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Femineer club members will be attending a STEM-based workshop in the SPHS Library on Friday, Nov. 18.
SPHS Dance program will be hosting their annual winter dance concert in the auditorium on Friday, Dec. 2.
Tiger Run participants will take over the streets of South Pasadena for the city’s annual race on Saturday, Dec. 3.
Compost Culture and SPHS ASB’s Environmental Sustainability Representative released a video on Wednesday, Nov. 15 to educate the student body on the use of a student-run system of compost bins.
A collaboration between Compost Culture President and senior Claire Wang, ASB Environmental Sustainability (EV) Representative senior Kiana Dettman, and Compost Culture Education and Outreach Director senior Alicia Wilgoren resulted in the creation of the Environmental Sustainability Plan. The video was produced by ASB Videographer, senior Eric Cuellar.
Compost Culture is a returning club on campus that focuses on improving and spreading awareness about composting and environmentally sustainable practices through SPHS and community activities. The club has worked on setting up a compost bin network for students to utilize, which the environmentally sustainability video went over the use of.
“We’re trying to focus on getting composting started at SPHS, and also just having fun activities to get people more excited about sustainability,” Wang said.
Filled by Dettman, the position of EV Representative entails a close cooperation with ASB and administration. Dettman will also work with other environmentally focused organizations and clubs on campus such as Compost Culture.
“My goals and plans for this year [are] to set a ground for the next people who are going to be in my position,” Dettman said. “Although the process is a little slow, I’m hopeful
FOOD ELITISM
Tiger explores the barriers preventing the purchase of “healthy” foods and the inherent classism that comes with promoting healthiness in everyday diets for those who cannot afford it.
that I can start creating real change on campus and create a core environmentally conscious student body.”
Wilgoren also contributed to the plan in the role of Compost Culture education and outreach director.
The video discusses general information on composting, proper use of student-run compost bins on campus, and the parts of food waste that can be disposed of. It also shows the locations of the bins in which food scraps can be placed. Compostable food scraps include many of the food items that are in lunch, with the exclusion of dairy and meat which cannot be composted. Compost bins were placed around campus, and further plans include planting native, environmentally friendly plants, as well as the placing of a compost pile.
Students were told to place food scraps in the white bins around campus, located outside the counseling center and the student store. Food scraps will then be taken from those bins to a black bin also near the student center to be composted.
“We’re hoping to get students more aware about composting [because] I feel like a lot of students don’t actually know what it is. Unless you take APES, you don’t know much about environmental science as a whole,” Wang said.
The club also plans to put informational flyers in the aquaponics area where the addition of a compost pile will be taking place to further its goal of educating students on disposing of food waste sustainably and composting properly.
Tiger analyzes how the movement against climate change has directly impacted the art world and historical artwork as a result of protests from climate activists.
The South Pasadena Boys’ Basketball Team begins to gear up for the start of their CIF league in December after an unsatisfying conclusion ended their league run in the season prior.
SPHS students returned to Youth and Government for a training and elections conference for four days over the weekend of Friday, Nov. 11 to Monday Nov. 14 that will prepare them for a final conference in Sacramento. Held at the Army National Guard Camp Roberts, high school delegates learned about current policy topics such as education, environment, and public safety in a model legislature program.
Among the over fifty delegations from across the California state that attended, about 35 students from SPHS participated from the SPASM delegation. Students from other surrounding schools such as the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts are also present in the delegation of about 45 students.
The conference kicked off with the joint opening session. Student leaders such as Statewide Chaplains made speeches, announcements and discussed events to look forward to. The delegates then split into program areas the following days with individualized pathways depending on different focuses such as Constitutional Convention, which seeks to build a mock version of the California Constitution by changing the writing of the document. Another program area is Lobbying, where delegates in political action committees push for the passing of specific model legislation.
Freshman delegate Scarlett Kirschenbaum, in her first year of participation in Youth and Government, ran for a position at the conference. In her campaign for Presiding Officer of Forum, a sub-program for freshmen to be introduced into Youth and Government, Kirschenbaum used posters, gave out lip balm with the slogan “Scarlett Kirschenbaum is the
bomb,” and gave a speech. Krishchenbaum won the election and will be responsible for leading forum operations at the next conference.
Participants in Youth and Government have not experienced an in-person conference since the cusp of the pandemic, which had halted the experience of meeting students from all of California. For full high school participants like senior Josie Larsen, the conference was a way to reconnect with past acquaintances and rejuvenate interests in government.
“It was good being back in person. The best part was that I got to see the people I became friends with in my freshman year,” Larsen said. “The main highlight was the opening session where it was exciting to see people speak and feel the energy from other delegations like we did in our freshman year.”
The next conference, focusing on program areas, will be held virtually on Saturday, Jan. 21. The work from the two training conferences will culminate into the final conference in Sacramento.
been large amounts of staff involvement. The ABC advisor, AP Literature and English teacher Rama Kadri, has also been involved in the planning and training for the ADL.
“I am very worried that [the training] will [not] happen next year because we had that gap with online learning [which] did [not] recruit a lot of people [who] were underclassmen,” Morales said. “Having the training that affects lots of students on campus, the burden of organizing the event has been put on the officers of the Anti-Bias Club.” Morales said. “I do wish that admin[istration] was a little more hands on with the process just because it [is] a lot [of work].”
Morales’ current concerns are that the ADL program will be phased out after she graduates.
“[The training] is a lot of work for one person so I do [not] blame anyone for not wanting to take this on,” Morales said.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) came to SPHS on Tuesday and Wednesday Nov. 15 and 16 as a part of their anti-bias training for high school students. The ADL provides training for recognizing and communicating biases with others.
The ADL trained students for two days from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the school library. The organization sent two people to train the highschoolers and to teach them about different types of biases. Their training is simple for students to learn. Their training did a deep dive into the complexities of people’s internal and external biases.
As Tuesday, Nov. 8 marked election day across the nation, the City of South Pasadena held a general municipal election for their five member legislative body. The positions open for election included two council seats for District 4 and 5, as well as the South Pasadena City Treasurer.
Candidates Michael A. Cacciotti of District 4 and Janet Braun of District 5 both ran unopposed for council. Cacciotti has been involved in South Pasadena and Los Angeles County politics for roughly 25 years. As deputy attorney general for the Department of Justice, Cacciotti allocated his support towards fighting environmental issues and the impacts of climate change.
The on-campus ADL Anti-Bias Training was introduced by former principal Janet Anderson in 2019, before the Anti-Bias Club (ABC) was formed. The ABC thought that on-campus biases were not being addressed properly. Students also thought there was a better solution.
“I found that a lot of people were lacking the vocabulary to have these conversations and I think that [is] where the…Anti-Defamation League came in handy, because they gave us the vocabulary to communicate our issues that we were having on campus,” ABC president senior Alexa Morales said.
Students are more involved in the ABC anti-bias training this year compared to previous years where there had
Janet Brain of District 4 has a past of leading local service organizations for nearly three decades, as well as serving as chair for both the Public Safety Committee and the Planning Commission. Braun pledges to support infrastructure issues and economic development within South Pasadena.
Additionally, South Pasadena’s Measure LL, “to maintain funding for the operation and maintenance of the South Pasadena public library, including technology upgrades, resources for students, and programs such as family story time and summer reading,” passed with 85.11 percent of voters voting “yes” on the measure.
The candidates for City Treasurer were Zhen Tao and Alan Ehrlich. Tao has served on the South Pasadena Finance Commission for two terms and has 20 years of experience in investment and finance. Ehrlich is a member of the South Pasadena Community Emergency
The ADL’s goals is to educate students on biased behavior and to explain the specific biases from students and how certain comments can be seen differently by different people.
“Their emphasis [in] our freshman year [of training] was very much, ‘If you say someone’s racist, what does that entail? And are they being racist or did they just have implicit biases from growing up?’” Morales said. The training they supply is a way for students to connect with their own explicit and implicit biases and understand others’.
The ABC will be going to Monterey Hills Elementary School to teach younger kids about biases beginning in January.
Response Team and has a background in financial management and budgeting.
After a week of vote counting, Ehrlich conceded and congratulated Tao on her win. Roughly 6,000 votes remained to be counted, but Tao was already in the lead by 65 percent.
Tao’s plans for South Pasadena aim to combat financial weakness and overall security of the city government.
“With 20 years of experience in investment and portfolio management, I am confident that as City Treasurer I can work together with all stakeholders to improve South Pasadena’s financial health and stability for the future,” Tao said in a statement to the South Pasadenan.
Tao will replace Gary E. Pia, who was elected in 2011, as the South Pasadena City Treasurer.
Following three years of online conferences across the state, Youth and Government delegates from SPHS attend a training and elections conference at Camp Roberts.
Queen using the skills of lighting and composition that were introduced earlier in the course. The students choreographed, filmed, and edited the music videos independently and in small groups, creating distinctive videos using the same sound and footage.
“So we cover how to film with a video camera, how to do lighting, how to [work with] sound, and how to edit it all together into a movie,” Morr said. “This class is really about filmmaking, and everyone loves movies and video, whether you are going to the movies or watching YouTube.”
The class takes place in SPHS’ retired workshop as it was revamped into a new studio equipped with softwaresupplied computers, a green screen, individual cameras, lighting stands, professional grade lights, lighting parachutes, and furnished with a soundbooth to be used in the second semester for the Radio Production course. The class focuses on making videos and putting together projects, but also incorporates cinematography strategies, editing, and the opportunities found in the filmmaking industry.
“Making art can be fun, and it can also be a professional career,” Morr said. “So I guess it is not just a core class that you would take when you’re getting a GED college degree. It is more of a true elective where if you want to learn about how to make videos, which is a career, then this is a good place to start.”
T
another and everyday items as props to compose a photo. Students applied studies of framing, set dressing, and lighting to imitate the structure of the paintings in their own renditions.
he Single Camera Production course is a PCC Dual Enrollment elective course part of a two semester Broadcast Journalism path that teaches students the art of video editing, production, and filming.
In its first year at SPHS, the class aims to give students experience in the cinematography and filmmaking industry.
Nicholas Morr, a cinematographer working principally in video, sculpture, and documentary, teaches the course as a current Pasadena City College (PCC) professor and a lecturer at the University of Southern California (USC) for the past six years. Now an instructor at SPHS, Morr aims for the course to provide hands-on experience with framing and composition.
