B
THE BURLINGAME B
Editor-in-Chief Sophia Bella
Managing Editors
Jeannine Chiang
Zachary Newman
Design Editor Joelle Huysmans
Social Media Manager Abby Knight
Web Editor Connie Lu
Multimedia Editor Natalie Gyde
Business Manager Iny Li
Head Photographer Henry Gardner
Diversity Coordinator Evelyn Du
Social Coordinator Kaylee Hwang
Copy Editors
Will Kriner
Sophia Doss
Josie Wettan
Senior Reporters
Alex Bertelli
Audrey Wei
Emma Yu
Staff Reporters
Paige Cornelius
Connor Leong
Akira Nakamura
Olivia Newman
Kai Shah
Chiara Wesley
Abby Zarahn
Teacher Adviser
Melissa Murphy
Policy Statement:
The Burlingame B is a student-run newspaper with the sole purpose of providing an open forum for student expression. Anything printed represents the opinion of the writer, but not necessarily that of the Burlingame B staff, the administration, or the faculty of Burlingame High School, or anyone affiliated with the San Mateo Union High School District. The Burlingame B does not discriminate against race, political orientation, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Although The Burlingame B will never refuse to publish guest submission based on the aforementioned factors, we reserve the right to edit or not publish them.
Letters to the Editor
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.
Website: www.theburlingameb.org Phone: (650) 558-2899
Email: theburlingameb@gmail.com
Address: 1 Mangini Way, Burlingame, CA 94010
Elevators back in service after outage impacts students
BY ABBY ZARAHN Staff Reporter
On the morning of Monday, May 12, all four elevators on campus passed inspections and were restored to working condition by the afternoon, according to San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) Director of Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities Use Linda Carlton. Later that day, Principal Jen Fong confirmed in an email to staff that “all elevators were cleared and are now fully operational again.”
The elevators had been of service since Friday, April 4, when a Cal/Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Elevator Unit inspector from the California Department of Industrial Relations red-tagged the four elevators due to safety concerns, according to SMUHSD Director of Facilities and Construction Charlie Royce. Referring to the Cal/OSHA General Industry Safety Orders, Royce explained that a red tag indicates “danger,” which is why the elevators at Burlingame were not allowed to be used.
Without elevator access for over a month, students with mobility impairments faced challenges navigating around campus.
mobility for injured students like junior Adam Zimmer.
That’s my one class where I’m unfortunately not able to go for the time being, just because there is no option for me to be able to get there.”
- Reese Bardsley, senior
In April, senior Reese Bardsley fractured her left tibia and fibula, an injury that required her to use a wheelchair. Upon returning to school, she had difficulty accessing her classes: at the time, all the elevators were inoperable. Unable to reach her food and nutrition class on the second floor of the F-Building, she was forced to drop the course.
“That’s my one class where I’m unfortunately not able to go for
the time being, just because there is no option for me to be able to get there, because I’m not physically able to go up any stairs, and because they can’t give me any access to the elevators,” Bardsley said. Junior Adam Zimmer also faced obstacles after breaking his ankle playing baseball. With an injury that required crutches and prevented him from putting weight on his ankle, Zimmer said the absence of working elevators made it more difficult to get around campus.
“Day by day, it’s a lot more work getting around school, which isn’t a small campus, so I mean, by the end of the day, especially the first few days, I was really tired from using crutches all the way around,” Zimmer said. “It took me a lot longer to get between my classes, especially upstairs to get into C-Building, which I luckily have after lunch, but I have to take a lot of extra time to get my way
up the stairs, since the elevator is broken.”
Echoing Zimmer’s sentiment, junior Keira Au has used crutches on multiple occasions in the last few years. In April, she, too, was on crutches for a fractured ankle and was forced to use the ramps in the A-Building as an alternative, which she said was a challenging task.
“The ramps are very hard to [climb] up because they’re pretty steep… I don’t have upstairs classes, but in my freshman and sophomore year, I would just use the elevator there,” Au said. “But there’s also stairs to get to the first level on the other side [of the A-Building], and I’m not [going to] use the ramp and crutch all the way down the hall, so I usually take the stairs, and it’s just all very inconvenient.”
Now that the elevators have been restored, Au said navigating campus will be more convenient for students.
“It’s going to be a lot more helpful for everyone. I think that’s great… I’m glad they’re all finished and ready,” Au said.
Letter from the editors
“Journalism is dying.”
