Reflections one year later (March) by The Burlingame B Newspaper

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2 Black Lives Matter

Protests PHOTO COURTESY OF AMELIA HARRIS

BY SAM JOHNSTONE

“ I hoped to send the message that Black lives do matter.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA CROSATTO

Protesters gather on June 3, 2020 to advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Protestors gather on the corner of Broadway and El Camino Real to advocate for schools to resume in-person learning.

Bring kids back to campus BY SAM JOHNSTONE

Webmaster

On Feb. 10, a group of Burlingame students and parents held a rally to advocate for returning to school. The rally was organized by parents Lara McDonald and Ila Kriplani, who advertised the event on Facebook. Protestors gathered on the side of El Camino Real, holding signs and peacefully protesting. Sophomore Chase Johnson attended the rally with his friends. “It started with … just kind of our moms putting some-

thing together, but then it turned into something we were actually passionate about because we really do want to go back to school,” Johnson said. Johnson, who like many is anxious to go back to school, was glad to have attended. “I think with the protests, the voice from the student body and the parents of students, and our high school coming together really made an influence on the school and school board deciding to come back to school,” Johnson said.

Stand for Asians

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY XIA

port for this movement that Webmaster I really believe in,” Crosatto On March 13, 2020, Breonna said. “I hoped to send the mesTaylor was shot and killed in her sage that Black lives do matter.” Crosatto was one of hundreds home by police officers. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died after being pinned to the ground by police officers who knelt on his neck. After Floyd’s death, news of both murders spread across the country reigniting the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement that first emerged in 2013. Streets across the nation were flooded with protestors calling for justice. Coalition Z San Mateo, a - Angela Crosatto branch of the national youthled political organization, held a peaceful march on June 3, 2020 to speak out against the who showed up to support BLM hate. Senior Angela Crosatto at- and advocate for police reform. “It was really cool to see,” tended the protest, marching from San Mateo City Hall to the Crosatto said. “We were really San Mateo Police Department. loud and it was very impactful.” “I wanted to show my sup-

March 17, 2020

BY JULIANNA OLIVER

these issues, posting on social media, going to protests, it means so much,” Xia said. Since the start of the panAdditionally, Xia is a part demic, xenophobia and viof an Instagram group called olence against Asians has @asianuplift, which spreads increased across the country, prompting a nationwide outcry of support for members of the Asian community. Junior Mary Xia is vocal about the rise in hate crimes against the Asian community, both on social media and through protesting. On Feb. 27, she attended the #StandForAsians rally in San Mateo along with other Burlingame students - Mary Xia and community members. “The biggest problem with awareness about Asian-rethese hate crimes is that no lated issues and topics. one’s speaking up...It’s a vir“I wanted to show that tue among the Asian-Amerithere was support coming can community to stay silent from not just San Mateo, but — we’re taught to behave like Burlingame as well,” Xia said. that. Having others talk about

Staff Reporter

“ Having others talk about these issues... it means so much.”

Two young children hold up a “Stop Asian Hate” sign at the protest.

Sports

March 17, 2021

Students and coaches ecstatic about return to sports BY ISAAC BOSTONMAER

Staff Reporter

UPDATE ON SPECTATORS

Quarterback Ryan Kall at a varsity football practice with his teammates.

ingame sports has rolled out smoothly. As more sports are given the green light to start practicing and schedule games,

more students and coaches become excited and feel they are a step closer to returning to normal.

UPCOMING GAMES

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Safety first: COVID-19 regulations in sports

BY MATTINGLY GERMACK

Staff Reporter

After a long year of uncertainty, high school sports have started to return to competition in the past weeks, providing athletes with a glimmer of hope for the future. Athletes in all sports have been subject to periodic COVID-19 testing, and during practices are required to socially distance and wear masks when possible. Fortunately, many Season 1 sports have not had to change their practice procedures; sports like tennis, cross country vol-

leyball and golf are distanced by nature. “We just have our temperatures taken before practice,” junior tennis player Cate Cattano said. The swim team has had their

PHOTO BY MATTINGLY GERMACK

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been a real joy,” Burlingame’s Athletic Director and varsity football head coach, John Philipopoulos said. So far, the return of Burl-

