Story by Kimberly Hsueh Staff Writer Photo courtesy of Kathy Mason Contributor The Varsity and JV Virtual Business teams attended their regional competition at Rio Hondo College on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) senior Chloe Lovejoy and the varsity virtual business plan team entered the competition with their company focused on selling tiny houses — […]
Victoria Tskvitichvili: thriving with independence
Story by Kimberly HsuehStaff Writer Photo by Katelyn HernandezStaff Photographer Senior Victoria Tskvitichvili stood on the golf course, tightly gripping her club, observing the fairway ahead of her. In this moment, a sense of calm washed over her. To Tskvitichvili, playing golf is exhilarating, yet unhurried; immersed into the game and without worry, and she […]
Remy Luz Julian Lorenz: charisma and confidence
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 […]
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 […]
Fake representation
Story by Caroline KimbelPrint Managing Editor Illustration by Nicholas FormanStaff Illustrator According to a study done by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, there has been no change in the amount of LGBTQ+ movie characters cast in Hollywood since 2014. What I find disturbing is that the majority of LGBTQ+ movie characters counted […]
SPUSD places fifth in the state for CAASPP testing
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Graphics by Charlotte Cohen Graphic Designer Photo by Thomas Forman Contributor South Pasadena Unified School District placed fifth in the state on the Smarter Balanced Test (CAASPP), in 2019. The district upheld its rank from previous years, with 84 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards in English and […]
SPUSD prepares to begin new athletics facility construction
Story by Ellie Campbell Staff Writer Photo courtesy of South Pasadena Unified School District Contributor SPUSD approved construction for the new SPHS athletics unit during a SPUSD board meeting, scheduling the beginning of remodeling for Nov. 18 of this year. SPUSD’s construction effort aims to update the SPHS main gym floors, paint job, and indoor […]
Veteran mathematics teacher Ruth Moonesinghe announces retirement
Story by Mike Hogan Advisor Photo and video by Alex Parra Webmaster & Videographer Mathematics teacher Ruth Moonesinghe announced her retirement to her classes, effective November 8. Her plan to retire at this time coincides with the opening of her son’s new pop-up restaurant in Washington, D.C. She told her students that the name of the […]
‘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 […]
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 […]
BurgerIM announces new location on Fair Oaks Avenue
Story by Ellie CampbellStaff Writer Photo by Sarah LeeStaff Photographer BurgerIM announced that it will be bringing its internationally recognized gourmet burgers to the South Pasadena area. The Israeli fast food chain will neighbor Blaze Pizza at its 1100 Fair Oaks Avenue location. A multicultural burger restaurant with an Israeli background, BurgerIM aims to diversify the cuisine […]