Berkeley Unified School District
Career change teachers: Why they teach
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NEWS
BHS students walk out in support of Palestine BY ELLA CREANE editor-in-chief
since 1912
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 at 10:30 a.m., over 150 Berkeley High School students walked out in support of Palestine in regards to the recent events in Israel and Gaza. The walkout was planned by two BHS seniors, Nur Makdisi and Muhammad Delgado. While attending a protest organized by Bears for Palestine, a UC Berkeley activism organization, Makdisi and Delgado received flyers from the Arab Resource Organization Center promoting a national protest on Oct. 18 for high schoolers to walk out in support of Palestine. This spurred them to organize a walkout at BHS. “As a Palestinian, I felt it was really important to bring awareness to what was happening and bring the truth,” Makdisi said. “It’s just something that’s really important to me.” On Saturday, Oct. 7 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, firing thousands of rockets and executing an air, sea, and land attack. Hamas is a militant group that has been the ruling power of the Gaza Strip since 2007 and is a designated terrorist group by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. In response to the Oct. 7 attack, Israel launched a series of retaliatory air strikes, and as of Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, the Israeli military made incursions into the Gaza Strip. PAGE 2
NOLAN WHITEHILL
ENTERTAINMENT
BHS holds student horror film festival BY EVA KATZ staff writer
On Halloween, Berkeley High School showed short horror films made by students at a film festival in the little theater. Amanda Marini teaches media classes at BHS and has been looking for a way to broadcast her students’ work. Marini put together the horror themed film festival to showcase student films from two of her classes. “The film festival includes work from the second year students in IB film and the advanced studio editing class,” Marini said. “It’s been amazing. I am always so impressed with what my students are capable of when it comes to filmmaking.” Marini tries to give her
students as much creative freedom as she can. “I left it really wide open. They did a little research into different types of horror and thought about how horror can be a reflection of society’s fears and of your fears,” Marini said. “I am really pleased with the results and I can see the areas for growth, as well.” Miguel Huhndorf-Lima, a senior in his second year of IB film, talked about the creative guidelines Marini laid out for them. He said, “Really the prompt was, ‘Make a horror film with little dialogue and visual storytelling’ and you could take that any direction you wanted to.” H u h n d o r f - L i m a’s film,“Eyes Closed” is about a nurse who starts to have visions and PAGE 12
ROBERT GELLNER
ELLIOT SCHRAG
SPORTS
Athlete superstitions: A form of comfort BY SZE TING CHEN staff writer
Superstitions, which can be of religious origin, a ritual, or even something as simple as a lucky watch, are important to many people. At Berkeley High School, many student athletes have their own superstitions to help them
towards success. “You just want to be as comfortable as possible. And maybe that means eating the same food that day or eating something you can rely on. It won’t change up the routine and mess you up,” BHS junior Gracie Koch said. As a runner on the BHS cross country team, since freshman year she’s had a routine she goes
through before every race. “I make sure to have the same routine every time I race. So the night before, I obviously hydrate a lot, because that’s just important. But I always have spaghetti with red sauce and meatballs for dinner. And then I always go to bed at like 9:30 p.m. And the morning of, I start by braiding my hair, and I do
specifically two small braids in a ponytail and my lucky ribbons. And then I have my uniform out. And I always wear the same bra, the same socks, the same shoes, the same shorts, and then my jersey,” Koch said. Others, like junior Kalu Caldas, a BHS mountain biker, have smaller things that they do. PAGE 15
2 F R I D A Y, N O V E M B E R 3 , 2 0 2 3
NEWS EDITORS: FINOLA JACKSON & AARON STEVENS
NEWS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
FINOLAJACKSON@STUDENTS.BERKELEY.NET
New Berkeley Historical Society exhibit explores 1923 wildfire BY MINAMI SOGA staff writer
On Sunday, Nov. 5, the Berkeley Historical Society and Museum will be holding a reception for the opening of their new exhibit, The 1923 Fire: Berkeley’s First Wildfire Disaster. The exhibit will be open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 1 to 4 pm with free admission. In 1923, a fire that started in Tilden Regional Park burned down over 600 buildings from the north of the UC Berkeley campus to the edges of it and into Downtown Berkeley. According to John Underhill, a 1949 Berkeley High School graduate whose family lost their house to the fire, the fire originated from Tilden Park due to an electric wire that had been knocked down. The fire spread quickly due to the dry grass and strong north wind which directed the fire towards the City of Berkeley. Later, a change in the wind’s course saved part of the city.
At the exhibit, visitors can expect to see salvaged artifacts from the burned d ow n b u i l d i n g s . T h e s e artifacts include a partially burned book, a partially melted fireplace and iron, a scarred bowl, passes issued by the California National Guard, and melted silverware. According to Underhill, the passes were issued to his grandmother and mother after the fire occurred. The passes allowed them to visit the burned down areas. The helmets of the firefighters that attempted to extinguish the fire will be on display as well. Visitors can also expect to see panoramas and pictures of the fire itself and the people carrying out their belongings in an attempt to save them from burning. There will also be copies of newspaper articles, maps, other records about the fire, and summary descriptions about the different aspects of the fire. Steven Finacom is the curator of the exhibit and co-curated an exhibit for the
75th anniversary of the 1923 fire at the Berkeley Historical Society and Museum 25 years ago. He stated that they are bringing the exhibit back as a way to recognize its 100th anniversary. “25 years ago there were still some people alive in Berkeley who had personal recollections of the fire or were alive then, and many other people remembered it from stories their parents told them,” said Finacom. “Today, there are few, if any, people who were living in Berkeley in 1923. So telling the story again and renewing it is important when it’s no longer part of ‘living memory.’” Finacom added that the exhibit is relevant to the conditions of Berkeley today because it is in a similar situation that it was in 1923. Due to climate change, the likelihood and intensity of wildfires have severely increased and are prone to spreading quickly due to the dry lands. According to Finacom, Berkeley may be in
even worse conditions than before because of the weather patterns and increase in houses in the Berkeley Hills. “In 1923, houses didn’t climb the Berkeley Hills all the way to the ridgeline like they do today,” said Finacom. “There was a lot of grassland then. If a fire occurred today, burning exactly the same area as was burned in 1923, hundreds more homes would be destroyed than in 1923.” Jo h n A r o n o v i c i , t h e museum’s manager, agreed, saying that people have not learned their lessons. “In other words, they still are planning things and or some things you can’t change. For example, Berkeley has a lot of very narrow streets up in the hills, and the fire trucks can’t get through people,” he said. Aronovici expressed that through this exhibit, he hopes that people will learn how to protect their homes. He believes that people should be prepared for fires just like how people are prepared for earthquakes.
Firefighting helmets from the 1923 Berkeley Wildfire.
Finacom said that he hopes for people to acknowledge the fact that there was a big wildfire a century ago in Berkeley as it is not well-known among current residents of the city. He also hopes that people pay attention to how the Berkeley community responded to the wildfire. After the 1923 wildfire had occurred, there was much talk about how safety could be improved for the future, but not much
ZOE KOHLMEYER
action was take. Therefore, he hopes that people will learn from the past and find ways to develop a safer community. “Berkeley seems like a very tranquil place, even a special place in terms of weather, setting, views, lifestyle … but part of the cost of having that special place is that we’re also subject to two types of recurring natural disasters, earthquakes, and wildfires,” said Finacom.
Berkeley High students attend walkout in support of Palestine CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
According to the Israeli government, since Oct. 7, more than 1,400 people in Israel, including civilians, have been killed, primarily from the initial Hamas attack. The Israeli government has also reported over 200 people as taken hostage by Hamas, of which four have reportedly been released. According to the G a z a He a l t h M i n i s t r y, the Palestinian death toll, including both civilians and soldiers, has now passed 8,000 people, as of November 1. Israel has severely limited the Gaza Strip’s access to emergency aid, with a shortage of clean water, food, fuel, medicine, and other vital supplies fueling a humanitarian crisis. The walkout gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park next to BHS, where Makdisi and Delgado spoke briefly, then began leading students in a march towards the UC Berkeley campus. Throughout the crowd, chants of “Free, free Palestine,”
“Stop bombing Gaza,” and “It’s people dying, innocent there’s no other word for it.” “From the river to the sea, people, and it doesn’t matter “I’m Jewish and my family Palestine will be free,” could what side you’re on. It’s war is pro-Israel, but I feel pretty be heard. After reaching UC and that’s awful and you strongly that Israel is in the Berkeley, Makdisi, Delgado, should stand up against that.” wrong here,” Abby Schwarz, a and Rebecca Villagran, a BHS While many students BHS junior said. “I just feel like history teacher, spoke to the attended as an effort to speak I should be doing something crowd. up about recent events, the against the acts of terrorism B H S s t u d e nt s f o u n d conflict has been ongoing for and genocide that Israel is themselves there for many years. This reality is a big part committing.” reasons. of what prompted Makdisi Present at the walkout “It’s important to remember and Delgado to organize the were various teachers and that almost everyone here is walkout. administrators watching from here because they’re concerned “If you look at the entire the sidelines. Additionally, about the death at Civic Center of other people,” Park, standing said ...Evan behind student “... The solution to the deaths of civilians Fitzhugh, a leaders, were is not the deaths of more civilians.” B H S s e n i o r, several adults “The problem holding up an Evan Fitzhugh that we are Israeli flag. BHS Senior protesting One counteris that there protester, who are innocent spoke on the people dying in an attack history, if you go back to condition of anonymity in on terrorism, and that’s the 1948, even before 1948, you order to protect her three wrong. … The solution to the will realize Hamas is just a children in BUSD schools, deaths of civilians is not the symptom of the occupation,” spoke about how the conflict deaths of more civilians.” Makdisi said. “After years of is leading to anti-semitic Lucia Sweet Fuentes, a apartheid, after years of unfair rhetoric. “My kids feel unsafe BHS freshman echoed that treatment, revolution is going wearing anything that would sentiment. “I’m out here to happen. It’s inevitable … signify that they’re Jewish,” the because this is bigger than But Israel’s response to what parent said. “They don’t feel school,” Sweet Fuentes said. Hamas did … it’s a genocide, well supported by the school.”
The conflict bears deep ties to many issues of identity, and as tensions are exacerbated, anti-semitism and Islamophobic and Palestinian hate have been felt to increase by community members. As reported by the New York Times and the Washington Post, this hostility has been furthered by the rampant spread of misinformation and disinformation through social media and disreputable news sources. “What I’ve been seeing is people on Instagram just reposting the first headline they see without factchecking,” Makdisi said. “For example, the headline that Hamas killed, or beheaded, 40 babies – I saw like 5 people repost that and that was false. But it already did damage. … Palestinians are now being called baby killers.” The allegations of the beheadings have not been verified, and after a sp oke sp e rs on for t he Israeli government initially confirmed the statement, the government later shared
that they had not confirmed the claims. Despite this, the information has continued to spread across social media under the guise of fact. In regards to the walkout and the conflict in general, Enikia Ford Morthel, the Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent, shared a community statement prior to the walkout on Oct.18. “We respect and support the First Amendment rights of our students to peacefully advocate for causes that are important to them,” Ford Morthel said. “This is not a district-sanctioned event.” Students across the BHS community have felt the impacts of the conflict, and many believe that remaining independently educated is critical to engaging in positive discussions and healing as a community. “It’s ve r y i mp or t ant , e s p e c i a l l y f or s t u d e nt s our age, to get involved in activism,” Sofia Sanchez, a BHS sophomore, said. “This is the world we live in and we need to … understand.”
