Story by Georgia Parsons Associate Feature Editor Photo courtesy of Eliot Correll Contributor ASB celebrated students’ diverse skills in the annual SPHS Talent Show, which was released via YouTube on Friday, Mar. 19. The video featured seven musical performances, ranging from violin solos to song covers. Most of the video clips were filmed by students at […]
City Council sponsors state bill to prioritize local residents in selling of Caltrans properties
Story by Zoe Schlaak Associate Sports Editor Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor The City Council approved the sponsorship of the Senate Bill (SB) 381, aimed to prioritize former owners’ and current occupants’ of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) homes opportunities to buy those properties, at its meeting on Wednesday, Mar. 17. State Senator Anthony Portantino […]
School Board approves hybrid instructional models for SPMS and SPHS
Story by Sofia Alva Associate News Editor Photo courtesy of Abigail Silver Contributor The School Board approved instructional hybrid learning models for SPMS and SPHS for when students return to those campuses on Thursday, Apr. 8 and Thursday, Apr. 15, respectively, at a special meeting on Friday, Mar. 19. In the adopted models, students in Cohorts […]
Drama students find joy in pandemic-adapted play
Story by Quinn Manzo Staff Writer Photos by Sarah Lee Associate Photo Editor The SPHS drama department anticipates the filming of its play Macbeth using a green screen, rehearsing in person for the first time on Friday, Mar. 5. The current plan is to bring the cast members in one-by-one and film their scenes in front […]
Community seeks anti-racist police chief at virtual forum
Story by Sofia Alva Associate News Editor Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor Residents expressed a desire for the new leader of the SPPD to have extensive anti-bias, and specifically anti-racist, training at a virtual community forum about the search for a new police chief on Monday, Mar. 15. The South Pasadena Public Safety Commission and interim […]
Junior Ava Dunville educates elementary schoolers about local government and activism in Gold Award project
Story by Kahlen Miao Staff Writer Photo by Katelyn Hernandez Staff Photographer Junior Ava Dunville encourages civic engagement among third through fifth graders in weekly 30-minute Zoom workshops for her Girl Scouts Gold Award project that began on Monday, Mar. 1. Dunville begins each of her presentations with an icebreaker before going into a deeper dive on […]
SPUSD assembles committee focused on inclusivity and equity
Story by Georgia Parsons Associate Feature Editor SPUSD announced the formation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in February, aiming to address bias and discrimination within the five schools by reviewing district policies and practices. The committee will begin its work this year starting with inclusivity training, and will continue for the entire 2021-2022 […]
Teachers, parents, and district clash over school reopening
Story by Sofia Alva & Lilian Zhu Associate News Editor & Associate Webmaster Illustration by Alicia Zhang Staff Illustrator Photos courtesy of Pat Barr & Kim Sinclair Contributors Teachers rallied together through countless public comments at multiple School Board meetings to voice concerns about what they believe is the district’s decision to reopen SPUSD schools without prioritizing their safety. The reopening of grades […]
Community gathers at Vons to support temporary hero pay ordinance
Story by Kahlen Miao Staff Writer Photos by Sophie Yeung Staff Photographer A group of about 20 community members rallied outside of South Pasadena’s Vons in support of a 120-day $5 per hour hazard pay ordinance for essential workers on Saturday, Mar. 13. The rally began at about 10:30 a.m. in front of Vons and […]
Upcoming virtual community forum gives residents the opportunity to provide input on search for new police chief
Story by Georgia Parsons Associate Feature Editor Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor The City of South Pasadena and the Public Safety Commission will host a virtual community forum as the City searches for a new SPPD police chief via Zoom on Monday, Mar. 15 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Attendees will be able to […]
Drives for those experiencing homelessness inspire compassion
Story by Eddie Zhou Staff Writer Photo by Oscar Walsh Staff Photographer Local activist group Black Lives Matter (BLM) South Pasadena emphasizes humanity and respect for unhoused community members in its lunch and donation drives at Garfield Park every Monday at 12 p.m. Volunteers distribute homemade and purchased meals, drinks, masks, hand sanitizer, snacks, and […]
SPUSD provides lunches to community youth at no cost
Story by Georgia Parsons Associate Feature Editor Photo courtesy of Michelle Curry Contributor The SPUSD Food and Nutrition program is offering free meals to anyone in the greater South Pasadena community between the ages of one and 18 on Diamond Avenue across from the SPHS basketball gym. This program has been underway since the beginning of […]
Pet adoptions lift spirits during quarantine
Story by Lilian Zhu Associate Webmaster Photos by Katelyn Hernandez & Sophie Yeung Staff Photographers Skyrocketing pet adoptions since the beginning of quarantine have brought joy and eased loneliness for many families as the pandemic stretches to one year. For many, coronavirus shutdowns in March contributed to decisions to add a new member to the family […]
Students set to return to SPMS and SPHS in hybrid models on Apr. 8 and Apr. 15, respectively
Story by Zoe Schlaak Associate Sports Editor Photo courtesy of Abigail Silver Contributor The School Board approved the return to campus for SPMS and SPHS students using hybrid learning schedules on Thursday, Apr. 8 and Thursday, Apr. 15, respectively, at a special meeting on Thursday, Mar. 4. SPMS has already created an unapproved hybrid model, but no […]
Abigail Choi triumphs in photography competition, reminds the community to social distance
Story by Georgia Parsons Associate Feature Editor Photo by Abigail Choi Contributor SPHS sophomore Abigail Choi emphasized the importance of social distancing via art, winning an open-call photography contest on Tuesday, Jan. 12 with her piece “Social Distancing,” which was displayed on walls across the country. The competition was sponsored by Unshuttered, a J. Paul Getty […]
Residents rally behind $5 essential worker hazard pay
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 […]