As journalists, we’ve heard this phrase more times than we can count. But the fact of the matter is that journalism has always been dying. It was dying when radio first reached homes and newspapers feared irrelevance. It was dying when television condensed nuance into 20-second headlines. And it was dying when social media made everyone a “news outlet.” And yet, in a time marked by division and disconnection, reporting is also more vital than ever.
At its core, journalism teaches empathy — the kind that requires you to step outside of yourself and into someone else’s world. Our job at The B has always been to write stories from our community, for our community. In doing so,
we’ve connected with people we would have never spoken to otherwise, and learned to platform their stories and voices with care.
We have written about our campus safety protocols, covered demonstrators advocating for immigration rights, and highlighted incredible student accomplishments. We haven’t shied away from covering anything, remaining committed to asking tough questions, examining uncomfortable topics, and facing the truth.
As our time in the high school newsroom comes to an end, we want to sincerely thank all our readers. Whether you read every article or simply glanced at a headline, we appreciate your contributions to our school community. While
we don’t know what the future of journalism will look like, it’s the willingness of readers to broaden their perspectives and seek the truth that encourages us to continue doing what we love most.
Journalism isn’t dying — it’s evolving, as it always has. The medium may change, but the mission stays the same: to ask, listen, and to tell the stories that help us understand each other. And that will always be worth doing.
Best, Sophia, Jeannine & Zach
Before it passed inspections on Monday, May 12, the elevator in the C-Building was one of the several out-of-service elevators on campus, complicated
PHOTO BY ABBY ZARAHN
Farewell to familiar faces
Teachers step down after years of service in the
classroom
Bleviss: an advocate for growth
BY CONNOR LEONG Staff Reporter
After 11 years as an education specialist and chair of the special education department, Sharon Bleviss is retiring. Bleviss spent 44 years working in special education, a career she said fulfills her purpose in life.
“In many cases, it is very much tied to my purpose on this planet,” Bleviss said. “To notice the people who are in need, and maybe some of them are kind of invisible, and other people haven’t noticed them, and to notice them and make sure that their needs are met.”
Bleviss serves as both a teacher and counselor for neurodiverse students, which she said puts
Balmy: a true physicist at
BY CONNOR LEONG Staff Reporter
Christian Balmy, who is retiring after 30 years of teaching physics, can still recall the day he interviewed for the position.
“I came for the interview. It was a warm June day, and I got out of my car, and I could smell the trees, and I was like, wow,” Balmy said.
Balmy spent all three decades of his career at Burlingame teaching physics, a field he said aligned naturally with his personality and interests.
“Physics teachers that I had looked like they were having a good time,” Balmy said. “I kind of feel like teaching physics for me, for my person-
heart
ality, and what I like was the perfect way to make a living.”
Believing that experiments would yield the same conclusions as the textbook, Balmy said he helped the physics department shift from a textbook-based curriculum to a more hands-on curriculum.
“As much as we could, we based the class and the principles of the class on what we can get from the experiment, and it wasn’t textbook driven,” Balmy said. “… The people who wrote the textbook apparently agreed with us, because they were claiming the same things that we claimed from the experiment.”
During his retirement, Balmy plans to travel, play music, and potentially take up swimming.
her in a position to shape the lives of her students.
“One of the most remarkable things I’ve learned is that sometimes it’s very obvious to me that I’ve made an impact on somebody’s life, because I often am the one person that the student can trust or can confide in,” Bleviss said.
For Bleviss, her favorite part of her experience at Burlingame is working alongside the people in her department.
“We can really rely on each other within my department. If one of us has either a personal emergency or a student emergency, we can get someone in our department to assist very quickly,” Bleviss said.
In her retirement, Bleviss looks forward to pursuing her hobby of glassmaking.
Erle: a legend through the lens
BY HENRY GARDNER Head Photographer
Over 30 years ago, Stephen Erle worked at a summer camp in Cazadero, where he met Larry Teshara, Burlingame’s principal at the time. Once Erle and Teshara got to know each other, Teshara offered him a job at Burlingame. Thirty three years later, Erle is retiring as the longest tenured teacher at the school.
Erle started his career at Burlingame by teaching social science classes for 14 years. He later shifted to videography and photography, building the advanced video program from the ground up.
“I get to see a creative side of people when they’re making videos and when they’re doing photography,” Erle said. “One of the things I liked
Skelton: a star behind the scenes
BY HENRY GARDNER Head Photographer
BY CONNOR LEONG Staff Reporter
Cindy Skelton is retiring after 13 years at Burlingame, where she served as the drama and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) teacher, theater director, and instructional coach. For Skelton, the most rewarding part of teaching has been working with students in her drama class and the plays.