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NEWS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
BHS reacts to book bans across country think people should know that even in California, there are threats of books being banned and people’s right to In Universal Ninth choose what they read being Grade English teacher taken away.” Zia Grossman-Vendrillo’s The Amnesty Club classroom, students are recently hosted a letterlearning to write their own writing event, demanding picture books. They read that governments in places examples from the like Nigeria, library like “Julián China, El “The idea of book banning is being used is a Mermaid” Salvador, and by Jessica Love. politically, in order to suppress ... voices of Iran release “Julián is a the queer community and people of color.” any writers Mermaid” is or artists who about a little boy had been Amelia Monagle-Olson who wants to be a i mpr i s on e d President of BHS Amnesty Club mermaid. He sees for exercising a group of people their right to on the subway free speech. dressed as mermaids, and he According to Amelia This event was a part of wants to be like them. Love’s Monagle-Olson, the Amnesty International’s book sounds like a sweet, president of Berkeley High campaign to protect freedom innocent story, but it hasn’t School’s Amnesty Club, of expression. According to always been received in that many book bans occur Monagle-Olson, the club will way. It has been permanently because they contain diverse be hosting another letterbanned in a school district in characters from historically writing campaign this winter Florida, as well as challenged marginalized communities. in many other states. Book banning and other “I told students that this forms of censorship may book was banned in many also being used to further places. … I think some politicians’ agendas and were shocked that some public reception. people could find this lovely “The idea of book banning book unacceptable,” said is being used politically, in Grossman-Vendrillo. order to suppress … voices In the last year, the of the queer community number of book bans in the and people of color,” said United States has increased Monagle-Olson. “I think in by a staggering 33 percent, Berkeley we’re very lucky to according to PEN America. not even know which books The American Library are really banned. … But I BY PENELOPE PURCHASE staff writer
Association reports it went from 2,532 instances of book banning in the 2021-22 school year to 3,362 during the 2022-23 school year. Most of these challenges came from parents who were worried that their children were being exposed to “obscene” books.
called Write for Rights. It is often assumed that Florida has one of the highest numbers of permanent bans in the country. While this is accurate, it is important to note that California has attempted to implement more bans despite having a lower number of permanent bans than Florida. To combat this, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law on Monday, Sept. 25, that prohibits school boards from banning books that are classified as diverse. This is a rare case, as there are barely any protections against book banning. Ayla Conway, a BHS sophomore, believes the few procedures in place to stop book bans are unacceptable. “Kids need to read a wide variety of books to give them perspective and broaden their worldview,” said Conway.
CLAUDIA BLOOM
Digital SAT format brings benefits, worries
ISA SHIMOMURA
BY LUCY GRIFFITH staff writer
Beginning in Spring 2024, the SAT will transition from a paper format to being fully digital. The new test format is scored the same way and tests the same content, but is one hour shorter. Berkeley High School students took a digital PSAT on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023 to prepare for the new format. Jack Mackey-Williams, a junior at BHS, found the PSAT to be a relatively positive experience. “I think it was good practice for the digital SAT coming up in the spring.” Mackey-Williams said. Students will need to have either a personal or school computer, tablet,
or iPad to complete the test. For the most recent digital PSAT, BHS provided computers to all students, however, the College Board has also offered to provide computers to students that don’t have access. All devices need to have at least three hours of charge to complete the test. Consequently, schools don’t guarantee access to an outlet unless a student has testing accommodations that lets them test for longer than three hours. At tests, a technology coordinator will be present to help. Regardless of the device, students are required to download the custom application Bluebook before the test. This lets students “check in” to their test. Bluebook lets students flag questions to come back to,
provides a countdown to let them know the remaining time, and has multiple tools including a built- in graphing calculator and a reference sheet for the math section. Students can still bring their own calculator and a pen or pencil. Scratch paper will be provided by the proctor to avoid any cheating. The digital SAT will still measure the same skills but in two hours and fourteen minutes, which is substantially shorter than the three hour fifteen minute paper SAT. In the English section, there will be fewer questions where each is tied to a shorter passage. Mackey-Williams took both the paper and digital SAT and believes each had pros and cons. “The shorter passages in the reading and writing sections made it easier to comprehend,” said MackeyWilliams. “However, with the paper SAT you could really dive in and understand that longer passage compared to having a new short passage with a new topic each time.” The digital SAT is also adaptive. This decreases the likelihood of cheating, because students may have entirely different test questions. Both the reading
and math sections are split into two modules. In module one the questions have a range of difficulties. If the student does well, the difficulty of the questions will increase in module two, and vice versa. An answer to a difficult question will increase a student’s score more than an easier question. Tesla Marsh, a junior at BHS, explained that the new style can introduce worries about whether test questions are too easy. “It does increase my test anxiety and make me overthink about whether I am doing better or worse based on the difficulty of the questions,” said Marsh. “But at the same time I think the idea of computer adaptive tests is more specific to a student’s level.” The digital SAT also impacts students with accommodations. Students who originally required a scribe can now access dictation, a speech to text function on a computer. Students with braille accommodations now will also have access to headphones and a refreshable braille display. The zoom feature is available to all test takers, which aids students that need large print test accommodations.
WEIRD HISTORY: THE EMU WAR ELI LEICHTER WILSON
During World War I, 60,000 Australian soldiers were killed and another 160,000 returned home wounded, many of whom struggled to find employment. The Australian government, after facing widespread criticism for their lack of support, began the Soldier Settlement Scheme, providing veterans with farmland in Western Australia. The plan was short lived, however, when a new problem arose — emus. Emus are the second-largest bird species in the world, behind the ostrich. Though severely lacking in intelligence, they are uniquely high jumpers and fast runners. 20,000 emus, migrating back west in the winter, were greeted not by dry, arid desert, but by wet farmland and acres upon acres of crops upon which they descended and completely destroyed. Things soon got so bad that three-quarters of the Soldier Settlement Scheme simply walked away from the project. Suicide and alcoholism soared among the few that were left. In October of 1934, a group of exhausted farmers contacted the Ministry of Defense looking for a solution. The idea was to hire a small group of soldiers and hunt down the emus one by one. The Ministry of Defense, in turn, contacted Senator George Pearce, who enthusiastically agreed to the plan under the pretext that it would be good target practice. The plan was put into motion with shocking speed. On Friday, Nov. 2, 1934, troops led by Major Gwynydd Purves Wynne-Aubrey Meredith traveled to Campion, Australia with orders to kill as many of the birds as possible. The men encountered emus scattered across a field and attempted to herd the group into one clump, but their machine guns (that’s right, machine guns) couldn’t shoot far enough to be effective. In all, only about a dozen were killed; the soldiers discovered that an emu could be shot several times before even realizing it had been hit, much less dead. Two days later, Merideth painstakingly organized an ambush at a dam after receiving a report that almost 1,000 emus were headed in that direction. The gunmen waited for the emus to come as close as possible before opening fire, but the guns jammed after killing only an additional twelve emus. Trucks were driven into the crowd in an attempt to run over as many birds as possible, but the emus were able to outrun the vehicles and one truck even crashed after a bird entered the car and the driver panicked. A week later 2,500 rounds had been fired and only 200 birds had been killed. The operation lasted into December and though it saw mediocre results as well as massive criticism from the public, Merideth claimed to have saved Australian wheat farmers and stood by the claim that the war had been a massive success, despite only killing about 5 percent of the emus in Western Australia. The next time you feel like a failure, I implore you to remember the time Australia went to war with unintelligent, flightless birds and lost. The emu remains the national bird of the country and much of the farming happens on the east coast these days.
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4 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
NEWS
Construction booms across Berkeley to relieve housing shortage BY MAYA DANG staff writer
On Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, one of the Berkeley Walgreens locations closed for good, soon to be demolished to make way for a 25-story, 326unit apartment building, according to Berkeleyside. Some of Berkeley’s major construction projects for more housing include an affordable housing project at 1740 San Pablo Avenue, a BART site, or the Berkeley Unified School District Workforce Housing project located at the BUSD Adult School. “I’ve been renting apartments in East Bay since 2009. And so when I first moved back up here from Santa Barbara in 2009, (it had) been maybe $800 for a studio apartment,” said Alex Day, a Universal Ninth Grade Ethnic Studies and Social Living teacher, “Not the best, not the worst. But since then, if I’ve been on the market, there’s been very little that I can actually afford.” Mark Humbert, Berkeley City Council Member representing District 8, echoed this sentiment, saying that he rented a small apartment for just $250 dollars a month in 1979.
“I could pay for it easily on part-time earnings as I attended the law school at UC Berkeley,” said Humbert, “This is no longer possible. The average price for a onebedroom apartment in that neighborhood is $2800 plus, more than 10 times what I paid. Income has not risen nearly that fast.” According to Rigel Robinson, the Berkeley City Council Member for District 7, the recent increase in Downtown Berkeley housing is a result of the City of Berkeley’s Housing Element Plan, which plans to build around 9,000 new housing units by 2031. “It is an important opportunity for Berkeley’s residents and community members to come together to assess housing needs, identify policy and resource priorities, and find solutions to implement a wide range of housing choices,” stated a City of Berkeley website on the Housing Element plan. “The plan contains goals, policies, and programs that will guide the city’s decision-making around the development and rehabilitation of housing.” Humbert also mentioned that most of the recently constructed and planned buildings include affordable housing in order to obtain
a state “density bonus” as well as contributing to the Berkeley Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The Trust fund, which was created in 1990, pools various sources of funding to support the development and preservation of affordable housing projects. According to Humbert, the state “density bonus” allows developers to construct taller buildings than the zoning for the parcel, a property land, would generally allow and therefore increase the number of units built, if the developer makes certain percentages of units affordable. Robinson also stated that Downtown Berkeley is undergoing a long overdue transformation, and the new construction is helping to meet a backlog for the need for housing due to a failure to build enough housing in the 20th century. “Through strategic rezoning and multimodal transit projects, we can create a more sustainable, walkable, and affordable future for Berkeley,” said Robinson. “New construction helps open up our older, more affordable housing stock to more families.” As a result of the shortage of housing and
A construction project near UC Berkeley plans to provide more housing.
a tremendous need for housing in Berkeley, according to Humbert, Berkeley can expect to see an increase in new housing. “Construction in other parts of Berkeley is also responsive to our need for housing. Berkeley prevented housing from being easily built for decades,” said Humbert. “This caused a shortage of housing, which has contributed to the high cost of homes, both rental and homes for sale.” Deborah Matthews, a real estate broker and cofounder of South Berkeley Now! an organization that advocates for housing, equity, diversity, and investment in South Berkeley, added that with the young worker demographics and the lifestyle influences of living
near the action, there is a demand for affordable housing in Downtown Berkeley. “Mixed-income housing in the downtown area is exciting,” said Matthews. “The revitalization of the downtown is critical to having viable, exciting destination points in the heart of the city, and housing development is now playing a very critical role in this revitalization.” Humbart added that the new housing could help Downtown Berkeley to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, with more people living downtown, causing the neighborhood to become livelier and, therefore, improve its economy. According to Matthews, housing development
ASHLEY DIAZ
is critical to Downtown Berkeley’s long-term vitality and success. Matthews discussed the impact that COVID-19 has had on housing throughout the last three years. “The Bay Area has experienced many business closures due to mandated safety restrictions, lack of available supplies, limited staffing, few customers, and huge financial sacrifices,” Matthews said. “Many business owners, after several pivots, were unfortunately forced to shutter their establishments. We must re-evaluate how to address the housing and business challenges throughout our city effectively and provide affordable housing and small business opportunities for all.”
Red and Gold Day: Crowds of students celebrate Jacket pride
Seniors rally outside of the A Building.
BY ELSIE YUEN staff writer
Berkeley High School celebrated Red and Gold Day, previously known as Rally Day, on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. On Red and Gold Day, the BHS campus is transformed into a sea of red and gold, as students and teachers alike celebrate school spirit. However, throughout the years, concerns about safety have interrupted the festivities. This year, students and administration continued to attempt to address those concerns. Green Dot, an antiharassment and antibullying club, published a video in Unity Week’s bulletin to address some of the potential problems.
