Senior Issue 2024

URLINGAME B THE

Burlingame High School,

Mangini

Burlingame,

PHOTOSBYTHEBURLINGAMEBSTAFF

Students face FAFSA delays

BY CONNIE LU Staff Reporter

Imagine you got into your dream school — you celebrate with family and friends, hang a pennant in your room, buy a hoodie. But then you realize: You still don’t know if you can afford to attend. That’s the situation many seniors nationwide face every year, but the sense of limbo is exacerbated this year as delays with the revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) have left students without confirmed financial aid packages.

In theory, this FAFSA rework promised many new improvements, like a new Student Aid Index, expanding access to the Federal Pell Grant, fewer questions and automatic data exchange with the IRS. But when October 1, 2023 — the usual date the FAFSA opens — came around, the office of Federal Student Aid announced that students would have to wait until January 1, 2024, to start filling out the forms — another three months.

Even when the FAFSA came out, College and Career Advisor Jonathan Dhyne still noticed issues.

“When it came out on January 1, there were glitches and errors,” Dhyne said. “When it worked, it was really smooth, but it was not working as much as it was working.”

For one senior, who remained anonymous given the sensitivity of the issue, the application process was smooth for the most part, though they did face glitches.

“The actual process of filling it out and putting in all the information was very quick,” the anonymous source said. “It was probably 45 minutes that my mom and I sat down and did it together.”

Unfortunately, the student faced delays when they attempted to submit the new FAFSA.

“The biggest issue was the fact it wouldn’t allow me to give my signature which then we weren’t allowed to correct for two to three months, which meant that they couldn’t send out our form to any of my schools. I couldn’t start getting things back [from] them,” the anonymous source said.

Due to the fact that various other financial aid programs depend on the FAFSA for its information, deadlines for state-specific financial aid, like California’s Cal Grant program, got pushed back, leaving colleges with an unrealistic turnaround time for financial aid packages.

“Because [Cal Grant] kept getting pushed back, the financial aid applicants were not getting to the students’ colleges, and the colleges were not able to process the applications and get students their financial aid packages,” Dhyne said.

While some colleges pushed back their commit-by deadlines to mid-May, many still required commitments by the usual May 1 deadline.

“[In] my situation, I’m sure a lot of seniors [as well], [the FAFSA delays] kind of forced them to make a decision blind, not fully knowing how much aid they would receive and how much it would actually cost to them and their families, which definitely makes the decision a lot more difficult than it already is,” the anonymous source said.

Nonetheless, one major benefit of the reworked FAFSA is that it helps reduce the awkward conversations with parents about their finances. The new FAFSA process hide parents’ financial information from students.

While the FAFSA has caused many problems, the anonymous source said they still consider it a vital resource for the college application process.

“At least for my situation, I’m sure a lot of other people’s situations, they do rely on financial aid for college,” the anonymous source said. “So filling out with the possibility of getting any sort of aid or grant is always worthwhile for people in that position.”

Scholar in the arts Cheng selected as U.S. Presidential Scholar

BY JOSIE WETTAN Staff Reporter

In May, senior Lauren Cheng was recognized for her artwork by not one, but two, branches of the federal government. She was selected as a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of twenty high school seniors to recieve the designation. Cheng also won the District 15 Congressional Art Competition, meaning her piece advocating against gun violence will hang in the U.S. Capitol building for a year. Cheng’s journey to becoming a Presidential Scholar began in the fall when she applied to the YoungArts competition. With

her pieces focused on social activism, Cheng won an award with distinction and was invited to an exclusive program in Miami. There, she worked in a design cohort and was one of sixty students in the program nominated for her skills as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. From there, she completed a lengthy application, and after anxiously waiting for the results, found out she was selected.

“I had a dream the night before that I won. [...Then] I had checked my email and I was really surprised that first of all, it came out right after I had my dream, and then second that I

Letter from the editors

It is a well-known fact that high school is cliquey. But as the class of 2024 experienced firsthand, that tendency — to find your people and stick to them — was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our middle school friends became our high school cliques; our breakout rooms turned into our lunch tables. Before we had a chance to figure out who we were, we had already made up our minds.