PHOTO COURTESY OF BGAMESPORTS

Burlingame’s student athletes and coaches are ecstatic as high school sports are finally starting to resume after months of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m really glad now that we’re finally allowed to practice. It’s fun being able to see teammates and finally play a little… It feels like everything is slowly returning to back to normal, which I couldn’t be more happy about,” junior soccer player Ryan Griffin said. Griffin’s opinion on the reopening of high school sports

resonates with other student athletes at Burlingame. As COVID-19 cases have recently begun to decline, Gov. Gavin Newsom loosened restrictions to allow high school sports to begin after what was an almost year-long hiatus for some sports. Students who participate in sports at Burlingame are now starting to practice and even schedule games against other schools. They could not be happier about it and their coaches feel the same way. “Players are happy, coaches are happy. It’s a safe environment. [Being able to practice] is good for their physical health and their mental health… It’s

Junior Connor McGuane performs his kick sets during swim practice.

sport changed the most by COVID-19. Instead of regular in-person meets, the CIF-Central Coast Section (CCS) optedelected to hold virtual meets this season. Both competing schools swim in their home pools and compare times afterwards. While the change is by no means ideal, swimmers have taken it in stride. “It’s definitely a good alternative for the pandemic,” junior Connor McGuane said. Football, the Season 1 sport with the most close contact, has also been affected more than other sports. Since masks are nearly impossible to properly

wear under helmets, all players were given balaclavas, a kind of headgear that covers the nose and mouth, to wear at all times as an alternative. This has not been well received by some players. “They’re a bit suffocating, and they overheat my head,” junior Xavier Bruening said. With football’s season opener taking place last Friday, every Season 1 sport has now started their seasons on schedule, and with no positive COVID-19 tests among athletes so far, the main goal of keeping athletes safe has been met.

Vaccines

Staff Reporter

World Health Organization (WHO) declares a pandemic, California issues statewide stay-at-home order.

mal and see students in-person. In addition to the teachers getting vaccinated, students are also becoming eligible because they work with kids or in food and agriculture jobs. Junior Kylie Holzman, who works at Peet’s coffee and coaches recreational gymnastics with kids, recently became eligible for the vaccine and got her first shot. “I think it’s going to open up Vaccine recipients recieve a card after their first dose. some opportunities I didn’t have before, at least as far as hanging out with friends,” Holzman said. For Burlingame students, getting the vaccine is the first step towards getting their young lives back on track and interacting freely with their friends and family. As students and teachers receive the vaccine, Burlingame gets closer to returning to a typical high school experience. Numerous people stand masked and distanced waiting to check in for their vaccine appointments at Moscone center.

United States Department of Health and Human Services and United States Department of Defense make a plan to have free vaccines for all Americans starting January 2021.

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Trump administration buys 100 million doses of Moderna vaccine for $1.5 billion, meaning the U.S. will have immediate access to the vaccine after it is approved.

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Moderna and Pfizer release efficacy results, showing very promising signs.

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President Joe Biden promises that all adult Americans will be eligible for the vaccine by May 1, 2021.

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The United States Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommends Pfizer and Moderna, approves Emergency Use Authorization for both vaccines.

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PHOTO BY AMELIA HARRIS

It has been over a year since the start of the pandemic and vaccines are finally bringing the pandemic to an end. Many teachers and some students have already gotten their first shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, and there are many doses that will be given to Burlingame students on the way. State governments are starting to lift COVID-19 restrictions, and with more people becoming eligible for the vaccine, a return to normalcy seems increasingly near. Teachers have become a top priority to become vaccinated as the Biden administration has pushed to reopen schools. All teachers are now eligible to receive the vaccine, and English teacher Marina Junqueira has gotten both of her shots.

“The vaccine represents so much more than just the vaccine, it’s the end of a pandemic … and maybe Covid anxiety, there’s so much riding on that one shot,” Junqueira said. Teachers — and their willingness to return to school — are the focal point of reopening plans, so vaccinating teachers and making them feel safe is imperative for the district and the country. While the vaccine is opening up the door for society to begin to return to normal activities, teachers still don’t feel entirely secure about returning to Burlingame. “It makes me feel safe to be there, but I don’t know how likely it is for me to catch it… and maybe transmit it to my children at home, or even my students in class,” Junqueira said. Despite these worries, teachers are still excited to return to nor-

BY ALEX KELLY

PHOTO BY DANTIA EGOROV

Students and teachers begin to receive vaccines

March 17, 2021

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Phase 1B begins in various states across the country, allowing people 65 and older, education, childcare, emergency, food, grocery and agriculture workers to get the vaccine.