The class has done projects such as the “Tableau Vivant,” where students recreated iconic paintings with only one
As the semester progressed, students began to work with videos and different techniques with composition. After teaching them the basics of composition and camerawork, Morr had the students focus on smaller details like color temperature, aperture, and frame rate to achieve a more professional look.
“We really were focusing on doing interesting cinematography, interesting lighting,” Morr said. “I try to give them hands-on experience so everyone has an opportunity to use the cameras, to use the lights, learn proper safety techniques, and learn how to use the editing software.”
Consisting of two periods, the classes worked on selfproduced music videos, one class to “Brain Stew” by Green Day and the other to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by
The course goes beyond these aspects and provides students a background in film history. Students view landmark films such as “Citizen Kane” and “North by Northwest” and are expected to reflect and analyze the cinematography and depth behind the films.
“I also try to give them sort of a background in film history and aesthetics by screening some movies and having them write essays about it,” Morr said.
Differentiating itself from other electives, Single Camera Production gives students hands-on experience with cameras and editing, while also providing safe and engaging training and insight on the filmmaking industry.
“We are teaching students the ins and outs of video production and intro to filmmaking,” Morr said. “It is more of a true elective where if you want to learn about how to make videos, then this is a good place to start.”
The City of South Pasadena has been involved in the Tournament of Roses parade since 1983. With preparations in planning, designing, and building the float taking up nearly the entire year leading up to the parade, Tiger looks into the history of South Pas involvement in the parade and the process of creating the float leading up to 2022’s theme “Spark of Imagination”.
Grand Marshal Francis Rowland led the very first Rose Parade through the streets of Pasadena on Jan. 1st, 1890. The parade was originally created by members of the Valley Hunt Club (VHC) to precede the Tournament of Roses event, and was spearheaded by club president Charles Frederick.
The VHC aimed to draw people across the country to the west with pictures of clear blue skies and brightly blooming flowers, a stark contrast to most areas’ late January weather. According to the “Discovering Pasadena” site, Frederick said, “Here, our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let us hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise.” The tactic’s success was reflected by the creation of the Tournament of Roses Committee. The committee was founded to handle the widely attended and rapidly growing event which had quickly increased from the VHC’s original parade.
As technology of the time improved, the traditional horse drawn carriage floats transitioned into motor-powered vehicles, and eventually became the elaborately decorated floats of recent parades. Parade themes were first incorporated in the early 1900s.
The Tournament of Roses original event featured participants entering competitions such as jousting, chariot races, and tug-ofwar. The event was later replaced by the now widely known Rose Bowl Game, which attracted over 16 million viewers in 2022.
Part of the Rose Parade’s success can be attributed to the annual Rose Bowl Game, which first was played on the day of the parade, January 1st. 1902, where Stanford faced off against Midwest Michigan. Stanford forfeited in the third quarter and Michigan’s 49-0 win put football on hold for the event until 1916, when it was permanently added to the Tournament of Roses tradition.
The Rose Parade became the first nationally broadcasted program after it was watched by around 30 million viewers in 1952, which was 62 years after the parade’s 1890 debut. Currently, around 45 floats participate in the parade, and over 48 million people watch nationally. Live audience has increased to an estimated 700,000 who gather annually on Jan. 1 for about three hours to watch the parade make its way through the five-and-a-half mile route.
The annual Tournament of Roses float has long been a Pasadena-area institution, one that South Pasadena has participated in since almost the beginning of the parade. Going all the way back to 1893, the first float from a South Pasadena organization was recorded by the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses and detailed the Columbia Tennis Club waving from a flower adorned, horse-drawn wagon.
An entry in 1911 marked the first time that South Pasadena entered the parade as a city. A magnet sat on the top of the float bed as particles trailed behind it. According to the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses website, the magnet was said to represent the city’s “drawing power as a thriving community.”
South Pasadena’s first themed entry, “American Eagle,” in the Tournament of Roses was created according to 1919’s theme of “Patriotism.” This featured a float covered in plants, flowers, and other greenery which was trailed by a small eagle construction, and accompanied by children dressed in soldier costumes.
Other notable South Pasadena floats included the “Festival of Dussehra” in 1959, which caught fire from mechanical issues (the around 130 degree driver’s station inside the float overheated), “Ostrich Races” in 1979, which won the founders trophy, and more recently, “Fishing Follies,” which won the Tournament of Roses National Trophy. In “Fishing Follies,” a massive bear is displayed reeling in a human on a fishing expedition according to the theme “Find Your Own Adventure.”
Last year, South Pasadena’s 2022 float “Sky’s the Limit” won the founder’s award as “Theodore” the ostrich jumped from a mountain constructed of flowers. Over 150,000 flowers were used in the construction of the float. The Chevrolet engines fueled by clean burning propane are a far cry from horse drawn carriages of the very first entry.
South Pasadena’s current float, titled “A Spark of Imagination,” is on its way to the lively streets of the Rose Parade as hundreds of volunteers and community members work with the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses organization to finish the massive construction effort. This year’s South Pasadena president of the float, Brant Dunlap, will oversee the construction.
Starting in August to New Years Day, Jan. 1, volunteers crowd the War Memorial Museum parking lot to prepare for the annual South Pas Tournament of Roses parade float. Between welding steel and shaping plywood, South Pas’ success in recent years is entirely the product of a few dedicated volunteers. This year, the self-built will center around the theme of “Spark of Imagination”.
11 months before the parade, a committee reviews the designs colicited by members of the community. After the design is finalized, the committee sends the sketch to an artist who creates a final colored rendering and brings the design to life.
“We will start soliciting designs first of December for the next year’s parade,” said James Jontz, SPHS faculty, design chair, and committee member for the City of South Pasadena. “We have a form that we send out. When I send out, I send it to every teacher in the district [in hopes of] getting submissions from creative students. But 90% of the time, we get nothing.”
On average, the construction crew is made up of 5-6 people. Each member also serves on the committee with various different roles.
“Because we don’t build in a building, we have to work in a parking lot under a tent, and we don’t get that tent until August 1,” Jontz added. “Of course, we try to do little projects here and there, but really our main focus starts August 1 through January 1.”
Building the float begins with the base. The all-steel chassis is 35 ft long and 10 ft wide. After the head of construction clears the logistics, the crew receives a delivery of steel and plywood and begins the construction process.
One of Jontz’s first assignments was building a skirt around the chasse. Different members of the construction crew are assigned different tasks. While Jontz worked to build the skirt, others welded cats, books, or articulating arms.
“We are given a pass and we kind of just divide and conquer to make things work,” Jontz added.
As the year nears its end, the construction process picks up speed. Decorators and crew members populate the float site on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On weekends, many work to catch up for inspections. However, the main push begins in December. Constructors and decorators work through the week of Christmas, when many are on break.
“Starting from December, we’re there every day… We have to paint the whole thing, make sure that our alarm system works, all our driving mechanisms work, everything of that nature,” Jontz said. “It’s a slow start, but as things progress, we really pick up speed.
As a member of the construction crew, Jontz and other committee members are tasked with not only building the float, but also maintaining it. Guidelines around the float impose limitations on what materials can and cannot be used. As a result, the decorations crew has to make use of organic materials that often attract pests.
“After December, the [containers are] just a disaster,” said Jontz. “[They] are always having mice problems because there’s a lot of seeds and grains that we decorate the float with, so we’re constantly getting mice.”
For Jontz, the construction process is as time-consuming as it is gratifying.
“I think the fun part of it is when everything’s done, we’re sitting on Orange Grove, ready to go, and everybody’s coming up and going to the parade,” Jontz said. “That’s the best part.”
1913
CSPA SILVER CROWN 2021
CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2019
CSPA SILVER CROWN 2018
CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2017
CSPA CROWN AWARD 2016
CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2015
CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2014
CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2013
CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2011
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ANIKA EBBERT
MANAGING EDITORS
HANNA BAE, Print
ELSIE WATERS, Online
NEWS
KAHLEN MIAO, Editor
OPINION
HANNA BAE, Editor
FEATURE
ELSIE WATERS, Editor
SPORTS
BENJAMIN REGAN, Editor
DESIGN
ALLISON LEE, Editor
PHOTOGRAPHY
MICHELLE SHADMON, Editor
COPY
KAHLEN MIAO, Editor
RALUCA TUDUSCIUSC, Editor
STAFF WRITERS
ADA BORREDON
CLEMENTINE EVANS
ETHAN KWAK ISU PARK
MORGAN SUN
JAYDEN TRAN
ROSE VANDEVELDE LINDA YUN
PHOTOGRAPHERS
SHIN-HYE (RACHEL) CHOI
EMIKO (EMI) ESSMILLER SAMANTHA SHIROISHI
ILLUSTRATORS
ISOLE KIM
ETHAN LYONS
ELLA MIZOTA-WANG
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
ELLIE NAKAMURA
BUSINESS AND ADS MANAGER REV BRICK
FACULTY ADVISOR
KAREN HAMES
VOL. 109 NO. 3 DISTRIBUTED ON NOVEMBER 17, 2022.
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It is a normal day in class as students are slouched over their desks — some dozing and some furiously scribbling notes — then a piercing alarm slices through the sluggish air. The students look up in sudden interest, whispering about the possibility of freedom if only for a couple minutes. It is likely the alarm is merely a prank or a drill, but there is the lingering chance of a real crisis. Students seem to view emergency drills as an easy escape from the monotony of the classroom, and do not learn from the instructions presented by the administration and staff. Even if students did take the drills seriously, the procedures are not practiced routinely enough to make an impact; most students forget the training, especially when it comes to a high-stress situation.
The drills are not nearly realistic enough to make a dent in the hard-wired comfort of the brain. The faculty expects students to walk outside calmly and quietly and sit down on the football field for half an hour. This is not a drill, nor an exercise to practice safety; this is a respite from schoolwork and a time to goof off — at least in the minds of students, who know that nothing is truly happening. Students do not absorb the real and dangerous consequences of an emergency without being immersed in the experience.
“The drills are unrealistic and impractical, so no one takes them seriously,” sophomore Elisa Argus said. “The actual drills are not well explained. It kind [of] ends up being a waste of time.”
When the time comes for an emergency to occur, students will be flooding the halls trying to escape rather than following the strict enforced “calm” of the drills. More students are now concerned with taking a Snapchat story of everyone crouching under their desks during an earthquake drill instead of properly taking cover. In the moment, panic and chaos will ensue, and someone will inevitably forget the procedures in the mayhem.
During times of elevated stress, such as during a crisis situation, the logical brain can be overtaken by the fight, flight, or freeze emotional responses. Being trained, and practicing what steps to take in an emergency, makes it possible for the rational side to remain in control.
