October Issue 2022

WHAT’S INSIDE

lunch for 3 Making 1,000 students

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Inside competitive rock climbing

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Cheer welcomes new school year

updated 11 Crossing for electrification

THE

URLINGAME B

October 4, 2022

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

Issue 1 Vol 133

PHOTOS BY THE BURLINGAME B STAFF PHOTO BY ELLIE NEUMAN

At Burlingame, Fong belongs New principal brings experiences to work

BY ELISE SPENNER

Managing Editor

Jennifer Fong has spent the majority of her life feeling out of place. Take, for instance, the 18 years she spent as an introverted Asian child in the predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhoods of the Bronx. Or take the years that followed, as she left the Bronx to study biology at Yale University, only to abandon the pre-medicine track to pursue teaching.

“I think one of the reasons why I really have a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is because I never felt included.

Not one day, in my entire childhood,” Fong said.

But now, as Fong embarks on her first year as Burlingame’s principal, she’s confident in bringing her whole self to work.

Finally, she feels like she belongs.

“I have my career, but then I have my personal life,” Fong said. “I have lived kind of a range in my life, and I feel like at Burlingame I’m bringing it all together.”

At Yale, Fong initially studied to become a doctor. But an overtly racist encounter — her adviser insisted she would need help writing her personal state-

ment “because English isn’t your first language” — convinced Fong to pursue teaching.

“I was so upset by it that I left the med school advisor’s office and walked down to the teacher credentialing office and said, ‘I want to be a teacher,’” Fong said.

At graduation the following year, her mother told Fong that she was very disappointed in her. When she returned to the Bronx and spoke to her high school chemistry teacher — the woman who inspired Fong to be a doctor — she could hear the disappointment in her voice, too.

“It was kind of heartbreaking,” Fong said. “She became a teacher because at that time women did not have that many options. You could become a secretary or a teacher. You couldn’t become a doctor, you couldn’t become a lawyer.”

But Fong stuck with teaching.

For 30 years, it’s all she has done.

And whenever Fong taught chemistry — on the east coast or in California — she started each year by recreating her old teacher’s first lesson.

Eventually, Fong found herself at Mission High School in San Francisco, first as a teacher and later as an assistant principal.

Jami Weatherson holds a welcome bag that was given to her by leadership students.

She took a d N P HO TEI T O B Y JA K E R OT H S vantage of the role, bolstering Advanced Placement course offerings and opening college pathways to students.

As Fong took on leadership positions in the San Francisco Unified High School District, she extended her work to students across the city, helping them feel prepared and equipped to take the next big leap in their lives.

Burlingame might not need the exact same support, Fong acknowledged. But she’s here to serve, and, more importantly, she’s here to belong and to welcome.

“I didn’t want to end my career working primarily with adults,” Fong said. “You see me at spirit days; I have my Hawaiian lei on. I didn’t feel very included in high school… I didn’t do much in leadership. But now I get to do that, and I love it.”

District introduces theraputic elective class This August, the San Mateo Unified High School District (SMUHSD) introduced the Therapeutic Elective Class (TEC), a directed studies class in which students receive both academic guidance and social emotional services.

First-year teacher Jami Weatherson oversees the course, along with wellness counselor Adriana Gomez, whose office is adjacent to the classroom. Students involved in the program have Weatherson for one designated period. Nevertheless, the class follows an open-door system, allowing students to drop into the classroom at any time of the day.

Weatherson, who taught similar programs at middle schools for seven years before coming to Burlingame, emphasizes the value of trust in such a class.

“Both Adriana and I have spent a lot of time building relationships with the students,” Weatherson said. “I’ve taken time to sit down with every single one of my students and get to know them better, so they feel comfortable coming in here if they’re having an off day or need me to help them with something.”

See in NEWS, page 2

NEWS

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Therapeutic Elective Class PHOTO BY ELLIE NEUMAN

B

OCTOBER 4, 2022

THE BURLINGAME B Editor-in-Chief Jackson Spenner Managing Editor Elise Spenner Sports Editor Michelle Moshkovoy Head Photographer Jake Rothstein Business Manager Alex Kelly Social Media Manager Amanda Nolan Web Designer Arda Inegol Diversity Coordinator Lizzy Wan Social Coordinator Kristie Kim

The therapeutic elective class is in A-138, which has been newly furnished with fidgets to foster a more therapeutic environment.

BY ISABEL LIU

Copy Editor

BY ELLIE NEUMAN

Staff Reporter Copy Editors Sophia Bella Isabel Liu Senior Reporters Daria Burnosova Arshia Chakravartti Staff Reporters Theo Au-Yeung Athena Bostonmaer Jeannine Chiang Stefan Couloures Danny Conway Sophia Doss Lauren Gonzalez Natalie Gyde Joelle Huysmans Brinda Iyer Abby Knight Will Kriner Ana Lunaparra Ellie Neuman Zachary Newman Sophia Puzon Ruby Rosenquist Zach Shapiro Teacher Adviser Melissa Murphy

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

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

ease Control and Prevention study in March 2022 found that 37% of students reported poor mental health over the pandemic, and 44% of students felt sad or anxious within the past year, an 8% increase from their 2019 data.

“The need [for mental health support] has grown exponentially over the last several years,” Gomez said.“I kind of watched the wellness program build from the ground up. And so to see everything go from the way it was before we had wellness built into our district, to now, I keep seeing how the program keeps growing.”

The district-wide reaction to the program has been largely positive. According to Knudson, this is a huge step in de-stigmatizing mental health on campus.

“When we announced it, explained it at a staff meeting, everybody clapped,” Knudson said. “It shows that the school, the district, kind of the community in general, is recognizing that mental health has been stigmatized in the past…but this is recognized as a need.”

Although the program has just begun, Weatherson hopes the class will also have a positive impact on the entire student body.

“I think just having a therapeutic view on student wellness and mental health—it’s just one step for taking the stigma away from mental health and therapeutic needs,” Weatherson said. “[This class] gives the message to students that no matter what, whether you’re part of this program or not, that it’s okay to ask for help if they need it.”

HVAC delays stall teachers’ relief

BY ALEX KELLY

GRAPHIC BY ISABEL LIU

Policy Statement: The Burlingame B is a student-run newspaper with the role purpose of providing an open forum for student expression.

Anything printed represents the opinion of the writer, but not necessarily that of the Burlingame B staff, the administration, or the faculty of Burlingame High School, or anyone affiliated with the San Mateo Union High School District. The Burlingame B does not discriminate against race, political oritentation, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

Although The Burlingame B will never refuse to publish guest submission based on the aforementioned factors, we reserve the right to edit or not publish them.

Gomez added that the class fosters a close sense of community that breaks down stigma around mental health and creates trusted, confidential resources.

“It’s like the Olive Garden: when they’re here, they’re family,” Gomez said. “One of the kids was like, ‘You’re not like an adult though.’ But I am! But not really, it’s like talking to a big sister.”

Previously, this kind of support system was only available in select schools, often forcing students to transfer. The district added the TEC to avoid the added stress of transferring on students and their families.

“We were really excited when the decision was made to do this,” vice principal Joshua Knudson said. “Now the students that we love, the students who we have, and the students that we know — we can provide those supports for them at their

home schools.”

The classroom, located in room A-138, is the previous home of the college and career center. Over the summer, Gomez and Weatherson transformed the space with artwork, fairy lights, fidget toys and mini waterfalls, meant to give it more of a therapeutic environment.

By giving the TEC classroom a hospitable feel, Weatherson and Gomez work towards fostering a safe space for therapy-based wellness. When she looks back on her own adolescent experience, Gomez believes that this close-knit environment is valuable to struggling high school students.

“I really, really hated high school,” Gomez said. “But if I had a class like this… where it was just like me and a couple other kids, it might have made it a little easier to acclimate to high school.”

On top of the regular high school stressors, students today also face mental health struggles stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. A Centers for Dis-

FROM PG. 1

Business Manager Over the summer, construction took place in the A-Building to install a new heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

However, maintenance had to wait for a few crucial parts, delaying progress in some rooms.

During the recent heat wave, although 56 of the 60 classrooms and offices benefited from the new system, the four remaining rooms lacked air conditioning.

English teacher Mary Dhyne occupied one of the unfinished rooms, and the lack of air conditioning posed a challenge to learning.

“So you’re tired after lunch and then with the heat it’s definitely kind of hard to get moving and motivated,” Dhyne said.

