April Issue 2023

WHAT’S INSIDE 2

Dyslexia screening closes inequity

students Track stars shine 6/7 Italian 9 travel abroad in diverse events

cross12 Games, word and more

URLINGAME B

THE

Burlingame High School, 1 Mangini Way, Burlingame, CA 94010

April 18, 2023

Issue 6 Vol 138 PHOTO COURTESY OF IRON PANTHERS

AI-generated art threatens human creators GRAPHIC BY ISABEL LIU

Isabel Liu’s watercolor of red baby birds compared to an AI-generated piece by NightCafe.

BY ISABEL LIU

Copy Editor

Four months ago, a Reddit user published a post titled: “Battle of the Sams! Which SamDoesArts Model does it best?” The post featured eight illustrations of a woman standing against a desert night. The pieces mimicked popular digital artist SamDoesArts’ compelling painting style and use of color.

However, this Reddit user didn’t do any painting. They generated eight different renders using artificial intelligence (AI) models and uploaded them to r/StableDiffusion, a subreddit dedicated to popular text-to-image generative AI models.

The post generated controversy. SamDoesArt made a public statement against the AI art models for feeding 300 of his artworks into AI without his consent, but the Reddit user responded confidently that artists shouldn’t be offended because Stable Diffusion could “recreate [Sam’s] work, perhaps even improve it.”

SamDoesArts’ story is one of many resulting from AI art’s recent explosion of popularity. In 2022, AI art generators such as DALL-E 2 and Midjourney were released, enabling anyone to generate an image according to a text prompt they entered. To do this, the AI is trained on millions of images and their captions to learn how much a given string of words relates to an image.

“Theoretically, I’m opposed to [AI art], but in practice, it’s so cool and helpful,” junior and advanced art student Julia Edmondson said.

Similarly, art teacher and former software engineer Eislyn Wolf-Noyes believes AI opens many doors for creativity, especially as someone with unique experience in both the tech and art world.

“I love to see what people who don’t consider themselves artists can make through the AI interface. It would be like having an artist friend… They can put in criteria and use the AI to massage the artwork into place,” Wolf-Noyes said.

Despite AI’s remarkable capabilities, some Burlingame artists believe the art it creates is missing the emotion that is inherent in human-made work.

“Art is a way to express myself. I don’t know if there’s any really deep meaning behind it. That can only be created by humans,” sophomore and Advanced Placement Art student Luke Frikert said. “I don’t think AI art really compares because it lacks emotion.”

See AI ART, page 2

The Iron Panthers traveled to Monterey for their final competition of the season, reaching the semifinals.

Iron Panthers' hard work pays off at MBR

BY BRINDA IYER

Staff Reporter

On Wednesday, March 29, The Iron Panthers participated in the Monterey Bay Regional (MBR) robotics competition, reaching the semifinals.

“This is probably the best our robot has ever performed,” senior and co-captain Kristen Tran said.

“We’ve improved a lot since the beginning of the season.”

The objective of the challenge mirrored that of the Central Valley Regional (CVR) competition, which the team attended in March.

The robots had to drive up to a cube, pick it up and take it back to their starting positions. The goal was to fetch as many cubes as possible. The robots then did an activity to see which one could balance on a ramp for the longest. The team learned from its mistakes at CVR, ending the season with a far better performance.

“With other [competitions], everyone [was confused], and it was more complicated,” sophomore Cindy Chen said. “But with [MBR], everyone knew what to do, and we weren’t that stressed out.”

After three consecutive losses against first place and previous world champion Madtown Robotics, the Panthers began at the bottom of the rankings. But, over the next two days, the team’s perseverance pushed them to the top.

“Belief in our abilities and having a positive attitude [really helped us],” team coach Christina Wade

said.

Before MBR, the Panthers made the last-minute decision to take part in the Sacramento Regional Competition, which helped them fix technical issues with the robot and work on communication — two challenges they encountered at CVR. “[Sacramento] helped us work out some of the kinks, so we were confident [entering] Monterey,” Wade said.

Going into MBR, the Panthers focused on qualifying for the world competition. Despite losing to Spartan Robotics of Mountain View High School and failing to qualify, the team agreed that they presented their best possible work.

“We were not able to beat some of those powerhouse teams that are a level above us,” sophomore and engineering lead Zack Weinberg said. “But, besides that, I think we got what we wanted. We did really well, [our robot was] reliable, and we’re pretty proud of that.”

Many underclassmen took on bigger responsibilities, especially on the engineering side. Unlike previous years, freshmen constructed the majority of the robot. “[MBR] is one of the first competitions where I did not have a reason to touch the robot,” junior and student lead Connor Lu said. “I was confident that the robot was going to be taken care of. Being stressfree as a lead on this team is a really great feeling.”

The Panthers are confident that they will excel in next year’s compe-

titions, despite losing seniors. “[We] learned a lot about how to use tools and about different concepts,” freshman Adrian Su said of his first season. “I think we’re going to be able to pick up the slack that the seniors are leaving.”

The team will also receive a financial boost from sophomore Julien Mott, who won a $5,000 STEM grant as a runner-up in a collegiate robotics competition hosted by Connecticut-based robot combat league National Havoc (NHRL).

Mott discovered his passion for robotics in 2018. Two years later, with the help of senior Jasmine Cheng, Mott began working on his NHRL robot. As the youngest team, Mott entered the competition with low expectations.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see that putting time and effort into the project really [was] rewarded with success,” Mott said. “It was very nice to see that despite all that I’ve learned in this time, dedication, ambition and hard work [is] what makes the difference.”

Mott’s influence went beyond Burlingame.

While scrolling through Instagram after the competition, he saw that a robotics team in Mexico made a cake with his robot as the centerpiece. Knowing that he impacted people on a global level was “heartwarming,” Mott said.

“I hope that I can use my inspiration to inspire others,” Mott said. “I really love robotics, and I want other people to enjoy it as much as me.”

NEWS

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State debates dyslexia screening GRAPHIC BY BRINDA IYER

B

APRIL 18, 2023

THE BURLINGAME B Editor-in-Chief Jackson Spenner Managing Editor Elise Spenner Design Editor Sophia Bella Sports Editor Michelle Moshkovoy Head Photographer Jake Rothstein Business Manager Alex Kelly Social Media Manager Amanda Nolan Web Editor Arda Inegol Diversity Coordinator Lizzy Wan Social Coordinator Kristie Kim Copy Editors Arshia Chakravartti Isabel Liu Senior Reporter Daria Burnosova Staff Reporters Theo Au-Yeung Athena Bostonmaer Jeannine Chiang Danny Conway Sophia Doss Natalie Gyde Joelle Huysmans Brinda Iyer Abby Knight Will Kriner Ana Lunaparra Ellie Neuman Zachary Newman Sophia Puzon Ruby Rosenquist Zach Shapiro Teacher Adviser Melissa Murphy 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.

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

BY ISABEL LIU

Copy Editor

On Thursday, Feb. 16, Senator Anthony J. Portantino introduced Senate Bill 691 to the California State Senate, which would require students from kindergarten to second grade to be annually screened for risk of dyslexia, a learning difficulty that affects reading and spelling.

For the past eight years, the State Senate has unsuccessfully attempted to pass similar legislation. At the moment, California is one of 10 states that don’t have universal mandated dyslexia screening. The California Teachers Union (CTA) repeatedly blocked this legislation, claiming screening takes too much time and over-identifies English learners.

Even so, reading is involved in all learning, putting dyslexic students at a long-lasting achievement gap which could be solved with early intervention, the Journal of Pediatrics found.

The Journal of Educational Psychology reported that students at risk for reading disabilities who received intervention before third grade made gains twice that of children who received intervention during third grade. “[If] the state has the resources, I think all students should be screened,” senior Sam Storey said. Storey recently published a research paper on low-cost things elementary schools can do to support dyslexic learners, inspired by her younger brother’s experience. “In mainstream schools, I don’t feel like there’s many resources on dyslexia.”

