Issuu

URLINGAME B

THE

theburlingameb.org

December 16, 2019

Issue 4 Vol. 128

Students respond to impeachment hearings

Behind the Hong Kong protests BY HUBERT CHEN

Senior Reporter

ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL YAP

BY TEKLA CARLEN AND CLAIRE HUNT

Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced formal impeachment inquiries into President Trump’s actions on Sept. 24. Since then, witnesses have been called to testify, reports have been made public and the articles of impeachment are moving forward. The main cause of the call for impeachment is the June 25 phone call between Trump and Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which Trump allegedly withheld military aid to the nation in exchange for political favors. Specifically, Trump requested that the Ukranian government investigate the son of his political rival Joe Biden in exchange for the already congressionally approved $400 million military aid package and a White House meeting for Zelensky. While the potential impeachment is controversial among many, some feel that it is the only way to restore democracy to our nation. “I think that impeachment is vital. The denial of this problem by people

in Congress is awful and detrimental to our political society,” senior Cecilia Lunaparra said. “If he isn’t impeached, the standard we are setting is that the president is above the law, that the president can use his power to bully other countries to beat his political opponents.” While Democrats have been pushing for impeachment, Republicans are standing by their leader. Increasing political polarization has complicated matters further. According to a poll conducted by Gallup released on Nov. 5, 89% of Democrats and 7% of Republicans thought Trump should be impeached and removed from office. When Nixon went through the same process, 71% of Democrats and 31% of Republicans felt the same. Senior Diana Milne believes that Trump should be impeached, which she finds likely because of the Democratic majority in the House, but she does not think he will be removed from office by the Republican-controlled Senate. “He is the best chance Republicans have at winning the presidency again,” Milne said. The impeachment is indicative of growing political unrest in the country following the hotly contested 2016 elec-

tion. First calls for impeachment came soon after Trump took office, regarding a potential breach of the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution with Trump’s many business dealings overseas. Accusations in 2017 that Trump had told his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to lie under oath only added to the growing tension. The Mueller Report was released in April 2019 and confirmed that the Russian government had interfered in the 2016 election. While these initial calls and controversies never led to fruition, they led the groundwork for impeachment inquiries today, encouraging Congress to take more hands-on measures in regards to potential presidential wrongdoing. “My opinion is that elections must be our own and when abuses of power occur, Congress must do its job to maintain checks and balances,” government teacher Allison Liberatore said. “Even if it doesn’t end up in Trump’s removal from office, as it currently looks like, we still have to go through processes to make sure someone else doesn’t do the same thing later.” *Republican students who were contacted declined to be interviewed for this article.

Millions of people across the world have joined in support with the protests in Hong Kong. The protests were initially sparked after controversies over the Hong Kong extradition bill, formally known as the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation Bill 2019. The bill declares that police forces from mainland China, Taiwan and Macau can now extradite criminals from Hong Kong who have broken laws in their own jurisdiction. While the bill’s intention was to pre-

vent Hong Kong from being a safe haven for criminals from mainland China, Macau and Taiwan, it sparked controversy among Hong Kong residents who feared that the Chinese government would be able to arrest Hong Kong residents at will, infringing on their civil liberties. After months of protests, the extradition bill was formally removed in late October. However the damage had already been done. The extradition bill controversy was the last straw for many Hong Kongers, and had already ignited the general anti-Chinese sentiment.

see NEWS on PAGE 5

A new wave of stores to come to Burlingame Ave. BY JACOB LUBARSKY

Copy Editor A wave of new restaurants and stores are jumping to Burlingame Avenue. Most of these new stores are part of large chains, such as Wahlburgers, a burger joint that is run by actor Mark Wahlberg and his family. Wahlburgers will replace Rangoon Ruby, a Burmese restaurant that was forced to shut down after the chain fell under a $4 million lawsuit for wage theft. Currently, the closest Wahlburgers is in downtown Palo Alto. Hayden Brickman is a junior who spends nearly every day at or around Burlingame

Avenue. Hayden goes to Five Guys, located on Primrose Avenue, at least once a week. “I’m excited to see Wahlburgers coming here because there’s not really any other burger restaurants [other than Five Guys],” Hayden said. “It’s cool to see a new push… we haven’t had a new chain come to the Avenue in a while.” Another edition to the Ave is an Amazon 4-star, a physical Amazon store that sells trending items from the Amazon website. Junior Evan Huwe, an avid Amazon user, relies on the company for everything from electronics to groceries.

see NEWS on PAGE 5

WHAT’S

INSIDE

The moral dilemma behind supporting Chick-fil-A

6/7

Explore the most iconic aspects of the past decade

“Frozen 2” is entertaining but lacks creativity and top songs

Students plan to study abroad in Israel next semester

Opinion

December 16, 2019

STEM vs Liberal Arts: Which is more important today? PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKICOMMONS

BY ELLIOT SKILLINGS

Staff Reporter

In today’s world, technology is king. It has been incorporated into nearly every aspect of society, from schoolwork to ordering food. The push for new scientific discoveries and engineering marvels, along with the current importance of technology, has made science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors in universities incredibly popular, leaving once highly valued liberal arts majors to fall by the wayside. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are often taught in harmony with one another to give students a holistic educational experience. Specific majors under this umbrella include computer science, physics and biology, among others. On the other hand, liberal arts majors are generally focused on providing students with foundational skills such as critical thinking and communication that will help them as they move on in life. These majors include English, International Studies, History and Commu-

Controversies over which academic field is superior fails to play to student strengths. nications. They often require additional study through completion of a postgraduate degree. Americans tend to think of STEM and liberal arts as two separate pathways, where students must choose the “better option.” This has led to an intense debate surrounding these two areas of study, with many

BY JACOB LUBARSKY

Copy Editor

THE BURLINGAME B

When I look at my Twitter feed, I frequently stumble upon yet another celebrity who is canceled. Cancel culture is the trend of particular groups trying to end a public figure’s career after the person does something the group finds problematic. The damning evidence causing the cancellation can range from something as serious as racist behavior to something as frivolous as petty feuding with another influencer. In November, rising singer Lizzo had one of her newest hits, “Good as Hell,” make no. 6 on the Billboard Top 100 charts. While Lizzo was seen celebrating the occasion, fans of pop singer Ariana Grande become hostile towards Lizzo, as she didn’t credit Grande for her help on the track. While Grande publicly congratulated Lizzo for the hit, Grande’s fans continued to be hostile while continuing to lack a genuine purpose of canceling Lizzo. Acts like these show the ignorance and lack of care some have over others’ career and wellbeing, and the negative effects cancel culture can have. Cancel culture has shown to be

Evolution of the “celebrity”

appearing more, as it is almost every day where a celebrity is trending on Twitter for being canceled for obscure reasons. The most absurd example of cancel culture is K-pop fans. The fans have been shown to be the most hostile and unforgiving, actively defending their culture and music. To do so, they viciously attack celebrities who dislike the genre by demanding the downfall of their career. On Dec. 9, popular YouTube celebrity and podcast host Ethan Klein was attacked by the K-pop community when he bashed BTS, a widely popular K-pop group, for their style of music and their wild fanbase. He was trending on Twitter with fans demanding he be cancelled. With most defending Klein and being released from any real backlash, the cancel culture was once again proven insignificant and petty. Cancel culture has been shown both unsuccessful and generally uncalled for. At the end of the day, the movement only brings non-deserved backlash towards people undeserving of it. Cancel culture, as a movement, has proven callous and cruel. In the future, people should return to ignoring or boycotting a celebrity if they encounter a problem with them.