The academic intensity of Burlingame made it even harder for us to break out of our pre-established circles. Based on their academic decisions, students self-selected into classes with similar, like-minded peers. As a result, the same subset of 50 students enrolled in Advanced

Placement classes isolated themselves.

But as journalists, while the rest of the school remained on Zoom, we were reporting. Before we even knew what our comfort zone was, journalism forced us to move outside of it. And once on campus, journalism ensured that we kept expanding our horizons. As we reported on sports, clubs and classes, we built relationships that translated beyond journalism, into nods in the hallways and people we relied on.

In the process, we discovered just how awesome the people at this school are. Over the course of just this year, our staff interviewed combat robot engineers, puzzle hunters, nail art entrepreneurs, young software de -

got [selected]”, Cheng said. “I knew I had a pretty good chance [of being selected] but there’s so much anticipation it just felt super surreal, and I definitely happy cried with my parents.”

In the fall, Cheng plans to major in design at a more traditional school. No matter what she does, however, Cheng knows design will always be a part of her life.

“I would say everything I do always comes back to design and that’s how I think, that’s how I observe the world,” Cheng said. “So I think no matter what I do, no matter what field I’m going into, there’s always going to be a place for a design brain.”

velopers, rhythmic gymnasts, and competitive figure skaters. In that way, we hope our paper served as a small window into the diverse and inspiring lives of the Burlingame community.

Put simply, journalism taught us just how much we were missing and just how much Burlingame had to offer if only we braved the world outside of our friend groups. But we also learned that you don’t need to be a journalist to talk to new people, ask questions and engage in the community — you just need to make an effort.

Cheng was joined by Rep. Kevin Mullin and Principal Jen Fong at a ceremony recognizing her.

Cherished staff retire

Ottoboni: Feeding

BY ABBY KNIGHT

Copy Editor BY MARGO BIGUE Staff Reporter

kids, day in and day out

Nutrition Services Lead Vicki Ottoboni will retire at the end of this semester after a long career that took her far beyond Burlingame’s cafeteria. Ottoboni worked at Aragon High School for three and a half years before joining Burlingame for 11 years.

It wasn’t the food and nutrition aspect of the cafeteria job at Aragon that originally caught Ottoboni’s eye.

“At first I did it for the convenience of being a mom and being able to drop my kids off at school and pick them up and have them not know that I was even gone,” Ottoboni said.

Over time, the atmosphere and challenge became

what she loved about her job.

“I liked the fast pace, I liked working with the students and also just learning how to create meals in a production setting. And what I mean by that is lots of numbers. [Instead of] just making a salad or a sandwich, you make 20 or 30 or 50 at a time,” Ottoboni said.

Ottoboni plans to live in Sacramento part-time with her husband and devote more attention to her hobbies.

“I’m an active person so I want to exercise more, I want to bike ride. I love to craft and I want to take some photography classes and just do…more, more stuff for me and [my husband], along with travel,” Ottoboni said.

Robie: A student and teacher of the world

After 32 years of teaching — 21 of them at Burlingame — Spanish teacher Kent Robie will retire at the end of the semester. A Bay Area native, Robie taught Spanish at Oakland High School and Terra Linda High School in San Rafael, teaching all levels of Spanish from Spanish 1 to Advanced Placement Spanish throughout his career.

Although Robie grew up in a “teaching” household with a father who taught high school, teaching Spanish wasn’t what he envisioned for his career. However, Spanish and Latin American studies have fascinated Robie ever since he started taking Spanish in seventh grade.

“I had a very inspiring middle school teacher, and I

went with her and my seventh or eighth grade class on a trip to Mexico City. And that was the first time I really got a taste of being in another country and it really just lit a fire,” Robie said.

Robie is excited to begin new adventures and spend more time in Mexico City.

