Nils Skudra poses with his late dog, Beauregard. Nils has Asperger syndrome and currently attends UC Berkeley. Photo: Renee Skudra Nils Skudra poses with his late dog, Beauregard. Nils has Asperger syndrome and currently attends UC Berkeley. Photo: Renee Skudra For teens across America, college is one of the major stepping-stones to independence, akin to getting a […]

Drew Jaffe
The It List: Five things to do in Berkeley this weekend
Berkeley Playhouse’s TeenStage will be showing its teen version of Shrek The Musical this weekend only. Photo: Berkeley Playhouse TEEN SHREK This weekend, TeenStage will be performing “Shrek The Musical” at the Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College Avenue. Based on the popular 2001 kids movie, the musical follows an ogre and talking donkey on their […]
Berkeley residents weigh in on new LED streetlights
Contractors replaced old streetlights Monday with new LED bulbs on the corner of Sonoma and Colusa avenues. Photo: Mary Flaherty The city of Berkeley’s project to convert thousands of old streetlights to LED bulbs is well underway, and the changes have not gone unnoticed by community members. Last fall, the Berkeley City Council voted to allow the city […]
Cal, city of Berkeley take steps to curb water use
Water runoff from one of Cal’s lawns is a relatively common occurrence on campus. Photo: Patrick Hickey Water runoff from one of Cal’s lawns is a relatively common occurrence on campus. Photo: Patrick Hickey In response to the severe drought conditions that plague most of the state, Cal and the city of Berkeley have ramped up efforts to curb […]
The It List: Six things to do in Berkeley this weekend
Appetite Obscure, a potluck collective, will be putting on a carnival-themed potluck this Saturday. Photo: Apetite Obscure REMEMBERING HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI Aug. 6 and 9 mark the 69th anniversaries of the nuclear bombings of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki by U.S. armed forces, effectively ending World War II. This Friday, to commemorate these anniversaries, the Newman […]
Shop Talk: The ins and outs of Berkeley businesses
GLOBAL EXCHANGE REORGANIZED The Global Exchange on the corner of Russell Street and College Avenue recently reorganized its interior to make the store feel more open and better showcase the artwork on sale. The bulky display pieces were taken out to open up floor and wall space, according to lead sales associate Lauren Matley. While […]
CHP offers free safe driving course for teens
The California Highway Patrol wants to teach young drivers how to be safer on the road. Photo: Carissa Rogers For teenagers in America, getting a driver’s license is a crucial rite of passage into young adulthood. But for their parents, it is yet another source of anxiety, and for good reason. According to the National […]
Shop Talk: The ins and outs of Berkeley businesses
BELLHOPS Moving just got a little easier. In May, Bellhops set up operations in Berkeley. Using a business model akin to Uber or Lyft, the company hires local college students, or “bellhops,” to provide customers with moving help. The company started three years ago in Auburn, Alabama, and rapidly expanded to 145 cities across the […]
The It List: Five things to do in Berkeley this weekend
A young girl looks at “Art Reflection,” a piece featured at Berkeley Spark last year. The Burning Man-inspired festival will be held Saturday, July 19, in Civic Center Park. Photo by Quinn Anya STAND UP SIT DOWN If you’re looking for laughs, try the La Peña Cultural Center this Friday for a comedy show hosted by Karinda […]
With big soccer game approaching, UC Berkeley addresses impacts from Memorial Stadium
Cal’s Memorial Stadium has a a capacity of over 60,000 and regularly draws large crowds to the area. Photo: John Morgan Cal’s Memorial Stadium has a a capacity of over 60,000 and regularly draws large crowds to the area. Photo: John Morgan Representatives from the city of Berkeley and Cal invited residents near Memorial Stadium […]
City of Berkeley gives Gilman Street homeless a reprieve
Police officers visit the homeless camp on Gilman Street in West Berkeley daily to provide outreach for residents. Photo: Drew Jaffe The city of Berkeley, which had planned to remove the personal possessions of the homeless living on Gilman Street under Interstate 80 on July 15, has backed off its insistence that the homeless encampment […]
Berkeley Spark 2.0: Art, innovation and a kinetic bear
This year’s Berkeley Spark will showcase “Ursus Redivivus,” a kinetic-sculpture bear made from scrap metal. Photo: Kat Parkin This year’s Berkeley Spark will showcase “Ursus Redivivus,” a kinetic-sculpture bear made from scrap metal. Photo: Kat Parkin On Saturday July 19, Berkeley’s Civic Center Park will be filled with artists, idea makers, entrepreneurs and techies from […]