Story by Aanji Sin Staff Writer Photos by Tony Chen and Oscar Walsh Staff Photographers Residents of South Pasadena celebrated Independence Day with the annual Fourth of July Festival of Balloons on Wednesday, July 4th. Throughout the day, participants enjoyed food and games held at Garfield Park and gathered at South Pasadena High School later that […]
SPHS SkillsUSA members earn top marks at the National Leadership and Skills Conference
Story by Raymond Yeo Staff Writer Photo courtesy of South Pasadena SkillsUSA State gold medalists of South Pasadena’s SkillsUSA team traveled to Louisville, KY from June 25 to 29 to attend the 54th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC). The team showcased their work in various areas of career and technical education and earned high […]
SPHS students teach introductory coding as part of the Next Generation Coding Camp
Story by Raymond Yeo Staff Writer Photo courtesy of Femineers SPHS’ Coding Club kicked off the third iteration of its Next Generation Coding (NGC) camp, a weeklong course teaching introductory coding to elementary and middle school students. Throughout the week of June 11, participants learned the fundamental aspects of coding and applied their knowledge by […]
Tianhao Wei: a rising star
Story by Raymond Yeo Staff Writer Photo by Helena Fu Staff Photographer Soft-spoken Tianhao Wei doesn’t want nor need to discuss of his accomplishments with others; his medals speak for themselves. The rising junior already boasts an abundance of accolades after just two years of competing on the varsity track and field team. Wei developed his […]
SPHS parents and students express concern regarding new study hall policy
Photo by Tony Chen Staff Photographer SPHS parents and students packed the SPUSD board room to voice their opinions regarding the new mandatory study hall policy on Tuesday, June 26. The policy — set to take action in the 2018-19 school year — requires students to take six classes with an additional study hall period. This […]
The Summer Reading Program: a paragon of South Pasadena’s academic climate
Story and Photo by Luyang Zhang Staff Writer South Pasadena Unified School District’s consistent recognition for superior academic performance through awards such as the Gold Ribbon Award, Honor Roll, and Distinguished School Award highlights the district’s heavy community emphasis on top-tier education. This dedication to academic excellence starts at the earliest educational levels: the Summer Reading […]
South Pasadena City Council approves an updated plan to combat homelessness
Written by Matthew Tsai Staff Writer The South Pasadena City Council approved a last minute plan to prevent and combat homelessness Wednesday, June 20. Initially, the original proposal was slated to be rejected, but a revised document was submitted the afternoon before meeting, prompting the council’s change in recommendation. During a previous meeting, Councilmember Diana Mahmud […]
Death doesn’t give our heroes a free pass
Written by Audrey Ernst Staff Writer Illustrated by Elaine Yang Design Editor This article contains descriptions of domestic violence that some might find disturbing. In June 2016, Geneva Ayala was faced with a difficult decision. How she would like to be sexually assaulted, barbecue fork or barbecue brush? She was given that choice by her boyfriend at […]
Artists transform the streets for the annual Pasadena Chalk Festival
Written by Luyang Zhang Staff Writer Photos by Alicia Alderete Photo Editor The plain concrete walkways of the Paseo Colorado Center were transformed into a multihued masterpiece on June 16-17 in the 26th annual Pasadena Chalk Festival. As the pounding of live music blended with the chatter of hundreds of spectators, individual artists and teams from all […]
Incredibles 2 saves the day, but takes too many detours
Story by Matthew Tsai Staff Writer Illustration by David Sohn Staff Illustrator 3.5/5 Stars Fourteen years after the release of Brad Bird’s The Incredibles, the Parr family returns to the silver screen. Incredibles 2 does not pack the same punch as its predecessor. The long-awaited sequel does not quite match the exceptional storytelling of the acclaimed original. […]
SPUSD announces Carlos Kassam-Clay as the new assistant principal of SPMS
Photo courtesy of South Pasadena Unified School District The new assistant principal of South Pasadena Middle School (SPMS), Carlos Kassam-Clay, was formally introduced during the SPUSD Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, June 12. Kassam-Clay will be succeeding Robert Yim due to Yim’s retirement. The SPMS assistant principal position oversees student discipline, special education, special […]
Angelenos celebrate the LGBTQ+ community at the 2018 LA Pride Parade
Written by Adam Kwoh Staff Writer Photos by Alicia Alderete Photo Editor Members and allies of LA’s LBGTQ+ community gathered along West Hollywood’s Santa Monica Boulevard on Sunday, June 10th, in celebration of the 2018 LA Pride Parade. With the spirit of pride and diversity, the parade route displayed multicolored garments and flags, as well as notable […]
South Pasadena city council reviews plans to resolve water discoloration
Written by Andrés Oyaga Staff Writer and Photographer Photo by Andrés Oyaga Staff Writer and Photographer The South Pasadena City Council gathered at City Hall Wednesday, June 6 to review solutions to the ongoing water discoloration issue and discuss efforts in reducing homelessness. Staff Liaison for the Public Works Commission, Leaonna DeWitt, recapped the […]
Wei places top five at CIF State Finals
Photo by Helena Fu Staff Photographer Sophomore Tianhao Wei’s historic season came to a close at the CIF State Final meet after finishing 5th in the state in Triple Jump. Wei jumped against the 11 best jumpers in the state of California on Saturday, June 2nd at Buchanan High in Clovis. His jump of 47’04.5” was […]
SPHS celebrates the Class of 2018 in final graduation ceremony
Co-written by Alex Betts and Rachel Lu Feature Editor and Online Managing Editor Photos by Alicia Alderete Photo Editor Clad in black & white caps and gowns, the Class of 2018 commemorated four years of high school in a graduation ceremony on Tuesday, June 5. Seniors gathered on Roosevelt Field as a whole for one last time before departing to their […]
