February Issue 2025 by The Burlingame B Newspaper

Community feels impact of LA fires 3

Students design dresses by hand Petition pushes plastic ban 4 11

8 Athletes compete against the odds

URLINGAME B THE

‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ’

Demonstrators march 20 miles against deportation

BY INY LI Business Manager

“Enough is enough.”

This phrase appeared on protest signs and echoed through the streets on Sunday, Feb. 16 as over 100 demonstrators marched from San Mateo City Hall to San Francisco City Hall, covering more than 20 miles. Organized by Rights Over Borders, a local advocacy group for the immigrant community, the “Bay Area March Against Mass Deportations” drew residents from across San Mateo County, many of whom said they were marching not just for their own families but to “speak for those who can’t.”

“Our voices have been silent for too long,” said Mirtala Ochoa, an immigrant from El Salvador. “My hope is to get things moving for amnesty. I’m an immigrant, my husband’s an immigrant from Mexico, and we’re a very hard-working family. I want every hard-working undocumented immigrant who does not have a criminal record

to get legalized immediately. They’re the hardest working people I know, and they deserve it.”

Since President Donald Trump began his second term in office, he has issued 10 executive orders aimed at changing U.S. immigration policies and has pledged to deport millions of immigrants, according to the American Immigration Council.

As the community braces for the impact of these policies, residents said they felt even more compelled to participate in the march. Burlingame student and junior Ryder Warren, who heard about the march through TikTok and Instagram, walked the entire 20-mile stretch for nearly 12 hours with his friends in support of the immigrant community.

“We shouldn’t be deporting people just because they want to come to this country to have a better life,” Warren said. “It’s unconstitutional. It’s racist. And I feel that a lot of people at our school

don’t want to talk about [the ongoing situation] because they don’t want to stand out politically, so I think people should be more open and do what they can to help.”

Daniela Gonzalez, who also heard about the march through social media, emphasized the importance of showing up for her immigrant parents. She recalled the fear her family experienced during Trump’s first term in office.

“I want to support and give our people a voice,” Gonzalez said. “When I was younger, I remember the fear in my parent’s eyes, not being able to speak Spanish in public, and the hate that was spread during Trump’s first presidency. But we need to remember that nobody is illegal on stolen land. We’re doing our work, we’re paying our taxes, we’re not doing any harm to this country — we should have representation for that.”

See “IMMIGRANT,” page 2

School surveillance sparks privacy concerns

BY THE BURLINGAME B EDITORS

In March 2024, a Burlingame student sent a school email to a friend with the subject line “I WANT TO KILL MYSELF,” attaching a screenshot of a failed attempt at the New York Times’ Connections game. Within an hour, the message led to a meeting with wellness counselors and a call to the student’s parents later that day.

“At the time, it was a little bit of a shock,” the student said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the incident. “[I realized], ‘Oh, they have access to everything I’m doing.’”

The alert was generated by Bark for Schools, an artificial intelligence-powered software developed by Bark Technologies in the wake of the 2018 Parkland school shooting. Since its implementation in SMUHSD in October 2021, the program has scanned student activity across the Google Suite, including emails, images, and files. The system also tracks search history and irregular account activity linked to school-issued Google

See “PRIVACY,” page 2

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

Led by Rights Over Borders, demonstrators hold protest signs on the street while chanting “Si, se puede,” the official motto of the United Farm Workers of America.

PHOTOS BY INY

From pg. 1

Demonstrator Monica Granados echoed that sentiment and questioned the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.

“I know the whole argument for the administration is to deport criminals, but I know more U.S. citizen criminals than I do immigrant criminals,” Granados said. “A lot of my relatives and family came here to get a chance at having a good life. Because they came from Mexico, they only made $1 a day there, so they’re ultimately here in America to just survive. They want safety, and that’s a basic

Bay Area residents walk for immigrant rights

more people.

human right.”

With reports of increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity across the county, Ochoa said she hopes community members, especially the Latino community, can unite and continue fighting for their rights.

“The community needs to unite,” Ochoa said. “Even the Latinos are divided. They need to understand that there are a lot of other races who are undocumented and came here illegally, yet Latinos are being targeted and racially profiled by ICE. They’re arresting American citizens just because of how they look, and

it’s horrible. It’s racist. We need to unite because maybe one day, your race could be next and get attacked.”

California, a sanctuary state with policies limiting cooperation between state agencies and federal immigration enforcement, is home to nearly 10.6 million immigrants, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. With Trump’s past conflicts with the California state government, some advocates fear the state may be particularly vulnerable to his administration’s deportation agenda.

Granados urges the public to see past media portrayals

of immigrants and consider the real stories and struggles behind immigration policies.

“I don’t think the general public understands that all the negativities [towards the immigrant community] in the news is essentially propaganda being spread,” Granados said. “It’s all not true. We’re all here because we believe in our people and all these individuals here at the protest deserve these rights. I’m here to make sure our voices are heard, so I just hope that this protest inspires others to show up and speak up. Maybe eventually someone will listen to us and change our situation.”

I want to support and give our people a voice. When I was younger, I remember the fear in my parent’s eyes, not being able to speak Spanish in public, and the hate that was spread during Trump’s first presidency.”

- Daniela Gonzalez, demonstrator

Students question privacy of school-issued accounts

From pg. 1

accounts — regardless of whether students use a personal device or other Wi-Fi networks.

While district-wide Bark alerts have gradually decreased throughout the last three school years, the average number of Bark alerts has increased from 5.3 alerts per day in 20232024 to 7.8 in 2024-2025 as of Feb. 18. Assistant Principal Aimee Malcolm attributes this increase to new district phone and Chromebook policies, which may lead students to engage in alternative forms of communication through Google Docs.

ministrative review.

“Nothing involving your school-issued account is private regardless of where you’re logging in from,” Arbizu said.

When content is flagged, administrators, deans, and wellness counselors determine the appropriate response based on the nature of the alert.

“Bark is an application that the district office purchased, and it monitors all student and staff interactions. It’s looking for targeted words around violence [and] hate speech,” Dean of Students Nicole Carter said.

The software automatically flags content deemed a potential safety risk, including cyberbullying, suicidal ideation,

joke like that on your Google Docs.”

In the fall of 2022, another student who requested anonymity was contacted by wellness counselors after writing past suicidal thoughts in a Google document. The student said their parents were contacted before they were scheduled to meet with wellness counselors to provide context.

“They gave me space to talk about [my suicidal thoughts] afterward and they didn’t give me a chance to communicate with my parents before [the wellness counselors contacted them],” the anonymous source said. “If you’re planning on harming yourself, [and] it’s just personal information that you need a space to share and want to write down [on a Google Doc], I don’t think they [the administrators] should be able to monitor [this content].”

While students may assume their digital conversations are private, Bark alerts related to mental health concerns require parents to be notified.