Mass shooting is a prominent and dangerous situation that serves as the reality for students in the 21st century all throughout America; schools are not giving urgency to the emergencies when students drill them, so students are completely unprepared for the genuine disaster. Some teachers do not even enforce participation in the drills, and instead carry on with their lesson plans as if the drills are mere distractions. Their incredible confidence in their lessons supersede even the safety of schools that necessitate emergency practices.
There is a clear plan of action if a lockdown were to occur during class time. But what should happen if a shooter were to start shooting during a passing period, or a break? When students are not in the classrooms, they are not given any instructions concerning their well-being in an emergency. The educational institutes in this country have an obligation to prepare students in the face of tragedy.
People need drills that mimic authentic emergencies and instructions on what to do if outside of the familiarity of classrooms. The education system needs to do more to help protect schools, and especially students. Instead of warning students for every drill and strolling along the Diamond sidewalk, schools should enforce a surprise drill every once in a while — partnering with the police and fire departments to do so. Making these exercises as realistic as possible will magnify the impact of the reality of these emergencies — and the impacts matter when the difference between life and death could be a lapse in memory. Saving time for tedious lesson plans is not more important than saving lives.
BOO to people who argue on the phone. At least put it on speakerphone so I can know whose side I am on.
BOO to Georgia. She indecisive like me fr.
BOO to Midnights. I’m actually not the problem.
BOO to turkeys. Let Mariah have her moment.
BOO to the periodic table. None of it is periodical.
BOO to Outside Reading Books. I was not informed that I had to read it outside. There are leaves in my hair.
BRAVO to Jessie’s girl. Where can I find a woman like that?
BRAVO to Heidi Klum. I would still love you as a worm.
BRAVO to No Nut November. The kids with nut allergies can finally catch a break.
BRAVO to Adam Sandler for making a Hanukkah song. What a way to be inclusive!
BRAVO to Middletown. Not even kidding, I think I actually reached nirvana after watching that.
STORY ISU PARK
ILLUSTRATION ELLA MIZOTA-WANG
Most people have the perception that the art world is pretentious, selfish, and lonely. I would say reasonably so; art, especially writing, is subjecting other people to whatever product resulted from indulging yourself for hours before asking for advice and money in return.
Regardless, as a child, I always enjoyed creative pastimes. My parents are both artists, so my sisters and I grew up surrounded by resources that pushed us towards expressive, unconventional pathways. But entering adulthood, as it has done for most of us, has made it more difficult to genuinely care about “impractical” things. Writing for the mere fun of it, or painting or singing or dancing, has become less attainable.
I have struggled with this idea for a while now, especially as a senior, and now that talk of the future, college,
and career make up my every day. I knew that out of the fields I grew familiar with, I would want to pursue writing of some form. Journalism caught my eye because perhaps through this field I could maneuver around the corruption that comes with growing up and maybe sustain something more noble.
Muckrakers and zine collectives, among other radical groups, empower truth and progress. Though as much as I would love to believe this, everything, journalism included, is a victim of time and postmodern aggression. As for the art world, postmodernism intends to reject art for its aesthetic purpose. It is a purely reactionary principle, due to its preceding movements that coincided with minimalism and propaganda. Simply put, it confronts the idea that anything can be art, so art is essentially meaningless.
A good example of this can be accredited to Italian artist Piero Manzoni. In 1961, in the height of the conceptual
period, Manzoni created a commentary piece by canning his own waste and labeling it Merda d’artista, or “100% pure artist’s sh*t”, to address subjectivity in artistic value. This type of art, the “anti-art” phenomenon, confronts creativity as an institution and opposes the notion that art has to be beautiful and romanticized. What is unique about anti-art in specific is that as technology, politics, and social eras progress, art becomes more complicated. Such movements pose heavy realizations; time counters the genuinity of pursuing anything creative. It seems that art can only progress towards its own self-annihilation. “Saving” the art world, in the simplest terms, has an irritably obvious solution; future artists just have to preserve whatever blithe innocence inspired them to create in the first place. That one, authentic emotion is the backbone of anti-tradition and all things creative. It is easier said than done. Postmodernist theory and any passage of time exists alongside the production of repetitive products. Ideas are no longer new, and even if they are, they often just test existing ones or restate forgotten ones.
That is why wanting to pursue something artistic is becoming more and more of a daunting task; not just because it might be risky, but because creativity is contaminated by elitism and crass marketing. Being a writer is a job, and work, with all of its factors and implications, leaves minimal room for real passion.
Time has progressed past a point where even conceptualism is unrevolutionary – where even Manzoni’s efforts are considered mundane.
I am only 17, and I am already forgetting the enthusiasm I once had for art and writing as a child. Competition and comparison makes it harder to be proud of what I produce, so I tend to leave things unfinished.
ILLUSTRATION ISOLE KIM
TikTok bodybuilders took to grocery stores this past month to protest products ranging from milk to veggie chips. The correlation between these vastly different products lies within a small line in the ingredients list –sunflower oil.
Sunflower oil is not the first ingredient that has been subjected to controversy and discussion. Influencers create content to scare people from purchasing these products despite the content made by food scientists and dieticians opposing these ideas. The policing of ingredients and products is a continual example of food elitism – in which individuals overly restrict their diets – that is directly contributing to a toxic food culture in America. The notions of food elitism stem from socioeconomic differences and classism, showcasing how those of lower income will continue to be subjected to judgment from the rich for purchasing products that utilize a specific, minor ingredient in the process of preparation.
Posting content on social media bashing the usage of products as simple as canola oil establishes a sense of unhealthiness that is supported by nothing except a
MICHAEL
MAYEMURA
Halloween has passed and Thanksgiving lies just beyond the horizon, yet I already hear the faint jingle of Santa’s sleigh and an all too familiar chime. I try my best to outrun the ringing but it is no use. I am suddenly enveloped by the infectious melody of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” with no escape. I have been trampled by the holiday spirit.
Normally, I am the “wait until after Thanksgiving” type, but this year, I could not suppress my urge to
lack of proper, scientific research. Individuals who are unable to afford the more-expensive, healthier options are bullied for their choices.
This scenario of food elitism is deeply rooted in the lack of accessibility to healthier food options for the everyday individual. While shoppers of high-income communities like Hollywood have access to an oasis of grocery store chains from Erewhon to Trader Joe’s; lower-income neighborhoods face a desert of healthy options that can positively impact their health. The epidemic behind these issues have contributed to discussions over the stark contrasts between food oases and food deserts.
Addressing the disparities between these two vastly different livelihoods is one of the many steps in properly fighting the health epidemic in the country. Food scientists have studied these socioeconomic differences, and have noted a realistic nutrition gap emerging between poor communities and rich neighborhoods. This is only further realized in counties such as Los Angeles, where we see a stark contrast between two extremes such as Compton and Beverly Hills. Rather than shaming lower-income residents for purchasing unhealthy foods, health influencers should consider the disparities in socioeconomic class and protest the lack of accessibility to healthier products in terms of price and location.
peek at the present underneath the tree. I blasted Carey’s hit for what felt like an eternity, prancing around my room and subjecting the mess to my untimely Christmas cheer. It was a strange feeling. Not so much the dancing, but my affinity for the song. I have, for years, indulged in this festive earworm but there was something evidently special this time round.
By about the hundredth run-through, I had connected the dots. The song, like some Hallmark cliché, focused on the fantastical idea of love trumping all material desire; but this time, I saw the snow capped forest for the trees. Ever since I tackled my college apps, the future has weighed heavily on my mind. I am stuck between this perpetual yearning for adventure and this predisposed homesickness. It is the notion that, just like the song, I am venturing beyond the confines of my winter wonderland and pushing into the unsuspecting spring breeze. Though, it is more than just my future. It encompasses everything: the familiar sights, scents, and sounds that comfort me. The nostalgic chords enrapture my adolescence and shrink me down into my five yearold body, sitting in the backseat of my dad’s Toyota and surveying the intoxicating world just beyond reach. It
transports me to the loud Christmas dinners filled with holiday bingo, presents, and laughter. It embodies the childlike wonderment and shamelessness I once packed into my tiny frame. It is a record of my time on Earth both past and present.
Rounding out my thousandth listen or so, I realize that there is just one thing I need (and no, it is not snow, not a list for Saint Nick, nor my stocking upon the fireplace). Mariah is daring me to listen to my five year-old self — to explore the world beyond the car window, while it reflects all my loved ones behind the glass.
So one last time, I hope to sit in the backseat of the car, with my dad at the wheel, losing myself in a picturesque winter wonderland. I hope to belt out the song’s lyrics with friends and listen to its omnipresent tune while watching the Black Friday hordes. I hope to wake up to my family competing over leftover gift cards, having dreamt of snow covered streets. Perhaps, just this once (just this one final time), I really don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree. Rather, in my own Hallmark cliché, it is the people around it every Christmas Day that matter.
Losing childhood innocence has always corrupted creativity, but the anti-art movement and postmodern dilemmas pose an even more impossible situation.
With the expansion of BookTok, a growing number of online readers can tap into literacy and female empowerment. However, they can not do so without hitting a wall — the wall of algorithms.
Among the multitudes of famed dancers and comedians, a corner of the TikTok community sits in its own bubble; one that sucks in all literary fanatics, called Booktok. Any avid reader or writer that scrolls through the algorithmic pages of social media has stumbled across this section of seemingly endless book recommendations from thousands of content creators.
The most predominant faction of Booktok, however, are dedicated fans to a select few young adult fantasy series and authors. But while the praise of the few popular books in this community may seem like an echochamber, the real treasure lies outside the bounds of its mainstream.
Despite its tendency towards mob behavior, Booktok succeeds in its most important goal: encouraging a greater audience to read. Through sharing and popularizing these recommendations, the community romanticizes reading and portrays the joy in reading for pleasure rather than for a dreaded school mandate.
This community of online readers is like a gift to those who often struggle to find others that get as excited over books as they do, and it is refreshing to know there are thousands of others out there with the same passion.
Seasoned readers can join in on the fun by recommending their own shelf of books, or find a new source of motivation in an unfortunate slump. People newly introduced to the world of literature can get a horde of book recommendations on their list in an instant.
Social media offers a free platform for small creators and small businesses — which applies to authors as well. Authors of any kind can market their book in the social media space, and even one viral video can rocket the book towards thousands of readers.
One well-rounded pitch can land a small author a publishing deal, marking the start of their own career. While social
media is by no means the future of the publishing industry, it is still inspiring to witness people establishing their success with the algorithm and content creation.