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Design Editor Sports Editor Chief Photographer Business Manager Webmaster Copy Editors

the best education is always going to be the one that plays to a student’s strengths. If a student loves public speaking or writing, they should feel comfortable focusing on the liberal arts pathway. Alternatively, if they enjoy mathematics and making discoveries in science, then they should pursue a ma-

GRAPHIC BY ALEXIA GOLDSTEIN

Guilty until proven innocent: cancel culture

people, due to the aforementioned dominance of technology, claiming that majoring in liberal arts simply isn’t worthwhile anymore. This seems to be especially true in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley, as students grow up with the technological world all around them. Despite these perceptions,

jor in the STEM fields. While this isn’t a cut-and-dried answer as to which field is superior, that’s kind of the point. Students shouldn’t feel forced to move into the STEM field simply because the area they live in has prioritized technology over writing. When these two pathways come together, positive results will tend to follow. For example, while a person whose strength lies in the STEM area would make a scientific discovery, a person with liberal arts strengths would be more effective at documenting this discovery and communicating it to the world. By working together, an excellent scientific discovery can be effectively shared, and positive advancements can be made across the world. When people are actually in the field that they want to be in, their passion and drive for what they are doing will far exceed those who are in that field to appease what those around them might think to be better. With people working in areas that they have a passion and drive for, society will be able to function better, and humanity will be happier as a whole.

BY ALEXIA GOLDSTEIN

Staff Reporter

Household names from movies became an industry achievement in the mid-20th century and continues to be prized in the modern day. But now, in the 21st century, we are experiencing a transitional period from idolizing film stars to revering social media influencers. As the media continues to evolve into more and more applications, so does the idea of what a celebrity is. People with a large social network have always been idolized for their enviable status. However, mainstream media has rapidly changed the way we think about well-known figures. The first film was made in 1888, which marked the start of broadcast entertainment. With the rise in the number of televisions in the average home during the 1920s, people be-

Tekla Carlen Claire Hunt Rachel Yap Ethan Gardner Hanna Sato Moya Liu Ben Neuman Amelia Harris Jacob Lubarsky

Senior Reporters Hubert Chen Tyler Idema Aidan O’Sullivan Annie Sun Allison Szetu Caroline Yeow

gan to familiarize themselves with the people they saw on their screens. The people you see on your big screens are being phased out for smaller-scale influencers who thrive on social media apps such as Instagram, YouTube and Twitter and gain a following through their sharing of niche categories as well as skits, advice and lifestyle tips. Brands are more likely to partner with these influencers because they don’t require the massive paychecks that Hollywood stars demand; this supports small businesses and startups, which in turn benefits our consumer-driven economy. People look up to influencers and desire the perfect-looking life they display on a daily basis. For those who don’t have the means to live the life of an influencer or don’t have the time to, they can live vicari-

Staff Reporters Allison Cohen Aideen Delahunt Nicole Fassina Alexia Goldstein Samantha Johnstone Conner Lyons

Website: www.theburlingameb.org Phone: (650) 558-2899 Email: theburlingameb@gmail.com Address: 1 Mangini Way, Burlingame, CA 94010

ously through the influencer’s posts. It is easier to achieve influencer status in comparison to becoming a big name in the film industry, which has made this new level of status appear more attainable. Anyone with an interesting personality, passion or talent can become an influencer if they get lucky, just as it has worked for film celebrities since 1888. After influencers, I predict that the coveted title of celebrity will become further dispersed and normal people will have a genuine, realistic chance at a more “important” social status. I also think there will continue to be a shift from fame based off of physical appearances to fame obtained from intelligent achievements. Only time will tell, but I do know that there are many more types of celebrities that will emerge in the future.

Policy Statement: The Burlingame B is a student-run newspaper with the role purpose of providing an open forum for student expression. Anything printed represents the opinion of the writer, but not necessarily that of the Burlingame B staff, the administration, or the faculty of Burlingame High School, or anyone affiliated with the San Mateo Union High School District. The Burlingame B does not discriminate against race, political oritentation, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Although The Burlingame B will never refuse to publish guest submission based on the aforementioned factors, we reserve the right to edit or not publish them.

Letters to the Editor Disagree with the writers? Bring your letters to the room A120 or email them to <theburlingameb@gmail.com>. Letters may be considered for publication. The Burlingame B reserves the right to edit for clarity, length, and accuracy. We welcome all comments.

Opinion

December 16, 2019

Wakeup call: Those school schootings all over the news? They could easily happen here, and we are in denial BY THE BURLINGAME B EDITORIAL BOARD

campus procedure, a safety precaution following an anonymous alert with the possibility of a threat. We were supposed to con-

ly as the drill began, we were told to continue to our next class, and within the hour our heads were clear. Kids who experienced very real fear so recently laughed it off

Though no harm was done in the end, the first thought in many people’s minds was, “This is it. This is a shooting. We read about it, and now it’s us.” Classroom doors were locked, parents were hurriedly texted and for those 20 or so minutes, some students felt as though they could be faced with the possibility of death. In reality, we didn’t have a lockdown. It was just a secure

tinue on learning, with locked doors and windows, but the words “this is not a drill” have a different effect on American schoolchildren now. A potential threat became a looming threat stuck in the back of our minds. Then, just as quick-

as paranoia and stupidity. The “it couldn’t be us” mentality returned.

GRAPHIC BY RACHEL YAP

On Nov. 14, there was a school shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita that led to the deaths of three students, including the perpetrator. It was the most recent of 45 American school shootings this year as of Nov. 19, according to CNN. Since 1999, when the Columbine shooting happened, American students have become strangely accustomed to school shootings. While they obviously have a tremendous effect on us as students, the school shootings are often dismissed soon after they happen. Only a month after the shooting, we’ve all but forgotten about Saugus High School. We can’t afford emotional catharsis every time there’s a mass shooting because they happen too often. For this reason, it’s easy to brush off this most recent shooting, saying that, although this was a sad incident, it is unlikely to happen here. Life goes on. But the Saugus High School shooting should be a wake-up call for all of us. Our Bay Area bubble feels peaceful. Burlingame and Hillsborough are suburban towns where people know their neighbors, let their kids play in front yards and walk to school alone. It seems too sheltered, too happy, too safe for something as tragic as a shooting to take place here. But that’s what we thought before our school was tagged with racist, homophobic and anti-Se-

mitic graffiti. A few weeks before the vandalism incident there was a secure campus shutdown addressing a threat to campus.