“A Bark alert, because it’s typically of a mental health concern, requires that we inform a parent that a Bark alert was addressed,” Wellness Counselor Christina Cabrera said. “That is part of the protocol and the policy that’s been set forth by the district. This may be kind of at odds with what students understand confidentiality to be, but any Bark

SMUHSD Bark alerts have gradually decreased throughout the last three school years. However, the average number of Bark alerts has increased from 5.3 alerts per day in 2023-2024 to 7.8 in 2024-2025 as of Feb. 18.

alert requires [us to] communicate with the family.”

For many students, the extent of digital monitoring remains largely unknown — until they find themselves called in for questioning or intervention.

Senior Francesca Radzyminski only became fully aware of the system’s reach when wellness counselors called her in. Her friend had been flagged by Bark for sending her a joke about suicide, prompting school officials to intervene and confirm whether it was genuinely a joke.

According to Malcolm, Bark wasn’t implemented to punish students but to support them and encourage learning from their actions. In disciplinary situations where EdCode is not violated, administrators utilize alternatives to suspensions whenever possible.

“It really is [meant] to be a helpful measure,” Malcolm said. “We want to be able to respond to any of these pieces, and we do as often as we can at BHS, take an asset-based [approach], and try to use it as a teachable moment.”

“I had an idea that they must have had something in place to flag bad content, but I didn’t realize it was to the extent where they could see kind of everything,” Radzyminski said. “I guess I was vaguely aware that they must have had something in place.”

Demonstrators marched to the City Hall of Daly City — one of their two designated stops — on Sunday, Feb. 16 to replenish resources and gather

Community feels impacts of LA Fires

BY EVELYN DU Diversity Coordinator

Over winter break, junior Meghan Lee was enjoying her vacation in Los Angeles with her cousin: she was eating good food, celebrating the new year, and exploring the city. Just days after returning home, on Jan. 10, Lee’s mom received shocking news: her cousin had been forced to evacuate her home due to the uncontrollable Palisades fire.

“I was so scared, because my cousin is down there, and she’s really close to the Palisades,” Lee said. “Thankfully, her house was not destroyed in the fire, but she did have to evacuate for a few days.”

But it wasn’t just Lee. The fires’ destruction deeply affected Burlingame students and staff with ties to Southern California. Throughout January, many were calling their relatives and checking the news for updates.

For English teacher Robert Thurtle, who grew up in Los Angeles County, the fire was devastating and deeply personal. Thurtle’s childhood neighborhood and several locations he frequented were completely destroyed.

“I would take my son to this place called Skull Rock, and we used to go up to Skull Rock to hunt lizards and hang out up there,” Thurtle said. “I grew up hiking around that area.”

Thurtle’s family moved out of his childhood neighborhood,

but the fires serve as a frightening reminder of what could have devastated his family. Today, Lee’s family are the ones who endure the consequences of the wildfires, despite returning to an unscathed house.

“The smoke [was] wreaking havoc on my cousin’s skin,” Lee said. “She’s been using a Dyson air purifier 24/7 to keep the air within her house clean [and] keeping her doors closed and her windows closed for the most part, just to prevent any of that contaminated air from getting in.”

The fire was also fast-spreading due to the harsh Santa Ana winds blowing from 80 to 100 miles per hour, razing over 200 acres of land in just hours. Later, the fire spread from the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles County to the Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and Malibu.

“I don’t think the media shows just how fast the fire is actually spreading, because people get evacuation orders on one day and they don’t even get to make it home before the fire is at their doorstep,” Burlingame alumnus and UCLA freshman Chinmay Rao said.

While its cause remains under investigation, Los Angeles County issued mandatory evacuation orders on Jan. 10 for residents in affected areas. Nearby communities were told to prepare for evacuation, and UCLA opted for a temporary shift to virtual classes until Jan. 17.

Though Burlingame is hun-

dreds of miles away, the community quickly mobilized to assist. Starting from Tuesday, Jan. 7, San Mateo County deployed more than 150 personnel to the Los Angeles area.

Deputy Fire Marshal Austin Seely of the San Mateo County Fire Department was among those dispatched to battle the Palisades fire. As an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot, Seely specialized in mapping and monitoring fires from a helicopter to update a database with real-time information.

“You know [a moment like this] happens once in your 30year career,” Seely said. “But unfortunately, there’s been so many of them now, between the Palisades, the Paradise Fire, and Santa Rosa fires.”

Seely and the firefighters re-

turned on Jan. 28, and the fire was fully contained on Jan. 31.

Even though the fire has passed, its victims now face the devastating loss of their homes, belongings, and years of memories. To help them navigate this difficult time, various clubs at Burlingame — including Students in Action (SIA), Key Club, Activism Club, Cascade Climate Action, Conserve 2 Preserve, National Honor Society, and the Burlingame Leo’s Club — joined forces to raise funds for United Way, a nonprofit working to aid victims of the Los Angeles fires.

Junior SIA co-president Lindsey Kwok said they’ve already raised $1,600 as of Feb. 12.

“[It’s important to] spread the word about it,” Kwok said.

“We got approached by parents and so many community members that gave us a bunch of donations. Everybody wants to help, it’s just finding who wants to participate.”

As of Jan. 24, the Palisades fire ranked as California’s third-most destructive and tenth-deadliest wildfire, burning 23,448 acres, destroying 6,837 structures, and claiming 12 lives.

Thurtle, seeing his now-destroyed neighborhood, felt rattled and overwhelmed by the destruction.

“I was thinking ‘Oh my god, a whole portion of my life is gone,’” Thurtle said. “It’s been erased, [so now] it’s more a place of memory.”

UCLA students could see the fire approaching the school from their dorm room windows.

Students handcraft custom dresses

BY PAIGE CORNELIUS Staff Reporter

While many students spend their time exploring malls and department stores for their outfits, juniors Ellora Horan, Rowan Kelly, and Aisling Muldowney spend their time crocheting, sewing, or knitting their own clothes. Together, they have made everything from sweaters and tank tops to their homecoming dresses. For them, the creative process of making their own dresses is a way to

love for crafting while also creating things of essential use.

“I’ve always liked making things,” Horan said. “I think it’s cool to make something yourself instead of buying it in the store.”

The added advantage of making their own clothes is that Horan, Kelly, and Muldowney have something that celebrates their individuality — a one of a kind outfit that no one else has or can wear.

“I get to make something that’s really unique and personalized to what I want because you can always get a dress online, but if you make your own, you can pick the fabric, you can pick the pattern, and no one else is ever gonna have that dress so it’s extra special,” Kelly said. For homecoming in November, the group came together and decided to make their own dresses. Since it was the first time a few of them had ever sewn their own out-

fits, the process was initially difficult as they tried to learn on the fly. Despite the daunting learning curve, they leaned on each other to make the dresses of their dreams.

“We’re all at different levels in terms of sewing, and we all have different experiences and different things that we know more about, so it’s really great to help each other out while also having fun with it,” Kelly said.

Sewing demands precision and has a small margin for error, which can make the process stressful. Horan said the most important thing is to be open to making mistakes and to enjoy the process.

