October Issue

THE BURLINGAME B theburlingameb.org

October 17, 2019

Issue 2 Vol. 126

Slated for Security Cameras On Oct. 19, the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) announced that they will add 37 new cameras to the majority of SMUHSD schools, costing the district approximately $3 million.

ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL YAP

BY JACOB LUBARSKY

Copy Editor

On Sept. 19, the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) held a public board meeting to discuss plans for security cameras, a timely conversation after last month’s vandalism.

“At the Sept. 19 meeting, the SMUHSD Board of Trustees unanimously directed staff to pursue designs to place cameras at all

schools at recommended locations based on industry standards,” SMUHSD Communications Manager Laura Chalkley wrote in an email. “As we are in the design phase, we don’t know exactly how many cameras this will involve.”

With construction to install the cameras, the entire project is expected to cost around $3 million. SMUHSD is currently finding ways to pay for the cameras and one idea is that the District

could slate funds to come from a bond on the March 2020 ballot.

Currently, each school has only a handful of Costco analog cameras for security. The district decided that cameras of higher quality will be a beneficial addition and reduce the amount of crime on campus. They also hope the cameras will assist local police in creating a more effective emergency response when a crime is committed. As for the camer-

as themselves, SMUHSD is still looking for a system that is easy to monitor, affordable and secure.

In the slide show presented at the Board meeting, suggestions for optimal campus security were given. Some examples included implementing an alarm system, visitor registration or a perimeter fence with controlled entry points.

According to the Board meeting abstract, “At the February 7, 2018 Board meeting, staff pre-

sented the Safety Team’s proposal, which was to install a hardwired video surveillance system at all of our schools. The Board requested staff to investigate other system options so that may be less costly and determine if the proposed hardwired video surveillance system is the “best fit” to meet the safety and security needs of the District.

The Board did approve policy (BP 3515) on Surveillance Systems.”

W H AT ’ S

INSIDE

2

Learn about the Burlingame City Council elections

4

Read about Aron Ryvkin and Alan Redekov’s clothing line

8

Gabriel and David’s cuisine redefines Mexican food

9

Duality between liberal Bay Area and conservative ideas

2

News

October 17, 2019

Burlingame to elect two city counsilors in November

BY AMELIA HARRIS

Copy Editor

reation Board since 2012. Her children attended Burlingame public schools and she was a member of the Burlingame School District Bond Oversight Committee from 20082009. While Colson wants to make more affordable housing, she does not support tearing down existing residential structures to do so. She also prioritizes environmental concerns.

In her effort to build the new Burlingame Community Center, she has ensured that it will be greenhouse gas-free. These new green building codes, written to align Burlingame’s green-

On Monday, Sept. 3, California became the first state to pass a bill allowing collegiate athletes to be compensated for their name, image and likeness.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is directly challenging the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) with this bill, known as the Fair Pay to Play Act, as the NCAA has previously kept athletes from gaining compensation for their play. For years, colleges have made money off their players while the players do not get a share, raising controversy about inequity in collegiate athletics. The bill will go into effect by 2023, meaning that current Burlingame athletes looking to play sports in college may see the effects of the bill while they are at university. Opinions about this new bill differ, as some students advocate for its passing while others show concern about the impacts of the new bill.

Many students argue for the

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE DUNHAM

PHOTO FROM CREATIVE COMMONS

Gavin Newsom signs new bill that defies the rules of the NCAA.

Senior Reporter

poses building more high-density housing options to fix the housing problem and forcing companies that are introducing jobs to also create housing.

Climate change action is also a priority for him and he supports the Climate Action Plan, which would reduce carbon dioxide emissions. He values the walkability of Burlingame and hopes to leverage this in reducing carbon emissions. Dunham thinks that Burlingame is a working-class town at its roots and wants to preserve the socioeconomic diversity of the city for future generations.

Donna Colson, Emily Beach and Mike Dunham are City Council candidates.

NCAA and Paying college players

BY ELLIOT SKILLINGS Staff Reporter TYLER IDEMA

house gas emission goals with California’s, are reflected in the recently passed Climate Action Plan.

Mike Dunham is a former teacher for Teach for America with a degree in political science from Yale. After living in Burlingame for four years, Dunham noticed the problems caused by the lack of affordable housing, notably the traffic. To solve this problem, Dunham supports establishing housing by the bayfront, though it is not currently zoned for housing according to municipal code 25.45.020. Also, Dunham proPHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY BEACH

PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNA COLSON

Burlingame City Council elections will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5, with three candidates up for election for two available seats. Voters must mail in their ballots by Nov. 5 or drop them off at City Hall. Important issues include the omnipresent conversation around climate change and the housing crisis. While all candidates are prioritizing housing affordability, they have different views on how to execute this.

Emily Beach is a former captain in the U.S. Army who served as Burlingame Community Education Foundation (BCE) president and is running for City Council reelection.

After living in Burlingame for almost 12 years, Beach appreciates the livability and accessibility of the community and its public schools. She primarily wants to focus on making public transportation widely accessible, as well as increasing the number of bike paths to promote the reduction of carbon emissions. Beach is also the vice chair of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, which works to increase transportation infrastructure, and a member of the board of Com-

mute.org, which encourages people to commute in ways other than driving. At the heart of her campaign, Beach aims to be accessible to the community and advocate for its citizens by focusing on outreach.

Mayor Donna Colson, a Burlingame resident for 22 years, is running for her second term on City Council after previously working in finance and real estate. Prior to serving on City Council she served as the Burlingame Park and Recreation commissioner from 20132015 and has been a member of the Burlingame Parks and Rec-

Fair Pay to Play Act for the numerous benefits that it offers to student athletes. Currently, collegiate athletes on athletic scholarships still have to deal with a lot, such as academic workloads and other stressors, in addition to their athletic commitments.

“Since I may be playing at Stanford when the bill goes in place, this bill could definitely help me. [It would] be beneficial since balancing work and school is tough, and adding a job onto that would be a lot to deal with,” senior Stanford volleyball commit Emmy Sharp said.

Many players in professional sports, such as LeBron James, support this bill, which could help similar bills get passed in other states.

However, there is also dissent among the sports community.

While the Fair Pay to Play Act has the potential to be beneficial to athletes and collegiate sports as a whole, there are potential drawbacks.

When the bill was proposed, the NCAA threatened to ban teams in California from competing in championship events.

The governing body of college

athletics has also made this same threat other states who have proposed similar bills.