The moral conflict Chick-fil-A poses for conscious consumers PHOTO COURTESY OF PEXELS.COM

Chick-fil-A recently stopped donating to anti-LGBTQ organizations BY HANNA SATO

Photography Chief As of Nov. 18, Chick-fil-A is no longer donating to the Salvation Army nor the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), two anti-LGBTQ organizations. In 2018, Chickfil-A gave $1.65 million to the FCA and $115,000 to the Salvation Army. The FCA is

openly anti-LGBTQ, including homophobic and transphobic messages in the “sexual purity statement” of its job application. The Salvation Army is more indirectly anti-LGBTQ, declaring in the past that marriage between people of the same sex does “not conform to God’s will for society.” In addition to these donations to anti-LGBTQ organizations, Chick-fil-A has not been shy about expressing their views on gay marriage, in conjunction with their religious views. Chickfil-A CEO Dan Cathy said in an interview in 2012, “I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity

to redefine what marriage is all about.” Basically, because some of us dare to believe that members of the LGBTQ community have the right to marry, we are all going to hell. Although Chick-fil-A has stopped donating to anti-LGBTQ organizations, it poses an important moral question. Is it wrong for consumers to enjoy food or products from corporations that have views we disagree with or find immoral? From personal experience, I find Chick-fil-A’s donations to these organizations to be prejudiced, discriminatory and alienating. But even I cannot deny that Chick-fil-A has chicken I am willing to drive all the way to Sunnyvale for. And although this may give the impression that I have no moral backbone, this conflict applies to many of Chick-fil-A’s customers. Thinking about the controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A leads me down a rabbit hole of all the fast-food chains and corporations I should not buy products from because of their views. If I follow my moral obligations like I

The secure campus procedure was the first realization for many of us that just because our community is sheltered, it doesn’t mean we are necessarily safe. The subsequential vandalism just weeks later was an eye-opening realization that these incidents do happen here. Though not as extreme as a shooting, students were left scared and threatened. The vandalism temporarily burst our Bay Area bubble and was an eye-opening experience in which we realized that hate crimes reach us even near San Francisco, a city seemingly built upon peace and acceptance. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, which sparked much of the current activism against gun violence in our generation, took place in Parkland, Florida, an affluent, wealthy community. Additionally, Santa Clarita is another relatively wealthy community in which a shooting has taken place recently. The similarities between these two communities and Burlingame is frightening. A school shooting can happen anywhere and the wealth of the area will not protect us. We need to understand that the possibility of a shooting is real. What happened at Saugus High School could just as easily happen here. Our community needs to unite in order to protect ourselves from the hate-fueled crimes that are prevailing in the United States. We need to be conscious of the environment we are living in.

Cartoon corner BY HUBERT CHEN

know I should, then I cannot eat at In-N-Out, IHOP, McDonald’s and Taco Bell because they fund Trump’s campaign. I cannot eat at Papa John’s and Denny’s because of their repeated incidents involving racism. No fast-food chain is safe. Morally, the answer is simple. I shouldn’t go to these fast food chains because they do not coincide with my personal beliefs. But sometimes I just want a burger or fried chicken. I have no idea how to answer this moral question. Do I eat at the homophobic home of the chicken sandwich or do I listen to my beliefs? It seems simple, but still, this conflict continues. My final decision is that if I strongly believe in and stand by my positions, I need to be willing to make sacrifices. Even if that does mean I essentially cannot eat at any fast food chain. I cannot believe and preach my values without being called a hypocrite if I do not at least make an attempt to stay away from fast food chains, or really any company, that I feel compromises my moral obligations.

Senior Reporter

Sports December 16, 2019 4 GIRLS BASKETBALL GAINS NEW TALENT BOYS BASKETBALL STARTS STRONG

BY ALLISON SZETU

Senior Reporter

O OT PH

Chief Photographer

BOYS SOCCER EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS PHOTO BY HANNA SATO

happy. I think overall as a team, we are adjusting really well to this and as we continue to practice we’re going to play even better,” Klapper said. So far, the team has gone undefeated against four other varsity teams.

BY HANNA SATO

ON LY ER

GIRLS SOCCER AIMS FOR CCS

NN CO

This year’s roster for the girls varsity revealed a surprising change in direction. Although it contains many returning varsity players, there are also some important new additions to the varsity team: freshmen Fiona Burns, Michelle Moshkovoy and Ava Uhrich, as well as senior Carolina Pilia. Pilia, who lives in Italy but is spending the year at Burlingame through the Rotary Youth Exchange program, noted her love of basketball. “I’ve been playing basketball for eight years,” Pilia said. She was excited to join the school team and experience American basketball. “In Italy we only have club basketball, so it’s nice having your teammates walking around the school and seeing them every day,” Pilia said. The team includes three freshmen and one sophomore in addition to the core seniors. Comparatively, last year’s Freshman Ava Urhich pushes past a Terra Nova team team had one sophomember at their Nov. 21 game.

Staff Reporter

ber-two-ranked Riordan High School and number-twelve-ranked Menlo-AthStaff Reporter erton High School, holding their own Boys’ varsity basketball has against both of these teams. The scores started the 2019-2020 sea- were not kept, but it was clear that the son off strong while playing Panthers belonged on the same court. against the best teams in “Our program has evolved to being Northern California. The able to compete against the higher level Panthers played num- teams,” junior Anastasios Pantazis said. Both of those games were scrimmages, another of which they played against Terra Nova. Although the score was not tracked, it was evident that the Panthers outplayed Terra Nova. “Getting those scrimmages in allowed us to get our feet wet and get ready for the rest of the season,” junior Ryan Ballout said. The first two regular season games for the Panthers ended in victory as they played South San Francisco (54-49) and Oceana High School (65-16). However, the Panthers’ work is far from over as they have the annual marquee showdown against Serra High School coming up on Friday, Dec. 20 at Burlingame. Due to a potential overcrowding, tickets will be Sophomore Sean Richardson looking to make a play sold beforehand. while being defended by fellow sophomore Jacob Yamagishi during a practice session. BY CONNER LYONS

O OT PH

more and no freshmen. The season appears to be off to a good start, with a record of four wins and two losses. Despite having a wide range of ages, the team has been able to work together and be successful. Overall, the team seems to have a promising season ahead.

PHOTO BY ALLISON COHEN

BY ALLISON COHEN

and started the season off strong. Despite their first loss at home in over two years, the Burlingame team is confident of their season to come. “I definitely think that we can make it to CCS this year,” junior Tyler Johnson said. “With our amount of practice and hard work, it’s possible.” Ending last year with a record of 123-4 and losing the first CCS game last year, the team hopes to attain a better record with the help of new players. “We’re going to do a lot better,” senior Liam Griffin said. “We were more focused on league games than CCS last year, but this year, we’re going to put more on winning CCS.” Although the team lost last year’s seniors, they are confident that the returning and incoming players will compensate and even improve the team. “There were a lot of juniors on the team last year who have stepped up and matured as players and leaders, and now they are on the starting team,” senior Ethan Kaufman said.

