Berkeley Student Cooperative

The Community Care Block Party was a success! Thank you to everyone who performed, spoke, tabled, volunteered, and stopped by ❤️

We can’t wait for next year’s block party!

Photos taken by

The GMM is an annual meeting where the BSC Membership can come together and learn about pertinent information regarding the BSC as an 501(c)(3) Nonprofit and as a Member Cooperative. Aside from the important information shared to the membership at this meeting, this is a great way to meet new people, advocate for issues among the BSC, and enjoy the cooperative environment amongst each other.

GMM is currently planned for May 4th, 2024 to be held at Casa Zimbabwe from 12pm-6:15pm. Pizza and light refreshments will be served!

We hope to see you there!

We’ll be screen printing the block party official design on Sunday - bring your own fabric (shirt, tote bag, etc) to get your very own BSC merch! 👕🎨

We are excited to announce a Poster Design Contest aimed at raising awareness about su***de prevention and mental health. This initiative seeks to encourage creative expression and spread important messages that can save lives and foster a supportive community.

Poster Requirements:
* Theme: All entries must focus on su***de prevention and mental health awareness. The design should convey hope, support, understanding, and the importance of talking about mental health issues and seeking help.

Content:
* Title: Each poster must include a compelling title that reflects the theme.
* Graphics: The visual component should be powerful and convey the message without the need for excessive text. Examples of graphic themes include:
* Two individuals engaged in a supportive conversation, illustrating the power of talking and listening.
* A depiction of someone reaching out for help, with open hands symbolizing support and understanding from the community or individuals.
* Imagery representing light overcoming darkness, symbolizing hope and recovery.

Format:
* Posters can be created digitally or through traditional artistic methods (painting, drawing, etc.).
* Digital entries should be submitted in high-resolution JPEG or PNG format. PDF can also be accepted.
* For non-digital entries, a high-quality photograph or scan of the artwork should be submitted.

Originality: Entries must be the original work of the participant and not previously published. Plagiarism will result in disqualification.

Prize: $200

Submission Process:
* Participants should submit their entries at [email protected]  , including their full name, contact information, and a brief description of their poster.
* The deadline for submissions is April 30th.

We are excited to see your contributions and how you use your creativity to shine a light on su***de prevention and mental health awareness. Your artwork has the power to inspire, educate, and support those around you. Let’s come together to make a positive impact through our creativity. Good luck to all participants!

After submitting your application for summer and/or fall, you will receive an email from the BSC with your housing assignment. From there, the house manager will organize a meeting with house members to determine room bids. Be sure to apply as soon as possible to guarantee a spot in one of your preferred housing choices.

The BSCAA invites you to celebrate your time in the co-ops with everyone who’s made it special with a party at Alumni House on May 7th!

You’re graduating, and we’re thrilled to welcome you into our alumni family with food, drinks (ID required for alcohol), music, guest speakers, entertainment, and a whole lot of joy.
Highlights include: catered dinner from Gypsy’s Trattoria Italiana and nonalcoholic beverages, wine & beer courtesy of Lagunitas Brewery (must have ID), guest speakers, photobooth courtesy of LiveImage, music & student performers, and FREE membership into the BSC Alumni Association (Look out for our young alumni happy hours this summer!)

RSVP via Eventbrite at tinyurl.com/coopgrad2024 🎓

You may be moving out, but you’ll always be a co-oper. We can’t wait to party with you!

Apply to The Coop!

The BSC’s student news and culture publication is seeking applicants for summer and fall! Get workshift hours covered for working on The Coop with a team of all fellow co-opers from across the BSC!

All positions are open: The Coopnis looking for journalists, writers, editors, designers, illustrators, photographers, and artists of all kinds! If you like to make stuff, they probably have a position for you!

Time commitment: Virtual 30 min. mandatory meeting weekly, 1-2 projects expected per issue. Members determine how many issues and how often cooperatively and collaboratively.

Keep an eye out for the Coop’s debut issue coming out in May. Help keep this part of co-op history alive for future generations of co-opers!

Participate in local elections! Swipe for more information on the special election for the city council member representing the 7th district, why it matters, and how to vote or register to vote! 🗳️ ‼️

Here are the BSC’s endorsements for ASUC office for 2024-25! We encourage folks to be involved this election cycle by voting on Callink or on Sproul or Eshelman 412 🗳️

Thank you for those who sought endorsement and best of luck!

WE HAVE OPENINGS!

Looking for housing for the summer or fall? Look no further than the Berkeley Student Cooperative! With 1200 residents across our 17 houses and 3 apartments, the BSC offers a unique and affordable housing experience for university and college students in the Berkeley area. To join, apply through the BSC member portal, which can be accessed through our website.

Interested in living in the co-op system? Learn more about the people who make the BSC a community!

Lio (she/her) has lived in the queer-themed Oscar Wilde Johnson Rivera House since Fall 2022. She currently serves as the house’s workshift manager and described the house environment as positive.