The increasingly large community influences factors and life outside of fantasy novels, through women’s empowerment. The mainstream category of Booktok centers around romance and erotica, which seems to be inherently incompatible with female sexuality.
Traditional forms of sexual content feed into the narrative of the male lens, which thrives off the objectification of women as the objects of sexual gratification, and all emotion is stripped from the experience. Often, they feature violent men abusing women, giving the impression that a woman’s only sexual goal is to be submissive to a man’s desires.
Female erotica subverts that gaze and include storylines that are just as vital as the sexual content, driving the desire and intrigue.
They create spaces where women can write, produce, and star in sexual material that puts their desires front and center. It should be encouraged to take over the mainstream representation and show people that sexuality can be healthy, fun, and equitable.
The few bad apples of Booktok’s content creators drown out the healthy and diverse tree that is growing within the media. Just like taking any advice from strangers on the internet should be taken with a grain of salt, the same must be said for Booktok.
Reading is subjective, so it is no wonder that going into a specific subsection of social media would lead to differing opinions. But there are different sections of Booktok that just are not as mainstream as the romance genre — non-fiction, historical, and mythological.
No matter which avenue one chooses to take in the maze of Booktok, the reading community has been irrevocably transformed into a grander, more accessible place for all to see.
BookTok has become less of a reading community, and more of a temple for the masses to immortalize the latest and greatest hits. While the algorithm heightens the careers of many female authors, including Colleen Hoover, Leigh Bardugo, and Taylor Jenkins Reid, it does so at the expense of underrepresented creators. BookTok may promote literacy, especially among youth, but the underlying assumptions created by what is considered worthy to read exposes injustices within literature.
In recent years, the literature community has entered a new era, one of awareness and diversity. While its efforts to push back the mainstream narrative is second-rate at best, the campaign has launched the issue of diversity into the limelight. In numbers alone, BookTok appears to be an avenue for change. However, a brief look-through of the “iconic” BookTok reads quickly shows the opposite. Turns out, recommendation videos are overflowing with books either written by female white authors, or center around (often, not always) heterosexual white characters. And in exceptions, the characters still align with mainstream tastes.
The lack of diversity within BookTok reflects a lack of diversity in publishing at large. Book publishing has long served as gatekeepers to the world of literature. The “Big Five’’ publishers effectively hold all the cards in determining which books are amplified and which are shut out.
In recent years, TikTok and other social media platforms have become anchors in their own right. Historically, publishing has been disproportionately white. Through collaborations with the publishing industry, BookTok giants have agreed to sponsor the century-old racial disparity.
In September, publishing company Penguin House announced a collaboration with TikTok allowing users to access book links directly within the app. However, the links would only take the users to a Penguin House website.
Through flirting with the publishing industry, BookTok has abandoned its innocent beginnings as a hidden treasure. Instead, it has openly embraced
commodification at the cost of diversity.
If accessibility is the heart of BookTok, representation is its saving grace. For the platform to truly be an inclusive community, it needs to promote all authors, not just white ones.
Moreover, the platform’s greatest strengths are also its Achilles’ heel. Under the pretense of a cozy reading corner, flocks of teenage girls – the community’s main demographic –enter the gates of BookTok on the daily, expecting to be swept by a curtain of wholesome and relatable content. Instead, they are met by a highly technical feedback loop commonly known as the algorithm.
While BookTok has outgrown its roots as a TikTok clique, it has yet to outgrow its roots in cancel culture.
As with a lot of social media, BookTok is subject to the whims of different fads and trends. It is impossible to swing between the extremes without receiving the whiplash of shame. The beauty of a literary community lies in the availability of different thoughts. But, by virtue of being founded on the shaky grounds of social media, BookTok falls victim to the equally shaky forces of cancel culture.
While the platform hosts the works of a variety of authors, the algorithm sucks the pool of diverse talents dry. In the end, only a handful of limited recommendations land on the reader’s for you page. Pressed for options, the reader is forced to like whatever they are presented with, even if they did not actually enjoy it.
The truth is, 10 second reviews and a sentence of commentary are not enough to determine whether a reader should divert their time into a book, but these resources are often all they have to make the call. By confining new readers to a selection of bestsellers, BookTok creates the illusion that certain books are off-limits.
While a one-size-fits all approach to book recommendations is appealing at first glance, it is unsustainable in the long haul. For BookTok to keep the audience that it attracts, the first item on its to-do list is diversification.
Despite the efforts of wellness culture on campus, there is an emerging number of students at SPHS who partake in the toxic health culture presented in work and education. The most prevalent problem facing students is a lack of sleep. With pressure to perform in school, a need for personal time, and countless back-to-back assignments, there never seems to be enough time in the day for students to complete everything handed to them.
Sleep deprivation is an epidemic that virtually all schools in the nation face. When 24 hours becomes 16 hours after school, then 10 hours after homework, and so on, there is only so much time that a student can set aside to sleep.
The Monday grogginess that people often discuss with dread and resentment can be extended to the entire working week on campus. Students at SPHS – seeking to counter their sleepiness and sleep deprivation – are forced to find ways to wake up and be prepared for the school day. The easiest way to stay awake is simple; caffeine and coffee have established a basic necessity for some students.
“I was staying up late every night to finish my work, causing me to prioritize school over sleep,” said one anonymous junior. “Because of extracurriculars and homework in specific subjects, coffee became a necessity for me to stay awake every morning and ignore my lack of sleep.”
The amount of time that students spend on work overrides the time that students are meant to be sleeping or spending on themselves. A lack of sleep forces students to seek our caffeine. The environment of competition and an “academics first” mindset furthers this narrative as students seek forms to stay attentive in order to stay on their toes for school.
With coffee shops galore in the city, caffeine is all too accessible for the high school students. From chains such as Starbucks and Jones’ to local shops like Kaldi, students frequent these locations during all parts of the day. Consuming an unhealthy amount of caffeine has become the norm for a large number of students on campus.
“I almost never get enough sleep, even without staying up super late,” said one anonymous senior. “Before I started taking coffee to school, I would not be awake enough to function or learn properly in class. With coffee, I can at least get through all my classes and maintain a positive energy level.”
What starts as a simple “pick-me-up” for some students grows into a more significant issue over time. The lack of sleep coupled with the rush caused by coffee or tea builds a reliance on the caffeine within the drinks. The problem becomes more prevalent as students move from sweet drinks to cold brews to straight shots of espresso.
The need for coffee stems from stress and heavy amounts of work. When students complain about missing their early morning americano or how tired they are, it should not be seen as whining or annoying. Rather, it should reveal how toxic health culture impacts our student body.
In tandem with a lack of sleep and dependency on additives such as caffeine, the eating habits that teenagers are so prideful in sharing reflect just how unhealthy teenagers are and how normalized these lifestyles have become. It is easy to fall victim to the belief that one should live in a calorie deficit when their classmates are sharing similar tendencies. But past these adopted tones of guilt laced with a paradoxical boasting lies the fact that schools imbued with such efforts of competition are dangerous environments for developing youth, particularly those who have struggled with eating disorders in the past.
The statements that allude to one’s eating habits are unnecessary as they are potentially triggering. Individuals are quick to make comments in seemingly casual settings like classrooms, failing to realize that these topics can be anything but casual to some. They can send one into a virulent spiral of overanalyzing their own dietary choices, inspiring obsessive tendencies with food. This has the effect of tainting the space as a whole and enhancing the discomfort of a school environment. With this in mind, individuals must take a reflective and mindful approach to those who they may be affecting before voicing such careless statements.
People are products of their surroundings and in a culture so embedded with the struggle olympics, the individuals who encourage and uphold their eating habits — despite knowing that they are unhealthy — cannot be solely to blame. When they exist in a world so attached to physical appearance and obsessed with obtaining the unattainable, it is understandable that they would interpret the realm of dieting as a space for competition. This understanding does not make the voicing of these statements acceptable, but it does put into perspective why individuals feel the need to make such announcements.
Those who flaunt their self-deprivation are not in any less painful a place than those they may affect with such statements. This does not detract from the fact that they are impacting others and, consciously or not, reinforcing the systems that impact their own habits.
It can be uncomfortable to listen to descriptions of others’ eating habits under a critical and comparative lens. It naturally causes others to assess how frequently and how much they eat and for those who have struggled with eating disorders or disordered eating in the past, it can send them back to a food-obsessed mindset. For those who have not experienced a negative relationship with food and eating, these statements can introduce such habits, perhaps encouraging them to examine their eating patterns for the first time. Those affected continue to affect, and the process becomes overwhelmingly cyclical.
Ignorance is a certain type of bliss when it comes to the daunting realms of one’s relationship with food. Those who are critically aware of their eating habits must be supported in all aspects towards healing. This healing can be fostered and encouraged by a campus culture that does not promote such habits through tactless, inconsiderate comments. Competing is in SPHS’s nature, and understanding that not everything must be a competition is a tough pill to swallow. But it is one that should be acknowledged as student continues to use struggle olympics as a detrimental display of ailment.
South Pasadena High School has a diverse student body and with it comes an extremely competitive and competition on campus fuels the need for students to actively compare themselves to others regarding Tiger analyzed the circumstances and motivations that call for constant comparison and the ultimate impacts
“I have not eaten anything at all today.”
As part of my entrance into high school, I found myself immensely invested in identifying the steps into the next part of my life: college. Before my freshman year even began, I was binging YouTube videos with clickbait titles – anything from “COLLEGE DECISION REACTION!! 37 SCHOOLS?!” and “STATS GOT ME INTO HARVARD!” – engaged in the many facets I would need to understand in order to reach my dream schools.
These videos shaped my understanding of what college admissions officers sought in a candidate. Content creators droned on and on as they complained about how overbooked they were with their boring extracurriculars, their constant studying, their sheer perfection. I watched as these future ivy-league students whined about their 1550 SAT scores; I listened to their essays regarding pretentious obstacles such as sports injuries or failing in a school election. I wondered if this was what high school was like, if this was the norm.
In freshman year, signing up for 30 clubs and planning my four-year schedule to include six AP courses in my senior year was all part of my plan to become “the perfect candidate” for colleges. Running around campus to attend meetings for clubs was a daily part of my first year on campus. Balancing clubs at school with extracurriculars, extra credit to receive more than 100 percent, and personal interests to make myself unique meant virtually no time for myself.
