perspectives … freshman at BHS, is person- out to parents, asking for [because they] are engaging ally happy about the field donations. and hands-on.”
BHS Seniors Look Towards Personal Growth During Gap Year BY KIRA RAO-POOLLA staff writer
As the school year reaches its end, seniors begin to solidify their plans for the future. While many may choose to attend college immediately after high school, some, like Ellery Hoffman, a student in Academic Choice (AC), are taking a gap year. “I got the idea really early,” Hoffman said. “It seemed weird for me, in the place I … am now, to rush into college, especially with the pandemic, and so I decided that it would be better to take a little bit of a break, learn more about life, and have more experiences and travel and work.” Hoffman explained that there were several factors behind his decision, including his learning disability. Hoffman said he has difficulty concentrating and experiences hyperfixation in the classroom, which can compound school-related stress, so he wanted to take a break. He added that the pandemic contributed to his decision, as it created stress and limited social interaction and development. Hoffman’s primary goals for the gap year are to mature and to better himself. “Especially with the pandemic, you kind of lose a little bit of social development,” Hoffman said. “I'd
love to make up for that time and become someone that is more of a person and less of a teenager. Nothing wrong with being a teenager, but I would love to be able to have a bunch of experiences and make friends and do all that stuff, and be kind of free from the responsibilities of school and just focus on trying to become better and more well-rounded.” Hoffman described his plans for the gap year, which include visiting his sister in Europe, working at Chez Panisse, and applying to college in the fall. His family has been accepting and encouraging of his decision to take a gap year. Still, Hoffman has found that most people assume that all students will go to college directly after high school. “It’s not so much the pressure to go to college, as [much as] the assumption that everyone will,” Hoffman said. “You definitely encounter teachers and students [who] will assume that college is the next step, which is not always true, but is often true.” Hoffman described his excitement for his gap year, and encouraged students to take a gap year if they want to, despite it not being the traditional route. “I'm excited for the experiences I'm going to have,” he said. “I don't think it's for everybody, but if you ever
do end up choosing to take a gap year, anybody, it's a super cool thing that is totally a valid option, and something that you'll probably super enjoy.” Disa Krong, a senior in AC, has also decided to take a gap year in order to discover what career they want to pursue. They are also young for their grade, and don’t want to be seventeen while studying far away from their parents. “I was kind of afraid that I would go to college aimlessly,” Krong said. “I think it's a good idea to have some time to solidify what I want to do, and my plans for the future, and all that 'finding yourself ' ... before I go off to college.” Like Hoffman, Krong is planning to work and visit family in Europe, accompanied by their friend, who will also take a gap year. “A lot of my friends are taking gap years, so I don't feel too left out or left behind or anything,” Krong said. “I'm sure some people have a different demographic of friends. If someone has a bunch of friends who are going to college next year, and they're taking a gap year, that must feel kind of isolating.” Though many of their friends are taking gap years, they are still uncommon and lack representation, according to Krong. “I definitely feel like there
is that pressure [to go immediately to college],” Krong said. “You don't really hear about people taking gap years that often [when] growing up, so it doesn't really seem like an option. I definitely thought that I was just going to go straight to college after high school, but I think it's a smart decision for me.”
Krong reflected on how college is viewed as essential, and while it may be beneficial, other experiences that can occur during a gap year are also tremendously important, such as working, traveling, or simply taking time for yourself. “College is seen as something that everyone has to do, and for a lot of people,
ZOE FUNG
college is a really good idea, but also, it's not everything,” Krong said. “Having real life, real world experience is really important, when you're working or anything like that, so you're not so wet behind the ears, and also, just having time by yourself, when you're not constantly busy with something or worried about grades.”
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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
FEATURES BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
features editors: Raven Fonseca Jensen & Amelia WIley Moreira
Ravenfonsecajensen@students.berkeley.net
Students Speak on Independent Study: Lonely or Liberating? BY JONAH LACHS staff writer
If you ask a Berkeley High School (BHS) student about Berkeley Independent Study (BIS), you may draw blank stares. The BIS program allows BHS students to study and work outside of school while still getting the necessary credits to graduate. “I joined BIS because I’m able to wake up later and do stuff on my own schedule. I started in my freshman year and just never ended
up leaving,” said senior Leo Merrill-Woodward. Other students, like junior Maya Jones, transferred into the BIS program. Jones changed to BIS in the third quarter of the year, and doesn’t regret her decision. “I transferred to BIS because I have ADHD and it was difficult for me to do six classes at once. Also, I don’t live in Berkeley, so waking up every morning to be out of the house by 6 AM to get to Berkeley started to become really difficult,” Jones said.
BTA serves as a resource base for BIS students.
FIONA FIREPINE
For Merrill-Woodward, BIS has generally been a positive experience. “I think that BIS has taught me some things that I might have struggled with if I had gone to in-person classes. I’ve become very self-sufficient. I know how to manage big independent projects, and I can manage my time really well too,” he said. Jones echoed these benefits. “The first thing I noticed about BIS was the workflow. It was a lot more straightforward for me. It’s sort of like tunnel vision learning, where at in-person school it’s kind of more spontaneous. I like how BIS focuses on one unit or one lesson at a time, instead of sometimes being thrown off course,” Jones said. Despite the positives of the curriculum, BIS students don't get a full in-class experience. “You don’t really get that experience of working with a group on a project, or presenting your work to a class, which is something I miss,” said Merrill-
Woodward. math, which takes me a little BIS students go to the Heidi Weber, the princi- over two hours. Then, if it’s Berkeley Technical Acadpal of BIS, emphasized the early enough, I’ll go to BHS emy campus once a day for community within the pro- for their lunch and hang out about an hour to collect gram. with friends and keep up their materials. Merrill“Because our school those social connections,” Woodward explained, “I and the class sizes are so Merrill-Woodward said. meet with my teacher for 40 small, our community is “After I get off of work minutes on Tuesday, [and] very close-knit. Most of our at about 7 PM, I’ll go home first I talk about anything teachers have been around and do homework until I struggled with in the last for many years, which con- maybe 11 PM, and then it’s week. My teacher will walk tributes to stability [in] the just rinse and repeat," Mer- me through all the things lives of our stuI was confused dents. The stuabout. Then, I’ll dents at BIS fre“I don't think BIS is for everyone ... but get whatever secquently take the tions I have to I’ve enjoyed my experience.” same classes as complete by next each other, which Tuesday.” gives them the “If I’m havLeo Merrill-Woodward, opportunity to ing trouble with BIS student develop strong a math problem friendships,” Weor I don’t underber said. stand an English Since they are not in rill-Woodward said. class, I can just text or call school for the majority of “I’m doing much bet- my teacher and figure it out the day or week, BIS stu- ter now compared to when on the spot,” he said. dents have specialized I first started,” said Jones. Merrill-Woodward conschedules so they are able “When I first transferred, tinued, “I don’t think BIS is to complete their work on it definitely wasn’t easy be- for everyone and it’s super a given day while also par- cause it was in the middle of different from taking inticipating in extracurricular the quarter. I had to get used person classes, but I’ve enactivities. to things pretty quickly, but joyed my experience and I “I probably wake up at after I got it, I started to en- don’t think I would change 10 AM. ... I’ll do six units of joy BIS a lot more.” that."