Due to this concern over unbalance in competition, the NCAA has threatened the sanctions mentioned above, potentially placing California in an isolated situation in collegiate athletics.

“It could create unbalance in recruiting since California schools will have the ability to provide a path to income for student athletes,” senior football player Leo Epstein said.

The bill opens up the opportunity for more California colleges to become sports powerhouses. On the other hand, teams in California might gain an advantage over the rest of the country, leading to their eventual isolation.

The Fair Pay to Play Act could also lead to other future legislation that would force colleges to pay their athletes. NCAA leaders have said that this could occur sooner rather than later with the passage of the bill, creating a host of new obstacles that would have to be sorted out.

Students working without permits

BY CLAIRE HUNT

Managing Editor

Under the California Labor Code, all minors who are employed by a legitimate business require a work permit.

“If you’re under 18, you need a work permit. It is required by law to protect students,” career advisor Carrie Hermann said.

However, the illegal employment of minors without permits does happen, and students at Burlingame have experienced this.

“I never turned in a work permit. I also never signed a liability waiver. My manager handed me a packet when I first started working but told me not to worry about it,” one anonymous student said.

This student works an average of 25 hours a week, often going through entire eighthour shifts without a break, in direct violation with the

“I never turned in a work permit. I also never signed a liability waiver. My manager handed me a packet when I first started working but told me not to worry about it.” anonymous student California Meal Break and Rest Break Law (2019). Under this law, all employees are permitted a 10-minute break for every four to six hours of service, a 20-minute break for

every six to 10 hours of service, and a 30-minute break for more than 10 hours of service. Failure to ensure an adequate break time requires an extra hour of premium pay on the part of the employer.

“I mentioned I wanted a new job to one of my [former] coworkers, who spread the message to my current employer. [My current boss] then asked me to meet in an alley outside of his restaurant and wanted me to work for him based off what he had heard about me. He got my phone number and name, and that’s all he knows about me,” another student said.

The second student claims to have never signed any official documentation marking his employment, and has not filed a work permit with the school. He does not receive the mandated break times, either, and is not paid overtime despite often working more hours than originally scheduled.

The motivation for students to work without a permit or other required documentation is often financial.

This second student said that he is paid above minimum wage at his job and does not have to pay taxes because his work is undocumented.

Although he is subjected to some unusual treatment, this student makes more money than his legally working peers.

Work permits are required to protect students from any illegal or immoral working conditions and are the responsibility of the employer.

The employment of minors without work permits is punishable by audit, fine, or other disciplinary measures defined by the state of California.

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Entertainment

October 17, 2019

A review on Todd Phillips’ “Joker”: Halloween Haunt A new origin for a classic villain

BY CLAIRE HUNT

Managing Editor

BY JACOB LUBARSKY

Copy Editor

The highly anticipated “Joker” movie premiered on Oct. 4, making $258 million worldwide by its first weekend. To me, this was the best interpretation of the classic comic book villain to date. Directed by Todd Phillips, “Joker”-

follows Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill man with a tragedy-filled life, who transforms both mentally and physically into the Joker.

In early “Batman” comics and television shows, the Joker was said to have transformed by falling into a tub of chemicals, turning him into a clown with a pale white face, red lips and lime-green hair.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NIKO TAVERNISE

The Joker, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is seen forcing a smile on his face, trying to battle his life tragedies as he puts on his clown makeup.

The new film describes the Joker’s transition into the infamous villain in a far more depressing, yet realistic manner. In the film, Gotham City removes funding that benefits the lower-class citizens—in Fleck’s case, therapy. This causes him to have a grudge against society, something that the audience can sympathize with. The movie gives an extremely realistic view into the lives of mentally ill people, as well as the way they view society.

As for actor Joaquin Phoenix, his interpretation of the Joker is perfect. He gives the character a unique laugh, feel and understanding. He does a fabulous job portraying the sense of a destroyed man whose society has turned against him at his rock bottom.

The film is flooded with gorgeous cinematography including detailed close-ups, wide shots and everything in-between. With great writing, acting, editing and directing, “Joker” is nothing short of a masterpiece. Unless you are looking for a feel-good type of movie, I would strongly recommend that you watch this soon-to-be classic.

It’s a cool October night. The air is chilly, the kind of chilly that makes you want to curl up in a blanket with a hot pumpkin spiced latte. Where am I? Regretting everything.

Great America’s Halloween Haunt is an annual tradition that defines the season. The extensive theme park undergoes a great transition each night, as spooky decorations and horrifying haunted houses take over 100 acres of prime Santa Clara property. At least, that’s how the event used to be.

The Halloween Haunt, once categorized by masterfully macabre actors and considerably scary decor, has become the epitome of American consumerism’s greed and failure to deliver.

Only two years ago, one could frequent the Haunt and hear screams coming from every direction. Whether it was the immaculate makeup and costume of the actors or the jump scares during the assortment of mazes and haunted houses, you were guaranteed at least one good scare. For $50 a ticket, you deserve at least one good scare.

During the entirety of the night, I encountered maybe two of the wandering actors who used to be a key part of the

Haunt experience. However, I stumbled upon dozens of lines upon lines upon lines. After spending 90 minutes in line for Gold Striker and two on the actual ride, I headed over to what had once been a twisted take on a fairy tale wonderland, complete with themed buildings and role-playing actors. Now, the area is dedicated to a Day of the Dead theme, meaning gigantic skeleton statues hitting the dab.

While I appreciated the cultural representation of the Day of the Dead section, I found it to be childish and mundane. I left looking for greener and scarier pastures.

After coming to an off-brand “Mad Max” exhibit, where half-naked dancers played with fire on raised balconies and men with skulls on their heads played deafening house music on repeat, I started to realize that the old Halloween Haunt was long gone, replaced with a censored rendition of what it once was.

There would be no more scares, no more spooks, no more laughing and crying out of sheer fear.

When I went to Great America’s Halloween Haunt on this fateful October night, I found myself wanting a refund. The Haunt will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Sept.

21 to Oct. 28. Attend at your own risk (of being bored).

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE

Spooky Season loses a key aspect.

Wait, that was the answer?

BY HUBERT CHEN

Senior Reporter

4

Features

October 17, 2019 PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAN RUDAKOV

Students create streetBURLINGAME B STAFF wear brand, Kazel THE

Editor-in-Chief Tekla Carlen Managing Editor Claire Hunt Design Editor Rachel Yap Sports Editor Ethan Gardner Chief Photographer Hanna Sato Business Manager Moya Liu Webmaster Ben Neuman Copy Editors Amelia Harris Jacob Lubarsky Senior Reporters Hubert Chen Tyler Idema Aidan O’Sullivan Annie Sun Allison Szetu Caroline Yeow Staff Reporters Allison Cohen Aideen Delahunt Nicole Fassina Alexia Goldstein Samantha Johnstone Conner Lyons Teacher Adviser Melissa Murphy

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.