Unlike many school districts in California, Burlingame School District (BSD) has im-

plemented universal dyslexia screening and literacy tests in elementary schools. BSD’s early literacy program is relatively extensive: besides the assessments, it includes a dyslexia committee, an updated English curriculum and training on the science of reading for kindergarten through third graders for teachers.

Still, BSD’s program highlights the CTA’s concerns with dyslexia screening, specifically about how much time it requires. For example, teachers need training to differentiate reading difficulties and language learning. BSD also does literacy assessments three times a year.

“We do a lot of assessments.

People argue it’s bad, but… it doesn’t take that long for us to do and then we can really target where we need to be,” BSD Response to Intervention specialist Tara Cook said. Response to Intervention (RTI) specialists lead BSD’s literacy program and are trained to provide early identification and support of students with learning or behavior needs.

RTI specialists cannot diagnose dyslexia, but they work in multi-tiered intervention responses designed to get students to the right place if they need more support. For example, the specialist may start working with whole classes, then slowly narrow down the group and increase support until there is a sign that further action is needed.

“We meet with the teachers… and decide what we’re gonna be doing in class with [struggling students],” Cook said. “If kids aren’t making progress, then we look into whether they might have a learning disability.”

However, the lack of a diag-

nosis means students can’t receive accommodations or support, like 504 plans. Some are calling for schools to employ more individualized support or personnel that can diagnose dyslexia. But dyslexia is a spectrum that impacts 20% of the population, making it difficult to find a one-size-fits-all solution. “[The school said,] ‘We’re just gonna say it’s challenges but I’m not authorized to say dyslexia,’… They don’t teach you how to deal with it,” English teacher C. Marina Junqueira said, describing her dyslexic daughter’s experience. “It’d be great if there could be a side class where they say, ‘Here’s some tips and tricks.’

But I think in the mainstream classroom with 35 students, it’s almost impossible.”

Additionally, getting a diagnosis and school accommodations costs time or money, something not every family has.

“There needs to be a more accessible way to get a dyslexia diagnosis,” Storey said. “My brother and I are fortunate enough that our parents were able to get us tested; it’s expensive to get tested.”

Storey also pointed out that stigma and ignorance makes receiving help difficult.

“I’ve been in class [with students] who are dyslexic, and I see them get cold called to read and put in uncomfortable positions. I feel like there’s a lack of understanding of dyslexia among teachers, parents, fellow students,” Storey said. “Dyslexia is a superpower…I wish I could just tell all these kids, ‘It’s gonna be a challenge, but there’s so much good that could come from it.’”

AI art poses challenge for creative careers FROM PG. 1 Wolf-Noyes agreed.

“If you’re feeding other people’s artwork into a computer and having it spit something out, that becomes less about your experience as a human,” Wolf-Noyes said. “You could make the case that humans should not be able to make profit off of the work when they’re not the actual artists themselves.”

And there’s where the greatest controversy lies — AI art and tech companies could eat away at artists’ jobs.

Edmondson believes that AI

art poses a threat to aspiring artists’ career options. She raised the example of her uncle, who makes his livelihood as a font designer. “[My uncle] has a very solid lifestyle, and it made me feel like that would be something that I could do… But with AI, it could take over his job and now I’m like, ‘Probably shouldn’t do that,’” Edmondson said.

In February, Netflix used AI to generate backgrounds for the animation The Dog & The Boy. Though Netflix claimed it was

due to the labor shortage in the anime industry, Twitter users contended that it was an issue of livable working conditions: in 2019, top anime talent had annual earnings of just $36,000.

“AI does pose issues for artists who already have trouble making money right with their art. But that’s more of a society bias… There’s always been an issue,” Wolf-Noyes said. “Ideally society would say, ‘We have to do something to support this group of people who’s disenfranchised.’”

NEWS

APRIL 18, 2023

3

BART delays and cancellations impact students’ transport PHOTO BY JEANNINE CHIANG

Passengers board the BART train at the Millbrae station to travel to the SFO Airport.

BY JEANNINE CHIANG

Staff Reporter

With over 10,000 scheduled Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains canceled in 2022 — triple the cancellations recorded in 2021 — some students have struggled to find a reliable source of transportation. Although most students only take BART for weekend outings, some take it more regularly, including freshman Leo Saltanov. Saltanov relies on public transportation to see his grandparents in the East Bay, so the BART train delays and cancellations were especially troubling for him.

“When there are train cancellations, I usually wait for the next train. Although the next

train usually arrives within 20 minutes [after the first train would leave], the second train could get delayed, too. There was once where I had to wait over an hour for BART, and it was really frustrating,” Saltanov said.

The delays and cancellations of BART trains stem from three main sources: extreme weather conditions, staff shortages and malfunctioning train car equipment. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, cancellations surged during March of last year when the red line encountered a broken power cable.

Because of the winter storms, many car trains were damaged and unable to recover from the impairments after. The broken

CAMPUS EVENTS

BY ISABEL LIU, KRISTIE KIM, ABBY KNIGHT AND NATALIE GYDE

School elections After a week of campaigning, juniors, sophomores and freshmen voted for the 2023-2024 year class cabinets and Associated Student Body (ASB) leadership on Monday, April 10.

Ice cream social On Friday, April 7, Diana Schumaker, director of national sales for Parker Food Group, joined Shannon Couch’s 4th period Culinary Class to teach students the business aspects of the food industry.

Band competition On Friday, Apr. 7, wind ensemble members left during flex time to compete in the 2023 California Music Education Association (CMEA) Band and Orchestra Festival.

March Madness On Friday, Mar. 23, leadership hosted the finals of its March Madness tournament, where Ms. Bellas’ junior class beat Mr. Feldis’ senior class by a score of 23-18.

power cable caused a temporary closure of the route and as a result, one in 10 scheduled trains was canceled. BART’s green line, which runs from North San Jose to Daly City, and red line, which runs from Richmond to Millbrae, were responsible for most of the recent cancellations.

“There’s been a lot of delays,” junior Tanat Alberts said.

“One time we [Alberts and his friends] were taking it [BART] back from the city. The train just stopped for a really long time. The conductor [didn’t say] anything, [nor did they] make an announcement of why they stopped. They just stopped for a really long time and unfortunately, this is pretty frequent.

That’s why my friends and I take Caltrain instead.”

Furthermore, California’s unusual winter storms damaged many train cars. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, only 50% of BART trains were on time in January due to the abnormal weather. The waiting period after delayed trains caused some safety concerns for Alberts.

“The worst BART [train] station is Balboa Park. That one looks like a jail and there are definitely people who have some sort of mental illness who have nowhere to go. It’s really nerveracking, especially in the Daly City BART [station]. We just watch dudes get into the BART elevator [and watch them] hotbox for 40 minutes. When some old lady opened the door, four guys came out and they looked really sketchy,” Alberts added.

On the flip side, police actions, implemented for the safety of riders, caused 26% of delays from April to June in 2022. Nevertheless, numerous riders fear for their safety when riding BART trains. As stated by the San Francisco Chronicle, 67% of riders approve of BART trains but remain concerned about quality-of-life issues such as cleanliness, personal safety, and homelessness in trains and stations.

Delays are unlikely to be temporary. Since ridership in recent months has decreased by about 40% from pre-COVID levels, the BART has been depending on federal emergency funds.

These are predicted to run out in 2025, resulting in changes

like 60 minutes of waiting time between trains, closed stations, and discontinuation of weekend service.

“If weekend services were canceled, all the people that are mainly relying on the train to go out would have a hard time because BART [trains] are the cheapest and fastest option. As a student, I take BART mostly on weekends, which would affect my efficiency to work my job,” junior Chloe Chan said.

Because the Bay Area has the highest work-from-home rates in the nation, and the slowest downtown recovery, the pandemic has greatly endangered the future of BART. Although ridership is catching up to prepandemic levels, staffing has not. One in three BART trains has been delayed over the last year, thanks to staffing shortages. According to an article

by The News Group, the rate of train operators leaving their jobs due to promotions, retirements or other reasons has exceeded the number of hiring new workers in recent years. Thus, staff sizes decrease, leading to the irregular running of trains.