Following a strong season last year, the girls varsity soccer team is hoping to continue its successful run. Last season, the team made it to the Central Coast Section (CCS) championships. Despite losing their first game in CCS and placing last in the Open Division, qualifying was still a great achievement for the team. Senior Ava Klapper described this experience as being highly motivating for the team and great for practice. “I think there’s a lot of potential for us to go far this season. With that being said, it is my senior year so I’m definitely going to work very hard and I believe the rest of the team will as well,” Klapper said. The team has gained a lot of new talent this season, both from freshmen and members of the junior varsity team who advanced after last year. “We do have a lot of new players and some people are playing new positions, but everyone seems to be The varsity girls soccer team won 11-0 against George Washington High School on Dec. 3.

Junior Ron Kletter follows through after passing the ball downfield during a practice session.

CHEER PERFORMS AT TREE LIGHTING

WRESTLING STARTS WITH A BANG

N ISO

LL U ET

SZ H OS FJ YO ES

T UR CO

G ON W

The cheer team boosts holiday spirit by performing at tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 6.

showcase its skills in a tournament at Half Moon Bay at which many Panthers placed Webmaster top ten in their respective weight classes, Building on from last year’s headlined by a core of seniors. momentum, the Bur“We didn’t have any seniors last year, so lingame wrestling we have our whole lineup returning plus team has kicked a few new kids, so I’m expecting a very off the season on good season in terms of dual meets,” sea strong note. De- nior Evan Jones said. spite not having Given this, the varsity team will lean had a dual heavily on their experience to carry them meet yet, to victory. the team “We have Kyle Botelho ranked at numhas had the ber 11 in the state so we are hoping that he chance to can win [the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament] and have a good showing at state,” Jones said. Botelho has been very successful in CCS in the past, but he has yet to prove himself in a state tournament. This year will be his last chance in high school, and it is off to a good start with his ranking of two in CCS for his weight class. At the time of writing, the team was preparing for their next tournament in Fremont, which will take place on December 14th. The team will begin Senior wrestler Josh Wong goes for the legs of his dual meets in January. opponent in an attempt to bring him down. BY BEN NEUMAN

O OT PH

This year, to encourage holiday spirit and participate in the community, the cheer team performed at Burlingame’s annual tree lighting ceremony. “This performance is really exciting and special for us,” senior Isabella Tabora said. The school’s marching band and cheer team have participated in the town’s tree lighting ceremony for more than 20 years. It is important to the cheer team to represent the school at a citywide event. “The holidays are a very special time of the year, and the cheer team is happy to bring some holiday morale to such an important town event,” Tabora said. This time of the year commemorates spending time with family and friends, and the cheer team’s participation in the tree lighting ceremony is representative of the whole school.

A BY

Staff Reporter

This year’s tree lighting performance was memorable and will get us excited for the holidays.

PHOTO BY NICOLE FASSINA

BY NICOLE FASSINA

With a record of 3-1, the varsity boys soccer team has exceeded expectations

Hong Kong Protests

From PAGE 1

Senior Reporter

New stores on Burlingame Ave. threaten small business From PAGE 1

ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL YAP

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX YE

BY HUBERT CHEN While it may seem like the extradition bill is a large part of the protests among many Hong Kongers, it is merely a trigger that set it off. The anti-Chinese sentiment held by many Hong Kongers can be better explained by the lack of change from the pro-Chinese government, which can be held responsible for Hong Kong’s wealth gaps and expensive housing. The government is also not completely democratic, with many leaders required to be approved by the Chinese government after an initial selection carried out by Hong Kong representatives, a fact that had sparked the umbrella protests in 2014. The current protests quickly developed into a movement with five demands: retraction of their protests classified as riots, the release of all prisoners arrested for the protests, an inquiry on police brutality during the protests, the resignation of Hong Kong’s Chief executive Carrie Lam and universal suffrage for the legislative council and chief executive and the removal of the extradition bill, which had already been done. In seeking out these demands, demonstrations were held with millions in attendance, not only in Hong Kong but all across the world. San Francisco held a Stand with Hong Kong Rally on Sept. 29. “We had a gathering of 200-300 people— all Hong Kongers—and we also saw Taiwanese and Tibetan people,” senior Wesley Chow said. “The main thing that we were doing there was to raise awareness to the world about the situation in Hong Kong right now. It is something that everyone should know about because it has been happening for so long and it’s such a serious problem in America as well… My mom and her side of the family are from Hong Kong and most of them support the movement through attending rallies and signing petitions.” Protests have been continuing for over six months now, with violence on both the protesters and police side increasing. With no clear leader to guide protesters in effective demonstrations or to negotiate with the Hong Kong government, there have been

Hong Kongers occupy the Hong Kong International airport, protesting for their 5 demands. intense cases of violence. A mainland Chinese banker was punched and attacked by a protester after giving a speech in October. Protesters often organize over the internet, allowing individual protesters to have their voice heard online while remaining anonymous. Protesters have also used apps to their advantage, such as the police tracking app HKMap.live. The app was used to target and ambush police forces, before it was removed from the Apple store, sparking outrage over the possibility that it could also be used to prevent police brutality. As recent as November, protesters occupied Hong Kong Polytechnic University, clashing with police who besieged the campus. Police forces would use tear gas and water, while protesters would hurl bricks and petrol bombs. In an exchange during the siege, a police officer was shot with an arrow. Demonstrations such as these shut down schools for days and weeks, and increased tensions. China has refused to grant the four remaining demands as it would severely impair Chinese power in Hong Kong. Granting universal suffrage for Hong Kongers could mean that the elected Hong Kong government would be anti-China and resist the integration of Hong Kong into China. Seeking complete independence from China would be a violation of Hong Kong’s constitution.

BY JACOB LUBARSKY

Copy Editor

“[My family and I] have Prime Now, we even use Amazon Fresh to get our groceries delivered,” Huwe said. “I’ve been to [an Amazon four-star] in Berkeley and I like the concept of it; they definitely have a lot of stuff they have on Amazon.com.” While it is exciting for many to see fresh stores on the Avenue, these new chains will only push Burlingame Ave further away from its history of diverse, independent companies. Brickman’s father, Stuart Brickman, is the owner of Burlingame Optical, an eyewear shop that has been located downtown for 34 years. “What we don’t see anymore, and what I miss, was independent stores where you would know the owner’s name and the owners would know your name,” Stuart

construction Staff Reporter

The pool construction project is nearing completion after over a year of work. Progress has been moving smoothly; this fall, the new foundation was laid, and the pool was recently filled with water. Principal Paul Belzer explained that special circumstances concerning the ownership of the pool created some unique difficulties during the construction. “We double with the city on the pool, so the construction must be overseen from the [school] district,” Belzer said. “It makes some challenges.” The dual ownership of the pool

was only one of the roadblocks facing the renovation. Originally, the project only entailed a reconstruction of the exterior of the pool. However, when workers stripped down the concrete and tile exterior, they found cracks in the foundation that could not simply be covered. Due to this, the renovation was delayed until the decision was made to completely rebuild the structure. After this, the project rolled ahead, with a completion date originally set for Dec. 4 of this year. While this previous deadline might have been a bit too ambitious, the pool will be “done and ready by the end of January or early February,” according to Belzer.