“I absolutely love collaborating with students. I love the ideas that they bring to the table… their energy, their enthusiasm, it makes me want to come to work every day,” Skelton said.
Skelton said the fun of theater comes from watching her students’ passion and initiative.
“It’s seeing that spark and that they take an idea and then they run with it,” Skelton said. “It’s fun, I get to give them a little… idea, and they can turn it into a full-blown production.”
Throughout her teaching career, Skelton sought to instill confidence and compassion in her students.
“I hope they leave my classes being more confident in presenting in other classes. I hope they leave with a sense of empathy and compassion for other people and that they know who they are as people,” Skelton said.
When she retires, Skelton plans to spend her time biking, hiking, and enjoying time with family.
about my career is I’ve done very different things.”
Over his tenure at Burlingame, Erle has witnessed both the school’s changes and constants.
“When I got here, there were maybe 1050 total students, and now we have over 1600,” Erle said. “We’ve still been able to keep our identity and traditions, even though the student body has changed, not just in quantity or number of kids, but also the diversity.”
In retirement, he plans to continue to help others, now with a focus on finance rather than education.
“I want to get a Certified Financial Planner license and work especially with other teachers, because I find that teachers don’t always plan as well as they could for their own retirements,” Erle said.
BY KAI SHAH Staff Reporter
Senior Assassin, a competition where teams of two high school seniors use water guns to eliminate other teams, has become a popular end-of-year tradition for graduating classes nationwide.
In Senior Assassin, each duo competes to eliminate assigned opponents using water guns. Every week, teams receive a new target and must upload a video of their elimination through an app called Splashin’. To protect themselves, players can wear goggles or floaties and stay in safe zones that are off-limits for assassinations. The target’s location resets every ten minutes, and if a team fails to eliminate at least one opponent within the week, they are removed from the competition.
Senior Miguel Fernandez said he participated in Senior Assassin to help carry on the tradition and connect with other seniors during his last months of high school.
“I feel like it’s been a tradition. It’s a way to get everyone togeth-
er and unite as the last months of high school kind of roll around,” Fernandez said. “I feel like it’s very important for us to really connect in a way that we haven’t the past four years.”
Fernandez and his partner Jayden Harjani came up with tactics to outlast their opponents.
“It’s pretty fun. The adrenaline you get when you actually shoot someone. You get to upload it on the app, that’s pretty fun,” Fernandez said. “Some tactics we’ve used are disguising ourselves in public. So even though they have our location, they won’t really be able to find us in public. So that was very helpful.”
On Sundays, better known as “purge days,” all teams receive each other’s location, allowing players to eliminate anyone. With protective gear banned, strategies like disguises become even more important.
For senior Ryan Mah, the game is exciting because of its unpredictable nature and cash reward for the winning team.
“It’s memorable because we
have exciting moments, like the purge days, where you can go out and go eliminate your targets or anyone,” Mah said. “Also, it’s very competitive because there’s a $1,000 cash prize pool, and you have your whole grade participate with you.”
After two months of competition, seniors Emily O’Dwyer and Bella Karanov were the last team standing. O’Dwyer said that winning the competition made her high school experience even more special.
“I’ll just remember my senior year as very fun, as in I got to win something and be a part of something really big,” O’Dwyer said. “So I feel like it’ll make my senior year seem special compared to the other years.”
Fernandez encourages future seniors to join in on the fun of Senior Assassin.
“None of us really take it all too serious, because it’s a game at the end of the day,” Fernandez said. “But I recommend doing it because it’s a pretty fun experience.”
Winning Team Q&A
1. What was your favorite moment of Senior Assassin?
“When [Riley Dang] chased me around the block, and I thought I made it away, and then she was in my closet.”
2. What strategies did you use to win the competition?
“We just would go out very last minute and get people when they weren’t thinking when we were gonna do that.”
First-generation students forge new pathways
Chloe Wang
A classic annual tradition: seniors face off in water gun battle Katherinne Chieppe
Committing to Syracuse University was more than just a personal milestone for senior Chloe Wang. Paving the way for her younger sibling as both a first-generation student and an older sister, Wang said she felt empowered to be a guiding figure for her brother.
“I just want him to know that everything will work out fine,” Wang said. “Even with rejections and acceptances, you will be going somewhere. You shouldn’t have any self-doubt or let a rejection letter define who you are because you’re more than that.”