“I think it can be frustrating, especially when you make a mistake, because you have to go back and redo it,” Horan said. “It’s a long process so you have to be patient.”

Along with the time it takes to create the dress, there is a considerable amount of time dedicated to preparing. From finding inspiration to selecting the perfect material, there’s a lot that goes into making an outfit.

“If I have an event or something that I want to make, I’ll look on Pinterest and then

once I find something that I really like, I’ll find a pattern online, and go to buy the supplies,” Kelly said. “Then I use stuff that I already have…and I sort of plan it out, and then I get to make it.”

Not only do they help each other out but they take their creative outlook on life to add a new twist to a holiday tradition.

“We all do different things in our friend group, like some people sew, some people crochet, or knit or do other things, so part of our secret santa was to buy part of your gift but also make something so it’s more

personalized. You don’t have to spend as much money, and it shows your dedication because you have to put a lot of time into it,” Horan said.

For Kelly, this activity has not only been a good way to strengthen friendships and relieve stress but also teach important life skills like time management, collaboration, and creativity.

“I have definitely learned a lot throughout this process, and I know that I’ll take the things that I learned into future projects,” Kelly said.

Mock trial team concludes season in semifinals

BY AKIRA NAKAMURA Staff Reporter

Burlingame’s mock trial team concluded another successful season on Tuesday, Feb. 11, after facing Menlo School in a hardfought semifinal matchup. The Panthers went head-to-head with one of the best teams in the region, delivering a strong performance and keeping the competition close. Ultimately, the defense subteam fell 144.94 to 155.06, while the prosecution subteam lost 144.54 to 155.46. In mock trial competitions, teams are scored on how con-

vincingly they present their case, the strength of their arguments, and how closely they stick to courtroom procedures. At the end of the season, scores from each competition are added up. The teams with the most season-long points sit at the top of the league standings and are eligible to advance to state and national competitions.

Strong performances early in the season allowed Burlingame to gain a substantial lead over opposing high schools and helped the team qualify for the semifinals.

“The first week definitely

helped the most, and I think that’s when we were most prepared. Burlingame’s defense has 102.24 versus 97.76 so that’s a strong win and Burlingame’s prosecution had a 104.10 to 95.9 which is also a very strong win,” club president and senior Lexie Levitt said.

Sophomore Lydia Covalesky credited the team’s extended preparation time as a key factor in their early season success.

“We started in August—last year we started much later and we were able to have that on the other teams,” Covalesky said. We did good at memorizing

our statements and getting into character.”

To prepare for the semifinals, the team met more frequently than usual to refine arguments and strengthen case presentations.

“We [increased] the [meeting] times because we only [had] a week. [We planned] a weekend meeting and a Monday meeting,” Levitt said.

Levitt said the additional practice helped the witnesses develop clearer narratives and gave the attorneys confidence for the semifinal competition.

“I think it helped to solidify the story that each case was making, and it helped people get more excited for the case. And I think the excitement and being able to stand behind your verdict and your argument helped, because that way you have more energy and you are more confident doing that,” Levitt said.

Although the season ended in the semifinals, club advisor and social science teacher Elizabeth Bellas saw the team’s performance as a testament to their growth and resilience against tough competition.

“We faced the best school in the region. They have countless awards. We were up against a really great team, but we held our own and performed well and didn’t get completely annihilated, which is a huge accomplishment,” Bellas said.

Although Levitt won’t be on

the team next season, she hopes that the team can carry their success into next year.

“I’m hoping that we take what we’ve learned through this season, what got us to semifinals is to take more risks, because I think riskier arguments definitely helped the trial. Also, simplifying things, instead of being really focused on complex legal pieces, just taking a step back,” Levitt said.

Bellas noted that Burlingame’s primary goal for next season is to beat regional rival San Mateo High School.

“One of our biggest competitors is San Mateo, this year they were the first best team in our division, and then we were second, hopefully do better when we face them next year,” Bellas said.

For senior defense attorney Momoko Egan, mock trial is more than a competition — it’s a foundation for a future career.

“I want to take away what I can and use this for the future so I can become a lawyer, and I also just want to make myself proud,” Egan said.

As the season concludes, Bellas appreciates the team’s hard work and growth in a professional environment.

“[There are] a lot of benefits of mock trial, working on presentation, confidence, analysis skills, all people on the team have to really deeply understand a complex case,” Bellas said.

Junior Ellora Horan works on a new clothing project.

Burlingame mock trial poses after qualifying for the semifinals against Menlo School.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLORA HORAN

Tick tock, TikTok: a ban or a bargain?

Recent ban fuels internet uproar

BY CONNOR LEONG Staff Reporter

For about 14 hours on the night of Saturday, Jan. 18, TikTok users were met with a popup notification: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.” The interruption followed a Supreme Court ruling the day prior, which unanimously upheld a ban on the social media giant. The ban, originally passed by Congress last April and signed by former President Joe Biden, would have forced TikTok — an app with 170 million U.S. monthly users — to be sold or cease operation in the U.S. by Jan. 19.

However, when President Donald Trump pledged to sign an executive order to temporarily save TikTok, the app returned online just hours later. The revival of the app was accompanied by a message that thanked “President Trump’s efforts” to bring TikTok back. At a rally the day before his inauguration, Trump said, “Frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it.”

On Jan. 20th, shortly after his inauguration, Trump signed an executive order suspending the ban for 75 days, giving TikTok time to sell its American operations. However, since the ex-

ecutive order, TikTok has yet to reach a deal with any American entity, leaving its fate in the U.S. unknown.

Ironically, Trump originally proposed the ban during his first term. In August 2020, Trump signed an executive order forcing the Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok within 45 days or stop operating in the U.S. However, due to legal challenges and timing, Trump was unable to put the order into effect and the fate of TikTok was passed onto the Biden administration.

that it would harm the small businesses and content creators that depend on TikTok.

When TikTok challenged the ban in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington, their argument that the ban violated First Amendment rights was denied. Eventually, the case went to the Supreme Court, which made the same ruling.

32% of Americans supported the TikTok ban as of August 2024, down from 50% in March 2023.

Proponents of the TikTok ban cite national security concerns, worrying that data collected by TikTok could be used by the Chinese government against the U.S. In addition, some worry that TikTok could be used maliciously to spread misinformation. Opponents of the ban argue that it violates free speech rights granted by the First Amendment and

*Pew Research Center

The ban gained momentum again in April last year, when the House of Representatives and Senate passed a bill that would ban TikTok unless it found a new owner, as part of an aid package for Israel and Ukraine.

The bill found bipartisan support, with the House voting 36058 and the Senate voting 79-18, and was immediately signed into effect by Biden before the legislation was eventually challenged by the Supreme Court.

Ruling establishes risky precedent

BY HENRY GARDNER Head Photographer

The ban on TikTok is, in many ways, unparalleled.

The United States government has never banned a social media platform before, let alone one with TikTok’s popularity.

