Empowering students to think critically and creatively since 1913
VOLUME 112, ISSUE 3
NOVEMBER 10, 2025
FEATURE
7
Tiger explores the Mills Act, which reduces revenue collected from property taxes to preserve historic homes.
Tiger reviews Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of Showgirl, which severely disappoints.
12
Tiger dives into the origin of SPHS’s new Broadcasting and Media team and its mission for the future.
Page 15
Superintendent Baxter met with her Student Advisory Group for their first meeting.
STORY MAXINE MESSINEO
PHOTO HELENA EASTERBY
SPUSD Superintendent Angela Elizondo Baxter’s Student Advisory Group met for its first meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the SPHS Library Tiger Den. The meeting lasted from 4 to 5 p.m. and was piloted by Baxter, who led activities and discussions on the topic of student engagement.
The subject of the meeting was the barriers surrounding student engagement in classrooms and how to overcome those barriers. Baxter led an activity where students could share their ideas with their peers, discussing topics including distractions in classrooms and student support.
Baxter led different activities, such as one where members created paper bricks out of brown paper bags. Members wrote a barrier preventing student engagement on one side, and on the other, the bridge over that barrier.
After creating their bricks, students discussed their ideas with other group members. They then placed their bricks in a wall formation with two rules: the wall must stand on its own with no support, and every brick must be visible.
The group shared their ideas with their peers and the superintendent,
offering solutions and adding onto each other’s ideas.
“I don’t know what the students are going to say in the future. The best thing that I can share right now is the desire to continue to hear, and then to respond accordingly, depending on what students share,” Baxter said. She emphasized the importance of student input on school matters.
“Student voice is so important, and we don’t always have enough ways to hear what students are saying,” Baxter continued.
“The idea behind this group is another way to hear from the people that we serve, which are our students. [The group’s formation] was in response to wanting to know more about what students are thinking.”
Members of the group were selected via an online application with a series of questions for students to answer.
The application was publicized through ParentSquare, SPHS’s communication tool, and emails were sent to students by Principal John Eldred. In addition, students were required to submit a letter of recommendation from either a teacher, counselor, or other staff member.
Baxter encouraged students to foster a sense of belonging and kindness among their peers, as well as to try their best.
“As a leader of the district, it’s important to understand what students are
FALL PLAY Fall play showings will continue through the weekend of Friday, Nov. 14 from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Little Theater.
BLOOD DRIVE
experiencing and what’s on their minds, and that way we can create better solutions and better programming to meet all the students’ needs,” Baxter said.
Baxter will implement an informal assessment system as part of ensuring the group remains effective and relevant. Students are given various opportunities to share their ideas with the group, as well as opportunities to talk with their peers.
Baxter implemented this to assess whether the members of the advisory group can communicate what they learn and think.
Different and relevant topics will be discussed in each meeting so that the Board of Education, the district’s decisionmakers, can consider the group’s input in future planning.
After the meeting on Monday, Oct. 27, an email was sent out to members of the group from Andrea Fox, SPUSD communication and grant advancement specialist, with a link to a form asking students for their ideas pertinent to the meeting the week before. The form ensures that students who did not get a chance to share their ideas can still be heard.
The next Superintendent’s Student Advisory Group meeting will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 2 from 4 to 5 p.m. The topic of the meeting will be connectedness in the district.
CHOIR CONCERT
SPHS will work with Huntington Hospital to host a blood drive on Wednesday, Nov. 12 in the practice gym.
Choir students will host their winter choir concert on Wednesday, Dec. 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the SPHS auditorium.
OPINION
On Sept. 30, 2025, the U.S. government’s fiscal year 2025 ended without Congress passing a budget for fiscal 2026, forcing the longest government shutdown the United States has ever seen. After passing in the Republicancontrolled House, the 2026 budget continuing resolution failed to garner enough votes in the Senate before the fiscal year deadline, triggering the shutdown. The 2026 budget heavily favors Republican priorities, earning it the nickname “GOP bill,” resulting in the House-passed resolution failing in the Senate due to a lack of Democratic support. Typically, a continuing resolution requires a simple majority of 51 votes to pass the Senate, but the Democratic Party is staging a legislative filibuster.
Continued on Page 6
FEATURE
STORY ZOE CHEN ILLUSTRATION LANAH KIM
Students undeniably feel the pressure to load up on rigorous AP classes at SPHS. AP teachers may pull students who they feel are unprepared for the course aside to recommend the student drop or swap out the class for an easier one, a conversation that may be interpreted differently by students and teachers.
Teachers may see the conversation as a gentle recommendation of what may be best for the student’s education. Students, however, may feel forced to drop a class that they do not want to. Students may also believe their teacher holds their AP exam pass rate as a prided mark of distinction, and in recommending students drop the class, is attempting to preserve high
Continued on Page 12
STORY ELLIE SONG
PHOTO SEBASTIAN GUTIERREZ
T
he annual Reflections art program deadline for submissions occurred on Oct. 13 for the 2025–26 school year. The contest’s theme, “I Belong,” gave around 80 SPHS contestants the chance to explain through their own art what belonging means to them.
Reflections is a national contest put on by the National Parent Teacher Association. It gives students in pre-K through 12th grade the opportunity to express their feelings and emotions through visual and performing arts. Students are required to pick a category in which they will showcase their ability and interpret what they believe the theme is. The contest has six categories: Visual Arts, Photography, Literature, Music Composition, Film Production, and Dance Choreography.
