Story by Eddie Zhou Staff Writer Photo by Tucker Judkins Contributor South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD) has begun preliminary discussions to implement a hybrid schedule model that consists of both in-person and virtual learning for the 2020-2021 school year. School officials maintain that these are only proposals and no final decision has been made. […]
Seniors bid farewell to SPHS in drive-through and livestream graduation ceremonies
Story by Sofia AlvaAssociate Sports Editor Photo by Ella JayasekeraAssociate Photo Editor SPHS seniors donned traditional caps and gowns to receive their diplomas in a drive-through graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 3. The festive event continued virtually via a YouTube livestream which featured speeches, performances, and slideshows showcasing the graduating Class of 2020. Principal Janet Anderson congratulated […]
SPHS honors seniors at virtual senior awards night ceremony
Story by Noah KuhnAssociate News Editor Photo by Tucker JudkinsContributor SPHS continued its year-end festivities with the annual Senior Awards Night ceremony streamed virtually on Youtube on Tuesday, June 2. Several local organizations and SPHS faculty took turns honoring seniors with both awards and scholarships as they depart high school. Seniors applied for many of the […]
ASB releases final runoff results of class officer elections
Story by Haelee Kim Associate Opinion Editor ASB announced the final results for the class office elections on Saturday, May 30. This was the second round of runoff votings for class officers conducted online, solidifying the ASB lineup of the 2020-2021 school year. ASB conducted two rounds of runoffs after the close results of the first […]
ASB class officer elections necessitates another round of runoffs
Story by Haelee Kim Associate Opinion Editor SPHS ASB has announced the results of the second round of class elections on Saturday, May 23. ASB released the results of the class officer election’s first round on May 16. Although the junior class office positions oversaw decisive elections, many of the senior and sophomore class officer candidates […]
SPHS adds drive-through graduation to year-end events
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Photo by Oscar Walsh Photo Editor SPHS Principal Janet Anderson updated seniors and their families Friday, May 22 about revised year-end festivities, most notably the addition of a drive-through graduation in the campus parking lot. The decision comes after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors eased coronavirus restrictions to […]
SPUSD calls on community to advocate for school funding
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Photo by Oscar Walsh Photo Editor South Pasadena School Board President Michele Kipke and SPUSD Superintendent Geoff Yantz emailed community members to urgently request their help in advocating for school funding on Tuesday, May 19. The administrators asked residents to call California elected officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, and petition […]
Counselors honor juniors with annual Book Awards
Story by Adam Kwoh News Editor The SPHS counselors announced the recipients for this year’s Book Awards on Monday, May 18, commending five juniors for their academic accomplishments and services to the school. Although the Book Awards are typically announced at the Farewell Assembly, due to the school closure the counselors posted a video to commemorate […]
ASB releases 2020-2021 class officer election results
Story by Haelee Kim Associate Opinion Editor Photo by Oscar Walsh Photo Editor SPHS ASB announced the preliminary results of the 2020-2021 class elections on Saturday, May 16. Class officers campaigned online throughout the week, producing videos and social media posts before elections began on Thursday, May 14. Class officer elections occurred in a different fashion than […]
SPHS modifies traditional year-end events, prepares for virtual graduation
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Photo by Oscar Walsh Photo Editor SPHS Principal Janet Anderson notified seniors of SPHS’ plans for traditional graduating activities during the year-long school closure and upcoming pick-up days for year-end memorabilia. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the school plans to implement precautions including social distancing and virtual meetups. […]
Math teacher Shane Mills uplifts spirits during quarantine with new song “Twelve Seventy-Four”
Story by Noah Kuhn Associate News Editor Video by Shane Mills Contributor SPHS math teacher Shane Mills released his song, “Twelve Seventy-Four,” about loss and moving on to the student body via ASB’s weekly announcements on Thursday, May 7. Mills found a connection between the song’s lyrics and the coronavirus’ quarantining implications on everyone. “The surprisingly […]
Cheryl Busick selected as new SPMS principal
Story by Adam Kwoh News Editor SPUSD introduced Cheryl Busick as SPMS’ new principal on Tuesday, Mar. 5. Busick’s new position comes after former principal David Kubela announced he would be leaving the position beginning on Apr. 30. Busick has led as Arroyo Vista’s principal since 2011. Previously, Busick has served as principal of Temple City’s […]
Students respond with mixed feelings to Joe Biden’s nomination
Story by Amber Chen Staff Writer Illustration by Nicholas Forman Staff Illustrator Many SPHS students were disappointed at the news of Bernie Sanders’ campaign suspension on Apr. 8, leaving Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic party nominee. Now, SPHS students are debating whether or not to support Biden in the upcoming general election. “I was so […]
Gym construction expected to continue during school closure
Story by Sofia Alva Staff Writer Photo by Ella Jayasekera Associate Photo Editor Construction on the SPHS main gym is still expected to be completed by August 31st, despite SPUSD’s school closures. Public construction has been deemed essential by Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, allowing work on the gym to continue throughout the lockdown. However, the […]
Teachers find new ways to interact with students during distance learning
Story by Zoe Schlaak Staff Writer Photo by Thomas Forman Contributor SPUSD’s school closures on Mar. 13 and L.A.’s safer-at-home order has left many teachers in an unprecedented situation, being forced to work with students outside of the classroom. However, some SPHS staff have found unique approaches to interact with their students using weekly video calls and […]
Kimberly Hsueh wins Commissioner of Academics in runoff
Story by Haelee Kim Associate Opinion Editor Photo by Oscar Walsh Photo Editor Junior Kimberly Hsueh was elected the 2020-2021 Commissioner of Academics in a runoff vote, as announced by ASB on Saturday, Apr. 25. As none of the three candidates for the Commissioner of Academics were able to secure more than 50 percent of the votes […]