The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

Alexandra Chan

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer

Alexandra Chan (Class of 2025) is a junior at Carlmont High School, and this is her second year in the journalism program. She has produced videos for ScotCenter and is excited to be a photojournalist for Scot Scoop this semester. Outside of school, you'll find her practicing with her ice skating team, doing yoga, and thrifting.

All content by Alexandra Chan
Chelsey Greene, the owner of Chelsey Greene Studio, smiles as she makes an earring. She was making micro macramé around a gold wire. After finishing part of the threading, she used a lighter to seal the design.

In Photos: Belmont Art Fair livens up Carlmont Shopping Center

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer March 24, 2024

Artists showcased their designs at the Belmont Handcrafted Originals Art Fair on Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24. Despite the rainy weather, the stands added a lively energy to the Carlmont...

Byrds Filling Station has shopping carts lined up near the entrance. They are an aspect of the store that allows customers a regular grocery store experience. I hope zero-waste stores become so profitable that they become more popular and accessible to more people, Porter said.

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Byrd's Filling Station has shopping carts lined up near the entrance. They are an aspect of the store that allows customers a regular grocery store experience. "I hope zero-waste stores become so profitable...

Hilary Ceeley, a regular customer, thinks about trying out a new product. I get a lot of my essentials here, Ceeley said. Today Im looking for some fun stuff. She bought a rose water and jasmine shampoo bar from Dip.

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Hilary Ceeley, a regular customer, thinks about trying out a new product. "I get a lot of my essentials here," Ceeley said. "Today I'm looking for some fun stuff." She bought a rose water and jasmine shampoo...

A regular customer fills up her bag with green tea. She likes telling her friends about Byrds Filling Station and how all the goodies are in bulk so she can get just the right amount for herself. In addition to all the teas, the store has a variety of spices on the other side of the shelf.

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A regular customer fills up her bag with green tea. She likes telling her friends about Byrd's Filling Station and how all the goodies are in bulk so she can get just the right amount for herself. In addition...

Byrd’s Filling Station displays baskets of yams and sweet potatoes on a shelf next to Daves Killer Bread loaves. The use of plastic is inevitable with the packaged bread, as well as the bananas that Byrds Filling Station sells. The bananas come with a layer of plastic when theyre delivered, but we send them to a place that turns the plastic into bottles, Porter said. There is a balance between offering zero-waste products and some low-waste ones if they are in demand.

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Byrd’s Filling Station displays baskets of yams and sweet potatoes on a shelf next to Dave's Killer Bread loaves. The use of plastic is inevitable with the packaged bread, as well as the bananas that...

Byrd’s Filling Station keeps its produce and drinks in refrigerators. When Porter moved on from the mobile version of Byrds Filling Station and opened the store in 2022, she primarily sold self-care products. As she expanded the business, she offered more items like makeup, bulk items, and fresh produce.

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Byrd’s Filling Station keeps its produce and drinks in refrigerators. When Porter moved on from the mobile version of Byrd's Filling Station and opened the store in 2022, she primarily sold self-care...

Marina Fernandez, a regular customer, fills her container with more of Byrds Filling Stations shampoo. I usually get my shampoo and conditioner from here, but Im trying out a new scent this time, so Im excited about that, Fernandez said. Like many customers, she used a container that she brought from home.

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Marina Fernandez, a regular customer, fills her container with more of Byrd's Filling Station's shampoo. "I usually get my shampoo and conditioner from here, but I'm trying out a new scent this time, so...

A first-time customer browses through the soap in the self-care aisle. She was curious about the solid soap tablets and discovered that one tablet dissolved in water could make nine ounces of liquid soap. The store offers customers a variety of soaps from different brands that uphold similar values of sustainability.

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A first-time customer browses through the soap in the self-care aisle. She was curious about the solid soap tablets and discovered that one tablet dissolved in water could make nine ounces of liquid soap....

A customer, Vanessa Poon, fills her reusable bag with chia seeds from the bulk aisle. She is not a regular customer but comes to the store occasionally when she needs a few specific items. The bulk aisle at Byrds Filling Station has many items ranging from lentils to dried apricots.

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A customer, Vanessa Poon, fills her reusable bag with chia seeds from the bulk aisle. She is not a regular customer but comes to the store occasionally when she needs a few specific items. The bulk aisle...

Laura Porter, the founder of Byrd’s Filling Station, makes sure the lid of a customers soap container is screwed on tightly. She helped customers check out, reorganized bulk items, and took inventory of the current products in the store. We refill the bulk containers every day, restock the produce about once a week, and all the soaps usually last a long time because they come in these hundred-gallon containers, Porter said.

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Laura Porter, the founder of Byrd’s Filling Station, makes sure the lid of a customer's soap container is screwed on tightly. She helped customers check out, reorganized bulk items, and took inventory...

Jason Desouza, a Byrd’s Filling Station customer, scans a chip to mark his container. Customers weigh their container and mark it with a chip so they pay for the products weight during checkout. The store has three weighing stations with posters that show instructions on completing the process.