Despite the district’s efforts to complete the construction before the start of the school year, pandemic-related supply chain issues slowed the process, according to assistant principal Dominic Bigue. But despite the hurdles, Burlingame now has 30 classrooms and 30 offices with cooling — and that’s an accomplishment, Bigue said.

“This building was built in the late 30s, and it’s kind of miraculous that they’re finally able

to have AC in it,” Bigue said.

“It’s something that the teachers have wanted here for many, many years before I showed up.

We realize it’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than it was.”

Last year, the lack of filtration became a pressing concern given the spread of COVID-19.

To combat the accumulation of COVID-19 particles in their classrooms, several teachers were forced to use noisy and distracting high-efficiency particulate air filters.

“It was really loud,” Riley said. “It made teaching in a mask much more difficult. I generally tried to keep it off when I was lecturing or when we were doing student presentations. And then we would turn it on during group work where kids could kind of yell to each other over

the noise of the filter.”

Some teachers went farther, keeping their windows open on cold mornings or during rain to properly filter the classroom.

But now, a large tube on classroom ceilings filters in and out air and manages temperature. The new HVAC improves the air circulation and filtration, and now teachers can easily regulate temperatures in their classroom. Michelle Riley, who teaches yearbook and social science classes, credits the change with helping students remain focused during the recent heat wave. “[HVAC] was instrumental in that kids were able to sit in this room and still think because they weren’t boiling like we did in the past,” Riley said.

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OCTOBER 4, 2022

PHOTO BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN

Siu Yuen prepares pasta before school to prepare for Burlingame lunch.

BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN

Head Photographer

meals for students.

Even before the pandemic, the cafeteria served a wide variety of meals, offering around 17 different lunch options and nine options for brunch. Retaining these options amid increased demand for meals put a strain on the district’s food suppliers, forcing the cafeteria to adapt while still providing the same variety of meals.

“Right now, we’ve got a shortage, so we can’t get muffin mix to make muffins. So they sent me muffins that are prepackaged,” said Ottoboni. “Last year [there was a shortage of] containers that you actually put all the food in. So every day, the kids were like, ‘oh, it’s in a different container’...it’s just a constant battle.”

Last year, students from Bay University — a school for students 18 to 22 years old with moderate-to-severe disabilities — helped with meal preparation. Throughout the year, two or three Bay University students came in once a week to assist Ottoboni. The students started by learning basic skills, such as using the dishwasher, and then moved on to helping with other tasks, such as serving food behind the counter.

The cafeteria doesn’t only employ Bay University students; they hire students from all across campus. Students who work in the cafeteria are dismissed from class five minutes before lunch starts, giving them time to get to the cafeteria to work a 15-min-

ute shift.

“Most of the time, I’m on the register where students enter their numbers,” said sophomore Ryan Wang, who works in the cafeteria. “It is fairly easy because I only need to press two buttons [on the screen] for every student because lunch is free now. You have to miss like half of the lunch, so you don’t really have time to finish your lunch… but you get paid well, so I think that’s worth it.”

As of late, the cafeteria has added paid items such as chips and water that students can buy alongside a free meal. They plan on adding more in the near future.

“The federal government did a snack program, and that’s why you would get your chips for free in addition to your brunch, and they’ve dropped that program,” said Ottoboni. “The big thing is that kids or parents need to put money on their account so that they have money to buy the snacks.”

Currently, Ottoboni is searching for more students to work in the cafeteria.

“We’re always looking for students. Last year, we lost a few because of them graduating, and we’re a little short this year,” said Ottoboni. “We’re always hiring.

We’ll hire 15. We’ll hire 20 kids.

It doesn’t matter. It’s just whoever wants to work. We’re willing to have them work, and it’s super easy. It’s not a hard job at all.”

Ayudha Puja

World Animal Day

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Compiled by Sophia Bella

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The Space Age began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. (1957)

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Sputnik

Ayudha Puja is the ninth night of Navratri, a festival with great cultural and spiritual significance in the Hindu religion.

PHOTOS FROM PIXABAY

Republic of Mexico

Three years after winning independence from Spanish control, Mexico is established as a republic, adopting a new constitution. (1824)

PHOTO BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN

As lunch starts, students rush to get into lines to enter their seven-digit student ID and grab their free lunch. But behind every fruit cup, sandwich, pasta or burger, there is more work than initially meets the eye.

At 5 a.m., far before the sun rises, cafeteria manager Vicki Ottoboni is already in the cafeteria preparing meals for the day, turning on the warmers, boiling water or making rice to feed anywhere from 950 to 1,200 students a day — all while listening to the morning radio.

In Ottoboni’s nine years at Burlingame, the cafeteria has never been so busy.

“When I started here at Burlingame, and up until Covid, we were maybe making 250 to 300 meals a day total [for] brunch and lunch,” Ottoboni said. “Now we’re making 1,000 plus per day, so that’s a huge change.”

Due to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) universal meal program, snacks and lunches have been available for all public school students free of charge since 2020. Although the nationwide program is set to expire on June 30, 2023, returning to a meal service solely for food-secure students, California will allocate $650 million per Students line up to get a snack during brunch. The school offers year to continue providing free breakfast items such as bagels and yogurt parfaits.

World animal day is recognized internationally as a day to support animal welfare. It is a time of action where people advocate and donate for animal rights.

PHOTO BY JACKSON SPENNER

Behind the scenes: cafeteria staff makes lunch for 1,000 students

Aimee Malcolm smiles in her A-Building office after school on Monday, Sept. 12.

Aimee Malcolm hears you

BY JACKSON SPENNER

Editor-in-Chief

It’s been years since new assistant principal Aimee Malcolm graduated from high school, but she still remembers the day in vivid detail: donning her cap and gown, walking across the makeshift stage, earning her diploma — it could very well have been yesterday.

“I can visualize being there and seeing it… the happiness, the celebratory vibe,” Malcolm said, when I spoke to her after school on a Monday afternoon.

But if graduation day was the happiest moment of Malcolm’s teenage years, deciding what to do afterward was the hardest.

Unlike many of Malcolm’s peers, her parents didn’t attend college, so she had little insight into the application process. Plus, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do; she loved photography and art, but she also loved reading and writing. Fortunately, Malcolm found role models and mentors in the teachers and staff at her school. “[I think] having that teacher to connect with — an adult on campus – is so important,” Malcolm said. “I think back to the experiences where I was able to build relationships with teachers who were able to help guide me and think about what path I would take in the future.”

After graduating from California Baptist University with a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature, Malcolm taught Advanced Placement English Language and Composition at Thurgood Marshall Academic High School. In 2015, she received her master’s degree in educational leadership and administration, prompting her to pursue an administrative position at Tennyson High School in Hayward.

Six years later, Malcolm took on a district-wide role in Hayward, creating a new literacy plan and English Language Arts curriculum — both of which were adopted within a year. But she quickly realized she didn’t want to spend her career behind a desk.

“While that assignment was really fulfilling in many ways, I preferred my experience of working with students,” Malcolm said. “[I had] interned in San Mateo Union High School District while I was getting my master’s and admin credential at Cappuccino. I really enjoyed the experience, and I felt the district was very responsive to student, staff and family needs.”

Luckily, a position was open in the district: Burlingame’s assistant principal. Now, as she sets foot on a brand new campus in a brand new city, Malcolm tries to recreate the same level of guidance and attention she received in high school. When I asked her how she wanted students to feel, she emphasized three key words: seen, heard and valued.

“I think that we as human beings do our best when we feel seen, heard and valued,” Malcolm said. “We can thrive, and we can set goals, and we can meet those goals if we feel like we’re part of the community that values who we are.”

Malcolm probably won’t walk across another graduation stage in her lifetime. But rest assured that she wouldn’t miss a student’s graduation for the world. She’ll be there, cheering for each and every Panther as they receive their diploma. And, she hopes, after four years at 1 Mangini Way, they will feel seen, heard and valued.

FEATURES

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OCTOBER 4, 2022

Noa Kliger: competitive rock climber and puzzle solver PHOTO COURTESY OF NOA KLIGER

BY MICHELLE MOSHKOVOY and stopped playing soccer.

Sports Editor “I needed something else,” Kliger said.

An old harness from her cousin would help her discover that next athletic challenge.

“I was like, ‘I guess I should use it,’ and I still have that harness. I still use it from when I was little,” Kliger said. “[My cousin] had done [rock climbing] competitively way before I started.”

Kliger, a transfer student from Los Angeles, currently practices at a gym called Movement in Belmont. Before coming to Burlingame, she trained at Kliger attempts a granite rock bouldering problem at Black Cliffs of Id, a gym in Culver City.