Wang said that while her parents found success without a college degree, she recognizes the opportunities that come with pursuing higher education.
“My parents showed me that even without having higher education, you can still be successful in life,” Wang said. “But I feel like when you pursue higher education, you can have more internship opportunities, network, meet new people, study abroad, and just more opportunities that my parents never got to do.”
Inspired by her cousin, who currently attends the University of California (UC), Davis, Wang looks forward to independence and new experiences in college.
“Ever since eighth grade, I knew that I wanted to pursue higher education,” Wang said. “When I saw my cousin go to UC Davis, I knew I wanted to be like him. I knew I wanted to pursue a higher education and have a degree in something. I feel like college overall is different from high school because there are so many more opportunities and freedom for us.”
While senior Katherinne Chieppe said the college application process “was very difficult,” she said that she “[stood] up for herself” by reaching out to school advisors and joining organizations that could guide her through her applications. Next fall, Chieppe will be majoring in psychology at San Diego State University.
“I’m definitely really excited and I’m proud of myself,” Chieppe said. “I am becoming the change that I want to see. And I really hope that even though I’m the first, I won’t be the last.”
During high school, Chieppe’s main goal was to attend a four-year university. She said that college felt “attainable” because of her parents’ support.
“My parents’ path is a lot different than the one that I want to have for myself,” Chieppe said. “Sometimes when I see them, it inspires me to be different and to show them that it’s also possible to dream and to not force yourself into a certain stereotype.”
Though Chieppe recognizes the different pathways after high school, she said that college is the most “fitting” option for her since it is a way to expand her interests.
“It’s important to have those experiences, take classes, move out of the house, live on your own, to be able to designate where you want your life to go,” Chieppe said.
Next year, Chieppe looks forward to having new experiences and growing as an individual.
“I’m really excited to be able to pave my own pathway and not have it set by other people and other standards,” Chieppe said.
Billy Song
Growing up, education was always at the forefront of senior Billy Song’s mind. She said that pursuing higher education is, in many ways, a testament to her parents’ sacrifices and constant support.
“My parents came from Asia to give us an opportunity to have a better education,” Song said. “My mom has always been super focused on education for all of us, which encouraged me to do better in school and want to continue with college. I think overall it’s important to go to college because it’s preparing you for adulthood.”
As a first-generation student, Song said she faced difficulties during the college application process due to the limited access to resources and guidance compared to her peers.
“The whole application process was a little confusing,” Song said. “Because I am the middle child, I just went off of what my older brother did. I also didn’t have a college counselor… so I just feel like the people around me knew more about the whole process, especially seeing other people getting in because of legacy. It’s just different from my experience being a first-generation student.”
Heading to the University of Miami next fall, Song looks forward to the college experience and pursuing an engineering major.
“I’m really excited, and I feel at ease knowing that this is the right path for me,” Song said. “Because my parents focused on me and my siblings’ education, being able to go to college and be done with it is so exciting. I’m most excited to just learn specific things with my major as well.”
BY INY LI Business Manager
BY OLIVIA NEWMAN Staff Reporter
BY INY LI Business Manager
- Bella Karanov, senior
- Emily O’Dwyer, senior
Senior Messages
Seniors offer words of wisdom
“Try hard in school, do your best, and meet new people, but also be aware of your passions and what you want to do in high school and in life. Make sure that you follow your own passions, your own core, and your belief in yourself.”
“I would say to, especially immigrants, speak out loud and don’t be afraid to fail and try more. It’s okay to be uncomfortable.”
BY SOPHIA DOSS Copy Editor
BY ABBY ZARAHN Staff Reporter
“The people that you surround yourself with, that you spend time with, have fun with, study with and work with, ultimately, will help shape you, for better or worse. So really surrounding yourself with good people is one of the most important paths to
Max DiLaura
Brian Huang
Karena Huang Andrew Lee
“One piece of advice I would give to a younger high school student is to just keep at it and if you keep working hard on things, what you need to happen will happen.”
“Focus on your classes, but also don’t get too caught up in schoolwork. Make sure to make time for your friends and have fun, stay focused on what’s important to you.”
Louann Bernaudin
“Never be afraid to try new things, or else you’ll never know what you miss out on.”
Sofia LaBonte
Volume up: a high school soundtrack
Seniors share songs that define their high school experience
Roberto Beltranena
“DtMF,” Bad Bunny
“This song shows a great representation of truly living in the moment and leaving the past behind.”
