The Burlingame B

10/02/2024

The Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) Chapter had its first-ever meeting at lunch on Tuesday, Oct. 1. In order to initiate DECA at Burlingame, the leaders were required to take a business class, which has been a roadblock to kickstarting the club in previous years. With greater access to the business class on campus, the leaders were able to get the club up and running for the first time in Burlingame’s history .

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(Photos and reporting : J. Wettan)

10/01/2024

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept 28, the streets of downtown San Mateo were filled with sounds of Taiko drum performances, Hula dance, and traditional Hungarian folk dance. These were just a few cultural treasures presented at the September Arts & Culture Fest hosted by the San Mateo Chamber of Commerce and the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture.

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(Photos and reporting: E. Du)

09/26/2024

Students from the Italian program welcomed exchange students from Udine, Italy on Wednesday, Sept. 25 in the main quad. The exchange students will attend classes with their host students for the next 10 days.

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(Photos and reporting: W. Kriner)

09/25/2024

“Laughter, respect, and stories” was how the return of Breaking Down the Walls (BDTW) to Burlingame was described by guest speaker Freddie Silveria on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Hosted by Ignite 2 Unite, this four-day community bonding event is occurring at the Burlingame Recreation Center for underclassmen and new upperclassmen to cultivate a supportive culture within the student body.

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(Photos: N. Gyde, reporting: I. Li)

09/25/2024

The September issue is here. Scroll to see what’s inside.

In today’s paper: The new A-Building mural celebrates diversity, Caltrain goes electric, a new wave of faculty joins campus, Gen Z discusses politics, and more.

09/24/2024

The first issue of the year is coming tomorrow.

Starting Tuesday, Sept. 24, you can pick up a copy of the September issue in third-period classes or outside of A120.

09/22/2024

Panthers partied the evening away while the loudspeakers blasted pop songs like Katy Perry’s “Party in the USA” and Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go” during this year’s Welcome Back Dance on Friday, Sept. 20 in the main quad. 

Hosted by the sophomore class cabinet, the “Panthers in paradise”-themed event featured a variety of games such as Spikeball, co****le, giant Jenga, and Connect 4. Students arrived as early as 6:00 p.m. and were served refreshments at the snack table by leadership. Many snapped selfies at the picture booth, spicing up their photos with props including sunglasses, umbrellas and other tropical accessories.

(Photos and reporting: E. Yu)

09/21/2024

Students gathered in the main quad during flex for the club fair on Friday, Sept. 20. Hosted by Leadership, students had the opportunity to explore over 100 clubs that fit their interests.

Junior Catherine Kwong, co-president of the Conserve 2 Preserve Club emphasizes the fair’s ability to spark passions among students.

“[Students] should join clubs because it’s a great way to learn about your interests and find what you’re really passionate about,” Kwong said. “[For our club], we focus on student service towards climate issues, so [students] should join our club because we’re trying to help the environment, and it’s a big issue right now.”

Clubs can be an engaging way to connect with the community – this was the case for junior Red Cross club president Emily Meng.

“I made a lot of friends through the Red Cross Club, and it was really great to learn so much about our community and give back to it in such a unique way,” Meng said.

(Photos and reporting: A. Zarahn)

09/20/2024

In a busy start to the season, varsity girls’ golf competed in their fourth match of the week against Sequoia High School on Thursday, Sept. 19. The Panthers lost in a narrow 204-186 defeat, dropping Burlingame to a 2-2 record.

Co-coach Michelle Riley was impressed with the Panthers’ performance and excited about the team’s potential going forward.

“I’m pleased with their performance,” Riley said. “It’s a nice group of girls, and the most important thing for me is that they’re out, learning how to play, and getting comfortable...”

Going into the first week of matches, Riley highlighted the significance of getting off to a quick start this season.

“This is our first week of matches, and to have four, it was like trial by fire,” Riley said. “They just jumped into it right away.”

Despite the loss, Riley remains optimistic about the season to come.

“This [match] was close, the other one we lost was by one [shot],” Riley said. “We’re in good shape."

(Photos and reporting: W. Kriner)

09/18/2024

During lunch on Tuesday, Sept. 17, leadership’s Club and Class commission hosted a flag-making activity where club members were given a chance to make a paper flag promoting their club.

“[The flag making activity] helps clubs to be recognized. We have a bulletin board, so when people walk through the halls, they can see all the different clubs that we have,” Associated Student Body (ASB) vice president senior Billy Song said.