“I feel like it’s impossible to have a train on time all the time because there will always be unexpected, last-minute problems.

I just wish that they [BART] had an alternative way to alert riders so that you don’t just find out about a [delay or] cancellation last minute,” Chan said.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, On behalf of the Burlingame High School administration, I want to provide additional balance, perspective, and factual information to the article titled Investigation of Drug Use: Exploring the Prevalence of Drugs on Burlingame’s Campus published on March 13, 2023, which did not accurately capture school-wide protocols and supports connected to drug use or drug related incidents.

San Mateo Union High School District and Burlingame High School prioritize the safety, wellness, and mental health of all students, which includes preventing and investigating drug related issues on campus and providing support to those who struggle with addiction. The BHS administrative team and school community aim to support all students by creating a safe, welcoming school environment free of drug use while also providing education and prevention programs, such as Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE), Substance Use Program (SUP), Brief Intervention (BI), and Vaping Awareness Prevention and Education (VAPE). While this information was shared during the Burlingame B interview, these important details were omitted from the article. Given the statistical data and concerns shared in the article, it is imperative that students are aware of the support programs provided by the school district. Our school and district’s primary aim is to educate on and prevent drug use.

Per California Education Code, drug use and/or possession of illegal substances are suspendable, and in some cases, expellable offenses.

To make these determinations, the BHS administrative team adheres to requirements outlined by California Education Codes, such as: Education Code, Section 48900 - Ed. Code violations that lead to suspension: c. Possessed, used, sold, furnished, or been under the influence of any controlled substance, alcohol, or intoxicant. d. Offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell a controlled substance, alcohol, or intoxicant and then provided a replica substance. h. Possessed, or used a tobacco product. j. Possessed, offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell drug paraphernalia. p. Unlawfully offered, arranged to sell, negotiated to sell, or sold the prescription Soma.

Education Code, Section 48915 (c) violation that requires mandatory recommendation for expulsion (related to drugs/controlled substance): c. 3 Selling a controlled substance.

Education Code, Section 48915 (a)(1) violation(s) that requires discretionary mandatory recommendation for expulsion (related to drugs/controlled substance): (C) Unlawful possession of any one controlled substance except for the first offense for the possession of not more than one avoirdupois ounce of marijuana, other than concentrated cannabis, over the counter medications, or prescribed medication.

Per Assembly Bill 982, if a student is suspended for more than two days, the student will have ac-

cess to assignments and will be able to turn in assignments for credit. In the case of an extended suspension or expulsion recommendation, additional academic support may be required. Students with Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) are provided additional support during suspension as defined by Ed Code and IDEA. The BHS administrative team hopes that this additional information provides clarity in regard to due process in connection to drug use, drug related incidents, and disciplinary decisions. To reiterate, our main goal is to educate, support, and ensure all students are safe on our campus. BHS administration encourages students to seek the help of a trusted adult on campus, when needed. We are here to help.

The Burlingame B article raises many questions and points for discussion for teenagers and we encourage students to engage in dialogue with peers, with parents, with adults to help you make good choices. The teenage years are filled with risk-taking, peer pressure and sometimes difficult choices. Saying no is ok. Talk with another peer, make a pact to say no together. Volunteer to be the designated driver. If you know someone who has struggled with sobriety, celebrate each week, each month or each year, they stay sober. Though ads abound promoting alcohol and marijuana, you can choose to celebrate, cope or distract yourself in other, healthier ways.

Respectfully, BHS Administrative Team

4

NEWS

APRIL 18, 2023

Express lanes introduce toll lanes to local highway Business Manager My family and I had a logistical problem last week. My sister needed to be picked up from track practice, but it was right at the time I would need to leave for my soccer practice. The priority was getting my sister picked up, and when my dad returned home with the car, Google Maps said I would arrive 10 minutes late for my 6 p.m. practice. But what Google Maps did not factor in was that I planned to use the new express lane on U.S. Highway 101, which takes me directly from Broadway to Santa Clara. Using the express lane, I shaved off 15 minutes from my expected arrival time — arriving at 5:55 p.m.

Pay toll lanes are expected to reduce travel time in Express Lanes by up to 79%.

SAN MATEO COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

But my punctuality wasn’t without a price. The entire trip ended up costing me $16. That’s because the express lanes have a dynamic pricing system, where prices surge when there is higher traffic — and, thus, higher demand for a shortcut. High-traffic areas can have prices of upwards of $10 at each checkpoint. Those driving with a companion get a discount on driving in the express lane, usually $1 to $2 off,

and those carpooling with three or more people can drive in the lane for free.

“I think it’s going to create incentives for people to carpool, or [encourage] more people to use Caltrain,” Burlingame Council member and San Mateo County Express Lanes Joint Powers Authority (SMCEL-JPA) board member Emily Beach said.

On top of promoting more efficient transportation, San Mateo County will also retain much of the lane’s revenue through its decision to keep the SMCEL-JPA alive, as it now oversees the express lanes which run through the county.

These lanes aren’t just made so the county can earn extra revenue off wealthy Bay Area commuters. The County hopes to finance a transportation equity program for low-income residents of San Mateo County, which would provide access to pre-loaded clipper cards or express lane transponders.

“What we did that was different than anywhere else in the country is we put aside $1 million to pre-fund an equity program because there’s never really been a good transit benefit,” Beach said.

Despite the positives that may come with these lanes, they can also be overly expensive for students who have commutes before or after school. In senior Finn Sheehy’s case, he’s yet to take the express lanes because of the expense.

PHOTO BY ALEX KELLY

BY ALEX KELLY

The pay toll lane signs are present along U.S. Highway 101, marking the leftmost lane as the FastTrack-only express lane for people willing to pay to get to their destination faster.

“I look at the signs and it says a dollar or $2 from here to a couple miles down the road, and that feels like just too much, it’s not worth it,” Sheehy said.

But for those with situations similar to mine, where carpool lanes are the only option, the prices are an unfortunate necessity. Sophomore Kylan Dean drives with his mom and brother to soccer practice two nights a week, taking the express lanes for free. But on the night where he has a different practice time to his brother, he uses the express lane at the discounted, but still costly, rate.

“I think it’s not that necessary to have because it helps us get there much faster but all the other people have to wait who can’t afford to pay,” Dean said.

The other problem the students have is that the express lanes don’t seem to alleviate traffic in non-express lanes. While Beach expressed that modeled iterations of the highway with and without express lanes show that they do solve some traffic problems, this doesn’t appear obvious with the frequently slow traffic on U.S. 101.

“I do think there’s been more traffic because of the express

lane; [it’s] almost always empty, but the other spots are always filled up with cars,” Dean said.

Despite the gripes students and community members may have, the county will continue to strive to make its section of the express lanes as beneficial as possible. “[The lanes are] one part of the congestion puzzle that would use the real estate that we’ve got on the highways better and smarter,” Beach said.

RA

APAR A LUN Y AN

HIC B GRAP

Long commutes take a toll on students and staff

BY ANA LUNAPARRA

Staff Reporter

For some students, commuting to school is as simple as a short walk across the street. For others, however, traveling to school can take up to two hours each morning — and there isn’t always an efficient way to arrive on time.

Until moving to Pacifica recently, therapeutic elective class teacher Jami Weatherson commuted to Burlingame from Sacramento every day. In the mornings, she commuted two hours; after school, her drive home typically took four.

“I accepted the job and knew I was going to move but my wife couldn’t transfer for six months,” Weatherson said. “We had to stay in Sacramento for her job, but I really wanted to work here.

So I just toughed it out for six months.”

However, the unpredictable traffic always remained a prima-

ry concern.

“I left my house at five, but it still could be something that takes me more than three hours because you never know with traffic,” Weatherson said. “I would get stuck on the bridge for sometimes an hour.”