Breaking Barriers: BHS Parent Resource Center Supports Marginalized Families wasn't an intermediary and there wasn't anybody ... who would target specifically parents of underrepresented In high school, Leticia groups,” said Alan Miller, a Amezcua, Berkeley High longtime BHS teacher of AfSchool’s (BHS) engagement rican American Studies. specialist, noticed that her The Parent Resource school provided few reCenter's work varies on a sources for parents with day-to-day basis; sometimes limited English proficiency. a day is dedicated to one Her mother, who was not family, while other days it fluent in English, felt unwelserve 20 families. come and unsupported. EvWorking across language ery day, Amezcua brings her barriers is vital to parown experience to her job ent engagement. Amezcua at the BHS Parent Resource helps non-English speaking Center, which was Latinx families founded to ensure learn how to use "There were times when we needed that historically Infinite Campus, m a r g i n a l i z e d someone to be able to communicate with c o m m u n i c a t e families feel sup- the teachers, because I just couldn't get with teachers, and ported. set up an email through.” The questions account. and concerns of “It's those little Babalwa Kwanele, families of color, things that [we BHS parent low income, and do] to break barlimited English riers. When a parproficiency are ent doesn't speak often ignored or barely ad- parent engagement and English, it just makes things dressed by schools. The Par- student success, Parker was overwhelming for [them],” ent Resource Center pro- able to get funding through Amezcua said. vides resources to help these the Berkeley Schools ExcelThe Parent Resource families navigate BHS. lence Program (BSEP) and Center is in contact with “This is about building start the office, where she people from multiple derelationships with parents, worked as a parent engage- partments, such as teachers, because a lot of our par- ment specialist. Amezcua academic and mental health ents have a fear of coming was hired as a second par- counselors, college and cato school,” Amezcua said. ent engagement specialist in reer counselors, and admin“There's that lack of knowl- 2011. istrators. It also connects edge about this educational “Before we had the Par- students with scholarships, system, how it works; there's ent Resource Center, there hosts the Latinx and African
BY FINOLA JACKSON staff writer
a lack of language. So my job is to make sure that they feel comfortable, [that] they feel safe," she continued. Irma Parker established the Parent Resource Center in 2000. Parker pushed for the creation of a center that would provide families of color with information regarding graduation, success in school, and community events. After a study done by the University of California (UC), Berkeley showed a clear connection between
American graduations, and holds parent workshops. Jasmine Platt, a senior in Academic Choice (AC), said Parker informed her about several extracurriculars that helped her become more involved at BHS and supported her in the journey to college. Platt was directed to the Black Student Union her sophomore year, as well as the College Bound program. She is now the senior class president of College Bound and has won scholarships from the program. The Parent Resource Center is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the school’s closure from 2020 to 2021, the center used money from the Berkeley Public Schools Fund to help families in need. Amezcua continues to support families outside of school. Over her break, she found a shelter for a family and delivered them food. BHS parent Raychelle Lee said the Parent Resource Center fostered important connections and communication over the school closure. “For our kids, COVID-19 was a make or break,” Lee said. “There were laptops that a lot of parents may not have known about that
Leticia Amezcua is a parent engagement specialist.
would help their kids in school.” Lee said that Parker, while working remotely, successfully contacted parents, provided computers, and helped parents navigate the remote school environment. “There [were] times when we needed someone to be able to communicate with the teachers, because I just couldn't get through,” said BHS parent Babalwa Kwanele, who goes by Ms. Love. “The Parent Resource Center was also able to be a bridge between some of the school, teachers, administrators, and tech stuff.” Amezcua's goal for the center is to be able to pro-
JULIAN CURRIER
vide monthly workshops and support groups. She hopes to start a support group for parents of children with special education needs. However, the capacity of the Parent Resource Center is limited by funding constraints. “I don't call them goals, I see them more as dreams. Sometimes it's so hard to actually accomplish my goals because a lot of it has funding attached to it,” Amezcua said. The Parent Resource Center accepts online donations or checks made out to the Berkeley Public Schools Fund under the memo "BHS Family Fund."
FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
FEATURES
at about 5 feet and ended at about 7 or 8 feet, with a steady incline,” said Underwood. SQUID has six-arms, — hence the name — allowing Team Berkelium’s robot to maximize its speed as it moves between monkeybars. SQUID’s highly unique design is just one example of the creativity required for robotics. “Every time you talk to … [someone] on the robotics team, they’ll have some idea that you’ve never thought of before. Some idea that you think is impractical, or crazy or outlandish, and they’ll MADELYN PHILHOWER Members from BHS’s robotics team presented SQUID, a tennis-ball lobbing robot, to the Berkeley Rotary Club on April 13. make it work,” said Simon. Team Berkelium attended three FRC competitions this year, and “made it to the semifinals at each ing their robot to the BHS’s competition. sweat, and tears. Quite lit- of [the] competitions this BY MADELYN PHILHOWER Club Fair, the team has “In the winter, there is erally, there are some sharp season,” according to Karan staff writer grown to a membership of kickoff, where FIRST posts edges on the robot,” joked Bhakta, a senior in BIHS over 40 students. the new game rules, and you Underwood. who manages the electrical Whirs and buzzes filled “It’s a pretty big achieve- have six weeks to build a ro“This year, we had to sub-team. In their most rethe room as oversized red ment for us that the robot- bot that is competitive for shoot these oversized tennis cent competition, the team and blue tennis balls flew ics team has grown so much that game,” explained James balls into an 8-foot-tall fun- competed against some of through the air, lobbed by and done so well in such a Underwood, a juthe best teams in the none other than a robot short amount of time, and nior in Academic world, and ultimatenamed SQUID. Five mem- we’re excited for next year,” Choice (AC) who ly placed eighth out bers representing Team said Nikola Simon, a senior manages fabrica- “Every time you talk to …[someone] of the 60 teams. on the robotics team, they’ll have Berkelium, Berkeley High in Berkeley International tion of the robots. Teaching roSchool’s (BHS) robotics High School (BIHS) who Though FRC some idea that you’ve never thought botics to new reteam, presented their robot manages business and logis- competitions occruits is an imporof before.” to members of the Berke- tics for the team. cur during March tant part of Team ley Rotary Club on April Each year, the For the In- and early April, Berkelium’s culture. Nikola Simon, 13. The audience was com- spiration and Recognition the team began “Having the BHS robotics team member prised of Rotary members of Science and Technology building their opportunity to show attending both in person (FIRST) Robotics Competi- robot in January [new members] and over Zoom. tion (FRC) challenges high and only finished what robotics is, Team Berkelium started school robotics teams from shortly before the show them how to off the 2021-22 school year around the world to cre- deadline. nel in the center of a basket- build the robot, see them with only ten members, but ate industrial robots that “Many hundreds of hours ball court-sized arena, and grow throughout the year by talking to friends, visit- can meet the unique game were put into [building we also had to essentially and see them learn new ing classrooms, and bring- requirements posed by the SQUID, as well as] blood, do monkey bars that started skills, find passions and be
Team Berkelium Excels in Competition
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able to instill your own passion within them is something…that’s really important to me, and something FIRST Robotics has allowed me to do,” said Simon. Team Berkelium won the Autonomous Award at FRC’s Sacramento Regionals this year for their programming of their robot for the autonomous period, a 15-second period in the competition where the robot moves and shoots tennis balls without any human involvement. The Berkeley Rotary Club has given the BHS robotics team grants over the years, and is one of several sponsors enabling Team Berkelium to buy the materials they need to create their highly sophisticated robots. “It’s really nice to become invested in the community more, with people who we don’t normally interact with, and [the Rotary Club was] a big part of our journey this year,” said Underwood. “It’s nice to be able to give back to them [and] show what they’ve provided us,” Underwood added. Some of Team Berkelium’s goals for next school year include building more robots in the off-season, upping their community outreach, and going to middle schools to teach younger kids about STEM. “[I’d like to] start another team somewhere, because I’d really love to be able to provide that to another area, not just Berkeley,” said Underwood.
Berkeley High Fosters Positivity For Students With Disabilities However, as significant as this topic is, it isn’t dissocial, and economic excussed as often as one might clusion of the 200 million expect. Both interviewees people in the world with inagreed that part of the distellectual and developmencomfort comes from untal disabilities. BHS Best certainty when addressing Buddies takes place every members of the disabled Tuesday and Wednesday at community. To this, both lunch. Austin and McGonagle said Nora Costello, that addressing a sophomore in the person first Berkeley Interis preferable. national High “Danny “I would say that able-bodied people in School (BIHS), is a student general tend to avoid talking about dishas been attendwith learning abilities because of their own fear, guilt, ing Best Buddies challenges/a and uncertainty when around people since the begindisability/orwith disabilities.” ning of the school thopedic imyear. She exp a i r m e n t s ,” plained that one Austin proJosh Austin, benefit of Best vided as an Best Buddies faculty sponsor Buddies is that it example. This allows students is a way of acto interact with k n ow l e d g i n g peers who have intellectual clusive Education (INE) that those with disabilities disabilities, which may be Literature teacher, has been aren’t defined by them. harder to do otherwise. teaching for four years. INE “I most frequently utilize “It fosters new friend- classes are designed to sup- the term ‘students with disships and helps eradicate the port students with IEPs on abilities,’” McGonagle said, stigma or prejudice against campus. This is his first year “to ensure we are always people with intellectual dis- at BHS. prioritizing them as a stuabilities,” Costello said. “I believe that a high dent first and foremost, as Olivia Mitchell, a sopho- school of this size creates opposed to labeling them more in Academic Choice many challenges for every- as someone who is disabled (AC), has been attending one,” McGonagle said. “I or somehow limited in their Best Buddies lunch meet- feel that we do the best we abilities.” ings for about two months. can in offering quality serTaking a closer look, “I love Best Buddies because vices and tools to students however, the uncertainty it sets apart differences be- with disabilities at BHS.” around how to comfortably CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
tween the students of BHS,” Mitchell said. She went on to explain how the community never fails to lift her spirits. “If I’m having a bad day, the people there always cheer me up and make me laugh. We always have fun.” Stephen McGonagle, an IEP case manager and In-
BHS students connect over a game of Sorry! during a lunch time meeting of Best Buddies.
talk about the disabled community goes deeper. “I do feel that communication relative to students with disabilities can be a topic that is avoided or considered awkward, but this is in large part due to differences in knowledge that people have about special education in general,” McGonagle said. Ava Kurapka, a junior in Berkeley International High School (BIHS), spoke on this. She agreed that discomfort plays a large factor, saying, “I think that generally, in society, it’s a very taboo topic and not heavily discussed, specifically in terms of accessibility.” Kurapka
added that although growing up in Berkeley has meant learning how to discuss the topic respectfully and openly, “I do think we have a long way to go and I still wish I was more educated.” According to Austin, this discomfort around people who are different may only become worse when not addressed. “I would say that able-bodied people in general tend to avoid talking about disabilities because of their own fear, guilt, and uncertainty when around people with disabilities,” Austin stated. “This taboo is a vicious circle in that fears of discrimination, being
FIONA FIREPINE
treated differently to others, being seen as a nuisance or lesser than, and other concerns cause people to be less open about their disability.” Austin, Kurapka, and McGonagle emphasized that having open conversations can help reshape preconceived notions about people with disabilities. “Everyone is temporarily or permanently impaired at some point in their lives,” said Austin. “We all feel the same range of emotions, pain and pleasure, loss and gain. Each of us desires and deserves access to the full range of opportunities for participation in all areas of life.”