As the ASB vice president, Song oversees the Club and Class commission and club week. The Club and Class commission was in charge of looking through and approving the clubs. Once they were able to finish sifting through the clubs, those in charge were able to begin planning and organizing the events for Club Week.

Club week will conclude with the annual club fair during flex on Friday, Sept. 20.

“I’m excited because there’s a lot of clubs out there and everyone’s pretty much out there during [the fair],” Song said.

(Photos and reporting: O. Newman)

09/14/2024

I first learned about the opening of Ume Tea last Saturday, when I was driving down Burlingame Avenue and noticed a long line of eager customers that wrapped around the corner of the street. The bubble tea chain was first launched in Cupertino in 2019, and since then has made its way to various cities across the United States. Its newest addition is Burlingame, a location that offers Burlingame students a 10% discount on their order. With such a popular outcome only days after the opening, I had to check it out.

When I came for the first time today, I ordered three drinks: the Mango Pomelo Sago, the Oreo Crème Brûlée Boba and the Strawberry Fresh Milk with Pudding.

Swipe to see my review.

(Photos and reporting by J. Huysmans)

09/13/2024

On Thursday, Sept. 12, parents gathered for the annual Back to School Night. The event mimicked a Monday bell schedule, with parents attending 10-minute classroom overviews. The evening also featured informational booths run by student programs, a band performance and a ceremony for the newly renovated music room.

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(Photos: A. Knight, reporting: I. Li and A. Knight)

09/12/2024

Leadership students and class representatives gathered in the student union for the first student council meeting of the year during fourth period on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Many students participated in activity brainstorming during the meeting.

In addition to the usual announcements by the leadership commission leads, Associated Student Body (ASB), class cabinet and admin, student council passed out post-it notes asking for feedback and ideas. Student representatives brainstormed Homecoming and football game themes, and provided feedback on the Minion rally and spirit week.

(Photos and reporting: C. Lu)

09/11/2024

Varsity girls’ tennis led a series of commanding victories against Menlo-Atherton High School on Tuesday, Sept. 10. The team swept all doubles and singles matches except for the No. 1 singles match in their first league contest.

Although No. 1 singles’ player junior Samantha Tom lost 6-1, she gained new insights from the game.

“It’s my first time at singles, and I know the competition at that level is really high, so I learned different strategies,” Tom said.

No. 3 singles’ player sophomore Shea Mulready felt the match helped her regain momentum, with a decisive 6-2, 6-1 victory.

“[This game] really helped me gain confidence,” Mulready said.. “I think I was playing consistent and hitting a hard ball.”

Along with the strong singles performances, the doubles teams also dominated against Menlo-Atherton. No. 2 doubles partners, junior Lyra Sheng and senior Ella Wang, lost the first set but quickly bounced back, winning the second set 6-2 and securing the tie-breaker.

A key part of the duo’s success is their strong dynamic, whose support for each other on the court helped them overcome challenges. Sheng felt she struggled with her serves during the match, but her partner’s encouragement made all the difference.

“One of the best parts of Ella is the fact that whenever I get frustrated on my serves, she’s like ‘Hey, it’s alright, don’t worry,’ and then I feel better,” Sheng said.

Teamwork has been crucial in the Panthers’ strong start to the season as the Panthers look to continue building on their early success. They will now prepare for their next match on Thursday, Sept. 12 at San Mateo High School, followed by a home match on Tuesday, Sept. 17, against Carlmont High School.

(Photos and reporting: K. Hwang)

09/10/2024

Bay University hosted its first dance of the year on Friday, Sept. 6, providing a chance for the community to come together and have a good time. Teachers, current students and alumni were able to enjoy the camp-themed event.

The dance is one of Bay University Teacher Celeste Thomas’ highlights of her year.

“I feel like [the dance is] one of the many coolest parts of this program, just socialization and a chance for students to just let loose, be themselves, see peers that they’re familiar with and build new friends and new friendship. I just think it’s amazing and incredible, seeing everyone smiles just makes my day,” Thomas said.

Alumni were welcomed back to visit former teachers as well as their peers and friends.

“I think it just creates a sense of family. And that’s what I feel like Bay University is all about, is family. Current students, alumni, new students. It really is this family feel,” Thomas said.

The program will host three more dances this year, the next one being in celebration of Halloween.

(Photos and reporting J. Wettan)

09/09/2024

09/06/2024

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) classes from across the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) gathered at Burlingame on Thursday, Sept. 5 for a district-wide “Field Day” event.

