Story by Lilian Zhu Staff Writer Photo by Oscar Walsh Staff Photographer SPUSD declared that distance learning will continue until the end of the semester in accordance with state reopening guidelines on Thursday, Oct. 15. Periodical asynchronous days have been implemented into the middle and high school schedules, giving teachers more prep time. SPMS has […]
October 2020 Print Issue
Finance Director Karen Aceves resigns from City post
Story by Sofia Alva Staff Writer Photo by Katelyn Hernandez Staff Photographer South Pasadena Finance Director Karen Aceves announced her resignation effective immediately on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The reasoning for Aceves’ resignation is still unclear, though it comes after City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe left the City a few weeks earlier. In 2017, the City hired Aceves, who […]
Man drives truck onto sidewalk near BLM protestors
Story by Lilian ZhuStaff Writer Photo courtesy of Black Lives Matter South Pasadena Contributor A white middle-aged man drove onto the sidewalk at the corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and Mission Street where Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestors were demonstrating shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. SPPD arrived at the scene and talked to the […]
Residents question SPPD’s ties to anti-LGBTQ+ hate group
Story by Sofia Alva Staff Writer Photo by Tony Chen Contributor Community members are calling for an investigation into the SPPD for its planned public prayer event with an anti-Black and anti-LGBTQ+ hate group that was set to be held at City Hall on Saturday, Sept. 26. Police Chief Joe Ortiz sent an email (attached below) […]
School Board opposes wellness day in spite of widespread community support
Story by Eddie Zhou Staff Writer Photo by SPUSD Contributor The South Pasadena School Board declined to implement a wellness day despite strong support from teachers, parents, and students at a special Board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Board members voted to submit the current Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan (LCAP) to the Los Angeles […]
Four SPHS students become National Merit Scholar semifinalists
Story by Lilian Zhu Staff Writer Photo by Katelyn Hernandez Staff Photographer Four SPHS students were announced as National Merit Scholar semifinalists last week, with dozens more earning the rank of a commended scholar. Seniors Frances Chiu, Matthew Haines, Jessica Li, and Luyang Zhang join 1,900 other California seniors who achieved the qualifying score on […]
Students and teachers rally together in support of wellness day
Story by Sam Grotenstein Staff Writer Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photo Editor Teachers, parents, and students voiced their support for a wellness day to be incorporated into the distance learning schedule at a School Board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 23. The purpose of the meeting was for School Board members to discuss, but not vote on, whether […]
‘Tenet’ is admirably complex but lacks emotional depth
Story by Katie HohmanStaff Writer Illustration by David SohnStaff Illustrator Tenet, the new sci-fi thriller from acclaimed auteur Christopher Nolan, is an exciting, if not confusing, journey filled with heart wrenching performances and mind-bending twists. The film focuses on a former CIA agent, simply called “the Protagonist” (John David Washington), who is recruited by an […]
On being “almost white”
Story by Amber ChenOpinion Editor Illustration by Alicia ZhangStaff Illustrator My transition to South Pasadena Middle School was rough, more so than the expected awkward pre-teen experience. Perhaps it was because I had spent the summer before internalizing outcast-protagonist young adult novels and proudly displayed this newfound sense of individuality in a navy American-flag sweater […]
SPHS math teacher Andrew McGough will resume daily workout videos
Story by Lilian Zhu Staff Writer Photo byElla JayasekeraPhoto Editor SPHS math teacher Andrew McGough has formed the Tiger Fitness Club, calling on students and teachers to follow along with daily workouts and weekly challenges. McGough initially started hosting live calls for Workout Wednesdays, along with posting daily workouts on his classes’ Google Classroom when the school […]
Charlie Kami-Duffin: Finding fun in hard work
Story by Sam GrotensteinStaff Writer Photo by Sophie YeungStaff Photographer Charlie Kami-Duffin is never not doing something. When this SPHS sophomore picked up the phone, she was half way through her precise recipe for microwaved popcorn. “The trick is,” Kami-Duffin said, “to leave it in for a minute and 11 seconds, to get the perfect […]
Capitalism cannot be reformed
Story by Sam GrotensteinStaff Writer Illustration by Terry SongStaff Illustrator America has always been, at its core, a capitalist country. From the stolen land that this country is founded upon to the slavery that built it, capitalist principles have been present from day one. Therefore, it is no surprise that most Americans see capitalism as […]
Social democracy is an ethical capitalism
Story by Haelee KimStaff Writer Illustration by Terry SongStaff Illustrator The discussion regarding capitalism is as divisive as ever, with proponents defending it by harkening back to an age where unbridled industrialization generated prosperity. However, this picture does not accurately describe the reality of today; capitalism has gotten out of hand. But, as long as […]
‘Nice White Parents’ asks all the right questions
Story by Zoe SchlaakStaff Writer Illustration by Alicia ZhangStaff Illustrator 4/5Host: Chana Joffe-WaltGenre: Podcast Nice White Parents confronts the power of white parents in public education and traces the deep roots of their power in one New York school. The five-part podcast series, hosted by Chana Joffe-Walt of This American Life, deftly explores the uncharted […]
DeWolfe retires as City Manager, Fire Chief Riddle assumes interim position
Story by Eddie ZhouStaff Writer Photo by Katelyn HernandezStaff Photographer City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe retired from South Pasadena effective Saturday, Sept. 12. Fire Chief Paul Riddle has assumed the position of acting City Manager until the City Council appoints a permanent one. DeWolfe has been at the center of intense scrutiny over the management of the […]