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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
ENTERTAINMENT BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
Entertainment editors: Asha Baudart-Gehlawat & Ruby Freedman
‘Our Monologues’ Captivates Community
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thoughtful choice. The “Our” in Our Monologues is of utmost importance for Jivan. “These stories aren’t just about us, they’re about the entire community,” she said. “We want [the audience] to feel represented.” “Through this we’ve been able to see how much is going on in people’s lives and how much more they’re willing to share when it feels like a really safe space, which it is,” Pelegrino added. The acts included spoken word, singing, and dance. One monologue in particular seemed to strike a chord with those in attendance. Performed by Hanim Nuru and written by Pelegrino, “Hella” was a piece on codeswitching in the academic world and what that means for people in the Bay Area. The monologue explained
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Some might deem leaving readers on a cliffhanger as large as a Goliath frog over weeks is cruel; however, that’s how the frog log hops. This being said, I hope you all are ecstatic to hear about the enamoring ring of frog enthusiasts and academics right under your noses. Let’s take it back a couple steps to our frogley Alameda County (AC) Transit friend Ben Karin, the University of California (UC) Berkeley herpetologist who I ran into on the bus ride home. After realizing this, for the sake of the frog log, I just had to ask if I could interview him. Amazingly, he was excited and down! “So what is daily life like as a herpetologist at UC Berkeley?” I began. “Spend a lot of time in the lab nowadays, but usually in the summer we’ll go into the field. I do field research in Indonesia, and we spend a couple months every year out there.” “That’s so dope!” I replied. “So we’re like, finding all sorts of new species. How it works is I take some tissue samples from the field, I bring them back to the lab, and I sequence them, like the DNA that is, and I’m finding in my lizard group there’s 70 new species to describe. 70 undescribed species on one island!” “I do have to ask, do you get to name them?” I questioned. “Ah I can yeah! I’ve named a few species haha. Yeah you know we try and have the name be informative about the organism.” “Do you have any advice for somebody who might want to go into that field?” “Oooh I mean yeah, come take the herpetology class at UC Berkeley! Haha. It’s during the semester I’m teaching right now. We do a walk through of all the groups of reptiles and amphibians all over the world. There’s a herpetology class a friend of mine teaches at Lake Merritt College as well. Yeah, there are a few great ones around even locally. But really, just get outside, enjoy catchin’ things, you know, catchin’ salamanders! Move a log in Tilden, or anywhere around here and find a couple critters under. So just enjoy what we have right here in California!” He said I should swing by this herpetology group at UC Berkeley. This I was so intrigued by, and I needed to know more. Walking into the meeting, my eyes were met with a large fluorescently lit room. A stream of academics meandered into the room, and as a high school student, I stuck out like a sore toe pad. Nonetheless, I was greeted with open arms and felt right at home. The presenter was Brian H Jaurez, a Harvard graduate who had a thesis studying sexual dimorphism in frogs and how it effects their ability to jump. So perhaps next time you see a vague container on your local bus line being held by a stranger, go ask if it’s a frog! And if you’re serious about frogs, I implore you to come stop by the herp group!
“Healing process” is the perfect description of a performance such as Our Monologues. It was intense, and the content warnings p r o v i d e d in the prog r a m were a
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how the word “hella” holds cultural significance in our community, yet is not acceptable in a classroom setting. Pelegrino wrote with passion and strength, and Nuru’s delivery was a perfect accompaniment. Murmurs of understanding were heard bouncing off the walls of both venues. Throughout
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GAVIN’S FROG LOG
ashabaudartgehlawa@students.berkeley.net
ROBERT GELLNER
Recycling Plotlines: Has It Gone Too Far? BY ZADA SANGER staff writer
Journalist Christopher Booker famously said, “There are only seven basic plotlines in all stories in the universe.” Most of what we see in books, movies, and all forms of stories is a derivative of something else. This is extremely visible in present-day Hollywood, where most new films and TV shows are remakes, sequels, spinoffs, or adaptations.
It is much easier to secure funding and studio support for remaking, adapting, or continuing a movie that has demonstrated prior success. New ideas foster new controversy, and above all, the entertainment industry is a business with the primary purpose of generating profit. However, this practice occurs at the expense of fostering bold, exciting, original ideas. Much of what we see on our televisions is formulaic and bromidic. A recent example of such
the entire process of production, one of the directors’ main priorities was the cast’s mental health. “Anna and Riya were really good about making sure we did check-ins every single day,” said cast member Shai Eastman. “The focus from the directors onto you and also like the s u p port you’re getting from the cast was amazing.” Although she had no p r i o r experience in the performing arts, Eastman was welcomed into the production and found herself submersed within the adventure that is Our Monologues. The youngest member of the cast was Arunima Stoller, who felt this protection and love just a little differently. “After my first monologue on opening night, I went backstage, and Anna and Riya just completely engulfed me in this big hug,” she said. There was also a sense
of continuity throughout the show. In one piece performed and written by Leyla Munist entitled “Altar,” an out-of-body unbelonging was described. She talked about looking at herself in the mirror, picking apart each and every part of her body and mind. This experience was depicted through a different lens in the monologue called “The Process” by Alex Scott, which narrated the perspective of someone dealing with the crippling standards for Black individuals in America. The final shows were scheduled for April 19 and 20, which happened to fall at a time of tragedy for the BHS community. For this reason, the performances were indefinitely postponed, as posted on the social media accounts of participants. A communal performance that left a lasting impression on anyone who watched it, Our Monologues was an impactful representation of the students of BHS. “Anyone who wants to represent their story or somebody else’s should do it. It’s a vulnerable thing, putting yourself on stage and sharing your story, but it’s so worth it and so powerful,” said Pelegrino.
conduct in Hollywood is the celebrated film CODA, which tells the story of a girl with deaf parents who has a passion for singing. CODA won the Best Picture Oscar at the Academy Awards and received great accolades from the Sundance Festival. What many viewers do not know is that CODA is an American remake of a 2014 French film called La Famille Bélier. Nearly every shot in the two films is the same, and all rights for the remake were obtained legally. Yet, the movie serves as a reminder that what may appear to be groundbreaking, novel, or authentic, may not be so. CODA is still a beautiful, well-executed film deserving of its praise. The movie cast more deaf actors than its French counterpart and used comedy more effectively as well. This said, audiences should be more aware of its origin, and allow their opinions about the movie’s creativity to match its echoic beginnings. The immensely popular HBO Max series Euphoria also has roots in foreign media. The show is adapted from a 2012 Israeli show of the same name. Again, the rights to the story were
obtained legally, but very few are aware of the show’s origins. Euphoria has been praised by critics as being “ripped from the headlines” and being a “unique and illuminating series,” without acknowledgement of the source of its ideas. The recycling of films visible in American cinema is a long-standing practice intricately tied to capitalist ideals. Big studios with resources to distribute widely have slowed their investment in fresh, legitimately new content because of the lack of financial security these prospects provide. According to the magazine Film Stories, 113 sequels to previously-made films are set to be released in 2022. The 2021 Academy Awards set the record for most remakes nominated for Best Picture in 86 years. Though this strategy has proved to be effective for generating huge amounts of revenue for studios, audiences will eventually grow tired of regurgitated content. It is disappointing to see Hollywood prioritize finance at the cost of art, and we can only hope that in the coming years, audiences will become more aware and demanding of original content.