Judging for the 2025 contest took place from Oct. 14 to 17. In each of the six categories, two judges determined the podium ranking. Judges for the South Pasadena cohort of the contest were Richard “Blue” Trimarchi and Candance J. Metzger in Visual Arts, Cyndi Bemel and Jeff Levie in Photography, Anne and Daniel Vasquez in Literature, Ed Donnelly and Wendy Wang in Music Composition, Monika Petrillo and Wes Whitton in Film Production, and Alison Smith and Melanie Campbell Coats in Dance Choreography.
Winners were initially set to be announced on Friday, Oct. 24, but due to technical difficulties, the announcement was delayed until Tuesday, Oct. 28.
First place winners of the art contest are the following: senior Aislinn Meza in Visual Arts with “Pop Rocks,”
senior Sebastian Gutierrez in Photography with “Where We Stand,” sophomore Maryia Mironeka in Literature with “Glint of Sunlight,” freshman Oliver Yeh in Music Composition with “Cloudchaser,” senior James Ryan in Film Production with “Where Do I Belong,” and sophomore Hannah Chan in Dance Choreography with “Acceptance.”
Yeh was inspired to join the contest due to an intriguing flyer for the program his third period teacher showed him.
“I figured out that I wasn’t bad at all [in music composition], so I just started performing more and more, and then eventually got better, and that’s when I realized that I wanted to do this,” Yeh said.
Since SPUSD has only one high school, each of the first place high school winners listed above will automatically win at the district level. From the district level, winners will be entered into the state and national Reflections art contests. Nationally winning students will receive cash prizes.
All student submissions will be displayed in the South Pasadena Arts Council (SPARC) Gallery during its Opening Reception on Thursday, Nov. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. Additionally, live student performances will start at 7:30 p.m. A second gallery date has been added for Friday, Nov. 7, taking place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the same location.
STORY MIRIAM ELGHEFARI
PHOTO MAC SHROPSHIRE
South Pasadena High School works with Pasadena City College (PCC) to offer dual enrollment classes for students. The program provides students with a chance to earn college credits alongside high school ones in several courses offered at SPHS during the
Fall and Spring semesters after school. Courses such as Introductory American Sign Language (ASL) and Introduction to Psychology are offered.
The 2025–26 school year brings a new course to the available dual enrollment classes: Principles of Emergency Services.
The course, organized by the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Initiative (FESHE), is taught at SPHS during school hours in room 612. Students learn about the history of fire service, as well as emergency response strategies and the different career pathways in emergency services, such as firefighter/EMT, paramedic, and specialized firefighting positions.
The course is offered due to student reflections and questions for the school.
“One of the big questions that we’re often asked is, ‘What happened to [the] woodshop [course]? What happened to Driver’s Ed?’” SPHS Assistant Principal Chad Bryant said. “‘What happened to these handson, skills-based subjects [with] direct correlations to professional careers for students, [who] may not necessarily be college-bound and want a program instead [of] the traditional two-year or four-year college pathway?’”
Emergency Services saw a “significant number” of students who were interested when it was first introduced. According to Bryant, an “expectation is in place” to one day build a pathway with courses similar to Emergency Services. This pathway would join others offered at SPHS, such as the Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Design pathways.
Students in the class have already had several handson experiences.
In late September, the South Pasadena Fire Department brought a fire engine to campus. Students were able to use a fire hose, try on uniforms, and measure their vitals. The event went well, leaving students with knowledge and experience helpful to their success in the class.
Additionally, students will have the opportunity to become CPR-certified and trained in Stop The Bleed through continuation of the course.
As with any new course, unexpected issues have arisen. One of the most notable was staffing absences at the beginning of the semester.
Both students and faculty alike are excited to see how the program develops. The course is expected to be offered for the 2026–27 school year and continue on.
Posters set up by an unknown third party replicating South Pasadena’s official City Council design were put up on trees throughout the city during the weekend of Sept. 26 as an act of protest to the proposed changes of the Tree Ordinance.
“[The posters weren’t] really about informing people, but about striking fear in them,” Council member Omari Ferguson said. “[T]here’s a line between what is permissible as free speech, versus the city … [having] a sign ordinance.”
The posters announced that the City Council will cut down trees in the city on Wednesday, Oct. 1, alarming residents of South Pasadena. Posters were found on busy streets, including Mission Street, Marengo Avenue, Fremont Avenue, and Fair Oaks Avenue. They were also spotted in Garfield Park and public community spaces like the South Pasadena Public Library.
The city was first informed about this through complaints from residents as well as from many students in the middle and elementary schools, who came to the meeting to speak about the issue.
“I believe that the proposed tree ordinance should not be adopted,” SPMS sixth grade student Theo Mehta said to the City Council during public comment. “By adopting this ordinance, you are making it easier to add carbon dioxide to the air by cutting trees that aren’t protected and mature … I understand your concerns about damage to private property, but improved tree maintenance and tree trimming could improve that situation. We must take it a lot slower and stop rushing, and [avoid] feeling pressured by other cities’ policies.”
After receiving significant public attention, the City Council reversed the changes made to the original tree ordinance. The city previously hoped to remove requirements needed to cut down trees; however, they were not the ones who put up the posters.
The posters were removed around Oct. 13. The city published a statement on the City of South Pasadena website a few days later, after the posting of the third-party posters. The statement told the public that the city had no intention of removing the trees and was not the one who put up the posters.
“South Pasadena’s identity as the ‘City of Trees’ is a source of deep pride for our community,” the statement
said. “The City remains fully committed to preserving and enhancing our urban forest, which is central to the beauty, history, and charm that define South Pasadena.”
The statement additionally stated that the city is amending the Tree Ordinance to prioritize public safety as well as prevent property damage.
“The revised ordinance will give homeowners clearer guidelines and the ability to responsibly manage trees on their property, particularly when a tree is hazardous, diseased, poses a fire risk, or impacts homeowners’ insurance,” the statement said.