Senior Abby Sanchez, who lives near Mills Estates, added that the unpredictability of a long commute requires strict scheduling. Although Sanchez takes CalTrain in the afternoon if her parents drive her in the morning, Sanchez has to take her car when her parents are unable to drop her off.

“It’s all about timing,” Sanchez said. “When I drive to school, I have to get my stuff ready and go to bed early to not lose that sleep. I also have to leave at eight o’clock on the dot, or else I can’t find parking, and there’s a lot of traffic, and I end up being late to school.”

As a member of leadership, Sanchez has struggled with ar-

riving on time to both school and extracurricular activities.

“Going to leadership events and football games takes me longer than many others in leadership and those who live right next to BHS,” Sanchez said. “It depends a lot on the traffic.”

For those with long rides to school, spending so much time commuting can compromise aspects of their personal lives, as well as their physical and mental health.

“Just being in the car for that long can be tiring,” English teacher Mary Dhyne said.

“I’d like to exercise when I get home, and it will be late, since I get home at around 5:30. Then I have to make dinner and get things going, so the evening kind of gets away from us. That time that I had when we were working from home during the pandemic, I could go exercise or take a walk more easily.”

Still, Dhyne looks for the upside in her twice-daily 90-min-

ute car rides.

“I feel lucky because I can commute with my partner, and it’s really nice to have someone else in the car so we can take turns driving,” Dhyne said. “We do get that time with our son in the car as well, which is a plus, and we listen to podcasts or music.”

Furthermore, Dhyne’s emphasis on maintaining a positive attitude has allowed her to have much calmer commutes each morning.

“Carpooling with someone and having that other person has been really helpful,” Dhyne said. “I can’t control traffic, and just letting that go is important to keep in mind because you can definitely get frustrated.”

Weatherson echoed that sentiment, saying she found ways to make her drive more enjoyable.

“I actually didn’t mind the drive, because I listened to a lot of podcasts and music, and it gave me time to myself,” Weath-

erson said. “But it did take a lot of time out of my day, as I drove about 25 to 30 hours a week.”

Commutes have more of an impact on mood than most realize, something Sanchez hopes people are more understanding of.

“I think it’s important for everyone to consider that everyone has a different commute,” Sanchez said. “Some people take the train and I know some bike to school, so it can be stressful sometimes. You might be feeling

I think it’s important for everyone to consider that everyone has a different commute.

ABBY SANCHEZ

chaotic when you get to school, when other people can wake up five minutes before school and then they’re just there on time.”

FEATURES

APRIL 18, 2023

5

LiTTLE HOUSES, BiG STORY LOCAL PERSON SPRUCES UP COMMUNiTY PARKS WiTH CARVED HOUSES PHOTO BY ABBY KNIGHT

BY ABBY KNIGHT

Staff Reporter

Whether you’re walking to school, spending time in Washington Park or heading to Burlingame Avenue, it’s almost impossible to miss the wooden house sculptures located near campus. Each sculpture is carved into a different, detailed fairytale-style house, and there is even a wooden wishing well close to the community center.

“I see the houses pretty often because they’re in the park in front of our school, and I walk past it a lot, just to get from the Ave and back to school,” sopho-

more Shani Roitman said.

All of the sculptures, including the little houses, wishing well and a bench, were designed and constructed by James Delaney, the Parks and Recreation park maintenance lead worker.

He started creating the sculptures in 2021 after his fellow employee asked if he could carve something in Washington Park.

“I started carving little things around the park, like mushrooms, that I gave to the Rec class to paint up, or I was carving other things for myself [at home] like little drums for my daughters and stuff. And [my co-worker] asked me if I could

do that, and I figured out how to do it,” Delaney said.

Delaney based his sculptures off of his kids’ interests in popular fantasy characters.

“I have three kids so they love, of course, Disneyland and ‘Harry Potter’. So that’s kind of the inspiration; I figured I’d do something that matched that,” Delaney said.

Woodworking caught Delaney’s attention just after he graduated high school. He first began constructing wood fences, for both his father’s house and his own.

“So I guess sometime after high school I just started playing

with wood, and it morphed into whatever it became now,” Delaney said.

The number of whimsical houses and sculptures in Washington Park will increase next month, as Delaney is planning to install a fairy house dedicated to a Burlingame community member in the park’s Fragrance Garden by May 13. He is also brainstorming ideas to turn a 20-foot tall cut tree into a lighthouse, based on a proposal by two of his co-workers.

“So normally I’ll go and I’ll find something that somebody kind of did on the internet, and then I get my ideas from them,”

Delaney said. “And if I can see it in my own head, I can almost recreate something, add a Disney flair to it.”

Delaney’s sculptures are widely enjoyed by students and community members. Many students also agree that new art installations would bring even more magic to the park.

“I think because Burlingame is trying to build more community, I think artwork [in the park] that shows more community [would be nice],” junior Ashley Fong said.

Ongoing lunchtime littering leads to avian avalanche PHOTO BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN

A seagull flies above the main quad at lunchtime on Wednesday, April 13, carrying a large piece of food left by a student.

BY ARDA INEGOL

Web Editor

Take a look at the quad during lunch, and don’t be surprised when students are wearing their hoods on a sunny day.

No, they are not influencers trying to shield their skin from UV rays or avoid paparazzi photos.

Instead, students put up their hoods to protect their heads from an ever-present swarm of seagulls.

Why? Burlingame has a major bird problem. To address this issue, the school’s sustainability

commission decided last year to implement the tri-bin system to encourage students to sort out their trash. Despite these efforts, birds continue to flock the campus and scavenge for food, leaving the administration frustrated.

According to Ernesto Nuñez, Coach E, the problem stems from student laziness and ignorance because some students leave their trash behind after brunch and lunch. He also notes that most of the food waste stems from the free food program.

“It’s almost as if the students are taking that service provided to them for granted,” Nuñez said.

Senior Riley O’Sullivan thinks that the problem is more than just laziness. He believes that most students simply think it is humourous to throw around food and leave trash out, especially when they initially arrive at Burlingame as freshmen.

O’Sullivan acknowledges that he was initially one of those people, but that he eventually learned to be more appreciative of the campus and started throwing away his trash.

“A lot of the times we think it looks funny until the moment we realize it’s not,” O’Sullivan said.

Trash that is not thrown away inevitably attracts birds such as seagulls and crows, and over time, these animals increase in number. With this comes the issue of bird droppings, and because Burlingame has large open spaces with many students eating out in the quad, this turns out to be a major problem.

“At least one student gets hit a day from bird droppings and people are running to class with their heads covered,” Nuñez said.

According to Bethany Li, an English teacher and site sustainability facilitator at Burlingame, the bird problem is not going

away anytime soon.

“The tricky thing with seagulls is that they’re creatures of habit,” Li said. “So once they know there’s a food source, they’re going to set up shop and come back and that’s just kind of grown and grown over the years.”

Ultimately, she believes that the solution to the issue lies in a shared responsibility between the students and the school administration.

“I think that we need a maximum number of staff and students to get things where they’re supposed to be to help get it under control,” Li said.

According to Nuñez, the administration has been doing its part. He said that he and his team consistently move trash bins next to tables and put them in strategic locations so that students can throw away their gar-

bage without moving. He also highlighted that his team is enforcing end-of-lunch detention clean-ups in addition to regular detentions that require some students to collect trash around the school.

“Sometimes I think that helps because then we hope they realize it isn’t that hard to get up and throw your stuff away,” Nuñez said.

Eventually, the solution to the bird crisis boils down to whether or not students can take responsibility and throw away their trash effectively. Li wants students to talk to their friends about the issue and identify possible solutions as a group.

“I think the peer-to-peer impact is going to be a lot more impactful than me lecturing at you,” Li said. “A grassroots movement seems like our best option for a solution.”