FRIDAY,MAY 6, 2022
ENTERTAINMENT
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Streetwear’s Rise in Popularity BY OCHI GRACE staff writer
Street style is one of the most popular fashion trends among youth, artists, and influencers today. American street style arose in the 80s and 90s, emerging from New York City and hip hop culture. It refers to a casual fashion style such as Adidas tracksuits, baggy clothes, baseball caps, and other items. As music artists like Diddy, Tupac, and Mary J. Blige grew in popularity with the mainstream media, so did street style within the AfricanAmerican community. Mary J. Blige in particular took pride in being an icon in the 1990s for her “ghetto fabulous” street style. This included pairing luxury items like furs, expensive chains, and other flashy items along with casual items. Recently, other luxury fashion brands, such as Supreme, Louis Vuitton, Yeezy, Off-White, and BAPE, have taken part in the evolution of street fashion, which can now be seen on runways. Street style is supposed to be casual pieces of clothing put together to create a fashionable look. There are many subcategories and types of street fashion. One such example is Japanese street fashion. Companies like BAPE and Yohji Yamamoto make clothes with their own spin that aims to appeal to consumers in Japan. There’s also Techwear, a functional, militaristic, and futuristic form of clothing that’s often
merged within the category of streetwear. However, with the rise in attention to streetwear comes a rise in prices. Highquality street fashion has become unaffordable for the average person and now caters only to rich celebrities and influencers, many of whom now not only wear it on the daily, but use it to make a statement at award shows and events. This prompts us to ask the question, is streetwear’s newfound inaccessibility just another form of gentrification? With luxury brands producing more and more streetwear, the authenticity and true pur p os e of t he st y le is challenged. Streetwear was always supposed to be an accessible form of fashion that was a creative outlet for youth, and the existence of these luxury brands should not eliminate this aspect. There are still affordable ways of participating in street fashion, such as thrifting or upcycling. Street fashion is also
understood as a major part of Black culture in America, although other communities have also been participating and altering street fashion. Street style trends will also change depending on the location and the community, because the more variety there is, the better the accessibility and creativity of the style will be. This form of fashion has always welcomed the idea of merging creativity, artistry, and luxury. Overall, street fashion has grown in popularity and diversity over the years. The need for more accessible, nonfast fashion brands that still reflect the culture and origin has risen drastically. However, luxury street fashion is here to stay, and it can help to open the doors to more subcategories in the future, as well as raise more awareness and consequently the possibility of more artistic access to the fashion. It truly is an exciting form of expression, as well as one that is everchanging.
RAQUEL CLYDESDALE
ANJA BALL
Ukraine: More Than a Hashtag BY SERENNA REDWOOD staff writer
In the US, we are attached to our traditional events, notably, award shows. So, this year, the Academy Awards served as a reminder of familiar and long-standing traditions. However, the way in which the award ceremony addressed the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been subject to heavy controversy. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was an actor, director, and producer before becoming a politician. Given his experience in the field, Zelensky has a substantial understanding of the power celebrities hold in influencing public opinion, especially during times of conflict. This year’s Oscars Ceremony gathered many of the most notable figures of the film industry, and millions of people watched it on television. As such, Zelensky requested a video appearance at the
Oscars to spread information and speak about the war, but was not granted permission; instead, the conflict was given a short slideshow, a moment of silence, and the ever-present #supportukraine. Mila Kunis, a Ukraineborn actress, and her husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, raised over thirty-five million dollars through a GoFundMe in support of Ukrainian refugees. When Zelensky’s request for an appearance was turned down, Kunis spoke about the war instead when she went up to introduce Reba McEntire. “When you witness the strength and dignity of those facing such devastation, it’s impossible to not be moved by their resilience,” said Kunis. Brian Keith Etheridge also helped with communication between the Oscars and the Ukrainian government. Et her idge s aid t hat t he ceremony’s directors did not want to “overly politicize the event.” This is an easy excuse that replaces the most likely
answer: the Oscars prioritizes views over raising awareness and funds for this war. Etheridge noted, “If Zelensky just says ‘thank you’ it will remind people and it could raise millions of dollars. It’s such a giant platform just to have his face show up.” The fear of over politicizing things is one that prevents many people and events from having a significant influence on current issues. Instead, these conflicts are turned into trends and hashtags, so we can easily avoid doing something that has a real impact. If you are someone who doesn’t have the means to donate, posting on social media is an ample contribution and might help to raise awareness. However, if you are producing a massively influential event that is viewed by millions of people and attended by some of the most well-known and wealthy figures of media culture, then there is no excuse for not doing more than promoting a hashtag.
Fostered and Adopted Youth Need Better Media Representation BY MARINA PELLERIN staff writer
Stories that portray the lives of orphans and adopted children are infamous. Some examples include Annie and the Harry Potter series. For adopted students at Berkeley High School (BHS), media re pre s e nt at i on of t he s e experiences has done more damage than good. Malia Dornon, a sophomore in Arts Humanities and Academics (AHA), knew from a young age that she was born and adopted in Chongqing, China. Her opinions on the media’s depiction of adoption, foster care, and orphans are those of discontent. “In the media, adoption is portrayed in an unhealthy way,” she said. “Parents are disconnected [from] their adopted child and more focused on their biological child.” This is a skewed perspective, as there are many scenarios where adoptions turn out to be successful and happy. “I think that when people hear that someone’s adopted, they instantly think that
their parents didn’t love them [or] they were a mistake, which could be true in some cases,” Dornon explained. “For others, it’s not [this way]. There may have been a tragedy in the family, maybe the family wasn’t able to take care of their kid.” Movies like Harry Potter perpetuate this narrative, leading people to believe that all adoptees they meet were undesired by their birth parents. “Media portrayal is kind of a two-edged sword. Much of what’s in the media now is to evoke an emotional response, and that’s what it’s pretty good at doing,” said Thomas Fulton, a member of the Northern California Family Center in Martinez. He explained that often what’s shown are kids who grew up in foster care and who end up living a bad life or being abused by their foster parents, and that this depiction is often artificial. Fulton also touched on the other part of foster care, the side that gives kids in need a chance to succeed. “[The media industry] doesn’t talk about the other side, where the kids are getting taken care
of, better off than they are with their original family,” he explained. He mentioned the movie Shazam (2019) as a more accurate portrayal of foster care. The film sheds light upon the great parts of foster care and the families that are created from the system, and despite the whole superhero aspect, managed to really change the narrative that is so often forced onto kids in the system. All of this is not to say that there aren’t harmful aspects of foster care and the system in place for children in need. In fact, the number of group homes for foster children has been decreasing in the past few years, creating fewer resources for an already underfunded program. Although the system needs to be fixed, so does the media’s portrayal of adoption and foster care. As Dornon and Fulton mentioned, there are many miscalculated beliefs around this form of parenting, and although there are many kids who are mistreated by their foster families, the media needs to shed more light on the positive aspects and scenarios.