Growing up, juniors Alan Rudakov and Aron Ryvkin would never have imagined that their love for fashion would blossom into their own, successful clothing company.

Rudakov and Rykvin created the streetwear clothing brand last summer. The name, derived from the two’s shared russian heritage, is a play on the phrase “the goat” in Russian. Since the two became friends, they had dreamed about running a clothing business, with their own style. Finally, they created Kazel.

First, the two began to think of unique designs, names and phrases to represent the company. From there, they went to business meetings with Ryvkin’s uncle, a local brand owner.

“Aron’s uncle referred us to a designer and we basically told the designer what we wanted,” Rudakov said.

The designer created around 60 graphic designs to put on the back of the shirts. So far, only three of the designs have been used on the Kazel merchandise.

When they released their first shirts, they managed to get many sales within the community, but were hoping to branch out. They wanted to have someone with a large social media following to help them spread their business.

So they contacted Bay Area hiphop artist Pimp Tobi.

He reached out to Pimp Tobi’s management, who was willing to help out small brands like Kazel.

Rudakov and Ryvkin sent Pimp Tobi the “For the People” T-shirt,

where the rapper posed and uploaded the image of him wearing the shirt on his Instagram, reaching over 4,000 people.

“I realized that the only way to get big in anything is you need to have someone else that’s already big to help you out,” Ryvkin said.

By the beginning of the school

“I like how [Kazel] is definitely unique, and I think it has a lot of roots to San Francisco”

Julian Shafner poses in the “For the People” Kazel shirt while skating in front of the Burlingame train station.

Ronan Muldowney year, many students wore the shirts, not only to represent Kazel, but because of their love for the designs and messages.

“I like how [Kazel] is definitely unique, and I think it has a lot of roots to San Francisco,” junior Ronan Muldowney said.

Since the start of the new school year, Rudakov and Ryvkin have been more focused on school, but still put in time to work on the brand.

“As long as we do one thing [per day], it doesn’t matter if it’s one phone call, a comment on another person’s post to see that you’re reaching out to them,” Rudakov said. “One thing a day is going to get you closer to what you want.”

PHOTO BY JACOB LUBARSKY

Policy Statement: The Burlingame B is a student-run newspaper with the sole 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.

BY JACOB LUBARSKY Copy Editor

The Kazel logo

Burlingame students’ reactions to vaping crisis

BY ALEXIA GOLDSTEIN Staff Reporter Reports of illnesses and deaths linked to vaping products have been flooding the news in the past month. As of Oct. 11, at least 1,299 people have contracted lung illnesses, and 26 have died nationwide at the hands of vaping products primarily containing nicotine.

Generation Z, the guinea pigs of the vaping epidemic, are experiencing the vaping trend similarly to how Baby Boomers exposed the connection between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. Studies are depicting the effects of vaping much sooner than expected, and the results are graphic. However, the reactions of students at Burlingame High School, 30% of whom had vaped in the past 30 days at the time of the most recent Healthy Kids Survey, are varied.

In the wake of these reports, some students have taken initiative to prevent further damage to their health by tossing their electronic cigarettes. One anonymous student, who vaped for two consecutive years, recently quit after coming across numerous articles on the topic.

“The studies explained the mild but persistent cough I had when I vaped. Since quitting I feel healthier and I have more endurance when working out,” the student said.

Other students continue to vape, ignoring the warning signs

of recent studies. While reasons to keep vaping may differ, some students are still attempting to justify the habit.

“I vape because I like the headrush and it helps me lose weight because nicotine suppresses my appetite,” another student who uses vaping devices regularly said.

On the other hand, many Burlingame students have never vaped or used other substances. The recent studies and reports have validated the decisions of many students who abstain from vaping.

The media and advertisements consistently exploit the public’s fear of the deadly consequences of vaping.

“Vaping has absolutely no benefits and only worsens your health.

I have no interest in creating unnecessary health problems for myself,” sophomore Evan Walker said.

The recent news of vaping-related illnesses and deaths has garnered mixed reactions among electronic cigarette users and non users. The affordable prices of vaping products and sweet flavors that entice young people to use the products often lead to nicotine-induced withdrawal symptoms, so quitting is no easy feat. Most patients in these recent studies reportedly developed lung diseases and acute respiratory distress syndrome, but until more information and statistics are released, students will likely continue to have mixed opinions.

Features

October 15, 2019 Following

What happened to driving school?

For You

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

TikTok famous

BY CONNER LYONS Staff Reporter Junior Nikoletta Foundas, who recently rose to TikTok fame with about 70,000 followers, had her account removed by the social media company on Oct. 14. Although discouraged by this recent setback, Foundas has quickly rebounded, creating a new account under a different username, @nikolettafoundass.

Because the app does not transfer followers, Foundas has been forced to re-establish her social media dominance after much work on her first effort. However, instead of focusing on expanding her new TikTok, Foundas is planning on focusing her efforts on a new YouTube channel.

She responded to the deletion by posting a video on her Instagram. At the time of print she thought she may be getting her account back.

“I have no clue what’s going to happen,” Foundas said.

Rise to Fame: TikTok is taking the social media world by storm. The popular video-sharing social media platform allows users to explore their creative and silly side, from videos of pets to prank accounts. Foundas is one of many teenagers to achieve fame on the application.

“It was all was a blur. One minute I was a random person, the next I was famous,” Foundas said.

Foundas started using TikTok in July and has since seen her following skyrocket. However, Foundas made it clear that she was never creating Tik Toks just to garner fame.

“I started TikTok for the fun, not the fame,” Foundas said.

TikTok content can be varied, but Foundas focuses solely on making comedic videos.

10.17M “I think my videos are better when I make them more comedic because that’s what people want—to laugh,” Foundas said.

Nikoletta wants to play to her strength, which happens to be her comedic personality. Whether scaling fences or 2.19K simply videotaping someone cleaning up glass, Foundas’s sense of humor is relatable to thousands of teenagers across the nation, as apparent by her large following.

“I have to think of something new everyday … It can be challenging because so many people are counting on Share me and I do not want to let them down,” Foundas said.

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Driver’s Ed in high school has been rapidly declining for decades, meaning the responsibility to get a license falls on students.