TikTok is the fifth largest social media platform in the world, with more than 1.5 billion active users. The platform has become a fundamental part of the lives of its users globally, particularly among younger generations.

overarching legal precedent.

However, some experts, such as University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) lecturer Nolan Higdon, still believe it may be used to establish one.

“The ban of TikTok opens up an opportunity for governments to squelch ideas they don’t like.”

-

According to a study by Ofcom, a social media regulator platform, users between the ages of 18 to 24 spend an average of 64 minutes per day on the platform.

“[The TikTok ban] sets a precedent that the federal government, when it chooses to and with the right amount of votes, can outlaw platforms,” Higdon said. “...any time the powers don’t want the public seeing a certain type of information, there is a precedent the courts can point to and say it’s legal.”

UCSC Lecturer Nolan Higdon

For some, TikTok serves as a source of information from people across the world and various political perspectives, offering a diversity that mainstream media often lacks.

However, the impact of a potential ban is not limited to just the loss of TikTok — it may be used to justify more social media app bans in the future.

In the TikTok Inc. v. Garland Supreme Court ruling on Jan. 17, the court suggested that the decision may not serve as an

“In the United States, you see all these different media outlets and platforms and searches, but really all the information you’re getting is filtered by about 10 or 12 corporations,” Higdon said. “Something like TikTok offers a unique opportunity for Amer-

August

August 14, 2020

icans to get an outside international perspective on a social media platform.”

In the short term, a ban on TikTok would be especially significant to young users and content creators. The app’s brief ban in January raised concerns among some students who use the platform to help them in their day-to-day lives.

“I felt like I lost a good study tool, and I lost an outlet where I could be inspired,” junior Keira Au said.

In the moments following TikTok’s brief shutdown, it became clear to some students just how much impact the app has on their lives.

“[The TikTok ban] was kind of a relief, because I got a dopamine break,” sophomore Sean Bandrapalli said. “I kept [trying to open] TikTok because I’m kind of addicted to it, and I feel like a lot of others experienced the same problem.”

While the future of TikTok remains uncertain, Higdon believes that if the ban is extended or becomes permanent, the U.S. could face dire consequences.

“If you look at history, censorship is a bad road to go down. It leads to a chilling effect, it curtails new ideas,” Higdon said. “It’s usually associated with authoritarianism and disinformation, I think it paints a very dark future if we continue to normalize this.”

January 17, 2025

January 18, 2025

January 20, 2025

TikTok launches in September 2017 and merges with Musical.ly in August 2018.

Trump issues executive order requiring TikTok owner to sell U.S. assets, and the bill passes.

TikTok shuts down for millions of Americans, who migrate en masse to other platforms.

In 14 hours since the ban, TikTok is restored with a passage thanking President Trump.

The ban is delayed for 75 days via executive order, officially taking effect on Apr. 6, 2025.

2, 2018

The cost of crime

State theft laws take effect

BY CONNIE LU Web Editor

If you’ve ever noticed security tags on more products at Target, locked cases at Walgreens, or videos on social media of mass shoplifting incidents, you’re not alone.

Retail crime in California surged to its highest level in 2023, with 213,000 reported incidents of shoplifting, commercial robbery, or burglary, according to data compiled by CBS News. In response, state legislatures passed two laws — Assembly Bills 2943 and 3209 — last August to crack down on retail theft. Both measures took effect this year, aiming to strengthen business protections while holding repeat offenders accountable.

Under A.B 2943, the state has expanded the definition of grand theft. Previously, a sto-

len item had to be worth more than $950 to qualify, but the new law allows authorities to prosecute crimes as grand theft if the stolen goods surpass that threshold — even if the thefts occur across multiple locations or county lines.

The bill also targets those who steal with the intent to resell, exchange, or return stolen merchandise. Those convicted of stealing more than $950 worth of goods for resale could now face up to three years in prison.

Shoplifters sentenced to probation may also see harsher consequences. A.B. 2943 extends the standard probation term for shoplifting and petty theft from one year to two. However, the law also emphasizes rehabilitation — requiring judges to consider alternative sentencing, such as diversion programs or community-based interventions.

Defendants under 25, when possible, must be referred to restorative justice or youth development programs.

Beyond harsher penalties, the new laws aim to make arrests easier and provide more protection to retailers.

Under A.B. 2943, officers can now detain suspects based on probable cause, even if they didn’t see the theft occur. The law also protects businesses from being penalized for repeatedly reporting theft, a provision lawmakers say is meant to encourage store owners to report crimes without fear of facing nuisance citations.

Meanwhile, A.B. 3209 gives courts the power to issue “retail theft restraining orders,” barring convicted shoplifters from entering stores for up to two years. Violating this order would be considered a misdemeanor, making repeat offenses easier to prosecute.

BURLINGAME CRIME MAP

The Burlingame B used data from the Burlingame Police Department to compile robberies, theft or fraud, auto theft or tampering, and commercial, residential, and vehicle burglaries within 2024.

1st

Commercial burglaries Burlingame in 2024.

In 2022, San Mateo County highest retail theft and commer cial robbery rate with 347 incidents per 100,000 residents.

The impact of residential

BY OLIVIA NEWMAN Staff Reporter

When senior Reiter Madden came home from school one day to find his screen door shattered, he described feeling scared, freaked out, and violated. After calling the police and leaving his home, Madden and his family discovered that all of his mother’s jewelry and heirlooms had been stolen — taken in a pillowcase. He said that the burglars had likely been watching them for weeks, monitoring their routines to gauge when he would leave and return.

“They knew our schedule, they knew when my mom was going to leave and when I was going to be home, and they had that amount of time to do it, which is kind of scary. They were watching,” Madden said.

Madden isn’t the only student who has experienced an intrusive home burglary. Freshman Aidan Martins has also been through a home invasion, but, unlike Madden, Martins was home while the incident occurred. Sitting in his room doing homework, Martins recalled that the burglars entered the house through the main bedroom. Not finding much, the intruders made their way through the different rooms in the house and eventually entered Martins’ bedroom.

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“[The burglars] opened the door and saw me, and then I think they just left, because I saw them open the door, and they closed on, and I like, ‘Is someone Madden reflective of ing to the ment (BPD), residential vestigations that residential personal crime, than other

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Department California

Stores implement theft prevention tactics

BY PAIGE CORNELIUS Staff Reporter

BY SOPHIA DOSS Copy Editor

A routine shopping trip can now take longer as retailers like Walgreens and CVS increasingly lock up products in cases to prevent theft. Many shoppers must press a button and wait for an employee to unlock cases, adding an extra step to purchasing everyday essentials.

For senior Jasmine Pineda, the hassle discourages her from shopping in person.

“It does hinder me [from buying something], because I don’t want to have to press the button, and then wait 15 minutes for a worker to come help me,” Pineda said. “I think it just causes people to steal other things that aren’t locked up — it’s a loop.”

The growing issue of retail theft not only makes shopping inconvenient but also leaves employees feeling vulnerable because routine shifts can turn into crime scenes.

