Category: Opinion

South Pas Should Ban Gas Powered Leaf Blowers

Story by Benjamin Regan Staff Writer Illustration by Ethan Lyons Staff Illustrator The South Pasadena City Council voted to send ordinance 19A back to the staff for revision at their meeting on July 7, 2021. The ordinance would have entirely banned gas-powered leaf blowers in South Pasadena. However, lacking a plan for enforcement and potential penalties, […]

Why We Hate Twilight: The Problem With Media For Teenage Girls

Story by Charlotte Dekle Staff Writer Illustration by Penny Aboud Staff Graphic Designer Growing out of interest is an integral part of aging; it’s entirely natural for teenagers to no longer enjoy something they once did. With so much resentment being directed at teenage girls and their interests, it seems that many girls are abandoning them […]

Letter to the editor: race, class, and what SPUSD doesn’t want you to know about summer school

Story by John SrebalusContributor Illustration by Terry SongCo-Design Editor I’m not asking the South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD) to do anything it hasn’t already said it would do. Says Resolution 2019-2020-26, passed June 9, 2020, “Whereas, [SPUSD] desires to provide a safe school environment that allows all students equal access and opportunities in the […]

Commodity fetishism is at the core of social media’s absurdism

Story by Sam GrotensteinAssociate Opinion Editor Illustration by David SohnStaff Illustrator The Snapchat discover page is a horrible place. This may seem like hyperbole, but the explore page sits pathetically as the disgusting offspring of contemporary tabloid magazines and early 20th century travelling circus acts. It is a seemingly never-ending stream of 30 second long […]

Parental censorship hinders a child’s potential

Story by Kahlen MiaoStaff Writer Illustration by Nicholas FormanStaff Illustration When I received my first phone at the beginning of middle school, I was beyond excited. I was enamored by the prospect of an endless internet, however unsurprisingly, I was restricted from one of the most vital forms of modern communication: social media.  Parental censorship […]

The food industry is to blame for America’s obesity problem, not the individual

Story by Amber ChenOpinion Editor Illustration by Talulla ChowCo-Design Editor Americans get new solutions to obesity every day — a new pill, a new superfood, surgery — but people keep getting bigger. In 1990, less than 15% of the U.S. population was obese. Today, about one fifth of children and adolescents and one third of […]

Don’t justify misogyny as racial progress

Story by Georgia ParsonsAssociate Feature Editor Illustration by Nicholas FormanStaff Illustrator Throughout history, white women have helped to maintain the system of white supremacy ingrained in this country.  Although often painted as passive characters, white women have also held large and overt roles. For example, white women developed their own branch of a white supremacist […]

Mental health cannot be commercialized

Story by Sofia AlvaAssociate News Editor Illustration by Terry SongAssociate Design Editor The coronavirus pandemic continues to harm teenage mental health, shown not only in student complaints of increased stress, but in such a serious way that it has produced statistical results. Adults who control the structure of student life acknowledge the existence of this […]

The current system of education cannot be tolerated any longer

At the start of my junior year, I finally told my friends that their obsession with academic comparison was wrecking my mental health. I suggested that we avoid talking about grades altogether. Oftentimes after a test, I would hear this seemingly innocent inquiry: “Oh my God, what did you get?” Yet, this question is frequently […]

The process of military recruitment at high school is purposefully deceiving and must be reformed

Story by Haelee KimStaff Writer Illustration by Alicia ZhangStaff Illustrator Military recruiting tables are a ubiquitous sight on high school campuses across the country. Since the No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2001, high schools are obligated to allow the military just as much access to campuses as regular colleges. This can have […]

Unhealthy relationships should not be glorified

Story by Georgia ParsonsStaff Writer Illustration by David SohnStaff Illustrator From Jean-Jacques Annaud’s The Lover to Call Me by Your Name, movies portraying age-inappropriate relationships have become a staple in the film industry. Their visually appealing qualities often overshadow blatantly abusive power dynamics. Thus, these relationships become romanticized, which is especially harmful for young viewers […]

Back To Top