When my friends would discuss their stress in school, I felt as though I needed to compare and complain. The videos and content I had consumed had shaped my views, believing that this sort of behavior was the standard in high school. From grades to stress to the idea of simply being busy, I exceeded myself in order to appeal to the colleges I wanted to attend.
With the end of freshman year shifting into online school, I became absolutely devastated. I questioned how I was meant to become the best candidate for college when I could not participate in extracurriculars.
The rise in time solely for myself without worrying of what club meeting or extracurricular activity was upcoming allowed me to explore myself. Without the stress of overbooking myself, I was able to find out more about my own identity, boundaries, and passions. Quarantine gave me the time to learn that the days I spent complaining to my peers and friends was fueling toxicity between myself and others.
I will not shy away from the fact that I used to be a competitor of the struggle olympics. Stressed out and disheartened, competing used to be the only way I could feel any sort of validation for my work. I have now learned that comparing yourself to others – competing against your peers – will only create competition between yourself and others.
Nowadays, when YouTube videos with clickbait titles show up on my feed, I make sure to skip over them. The amount of work someone puts themself in can be influenced by many factors, but the truth I have learned is that college admissions officers do not care about how much someone overbooks themself, they care about how much passion someone has for the activities they participate in.
Being traumatized is not a secret in my friend group. For most, if not all, of us, we have all had our fair share of traumatic experiences and the way for us to bond is through sharing those experiences with each other. It is the quickest way to get close with one another and it is soothing to know I am not going through something alone.
However, this can often escalate into a competition-like experience, people feel the need to compare traumas and experiences, making it seem like they have “gone through more traumatic things” instead of relating to your experience.
While it is often said in confidence with another, I have shared my experience with abusive relationships and traumatic events that happened over the span of the past few years with other people in my friend group.
Despite saying it in confidence with people I trust, I often see others in that same friend group that I trust try to compare my trauma to theirs.
I know that I have not had it the worst out of them, our experiences are not the same and we all acknowledge them, but it often feels like I am being invalidated as they try to escalate the conversation by adding in how they relate to your experience and how it was much worse for them.
Trauma is not comparable and it is not a competition. Everyone has individualized struggles and it should not be about who has “had it worse.”
This is not to say that everyone struggles with the same things or that many of us do not come from places of privilege, but rather to make sure everyone is validated in their feelings. When others share their traumatic or abusive situations with others, it should be about compassion and understanding, rather than putting oneself above others. Different experiences affect different people in varying ways and thus invalidating a person’s experiences is wrong, no matter how small it may seem.
In a school culture where trying to one-up another person on how much they are struggling to keep up with their surroundings or where being the most miserable to a competition of its own, seeing others constantly talk over others in their experiences has become nearly normalized.
Trying to seem the most miserable and traumatized often comes out of a place of survival.
I understand that one-upping my trauma can be a coping or defense mechanism. To feel safe in your own thoughts you need to protect them, but this should not be at the expense of other people’s well being. This is especially true when they are being vulnerable with you. There should never be active competition or comparison in sensitive and vulnerable spaces, where trust is of utmost importance.
and privileged environment. The nature of academic regarding their own obstacles and performance. This month, impacts of the struggle olympics.
“I think I have had it worse than you.”
SPHS Drama carried out a captivating performance of the play Middletown over the weekends of Nov. 4 and 11. Conveying the dark and depthful themes of the story, student actors beautifully portrayed the dynamics of their characters to put on an immersive and moving production.
Middletown was the first Fall play to be held indoors since the coronavirus pandemic. After experimenting with performances outdoors and online, the return to the Little Theatre has been an emotional experience as SPHS Drama teacher Nick Hoffa cites the nostalgia the setting carries for him.
“To be honest, it is pretty emotional,” Hoffa said. “I have so many memories of being in that space.”
As the play opened, eyes were drawn to the screens on the side panels of the stage and images of South Pasadena flashed by, accompanied by lengthy dialogue describing the humble Middletown, an eerily familiar small town. The audience was first introduced to Mary Swanson, played by senior Taylor Calva, who had recently moved in to start a family. As her husband becomes increasingly preoccupied by his work, Mary is left to settle on her own. There she meets John Dodge, played by senior Cole Dickey, who offers her support as she navigates a new chapter of her life and receives guidance from his own struggles. The two begin to open up about their hardships, building a vulnerable relationship.
Middletown tackles subjects of mental illnesses and trauma but stays grounded in its portrayal of serious topics. As opposed to some portrayals dependent on oversaturated scenes and inflammatory performances, Middletown maintains relatability. The darkness of the material made the actors’ performances all the more commendable. The actors successfully integrated their own style into each
character without sacrificing the substance of the content at hand.
“We felt so prepared and incredibly lost at the same time. It was honestly hard,” Dickey said when asked about emerging into his character. “I think you just take it as seriously as you can and commit to doing some vulnerable stuff.”
In addition to commendable performances, the costumes were high points in the production, practical and intentional. The costumes and set design cleverly depicted the small town. Swanson often wore summery dresses reflecting her more optimistic character, while Dodge’s attire more accurately displayed his lack of attentiveness to detail. The production’s modest yet meticulous use of hanging windows and isolated props fully integrates the congeniality of a small town with a somber storyline. The play offered new experiences and sentiments for many of the actors, allowing them to immerse themselves in their characters and embody the mature themes in the production.
“Mr. Hoffa told us in the very beginning, this play is about life and death, and it is about hope. I think that through diving into Ms. Swanson and getting to see and meet these other characters, everybody is just trying to find happiness,” Calva said. “In my life, I have started to appreciate tiny moments of thankfulness and joy through all of my stress during college applications… and in life because of this play.”
Middletown was also nostalgic for many of the actors. As most of them were seniors, it was their last time on the stage of the Little Theater, slowly bringing an end to their high school careers.
“It’s a really bittersweet feeling, because although I am so grateful to have been able to finally perform in the place that I call home, it is also so sad that this is the last time,”
Usually, my columns are about some personal affront I have recently experienced. But given the recent surge of antisemitic rhetoric online around Ye’s incendiary comments, I need to discuss a movie that struck a chord with me: Elia Kazan’s Gentleman’s Agreement. I was not expecting this film from 1947 to deliver such rich and poignant commentary on modern antisemitism. But its fresh out of World War Ⅱ take on bigotry rings especially true.
The film follows journalist Phillip Schuyler Green (tall glass of water Gregory Peck), who ostensibly pretends to be Jewish to write a story about antisemitism from a first-hand perspective. The title itself refers to an unspoken accord at the time that some venues restrict Jewish attendees and how everyone should respect the agreement.
The only Jewish character introduced before the hour mark was Elaine Wales (Jane Havoc), who expressed her disdain for Jewish people who are unwilling to conform to the Gentile status quo. This alone is a groundbreaking concept; addressing antisemitism within the Jewish community is almost unheard of, even in 21st-century discussions.
Dave Goldman (John Garfield), the other Jewish character, plays a rather self-defeatist role in the events. After a despicable incident surrounding Green’s son, Tommy (a baby Dean Stockwell), being called a slur by a schoolmate, Goldman tells Green that he “knows it all,” referring to the entirety of the Jewish experience. His demeanor is entirely understandable when one’s livelihood and existence is distilled to a constant battery of hatred.
The film takes aim, not at the Nazi-adjacent extremists of the time (Gerald L.K. Smith, for one), but at the good-hearted liberals who cannot help but expose their thinly veiled antisemitism through microaggressions. For instance, Green inquires about a Jewish doctor to another physician who remarks, “Good man, completely reliable, not given to overcharging or stringing visits out like some do.” It is easy to know where the Klan stands on Jewish people, but harder to pinpoint where liberals who uphold the system of oppression by not actively condemning antisemitism are.
Gentleman’s Agreement is a shockingly modern take on antisemitism and hatred. The crux of its moral comes when Green says, “I’ve come to see that lots of nice people who aren’t [antisemitic], people who despise it and detest it then deplore it and protest their own innocence, help it along and wonder why it grows.”
Jewish hate crimes have been the highest in decades, and discussions of the Holocaust or other atrocities are fading. According to a survey of adults 18-39 by the Claim’s Conference, 23% of respondents said they believed the Holocaust was a myth, had been exaggerated or weren’t sure. Antisemitism has never been a fringe belief; thus, it is paramount to wonder how these attitudes are espoused. Gentleman’s Agreement posits the message that antisemitism pervades every aspect of society, not just from the right or far-right but from the centrists and the left. A far more insidious actor in oppression is the one who pretends they are the solution.
STORY HANNA BAE
PHOTO SAMANTHA SHIROISHI
L ooking upon the audience and her fellow orchestra members in the Soyul Gayageum Orchestra of the Korean Traditional Music Institution of America (KTMIA), SPHS junior Hannah Yoon quietly held onto her gayageum on stage in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Yoon immerses herself in strings and plucking, but in an unconventional way. When she is not trying to taste all Buldak flavors, playing gayageum offers ways for her to connect with and share her culture, develop her musicality, and perform while interacting with an audience.
A gayageum is a traditional Korean plucked zither with 12 to 25 strings. The gayageum is played sitting on the floor with the instrument itself lying on the floor, but more modern renditions include stands with the player seated in a chair. The gayageum has distinctive technical aspects, and uses a different system of notation in sheet music. The instrument was played for court music beginning as early as the sixth century and used a type of score made specifically for it. Today, the arrangements are written using the Western system, but use special symbols to note the different techniques the gayageum uses.
Yoon has been playing the gayageum for about five years, picking it up when her aunt, who professionally plays the instrument in South Korea, came to the U.S. for a performance. Yoon previously played the flute, but made a drastic switch in middle school to the atypical instrument. Now, playing the instrument offers her a special bond with her culture, a connection she struggled to solidify before.
“It was my first time seeing an instrument like that and I loved the way it sounded, so after the show, when my mom asked if I was interested in learning how to play, I said yes,” Yoon said. “Growing up as a Korean American, it was hard finding my identity and where I belonged in terms of my culture. But, the longer I played the gayageum, the more I felt appreciative of Korean culture and was comfortable with embracing it.”
As president of the Soyul Gayageum Orchestra, Yoon plays at the Korean Education Center of Los Angeles, where she takes lessons, plays with the orchestra, and receives community service hours for offering lessons for younger students. The orchestra performs at a
variety of events at libraries, churches, Korean culture showcases, and competitions. Yoon was in awe at the number of young students playing the novel instrument.