When asked about life in the co-ops, she emphasized that what has been central to her experience are the connections and friendships she’s made with her fellow house members.

As workshift manager, she also recommended that new members be prepared to “put on elbow grease to make their house a home.”

Interested in living in the co-op system? Learn more about the people who make the BSC a community!
Dani (she/they) has lived in Euclid Hall since the start of the spring 2024 semester. While they were initially nervous about living in the co-ops, they found everyone in the system to be responsive and communicative.

Dani described Euclid to be a close-knit group where every house member is friends with one another. They particularly enjoy cookshift because of how it allows them to feel part of the community and get to know their housemates. They recommended that potential new members uncertain about joining the co-ops test the waters for themselves.

This year’s block party theme is Community Care, based off of Cooperative Principle #7: Concern for Community. As in previous years, the BSC intends to offer a space where the community can come together, uplift the fruits of our labor, and celebrate how we can and continue to take care of one another. We are seeking poster designs that encompass the spirit of Community Care, whatever that may mean to you. Exact interpretations of the theme are up to you, and we encourage you to draw from your personal experiences and history with the community when designing your poster. There are no guidelines - create whatever your heart desires! 

Fill out tinyurl.com/ccbppostercontest to submit your design! The form will remain open until April 7th 11:59pm, two weeks before the block party, to give us time to print the posters. To make things even more exciting, we’re offering a $50 gift card to each of the top two designs, which will each be printed and sold at the block party! Beyond the prizes, this is a unique opportunity to leave your mark on our co-op’s history and have your artwork admired by all members and guests during our block party.
We encourage everyone to participate, regardless of your level of artistic expertise. This is about community and creativity, and we’re excited to see the diverse ideas and perspectives of our members.

Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions about the poster design competition and sale. Let’s make this year’s block party not only a celebration of our community, but also a showcase of our collective creativity.

We look forward to seeing your inspiring designs!

Attention all current members and organizations - we need your help to make the Community Care Block Party happen! Please consider volunteering to support the block party by performing / speaking at the event, tabling, vending, or helping with setup and cleanup by signing up at tinyurl.com/ccbpvolunteer. If you’re interested in the planning process, please sign up for one of the four open positions on the fourth slide, or email Cyn at [email protected] for more information. Part of an organization that you’d like to see promoted at the block party? Sign up at tinyurl.com/ccbporganizations!

The block party is only six weeks away - we hope to see you there! 🕺🏻💃🏻

Attention all current members and organizations - we need your help to make the Community Care Block Party happen! Please consider volunteering to support the block party by performing / speaking at the event, tabling, vending, or helping with setup and cleanup by signing up at tinyurl.com/ccbpvolunteer. If you’re interested in the planning process, please sign up for one of the four open positions on the fourth slide, or email Cynthia at [email protected] for more information. Part of an organization that you’d like to see promoted at the block party? Sign up at tinyurl.com/ccbporganizations!

The block party is only six weeks away - we hope to see you there! 🕺🏻💃🏻

Last month, Kingman Hall hosted a party celebrating its reopening after being closed for renovations in the summer and fall! Former and current house members, friends, BSCAA members, BSC staff, and community members got together under the newly constructed roof to explore the house, learn more about the Kingman Hall Creek Restoration project, watch a live mural reinstallation, enjoy live music on the roof during sunset, and watch the Super Bowl 🏈

Photos taken by BSC alum Fox Nakai, .

We’re happy to announce that we’re hosting BSC’s 3rd annual block party, Community Care, on April 21st at Davis Park! Swipe to learn more about the history of our block parties, the theme of this year’s party, and more.

Current members, stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved with the block party! Save the date, and we hope to see you there!

We’re happy to announce that we’re hosting our third BSC block party, Community Care, on April 21st! This will be a day filled with music and other talent performances from BSC members, free food, arts and crafts vending, and tables and short speeches from local grassroots organizers. Swipe through to learn more about the history of our block parties, this year’s theme, and more!

Members, stay tuned for more information on how to get involved with the block party this April! We hope to see you there!

The BSC is seeking professional staff! Swipe through to see more details about each of the six available positions, and visit the associated links or hicom.bsc.coop for more information.

The Berkeley Student Cooperative stands with People’s Park. Swipe to read why and how you can get involved and support the Park.

Did you know that punk bands like the Ramones and Black Flag used to play at Barrington Hall? “The crowd was like a tornado, just uncontrolled, but never fully out of control. It was punk rock at its most pure,” says former resident Sam Quinones.

The rich history of music in the BSC spans far past Barrington’s legacy, with countless talented members immersed in the music scene performing at house band and DJ nights. Houses like CZ, Lothlorien, and Kingman cite music as a critical facet of co-op culture and infused in everyday life. “No other medium could so clearly reflect and captivate our creative, free-spirited, and diverse cooperative community,” says author Emma Taila.