ALEX MORGAN
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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
ENTERTAINMENT
Innovations in Online Music Production Inspire Youth Artistry to make really good music and to show their culture through their music.” For two hundred dollars, anybody with a computer Before the internet, if a can buy Logic, a music app musician wanted to release that Grammy-winning pop a song, they would need star Billie Eilish used to a recording studio, sound record many of her earlier equipment, the means to songs. In the past 20 years, create physical records, and a number of apps and weba record deal. Now, releassites have been created that ing a song can completely allow artists to record be done online and out of their bedrooms, even for free. Developments in re- In the past 20 years, a number of needing only a comcording apps and a apps and websites have been creat- puter and microrise in social media ed that allow artists to record out phone. Sites like Logic use have opened of their bedrooms, needing only a also allow musicians doors to music procomputer and microphone. to easily access and duction for many sample thousands of young people, insounds made by other cluding Berkeley High School (BHS) students you have competition,” said artists. Sullivan explained who may not have had ac- musician and BHS senior that as a drummer, she is cess twenty years ago. Liam Morehouse. “You’re able to integrate percussion “Anybody with a com- gonna have people innovat- from around the world into puter in their room can ing, and I think that’s a re- her music, which creates a unique sound and adds to a make a song, so it’s defi- ally beautiful thing.” nitely a more diverse pool “It’s really cool how easy multitude of blended genres of people getting into [mu- it is,” said percussionist, that have been made possic production],” said BHS producer, and BHS junior sible by the internet. Access to networking junior, musician, and song- Flora Sullivan. “[Accessibilwriter Dexter Griffin. “You ity to recording software] over the internet has alcan really come from noth- makes it so much easier for lowed BHS freshman and ing and blow up huge.” people that don’t have the producer Avi Spanier to sell The possibility of a ran- money to [rent a studio] the beats he produces to BY PEARL GAUTHIER staff writer
dom song blowing up on Spotify, Instagram, or TikTok pushes artists to create more music and take risks. The sheer amount of music being released is increasing; tens of thousands of songs are released daily to Spotify alone. “People are pushing creatively to stand out, and that’s what it takes when
rappers. He also meets other musicians from across the country to collaborate with. “A lot of bigger rappers will just post ‘send me beats’ and then drop their email, so I can just send a few things to them,” he explained. Even giving rappers a beat for free can boost his publicity, so it’s a worthy investment. For Berkeley Independent Study (BIS) junior and drummer Daniel Goellner, the internet has allowed him to meet and form a band called Cabin Boy, with two of the members living in Liverpool and Boston. Although the three of them have never met in person, they have recorded an album, which was released on Spotify and Apple Music. The process for playing and recording with people in other timezones is definitely unorthodox. One member will record themselves playing something and send it to the other members, who will then record themselves playing over the original clip and send it back. Many young artists like Goellner are looking to the internet
and social media as ways to form musical projects. While the internet has brought many positive changes for musicians, the near replacement of physical records like CDs with online streams has significantly lowered the possible income for small artists. The typical revenue on apps like Spotify is around 0.003 cents per stream, or two to four dollars per thousand streams. “Although a lot of artists are now able to put their music pretty easily onto all these different platforms, they’re also not making any money,” Griffin explained.
This means that musicians need to sell merchandise, make brand deals, and tour in order to get by. Griffin and Morehouse have produced music together, but both acknowledged that it’s difficult to see a profit. Their song “No Alarm” has 50,000 streams on Spotify, but they only made a forty dollar return. The blend of the music industry and the internet has created both new opportunities and new challenges for independent artists. It’s likely that the next few decades will create even more change in how we make and share music.
LUCY RICKART-WEBB
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
— Nicholas McGlashan ACROSS 1. Popular computer manufacturer 5. The highest-ranking Catholic 9. With “pell,” rushed or disorderly 13. Spelling of a Greek titan’s name 14. Bowel cleaning procedure 16. An idea, to someone from Marseille 17. Hardened, as rubber 19. Large credit card company 20. Spotless 21. Distress call 23. Flagship public university in our smallest state 24. In a vehicle, slide along slippery ground 25. Number that compares investment costs and profits 27. A bitter drink containing quinine 29. Large antlered creature 30. Helps out 31. “all talk ___ __ action” 32. Door component shaped like a letter 35. “What’s __ ____?” common ask on Tinder 36. Actress Kendrick from Pitch Perfect 37. Cover a hard surface, as a road 38. Native group from Eastern California or Nevada 41. Another name for the sugar-apple native to the Philippines 45. Misspelling of glass camera part 46. Dudes 47. A young louse 48. Offerings table 49. A B&B, for example 50. Viral disease found especially in Central and Western Africa 52. Business executive responsible for the books 53. Between Oct. and Dec. 55. Rebound in billiards 56. Reserve force of the US Army 58. Made softer, as meat 62. In between child and adult 63. Smoking implement used for celebration 64. Pb on the periodic table 65. A circular current 66. Lymph ____ 67. Unhealthy cholesterols DOWN 1. Four-wheeler 2. A quiet or inward laugh
3. As a long bony fish without pelvic fins 4. Competed with a finish line 5. Ivy League school founded by Ben Franklin 6. Japanese folk demon 7. Candies dispensed from cartoon heads 8. Process of vomiting 9. Former USWNT star Hamm 10. Grandson of 39-down, also king of England 11. Staring evilly or lustfully 12. The vocabulary of a person or group 15. Much ___ about nothing 18. Society of astronomers based in DC 22. To die of malnutrition 24. A group of similar things 25. The capital of Latvia 26. A work addressed toward something 28. Beginning 30. The girl who is of Green Gables 33. The largest ethnic group in West and Central Africa 34. Person gaining work experience 35. The pyramids are Egypt’s, and the Burj Khalifa is the ___ 37. Abbreviation telling you not to overpack 38. Soothe, mollify 39. The first king of all the Anglo-Saxons, given the epithet “the Great” 40. Said in a musical manner 41. Source of almost all of Earth’s energy 42. Napped 43. Animal feed made by grinding grease cakes 44. Organization that allows parents to participate in school issues 46. Cave, especially to a demand 50. Unit of corn 51. A Dutch publisher of academic works 54. A way to buy medicine or stock without going through official channels 55. A waxy part of a bird’s beak 57. The metropolitan area around America’s most famous city 59. A typically non-profit company formed without government input 60. One celebrated on the third Sunday of June — Raven Fonseca Jensen 61. Title of a dentist
YASMEEN BAWANY
SOFIA LOPEZ, a junior in Academic Choice (AC), combines her creativity with her cultural identity to create alluring and thought-provoking paintings. Growing up, Lopez was always drawn to art, but it was not until her first middle school art class with Mr. Pablo when she truly fell in love with it. “[Mr. Pablo] inspired me by showing me how art creates community, which made me want to create art to make people feel inspired, as if they can relate or learn from it,” Lopez explained. Since that first glimmer of inspiration in middle school, Lopez has dedicated herself to expressing her story through her craft. “I put lots of different parts of my culture in my art, so in some pieces I would put an Aztec sun, symbols of family, symbols of love, symbols of me,” she said. In this way, Lopez is creating her own unique style of art while also representing all aspects of what makes her whole. Lopez not only uses her art to represent her heritage; she also as a mode of self-expression. In middle school, Lopez created pieces to communicate her mental health struggles. In a more recent piece, Lopez used her art to come out to her loved ones about her sexuality. She hopes that this art piece will provide inspiration for anyone who happens to view it. In general, Lopez wants her work to not only represent her culture and identity but to stimulate, motivate, and encourage dialogue and introspection.
