October Issue 2023

Inside Burlingame’s grade inflation

Admin looks to address issue in return to pre-pandemic learning

BY WILL KRINER Senior Reporter

“That class is an easy A.” The words almost every student yearns to hear when they sign up for a class — a promise that their GPA will be boosted with minimal effort.

According to the San Mateo Union High School District website, 32% of Burlingame students received a 4.0 GPA or higher in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to 26% during the 2020-2021 online school year — that’s an additional 90 students with at least a 4.0.

The pandemic unde-

niably exacerbated grade inflation. In an era of heightened uncertainty and hardship, it was impossible to maintain traditional grading policies. Students completed work virtually and were generally subject to less strict grading. Additionally, in the spring semester of 2020, a Pass/Fail grading system replaced the traditional A-F system.

“All teachers were encouraged through the curriculum to not have late work penalties and to excuse late work and to go above and beyond on the empathy side of things,”

English teacher Bethany Li said. “The ripple effects of those empathy moves were certainly the possibility for more attainable high achievement in a class during COVID as compared to prior to COVID.”

But three years later, Burlingame is finally ready to return to normalcy, according to Principal Jen Fong. No overt changes are being made to the grading policies, but teachers will make sure students are held accountable for the completion and authenticity of their work.

“This COVID era won’t be as much in play as it was last year or defi nitely not when we were virtu al,” Fong said. “If students aren’t [com pleting work] then there will be fewer excus es that are valid for why you’re not completing work.”

See grade inflation, page 2

PHOTOS BY THE BURLINGAME B STAFF GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA BELLA

Plans to address grade inflation

Fong’s long-term goal is to accelerate the learning process for students who fell behind during pandemic-induced disruptions.

“For example, you can take Spanish, Chinese or Italian, and if you took it virtually you did not learn as much as you did if you took it in class, where you were required to speak the target language every day,” Fong said.

English teacher Sophie Abitbol has already taken steps to return to pre-pandemic grading policies, establishing firm deadlines and penalizing late work.

“My seniors are responding really well,” Abitbol said. “I’m very impressed with how this year my seniors have been turning in their work and in much more timely fashion than last year and the year before.”

Grade inflation isn’t on the radar for history teacher Joshua Gnass, however.

“It is certainly true that the average GPA has increased at schools and colleges, but it doesn’t seem to me to be the big-

Phone

gest problem facing us as educators that we should spend a lot of time worrying about it,” Gnass said.

Junior Jayden Wan acknowledged that grade inflation exists, but did not attribute it to relaxed pandemic policies. Instead, he believes that students are simply prioritizing academics.

“I would attribute it to a growing emphasis on colleges,” Wan said. “As a result of these different platforms promoting college as a kind of philosopher’s stone, I think that you definitely have more emphasis on academics.”

There is also disagreement on the merits of grade inflation.

“I think the benefit of getting an accurate grade is that you can know what you have learned,” Fong said. “...and that [teachers] can maybe help you seek out additional help or tutoring.”

On the other hand, students still just want to hear the words “that class is an easy A.”

“As soon as you start to worry about your GPA being lower,

I feel like the students sense a lack of empathy from the teacher and they start to shut down, especially kids who are on the edge of trying to take a challenging class,” Gnass said. “As soon as you feel like, ‘I’m not going to get the grade I want,’ you might drop that class and take an easier class.”

Managing water in California

BY ARSHIA CHAKRAVARTTI Copy Editor

Cars submerged in water, storm drains overflowing and roads under emergency closures. For many, these scenes probably once brought Florida, Louisiana or the rain-heavy Pacific Northwest to mind. But following the barrage of atmospheric storms that hit California earlier this year and a historic hurricane that recently passed through Los Angeles, this description also seems fitting for our state. As a result, many would think that the state would finally be out of its decades-long drought. But that assumption has proven to be a false hope.

While heavy rainfall has improved California’s water supply, a lack of management in effectively capturing water has led to increased losses.

“If we look at the levels of water in specifically reservoirs like Shasta Reservoir, the water levels rose 150 feet because of that rain season, but since then, in the past several months, its declined almost 50 feet,” said junior Carly Peters, a recent intern in the Youth Climate Ambassador program, run by San Mateo County’s Office of Sustainability.

Specifically, the Los Angeles Times has reported that although the storms from the summer added to the record-setting rainfall in the winter, only a percentage of the water from Hurricane Hilary was captured. Because local infrastructure was unprepared for the unprecedented storms, most of the precipitation bypassed the systems and flowed back into the ocean.

pouches: a new solution

BY ZACHARY NEWMAN Sports Editor

Students bitterly refer to them as cages. Others describe them euphemistically as hotels. Teachers compromise on “cubbies” or “parking lots.” But they’re all talking about the same thing: The phone pouches on the walls and by desks newly implemented in almost every classroom this year.

“[We’ve collected phones] because we’re sick of telling [students] to get off of them,” Dean of Students Nicole Carter said. “You tend to see the same kids on their phones, and those are the kids we’re worried about with addiction.”

Last year, English teacher Sophie Abitbol and several in the science department began collecting phones after a technology-related cheating incident. This year, the English and language departments imposed a new policy with phone pouches.

“The phones have been a distraction, and we want to make sure that all the students here are learning,” Principal Jen Fong said. “Teachers have [told] me they feel students are communicating more effectively and talking to each other in a positive way.”

Teachers have dubbed the new policies in classrooms a solution to teaching in a technology-dominated world, according to Carter.

“[Students] are paying attention, they’re doing better on [assessments],” Carter said.

Only some believe collecting phones is a good idea, many students view the policy as an infringement of their privacy.

“People shouldn’t be allowed to take our phones from us, because it is our personal property and many of us paid for them,” junior Edy Knight said.

Expecting pushback, teachers had in-class discussions or as-

signments during the first week of school to convince students storing phones was to their benefit.

“Students are using them too often at inappropriate times, and it’s getting in the way of academics,” Carter said. “It’s getting in the way of social interactions and [opportunities].”

While some students are content with putting their phones in a pouch during class, many find it inconvenient and difficult to communicate when needed.

“Often there could be important texts or calls from parents, and forcing us to put our phones in those little slots could potentially make us miss something important going on with our family or personal lives,” Knight said.

Fong understands students’ concerns but is confident the policy is beneficial.

“We’re here to prioritize learning and [phones] generally [have] been more of a distraction,” Fong said. “I know kids need their phones to and from school for communication, for safety, but during school, for the most part, students are safe here, and they [need] to focus on their learning.”

According to Knight, some enterprising students bring anoth-

er phone to school as an extra to keep with them during class. Other students ignore the policy, hoping the teacher won’t notice.

“Why is [collecting phones] unfair?” Carter said. “That is literally what I would ask [students]. Give me good reasons as to why this is unfair, and then I’d respond to whatever it was they had to say. It’s not unfair. [Students] just don’t like being told no.”

Spanish teacher Stephen Held feels the new measures are a reminder that everyone, even teachers, can work on phone usage.

“I’m addicted to my phone,” Held said. “It’s [tough] not to use it, so any situation that you can, even if you may not like it at the beginning, [have] it away.”

As the school year progresses, teachers and administration will monitor the issue, but for now, the consensus is the pouches — or prisons, or hotels — are a win.

