Investigative

Person sitting on floor with knees tucked.

BHS students navigate the complexities of cultural, racial, and ethnic identity  

As different cultures navigate the complexities of cultural identity and allegiance, the idea of “cultural traitors” arises. This general umbrella term is similar to phrases such as “Oreo,” “banana,” and “coconut.” The word “whitewashed” is also used in a similar context.

The Berkeley ‘Bubble’: How Berkeley’s liberalism influences BHS

In 1954, Berkeley became the first city in the United States to racially desegregate buses, 17 years before the desegregation of buses was written into the constitution.

The Black Panther Party's Long-lasting influence at Berkeley High School

The formation of the Black Panther Party was crucial to the activism that was taking place in Berkeley during the 1960s. In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr.

‘I don’t feel safe right now:’ BHS AAPI community grapples with social impacts of COVID-19

On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, in Acworth, Georgia, eight people were killed in the Atlanta Spa Shootings, with six of the victims being women of Asian descent.

Bird

BHS gun safety: An ongoing issue that must be addressed

On Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, two guns were found in separate Berkeley High School students’ backpacks. “The response was pretty swift and comprehensive,” said Enikia Ford Morthel, Berkeley Unified School District’s superintendent.

Berkeley Copwatch Investigates Possible BPD Arrest Quota

In November of 2022, recently fired Berkeley Police Department officer Corey Shedoudy leaked a series of texts from the BPD Bike Task Force. These texts included officers joking about a hypothetical disease that could wipe out the homeless population in Berkeley and alluded to a possible arrest quota that had been established within the

A new graduate going to college of the back of a letter of reccomendation.

Letters of rec process overloads teachers

“Out of all the 50 letters of recommendation that I wrote, I was happy to write all 50, and I think that each student deserved a great letter of recommendation,” said Erin Smith, a Berkeley High School Biology and Integrated Science teacher, “(but) at the same time it’s a ton of extra work that I

A brain in a jar

Mental health is an isolating subject”: BHS student survey on mental health diagnoses, struggles, resources

“Mental health is an isolating subject,” Berkeley High School junior Kai Lim-Moreno said. “It’s never an easy subject to talk about. There’s such a sigma about,” she explained.

The diversity of BHS stands out as one of its defining features for transfer students

BHS transfer students on the unique qualities of Berkeley High

Every year, students from private middle schools and neighboring school districts face a decision to either continue their education in their current school district or private school, or transfer to a different district that would better fit their needs.

Teachers embracing their baby, as they huddle under the burden of financial strain.

Lack of financial support for maternity leave burdens teachers

“I would have loved to stay home with my newborn child longer than I did, but it was financially impossible,” said Yoshi Salaverry, an English teacher at Berkeley High School.

‘Nobody knows these things’: The bureaucratic and mental process of filing a Title IX report in BUSD

“Even though the process is not the friendliest, there is a benefit to reporting,” said Jasmina Viteskic, the Title IX Coordinator for Berkeley Unified School District.

‘An up and down process’: Teachers grapple to support students through grief

“We need more long-term mental health support for every student on this campus given what has transpired over the last year,” said Anna Maine, Multilingual Program co-lead teacher and English Learners Coordinator.

Discomfort or harassment: Trans students burdened by BHS bathrooms

“Whenever I need to go into a space that is gendered, like a bathroom or a locker room, I feel extremely uncomfortable,” said transgender junior Alastair Kudsk, who uses he/they pronouns.

Medina Lam (they/them) is on the girls crew team.

“The world is too binary:” The struggles of trans and non-binary athletes at BHS

“It can sometimes be a little bit weird to be on a women’s varsity team and know that I am not a woman,” said Medina Lam, a senior on crew, who plays on a gendered team that they do not identify with.

An old photo of two Black students at desks, talking

No peace for powerless people: The activism that shaped the African American Studies Department

“Student activism. I think that is something really beautiful, and is what shaped this department.” said Dawn Williams, or “Doc Dub,” a teacher at Berkeley High School.

Unrealistic Media Ideals Lead to Negative Body Image for Men

“Chris Hemsworth from Thor: Ragnarok. That was my ideal body type for years. That was my goal,” said Gabriel Ross, a junior in Berkeley International High School.

Four Years In: Evaluating the Universal Ninth Grade’s Successes and Limitations

In 2015, Tamara Friedman and Glenn Wolkenfeld, then-professional development coordinators at Berkeley High School, decided that BHS needed to change.  An achievement gap persisted along racial lines, and students who could have been helped were falling through the cracks.

‘A Window for Rape Culture to Blossom:’
The Impact of Party Culture on Rape Culture

In 2021 graduate Melani Garcia’s freshman year at Berkeley High School, she attended her first party. At the party, she said hello to a classmate who she believed to be intoxicated.