NOLAN WHITEHILL
“Green Dot decided to make the video about harassment because, as a group, we decided that harassment is a very big concern during Unity Week,” said Hanifah Kehinde Isah, a Green Dot ambassador. “We wanted to remind other students about the importance of respecting people’s boundaries and promoting positive school culture.” This issue, among others, led to Red and Gold Day’s brief removal in 2013. Red and Gold Day and Unity Week are planned out by the student leadership, but administrators supervise their decisions. Amid rising issues, some years, all of Unity Week has been postponed. “(It) was taken out for a variety of reasons. Say that
Red and Gold Day was very chaotic that year before, just maybe too much,” said John Villavicencio, BHS Director of Student Activities. “It’s always bad that Friday. It’s the worst of the week. It’s been worse on campus, and more people are … getting taken off in ambulances, (and) getting arrested off campus. You know, kids puking in the hallways multiple times, like, just ... really, really bad stuff.” The decision to bring Red and Gold Day back in recent years was made with these problems in mind. “We just kind of brand changed, so way back, 2015, 2016, maybe around there, we just shifted names from Spirit Week to Unity Week,” said Villavicencio. This was done to emphasize the purpose of the week that, according to Villavicencio, “We’re excited to be here at BHS, no matter what grade you’re in.” Red and Gold Day’s return was backed by new initiatives to keep students even safer, including getting the help of volunteers. “That’s something that’s really key, to have 30, 40 extra pairs of eyes on campus,” Villavicencio said. In addition, officials from the district are on hand to help respond if anything
were to happen. However, their approach to discipline is more understanding than in the past. “You just want to, like, remind (the students), ‘Hey, you got to be somewhere right now?’” said Villavicencio. “So much of the time in the past, it has been really combative, where administration is like, ‘Hey, shut up ... go to class,” but (now) there’s more of a … recognition that they’re really excited.” Generally, Villavicencio said, there’s been “a better mindset.” Moreover, Yana Secrease, a safety officer, said that another measure taken was
keeping seniors off campus with a surprise pizza party. She added, “We were telling everybody to exit through the softball fields, and you could not come back on campus.” The results of these efforts to maintain security were shown in the most recent Red and Gold Day. “I definitely do feel like BHS did succeed at making it safer this year,” said Isah, “The staff were very good at keeping students in order while also letting students celebrate. … They made sure everyone was mindful, looking out for others, and promoting that positive school culture.”
Adding on, Villavicencio said that this Red and Gold Day was “a lot less stressful than typical Red and Gold days.” However, as with most Red and Gold days, there were various incidents, “So I guess the seniors got a little too crazy with the egg throwing, and they were acting (up),” said Secrease. “It was a huge group that was running down Milvia. A civilian got their car windows smashed.” Villavicencio mentioned disturbances of students yelling and that “a few people got hurt.” But generally, Villavicencio said, “Very little occurred.”
Chris Albeck stands in front of a crowd of students on Red and Gold Day.
NOLAN WHITEHILL
OPINION BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
OPINION EDITORS: YSABEL CHU & OHAD AVIRAN-FINKELSTEIN
Whether it's Thanksgiving or winter break, many students find that a large amount of their time during school breaks is spent doing homework or studying. It's very common for teachers to assign tedious assignments that take up far too much time and take away from the purpose of having a break during the year. Teachers should not be able to assign a lot of work over break because students need this time to recharge, spend time with family, and pick up new hobbies. When Kendall Maddry, a Berkeley High School senior, was asked about spending time doing
homework over break, she said, “I wasn’t able to fully enjoy my break, because I knew, in the back of my mind, there were all the assignments I still had to do. I was just dreading the fact that I had to do schoolwork on the one to two vacations I had during the year.” Students experience the traditional forms of academic intake throughout the school year, which may not be the best method of learning for everyone. Breaks can provide time where students can expand their intake of knowledge, whether it's from spending time with family, trying new things, or even getting more hours working at a job. During breaks, a student could even find a new hobby or interest that can take
them far. High school is a time for students to think about what they are good at and how they can utilize those skills in adulthood. Academic work does not always give the time for this kind of self-reflection or realization. Furthermore, for most students, November and December are months when school can weigh heavy on their shoulders. Many students taking challenging classes find that these months are packed with tests and presentations. Finals in December can take a lot out of students, so much so that afterward, many feel burnt out. Breaks give students the time to reflect on how they did in the previous semester and can help them change so
SARA TEITELBAUM
that they can improve their grades and test scores. During the school year, hectic schedules mean that students have less time with their families. Holiday breaks provide those moments with family that can bring people together and can benefit students’ emotional well-being. Maddry says, “I think winter and spring breaks' purpose is to allow students and teachers to recharge. When they are worn down from the day-to-day school life, there’s a chance to break out of it and do things that we really enjoy doing, so that when it's time to come back to school, we are better prepared.” Week-long and longer breaks from school are critical times for students to dive deep into their interests, spend time with family and friends, and relieve stress. All of these factors can benefit students when they return to school because they have a higher chance of feeling more motivated, having a higher focus in class, and being enthusiastic about what they are learning in school. While small assignments can be okay, teachers should avoid assigning work that could take away from the purpose of the break.
Daylight savings harms youth, must end BY ADITYA SRIDHARAN staff writer
Twice a year, millions of Americans change their clocks in accordance with "spring forwards" and "fall backwards." This unnecessary time switch leads to a variety of damaging consequences for youth. Daylight Savings Time (DST) happens when clocks are moved an hour forward every spring, adding an hour of sunlight at the end of the day. Enacting year-round standard time, rather than switching to DST, would mitigate these harmful effects and create consistency for students. Berkeley High School students are particularly vulnerable during DST as the time change disproportionately harms teenagers' sleep schedules. Experts agree that adopting permanent standard time is a far better option than switching our clocks. Our bodies have evolved over millions of years to function in
accordance with the sun. Waking up to sunlight triggers the release of many vital chemicals that impact our mental and physical health. Standard time operates in alignment with the sun, making it the healthiest option. Switching from standard time to DST is especially harmful for teenagers and students. Many students already struggle to align their sleep patterns with the sun, and DST exacerbates this difficulty. While DST extends daylight in the evening, it makes mornings extremely dark. With lighter evenings, students will find themselves going to bed later and having trouble getting up in the morning when it is pitch black. Darker mornings can feel draining and unproductive for students. The shift ultimately contributes to high levels of sleep deprivation for students. Sleep deprivation made worse by DST will significantly affect academic results as well as mood and anxiety issues. A 2015 study
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Breaks without work relieve student stress BY AVA QUANDT staff writer
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that in the days following the time change, students were significantly sleepier, had slower reaction times, and were less attentive. Many proponents of DST argue that the added daylight has a positive impact on various aspects of mental health such as mood and anxiety. This, however, has been proved false. For instance, data from a study published in PLOS Computational Biology demonstrates that the time shift exacerbates mood and anxiety conditions.
The study found that the shift acted as a short-term stressor on human activity. On top of that, the shift to DST caused a rise in substance abuse. Standard time is nothing novel; it's the most natural option. The promise of more sunshine should not fool you, and the consequences of DST cannot be ignored. With all the stressors already present in students academic as well as their personal lives, we should be able to rely on a healthy time system, which would result in an overall increase in the quality of BHS students' lives.
LUCIA RADILLO
NEURODIVERSE AT BHS: ANXIETY KARIM MELEIS
Sweaty palms and a growing sense of dread, this is how anxiety feels for me. According to Oxford Languages, anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” To me, anxiety when you never really know what’s going to happen, no matter how well prepared you are. Sometimes it's unexpected, and other times it slowly builds up. As a junior at Berkeley High School, who chose to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, said, “(Anxiety is) every muscle in my body clenching up, (and) the inability to speak or communicate properly.” Anxiety affects many neurodiverse teenagers, and there are several types. For students, anxiety can be split into two broad categories: academic and social. Academic anxiety can be caused by upcoming tests or projects. Lawrence Baunach, a neurodivergent sophomore at BHS, experiences it as “a feeling like you can’t get any work done, that you’re procrastinating, that you’ll never be able to get that grade you want, no matter how hard you try”. I have struggled with academic anxiety and have found some helpful tips for dealing with it. Use a planner: a planner can help to plan out and budget time for studying and longterm projects. If you use a checklist and cross off assignments, it can help reduce your stress. Take a break: rather than trying to complete all of your homework at once, break it down into smaller chunks. By taking a break like reading a book or listening to music, you will be refocused and complete work faster. Social anxiety is different from academic anxiety. It is triggered by social situations and can lead to constant worrying about being judged by other people and social avoidance. From personal experience, I know that social anxiety can be isolating. In the words of Ajai Tinsley, a neurodiverse junior in BHS, “You think that whatever you do, somebody’s going to get mad at you for it.” Over the years I have learned an important strategy for combating it: Start slowly. Try working your way up slowly: trying to resolve your social anxiety by plunging into a stressful social situation all at once can lead to a panic attack, and it won’t fix your anxiety. You could start by saying hello to people, then move to making small talk with one person at a time. If you keep at it, you will gradually overcome your social anxiety and be able to participate in group conversations. As a student who has struggled with both academic and social anxiety, I know what it is like. Anxiety can be really difficult to deal with. But it isn’t hopeless. There are many ways to reduce anxiety, such as the ones I have shared with you. It is possible to defeat your fears, even though it may seem like an uphill battle. Sending positive vibes your way!
6 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023 EDITORIAL
Online activism must not become performative Perhaps the most crucial byproduct of social media, amid many detrimental effects on our society, is online activism. Social media provides a platform that enables activists and social movements to grow on a mass scale, aiding to both social and political change. However, as online activism has gained traction, a complicated expectation has arisen; an expectation that for every political incident, news story, or event, social media users must share their opinions, subjecting them to the judgment of the public. For teenagers, this expectation holds an even heavier burden. Asking a high schooler to weigh in on every political topic is a heavy expectation. Even for the average social media user, understanding how to curate a presence of digital advocacy is not an easy task.
OPINION
When teens fall victim to these expectations, in an unauthentic way, they may find themselves up on a stage. As the spotlight is shining down, and the audience stares back silently, teenagers still can’t figure out what is wrong with their performance. They did what was asked of them, yet why isn’t anyone applauding? Performative activists. This label is used to describe people who would rather put the time and energy into convincing the world that they aren’t racist, homophobic, xenophobic, etc, than work to disrupt the oppressive systems that are in place. While not limited to social media, a performative activist is a person who may exhibit concern and emotional investment towards an issue online, but complete indifference in the real world. As a result, people lose the ability to assess how they can continue to take action against the injustices they speak out for. For the performers, online activism has become just another way to boost social capital. At best, these actions are shallow, and at worst, harmful to the causes they claim to support. On June 2, 2020, #blackouttuesday swarmed Instagram feeds. The goal of the event was for all allies to post a black square on Instagram to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The intentions of this trend were well-meaning, but the flow of black squares buried critical information about the movement. Resources and videos that organizations and activists had posted under the BLM hashtag were hidden beneath the black squares. The event became a way for performers to manipulate the direction of the spotlight and prove their
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dedication to “wokeness” rather than a day of reflection and education on the solutions to the systemic problems that face Black people in the United States. When feeds are swarmed with empty posts, it becomes hard to weed out genuine and helpful activism. If these ineffective posts are the only ones you are exposed to, it can be hard to realize that more work needs to be done. With that said, online activism can be a powerful tool. It can improve the efficacy of activist movements, spread previously unvoiced stories, aid in the organization of movements, and cultivate supporters. It can thrust issues into the national spotlight and help mobilize movements. But online activism has never been as simple as reposting or sharing a story on Instagram. Finding a way to support an issue, without it becoming performative is a tricky line to walk. When Berkeley High School students are contemplating this quandary, the first thing they should consider is intention. If the intention is self-involved, it is performative. If the intention is to spread accurate information and resources in a way that benefits a movement, that would be deemed as genuine advocacy. BHS students need to practice self-reflection when working to differentiate these two actions. Advocacy doesn't stop once you turn off your phone, those issues don’t disappear as you mindlessly switch from Instagram to TikTok. Online activism is a crucial part of mobilizing movements, but without proper reflection, it can become just another way to exploit real-world injustices for personal gain.