“I want to take art classes, I want to take watercolor classes, I’ve done a whole list of all the things I want to do. I want to take classes on whatever. I want to meet new people, I want to travel. I’ve been to 15 countries but I’ve never been to Asia, I’ve never been to Africa, and I really want to go,” Robie said.

Rumbaugh: A lifelong community partner

Heather Rumbaugh, Burlingame’s School Resource Officer (SRO), is saying farewell after eight years in this role and 27 years within the Burlingame Police Department. As an SRO, Rumbaugh doesn’t just work with the high school; she serves all 12 schools — public and private — in the city.

For Rumbaugh, being an SRO isn’t just about enforcing the law; it’s about fostering relationships and providing support to the community.

“I’m here as a community partner. I’m here to help staff, teachers, kids when they have anything like a police-related incident,” Rumbaugh said.

On Burlingame’s campus, Rumbaugh bridges the gap between law enforcement and education.

“I have gone into classrooms and taught lessons about law,” she said, highlighting her commitment to proactive engagement with youth.

In retirement, Rumbaugh plans to savor the simple joys of life, like enjoying her coffee without rushing and taking on adventures, including traveling to the national parks.

With fond memories of school dances and bonding with staff, Rumbaugh leaves behind a legacy of service, dedication and genuine care for her community.

Students explore passions over break

By Josie Wettan and Brendan Gilmore, Staff Reporters

Evie Scott | Camp Counselor

After years of attending the Firefly Song sleepaway camp in Vermont as a camper, junior Evie Scott will be returning this summer as a counselor. The camp specializes in outdoor activities such as hiking or canoeing and gives both campers and counselors the opportunity to unplug and enjoy a slower pace of life.

“[The camp is] very freeing. There’s no comment on people’s appearances at all, which is really nice to just be able to sort of let go [of] that,” Scott said. “But you’re not allowed to have phones or anything and it’s very isolated, it’s very differ-

ent from living in Burlingame. It’s a very grounding experience.”

Before the camp begins, Scott will have to go through around three weeks of staff training, during which she will attain her Wilderness First Aid certification and learn how to work with different age groups of kids. At camp, she hopes to not only learn from her fellow counselors but also connect with her campers.

“I want to gain experience in working with kids and being able to take care of people and solve their problems and stuff,” Scott said.

Erik Yun | Intern at SFO Airport

Junior Erik Yun has always had a passion for aviation and dreamed of working in the industry. As a stepping stone to achieve that goal, he will be interning this summer at San Francisco International Airport.

“I am excited to learn just how the airport runs. Because you only see like a small layer of how the airport actually works. So being able to be like in the backfield, truly seeing [how] everything works will be really cool,” Yun said. Yun learned to love aviation from his grandfather, who also has a long-held

fascination with planes. While Yun is excited to learn more about the industry in general, he hopes specifically to build connections to further his opportunities in the industry — and tell his grandfather about everything.

“I’m definitely hoping to make new friends when I go there and have bigger connections. I think connections is probably going to be the biggest thing I really want to come out of this [internship with], because they’ll be able to help me pursue a true job in aviation,” Yun said.

Rosemary Conant | Rising Actress

For six weeks this summer, sophomore Rosemary Conant will be attending a pre-college acting program at Carnegie Mellon University. Conant has participated in musicals and plays throughout middle and high school and hopes to bring back the lessons learned through the summer program to the Burlingame theater program.

“I think [this program will] help me all around for theater, I think the more you do it, and the more you’re involved with it, the better you are,” Conant said. “[I just want to] be inspired, improve my

skills and make friends.”

When researching acting programs, Carnegie Mellon stood out to Conant compared to acting in the local Bay Area shows due to the program’s exploratory nature, which she hopes will solidify her interest in acting as a career.

“In a lot of the videos that I watched [about the program], it [said], ‘this program really helped me figure out what I wanted to do,’” Conant said. “I definitely want theater to be part of my life, but being able to really lock into theater, this will help me figure that out.”

