Story by Cloe MaurerStaff Writer Photo by Sarah LeeStaf Photographer Sophomore Remy Luz Julian Lorenz sweetened his tea with three packets of artificial sweetener after politely returning the plastic lid and straws. Prompted by a question that asked why his leather wallet looked like it had been through the wash, (which, it turns out, it […]
New take on ‘Looking for Alaska’ addresses identity and mental health
Story by Audrey ErnstStaff Writer Illustration by Alicia ZhangStaff Illustrator 3/5 stars Looking for Alaska, by John Green, one of the world’s most iconic young adult novels, was recently reimagined as an eight part, Hulu exclusive miniseries. The story follows Miles Halter, a quiet teenage boy, who goes to boarding school in Alabama and meets […]
Isaiah Hall: An endless fountain of curiosity
Story by Peter WangCopy Editor Photos by Ella JayasekeraStaff Photographer Junior Isaiah Hall is quite the enigma to most of SPHS; his typical perception that of a ‘token weird kid.’ What most students fail to realize, however, is that his eccentricity is complemented by razor-edged brilliance and a wildly spontaneous sense of wonder. Hall, a […]
Compelling acting and exciting set elements collide in fall production ‘Metamorphoses’
Story by Amber Chen Staff Writer Photos courtesy of Shari CorrelContributor Drama director Nick Hoffa’s goal is to bring an exciting, one of a kind experience to the stage. This year’s play, Metamorphoses, which debuted on Friday, Nov. 15, accomplishes just that, putting a modern spin on classical Greek myths in a manner that is […]
Me + Crepe puts an exciting twist on Chinese street food
Story by Lilian ZhuStaff Writer Photo by Sarah LeeStaff Photographer While dumplings and chow mein have become Chinese cultural food icons throughout the world, jian bings remain one of the culinary gems that is largely unknown outside the country’s borders. Traditionally, jian bings are savory crepes that include green onions, soybean paste, and eggs, and […]
‘Metronomy Forever’ is sentimental, but repetitive
Story by Amber Chen & Cloe MauerStaff Writers Illustration by Alicia ZhangStaff Illustrator 3/5 stars Artist — MetronomyLabel — Because MusicLength — 17 tracks, 54 minutes It’s been 13 years since British synth-rock group Metronomy’s debut album, Pip Paine. The moody, electric guitar heavy record sported classically bleak dance club tracks “Black Eye/ Burnt Thumb” […]
Katie Hohman: Advocating with a smile
Story by Kimberly HsuehStaff Writer Photo by Sean JinStaff Photographer A year and a half ago, Katie Hohman found herself in a crowd of 500 peers when she stepped onto Fair Oaks Avenue. On March 24, 2018, she participated in a walkout that memorialized the lives lost in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. […]
Joaquin Phoenix brings an iconic villain to life in ‘Joker’
Story by Brady Nakumura & Matthew TsaiStaff Writer & Sports Editor Illustration by David SohnStaff Illustrator 4.5/5 stars Joker, a sadistic psychopath and the world’s most recognizable supervillain, lives to incite chaos and catastrophe. Accordingly, a R-rated film starring the criminal mastermind as the protagonist would breed a tsunami of controversy. Even before the movie […]
Yutae Kim: Vocalizing Passion and Artistry
Junior Yutae Kim has showcased his beatboxing talents in the SPHS talent show and regularly invests hours towards mixing beats into tracks, with hopes of inspiring other music lovers to pursue their passion. Story by Kimberly HsuehStaff Writer Video by Alexander ParraVideographer Musical talent runs through the Kim family. Junior Yutae Kim and his older […]
‘Ad Astra’ crumbles under its messy screenplay
Story by Matthew TsaiSports Editor Illustration by Talulla ChowDesign Editor 3/5 stars With the six highest grossing films of 2019 being either sequels or remakes, standalone films no longer attract mainstream audiences; everyone is waiting for a popular franchise’s next installment or the newest live-action remake. Even production companies and studios have followed suit, throwing […]
TAAGLAA: The Last Bookstore
Story by Aanji SinSenior Staff Writer Photographs by Ella JayasekeraStaff Photographer I first visited The Last Bookstore four years ago and immediately fell in love. It is a bookworm’s happy place: two floors containing every book you could possibly imagine. Residing in an abandoned bank on Fifth and Spring in downtown Los Angeles, it is […]
TAAGLAA: Melrose Trading Post
Story and Photos by Sofia AlvaStaff Writer For students who prefer to avoid the highly branded clothing of many popular fashion lines, thrift shops are the best place to find a look that better fits their wardrobe aesthetic. Outside of thrift stores that are few and far between in cities like South Pasadena, the Melrose Trading […]
Trudie Strobel: A Life In Tapestry
Story and Photos by Haelee KimStaff Writer immediatecareofgoldsboro.com Maya Savin Miller and Lila Dworsky-Hickey grew up as part of the last Jewish generation to bear witness to the stories of the people who lived through the Holocaust. Countless years of learning history had educated them with the facts, yet the raw, emotional weight of their […]
‘The Lion King’ remake is unnecessary, unoriginal, and uninspired
Story by Audrey ErnstStaff Writer Illustration by Nicholas FormanStaff Illustrator Disney introduced The Lion King in late July as its most recent remake, but the film did not live up to past remakes on classic Disney stories. The film lacked the heart and imagination of the original, and came off as a money grab for Disney instead […]
The MCU spins another masterpiece in ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’
Story by Zoe SchlaakStaff Writer Illustration by Nicholas FormanStaff Illustrator This review contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame 4.5/5 stars Spider-Man: Far from Home, the third installment of the Spider-Man franchise, has become the first Spider-Man film of all time to surpass one billion dollars in the global box office, and for good reason — with […]
Standout performances contend with a cluttered storyline in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’
Story by Matthew TsaiSports Editor Illustration by Maddie YooDesign Editor 4/5 stars From Pulp Fiction to Inglourious Basterds to Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino has captivated audiences with his tightly woven stories and unique sense of humor. The writer-director, decorated with numerous Academy Awards and Golden Globes, has cemented himself as one of the top filmmakers […]