BY ELLIOT SKILLINGS

Staff Reporter

For decades, virtually every high school in California had a Driver’s Ed class, where students could learn the rules of the road in a classroom, then transition out to the road for practice in the car. By its peak in the late 80’s, 250,000 students across 950 high schools in California received driver’s training. Aided by this required course, it became a tradition for teens to get their license on their 16th birthday. Burlingame High School followed this trend, as there was a Driver’s Ed program for multiple decades at the school.

It seemed as though drivers ed would be an installation in Burlingame High and high schools

across the state for years to come.

However, by the year 2007, these numbers had dipped drastically.

According to SFGate, only 440 students across only seven high schools got driver’s instruction, with many schools ignoring the trend. BHS followed suit, dropping the Driver’s Ed class in 2008.

This massive decrease over a period of less than 20 years is baffling on the surface, but under further evaluation, there are several issues that arose during this period that crippled the high school class at a local and state level. The primary reason for the decline of Driver’s Ed was budget cuts. In 1990, California pulled direct funding for the class, placing high schools in a tough predicament, forcing them to have to use funds from other areas to keep supporting the pro-

gram. Many schools simply did not have the money to keep paying for Driver’s Instruction classes, jettisoning it in favor of placing their money in other departments. Over time more and more schools did this, leading to the class becoming a rarity in California. Another factor were the liability issues that arose with providing the class.

Many schools and school districts didn’t want to put themselves at risk of a lawsuit if a student got into a car accident while learning to drive. With the budget for the program already slashed, schools and districts could not afford any more economic blows to this area.

For these reasons, along with the rise of DMV-certified private driving schools, Driver’s Ed has nearly gone extinct.

Kasi Veimau

identity

BY TEKLA CARLEN

B

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Editor-in-Chief

y sophomore Kasi Veimau’s estimate, she is one of only five Polynesian students at Burlingame.

Her parents are both Tongan; her mother emigrated from the South Pacific island nation as a baby, and her father came to the U.S. at age 14.

Veimau’s favorite part of the Tongan culture is its food, especially faikakai, a caramel-covered dumpling dessert.

“In the islands, you only eat once or maybe twice a day ... because of how long the food preparation takes, but it’s so worth it,” Veimau said.

When Veimau moved from Houston to San Bruno in the seventh grade, she bonded easily with the town’s Polynesian community. They consider each other family even if they are not all related by blood.

“I could go to the grocery store with my dad and see someone else, and I’ve never seen them before, and my dad’s, like, ‘That’s your uncle,’” Veimau said. “And I’m like, ‘Okay! Hi uncle!’”

Despite the strong cultural community in the Bay Area, Veimau has noticed that Burlingame has fewer Polynesian students than neighboring towns such as San Mateo and San Bruno.

“When I tell [people] I’m Polynesian, they’re like, ‘What is that?’ I feel like I’m not left out, but I’m not included,” Veimau said.

Nevertheless, Veimau believes that being in Leadership and performing traditional dances at the cultural assembly have helped her share her background and perspective with the rest of the school.

Sebastien Maychrowitz

BY CLAIRE HUNT

S

Ellen Fisher Sanderson

BY AMELIA HARRIS

S

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Managing Editor

enior Sebastien Maychrowitz has been acting since he was two months old. Really.

His family has been part of an acting guild for over 35 years, participating in historical re-enactments such as the Renaissance and Dickens Faires for as long as Maychrowitz can remember. Although this activity takes a significant amount of time and effort, historical acting brings his family together.

“We all jokingly hate it, but we have fun,” Maychrowitz said. “We all have our own gigs, so we don’t see each other until the end of the day, and then we come together and talk about what happened.”

In addition to acting in the Renaissance and Dickens Faires, Maychrowitz spends a large portion of his time in the Eagle Field Foundation, where he works to rebuild tanks and war memorabilia, specifically from the Vietnam War. “It’s helped me build connections and experience different emotions. Without it, I wouldn’t have the knowledge of historical events and pop culture that shapes how I look at the world now,” Maychrowitz said.

Copy Editor

ophomore Ellen Fisher Sanderson has been Irish dancing since she was six years old. Spending close to five hours a week at the Kennelly School of Irish Dance, it’s an art form she loves. Though she’s tried ballet and tap in the past, she fell in love with Irish dancing because of the way she can express herself through Irish dance and the connections she’s formed.

While Sanderson is ethnically Irish her family isn’t culturally Irish. She began dancing after seeing a friend’s performance and it’s since morphed into who she is. Her dancing has become a critical part of her identity and she values the life

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skills it’s taught her.

“It allows you to feel strong and confident… it’s taught me that if you want something you have to put in the work and you have to be really disciplined.

It’s taught me to keep working at stuff,” Sanderson said.

Zoe Steinberger

BY TEKLA CARLEN

J

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Editor-in-Chief

udaism was not always as important to sophomore Zoe Steinberger’s life as it is now. Until she was in seventh grade, she hated attending Hebrew school at Peninsula Temple Sholom.

When she reluctantly enrolled for another year after her bat mitzvah, she came to appreciate a different side of Judaism.

“It was much more focused on, instead of learning Hebrew, … what Judaism means and how it impacts Jews in America,” Steinberger said.

She decided to continue her Judaic sudies in light of her newfound interest in the social and political sides of the religion. She now considers herself the most observantly Jewish member of her immediate family. Apart from going to Hebrew school every Saturday, she has also been a teaching assistant for a younger class at

her temple for three years.

“I’ve made so many close friends in Hebrew school,” Steinberger said. “Friends who, even though I don’t go to their school, I still talk to them every day.”

Although Steinberger considers the Bay Area Jewish population a small one compared to that of her parents’ childhood home of New York, the community is her favorite part of being Jewish. She believes that the local Jewish community is growing as a result of current teenagers’ increasing interest in their shared background.

“Though we’re a tiny community, we’re definitely strong and we love what we do,” Steinberger said.

DESIGN BY RACHEL YAP

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Opinion

October 17, 2019

Social media activism is fruitless without action Copy Editor

In the wake of the fires in the Amazon, the Sudanese Revolution, the Alabama abortion ban and the hundreds of other political events that have taken place over the past three years, the Instagram stories on my feed are filled with people reposting about these political controversies. My peers share posts from politicians, national news publications and others on the internet eager to share their political opinions. Sometimes these are informative and well-written and I learn new things. Yet more often than not, I find students eager to demonstrate their political prowess, wanting to sound informed while doing the bare minimum of research.