Kyle Weitzman | EMS Photographer

In recent years, sophomore Kyle Weitzman has cultivated an interest in photography and emergency medical services (EMS). Although the two might seem mutually exclusive, Weitzman found a way to combine them: taking photographs of first responders in action.

Although Weitzman has sporadically photographed emergency services over this school year, finding time for photography is challenging with the hustle and bustle of academics. This summer, Weitzman plans to dedicate multiple days a week to the hobby, relying on a radio app

to inform him of emergencies that occur locally.

Weitzman often gifts the photos to the responders and says their priceless reaction makes it worthwhile.

“[The first responders are] in shock. They love the photos,” said Weitzman. “I…tell them not to worry about [payment]. Them putting themselves in front of everyone else when they’re working is their payment in my eyes.”

Weitzman hopes to continue providing photos to first responders and to have fun with the project as a whole.

Senior words of wisdom

Providing useful advice for underclassmen

“Don’t be afraid to skip practice to do your homework.”

- Ike Cafferky

“Play a sport ... It really helps you try and establish a schedule for yourself and have some kind of structure outside of school itself.”

- Stella Wettan

“Make sure you’re not taking too many classes that you can’t handle, just so your mental health is all okay.”

- Brody Kelley

“Don’t forget to have fun…havmostingfunwithothersisoneofthe important parts of high school.”

- Luke Nielsen

“Go to every event the school hosts, like dances. Don’t try to saythatit’slame,it’spartofthe high school experience, just go and have fun.”

- Gavin Larkin

“[Start studying for] your AP tests early, because really the sooner you get on that, the less stressed you are as finals approach.”

- Tori Happ

“Be yourself and just make the best of [things] and do whatev- er makes you happy, even if it’s something stupid. Sometimes things do suck but you can al- ways find the light.”

- Marina Perry

“Be open-minded towards others, and don’t reduce them to your assumptions about them, and you’ll end up making unexpect- ed friends”

- SylvieOlson

-

BY BRINDA IYER Copy Editor BY HENRY GARDNER Staff Reporter

“Really immerse yourself in everything you can and just try new things. Life is short, high school’s short, do what makes you happy.”

- Alex Hollrah

Shout-out to our teachers

“It’s okay to take a break. You can’t run on empty, so it’s okay if you need to recharge and not constantly be working.”

Finn Lorian

“Don’t reach to be friends with people that you have to act differently around.”

- Hank Lane

“Prioritize your sleep, if [an activity] interferes with your sleep, then some- thing needs to change.”

- Nate Teitelbaum

BY EMMA YU Staff Reporter

BY ALEX BERTELLI Staff Reporter

Let’s face it — we all have favorite teachers. Although staff at Burlingame is exceptional, some have truly gone above and beyond in helping us understand concepts, fostering a welcoming environment and making classes enjoyable. As the year comes to a close, students reflect on their experiences with a few outstanding teachers. The following responses have been edited for readability.

Professor Perry put an in credible amount of effort into both planning and exe cuting the Italian Exchange trip this year. This trip not only drastically increased my already present love and passion for the culture and language but also changed me as a person. I am so thankful to her for giving us the opportunity to see what lies beyond our hometown and undergo such an incredible journey in our high school careers. I can’t imagine how much time and effort she had to put in for us to experience that and she deserves the world.

To: Jim Chin

Mr. Chin knows his content very well. He’s very into Gen Z stuff like anime; he got me into the anime “Spy x Family.” I learned a lot about history and how to be in an Advanced Placement class from Mr. Chin. It was really nice to have him as a teacher because there was a lot of support, and we could talk to him after class if we needed help.

To

Mr. Ferguson helped me appreciate the English language, and his stories always captivated us before class started. Mr. Larkin’s class was never dull and he always told me to be proud and sure of myself. Ms. Miller is kind and lively, and cares a lot about her students’ lives after high school.

To: Christina Wade

Ms. Wade has been very understanding when it comes to student workload in the midst of AP testing. She does a phenomenal job at being the teacher advisor of the Iron Panthers robotics club and even won an award — Woodie Flowers — for her dedication. She also removes redundant assignments and teaches the essentials thoroughly and effectively.