— Skyler Rockmael MAIA KESLER
FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
SPORTS
Youth organization Waterside Workshops anchors local kayakers in supportive communities.
FIONA FIREPINE
Students at BHS Learn Trust While White Water Kayaking through rapids and around rocks. Despite a kayaker’s preparation, nature’s unpre“The first time I went dictability can lead to lifein a kayak was on a small, threatening circumstances. calm lake with my dad and When veteran kayaker brother,” said Haley GoetElaine Baden found herself ting, a Berkeley High School in the wrong place after senior. “We were just padmissing a hazard, she relied dling around and shooting on those around her for each other with water guns. help: “I knew that the other I never thought people I was paddling I would be going with were looking out down rapids.” Years “In the water ... you get to see for me,” she said. “I later, Goetting things that very few other people ended up losing my took on the Grand boat but the [people] could ever imagine.” Canyon, kayaking saved me. In any risky down waterfalls at situation you go for the Elaine Baden, just 13 years old. person first.” Goetting Kayaker Beside her was emphasized the imher older brother portance of having her and kayaking partner since you’re going to turn your brother there in these situathey first attended a kayak- boat and what speed and tions, saying that “it’s really ing camp as kids. Goetting angle you’ll go at.” Reading important to trust yourself and her brother Dylan have the river can help the kay- and each other. One time traveled to rivers such as aker choose the best “line” I got stuck under a log and the American, Merced, and to go down and aid in their [my brother] had to get my Yuba, where thousands of ability to make split-second boat out. We save each other fellow white water kayakers decisions while paddling in these situations.” BY STEPHANIE JERSEY staff writer
flock yearly. At each new location, the brother-sister duo used a technique called “reading the river” that helped to familiarize themselves with the terrain. “We park our boats at the top of the route and walk down to plan out a route,” said Goetting. “It’s really good for thinking critically about a plan for where
In a sport where trust is so crucial, the community is strong. Each kayaker spoke about the lasting relationships they have formed through kayaking. “[Kayakers] are some of the most supportive people you will ever know,” said Baden. “Once you meet on the river, it’s a bond that can’t be broken.” Goetting also finds inspiration in those around her, especially fellow female kayakers, who are often underrepresented in the sport. “I met my role model, Anna Wagner, at a kayaking camp,” she explained. “She felt like more of a friend than an instructor ... [though] she’s a professional kayaker who travels all across the world competing and going down crazy waterfalls.” Goetting recalled that “She encouraged me to try all these new skills.” For many, white water kayaking also provides a sense of accomplishment and serenity. Gavi Rawls, a BHS sophomore, doesn’t shy away from a challenge when it comes to kayaking. “For me, it’s challenge and accomplishment based,” Rawls explained. “I face my fears by doing rapids that I am scared of because I know that the disappointment of not doing the rapid would be worse than whatever happens during that rapid.” Baden also spoke to the feeling she gets kayaking, saying, “It’s almost indescribable. Being in the water grounds me. Everything else fades away. You get to see things that very few other people could ever imagine.”
Then and Now: BHS Teachers in Athletics BY ARIANA YEROVAM staff writer
VICKY AUGUSTINE
Benjamin Nathan, a Berkeley High School wrestling coach and 11th grade math teacher, attended North Springs High in Atlanta, Georgia. Nathan played on his school’s wrestling and tennis teams for all four years and participated in football as well. Nathan feels that he gained discipline from playing sports. When advising student athletes today, Nathan emphasizes the importance of hard work and dedication in the pursuit of individual goals. “Anyone who wants to and puts the work in can get ... where they want,” he said. “[Giving] your all makes you a better person.”
BENJAMIN NATHAN
Berkeley High School Universal 9th grade physics teacher Vicky Augustine attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria VA. During her time in high school, Augustine participated in track and field, cross-country, and swimming, which she continues to do today. Augustine shared how participating in sports throughout high school gave her a broader view of what competition looks like and has to offer. She added, “I think it’s important for students to learn how to win and lose in the classroom as well.”
Jordan Winer is a Berkeley High School drama and Academic Choice English teacher. Winer attended Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco and transferred to Mount Tamalpais High School for 12th grade. Winer played on his high school basketball, soccer, and volleyball teams. “It can be grueling, tiring, but people feel really close,” he said. Lastly, Winer emphasized that high school is largely about finding balance. He said, “The best players are going to also be the best students.”