Mountain, a premier bouldeCliffs of Id will always be Kliger’s ring locale in the San Jacinto “home gym” and her teammates Mountains. there will always be a “family,” she said.

“These people will be in my Scaling up a 15-foot bouldering wall, hanging onto an over- life for a very long time,” Kliger hang with her bare fingertips said. “Climbing just connects and all while a timer unmer- people so much. You could go cifully ticks — for junior Noa climbing anywhere in the world Kliger, who has competed in and just be with them and know rock climbing since age 11, the that you’re going to have something to talk about. The sport is scenario is all too familiar.

Kliger picked up rock climb- such a community because eving after she left her swim team eryone is so supportive [of] each

BEST AND WORST of BURLINGAME

other and so kind.”

While there are club teams in competitive rock climbing, which nurtures an encouraging atmosphere, it is an individual sport. The three main types of climbing are sports climbing, bouldering and speed climbing.

In simple terms, sports climbing uses a rope, bouldering uses no rope and is close to the ground, and in speed climbing the climber completes the route as fast as they can.

In each discipline, contestants are allotted a certain amount of time, granted one to two attempts and awarded points based on their finishing positions. The heights of climbing walls range from 15 feet to 50 feet.

“There’s a lot of fear in climbing — there’s a fear of falling.

Even though I say I enjoy it, which I do… it’s still scary,” Kliger said. “There’s a fear of getting hurt or injured, which could affect the climbing season…and no one wants to get hurt.”

Competitive rock climbing is an intensely physical sport, both in its risks and demands. It’s a

fullbody exercise that builds both cardiovascular strength and muscle mass. However, scaling up a rock wall (known as a “problem”) also requires immense mental focus and determination.

“It’s a puzzle, and that’s what makes it so fun,” Kliger said.

“You have to think about each sequence. Everything you do matters on the wall, like how your hands are positioned, how your body is positioned, your legs, your feet — sometimes your feet have to be pointed a little more…it’s about solving it.”

Kliger has competed in local, regional and divisional competitions; earlier this year, she traveled to San Diego for a bouldering divisional and to Arizona for a sports climbing divisional.

Kliger often places in the top 10 of her region, and credits her growth to a philosophy of celebrating and building upon little victories.

“If I’m being transparent, when I first started climbing, my goal at the competition was not to get last place. The story goes I got second to last place, and that

was a big deal because it was like, ‘I didn’t get last!’ and we celebrated that,”’ Kliger said. “There are always new benchmarks whether it’s in placing, different techniques or strength.”

In an effort to extend her experiences to others, Kliger founded the Rock Climbing club this year. Participants learn climbing techniques and potentially climb after school.

“I’m really hoping that people will join along and more than anything is to build a community with climbing at BHS,” Kilger said.

Although Kliger’s rock climbing journey began with a handme-down harness, the sport is now a crucial part of her identity.

“You’re going to trust that it will work even though sometimes it’s hard to let go of the fact that there’s not a [score increase] that will make you grow as a climber,” Kliger said. “It’s definitely given me a lot of confidence in myself and knowing it’ll get better. I don’t know, it’s my favorite thing in the world.”

PANTHERS IN ACTION

Sports statistician Tyler Jamieson’s triumphant story etched into Burlingame athletic history

Sankar Prathikanti “I like my classes, specifically Spanish.”

“The benches are too small.

There are not enough seats.”

Kaylee Hwang “My favorite thing about BHS so far is biology class.”

“My least favorite is P.E.”

Eli Wright “My favorite thing is meeting people. I’ve met a lot of new people at this school.”

“I hate P.E. because of running.”

Gina Saccuman “My favorite thing is the positive, spirited environment.”

“The school lunch line because it takes up a lot of time.”

Daniel Perez “I like the long passing periods.”

“My least favorite thing is the swimming unit.”

PHOTO BY ZACH SHAPIRO

BY ZACH SHAPIRO

Staff Reporter

There are no barriers for Tyler Jamieson, a 2002 Burlingame graduate with Asperger’s syndrome who has passionately served Burlingame’s baseball, basketball and football programs for almost two decades as statistician and announcer.

Everything Jamieson does has a personal touch. Although his developmental disorder has created a number of struggles in his life, it has also helped him discover what he can offer to the world of sports.

“I’ve got to say, my love of sports has to be tied to my natural disability, which is the autism spectrum disorder,” Jamieson said.

Jamieson was drawn to stat-keeping after discovering his excellence in math, a trait commonly associated with the disorder. He combined his ability with a love for baseball and got into stat-keeping for the Hillsborough Little League.

“Mathematics and intelligence of numbers — that’s a bonus side of the day on the autism spectrum,” Jamieson said.

Thinking back to his early days collecting sports stats, a grinning Jamieson recalled being ushered into Burlingame’s program over 20 years ago.

Rich Sciutto, longtime retired baseball coach and Jamieson’s friend, was first to approach him, initially hiring him to work for the freshman team and later varsity in 2001.

Today, Jamieson uses a soft-

Tyler Jamieson, Burlingame sports’ statistician and announcer, hold up five of his 10 total championship rings. He has been a part of every Burlingame championship since 1999. ware program called StatCrew to efficiently immerse himself in the games he watches. Without fail, he can recount any Burlingame playoff run from the past twenty years, and he travels with the baseball team for their away games.

“He’s, in a lot of ways, a Burlingame historian,” athletic director John Philipopoulos said.

Players, parents and coaches alike recognize the dedication Jamieson brings to the table. His announcing at Burlingame baseball home games has become a hallmark of the program.

“He does a lot of things that maybe we don’t have the resources to implement or the time to do,” Philipopoulos said.

“His services are invaluable.”

In 2018, Jamieson’s efforts were acknowledged before his biggest fans: at a home baseball game, he was inducted into the Burlingame athletics hall of fame.

“That’s the icing on my career cake,” Jamieson said.

Proud of his accomplishment, he flirted with the idea of retirement from his stat-keeping and announcing duties, retreating to his other job as an usher with the San Francisco Giants.

However, especially after the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamieson decided to stay.

“I was going stir crazy with the no sports,” Jamieson said.

More excited than ever to get back into the game, Jamieson returned alongside the baseball program in the spring of 2021, and was on the sideline for varsity basketball’s triumphant Central Coast Section Division III championship in early 2022.

“Just the love, passion and commitment that he’s shown for the school in the athletic department and to establish himself as a pillar in our community, I think it’s a great success story,” Philipopoulos said.

FEATURES

OCTOBER 4, 2022

5

PROFILE

Erik Bennett: college, calculus, leadership and more Staff Reporter

Erik Bennett, Burlingame’s co-chair of the math department and activities director, is a man of many hats. This summer, he left his long-time post as as senior class cabinet adviser to take on the even larger responsibility of leading leadership — while still leaving room to teach calculus.

Bennett is also, literally, a man of many hats, which he can be seen wearing while racing around campus for his various roles. His favorite?

The classic bucket hat, for thorough protection from the sun.

Bennett started his career in education in 1990, teaching math at Creekside Middle School until 2005. He has spent the last 16 years at Burlingame, and is now also a part-time lecturer in mathematics at San Francisco State University.

“The course that I teach there is an entry-level business calculus class,” Bennett said. It’s kind of like teaching seniors, but I have a wider range of ages.

I had a student in her mid-70s

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who decided to get a degree after her husband passed away, which was awesome.”

From a young age, Bennett’s parents taught him the value of serving others.

“I come from pretty humble beginnings. My family didn’t have very much money.

I learned [to] take care of people,” Bennett said. “My parents instilled a strong work ethic and a drive to help in my sib-

I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE TWO DAYS OF FLEX AND TWO DAYS OF NAP TIME. ERIK BENNETT

lings [and me].”

Bennett is also known for his dry sense of humor and quick wit in the classroom. When speaking about his career, Bennet joked that he “started teach-

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ing in the 1700s,” starting his days by “getting up at 4 a.m to slop the pigs.”

“A typical day is usually getting here at 7:30 [a.m.] and leaving around 7:30 [p.m.],” Bennett said. “It’s a lot, but it’s not. It’s fun. I enjoy all of it; I can’t imagine not being involved.”

Bennett is constantly running back and forth between his math classroom, the leadership room and anywhere else he is needed throughout the day. To prevent total chaos, he sometimes leaves notes on one of his classroom doors to give the Associated Student Body (ASB) president, Rinko Miyoshi, instructions on where to find him.