I appreciate Ms. Feldis, Mr. Chin and Ms. Crook! From going to Costco to buying goodies for AP World students (Chin), passing tea and bagels when we’re ferociously writing our DBQs (Chin), staying during lunch and after school to help students out (Feldis & Crook), ensuring all students conceptually understand all topics (Feldis & Crook), to using new technology and fun ways to demonstrate geometric cross sections (Feldis), all of these teachers make learning much more fun and engaging.

From: Junior Ella Daudel To: Celine Perry

From: Junior Caitlyn Siu To: Jennifer Crook

To: Jim Chin

To: Jennifer Feldis

Emily Meng

From: Junior Sofia Crosina

To: Michael Ferguson

To: Tim Larkin

: Annie Miller

Oregon State University

Sofia Cavalieri

University of Oregon

Abi Scully

Ellie Dowd

University of Portland

Penaloza

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Gianna Bottarini

Julia Edmondson

Jordan Feuchtwang

Edward Gill

Maggie Gilmartin

Keziah Gopalla

Taryn Hallum

Tori Happ

Dylan Kall

Charlene Qiu

Owen Ryan

Daniella Ryvkin

Jessica Sarkisov

Luca Scatena

Cal Poly Pomona

Sofia Kim

CSU Chico

Nancy Ferman Avila

Daphne Friedman

David Kracke

Gavin Larkin

Jesse Miller

Roman Gilmour

CSU Fullerton

Darien Apke

Eric Breazeale

Ryan Drake

Brooke Latin

CSU Long Beach

Rayana Aboukhalil

Abby Mitchell

Chiara Simonetti

CSU Northridge

Benjamin Brenner

Cañada College

Dylan Philibosian

Chapman University

Allison Stavitsky

City College of San Fran-

cisco

Gabriel Guzman-Iglesias

Ashley Rabara

Claremont McKenna

College

Isaac Van Voorhis

College of San Mateo

Tanat Alberts

Kevin Ascarza

Nicholas Begazo-Giraldo

Sofia Berdyugin

Marcos Bezerra

Beatriz Brito

Ike Cafferkey

Davi Carneiro

Diana Chavez

Adara Cserni Chidiosan

Jolene Ede-Bandala

Moises Flores Castro

Devin Frick

Natalie Garcia

Edgar Gonzalez German

Sara Kelloff

Matthew Lawson

Gavin Lee

Yahir Lopez Yutan

Jack Losk

Antonio Marquez

Angelo Medina

Maria Moya

Andrew Msalam

Michael Nash

Amaya Norales

Antonio Ortigoza Alvarado

Paulette Pacheco

Myla Pallera

Nicole Pinheiro

Jacob Porter Soliman

Fatima Rivas

Juan Rodas Umanzor

Theodore Schenone

Tylor Tan

Nicholas Trejo

Ever Vasquez Yutan

Apollo Yera

Emily Young

Jackelyn Zapata

Michael Zhang

Brandon Chi

Conor Muldowney

Loyola Marymount

University

Elizabeth Verhoeven

Occidental College

Mateo Armijo

Pomona College

Astrid Carlen

Sammy Faham

Saint Mary’s College of California

Zach Zlobinsky

San Diego State University

Drew Lyons

Bartu Nar

San Francisco State

University

Angel Basulto

Rolando Campos Ulloa

Justin Kim

Kevin Polat

Tyler Wong

Alec Burgos

San Jose State University

Daniela Cano

Joshua Jacobs

Daisy Joachin

Fakhri Shehadeh

Sophia Soss

Santa Clara University

Tyler Lachance

Stephen Liu

Lucy Moran

Scripps College

Finn Lorian

Skyline College

Samantha Arreola Caceres

Jackson Howard

Alain Kazarian

Jayden Rosellini

Rebaz Sinjary

University of California, Berkeley

Olivia Armstrong

Tem Battsooj

Samantha Carrington

Angela Chen

Irene Chen

Ryan Dougherty

Raymond Frank

Tilly Haskell

Harjyot Kaur

Brody Kelley

Zaren Lami

Connor Lu

Kazuo Nakamura

Kaylee Ng

Danil Orlov

Nicholas Spano

University

University of California, Santa Barbara

Ian Gordon

Lily Grenier

Ryan Teh

Isaac Tsai

Joanna Wong

Nate Teitelbaum

Ryan Luftman

University of California, Davis

Dylan Ares Hanson

Ashley Fong

Aidan Kelley

Anastasia Prusakova

Avah Reichow

Clara Zhong

University of California, Irvine

Sharon Andersson

University of California, Los Angeles

Harrison Baytan

Elizabeth Forsell

Ella Perez

