Residents condemn Caltrans’ use of law enforcement to guard vacant homes amidst homelessness crisis

Story by Noah Kuhn News Editor Reporting by Ava Dunville Contributor Photos by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor Community members have criticized the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for contracting with private security company Inter-Con to guard empty homes 24/7 rather than give them as housing to people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. Caltrans had previously paid the […]

Reopened outdoor dining boosts profits and morale

Story by Lilian Zhu Associate Webmaster Photo by Ella Jayasekera Photography Editor Local restaurant owners expressed hope and happiness when outdoor dining reopened on Friday, Jan. 29 after a two-month hiatus. The spike in coronavirus cases over the holiday season resulted in more restrictive stay-at-home orders, including the shutdown of outdoor dining. However, cases in L.A. County […]

Mental health cannot be commercialized

Story by Sofia AlvaAssociate News Editor Illustration by Terry SongAssociate Design Editor The coronavirus pandemic continues to harm teenage mental health, shown not only in student complaints of increased stress, but in such a serious way that it has produced statistical results. Adults who control the structure of student life acknowledge the existence of this […]

SPHS dominates in first league meet of the year

Story by Ellie CampbellSports Editor Photo courtesy of Anthony ChanContributor The SPHS cross country team participated in their first meet of the year on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at Hahamongna Park.  After 11 months without competition, the team was finally able to showcase their talents in a two-day competition hosted by La Cañada. On the first day, La […]

City reaches $450,000 settlement over Marquez officer-involved killing

Story by Sofia Alva Associate News Editor Photo courtesy of Alice S. Hall / NBCU Photo Bank Contributor The City of South Pasadena reached a settlement of $450,000 in the wrongful death lawsuit over the SPPD killing of resident and actress Vanessa Marquez on Monday, Feb. 22.  Marquez was shot and killed by SPPD officers during a […]

The current system of education cannot be tolerated any longer

At the start of my junior year, I finally told my friends that their obsession with academic comparison was wrecking my mental health. I suggested that we avoid talking about grades altogether. Oftentimes after a test, I would hear this seemingly innocent inquiry: “Oh my God, what did you get?” Yet, this question is frequently […]

Community applauds elementary school TK to 2 reopening

Story by Adam Kwoh Copy Editor Photos by Sophie Yeung Staff Photographer SPUSD TK to 2 students eagerly stepped through their elementary schools’ gates for the first time in nearly a year on Thursday, Feb. 18, and parents, teachers, and administrators rendered the reopening day a success. As per SPUSD’s reopening plan, students arrived in separate […]

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 […]

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, […]

City Council approves primary permit for Moffatt Street development despite community opposition

Story by Zoe SchlaakStaff Writer Photo courtesy of Planet Home LivingContributor The City Council unanimously approved a Hillside Development permit for the Moffatt Street extension project at its meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17, laying the groundwork for the construction of seven properties at the border of South Pasadena and El Sereno. Community members strongly opposed the […]

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. […]

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