The Burlingame High School Student Council has been forced to generate unique ways to hold activities for the student body in the age of online school. Last year, student council made strides to connect the student body; they held fundraisers and implemented pack-the-stands to fill bleachers at events. However, many events that they planned for the 2020-2021 school year and the spring of the 2019-2020 school year have been canceled due to COVID-19. The struggle to unite Burlingame students from afar still stands today.

“We’re gonna have to take advantage of other online resources … We’re going to be sending out some Google Forms to hear what the students have to say,” Danniel Conway, the Sophomore Student Council President, said. 

Being disconnected from the student body is one of the biggest difficulties for student council members with the current online school system, yet they are determined to continue supporting students. 

“We are going to embrace the challenge,” Conway said. 

Fortunately, the student body presidents are taking an optimistic approach to unite the school despite the COVID-19 hurdle. With the various ways to improve Burlingame’s atmosphere, the sophomore and senior presidents emphasized the need to address and combat hate speech following hate crimes at Burlingame.

“We have plans in motion working with the administration to sort of counteract certain opinions and measures … I would say that my responsibility is to … help fix our problem,” Tyler Johnson, the Senior Class President, said. 

Johnson established the Black Student Union at Burlingame and strives to initiate change in the community. After the student council’s first meeting, they are continuing to  plan new activities and brainstorming ideas for students to embrace their community in this unprecedented time.  

“We’re just proposing ideas, maybe, just maybe, the kids drive in and then pick up like a donut and pick up your senior t-shirt in replace[ment] for senior sunrise… we’re trying to refrain anything from Zoom,” Johnson said. 

Johnson wants to get students outside their homes and off their screens to see people, from a six foot distance, of course. He hopes to create a memorable year for seniors, not because of COVID-19, but because of the activities students will remember. 

“The biggest thing that kids want is social connectivity, that’s [what] a lot of kids are missing,” Johnson said.