Story by Georgia Parsons Staff Writer Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor SPHS Principal Janet Anderson updated the community about the retirement of two teachers on Tuesday, Aug. 11, prior to the start of the 2020-2021 school year. Practical arts department chair Mike Hogan and physical education teacher Elinor Charlton have retired. Librarian Shelee Wilkerson will […]
Revisiting ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
Story by Sam GrotensteinStaff Writer Illustration by Alicia ZhangStaff Illustrator Over six years and seven seasons, Buffy The Vampire Slayer has changed the way we view television. Adapted into a series from the 1992 film of the same name by Joss Whedon, one of the most prolific voices in popular culture, Buffy The Vampire Slayer […]
SPY4PR protest calls attention to SPPD misconduct, puts pressure on city for action
Story by Sam Grotenstein Staff Writer Photo courtesy of SPY4PR Contributor South Pasadena Youth for Police Reform (SPY4PR) organized a protest at Garfield Park on Sunday, Aug. 9 to raise awareness of SPPD misconduct. Speakers talked about officer mishandling of Joe Richcreek’s targeted assault of Black Lives Matter protestors and demanded that city officials hold the SPPD […]
School board opts against TASP proposed secondary model in special meeting
Story by Georgia ParsonsStaff Writer Photo by SPUSDContributor The school board decided against adopting the Teacher’s Association of South Pasadena’s (TASP) instructional secondary model during its emergency meeting on Saturday, Aug. 8. After voicing concerns over the adopted instructional model, TASP representatives proposed their own model that would eliminate Friday instructional periods; the board concluded […]
SPUSD to offer meal pick-up services in 2020-2021 school year
Story by Katie HohmanStaff Writer Photo by Ella JayasekeraPhotography Editor SPUSD announced its newly formatted Curbside Meal Service for the upcoming school year on Friday, Aug. 7, which includes both drive-through and walk-up services. In contrast to the end of the 2019-2020 school year, the district will only be providing free meals to those who qualify. Students […]
Teachers voice concern over adopted learning models
Story by Charlie Betts Staff Writer Photo by Oscar Walsh Staff Photographer The Teachers Association of South Pasadena (TASP) voiced concern about the proposed SPUSD instructional models for the upcoming school year and have called for an emergency SPUSD school board meeting to address the problems. In June, teachers were given a variety of instructional models to […]
Anti-Zionism cannot be equated with anti-Semitism
Story by Sam GrotensteinStaff Writer Illustration by Tarry SongStaff Illustrator 2020 has been a turbulent year for the Jewish community. The rise of anti-Semitism in America, along with Israel’s threats to annex large parts of Palestine, have put the question of whether anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism can be seperated under intense examination. Zionism is the belief […]
Anything goes?
Story by Katie HohmanStaff Writer Illustration by Tarry SongStaff Illustrator Among the 800 million people who have downloaded the app TikTok, most are probably aware of the influence and impact that the app has had. Nowhere is that impact more prevalent than in the music industry, which has begun to see a dramatic shift due […]
Residents voice encounters with the SPPD at virtual community forum
Story by Georgia Parsons Staff Writer Photo by Richard Gomez Contributor South Pasadena community members shared their experiences with the SPPD in an effort to improve policing and public safety in the city at a storytelling forum on Thursday, July 16. The forum is the first event organized by the city council’s new Future of Policing […]
Why affirmative action is necessary
Story by Charlie BettsStaff Writer Illustration by Nicholas FormanStaff Illustrator The California State Senate recently passed Proposition 16 (previously known as Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5), a bill to repeal Proposition 209 and re-establish affirmative action. Proposition 16 will appear on voters’ ballots this November, and will end gender and race-blind admissions in public college and […]
L.A. County supervisor, Kathryn Barger, updates city council on continuing efforts to contain coronavirus
Story by Katie HohmanStaff Writer Photo by Katelyn HernandezStaff Photographer The South Pasadena City Council listened to a presentation from the L.A. County Supervisor for the 5th District, Kathryn Barger, on California’s efforts to tackle coronavirus, in its online meeting on Wednesday, July 15. According to Barger, the rate of positive testing for L.A. County has […]
Just Mercy has never been more relevant
Story by Quinn ManzoStaff Writer Illustration by Tarry SongStaff Illustrator Just Mercy’s significance goes beyond its merits as a well-made film. The story that it tells forces the viewer to confront a truth that many are too sheltered or unwilling to acknowledge, even as it is brought to brighter light every single day: racism is […]
School board recommends total distance learning to begin, passes hybrid models for future implementation
Story by Kahlen Miao Staff Writer Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor The South Pasadena School Board advised Superintendent Geoff Yantz to begin the 2020-2021 school year with 100 percent distance learning at its meeting on Thursday, Jul. 16. The board also approved hybrid instructional models for both the elementary and secondary levels that will be utilized when […]
Coronavirus case increase prompts statewide reclosing of businesses
Story by Eddie Zhou Staff Writer Photo by Oscar Walsh Staff Photographer California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a revised order requiring the immediate closure of moderate-risk businesses after a recent uptake in coronavirus cases — effective Monday, Jul. 13. Additionally, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) announced its plans to hold instruction strictly online come August in […]
Punisher: Heartbreak and healing
Story by Georgia ParsonsStaff Writer Illustration by Alicia ZhangStaff Illustrator Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher is a reassurance in the darkest of times. In her first album since the 2017 release of Stranger in the Alps, Bridgers explores the same heartbreak, but instead emphasizes her journey on the path to healing. The native Pasadenan is best known […]
School board discusses health measures for a potential return to in-person learning
Story by Charlie Betts Staff Writer Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor The South Pasadena School Board discussed the health protocols necessary to safely reopen schools in August at its meeting on Thursday, Jul. 9. Dr. Michael Smit, an infectious disease expert, recommended safety guidelines to the Board in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The […]