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 […]
Calls for peaceful protest aren’t calls for pacifism
Intense focus has been given to the tactics of protest movement across the U.S., most calling for “pacifism.” Yet, demanding peaceful protest against a violent government can run contrary to peace.
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 […]
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 […]
Now is the time to finally reclaim my identity
The intersectionality of my identities is something that I’ve always struggled with, especially my racial identity as a Black and Mexican person growing up in South Pasadena’s mostly Asian and white environment. My environment has shaped who I am and the way that I view myself. And while it is not my fault that I […]
Weekly assemblies recognize Black History Month at MHS
Story by Katie Hohman Staff Writer Monterey Hills Elementary School (MHS) honored Black history in weekly video assemblies in February dedicated to specific themes, like Black women in science. The series’ first assembly was on Friday, Feb. 5 and taught students about the accomplishments of Dr. Katherine Johnson, a NASA mathematician, and astronaut Mae Jemison. Each […]
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 […]
Society needs to validate queer people
Story by Cat FloresEditor-in-Chief Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of femme lesbian relationships in media, or at least not any that were realistic with depth and storyline. The only femme-on-femme action I witnessed was over sexualization in music videos when two hot girls made out. My idea of what a lesbian or queer […]
Students brace for possible cancellation of sports
Story by Eddie ZhouStaff Writer Photo by Sarah LeeStaff Photographer The possibility that SPHS athletes will have a season for their respective sports continues to dwindle, as COVID-19 cases continue to mount in both Los Angeles County and the rest of the state. With the recent cancellation of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) fall sports championships and […]
‘Coming out’ should be on one’s own accord
Story by Quinn ManzoStaff Writer Illustration by David SohnStaff Illustrator “Coming out” is the act of sharing one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity, whether that means sharing it publicly on social media or gradually with loved ones. The action has become standard to the LGBTQ+ experience, but the same standard does not apply to straight, […]
Normalcy should not be the expectation
Story by Kahlen MiaoStaff Writer Illustration by David SohnStaff Illustrator At the beginning of this month, I opened my report card to a mixture of shock and disappointment. I had ended the last semester with three B’s. Transitioning into my sophomore year was more difficult than I’d like to admit. I know for a fact […]
Sports opinion – Athleticism, not appearance: The subtle sexualization of female athletes
Story by Kahlen MiaoStaff Writer Illustration by David SohnStaff Illustrator In a report published by the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, female cheerleaders ranked second in receiving catastrophic injuries from their sport. Yet, despite its difficulty and risk, cheerleading is widely perceived as trivial and mockable. […]
Kelly Wu: Figure skating with fearlessness
Story by Sofia AlvaAssociate News Editor Photo contributed by Kelly WuContributor Senior Kelly Wu didn’t think much of it. Falling was normal, so she brushed it off and continued to skate. It wasn’t until a couple hours later when Wu saw a deep, bloody cut on her bottom. She was quickly rushed into emergency surgery, but never […]
Students weigh safety concerns over passion to play
Story by Zoe SchlaakSports Associate Editor Illustration by Nicholas FormanStaff Illustrator Public high schools, like SPHS, adapted to outdoor, distance training in order to follow protocols, but due to L.A.’s surge of cases, all practices have been postponed. Numerous SPHS athletes normally split time between high school athletics and an elite sports club. Like everything else, these […]
Athletes share their COVID-19 recovery processes
Story by Eddie ZhouStaff Writer Photo by Ella JayasekeraPhoto Editor South Pasadena has surpassed 1,100 coronavirus cases and SPHS’ socially-distanced athletic practices have been shut down multiple times due to positive tests. With coronavirus becoming more and more of a common occurrence, Tiger spoke with student-athletes who had the virus to understand the physical tolls and the recovery […]