Story by Christianne Duley
Staff Writer
Photo by Madeline Madrigal
Staff Photographer
ASB held its 25th annual Spotlight on Excellence (SPEX) Awards assembly on Thursday, March 27. The SPEX assembly, as explained by senior Commissioner of Assemblies Zachary Lee and senior Commissioner of Academics Joel Kim, commemorates students for their exemplary achievements, including different aspects beyond academics. The assembly kicked off with juniors Mina Mannal and June Barthelemy singing their duet rendition of the national anthem.
Senior Commissioner of Clubs Chaemin Lim presented the Heart of Gold Award, which is awarded to the top three students from each grade with the most logged hours of community service. Recipients of the award consisted of freshmens Marlow Slattery, Kaia Trainedes, and Maya Goldberg; sophomores Kelsey West, Onyu Kim, and Julia Hairapetian; juniors Elieen Chen, Yvonne Burkhard, and Mason Asakura; seniors William Chang, Brandon Woo, and Chloe Kwon.
Kim then announced the awardees of the Principal’s Award, seniors Sebastian Martinez and Natasha Rey, who were selected by Principal John Eldred based on their perseverance, growth, and campus involvement.
The award was followed by senior Commissioner of Athletics Abigail Errington’s introduction of the spring sports captains. A total of 18 captains arrived on stage and answered a series of questions, including advice from coaches and team catchphrases, to familiarize the audience with their teams. Next, PEP performed a routine to “Bang Bang” by Jessie J featuring Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.
Lim then announced the recipients of the Department Awards, selected by SPHS English, science, social sciences, math, and language other than English (LOTE) faculty for serving as positive role models through academic excellence.
The English department awarded sophomores Claire Mao and Agatha McCarthy and junior Mason Asakura. Seniors Trisha Chakraborty, Peter Dickinson, and Taidi Yue won for science. Sophomore Abigail Tesfaye and juniors Andres Urzua and Ethan Kwak won for social science. Seniors Christine Xu, Sophia Liu, and Ethan Kang won for math. Lastly, sophomore Angela Wang, junior Audrey Berkobien, and senior Cleopatra Reeves won for the LOTE department.
Next, Commissioner of Spirit Revelie Brick announced the recipient of the PEP Award to senior Talula Sterling for her efforts, achievements, and school spirit.
Errington then presented the Athletic Award to eight athletes who have shown dedication, leadership, and excellence in their respective sport. Seniors Jacob Arias, Logan Vargas, Andrew Kenta Fernandes, James Dowd, Kayla Boozer, Lana Yamagata, Ava Conti, and senior Saidbh Byrne received the reward.
The award was followed by a video, created by senior ASB videographer Madeline Madrigal, showcasing the arts at SPHS and thanking the arts teachers. Next, the cast of the spring musical, Spamalot, performed the song “All For One” to promote the Drama department’s upcoming performances on April 25, 26, and 27. They also announced tickets would be on sale starting April 14.
The Music Scholarship, acknowledging the talent of SPHS musicians, was interrupted by Lee singing “A Lovely Night” from the film La La Land and running between audience seats in an effort to raise school spirit. After being dragged back out of the spotlight by ASB members, Lee presented the award to freshman Dylan Watanabe, sophomore Fredrik Wong, and senior Holly Lacey. He acknowledged that school excellence isn’t solely based on academic success.
Lee then announced the Renaissance Award, given to students who dedicate themselves to various subjects, activities, and extracurriculars. Juniors Jesse Li, Andy Ho, Alison Schrader, and senior Quintin Sokolowski received the award. In the middle of presenting the award, Lee quipped about Kim’s addiction to the video game Brawl Stars, which prompted a slap from senior Commissioner General Austin Hwang, reminiscent of Will Smith’s Oscars outburst.
Another ASB video created by Madrigal revealed the 2025 Prom theme and venue: Night at the Museum at the Natural History Museum. Prom will be held on Saturday, May 3, and ticket sales began on April 7. Additionally, Windsor and Friar Tux have agreed to give students 15 percent and 25 percent discounts on their outfits if they use the flier received by students who purchase Prom tickets.
PEP announced a call for students to audition for the junior varsity or varsity team, as well as become the SPHS mascot. Interested students and their parents are required to attend the meeting on Friday, April 11, at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria.
Finally, all students who achieved a total GPA of 3.5 or above, a 4.0 GPA, or an increase in GPA by 0.5 or more within the previous semester received the SPEX award. Recipients collected their t-shirts and certificates in the SAC room after the assembly. Finally, Kim closed the assembly by reiterating that high grades are not the most important aspect of school and every student’s effort should be recognized.