Testing costs lead to financial strain, adjustment is needed BY ERIN LIAO staff writer
Around 60 percent of all students at Berkeley High School take an Advanced Placement (AP) exam each year. These exams are quite expensive for many students, as some may want to take more than one exam. Students may also want to take International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, which share the high price tag. Lowering exam fees would help students afford to pay for higher education and save money, which is why IB and AP exams should be significantly less expensive than they currently are for students at BHS. Currently, each AP exam costs $110, and each IB exam costs $130. These testing fees apply to almost all BHS students, excluding those who qualify for reduced lunch or who apply for non-automatic financial aid. These cost have a high impact on a large fraction of the BHS student body, as 29 percent of students are considered economically disadvantaged. Applying to college has always been incredibly unfair to those who come from low-income families. These students often do not have the same access to educational opportunities and are often the first in their families to go to college. The cost of these exams only makes college applications even more unfair. By lowering the cost of these tests, students of all backgrounds would be able to reach their full potential. Although the AP program is only taught in the U.S. and Canada, the
IB program is international and found throughout 159 different countries. Lowering these exam fees would also create a more inclusive education system for the 1.2 million students who take AP tests every year. Students in high school are already stressed with the school work, and they shouldn’t also be worried over exam fees. This stress tends
to build even more in college when students fall into student loans. This is specifically unfair to economically disadvantaged students. At BHS, over 900 students have registered for AP exams, and not every one of these students can afford the big price tag that comes with college. After paying the price of college
applications and test fees, students still have to pay for housing, dining, and much more in college. This may lead to questions about how the College Board and the IB program would afford to pay for the tests. These fees are necessary to keep exams running, but it doesn’t need to be as highly-priced as it currently is. The IB program also uses fundraising to run these exams. It appears that the program facilitators are simply financially benefiting from the high price. Even with applied financial aid, the fee for AP tests still comes out to over $50. In reality, the costs could easily still be covered even if the fee was lowered. For many students, the cost of the exam fees remains unreasonably high. Lowering these testing costs could change everything for those who are from low-income households. The College Board should heavily consider a cheaper method for these tests to be distributed among all testing students at BHS. In the future years, these programs should be improved with better funding to create a more positive impact on the overall BHS community.
CARINA NOTTINGHAM
OPINION
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
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Teaching current events in class allows students to stay informed BY ANNIKA JOY staff writer
There are always a vast number of critical events happening in our world, from politics to natural phenomena. These events affect people’s lives in many communities, including that of Berkeley High School. With so much going on, it’s important to stay educated on current events. Thinking critically and developing opinions is an essential part of growing into a productive member of society. Because of this, it’s important for teachers to teach current events in class to those who may not have access to the information on their own or who may not seek it own themselves. The process of getting information about the world, especially as a high school student, has become quite difficult. Very few students are regularly checking the newspaper or listening to the radio for news, and that number is only
decreasing. According to a Common Sense Media survey, only 41 percent of teens regularly got their news from news organizations in 2019. The truth is that most teenagers will be getting their knowledge from the internet and social media. Social media can be a useful tool and a great way to find information if looking in the right places. However, when it comes to controversial and complicated topics, looking for information on the internet can result in searching through a maze of contradicting facts, contrasting opinions, and hidden biases. One current example of this has been discussions around the Israel and Palestine conflict. With such a controversial topic that affects the world in many ways, it is vital to stay objectively informed, something that can be difficult to do when there are so many people sharing information with differing opinions and biases.
This is just one example of when it can be of great benefit for students to have a way to get reliable information. It can be dangerous to rely solely on social media to educate yourself on topics because it is easy to become misinformed. Giselle Dickinson, a sophomore at BHS, said, “I definitely wouldn’t be as informed as I am if current events were not taught in class, because lots of information on social media can be biased or filtered.” Another common place to learn information is in the home, via family members or family friends. This can be a good way to stay educated, but even gaining information from trusted adults can have its risks, as there is no way to guarantee that the information being spread is unbiased and one may adopt opinions that are not informed. To avoid this, teaching current events in classrooms is a great way to provide legitimate and unbiased information to teenagers about
Celebrity social media activism: Vastly beneficial when educated BY AVHA MEISELS staff writer
In this day and age, celebrities’ opinions tend to be thought of as fact and public figures often use their platforms to talk about politics. Sometimes this can be met with support, while other times people criticize celebrities for sharing their opinions and influencing their vast audience. However, as long as celebrities only post about issues they are actually passionate about and educated on, celebrity activism can be very useful in spreading important information to many people. It is important that if a celebrity chooses to share their thoughts on a political topic, they know what they are talking about. It is better to not say anything than to
say something uneducated. An example of this is Justin Bieber, a famous singer, who recently decided to post about the IsraelPalestine conflict on his Instagram. The singer was criticized for reposting a post that had a photo of destruction in Gaza with an overlaying caption that said “Praying for Israel.” Though he took it down almost immediately, many people still saw it and expressed their disappointment with the lack of education behind the post. The overall consensus from viewers was that they would have preferred him to post nothing than to post something uneducated. Another issue is that when every celebrity is posting about politics, it can take the stage away from activists who have something important to
SABINE SHAFFER
say. This is why celebrities should amplify the voices of pre-existing activists and educators. That allows them to use their platforms for good. Celebrities have also been accused of posting just for clout. Posting for clout is when a person posts about a serious political issue just because everyone else is doing it and they don’t want to be criticized for not speaking out. This is a problem because it normalizes the idea of posting for popularity rather than to make a difference. It also undermines and disrespects the people who are impacted by the issue at hand. Anybody who is going to post about an issue, not just celebrities, should do it with the intention of spreading awareness about something they care about, instead of just mindlessly posting something. Though there isn’t a right or wrong answer to whether celebrities should post about politics, what is important is that everyone does their best to be educated about what they are posting. Ultimately, we all have a responsibility to ensure that the conversations surrounding political issues are well informed and meaningful in order to create positive change.
current events. Some parents and members of the community may argue that teachers educating students on current events is inappropriate and should not be allowed, with one argument being that teachers are using their positions of authority to push certain viewpoints onto their students. This is a legitimate concern, as a teacher could potentially abuse the power imbalance between them and their students.
However, this is not a strong enough reason to completely prohibit teaching current events. It’s only a reason to emphasize the importance of teachers remaining as impartial as possible when presenting any information. Although teachers educating their students on current events may, like anything else, have its risks, there are enough responsible teachers and what they’re doing is essential enough for young minds that it is
JENNIFER YOC FERREIRA
more than justified. Teenagers must have means to access legitimate and unbiased information, and school is a great way to get that, as long as personal biases are minimized. Teaching current events in class can be a way for teenagers to receive essential information about the world that they may not have access to anywhere else, and taking that away would be detrimental to the education of the rising generation.
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
INVESTIGATIVE
INVESTIGATIVE EDITOR: JOSEPHINE MORASKY
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INVESTIGATIVE
‘I don’t feel safe right now:’ BHS AAPI community grapples with social impacts of COVID-19 especially when they’re experiencing on a pedestal,” Sandiego said. “White people, targeted hate. or the American government, they basically “It’s very important that students feel put Asians on the pedestal so that they can like they can be themselves and tell the make other races look bad. ... They’re kind of stories that they need to tell and express the dismissing everything that an individual is, feelings that they need to express, without and their struggles.” On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, in feeling like they need Laurel explained that the Acworth, Georgia, eight people were to conform or modify pandemic helped bring awareness killed in the Atlanta Spa Shootings, with “The model minority it in a way that’s more to the fact that Asian Americans six of the victims being women of Asian myth is so prevalent that palatable for people who do experience oppression. descent. According to Matthew Laurel, the don’t understand,” Liew “We are definitely a community I think a lot of people Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) said. of color, a marginalized had kind of forgotten literature class teacher at Berkeley High Similarly, community, a community that gets School, this incident, along with many about the fact that Asian Chou mentioned that targeted for various things,” Laurel other reports of Asian American hate Americans have and having a strong support said. “The more visibility, the more crimes that occurred during the pandemic, continue to face racism.” system was what really awareness around anti-Asian hate shocked the BHS community. helped them during the is a good thing.” “That was one of the first times we pandemic. According to Laurel, visibility Evelyn Chou saw, in modern history, a direct shooting “I think it’s is an important aspect of the massacre directed at Asian people,” said BHS senior important to have people AAPI literature class. That’s why Laurel. The AAPI literature class, which to talk to about it so that he believes was an addition to BHS in you’re not bottling (your emotions) up and that it’s important for the 2022-23 school year, “There is an intentional internalizing them,” Chou said. his students to feel a was created primarily Chou also explained that on a larger conversation being had strong sense of belonging because of the hate against scale, she feels the event has eased some amongst us Asian American and connection in his Asian Americans during tensions between specific Asian American staff at school to create more classroom. the pandemic, according to ethnicities. Sandiego believes Laurel. spaces so that we’ll be more this connection between “With the rise in hate crimes and the Between 2019 and 2020, equipped later down the road, Stop AAPI Hate movement, that kind of Asian American students there was a 77 percent brought a sense of Asian unity within the and so that we’re more visible and other members of increase in hate crimes entire community,” Chou said. “As much as their community has also in our own school." against Asian Americans the hate crimes took a toll on everyone, they been extremely prevalent nationwide. In San also brought us together.” as students try to process Francisco alone, there Tiffany Liew Chou explained their desire for this sense the hate crimes. Sandiego was around a 500 percent BHS Counselor of unity to continue to hold strong within explained that trying to increase in reported hate the AAPI community. She also hopes talk to her non-Asian crimes against AAPI that people continue to talk about what teachers about her experience was never the people between 2020 and 2021. Jocelyn happened, so as to not forget or disregard same as talking to her Asian teachers. Mae Sandiego, a junior at BHS, shared how what the AAPI community went through “When I talk to my Asian teachers, I felt like reading about hate crimes against the AAPI during the pandemic. they could really relate to my situation, and community during the pandemic caused Liew explained that in the future, she they could put in more support,” Sandiego extreme duress. wants more conversations to be had about said. “There was this one article that I read the hate crimes during the pandemic and BHS counselor Tiffany Liew agreed that about this Filipino boy in New York. … similar instances of oppression, so that teachers, counselors, and clubs that represent These kids saw him and started taunting students can feel more seen. the Asian community are invaluable resources him or something,” Sandiego said. “I don’t “There is an intentional conversation f o r students, even remember exactly what was in that being had amongst us Asian American staff article, but it just made me feel so sad. at school to create more spaces so that I think I cried for two hours. I was just we’ll be more equipped later down the talking and crying to my mom about, ‘Oh road, and so that we’re more visible in my god, that could’ve been me. That guy our own school,” Liew said. was my age. I kind of look like that guy.’ Laurel explained that when That was when I was like ‘Wow, I don’t talking about these kinds of sensitive feel safe right now.”’ topics, people need to be mindful Despite how traumatic the hate of taking up too much space, crimes during the pandemic were, especially when speaking from an BHS senior Evelyn Chou explained outsider’s perspective. He advises that it did bring considerable that we should be aware of how our attention to the struggles of Asian experiences and prejudices affect Americans in the United States. our place in the conversation. According to Chou, something Laurel acknowledged that that has obscured Asian American everyone affected by the hate struggles in the past is the model crimes will continue to process minority myth. Centered around them in different ways, especially stereotypes, the model minority since not everyone was affected in myth largely pushes the idea that the same ways. He expressed that Asian Americans are automatically the more people share their stories, successful and have more privileges experiences, and learn about their than other minority groups. heritage, the better. “The model minority myth is so “I think those are the types of prevalent that I think a lot of people things that will ultimately help Asian had kind of forgotten about the fact that American students at Berkeley High, and Asian Americans have and continue to face by extension, in the United States, feel racism,” Chou said. more a part of society, more a part of the Sandiego shared a similar sentiment. communities,” Laurel said. “In this world, a lot of people put Asians BY KALI PROUD staff writer
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BY ELSA DIETZ staff writer PHOTOS BY JAHAN INGRAHAM AND ILLUSTRATION BY JO PURCELL
BHS exchange students: 'A different environment'
AIKO IGUCHI
EMILIA LEONARDI
' ' ESTEFANIA BELEN OYANADEL ALFARO
Aiko Iguchi, a junior at Berkeley High School, found that moving to Berkeley for her junior year of high school has given her a fresh start. Coming from Brussels, Belgium, she noticed differences between BHS and her school at home. “I find it really crazy that you have open note quizzes,” Iguchi said. “(BHS has) an open campus so everybody can just walk in and out
which I find really crazy … (Also at BHS,) there's less subjects. We have 13 subjects a week,” said Iguchi. Iguchi’s private school in Belgium is similar in size to BHS, but she has found that the people at BHS are very different. “People here are so much more open and nice … I used to go to a private school, which is also a different environment,” said Iguchi. Although the transition
to BHS was difficult, Iguchi appreciates her counselor and her peers for making her feel welcome. “My counselor was super, super nice. And my friends, and just people in general were super kind and open,” said Iguchi. “Now it pretty much feels like I've been living here for a long while.” Iguchi also appreciates the freedom to choose classes at BHS. “I love how there's so many diverse
subjects. There's so many different subjects you can choose from,” said Iguchi. Iguchi looks forward to a year of new experiences. “I'm just getting to know the different traditions and events that there are in America and the high school experience," Iguchi said. "For school, I'm trying to take it a little bit calmer … (I look forward to) having fun and having a stress free year.”