The City Council hopes to improve its communication with South Pasadena residents to prevent further incidents, avoid the spread of misinformation, and provide more thorough and straightforward rules for landowners.
“We appreciate the passion our residents bring to civic issues and invite all community members to stay engaged through accurate information and constructive dialogue,” the city said.
STORY MAXINE MESSINEO
PHOTO MAC SHROPSHIRE
S PHS hosted an annual breakfast for National Merit semifinalists and other outstanding scholars on Wednesday, Oct. 29, in the SPHS cafeteria. The event lasted from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., led by senior Commissioner of Academics Belle Huang and the SPHS Associated Student Body.
The National Merit Scholarship program is an annual academic competition that awards scholarships to high school students based on their Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) scores. The competition is administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a nonprofit organization.
National Merit semifinalists’ test scores meet or exceed the qualifying score, making them eligible to compete for the scholarship. Commended scholars obtained high scores on their PSAT that fell below the cutoff to compete for the scholarship. They do not advance in the competition to win the scholarship, but receive a Letter of Commendation from their high school.
“It’s cool to see how many students from South Pasadena received this award, [whether they are a] semifinalist or commended scholar. [The award] attests to how these students work and the effort that they put into ensuring that they succeed after high school,” Huang said.
The National Merit Breakfast had not been held since 2019, but when Huang was notified by the counseling department of the students who had received awards, she decided to plan and host the event.
Planning for the event consisted of logistical items such as deciding on a venue, ordering food, and setting up the cafeteria to be ready for the families who showed up to support their children.
The students in attendance were among the 16,000 nationwide who qualified for the scholarship based on their test scores, representing 3 percent of test takers around the country.
As students entered the cafeteria with their families, Huang and SPHS Activities Director Casey Shotwell greeted attendees. Families lined up to receive breakfast burritos, conchas, and fruit, then made their way to their seats as the program began.
Huang opened by thanking parents, students, and staff for attending the breakfast and commending the students for their hard work and accomplishments.
SPUSD Board President Karen Tamis spoke about how proud she was of the scholars and semifinalists for their work and for continuing on the SPHS legacy.
SPHS counselor Marcile Montoya additionally congratulated the eight semifinalists and 37 commended scholars on behalf of the counseling department. She commended the students for their maturity, for their desire to make the world a better place, and for embracing challenges.
The eight semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship at SPHS are seniors Mason Asakura, Alexa Chang, Elizabeth Chung, Sarah Kano, Anna Kowal, Solana Singer, Gihan Van Kerkhove, and Rose Vandevelde.
STORY EVELYN DIAZ
PHOTO THEO THOMPSON
On Friday, Oct. 24, Monterey Hills Elementary School hosted a Halloween Carnival that lit up the campus with laughter, costumes, and music as families came together. The carnival’s target audience was elementary schoolers, and the event enlisted the help of volunteer high school students, MHS teachers, and parents to run game booths and prize tables.
Elementary school students came dressed in costumes, ranging from superheroes and princesses to KPop Demon Hunters and spooky characters, making the event colorful and bright. Some parents, teachers, and volunteers also donned costumes.
“It’s crazy that MHS puts up so many activities for the kids; it’s really adorable,” SPHS senior Silvestre Quiroz said. “Parents, teachers, and other students all come together for the little ones.”
The carnival featured a variety of games and activities for kids to enjoy. Students were able to test their aim in more traditional games such as mini basketball, mini bowling, and ring toss; more unique games included “spider tower” and “pin the heart on KPop Demon Hunters’ Jinu.”
A balloon artist charmed kids with balloon swords, animals, and other designs, while a haunted house set up in the school auditorium featured inflatable spiders, skeletons, and colorful strings of lights. Volunteers outside sold freshly grilled hamburgers, chips, refreshments, and caramel apples.
Each game gave kids the opportunity to earn tickets or candy. Tickets could later be exchanged for prizes that ranged from toys and fidgets to squishies and more candy.
“I enjoy the way the community comes together for the kids. [Seeing the kids] have fun and seeing the smiles on their faces really bring[s] me a parent joy,” MHS parent Isabel Vega said.
A DJ kept the energy high at the carnival with music that had kids dancing during games, such as Sabrina Carpenter, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, and lighthearted Halloween music. Families gathered around to watch, take pictures, and enjoy the cheerful atmosphere.
The carnival has been an MHS tradition for over 30 years and serves as a fundraiser for the school, put on by Cub Scout Pack 139. The pack was formed in 1967 by parents at MHS; today, it invites members from kindergarten through fifth grade to join.
“Seeing the kids having fun in their little costumes and having a good time with their friends makes every parent smile,” Vega said. “This carnival is such a special tradition for our school.”
The event gave parents, teachers, and students a chance to celebrate together outside of the classroom, creating lasting memories in the spirit of Halloween. By the end of the night, everyone left with smiles, prizes, and a bit of candy, marking another successful and fun-filled Halloween Carnival at Monterey Hills Elementary.
“I’m having so much fun playing all the games with my friends,” a second grader said. “I love running around in my costume, and I can’t believe how much candy I’ve collected already. Halloween at school is the best.”
With the extended Metro A Line, there are more stops and places conveniently available to South Pasadena residents.
STORY & PHOTO
The Metro A Line is a continuous light rail route running between Downtown Long Beach to North Pomona through Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena. Light rail transit differs from traditional trains in that it supports lighter trains. It is constructed to lower engineering standards and often carries small frequent trains in urban areas.
The A Line holds significant historical value, as a portion of the route it passes through was established during the 1880s. Most of the rail remains unchanged, though some tunneled sections built to expand the line were constructed in the last 10 years.