Janek Pistor

Lara Ryzhikova

University of California, Riverside

Andrew Hsia

University of California, San Diego

Lauren Cheng

Minjun Kim

Shailee Sinha

Landon Stobaugh

Euli Toussaint

University of California,

Santa Cruz

Nicolas Beringer

Ava Gonzalez

Lauren Gonzalez

Misha Irfan

Vseslav Kazakov

Jayden Ma

Trevor O’Neill

Aaron Ovadia

Dylan Po

Calvin Purkey

University of San Diego

Georgia Birchall

University of San Francisco

Samantha Hui

Leah Chili

University of Southern California

Zaina Michael

University of Arizona

DeMartini

Aleksandr Gasanyan

Committed

athletes

“Winning the CIF Regionals in overtime for the first time in BHS history is going to be one of my favorite lifelong

level. It’s something I had dreamed about since I start ed the sport.” - Avah Reichow

“At 10 years old I set a goal: to play on a D1 tennis scholarship! Nothing beats the feeling of accomplishing a longtime dream!” - Mila Mulready

“I’m looking forward to continue playing the sport I love and meet new people who share my passion.”

- Olivia Fleming

“I am beyond excited to go to a school that will give me both an excellent degree and chance to develop me as a player.”

- Tyler Lachance

“I am looking forward to having a group...that I [can] rely on instantly. I am excited to build these friendships over four years.” - Will Robbins

“At Burlingame, the best part for me was always the process of building bonds with teammates through shared experiences.”

- Zach Shapiro

“My teammates and coaches are some of the kindest and most supportive people I’ve ever known, and I will always be inspired by them.”- Cora Haggarty

Opening the door to an ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY

Claire West

Future plan: Study art for four years at Minerva Art Academy in the Netherlands.

Goal: To become a professional artist. West has been interested in art from a very young age and always knew it was something she wanted to pursue in the future.

I would say to apply to more schools than you realize. You never know what’s going to happen and there are so many factors that go into choosing the right one for you.”

Altai

Jake Ramirez

Future plan: Job with Caccia Plumbing in San Mateo. Advice for others: Staying open to all opportunities, not just college. How he found the opportunity: Shadowing other plumbers over the summer.

The importance [of the plumbing career] is job security, since I didn’t want to go to college. I need to do something after college.”

Cameron Garrett

Future plan: Five-year term as a Cryptologic Linguist in the Marine Corps. How he will begin: Boot camp in July, followed by Military Combat Training and attending school to learn a new language.

Purpose: Assures five years of education and an intense work environment to put his skills to use.

[Going to the marines] will have more of a routine structure on my life and also a sense of proving to myself that I could do anything.”

BY NATALIE GYDE Social Coordinator

BY SOPHIA DOSS Senior Reporter

Ordubadi

Future plan: Playing on a soccer team in Azerbaijan. Reason: Has family there and speaks the language. His father played for a top soccer team in Azerbaijan.

Goal: Playing in games so coaches from other high-level teams can recruit him.

I’ve been playing soccer my whole life, and...this is a great opportunity. If [soccer] doesn’t work out, I can always do school later. That’s my mindset.”

Ryan Dokoza

Future plan: Double major in music performance and economics at Northwestern University. Goal: A double major makes it possible to go into the business side of music and remain comfortable when searching for future careers.