Emilia Leonardi came from Rome, Italy to BHS for her senior year because she was curious about experiencing a different school system. The first thing Leonardi noticed about BHS was the size. “ I was really confused, and I feel like the school is too big because there's too many buildings and it's too difficult to understand,” said Leonardi. At her school in Italy, there is just one
building and students stay in the same classroom all day. Leonardi also noticed differences in how the schools are structured. “(In Italy), you just choose a school … It could be more (of) a scientific school or a more humanistic school … you don't choose your subjects, and you do the same two subjects every year for five years, and we have five years of high school, not
four,” said Leonardi. The school spirit at BHS is also different from that in Rome. "I think Americans are crazy," said Leonardi upon observing Red and Gold Day. "It wouldn't happen in Italy." Although being an exchange student comes with its challenges, like making friends and adjusting to a new school, Leonardi has found that going through such a
major change has helped her grow as a person. “(It) really helped me to focus on myself, actually … you're alone, and in a different country. You have to step out of your comfort zone,” said Leonardi. Leonardi hopes that by the end of her year at BHS, she will look back on a great year. “(I hope) at the end to say I don't want to go back home because it was a good experience,” Leonardi said.
For Belén Estefanía Oyanadel Alfaro, a junior from Concepción, Chile, the transition to BHS was easier than she expected. “The transition to Berkeley High was not as difficult as I thought at first because in my country I was studying almost every day to speak well, as well as they can understand me … Also, I have had good friends and good partners that are always supporting me,” said Oyanadel Alfaro.
However, it was difficult for Oyanadel Alfaro to leave behind her friends, family, and her old life when she came to BHS. “It was sad (to leave) at first of course, because you already have your relationships there, your daily routine. So, that all will be new,” said Oyanadel Alfaro. Oyanadel Alfaro came to BHS as an exchange student to broaden her perspective and learn about different
cultures. “I think there's a lot of opportunities and you can open your vision of the world (by) staying in another country. (I wanted to) go to study in another country with other people that have different customs … There's a lot of diversity in Berkeley so that's what I liked the most,” said Oyanadel Alfaro. On her first day at BHS, Oyanadel Alfaro noticed the diversity of the school and how accepting the teachers
were. “(The school has) nice teachers that respect all your pronouns and your reasons (for) being,” said Oyanadel Alfaro. During her time at BHS, Oyanadel Alfaro hopes to improve her English and make new connections. “I'm really (looking forward to) speak English well ... (I hope to) have good grades, hang out with nice peoples and get support with my teachers,” said Oyanadel Alfaro.
10 F R I D A Y , N O V E M B E R 3 , 2 0 2 3 THE PERFECT BITE: EVERYTHING PUPUSAS CLEMENTINE UHLANER
Salvadoran food proves time and time again to be one of my all time favorite cuisines. From glistening golden sweet plantains, to soft and delicate tamales, to deliciously cheesy pupusas, it always leaves me full and satisfied when devouring my meal. It never ceases to amaze me how uniquely flavorful Salvadoran food is, and I never see it get the recognition it deserves. Specifically in the East Bay, despite its prevalence, I think that it flies a little too low under the radar in certain situations. In our immediate area of Downtown Berkeley, two restaurants particularly stand out to me; Las Delicias Salvadoran Restaurant on Kala Bagai Way and Platano on University Avenue. Both hold a special place in my heart and stomach, but I still find myself regularly contemplating my favorite between the two. This week, I wanted to settle my personal dispute; which one would stand out and prove to be my favorite? At each restaurant, I ordered the exact same thing: A revuelta pupusa, plantains, a mar y tierra plate, and an order of pastelitos. Both pupusas were served with each restaurant’s version of their signature curtido and salsa, creating a beautiful balance in each bite, a slight tangy crunch paired with its decadent cheesy insides. Both plantains were everything a plantain should be, nicely sweet and soft. The pastelitos were fried to perfection with just the right amount of meaty filling. Each mar y tierra plate came with thinly sliced steak, shrimp, casamiento, and pico de gallo. Las Delicias Salvadoran Restaurant has been a staple of mine for a while, it’s just past Shattuck Avenue, tucked away right beyond Saigon Express. They offer just about any pupusa option you could imagine, with wide varieties of both rice and corn flour selections. While waiting for food, you can even hear the chefs forming each pupusa with rhythmic claps back and forth. Everything I ordered was amazing, I love this restaurant and I’ve never had a bad experience. Platano, also a favorite, has an extensive menu that covers just about anything you could possibly want when ordering Salvadoran food. Physically, the location is much larger than Las Delicias and the menu does have a wider selection. Everything was served beautifully and each aspect was hot and fresh, practically steaming. I could tell that every element of each dish was made with care, the presentation was stunning and the taste was even better. While both restaurants will continue to stay favorites of mine, Platano really proved to me this week just how amazing their food consistently is. It deserves all its admiration if not more. If you haven’t given it a chance yet, Platano is the perfect stop when searching for pupusas.
FEATURES
Understaffing harms BHS lunch workers BY MUHAMMAD DELGADO staff writer
In recent years, the number of students getting lunch at school has risen. This year, the lunch line in the cafeteria regularly stretches all the way down to the middle of the dining hall for the better portion of lunch. According to both students and faculty, the issue appears not to be that Berkeley High School has insufficient facilities to efficiently meet the lunchtime needs of its students, but instead, that it lacks the staff. Food Server Assistant David Fair has worked in the Berkeley Unified School District for 13 years and he attests to the rise of students in the lunch line. “I’ve seen the rise even since I’ve been here,” he said. Fair attributes the long wait times to the fact that there are not enough people to assist in serving food. “It’s three people doing the work. We need an extra body here. We could actually use two extra bodies,” said Fair. Being short staffed results in a number of challenges, such as having to multitask
and take on more work than is meant to be done by one person. Employers have yet to support lunch service with the workers they need. “We asked my supervisor, and they say, ‘Oh, HR is not hiring nobody right now’, and they can’t find nobody,” Fair said, “We have enough time to serve everybody, we (just) don’t have enough people to keep the line moving.” Students sympathize with the lunch service frenzy. BHS senior Arvin Ghaemmaghami said that the district should “absolutely” try to find new staff to assist in the operation of lunch service. Some also recognize that students have a role to play in the lunch process too. “There could be more (workers),” said freshman Emmet Holton. “But at some point the line would slow down just because it’s not that the people making it aren’t going fast enough, it’s that people just aren’t getting their lunch fast enough.” Another cause of the increased wait times are the repeated instances of cutting that take place in the lunchline. “You got folks
that are cutting that line … it drives up traffic,” Fair said. Cutting in the lunchline results in the already understaffed lunch service team having to divert their attention. “When we have to stop and tell them, ‘Hey, don’t cut the line, it slows us up,’” said Fair. As a result of the cutting situation, students suffer disproportionate waiting times, with those abiding by the first-come-firstserve principle having to wait much longer than those students that show up whenever they please and cut in line. “They wait forever because of the cutting,” Ghaemmaghami said. “It’s to the point where you feel like not eating or cutting the line is a better option than waiting
ALESSIO GILABERT-PAPAGNI
for sometimes up to 20 minutes.” Ghaemmaghami said that this behavior invites a cycle of cutting that “only worsens the issue” for those who wait patiently. Dealing with cutting is something that adds to the already busy workload that food service manages. “Food service needs some more people,” Fair said, “(In the meantime) have a sense of urgency; understand that we are working as hard as we can.” The food service team performs an invaluable and indispensable job: keeping BHS fed. As their department is currently understaffed and in need of new hires, Ghaemmaghami said, “The lunch service staff need to be appreciated more.”
Career change teachers: Why they teach BY SHANZA SYED staff writer
While many teachers at Berkeley High School are drawn to their profession from the start, others find their calling later in life, after pursuing different careers. They might not like their previous jobs, or feel that they have a responsibility to help educate the next generation, or simply want to be around the creative ideas of the youth. Here are the stories of three teachers who found the BHS community after working outside the education sector. Dan Goldfield, an IB Math Applications teacher at BHS, previously worked as the director of information technology at a multinational corporation
in Silicon Valley, where he dealt with mergers and acquisitions as well as quality insurance. His main job however, was implementing and managing the computer systems that ran the whole business. This entailed visiting factories and finetuning business practices to be more efficient. But after noticing the state of the nation, he decided to pursue teaching. “Seeing George W. Bush as president made me realize that we needed better thinkers out there. I think a lot of people were just voting and weren’t thinking very well, and I thought the best place I could help do that would be in high school teaching,” said Goldfield. Universal Ninth Grade Math teacher Elyssa Thome echoed these sentiments. “I
Dan Goldfield is now a teacher at BHS.
JULIAN NATHAN
wanted to do something I felt was meaningful,” said Thome. “I was getting really frustrated at work, and I really liked my company. I liked the people I was working with ... As far as a job in PR it was the best I could imagine, and I still really was unhappy there.” Thome worked a few different jobs in communications and the writing sector before settling on teaching. Throughout these careers, however, she remained surrounded by educators and spent her free time tutoring students, which eventually led her to become a teacher. While Thome loves teaching, she sometimes finds it challenging. “It was a lot easier in office jobs to have a day where I’m sort of working but not working very hard. When you’re teaching you’re on all day,” said Thome. “(But) it’s nice to feel like I did something in the day.” Goldfield misses having the autonomy to change things on the fly if they weren’t working. “The pace of change in education is glacial,” said Goldfield. “If you move too quickly you upset the class chemistry. It’s more sensitive.” Like Thome and
Goldfield, Jim Morehead, a student teacher for BHS Physics teacher Jesse Pabico, wants to become a teacher to share his knowledge with students. For over 20 years he worked at various companies, designing and testing lasers, focusing on the mathematical and theoretical analysis that ensured the lasers performed as intended. “I’ve spent so long learning about all this stuff and it takes a long time, a lot of concentrated effort. I was thinking that now that I finally understand it, I could help high school students understand it,” said Morehead. He misses having a flexible schedule and the challenge that his old work brought to his life, but enjoys working with young people. “I absolutely love working with the up-andcoming generation. It gives me hope. Every class I see cross that stage I get excited about what all those people are going to do,” said Goldfield, recalling past students who have gone on to work at NASA, Tesla, or in the government. “It’s always good to connect with them every once in a while and see all the stuff they’re implementing,” he added.