Bennett has built relationships with a wide variety of students through his numerous roles. He aims to help students overcome challenges and thrive on campus. Luckily, he’s had the opportunity to see that happen over his many years of teaching. “[Seeing] students struggle and finding success through that struggle [is the most rewarding part of my job],” Bennett said.

PHOTOS BY DANNY CONWAY

BY DANNY CONWAY

Bennett prepares for the first student council meeting with ASB President Rinko Miyoshi (top). Bennett instructs his leadership class on tha main stage on Spet. 19 (bottom left). Along with his leadership responsibilities, Bennett teaches Advanced Placement Calculus BC during third and fifth period (bottom right).

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NEW TEACHERS

WELCOME TO BURLINGAME SPREAD DESIGN: SOPHIA BELLA, COPY EDITOR

BY ZACHARY NEWMAN, STAFF REPORTER Hannah Korslund, Burlingame’s newest chemistry teacher, is looking to begin the next chapter of her young career by pursuing her passion for science and education.

“I wanted to combine my love for kids with how much I liked chemistry by becoming a chemistry teacher,” Korslund said. Outside the classroom, she is an athlete and coaches Burlingame’s junior varsity girls’ volleyball team.

Korslund grew up in England and Switzerland and is a citizen of both countries. She attended Johns Hopkins University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.

However, her time at Johns Hopkins also fostered another passion: her love for volleyball.

“You have to rely on your team, so [volleyball] teaches you to think about things bigger than yourself,” Korslund said.

Korslund won four Centennial Conference championships at Johns Hopkins, but in her senior year, the team went undefeated and ultimately won a national championship.

“It was cool to see my whole [volleyball] career end like that, and it gave me leadership skills that I bring into coaching,” Korslund said.

Michael Wu

BY NATALIE GYDE, STAFF REPORTER

At UCLA, Gray received an early taste of the teaching life when she worked as a camp counselor.

“I compared those experiences with my experiences in the corporate world… and I thought, ‘What am I doing?’” Gray said.

Gray looks to utilize her previous experience in the business world to help students prepare for financial independence after high school.She also pointed out that California is one of only five states that does not require per-

Celine Tan

BY WILL KRINER, STAFF REPORTER

Mainly, Sendil enjoys science because there is always a question to be answered.

“I like the aspect of digging into the whys in ways that aren’t obvious,” Sendil said. “You know, what is this particular thing happening? How does it happen?”

Now that her teaching career has begun, Sendil hopes to make her classroom an inclusive space, changing the stigma surrounding science.

“I love it when students come

to me and say, ‘I’ve never felt capable in a science class before and I feel capable in yours,” Sendil said. “It’s just really amaz-

Stephanie Loi

BY THEO AU-YEUNG, STAFF REPORTER

New geometry teacher Stephanie Loi always felt she was destined to be a teacher. During a tumultuous high school year, Loi joined the Teacher’s Academy at her school to learn the basics of becoming a teacher. Soon, teaching felt less like a dream and more like a reality.

“The academy really helped solidify teaching as something I wanted to do,” Loi said.

As Loi began her teaching career, she was initially attracted to the prospect of teaching English, but fell in love with math after substituting in a friend’s class.

Math, Loi felt, offered the opportunity to expose students to a unique perspective.

ing. I feel like I’m making small steps towards changing the kind of ethos of science and education.”

“I found it special that in math, there are many ways to get to a solution. Rather than emphasizing students to ask themselves if they’re correct, I want them to focus on the process of how they got those answers,” Loi said. “It’s not always about just getting the right answer, but how you get there.”

Loi brought that passion for teaching to Burlingame, where she has received a warm welcome from both students and staff.

“It’s very nice knowing that I have a support system where everyone is so nice and helpful around me,” Loi said.

Amanda Brown

BY JOELLE HUYSMANS, STAFF REPORTER

Most people know a few words or phrases of Italian — ‘Ciao,’ ‘Grazie’ or ‘Prego’ — but learning the whole language isn’t easy. Burlingame’s newest Italian teacher, Celine Tan, will apply her mindset of personal growth combined with her meticulous work ethic to the difficult task of teaching the language to high school students.

Tan spent most of her childhood in Singapore, but moved to Italy at the age of 16 to finish high school. After college, Tan worked as a translator for two years and later worked in the field of cultural consulting, adapting advertising or business projects for a certain culture.

Eventually, she came from Italy to California to become a teacher at Burlingame.

“People were a lot more result-oriented and incredibly competitive back at home, in a way that really overshadowed a lot of growing up,” Tan said.

“What I see in the classroom here at Burlingame is the opportunity for a lot more personal growth, and you have a lot more ways to explore your interests in high school.”

Aside from teaching, Tan has a multitude of other hobbies.

She enjoys sewing, takes careful care of her plants, and is an avid reader.

Nicole Mauro

BY ABBY KNIGHT, STAFF REPORTER Nicole Mauro’s family has deep roots in the San Mateo Union High School District.

Mauro graduated from Burlingame in 1988, her brother and grandparent also went to Burlingame, her parents attended San Mateo High School and her daughter currently goes to Mills High School.

While in high school, she wrote for The Burlingame B, inspiring her to major in journalism at the University of San Francisco (USF). She would go on to earn a master’s degree in short fiction and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in poetry from Mills College at Northeastern University.

“So basically, everything had to do with writing,” Mauro said. “It doesn’t matter what it is, if it’s journalism, or poetry or whatever. I was pretty interested in it.”

Mauro teaches English 3 at Burlingame, in addition to Rhetoric and Language at USF. She came to Burlingame when a substitute teaching position opened up for Amy Farley.

“I decided to move into high school teaching because I feel like I can have more of an impact,” Mauro said. “I’m really interested in how they make arguments...not just for themselves, but also for the greater good.”

BY LAUREN GONZALEZ, STAFF REPORTER Government and Advanced Placement (AP) United States History are stressful classes: the reading is endless; the lectures are constant; and keeping track of every name, date and era in the curriculum can feel impossible. Despite these challenges, Elizabeth Bellas believes she can provide academic and emotional support to every student that walks into her classroom.

“Burlingame can be stressful for a lot of students,” Bellas said.

“Hopefully, after a month of having me as a teacher, they’ve gotten this sense [that] my goal is to not stress students out and

maybe actually make their lives a little bit less stressful.”

While she is new to the Burlingame campus, Bellas is familiar with the school district, as she previously taught at Hillsdale High School for a year. Before that, Bellas earned a bachelor’s degree in history from University of California Santa Barbara and a masters’ degree in education from Stanford University.

“I’ve had such a great time and Burlingame students are so amazing,” Bellas said. “Just so happy [and] easy to talk to.

Just so great. I’ve been having a great year so far.”

Stephanie Lee

BY JEANNINE CHIANG, STAFF REPORTER Stephanie Lee, Burlingame’s newest physical education (PE) teacher, always wanted to teach a PE class. Although Lee previously taught science at two other schools in the Bay Area — Archbishop Riordan High School and Parkside Middle School, when a job opening to teach PE popped up, Lee jumped at the opportunity.

Although Lee wants to see overall improvement among her students this year, she is more focused on teaching them to establish a growth mindset.

“I wish students took away being able to work with others no matter their ability as well as finding something that they en-

joy that will improve the overall health of their body,” Lee said.

Lee cares about each and every student and wants all students to feel supported and safe in all circumstances. She also appreciates working with the kids in an environment outside of a traditional classroom.

When Lee isn’t teaching, she likes to read, cook, hike, and try new things. Lee also loves to support her students in after-school activities.

“I love supporting my students’ extracurricular activities, and I love to go watch them do what they do best,” Lee said.

PHOTO BY JEANNINE CHIANG

toward changing,” Gray said.“My goal is to make sure people feel actually prepared to go out there in the real world and be adults”.

I had that.”

To turn her long-standing passion for English into a career, Brown received a master’s degree from Teachers College at Columbia University.

Once Brown completed graduate school, she considered her potential next steps.

“My fiance and I wanted to go somewhere new and live somewhere that was completely different from where we both grew up,” Brown said.

The Bay Area, evidently, was the perfect match. It offered dream jobs for the couple, ideal weather for spending time outside and the opportunity to explore Northern California.

PHOTO BY JOELLE HUYSMANS

PHOTO BY WILLIAM KRINER

sonal finance in its social studies standards.

“That’s something that later on in my career I’d really love to work

Amanda Brown joined the Burlingame community this fall as a new English 3 teacher.

Originally from Massachusetts, Brown received her undergraduate degree from Barnard College and spent four years working in public relations in New York. However, her career took a turn while working as a volunteer English tutor for the U.S. citizenship exam. At that point, Brown realized that teaching was her true calling.

