As the spring semester has come and gone and summer has jumped into the pool with full force, we are all in the splash zone. Berkeley summers are a unique experience for each of us — some are taking a few units to finish up major requirements, others are working in internships for the first time and many are outdoors, enjoying their free time in the fresh air.
Most years, students on campus would be out on Memorial Glade, soaking in the sun before making their way to class. That is not the case during this (hopefully) last, virtual summer. In a few short days, California will reopen, and we will start to adjust to a new normal after more than a year in quarantine.
From our tips to safely attending sporting events after COVID-19 to a power ranking of frozen desserts to try this season, this issue has your long, lazy afternoons covered. Sit back, relax, tune into our summertime playlist and enjoy. In this season of uncertainty and new beginnings, we hope you’ll be able to find and celebrate your own summertime state of mind.
Songs for that summer feeling: A summertime playlist
These are songs, new and old, aimed to conjure up the mood for the season of sun — where the days are long and the weather’s fine.
— Vincent Tran
Sugar, spice, all things ice: A power ranking of frozen desserts
Whether you’re in the mood for a light and refreshing snack or a bold and fulfilling treat, here’s a ranking of our favorite go-to frozen dessert choices.
— Jasper Kenzo Sundeen, Jocelyn Huang and Connor Lin
Looking ahead
After a year of masks, social distancing and isolation, many of us have come to appreciate the everyday activities we used to take for granted.
— Merve Ozdemir
Mark your calendars: Upcoming movies for summer 2021
This summer shapes up as a season of options: variety in the movies to choose and variety in the ways to watch them. Here are movies slated for the summer.
— Maya Thompson
How to responsibly enjoy baseball in the Bay Area
Nothing comes close to the rush of sitting in the nosebleed seats and encouraging your team using your loudest voice possible.
— Mia Horne
Reconnect with your inner bookworm: A nonfiction summer reading list in pairs
Whether you’re chilling at the beach or sheltering in place, consider picking up one of these pairs of nonfiction books.
— Peter Zhang
Summer music releases you can’t miss
With new albums every month, there’s no room for “Summertime Sadness.” From Prince to Billie Eilish, the options are limitless.
— Nadia Farjami
I threw all my plans into the air for a gap year
They have their lives, and I have mine, and life is less like a race than it is a maze with a billion different paths.
— Ailun Shi