“I think there are actually a lot of people who play or are learning how to play this instrument. At the KECLA, there is a Root Education program where elementary to high schoolers can learn to play the gayageum, and there are always a lot of kids who take the course,” Yoon said. “Our orchestra also has around 20 members, which I think is a pretty large number considering the gayageum is not as popular an instrument as the piano or violin.”
The Soyul Gayageum Orchestra was invited in September to perform at Carnegie Hall by a company of Korean classical singers who organized the recital to promote their artists at the venue and promote Korean culture. Out of the many people in the orchestra, Yoon was selected as one of the four people who played at Carnegie Hall.
“To be honest, playing at Carnegie Hall was a lot less overwhelming than I expected, mainly because the performance was held in the Weill Recital Hall, which
has a smaller stage, and not that many people were in the audience,” Yoon said. “However, I still felt more pressure than I normally would because even though our performance showcased the gayageum, it was to promote another group of artists and I felt that if I messed up I would ruin their recital.”
Yoon also finds more joy in performing in a group setting for an audience, rather than in solo performances.
“I usually play with other people... but I also play solo in competitions… I like playing with my orchestra the most. We are assigned different arrangements of a song, so when we play as an ensemble, all the melodies and sounds come together, and I always enjoy listening to the music we make,” Yoon said. “I think it is also more fun with an audience, so performing is also something I really enjoy about playing gayageum.”
On Saturday, Nov. 12, Yoon placed first at the 8th World Competition of Korean Traditional Performing Arts in the high school division. Yoon plans on competing in more solo competitions and for more performances with the KTMIA and fostering new connections with her culture and her community.
A new protesting fad for activists has quite literally hit a wall. In the past year, climate change activists have been vandalizing prominent pieces of art with various types of food. Museums in London, Germany, Potsdam, and The Hague have been primary targets for attacks, subjected to mashed potatoes and cans of tomatoes alike in protest. Paintings such as, The Girl With a Pearl Earring, Sunflowers, and Les Mueles have specifically been subjected to such acts.
Protesters from organizations like Just Stop Oil and Letzte Generation have turned to vandalism in an effort to address the growing issue of climate change. Activists are struggling to illustrate the weight of climate instability — or at least in a way that encourages the required major changes that would combat the issue — so they instead turn to art to make their statements. One activist, Phoebe
Plummer, has posed a thought-provoking question: “What is worth more: art or life?”
There is no clear answer to this question. The gravity of the climate movement is hard to visualize as the effects are intangible, at least in the short term.
But the visuals of an irreplaceable piece of culture being defaced is one that sticks in the minds of art patrons. This initial impact deemed the activists movement as inflammatory, more likely to upset the public than gain their approval and support.
Suffice to say, the initial shock-value of the vandalism did not translate into climate activism. The patrons, instead, turned their charity towards the defaced artwork. This ultimately detracted from the concern about climate instability as individuals turned their attention to the artwork. The very perception of the situation as inflammatory, coupled with peoples’ lack of support to
understand the activists’ point displayed how unwilling people are to face the dangers of climate change, and more importantly, change in order to help better the issue.
Activists are hoping to get the public to be just as concerned about climate change as they are marred artworks. “The cost of living crisis is part of the cost of the oil crisis, fuel is unaffordable to millions of cold, hungry families. They can not even afford to heat a tin of soup.” Plummer said. Cans of soup have since been used to signify the discrepancy between the elitist crowds of art patrons and the ones who are truly impacted by the climate crisis.
Climate instability has escalated in the past decade, and, upon further inspection, the intentionality behind these acts of vandalism reveals the thought the activists have put into the movements following these degradations. The paintings that have been targeted are indicative of one common theme: a vision for middle-class prosperity from the 19th and 20th centuries
With a growing middle class came a robust factory system which sparked the creation of destructive coal-fired power plants. The so-called victims of vandalism were created in an age that promoted a harmful revolution. Paintings that have been recently vandalized stem from the time when pernicious machines that hurt the earth were the visionary. Climate activists have defaced artwork that embodies destructive innovations.
As time has progressed and the vandalism has continued, climate change organizations have effectively sparked conversation about Earth’s current climate state. These attacks have made people question their priorities and reflect upon their actions in regard to their treatment of the planet and environment Although lobbing cans of tomato soup may not seem like a strong political statement, it captures exactly what the climate activists are advocating for.
The vision of soup cascading below work of art is ingrained in the minds of non-activists, while the greater danger posed by climate change may not be as impactful on the audience. That is precisely why climate activists have chosen artwork; not to make society choose, but to make it consider its perspective and evaluate what is more important: a painting from a century ago or the Earth.
Two years after his last album, Japanese-American singer-songwriter Joji released his most recent LP, Smithereens, on Nov. 4, 2022. Joji, a popular R&B artist, has captivated the alternative music industry ever since his 2018 debut album, BALLADS 1, which topped Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Chart and earned him nearly half a billion streams on Spotify alone.
With such massive success, the singer has since linked with 88-rising, a music collective and record label that supports artists of Asian backgrounds, after retiring from his past comedy-based career as a YouTube star. Joji is known for his depressive and introspective music which he has carried on into his new album.
The album consists of just nine tracks, significantly shorter than his previous full-length works, where he creates a melancholic mood under an alternative dream pop narrative. Similarly to Joji’s other works, Smithereens can be characterized by slow-paced piano, dreamy synths, and lofi-beats.
“Glimpse of Us,” the song that went viral on TikTok before debuting in the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100, is included as the first track in the LP. It follows a simple piano ballad, while featuring some of Joji’s best
vocals. “Glimpse of Us” tells the story of memorable past relationships and the difficulty of letting go. Joji established a sort of intimate and quiet feel with this song by solely relying on slow-paced piano chords, as compared to the majority of his songs that include vocal effects and heavy beats.
“Die For You,” in addition to “Glimpse of Us,” has been critically-acclaimed as the song that carried Smithereens for its relaxing soundscape and notable lyricism. Joji writes about watching a past lover move on while still having deep feelings for them. He shows this helpless acceptance as he sings “It kills me a little, that’s okay / ‘Cause I’d die for you”.
However, many once-eager fans were let down by the LP. Smithereens is certainly not an adventurous piece as compared to what Joji is famous for. The album sounds and upholds themes of heartbreak and fatal romance that have been boringly consistent with all of his other songs, making it sound rushed, lazy, and uninteresting. His recent LP is not nearly as captivating as his previous works; the album in its entirety is not particularly relistenable.
In contrast, his last LPs, Nectar and BALLADS 1, were both much longer in length than Smithereens. Critics and fans praised BALLADS 1 for its unique and new sound, as Joji was still relatively a new artist at its release. The
LP was considered his breakthrough album, as “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” quickly reached the top charts and was overall one of the most popular songs of 2019. Nectar, Joji’s 2020 album had outstandingly high ratings and fixed Joji’s persona and value in the music industry. Nectar’s variety of featured songs, by artists including Yves Tumor, Omar Apollo, and Lil Yachty, brought Joji additional fame.
Within the album itself, every track follows the same, loosely constructed instrumentals accompanied by breathy vocals and a slow lofi-beat. Such repetition made for a lackluster final piece, which gave listeners the impression that Joji is incapable of a larger range of songwriting. After such a lengthy break following his last release, Smithereens had the chance to prove the singer’s growth in variety, but only proved to be a massive disappointment.
Nonetheless, it is arguable that the soft, mellow vibe of the album would make for great background noise while studying, cooking, cleaning, or sleeping. Some fans have since claimed that listening to this album cured their insomnia.
For the most part, Smithereens was a let down for several fans, so Joji has his career to prove and his potential to fill with whatever he releases next.
ILLUSTRATION ETHAN LYONS
Humans pride themselves on the individual. Multitudes of fiction chronicle the lives of one central protagonist who can seemingly overcome anything. However, this illusion is shattered when the child inevitably toddles towards adolescence. Unlike in fiction, a tear-jerking blowup will not resolve into a happily-ever-after. While children take comfort in the story arc of the “chosen one”, Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen are but works of the imagination. While the idea of being special pacifies the human need to feel wanted, letting go of this dependence is the most painful, yet important step to understanding your self-worth.
Much of childhood is shrouded in the idea of “standing out”. This idea is parroted in many works of young adult fiction to which children are exposed. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is framed as ‘the chosen one,’ the Ubermensch woman who will single handedly take on the Capitol.
From a biological standpoint, humans need assurance from infancy. Without even realizing it, parents cement the virtue of being special as if dangling a carrot from a stick, treating the quality of being special as a reward for one’s accomplishments, rather than a requisite for reaching them. Instead of dispelling the taboo, schools and social circles only add fire to the flame. Soon enough, childhood becomes a competition, a long, stretched-out Hunger Games, where only the prettiest, smartest, and most athletic survive.
One day, you run to the end of the road where the white picket fence you’ve grown up seeing gives way to a fuzzy, nebulous horizon. For the first time, it dawns on you that your personal manifest destiny is hardly a unique experience. You discover that, paradoxically, wanting to feel special is not so special.
Frightened, you look to others ways to “match up” against your competitors, but these efforts are like bandaids on a bullet hole. In a world of eight billion people, the pursuit of the esteemed title of being “special” can feel like a lighthouse on a stormy night. When the only guiding lights are dimmed, even staying adrift becomes a challenge.
The term “gifted kid burnout” is used to describe the plateau of many high-performing individuals. From a oneway ticket through the education system to affirmations of their intelligence, gifted kids seem to have it all. Those who experience gifted kid burnout often attribute their conditions to an exhaustion of extrinsic motivation. In other words, when they fail to live up to expectations that match their level of “specialness”, they are seen as a failure. Naturally, this raises the question of “if you are not special, then what are you?”
Capitalism, and specifically, consumerism, plays a large role in why so many people want to be “different”. In the early 1900s, the idiom “keeping up with the Joneses” saw a rise in popularity. It was used to describe the pernicious effects of consumerism, and reflects a distinctively
American mentality: If your neighbors get a new car, you have to get a new car. If your friend gets a color TV, you need to get a color TV. What’s more, you want to get a bigger car than your neighbor. A better TV than your friend. The desire to stand out often manifests itself in a need to keep up with the latest fads - a step towards keeping up or even staying ahead of the curve.
For many, “special” implies “better”. But with maturity comes the realization that uniqueness is manifold. While we can celebrate Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen for their place in cinema, we cannot do so without acknowledging their detachment from reality. The beauty of individuality lies not in the pedestal it places beneath the special, but the value it affords to those who are not.
Boringly consistent in recycling themes and sounds of past work, Joji’s newest L.P. falls flat of his fans’ expectations.