The expansive nature of the A Line allows passengers to travel to multiple cities within Los Angeles County, including Long Beach, Downtown LA, and the San Gabriel Valley. The route north of Downtown LA runs on the former land legally reserved for the railway along which tracks and other infrastructure are built, also called the right of way, of the Santa Fe Railway, while the southern half of the line runs on the former Pacific Electric right of way.
The northern half of the A Line, formerly known as the Gold Line, operates from Union Station though Northeast LA, South Pasadena, Old Town Pasadena, and multiple foothill cities up to Pomona. This section of the line all operates on the former Pasadena subdivision of the Santa Fe Railway. This right of way was originally constructed by the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad in 1885, primarily
for local passenger service between the San Gabriel Valley and Downtown LA. The line continued passenger train service until 1994, when it closed and construction on the northern half of the A Line began.
Before the A Line was fully established, the Gold Line operated between Union Station and Sierra Madre Villa Station in East Pasadena at the time of its first opening on July 26, 2003. The first Foothill Extension Project aimed to extend the line down the
right of way, continuing to APU/Citrus College Station in Azusa, and opened on March 5, 2016.
Building on this expansion of destinations, the northern A Line now offers a second Foothill Extension to Pomona as of Sept. 19, 2025.
Beyond these destinations, the southern half of the A Line, formally named the Blue Line, offers transport to Long Beach. Built
from Pacific Electric’s Long Beach Line, the southern half of the A Line continues the legacy of the largest private urban railroad company in the U.S. throughout the 1920s.
Initially, the first trains to run along this route traveled Pacific Electric’s Long Beach Line, which operated between Downtown LA and Long Beach daily for nearly 60 years before being replaced by bus travel. Now, however, with the southern half of the A Line, passenger service has been brought back to the right of way.
In order to ensure that both the northern and the southern halves of the A Line are able to provide seamless passenger transport, a connector was installed. The Regional Connector is a 1.9-milelong subway tunnel that runs through Downtown LA and provides a bridge between the two routes of the A Line.
The connector was planned to open in 2003 with the northern half of the A Line, but due to a lack of funding, construction did not begin until 2014. Due to the highly complex construction of this subway, the cost was approximately $1 billion per mile, totaling $1.9 billion, with the connector opening on June 16, 2023. The connector saves riders up to 20 minutes each way on their commutes and creates the longest light rail line in the world at 57.6 miles.
As the Metro continues to expand within Los Angeles, its history is evident in the past of the northern and southern halves of the A Line, which boast a history of nearly 140 years of passenger service between the Pacific Electric Long Beach Line and the Sante Fe Pasadena Subdivision.
Memorial Park station is located on Holly Street at the end of Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena that opened on July 26, 2003, as part of the Gold Line project. The station sits on the northern edge of Old Town Pasadena near Memorial Park and the Rose Bowl Shuttle, providing easy access to Rose Bowl events. The station is a 10-minute walk from Pasadena City Hall and an eight-minute train ride from South Pasadena. Inside the station features an over-100-foot-long art piece by John Valadez called The First Artists in Southern California: A Short Story, recognizing Indigenous cave paintings from original inhabitants of the area.
The Highland Park station is located at the intersection of North Avenue 57 and Marmion Way. The station opened on July 26, 2003, and replaced the original station, which was demolished in 1965. For ease of travel, both the Arroyo Seco Regional Library and the Highland Park Recreation Center are within walking distance of the station. The South Pasadena station is also a three-minute train ride from the Highland Park station.
The Little Tokyo/Arts District station is located between Alameda Street and Central Avenue. The station opened on June 16, 2023, and replaced a nearby station with the same name, closed in October 2020. Little Tokyo is a 20-minute train ride directly from the South Pasadena station. Located in Downtown Los Angeles, Little Tokyo is a popular place among South Pasadena residents for food, museums, and shopping.
The Chinatown station is an elevated light rail station located along Spring Street above College Street, north of Downtown Los Angeles. The station opened on July 26, 2003, as part of the Gold Line extensions, providing a gateway to Chinese-American stores, restaurants, and shops. North Broadway, the heart of Chinatown, is a threeminute walk from the station and hosts events such as the Lunar New Year Festival. Additionally, North Broadway is home to one of America’s first cultural shopping malls. The Chinatown station is a 15-minute train ride from the South Pasadena station.
The La Verne/Fairplex station is one of the most recent additions to the Metro A Line, opening on Sept. 19, 2025. It is located near the intersection of Arrow Highway and E Street in La Verne. The La Verne station is a 5-minute drive from the Fairplex, home of the Los Angeles County Fair and over 500 other events, such as open art studios, pride events, and train exhibitions. The South Pasadena station is a 32-minute train ride from the La Verne station, which provides South Pasadena residents with access to Old Town La Verne, parks, and restaurants.
