Rey Tse and Amanuel Milikit, also known as Chapy, are two of the three chiefs of publicity for the 2024-25 school year. Their job is to create the Quick Buzz, which is a brief overview of upcoming events; edit and make the bulletin; and manage all other matters of — as per the title — publicity. The duo finds the job to be extremely fun and meaningful, and they enjoy the role immensely. While the job can be seen by some as the most interesting and exciting of the leadership positions, it comes with its own set of challenges. Each script for the Quick Buzz takes hours to memorize. In addition, editing and producing the bulletin is a highly demanding and extensive task. “You gotta edit, you gotta record, and me and Rey …
We gotta memorize. It's a lot of stuff that comes with it, but it's for surely worth it,” Milikit said. Tse and Milikit advise only people who are personable and social to apply for the role; they stated that it requires high levels of confidence due to the nature of the job. According to Tse and Milikit, the role is special because it is more interactive and media-oriented than other positions. “I think we're like the YouTubers of the school, that's what makes it unique,” Tse said, “We're like the ones who really get the community together, and we're kind of like the face of the school.”
Martin Maciel Metal is president of the Berkeley High School class of 2025. His role entails managing and organizing most senior events, acting as the voice of the senior class’ desires, and overseeing most matters regarding his class. According to Maciel, the role has helped him get out of his comfort zone and have a better grasp of what his limitations are. “The highlights (of this role) have definitely been this opportunity to kinda get out of my comfort zone, (and) also just to be able to interact and meet a lot of new people and find out more about myself and … what I'm capable of as a person,” Maciel said. Being class president has opened up a world of possibilities for Maciel regarding his involvement in different kinds of events. “My responsibilities are … to take care of all senior-related events, especially the baseline ones like Senior Sunrise, Spirit Week, (and) Prom,” Maciel said. While the responsibilities of class president are extensive, Maciel encouraged students interested in the position to not get ahead of themselves when it comes to how much power they will have. “One downside could be not being able to do as much stuff as I thought that I would be able to do,” Maciel said, “When I was campaigning I wanted to do a lot more stuff, but then as I got into this position, I later realized that there was a lot of limitations.”
Jessica Hipona is a BHS senior who has been involved with the Associated Student Body (ASB) for three years in various positions. She is currently serving as commissioner of the arts. In her role, she manages all BHS-related art events that students can participate in. Hipona designs fliers and posters that promote art engagement, and generally promotes creative and artistic expression on campus. The role has allowed her to be very connected with many branches of ASB, as well as see what goes on behind the scenes in a wide variety of settings. “It's a good connector between all the different roles. So if you're someone who's artsy and also likes to be a part of many different communities or experience a lot of different communities and kinds of people I would recommend it,” Hipona said. According to Hipona, the role is a fit for anyone who is very motivated. “If you apply for a role in ASB, you're already the kind of person needed in that role,” Hipona said. Being commissioner of the arts is a great opportunity for people who are interested in art to get more involved in the creative community on campus.
Liam Culligan is one of twelve other senior class deputies. In this role, he and his peers are designated with organizing projects and activities. According to Culligan, some of the most notable and enjoyable projects he helped organize include Prom and Senior Sunrise. The role is ideal for anyone who wants to get more involved in student/class affairs, but does not have the time or desire to have all the responsibilities of class president. However, for students who are more eager to be in a position of influence, the position of class deputy may not be the right choice. “Sometimes it feels like we don't have that much say for what we're able to to do,” Culligan said. Overall, while serving as class deputy has its limitations regarding the extent of one’s influence on class affairs, the position is still great for learning skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership. “I would say a unique thing about being a class deputy is that you can really put your all into events … that you're preparing as a team … in contrast with the president or vice president roles where they have to facilitate a bunch of different things at once,” Culligan said.
Maya Dang is a BHS junior and one of the alternate student representatives for the Berkeley Schools Excellence Program (BSEP). She is essentially a substitute for the primary student representatives when they cannot attend certain events or fulfill their responsibilities for any given reason. According to Dang, the role gives members a view into how the school works that many others do not get to see. “Being on this committee has really given me an opportunity to look into the inner workings of our school, like what goes into the school safety plan, or how it gets approved, or (how) the funding for various programs (works),” Dang said. To Dang, the role is unique because it is less oriented around events and class-related matters, rather, it is focused on topics such as safety and funding. “(Representatives in) BSEP … get a chance to approve the funding and approve the school site plan, which is important for maintaining the success and the safety of the (BHS) community,” Dang said.