At a school as big as Berkeley High School, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. With thousands of students, hundreds of class choices, and a wide array of classrooms, the task of preparing for a new year on campus can be highly stressful.

Pamela Turntine, longtime Bay Area resident and the new editor-in-chief of Berkeleyside, has had an extensive past in journalism. Born in San Francisco and primarily raised in different parts of Oakland and Berkeley, Turntine’s work has taken her all over California throughout a career spanning over 40 years.

The Berkeley High School community was left reeling after alumni Dixie Lewis and Ross Schultz were killed last Tuesday in a car accident in Truckee, California.

The pandemic has prevented many Berkeley High School traditions from taking place  for seniors. The class of 2021 has lost Red and Gold Day, blowout, Senior Sunrise, and the overall experience of being a senior at BHS.

When activist and Berkeley High School parent Marc Staton heard the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial, he experienced a wide range of emotions. “There was no joy in it.

In loving memory of Berkeley High School girls volleyball coach James Manuel. His exuberance, passion, and generosity lives on within his family, his teams, his colleagues, and all those he connected with.

Wednesdays are notorious for being full of exhaustion: motivation from Monday is long gone, and the weekend is nowhere in sight. However, with the asynchronous Wednesday schedule that Berkeley High School implemented before May, the so-called hump day provided a short break from the chaos of the week.

Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., an American biochemist, Nobel Prize winner, and pioneering researcher in CRISPR gene editing, gave a lecture with the Berkeley High School Physics Club on April 28.

As the 2020-21 school year nears its end, some Berkeley High School students are returning to campus for in-person learning. The new schedule, which officially began April 24, moved the distance learning school day earlier: it now spans from 8:55 AM to 12:15 PM, and gives students optional time to return to in-person school

Music, whether it is instrumental or vocal, solo artists or bands, is something that is widely enjoyed throughout humanity. It can bring people together, but during times of separation, it can also provide a great sense of individuality based on our respective musical preferences.

On Wednesday, May 5, the Berkeley Unified School District School Board met to discuss a variety of subjects, including the Berkeley High School Bridge Program, teachers’ healthcare costs, climate change, graduation plans, and the departure of Associate Superintendent Bajé Thiara.

For student athletes at Berkeley High School, the past year has been a roller coaster. As fall and winter sports were cancelled or postponed, players faced uncertainty and disappointment.

“Substitutes replaced teachers when teachers couldn’t get to school because they were either at home with their kids or on a field trip,” explained Huseyin Kulunk, a long-time Berkeley High School substitute teacher.

The pandemic has exacerbated issues of transparency at Berkeley High School, and the communication surrounding the hybrid learning plan illustrates this problem.

As the 2020-21 school year rolls to an end after crashing, burning, and just generally sucking to a magnificent degree, we look towards the next year at Berkeley High School.

The return to in-person instruction is an exciting prospect for many, but the ever-persistent question is how Berkeley High School plans to keep its students and faculty safe.

As April comes to a close, Berkeley High School seniors face the fast approaching college decision deadline. Come May 1, many will commit to the college they plan on attending the coming year, with the hope of some sense of normalcy.  Like many other aspects of life this year, the college application process has