Story by Noah Kuhn & Lilian Zhu News Editor & Associate Webmaster Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor Nearly 150 community members signed onto a public comment advocating for a 120-day, extra $5 an hour essential worker hazard pay in South Pasadena at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, March 3. The leaders of the workers’ rights activism […]
Residents condemn Caltrans’ use of law enforcement to guard vacant homes amidst homelessness crisis
Story by Noah Kuhn News Editor Reporting by Ava Dunville Contributor Photos by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor Community members have criticized the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for contracting with private security company Inter-Con to guard empty homes 24/7 rather than give them as housing to people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. Caltrans had previously paid the […]
Late starts return to SPHS second semester, asynchronous periods out
Story by Noah Kuhn News Editor Graphics courtesy of Janet Anderson Contributor SPHS’ second semester will feature bimonthly sets of late start days where students begin hour-long Zoom classes at 9:30 a.m., according to SPHS Principal Janet Anderson in the PTSA’s weekly newsletter on Monday, Dec. 14. Unlike first semester, there will not be any department negotiated […]
South Pasadena’s obsession with diversity buries patterns of exclusion
Story by Sofia Alva & Noah KuhnStaff Writer & News Editor Graphic by Charlotte CohenGraphic Designer South Pasadena’s restrictive covenants ensured that the community remained largely racially homogeneous for 75 years. It was not until the mid-1960s when the federal government funded the Altos de Monterey development — mandating that there be no discrimination on who could purchase property — […]
South Pasadena’s history of racism
Story by Noah Kuhn, Adam Kwoh, & Zoe SchlaakNews Editor, Copy Editor, & Staff Writer Illustration by Tarry SongStaff Illustrator South Pasadena’s past exemplifies the United States’ intrinsically racist history: forging a pseudo-democracy on stolen land and constantly working to exclude and ostracize non-white people. The timeline below charts out prominent racist events and examples […]
City council to vote on establishing a community policing sub-committee
Story by Noah Kuhn News Editor Photo by Richard Gomez Contributor The South Pasadena City Council will vote on whether to appoint a council sub-committee on the future of policing in South Pasadena at a special meeting on Wednesday, June 24. The sub-committee would collect data on SPPD practices and study the effects of city laws […]
Public health shouldn’t come at the cost of excess plastic waste
Story by Noah KuhnNews Editor Illustration by David SohnStaff Illustrator 2019 saw the youth of this country and the world utilize their power and demand an end to the destruction of the earth. The youngest generation staged school walkouts, protests, and launched a campaign on social media. Greta Thunberg inspired millions with her fierce defiance […]
Surviving the coronavirus: a local retiree’s personal story
Story by Noah Kuhn News Editor Photo courtesy of Lola Foord Contributor South Pasadena has been hit hard by the coronavirus as its small-business economy shutters and over one hundred residents have fallen victim to the pandemic. Residents are being forced to grapple with the extremely difficult social consequences of quarantine, which prevent interactions with […]
SPHS honors seniors at virtual senior awards night ceremony
Story by Noah KuhnAssociate News Editor Photo by Tucker JudkinsContributor SPHS continued its year-end festivities with the annual Senior Awards Night ceremony streamed virtually on Youtube on Tuesday, June 2. Several local organizations and SPHS faculty took turns honoring seniors with both awards and scholarships as they depart high school. Seniors applied for many of the […]
Community members respond to L.A. County’s extended curfew
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Photo by Tiger Photographers Los Angeles County ordered another curfew from 6:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1 to 6:00 a.m. This is the second night of curfews following the police brutality protests in light of George Floyd’s death that have erupted throughout L.A. There was some confusion surrounding what time the […]
South Pasadena faces curfew amidst L.A.’s protests against police brutality
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Photo by Richard Gomez Contributor Los Angeles County has established a countywide curfew that will last from Sunday, May 31 at 6:00 p.m. to Monday, June 1 at 6:00 a.m. The South Pasadena Police Department will take part in enforcing the curfew, and residents are to remain in their houses […]
SPHS adds drive-through graduation to year-end events
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Photo by Oscar Walsh Photo Editor SPHS Principal Janet Anderson updated seniors and their families Friday, May 22 about revised year-end festivities, most notably the addition of a drive-through graduation in the campus parking lot. The decision comes after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors eased coronavirus restrictions to […]
SPUSD calls on community to advocate for school funding
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Photo by Oscar Walsh Photo Editor South Pasadena School Board President Michele Kipke and SPUSD Superintendent Geoff Yantz emailed community members to urgently request their help in advocating for school funding on Tuesday, May 19. The administrators asked residents to call California elected officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, and petition […]
Reconciling voting in an era of excuses
Story by Noah KuhnAssociate News Editor Illustration by Alicia ZhangStaff Illustrator Voting continues to be the most important and effective way for citizens to influence the laws that govern both themselves and future generations. However, the United States has one of the lowest turnout rates among developed countries — only 56 percent according to the Pew […]
SPHS modifies traditional year-end events, prepares for virtual graduation
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Photo by Oscar Walsh Photo Editor SPHS Principal Janet Anderson notified seniors of SPHS’ plans for traditional graduating activities during the year-long school closure and upcoming pick-up days for year-end memorabilia. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the school plans to implement precautions including social distancing and virtual meetups. […]
Math teacher Shane Mills uplifts spirits during quarantine with new song “Twelve Seventy-Four”
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Video by Shane Mills Contributor SPHS math teacher Shane Mills released his song, “Twelve Seventy-Four,” about loss and moving on to the student body via ASB’s weekly announcements on Thursday, May 7. Mills found a connection between the song’s lyrics and the coronavirus’ quarantining implications on everyone. “The surprisingly […]