SPHS has mixed reactions to shooting plot aftermath

By Tiger Staff

Over a week after news of the alleged school shooting plot was made public, South Pasadena students and teachers shared their reactions to the event.

Students were divided about the media attention on the first day of class as news vans surrounded the school. Freshman Bailey Roudani disapproved of the reporters’ presence.

“I don’t think it’s helpful, but it makes people aware of what’s going on,” Roudani said. “However, there’s a little bit too much for the first day. I saw at least ten different reporters with cameras and it made me realize that this is real, instead of something we just hear about.”

Senior Elise Takahama felt that the news coverage was justified.

“I feel that the media is just doing its job, and especially since the incident happened in South Pasadena, this is a pretty big deal,” Takahama said.

Meanwhile, some parents were hesitant to send their children back to school, while others reassured students that they were safe.

“At first, my parents were very surprised and scared to let me go to school,” junior Emmett Jang said. “But after thinking about it, they recognized that there would be increased police presence, and that the students are safe, and they were pretty sure that this wouldn’t happen again.”

The leadership class has also been trying to emphasize inclusivity and kindness.

“As part of ASB, we are actively trying to build more anti-bullying groups and build stronger unity within our school so that something like this never happens again,” freshman class secretary Kate Ba said.

Teachers are also participating in the effort to find solutions to bullying and exclusion.

“All adults involved in campus hold the responsibility of paying attention to students as humans with compassion, care, and concern,” English teacher Benjamin Arnold said. “The news of the suspects’ three targeted teachers made me reflect on how I speak to students as a teacher. I just want to make people feel secure and confident around me.”

Students and teachers alike felt that the priority of the school and community regarding the incident is to develop methods to prevent isolation among students and prevent this occurrence from becoming the emphasis of the school year.

“We have to be aware of our surroundings or of people feeling disaffected enough to make threats, because there’s no way to account for everyone,” science teacher Krista Gale said.

Senior Adriana Shen agreed with the school’s approach to the event and vision for the future.

“What’s important now is spreading awareness and telling everyone about what’s going on, and informing them about the incident and future prevention,” Shen said.