“[Phone usage] compared to last year? It’s been incredible.” Held said. “Students, they’re talking to each other [more] and having normal interactions. I was a little reluctant personally, to be honest, at the beginning, but it’s gone very well, and I’m glad that I’ve done it.”

Reid Bogert is the program director of the San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program, specializing in water pollution and management. Bogert touched on local efforts implemented in northern California to prevent water storage from overflowing.

“Another option is to capture it in a basin. It could be basically like a rain barrel or a cistern above ground or below ground…which is a great way to conserve water when there are periods of drought,” Bogert said.

In order to properly manage water resources, cities need to utilize methods that can properly direct captured groundwater throughout the state.

“One thing we could aim to do is probably replenishing a lot of aquifers…and water recharge,” said senior Stella Wettan, who helped to found the Cascade Climate Action club. “There’s natural water recharge, but I think we can also do artificial water recharge.”

Having available storage methods like water recharge and underground basins is crucial in the event of heavy storms.

“These larger underground stormwater capture systems, those are handy during a larger storm like that [atmospheric rivers] because you could capture maybe hundreds of thousands of gallons,” Bogert said.

While statewide legislation on water resource management can take time to implement, there are ways that individuals can make an impact, such as cutting down on water usage.

“I would say educating your parents and making sure that adults are educated, because specifically in San Mateo County… it’s more of a suburban area with a lot of lawns,” Peters said.

As part of the new policy, freshman Arsenii Trutnev puts his phone into his assigned pocket before class.

PHOTO BY ZACHARY NEWMANN

News Briefs

Trading P.E. for practice?

District makes P.E. class optional for sophomore athletes

BY JEANNINE CHIANG Web Editor

Band practices for key performances

Although the school year has barely begun, the band is already hard at work in preparation for one of the main highlights of the school year: the 96th annual Little Big Game against San Mateo High School. Simultaneously, the music program is readying for the school’s Centennial Celebration, a weekend-long event held from Oct. 13 to 14.

Theater rehearses for riveting fall play

Opening Thursday, Oct. 26, Burlingame’s fall play will feature stories from the Iliad, the Odyssey and Greek mythology, rewritten and performed as a fast-paced modern comedy. The play, titled “The Iliad, the Odyssey and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes Or Less,” condenses the thousand-page-long epics of Grecian authors into a 99-minute highlight reel.

Burlingame students attend local fire camp

On Saturday, Sept. 16 and Sunday, Sept. 17, female firefighters from several Northern California fire departments hosted the biannual NorCal First Alarm Fire Camp at College of San Mateo for high school girls from across the Bay Area. The camp was no small commitment: It ran from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, with girls rotating through five different activities on each day.

Starting this year, sophomores who participate in a sport do not have to take physical education (P.E.) classes during the season in which they compete. The San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees implemented the new system in response to popular demand from parents and students, who argued that P.E. is unnecessary for student-athletes. According to the 2023 fall athletics report, over 30% of all athletes (223 out of 731) are in 10th-grade. Now, those 10th graders substitute P.E. for a free block period to study, complete homework, and socialize in the library.

Although P.E. is taught during every period, the vast majority of sophomore athletes are in sixth period — and it’s no coincidence.

“When [the district administrators] were making [this plan on] the board, we were trying to have as few students as possible miss class time for athletics,” said P.E. depart ment head and athletics director John Philipopoulos. “So they loaded a bunch of athletes into sixth period P.E. so that when they were getting early releases for cheer, football, softball [or] whatever the sport is, they would miss P.E. instead of an academic class.”

29% of sophomores

(109 out of 381) are currently exempt from P.E. and 82 of them are in study hall during sixth period. Additionally, 47% (105 out of 223) of all sophomore athletes are signed up for the fall season. For the students who are left in class, especially those who compete in sports outside of school, the class can feel like a waste of time.

to their high school sport,” sophomore Keira Au said.

Au believes students playing any sport, either in school or through an outside organization, should get excused from P.E. But doing so could make it even harder to regulate the exception. Already, it’s not clear whether those participating in school athletics are simply doing it to get out of doing P.E.

I enjoy the study hall because it gives me time to work on homework that I would have to cram in late at night.”

- Kyle Igushi

“I hate still having to do P.E. because I do an outside sport [gymnastics and volleyball], and I hate running in general. I feel like it’s unfair because my commitment to an outside sport is bigger than my friend’s commitment

“Although I haven’t noticed or have heard anything about a change in participating athletes, it was an initial concern of mine. Do I think it’s [students joining high school athletics to skip P.E.] happening? I’m sure it is. But for now, I haven’t really noticed anything on my end and the numbers have still held pretty steady,” Philipopoulos said.

Chris Coleman, the head coach of the cross-country team, corroborated Philipopoulos’ data, claiming that student participation has remained stable in his program.

“Our cross country numbers have stayed relatively the same. Although we have a group of students who only come to practices and not races, I

wouldn’t say the kids are here just to skip out on P.E.,” Coleman said.

Nevertheless, Coleman has instituted guardrails to keep students committed. Attendance is more important than ever, and sophomores who aren’t regularly at practice are forced to make up every practice they’ve missed with a P.E. class.

Despite the complexities of the new system, sophomores said they appreciate the change.

“Not having P.E. is definitely something that I think most students are happy about. I enjoy the study hall because it gives me time to work on homework that I would have to cram in late at night. I’m able to be productive using this time,” said sophomore Kyle Igushi, a member of the boys’ varsity water polo team.

Because most of Ishigu’s high school water polo games occur on odd days, forcing him to miss seventh period, he values the extra time during sixth period to catch up on crucial missed lessons.

“Overall, I think it’s a great program. It’s in the early stages, and there’s always going to be little kinks that we need to work out,” Philipopoulos said. “But we’ve had great support from our admission, and the district administration. All together, we’re working as a team to make sure that our students get what they need.”

Sophomore athletes line up to scan their IDs when checking into the library for study hall during sixth period on Monday, Sept. 11.

PHOTO BY JEANNINE CHIANG

Cross-country athletes huddle together after practice to discuss their schedule for upcoming races on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

PHOTO BY JEANNINE CHIANG

PHOTO BY INY LI

PHOTO BY EMMA YU

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANE HENDRY

Navigating college admissions in a post-affirmative action world

BY ARDA INEGOL Business Manager

What was the decision?

On June 29, the Supreme Court ended affirmative action at all U.S. colleges and universities by stating that institutions of higher education cannot consider race in admissions. In the 6-3 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts asserted that affirmative action did indeed violate the Equal Protection Clause, preventing colleges from using checkboxes to determine the race of their applicants. Still, the case allows colleges to consider the diversity students will bring to a school through supplemental essays.

What will colleges change?

The monumental decision forced many colleges to alter their admissions process before opening ap plications for this fall. Soon after the decision, sever al college presidents and admissions deans emailed their students and potential applicants, alerting them that affirmative action was no longer in place. Nevertheless, several colleges made clear that they would give increased importance to supplemental essays, allowing students to talk about their back grounds and identities.

Burlingame’s college and career advisor, Jona than Dhyne, advises students to think deeply about their supplemental essays this year, stating that the essays can be a game changer in the admissions process.