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FEATURES
For 82 years, the oldest U.S. Black-owned bookstore inspires BY CARINA THOMAS staff writer
Turn the knob and the bell rings with a swing of the door, welcome to Marcus Books. The store has several shelves littered with knowledge in the form of powerful books. Tables lined up at the entrance showcase various household items from calendars and journals, to lunch bags and little gifts. Soulful jazz music flows from the air into the ears of customers as their noses fill with the scent of sweet wood and their eyes are tickled with
colorful book covers. “My parents started the store; it’s family owned/ op erated,” s aid Blanche Richardson, the bookstore’s manager and owner. The Marcus Bookstore, located in Oakland, California has been around since 1960, serving as the nation’s oldest independent Black-owned bookstore. As the daughter of Doctors Raye and Julian Richardson, the store’s two founders, Richardson carries on the legacy of spreading Black joy and knowledge through the existence of Marcus Books. The name of the bookstore
Blanche Richardson works, enveloped in bookshelves.
was inspired by “the honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey,” said Richardson. Garvey was a Jamaican political activist w h o fou n d e d an d to ok part in multiple political organizations, hoping to spread the beauty and empowerment of African cultures. Marcus Books carries on this mission of reminding Black individuals of their beauty and importance by holding a space dedicated to sharing written pieces by and about Black people. Additionally, books starring other authors and characters of color can be found throughout the shelves, symbolizing
SUNNY BEVIS-LIPTON
Marcus Book’s dedication to Richardson, Marcus Books a very diverse and friendly racial justice and solidarity. aims to attract readers, selection of novels to choose “(Our goal is to) provide activists, celebrities, and folks from, whether one desires to a source for knowledge about looking for the truth about expand their knowledge on the history, culture and future Black History. Black history and political of Black people in the African A n o t h e r i m p o r t a n t issues, or simply wants to read Diaspora, (and) provide a aspect of the bookstore is a hearty and humorous romvenue where Black and other its emphasis on diversity com with a main character peoples of color w h i c h re f l e c t s can connect with their own identity. aut h or s ,” s ai d “Reading “Within three minutes of sitting down Richardson. greatly increases with a book, your brain begins to produce While Marcus t h e q u a l it y of endorphins, your blood pressure lowers, Books serves your life,” said and your heart rate calms.” as a place for Richardson, customers to “Within 3 b r ow s e b o o k s minutes of sitting Blanche Richardson related to down with a Manager and owner of Marcus Books Black culture book, your brain and histor y, it begins to produce regularly attracts out of state within the Black community. endorphins, your blood and out of country visitors. Marcus Books truly reflects pressure lowers, and your Richardson has described the Black experience and heart rate calms.” The soothing one of her favorite parts of brings attention to aspects aspect of reading, along with leading Marcus Books as of Black identities — from the importance of racial being, “constantly exposed to short stories on Black hair, to awareness is the foundation Black literature and meeting autobiographies written by that Marcus Books thrives on interesting people.” The Black changemakers. There are in order to bring attention to opportunity to connect with sections with books containing political and societal issues well known and influential Black main characters for that connect to the Black Black icons through the infants and young children community. On any visit to bookstore works towards the who unknowingly desire to the store on Martin Luther store’s mission of spreading find the beauty in their skin King Jr. Way, one can expect Black excellence and intellect. color. Additionally, there to leave the store accompanied “We are fortunate to receive are sections with romance by the ring of a bell and a book a good deal of favorable and fantasy novels catered to in hand, prepared to fill one’s word-of-mouth and local teens going through the stage mind with Black knowledge and national publicity,” said of exploring their literary and immersing and exciting Richardson. According to interests. Marcus Books offers diverse stories.
Students weigh in: Best places to take your canine companion and long, perfect for my dog,” said Srifi. “It goes in a perfect loop so I can start on one side and end on the other side.” Berkeley is home to a In addition to providing massive community of dog room to roam, the scenery in owners who cherish their and around Tilden is enjoyable companions. Whether for dogs and humans alike. interested in scenic parks or “My dog loves the water,” said pet-friendly establishments, Blankenhaus. “I’ve taken my t hes e re commend at ions dog especially to Lake Anza in accommodate various Tilden. It is a beautiful lake to pre fe re nc e s among d o g let your dog play around and owners. The y als o b ear see beautiful scenery. ” connection to the ways in T hat s ai d, s ome d o g which Berkeley regulates its owners may not appreciate parks to keep the muddy aspects them sanitar y of the Tilden trails. and beautiful. “... It’s convenient for my pet and I to have For this reason, Opinions were Greer is a fan of a nice stroll down to the park.” diverse when it South Park Drive, came to most “a long street on a Lila Srifi parks, as most cement trail in the Berkeley High BHS sophomore and dog owner woods of Tilden. School students It’s especially my preferred to stay favorite, because I close to their homes. don’t like cleaning off my dog’s BHS junior. “I normally take our dog dirt, ” she said. Green open spaces are to King Middle School Park amenities that a good park In general, several because I live close by,” said should have and students and interviewees found that all Keller Greer, a BHS junior. their pets are often drawn to Berkeley dog parks were “I also know a lot of dogs them. Dre’Lynn Williams, a excellent places for their that go there since they are new sophomore from Texas, pet’s recreation, because the my neighbors, so it is a safe agreed. “I haven’t been to many City of Berkeley provides environment for me.” They parks yet, but I love San Pablo unrestricted access in certain favor nearby parks because Park because it is so open time blocks. Berkeley enforces of t h e i r re l at i ve s afe t y which is perfect for my dog,” strict regulations, enforcing and familiarity with the he said. specific times and locations for community. When it comes to finding the presence of dogs. “At King, Aside from safety, the noteworthy spots to take during the school year, you’re convenience of a quick stroll one’s dog, Tilden Regional not supposed to go before to relieve one’s dogs of its park consistently stands out. 6:00 p.m. because students are needs and get some fresh air is This is primarily owing to its playing sports on the field,” another consideration. Nearby landscape, which offers ample said Greer. parks deal with both, killing room for dogs to explore. Berkeley also prescribes two birds with one stone. “Tilden Park, because I have restrictions and penalties for “Grove Park is my main go to this go-to trail and it’s just nice cleaning your dog poop, so BY KIMIA AZADPUR staff writer
place because I live really close to it,” said Lila Srifi, a BHS sophomore. “For that reason, it’s convenient for my pet and I to have a nice stroll down to the park.” Another factor in park recommendations are their special features. For example, parks with green open spaces are preferred for especially active dogs. “I take my dog to James Kenny Park, because it has a nice green field perfect for my dog to run around,” said Lea Blankenhaus, a
Dogs run around Berkeley’s Ohlone Dog Park.
GEORGIA PAULOS
everyone can enjoy green while in the park. “It’s a pretty people who have dogs, if your spaces. Williams observed mandatory rule that you keep dog is more on the violent some significant differences your dog on a leash,” said side,” he said. “It will create an in Berkeley’s approach to Blankenhaus. “If your dog is uncomfortable environment responsible canine ownership. quite aggressive, it will end up for the people around you and “ Te x as w as n’t yourself.” ver y heavy on Sf iri agreed, “Tilden Park, because I have this go-to picking up poop, and touching on we also didn’t trail and it’s just nice and long, perfect for the safety of one’s recycle a lot own dog as well. my dog.” out there. … In “You never know if Berkeley, they are other dogs around Lea Blankenhaus more strict about you are safe or BHS junior and dog owner keeping things friendly,” Sfiri said. clean,” he said. All in all, In addition, Berkeley provides Berkeley enforces specific being a bad experience.” many suitable and friendly rules for the safety of one’s Williams gives another recreation spaces for all of its dog and other park enthusiasts reason for this rule: “you residents, whether human or which people must follow should be considerate of other four-legged companion.
ENTERTAINMENT
12 F R I D A Y , N O V E M B E R 3 , 2 0 2 3
BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS: KAIYA JORDAN & SIMON POLICY
SELF IMAGE AND SHAME ANNABELLE ARMSTRONG-TEMPLE
Probably everyone you know, including yourself, has an idea about what their body should look like. Likely, your perception of how things should be doesn’t always match up with what you see in the mirror. You might even feel ashamed and try to compensate. I’ve been there, to the point of checking my appearance every two minutes to try to achieve a “better me.” Our minds tend to pit us against the world – they analyze how we talk, speak, and think, then compare it to how we perceive other people doing the same. Many of us have social media, and it’s inherently a mixed bag. On one hand, it’s a great place for expression and even learning about yourself and the world. On the other hand, the full truth isn’t necessarily a given, and it can cause a lot of comparison and self shaming. Life isn’t just what is shown on Instagram. There’s no way to tell what someone truly thinks about or looks like all the time by just looking online. We also get a lot of ideas about our bodies from our families. For some, that could be constant comments about weight, directed at themselves or you. Other times, it’s a little more subtle, comments on food choices or generally eating healthier. All of these things have a big impact on how we feel about our own bodies. Even if no one ever comments on your body or food choices, you might still end up comparing yourself to a certain standard because you’re used to your family doing that to themselves. Whether it’s constant comments about weight or food choices, how our family thinks about “healthy” bodies influences how we think about ourselves. There is an influx, especially online, of what is called “body positivity.” This is the idea that no matter what your body looks like, it’s a good one, and you deserve to feel comfortable in it. There’s also “body neutrality,” which is appreciating what your body does for you while taking the focus off of appearance. These ideas can be hard to internalize, though, as it requires a change in mindset and a certain intentional ignorance of the state of social standards. It’s okay if you don’t know how to be completely okay with your body, and it’s okay to want change. But be mindful of just how easy it is to fall into an unhealthy mindset about bodies, eating, or presentation. If you need help with body image, reaching out to a counselor or even finding posts online about body positivity, body neutrality, or body acceptance can make it easier to stop comparisons. The next time you notice that you’re comparing your body to someone else’s, whether it’s online or in person, remember that your body, no matter how it changes, isn’t going anywhere. Trying out a new expression or wanting to post your confidence isn’t a bad thing. Don’t feel ashamed for being yourself. Have fun and be safe.
KAIYAJORDAN@STUDENTS.BERKELEY.NET
Halloween film fest: Filmmaker spotlight CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
sees from something else’s eyes. Huhndorf-Lima described the script-writing process as, “the loosest process I’ve had writing a script. I had one idea where I just wanted a very loose story structure. I just wanted startling imagery. That somehow boiled down to seeing these visions and images flashing to the mind. And the story kind of made itself from there.” He shot all of his footage in one night, and spent the rest of his process editing and revising. “I really liked horror movies and was really excited to make it. I had a lot of inspiration to pull
from. I’m really happy with mysteriously shift and move the beginning, the middle the finished project,” said around her. She at first can’t which is rising action, and Camhan Ngo, a senior in IB figure out who is doing it, the climax. With horror it HL film. but eventually finds out that usually ends on a climax, N g o ’ s there’s no resolution. film,“Inhabited,” is So just figuring out “I wanted to play with the idea of about a girl who has those points of action recurring dreams taking over someone’s life and living it.” I wanted to have and about her basement, then making a mood and eventually board. The whole Camhan Ngo decides to go check vibe of it,” said Blazej BHS senior in IB Film HL what’s down there. Moore. She gets locked All of these inside by an evil she’s moving things herself films and more were shown fairy who shape shifts into without remembering it. on Tuesday, Oct. 31 in the her and takes over her life. “So there’s three acts, little theater. “I wanted to play with the idea of taking over someone’s life and living it,” Ngo said. Kaitlin Blazej Moore, a BHS senior, is showcasing their film “Little Things” which follows a girl who starts to notice little things Huhndorf-Lima’s film, “Eyes Closed.” COURTESY OF MIGUEL HUHNDORF-LIMA
Stills from Ngo’s film, “Inhabited.”
COURTESY OF CAMHAN NGO
OREN STILES
Media love triangles draw teen viewers in BY AMAR WALKER staff writer
Tropes are a fundamental aspect of romance novels, whether it’s friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, grumpy/ sunshine, or forbidden love. However, there’s one trope that is suffocatingly popular and just as chaotic: the love triangle. While the details can vary, the most typical love triangle involves two guys hopelessly falling for the same girl. When it’s done well, it can be compelling to read. Oftentimes, however,
love triangles get messy. One of the most obsessedover love triangles is in “The Hunger Games” series. Katniss, the protagonist, is forced to choose between Gale, her best friend, and Peeta, a charming boy in her district. According to junior Maya Merhige, “It’s one of the most iconic ones.” The decision between who the main character should be with isn’t easy. “If it’s an obvious answer, like who that character should be with, then yeah, it’s fine. But if it’s a hard decision, then it breaks my heart because it’s hard to choose
EMIKO ARONEN
between people,” said freshman Mahrosh Shabir. There isn’t always a happy ending that the readers want. “Everyone kind of hates each other, they keep going back to each other but it’s just not right. And then I just feel bad for the other person who isn’t in it,” said sophomore Julia Marks. In “The Summer I Turned Pretty” books and TV series, there’s a love triangle between the main character, Belly, and two brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher. Belly goes back and forth between the brothers, making the love triangle particularly chaotic. The series gained a lot of attention, and people from all over have been arguing over which boy Belly should be with. “People find it fun to debate with people about which character is better,” said Shabir, “I think authors love to create that drama.” Some of the messier romance novels with love triangles include “The Kissing Booth” series and the “Twilight” series. In
both of these novels, the love interest is painfully indecisive about who she wants to date, so the audience is left wondering what’s going to happen. The reason these love triangles are so entertaining is because of how unpredictable they can be. There’s always plot twists and switch-ups. “People love the drama, they love saying what’s gonna happen and who’s gonna end up with who. It’s back and forth. They’re with this person, and then they’re with the other one,” Marks said. While both of the above series are widely considered cheesy, they have huge fanbases. Love triangles in novels are often dramatic, but that can be relatable with teenage relationships. Even though these series can get chaotic, it’s understandable why they’re popular with a teenage audience. “Certain aspects of (love triangles) are very applicable to people’s everyday lives, especially as a teenager at school,” Merhige said.