With the pool nearing its final form, students have taken notice. One of these students is senior Sophie Saddik, who is excited about what the new pool offers to the campus. “I think that the pool will instill a sense of pride in students, and will create a nice look to the athletic facilities,” Saddik said. With students, teachers, and administrators all excited for what the new pool will bring, such as the water polo and swim teams returning to their home, the opening of the pool early this spring will certainly be a day of celebration, and the culmination of a long process.

is that list of 800 million dollars worth of projects has to be whittled down to 380 million dollars,” Belzer said. Although the bond has been approved, the project list for the remodel is yet to be approved. Once the overall cost for the bond can be lessened, then the board of trustees will be able to approve the project list and began the remodeling process. To this point, all that has been decided is the amount of the bond, and the board will begin looking at sites, and ways to narrow the bond through the project list. The main reasoning, according

to Belzer, for the gym remodel is due to multiple potential improvements that could greatly boost the quality of the school gym and facilities. “My hope, if it makes the project list, is to actually tear down the gym and build brand new,” Belzer said. “The problem with our current gym is we don’t have a place in our school other than the football field where we can bring all the students together, and the second thing is the noise, it’s hard to hear well and be an instructor, and I also think our locker rooms could use updating.”

Future gym remodel BY AIDAN O’SULLIVAN

Senior Reporter

The administration has decided to undergo a complete remodel of the gym, with construction set to start in the next couple of years. Although the gym was remodeled 12 years ago, the staff and board feel an update and expansion of the current facilities is necessary. A bond granting the school permission to remodel the gym as long as the bond does not surpass the set limit in terms of cost was passed on Nov. 24, according to Principal Paul Belzer. “So now what has to happen

Brickman said. “Along with that went a lot of the charm that we had on Burlingame Avenue.” In 2014, Stuart was forced to leave his store location on Burlingame Avenue, where Caffe Central currently stands. This was primarily due to increasingly high rent. Nowadays, only the top chains can afford to stay on Burlingame Avenue. “It’s nearly impossible for someone to open a private business and make it work,” Stuart Brickman said. “Partly because of the size available and partly because of the immense costs in running a business.” The pros and cons of Burlingame’s continuation to build a new, more corporate run city will be a hit for consumers, but a blow for small business owners. While this trend is sure to continue in the future, it is hard to say just how fast Burlingame Avenue will be the city’s hub to only the biggest chains.

Students adjust to new finals schedule BY AMELIA HARRIS

Copy Editor

Fall semester finals begin on Dec. 17, with a change to the typical finals schedule. In previous years, students would begin with their first period final, followed by the rest of their classes and normal release time. On the following days, students would take two two-hour finals daily and end school at 12:20 p.m. In the new schedule, students will take their seventh-period final on Tuesday, Dec. 17, after shortened classes in the morning. Students will then take two finals a day for the following three days of school. This is meant to benefit students without a seventh period, who will be allowed to leave early and have extra time to study for the next day’s finals. The schedule change was a result of a staffwide decision made during the department chair meeting. According to Vice Principal Valerie Arbizu, the majority of students with a not-at-school period have seventh period free, which is part of the inspiration behind the change. “We were looking to let a little bit of pressure out for more students instead of having them come in and take a first period final right off the bat and then be here for the rest of the day,” Arbizu said. In the past, students without

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLISON COHEN

Completion of new pool expected soon BY ELLIOT SKILLINGS

News

December 16, 2019

a sixth or seventh period have not needed to attend the last day of finals; however, because the last day of finals is periods five and six, most students will attend every day. The exception to this is for students who have both first and second period off, such as senior Zoe Keeley. As a result of the new schedule, she has no finals on Dec. 18, giving her a day off in the middle of finals week to study. “It should be beneficial for me… it’s always nice to have a day off and I’ll use that day to study for my other finals,” Keeley said. While not all students have the unique opportunity that Keeley does, many students are grateful for the opportunity to have extra time to study. “I don’t have a seventh period so I’ll be able to use the time to study for my first and second period finals but at the same time I feel like a lot of us sign up for seventh [period free] knowing we get out for winter break early,” junior Tabitha Wan said.

Silly Bandz were collectible rubber bracelets that people wore on their arms by the dozen in 2010. The booming schoolyard trade of Silly Bandz led many local elementary schools to ban them. Silly Bandz are set to reenter the market as of Dec. 2, 2019.

Barack Obama became the first African American president on Jan. 20, 2009. He was elected for a second time in 2012. During his second term, he focused on LGBTQ rights, gun control and action in Iraq.

During the summer of 2014, the ALS Organization created an online trend where people could nominate their friends to dump a bucket of ice water over their heads in the name of Lou Gehrig’s disease research. The campaign raised $220 million, and 17 million people participated.

The Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationally on June 26, 2015 after decades of LGBTQ rights activism. This decision established that same-sex couples were guaranteed the same rights and privileges as heterosexual couples.

Released in July 2016, this augmented reality game allowed Pokemon fanatics to finally live out their dream of catching Pokemon, competing in gyms and battling.

Known as the Great Clown Panic of 2016, this newfound fear and trend began with a sighting in Green Bay, Wisconsin and created widespread panic. People nationwide began to report sightings of these evil clowns, furthering this fear.

The music video of Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” a South Korean pop song, was the most watched on YouTube for the time, with 1 billion views over a five month period. The horse-style dance move from the video became an international phenomenon, with figures such as Obama and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron performing i

In February 2015, social media users spread an image of a dress around, which was controversial given that some people sawt as blue and black while others perceived it as white and gold. This prompted scientific research into how people see differently, but consensus on the cause of the discrepancy still has not been reached.

Donald Trump was elected as the 45th president of the United States in November of 2016. His election was highly controversial and many people were upset, inspiring ongoing political action. His election has created division in the country over immigration and foreign affairs.

On Feb. 14, 2018, an armed student entered Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 members of the student body and staff and injuring 17 more. Following this shooting, survivors launched the March For Our Lives Movement, refusing to ignore the issue of gun control any longer.

16-year-old Swedish student Greta Thunberg gained international recognition for her environmental activism, which started when she skipped school every Friday to hold up a sign in protest outside of the Riksdag, the Swedish parliament. She is the Time Person of the Year and received a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Getting rid of Common Core math The MCU and Harry Styles Improved self-esteem Finished college applications

DESCRIPTIONS WRITTEN BY Tekla Carlen, Hanna Sato, Amelia Harris, Tyler Idema, Claire Hunt

A stock photo of an egg stole the record for Instagram’s top-liked photo of all time, surpassing the previous record-holder, Kylie Jenner. Posted on Jan. 4, 2019, the egg, posted under the Instagram username “@world_record_egg” received over 28.3 million likes in 10 days.