“Whether or not the checkbox is there for your race or ethnicity, there are other ways to talk about your experiences and champion who you are,” Dhyne said.

What do students think about the decision?

Although views on affirmative action often fall along partisan lines — with progressives in favor of the practice and conservatives against it — the issue is far from binary.

For one, senior Raymond Frank, a half-Black, half-Filipino student, believes that affirmative action unfairly benefits minority students like him,

providing them with an underserved edge in admissions at the expense of other students.

“There are a lot of people out there who study for the SAT or put a lot of work in to get into top schools, but then due to their race being white or Asian or anything like that, they don’t,” Frank said.

Additionally, he believes minorities already have the resources to succeed, such as access to the internet or libraries, and do not need the extra support. Agreeing with the Supreme Court’s decision, Frank prefers that colleges focus on merit rather than race.

How will the decision affect Burlingame’s applicants?

It will hurt my application

Not sure

It will not affect my application

a holistic review process that takes personality and background into account.

“Sometimes people [say], ‘Well, I saw this person, and they’re a minority, and they got accepted and they didn’t have this or that’…but that person could have written a much better essay than you did and that could have gotten them into the college,” Perez said.

How will the decision affect Burlingame?

Now that affirmative action has been struck down, senior Raymond Frank believes the decision might benefit non-minority applicants at Burlingame.

“I think [the decision to end] affirmative action could benefit [Burlingame] in particular in the sense that finally [students’] hard work will be recognized, and they’ll be rewarded for those efforts,” Frank said.

It will benefit my application

“I know a lot of Black, Hispanic students, other minority students who really work hard and genuinely deserve to get into these schools,” Frank said. “I think people should get into [Ivy League schools] or other good schools not based on their race or whatever they can’t control, but on how much effort and time they put into education.”

On the other hand, senior Ella Perez, a white and Hispanic student, believes that striking down affirmative action is contradictory to the main intention of the 14th Amendment since it denies opportunities for underrepresented students.

“The whole point of affirmative action is equity over equality,” Perez said.

Although Perez wants merit to play a crucial role in admissions, she mentioned that colleges cannot admit everyone since a large number of applicants have similarly high grade point averages, demanding

Conversely, senior Ella Perez believes the decision will not change much for Burlingame, asserting that it will benefit rural and first-generation students with limited access to opportunities.

“There aren’t a lot of people [at Burlingame] who want the ethnicity piece or minority piece to give them an upper edge,” Perez said.

Matthew McDermott, an ethnic studies, Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. Government and AP Macroeconomics teacher at Burlingame, believes that the decision might benefit Asian applicants more than it will white applicants.

“I wonder if it might benefit our Asian population because, as you saw in the evidence in the Harvard case, it was a lot of Asian students struggling to get full admission,” McDermott said.

Although he believes the decision could have unprecedented effects nationwide, McDermott emphasized that he does not think it will not be a huge game changer for applicants who are already represented at universities.

“Some of our minority students are going to feel the brunt more than, you know, maybe white and Asian students feeling the benefit,” McDermott said.

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court stated that U.S. colleges can’t consider race in admissions. How will the decision impact Burlingame?

Robotaxis, the SF spectacle

BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN Managing Editor

Buzzing around the busy San Francisco streets, one may stumble across a peculiar sight — scifi-esque camera-mounted cars with no driver behind the wheel.

This August, select users from the general public gained access to pay for 24/7 rides in General Motors’ Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo driverless robotaxis after the California Public Utilities Commission granted permits to the two companies. Prior to the August decision, Cruise could only offer paid rides to the general public in limited areas of San Francisco from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and Waymo only offered free rides during the day with a safety driver.

I decided to see if the robotaxis lived up to the hype. On Sep. 23, I called a Waymo robotaxi (a modified Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV) to take my friend Ariuka PurevChang and me from the 24th St. Mission Bay Area Rapid Transit station to Japantown.

Unfortunately, the ride started off with a hitch when the car pulled up a block away from the station, forcing me to run across the street to get in the car. However, after I entered the car, my experience was quite positive — I was robotically greeted with my name and given safety instructions as the car began to drive. Based on my experience, the car’s driving performance was quite good. It made no clear mistakes and drove smoothly.

At the moment, robotaxis are more of a luxury service for riders looking to upgrade their experience. Our ride totaled $17.22, while an Uber ride for four people on the same route and time of day costs $11.47, not including tips.

Some Burlingame students, such as senior Isaac Van Voorhis, have taken a ride on a robotaxi. Over the summer, while

on his first experience in a Waymo, the car unexpectedly pulled over.

“It stopped a little quickly, and like the person behind us was honking at us,” Van Voorhis said. “You could tell there were very minor things still getting worked out with [the robotaxi].”

According to the San Fransico Chronicle, there have been a total of 207 robotaxi-related accidents in San Francisco from mid-2022 to Aug. 16, with none of the accidents directly causing deaths. Although the number of accidents may seem high, it is relatively low compared to the 4,285 deaths caused by human drivers in California during 2021.

“I think that robotaxis are incredibly safe,” history teacher and San Francisco resident Joshua Gnass said. “They’re much safer than human drivers. I think humans kill countless pedestrians every year, and I think in the history of robotaxis no one has been killed.”

Although robotaxi companies are expanding their networks into other urban areas, including Los Angeles County and Austin, Burlingame Mayor Michael

Spin bikes are here to stay

BY SOPHIA DOSS Senior Reporter

In May, the cities of Burlingame and Millbrae launched a bike share program in partnership with Spin, making e-bikes available for rent as a new method of sustainable transportation.

The Burlingame council spearheaded coordination and reached out to multiple neighboring cities with the hopes of garnering a larger audience for their eco-friendly proposal. Among them, Millbrae was the only city to participate.

Brownrigg remains doubtful they will reach San Mateo County anytime soon.

“I don’t foresee [robotaxis coming to San Mateo County] because, you know, taxis as a whole do best in dense settings, where people don’t have as many cars and also, frankly, where the layout is more definable,” Brownrigg said.

While weary of the expansion of robotaxis in their current state, Brownrigg is interested in prioritizing self-driving shuttles, which are both efficient and cost-effective.

“The beauty of a shuttle is that it drives on a fixed route, so you can have a lot of sensors and make sure the shuttle really knows where it is and where it’s going,” Brownrigg said. “I think over time, a driverless shuttle would be a lot less expensive to operate.”

At the moment, robotaxis, although not the most cost-effective, are a fun and luxurious way to get around the city, according to Purev-Chang.

“It’s definitely something that you want to do for the experience,” Purev-Chang said after his first ride. “If you ever get the

Although these bikes may raise concerns from residents regarding their impact on residential areas and overall safety concerns, Burlingame Director of Sustainability Sigalle Michael believes their benefits far outweigh possible ramifications.

“Our intent with the Spin bikes is to provide another mode of easy-access transportation for residents while also reducing pollution,” Michael said. “Although it’s still too early to gauge their impact yet, the biggest benefit so far is just being able to offer this luxury in Burlingame.”

However, residents have already expressed their annoyance with the price of the Spin bikes. Sophomore Sophie Glick shares this sentiment, as an hour-long bike ride sums out to around $26 before taxes.