[Music’s] my passion but I understand that it’s a really volatile industry and often doesn’t work out so having economics is something that I can rely on for my future career.”

Ruby Rosenquist

Future plan: After graduation, Ruby Rosenquist will be part of the San Francisco ballet company.

Timeline: In the future, she hopes to be hired by a full-time ballet company.

When I was twelve I knew I wanted to pursue a career in ballet and everything I’ve done since then has been to get me to that point.”

Burlingame students hold provocative signs triggering San Mateo High School students and forcing administrators to intervene.

To accommodate the increasing number of sensitive students, Burlingame administration will implement new rules for student conduct during sports matches. After numerous student complaints about “mean” and “aggressive” chants, the administration is cracking down on this unacceptable behavior, adding additional security cameras, student informants and microphones to the student section to catch the chant ring leaders.

“When students were vigorously chanting ‘Beat San Mateo,’ I felt as if I was being personally targeted and that this is unacceptable as we should only be using positive messages,” a San Mateo High School student said.

This campaign is in light of Burlingame’s new schoolwide “Positivity Initiative,” which encourages students and faculty to embody a positive attitude and avoid making controversial statements to not offend anyone.

“This is a serious issue, and we will catch the perpetrators,” Vice Principal Aimee Malcolm said. “We are installing technology around the student section and placing students throughout the crowd to catch any mean-spirited words said during games, which will all be forwarded to Dean Nicole Carter for later punishment. Let me just say you don’t want to deal with ‘the Carter.’”

Besides the technological surveillance, all students may be subjected to TSA-inspired searches if suspected of carrying mean-spirited signs.

“A while back, some students held up mean signs that were perceived as antagonizing the other team. After that, we have made commitments to never make students uncomfortable again, hence we are implementing strip searches to ensure students don’t bring signs, flags or other mean-spirited gear,” Malcolm said.

Certain Panthers have argued that these actions violate free speech, but Malcolm emphasizes that the maintenance of a healthy and supportive space trumps student’s First Amendment rights.

Overall, Burlingame administration is committed to creating an environment where all students feel safe, emotionally secure and proud to be Burlingame Panthers.

“We want everyone to take pride in being a Panther, but that doesn’t mean we can’t also cheer for our extended family of Bearcats, Dons and Vikings,” Malcolm said.

It’s official — in response to gym construction productivity concerns, the administration has introduced a new course. Beginning in August 2024, Burlingame welcomes a campus exclusive: Honors Construction Engineering (HCE).

Amidst the local worker shortage delaying the ongoing two-year gym construction project, Principal Jen Fong will help lead HCE to fill the void.

“HCE is not just a class. It’s a passion. This class will prepare students for real-world scenarios and encourage effective collaboration with the established construction workforce,” Fong said. “HCE reflects real job experience and looks great for college.”

For freshman Bob Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis Jr. III, HCE is a breath of fresh air due to its “learn by experimentation” strategy, which encourages students to make mistakes and learn for the future.

“I’m thrilled to take this class next year. I’ve always wanted to drive heavy machinery and I can’t get my driver’s license yet,” Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis Jr. III said. “My favorite part about construction is that you could never go wrong. If you mess up on something, just dig a deep hole into the ground and fill it up with dirt. Nothing is game over.”

Additionally, in a recent survey conducted by the B, 96% of respondents expressed their excitement for HCE, predicting the course to be the

On Wednesday, April 19, senior Duhn Forr was walking down the hallway when the bell rang that started Flex time. He scrambled to find a classroom amidst the empty hallway. Soon, every classroom door shut. Locked. Then the lights went out and two large hands grabbed his forearms.

Emptiness surrounded him. He was thrown onto a chair as his eyes attempted to adjust to the darkness. His heart pounded as the silhouette of Vice Principal Aimee Malcolm emerged.

But he wasn’t alone. In fact, there was a large circle of students, wondering what went wrong — or even how they ended up in the library.