“I am scared at times, just because you don’t know what really happens, and I’ve seen an incident before, where a client had gotten pushed by robbers,” Sephora employee Daniela Gomez said.

According to Gomez, one of the most common forms of shoplifting she has seen at Sephora involve teenagers taking products in groups. One student, who wished to remain anonymous, said many teens feel tempted to steal because of a perceived low chance of being caught.

“It became so easy that I realized it was real-

residential burglary

closed it quickly. They had masks just called my mom and was someone home?’” Martins said. Madden and Martins’ experiences are of a larger local trend. Accordthe Burlingame Police Depart(BPD), Burlingame had 23 reported burglaries in 2024. BPD Investigations Lieutenant David Perna said residential burglary is a serious and crime, making it more invasive types of burglary. you’ve ever spoken to anyone been a victim of that type of crime, lasting trauma for the famiPeople have moved because their have been burglarized. It’s knowsomeone was in your home, going your stuff, stealing your stuff— violating feeling,” Perna said. Perna and Hillsborough PoDepartment Crime Prevention and Officer Matthew Galit said that good relationships with neighessential to deterring burglaries. neighbors know each other, comand recognize their cars, Galit can watch over each other’s while on vacation, and notice and suspicious and questionable acthe surrounding neighborhood. encourage residents just to trust You know your neighborhood us as police,” Galit said. said police patrolling plays a role in preventing home break-

ins. Oftentimes, when certain neighborhoods experience multiple invasions in a short amount of time, the Hillsborough Police Department increases its patrol presence to provide a warning to possible burglars and intimidate them from committing further crimes.

“While I’m driving through town, I’ve probably passed some potential home burglaries. The fact that I’m driving around and I’m in the areas where they’re driving, I’m sure that they leave right away. It’s proven that we’re a deterrent just being present,” Galit said.

In the last few years, multiple police departments in the area have implemented license plate readers from Flock Safety, an automated surveillance manufacturer and operator. Perna and Galit agree that the new method will be very effective in catching burglars, as it captures the license plate of the car in question, then enters it into a system where it can search cars in nearby places and see if there’s a match.

Although law enforcement continues to try and find ways to limit break-ins and catch perpetrators, the trauma of past burglary victims doesn’t always go away with time.

“It’s weird, invasive… my house has a lot of glass windows and I never thought about how intrusive,” Madden said. “As much as I can see out into my neighborhood, they can see back in and it’s a little weird.”

ly attainable, and if I didn’t have to spend money, and I wasn’t getting caught, no harm would be done,” the anonymous student said.

The student said that the presence of instore police would be the only method to deter them from stealing, arguing that locked cabinets don’t accomplish much.

“If you’re a true thief, you’ll find ways, [I know there’s] stuff that is meant to scare people, but it doesn’t really work that much,” the anonymous student said.

For Gomez, police presence inside Sephora has been an effective deterrent, as she’s seen fewer shoplifting incidents since officers were stationed around the store.

“Just [having the police officers] walking around the store, even being at the front,” Gomez said, “There’s a big difference.”

Burlingame Police officer Nora Averla is stationed at Sephora on Burlingame Avenue specifically to deter theft. Throughout her shifts, she said she has witnessed numerous flash robs take place. Typically, she sees groups walk into stores and put items into large bags. However, she’s noticed that once potential thieves see her, they put the items back in fear of being caught.

“We’re hoping that with us being here, it keeps the stores safe and the citizens safe,” Averla said. “The citizens like us here because they know they’re safe, and that’s really good.”

However, not all Burlingame stores can have police stationed in front. At CVS, employee and senior Christian Kleinekorte said thefts occurred almost daily during his shifts.

“It happens at least once a day while I’m

working,” Kleinekorte said. “It’s usually multiple people a day.”

Even though these thefts are common, CVS store policy prevents employees from stopping potential shoplifters or calling the police until after the thief leaves the store.

“You can’t really do anything. You kind of have to lurk and watch them because they’re still in the store, so technically they haven’t stolen yet,” Kleinekorte said. “We’re supposed to watch them, keep an eye on them, if they do leave then we can call the cops.”

To discourage shoplifters, CVS now locks up nearly all items behind clear doors. However, Kleinekorte said the locked-up items aren’t making much difference.

“It’s more like an annoyance, now I have to unlock more things and run around,” Kleinekorte said. “The alcohol still is not locked up, that’s sort of the main thing that gets taken and the makeup’s still not locked up so it really hasn’t helped.”

Kleinekorte believes the logistical downsides of locking items outweigh potential benefits.

“I mean I see the benefits of it, trying to keep things from getting stolen so we don’t have to keep resetting the amount [of products] we have,” Kleinekorte said. “But it’s also time-consuming especially when there’s multiple calls at one time so you have to have one person help them, and then, like I said they can get impatient and complain so it lowers the store’s scores.”

Residential burglaries in Burlingame in 2024.

Data from the Burlingame Police Department

64%

Residential burglary crime rates have risen 64% from 2020 to 2024 in Burlingame.

Data from the Burlingame Police Department

Clubs expand sports access

BY AKIRA NAKAMURA Staff Reporter

Through teamwork, perseverance, and heart, sports unite athletes toward a common goal. Student-run clubs are utilizing sports’ popularity to organize drives to ensure everyone has the opportunity to play. These drives are meant to acquire sports equipment and source it to organizations that help underserved communities.

The Youth Equipment Sharing (YES) Club, for example, runs annual sports drives to collect used sports equipment.

“People at Burlingame have extra sports equipment lying around, so we take them and send it to kids who really need it,” senior and YES Club president Aaron Peng said.

Recently, the YES Club organized a drive to collect tennis rackets and donate them to organizations that send them to kids in Pakistan who cannot afford equipment.

But the YES Club isn’t the only club gathering sports equipment. In December, the Sports Medicine and Psychology Club partnered with The Sports Bra Project to organize a drive collecting sports bras for female athletes unable to afford them.

“The goal is to collect sports bras and distribute them all over the country, to give girls across the country who don’t have access or can’t afford these resources the chance to break down a barrier,” junior and club co-founder Samantha Hollrah said.

UP Basketball, a local basketball training business, is another organization trying to give every student equal access to sports. With funding from donors in Burlingame and throughout the Bay Area, UP Basketball organizes free basketball clinics.

“One of the challenges we’re aiming to address is not having enough young ladies coming into our gym … we really want to try to create a safe environment for young girls to come in and work on their skills,” Bianca Turner, CEO of UP Basketball, said.

According to Hollrah, her club has already collected over 50 sports bras. She credits the drive’s success to the community’s enthusiasm.

“We have such a diverse community, but also all the students here are very willing to make a change. Everyone who sees a drive or participates in a drive really cares about the cause and wants to make a change,” Hollrah said.

Athletes defy the odds

As student-athletes, junior Mika Haggarty, sophomore Vivienne French, and senior Joss Tramel overcome an additional challenge. Each of them has to manage a medical condition by using specialized equipment or adjusting their positions on the field to optimize their performance.