Zander Levitt
“Everyday Hustle,” Future
“The best song for [high school] is ‘Everyday Hustle’ by Future, because every day I would hustle to get good grades and perform at my highest potential.”
Alana Aleman
“Slipping Through My
Fingers,” ABBA
“I chose this song because it kind of marks an end of a chapter of our life, and it makes us reflect on how times have changed for everyone.”
BY CHIARA WESLEY Staff Reporter
Cara Rogers
“My Way,” Frank Sinatra
“All the lyrics are super sentimental. The ‘end is near’ reminds me that we’re ending our final days of highschool and it makes me really grateful for all the memories I’ve had here.”
Senior Playlist
Class of 2025
Cassie Cafferkey
Dancing Queen, ABBA
Ryan Wang False Confidence, Noah Kahan
Cole Hardtke
Friday Night Activities, Larry June
Christina Zhang
Second Suite in F, Gustav Holst
Owen Shen
My Way, Calvin Harris
Hannah Wen Sick of the Silence, Mother Mother
Sofia Maria Crosina
“Breathe in the Air,” Pink Floyd
“A song that best represents my high school experience is ‘Breathe in the Air’ by Pink Floyd. It reminds me to stay in the present and enjoy every moment of high school and to not be afraid of what other people think.”
Charlie Quivey
“The Climb,” Miley Cyrus
“Because high school can be rough while going up the ‘mountain’ but the dream view at the end seems to be the best part.”
Gonzaga University
Reese Bardsley
Kylan Dean
Seattle University
Emma McNamara
University of Washington
Audrey Colvin
Vidur Kacker
Oregon
Pacific University
Zaya Mytels
University of Oregon
Jennie Benaglia
Ana Bolanos
Anders Gauthier
Alice Lee
Zoe Moran
Washington California
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Ilaria Bronzini
Bowin Chen
Sophia Doss
Cayce Ng
Cara Rogers
Tova Ruben
Caitlyn Siu
Noelle Tan
Alex Winter
Cal Poly Pomona
Marco Sodini
Ava Suh
CSU Chico
Cian Butler
Amber Cima
Emily Escalante Mendez
Austin Lucas
Isaac Reyes Sandoval
Mischa Skorupko
Mikey Vargas
CSU East Bay
Mason Chong
Isaiah Palacios
CSU Fullerton
Hazel Del Pozo
Luke Dimech
CSU Long Beach
Sofia Maria Crosina
CSU Monterey Bay
Caitlyn Casazza
CSU Northridge
Colette Trautwein
CSU Sacramento
Anthony Gamino Navarro
CSU Sonoma
Nicky Motoviloff
Cañada College
Brian Huang
Sierra Legos
City College of San Francisco
Karla Gongora
College of San Mateo
David Albor
Joshua Babish
Kasen Barrolaza
Bat Ermuun Batzorig
Roberto Beltranena
Andres Bueno
Yael Buy
Olivia Caulfield
Ariel Cruz
Mark Daly
Austine Delima
Lorrany Evangelista SchiavoMagalhaes
Carson Fellion
Miguel Fernandez
Sofia Flores
Akhil Ganguly
Grace Howard
Jazmin Jajeh
Giana Johnson
Henry Jones
James Kammuller
Colorado Minnesota Idaho
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Daniel Caruso
University of Colorado Boulder
Dylan Aaronson
Finn Appleton
Anya Ardito
Abbi Aufhauser
Patrick Chan
Victoria Delucchi
Max DiLaura
Jake Flood
Cole Hardtke
Eva Lubarsky
Eleni Menicou
Taylor Oldenburg
Miranda Sibley
Zack Weinberg
Alex Karanov
Myiesha Khan
Ryan Kindberg
Sedef Kuralay
Siena La Mark
Servando Lozoya
Rachel Lu
Charles Magtira
Erandy Martinez Cruz
Ian Maxwell
Karyme Medina-Ostertag
Gabriel Ojeda
Christian Orea Sanchez
Joshua Ortiz
Luis Ortiz
Anna Perry
Jasmine Pineda
Kina Pooi-Unga
Arturo Quintero
Melissa Saes
Henry Sauer
Jayliz Soto-Cardona
Gabriela Valencia
JJ Vea
Dionisios Vorrises
Foothill College
Gavin Rath-Lewan
Harvey Mudd
College
Charlotte Wong
Loyola Marymount
University
Momo Egan
Josslyn Tramel
Menlo College
Eleanor Points
Moorpark College
Matthew Miles
Orange Coast College
Wyatt Curley
Pepperdine University
Happy Lee
Pomona College
Karena Huang
Luke Levitt
San Diego State University
Colin Chan
Emma Daly
Anna Durfee
Katherinne Chieppe
Sienna Fuss
San Francisco State University
Cindy Chen
San Jose State University
Rodrigo Beltranena
Jessica Chan
Daniil Kolenko
Chelsea Lin
Kushal Prashar
Ryan Vaheid
David Villanueva
Matthew Wade
Santa Barbara City College
Angel Hernandez
Boise State University Lucas Kirk Brendan Pozzo
Utah
Carleton College Lexi Podkaminer
University of Utah
Nebraska
Saint Alana
Indiana Bloomington University of NebraskaLincoln