In the scatter of work life embedded in Los Angeles, coffee shops are a staple to individuals throughout the city.To differentiate from one another, stores create specialties and develop a specific identity to their consumers. LA’s Matte Black embodies these efforts. The cafe opened their doors to a new month-long collaboration with the video game Persona 5 to celebrate the expansion of the game onto new platforms on October 21.
Persona 5 came out in 2016 after heavy anticipation from the gaming community, quickly garnering acclaim for its addressment of social issues while balancing an aspect of fictional storytelling. Tackling these nuanced perspectives led to a nomination for Game of the Year in 2017. A deluxe edition of the game with an array of new content was released in 2019.
The expansion of the game from console this year has led to an increase in publicity. This enhancement of platform availability and a rise in advertising has led to several events for the game, including the Matte Black LA pop-up store.
The announcement for the collaboration was released in early October following videos of the cafe’s newly designed exterior, bearing symbols and branding reminiscent of the video game.
Matte Black has become experienced in hosting events since opening in August of 2021. The cafe has hosted several pop-up stores at their brick and mortar, including a collaboration with Disney’s Mickey Mouse. The store typically hosts these collaborations seasonally, and this Fall highlights their partnership with Persona 5 and Atlus Entertainment.
The journey of Elsie, Michelle, Kahlen, and I began with a begrudgingly early morning. In order to truly experience the rush of early morning coffee, we agreed to meetup at 10:00 a.m at the South Pasadena metro station. Despite several late arrivals, we were able to board the metro after twenty minutes of Elsie waiting. Though, as Kahlen’s excuse, they had stepped in a pile of dog poop on the way there.
We exited the gold line metro as we let go of the standing bars. The four of us got lost on our way to the red line as we rushed through Union Station. I felt like a mother duck leading their ducklings as I led our group towards the red line entrance. After the journey through the train and a mile long walk from the Pershing Square station, we finally arrived at the doors of Matte Black. Painted bright red with black accents mimicking the game, the cafe stood out in comparison to the smoke shop and burger joint that surrounded it.
We walked into the coffee store, awed by the pop-art reminiscent visuals. The black dotted wallpaper clashed the print-outs of the game characters and the signature catchphrase of the game: “Take your heart!” Though the decor was eccentric, the ambiance of the cafe was welcoming and engaging. The owner and a few baristas worked behind the bar as customers chatted with one another.
Of Matte Black’s vast menu, we ordered a combined total of four drinks: the white chocolate lavender cold brew, french toast latte, matcha strawberry, and the P5 Royal latte. The first three drinks were staples on the menu of Matte Black, and the last was one of the two special collaboration releases at the cafe.
Kahlen’s white chocolate lavender cold brew was sharp yet sweet, with a hint of flowery aromatics. The coffee
was not very strong and was concealed by the flavoring, something I personally enjoyed.
The french toast latte Michelle ordered was creamy with a subdued taste. The cinnamon, which was sprinkled on the top of the drink, added an additional dimension of flavor. This slightly spicy taste contrasted the sweetness from the sugar to help create a more balanced latte.
Elsie’s matcha strawberry latte was unlike any I have had before. The strawberry puree was smooth and sweet, with a tart aftertaste from the authentic matcha. It was reassuring to watch the baristas hand grind the matcha from behind the bar after having seen Elsie spend $7 for a drink typically made with cheaper matcha at your everyday coffee shop.
Lastly, my P5 Royal specialty latte had an unexpected yet enjoyable flavor profile. Created with apples and beets, the drink was bright red to match the branding and style of the video game with a strong, fruity palate.
Enjoying the environment inside, the four of us revitalized ourselves after a tiring week through the coffee and the time we shared. We soon learned it was the opening day for the collaboration event when the owner began handing out free macarons for the customers of the store and thanking us for attending. We quickly ate the chocolate-flavored gifts together with gratitude to the owner.
As we walked out of the cafe, drinks in hand, we shared our plans to come back to Matte Black in the near future. Excited to visit again for another collaboration event, the four of us agreed that the time we shared at Matte Black was a well deserved break in the middle of timed writes and college applications.
Tiger sat down with Head Athletic Trainer, Mike Lee, to ask him about his role in educating SPHS students on their physical and mental well-being and staying safe. With injury prevention and proper treatment, Lee plays a vital role as the athletic trainer to keeping SPHS athletes healthy and how they can continue competing on the field.
Lee: I would describe my job as helping student athletes’ overall well-being which includes both the physical and mental aspects. It [is] a fun job, help educating the students being more aware of the use of their body.
Tiger: How do you evaluate an athlete’s readiness to play in a game?
Lee: If they can stand up to the physical demands of an actual game. They would go through specific criteria[s] such as strength, range of motion, pain scale, and be able to more or less move pain-free.
Tiger: How do you educate athletes about injury prevention?
Lee: I teach them how to use their body in an efficient way, provide certain modifications to their movements depending on what sport they play, and activating certain muscles so the body works as a whole.
Tiger: What do you think are the most important behaviors that athletes can carry out to prevent injuries while playing their sport?
Lee: Being mindful of their movements.
Tiger: How do you prepare for a game day?
Lee: Depending on what sport it is, usually football being the heaviest, there’s a list of equipments that I check off and the students that would need pre-game prep such as
taping or bracing. Also just being mentally prepared for anything that can happen always helps.
Tiger: What are some things you find challenging about your job?
Lee: Documenting is a challenge at times when there are a lot of injuries going on. Also keeping track of all the injuries and remembering which student has what injury since it’s couple hundred students and just me.
Tiger: What are some aspects of your job that you dislike?
Lee: Communication is always a struggle. Especially when game times or practice times get changed. Usually I [am] not notified, so now that I [have] experienced it before, I [am] more inclined to communicate to coaches and players to know what [is] going on.
Tiger: What parts of your education and background do you think prepared you for this job?
Lee: Knowing your anatomy and kinesiology really helps out since I am dealing with the human body and it [is] particular movements for each muscle. I think my graduate program really helped me prepare for what the expect in this field both on and off the sports field.
Tiger: How would you describe your approach as an athletic trainer?
Lee: My approach is always stay calm, be open-minded, anything and everything can happen at anytime so always be prepare for the worse and always have a back-up plan.
Tiger: How would you go about dealing with multiple injuries on the field?
Lee: Prioritize the severity of the injuries. Concussion/ broken bones/profuse bleeding/dislocations/loss of consciousness would be top priority. Then more sprains and strains would be the latter depending on the severity as well.
After a nail-biting end to their season in CIF last year, losing 54-50 against the Highland Bulldogs in their second game, boys basketball is looking to fulfill unsatisfied ambitions this season. In 2021-2022, the Tigers roared to a three way tie with Monrovia and La Cañada, qualifying for CIF. Now, the challenge is maintaining this streak of success.
The Tigers are without ten graduated seniors, including four starters. As a result, South Pas is required to re-create its core basketball fundamentals in order to duplicate last seasons’ success. The team lacks 6”8 star power forward Sage Wayans, who graduated last year. While this year’s roster may not have the advantage of bigger players like Wayans, Head Coach Ernest Baskerville believes that strong team chemistry will give the Tigers an edge in league.
“I’m not saying this to disrespect last year’s team, but I think we have really good guard play this year. There are a lot of guys that can handle [the ball] and shoot it and defend it compared to counting on just a few guys that can defend and a few guys that can shoot it,” Baskerville said. “I think we have a multitude of guys that can get it all done, and I’m really looking forward to putting that on display when [the] league [games] start.”
Small forward Joshua Ho, point guard Nicholas Chabot, guard Nolan Park, forward William Esnault, and center
Jules Trotoux are all returning to the team as seniors this upcoming season.
“Our ambitions for this year would be going farther in CIF. Especially because we’re in Division 3AA which is a step up from last year,” Ho said. “It’ll be more challenging, but we’re looking to make a deep playoff run.”
Increased off the bench contributions are anticipated from senior Oni Balogun, sophomore Sebastian Martinez, and junior Taj Ringer. This year, the roster is boosted by transfers: junior starting point guard Russel Williams and junior starting shooting guard Derek Peterson.
“As far as Russel and Derek go, they are both very talented individual players. I don’t think anyone in the Rio Hondo League can guard them, honestly,” Ho said. Williams and Peterson will round out the starting five with Ho, Chabot, and sophomore guard Jack Madison.
“I think the person [everyone’s] going to be shocked to see is Joshua Ho. I think he’s going to do some amazing things this season. Joshua is one of those guys that people better keep their eye on or he’s going to hurt them,” Baskerville said.
“Another [star] player would be sophomore Jack Madison. He was the MVP of our freshman league champion team last year, and his growth since then has been tremendous. The ceiling of his potential is ridiculous.”
Despite placing strong confidence in the team’s collective
abilities, Baskerville has his eye on La Cañada, a major rival in the RHL. The Spartans matched the efforts of the Tigers last year, securing a shared win. Unlike last season where South Pas relied on size and physicality to overwhelm opponents, the team now depends on a strong defense to trap their rivals and aim to beat La Cañada.
“[The RHL] is a tough division. Our main rivals are La Cañada and San Marino, we’ve got Pasadena Poly down the street who won CIF two years ago, and Maranatha which has a very strong defensive team here in our division,” Baskerville said.
He is certain that, with the cumulative maturity and growth of returning players, especially seniors that he has coached since freshman year, the Tigers will come out on top of the RHL.
“Every year we’ve been in the RHL, we’ve moved up a halfdivision. [My] ambition as a coach is to win it all. The plan is to get back there this year. I know the guys are looking forward to possibly making a good CIF run in the playoffs,” Baskerville said. “I know I say this every single year, but I really think this team has the potential to be really special.”
The Tigers pre-season begins with multiple neutral games scheduled in November, beginning with Marshall on Nov. 14 and finishing with Palmdale on Nov. 29. Their first league game is currently scheduled for Dec. 6 against the Monrovia Wildcats and will be followed by La Cañada on Jan. 11.
AIDING IN INJURY PREVENTION, athletic trainer Mike Lee helps Tiger athletes keep their bodies safe and healthy.
ups, with the new pitchers emphasizing pitching depth and strengthening their bullpen.
“Our health is going to be our strength. It is going to be them going out there and just doing what they do,” Coach Jaime Garcia said. “This year I already see a lot of growth, not just in size, but mentally growing and understanding certain situations a lot better.”