TikTok emerged as a popular application to fill the gap left by Vine and Musical. ly, previous platforms for short videos. As of Nov. 18, the application has 1.5 billion downloads.

Vine, a social media platform for six-second video clips, was launched in 2013, starting a new era of memes and popular culture. In 2016, Vine was shut down in a controversial move that created public outcry.

Graduating from middle school First relationship Moving from England to California

senior Ryan Mosse

Fidget spinners The “Art hoe” aesthetic

senior Aryana Dizadji junior Matthias Lin senior Matthew Pilch senior Brendan Creeks sophomore Christine Caulfield junior Hollie Allen

Ok boomer Pastels Kendama Beanies

senior Ryan Mosse sophomore Emiko Andaya freshman James Hurin senior Kaia Fink freshman Danny Conway sophomore Christine Caulfield

Harlem Shake

senior Brendan Creeks

Thrift stores

sophomore Alicia Melo

Eating tide pods Vine Dabbing All of them

Alessandro Franco ‘19 senior Alleyna Meehan senior Anna Bronzini freshman Abdelsalam Qirresh

Features

December 16, 2019

Substitute teacher Jeffrey Tanguay Puff Bars overtake the petitions to become a teacher e-cigarette industry

BY NICOLE FASSINA Staff Reporter

Substitute teacher Jeffrey Tanguay has created a petition to remain enrolled in his teaching credentials program. Students have seen posters plastered across hallways, and chatter about what the petition entails has been circling the school since the petition was created. This speculation has created many misconceptions about the reasons behind the movement. While most people think that Tanguay is trying to use this petition to get hired at Burlingame,

that is not the case. His petition was created as a part of his appeals process in obtaining his teaching credentials. Tanguay is currently enrolled at Notre Dame de Namur University and is working on his teaching degree, but his education has been halted by his administration and he is using this petition to prove that he deserves to become a teacher. “It’s very frustrating because I genuinely love teaching, especially here, and I feel as though my education has been unjustifiably hampered by my school’s administration,” Tanguay said. “I created this petition to show how many students and staff members

PHOTO BY NICOLE FASSINA

Substitute teacher Jeffrey Tanguay assists senior Namiha Yasuda.

support me, in order to win some credibility for my appeals process.” Currently, Tanguay is working on trying to continue his teaching program. But if this does not work out he has plans to transfer to another university in order to complete his program. “He plans to transfer to San Francisco State University if his current school does not accept his appeals process,” Library Media Technician Brittney Otero said. “It’s really unfair for him because he is genuinely a good teacher and is passionate about it, and to see something like this happen is frustrating.” Tanguay has attained a positive reputation as a substitute and is quite popular among the students, who enjoy his calm demeanor and teaching methods. “He is just really good with students and very calm, which is nice, especially when you have a sub,” senior Juliana Pianim said. Additionally, Tanguay has become a big part of Burlingame’s campus. “I have a job that I look forward to coming to every day, the BHS staff has been incredibly helpful and selfless when helping out a young teacher like myself. Without question, I’d like to work at BHS for a few decades so I can keep having fun while teaching scores of awesome and talented teachers,” Tanguay said. He has obtained a substantial amount of signatures on his petition from Burlingame students and staff and continues to gain support for his appeals process. He is very grateful for the support Burlingame has shown him.

BY HANNA SATO Chief Photographer Puff Bars are beginning to replace Juuls as Gen Z’s cigarette surrogate given the latter’s recent bad press. Numerous Food and Drug Administration regulations and Juul’s own efforts to prevent teenagers from Juuling have resulted in fewer advertisements, fewer flavors and more health warnings about the addictive vaping device. However, other nicotine inhalation devices have emerged to fill the gap in the market that Juul has left behind, the frontrunner being Puff Bars. Senior Jane, whose name has been changed for anonymity purposes, uses Puff Bars and describes them as being “made more for teens” than Juuls, given that these products are more visually appealing and have a wider range of flavors. Puff Bars are essentially disposable Juuls, ranging from $10 to $15, containing 200 puffs per bar, with 18 different flavors. In comparison, Juul has eight flavors, costs $15 for a pack of pods, $35 for the Juul itself and requires maintenance. “I think right now Puff Bars are more popular because they are cheaper and easier to obtain,” Jane said. “Puff Bars are also colorful and have so many different flavors which make up for highly regulated and less adventurous Juuls.” Juul has recently been under scrutiny because of the Juuling epidemic among youth. The many teenagers who have been diagnosed with lung disease, went into comas or nearly died have served as cautionary tales

about the dangers of Juuling. “Because of the recent news coming out about the dangers of Juuls and teenagers in the hospital because of it, people are more hesitant to use Juuls,” Jane said. This newfound fear of Juuls has created the perfect environment for Puff Bars to take over

“I think right now Puff Bars are more popular because they are cheaper and easier to obtain. Puff Bars are also colorful and have so many different flavors, which make up for highly regulated and less adventurous Juuls.” - Jane the industry and scoop up Juul’s lost customers. This fear in combination with the appeal of Puff Bars has created the next epidemic for youth. “The health impacts are most likely the same,” Jane said. “At the end of the day, you are still putting nicotine in your body, which is obviously bad for your health.”

Why Burlingame students transfer to Middle College BY ALLISON COHEN Staff Reporter

Each year, some Burlingame students transfer to Middle College for various reasons. Some want to pursue a higher level of education, some leave for social reasons and some may just want a change in their life. Middle College is set up to help students become more independent with their studies and prepare for higher education. Additional help can be found through tutoring centers and Supplemental Instruction sessions, but the student must seek out help themselves. “It’s a lot less hand-holding; if you want help, you have to email the teacher if you want to set up an appointment or go outside to the resources that they offer here if you need help,” junior Kayla Bierman said. Bierman attended Burlingame High School for two years before transferring to Middle College. She now is enrolled in e-College, which is a combination of online classes and in-person classes at The College of San Mateo (CSM). “The reason I left [Burlingame] was mainly because of the academics at BHS. I didn’t think they were stimulating, and the course selection at CSM is a lot wider. I can take a bunch of different courses that they don’t offer at BHS, so it just seemed like a better opportunity,” Bierman said. Going to school through

e-College also opens her schedule up to give her time for extracurricular activities, such as equestrianism and track and field. “The schedule is more for what I need based on my extracurriculars, I’m not in school from 8 to 3 every day ... You don’t have classes every day, classes are longer, you work to the last minute,” Bierman said. The open schedule is one of the many enticing reasons students decide to transfer to Middle College. Schedule changes allow students more time to pursue their personal interests or get a job. Though she anticipated more challenging classes, Bierman has had to learn to adapt to her new education. “It’s definitely an adjustment, it’s very different from high school. The online classes I’m taking, I don’t have a teacher that’s harping me every day to have an assignment done. It’s basically… self initiative to get the work done on time,” Bierman said. Bierman left mainly for academic reasons and remarks that she had a good group of friends and thoroughly enjoyed her social life at Burlingame. However, she also appreciates the community that CSM has to offer. “I have a whole different community over here at CSM, which has been really great,” she said. Junior Gabby Vilchez has had a similar experience to Bierman, as she has found Middle College to be a great fit for her, although