“I’ve ridden them a few times but it’s expensive to always pay that much for one ride, so I would definitely try to find other methods of transportation,” Glick said. But the price of the service might not be a problem unique to Spin bikes. Lime, an e-bike provider that Burlingame contracted with in 2018, charges an almost identical price for riders.

Glick also noted a second hurdle: Since the only two Bay Area cities that currently permit Spin bikes are Burlingame and Millbrae, they are region-locked, causing inconveniences for bikers who ride close to city limits or wish to journey farther from home.

“Anytime I get remotely close to Hillsborough on a Spin bike, it stops,” Glick said. “It can be kind of annoying, and I have to get on the app mid ride to fix the issue.”

In the past, with other e-bike programs sponsored by the Burlingame, including Lime, residents raised concerns with bikes being left stranded in inconvenient locations such as in the middle of sidewalks or on private property. Although a nuisance for all walkers, the issue most impacted disabled residents and after being left in inconvenient places, the bikes are oftentimes damaged. With Spin bikes, the city has taken steps to minimize these concerns.

“So far, littered bikes posing obstacles for residents hasn’t been an issue yet,” Michael said. “We’ve learned more from past programs, the bikes are built differently and are harder to throw around or steal parts, and parking corrales are located in convenient parts of the city to encourage riders to park them there.”

As of now, Michael and the Burlingame sustainability team are happy with the results. The city currently has a two-year contract with Spin and is already looking into extending the program for another year.

“Our goal is for people to get used to seeing the bikes parked, like cars,” Michael said. “We hope everyone gets more comfortable seeing them around and they become a normalcy.”

Burlingame locals ride Spin bikes around the city. Bike corrals are located near transit stations, shops, restaurants, parks and libraries.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA DOSS

California Public Utilities Commission granted permits in August, allowing General Motors’ Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo robotaxis to operate in San Francisco.

PHOTO BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN

PHOTOBYJAKEROTHSTEIN

Meet our New Faculty

Special Education

BY INY LI, Staff Reporter

Quick facts!

Read the full profiles online:

BY AUDREY WEI Staff Reporter

Quick facts!

• Teaches the compressed math program

• 44th year of teaching

• Favorite thing to do outside of school is to coach wrestling and football

This is the 16th school I’ve taught at. I taught affluent kids in Arizona, lived on Native American reservations, taught those kids, and then last year I taught at a charter school which were kids from all the immigrant families that work in farms.”

felt like there was always a gap when growing up because didn’t see many students in my classes with disabilities. So really trying to make sure that people know that these types of people exist is important. Just because they learn differently or they look differently, everyone is still valued in the community.”

Quick facts!

• Grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from Notre Dame High School, Belmont

• Originally studied kinesiology at California State University, Sacramento before focusing on special needs

BY ALEX BERTELLI Staff Reporter

• First official year at Burlingame

• Has a master’s in literature

• Worked in investment banking for 13 years

• Taught as a college-level english professor

• Taught at Mills High School

• Raised in Dallas, Texas

Quick facts!

• Teaches geometry

• First year teacher

Math

BY EMMA YU Staff Reporter

• Loves hiking in forests because she came from Southern California, which had little to no greenery

• Loves puzzles and can solve a Rubik’s cube

I really appreciate those moments when you can see the light bulb go on for certain students — whether it’s writing, or whether it’s some aspect of critical thinking or understanding a more complicated text. When somebody says, ‘I get it. I think I understand this now,’ and you can tell that that’s genuine — those are special moments, and it keeps me coming back over and over again to the classroom.”

Quick facts!

BY MARGO BIGUE, Staff Reporter

The community and the administrators have been very welcoming, especially staff. I’m blending more with the community and it seems like there’s a lot of people here who care about students.”

Quick facts!

• Works as a wellness counselor

• Grew up in Los Angeles and is a Dodgers fan

• Got a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in criminal justice from San Francisco State University

BY CONNIE LU, Staff Reporter

When COVID hit, [United] really didn’t need a lot of training. So I retired but decided I didn’t want to fully retire. So went back and got my credential, my masters, and decided to start teaching high school.”

Quick facts!

• Teaches Algebra 2 and Integrated Math 2

• Third year teacher

• Favorite things outside of school are football and music (every genre but country)

[In school], feel like the classes where learned the most and did well were with teachers that I had a strong connection with. They showed me that they actually cared about me beyond just me being a student in their class. And think that’s what I’m really trying to work on here.”

English Math Health and Biology

BY KAYLEE HWANG Staff Reporter

I was really surprised to find so much positivity and eagerness to be in school.”

“I just want to support [my students] the best way can because I know that students have different needs and they come from different backgrounds and experiences.”

Quick facts!

• Teaches health and biology

• Fourth year teacher

• Loves traveling, hiking, music, and trying new foods

• Grew up in San Francisco, went to University of California, Berkeley

• First year teacher

BY JOSIE WETTAN Staff Reporter

• Works one-on-one with Special Education kids who are integrated into everyday Burlingame classes

• Enjoys music and being in nature outside of school

Special Education Health

Quick facts!

I think music and teaching are both two things that I’ve loved so much in my life. I’m trying to live a life where get to do both of those things that I enjoy. It’s a busy schedule, but it’s rewarding and think it’s worth it.”

Counseling Administration

BY EVELYN DU, Staff Reporter

I go through my work and education to make sure to have an inclusive space that was always welcoming and educates everybody that needs that support.”

BY ALICE LEE Staff Reporter

• Grew up in Chicago and moved to Palo Alto his freshman year

• Played slotback position for Cal Poly

• Dad played for Louisiana State University and the Chicago Bears

Once you start to settle into [teaching], you can really kind of tailor it into your own thing.”

“I’ve always been a pretty even-keeled, level headed person.”

Quick facts!

• Assistant principal

• Grew up in Conneticut and went to Northeastern University

• Loves spending time with family, taking long walks with her dog and reading

English

BY HENRY GARDNER, Staff Reporter

Quick facts!

• Attended University of Santa Barbara as an English major

I’m thinking a lot about the relationships have with my students, and with my colleagues, because there’s a lot of people that don’t know who I am, and I want to make those connections.”

• 27th year as an English teacher

• Taught at Aragon High School before coming to Burlingame

Celeste Thomas

Wendy Daniels

Dawn Kawamura

Karen Bioski-Simon

Jessica Chan

Robert Thurtle

Brian Clack

Sanjevi Subbiah

Kacie Hill

Malcolm Davis

Nisha Desai

Aesthetics or athletics?

New rules force athletes to compromise on piercings

BY BRINDA IYER Copy Editor

A 2020 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 54.1% of children between the ages of six and 17 participated in sports. According to a 2018 survey by The Academy of Responsible Tattooing, 83% of Americans have an ear piercing, while a 2010 Pew Research Center report found that 23% of young people also had a piercing somewhere other than the ear lobe. Those who sit at the intersection of that athlete-piercing venn diagram face a well-known conundrum: Players are required to remove all jewelry, including accessories in pierced areas (earrings, etc.) before playing in games and failure to do so prohibits them from playing.

Although removing jewelry is always an inconvenience, it is medically inadvisable when a piercing is fresh. Sutter Health recommends a healing period of at least six to eight weeks for ear lobe piercings, and according to WebMD, piercings in more sensitive areas like cartilage take anywhere between four months to a year to heal. But that timeline often isn’t possible for athletes, and many bear the risk of closing the piercing when they take the accessory out for even the short,

one-hour duration of a game.

