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FRESHMAN JOURNAL
Behind the Lines at Berkeley
High
JUNE 2000: Top Security
© Copyright 2000 by Parents' Press
Our Berkeley (California) High School freshman has chosen to be anonymous so she can write more freely.
Well, there was a bunch of news coverage of my school lately, especially about the fires. [Editor's note: Berkeley High School has been plagued with a series of fires attributed to arson.]
But I noticed that they focused more on the flames than on what it was like to be around those flames. So I'll clue you all in on the whole matter what it's like, and how, suddenly, summer is thiiiiiiisss close. (Yayyyy!)
Due to the enormous amount of fires at
Berkeley High, the security level is very high. Of course there
is no access to the B-building, so lockers are unavailable, and
everything inside them has also been blocked from retrieval.
I miss my locker, man!
Officially, everyone is to be kicked off campus at 4 p.m., but, thankfully, actors for the school musical and after-school music in the A-building have been allowed to continue.
Amongst the other atrocities, the principal has asked that we wear our IDs daily! But few students actually do, so the rule has nearly been forgotten (to much relief).
For a long time no one was allowed out of class except during "passing periods," which is when we have to dash off to our next class. No bathroom emergencies were allowed for anyone!
Locks with seven-digit combinations have been installed on most of the "staff only" rooms. Each teacher has a different combo," and one of my teachers said that it is probable that these combos will change every month or so.
I don't know how soon it will be until our school is somewhat normal again, so I, along with the rest of the students, have just assumed the security will remain all year.
However, I am not alone in my tiredness of the security officers, and somewhat prison like facilities. Security cameras have been installed all over, and even though I recognize the need for them, I still feel like I'm in jail.
Fortunately, the insurance company is paying for
much of the security measures. Our school district is very much
in debt already, and many of our teachers are demanding more
pay and fewer classes/students to teach. Understandably, of course,
as this district is the lowest paid in the area for both tenured
teachers and beginning year teachers.
The result of sky-high housing costs, for example, is situations like this: two first-year teachers were forced to live in a shelter for months because they could not afford housing on the salary they were receiving.
I read in my school newspaper that ten teachers will be fired at Berkeley High next year. Several teachers need to be fired, but not because of budget cuts. With teachers negotiating for fewer classes, how is it possible to cut teachers giving the rest even more students to teach?
You can tell that the teachers are overwhelmed with the amount of students. Essays are often not returned for weeks. In two of my classes homework is simply collected not returned and teachers sometimes take a two-minute break from class to explain how horrible their situation is!
It's very stressful for us too, especially with what's going on because of the fires. Things are expected to be much better next year, but I dunno school is pretty evil in the first place.
How are they going to make it nice? Since when has school ever been nice to you? Okay, kindergarten doesn't count. No, not first grade either you know what I mean!
I have a bit of advice for the parents who are thinking of sending their child(ren) to Berkeley High or any other school that has Ethnic Studies. Make them take the course during summer school. The same applies to Social Living.
It is much better to suffer through three
weeks of utter hell than to suffer an entire semester of these
evil courses, with even worse teachers. Supposedly, Ms. Black
is top pick as Social Living teachers go, while there is no top
choice for Ethnic Studies.
Soon school will be over, as it ends the
15th of this month. Finals will be hell, there will be a mad
rush to sign one another's yearbooks, senior pranks will happen,
and then, suddenly, after a few end-of-the-year parties, it will
be over.
True, there is summer school for the many of us who didn't quite
cut Ethnic Studies, or who come with hopes of doing away with
yicky shmicky requirements like PE, Social Living, or American
Government.
For the rest who will attend summer camps, travel the world, work at donut shops, be camp counselors or lifeguards, or do absolutely nothing this summer: I envy you, and bring me back photos!
To everyone, I wish you a nice summer, heavenly vacations, and a wonderful Fourth of July.
Sincerely,
The Freshman
Berkeley,
CA High School
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