Socialization

March 17, 2021

In isolation, students discover creative ways to socialize Staff Reporter

“ I find that in-person interactions are actually much more powerful because you’re able to convey emotion much better.” - Pierce Schuman you’re able to convey emotion much better,” Schuman said. But given the limits on in-person gatherings, students have become more adept at online communication. Neither Cheung nor Schuman used Zoom before the pandemic; both now spend hours on the service for school, extracurricular activities and chats with friends. During the school day, Discord — an online platform that allows for voice calls, video chat and instant messaging — has

become a vital tool for group support. On campus, school serves as both academic and social stimulation. At home, Zoom covers the academic front, and for some, Discord steps in to provide the key social ingredient. “On Zoom you can’t really talk with other people during class, but on Discord you can discuss assignments and what you’re doing for classwork, and just catch up with each other,” Cheung said. Even if students want to gather safely in-person, the entire event is coordinated online, conversations that normally occurred in the few minutes between class periods resolved only through countless messages. The hassle and uncertainty of these times instills gratitude in students — renewed appreciation for what they once had, and, perhaps more importantly, what they can still count on. “We don’t say I love you often enough,” Carroll said. “We don’t say thank you often enough, we don’t say, I appreciate you, I’m thankful that you’re in my life often enough.” This year, some of Carroll’s best memories are from mundane pandemic excursions — strolling through parks, listening to music, or picnicking on the back of cars and watching the sun set over a lake. “Those little moments are just things that you take for granted,” Carroll said. “Just being together and having the presence of another person, especially now is like — it’s golden.”

On her hike, Cheung relished the opportunity to be outside and spend time with friends and family.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAYLA CHEUNG

The day Burlingame Intermediate School shut down due to the developing pandemic, Pierce Schuman strolled home with a friend promising to hang out and catch up after spring break. Flashforward a week, and Schuman wasn’t back in the classroom, chatting and laughing; he was cramming out homework on the bathroom floor while his family wrestled with space constraints and limited bandwidth. “It was definitely an initial reaction of just being happy. But then as it progressed, [I felt] more worried,” Schuman, a current freshman, said. “The reality really kind of [set] in as time… went on.” Every student has their own ‘working in the bathroom’ experience — the moment when the pandemic became less of an extended vacation and more of a devastating new reality. However, students quickly adjusted to this isolated world, embracing new methods of communication and connection. For junior Christiana Carroll, the initial months of lockdown were one unending cycle of FaceTime and House Party — two video chatting platforms that have boomed during the pandemic. Carroll estimates that she spent up to 500 hours on FaceTime during the earliest months of isolation. As summer approached, the first wave of COVID-19 cases slowed and restrictions loosened, allowing Carroll

and others to tentatively return to in-person connection. Freshman Kayla Cheung was overjoyed to go on a bike ride with her friend after two months of quarantine. And when Schuman was able to swim socially distanced in a friend’s new pool, he embraced the chance to wave and say hello to another person. “I find that in-person interactions are actually much more powerful because

PHOTO COURTESY OF FINN LORIAN

BY ELISE SPENNER

In October, freshman Pierce Schuman and friends ate outdoors at Rise Pizzeria to catch up and connect in a safe setting.

Leadership

March 17, 2021

Breaking Down the Walls’ legacy continues among students

Staff Reporter Entering the week of March 9, 2020, most knew what COVID-19 was; however, it still seemed like a distant reality that was only impacting countries in Asia and Europe. School, sports and assemblies were still in full session for what few realized would be the last time for months. The same week, Breaking Down the Walls: “a program designed to unify, empower, and engage every student to create a positive and supportive campus culture,” came to Burlingame. The program consisted of three days of workshops, with approximately 150 students attending each day. Activities director Nicole Carter who teaches health and leadership, encouraged the school to bring the program in, alongside Assistant Princi-

Leadership held a tie dye/rainbow themed spirit day in distance learning, one of their many spirit days throughout the year.

pal Michele Fichera, to combat patterns of students not moving outside of their social circles. “Everybody kind of came onto campus and stayed in their own bubble, and we felt like it was time for you all to start meeting other people outside of who’s sitting in your classroom and who you’re spending your brunch and lunch with,” Carter said. For sophomore Sofia Husain, Breaking Down the Walls remedied and confronted many of those issues regarding cliques that prevented students from feeling comfortable and reaching out to each other. “There were a lot of activities that you had to do with people you didn’t really know and so you kind of had no choice but to do things that you wouldn’t necessarily be comfortable with a person you just met,” Husain said. “It was really good for team bonding and getting to know

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEADERSHIP

BY MICHELLE MOSHKOVOY

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEADERSHIP

PHOTO BY SAM JOHNSTONE

During the week of March 9, 2020, the last week of in-person learning for the next year, Burlingame hosted the bonding program Breaking Down the Walls.