As a result, students like sophomore Anya Malhotra are left to choose between playing in the game and preserving their piercings.

At halftime during a junior varsity lacrosse game, Malhotra was told by the referee that she needed to take her earrings out to avoid the risk of them getting caught on an object or player. Since Malhotra’s double ear piercings were only about a week old, she feared that they would close up.

“I was weighing the pros and cons, and I realized it’s just better to have them out for like 45 minutes than to have my earrings get snagged on something,” Malhotra said. “I was pretty stressed out, and it was really painful to put them back in after [the game], but thankfully, crisis was averted, and my piercings had not closed.”

During the first half of the game, Malhotra placed tape over her earrings to prevent exposure. Although this compromise was once allowed, referees recently closed the loophole, forcing players to remove their jewelry completely if they wish to compete.

“Tape should be allowed every single time because it works, and there’s just no reason to not use [it],” Malhotra said.

Piercings have never caused

problems for sophomore Ren Tsunehara, who plays for a year-round soccer club and has four piercings on each ear. During the season, she puts in flat, clear pieces of jewelry so that the referees will not notice them.

“[Otherwise] I just take them out like right before the game, and then after I literally just push them back in and they’ll be bleeding,” Tsunehara said.

Tsunehara wants to get her cartilage pierced, but because cartilage takes so much time and care to heal, she doesn’t think that she will be able to get it anytime soon.

“It’d be too hard to maintain it because I know those get infected,” Tsunehara said.

Maintenance of the piercing was the main issue for sophomore Avery Speight, who pierced her ears in third grade. About two weeks in, Speight lost the earrings at a soccer tournament and her piercings closed. Over the last six years, Speight hasn’t had a long enough break to pierce her ears and let them heal.

“After that, I had soccer practice literally every day for the rest of my life and haven’t had a day off to get [my ears] repierced,” Speight said. “It’s really annoying.”

For athletes who only play one sport, giving piercings time

to heal is not an issue. Joy Yeo, class of 2023, has been playing basketball since the age of five. By piercing her ears during the summer or during the off-season, she has avoided in-game conflict regarding her jewelry.

“I never relied on tape, [but] I know a lot of my players did,” Yeo said. “A lot of players for get to [take their earrings out], especially when they just get their ears pierced, which isn’t the best idea before the season starts. A lot of times it delays games.”

While this is an excellent solution for single-sport athletes, playing multiple back-toback sports leaves little room for the piercings to heal. With the absence of tape, it is difficult for multi-sport athletes to find a sufficient window of time to let the piercing proper-

“I want to play three sports next year, and that doesn’t really give me the weeks I need to let my ears heal around my possible next piercing,”

For girls’ volleyball, winning is nothing new

BY ABBY KNIGHT Copy Editor

Girls’ varsity volleyball has a lot to live up to. Last year, the squad made it to the Open Division of the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament, the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) championship and the NorCal tournament.

But thus far, hefty expectations aren’t holding the team back. Instead, it looks like they could repeat, and perhaps even build on, last season’s success.

As of Thursday, Sept. 28, the Panthers own an impressive 12-4 overall and 5-1 PAL Bay league record. They have competed against strong opponents to start the season, placing third at the Menlo Invitational Tournament after a loss against Westview High School on Sept. 2 and first place in a Half Moon Bay Tournament on Sept. 9.

One of the team’s primary goals was to strengthen their communication. The players believe they’ve achieved this, both on and off the volleyball court.

“I think my favorite part of the team is just how competitive we are, and then also the team environment,” senior libero Hayley Fligel said. “We’re really close, everyone’s friends, and it’s just really fun, practices are fun and games are fun, so it’s something

you’re excited to go to.”

Burlingame has implemented a multitude of strategies this season, such as incorporating more middle players in sets. But what makes the squad so difficult to beat is their constant focus on building different lineups for upcoming games.

“We have a ton of talent and great options, and people can play in multiple spots. So figuring out what the best combination is is taking a bit of time,” head coach Hannah Korslund said.

Although the roster is primarily made up of juniors and seniors, there are four underclassmen, all of whom have made an immediate impact. The age differences in the team hasn’t affected their relationship — instead, it has only strengthened the team’s camaraderie.

One of the younger faces, sophomore defensive specialist Samantha Hollrah, has been dominant defensively, contributing many of the team’s blocks. Junior Ella Duong and senior outside hitter Morgan Toomey, who was nominated for the Bay Area News Group Athlete of the Week, have been the most impressive so far, fueling the squad’s offensive hits.

“I really enjoy the team bonding and just getting to know people that are older than me, and

kind of learning from them,” sophomore setter Zoey Hakes said, who was moved up to varsity her freshman year.

What makes the Panthers’ success so astounding is they’ve done it all on the road. Because of the gym reconstruction, the team has had to play in opposing team’s gyms for every single game.

This means fewer students at tend the games, which takes away from the home crowd that mo tivated the players last year and provided them with an advantage.

“I think right now traveling is really tough because we don’t ever have home games. So not having a big group to cheer us on is kind of sad sometimes because we had such a big group in the past,” Hakes said.

However, the team believes that, in some respects, the lack of the home game crowd has actual ly improved their gameplay.

“Ultimately being away helps us build our toughness, helps us rely on each other as a team and I think will serve us well come playoffs,” Korslund said.

The team hopes to extend their winning ways throughout the remainder of the season.

Their upcoming tournament on Oct. 14 is an ideal opportunity to add another championship to their resume — but they will

Sophomore Ren Tsunehara plays year-round club soccer while simultaneously maintaining eight ear piercings.

PHOTO BY ABBY KNIGHT

Making history on the field

Flag football sets tone in empowering inaugural season

BY NATALIE GYDE Social Coordinator BY EVELYN DU Staff Reporter

Despite early challenges, girls’ flag football (3-1) seems to have found a rhythm as they near the midpoint of their inaugural season.

The season began with promise and anticipation, but the Panthers narrowly lost their first game to Woodside High School. However, the team didn’t let the loss deter them.

“Since we start at rock bottom, anything we do will be improved. We’ve only had a couple of practices, and this is the first game so I think in the future, we’ll definitely be a lot better,” sophomore Emerson Burri said after the loss to the Wildcats.

After the Woodside game,

the Panthers headed into another week of practice with a focus on execution and effort.

Their work paid off, as the team delivered a resounding and satisfying 15-6 victory against Sequoia High School in the first home flag football game in front of a packed crowd. They compounded that performance with two blowout wins over Hillsdale High School and San Mateo High School.

Coach Nicole Carter stressed that the result of each game, win or lose, doesn’t matter. Instead, she emphasized the importance of the development and experience gained while competing.

“In a perfect world, we’d win all games, and we don’t know if that’s going to happen, but we want to make sure that the girls are empowered, that they are going out onto the field feeling

confident,” Carter said.

Echoing Carter, assistant coach Denise Burch stressed that attitude was the most impressive part of the team’s performance.

“I was just proud of them. Seeing them out there, the way they never gave up, that made me so happy and excited for them,” Burch said.