Santa Clara University
Talon Bajohr
Luke Durfee
William Kriner
Jimmy Lee
Stepan Leontev
Ali Moran
Cole Ng
Andy Yap
Matheos Zarou
Santa Monica College
Julian Ocon
Skyline College
Mark Betanzo
Enzo Duque Lampe
Andrea Figueroa Tostado
Christian Kleinekorte
Dylan Saunders
Hannah Wen
Stanford University
Alexandria Levitt
Jayden Wan
University of California, Berkeley
Francesca Huysmans
David Meng
Krishna Nagarajan
Carly Peters
University of California, Davis
Sophia Calderon Mendez
Miya Cate
Daniel Dunavetsky
Justin Erdem
Bobby Kendall
Nicolas Moshkovoy
Chloe Villarreal
University of California, Irvine
Riley Dang
Anastasia Ku
Reiter Madden
University of California, Los
Angeles
Avery Boyse
Jackie Ishimoto
Andrew Lee
Max Magidin
Aron Martin
Elle Mercer
Spencer Phonsombat
Carine Suherman
Ella Wang
University of California, Merced
Brayden Abastillas
Fatima Esparza Olivera
University of California, Riverside
Andrew Bracy
Trevor Liu
Isabella Pardilla
Gabriela Vega
University of California, San Diego
Brandon Nguyen
Angelina Xu
University of California, Santa Barbara
Ella Daudel
Lily Jones
Sofia LaBonte
Hailey Miller
Joseph Scovill
Gigi Sullivan
Ryan Yep
University of California,
Santa Cruz
Zoe Elise Booc
Clayton Chin
Ariana De La Torre
Tilden DeVoss
William Kwok
Chloe Ma
Sophia Puzon
Atlas Ricardo Barreto
University of San Diego
Leilani Sanchez
Max Andreski
Lucas Stuart
University of San Francisco
Ashlyn Botta
Rhian Cordero
Chloenxia Fu
Jayden Harjani
Andrea Perez Falcon
Jasmyne Ram
University of Southern California
Antonio Bennett
Luke Frikert
Samantha Lin
Zachary Newman
Donovan Ranta
Wisconsin
University
Amalia
Indiana
Audrey
Reese Johnson
Bella Karanov
Ella McHenry
Massachusetts
Boston College
Sophia Geminder
Roman Karp
Boston University
Sophia Mitchell
Alex Myers
Kaykay Pan
Emerson College
Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
Audrey Johnson
Northeastern
University
Renee Chen
Lilah Higgins
Sophia Jasmer
Maine
Ian Lai
Owen Shen
Kyle Tran
University of Massachusetts
Amherst
Yifei Fung
Loyola University Chicago
Madeline Yung
Northwestern University
Sophia Bella
Sydney Chen
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bates College
Shayna Blum
New Hampshire
Dartmouth College
Annie Conway
Columbia University
Lucas Keeley
Cornell University
Jeannine Chiang
Connie Lu
Fordham University
Mayu Simpson
New York University
Veronica Galanter
Dora Yang
Celina Zheng
Pratt Institute
Eva Brauer
Syracuse University
Luke Bartus
Chloe Wang
Parsons School of Design
Inci Yagmurlu
Johns
Maryland
Michigan State University
University of Michigan
University of Arizona
Yazan Abu tair
Jordyn Nawrocki
Penelope Pisarevich
Southern Methodist
University
Jillian Kiniris
Ella Schroth
Texas A&M University
Tyler Leung
Texas Christian University
Hazel Slavet
The University of Texas at Austin Rocco Brajenovic
Rutgers University-New
Brunswick
Vanessa Meints
American University
Finley O’Brien
University of Virginia
Emmett Kliger
University of Connecticut
Washington University in
Campbell University Ella Duong
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Kelcey Flenniken
Quinn Jones
Wake Forest University
Jack Flanzer
Francesca Radzyminski
Georgia
Emory University
Everett Lu
University of Georgia
Lucie Jaunich
University of Florida
Charlotte Hughes
University of Miami
Billy Song
Bryn Mawr College
Evangeline Scott
Bucknell University
Marguerite Bigue
Lafayette College
Alejandro Pineda Wright
Lehigh University
Kacee Chan
Bernadette Panlilio
Pennsylvania State University
Pilot Eis
University of Pennsylvania
Jack Handelman
ESCP Europe Business School
Louann Bernaudin
McGill University
Kate Adams
The University of British
Columbia
Atom Egan
Abby Knight
University College Dublin
Emily O’Dwyer
University of Sydney
Natalie Gyde
University of Victoria
Edy Knight
University of Waterloo
Cameron Tay
*Data accurate as of May 15
Committed Athletes
Ella Duong
Campbell University: Volleyball
I’m looking forward to living the life as a college athlete. I feel like that’s something I’ve always grown up idolizing.”