While these are sometimes informative, more often than not, I find students eager to demonstrate their political prowess, wanting to sound informed while doing the bare minimum of research.

In the Bay Area, where a majority of the population is liberal, it seems to be a one-sided argument against the Trump administration and the patriarchy. Instead of ef-

fecting change, we’ve created a political echo chamber that results in disinterest in the political sphere.

Since most people in the area are liberal, progressive policies are not as controversial, and many liberals become apathetic about politics in their bubble of peers. Yes, the point of these posts is to raise awareness and inform those who may not be as politically involved. Yet I often see unreliable tweets misinforming the masses about direly important events.

Additionally, people are overwhelmed by the information overload, which isn’t always correct, and they don’t pursue the subject further. After reading repetitive articles and other students’ opinions, I have a false sense of knowledge, and I end up not doing the research I should. Following political headlines there are large amounts of people sharing unreliable information in order to seem woke in the eyes of their peers, which is counterproductive. The goal is to inform people and inspire them to take action and it needs to be done in a credible manner.

If we want to create change we need to take action rather than preaching to the choir about events

PHOTO BY TEKLA CARLEN

BY AMELIA HARRIS

the majority of people are aware of. We need to get the attention of policymakers and the government, not just other students. The current political state is shaping our present and future world, and our generation will be responsible for the aftermath.

Social media is an effective tool to raise awareness when done in a reliable manner, and it is a great way to organize protests and movements. Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate change activist, uses Instagram as a platform for her school strikes to generate support. This is an excellent example of using social media to share information while also taking action.

I support the activist spirit among my peers and often take part in it. It’s important to be informed, and I know that we need to take action and create change.

But taking action means more than sharing on social media. If you want to post about politics, go ahead. But please, make sure it’s reliable and that you are doing it because you care. Go out and make a difference after. Your job Inspired by 16 year old activist Greta Thunberg, students across isn’t over because you shared your the world staged a school strike on Sept. 27 to demand political action against climate change. opinion with your followers.

BY HANNA SATO

Chief Photographer From the beautiful, sprawling grounds to afternoon tea to the clothing, the British TV show “Downton Abbey” revolutionized the realm of U.K. entertainment and the image of the British lifestyle. Throughout its six seasons “Downton Abbey” was, and continues to be, the top PBS drama of all time, having a weekly audience of more than 13 million viewers. “Downton Abbey”’s romanticization of British history and culture is responsible for a large part of America’s love of all things English.

The show follows the Crawleys, an upper-class family living in the English countryside, and their house staff. It portrays the British lifestyle during the early 20th century, addressing historically relevant issues such as World War I, Spanish flu, women’s rights, sexual assault, class systems and more. The series also romanticizes the relationships between servants and bosses, depicting the upper-class family

granting their servants property and gifts, giving their servants special privileges (allowing them to get married and have kids and hiring servants with physical disabilities) and overall just painting the job of a servant as easy and the servant-boss relationship as a friendship. As a result, the series created an idealized image of British history and fueled an American obsession with the British lifestyle.

“Downton Abbey” was originally designed to target British viewers. In its beginning, the producers had no intention of appealing to audiences abroad. However, they quickly found that this series was the biggest obsession with British culture since Harry Potter. The show had an estimated audience of 120 million viewers abroad and was broadcast in 220 territories.

As the show came to a close, audiences turned to other series and films to get their fix of picturesque Britain. These included shows “Downstairs Upstairs,” “The Crown,” “Poldark” and “Victoria.” Producers of these shows admit that their shows would not have remotely the same amount of

Highclare Castle in Highclare, England, was the filming site for the “Downton Abbey” movie and TV show. success if they had not followed lines, and it has been so success- stressful 21st-century lives. But the release of “Downton Abbey.” ful that there is already talk of a the result of this depiction is a Overall, “Downton Abbey” is a sequel. Both adaptations make worldwide obsession with the feel-good show that, for the most historical British life seem quaint, British lifestyle, which revopart, portrays frivolous issues of charming and full of good cheer, lutionized the entertainment the upper class. The recently re- which has been a welcome escape realm at the expense of addressleased film’s tone is along the same for Americans dealing with their ing important classist tensions.

Sports Editor

Gabriel and Daniel’s Mexican Restaurant is “the little engine that could” of Burlingame eateries.

Located in the Burlingame Golf Center, this hidden gem could be easily overlooked at first glance.

However, with notable authentic flavors and designs reminiscent of artwork, Gabriel and Daniel’s is a must try for any foodie.

Gabriel Garcia and his brother Daniel started in the restaurant business in 2003, with the drive of true passion and recipes passed down from their grandmother.

Gabriel, who is the head chef at the restaurant, showed clear pride when asked about the inspiration for his food.

“We learned many things from my grandma, including the green salsa and guacamole,” Garcia said.

The green salsa, he added, was his first salsa and the inspiration for many of his other dishes. Warmed

up and served with a bowl of freshly fried chips, this green salsa and the accompanying red salsa, a later addition of Garcia’s, are a delicious introduction to the vibrant flavors of Gabriel and Daniel’s. It is clear from the chips and salsa alone that Garcia sees his work as art; it is his passion.

“I put my passion and skills into the food,” Garcia said.

This is most evident, however, in the presentation of his dishes.

Even something as simple as a burrito contains the most detailed and carefully crafted designs, varying from day to day but always beautiful. Garcia uses salsa, sour cream, pepper, and anything else to create the designs. “[the designs] just come up… it’s not like I plan it or anything.

They just come to me,” Garcia said.

Although the menu isn’t extensive, it doesn’t need to be. The food is of such high-quality, and so well-made, that it is easy to get

stuck ordering the same dish every time to relive your first Gabriel and Daniel’s experience (and enjoying it just as much each time).

Garcia clearly puts the utmost care and effort into each of his dishes, his passion exteriorized through authentic Mexican flavors. One of his most popular dishes, the A La Pimienta (seen here), includes meat, rice, beans, corn, cheese, avocado, serrano peppers, bacon, sour cream and salsa in a heaping mound of goodness. Although it has some spice, it is well worth the heat. Another favorite is the A La Mexicana, a similar dish without the bacon and serrano peppers.

Garcia, who works long, hard hours seven days a week, is a true artist. Watching him cook, it is easy to see how invested he is in making each dish not only taste good, but look good as well. For this reason, this hole-in-the-wall restaurant may just be your new The A La Pimienta shows how head chef Gabriel Garcia treats favorite Mexican spot. each of his dishes as its own individual piece of artwork.

