Opinion

The Origins of Holidays Should Be Recognized

In
By Andrew Wilde-Price

All holidays evolve out of a particular tradition, be it an historical event, or person, or God. This context or background is why people started celebrating holidays in the first place. You can say that holidays such as Easter, and Christmas are universal, and that many different cultures celebrate the same ritual with different names, but how can you understand any universal themes or ideas from these celebrations without understanding their historical contexts? An appreciation of historical context is necessary to gather a sense of the universal truth behind a holiday.

Class Time Should Be for Learning, Not Texting

In
By Emma Dudley

We view those little magic boxes of ours as our indispensable connection to the outside world, our best friend, and our one true love. But at the same time, they are actually our number one distraction and saboteur during the school day.

Teachers Should Trust Teens, Not Control Them

In
By Izzy ben Izzy

A lot of students use cell phones and iPods during class time; this is inevitable in a school as large as Berkeley High School. The current policy allows teachers to take away a phone if they see it or hear it, and send them to On Campus Intervention (OCI) if the problem gets out of hand. Some teachers choose to use this, and some prefer their own methods of discipline, or none at all. The question I want to ask is: Are we looking at this from the right angle?

BBQ Club Eliminates Tradition Of Exclusivity

In
By Jamal Gamal

Berkeley High School has many interesting things to offer to its student body. We’ve got a multitude of different sports teams and clubs, allowing almost any student to find a niche within the school’s extracurricular activities and a smaller community within our large school to connect with. One particularly popular club BHS has is Barbecue Club. Beloved by much of BHS, Barbecue Club gathers every few weeks on the campus green to hold a fun and festive barbecue for the students of our school, right here on campus.

Ethnic Studies Programs Vital

In
By Andrew Wilde-Price

Since the Cultural Revolution and Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Berkeley and BHS have become more diverse. Today, student organizations like the Black Student Union, Chicano Student Union can be found on campus, and a majority of the new student government officials for this year are students of color.

Our country is in a recession, and educational funding is very tight. So why should programs for special student ethnic groups be encouraged and funded using school resources when schools all over the state are making cutbacks?

Teacher Opinions Cloud Classes

In
By Eli Schwartz

During our careers as students, many of us have had teachers who have discussed controversial topics in the classroom. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this in and of itself. Freedom of expression is an essential part of any learning environment. But problems arise when a teacher allows his or her personal biases to influence the curriculum. Students should be allowed and encouraged to think for themselves, independent of their teacher’s point of view.

Graffiti Can Have Merit, But Doesn’t Always

In
By Emma Carlblom

Graffiti is something that surrounds the students of Berkeley High, the residents of Berkeley, and virtually every person who lives in any urban locale. Most of these people have opinions about graffiti. Some become angry at all acts of vandalism that surround them while others embrace graffiti as an art form, all the while elevating many graffiti artists to fame and prestige.

Students Shouldn’t Be Pressured Into College

In
By Ashley Alexander

Starting as early as junior high, many students already have the idea of going to college in the back of their minds. However, once high school seniors actually start applying to schools, many may begin questioning if they really need or want to go to college. In our society, the idea that you need to go to college in order to become accomplished in your chosen career is constantly being imposed onto high school students; there is an unspoken pressure to get a higher education and to receive a college degree.

Honors Math Tutoring Requirement Flawed

In
By Cameron Grigsby

For many years at Berkeley High School, there has been a requirement that students in the Honors Math program complete a certain number of “tutoring” hours. The system is designed so that those students in accelerated or honors math classes spend a minimum of two hours per grading period helping students who need additional support in math.

Summer Reading Only Positive If Done Right

In
By Abigail Chaver

Summer reading is universally abhorred, it’s true. It doesn’t matter if you’re the type that never reads willingly or the type that loves literature; no one appreciates being told that they have to read a certain amount of books over a vacation that’s supposed to be the epitome of freedom. Some people resent it more than others, most find it at least slightly annoying, but opinion differs on whether it’s actually a good idea.

Syndicate content