Gavin Rath-Lewan
Foothill College: Football
I guess I just fell in love with [football]... Some people just play to play, but I actually enjoy it a lot.”
Giana Johnson
College of San Mateo: Softball
I’m really excited to play at my competition level, and play with people who are passionate about the game.”
Jack Handelman
University of Pennsylvania: Diving
I’m looking forward to always being busy, having something to do, and always working towards new goals.”
Bella Karanov
University of WisconsinMadison: Rowing
I’m really excited for the team, and I’m really excited to try a new place, try something new.”
Finley O’Brien
American University: Soccer
I’m looking forward to… the high level of competition, and also getting to prove myself at the division one level.”
Luke Levitt
Pomona College: Football
It’s more complicated, so there’s more demanded from me, which I’m kind of excited to be that guy that has to do a lot more.”
Henry Bradley
Emerson College: Lacrosse
Playing at a collegiate level, that’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a kid.”
Avery Boyse
UCLA: Pole Vaulting
I think the new coaching, college coaching, will help me progress even more. I’m also just excited to... be part of a team.”
BY
JOSIE WETTAN
Copy Editor
BY AKIRA NAKAMURA Staff Reporter
Warning: fire alarm hazards
After the ninth false fire alarm of the year, Burlingame administration sent out an email to parents and students regarding the sensitivity of the alarm system. The following were included on the list of items that can trigger the fire alarm:
• Hairspray
• Air fresheners
• Axe body spray
• Bad perms
• Teslas
• Cherry-flavored vapes
• “What did you get on your SAT”
• Passive-aggressive Canva posters about kindness
• Botched parallel parking jobs
• Singed hair and blonde highlights
• Spray tans
• Perfectionism
• Aviator nation zip-ups
• North Face backpacks
• Pink Drinks
• Panther Pride
• AP-induced stress
• College apparel
• Checked-out teachers
• Plastic flamingos
• Students on trash duty
• Important-sounding clubs that don’t do anything
• Stock-bros
• Nonchalantness
• Overheating chromebooks
• “Ts pmo icl”
• Oversized pink stanleys
• When the dogs are out
• Hunchbacks
• Fake injuries
• Keys that swing excessively
• Overachievers
• golf cart emissions
• Throwing carrots
• Making TikToks in the bathroom
• PDA
COPE proposes budget cuts
BY ALEX BERTELLI Efficency Officer
Taking inspiration from the recently established Department of Government Efficiency and its cost-saving efforts, Burlingame has implemented its own Council of Panther Efficiency (COPE). Its mission: optimize school spending by reducing “waste, fraud, and things we generally don’t like.” The council was established on Thursday, May 1, and operates under the leadership of Head Cutter Xenota Enoch Perihelion — Elon Musk’s hidden fifteenth child.
“It was clear that the school was overspending,” Perihelion said. “COPE was necessary, and we’re hopeful that by the end of the semester, we’ll have cut at least 200 students.”
COPE’s first move was to remove “unnecessary” teachers, especially those in the science department. To determine who made the cut, members barged into classrooms mid-lesson and asked for a list of five topics that were taught that period.