[Photo] Byrd's Filling Station provides a plastic-free alternative to grocery shopping

March 20, 2024

Jason Desouza, a Byrd’s Filling Station customer, scans a chip to mark his container. Customers weigh their container and mark it with a chip so they pay for the product's weight during checkout. The...

Winnie Liao, a volunteer, arranges a balloon on the balloon art display wrapped around the words, Asian women are strong. Since the display spanned an entire wall from the floor to the ceiling, Liao stood on a ladder while she attached each balloon to the others. The balloons were a popular spot for people to take photos because it was the first piece of artwork that they saw when they entered the building.

In Photos: Asians Are Strong brings second annual event to life

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer March 4, 2024

Asians Are Strong, a nonprofit organization that empowers the Asian community and its allies through self-defense lessons and public events, hosted its second annual event in the San Francisco ferry...

Parents smile as they take videos of their kids performing. While there were empty seats in the back of the room, many sat on the floor to watch the performances up close. The audience applauded especially loud for the performances with the little kids, but also for the ones with impressive choreography and talent.

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Parents smile as they take videos of their kids performing. While there were empty seats in the back of the room, many sat on the floor to watch the performances up close. The audience applauded especially...

Kids wrote Chinese calligraphy with the use of black ink. While the music and dance performances were the main events of the celebration, there were tables of different Chinese-themed crafts in the back of the room. Members of Carlmonts Chinese Culture Club, as well as volunteers from the San Mateo County Libraries showed kids how to make origami fortune tellers, assemble egg carton dragons, and fold paper citrus fruits.

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Kids wrote Chinese calligraphy with the use of black ink. While the music and dance performances were the main events of the celebration, there were tables of different Chinese-themed crafts in the back...

A girl from the Flying Angels spins a paper umbrella upside down before bringing it over her head. She performed a number called the Rain Fairy Dance as a duet. This umbrella dance is a Chinese folk dance that was popular during the Han Dynasty.

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A girl from the Flying Angels spins a paper umbrella upside down before bringing it over her head. She performed a number called the "Rain Fairy Dance" as a duet. This umbrella dance is a Chinese folk...

A boy from the Flying Angels Baby Angels jumps like a frog. The trio performed a number called The Little Jumping Frogs. They squatted, jumped, and twirled to match the character of their costumes.

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A boy from the Flying Angels' Baby Angels jumps like a frog. The trio performed a number called "The Little Jumping Frogs". They squatted, jumped, and twirled to match the character of their costumes.

A performer from the Flying Angels Little Angels performs a dance called the Laughing Fan. The Little Angels were comprised of elementary school and middle school kids. They used little movements of their wrists to create the fluttering of their fans.

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A performer from the Flying Angels' Little Angels performs a dance called the Laughing Fan. The Little Angels were comprised of elementary school and middle school kids. They used little movements of their...

Kim Quon, a manager of the Flying Angels Chinese Dance Company, interviews a dancer in her ending pose of a trio performance called One River Three Ways. The Lunar New Year Celebration at Twin Pines Senior and Community Center began with performances by the Flying Angels. Quon announced each performance to the audience.

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Kim Quon, a manager of the Flying Angels Chinese Dance Company, interviews a dancer in her ending pose of a trio performance called "One River Three Ways". The Lunar New Year Celebration at Twin Pines...

Yangqin Zhao uses rubber-tipped sticks to play a Chinese instrument called the yangqin. I mean, I had to learn to play the yangqin because my name is yangqin, Zhao said, addressing the audience. She was one out of four performers who played on behalf of the San Francisco-based chinese chamber ensemble, Melody of China.

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Yangqin Zhao uses rubber-tipped sticks to play a Chinese instrument called the yangqin. "I mean, I had to learn to play the yangqin because my name is yangqin," Zhao said, addressing the audience. She...

Shenshen Zhang, another member of Melody of China, plays a Chinese instrument called the pipa. She informed the audience that her left hand is used to press on the strings, while her right hand is used to pluck the strings. Zhang performed a song of lush and tranquil sounds called White Snow in Sunny Spring.

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Shenshen Zhang, another member of Melody of China, plays a Chinese instrument called the pipa. She informed the audience that her left hand is used to press on the strings, while her right hand is used...

Guo Wan Peng, a performer from Melody of China, blows into the mouthpiece of his sheng. The sheng is a Chinese reed instrument comprised of vertical pipes, which Peng described to the audience as an instrument that sounded similar to the harmonica. Along with his solo piece, he played The Raindrops on the Banana Leaf, a cover of Mulans Reflection, and Beautiful Flower and Beautiful Moon with the other members of Melody of China.

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Guo Wan Peng, a performer from Melody of China, blows into the mouthpiece of his sheng. The sheng is a Chinese reed instrument comprised of vertical pipes, which Peng described to the audience as an instrument...