Centered around cultivating connections for students in different grades and schools, students were able to participate in games such as tug-of-war, interactive bingo and outdoor activities including bounce houses. A presentation was also held in the auditorium where AVID alumni shared their high school experiences, advice for current high schoolers, information regarding financial aid, and how the AVID program provided support throughout their high school life.

AVID advisor Alexandra Gray emphasizes the value in having an event that fosters community-building and an opportunity for student interaction on a greater level.

“[The activities the AVID program hosted] really exemplifies the point of “Field Day,” which is to cultivate community, help our AVID students not only get to know one another in their respective classes, but also older and younger AVID students,” Gray said.

“Field Day” allowed junior Zoey Hakes to connect with her friends and classmates from her middle school and those that go to other high schools in the county.

“Since I did go to Borel Middle School, getting to see my old classmates and friends from Aragon and San Mateo High School was definitely fun for me,” Hakes said. “Today I hope to continue connecting more with everyone, and it’s fun because it’s a break from academics which is nice.”

“Field Day” has also provided Gray the ability to gain more understanding and connections within the county-wide AVID program.

“For me, it’s really helpful to be able to connect with other AVID teachers at the other schools, see what they’ve been working on and [gain] and share ideas, which has allowed me to expand my AVID community,” Gray said. “I love that this is taking place at the beginning of the year, so I hope my students are able to use this opportunity to get to know one another better and have a greater appreciation for AVID in general.”

(Photos and reporting: I. Li)

09/04/2024

The Burlingame athletic program kicks off the 2024-25 school year with the fall sports season. And with it, nine teams begin their season-long quest for victory. Flag football expands into its second year, while cross country and girls’ volleyball aim to defend their Central Coast Section Division III titles. Boys’ water polo, along with girls’ tennis and golf, plan to build on their growth from last season and see their team’s youth shine. Football, cheer and girls’ water polo are set on rebounding from last season and developing a strong culture that they hope will yield newfound success. Whether on the field, track or court, the Panthers are gearing up for an unforgettable season.

To read more about the Panthers’ season goals and outlook, visit theburlingameb.org for our fall sports preview.

09/03/2024

The Burlingame B asked five freshmen about their first weeks at Burlingame to learn about their experiences so far. Swipe to see what they said.

(Reporting: C. Lu and J. Huysmans)

08/31/2024

School started earlier than normal today for the class of 2025. Starting at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, seniors gathered on the front lawn to participate in the annual senior sunrise, hosted by the senior class cabinet.

Although the sunrise was covered by clouds, seniors entertained themselves with games like Spikeball and Connect 4, and the BHS Parents Group provided breakfast pastries and hot drinks.

“It was pretty successful, despite not really being able to see the sun. I think people were excited to be there, especially since they know this is our last year, and this is our first senior event of the year,” senior class president Lexie Levitt said.

Students picked up their senior t-shirts, gathered for a group photo and wrapped up the morning with a gift card raffle.

(Photos and reporting: N. Gyde)

08/30/2024

At the start of the school year, according to Assistant Principal Valerie Arbizu, over 23 senior students were on the waitlist or petitioned to switch from College Prep Government (CP Gov) to Advanced Placement Government (AP Gov). In response, the administration converted a fifth-period CP Gov class into an AP Gov class, forcing the original CP Gov students to rearrange their schedules.

In total, Arbizu said 44 seniors from the affected classes had to adjust their schedules to accommodate the change.

The decision came after the release of official student schedules on Aug. 13, which had initially reflected most students’ February 2024 course selections. According to counselor Traci Kreppel, only about 95 seniors had signed up for AP Gov at first, while around 200 opted for CP Gov. Based on these numbers, the school counselors had scheduled three AP sessions — second, fourth and sixth periods.

Read the full article on theburlingameb.org.

(Reporting: E. Du, graphic: E. Yu)

08/29/2024

This school year marked the beginning of Unified Physical Education (PE), a class led by health teacher Malcolm Davis that provides an opportunity for students in Bay Academy and adaptive PE to collaborate with general education students.

“I think it’s really helpful in bridging that gap between some of our Bay Academy students, who don’t have the opportunities to work with our general ed students,” Davis said. “It also gives our Gen Ed students time to meet and kind of mingle with some of the students that they don’t normally get to [interact with].”

In the Unified PE class, peer buddies serve as role models and help their classmates with physical tasks.

“If anyone is interested in joining, definitely sign up next year, because we are going to continue to need more [general education] people who want to take the class, and it’s very fulfilling and rewarding,” Davis said.

(Photos and reporting: K. Hwang)