she was hesitant at first. “I did not expect to also like the people I met there,” Vilchez said. Vilchez spent her freshman and sophomore years at Burlingame before transferring to Middle College, which she currently is enrolled in. “At CSM ... one class you would normally take in [one year] is squeezed down into one semester,” Vilchez said. Because Vilchez is interested in studying science, she is able to take four science courses in a year rather than the one or two science classes Burlingame students usually take in a year. While she enjoyed her time at Burlingame, she has spoken with many of her peers who did not feel the same about their previous schools. “A lot of [Middle College Students] at other schools in the district feel like their school environment is toxic and they’re having friend issues or they had an issue with a teacher that made them hate the school,” Vilchez said. Middle College is an opportunity for high school students to not only expand upon their education but to escape from schools that they do not feel supported by and start new.

“I can take a bunch of different courses that they don’t offer at BHS, so it just seemed like a better opportunity” -Kayla Bierman

“I had great experiences [at BHS] with my teachers and I felt like I formed a good teacher-student relationship with them” -Gabby Vilchez

Features

December 16, 2019

PHOTO COURTESY OF SONJA DOMMEN

Dommen makes successful states Districtwide waste appearance, commits to Boston U management creates environmental issues BY TYLER IDEMA Senior Reporter Every day, people bring recyclable items to school. Most of the time, these items end up in the trash. Even the items that do make it into the recycling bin never end up getting recycled. “Any plastic water bottles and aluminum cans that are thought to be recycled are not being recycled at all. In fact, anything that ends up in any recycling bin, in which the only recycling ‘bin’ we have is in the classrooms, are not actually going to a recycling facility,” biology and environmental

tially do at a district level,” Johnson said. Another environmental problem facing our school is a general lack of knowledge from the students and staff about which items should be recycled, composted or thrown away. The custodial staff does not have the time allowance to sort through all the trash to ensure that the recyclables are separated, but Johnson proposes a solution. “One area perhaps that the school site can improve is having bins available that are identified clearly as compost and to inform students what can or cannot be PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.COM

Dommen kicks off the race, aiming for high placement at the state championships. BY ETHAN GARDENER Sports Editor Senior Sonja Dommen has only been running competitively since sophomore year, but she has made a statement on the Burlingame cross-country team. Now committed to Boston University, she has no plans to stop any time soon. In this recent cross-country season, Dommen expanded upon her extensive running resume by making an impactful appearance at the state championships on Nov. 30. This meet presented an especially difficult challenge for Dommen, although she was certainly up for it. “I made sure to take rest days before the race so my legs were fresh. During the workouts, I was so lucky to have my great teammates pace me so I would

not be running alone,” Dommen said. Despite an appearance in

“The day of, I was probably the most nervous I had ever been at the starting line …” -Sonja Dommen states the year before as well, Dommen noted that she was es-

FOREVER 21’s BY MOYA LIU Business Manager

A solution to the trash problem could be adding signs and colors to the bins so students can correctly manage their waste. science teacher Heather Johnson said. According to Johnson, the main problem is the recycling company that Burlingame and the other schools in the San Mateo Union High School District use. “Our school site isn’t doing any more or any less than any of the other school sites in the district and its because of the company we use. We don’t use Recology which is what we use at home, and Recology allows us to recycle more items. We have a different company that the district sources through, so we are most definitely not doing what we could poten-

composted and making sure that those are actually going to a compost bin at the end of the day,” Johnson said. The main reason our school district has not changed anything when it comes to waste management, in Johnson’s opinion, has been because of money. However, many violations are occurring with the way we are mismanaging our trash at the district level, so Johnson and members of the environmental club are working with members at other schools to create a presentation for the school board on why we need to change our waste plan.

bankruptcy: end of a fast fashion era

shoppers to choose brands that source garments ethically instead of retailers that use cheap fabrics to make T-shirts that are snapped up for bargains. “I think the fast fashion industry is really wasteful, and there’s no reason for it to be that way. Fast fashion creates a lasting culture with the idea of clothes not being made to last. The desire for new things causes people to buy these cheaply made clothes, which are easily ruined, forcing them to buy more clothes ... They don’t decompose easily,” junior Isabella Arcoleo said. “Buying quality clothes is much better for the customer and the environment, as fewer clothes would be thrown away. However, the advertising by fast fashion companies convinces many young people to make these bad purchases.” Forever 21’s bankruptcy is an example of how big brands have to pay attention to topical issues like sustainability. It could be an indicator that the fast fashion model is not sustainable. However, despite Forever 21’s collapse, many other retailers pursue the fast fashion model and work with unethical manufacturers. Ultimately, it will take a shift in consumer behavior to ensure the end of this business model.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLISON SZETU

Fast fashion brands such as Forever 21, H&M and Zara have been criticized for their contribution to the unsustainable fast fashion industry, a business model that uses cheap materials and labor, often including sweatshops allegedly employing children under poor working conditions, to rapidly produce trendy clothes. The impacts of fast fashion are broad-reaching and long-lasting. The controversy surrounding fast fashion has been brought back into popular dialogue following the declaration of bankruptcy of Forever 21. The retailer stated in a recent news release that Forever 21 is attempting to “reorganize its store base and return to the basics that allowed the company to thrive and grow,” although hundreds of stores across the globe are either being shut down currently or plan to be closed by the end of 2020. Forever 21 will continue to operate its website and stores in Mexico and Latin America. Even before announcing bankruptcy, Forever 21 received widespread criticism for their manufacturing practices. A current push in our generation has caused more environmentally conscious

pecially nervous this year. “The day of, I was probably the most nervous I had ever been at the starting line … running with hundreds of the best runners in California … is intimidating no matter how many times you have raced,” Dommen said. An experienced runner and leader for the Burlingame team, Dommen has received high praise from her teammates following her impressive run. “She’s an inspiration because she’s such a hard worker and she’s always encouraging everyone else on the team to run,” senior Inés Escobedo said. Dommen broke her personal record by 10 seconds and placed 38th overall in the state championships, marking the end to a very successful tenure with the Burlingame team.

