Story by Lilian Zhu Webmaster Illustration by Martin Walsh Staff Illustrator When the question, “What’s the point of math?” is asked, people are quick to defend the subject by using examples of economic or technological applications but omit the transcendent beauty of reasoning and wonder that math brings. People are always focused on increasing productivity, […]
SPHS hires new water polo coach Lindsey Garcia
Story by Alison Wang Staff Writer Photo by Erin Lee Staff Photographer The SPHS Athletic Department promoted assistant coach Lindsey Garcia to head coach for boys and girls water polo mid-season in August 2021, after Michael Gonzales stepped down from the position. Garcia first started playing water polo at age 13 in a local youth […]
SPHS adjusts to new coronavirus policies
Story by Michael Mayemura Staff Writer Illustration by Ethan Lyons Staff Illustrator SPHS’ coronavirus protocols, which came in the wake of a resurgence of L.A. County cases fueled by the delta variant, have forced student organizations on campus to adapt and innovate their activities to prioritize safety. In preparation for reopening, school administration worked to develop a comprehensive safety plan to protect […]
Students explore campus activities at Club Rush
Story by Hanna Bae Staff Writer Photos by Erin Lee, Sarah Lee, Michelle Shadmon, and Sophie Yeung Staff Photographers and Photo Editor Students congregated during lunch on the numbered walkway to explore around 80 new and returning clubs on the first day of SPHS’ annual Club Rush on Thursday, Sept. 9. Students set up booths on either side of […]
September Print Issue 2021
Read the September Print Issue here.
Breaking the unspoken rule against voicing my opinions
Story by Kimberly HsuehSenior Staff Writer This has been an unsettling topic that has been on my mind since childhood: the love/hate relationship I have with my parents. One of the first rules my parents established was “don’t talk back.” No matter how invalid my parents’ arguments were, talking back meant receiving the silent treatment […]
Coping and cutting my hair
Story by Kimberly HsuehSenior Staff Writer Take one step at a time. This is what I didn’t do when I attempted to break out of a depressed state. For weeks, I was plagued with deprecating thoughts, managing to convince myself that I was truly incapable of doing anything. I reclined in bed and spent hours […]
Anime carries surprising weight
Story by Kimberly HsuehSenior Staff Writer The setter smoothly switches from a spiking to setting position, passing the ball to one of the wing spikers who smashes the ball over the net. Karasuno High’s middle blocker Hinata Shoyo retaliates. With intense concentration fixated on the ball, he blocks the ball’s path, shooting it high into […]
Competition is fracturing
Story by Kimberly HsuehSenior Staff Writer I can’t remember the carefree feelings that surged through me in elementary and middle school. But I can recall that I was braver, happier, and more ambitious than I am now. My adventure started with daringly climbing the netted structure at Monterey Hills with my friends and daringly declaring […]
Stop telling me that distance learning is easy
Story by Kimberly HsuehSenior Staff Writer The 2020 spring semester was an unexpected shift from in-person learning to online schooling, yet many of us managed a smooth transition. Nine months later, processing the normalization of school at home has proved to be more difficult than the initial transition. While experiencing the ongoing pandemic, political climate, […]
Discovery identity
Story by Kimberly HsuehSenior Staff Writer It took 15 years to finally feel Taiwanese. As a LA born Taiwanese-American, I struggled with boredom at Chinese school and only visited Taiwan once every one or two years. To me, being an American meant that I didn’t have to embrace my Taiwanese identity, as English was the […]
Finding the right fit
Story by Kimberly HsuehSenior Staff Writer Most high-achieving South Pas students have one goal: getting into college, especially a prestigious one. Even in middle school, I was beginning to think about my dream college and planning the steps I would take to achieve that goal. But in high school, I began taking a more critical […]
My high school experience as a game of Jenga
Story by Kimberly HsuehSenior Staff Writer I poked my index finger at the wooden block. Ignoring the sway of the tower, I quickly pulled the block through and greedily added a tally mark to the total number of extractions. Jenga is a boring game, my ten-year old self thought. Absent-mindedly, I randomly selected another block […]
Public library launches in-person browsing services
Story by Adam Kwoh Copy Editor Photo by Oscar Walsh Staff Photographer The South Pasadena Public Library reopened its doors to the community for the first time in more than a year, beginning its partial in-person reopening on Monday, May 17. Residents are now able to browse and borrow from the library’s collection as part of […]
Farm-themed Homecoming adds excitement to the end of an isolated year
Story by Lilian Zhu Associate Webmaster Photos by Ella Jayasekera & Sophie Yeung Photography Editor & Staff Photographer SPHS students celebrated its annual Homecoming traditions in an innovative fashion colored by a farm theme, complete with a virtual assembly, picnic, petting zoo, and country-attired royal court on Friday, May 14. In previous years, Homecoming has been held […]
Lyla Keller: Determined to finish the race
Story by Katie HohmanStaff Writer Photo by Ella JayasekeraPhoto Editor Freshman Lyla Keller has always been fast. From the time she was a little girl, the track and field star never knew what it meant to be slow. After many years of training and competition, it is Keller’s experiences as a runner that have given […]