“You have been flex swept, welcome to the beginning of the end,” Malcolm cackled.

To start the spring semester, administration threatened “sweeping” to crack down on students chronically skipping Flex. With ninety percent of students on the no–sell list, it was time to take things to the next level.

“We saw thousands of absences within a few weeks, we needed a new system, that’s when Principal Jen Fong brought up Flex Sweeps,” Assistant Principal Jenny Gibson said.

Moving through the A-Building hallways, lead capturer Malcolm and the rest of the administrative team set out to find students scrambling

“most exciting honors class yet.” But here’s the best part: HCE requires no previous experience.

“We take anybody and everybody,”

Construction Lead Volunteer and English teacher Tim Larkin said. “We don’t care who you are as long as you make yourself useful. I volunteered for the construction lead volunteer position because I get sucked into the construction view from my classroom when I’m grading papers. It’s so fascinating how inclusive the job is.”

However, while this class sparked student popularity, the Burlingame Parent Group felt the opposite.

“We don’t like this. Shut the class down now or we won’t support electives with any kind of funding anymore,” Parent Group Leader Karen Johnson said in a statement at a board meeting. “This is child labor, and the district will be hearing from our lawyers.”

Yet, Assistant Principal Aimee Malcolm emphasizes the hidden learning experience in HCE and how the class will promote intellectual curiosity for kinesthetic learners.

“It’s not child labor,” Malcolm said. “It’s a fair trade-off for students to skip core classes and spend the day in a bulldozer. It builds character and speeds up the construction procedure. Plus, it’s a learning experience in a diverse and equitable environment.”

And Malcolm’s right — if you catch yourself staring out the window during class next fall, don’t be surprised to see Fong instructing pods of students on construction techniques. After all, HCE is here to stay at Burlingame.

“My team and I are ready to back off,” Fong said. “It’s time for this young generation to take over. I can’t promise that the gym will be done by 2025 but at least HCE can generate some momentum in the meantime.”

to seek safe refuge. With a newly-gifted golden broom from the janitors in hand, she was to look for students traveling in groups.

“I saw a group of students hurrying to get to a classroom at 10:18,” Malcolm said. “We made it clear, no abusing flex time and no going with your friends.”

Across campus, Fong stuck out her Sweeper 8000™ to stop the students from escaping into Chemistry Teacher Joshua Dyl’s crowded room.

“It was one of those fight or flight moments,” Fong said following her heroic act. “But at the end of the day, I did what anyone would have done in my situation.”

The administration admitted that the scene in the library was less than pretty. With no contact to the outside world, these students are left with their thoughts and remorse for their

unforgivable behavior.

“It’s all about the unknown aspect.” Malcolm said. “If they tell their friends Flex Sweeps are not a big deal, there would be no point in this whole system, but if we make the students scared then fear takes over.”

It’s imperative students learn their lesson, as repeat offenders have to face a new slew of punishments. They are forced into solitary confinement, and miss class as they have to solve 200 math problems and four essay prompts before being able to leave.

And it’s working: Those who’ve been swept up by Fong, Malcolm and their crew continue to learn the consequences of their actions. The results of the new sweeping system have been so remarkable the administration even introduced the system to other local high schools. So San Mateo students — beware... you may be swept.

Since construction has a shortage of workers, the team is enlisting students to partake in building the gym as an honors class.

PHOTO BY JEANNINE CHIANG

Students race away from administration to escape from the latest round of flex sweeps.

PHOTO BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN

20% off orders with Burlingame High School Student IDvalid until end of May

City of Stars

Students

Senior Lara Ryzhikova sings “City of Stars.”

As the DJ plays favorite tunes, student gather on the dancefloor.

Students take photos outside of the Metreon with the setup. and hummus at the food

Band students Keziah Gopalla and Rhian Cordero play Queen’s biggest hit, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

SENIOR CROSSWORD!

By Alex Bertelli

Junior Nico Bennett performs “Feeling Good.”

Edited by Rain Yang

bar.

gather around the mosh pit.