ESTABLISHED 1913
NSPA FIRST CLASS 2024
CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2023
CSPA SILVER CROWN 2022
CSPA SILVER CROWN 2021
CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2019
CSPA SILVER CROWN 2018
CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2017
CSPA CROWN AWARD 2016
CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2015
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
SONYA SHIMPOCK
MANAGING EDITORS ZOE CHEN, Print
EMIKO ESSMILLER, Online
NEWS
CLAIRE MAO, Editor
OPINION
RAFA ESTOLANO-SRIDHARAN, Editor
FEATURE
RUBY FOUDY, Editor
SPORTS GAVIN BARTOLOME, Editor
DESIGN
OLIVIA CHIN, Editor LANAH KIM, Editor
PHOTOGRAPHY
HELENA EASTERBY, Editor
COPY
OWEN HOU, Editor
SOLANA SINGER, Editor
STAFF WRITERS
UMA CHAKRABORTY EVELYN DIAZ
MIRIAM ELGHEFARI
JULIA GILDERSLEEVE
HARRIET GODSON LEIGHTON KWOK
ANNA MCDONNELL
MAXINE MESSINEO ELLIE SONG KHLOE YUEN
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
LUCINDA ERNST
SEBASTIAN GUTIERREZ MAC SHROPSHIRE
STAFF ILLUSTRATORS
KRISTEL HOUNG DIANA LOPEZ
JAYDEN ZUMBA
PAGE DESIGNERS
GABBY FERRI PAISLEY PARK
ALISON SCHRADER
VIDEOGRAPHER
THEO THOMPSON
BUSINESS AND ADS MANAGER PASCALE WILLIAMS
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST
ISABELLA JONASEN
FACULTY ADVISOR KAREN HAMES
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Are these acts of freshman hazing truly a harmless tradition or a form of bullying?
Mumbling dejectedly into the microphone, senior Commissioner of Assemblies Baron Shroff calls, “Can I hear it for the freshmen?”
The crowd responds with a roar of boos and jeers.
At SPHS, many students may not have encountered the movietypical bullying visualized in 1990s high school dramas. However, the tradition of booing freshmen at school assemblies can be recognized as a form of it, albeit more nuanced. It degrades the freshmen and makes them feel “lesser than” the older students, solely due to their grade level.
While the booing of freshmen at assemblies can seem like a harmless rite of passage, it is a sign of the deeper issue of freshmen alienation at SPHS.
While this may appear to be an issue that affects only freshmen, upperclassmen must be cognizant of their own behavior and contributions to this; recognizing bullying is critical to create effective change. The current practice of bullying freshmen is unacceptable.
Many upperclassmen do not even recognize this as an issue — because they underwent the same rituals, some even believe they are right to continue the tradition of booing.
“It’s hazing in a good way,” one junior said. “They need to know that we need to work academically to get up into the higher positions of the school.”
Students should not be put down for their age, something that they cannot change — no matter how loudly they are booed.
Freshmen are new to the high school and are not familiar with certain prospects of SPHS. As the youngest grade at the high school, they should not be shamed for their lack of knowledge, but instead supported by the older students to fill in the gaps.
One freshman commented, “I feel degraded by upperclassmen on cross country who call me ‘freshie’ and tell me that ‘[I am] just a little freshman.”
cheers and jeers
BOO to Thanksgiving. I don’t want to hug Uncle Steve.
BOO to AP Lang. This is taking years off of my life.
BOO to November 1, the generational lock in to enjoy halloweekend is crazy.
BOO to notebook checks. Where’s the trust? (I didn’t do it)
BOO to that guy who tortures wasps on TikTok. Arrest him before it’s too late.
The issue is that the act of booing, whether malicious or ignorant, has real consequences.
“I don’t feel bad. They did it to us when we were there. I have zero regrets if I do it. [It is] just like tradition,“ a junior said.
Tradition is a big part of Tiger life at SPHS, and booing the freshmen is an act as old as time. The general mentality among upperclassmen is that the “hazing” is a rite of passage, and is therefore a necessary step for new students at SPHS.
However, just because it happened to the older students does not mean that the legacy of hate must be passed down from grade to grade.
Many seniors, juniors, and sophomores participate in this action. They boo their traumatic freshman years rather than the actual freshmen in the crowd. Bad memories and experiences should not be taken out on others — especially those still creating their own foundational memories of the high school, like the freshmen.
“I wouldn’t consider it outright hate, but … it’s fake hate, like you’re just doing it because of culture and stuff … just being mean to your underclassmen and thinking that’s okay,” a freshman said.
A junior who supported what they recognized as “hazing” also stated that, “as a freshman I felt that I didn’t belong.”
While both upperclassmen and freshmen recognize that the tradition makes people feel bad, no students are taking preventative measures to end it.
“Well, it’s making us feel kind of bad, but at the same time, we’re kind of used to it.” A freshman said. “So it’s not that big of a deal, really, because eventually, when we’re seniors, we’re probably going to do it too.”
The legacy of freshman alienation does not have to be passed down, grade after grade. The continuous practice of booing freshmen first comes across as harmless, but it is a form of bullying that students must take active steps to eliminate.
BRAVO to the tired eyes emoji. You speak to me. BRAVO to furry art. The bills don’t pay themselves.
BRAVO to Banquo. I get the lesson but the shirtsleeves are distracting me.
BRAVO to supplemental essays! (someone save me)
BRAVO to Jellycats. The grip they have on our generation is unreal.
The topics debated on the 2026 budget are affecting the livelihoods of millions of Americans. Compromise must be met.
STORY LEIGHTON KWOK
ILLUSTRATION JAYDEN ZUMBA
Continued from Page 1
Due to this, the budget will now require a supermajority vote of 60 senators to pass.
The Democratic Party refuses to sign the GOP bill without renewing the Affordable Care Act Subsidies and protecting food aid programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which the bill currently seeks to eliminate.
The Affordable Care Act Subsidies reduce the cost of monthly premiums and, in some cases, reduce the cost of out-of-pocket expenses like deductibles and copays. If it does expire, the public’s medical expenses could go up by more than 75 percent, resulting in more than four million people losing their healthcare insurance in the next decade.
SNAP is a federal aid program that helps low-income individuals and families afford nutritious food. Under the GOP bill, the funding for the SNAP program is at risk of being cut by Republicans. Democrats are pushing to protect and fully fund SNAP in the budget negotiations. SNAP is considered one of the most effective tools against hunger, and cutting it would mean 42 million American individuals who receive care from this program would starve, which could lead to even more public protection programs getting cut.