PHOTO BY ETHAN GARDNER

Mexican restaurant defies all odds

BY ETHAN GARDNER

PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

Downton Abbey revolutionized British entertainment

Opinion

October 17, 2019

Duality of Bay Area liberalism and conservative ideas Editorial Board

We live in a bubble. Located right outside San Francisco -- a city known for defining counterculture and acceptance in the past century -- Burlingame appears to be a suburban utopia. San Francisco’s liberal ideology trickles down into our town, and the mindset of our area creates a perfect mixture of diversity, tolerance and acceptance.

At least, that’s what we keep telling ourselves.

While our tolerant bubble has its influence on our past, present and future, we’re nowhere near the accepting and perfect utopia that we like to think of ourselves living in. Just because we live in a liberal bubble, doesn’t mean we’re automatically cleared of all bigotry. Just because we live in the Bay Area doesn’t mean we can’t be intolerant.

Ironically, living in our liberal area has prompted a widespread conservative backlash. The fight against discrimination has caused those who make offensive comments to automatically jump on the defensive when they are called out for being racist. In this bubble, one of the worst things you could be called is a racist. This sense of preemptive defense has become so ingrained that people will defend their points before hearing the other point of view. The sense of overt liberalism that used to define

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our area has caused a conservative retaliation that has led to further intolerance and narrow-mindedness.

Burlingame’s subtle culture of intolerance manifests itself in our everyday lives. Whether it takes the form of offensive slurs, insensitive jokes, narrow-minded comments or objectification, our culture of intolerance has an impact on our community. We often try to sweep this under the rug, to avoid talking about it because it gives us a bad reputation. It’s not easy to admit that our community has these noticeable traces of bigotry.

It’s hard to call people out on their bigotry in person, especially when their insensitivity isn’t as blatant as the ten to fifteen sites of hate speech spray painted on our school walls. A slur here and a misplaced comment there doesn’t warrant enough attention. And when you do call people out on it, you’re often met with the same response: “It’s just a joke,” “I didn’t mean it like that,” or “But everyone laughed.” But more often than not, they’ll ignore it entirely, avoiding the question and calling you out on your extreme political correctness instead.

But when you’re a member of the groups that are being constantly degraded, talked down upon, or made fun of, the “jokes” add up.

When you hear these things, even when they’re expressed as a joke or as a harmless remark, they remind you of your status in a bigotted

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main ideas

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLISON SZETU

BY THE BURLINGAME B

The opposition between liberal and conservative ideas lead to a division in our community world. The people who say these things dismiss them as not being a “big deal” but that’s because they don’t have to deal with the ramifications of their bigotry. The comments and slurs thrown around so cavalierly are indicative of the culture of disrespect and intolerance.

Because we live in this bubble where liberal values appear to define our culture, we have been met with a toxic and bigotted conservative backlash. We often dismiss

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the faults within our community, assuming that our area translates to instant toleration and acceptance. In fact, our bubble’s reputation has created a sense of isolating (or isolated) self-defense, where people are so afraid to be called bigotted that they refuse to hear ulterior viewpoints.

In order for us to move forward, to move past our culture of bigotry and intolerance, we have to realize we play a role in the

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSTONE Staff Reporter

Many students at Burlingame use resources such as Sparknotes, Shmoop, LitCharts and Cliff Notes to help with their homework, bringing up the question of whether these resources are morally acceptable and abide by A poll sent out to the student body, regarding usage of homework helpers.

perpetuation of these systems. We have to hear the points of view of others, even when they’re calling us out on our behavior. We need to stop being defensive at the expense of moving forward.

Taking a stand against intolerance is uncomfortable, embarrassing, and not always immediately rewarding. The thing is, we shouldn’t be doing it because it’s rewarding. We should be doing it because it’s right.

Open campus: why it should be available for students

BY ANNIE SUN Senior Reporter

Homework helpers

our school’s honor code. According to a poll

9

The school’s policy of a closed campus is nonsensical and its reasoning is unknown. While I understand that the students are the school’s responsibility, students in high school should be responsible for themselves and should be able to make their own choices.

The 35 minutes students have for lunch and six minutes for passing period is plenty of time for students to have lunch on Burlingame Avenue, which

PHOTO BY ANNIE SUN

conducted by The Burlingame B, nine out of 10 students at Burlingame believe that using such

class on time, don’t go to Burlingame Avenue. Students are responsible for attending their classes on time and those who are truant or tardy should face the consequences. The school does not need to extend lunch to accommodate students who go to Burlingame Ave because it is not the school’s responsibility to make sure that students go to class on time.

If the administration is afraid of students being involved in accidents, they can have students and parents sign liability waivers.

The administration could also

resources is not considered to be “cheating.”

While there is nothing in the honor code regarding homework helpers, using such resources is cheating yourself out of deeper learning. These resources only provide surface-level information, preventing you from diving deeper into a text and grasping a full understanding.

“I think that they are cheating themselves,” Vice Principal Markus Autrey said. “My concern is … what they are missing out on, as they are not fully engaging with the literature.”

The ability to read and digest complex text is a vital life skill. By choosing to cut corners in high school, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage to those who fully read and comprehend a book.

“I think that the value and integrity of these sites all depends on the people using them … many only use it as a convenient shortcut to avoid doing work, which is unfair to everyone else,” one student said.

“A get out of jail free card” is how another student justified on why they might substitute these resources for the book. These resources are intended to assist you in your work, rather than doing the work for you. When you choose to only use homework helpers, you are negatively impacting your work in the long run. It’s up to each individual student to decide the ways in which these resources will be used but in any case, we should not view learning as a jail.

Burlingame Avenue is restricted to students during school hours. is only a five-minute walk from school and offers multiple restaurant and food options.

Students who go to restaurants closer to the school would have enough time to order and eat at the restaurant, while students who frequent restaurants farther from school could order on the phone and eat at the restaurant to save time.

For those that believe 35 minutes and six minutes for passing period is not enough time to go to Burlingame Avenue and go to

keep track of students through a sign-in and sign-out system, further guaranteeing our safety. Just as they now track students via ID cards for Flex Time, they could track students leaving campus for lunch.

High school students are independent and should be responsible for their own actions.

Frankly, trying to keep students on campus is a waste of resources and is a failed effort as students constantly find ways to evade campus security.

Sports

October 17, 2019 PHOTO BY ALLISON COHEN

10

GOLF STRIKES BACK

BY ALLISON COHEN

Staff Reporter

Girls varsity golf has turned their season around with a recent winning streak. The team won their first match against Aragon, followed by victories against Hillsdale and Mills.

