[Spoilers ahead for I’m Thinking of Ending Things] Charlie Kaufman’s 2020 film I’m Thinking of Ending Things was one of the most disturbing pieces of media of the last decade. It starts with Jake, a man in a relationship that is seemingly on its last legs, going to visit his elderly parents with his girlfriend. […]
Calls for peaceful protest aren’t calls for pacifism
Intense focus has been given to the tactics of protest movement across the U.S., most calling for “pacifism.” Yet, demanding peaceful protest against a violent government can run contrary to peace.
Commodity fetishism is at the core of social media’s absurdism
Story by Sam GrotensteinAssociate Opinion Editor Illustration by David SohnStaff Illustrator The Snapchat discover page is a horrible place. This may seem like hyperbole, but the explore page sits pathetically as the disgusting offspring of contemporary tabloid magazines and early 20th century travelling circus acts. It is a seemingly never-ending stream of 30 second long […]
Che Guevara, MLK, and the art of cultural mystification
Cultural mystification, the idea of explaining away what may otherwise be obvious for the sake of an agenda, is destroying our political landscape.
SPHS needs to end its outdated stance on drugs
Story by Sam GrotensteinOpinion Associate Illustration by Nicholas FormanStaff Illustrator Health is one of the rare uniting courses that all students must take in order to meet graduation requirements. No matter how a student takes the class, either during the school year or over the summer, they find that a large portion of the curriculum […]
Con: Vote blue no matter who
Story by Sam GrotensteinStaff Writer Illustration by Nicholas FormanStaff Illustrator The importance of voting for Joe Biden expands beyond being a matter of party preference, and is an absolute necessity for progressive voters. While the Democratic Party has not earned the progressive vote, progressives should still feel obligated to support Biden, solely because of his […]
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 […]
SPY4PR protest calls attention to SPPD misconduct, puts pressure on city for action
Story by Sam Grotenstein Staff Writer Photo courtesy of SPY4PR Contributor South Pasadena Youth for Police Reform (SPY4PR) organized a protest at Garfield Park on Sunday, Aug. 9 to raise awareness of SPPD misconduct. Speakers talked about officer mishandling of Joe Richcreek’s targeted assault of Black Lives Matter protestors and demanded that city officials hold the SPPD […]
Anti-Zionism cannot be equated with anti-Semitism
Story by Sam GrotensteinStaff Writer Illustration by Tarry SongStaff Illustrator 2020 has been a turbulent year for the Jewish community. The rise of anti-Semitism in America, along with Israel’s threats to annex large parts of Palestine, have put the question of whether anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism can be seperated under intense examination. Zionism is the belief […]