Mattingly Germack, Staff Reporter

May 21, 2021

Burlingame is saying goodbye to environmental science and biology teacher Heather Johnson after 14 years. She will be moving to Seaside High School in Seaside, Calif., part of the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. There, she will become a teaching instructor, helping new teachers develop their skills. Additionally, she is currently working to get her masters degree in educational administration...

Farah Caban, Staff Reporter

May 21, 2021

The students recently elected to the Associated Student Body (ASB) cabinet have one main goal in mind: unite the Burlingame community.  Current junior and president-elect Elisenne Yun emphasized wanting to provide a smooth transition from this distanced year back to normal.  “I know there's going to be a huge cultural difference when we go back to school next year, especially since students...

Safiya Loomba, Staff Reporter

April 29, 2021

In light of antisemitic vandalism at Burlingame, Black Lives Matter protests and rising hate against Asian and Jewish Americans, unity has become crucial to the safety and wellbeing of Burlingame students. The incidents of hate which have occurred at the school and nationwide have caused division between students and members of the Burlingame community, requiring inclusivity, equality and trust.    The...

Elise Spenner and Julianna Oliver

April 19, 2021

Before the pandemic, senior citizen Gertrude Stopper would go to church multiple times a week. Occasionally, she would go downstairs and have a glass of wine at the senior living facility, but when the pandemic began, Stopper’s once-bustling social life flatlined.  Sarah Simpson, a former neighbor, checks in with Stopper periodically, calling her once a month. But Simpson couldn’t stop thinking...

Safiya Loomba, Staff Reporter

March 29, 2021

Dancers during quarantine have had the ability to continue improving  and practicing in a safe environment. Unlike other athletes, dancers can take classes virtually and while it’s not ideal, it is a chance to connect the dance community. West Coast Dance Conservatory , located in Millbrae, has been fluctuating between in-person dance and Zoom classes since last March with strict safety protocols....

Kristie Kim, Staff Reporter

March 26, 2021

Many students dream of their senior year in high school, full of fun activities and bonding with their peers. But this past year, seniors will likely miss out on many opportunities and quintessential senior occasions such as prom and senior activity week. With school reopening on April 1, seniors have many factors to consider in their decision to return to school or remain online.    Senior...

Kristie Kim, Staff Reporter

March 25, 2021

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Brittney Otero is still playing an active role on Burlingame’s staff as the library media technician for the school library. Otero is passionate about books and connecting people with resources, and she is on her path to becoming a professional librarian.    The method of borrowing books was impaired at the start of the pandemic, and Otero has since come...

Caroline Yeow, Senior Reporter

March 24, 2021

The Students of the Year program, hosted by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), is a philanthropic competition for high school students who participate by running campaigns in order to raise funds for blood cancer treatment and research. Burlingame juniors Alvina Chow, Ann Ding and Katherine Hsia entered the competition as co-candidates in February, and started “Team In Our Blood” to run various...

Aidan Hay, Staff Reporter

March 21, 2021

On March 9, there were over 4,000 new cases of the COVID-19 virus diagnosed in San Mateo County. While residents of San Mateo County continued to follow strict social distancing protocol, Matthew Warren, a resident of Melbourne, Australia was catching a train to meet his group of friends at the park. According to John Hopkins University, Victoria, the state that houses Melbourne, is over 100 hundred...

Jacob Lubarsky, Copy Editor

March 12, 2021

In October of 2020, the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury published an in-depth report titled “Hate @ Schools — Opportunities Lost,” which argued that Burlingame did not sufficiently combat hate speech at the campus. The document highlighted hateful events that have occurred at Burlingame over the last three years; including a racist chant made by Burlingame students at a basketball game, a Jewish...

Jacob Lubarsky, Copy Editor

March 11, 2021

While COVID-19 cases begin to decline across California, a seasonal disease is beginning to make waves — senioritis. It is a virus that spreads faster than any infectious disease and carries significantly more daunting symptoms than that of a common cold. Senioritis is “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance,”...

Clara Porto, Staff Reporter

March 8, 2021

Spending the whole day sitting in front of a computer screen, attending endless Zoom calls and turning in assignments by 11:59 p.m. has become a routine in the lives of many students. Before the pandemic, teens followed an organized schedule and were able to look forward to seeing friends at school and attending sports practices and other extracurricular activities after school. However, students now...

Jaden Luke, Staff Reporter

March 7, 2021

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, masks became a necessity in order to limit the spread of the virus. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) learned new knowledge about COVID-19 and accordingly enforced mask mandates, conversations arose regarding whether to use disposable or reusable masks.   In a poll sent out to Burlingame’s student body, to which 87 students...

Lexi Goldstein, Copy Editor

March 4, 2021

Burlingame’s Black Student Union (BSU) is taking strides to make the month of February memorable and informative for the school community. The Burlingame chapter was started in October 2019 by senior Tyler Johnson, who, after moving from Florida to Burlingame, was disheartened by the racial disparities at the school and sought to make effective, long-lasting change.  Johnson initially faced difficulties...