When the government enters a shutdown, Congress is forced to use the leftover money from previous years to fund the unprotected time. With this, the U.S. is faced with some immediate effects that cannot be put to rest. Thousands of federal employees are put on unpaid
leave — notably not congressmen and congresswomen, who are still paid during a shutdown — and although the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 should guarantee them back pay, it is unclear if the Trump administration will find a way to circumvent this. $400 million is owed to federal employees for every new day of the shutdown.
Back in 2019, the U.S. permanently lost a total of $3 billion due to the disagreements between Donald Trump and the House of Representatives over the building of the Mexican Border.
Now that the U.S. has surpassed the longest shutdown ever, the total money lost will be much greater.
If the Senate continues to argue over the bill, it is unknown how much the country will lose both socially and economically.
Instead of focusing on this issue, Congress is spending its time doing more frivolous things. The number of bills Congress has presented throughout the past month have either been unproductive or unnecessary for the movement of the passing of the 2026 budget.
One bill that was presented by the Senate during the government shutdown is S. Res. 474, which would designate October 2025 as “National Country Music Month.”
As the shutdown drags on, the stakes grow higher — not only for federal workers, but also for millions of Americans whose health, food security, and livelihoods hang in the balance of this budget. While distractions like National Country Music Month may offer moments of levity, they do little to address the urgent needs of a nation in fiscal limbo. Until Congress can find common ground, the cost of inaction will continue to rise in dollars and in trust for America’s current leaders.
STORY SONYA SHIMPOCK & SOLANA SINGER ILLUSTRATION
KRISTEL HOUNG
Planned Parenthood lists 18 birth control methods on its website ranked by effectiveness and ease of use. Among the top options are the implant, intrauterine device (IUD), shot, vaginal ring, patch, and pill — each with varying side effects and price tags that can stretch into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. For many consumers, these methods are not only hard to access but also come with health
Ever since I joined Tiger, I have only fulfilled the role of photographer.
Wait — let me start from the actual beginning: ever since I stepped foot in Ms. Loo’s Broadcast Journalism class, I’ve been taking photos. No, that’s not the actual beginning: ever since I was born, I’ve been around cameras. Literally, immediately after I was born, my dad picked up the camera strapped around his neck and snapped a photo. This was my first real introduction to cameras. All throughout my 16 years alive, I’ve been either using cameras or surrounded by my dad’s
consequences. Hormonal birth control can cause side effects ranging from mood swings and weight gain to acne or depression, depending on the consumer.
Additionally, due to their disruption of the body’s natural hormones, these forms of birth control can also cause breakthrough bleeding or stomach cramps. The dangers to new users are often more severe: a lack of information prior to beginning birth control — such as proper use while on other medications or while ingesting alcohol or drugs — can be difficult to find and process.
The unclear communication of usage protocols can create health issues, especially if one is unwilling to reach out for help to avoid the stigma surrounding birth control’s use.
Without proper education on birth control options and their associated side effects, misinformation can spread, especially in easily influenced groups like adolescents. The lack of accurate information about birth control among teens can lead to incorrect or harmful use.
Beyond the hormonal implications that come with it, teens on birth control are also subject to social stigma. It is not widely recognized that birth control is taken for a range of different reasons beyond pregnancy prevention — consumers use it to control PMS, alleviate intense cramps, and manage irregular periods. Instead, birth
professional cameras (I am a photography nepo baby). But as I grow more aware of my position as a photographer for Tiger, I’ve felt stuck in the same workflow. I’m almost falling out of love with it. Don’t get me wrong: photography is great! But I haven’t felt like I’m giving my all to the paper, as my time at Tiger has been entirely one-sided. I go out, take the photos assigned to me, upload them, and I’m done. The position of photographer, in my opinion, doesn’t allow for any natural alternate role development, especially in the field of writing. Because of this, it’s hard for me to transfer my skills to another department of the newspaper, and as the school year goes by, opportunities drop like flies.
Tiger holds a session of brainstorms in preparation for each print issue that we produce. During this time, editors assign articles to writers, and for our September brainstorm, our Editor-in-Chief, Sonya, asked if anyone was interested in writing a column. I briefly wondered if I could make a contribution to the paper and decided that yes, I would want to write a column. I would want to step out of my comfort zone. But in the 30 seconds while Sonya waited for a response, I didn’t say anything. Perhaps I was waiting for another person to respond to her question. The beat of silence passed and Sonya assigned the column to a different writer.
control is often misinterpreted as a clear sign that the user is sexually active.
Like any topic of intrigue within adolescent circles, sex is surrounded by a high level of stigma. Both teens who have sex and teens who do not are faced with paradoxical shame — teens are labeled as “easy” if they have lost their virginity by graduation, but they are losers if they have not.
This stigma is projected directly onto birth control use, promoting a culture of generalized and derogatory assumptions about the sexual status of others.
Students of any age have the right to access birth control services confidentially and without parental permission. However, many students remain unaware of these rights or how to access reliable reproductive healthcare providers and contraceptives.
SPHS and organizations such as Planned Parenthood could bridge this gap by offering more educational resources that normalize conversations about birth control and work to remove the stigma surrounding it.
This shift can start with SPHS students: by focusing discussions about birth control on autonomy instead of judgment and assumption, students can work to empower both themselves and their peers to make informed choices about their personal health.
I usually wouldn’t think too hard about moments like this, but it lingered in my mind to the point that I had a dream about the consequences of my silence. In the dream, my actions in the Tiger room somehow escalated to me getting a 2 on a timed write in AP Lang — which, unfortunately, would not be an unfamiliar or surprising experience. But here I am, writing my very first column for Tiger Newspaper — which certainly is a new experience. If I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that the phrase, “take every opportunity you get” should not be a cliché.