BY JOSIE WETTAN Copy Editor

For any athlete, the position they play on the field, court, or pool is an important aspect of their performance. But for sophomore Vivienne French, playing right wing on the junior varsity soccer team is more than just a strategic decision — it’s essential in helping her navigate hearing loss during games.

French, who was diagnosed with hearing loss at age three, started playing soccer a few years later. Rather than letting her condition discourage her, she has adapted and excelled as a player.

“It’s really hard for [teammates and coaches] to talk to me and tell me what to do if I can’t hear them. But usually what I do is I play a right wing so that my left ear, which is my good ear, is facing the field, so I can hear a lot,” French said.

French is not the only athlete managing a health condition while playing on the field. Junior Mika Haggarty, also a soccer player, has had to balance the demands of the sport with Type 1 diabetes.

“[Diabetes] affects my everyday life because it’s something that I constantly have to deal with and think about and manage. Right when I wake up in the morning, while I’m sleeping at night, I always have to make sure that my levels are good and that I’m taking care of myself,” Haggarty said.

If Haggarty’s blood sugar levels drop, which can happen due to anxiety or exercise, she experiences symptoms like shakiness or lightheadedness. As a high school student, Haggarty has learned to

manage her condition on the field with a proper diet and quick access to foods that will increase her blood sugar, but this plan has not always been an option.

“When I was first diagnosed, I quit soccer,” Haggarty said. “ I was only six years old, so it’s not like it was like a big quit but I stopped playing just because I didn’t really know how to manage And it’s definitely something that you need a lot of help managing.”

As she became more familiar with her condition, Haggarty learned how to regulate her blood sugar during games and was able to return to soccer.

“[Diabetes has] taught me a lot about discipline and always taking care of yourself. Because, if you don’t take care of yourself it affects you immediately, and you feel that effect. It’s important to constantly be managing it because if you don’t the long-term effects are detrimental,” Haggarty said.

For senior Joss Tramel, another Burlingame athlete, sports once seemed out of reach. A stroke in childhood left her with paralysis on the left side of her body, forcing her to step away from the game she loved. She wasn’t sure if she would ever compete again — then she found rowing.

“I grew up playing soccer, and then after my accident, I couldn’t run,” Tramel said. “I didn’t really do anything for a couple years. I kind of just focused on [physical therapy] and getting back to my normal life and all of that. And then rowing was the first sport that I found after my accident.”

Due to her paralysis, Tramel

uses a specialized brace with a hook on the bottom that secures the oar, allowing her to row by pulling her shoulder rather than her arm. Although Tramel is the only disabled rower on her team she has never felt alone.

“When I first started, I kind of assumed that nobody wanted to help and that I was doing this on my own,” she said. “I was kind of a little more secluded and assumed that I’d figure things out on my own. [But] my teammates are great. I have my own special oar that I bring down. My teammates know to grab that if I’m in their boat, and they know to help me with my brace before I get in the boat, because I can’t do that by myself. I think just getting used to asking for help and getting to know the people on my team better has definitely helped me feel a lot more a part of that team,” Tramel said.

When Tramel’s team qualifies for national rowing events, she gets the opportunity to compete with other rowers who have disabilities — an experience that helps her feel connected to other athletes who share similar experiences.

“It’s kind of surreal, which sounds kind of stupid, but it’s so fun to not be the only one on my team for the first time. Even if it’s just one other person, [it’s] a sense of community that I don’t really get any other time. And even if I’ve never met them before, because that’s often the case, … it’s nice to have that sense of community. Know that I’m not the only disabled one alone,” Tramel said.

UP Basketball hosts a three-on-three tournament to fund free girls’ clinics in Burlingame.

MAHER

FRESHMAN SHOOTING HIS SHOT

BY KAI SHAH Staff Reporter

Freshman Lucca Maher has made an impression on the boys’ basketball team this season. Not only is he playing on varsity, but he’s been one of the most impactful players on the team, and essential to the squad’s success.

Maher started training with the varsity team in the

summer, gaining experience and confidence during tryouts to develop his role on the team.

Maher has asserted himself into the rotation through his hard work during practices and detailed preparation before games.

“We have a scouting report for the games on the other team. I just have served my role by getting to the rim and trying to get my teammates involved,” Maher said.

While he feels comfortable attack-

GAME-CHANGING LEADERSHIP

BY EMMA YU Senior Reporter

Senior Siena La Mark has been passionate about sports her entire life. She first picked up basketball in first grade and has played ever since. Now, as a co-captain of varsity girls’ basketball, La Mark is determined to bring her contagious enthusiasm and leadership qualities to the rest of her team. “I like being [a] team captain,” La Mark said. “I like trying to bring in

positive energy [and] always encouraging my teammates. Since I’m a senior, people look up to me, I can set them a good example.”

Since joining as a sophomore, La Mark has committed to attending every team practice. Years of experience have helped her develop a keen understanding of the game and the ability to play any position on the court. Both the setbacks and successes during her time playing basketball have been crucial in La Mark’s growth.

Understanding the ebbs and flows of a season, she respects her teammates’ resilience, considering it the key to their success.

“For most athletes, there’s always that time where you doubt [and] second guess yourself,” La Mark said. “I’ve had that moment a few times… I’ve learned it’s all about bouncing back and coming back better.”

ing the rim and knocking down open shots, Maher still wants to improve his consistency with his left hand. Maher has learned from his teammates and grown as a player and leader.

“At the start of joining varsity, I wasn’t really a leader because I was kind of scared to talk…it’s just growing accustomed to knowing my teammates better, and having more confidence is able to help me be a leader more,” Maher said.

BY HENRY GARDNER Head Photographer

Despite the boys’ soccer season beginning in November, junior Dylan Rossen didn’t join the team until late January, making his debut in the team’s 13th contest.

Rossen spent the last several months training with his club team, keeping him out of high school soccer

BY KAYLEE HWANG Social Coordinator

While the spotlight may always focus on offensive players who score goals, freshman center-back Ella Vuong’s contributions to her team aren’t as quantifiable but equally important to winning games.

Vuong’s passion for soccer began in elementary school when she attended a soccer camp at five, transitioning from a childhood spent playing tennis.

While primarily a defender throughout her soccer career, she has also played midfield. From her position on defense, Vuong is the communicator on the field during the game.

“Since I’m in the back, I can see the whole field, and so I can give instructions based on that, like things they may not see,” Vuong said.

Facing off against fast and strong forwards, she believes that defense requires both physical and mental

LA MARK SIENA

MAKING A LATE-SEASON STATEMENT

competition until more than halfway through the year.

“I was playing club [soccer] and we had a bunch of showcases, so there’s a rule that you can’t play club and high school at the same time,” Rossen said.

Joining late into the season can be difficult, but Rossen believes the team is equipped to handle it.