“A student walked in during a test and asked what I was teaching,” said Alexandra Kirkpatrick, former environmental science teacher. “I explained that it was a test day and I had just been teaching complex ecosystems. But apparently, that was not good enough because I ended up getting the boot.”
According to Perihelion and Waste Analyst Wattami Du-ying, the council puts extensive thought
into each decision. Their strategies include adding extra zeros to inflate their reported savings and rolling a six-sided die to determine how much funding to cut. COPE proudly displays its savings on the “Wall of Receipts” poster in the A-building, which is frequently updated and replaced each time it is vandalized.
While COPE is quick to celebrate its “successes”, some students question the accuracy of their data.
Junior Kamen Sens pointed out arithmetic errors and budget cuts to programs that no longer exist.
“They multiplied the savings by ten at a certain point for no reason, and listed cutting the Responsible Finance Club twice,” Sens said. “We haven’t even had a Responsible Finance Club for the last two years.”
COPE’s next major target is mental health advocacy because it has been deemed “against council priorities.” As part of that effort, the
council plans to eliminate Advanced Placement (AP) classes forever, drawing inspiration from Principal Jen Fong’s proposals to limit APs. Their reasoning: no APs means no stress, and no stress means no need for therapy.
“Mental health is an area with huge waste. Fong has the right idea with the 3 APs thing, but we should go all the way,” Perihelion said. “Also, we’re getting rid of the therapy dog visits.”
Certain students have also raised concerns over the continued allocation of thousands of dollars to the Iron Panthers robotics team, despite the significant outside funding they receive from military contractors. Council members declined to respond on that matter, but mentioned that issues with “problematic reporting” led them to consider cutting funding to the school’s journalism program.
Chromebook failure cancels finals
BY PAIGE CORNELIUS Chromebook Columnist
Since its introduction late last year, the computer policy — which mandates that students use school-issued Chromebooks only — has caused widespread frustration. The tension around Chromebooks culminated with the cancellation of the physics final on Thursday, May 1.
In a shocking turn of events, Chromebooks, usually known for their reliability and speed, failed the physics students. Sources said the Chromebooks took the entire 90-minute period to load, making it impossible for students to complete their final exam.
Technology Technician Ryan Martin was brought in to repair the affected Chromebooks. The task proved more difficult than expected, as Martin was dealing with not just one or two devices, but the Chromebooks of an entire 30-person class.
“I had never seen the internet lagging on a scale like this before. There was a lot of pressure on me. I tried my best, but at the end of the day, the computers won out,” Martin said.
For some, this was a near-catastrophic event as they had been preparing for their final since their freshman year biology class. The Chromebook failure was a disastrous roadblock in their carefully planned academic journey.
“It’s always been my dream to be a physicist, so to see my high school physics career end this way is pretty
heartbreaking,” said a teary-eyed senior, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid backlash from the less motivated members of the physics class.
The exam, a multiple-choice test comprising 175 questions, will never see the light of day as future physics classes were prevented from taking it. This was good news to students in later class periods who had yet to begin studying.
“When I heard the news, I was so excited because I was just planning on winging the exam, but now I don’t even have to worry about it,” said junior Amelia Wilson. “Finally, something good came out of the Chromebook policy.”
The administration addressed the event later that day, describing it as an “isolated incident,” in an email to parents and students. They wrote,
“Not to worry, everyone, this was out of character for the Chromebooks. They will be back and better than ever next year.”
One student responded to this email with a half-written message, as their Chromebook froze before they were able to send an actual reply.
“I’ve had enough of the Chromebooks. I can never get anything important done,” senior Malia Riley said. “Why bother to monitor me on Hāpara when I can easily multitask my schoolwork with online shopping?”
Despite the backlash this event has sparked, the administration said Chromebooks are here to stay and will remain a fixture of the Burlingame way of life for the foreseeable future.
The Council of Panther Efficiency (COPE) maintains a “Wall of Receipts” poster in the A-building to track their savings.
An AP Physics student slams their Chromebook into a trash can in an outburst of frustration.
“My favorite moment from high school was the senior sunrise. Even though we knew the stress of college would be coming, we were still really excited for the school year.”
- Shani Roitman
and being
“One of my most memorable activities from the last four years of high school is definitely prom because of how much people get together before and after.”
- Luke Bartus
“My favorite memory from high school is definitely during junior year, eating lunch with all my friends after a big test and hyping each other all up.”- Chloe Villarreal
- Kate Adams
“Something that sticks out to me is going to the Giants games every year with our class
around everyone. I’ve loved meeting so many cool people.”