Opportunities come in all forms and can affect you in all sorts of ways, whether it’s your friend asking you to come hang out with them or your teacher proclaiming that you can get extra credit if you do an extra assignment. If you take them — or, more specifically, do what is suggested to you — you’re more likely to have a beneficial, unique, or positive experience. So when you decide whether to take the opportunity, the excuse that the phrase is categorized as cliché, may cause you to lose out on that beneficial, unique, or positive experience. So don’t think in cliché!
In light of this, I say, “Go out and take that FREE college essay writing course; I know I need to!”
Until the Mills Act process is efficient and enforceable, it must not take precedence over LCFF funds.
STORY LEIGHTON KWOK & SONYA SHIMPOCK ILLUSTRATION JAYDEN ZUMBA
California’s main system for funding public schools, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), combines state aid and local property taxes. According to SPUSD’s publicly available financial reports, the district expects to collect about $53.6 million in LCFF revenue by the end of the current school year, which is roughly 75 percent of its total projected revenue. In other words, about three out of every four dollars SPUSD receives are tied to LCFF, making the funding source an essential part of the district’s upkeep and function.
LCFF funding is collected through a multitude of different pathways, but a significant one is local property taxes. SPUSD’s 2025–26 budget shows that SPUSD receives state-aid in relation to LCFF funds, meaning that when local property taxes are insufficient to meet the LCFF target, California provides aid to reach the funding entitlement. However, the state’s calculation uses prior year data to determine the funding supplement, so property tax shortfalls can cause cash flow gaps and increase pressure on California to supplement funding. Additionally, if statewide revenues decline, the backfill may be incomplete.
Because of this, it is essential that South Pasadena residents pay property taxes to ensure that the school district — which is projected to generate around $5 million dollars of deficit spending for this school year — is not forced to make further financial cuts to its employee base or school-sanctioned programs due to a lack of LCFF funding. However, this process has been put in jeopardy by South Pasadena’s highly contested Mills Act, which reduces the amount of property taxes that South Pasadena collects and potentially endangers a funding stream necessary for LCFF.
South Pasadena’s City Council (SPCC) has been clear and persistent in its desire to maintain the historical homes in the city. South Pasadena’s Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) contributes to this effort by reviewing Mills Act contracts, which provide a significant property tax reduction to incentivize maintaining, rehabilitating, and restoring historic properties.
There are 23 current South Pasadena properties that are provided with property tax breaks under the Mills Act. The total loss in property tax revenue due to this is
not public information, but the figures for an additional three properties that were recently approved for the Mills Act contracts at a CHC meeting in June are: together, the three properties will reduce South Pasadena property tax revenue by around $1.3 million.
A Mills Act contract spans a 10-year period and is renewed automatically each year on the anniversary date of the contract. However, many houses that are supplied with tax breaks to finance the upkeep of historic homes are behind on the necessary work outlined in a CHC reviewed Rehabilitation and Restoration Plan under the Mills Act.Four properties failed to finish remodels within the 10 year contracts, and 16 properties are quickly approaching the 10 year contract but still have ongoing work. Beyond this, three properties have completed all work listed in the Rehabilitation and Restoration Plan, but are still receiving tax breaks because of no notice of non-renewal of the Mills Act contract.
While it is undeniably crucial to maintain South Pasadena’s historic homes, it becomes problematic when
this preservation of a bygone era comes at the cost of the current one. The money that is effectively lost through property tax reductions under the Mills Act does not appear to be as effective as the SPCC claims it to be — the lack of follow through on many of the properties benefitting from tax breaks while not efficiently fulfilling a CHC Rehabilitation and Restoration Plan suggests that this money may be better preserved through maintaining the local tax base that supports LCFF funding. It is important to clarify that a reduction in property taxes does not necessarily create a dollar-todollar loss in LCFF funding, but it weakens the reliability of the district’s primary revenue stream.
With the district’s multi-million dollar deficit spending, even modest reductions in local tax revenue can have a negative impact on the support SPUSD receives. Preserving historic homes through the Mills Act should not come at the expense of district funding. Until the SPCC can ensure that Mills Act tax breaks truly serve the public good, the city should reconsider whether the program’s benefits justify its cost to the community’s students.
turns the “#MeToo” movement upside down
ILLUSTRATION DIANA LOPEZ
One in five U.S. women have experienced attempted or completed rape in their lifetimes, but only one in three victims report their assault. Out of those reported, fewer than six in 300 rapes result in incarceration.
Many women feel afraid to come forward reporting sexual violence for a multitude of different reasons, including a fear that the police will not do anything, retaliation from the perpetrator, and the most common: shame. Speaking up is already difficult, but it is also an incredibly vulnerable act to discuss a traumatic event in front of a court and risk facing extreme judgment or consequences to health, safety, or career prospects if no one believes their account.
In order to help women come forward, Tarana Burke started the Me Too movement, bringing many people together to address the concern in 2006 and support survivors of sexual abuse, violence, and harrasment through empathy and community.
Then, in October of 2017, actress Alyssa Milano popularized the hashtag, #MeToo, to encourage survivors of sexual assault to share their stories. This garnered widespread public attention for the movement as many people began sharing their stories due to the solidarity and support it gave women when coming forward with sexual abuse. Nevertheless, despite the progress the #MeToo movement has made, critics have begun to twist it to imply that it enables women to make false accusations.
This critique has led to discouragement and fear for women to come forward and make a report about the sexual abuse they have experienced.