“It’s obviously weird joining a team halfway through the year, but it’s a great group of guys and we come together as one and have a passion for

DOMINATING THE DEFENSIVE ZONE

“It’s not just running like a forward,” Vuong said. “You have to block the other person off while doing that.”

Head coach Andrew Flaherty notices her impact on the team and appreciates her crucial role as a freshman.

SEASONED SENIOR RULES THE RING SIENA

soccer,” Rossen said. “[Head Coach Anthony Dimech] is a great coach, so he knew where to put me straight away.”

The team has had a difficult season, missing the playoffs, but their threegame winning streak to end league play is an encouraging sign for next year.

“We only had two returning starters from last year, so we’re constantly building,” Rossen said. “We’ve definitely grown.”

“Having her play in such a key spot like that is a big responsibility for her, and so far, she’s been up to the task,” Flaherty said.

BY WILL KRINER Copy Editor

“Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”

For senior Quinn Jones, this quote, originally said by famous wrestler Dan Gable, has defined his experience for his four years on the wrestling team.

“[Wrestling] teaches a lot of discipline. It’s probably the hardest sport in

the world,” Jones said. “Keeping your weight down, being able to go through those tough practices and it’s not a sport everyone enjoys, but you just have to tell yourself you love it.”

With the help of his teammates and head coach Ernesto Nuñez, Jones has been able to flourish on the team and improve his skills over the years.

“[Nuñez] came in my sophomore year, and he knows a lot about wrestling. He dialed in on [the team’s seniors] in my sophomore year, so he’s

done a lot. I do drills with him a lot, which helps,” Jones said. Jones, who has placed twice at the Peninsula Athletic League Championships during his wrestling career, has his sights set on qualifying for the state championships this season.

“Especially when you get to the postseason, every single match you’re wrestling like it’s your last match,” Jones said. “I have to be able to push through every single match, because each one could be the end.”

PHOTO BY KAI SHAH

PHOTO BY EMMA YU

PHOTO BY HENRY GARDNER

PHOTO BY KAYLEE HWANG

PHOTO BY WILL KRINER

BTHE BURLINGAME B

Editor-in-Chief Sophia Bella

Managing Editors

Jeannine Chiang

Zachary Newman

Design Editor Joelle Huysmans

Social Media Manager Abby Knight

Web Editor Connie Lu

Multimedia Editor Natalie Gyde

Business Manager Iny Li

Head Photographer Henry Gardner

Diversity Coordinator Evelyn Du

Social Coordinator Kaylee Hwang

Copy Editors

Will Kriner

Sophia Doss

Josie Wettan

Senior Reporters

Alex Bertelli

Audrey Wei

Emma Yu

Staff Reporters

Paige Cornelius

Connor Leong

Akira Nakamura

Olivia Newman

Kai Shah

Chiara Wesley

Abby Zarahn

Teacher Adviser

Melissa Murphy

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 orientation, 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.

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

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Address: 1 Mangini Way, Burlingame, CA 94010

Editorial Religious doctrine has no place in public schools

BY THE BURLINGAME B EDITORIAL BOARD

In 1925, 24-year-old biology teacher John T. Scopes went on trial in one of the most prominent court cases of the 20th century. His crime: teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in defiance of a Tennessee law prohibiting any instruction that deviated from the lessons taught in the Bible.

Now, 100 years later, legislation eerily similar to the law he fought against, forcing Christian values into classrooms, has emerged in several Southeastern states.

According to AP News, Louisiana became the first state to pass a bill in 2024 requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every state public school, from kindergarten through university. Similar efforts have emerged in Southern states like Texas, where the Texas Board of Education approved Bible-infused lessons, offering funding incentives for districts that adopt them.

While states like Louisiana and Oklahoma face legal challenges, President Donald Trump’s support for religious education has bolstered these measures, according to Education Week. Supporters argue that displaying religious texts in classrooms would instill moral values in students, reducing behavioral and mental health issues.

However, by forcing religious documents into educational environments, these bills push a singular dominant narrative and leave

no room for students to explore different perspectives in a rigid, exclusionary structure. Republican lawmakers who are pushing this legislation are also opponents of religious inclusion and making accommodations for those who practice other religions that aren’t Christianity.

Mandating Christian teachings in public schools goes against the First Amendment, which guarantees that all citizens are entitled to the right to practice any religion. The Constitution’s separation of church and state prohibits the government, including public schools, from endorsing any religion. The United States was founded on the principles of freedom and choice, but by emphasizing the viewpoints

of one religion over any other, we defy our nation’s values.

With these new religious policies in mind, it’s clear that our education system is regularly under attack: books in school libraries are ripped from the shelves, sensitive topics are censored, and teachers who resist these restrictions risk punishment or termination. When curricula skew towards a particular belief system, students’ ability to develop critical thinking skills is compromised. By reinstating these laws, we are reversing our course as a nation, allowing the orthodox, restrictive viewpoints that Scopes fought against a century ago to thrive once again.

A city of resilience: SF’s fate is not sealed

BY HENRY GARDNER Head Photographer

Empty skyscrapers, bodies on the street, and a fentanyl crisis corrupting the city.

These descriptions have been repeated for years to push a narrative that San Francisco is beyond saving.

Analysts and authorities all over the country, most of whom have never been in San Francisco for more than a matter of days, have declared the city as, in the words of former NBA player Charles Barkley, the “armpit” of the nation.

The city is struggling with empty buildings, spiking unemployment, and a drug crisis. In that way, critics are right.

However, they are wrong in believing that this challenge is insurmountable.

San Francisco has always been a

earthquake and a massive fire devastated the city. It would’ve been easy to wave San Francisco off as a city lost to the ashes, never to recover again, and that’s likely what many across the country did. Instead, the city rebuilt, returning to prosperity with impressive speed, erecting 20,000 buildings by 1909, and completely rebuilding the city by 1915.

In 2008, the global financial crisis rattled San Francisco as unemployment soared to 10%. Once again, many believed the city’s best days were over. But the economy bounced back, technology thrived, and San Francisco regained its status as an economic powerhouse, sparking a new economic boom and driving unemployment to a historic low of 2.1% in the following decade.

Now, in 2025, we face a drug and homelessness issue rivaling any challenge in our city’s history.

rebound. Its status as a major AI epicenter has caused its population to increase for the first time since before the pandemic. Billions of dollars worth of investments into AI mean that the abandoned skyscrapers littered throughout the city might not be empty for much longer.

One simple look at our city’s history and you will realize that contrary to what many across the nation would like you to believe, our city is not dead — in fact, it’s nowhere close. We will bounce back from this time of struggle because if our city’s legacy shows you anything, it’s that resiliency is in our blood.

It’s easy to see every negative statistic, every underqualified analyst, and every critical news headline and believe that San Francisco’s obituary has already been written and that the fate of our city is sealed.

But if you spend time in San Frantory, you’ll quickly realize that the city’s revival is not a lost cause, it’s a

In 2024, Louisiana passed a bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom within the state.

