As Childish Gambino said, “Stay woke.” But what does this truly mean? We at the Clog are here to help you blossom into your most woke selfs.

Terms to know

A term y’all might be hearing in a lot of your classes this semester could be “Latinx,” particularly in light of all of the DACA-related activities. “Latinx” is a gender-neutral term used to refer to the Latino community. 

There is also an increased use of the term “queer,” which might initially alarm some students, as this is a formerly derogatory term. However, the LGBT community is reclaiming the word, ridding it of any malicious meaning it once had.

The importance of pronouns

Asking for someone’s preferred pronouns is something us older Cloggers have always abided by. It’s crucial to never make assumptions about someone (and we all know what happens when you make assumptions). Often, one can fall into the trap of assuming one’s gender, so it’s always important to be conscious of one’s default thoughts. Thus, it’s important to always ask for people’s pronouns to stay away from the trap of assumptions! 

Social constructs

Each student and UC Berkeley academic most certainly knows is that everything in our society is a social construct. Everything happening in our lives is rooted in gender norms and predetermined roles. This is something that we’re taught from childhood and usually become aware of as we grow. Plus, if you’re even in doubt about any question in a humanities class, this is most likely the answer.

Experience

We’ve all used the phrase, “my unique experience.” While this may seem trivial, nothing is more true at UC Berkeley. Here, at the number one university (tied now — we’ll admit we’re salty), every individual hails from a unique and vastly different background. This translates into everyone having a individualized life experience both in and outside of UC Berkeley.