“I wanted to do something that I felt was fulfilling to me and that had some kind of impact,” Brown said. “And when I was tutoring English, I felt like

Elizabeth Bellas

PHOTO BY LAUREN GONZALEZ

Far before Alexandra Gray found herself teaching ethnic studies, government and macroeconomics at Burlingame, she wanted to study and pursue business.

Gray attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and briefly worked at the accounting behemoth Ernst & Young. It was there Gray was inspired to switch careers.

“I realized I didn’t want a desk job where it’s sitting, staring at a screen all day,” Gray said.

After working various jobs within the scientific engineering field, Elizabeth Sendil entered a new era of her career last May as a biology and environmental science teacher at Burlingame. “[Science] explains the world in a way that makes logical sense.” Sendil said. “When you understand the pieces, then you can put them together in different ways to solve new problems or to understand the problem in a different way.”

PHOTO BY ABBY KNIGHT

BY DANIEL CONWAY, STAFF REPORTER

PHOTO BY DANIEL CONWAY

Alexandra Gray

ometry at Aragon High School, Wu knew that he would be more comfortable in a science position, leading him to Burlingame. Scoring a job at Burlingame can be a challenge, but Wu feels like the perfect fit for this community.

“I think trying to get into this district, trying to get into Burlingame as a teacher is very difficult,” Wu said. “And for me being not as experienced, I feel tremendously lucky to be here.”

Heading into his first year of teaching chemistry, Wu could not be more happy and excited to see what Burlingame and its hard-working students have to offer.

BY SOPHIA DOSS, STAFF REPORTER

PHOTO BY THEO AU-YEUNG

PHOTO BY ZACHARY NEWMAN

New to the science department, Micheal Wu didn’t take a traditional path to education.

After years of pursuing medicine, Wu realized teaching was what he really wanted to do.

“After graduating college, I was on the pre-med route,” Wu said. “I noticed that doing my work in medicine, you know, I didn’t mind it, but I didn’t love it.”

Once Wu gained his teaching credentials, he knew that education was the job for him.

“I finally was able to look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘[teaching] is what you want to do, and it’s okay to want to do it.’”

Although he first taught ge-

Elizabeth Sendil

PHOTO BY SOPHIA DOSS

PHOTO BY NATALIE GYDE

Hannah Korslund

READ THE FULL STORIES HERE:

SPORTS

8

OCTOBER 4, 2022

STATS CORNER

Sports and mental health: by the numbers FIGURE

1

BY THEO AU-YEUNG

Staff Reporter

BY MICHELLE MOSHKOVOY

Sports Editor

For many high school students, participation in sports has increasingly become one of the most consistent features in their life, taking up a significant time slot in their day. Students must battle to find a balance between their sport and the academic stresses of high school.

The Burlingame B polled Burlingame students to gain insight into how sports impact mental health.

We received 116 responses.

Here’s what we found: Based on figure 1, most respondents agree that sports benefit mental health.

To dive in deeper, we decided to observe trends between mental health and the number of sports that respondents played.

Figure 3 shows a strong but unsurprising trend: 90.5% of respondents that play at least one sport find athletics beneficial to their mental health.

As expected, respondents

FIGURE

who played sports were far more likely to agree that sports improve mental health, while respondents playing no sports tended to disagree. Despite this small sample size, it is a notable trend that the more sports played, the more likely students were to agree that sports are beneficial.

“Overall, sports are a real benefit to most students. And just in general, mental health is really benefited by activity by sports,” wellness counselor Amy Cryan said. “Overall, I think that’s true from the interactions I’ve had here as well at BHS.” So how exactly do sports impact mental health?

John Philipopoulos, Athletic Director and Burlingame varsity football head coach, said that athletics provide a community to students.

“Sports offer students an opportunity to feel a part of a group, of a family,” Philopopoulos said. “It gives them a form of mental freedom.”

Cryan resonated with Philipoloulos’ evaluation of how sports promote mental health.

2

“Setting goals, reaching goals, even healthy competition, like being part of something and reaching a goal that you set as a team,” Cryan said. “All of those are really, really good things.”

Senior Minnoli Raghavan, a three-sport athlete, has experiencd those benefits first-hand.

“With college apps and schoolwork piling up, I feel it’s harder to manage my time and get things done,” Raghavan said.

“Sports are nice to have to take your mind off those things and to escape or relieve the stress.”

Surprisingly, despite the stress-relieving effects of sports, Philipopoulos has noticed that students now miss practices much more frequently than they did earlier in his 22-year tenure as Burlingame’s Athletic Director.

The results from our poll seem to offer a rationale for the trend Philipopoulos noted.

Based on figure 2, a majority of athletes (55.8%) say that sports disrupt their schedule or academic work.

With academic stress rising, students might feel the need to

FIGURE

skip practices to get caught up on their work or participate in other extracurricular activities on their schedule.

“I often find myself evaluating what I need to do on a given day and the time I will need to allot towards those things,” Raghavan said. “I have to understand my limits and make the decision of whether or not to miss a practice to make sure I have enough time to work on things I need to do.”

3

ment really emphasize preparing our athletes for the future and the long-term benefits of athletics,” Philipopoulos said.

“And I think sports is a great avenue for student athletes to develop tools that are necessary for success in the future.”

Nonetheless, if students feel overwhelmed, the Burlingame wellness program is an accessible resource. The on-campus department offers support in the form of academic counselors or

SPORTS ARE NICE TO HAVE TO TAKE YOUR MIND OFF THOSE THINGS AND TO ESCAPE OR RELIEVE THE STRESS. MINNOLI RAGHAVAN

Philopopoulos, however, sees this as a potential learning opportunity for student athletes. Because students’ lives and schedules are increasingly filled with schoolwork, extracurriculars and sports, they are forced to learn about time management and decision-making.

“We as an athletic depart-

the Student Success Center, Cryan said.

“Even just for students to be like, ‘I’m frustrated, I’m over it, I’m tired,’ and verbalizing those things and brainstorming ways to get some support,” Cryan said. “We’re definitely here for them.”

Spirit squad cheers in the start of new school year PHOTO BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN

Varsity cheerleaders helped to energize the crowd during the first football game of the season at Capuchino High School.

BY KRISTIE KIM

Social Coordinator With the football program playing only away games in farflung locations like Napa County and Cupertino in the first six weeks of the season, Burlingame’s cheer squad has had an unconventional opening to the

season.

Undettered, the team is continuing to boost morale on the sidelines and during performances on the field.

An energetic student body helps. During their first game at Capuchino High School on Aug. 26, the student section was crowded with chanting spec-

tators sporting the black out theme.

“I think starting off as away games, it’s not that different because the crowd has been so good. I was actually shocked at first,” senior and varsity co-captain Liv Cotton said. “At the first game against Cap, the students’ section was huge. It was very lively, so it honestly felt like a home game to me at first. It just makes me more excited for the actual ones and how pumped up the student section is going to be.”

Abby Koch, the other senior varsity co-captain, said the location of the games does not hinder the cheer program’s spirit.

“I feel like even with the away games, sometimes we think [that] not that many people are going to come but I feel like for our team, that doesn’t really matter. We’re going to give the same effort and amount of how much we try if it’s an away or home game,” Koch said.

The cheer squads are not mandated to perform at all away games since many require long bus rides, but they still use their time to practice for future events and gain further knowledge in

the sport.

Regardless of the varsity team’s loss of nine graduating members from last year, co-captains Cotton and Koch have challenged themselves by stepping into leadership positions.

“I feel like we’re learning a lot of new material and gaining a lot more strength and abilities that maybe we haven’t had in the past couple years,” Koch said.

The varsity team is made up of upperclassmen with previous experience. However, the opposite is true of the junior varsity (JV) team, which largely consists of beginner cheerleaders.

Sophomore and JV captain Annie Conway is the only team member with experience in cheer, as she was one of few freshmen on JV last year.

Conway’s role has shifted from being the youngest and constantly learning to teaching and guiding other teammates.

“I think we’re all doing really well learning the cheers. And I think everyone has them down which is really impressive, because I know when I was a freshman I did not know those right away,” Conway said. “We’ve been picking up our dances, and our

stunts are going really well so far, so I’m really happy with the team.”

Because most of the JV cheer team is new, there are more members experiencing the unique perspective of the games as a cheerleader.

“The games have been really fun, they’re just really exciting.

It’s fun to watch the game but also to be part of it,” said sophomore and JV base Jasmine Pineda.