PHOTO BY HENRY GARDNER

Community

Students petition against plastic use

Sustainability committee calls to reduce single-use plastics

BY AUDREY WEI Senior Reporter

The San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD)

Sustainability Committee — a group of students, teachers, and staff focused on environmental initiatives — is pushing for a district-wide ban on single-use plastics on school campuses. At school, plastic water bottles are sold in vending machines and cafeterias, which contribute significantly to campus waste.

Seniors Sydney Chen and Jayden Wan, who both serve on the committee, drafted a petition advocating for the ban. With about 500 signatures so far, they are halfway to their goal of 1,000 signatures and said they plan to present their case to the SMUHSD Board of Trustees in May.

Instead of putting money into new sustainable resources, the petition seeks to redistribute funds to reduce the expenses associated with transitioning to sustainable alternatives. While this isn’t the first time the committee has attempted to gather support for its initiatives, this approach differs from previous efforts by focusing on financial reallocation rather than securing additional funding.

According to Wan, the committee has long advocated for sustainability measures, but

previous efforts to reduce plastic waste have struggled to gain traction before the committee has sought out more school funds by finding compromises. This new petition now focuses on reallocating existing schools’ funds to invest in sustainable improvements.

“What we’re trying to do with this petition is to find an easy leverage point that we can use to motivate the district to make some improvements on plastic waste in schools and plastic bottles,” Wan said.

Trustee member Ligia Andrade Zúñiga said she supports reducing plastic use on campus but recognizes the logistical and financial obstacles that come with a ban.

“We have definitely supported it, and I know that a lot of the students have talked to us about banning single-use plastics,” Zúñiga said. “But I think logistics is the problem — cost, and then sanitary [issues].”

Zúñiga also pointed out that switching from individual condiment packets to bulk dispensers has been suggested, but concerns about cleanliness remain.

Beyond gathering signatures, the committee hopes to use their petition to educate students and help them understand the impact of their choices on the environment.

According to Thomas Bennett,

Burlingame sustainability facilitator, since many people are unwilling to commit to making sustainable decisions, the petition’s success depends heavily on community engagement and interaction.

“I think the United States as a whole does a great job of promoting sustainability and corporations or even in education, [but] getting students to understand what it means and why it’s important is probably an even bigger challenge because we promote it but we don’t actually do it,” Bennett

said.

Senior and Cascade Club President Shayna Blum believes the initiative is a positive step towards sustainability, though she acknowledges that it may not fully solve the issue of campus waste.

“I don’t think it’s going to completely solve the problem of people throwing away their trash correctly, but I do think it’s a good way to start on a journey [of our school] becoming more sustainable,” Blum said.

As the group continues to

plan the presentation of their petition to school officials, Chen encourages students to join the committee and hope to see tangible policy changes soon.

“[For students looking to get involved], I think joining the Sustainability Committee is a great way to get involved,” Chen said. “You get to deal with other people who care about the environment, both adults and students, [and] also just being involved in local environmental organizations and nonprofits.”

On Nov. 20, senior Sydney Chen organized a field trip to the ReThink Waste headquarters to understand what waste companies do with compost and recyclables.

Student Life

Leadership launches ‘BHS Olympics’

BY ABBY KNIGHT Social Media Manager

Leadership’s sports commission launched the first-ever “BHS Olympics” from Feb. 3-12, bringing students together for a two-week competition. Thirteen fourth-period classes formed teams and competed during lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in games of soccer, volleyball, wiffle ball, shot put, long jump, a relay race, gymnastics, and dance. Teams scored points for winning events, and the team with the highest total at the end of the competition — government and economics teacher Matthew McDermott’s class — won with

13 points.

Inspired by the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the sports commission’s World Cup competition last year, the event sought to foster camaraderie for all grades. The sign-up process required coed teams and gave students the opportunity to participate in individual events with their fourth-period class.

“The whole premise of sports [commission] is kind of to bring the community together through school-wide events, like sports, which is in my opinion always a really good community unifier,” senior and Sports Commission Lead Bernie Pan lilio said.

Beckett Ranta, Omar Mohammed, and Tyler Liu — three freshmen — took the lead in planning and executing the event. Mohammed said that that organizing an important, elaborate event as freshmen will prepare them to take on larger events in the future.

“Everyone in our leadership commission’s rooting us on, and they just want our event to succeed,” Mohammed said.

The community-building sentiment wasn’t only present in the sports commission. For junior Katie Trevor, a member of yearbook teacher Michelle Riley’s junior

team, the opportunity to bond with classmates while trying new sports was a highlight.

“I think [the competition] is a great way to bring people together and play sports. I honestly wouldn’t normally play, like [I played] wiffle ball. You would not see me playing wiffle ball pretty much any other time, so I think that’s super fun and playing against different classes, and it really doesn’t matter what skill set everybody has,” Trevor said.

This particular competition is different from other sports commission-run events in the past, as students choose which sports they want to play. Trevor participated in nearly every sport except soccer and

Crossword

ACROSS

1. Cacophany

6. Carrying weapons

11. “Put a ___ on it”

14. Like the food after a good 13 -Down

15. “Sweet!”

16. Real name for Obamacare

17. Oft-quoted Sun Tzu book*

19. Animal doctor

20. What sigma represents 21. Charged particles

22. Humiliate

24. Perform

25. Fizzy drink

27. Satellite trajectory matching our planet’s rotation*

34. Taboo

35. Night vision?

36. Ma’s ma

something really embarrassing*

48. Leaves 49. Tax collection agency (abbr.)

50. Hug

53. Alpha follower 55. Reggae alternative

58. The H of the 5 W’s 59. Source of love you might ‘tug’ on --- or, what’s contained in each of the answers to the starred clues

37. Hospital areas, in short

38. Have chemistry with

39. Coffee holder

40. Analogy words

42. “Calvin and Hobbes” girl

44. Long-billed bird

45. What you’ll never do after

BY ALEX BERTELLI Senior Reporter

9. Flight approximation

10. El ___ (lost city)

11. It’s really hot

12. Cools

13. Time with a special someone

18. Lugged around 23. Animal house

24. Long, long ___ 25. Soviet leader during WWII

26. Unit of resistance

27. There’s a unit named after its power

63. Anger 64. First zodiac sign 65. Spooky 66. Homer’s neighbor

67. Late to class 68 Barbecue rods

DOWN 1. Profits

2. Honolulu’s island

3. Thing 4. Under the ___

5. Improve 6. Unknown author, for short

7. Whistle blowers

8. Animal’s mouth

said she enjoyed the variety.

“In the past, we’ve had ‘March Madness’ and ‘Panther Bowl,’ where it’s just flag football or just basketball,” Trevor said. “And so I think it’s cool to have a bunch of different things so that you can participate in the sports you want while also playing in the ‘Olympics.’”

After planning the twoweek long competition since November, Mohammed said he hopes the event will be an event students remember.

“I hope that students take away the fun of participating in a big event and also [cherish] memories with [the] friends that they made,” Mohammed said.