“I would say the first week or two so much of it is about ‘How do I get from one class to the next? How do I navigate the space?’” Hasmig Minassian, Universal Ninth Grade teacher leader and Ethnic Studies and Social Living teacher, said.
Minassian highlighted the daunting issue that Berkeley High School poses to incoming students, whether they are transfers or incoming freshmen: how to walk the hallways alongside 3,200 peers across a three block stretch of buildings. The sheer magnitude that BHS boasts is unique in that it allows for an abundance of on-campus resources; however, amidst the chaos that school days pose, these resources are easily overlooked and can become inaccessible to students.
“I think that there should be some advising, or something like that, like another group to just be around and talk,” Miles Pay said. Pay, a freshman in Hive 7, expressed knowledge of resources such as the Health Center and academic counselors, but hasn’t yet used them himself.
What remained unmentioned was an on campus resource that many underclassmen tend to shy away from: The College and Career Center, or the CCC as it is more commonly known as.
“I think a lot of times underclassmen shy away from the CCC because they think it's exclusively college oriented,” BHS English teacher and CCC Academic Support Coordinator Matthew Laurel said, “After 3:30, it becomes the Student Learning Center.” Following sixth period, students at the University of California Berkeley come to the CCC to provide tutoring services to all BHS students, regardless of grade. College support from college counselors and various volunteers is also offered to upperclassmen, but it is far from the only assistance that the CCC provides.
In addition to the CCC, which is open at lunch daily and Monday through Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., students are encouraged to use the BHS library. The library is open Monday through Thursday during lunch, before school, and until 4:30 p.m., and offers an expansive selection of research outlets and general support from school librarians Meredith Irby, Allyson Bogie, and Nicole Fitzhugh. The Health Center, located in H-105, is another valuable resource for BHS students. Offering services such as first aid, mental health, and reproductive and sexual health support, the Health Center is open daily until 4 p.m., and can be accessed throughout the school day with a pass from a teacher. Similar to the Health Center, the Wellness Center, located across the hallway in H-106, offers support to students, though it specifically promotes and guides students towards “wellness.” This includes social-emotional, physical, and intellectual health, according to the “BHS Wellness” website.
As a school, we have a duty to educate one another and ourselves on the resources available, especially to underclassmen during the vital transition period. Further education for new students about these support structures is vital for not only their academic success, but the entire trajectory of their high school and post-graduation endeavors. Efforts such as facilitating introduction of freshmen to the Wellness Center, Health Center, Library and the CCC help acclimate new students to the unfamiliar environment, according to Minassian. Nonetheless, teachers, upperclassmen, and counselors must increase advertisement of BHS resources, academic or not.