This week, The Daily Californian’s Weekender tackles questions of community. Courtney writes about what it’s like to never want to fall in love — and to find people who don’t want to, either. “In online forums full of aromantic people, young and old, questioning and certain, the questions were not, ‘How can you possibly be happy?’” Courtney writes. “Instead, I was asked, ‘What do you want?’”

From Eriko, a piece on what it’s like to spend each day in a co-living dorm in Japan during the pandemic. “Just a few minutes away from the station, in a quiet neighborhood, there sits Shimokita College, a five-floor, schoollike building with a bright yellow door. In addition to brand-new facilities and proximity to exciting cities such as Shibuya, one of the selling points that the building offers is a space for ‘interaction’ — or an escape from unbearable loneliness in individual homes.”

Edrick explores the legacy of racial segregation in our communities, focusing especially on busing in Berkeley and Oakland. “I find myself often turning back to that infamous first debate of the presidential election cycle (remember the summer of 2019?) where then-presidential candidate, now Vice President Harris invoked her experience with busing as a young student in Berkeley, hurling invectives at her then-opponent Joe Biden for his opposition to correcting the legacy of segregation,” Edrick writes. “However, it is a bit naive to talk about the ‘legacy’ of something that still persists.”

Examining communities close to home this week also is Nat, who looks at how housing insecurity and homelessness in Berkeley have been devastated by the pandemic. She quotes organizer Dayton Andrews, who says, “We have to unite more people. More students. More activists in the community. In this fight, we have to be creative. As you see, there’s been this protest camp going on. How long that goes on is a matter of building this plan. But ultimately, we’re trying to unite people, spread knowledge about this struggle and really bring people together. As a space, it should stay and remain as it is.”

Cate considers personality tests and how she allows them to define herself in relation to the world and other people — especially in a time when those relationships are changing. “Among the many things the pandemic compelled me to reconsider, isolation moved me to question my beliefs about who I am in a way I never had before,” she writes. “Maybe my introversion and ‘intuitive’ focus were based on circumstances. Who I was seemed to depend on context.”

Megan reflects on how food ties us to people and communities. “My willingness to learn about different culinary traditions and practicing how to prepare Chinese foods is a small yet meaningful way for me to grow a greater appreciation for the culture and to relate to my family in ways other than spoken language.”

Finally, Rochelle dives into the Trump Twitter ban and considers its implications for politics, free speech and democracy. She interviews acclaimed journalist Walt Mossberg and Dean of the Berkeley Journalism School Geeta Anand, who says, “There can’t be any sacred cows. We have to rethink everything because this is a whole new industry.” 

We hope you enjoy the read.