A student of the Flying Angel Dance Company, a Chinese dance school based in San Francisco, holds a bundle of red chopsticks and streamers in both hands. She performed the Mongolian chopstick dance with a group of other girls who were also dressed in costumes, resembling a Chinese lion. This was one of three performances that her group danced on behalf of the Flying Angels.

[Photo] Belmont community welcomes Year of the Dragon with roaring success

February 8, 2024

A student of the Flying Angel Dance Company, a Chinese dance school based in San Francisco, holds a bundle of red chopsticks and streamers in both hands. She performed the Mongolian chopstick dance with...

Wong dribbles the ball past two Menlo-Atherton defenders and toward the offensive half of the field. While dribbling, Wong was looking for an opportunity to pass toward the side of the field. The Scots recovered the ball many times in the middle of the field, and attempted to distribute the ball to the wingers.

In Photos: Win against Bears slips away from the Scots

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer February 2, 2024

The Carlmont varsity girls soccer team lost to the Menlo-Atherton Bears 2-1 in a hard-fought game with on-and-off rain. The Scots went down 1-0 after a successful a early on in the game. Near the...

Tree lighting at Hillsdale Shopping Center sparks festive spirits

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer December 3, 2023

The annual Rockin' Holiday Show and Tree Lighting ceremony brought festive spirits and camaraderie to those at the Hillsdale Shopping Center on Friday, Nov. 17. Crowds of parents, children, and everyone...

Esterina Gentilcore carves out her woodworking business

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer November 6, 2023

Esterina Gentilcore is a solo entrepreneur who runs a woodworking business called Tavolo Studios, and she uses her garage as her workspace to create bespoke cutting boards and charcuterie boards. While...

Karen Chaw, the owner of The Daisy Refillery, labels a jar filled with lavender body wash for a customer at her South San Francisco Farmers Market booth.

The Daisy Refillery paves a path for easier sustainable living

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer November 1, 2023

As the sun rises over the South San Francisco Farmers Market, people stroll past the aisles of fresh produce and handmade goods. Some stop at a booth, intrigued by the big containers of soap lining its...

Student Profile: Victoria Tsou lands passion for taiko

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer October 17, 2023

Junior Victoria Tsou has been involved in the art of Japanese drumming, known as taiko, for over half her life. She learns from Grandmaster Tanaka who brought his knowledge from Japan to the United States...

Inside Green Fashion Nursery’s family-run plant oasis

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer September 30, 2023

Even before entering Green Fashion Nursery, the greenery bursting through the gates that enclose the space indicates a thriving plant shop. It’s located on a busy street corner right next to a running...

Cruel Donuts crafts handmade donuts with kindness

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer April 27, 2023

Cruel Donuts has been a family business for 40 years, and in 2022, they expanded their business from Southern California to the Bay Area. Although the name of their donut shop has the word cruel in it,...

Skate Open Spaces lights up the night with a roller rink

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer April 5, 2023

A fun night of roller skating and music, Skate Open Spaces, a mobile roller skating experience, turned the volleyball courts of SportHouse in Redwood City into a roller rink for the night. They bring their...

A frog purchased from Bio Corporation, a company that provides preserved specimens to schools, is laid out on a dissection tray. Carlmont’s human biology classes dissect frogs to learn about anatomical systems, and they also dissect fetal pig, sheep brains, cow eyes, and other unpreserved specimens.

Animal use or animal abuse?

Alexandra Chan and Camille Ching March 26, 2023

A mouse lives in a cage at Stanford University. It has an altered genome, explicitly bred for animal research in labs. Universities often purchase these mice from laboratories regulated by the United...

‘Asians Are Strong’ event in San Francisco celebrates the strength of Asian women

Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer March 22, 2023

The founders of the Asians Are Strong organization created their inaugural event that celebrates the resilience of Asian women throughout the world. This year’s celebration is called “Our Time” and...

Rows and rows of vegan options for a holiday feast sit in a fridge at Whole Foods. The options range from tofu to non-dairy cheese.

Vegan dishes make their way to the holiday table

Hannah Chan and Alexandra Chan December 5, 2022

It’s the night of the annual holiday feast, and family members are seated around the dining room table. Everyone lets out a big cheer as the huge ham is taken out of the oven and brought to the center...

Students walk the quad steps that lead toward the football field. This is just one of the many staircases all across Carlmonts hilly campus.

Disabled and injured students struggle during evacuation drills

Alexandra Chan and Hannah Chan November 7, 2022

Injuries and disabilities create a multitude of challenges when it comes to getting around Carlmont's hilly campus. Injured or disabled students face added pressure during evacuations, regardless of whether...

Asha Metha, president of the Indian Club, greets returning club members as she starts the lunchtime meeting.

Aloha Club and Indian Club: two different cultures impact one community

Alexandra Chan and Hannah Chan October 17, 2022

The Aloha Club and the Indian Club center their activities around different cultures with distinguishing forms of expression, yet they have similar pursuits for the school year. Their earlier activities...

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The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.
Alexandra Chan