Because almost everyone on the roster lacks prior experience in flag football, the coaches are prioritizing the fundamentals, and acknowledged that every game will be a learning experience.

offense and we run plays that are just defense. So far, we have just been trying to figure out where the girls go in terms of their ability and what players run routes all, in accordance with all the rules of flag football,” Burch said.

- Nicole Carter

“We run plays that are just

All players have been vital to the team’s performance, but the captains have the especially important role of leading their teammates through the complexities and novelties of each game.

“As captains I feel like we’re keeping the team’s energy [up] and just making sure that ev-

erything falls into place,” captain Naomi Leslie said.

Whatever happens the rest of the year for the Panthers, the players see their maiden season as a success. More importantly, girls’ flag football continues to draw attention and increased participation nationwide.

“In the future, I hope [flag football] becomes more normalized, and that we will get just as much attention as the football boys,” Leslie said.

With imperative victories under their belt, the Panthers look forward to their upcoming contests with a renewed sense of excitement.

“We’d love to win it all but we’re learning together,” Carter said. “We’re going to fail together. And we’re doing it all sisters and we’re doing it all as a team.”

Back in action: Fall sports begin league play

Varsity football is starting to find its groove. The Panthers got off to a slow, 0-2 start, which included a 37-point blowout loss to Soquel High School. But the squad has responded in a big way, crushing Arroyo High School before dominating Half Moon Bay High School. The turnaround has been fueled by their reinvigorated defense and rushing attack. Senior running backs Angelo Medina, Sam Felton and Cole Quilici have had successful games on the ground, with Medina contributing three touchdowns against the Cougars. In the passing game, senior tight end Zach Shapiro continues to put up big numbers and junior wideout Jake Flood has impressed. As play in the highly competitive PAL Bay League begins, the Panthers hope their positive momentum will help produce victories against formidable opponents.

Girls’ varsity tennis has quickly found their rhythm, rising to third place in the PAL standings with a 8-2 record as of Sept. 28. Senior and star player Mila Mulready has continued her dominance at No. 1 singles, and her sister, freshman and No. 2 singles player Shea Mulready, appears to be on the same path to greatness. The dynamic duo of junior Natalie Gyde and senior Lily Grenier have been prevailing in their No. 1 doubles matches as well, and sophomore Lyra Sheng and junior Ella Wang are impressing in No. 3 doubles. Coach Bill Smith is confident that as the season progresses, the players’ hard work will help them excel in the PAL playoffs. That seems likely, as the Panthers have started league play with a 6-1 win against Aragon High School and a 5-2 win against Woodside High School on Sep. 27 despite the older Mulready’s absence.

Girls’ golf touts an impressive 6-1 league record as of Thursday, Sept. 28, led by the experience of veteran players and the energy provided by new players. Senior Ellie Dowd has continued to headline matches, with seniors Sarah Ott, Noor Hafezi, Aahana Chakravartti and Lucy Moran rounding out the top lineup. On Thursday, Sept. 21, the Panthers played a three-way conference match against El Camino High School and Capuchino High School. Burlingame came away with victories in both, including a sizable triumph over the Mustangs and a one-stroke win against the Colts 191-192. The team hopes to improve upon last year’s second-place finish in the PAL Ocean League Championship and make an appearance in the Central Coast Section tournament.

Boys’ varsity water polo has started its season out strong after a disappointing (5-10) campaign last year. The squad is undefeated thus far, with highlights including a dominating 21-2 performance against Mills High School. Freshmen Justin Chiang and Lucas Carlson have been essential to Burlingame’s success this season. Chiang scored the winning goal in Burlingame’s match against Woodside Priory during quadruple overtime to clinch the 8-7 win for the Panthers. Carlson, meanwhile, combined with sophomore Adrian Gong to score 11 goals in Burlingame’s opening game against the Vikings. With the right mixture of experienced varsity players and fresh talent, the Panthers should be competitive in the Central Coast Section Open Division come the postseason.

Senior slot receiver Kaylee Ng sprints through the defense after catching a pass at the team’s game on Wednesday Sept. 20. However, her touchdown was recalled for illegal flag guarding.

We’d love to win it all, but we’re learning together. We’re going to fail together. And we’re doing it all as sisters, and we’re doing it all as a team.

Football | Zach Newman Girls’ Tennis | Brinda Iyer Girls’ Golf | Arshia Chakravartti Boys’ Water Polo | Josie Wettan

The offense celebrates after a successful touchdown from junior wide receiver Giana Johnson in their win on Sept. 20.

PHOTO BY JAKE ROTHSTEIN

PHOTO BY BRINDA IYER

PHOTO BY ARSHIA CHAKRAVARTTI

PHOTO BY JEANNINE CHIANG

THE BURLINGAME B

Editor-in-Chief Elise Spenner

Managing Editors

Sophia Bella

Jake Rothstein

Sports Editor Zachary Newman

Business Manager Arda Inegol

Web Editor Jeannine Chiang

Diversity Coordinator Joelle Huysmans

Social Coordinator Natalie Gyde

Copy Editors

Arshia Chakravartti

Brinda Iyer

Abby Knight

Senior Reporters

Sophia Doss

Will Kriner

Sophia Puzon

Staff Reporters

Alex Bertelli

Margo Bigue

Evelyn Du

Henry Gardner

Brendan Gilmore

Kaylee Hwang

Alice Lee

Iny Li

Connie Lu

Audrey Wei

Josie Wettan

Emma Yu

Teacher Adviser

Melissa Murphy

Policy Statement:

The Burlingame B is a student-run newspaper with the sole purpose of providing an open forum for student expression. Anything printed represents the opinion of the writer, but not necessarily that of the Burlingame B staff, the administration, or the faculty of Burlingame High School, or anyone affiliated with the San Mateo Union High School District. The Burlingame B does not discriminate against race, political orientation, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Although The Burlingame B will never refuse to publish guest submission based on the aforementioned factors, we reserve the right to edit or not publish them.

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Disagree with the writers? Bring your letters to the room A120 or email them to <theburlingameb@smuhsd.org>.

Letters may be considered for publication. The Burlingame B reserves the right to edit for clarity, length, and accuracy. We welcome all comments.

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Address: 1 Mangini Way, Burlingame, CA 94010

BEditorial Protecting student journalism on our campus

BY THE BURLINGAME B EDITORIAL BOARD

Student journalism. Student. Journalism. The name implies the dichotomy that we confront every day: We are a part of the community we report on. Those who we cover are the same people who we sit with at lunch, who grade our essays and who we compete next to on the field.

Because of this inherent conflict, we can only do our work well if we have the support of the community around us. Even, and especially when, that support is not guaranteed by legal protections.

As a result of a 1988 Supreme Court decision, support often isn’t guaranteed. When student journalists at a high school in Missouri attempted to publish a story focused on the effects of high school teen pregnancy and the impact of divorce, the principal deleted content without the students’ knowledge. Aggrieved, the students took the matter to the Supreme Court in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier. However, the Court ruled against the students, granting school administrations the right to prior review. The case stripped protections from student journalists across the country.

Thankfully, 16 states — including California — have passed “New Voices” laws that limit the impact of Hazelwood by bolstering

First Amendment protections for students. Specifically, in California, Education Code 48907 states that “school authorities can only prohibit publication of stories in school newspapers if they are obscene, libelous, slanderous, or likely to incite others to commit illegal or disruptive acts.” But laws can’t do all the work on their own. It is the obligation of administration, teachers and staff to defend student journalism because it is the right thing to do — not because it is the law.