On Red Out Fridays, students have the choice to wear red attire and show their school spirit.

new people.” However, Leadership has Unfortunately, Carter, Hu- tried to incorporate takeaways sain and other participants were from Breaking Down the Walls not able to see this progress during distance learning. The class has hosted gratitude activities and other activities that give students the opportunity to share their opinions, and the class has focused on celebrating Burlingame’s diversity. “Leadership has now really moved in the direction of acknowledging different cultures, religions or beliefs, acknowledging heritage months and all of that because there’s a large population that doesn’t feel like their voice is as represented,” Carter said. When looking to the near - Nicole Carter future, Carter has an optimistic mindset as COVID-19 cases come into full fruition after the begin to decrease. She envisions conclusion of Breaking Down spirit events and communithe Walls on March 12 — which ty-building events when stuwould be the second to last day dents return to campus, with of in-person learning in the plans already finalized for bring2019-2020 school year. ing back Breaking Down the

“ It was time for you all to start meeting other people outside of who’s sitting in your classroom.”

Walls in October of 2021. “As devastating and heartbreaking as Covid has been there’s been a lot of silver linings and this is one of them: half of our student body doesn’t know what it felt like to be cliqued up [when looking at the 2021-2022 school year],” Carter said. This prospect offers Leadership the chance to lay down the building blocks for a positive school culture in the first few days of the 2021-2022 school year. “We’re looking at having our first day be more of a community-building day when you come in [for the 2021-2022 school year]. So it’s kind of like a little mini Breaking Down the Walls with some big group activities and smaller,” Carter said. “And then those first two weeks, making sure that there is a lunch activity everyday that allows that momentum to keep going.”

Teacher Perspectives

March 17, 2021

“I think the biggest thing is trying to make sure that people know that I see them as individ“I’ve learned a lot this year and uals.” grown a lot, moving forward I can use a lot of what I’ve learned this - Marie Clarke, PE teacher year and apply it to following years.” - Sonny Lau, math teacher

Teachers reflect on distance learning one year later

“I really feel like we’ve done an amazing job at BHS to make sure that our students don’t fall behind.” - Sophie Abitbol, English teacher

“Science is about collaboration and making observations and seeing and feeling and touching things and not having that tangible aspect has been really really hard.”

“I don’t buy the idea that students are just learning nothing this year … It doesn’t mean this year is a zero at all. I think what we’ve all learned to do, for better or for worse, we’ve all learned how to live in a pandemic.” - Kent Robie, Spanish teacher

BY ISABELLE IDIO Staff Reporter

- Alexandra Kirkpatrick, science teacher

In March 2020, what was expected to be a two week break led to over a year of distance-learning. Since then, teachers have learned to adapt their teaching styles while facing new challenges including administering online tests and dealing with internet connection issues. Not being together physically has made it difficult to cultivate a typical classroom environment, hindering the community building between students and teachers in the past year. “The greatest obstacle is getting to know my students [with] their screens not being on, I’m not hearing them,” math teacher Sonny Lau said. Burlingame teachers have utilized the various online resources provided by the San Mateo Union High School

District, such as Jamboard, Desmos and PLT4M, to keep students engaged with the curriculum. Teachers have improved their technology skills and developed new ones over the past year, since they had to alter the standard classroom material to fit online learning. “I feel very fortunate that the district has invested a lot of financial resources buying all these tools and training for using them,” English teacher Sophie Abitbol said. Overall, teachers are excited to return to campus in a few weeks and to meet their students for the first time, but are still cautious of the risk that returning to school presents. “I think a majority of people miss being able to interact and see their friends,” PE teacher Marie Clake said. “And I think that people are understandably scared… there’s still a lot of unknowns.”