BY ANNIE SUN

Senior Reporter

Disney+, launched on Nov. 12 in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands, is a streaming service similar to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The first day of Disney+’s release saw around 10 million subscribers. Disney+ was released in Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico a week later, and further expansions are planned for 2020 and 2021. “I was really excited for Disney+ because I wanted to relive my childhood by watching old shows that I loved when I was a kid,” senior Kayla Biewer said. The service offers films and shows from Disney and other companies it owns, including Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic and Marvel. Disney+ is also the only place to view new material such as the live-action series, “The Mandalorian” and

Entertainment

December 16, 2019

Disney+ features new films and shows as an addition to the existing streaming platforms “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” Most of the shows and films, starting from the 1950s, that Disney has produced are on the streaming service, except those such as “Black Panther” that are currently li-

“I was really excited for Disney+ because I wanted to relive my childhood,” -Kayla Biewer censed to other services and will be unavailable until later. The service costs $6.99 a month or $70 a year, but since Disney owns Hulu and ESPN+, there is a bundle for all services for $12.99 a month. “I think subscribing to Disney+ would be worth the mon-

ey for a year for teens or adults because it gives people a chance to watch old movies or shows,” Biewer said. New movies such as Frozen 2 and Toy Story 4 will also be available on Disney+ after their theatrical and home-video releases. In line with Disney’s family-friendly approach, there is no mature content on Disney+. All of their R-rated films and shows have been moved to Hulu. “Disney+ is great for families and children, but Netflix is better overall. Netflix has more options for people with a variety of different interests and is for people of all ages, whereas Disney+ only has the classic Disney films and shows,” Biewer said. While many enjoy Disney+ for the nostalgic value and ability to see exclusive programming, the service has its critics. Many people find Disney+ to be an unnecessary luxury, as other streaming services offer more options. For

$7 a month, Disney+ just doesn’t offer enough programming for some viewers. “Right now, I have Netflix, and I am very happy with it since it has a lot of variety, whereas Disney+ only has media created

“Disney+ has a lot of old Disney movies and shows that are unavailable on other streaming platforms” -Lauren Lai by Disney and companies that Disney owns,” junior Lauren Lai said. “However, Disney+ has a lot of old Disney movies and shows that are unavailable on other

streaming platforms.” While the limited content and additional costs have caused some to be wary of the new streaming app, Disney+ offers a multitude of services and a nostalgic feel to viewers who want to relive their childhoods. The new streaming service offers every TV show and movie produced by Disney from the last half-century, with a few exceptions. “I found Disney+ extremely easy to use because I already have Netflix and the design is almost identical to that of Netflix,” Biewer said. “More people are interested in the Disney+ originals such as ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ than Netflix originals. Disney+ got many subscribers especially because of ‘The Mandalorian.’” Overall, Disney+ has garnered a lot of attention and subscribers and will continue to expand as new material is added. PHOTO BY ANNIE SUN

BY CAROLINE YEOW

Staff Reporter

Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf go on an adventure to save their kingdom Arendelle in “Frozen 2.” BY AMELIA HARRIS

Copy Editor

dra tribe who behaves similarly to him and has the same reindeer fascination and friendship ability, leading me to think he had found a long-lost brother. Yet this character is never developed and the audience is left to wonder if they have any relation at all. Though the movie was at times suspenseful, leaving me wondering if Elsa would be able to save the kingdom or Olaf would be okay after a tragic accident, I quickly reminded myself that this is Disney and it’s nothing if not happily ever after. The original “Frozen” came to theaters when I was 11 years old. I was a little too old for princess movies, yet my friends and I enjoyed it anyway. It took the world by (snow)storm, winning an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and sparking an empire of Anna-and-Elsa-themed merchandise and branding. However, “Frozen 2” lacked the allure of the original movie and left me wanting a more complete story. The movie was not entirely disappointing—I was kept entertained and the animation is well done—yet I doubt that this installment will be as successful as its predecessor. Though it is a cute kids’ movie, it doesn’t have the appeal to all ages that the first movie did.

for post-final stress-eating or celebrating. Ghezavat plans to snorkel, take salsa classes and go parasailing. She also plans to try her hand at go-kart racing. “I’m excited. The weather will be nice and I’m glad to get away from the cold here. This has been a really stressful semester and it’s been really hard to keep my grades up. I’m excited to destress and jump into the oceans of Mexico,” Ghezavat said. Junior Justin Ly will travel to New York for 10 days to visit family. Along with the Times Square Plaza, he will also visit other attractions. “I’m pretty excited to go to New York because I like spending time with my relatives and cousins there,” Ly said. Senior Isabel Downey will spend her break working on her college applications and her Advanced Placement Art portfolio. “I’m [also] sleeping,” Downey said. Whether being productive or spending break in a state of vegetation, students are sure to benefit from a break from school. GRAPHIC BY ALLISON COHEN

I went to see “Frozen 2” eagerly anticipating the next adventure for Elsa and Anna. I was excited to see Olaf, the snowman, and Sven, the goofy reindeer, and I looked forward to a lighthearted movie. Though I was not disappointed in these categories, I found myself wishing for a more captivating plot and catchier soundtrack. “Frozen 2” opens with Elsa as queen of Arendelle and Anna and Kristoff in a happy relationship, accompanied as always by trusty Sven. Olaf is suddenly well-educated and intelligent but just as funny as before. The plot begins when Elsa hears a mysterious voice singing to her. Bringing the rest of the cast along with her, she follows the noise to an enchanted forest shrouded in mist. There, they discover the Northuldra tribe and Arendellian soldiers trapped inside the forest. From them, they learn lost secrets about when Anna and Elsa’s grandfather was the king of Arendelle, and they discover the kingdom is in jeopardy. In order to save Arendelle, Elsa must investigate her parents’ disappearance. She sends Anna and Olaf away, much to their dismay, in order

to search for the lost land which her parents died looking for. Elsa and Anna are both able to contribute to saving their home without the patronization typical of other Disney films depicting young women. Both characters are independent, a highlight despite Anna’s relationship, for the thousands of young women who will watch the newest princess movie. Though Anna maintains her love interest in Kristoff, who is looking to find a moment to propose throughout the movie, she is able to break the spell of the enchanted forest on her own, furthering the message of female independence. I was disappointed by the soundtrack, something seemingly crucial to “Frozen 2”’s success, given that the soundtrack from the first movie won a Grammy and was on the Billboard Top Soundtracks for 43 weeks. The second film lacked a catchy, hit song and instead had an oddly timed ballad from Kristoff with a dramatic montage not unlike a slideshow made by a 13-year-old. While there were exciting moments, such as the discovery of Elsa and Anna’s parents’ ship and the awakening of the “stone giants,” other plotlines were left unfinished. At one point, Kristoff meets a boy from the Northul-

After a whirlwind of projects, tests, Advanced Placement classes, SATs and ACTs, students will finally be off to winter break after finals. Some students will have relaxing, leisurely breaks, spending time on family vacations while others are in for a bumpy ride, cramming in study sessions for standardized college entrance exams. Junior Alyssa Mah will study for the March SAT and go ice skating with her friends in San Mateo. “I feel upset and stressed that I have to study for the SATs. Winter break is supposed to act as an academic break, but after finishing a stressful year and right after finals, I have to study again,” Mah said. Junior Lili Ghezavat, along with her family and family friends, will take a Norwegian cruise ship to Mexico to visit the cities Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta. The Norwegian cruise ship has an extensive number of restaurants, perfect

GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE YEOW

PHOTO COURTESY OF DISNEY

“Frozen 2” misses the creative mark Students have varied winter break plans

December 16, 2019