They also took first place in a tournament against both Aragon and Mills on Oct. 3. The team’s recent success is not without adversity, as they started their season off with four consecutive losses. Senior Sophia Palacio emphasized the team’s resiliency following their initial struggle.

“When you make a mistake, you have to focus and not make any other mistakes,” Pala-

cio said. “It can build up and you can get kind of stressed out.”

Palacio proved her ability to concentrate and work past her struggles when she shot a personal season low of 47 at the Oct. 4 tournament against Aragon and Mills.

In regards to their success, the team credits their improvements to team bonding and personal growth among their players.

“We’ve gotten closer as a team and I think we work so much better together. We’ve just grown to love each other and that made our team stronger,” junior Francesca Flowers said.

The team continues to improve their scores and takes their losses in stride as they move forward with

the season. They already have more wins in the current season than total wins last season, and the team is positive about the upcoming PAL tournament. As PAL approaches, all eyes are on senior Jody Chui, who ranked second in last year’s tournament. Chui has continued to consistently be the top scorer of the team this season in every match. On Oct. 9, Chui shot a season low of 36. The pressure is mounting as she prepares to face Carlmont’s Viveka Kurup, who narrowly beat her in last year’s PAL by one stroke.

Senior Jody Chui hits a ball downrange at the Poplar Creek Golf Course in Burlingame.

PHOTO BY AIDEEN DELAHUNT

FOOTBALL GETS BACK ON TRACK

BY BEN NEUMAN

Webmaster

Burlingame’s move up to Bay division is proving increasingly successful as the season progresses. In recent weeks, Burlingame has dominated the competition, beating Watsonville and Aragon by scores of 42-0 and 41-0 respectively. In between these matchups, Burlingame also gathered a win due to a forfeit by Woodside.

“It’s really a men-

tality. In practice you have got to be thinking that this is the biggest game we are going to play this week so you have got to come out and attack from every angle,” said senior linebacker Connor Kall of the team’s recent successes.

While the recent wins boost their record, the budding Panthers will face a true test of talent in the coming weeks in much anticipated matchups against Menlo-Atherton and Sacred Heart Preparatory. The team will look to ride on the momentum from recent successes to drive them past the top teams in what have

potential to be statement wins.

“Sacred Heart Prep has become our rival over the past couple years so beating them is definitely a big thing for us, and we know MA’s a good team, but we will see what happens,” said Kall.

As the Panthers look to build off their current hot streak, they will need to continue to ride their dominant run game. Junior quarterback Jordan Malashus and sophomore wide receiver Will Uhrich will also look to improve upon their already strong connection through the air.

Junior receiver Taylor Kaufman makes a catch in Burlingame’s early season loss to Live Oak High School.

PHOTO BY CLAIRE HUNT

GIRLS WATER POLO

BY HANNA SATO

Chief Photographer The girls water polo team had a lot to prove this season following their demotion to the Ocean Division. Despite this setback, the team excelled and won the majority of their games (9-1). As the season comes to a close, the team has come together to celebrate their seniors and prepare for their next season.

“I really enjoyed this season,” senior Isabel Downey said.

“We are much closer as a team and, even though we broke our winning streak, I still loved it.”

This is the second year that the water polo teams have not

had their own pool to practice in.

The teams have had to share the pool with Aragon High School’s water polo teams and incorporate more practice in the weight room. Downey describes how the lack of a pool had less impact on the team than last year.

“Unlike last year, we have had a stable practice time, which means we are able to work together as a team much more frequently.”

The team held their annual Senior Night at Aragon High School on Sept. 8. The team created posters honoring each of their senior members, delivered speeches about each one and gave a bouquet to each player. Downey

describes this as a great memory in her high school career and a significant moment during her time as a part of the team.

“Water polo is just so much fun, even though it’s exhausting and you’re always getting hurt. Anyone who plays water polo will tell you that they love it,” Downey said.

Downey is optimistic about the future of the team next season without her and the other senior players.

“I believe the team will thrive even more next year because we have so many amazing underclassmen this year,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what they accomplish.”

The girls water polo team celebrated Senior Night on Sept. 8 at Aragon High School.

PHOTO BY AMELIA HARRIS

CROSS COUNTRY

BY HUBERT CHEN

Senior Reporter

Following their first meet of the season at Half Moon Bay High School, the Panthers have been hard at work training for their upcoming competitions.

“We’ve been having some good practices with everybody working hard,” senior Brendan Creeks said.

“We’ve had more new people then previous years come in to prac-

Freshman Romer Rosales-Hasek sprints to the finish during the season’s first meet at Half Moon Bay Highschool.

tice, and we’ve been doing some hard practices that we’ve never done before such as nine timed mile runs at Hallmark Park.”

Burlingame have one more meet at their home course, Hallmark Park, before CCS. The Panther have home-field advantage, as CCS will be held at Hallmark on Nov. 9th.

“I’m looking forward to trying to win CCS and qualify for states,” Creeks said, “and to my teammates doing well.”

11 PHOTO BY ALLISON SZETU

Sports

October 17, 2019

GIRLS TENNIS

BY ALLISON SZETU

Senior Reporter

Despite the court crowding, girls tennis has had a successful season, with an undefeated record of 8-2. This can be attributed to the addition of strong freshmen such as Kaliya Daga and Ella Rafferty to the varsity team.

Though the team was uneasy at first about the new players, they realized the value that these freshmen bring to the team as a whole.

“We’ve had some outstanding freshmen come into the program, as well as some transfers,” Coach Bill Smith said.

The incoming freshmen and transfers have contributed to the team, building the team’s confi-

dence. The freshmen have also been welcomed to the team by the varsity players.

“I’ve played tennis for a long time, but coming into this team has built my confidence a lot as a player,” freshman varsity player Kaleya Daga said.

Daga explains that the Burlingame tennis team has been extremely accepting of the new freshmen and has demonstrated great teamwork.

“Our team has definitely gotten stronger this year. The new addition of people allows our team to become more diverse in skill-sets and enabled us to grow as individuals and as a team,” junior Olina Du said.

Sophomore Shareen Ahmad returns a serve during practice at Burlingame High School.

PHOTO BY AMELIA HARRIS

VOLLEYBALL LOOKS TO GAIN TRACTION

BY CONNER LYONS

Staff Reporter

Burlingame varsity girls volleyball has been very inconsistent so far this season but is looking to gain stability down the stretch.