The team is coming in well prepared with returning star members such as junior Nolan Adams, who was a strong pitcher last year. Devin Robinson, current junior, got first team all league honors last year as a sophomore. Other key players are returning from the football team like seniors such as catcher Ivan Bacerra, third baseman Quinn Sterling, center fielder Jason Yipp, and junior left fielder Luke Riffle. These core players hope to have a successful season on the baseball team after competing in the ongoing Tigers football CIF games.
“As a team we [have] all known each other well enough to be able to hold each other accountable in a supportive way,” Guy said. “I think these guys won’t have any problem stepping up.”
has a total of 42 people, the highest in 5 years. There is an influx of new underclassmen members to the program this season, after six seniors graduated last year.
So far, the baseball team has had a resounding success in its preseason games. They have gone up against Northview High School, John Muir High School, Hoover High School, and Flintridge Prepatory School, only to defeat the opponents in all four games. The Tigers had the home advantage each time, but the guest schools are no match for the SPHS team.
Last year’s 2021-22 season was successful for the SPHS varsity baseball team, reaching the highest win total for the program in 18 years, and taking third in the Rio Hondo League. With a majority of last year’s players returning, the team is entering into their upcoming season optimistic for a third consecutive CIF appearance and RHL league championship.
The final roster has not been solidified with many core players playing with football this fall, but the program
“I’m excited [to] see many of the talented young guys in the program get a chance to play this year,” senior Will Guy said. “I enjoyed watching the team’s success in [the] league last year and remaining involved with the team.”
The team is training with off-season practices for the upcoming spring season, placing a strong emphasis on health and safety. The student athletes have been focusing on perfecting technique and developing power in warm-
The first official game for the SPHS baseball team is February 11th, at home against Salesian High School. The Tigers were knocked out of the first round of CIF’s by this very school last year, so they are hoping to start off the season strong with a win.
“We’re looking to really take it to them that day,” Garcia said. “Saturday, February 11th, here at 10am.”
FRIDAY, NOV. 18TH @ 7:00 PM, FOOTBALL VS. BELLFLOWER AT HOME
TUESDAY, NOV. 29TH @ 6:00 PM, GIRLS BASKETBALL VS. PASADENA AT HOME
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30TH @ 4:00 PM, GIRLS WATER POLO VS. WESTRIDGE AT HOME
The athletic world is heavily intertwined with that of the sporting equipment industry, and advancements in the quality of the equipment has a profound effect on the mindset of athletes. In teenage sports, coaches need to take the lead in curbing a growing trend of mental reliance on sports equipment.
As sports have become increasingly competitive, they show a parallel rise in commercialism. The sports sponsorship market is estimated at a rapidly increasing value of 77.69 billion, a significant leap from 2018’s 17.61 billion. Sports company ads have become seemingly ubiquitous on television, always advertising the latest leap forward in sporting equipment, such as shoes, new injury products (kt tape, compression sleeves etc.), bats, and mitts. In many sports, technology has become extremely prevalent.
This rise in equipment quality filters into youth, especially high school sports where teens are greatly influenced by the images of those around them, yet old enough to make their own decisions. Alongside the rise, athletes often internalize standards of equipment that are mainly constructed from the examples of their fellow athletes. They establish a link between their peers’ performances and their better equipment. In many scenarios this leads athletes to believe that equipment can define their overall performance.
Equipment, especially expensive and highly regarded equipment, adds further financial strain on households that already have to cope with the cost and time investment of competing. In equipment-heavy sports such as soccer and baseball, it can cost over a hundred dollars to acquire what is considered “good quality” gear.
Company advertising strategies and peer pressure in competition often create the myth that higher price and higher brand reputation is automatically equivalent to greater effect, hurting families that already struggle to fund competition.
Highly regarded equipment has become dependent on the reputation of the brand it is marketed by, relegating lesser known brands to lower standards. On the flip side, wellknown brands coerce consumers into deals with promises of high quality. Expectations of products are raised, and
while in use, an athlete’s success can be attributed to the equipment rather than the individual, validating the often expensive purchase and expectations of the product. In this way, a false “placebo effect” is introduced.
Peer examples also contribute to the normalization of sports applicable products, used preventatively, or unnecessarily, rather than reactively. Products such as KT tape and advil are becoming more widespread in athletic communities, and represent a shift towards product/equipment reliance in many younger athletes’ mindsets.
The sports equipment and medicine industry has been around for many years, but only in recent times has it seen such a vast increase. With respective CAGR’s (compound annual growth rate) of about 19.6 percent and 7.5 percent, both industries are rapidly increasing.
While today’s young generations have grown up with much of the kind of advanced sports technology that creates advanced equipment and medicine that is available now, other older generations are unaccustomed to the shift. A common trait attributed to older generations is independence from
technology. Youth mindset is catching up with technology, albeit overestimating the effect it has, to the point of dependence.
In sports, especially youth sports, athlete mental health has been an often overlooked factor for much of the duration of competitive sport leagues. A study by BASES found that 10 percent of athletes experience burnout, one of the leading causes of youth athletes quitting sports. The traditional coach’s role in sports does not go beyond the boundaries of training, and connections that can be used to assist athlete’s mental growth are frequently dismissed by the stigma around mental health problems in the athletic world.
Coaches’ unique experiences are needed to balance out the effects of this youth mindset. Their perspective and sole positions of influence are inaccessible to guardians, and extremely dependent on an athlete’s development. Discussions between players and coaches would foster a healthy team environment, and provide understanding to players. With other educated sources of judgment, players can determine what they really need in order to compete,
South Pasadena has historically been a city that revolves around supporting high school sports, including games and events. Attendees met a diverse range of demographics prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Crowds for these games consist of anything from senior citizens of the community, parents, or students on campus. Sports games established time for the local community to support student athletes and cheer on SPHS teams.
All teams on campus play games throughout their season leading up to potentially competing in the California Interscholastic Federation. CIF, the high school equivalent of playoffs, is a significant draw that public and private high schools participate in. Teams compete in each of the 13 divisions of CIF in a bracket to determine the eventual championship.
Tickets for SPHS teams competing in CIF have been easily accessible in the past. Tickets could be bought inperson at the event with cash, as workers of the booths quickly verified customer payment before providing them with a physical ticket. The ticket would be brought to a worker who validates the ticket by taking the stub for the purposes of the school filing their taxes.
This system for sports tickets has consistently remained efficient. Despite this structured system that has been used by the school, CIF is beginning to enforce a shift in sales to a digital-only system throughout the state. However, this attempt to move into a more technological process has negatively impacted the attendance of sports games and events.
CIF has shifted to an online ticket service called GoFans, where attendees can search for games and purchase tickets on their devices. This change impacts individuals of each demographic that typically attends games on Friday nights, decreasing the amount of people in the crowd.
ALLISON LEE
After long hours of engagement in the classroom and my testing my physicality in afterschool sports, there is no gratifying feeling than opening TikTok to find my favorite baseball team on my ‘For You Page’ at the end of a busy day. With untraditional rules, players in essentric costumes, and dancing umpires, they are not playing your average baseball game; this is Banana Ball. Separate from Major League Baseball (MLB), the Savannah Bananas are an exhibition team with a primary mission to create the best possible fan experience. The team’s first inagural season in 2016 at Grayson Stadium exhibited what the traditional game of baseball was not, or perhaps, what the game itself has been missing.
Students that are left without a form of electronic payment are ultimately unable to receive their tickets in a manner that is accessible to them. Instead, parents are forced to buy the ticket for their students online and transfer the ticket to the child’s phone, an inefficient system that leads to students having unredeemable screenshots of tickets, waiting for texts of the ticket transfer, and preventing students from attending. Other members of the local community have also been impacted by this change. The shift to GoFans for tickets ultimately harms those in South Pasadena who are not tech savvy or cannot access technology.
“As someone who sells tickets at games, the confusion behind the GoFans system is evident,” said senior class treasurer Rachel Liao. “Students and the elderly sometimes leave in frustration after being unable to purchase tickets.”
The lack of attendance has not gone unnoticed by the sports teams competing in CIF this year. Despite their historic climb to CIF semifinals – vying for a spot in the championship against Bellflower on Friday, Nov. 18 –the football team is aware of the lack of participants at their games.
“I noticed a lack of attendance for our first playoff game against Yucca Valley,” junior running back Jason Hong said. “It does look bad as we do not have many people for the most important games of our season. I think a larger crowd would help us get more energized and hyped after big plays.”
The interruption of a system that has been implemented on campus for years has led to a decrease in attendance at sports games during seasons that should be celebrated. CIF’s enforcement of this system on campus is creating a system of ticketing much harder to navigate and participate in.
Viewership of professional baseball has been steadily declining in recent years. With the length of games at an all-time high, the average nine-inning match-up crossing the three hour mark for the first time in history. Inflation and the ninety-nine day lockout in 2021 has caused additional panic, contributing to the decrease of attendance rates.
To ensure the best possible fan experience both inperson and online under the affiliation of Fans First Entertainment, the Savannah Bananas has made many sacrifices to making the game of baseball more accessible to everyone. Minor rule adjustments to the game, such as having a two hour time limit and allowing the batter to steal first base, allow for fans to enjoy the beloved sport at a faster pace and an affordable price.
The Bananas have amassed an impressive following on social media, allowing for the style of Banana Ball to reach millions of fans around the world,. TikTok and Instagram has provided the team with viral platforms to post highlights of their recent games, showcasing some of their more extensive routines. These routines include recreating the A Whole New World scene from Aladdin in the batter’s box and the world-famous Rockettes kickline along the foul line in between innings.
Many baseball traditionalists heavily argue that Banana Ball is diminishing the significance of professional baseball through comparison of the Bananas to other
well-known exhibition sports teams, such as the Harlem Globetrotters. These individuals believe the game of baseball should not be played with the extra distractions and thematic elements that the Bananas incorporate into their level of game play. Nevertheless, this new style of play for baseball has even lead to the team earning sponsorships from notable brands like Evoshield.
Watching the Bananas appear on various social media platforms as an athlete in quarantine had greatly contributed to the replenishing of my love for baseball and sports alike, as well as my perception on my own athletic career as a high school student.
I have always planned to finish out my high school career as a dual-sport athlete before hanging up the swim caps and softball cleats to focus on my academic career post-graduation as a senior. However, having a busy schedule packed with extracurriculars and looming expectations held by coaches often cloud my appreciation and love for these recreational sports, causing me to consider ending my involvment with campus athletics earlier.
Watching the Bananas through the tiny illuminated screen of my iPhone 8 has taught me to enjoy these small, lasting moments while I still have the opportunity to demonstrate my skillset and represent my community before I (banana) split.