Read the full article by Emma and more at tinyurl.com/bscfa23newsletter.

The BSC still has room vacancies for the Spring 2024 semester, and we need YOUR help to get the word out to anyone who needs affordable housing in the Bay Area! 🗣️🗣️🗣️ share this flyer on your social media and tag us OR send us a DM to pick up some printed flyers to distribute around Berkeley and the Bay Area!

The Berkeley Student Cooperative is a member-run student housing co-op with 20 properties in Berkeley serving priority population students with below market-rate rent. If YOU know someone still looking for affordable housing in the Bay, tell them about the .coop! We accept all college students including students in trade schools and community college 🌲 for more information about our membership eligibility, head to https://bsc.coop/apply.

(Repost from yesterday with amended information)

Good news! The UC has agreed to prioritize a land transfer via the California legislature - in other words, the BSC will own the land under Rochdale and Fenwick!

This Wednesday, Jan 10th, this bill (SB56) will begin moving through the legislature. To follow the progress of SB56, please visit tinyurl.com/bsc-sb56. More updates to come, so stay tuned if interested in supporting the land transfer!

BSC ownership of the land and buildings will ensure affordable student housing for hundreds of students - please follow along and help us save Rochdale and Fenwick!

We need your help to in Sacramento!

Good news! The UC has agreed to prioritize a land transfer via the California legislature - in other words, the BSC will own the land under Rochdale and Fenwick!

This Wednesday, Jan 10th, this bill (SB56) will be moving through the legislature. To help, we’d love for you to call in and make a short public comment in support of the bill passing (Zoom link TBA)! If interested in carpooling to Sacramento to attend the hearing in person, please fill out this carpool form: tinyurl.com/SB56carpool

For help preparing your public comment, please join our VPEA Cyn’s meeting tonight at 5pm! Zoom link: berkeley.zoom.us/j/7886564442

BSC ownership of the land and buildings will ensure affordable student housing for hundreds of students - please help us save Rochdale and Fenwick!

Is Bay Area rent bleeding your bank account dry? Consider joining the Berkeley Student Cooperative this spring semester! For just $914 a month, you can come home to a lively, tight-knit community, shared home-cooked meals every night, and a kitchen always stocked with snacks, fresh produce, and essentials. It almost sounds too good to be true!

We have over 100 vacancies this spring semester waiting to be filled! To apply, visit tinyurl.com/joinbscsp24 and move in as early as next week! For more information on the co-op, please visit our website, bsc.coop.

Feel free to DM us or email [email protected] if you have additional questions 🏡

Our publications coordinator is working on getting a team of students interested in journalism, writing, photography, and art to bring back a co-op-wide newspaper by and for members! The co-op has had newspapers and student publications in the past, but not for many years. Hopefully, this semester will change that!

We’re recruiting a core group of students now to get this project off the ground and hopefully get started this month. Any BSC member who is interested in the arts, world/local/BSC politics, and writing about our cooperative community or local events is invited to apply! This is not so much of an application as it is an interest form, to start organizing folks into a team!

To apply, please visit tinyurl.com/bscnewspaper! Positions range from editor to layout designer to photographer and more. Please direct any questions to [email protected] 🗞️

Esteban Kelly is a BSC 2003 alum who has gone on to advance the cooperative movement through organizations like , , and . He was recently interviewed by fellow BSC alumni on his contributions to worker coops and the importance of the BSC in facilitating a community of cooperation. You can read more about Esteban in our upcoming newsletter at bsc.coop/alumni/alumni-newsletter!

Please consider making a gift to the BSC this holiday season at bsc.coop/donate! Every dollar helps us continue to provide affordable housing and cooperative resources to low-income students. To get tax credit for 2023, all donations must be sent by 12/31.

Our next spotlight is on the Big Yellow Castle, Casa Zimbabwe! CZ is located on the North Side of campus and is home to 124 BSC members.
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Swipe ➡️ to learn more.
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Stay tuned to learn about our other properties throughout December!

Apply to live in the BSC today at www.bsc.coop (link in bio)

Our next house spotlight is the famed Kingman Hall! 🐸 This lively co-op has been closed for renovations since May, but will be reopening for the Spring semester! 🎉 Kingman is located on the North side of the UC Berkeley campus and houses 50 BSC members.
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Swipe ➡️ to learn more and stay tuned to learn about our other properties throughout December!

Apply to live in the BSC today at www.bsc.coop (link in bio)

Our next house spotlight is The Convent!
This former convent turned co-op is located on the West Side of Berkeley, about 1.5 miles from the UC Berkeley campus. Home to 25 members, this house is all single rooms for Graduate and Re-entry (25+ y/o) students!
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Swipe ➡️ to learn more and stay tuned to learn about our other properties throughout December!

Apply to live in the BSC today at www.bsc.coop (link in bio)