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ITALY TRAVEL JOURNAL

Italy

Personal journal: Jake Rothstein Sight-seeing in Siena

PHOTOS BY JAKE

travel journal

Lake Garda and host families

PHOTO BY ANA LUNAPARRA

After an 11-hour flight, I joined my Italian host on a long drive to the San Siro stadium in Milan, one of the largest stadiums in Europe. Inter Milan was facing off against Juventus — two historic teams competing in Italy’s most important match of the year. Even before the game started, one thing was clear — the passion for European soccer is unmatched. The atmosphere created a spectacular viewing experience beyond the game itself. From chants of “Co-come mai, co-come mai. La champions league tu non la vinci mai?” (Why can you never win the Champions League?) to incredible fan-created posters and an attendance of 75,224, it was a unique experience. The game itself was a bore, as Juventus claimed an actionless 1-0 victory. But even after defeat, the Inter Milan ultras continued to display their passion for their club, heckling Juventus supporters and singing the Inter Milan anthem.

The passion and love that Italian fans have beats any fandom I’ve seen.

Touring Modena with our Italian hosts On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, our Italian hosts took us to Modena, a city near where we were staying. We walked around, exploring the colorful buildings and churches, and stopped by to eat some traditional Italian desserts and buy music records at a little vintage market called “L’Antico in Piazza Grande.” Some of us tried an Italian McDonald’s, a more expensive ($11 for a wrap!) but higher quality version of the one in America. We strolled around the bustling streets, discussing the many cultural differences between America and Italy. Overall, it was a great experience to explore a beautiful city while bonding with our Italian hosts.

AU-YOUNG

Personal journal: Arshia Chakravartti

Derby D’Italia - Inter Milan vs Juventus

THEO PHOTOS BY

During our first week in Italy, each student stayed with their exchange student’s host family in Carpi. Experiencing what a family’s daily life is like in another country was one of the most memorable parts of the trip, as we noticed different customs and traditions.

Because Italian students have school from Monday through Saturday, we spent the entire day with our hosts on Sunday. My host family and I woke up early to drive around Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake. Although the drive there was around three hours, it was definitely worth it. We drove to a view overlooking the lake and then visited several towns along the water.

Personal journal: Theo Au-Young

-YOUNG THEO AU

Siena was one of the most beautiful cities we traveled to, with splendid views and beautiful, peaceful neighborhoods. Walking around the city, we found a pizzeria serving giant slices of incredible pizza. We went back to the same place three more times throughout our two-day stay in Siena. Also, during our stay in Siena, we climbed the “Torre del Mangia,” or Tower of Mangia — one of the many towers we climbed during the trip — to get a clear view of the entire city during the golden hour.

S BY PHOTO

Personal journal: Ana Lunaparra

ROTHSTEIN

From Ferrari rides to walking tours of beautiful cities and from visiting museums to watching a friend fall into the dirty canals of Venice, it’s safe to say the 2023 Italian Exchange Program was a trip of a lifetime. We (Jake, Theo, Arshia and Ana) spent the first week of the trip with Italian host families, immersing ourselves in their day-to-day lives. We experienced a typical day at their school, visited various sites and cities in the nearby region, and some of us even faced off against them in an America versus Italy pickup soccer game (we lost, unsurprisingly).

We then said goodbye to our Italian hosts and departed for a week in Florence, Siena and Rome, touring various sites and roaming freely around the cities.

We journaled some of our best experiences in Italy, from soccer games to visiting local cities such as Modena and Bologna — and as our tour guide Riccardo would always say, “let’s andiamo!”

Afternoon in Bologna

PHOTO S BY ARSHIA CHAKRA VARTTI

During our first days in Italy, we barely got to hang out with our Italian exchange students due to the many planned excursions and activities we had. So, early on in the exchange, after our planned itinerary portion of the day was done, a group of both Italian and American students took a train and headed towards Bologna. Once we arrived, I stepped into a bustling metropolitan city, which was a stark contrast to the quiet streets of Carpi. We explored the city center and had gelato before heading back to Carpi. Looking back, I never thought what happened next would be the most tiring, yet eventful part of the day. We started from the piazza at a leisurely pace, but ended up sprinting through traffic to get to the train station on time. After getting on the train during rush hour, there were no seats available, so we had to stand for the entirety of two train transfers. That afternoon was a fun experience because any awkwardness that was lingering was gone, and I was closer than ever with my exchange student.

Spread design by Sophia Bella, Design Editor

8

SPORTS

APRIL 18, 2023

YOUNG TALENT

A 400-METER FRONTRUNNER

Madden, sophomore boys’ volleyball standout

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Since her freshman year, junior Cora Haggarty has displayed sheer dominance in the women’s 400 meters and relays. Haggarty helped her relay team finish second in the 2021 Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) Varsity Championship and win the event in a meet the next season.

Individually, Haggarty placed first in the 2021 PAL Final’s 400-meter competition with an incredible time of 58.76 seconds. Haggarty won six 400-meter events during her 2022 sophomore campaign and finished fourth in the Central Coast Section (CCS) Finals. “[My] training [helped me] reach full success at the end of the season,” Haggarty said.

And this season, she hasn’t slowed down, taking first place in the Lynbrook Invitational on March 25 and won the 200 and 400-meter events in the De Anza Invitational two weeks later, beating 57 and 34 of CCS’s best runners, respectively. “[My goal] is to hit a [personal record], get to states and have fun,” Haggarty said. “[It’s] something that can be overlooked, but I think having fun is the most important part.”

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A DiSTANCE DEMON

PHOTO BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN

Senior Romer Rosales-Hasek, who qualified for CCS individually last year, has continued his success on the Panthers’ track and field squad this season in a multitude of events.

Last year, Rosales-Hasek won three events over the span of two meets, the men’s 400, 800 and 1600 meters.

Rosales opened his season with a personal best time in the 800 meters at the Saint Francis Invitational, breaking the two-minute barrier to place third out of 24 athletes.

“I enjoy training both for sprinting and endurance. The 800-meter is right in between a sprint and an endurance event,” Rosales-Hasek said.

He will look to finish off his high school track career on a high note in the PAL and CCS playoffs.

“My next step is to run [under] 145 seconds [in the 800 meters], which would be the school record,” Roslaes-Hasek said.

A SOPHOMORE SENSATiON

~ Profiles compiled by Zach Newman, Staff Reporter

ROTHSTEIN

Sophomore Jeremiah Philips may have won Underclassman of the Year for boys’ basketball in the PAL South, but he has also shown out for the track and field program. Instead of competing and running on the track, Phillips has racked up achievements in the shot put and discus events. At the first meet of the season on March 17, Phillips was awarded first place in both competitions with a throw of just over 37 feet in the 10-pound shot put and 93 feet, 5 inches in the 1.6-kilogram discus — over 10 feet further than the rest of the competition.

Phillips, an underclassman, still has time to improve and reach his full potential, while also bringing home more shot put and discus titles.

JAKE PHOTO BY

Putting aside the ups and downs that boys’ varsity volleyball has faced in its short time as a program, there has been an unwavering bright spot in the last two years: sophomore Reiter Madden.

Madden has played competitive volleyball for the past seven years, which instantly made him a valuable asset for Burlingame when he joined the team as a freshman.

“As a player, he’s just very well rounded. He knows the game very well. He makes the right decisions and in some cases is very aggressive…to me that’s very exciting to watch,” head coach Lawrence Ngai said.

Madden is the Panthers’ go-to outside hitter on the squad, and one of his specialties is being a scorer they can rely on to deliver a much needed point.

“Reiter is Reiter, he always performs well, and I can always count on him for a point,” senior and varsity captain Jacob Ngai said.

Madden first got into volleyball while going to his sister’s club practices and, through a recommendation from the coach, he tried out for the boys’ club team. At the time, the boys’ volleyball scene was still growing.

“When I started out… there were only like two teams per age group, like at max, and now there are four teams at my club… which is a huge increase,” Madden said.

Now, with the Burlingame boys’ volleyball program in its fourth year, Madden has noticed tremendous growth in participation.

“We make cuts, which is kind of like a milestone, like, you know, we have enough people at that point, which is pretty cool,” Madden said.