ENTERTAINMENT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
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Jazz Ensemble holds vibrant concert, shares musical passion BY EVA DICKINSON staff writer
The Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble started off their concert season with a spirited performance on Thursday Oct. 26, 2023 at the Florence Schwimley Little Theater. Their opening number “Blues for Kazu” by Brandon Moore quickly set the precedent for a high quality performance.
It established a vibrant, joyful atmosphere that was displayed throughout the set list. The song featured trumpet and bass with a standout solo from trumpet player Mason Pancoast. This was followed with “Trinacria” by John LaBarbera and then “Oleo” by Sonny Rollins which were both well performed and showcased many strong solos. For the last few months,
The BHS Jazz Ensemble performs in the Little Theater.
members of the BHS Jazz Ensemble have been practicing inside and outside of school to learn the eight song set list that was performed. “Being in a band like this, it just pushes me to be my best self and just put the best performance out there every time,” said trumpet player and BHS senior Marcel Jenson. The band’s dedication to their music was displayed
SASHA BALASUBRAMANIAN
in their next song “Una Her melodic singing added to the music and were a Vez Mas” composed by a new layer to the music welcomed addition to the Dafnis Prieto, which was and was truly one of the piece. particularly complex highlights of the night. The The final song and difficult to learn. Its song served as a break from “Veneración” by Miguel lively Latin rhythm and the more traditional jazz Matamoros was a exceptional piano and music that was played up worthy piece to end the trumpet solos made this until this point. performance. It was deeper song one of the most “I’m just thankful for and slower than the two memorable of the set. being in this program songs before and had a great After a short intermission, because there’s just so saxophone solo, gaining the four combos made up of five many good people,” said ensemble a well deserved to seven students performed Fletcher Piper, BHS senior standing ovation by the one or two songs each. All and guitarist, “You learn so audience. but one of the combos are many things from just being “I love jazz, and making completely student run, and around like all your friends.” music and practicing practice outside of class. The ensemble started the together every day, and I love The outlier is a special second half of their set with the community in general. group run by There’s a lack Irene Sazer that of diversity, It established a vibrant joyful atmosphere both genderwas made to showcase less and that was displayed throughout the set list. wise conventional racially, within j a z z jazz that we’re instruments. It is composed “Nica’s Dream” composed by always working to improve of a flute, violin, cello, Horace Silver. This song was upon, but in general the guitar and percussion. The fast and energetic, featuring community is really, really combo played two songs an animated saxophone great,” said flute player and at the Wednesday Oct. solo from BHS junior Kalu BHS junior Amber Safir. 25 performance and both Caldas. They followed this The overall BHS Jazz featured very strong solos up with a slower song, community, even outside the from varying members. “Waltz of the Penguins” by ensemble, is filled with a lot In the second of the two Tom Kubis. of talented and hardworking songs, “Chan Chan” by the In “Evil Ways” by Sonny musicians. Going to their Kora Jazz Trio, violinist and Henry, an upbeat cuban concerts is a great way to BHS junior Tanvi Kumar song, Kumar sang for the immerse yourself in the momentarily put down her second time. Her vocals yet genre and appreciate jazz in violin in favor of her voice. again added a focal point a new light.
‘Five Nights At Freddy’s’ has a fractured and confused tone BY ZACHARY YOO staff writer
There are few cultural fixtures as bizarre as “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” Starting in 2014 as a phone and PC game developed by a single person, the indie series was elevated to its current smash-hit status by YouTube content creators like Markiplier and MatPat. This virality has led to numerous games, spinoffs, novels, and now a massively successful movie adaptation. And for better or for worse, the series’ film adaptation embraces the simplistic nature of the early games. The movie revolves around Mike Schmidt, played by Josh Hutcherson. Based on the protagonist from the first game, Mike reluctantly takes a job as a security guard at the defunct Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. The once family-friendly Chuck-E-Cheese-inspired arcade is now haunted by killer animatronics of humanoid animals. Mike eventually discovers that his younger brother’s traumatizing disappearance years ago is somehow linked to the restaurant. Abby, his younger sister who is played by Piper Rubio, helps to solve the mystery while beginning to befriend the robots.
The screenplay, penned in part by the games’ creator, Scott Cawthon, is expectedly strange. And while the movie acknowledges the absurdity of the franchise’s premise, it takes questionable steps to expand the story. Most of the series’ gameplay takes place in an office looking at a wall of camera feeds, so several original characters and plotlines are added to make the movie watchable. The result is mixed; the new character Abby is a delight, but a plotline about her brother and aunt’s custody battle over her goes nowhere. The performances are hitor-miss. Josh Hutcherson is plenty compelling, as is Piper Rubio. But some others are quite strange – Mary Stuart Masterson and Matthew Lillard (both of whom play antagonists) are
both so much hammier than the rest of the cast. The movie’s tone, as a result, is confused. While the scares hit as intended, the fractured mood dilutes the suspense. In the span of minutes, the film will go from horror to campy comedy. The film’s tone is just all over the place, trying to be too much at once. It transitions from a silly romp about killer robots who are actually just misunderstood, to a reference-filled love letter to fans, to an adequate horror movie. Unfortunately, it can’t be all three. As credits roll, the viral song, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” by rock band The Living Tombstone plays. In it, a warbled voice sings, “Five Nights At Freddy’s – is this where you want to be?” The answer is no.
COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES
(between Shattuck Ave. and Milvia St.)
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ENTERTAINMENT
CGI vs. practical effects: Impacts on film authenticity realistic over time, but even the newest technology very rarely looks as authentic as practical effects on a high definition screen. The use of CGI has Additionally, since practical skyrocketed over the last effects use physical objects, few decades, making it easy actors’ performances can be to forget that it hasn’t always enhanced by this element of been a part of the film realism. Rather than having industry. However, to imagine what it is some filmmakers they are interacting Some directors, such as the continue to with, they are able stick by original to see it, which gives renowned Christopher Nolan, practical effects deliberately avoid CGI in projects them the ability to and animatronics. focus more on their like “Oppenheimer.” With these performances. vastly different S o m e techniques being prevalence has only grown, directors, such as the used – each with their with today’s movies such as renowned Christopher individual advantages and “Guardians of the Galaxy” Nolan, deliberately avoid shortcomings – a question using CGI for thousands CGI in projects like arises: Why is CGI the of shots. And while it may “Oppenheimer.” According industry standard today, seem that CGI isolates to Screencraft, Nolan said and does it compromise the the actors from the digital that he chose not to use authenticity of filmmaking elements, Peter Jackson’s computer graphics because as an art form? “The Lord of the Rings” it “tends to feel safe.” While CGI is used in many demonstrated differently, he acknowledged their types of media other than with Gollum being the first versatility, he said they’re films. It can appear in video CGI character to interact hard to use in horror games, advertising, news, with real actors. movies because they make animation, art, and more. CGI has become, without it difficult to feel danger. Many AI image generators a doubt, much more The Trinity Test, the first BY HANNAH GROTHREIDY staff writer
can simply use text prompts to create artificial images. CGI, which is a type of computer software used to create realistic images on screen, can be dated back to around the 1960s, with its first appearance in Alfred Hitchcock’s famous Vertigo in 1958. Since then, its
THE CROSSWORD
detonation of a nuclear weapon by the U.S. Army, was a key moment in the film, and Nolan stated that this had to feel threatening to the audience in some way. This was achieved through practical effects rather than CGI. Scott Fisher, the practical effects supervisor, on “Oppenheimer” said that gasoline and propane were used to create the intense blaze of the explosion sequence, and then mixed with aluminum powder and magnesium to create the blinding flash. A variety of
different oils and powders were used to produce these astounding images. Throughout this entire process there was a lot of experimentation to figure out how to best create these images. Practical effects can undoubtedly create emotions and reactions that CGI cannot replicate, but CGI has become so prevalent for a reason. It allows for worlds to be created in a way that cannot be done with only practicals. “The Lord of the
ALEX MORGAN
Rings” and “Star Wars” are only two examples of this. Practical effects are essential to the foundation of filmmaking and can allow for actors’ performances to be enhanced. However, CGI has its well-deserved place within the film industry and does not diminish the creative art of filmmaking. There are benefits and limitations to both, and it is up to the individual filmmakers to decide how to best communicate their messages and evoke emotions on the screen.
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ACROSS 1. Like AGES or BSU, at BHS 5. La ____ de la _____ 10. Some of the most common weather in SF 14. Stockings, earlier 15. Queen Elizabeth II, for one 16. State of buckeyes? 17. Fencing weapon 18. Bring together 19. Govt. agency with the motto “Science for a changing world” 20. Playful marine mammal 21. To and _____ 22. Honest prez 25. Marvel’s rival 26. Final countdown? 28. Go bad 31. Something dogs can’t do 33. Bounce like a bunny 36. “In” prefix 37. Protein-creating acid 38. Houston baseball player 40. Something most women can’t grow 42. “Of course,” quickly 45. “Orlando” author 48. Animalic accessory 50. The Colosseum, for one 51. Lined, as paper 54. A long, indefinite amount of time 55. Brief state inducted in 1850? 56. Sketchy TV show? 58. Female horse 59. Actress de Armas 60. Old-timey soap 62. Zodiac for most born in 2009 64. Licensed office? 65. “Despicable” protagonist? 67. Holiday song 70. Land unit 72. Popular literary device 73. Alternative to a ski lift 77. “The Godfather” actor James 78. Largest Floridian urban park 79. What Pandora didn’t let out of the jar, in Greek myth 80. Red muppet born on February 3, 1984 81. Jacob’s daughter, in Genesis 82. Visible body parts?
— Violet Kessler
DOWN 1. Revolutionary Guevara 2. Chop off 3. Consume 4. Busy animal 5. Aide for one with an injured leg 6. Littlest of the litter 7. “Night” author Wiesel 8. Subway in Paris 9. Poet’s “before” 10. This year’s senior class: 2__ 11. Halfhearted apology 12. Often-paid musical performance 13. What might be said in a message in a bottle 20. Take too much of something, informally 21. Look after oneself 22. Popularly mandated essay format 23. Low-toned woodwind 24. Tolkien tree giant 27. Toy gun 29. Like the presidencies of Bunchanan and Hayes, for two 30. Alternative to sparkling water 32. Attempt 34. Double-reed woodwind 35. Peasants 41. “Harry Potter” actor Rickman 45. Current FBI director 46. Nan’s daughter 48. Comedian Arthur 49. Like “stressed” or “desserts” 50. Govt. agency desiring to make “a more perfect union - beyond one person, party, or side” 52. Scottish guy 53. “Slumdog Millionaire” actor Patel 57. Shower scrubber 61. Disease with a 2011 outbreak 63. Largest shirt size, often 66. City known as “The Biggest Little City in the World” 68. “Rating” for an attractive person 69. Lovely Beatles girl 70. Highest or lowest playing card 71. Berkeley uni 72. 1950s London subculture 73. Word rarely capitalized in titles 74. Little man 75. Human ancestor? 76. Hi-_____
— Raven Fonseca Jensen
BY KAIYA JORDAN AND SIMON POLICY Entertainment editors
Baldur’s Gate 3 Baldur’s Gate 3 is a massively open-world role that’s set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. The gameplay is heavily based on the rules of D&D, with fantasy, action, exploration, and dice rolling. The game has 17,000 different endings, allowing the player to pursue romance, heroism, or realm domination.
