Opinion

A gun in one hand, and a pencil in the other.

The fight to end gun violence should not fall on highschoolers

Gun violence is an issue that affects all people and generations, including children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly, which does not mean it should be left for only younger generations to deal with.

Anti-racism takes restructuring of  ‘professionalism’

In response to protests following the death of George Floyd, organizations like General Motors, Salesforce, and Citi pledged to diversify their spaces and support underrepresented employees.

The earth in an hour glass

Grappling with irreversible climate change

Climate change could become irreversible as soon as 2030. The United Nations estimates that drought alone could displace 700 million people by then. In order to avoid permanent climate effects, countries will have to decrease global emissions by 43 percent before 2030.  But few countries have taken significant enough steps towards reaching this goal,

Class options menu icons

Electives are crucial for student growth

Cambridge Dictionary defines the word “elective” as “a subject that someone chooses to study, in addition to the subjects that they have to study.” Berkeley High School has offered elective courses for years, and as long as schools continue to give students the freedom to select certain classes, students will

A Black Woman

Every diction is professional: codeswitching shouldn’t be a neccessity

“Finna,” “hella,” and “no cap” are just a few slang phrases that are heard around Berkeley High School hallways. While students use slang in the classroom as well, many students change the way they speak when they’re in class, with their friends, family, and in other situations.  It’s called code-switching:

A student looking at online materials

Student dependence on internet  research limits  academic abilities

Part of Berkeley High School’s mission statement is to teach students to think critically, creatively, and analytically. In order to achieve that goal, students must be taught more research strategies than automatically opening a computer.

Books falling on a student in summer

Summer break is for personal growth, not educational prep

“What are your plans for the summer?” This is a common question that high schoolers are asked, including students at Berkeley High School. A question that was once a fun opportunity to talk about exciting vacations or plans has turned into yet another stressful interrogation about college prep.

A looming parking garage

BUSD’s staff parking garage proposal should be re-evaluated

In November of 2020, Berkeley Unified School District announced its plans to construct a triple-story staff parking garage, topped with a Berkeley High School tennis court.

A man posing

Toxic masculinity on campus harms entire BHS community

A diverse and random sample of 100 Berkeley High School students from all grades and Small Learning Communities were asked to answer “Yes” or “No” to “Does BHS have a toxic masculinity issue?” Of the people surveyed, 69 percent responded with “Yes,” asserting that it is an issue at BHS, while the other 31 percent

Teachers sometimes allow students to spend class outside.

Alternative teaching styles benefit students

High school field trips are growing more and more common, as opposed to traditional classroom learning. Since the pandemic, student engagement has plummeted, with 50 percent of students reporting that they are less motivated, according to a recent study conducted by the EdWeek Research Center.

Aryn Faur assists students in the MLP.

MLP must exist in schools across the U.S.

When navigating the treacherous river of high school, there are a lot of things to think about: social cliques, grades, extracurriculars, college applications, and so much more.

The emphasis on holiday giving does good regardless of intention

The winter holidays are clearly recognized as a time of giving. For verification, please check your inbox from December in which you will likely find an influx of emails asking for donations with increasing urgency as the month went on.

Berkeley Tech

Berkeley Technology Academy deserves awareness, resources

Berkeley Technology Academy is one of Berkeley’s lesser-known options for high school education. It offers public school students a curriculum in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, Career and Technical Education, Project Based Learning, and the opportunity to recover credit.

A lock and key around a book

Eliminating university core
Editor-in-Chief requirements incites passion

Many seniors who want to go to a four-year college have spent an inordinate amount of time over the last year thinking about schools and wading through the glossy brochures that arrive in the mail each day.

A first aid kit box

Health center must be student accessible

The Berkeley High School Health Center was created in order to sponsor a healthier educational environment. It provides first aid, mental health services, and sexual health education.

A hand on the bible

Separation of church and state is critical

Throughout the years, America has become a diverse melting pot of people from every corner of the world with many bringing their traditions, recipes, and religions.

When Has Online Privacy Crossed the Line?

Anonymous social media sites have become the new Instagram and Snapchat that have drawn the attention of audiences of all ages. Mainly during the pandemic, anonymous sites were commonly used to communicate with strangers through a platform that allowed new connections to be made in a private way that allowed them to release information about

The vegetable buffet

Vegan school lunch effectively reduces BHS's carbon footprint

When one walks into most modern-day restaurants, they can expect to find food options that suit their dietary needs. Everyone is entitled to a meal, regardless of whether or not they eat meat, even though select privileged groups are often the only ones with access to vegetarian and vegan food options.