Alongside being a consistent scoring threat for Burlingame, Madden is a mentor for his teammates. This makes him a valuable asset for head coach Lawrence Ngai, who often consults Madden and takes his perspective into account.

“I need feedback from them, they need feedback from me, and he’s one that provides good feedback,” Lawrence Ngai said.

On the court together six times a week, Madden has forged strong relationships with teammates.

“I go to school with these people, I see them every weekend, I have more interactions with them.

So I think it’s more like a tight knit community… it’s nice to feel like that,” Madden said.

Although Madden displays a lot of skill and leadership on the court, he doesn’t plan to play volleyball at the collegiate level.

“I want to see it as a hobby in the future, just because when I go off to college, I kind of want to explore like me without volleyball,” Madden said.

For the time being though, the Panthers’ can still count on Madden and his powerful kills on the court.

“He’s just an outstanding player,” Lawrence Ngai said.

Winning has become an all-too-familiar feeling for junior Raymond Frank on the track at Burlingame.

In his sophomore year, Frank won a total of nine individual events, including the 100, 200, and 400 meters. He also helped his relay teams to victory in the 4 x 100 relay and 4 x 400 relay, the latter being in the PAL Frosh-Soph Championship.

This season seems to be no different. In a Mar. 17 PAL meet, Frank won all four events he entered — running the 200 meters in 23.85 seconds, winning the 400 meters in 54.04 seconds and contributing to both victorious men’s relays.

BY JA PHOTO

BY ARSHIA CHAKRAVARTTI

Staff Reporter

A SEASONED SPEEDSTER

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SPORTS

APRIL 18, 2023

SHAKEN UP

HOW CONCUSSiONS GO UNREPORTED iN SCHOOL SPORTS YS CB HI AP GR

BY ZACH SHAPIRO

EL AB HI OP

Staff Reporter

BY MICHELLE MOSHKOVOY An estimated 1.1 to 1.9 million sports-related concussions occur annually among children and adolescents. And the concussion protocol is simple at most schools, including Burlingame: three strikes — three concussions — and you’re out.

For senior varsity soccer player Olivia Mausehund, her most recent concussion — following a routine header in a league match — put her at an uncertain crossroad: should she report her concussion, indefinitely forcing herself onto the sidelines? Or should she ‘suck it up’ and keep playing?

Mausehund’s dilemma isn’t unique; in fact, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 5 in 10 sports-related concussions go unreported.

And, a study by The National Athletic Trainers’ Association found that the most common reasons for not reporting a concussion were fear of losing playing time, thinking the injury wasn’t serious and not wanting to let a team down.

The pressure to avoid medical attention doesn’t negate the physical symptoms of a concussion. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, common concussion symptoms include a headache, nausea or

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Sports Editor

v om iting and balance problems and dizziness.

“Heada c h e s , and a lot of them,” another senior soccer varsity player, Dana Brooks, said about the symptoms of her concussion. “It hurt to look at the sun, and [I was] really disoriented.”

With some of these symptoms lasting up to six weeks post-injury, a concussed athlete’s focus in school may be heavily curbed. According to Mausehund, most teachers can’t accommodate concussed students in class without a note from a doctor. But, since seeking attention from medical professionals often means the concussion will be reported, students-athletes have to choose between their sports and their classwork.

“From a neurological perspective… it’s obvious: no more football or soccer. But from a well-being perspective, it’s a little more nuanced,” said Tim Larkin, an English teacher and father of a student-athlete at Burlingame.

The under-reporting of concussions to medical professionals ultimately contributes to 43.5% of athletes returning to their sport too soon, according to The College of Family Physicians of Canada.

“My [concussion] freshman year was in the first round of CCS playoffs, so it felt like I

didn’t really have a choice [to sit out],” Mausehaund said.

However, student-athletes like varsity football player Pierce Schuman believe that it’s possible to find a balance between athletic, scholastic and health priorities.

“Playing football, all my teammates are relatively afraid sometimes of getting a head injury, “ Schuman said. “But… we understand the risk, and we take measures to prevent that from happening.”

In Larkin’s opinion, the growing conversation about sports-related concussions isn’t a bad one. When he played sports in the 1980s, he remembers having two concussions — but instead of being treated for a head injury by doctors; he

was treated for a busted lip or a bruised eye. “[When I was a kid] there was no protocol,” Larkin said.

“There was no dark room… and especially for sports teams in those days, the coach just tells you to get up.”

Forty years later, sports medicine has vastly improved — but the under-reporting lives on.

Still, Burlingame takes considerable efforts to reduce the risk of its students’ concussions.

Athletic trainer Matt Smith attends the majority of home games for high-risk sports to keep an eye out for head contact and uses baseline testing to track cognitive ability. Strength coach Ernesto Nunez often implements neck workouts into training programs to develop stronger muscles for bracing too.

“When you get a concussion you kind of know you have a concussion. That’s the thing, you kind of know that there’s a little something wrong,” Schuman said. “From that, I was kind of able to learn about what, as a whole, a concussion is.”

Taking the rehabilitation process more seriously is crucial as researchers and doctors around the globe figure out how to improve the diagnosis process and limit long term risk.

“Concussions, those long term implications are lifetime.

It’s very, very important that you take care of your brain,” Schuman said.

AFTER RAiN-OUTS, BASEBALL RETURNS TO WiNNiNG FORM PHOTO BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN

Junior Jackson Howard rounds first base in the Panthers’ 5-0 victory over Carlmont High School on Wednesday, April 7.

BY ZACH SHAPIRO

Staff Reporter

This year’s record rainfall has caused numerous game delays for boys’ varsity baseball (2-2 PAL Bay, 6-3 overall). The Panthers just recently played their second league game and seventh game overall on April 5, while most of the PAL Bay team’s field conditions allowed them to avoid rainouts and hit the season’s halfway mark last week.

Following that string of rainouts, Burlingame finally returned to the field against league No. 3 Carlmont High School.

They fought valiantly in a game

that saw both teams trade offensive blows. However, the Panthers’ lack of gameplay caught up to them on the defensive end.

Carlmont jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in large part due to a series of errors in the infield.

“Personally, I’m not extremely satisfied with my performance defensively,” junior St. Ignatius College Preparatory transfer Eric Gee said.

But Gee, who missed the team’s prior games due to transfer rules, was not the only one dissatisfied. By the end of the game, the Panthers had seven errors to the Scots’ two.

Will Robbins got the Pan-

thers’ bats started with a double to the left-center field fence.

Shaken up, the Carlmont pitcher spiked his next pitch, then another, and Robbins was able to steal his way across home plate.

In the bottom of the inning, junior Luca Scatena’s pitching remained rock solid. He efficiently retired the first two Carlmont batters, only for the Panthers’ defensive struggles to reemerge when senior right fielder Aidan Alfers overran a ground ball in the shallow outfield grass, and a ground-ball single turned into a man on second base in scoring position. On the next at-bat, another grounder got past Gee’s slide at shortstop, bringing the Carlmont runner home to lead 4-2.More small blows and defensive blunders were traded with no scoring until the sixth inning.

With just four more total outs needed for Carlmont to close out the game, junior left fielder Dylan Philibosian stepped into the batter’s box with a man on second with one thing on his mind.

“I was just looking for a fastball,” Philibosian said.

And that is just what he received. On a 2-2 count, Philibosian sent one over the left field fence to tie the game at 4-4.

Philibosian’s late game heroics were almost enough to distract from the Panthers’ lackluster defensive performance — after all, a win is a win. But another inning left more room for error.

After an efficient first two outs of pitching in relief of Scatena, senior Aidan Alfers struggled to find the strike zone, walking two batters. With two runners on base and one out to go in the bottom of the sixth inning, the next Carlmont hitter smacked a double off the outfield wall. The deep fly scored both runners to regain the lead at 6-4.

Burlingame had one final chance. At the top of the seventh inning, senior catcher Charlie Happ and pinch-hitting junior Dylan Kall started a rally, putting two Panthers on base. A soft bunt up the third-base line from speedy leadoff hitter Noah Greenblatt moved both runners into scoring position. But, sadly, a quick two outs ended the game in a Panther loss.

