Renderings Of A Rhetoric Writer

Barbara Lopez, Entertainment Editor

West High alumni Kiana Lailin Young continues to soar in her writing as she’s finally found fulfillment on the UC Berkeley campus — and she’s no freshie!

Young has woven in and out of schools — this is her third transfer to be exact! She said “academically, and considering the environment and culture, at [Berkeley], [she’s] never been happier.”

Recently, however, on-campus news has made many students — including Young herself — feel unsettled, to say the least.

In Spring of 2016, UC Berkeley Dean Sujit Choudhry was sued for sexual harassment by his executive assistant Tyann Sorrell.

Young reacted to this with a vehement post on her Facebook wall, “I’m so tired. Tired of fighting an institution rooted in oppression. It’s like a wave crashing down on me and I’m the rocks and soil. Eroding.”

The writer is currently pursuing a degree in Rhetoric, and it’s clearly expressed in her piece. Young said “As for what inspired [her] — [her] horror, anger, pain, and solidarity fueled my passion. [Her] own identities and experiences with an unjust system, university, and rape culture made it impossible for [her] to stay silent on these issues.”

Others have heard what Young has to say, and they’re voicing their words on her piece. Danielle Swenson (11) said, “Her voice needed to be heard seeing that there are people, including myself, who were not aware of what had happened at UC Berkeley.”

Also interested in Young’s piece, Clarissa Amaya (12) said “I think that Kiana is right speaking about there are more important things than doing homework, and using studying as an excuse instead of doing the right thing.”