JORDAN WINER
From swinging rackets to teaching Jackets, BHS teachers reflect on their athletic careers throughout high school, and how the lessons learned and bridges burned haunt them in the hallowed halls of Berkeley High. ART BY GABRIELLA BUSANSKY, PHOTOS BY MALIN MORELL
WHAT IS CONSENT? MIRANDA COUCH
Consent education boils down to two questions. What is consent? Why is consent important? The latter might feel easy to answer, given Berkeley High School’s tumultuous history with Title IX. The former, however, is a bit more complicated. What is consent? We know that a lack of consent is sexual harm. However, growing up in a political environment that discusses legal implications of consent, as well as attending a school with such an open-yet-closed discussion about sexual harm, there have been a lot of different answers over the years. Many explained what consent is not; consent is not coercion, consent doesn’t involve incapacitation, manipulation, or omission of information. We’ve also gotten the opposite: consent is freely given, is revocable, consent is the absence of mental influences, consent is fully informed. While all of those are true, they’re less a definition and more the terms consent exists on. So again, what is consent? Oxford Languages gives the definition, “Permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.” On a personal level, something feels off about using the word ‘permission’ in terms of consent. To my biased ears, it sounds more invasive to say permission, rather than agreement; almost as if it implies an allowance to do something, regardless of the actual boundary. Just like the word permission, this definition isn’t as intimate as consent. Dr. Lindsey Doe’s video “What is Consent?” explains personal consent by giving us the origin of the word — “consent comes from the Latin words ‘con,’ meaning together, and ‘sentire,’ meaning feeling.” This ‘together-feeling’ describes a much more intimate sense of shared circumstances, interpersonal relationships, and emotions. Together-feeling, while personal, doesn’t include anything about impersonal permission included in the consent we learn in school. So consent is a balance between the personal and impersonal — but what does that mean? Consent is complicated. It’s both legally required and socially necessary, a balance between personal and impersonal, and it is set on specific terms. One thing most of these definitions have in common is they refer to consent in relation to sex. Consent isn’t only about sex, and it gets a lot simpler when you remove the specifics of sex, especially the legal aspects and the terms. So finally, what is consent? The definition of consent I’ve come to appreciate is respecting personal boundaries and autonomy. Consent isn’t about the permission one has, it’s about the mutual respect, trust, and comfortability that occurs when someone’s autonomy is respected. That’s why I prefer the word agreement, because to me, it feels more like boundaries are being heard and respected. Boundaries form impersonal-personal relationships that any outsider must have the respect not to break. Practicing setting boundaries and using consent-oriented vocabulary in regular situations helps form autonomy and mutual respect, which, to my belief, are at the core of preventing sexual harm. If you want support for sexual harm, go to Jasmina Viteskic, our Title IX Coordinator, in G202A, or the Health Center, in H106.
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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022
sports editors: Luisa Bertolli & Norah Lee
SPORTS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
norahlee@students.berkeley.net
‘Power, Prestige, Privilege:’ Pillars of BBQ Club at BHS “[The Barbecue Club wanted] power, prestige, privilege. They wanted all the benefits of being part of the club and none of the responsibility or accountability of being tied to one of the most visible aspects of rape culture on campus,” said Angela Coppola, a Berkeley High School (BHS) social studies teacher in Academic Choice (AC) and a key leader in dissolving the infamous Barbecue Club during the 2018-19 school year. The club had been present at BHS since the early 2000s, beginning when students hosted a barbecue on the MLK Jr. Civic Center lawn. In 2012, the club “would essentially put on this barbecue [where students] would … have a whole lot of fun [and] … share food and music with all of our peers and teachers, and ultimately, we donated our proceeds [to charity],” said Hunter Maverick Irvin, a BHS alum who was co-president of the Barbecue Club his senior year. Irvin explained that during his time at BHS, the Barbecue Club presented an overall positive message. In 2012, the profits from each barbecue were donated to Oakland International High School, a school for recently immigrated students. Each Barbecue Club president selected a new leader for the next year. Irvin recalled his feelings on this selection process: “[When you] have to … let people know that what they’re doing is actually over the line, that’s a stressful position to be in. I remember the person I chose to take over … was someone who I thought [would] be able to draw the line when he needed to.” However, over time, the culture of the Barbecue Club changed for the worse. “The Barbecue Club was just like a frat at high school. It held many of the same connotations of Greek life, it was very exclusive, there was technically [an initiation] because you had to buy the jersey to get in, they worshiped toxic masculinity and hooking up with as many people as possible,” said Mackenzie Nye, a BHS 2018 graduate and former member of BHS Stop Harassing. After several years, BHS students and staff called for the
club to be disbanded due to its culture of racism, misogyny, and sexual violence. In 2018, Coppola moderated a discussion between Barbecue Club members and the female students they had harmed, and recalled, “When it was over, [the girls] wouldn’t even shake some of the boys’ hands because they [had been assaulted] and the boys were upset by it, because it singled them out.” When Nye was attending BHS, she noticed that “there’s definitely a culture of harassment in sports. I think Berkeley High loves [to say], ‘we’re Berkeley, we’re better, this doesn’t happen here,’ but sports culture can still feed into sexual harassment culture, even in Berkeley.” Many members of the Barbecue Club were on BHS sports teams, and although club jerseys are no longer paraded down the halls, addressing and preventing toxic sports culture was a top priority for Jerem Stothers, first year coach for the BHS boys lacrosse program. “When I came here this year, my focus was to first and foremost develop these kids on and off the field. Obviously coach them on the field, but my priorities are to really develop them into young adults that thrive in the community,” said Stothers. Whole-team conversations and maintaining accountability are two important methods of tackling the harmful behavior that was present in Barbecue Club. Stothers reflected, “If we need to take 20 minutes to correct behavioral issues or cultural issues, be it ... sexism, homophobia, racism, or fighting, it’s going to be addressed and it’s going to be understood how I view the importance of saying the right things, of standing up for what [we] believe in, [and] for having each others’ backs.” Continuous education and community action are essential in order to stop history from repeating itself and a new Barbecue Club from forming. “Each new generation of boys needs to be educated [to prevent misogyny and assault],” said Coppola. Different BHS sports teams are beginning to incorporate the Coaching Boys Into Men program into team culture, and consent education workshops at BHS are ongoing.
ART BY OWEN BLAIR
Berkeley Unified School District Berkeley High Jacket 1980 Allston Way Berkeley, CA 94704
Non-Profit Org. US Postage Paid Oakland, CA Permit No. 8334
BY SOPHIE HORVATH & MADELYN PHILHOWER staff writers
ATHLETE PROFILE LUCA MCKERLEY CORONADO is a senior in Berkeley International High School (BIHS) on the boys varsity baseball team. McKerley Coronado started playing baseball at four, inspired by his father and grandfather. He was instantly captivated by the sport, enraptured by the feeling of knowing that both he and his opponent would stop at nothing to beat each other. Going into a game, McKerley Coronado described his mindset as, “me against you … let’s battle.” Academics are also important to McKerley Coronado, who is a candidate for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. “I won’t lie, it’s tough for any athlete to manage the workload that IB requires,” admitted McKerley Coronado. “I just have to buckle down and be productive,” he continued. McKerley Coronado’s hard work has paid off; he recently accepted an offer from Bowdoin College to play baseball freshman year. JULIAN CURRIER
— Shanza Syed