“I still think we’re one of the top programs in the league,” Gee said. “Obviously our first two games haven’t reflected that, but once we… fix the mistakes we’re a top team.”

The Panthers began that re-energized campaign with a

convincing bounce-back win just two days later, knocking eight hits and tallying five runs at home in a shutout performance at home against the Scots.

“Holden [Glavin] and [Tyler] Lachance pitched a great game which gave us a lot of momentum,” Alfers said. “We finally played together as a team.”

On April 13, the momentum continued as the Panthers pulled out a 4-3 win at Aragon High School, moving to No. 5 in the league standings. With more wins in the book and no lack of playoff experience following a 2022 Division III CCS finals appearance, Burlingame will have no problems continuing to gel, in spite of missing early-season games.

Next, Burlingame will take on Capuchino High School in two back-to-back games on Wednesday, April 19 and Friday, April 21. Capuchino currently sits in No. 7 in the PAL Bay, offering the Panthers a valuable opportunity to pick up a pair of wins.

And given that both Scatena and Gee say that team chemistry is one of the team’s main strengths, there are certainly no signs that Burlingame plans slow down anytime soon.

OPINION

10

APRIL 18, 2023

PROTECT SPEECH, iN CONGRESS AND CLASSROOMS

BY THE BURLINGAME B EDITORIAL BOARD

people in power or the majority are becoming willing to crush voices for the sake of their narrative. Representatives, protests and education are under threat: essentially our ways to make a difference in government and the future.

It’s easy to think that threats to individual freedoms only exist on television and in history books, in faraway countries and political chambers, like Tennessee’s.

We often overlook the fact, though, that free speech is vulnerable in our own backyards.

Thirty minutes down the road, a free speech controversy has caught national attention.

The Federalist Society invited conservative judge Stuart Kyle Duncan to speak at Stanford Law School on March 9. Duncan, who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the

GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA BELLA

On Monday, April 3, the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel multiple House members from their chamber after they protested gun violence on the chamber floor.

Their peaceful protest followed the Nashville shooting that took place on March 30, leaving six dead at a private Christian high school.

The representatives in question were Democrats Justin Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson. However, Johnson, the only white lawmaker among the three, avoided expulsion by one vote. The expulsion of these representatives shocked many, leading hundreds of protesters to the city.

This undemocratic approach to politics in Tennessee should be condemned. If representatives in government are expelled for speaking out against the majority, it sets a dangerous precedent against free speech — putting the very foundation of our democracy under threat.

This doesn’t just apply to our representatives. When former indicted president Donald Trump had protestors violently

removed from Lafayette Park, he set a similar precedent.

The president abused his powers in order to crush protestors’ right to demonstrate.

Sadly, for many Americans, this anti-protest sentiment is becoming more common.

According to a 2020 study by the Pew Research Center, the share of Americans who believe that “people are free to peacefully protest” in the United States has fallen 73% to 60% since 2018.

Another trend gaining momentum in conservative states is increased intervention in the educational system such as banning books and education curriculums. For example, the proposed Advanced Placement African American History course was banned in Florida. In doing so, the state silenced the voices of scholars

associated with critical race theory, the queer experience and Black feminism, as well as topics such as the Black Lives Matter movement. In response, the College Board took out the aforementioned material, but Florida refused to rescind their ban.

These examples all show how

Fifth Circuit, has defended gay marriage bans and supported restrictions on transgender people using their preferred bathrooms.

When he attempted to speak to the crowd, he “was relentlessly heckled and traded barbs with students,” according to a recent article in The New York Times, and was unable to continue his remarks.

The right to protest is fundamental, but shouldn’t be condoned when it comes at the cost of freedom of thought and reasoned debate. Although many of Judge Duncan’s views are reprehensible, campuses are intended to be sanctuaries for free speech and debate — among students, teachers and guests — not echo chambers where it’s okay to repress viewpoints that y o u disagree with, whether liberal or conservative.

In a country that is becoming increasingly divided, it is more important than ever to encourage free speech and expression.

The hard conversations don’t only happen in state legislatures and in the political media — open dialogue is just as essential in classrooms, school board meetings, workplaces and family gatherings.

Political division is tearing the sports world apart GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA BELLA

BY ZACHARY NEWMAN

Staff Reporter

Navigating through today’s world with a positive mindset can be extremely difficult, especially when we are bombarded daily by upsetting current events and tragedies. Often, these events bring thoughts of hopelessness and anxiety about the future. Whenever I start to fall down the rabbit hole and feel increasingly distressed, I turn on the television or open my phone, and watch a sports game.

Sports — on both the collegiate and professional level — are highly entertaining for me and millions worldwide. The thrill of your team’s victory, the inspiring stories and the utterly ridiculous things athletes can do make sports an immovable part of American culture.

But sports are also uniquely

important because they provide a safe haven from the ugliness and cruelties in our world — at least they used to.

Gone are the days when I could escape the troubles and harsh realities of our world for three hours by watching the Giants hit home runs, the Warriors splash threes, the 49ers intercept passes or the Sharks score goals (well, unfortunately, they rarely score, so it’s more like watching the other team score goals).

Now, when I watch a sports game, I’m force-fed a variety of controversial propaganda, from both sides of the political spectrum, such as slogans like “Make America Great Again” (MAGA), posters promoting anti-vaccine viewpoints and jerseys supporting Black Lives Matter (BLM).

I came to watch a sports game for the entertainment and the amazing athletes, not to receive

doses of political propaganda that I get in every other element of my daily life. Even platforms that are supposed to be politically neutral, like news networks and social media applications, host pundits to spew unsolicited and insensitive political indoctrination into their viewers. Our world, and country in particular, is so politically divided that each piece of political propaganda distributed by sports leagues and associations adds more tension.

Isn’t the purpose of these political statements during sports games to bring and unite us together? Aren’t we doing these causes a disservice by shoving them in fans’ faces during sports games and alienating audiences?

Fans are reacting to the increased politicization — ratings in the National Football League (NFL) and the National

Basketball Association (NBA), the two most popular sports in the country, declined to a low in 2020, and have only slowly increased in the years since the pandemic. The 2020 NBA Finals garnered just 8.3 million viewers, the lowest since ratings were recorded and a third of the 25 million viewers that tuned in for the 2015 Finals. The ratings only increased to a measly 12.5 million in 2021.

I worry that if athletes and sports leagues don’t stop alienating their audience with controversial and partisan movements instead of taking meaningful political action through lobbying and policy change, the sports world will be divided forever — and that would be a tragedy.

However, I don’t necessarily believe in the “shut up and dribble” idea that argues athletes shouldn’t express their opinions. Athletes are also members of society, and therefore have the right to speak out on their beliefs and are entitled to voice their opinions. That’s what this country is all about — but there is a difference between giving your political views off the court and alienating your loyal fans on it.

To be clear, I am not advocating that athletes shouldn’t voice their opinions. I support and respect athletes that speak out for the issues they are passionate about, much like I am doing now. I believe that when there are injustices in our world (and there are many), athletes have a duty to react and create positive change. I hope athletes continue to voice their opinions whenev-

er they feel inclined to do so; I just wish it wasn’t during sports games.

In other words, athletes should, as long as it is backed up with facts and truth, share their political opinions with the public, but not on the court or field.

Athletes often share their opinions during the game by wearing political messaging on shirts, which draws focus away from the entertainment, whereas if they conveyed their ideas online, after the games would be affected and the athletes would maintain their platform. Why can’t they wear the shirts out in public, or the locker room?

That way, they are keeping the product politically neutral, while still being able to voice their opinions. And for those who disagree with their opinions, there’s no harm, because you can either stop following them on social media or listen to their thoughts and broaden your perspectives.

Sports are meant to unite us.

Where else can you get people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, classes, ages and professions to all root for a single cause? There is nowhere else we can find that level of cohesiveness anymore. We shouldn’t infect sports, where we coexist in agreement and understanding, with a world that craves to divide us at every turn. It doesn’t matter whether you agree with the messages pushed during games or which political party you belong to, the politicization on the court and the field is tearing the sports world apart.