VIDEOGAMES NEXT ISSUE ... MUSIC! SUBMIT SONG SUGGESTIONS
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SPORTS
The closure of Golden Gate Fields sparks conflicting emotions BY ELOISE THOMAS staff writer
“On a day like this, a Saturday, the entire area would have been filled. Every seat, if you can imagine that. … You could see it has changed a lot, and it’s kind of sad to see,” said Steve Fleming. Fleming has been attending races at Golden Gate Fields, a horse racing track partially in Berkeley and partially in Albany, ever since he was a student at Berkeley High School in 1973. On July 16, 2023, Golden Gate Fields announced that it would be permanently shutting down operations at the end of its fall season in December. Recently, they released a statement saying that they would remain for an additional season and move the closing date to June 2024. The push to close Golden Gate Fields came largely from activists advocating for the ethical treatment of the horses that reside there. “The horses are confined
in their 12-by-12 stalls for basically 23 hours a day, and when they come out of their stalls they are never untethered,” said Samantha Faye. Faye is the lead organizer for Stop Blood Sports, an animal rights activism organization based in the Bay Area, which played a large role in the shutdown of Golden Gate Fields. According to Faye, horse racing is inherently dangerous to the horses and there is no way to safely conduct the sport. “In my entire career of 20 years of international competitions, I had only ever seen one horse die. Then we have 5 horses dying in a week at a race track,” she said. “There simply is absolutely no way to have an animal run as fast as you can possibly make them go and then expect them to not be injured.” Surprisingly, Faye has strong family ties to Golden Gate Fields. “My greatgrandfather was mayor of Albany at the time that Golden Gate Fields was opening so he actually had
the opening ceremony at Golden Gate Fields where he cut the ribbon,” Faye said. In addition, Faye has worked with many horses from Golden Gate Fields throughout her life. “I grew up riding horses and I grew up training horses that had actually been sold from Golden Gate Fields. They would come into a training program at our barn and we would train them … and then we would sell them,” said Faye. This background has given her a unique perspective on the treatment of horses in the racing industry and insight into the standards that horse owners should be held to. “Growing up riding horses … I can tell you with certainty that there is literally no other discipline, no other sport, no other style of riding where horses are killed even a quarter as often.” Stop Blood Sports plans to continue to shut down race tracks around the country, and help other organizations to work toward the same goal. They
Golden Gate Fields will remain open until June, 2024.
hope that they can learn from this success and use it to help other organizations not make the same mistakes and have the delays they did. While animal activists are undoubtedly very happy with the closure of Golden Gate Fields, many regular attendees feel differently and see repercussions that could cause issues in the future. “I feel very sad,” said
Don Harnett, an attendee at the fall meet who has been coming to Golden Gate Fields since 1976. “I feel sad for all of the employees here and I feel sad for the horses too,” he said. “I wonder if the whole West Coast will be affected by where all the horses are going to go and the trainers and employees.” The property’s future use has not yet been announced, which some think is hopeful.
EMORY ELY
“I hope they turn it into something a lot more people will enjoy,” said Flemming. Golden Gate Fields has been in operation since 1941, and many of its patrons have been attending races there for decades. “I had a lot of memories from Golden Gate Fields,” Fleming said. “But it is also kind of inevitable. It is a sign of the times how few people are here today.”
BHS alumni reflect on homecoming game BY ANNA WILLIAMS staff writer
T he t r a d it i on of t he homecoming football game first began in the 1910s in American colleges such as the University of Minnesota. This game was designed to have alumni come back to their alma mater to support current students and show school pride. Since then, the tradition has evolved into a week’s worth of festivities. A couple of years after the homecoming games started, there was the first homecoming dance, which celebrated the first football game of the season. In the late 1920s, homecoming became common in most high schools across the countr y. That celebration evolved into the homecoming we know today, full of themed days, pep rallies,
and occasionally parades. At Berkeley High School, alumni return year after year to watch the homecoming game. “Every chance I get, I come to games because I love the team,” said Lavan Patton, a 1957 graduate of BHS. Patton has continued to come back off and on for the past 67 years, because of the environment and the level of competition that the teams at BHS bring. “Everybody from the whole city of Berkeley comes out. … It’s like the city has its own sports franchise, so the energy is good,” said Lawrence Williams, a 2002 alum, who played cornerback for the football team. Williams has come back to the homecoming game almost every year since he graduated. “The homecoming game tradition was family, unity, everybody coming together.
“The homecoming tradition was family, unity, everybody coming together.” Patrick Davis Class of 1989
You know BHS is the only public school in Berkeley, so there are a bunch of different ethnicities here that bring everyone together and I think you only find that in Berkeley,” said Patrick Davis, a 1984 alum who played defensive and offensive lineman. Davis star ted playing fo otball his freshman year and was undefeated. He regularly speaks to almost all of his teammates, even 40 years after graduation. Given that alumni come back to watch the homecoming games year after year, they get to form unique perspectives about the ways the BHS football team has changed and progressed. “It’s changed tremendously, you guys have a lot, a beautiful facility. Back then we were playing on grass with holes and sand, and overall it just seems like
it’s a lot more organized,” Davis said. Williams shared the same perspective, speaking about the changes in facilities, fields, and uniforms. However, Williams noted that the biggest change is the heightened excitement and camaraderie surrounding the football team. “It’s progressed a lot and it’s way better. You want your kids to come here,” Williams said. The resounding advice given by BHS alumni to current BHS students is to be involved with the school’s community and programs. “Just keep improving, be yourself. You know Berkeley is a creative place … so don’t worry about nothing else but being yourself and being the best version of that,” said Williams. Davis’ best advice was to “try to join a club or a team and get that kinship with your fellow students.”
PHOTOS BY JULES DROZ
“Every chance I get, I come to games because I love the team.” Lavan Patton Class of 1957
Sophmore Gracie Koch has a specific routine before every one of her races.
Koch dons her lucky ribbon.
PHOTOS BY IDA MARSHALL-LAPPE
Superstitions help guide BHS athletes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“I personally, it’s kind of stupid, but I have my lucky socks that I always wear.” Sophomore soccer player Micaela Bedolla Garcia said, “I do meditation before my game. And it’s always four seconds breathing in, six seconds breathing out. And I have to jump up and down before the game starts.” However, these superstitions don’t just extend to student athletes. “A lot of … at least a lot of pro players that I follow … they listen to songs or they have a specific warm up or they have to watch a certain show before the game,” Bedolla Garcia said. For example, Christiano Ronaldo, widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, always steps onto the pitch with his right
foot first, believing it brings good luck. Even during the game, many professionals still have their own superstitions. Take professional tennis player Richard Gasquet, for example. Everytime he wins a point with a ball, he always wants that specific ball back for the next point, as he believes it’s his “lucky ball.” Retired baseball player Ichiro Suzuki always pointed his bat to the pitcher’s mound while tugging at his left sleeve before batting. At any level, superstitions can be a key factor to an athlete’s success, even if it means looking weird to others. “These rituals are more about what makes me feel happy and good about myself. And I think what that does is mostly just making me feel mentally prepared and clear so that I can have a good race,” Caldas said.
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SPORTS BERKELEY HIGH JACKET
SPORTS EDITORS: COLINA HARVEY & LEO SILVERBERG
COLINAHARVEY@STUDENTS.BERKELEY.NET
SPOTLIGHT ON FALL SENIOR NIGHTS BY CECILIA TILES AND LULI GALINSON staff writer & staff writer
GIRLS FIELD HOCKEY
Berkeley fights for the ball.
Girls field hockey played their very last home game of the season on Oct. 17, against Archie Williams High School. This game was a little different than some of the other senior night games, however, because the field hockey team did not have any senior players this year. The team did not feel this had a negative impact on them, though. For Head Coach Annabel LaBrecque, it was a good way for players to become more bonded. She said, “I think that it actually got a lot of people to get closer because
KAYHAN TEZCAN
there’s no fear of losing people next year. So I’m really looking forward to next year when we have this very cohesive group of people that are very close as a result of this season.” The game ended in a 2-0 win for Berkeley, with goals from junior Greta Graham and freshman Annika Silverstrim. Team captain and junior Katelyn Burmester felt the win was the perfect way to end their season, saying, “We had a good game. It’s been a good season. I hope we can win more next year.”
GIRLS WATER POLO
BOYS WATER POLO
Boys waterpolo defends against a goal.
Boys water polo held their senior night on Thursday, Oct. 19 in a game against Novato High School. They had a successful season and finished first in their league standings. Berkeley started off shaky, with the opposing team scoring three goals within the first six minutes. This was followed by junior Manel Grossi scoring the first goal for Berkeley towards the end of the first quarter. Berkeley caught up with Novato throughout the second quarter, tying the game up 5-5 by halftime. In the second half, Novato’s defense broke down and Berkeley went ahead and continued to lead throughout the rest of the game with a final score of 15-12. The majority of goals were scored by Grossi and juniors Mateo Flores-Knapp and Eamon Kauffer.
COURTESY OF KATHRYN JAY
Their only senior, Aidan Burns, started the game, and although boys water polo doesn’t do anything extravagant to celebrate seniors, Burns received recognition from the team, with his teammates congratulating him as he exited the locker room after the game. Burns touched on the emotional component of having it be his final high school game. “It’s almost disheartening,” he said. “Coming all this way and finally ending the season.” Burns also reflected on that day’s win, crediting it to the team’s positivity and communication. “They’re killing it, and I’m proud of them,” he said about his teammates. “I’m glad to have spent three years with these boys, and it’s a mix of sadness and happiness.”
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Girls water polo forms a huddle.
Girls water polo had one last game before their final West Alameda County Conference championship tournament to end their season. It was their senior night game, against Castro Valley High school on Oct. 17. All non-senior players on both junior varsity and varsity showed out to support the seniors, coming with signs, gift bags, and customized bracelets to make the game special for all the graduating players. Co-captain Ellie Pett-Ridge Hennessy is one of the team’s seniors, and she was very happy with the sendoff. “(The team) did a really lovely job. They made us all posters which is a tradition, they bought all the supplies and got lots of glitter, so that was nice. And then we also took photos together, it was great,” Hennessy said. For her, leaving the water polo team is bittersweet. Hennessy said, “I’m just excited to be here with my team for one last
COURTESY OF KATHRYN JAY
year and excited to be building my skills for college. I’m sad that I’ll be leaving but I’m excited to come back, you know, for alumni games or to just watch the juniors and underclassmen playing.” She thinks this team gave her a great foundation to continue playing water polo. The game against Castro Valley was a difficult one for Berkeley. The opponents put a shot in quickly during the first quarter, but Berkeley’s defense rebounded and managed to keep them from scoring again up until after halftime. During the third quarter, Castro Valley and Berkeley continuously went shot for shot, with both teams scoring four goals each. However, in the fourth quarter Castro Valley put two more quick shots in, ending the game with Berkeley losing 7-4. Even with the loss, honoring the seniors was a bonding moment for the water polo team.
Girls volleyball’s seniors pose for a photo on senior night.
On Thursday, Oct. 19, the Donahue Gym was filled with friends and family ready to watch Berkeley High School’s girls volleyball team take on Encinal High School. Due to it being senior night, the walls were decorated with posters of the eight seniors who played on varsity this year. After giving gift bags to each of Encinal’s seniors, BHS students brought out a red and yellow balloon arch creating a walkway. One by one, each senior walked down the path with two of their chosen family members. Head Coach Kimberlee Rock gave a small speech on each player, as the crowd applauded. Senior Elle Walker was hoping for one more success. “We really didn’t
LUCAS THOMPSON
wanna lose,” she said, while noting the extra pressure of the game being one of the biggest crowd turnouts they have had. Berkeley began the first set closely trailing Encinal, but managed to pull away at the end with a final score of 25-17. The second set was the closest, with both teams relying on blocks and poor serves to gain points. After being tied at 24-24, Walker spiked the ball over the net for a point, followed by Encinal spiking the ball into the net. Berkeley won the second set 26-24. Berkeley found their footing in the third set, and with Walker getting the final point, Berkeley won the third set and the game 25-11.