As a publication, the ability to do our work depends on the cooperation of students, staff and others in the community. When our publication reaches out for interview requests or surveys, we cannot require that students respond and engage with us. We cannot change

sutdents’ grades if they refuse to give us an interview, or if they don’t take us seriously. But our publication performs better, and more credibly with the valuable opinions of our student body.

Receiving thoughtful student feedback plays a vital role in the growth of our paper. Student opinion helps us understand where our coverage is succeeding — and more importantly, where our blind spots are. A healthy relationship between us and the rest of the student body is necessary to improve our reporting and, therefore, the news our readers receive.

Today, student journalism is more important than it ever has been. But it isn’t possible without an audience that can simultaneously appreciate us as students and defend us as journalists.

Breaking down the club barrier

BY JEANNINE CHIANG Web Editor

When exposed to the over 100 unique clubs at Burlingame, students tend to have two reactions: sign up for as many as possible, or get overwhelmed and completely swear off the process. Both are valid reactions, but neither will allow you to fully reap the many benefits of club participation: getting involved in the community, developing passions and building dedication to a topic or important issue. Here are some things I recommend as you begin, or continue, your club journey.

If you’re set on a career path or profession, you should join clubs that align with those goals. Clubs that align with your interests can help you figure out whether you truly want to pursue a certain career path. For instance, if you’re curious about potentially exploring dentistry, joining the pre-dentistry club would give students valuable insights into whether they actually enjoy dentistry.

Again, don’t join too many clubs. You won’t be able to devote enough attention to each one and will easily get overwhelmed by the responsibilities that pile up.

the community are more effective because they show impact. Most of the time, these clubs are also more enjoyable because they involve community service. Community service also has the added bonus of showing effort and creating impact.

Don’t restrict yourself to academic-related clubs. Whether you’re a fan of Taylor Swift or you simply have a soft spot for crocheting, there is a group for everyone.

By holding leadership positions, you show commitment and dedication to a club beyond passive participation. Additionally, if there isn’t a club you’re interested in, start one. Initiative is an extremely valuable life skill, and displays genuine passion.

I think clubs that give back to

The most important thing is to have fun and have a genuine interest in the topic, rather than partaking in it simply because the club name looks good on college applications. As I mentioned at the start of the article, a lot of people sign up for clubs — that won’t distinguish you on an application. However, clubs can connect you to the school and offer valuable life lessons — two experiences that, for what it’s worth, make great college essays.

Juniors Leilani Sanchez and Katherinne Chieppe present the Mental Health Advocacy Club at the annual club fair on Friday, Sept. 22.

PHOTO BY JEANNINE CHIANG

PHOTO BY MELISSA MURPHY

Staffers from The B attended a national journalism convention in April, where they participated in clinics to hone their skills as reporters.

Construction limits student parking

Lack of available lots adds chaos and stress before school

BY BRENDAN GILMORE Staff Reporter PHOTO BY JEANNINE CHIANG

Amid ongoing gym construction this year, multiple parking lots previously used and available to students are now reserved for staff and other construction equipment, limiting student parking options on campus. Those driving to school are now forced to find new spots, such as on Carolan and Oak Grove Avenue or other nearby streets, causing chaos and forcing students to alter their morning routines.

“It’s kind of inconvenient,” senior Chinmay Rao said. “[There are] a lot less spaces and a lot more cars on the road, so sometimes you’re late.”

Rao, who has been parking in the neighborhood behind campus, has found it difficult to find spots there.

“Sometimes you’re going to have to walk a while, especially [on] trash day; it’s hard to find a spot. Some people, when they [are] parked facing the wrong way on the road, they’ll get a ticket,” Rao said.

Rao also explained that he has a bigger car, making it more challenging to park in the morning, especially on smaller Burlingame streets.

“I do have a big car, so sometimes there’s other problems,” Rao said. “I can’t fit into many street parking spots.”

Exclusive student parking — once distributed to seniors through a lottery — was unavailable this year because multiple parking spaces were needed for gym construction equipment. The remainder of the senior parking lot was converted into staff spaces. Then,

in mid-September, the administration began to enforce limits on parking at the Burlingame Aquatic Center (BAC) and near the baseball field, closing off the lots to students.

Assistant Principal Jenny Gibson is aware of students’ frustrations; however, she emphasized the importance of guaranteeing staff parking spots on campus.

“The biggest challenge is just ensuring that we have enough spots for staff and faculty [as] we’re a big school with a lot of employees,” Gibson said. “While we know that students appreciate those spots, and it’s a perk, the bigger impact would have been on our teachers.”

Though the gym construction isn’t forecasted to be completed until January 2025, Gibson mentioned that student parking spots may become available later in the construction process.

“If spots do become free and construction doesn’t need it anymore moving forward, then we will consider opening up some spots to students,” Gibson said.

With limited parking on campus, Gibson said that the administration plans to put up signs to ensure direct and clear communication regarding where students are allowed to park.

“The administration is working on a contract with a local towing company to have signs posted in the parking lot [on] campus. We’re working on that to make sure that our communication is clear around people without a valid parking pass, that they can’t be parking on our campus,” Gibson said.

With no apparent solution to the parking problem in the near future, Gibson feels the best solution for student parking and chaos in the morning on surrounding streets is to get to school early.

“I know it’s hard. I know. It’s a challenging situation,” Gibson said. “Plan ahead and plan early and give yourself enough time to leave and park further away.”

Principal Jen Fong has also taken note of the chaos during the morning, and said that she and the rest of the administration have communicated with the city regarding traffic control.

“I asked about getting more support for Oak Grove,” Fong said. “If we just had less congestion by more carpooling and

more people on bikes or scooters or something like that. I think that would help.”

Even outside of school hours, parking can be challenging. Junior Max Andreski, who plays for the water polo team, said parking remains an issue even after dismissal.

“As an athlete, it’s been hard to find parking. [When] I go to [the] BAC to park, there’s usually no space,” Andreski said. “So often, I have to look around, especially when they’re doing construction later in the day, so even after hours, it’s tough.”

Senior Sarah Ott, who drives to school on a daily basis, found that the best way to get a spot is by arriving early.

“There’s a lot of school traffic and a lot of students that can

drive,” Ott said. “So it’s hard to find parking in the morning with the amount of students, so oftentimes you have to get to school pretty early.”

The parking problem will likely worsen as sophomores turn 16 and become eligible to get a license, according to Ott.

“It always does [get worse] as the sophomores start to get their driver’s licenses,” Ott said. “So this is the best it’s going to get.”

With many students struggling to find parking spots on nearby roads, Rao offered some advice.

“Go somewhere far and then just run as fast as you can to school,” Rao said. “Otherwise, you’re going to be late.”

Cub Central: Science for students, taught by students

BY HENRY GARDNER Staff Reporter

Every Thursday at 3:45 p.m., dozens of students set aside their calculus homework and english essays to become teachers themselves as part of the Cub Central program. Cub Central, run by the robotics program and supported by those student volunteers, brings free science lessons to elementary school-age kids.