ENTERTAINMENT

APRIL 18, 2023

11

SUPER MARIO BROS.

BY ALEX KELLY

Business Manager If you’re looking for a great animated movie, like Despicable Me or one of the beloved Pixar movies, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is not that. The movie falls short on story, with short-lived plotlines and no real meaningful takeaway.

But, at the end of the day, this movie is targeted at kids, and there are certainly moments to laugh at and enjoy. Jack Black has a fantastic performance as a love-stricken Bowser, and he even sings a romantic ballad to Peach.

GRAPHICS COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

CREED III

BY DANNY CONWAY

Staff Reporter

“Creed III” is the third installment in the “Rocky” spin-off series following boxer Adonis Creed, the son of Rocky Balboa’s longtime rival Apollo.

The film marks the directorial debut of Michael B. Jordan, who also plays protagonist and retired heavyweight champion of the world, Adonis Creed.

Creed, at the top of the boxing world, reunites with old friend and boxing prodigy Damion Anderson (Jonathan Majors), who is fresh out of jail after serving a sentence for a physical al-

tercation he had outside of a gas station years ago during a night out with Adonis. The viewer follows Creed as he rekindles his relationship with Anderson while juggling the perils of family life with his wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent).

Jordan excels in his directorial debut. While boxing movies typically follow a similar formula, “Creed III” does a good job of differentiating itself from the crowd by incorporating larger themes than simply boxing.

The actual boxing sequences in the film are noticeably different from previous installments

For any video game nerd, there are numerous references to the various Mario games, and the Mario Kart scenes are especially faithful to the original game. The score also does a great job of honoring the original games, with recognizable music appearing throughout the movie. The animation is also top-notch, which truly brings the video game characters to life.

Of course, don’t go to this movie expecting an Oscar-winning animated film — go instead to laugh with, and sometimes at, a decent, nostalgic video-game movie.

as well. Jordan says he drew inspiration from Japanese anime during the creative process, using several camera angles and special effects to give the fighting some extra excitement.

“Creed III” has solid dialogue, acting and cinematography, establishing that the Creed series can stand on its own rather than in the shadow of the Rocky franchise.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER

DAISY JONES & THE SIX

BY ATHENA BOSTONMAER

Staff Reporter

Given how realistic and immersive the television show was, I was shocked to hear that Daisy Jones & The Six, the band created by Taylor Jenkins Reid in his eponymous novel, was not a real band.

The story focuses on band members in the ‘70s, a decade that influenced rock music. Inspired by the iconic Fleetwood Mac, Reid created a fictional band with a hidden backstory of

drug abuse, love-triangles and, of course, rock-and-roll.

In the show, co-stars Sam Claflin and Riley Keough, who played Billy Dunne and Daisy Jones, brought the band to life through their vivid live-performances and original songs. In fact, the songs are now available on all streaming platforms.

Award-winning musicians Blake Mills and Phoebe Bridgers played a critical role in portraying Reid’s vision and developing the soundtrack.

Though the music is excel-

lent, I found the characters in the show to lack sophistication and depth. While the novel developed the distinct personalities of each character, the film adaptation exaggerated the characters’ quirks to the point that they lost their realism. This made some of the characters unlikable, as they seemed shallow.

Despite its lack of character development, overall, the show includes well-done classic ‘70s music and does a good job of visually capturing the style and vibe of the ‘70s.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON

THE MANDALORIAN

BY SOPHIA PUZON

Staff Reporter

separated. I have not kept up with the various Disney+ Star Wars series, and thus missed out on their reunification in another Star Wars story, “The Book of Boba Fett”, leading to my initial confusion when I saw the pair suddenly back together. Overall, while the return of familiar characters was enjoyable, the limited screen time for Din and an overreliance on background information from the other shows left me confused, and I didn’t enjoy the season as much as I wanted to.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DISNEY

The third installment of “The Mandalorian” was highly anticipated by Star Wars aficionados and casual viewers alike who tuned in to watch the adventures of bounty hunter Din Djarin and his pint-sized companion, Grogu (who fans call Baby Yoda). This season, Din seeks to atone for taking off his helmet and revealing his face to others, something strictly forbidden in the Mandalorian code.

I enjoyed the return of characters from the previous seasons.

The bounty hunter-turned-magistrate Greef Karga and fellow Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kyrze have more significant roles in the third season. However, this came at a cost — the show’s title character, the Mandalorian, is pushed behind the rest of the action, leading to minuscule screen time.

I also felt the new season relied too much on background information. In the previous season, Grogu and Din were

STUDENT LIFE

12

PHOTOS BY SOPHIA BELLA

Diversity takes center stage at cultural assembly

APRIL 18, 2023

Left: Junior Mathilda Haskell and freshman Scarlett Bounds perform an Irish dance in colorful costumes.

Right: The Dance club performs a dance cover to a combination of popular South-Korean songs that each showcase a different aspect of K-pop.

BY JEANNINE CHIANG

Staff Reporter

On Wednesday, April 5, Burlingame hosted a full-scale cultural assembly for the first time since 2020. Launched in 2008 by English teacher Sophie Abitbol, the spring assembly celebrates the diverse heritage of students through a series of performances.

In outfits ranging from Irish rhinestone dresses to Chut Thai blouses, students performed seven unique routines during the assembly: “Decades Medley” by senior Michelle Moshkovoy, “Big Fish Instrumental” by junior Ariel Yuan and freshman Michelle Shay, “Wig-

wams, Norwegian Glam Rock Dance” by junior Tyler Wong, “Khim Instrumental” by junior Tanat Alberts and Myla Pallera, “Bakit Pa” by senior Arriana Cruz, “Irish Dancing” by junior Mathilda Haskell and freshman Scarlett Bounds, and Korean pop dancing by the Dance club.

“The goal [of the cultural assembly] is letting students showcase what they’re most proud of in their own heritage.

It creates a way for us to appreciate the gifts and contributions of various cultures that are immersed in our student body,” English and Leadership teacher Bethany Li said. “It’s nice to have an assembly that’s really student-focused and when we

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talk about being an inclusive campus, events like this show that that’s really happening.”

Because of COVID-19’s restrictions on large gatherings of people, the cultural assembly has been modified for the past two years: In 2021, Leadership compiled virtual submissions into a video, and students performed on the outdoor stage last spring.

Nevertheless, throughout senior Arriana Cruz’s high school career, she aspired to perform a song that would share her heritage and leave a lasting mark on Filipino culture. This year, she finally got the chance to do it.

“I believe nowadays in society, a lot of students are afraid

to show their own culture. I feel like me taking that step and joining the cultural assembly really brings out and introduces everyone to that culture and makes everyone who is also a part of the Filipino culture feel that their culture is getting recognized,” Cruz said.

Junior Mathilda Haskell and freshman Scarlett Bounds shared a similar perspective on being able to perform a dance that celebrates their Irish heritage.

“I’ve grown up doing Irish dancing my entire life so it’s really cool [because it’s] become a really huge part of my life,” Haskell said. “Being able to express that and show something that others don’t know about has been a really cool experience.”

Much like the duo, junior Tanat Alberts and Myla Palle-

THE GAMES SECTION

CROSSWORD burlingamebapril

ra conducted a unique performance significant to their Thai culture. The Khim, a stringed musical instrument that originated from Mesopotamia and Persia, produces a bright and expressive sound.

“I received my instrument from the Thai Temple, which is in San Bruno. We did a few practices [before the cultural assembly] and on the last one, I was given the outfit from Tanat’s mom, and she told me that it’s a very traditional outfit which I love,” Pallera said.

With 17 total student performers, the assembly showcased the diversity of culture and talent at Burlingame.

“It’s just really beautiful to see all the different types of cultures up on stage getting the recognition that they deserve,” Cruz said.

THE GAMES SECTION

BY JACKSON SPENNER

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