Despite football’s numerous away games, the cheer squad has participated in other school events to welcome the beginning of the year.

Cheer has ultimately played a huge role in contributing to a more spirited environment, encouraging students to be present and engaged at Burlingame.

“On the first day [of school] and during back to school night, we kind of cheered people on [as they] walked in,” Paige Cornelius, freshman and JV co-captain said. “[It] might have seemed a little silly, but I think it was helpful for people to [get that] there’s a strong sense of community.”

SPORTS

OCTOBER 4, 2022

9

GOLF

PROFILE

Golf in full swing among students Senior Reporter

When activities, restaurants, stores and tourist spots began to re-open last year, everyone had something they wanted to do first: go to the beach, eat out for dinner, watch a soccer game — the list goes on. But for some, one sport offered a particularly enticing opportunity for pandemic relief: golf.

“It was sanity to go out and breathe fresh air and just commiserate with people,” girls’ golf coach Michelle Riley said.

Golf is a major sport nation-wide, but was steadily declining in popularity prior to the pandemic. From 2003 to 2018, the sport lost 6.8 million golfers, according to the National Recreation and Park Association [NRPA] — 22% of players.

However, the pandemic flipped that trend on its head.

The National Golf Foundation [NGF] reported 24.8 million golfers nationally in 2020, a 2% increase over 2019, marking the largest net gain in participation in 17 years.

The increase in golf participants has been an especially dramatic change for Mariners Point, a golf center in Foster City. Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) golfer and junior golf director at Mariners Point Ron Sagara noticed the shift early on.

“Golf was very popular, [and] our facility got very, very busy,” Sagara said.

Mariners Point itself saw an over 50% increase in guests during the summer of 2021, and

Sophomore Allie Moran putts the ball towards the hole during a team practice at Mariners Point. double the number of kids aged seven to 11 registered for summer camps.

Golf ’s popularity among youth has translated to the Burlingame girls’ golf program; the current squad is the largest the program has seen. 52 athletes initially tried out, and 25 athletes made the final cut, a far cry from the team of six the program had just two years ago.

“That’s a huge improvement of people wanting to be part of this experience, wanting to be part of this team,” Riley said.

Every golf athlete had different motivations for joining the team. Some joined from the influence of parents, while others joined as a fallback from other sports.

“I did it because one, I didn’t make the volleyball team and two, because I could still be active and socialize with my friends,” sophomore girls’ golf athlete Anya Sternberg said.

Sternberg is not alone in appreciating the social aspect of the sport.

“You know you can go and play a quick game of nine with some friends or if you have more time you can play 18. So, there are just so many ways to engage and enjoy the sport,” Riley said.

Golf ‘s tranquil and stressfree environment also sets it apart from other sports and appeals to players.

“It’s a little more relaxed... like obviously [you have to] focus but it’s a little more laid back and you can like socialize with friends,” Sternberg said.

Even the players have noticed golf ’s resurgence among both adults and teenagers.

“It’s also kind of exciting that golf is kind of becoming more of a sport that people want to play. and it is really enjoyable. I think it is underrated,” junior Sarah Ott said.

FALL SPORTS KICK INTO GEAR

Cross Country

Girls’ Tennis

‘Shish kebabs.’

That’s how one Burlingame runner described his legs after reaching the top of the notoriously steep Cougar Hill at the Sept.

16 Artichoke Invitational, the cross country team’s first meet of the season.

Despite the challenge presented by Cougar Hill, the team still produced impressive results. Boys’ varsity placed seventh overall with a score of 183, just beating out Mills High School’s score of 184. Girls’ varsity came in fourth overall with four top 25 finishers, contributing to a team total of 131 points.

“We’re in good early season form, but there’s definitely a couple things to work on,” head coach Chris Coleman said.

On Thursday, Sept. 22, girls’ tennis hosted school rival San Mateo High School.

With a final score of 6-1, the Panthers (4-1 Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) Bay Division) easily triumphed over the Bearcats. Although the two schools are known to be rivals, Thursday’s matches were more easygoing.

Burlingame’s No. 3 doubles team, freshmen Samantha Tom and Evelyn Du, showcased their consistency yet again: the duo has won every one of their matches this season.

Although she is new to the team dynamics, Tom has enjoyed playing at the varsity level.

“I’m definitely a little nervous because everyone’s older than me, but I think I’m doing pretty well,” Tom said.

READ MORE AT THEBURLINGAMEB.ORG

PHOTO BY AMANDA NOLAN

PHOTO BY ARSHIA CHAKRAVARTTI

BY ARSHIA CHAKRAVARTTI

Former Stanford water polo player steps onto the pool deck

New coach Perry Wu coaches the girls’ varsity team to a win over Carlmont High School on Thursday, Sept. 22.

BY AMANDA NOLAN

Social Media Manager After girls’ water polo coach Dennis Clement sent in his resignation weeks before the first day of school, father and water polo player Perry Wu stepped up to the plate. But first, he had to check with his daughter, senior Natalie Sullivan Wu. Sullivan Wu, who is in her fourth year on the varsity team and is now co-captain, had to navigate the stigma around being the coach’s daughter. In doing so Sullivan Wu and her dad set the precedent that there would be no partiality as a player and family member.

“There was a hard decision to make of wanting to separate my school life and my family life, but then I also want what’s best for the team, and I wasn’t going to let that get in the way of the girls having a good season,” Sullivan Wu said.

From the start of the season, Sullivan Wu took measures to create an open dialogue with her teammates, sending multiple texts to acknowledge the awkward position but confirm she was strictly a teammate.

“I won’t be treated differently, and this doesn’t mean I have an advantage over anyone,” said Sullivan Wu. “There was a mutual understanding that he would be on the pool deck as my coach and not my dad.”

Wu’s water polo resume exceeds well beyond the typical coaching requirements. He started his water polo journey at Lynbrook High School, where he played under Steve Barnett, a two-time Olympic water polo player. He then played for Stanford University’s men’s team and now continues to play as a co-leader of the master’s water polo program through Burlingame Aquatic Center.

“He knows a lot, so when it comes to learning new skills, we learn a lot more,” junior Stella Wettan said. “He’s a really good coach in a sense that he really tries to make sure that his players are doing the best that they can, and he doesn’t really get mad at people for not doing things right, but rather that they aren’t doing things to the best of their own abilities.”

With Wu’s experience, he brings discipline and a tough coaching style. For many of the returning players, Wu’s practices have been challenging compared to Denis Clement’s more relaxed coaching.

However, as the season has gone on, their endurance has helped them make it through practice and achieve their big-picture goals “It was an initial shock, but with multiple conversations about what we want this year and our goals, we are in the same mindset. Practices are hard, but we want to do well and win,” Sullivan Wu said.

As a father, Wu prioritizes teaching the girls how to honor their commitments and grow beyond the sport of water polo.

“I just try to take opportunities out of sports and make lessons out of them for the kids,” Wu said.

OPINION

10

OCTOBER 4, 2022

EDITORIAL

IT’S TIME TO STOP WRITING ABOUT HATE EDITORIAL BOARD

On Feb. 8, 2018, the Burlingame B Editorial Board published an opinion piece following a boys basketball game in which Burlingame fans shouted racist chants and slurs at their Mills High School opponents.

At the time, our staff wrote that “Passivity exacerbates the problem; we’ve become adept at turning a blind eye to the sort of behavior that turns into a racially-inclined chant at a basketball game.”

On May 23, 2019, a staff member of the Burlingame B wrote an article titled “Anti-Semitism alive and well at Burlingame” in response to swastikas and antisemitic messages found on the vandalized locker of a Jewish sophomore.

In the incident’s aftermath, the Burlingame administration was “virtually silent,” the author wrote.

On Sept. 6, 2019, the Burlingame B authored a story called “Burlingame High School target of hate-motivated vandalism” after a facilities engineer discovered racist and homophobic messages spray-painted across the walls of school buildings in the early morning. At the time, this year’s seniors were in their first month of freshman year — still anxiously trying to memorize their locker code, desperately studying for their first biology

MILLS BASKETBALL GAME 2018

SPRAY PAINT ON CAMPUS 2019

test, and forgetting to wash their physical education clothes.

On Sept. 19, 2019, the Burlingame B Editorial Board published a piece much like the one you are reading now. That editorial said the quiet part out loud: no one is surprised when another hate incident takes place at Burlingame, because it’s never an isolated occurrence. Explicit displays of hate — graffiti, van-

GRAPHIC BY LIZZY WAN

BY THE BURLINGAME B

GRAND JURY INDICTMENT 2020

BATHROOM GRAFFITI 2022 VANDALIZED LOCKER 2019

dalism and racist chants — were just “public example[s] of what [students] faced every day.”

