Carina Thomas

Position

Writer

Photo of Oona Capristo

Athlete Profile: Oona Capristo

Sports

“Play with no doubt,” is Berkeley High School junior Oona Capristo’s motto as a dedicated softball player of ten years. As a female athlete, Capristo noted that the sports environment doesn’t always prioritize competitiveness among girls.

Students sit at a SLAM Spoken Word club meeting.

Verse becomes art on stage at the BHS SLAM Spoken Word club

Features

Spoken word is a powerful performance of poetry that, rather than reflecting one’s own story, reflects a broader message about society as a whole. Spoken word centers largely around how a poem is performed using both vocal techniques and physical movements when delivering meaningful lines.  The Berkeley High School Student Led Arts Movement Spoken

Illustration of a young black woman with her head in the clouds surrounded by butterflies.

Spotlight: Young Black women who are up for the challenge

Features

It is their experiences as Black girls and their confidence in themselves that allow Berkeley High School students Markayla Griffin, Amaya Houston, and Tamar McKey to have a positive impact on their community through taking on academic and leadership challenges.

The BHS Mock Trial poses as a team in professional wear.

BHS Mock Trial co-captains collaborate on the fast-growing club  

Features

The Mock Trial team is a club at Berkeley High School that caters to those interested in a future career in law. At the beginning of the school year, members are given a trial case and then assigned certain roles, such as the role of a prosecution witness, defense attorney,  bailiff, and other positions regularly

Club members serve chicken and waffles.

Boys Who Cook build skills, community

Features

Mouth-watering pizza with a cheese pull for days, hearty waffles decorated with sweet whipped cream and freshly sliced fruits, pesto gnocchi with the perfect combination of basil and nuttiness that hugs your tongue – with each dish, Berkeley High School’s Boys Who Cook club encourages students of all backgrounds to find solace and community in

An illustration showcasing underrepresented individuals in the school.

Tolani Britton: Changing the education narrative for underrepresented students

Features

From achievement gaps to racism within the criminal justice system, the topic of corrupt systems in America that seem to work against the success of underrepresented students is a widely criticized topic.

Rising change-makers at BHS: “I feel the need to speak up”

Features

Through joining clubs and various extracurricular activities, students get to explore their interests and become involved in the community as young and curious individuals.

For 64 years, the oldest U.S. Black-owned bookstore inspires

Features

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.

Blueprint of Berkeley High with question marks around it.

Serial arsonists and mystery rooms: Unraveling BHS’ secrets

Features

As an institution established in 1800, over two centuries ago, Berkeley High School certainly has a rich and interesting history. Because of this, there is no doubt that new and old members of the BHS community would want to know more about the school’s mysterious aspects, all the way down to its physical structures.  “The

Adalilly Chu, a BHS sophomore, runs a jewelry-making business

Student entrepreneurs run businesses built on their passions

Features

Berkeley High School students often go above and beyond in honing their skills and following their passions. Some students have even taken it upon themselves to start their own businesses and experiment with entrepreneurship.  Corina Blanton, a BHS sophomore, found a passion for baking at a very young age.

Enthusiasm is key: Incoming club leaders foster community 

Features

By first period on September 7, dozens of tables with posters and free candy were set out on Berkeley High School’s campus green as students began pouring out of the buildings.

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Born a Leader

Sports Column

Me? A leader? My past self could only laugh at the very suggestion of that title being assigned to me. As a quiet kid, taking on leadership roles was so foreign to me– as if that title were reserved only for those who were loud, authoritative, or just incredibly confident.

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Finding family at BHS

Sports Column

When I say I preferred to work alone, I don’t mean it in a selfish way. Growing up, I was always quiet and struggled with opening up and making new friends.

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Becoming ‘That Girl’

Sports Column

It’s crazy how much changes as you grow up. You make new friends, discover new hobbies, upgrade your style … but you’re unprepared for how your relationship with food changes.

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A Black girl's hair journey

Sports Column

As I sat there on the carpet of my childhood bedroom floor, I had my mind set on where beauty lay — in the shiny strands of hair that would glide so easily through the bristles of her hairbrush.