While the team has shown glimpses of excellence, their 4-3 record within league play suggests performances that waver on a night to night basis. This puts them at a tie for 3rd place with Hillsdale. With only seven games left in the season, Burlingame has time to rise in the rankings, as they

are only one game behind Aragon and two games behind the top seeded Menlo-Atherton.

“Once we gain some momentum we will start rolling,” senior Eloise Uhrich said.

Uhrich and the varsity team hope to gain traction from a series of upcoming games against Menlo Atherton, San Mateo and Woodside. The entire team knows they need to show progress soon or the season could be lost.

“It is now or never. We know we are good, we just have to show it,” junior Ashley Jones said.

There are two key games later in the season that will make a considerable impact on the outcome

of the season. The first important game is at Aragon on Oct. 17.

Aragon is one game ahead of the Panthers, so this game presents an opportunity to possibly pass them up in the standings. The second key game is against Hillsdale on Oct. 24 at home. The Knights are tied with the Panthers in the standings, meaning a win will propel Burlingame up in the standings. These games will test the true potential of this Panthers team.

Now is the time when senior leaders need to step up in order to secure a positive finish to a season that has the potential to boom or bust.

PHOTO BY TYLER IDEMA

Burlingame prepares to return a serve in a game against Aragon High School on Sept. 24.

BOYS WATER POLO

BY TYLER IDEMA

Senior Reporter

After starting off the season 3-5, Burlingame water polo lost their coach Daniel Chen. For having such a young team, a coaching change in the middle of the season could be detrimental to the team. However, ever since interim head coach Jonathan Dhyne started running the team, the Panthers are 2-1 with wins against Carlmont and Half Moon Bay.

“It’s been pretty cohesive I think through the transition. I’m lucky that I knew a lot of the guys already because, before last year, I had coached 4 years of JV and so I knew a bunch of guys from that and a bunch from the swim team.” Coach Dhyne said.

After taking 3 straight losses to Dixon, Woodside, and Menlo-Atherton, Burlingame has finally turned their season around. With a record of 5-6, the Panthers are close to making CCS, and a part of that can be at-

tributed to the stellar play from some of the younger players on the team.

“Our goalie Lucas had a great game against Half Moon Bay so yeah [the younger players] are definitely starting to figure it out. I can’t really speak to what it was like before I started.” Coach Dhyne said.

Making CCS will be a challenge, as the Panthers have games coming up against first seed Woodside and second seed Menlo-Atherton.

The Panthers have yet to get a win

against either team this season, but getting a win in either matchup would mean a chance at CCS and some momentum going into the CCS tournament.

Senior Mason Rossi hurls the ball during a game against Woodside Highschool.

PHOTO BY AIDEEN DELAHUNT

CHEER PREPARES FOR THE LITTLE BIG GAME

BY NICOLE FASSINA

Staff Reporter

Burlingame JV cheer squad performs at the Oct. 4 football game against Aragon High School.

As the season progresses, the cheer team has shown improvement. With the Little Big Game just around the corner, many people are getting excited to see the cheerleaders perform during the halftime show. They have been putting in work and effort to perfect their performance this year, making sure not to disappoint.

Each member of the team has been working diligently to polish the new stunts that are being added to their performance this year and have been practicing assiduously in order to make sure that their performance will be impeccable.

“We have been practicing our stunts everyday and are constantly going

through our routine so that it looks sharp and clean when we perform,” senior Isabella Tabora said. “Additionally, this year we have included new stunt skills and we are currently adding tumbling to the routine.”

In addition to the Little Big Game being a big deal for the cheer squad, it is also a big deal for all the seniors, as it will be their last LBG performance. With a large number of cheerleaders graduating this year, they are looking forward to their last LBG performance.

“I am especially excited for this performance, not only because we are including new skills and stunts, but also because of the senior highlight since this will be my last LBG performance,” Tabora said.

This year’s Little Big Game performance will certainly be one for the books, and the cheer squad can’t wait to perform for Burlingame community.

Student Life

12

DEB SPO ATE RTS CLU B

BY ETHAN GARDNER

Sports Editor

PHOTO BY TYLER IDEMA

Sports Debater Ryan Mosse sets up a table tennis net before the club

At Burlingame, there are a plethora of sports allegiances. Between local teams like the San Francisco 49ers, teams across the country like the New England Patriots and international teams like Arsenal or FC Barcelona, tensions run high whenever controversial sports topics are mentioned. The new Sports Debate Club at Burlingame offers an outlet for students to express such sports opinions in a constructive setting. The club meets Fridays during lunch in A105 to discuss the most prevalent of sports issues, covering a range of topics including ethics, skill comparisons, rankings and more.

Started by seniors Tyler Idema, Matthew Pilch and Mark Habelt, the club is greatly inspired by real sports talk shows.

“We want our meetings to be like First Take. We want people to be debating the highest profile sports issues,” Habelt,

October 17, 2019 the club treasurer, said.

First Take is a popular ESPN talk show hosted by Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman. While the club is informal, they focus on developing real-world skills in addition to just discussing sports.

“I want people to not only expand their sports knowledge, but enhance their debate skills,” Idema, the club president, said.

While the club is just beginning, Habelt is optimistic about the future of the club.

“I think this club could really take off, because a lot of people like debating sports and we provide a constructive setting to do that,” Habelt said.

The club board is adamant that the sports debate club will be a popular and unique new addition to Burlin-

game. They highlighted the importance of using evidence and debate skills to win arguments and noted that even if a point seems outrageous, anyone can win a debate with the right skills.

The club also features a pingpong table in order to keep participants engaged while they aren’t debating.

Idema, Pilch and Habelt mentioned the possibility of pingpong tournaments during lunch in the near future as well. Over the course of the year, the fledgling club will look to expand and provide new opportunities and sports-related activities for its members.

OPENING

NIGHT

OCTOBER

25

FALL MUSICAL

GEARING UP FOR THE BIG DEBUT PHOTOS BY ALEXIA GOLDSTEIN

The former romantic suitors of Donna Sheridan played by seniors Lucas Gilmour and Zac Nelson and junior Anthony Nash.

Dancing queens: sophomores Laurel Brown and Megan Sullivan and senior Aryana Dizadji sing during “Mamma Mia!” rehearsal.

The “Mamma Mia!” cast raises their hands in awe of sophomore Laurel Brown as she belts the ABBA staple, “Money, Money, Money.”.

BY ETHAN GARDNER

Sports Editor

Is a hamburger a sandwich?

Pineapple on pizza?

Is a milkshake a liquid?

Is soup a drink?