“We’ve been here before,” the editorial openly declared.

Almost three years later, our new managing team wrote their first breaking news story of the year: “Racist, Anti-Semitic graffiti discovered on campus.” We heard from a student whose parents wanted her to transfer be-

cause of Burlingame’s reputation for hate. We talked to a teacher who said Burlingame’s culture is less welcoming than other schools. And that students don’t want to be here because of that culture.

We’re writing the same story repeatedly: Burlingame breeds racism, homophobia and antisemitism, and denying that reality only perpetuates it. But

our words, however strident and pleading, no longer have the desired impact on our readers. Our community is desensitized to the reality that hate plagues our school; as a result, rather than look at ourselves in the mirror, we prefer to plug our ears and flip the page.

Simultaneously, our teachers have worked tirelessly to incorporate anti-racist and anti-bias professional development into the new curriculum, and our district has updated their policies to reflect the same goals. But our school is fighting an uphill battle if our community continues to lag.

After the 2018 basketball game, former principal Paul Belzer made an announcement over the loudspeaker. “Although we are not defined by the acts of some of our community, we need to stand together and make it clear this kind of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” he said.

Almost five years later, this statement is laughable. Make no mistake: Burlingame is defined by how some members of our community act. These incidents darken the reputation of the entire school. While only a small subset of students commit acts of hate, we all wear ‘Burlingame High School’ on our sweatshirts, jerseys and helmets. That means each and every student needs to bear the responsibility equally for changing the way our students at our school behave.

Unfair advanatage: It’s time to forget about college legacy

BY LIZZY WAN

Diversity Coordinator

15.5% OF HARVARD’S CLASS OF 2025 ARE LEGACY.

years. Harvard’s president, Lawrence Bacow, makes a little over a million dollars a year. Clearly the school will not be running out of money anytime soon.

The benefits of legacy don’t stop at the admissions process.

If they don’t make it into their parent’s school, legacy students are often offered pathways to still attend. For example, the University of Southern California (USC) selects students for a transfer plan, allowing them to study abroad for their first year, maintain a certain GPA and transfer as a sophomore.

The program is notorious for mainly selecting rejected legacy students, although the exact numbers are unkown.

However, according to USC legacy transfer Megan Ely’s

testimony in an Anneberg Media article, the rumors are true.

In the article, Ely recalled that all of the classmates Ely knew were also legacy students.

Despite being prevalent across the United States, legacy admissions are not popular among students. College Pulse conducted a survey in 2019 that found seven in 10 students believe that taking legacy into consideration is unfair when looking at college applications.

There is a path to solving this problem: just this year, the Fair College Admissions for Students Act bill was introduced to the Senate, which would prohibit schools that

participate in federal student-aid programs from considering legacy or donations when looking at possible applicants.

By keeping legacy a prominent consideration when looking at applicants, schools continue to support a more wealthy group of students, as those were the only people who used to attend higher education, especially elite institutions. This only makes it more and more difficult for students who are not part of this small group to gain admittance. Schools must get rid of the archaic tradition of prioritizing money over the merit of their students.

SURVEY BY THE HARVARD CRIMSON

lieve is necessary to maintaining G Harvard’s academic prestige.

But at the end of 2021, Harvard had the largest endowment in the country, worth an estimated $53 billion, and received an estimated $1.4 billion worth of donations in 2018 alone. Clearly, the donations are helpful — but they seem awfully unnecessary, especially for a university that An article by The Guardian found that around 70% of Harvard’s legacy applicants were white, costs $303,564 to attend for four revealing how using legacy promotes a less diverse group of students.

IC PH RA

Z LIZ BY

AN YW

My dad went to a private school that considers legacy.

Automatically, that makes me a better candidate for the school.

When I apply, my chance of admission should be far higher than a student whose parent didn’t attend the college, right?

This statement is absolutely ridiculous. But most colleges don’t think so.

A 2018 survey by Inside Higher Ed found that 42% of private schools and 6% of public schools consider legacy when looking at applicants. Generally, at least one of a student’s parents must attend the school to qualify for legacy, although it can be used more broadly to include grandparents and siblings.

This includes every school in the Ivy League, where Spark Admissions estimated that between 25% and 35% of admitted students are legacies.

Does sharing the blood of an alumnus inherently make me a better applicant to the school?

No. Do they think I bleed the school’s colors because of my lineage? No. So why do so many schools care about legacy?

The answer is pretty simple: money. Universities in the United States, especially private

schools, rely heavily on a steady stream of hefty donations. Families with a long line of alumni from a specific school tend to donate more. To keep the cash flowing, schools are more likely to accept students from these families.

An article by Joe Pinsker of The Atlantic titled “The Real Reasons Legacy Preferences Exist” revealed that a 2017 committee at Harvard University found that if it accepted fewer legacy students, the school would put itself at risk of getting fewer donations, which they be-

COMMUNITY

OCTOBER 4, 2022

11

PHOTO BY DARIA BURNOSOVA

BY DARIA BURNOSOVA

Senior Reporter

After weeks of review by activities director Erik Bennett and his leadership class, the club fair showcased several new and diverse clubs. The incoming clubs provide students with the chance to explore interests related to sports, ethnicity, religion, music and community service.

The Ukrainian club, Clothes for Kids club and Pickleball club are among the organizations now available to Burlingame students.

Ukrainian Club

Clothes for Kids Club

The Ukrainian club, led by president Masha Dontova, allows students to taste delicious Ukrainian and Russian food while offering a safe space to talk and express their opinions about the current war between the two countries.

“The purpose of our club is to talk about today’s situation between Ukraine and Russia.

Also, to learn about Ukrainian culture,” Dontova said.

In order to provide a safe

President Zoe Tsai founded Clothes for Kids club to raise money for organizations which provide clothes for disadvantaged and impoverished children.

“We plan to fundraise money through bake sales and other types of fundraisers, so that we can donate the money to the Samaritan house and other organizations that get kids who need clothes and the apparel that they need,” Tsai said.

Tsai wants students to join the club in order to promote unity within the community, and help those who may be in need.

“People should join to support our community, especially if you’re interested in helping people that are less fortunate than you. This is a great way to get involved,” Tsai said.

Pickleball Club Hank and Charlie Lane formed the Pickleball club to offer students an opportunity to learn more about the trending sport. They hope to teach club members about the origins of pickleball, how to play the sport, and famous people who participate in the game.

The brothers also plan to familiarize the broader Burlingame community with the sport.

“We are going to possibly partner with organizations such as the Burlingame Rec Center and the boys and girls club to spread the sport to more places,” Charlie Lane said.

PHOTO BY DARIA BURNOSOVA

The Ukrainian club offered samples of their ethnic cuisine to encourage students to join their organization.

space for discussion, Dontova plans to hold a couple of meetings in the fall that would allow students to gather and talk about Ukraine and Russia.

More than anything, Dontova created the club for students to share anything they feel passionate about. “[We want] to talk about Ukraine and Russia. If anyone has something to say, they’re voices are always heard in the club,” Dontova said. “We will also eat Ukrainian and Russian snacks during club meetings.”

PHOTO BY DARIA BURNOSOVA

At club fair, Burlingame welcomes influx of student groups

Top: Juniors Evan Kim, Zaren Lami and Charlie Lane promote the Pickleball Club.

Bottom: Club president Zoe Tsai shows students the benefit of joining Clothes for Kids.

Train track crossing updated to clear way for electrification Business Manager

installation of the Crossing Optimization Project in 2024, which will update Wi-Fi and train schedules using an online system, helping to conduct accurate train crossings. This update will make the Two Speed Check system obsolete.

As Caltrain looks to electrify in the next two years, they will continue to do work in the Burlingame area.

“We’re very excited about that project. We’ll have more service after it’s electrified, much cleaner, greener. Just a much more comfortable ride for everybody,” Caltrain officials tested the new signaling system at multiple BurTietjen said. lingame crossings as a part of their electrification project.

PHOTO BY ALEX KELLY

Over the summer, Caltrain conducted tests at Burlingame railroad crossings to test the Two Speed Check system, a train signaling update. This system will check a train’s speed at two different locations to ensure that the train bar goes down in time, replacing the old system, first installed in 1991, which ran on electrical currents to detect when to drop the train bar.

The old system will not work with electrified Caltrain, set to launch in late 2024. Thus, the Two Speed Check system was installed.

