2020: A year in review

Story, Photos, & Illustrations by Tiger Staff

2020 has been an unprecedented year. At this point that phrase is an annoying cliche, but with 12 months that included a global pandemic, a nationwide reckoning over racism, a fierce election cycle, and many local clashes and scandals, there is no other accurate way to describe this year.

Tiger breaks down this one-of-a-kind year into a timeline for each newspaper section before 2021 arrives. 

JANUARY

News:

  • Jan. 1: South Pasadena’s float, depicting the victory of women’s suffrage in honor of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, wins the Mayor Award in the 2020 Rose Parade
  • Jan. 11: SPHS’ Tiger Health club organizes the City’s first Family Wellness Fair at Orange Grove Park, which features booths from local health-focused organizations. 
  • Jan. 14: The School Board votes to change to election by districts after the threat of a lawsuit alleging the current at-large elections disenfranchise Black and Latinx constituents. 
  • Jan. 17: The ASB Health & Wellness Officers organize the “You Matter” Assembly to promote mental health awareness among students. 

Feature: 

  • Senior Cole Fox speaks to Tiger about her role as a 2020 Rose Court princess.
  • Parasite illuminates complex South Korean class struggle at the exhilarating pace of a horror thriller.

Video:

  • Tiger explores the Rose Parade and the kickoff of winter sports’ seasons in its January 2020 at SPHS video.

Photo:

South Pasadena takes home the Mayor Award for its Rose Parade float, which commemorates the 100th anniversary of white women gaining the right to vote.

Illustration:

Award-winning Korean movie Parasite provides an insightful look into societal issues. 

FEBRUARY

News:

  • Feb. 13: SPHS’ annual talent show features nine multicultural acts ranging from traditional Māori dance to a Chinese choir singing Mandarin and Cantonese songs. 
  • Feb. 27 & 28: The Spoken Literature Art Movement (SLAM) hosts poetry workshops in SPHS English classes, aiming to inspire students to express their creativity through words. 

Opinion:

Feature:

Sports: 

Videos:

Print Issue:

  • Tiger releases its February print issue, which dives into Winter Formal, the truth behind AP classes, and helicopter parents. 

Illustration:

L.A. mourns the loss of a hero after Kobe Bryant’s tragic death on Jan. 26.

MARCH

News:

Opinion: 

Feature:

  • The long awaited Sonic the Hedgehog is released and Tiger concludes that it is to be taken strictly at face value.

Sports:

Videos:

  • Tiger’s March 2020 at SPHS video covers how coronavirus restrictions unfolded in South Pasadena.

Print Issue:

  • Tiger highlights women in local politics in honor of Women’s History Month as well as analyzing student opinions on the 2020 presidential election in its March print issue

Photo:

The California state primary and other elections held on Super Tuesday help Biden soar past the other Democratic party candidates in the presidential election.
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, residents flock to supermarkets and buy mass amounts of paper goods in panic. 

Illustration:

English Department Chair Katie Jaroch defends teaching Shakespeare in response to Tiger’s February staff editorial “It is time to bury the ‘dead white man.’” 

APRIL

News:

Sports:

MAY

News:

Opinion: 

Feature:

Sports:

Photo:

SPHS ASB conducts commissioner elections completely online, with candidates campaigning via Instagram. 

Illustration:

While quarantined at home, South Pasadena residents are forced to find new ways to celebrate the year’s special occasions.

JUNE

News:

Opinion: 

Feature:

Sports:

  • SPHS teachers Mrs. Jaroch and Mr. McGough host online fitness sessions as the popularity of exercise and maintaining health began to rise in quarantine.
  • Coronavirus claims two victims when Souplantation shut down all of its locations: the beloved restaurant chain and countless cross country traditions
  • The Class of 2020 sends nine athletes to the collegiate level. 
  • Jun. 16: Following Phase One of reopening athletic activities, CIF issues guidelines allowing athletes to execute a safe preseason. 

Photo:

SPHS seniors participate in a drive-through graduation ceremony and pick up their diplomas while waving to friends in neighboring cars.

Illustration:

The SPPD’s inflated budget of nearly $10 million needs to be redistributed to the community, in particular mental health services.

JULY

News:

Opinion: 

Feature:

Sports:

  • Jul. 9: While abiding by the L.A. County Department of Public Health’s guidelines, SPUSD puts a halt to all athletic programs until further notice. 
  • Jul. 20: CIF releases plans for 2020-2021 athletics. This includes the postponement of all fall sports until December and an extended summer period. 

Photo:

Community members design signs along Mission and Fair Oaks to fit with the theme “Better Together – Six Feet Apart.”

AUGUST

News:

Opinion:

Feature:

Spreads:

Photo:

Protesters march around South Pasadena to call attention to community members killed by police, on the two-year anniversary of Vanessa Marquez’s killing by SPPD.

Illustration:

Tiger examines the ways in which South Pasadena’s history of racism is still prevalent today.

SEPTEMBER

News:

Opinion: 

Feature:

  • Tenet is a cold and calculating masterpiece with little room for true emotion.

Podcasts:

  • Episode Three: Tiger discusses climate change with the founders Compost Culture, senior Patrick Latting and junior Liam de Villa.

Print Issue:

  • Tiger’s September issue dives into racism locally and the role of law enforcement, in light of nationwide BLM protests. 

Illustration:

SPHS’ students and teachers share their perspectives on distance learning thus far into the school year.

OCTOBER

News:

Opinion: 

Feature: 

Sports:

  • Oct. 13: SPHS athletic director Anthony Chan presents the current safety plan for the winter athletic season. The plan describes the precautions that will be taken to ensure the safety of students and staff. 

Podcasts:

  • Episode Four: Tiger talks homophobia on campus and the fluidity of gender and sexuality with junior Max Jimenez. 

Print Issue:

  • Tiger releases its October print issue, focused on the many facets of the upcoming election. 

Spreads:

Illustration:

Multiple SPHS seniors who cannot vote still manage to be civically active in the 2020 election by working the polls.

NOVEMBER

News:

Opinion:

Feature:

Sports:

Podcasts:

  • Episode Nine: Tiger answers relationship questions and offers advice on how to navigate them healthily. 

Print Issue:

  • Tiger releases its November print issue, which dives into topics ranging from the presidential election and the ills of the current P.E. curriculum, to Native American Heritage Month and the acclaimed The Queen’s Gambit.

Spreads:

  • Tiger’s Veterans Day spread features the stories of three local residents affiliated with the military to inspire local gratitude. 
  • Tiger interviewed two members of the local Tongva nation in honor of Native American Heritage Month to better understand what non-Native allyship should look like. 

Photo:

Trump supporters and Biden and BLM counter-protesters face off at the corner of Fair Oaks and Mission on Nov. 1.

Illustration:

Local clashes between Trump and Biden supporters erupt days prior to the 2020 presidential election. Four days after Election Day, Biden emerges victorious and will become the 46th president of the U.S.

DECEMBER

News:

Opinion:

Feature:

  • What is America and are we all numb? These are the questions only cripplingly irresponsible Kazach reporter Borat Sagdiev can answer in Borat Subsequent MovieFilm.

Sports: 

  • Dec. 1: CIF announces that pre-scheduled practices and games for season one sports are temporarily put on hold as well as playoff competitions are officially cancelled.

Podcasts:

  • Episode Fourteen: Tiger muses on the impact of a cultural rejection of emotional intimacy that conflicts with our inherent desire for closeness.

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