Saskia Freedberg

Position

Writer

Graduation

Class of 2024

Saskia has been on the Jacket for two years and enjoys writing articles about topics most students aren't aware of. She is on the BHS mountain biking team where works toward inspiring more girls to try mountain biking.

Excitement builds as BHS explores the possibility of a girls flag football team

Sports

Almost every sport at Berkeley High School has a girls and boys team, with the exception of football. However, this could change soon. On February 3, 2023, the State of California approved girls flag football as a new California Interscholastic Federation sport.

Model minority myth in sports: How does  this impact Asian student athletes at BHS? 

Sports

Estelle Handa “I think when it comes to being a ‘model minority’, that shows up more in academics,” said Estelle Handa, a junior and tennis player at Berkeley High School.

A crescent moon is on the left of a meter that has the letter F on the top and E on the bottom.

Athletes adapt to exercising while fasting

Sports

“It’s just hard trying to keep going and keep trying to play your sport when you’re really thirsty and hungry,” said Iman Shaikh, a senior and member of the Berkeley High School affiliated rugby team.

Helena Gilbert-Snyder won the San Rafael Twilight Criterium on July 30, 2022.

Elite NorCal team elevates female cyclists

Sports

“I was racing road in NorCal and I was very frustrated with the lack of opportunities and the lack of support that women are getting,” said Bay Area-based professional cyclist Helena Gilbert-Snyder.

Kamara Snelgro makes layup against Piedmont High School on January 21.

Girls basketball suffers loss to Piedmont

Sports

BHS girls varsity basketball had a slow start to their game against Piedmont High School on Friday, Jan. 21, entering the second half with only 5 points to Piedmont’s 34.

The Turkey Trot

Runners and artists take on Turkey Trot

Sports

As a drone circled overhead capturing video, nine Berkeley High School students and John Villavicencio, BHS director of student activities, lined up on the football field to start the turkey trot.

Today, NSU continues to reserve space for Native students.

Native students find community at NSU

Features

“Even though I grew up hella native, I still have difficulty connecting with my … heritage because of the white supremacist idea that ‘(Native people) don’t exist anymore,’ ” said Rita Azul Huhndorf-Lima, and co-leader of the Berkeley High School Native Student Union.  The NSU was founded last year but many of its

Francisco sells fruit on the corner of Milvia Street and Channing Way from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday

"I'm always here:" Q&A at the fruit stand

Features

Francisco has been selling fruit on Milvia and Channing to the Berkeley High School community for the past year. In an interview with the Jacket, he answered questions on his experience running the fruit stand.

Erika Pistoni has replaced Mary Jacobs in the CCC

‘Eager and ready’: CCC brings on new staff and student support

Features

Erika Pistoni  Pistoni is the admin assistant in the College and Career Center this year, a job filled by Mary Jacobs for many years prior.  “I book the appointments with the college representatives, manage their meetings with students, in person or online,” Pistoni said.

BHS Students attend Gene Luen Yang Shang-Chi Zoom conference in the library.

Cartoonist Gene Luen Yang Discusses AAPI Representation

News

“Back when I was a kid … I loved all of the Marvel superheroes except for one,” said award-winning cartoonist Gene Luen Yang. “I did not like Shang-Chi at all.”  As a child, the character of Shang-Chi made Yang feel uncomfortable.

Students return to Ruth Acty Elementary School on March 29, 2021, almost exactly one year since Berkeley Unified School District moved online at the beginning of the pandemic.

School Board Discusses Budget and Virtual Academy

News

Berkeley Unified School District community members gathered on Wednesday, April 13 for a school board meeting. Topics of discussion ranged from the plan to close BUSD’s virtual academy, an online school option for BUSD students, to a presentation on takeaways from a community survey on budget priorities.

BUSD Won’t Move Forward With Renovations to BHS Theater

News

When Berkeley High School teachers Sarah Cline and Linda Carr first heard about proposed renovations to the BHS’s A-Building, they were under the impression that despite some temporary inconveniences, long term benefits — specifically a dance studio for Carr and improved jazz spaces for Cline — were also a part of the deal.

To improve students’ mental health, some BHS staff want to implement a block schedule.

BHS Holds Town Hall to Discuss Possible Bell Schedule Changes

News

Many Berkeley High School students and staff are concerned about the current bell schedule, including its impact on students’ mental health and learning.

Given the rise in Omicron cases, many students are concerned about returning to campus after winter break.

Despite Increase in Omicron Cases, BHS Returns in Person

Features

At the beginning of this school year, there was no guarantee that classes would continue to be in-person. It was uncertain if masks would be required for the whole year, and many worried over the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak at school.

How Does BHS Celebrate Thanksgiving?

Features

How do the students of Berkeley High School celebrate Thanksgiving? Everyone has different traditions that reflect their family’s history, religion, and beliefs.

These students in the Cooking Career and Technical Education class at BHS work at the BHS Food Pantry twice a month.

BHS Food Pantry Provides Aid to the Berkeley Community

Features

Every two weeks, on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, tables on the sidewalk at the intersection of Bancroft Way and Martin Luther King Jr. Way are covered in fresh produce, ready to eat meals, and dry goods.

Word On The Street: Do You Experience Climate Anxiety?

Features

Nathaniel Holmes, a junior in Academic Choice, said that climate change is not a source of anxiety in his everyday life. “I mean, it’s sort of just something you see on like the news and stuff every once in a while,” Holmes said.

A pad and tampon dispenser sits empty in a BHS girls’ bathroom.

CA Requires Period Products

News

At the start of the 2022-23 school year, public schools in California serving students in grades six through twelve will be required to stock all girls’ and gender neutral restrooms, and one boys’ restroom with free pads and tampons.