“Once you go into an electrified system, you can’t use that system anymore because it used electric currents,” Caltrain official Brent Tietjen said. “So with the electric system, we have to use something that has actual speed checks on the rail corridor on the tracks.”

Caltrain has now installed this new system at 17 train crossings in the cities of Burlingame and San Mateo. A total of 41 will eventually be switched to the Two Speed Check system.

Since installing this system in May, Caltrain has tested the system twice, most recently with an update during the weekend of Sept. 17 and 18 to fix a bug in the system.

“It’s a little more high-tech than our older system, so there are some updates they need to do to just work out any bugs that were there,” Tietjen said.

The train crossing malfunction at the Burlingame crossings on the weekend of August 28th was independent of the testing and installation process.

It caused some delay for Burlingame community members like senior Lily Hartley, who was late to her job at Burlingame Aquatic Club (BAC) because of the interruption.

“I was incredibly frustrated because I was late to my lesson, and I made a bad first impression on the family that I was teaching a lesson to,” Hartley said.

The complete overhaul of the train signaling system will also not solve the problem of “phantom” trains. This phenomenon, familiar to Burlingame students, occurs when the train bar goes down in absence of a train. It often occurs when the train stops at a nearby station, but not the one with the bar down. Students see this happen at both the Oak Grove and Burlingame station crossings.

But this does not mean that students can make their way across the tracks when the bar is down.

“Whether you think it’s a phantom train or not, you’ve absolutely had people who assumed that they were safe in the past, make some very poor decisions and we want to make sure that everyone understands — just trust the gate,” said Dan Lieberman, public affairs specialist for Caltrain.

The “phantom” train problem should be solved with the

PHOTO BY ALEX KELLY

BY ALEX KELLY

After school, students cross the train tracks at Burlingame Avenue and Carolan Avenue.

STUDENT LIFE

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OCTOBER 4, 2022

Burlingame’s fashionistas put their spin on fall trends

BY RUBY ROSENQUIST

SOPHIA

Staff Reporter

It’s retro season, and Burlingame’s classrooms look like museums filled with unique relics from past decades. With low-rise jeans and platform converse from the 1960s accompanied by oversized graphic tees and fishnets from the 1980s, style has truly come

full circle. After returning to school, students are updating their wardrobes to get ready for fall. I spoke with junior Avah Reichow, junior Santiago Tarango and senior Sophia Van Ryswyk about their takes on recent fashion trends and what style means to them.

AVAH

SANTIAGO

Junior Santiago Tarango, a drama student and fall aficionado, loves wearing clothes that make him feel comfortable about his identity.

He is not the type of person who plans out what he is going to wear the day before but rather prefers picking something on the spot.

Combining shades of blue, brown and black, Tarango’s wardrobe can appear simple at first glance. However, he relies on accessories to enhance his outfit. “[Jewelry] can make something basic be a little more dressed up,” said Tarango. “It makes it look like you put effort into your outfit.”

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In particular, he expresses himself by wearing an assortment of rings.

He believes that his looks should be purposeful, and his jewelry reflects that intention.

He buys his clothes and accessories from a variety of stores, but mentioned that he intentionally avoids looking like everyone else.

“I don’t play sports and I don’t have a job, so I don’t really wear any functional clothing,” Tarango said.

Instead, Tarango wears clothing that helps him express his cultural identity as a Latino.

“When I wear my favorite clothes, I just feel good about myself,” said Tarango. “Clothes

of myself as a bright person, and I think that is reflected in my colorful, spring-themed clothes.”

Now that the weather is starting to turn, Van Ryswyk said she plans on replacing shorts with jeans.

Nevertheless, she will continue to incorporate color into her looks.

Y ROSENQUIST PHOTO BY RUB

because he is always so wonderfully dressed,” said Reichow. “I want him to be a part of my life, and I reflect that through my clothing.”

Van Ryswyk will spot new and unique clothing that sparks her creativity.

“Honestly, I don’t think that I do well with keeping up on fashion trends,” said Van Ryswyk. “But, I like passing by people and seeing clothes that I will keep in mind the next time I go shopping.”

Along with the students she sees at school, her mom is a source of fashion inspiration — and an extensive wardrobe.

“I love thrifting,” said Van Ryswyk. “I mean, my mom’s closet has really good clothes.”

According to Van Ryswyk, her and her mom have very similar styles and personalities.

“I just like what I wear,” said Van Ryswyk. “I think

PHOTO BY RUBY ROSENQUIST

“I draw a lot of inspiration from stuff that he has worn, especially incorporating his merch which is always so fun and happy,” said Reichow.

Without his influence, Reichow’s wardrobe would not be complete. She feels connected to Harry Styles because they both have a shared sense of liking fashion.

“Obviously, Harry Styles is amazing with fashion

Y ROSENQUIST PHOTO BY RUB

Junior Avah Reichow, a gymnast and enthusiastic Harry Styles fan, knows what’s up at Burlingame.

Her closet, which is made up of neutral tones and a few colorful accents, illustrates her simple aesthetic. Every night, she plans out the next day’s outfit while considering crucial factors such as the environment and weather forecast.

Her main goal: feeling comfortable in her own skin.

“Gymnastics has influenced how I view my body, which in turn influences what I wear,” Reichow said. “I’ve learned to be more comfortable with myself, so I really wear whatever makes me feel good.”

When Reichow chooses an outfit that balances simplicity with confidence, it sets her up for a fantastic day. Along with wearing what feels good, Reichow makes an effort to stay up to date on current trends.

“Scrolling through Pinterest or Tik Tok, I will see an outfit that I like and try to recreate it,” said Reichow.

She often centers outfits around the wardrobe of her favorite celebrity: Harry Styles.

Styles, according to Reichow, is an iconic artist because his merchandise can be seen everywhere.

Senior Sophia Van Ryswyk, a swimmer and lover of all things spring-related, has developed a distinct style since freshman year of high school.

“I really like colorful clothing,” said Van Ryswyk. “Whenever I am out shopping and I see a fun top or pants, I always want to buy them.”

Van Ryswyk prefers shopping in-person rather than online. Because sizes can vary dramatically between clothing brands, it is difficult for her to judge whether or not something fits when she shops online.

“Online shopping isn’t my thing,” said Van Ryswyk. “You just want to be comfortable.”

As an active athlete who also participates in important school functions, her outfits vary from day to day. Often,

are a good way to express myself and like the person that I am.”

Rather than following the norm and adopting athletic wear, he draws inspiration from the environment around him.

“If I see somebody walking down the street and hear myself say ‘wow, that’s a dope fit,’ I know I have to try it,” said Tarango. “Sometimes all it takes is seeing something that you like and having the confidence to wear it.”

TIME TO BeReal.

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PHOTOS BY SOPHIA BELLA

TRENDING APP CAPTURES AUTHENTICITY

BY KRISTIE KIM

Social Coordinator BeReal, a French app released in 2020, has taken hold of the social media world. The concept of the app is intentionally simple, unique and easy to use: once a day, at a random time, the app notifies all of its users that they have two minutes to take a picture (a BeReal) “on time.” If you miss the timer, the app allows you to post a late BeReal that still has a two-minute restriction. BeReal uses cameras on both sides of your phone to simultaneously capture a selfie and your environment. In order to see your friends’ BeReals for the day, you must post your own.

The idea of having to take a spontaneous picture at a specific time of the day offers an appealing contrast to other social media platforms. Social media is all

about looking good, posting the best parts of your life and hiding the imperfections; BeReal is the opposite. Yes, you can pose for BeReal, or save it for when you look best during the day, but its core purpose is to offer friends an honest and raw snapshot of your life.

Senior Kiana Hee first downloaded BeReal in January of this year after her brother, who is in college, started using it. She regularly posts to see what her friends are up to and enjoys reacting to them.

“It’s like you’re not putting your best self out there,” Hee said. “It’s literally just like being real and so you can be more authentic and it sort of takes away the pressure of posting.”

The app is unlike other social media platforms in another significant way: there isn’t an addicting algorithm. With apps like Instagram or TikTok, you

can scroll through random pictures or videos curated to your taste, and the content pops up continuously. With BeReal, there is little to do beyond looking at your friends’ BeReals for the day and reacting to them.

Another special part of the app is the memories function, which allows users to see a collection of their past BeReals.

Simple, random pictures from shopping at the grocery store, attending a festival or enjoying a beach day can all be captured in memories.

Admittedly, while the app is unique, it can also make people feel guilty or unproductive when their memories are filled with pictures in bed.

So take the app or leave it.

But, for the love of god, please don’t post a lame picture 26 hours late.