The program is experiencing record levels of elementary school participation, an encouraging sign for both the parents of the young kids and student leaders like junior Noelle Tan.

“It’s been going really well,” Tan said. “We have over 60 signups, and a lot of students came, and I think they’re having fun.”

Program advisor Christina Wade believes a strength of the program is its student coaches and interactive lesson plans.

“The student coaches do

such a great job engaging the students in the lessons, and the lessons are well thought out,” Wade said. “They’re involved. The students have hands-on components.”

The program covers several different subjects, including anatomy, food safety, recycling and more.

“We try to do topics that are relatable to them because they’re young children,” Wade said. “They have to eat, they have to help at home with chores. So we try to do things that are understandable to them.”

One of the main focuses of Cub Central is teaching children lessons that they normally wouldn’t learn in school.

“I know a lot of times it can seem really boring or tedious to teach these students, but I think it’s really nice for them to learn these topics that schools don’t generally teach, or don’t teach at their age,” senior Delaney Leung said. “It’s good that they get to learn stuff outside of

school.”

Although there are unavoidable challenges with keeping young kids engaged, Cub Central organizers are confident that the program will be able to maintain student interest.

“Younger kids tend to have shorter attention spans, but I think the way the program is run, and the coach to student ratio is done really well,” Tan said. “It makes sure all students have interactions and someone is there to help and teach them at all times.”

According to Wade, news of the program is spreading through word of mouth, contributing to the record enrollment.

“We’ve never had such a big group, so the word of mouth is growing,” Wade said. “The parents are excited. They’re really happy to have the students involved in this and be led by teenagers.”

Robotics is looking to expand their teaching programs,

and have already begun to target middle schoolers.

“Our robotics team has been working to develop programs outside of this,” Tan said. “Over the summer, we developed a middle school summer camp to help [students] with the foundations of robotics.”

The children aren’t the only students benefiting — Wade believes that through the expe-

rience, Burlingame volunteers gain important skills as well.

“They have to be adaptable in the moment when students aren’t participating or acting out, they have to figure out ways to deal with that,” Wade said. “They have to put together a curriculum, they have to interact with parents, and they have to be leaders.”

Students walk to their parked cars in the neighborhood near Oak Grove Avenue after school on Thursday, Sept. 18. Because the BAC pool lot is no longer available, students must park further from school.

Two student leaders guide their small group of students through a new lesson on food safety in their 2nd week of the program on Thursday, Sept. 21.

PHOTO BY HENRY GARDNER

Fall Fashion Fall Fashion Fall Fashion Student Life

Trendywithahintofpersonality

Stella Yu

Senior Stella Yu has curated a trendy and cohesive style during her four years at Burlingame. Although Yu admits that she doesn’t put much effort into her everyday choices, she still pulls off all kinds of outfits.

“I think I’m really focused on the fit of clothes more than anything. I don’t really stick to brands because it’s kind of hard for me being tall to find clothes that actually fit me,” Yu said. By seeking inspiration from online sources such as Pinterest and social media, Yu has been able to build an aesthetic that allows her to express herself through her outfits.

“I’m on Pinterest like probably everyone else. I mean, I love Haley Bieber. I feel like everyone does though,” Yu said.

While her style may not necessarily be unique, Yu’s outfits are always current and help to capture the changing style among teenagers.

“I feel like my styles are pretty similar to a lot of people. With school, I’ve been liking

Jayden Harjani

Often, men’s style is not super unique; a simple shirt and pair of pants are typically the go-to. However, with the start of the school year, many boys may be trying to up their style game by choosing more conspicuous options.

Junior Jayden Harjani is one boy who continues to push the norms when it comes to his style and outfits.

“I think my style is baggy, looser clothes, but I literally just wear whatever I think looks good,” Harjani said.

Like Yu, his style is inspired by social media. While his style may separate him from his peers, it is similar to many other teenagers on social media, fitting a skater-boy aesthetic.

“Not going to lie, I stole my outfit inspiration from Tik Tok, so I don’t think it’s that unique, but I think that it looks cool and kind of different compared to other people my age,” Harjani said.

BY NATALIE GYDE Social Coordinator

For many students, a new school year is a fresh start and an opportunity to make a good impression on their peers. Although the adage tells us not to judge a book

by its cover, many students attempt to express themselves through the clothes they wear. While students are certainly influenced by popular trends, many also see clothes as a form of showcasing their identity and personality.

Keira Au

Sophomore Keira Au bases her outfits on the weather and moment of the year, preferring to wear clothes that embody summer and its brightly colored vibes.

“I feel that I just dress in generic jeans and tops, but something that is different is that I have a pretty big selection [of clothes],” Au said. “A lot of the time, I use my clothes to kind of express my personality because I’m very outgoing. So I like wearing brighter colors.”

While Au might not think her style is distinct, she does hold a unique connection to fashion. Au has participated in a fashion show for teen fashion designer Ashlyn So and has been to events such as Paris Fashion Week and, recently, New York Fashion Week.

“I think that being involved in the fashion industry has inspired me to dress better and

Fresh interests and talents spark at annual club fair

PHOTO BY JEANNINE CHIANG

BY JOELLE HUYSMANS Diversity Coordinator

Every Burlingame student has the chance to form their own club, whether focused on a special interest, a service mission or academic involvement. This year, more students took advantage of that opportunity

than ever before. Nearly 110 clubs showcased their unique goals at the yearly club fair held by the leadership class on Friday, Sept. 22.

“It’s great that people are starting clubs,” said senior Shailee Sinha, who organized the club fair. “Obviously, [clubs] aren’t restricted, so

they can be about anything and students join them based on their interests.”

A particular advantage of clubs is that they foster interaction between various grade levels, which is precisely what prompted senior Sylvie Olson to form the “I am Kenough” club.

“Something in my personal experience at Burlingame that has been difficult is making new friendships as a senior with underclassmen because I spend more time with people in my own grade,” Olson said. “Clubs are a way to make new friends with people you don’t necessarily hang out with all the time.”

However, an abundance of clubs brings on a lot more responsibility for those in charge of organization, and Sinha experienced that firsthand. Although Sinha is impressed with

the number of students that founded clubs, she said that the preparation for the club fair was daunting.

“It’s been overwhelming because we have a large number of clubs and from a logistical standpoint, it’s difficult to accommodate all [those clubs] in one place,” Sinha said. “Figuring out how many clubs there are, how many tables we need, which clubs go to which tables can be challenging.”

Students who promoted their clubs at the club fair, like sophomore Olivia Medina, also witnessed the consequences of record high participation. Specifically, Medina’s “Hands in Hands” club — established to give back to the community through hospital volunteering and fundraising — shared a small table with two other clubs.

“We had a lot more clubs

this year, so it was crowded at our table,” Medina said. “But with more clubs, there’s a higher chance for students to find a club that resonates better with them because all these hobbies and interests are available to them.”

Despite any difficulties encountered by organizers and club leaders, the fair played a vital role in promoting student organizations, which enabled Panthers to explore their interests while interacting with their peers.

“Clubs are a great way to meet new people with shared interests,” Olson said. “That’s why I created my club, and that’s probably why a lot of these other clubs exist: giving people the opportunity to share this really cool interest that walking down the halls, you would have never known about them.”

During the club fair, students promoted the sailing club.

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