Berkeley High School hosted its annual Welcome Assembly on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026 in the Donahue Gym. As the first school-wide event this year, the assembly brought together students and staff to celebrate and learn about different support systems, resources, and public figures at BHS.
Each year, the Welcome Assembly is planned and put together by student leadership and John Villavicencio, the BHS director of student activities. “The school is huge, there’s so much going on. So it’s good to get people together and put them in one place where everyone can be found,” Villavicencio said.
The Chiefs of Publicity, Kenny Swensen, Calvin Lee, and Urban King, greeted the student body, opening the assembly by announcing community norms. This year, the trio is focusing on creating a welcome environment for all students. “We really wanted to make it feel like a safe and comfortable space for everybody, and show that this year is going to be very fun,” Swensen said.
Following a brief speech from BHS principal Juan Raygoza, and an introduction from the administration team, the Associated Students Body (ASB) President and Vice President, Rigzin Gyaltsen and Emma Candler gave a speech encouraging students to reach out to the ASB team. The two emphasized that they are “a resource for all students,” and invited students to speak with any ASB team member for support.
Delphine Wadlund, BHS’ Commissioner of Elections, spoke next about leadership opportunities for underclassmen, encouraging freshmen to participate in ninth grade leadership.
“I want to be somebody that people at Berkeley High can come up to if they have literally any questions about the election process or being appointed for a position,” Wadlund said, “Every single freshman in the world should enter themselves in the freshman lottery for ninth grade leadership.”
After the first round of speakers finished, the crowd was brought together to participate in an assembly-wide group chant led by leadership. The chants were a new addition to the event, introduced by organizers to promote school spirit and community.
“We were trying to get a little bit more spirit, so that’s why we did the chant … we’re trying to get more people involved,” said Villavicencio.
The assembly additionally featured a variety of performances by the Million Dollar Dance Team, African Diaspora Dance class, and the junior varsity and varsity cheerleading teams.
According to Villavicencio, BHS used to have a much more prominent culture of dance, hosting performances at rallies, organized student events, and senior graduation ceremonies. For the past six years, however, graduation has taken place on the BHS football field instead of the former Greek Theater venue.
Space and timing constraints have put a pause on dance performances during these celebrations, which contributed to Welcome Assembly organizers’ motivation to showcase the dance teams of BHS.
Throughout the event, Title IX representatives, the BHS Counseling Department, Green Dot, the Wellness Center, and the Health Center took to the floor to highlight their resources, including assistance with mental and physical health, academic guidance, and conflict resolution.
Behind the scenes, Villavicencio and others worked together with these groups to put together a comprehensive slide deck for BHS community members. “We’re hoping to encourage utilization of these resources and exciting events to the best of our abilities,” Candler said.
Various members of student leadership spoke about their plans for the school year, centering around similar themes of creating a welcoming community, providing support for students, and increasing school spirit. Many also encouraged students to reach out with ideas, questions, and concerns throughout the year.
“It was really exciting to come together as a united front with the leadership team. We all wore matching decorated leadership shirts to show who we were and that we represented the school,” Candler said.
The next school-wide event hosted by leadership is the annual homecoming dance on Oct. 14, 2026.