Taking part in such a powerful movement can be intimidating for many, especially when there is so much to lose. There are extreme reputational, social, and mental consequences that they undergo if not believed in court. However, Burke had started to ease the stigma around coming forward and reporting sexual abuse, making
women feel more comfortable and safe when talking about such issues. In her words, “MeToo is about gaining power from knowing there is someone who gets you.”
With the phrase “me too” gaining popularity, more and more women joined the movement, spreading the idea that women should have the right to be heard.
However, critics of the #MeToo movement have a different interpretation: with the increased number of women reporting sexual assault, they have begun to push the narrative that the majority of the accusations are fictional. Categorizing the movement as “enabling false accusations” disregards those strong enough to share their stories.
Accusing women of taking advantage of the #MeToo movement to place blame on certain individuals is re-establishing the fear of disbelief that the movement initially sought to eliminate. While there may be certain cases where some women have used #MeToo to their advantage, viewing these outliers as the majority diminishes the original purpose of the movement.
Classifying the #MeToo movement as a ploy for women to make false reports undermines the positive impacts it has had. It has brought many powerful figures, such as Harvey Weinstein, to justice for their actions, as well spurring state legislatures to pass laws to better protect victims.
The movement increased public awareness about sexual abuse and harrassment, helping to remove the stigma surrounding the topic. As the #MeToo movement seeks to prove, gender does not determine if one is worthy of being listened to, whether the audience is the public or a jury.
Women have a voice, and do not need to be told what to do or what to say. Disparaging the movement will only silence that voice, causing damage to the progress made.
Staying informed on issues like these — and being able to support women through their statements — can help counteract the hate that the #MeToo movement is receiving.
Tiger aimed to answer the question of why students cheat and how they get away with it. Through a Google population, and through interviews with students of all grade levels, Tiger found that, contrary to teacher
I’d rather deal with my own internal guilt of cheating on the test, than the external shame from my parents and peers for performing poorly.
—Junior
Sometimes I want to tattle on the cheaters, because … it feels like it invalidates my own effort. But it’s social code. You can’t snitch.
—Senior
You shouldn’t cheat because ‘the class is just too hard’ because you’re the one who signed up for the challenging class.
—Sophomore
Cheating is just too easy, and too convenient, and without consequences.
—Junior
The pressure to perform well is so stifling … There were so many expectations to live up to, and I guess I cheated to take an easy way out. “
“
—Junior
There is serious academic pressure that forces people to take classes harder than they can succeed in. It’s no one’s fault, it just is.
—Sophomore
A lot of students are embarrassed or ashamed to get the help they need … Students crave academic validation and will do whatever it takes to get it, including cheating.
PAGE DESIGN & VISUALS LANAH KIM
• 343 students out of the school’s approximately 1400 students (24.5 percent) responded to Tiger’s survey; 39.3 percent were freshmen, 18.2 percent were sophomores, 18.2 percent were juniors, and 23.5 percent were seniors
• 27.8 percent of students have cheated on tests more than once, and 5 percent cheat “quite often” or “on most/all assessments in most/all classes”
Students who consistently or sometimes take AP or honors classes were 10 percent more likely to have cheated on an assessment than students who do not typically take AP or honors classes
56.2 percent of students would tell no one if they witnessed someone cheating on an assessment, 42.9 percent would tell their friends, and 17.2 percent would tell their teacher
• 36.4 percent of students were more likely to cheat in certain classes, 26.5 percent were more likely to cheat with certain teachers, and 52.4 percent were not more likely to cheat under either circumstance
• Of students who have cheated on one or more assessment, 47.4 percent had minimal worry because they believed the teacher would not find out, 22.4 percent had minimal worry because they believed they were good at cheating, and 10.0 percent had minimal worry because they believed the consequences were not that bad
• 54.8 percent of students believe copying answers from a friend’s math homework with their permission is cheating, while 32.5 percent believe that using ChatGPT to research, brainstorm, or outline an English essay is cheating
In response to the survey’s open-ended “overall comments on cheating at SPHS” prompt, various students discussed their beliefs of the low risk and high reward of cheating at SPHS
Have you cheated on an assesment before?
Do you know someone who cheated on an assessment?
Google Form survey that received approximately 350 responses, or about a quarter of the school student teacher belief, a large percentage of SPHS students do cheat for reasons explained in this center spread.
“I think I’ve perfected how
A junior who has been cheating consistently on assessments since eighth grade was confident enough in his ability to get away with cheating that he was willing to sit down with Tiger and thoroughly discuss his experience. He claims to have a 100 percent success rate on the tests, quizzes, and finals he has cheated on since middle school; he also estimates that he cheats on more than of 40 percent of assessments.
“I see a lot of what we do at school as kind of useless … It’s really funny to see how many holes there are in the school system,” the junior said. “Usually I feel like I’m never gonna get caught, it’s pretty easy not to. I think I’ve perfected how to do it.”
His methods of cheating are abundant and versatile enough that locked Google Forms and in-class handwritten essays can be cheated on. If one method is close to getting caught, the junior will simply swap it out for a readily available new one. Cheating comes easily enough to him that little planning is required; the junior can simply stroll into class and decide on the spot if he will cheat on the day’s assessment.
“It’s usually the day of. It’s actually really easy because I have a lot of connections and other people in almost every class I need,” he said. “It’s really easy to get what I need, even the day of.”
These connections, along with a school culture in which snitching on cheaters is greatly frowned upon, are the primary reasons why the junior, per his account, has never been caught cheating by a teacher or school administrator. It is also because of these reasons that the junior does not try very hard to keep his cheating a secret from other students. He instead will talk openly about it, knowing that the likelihood of any given student informing a teacher about his cheating is remarkably low. He speculates that his cheating influences his friends and those around him to cheat themselves, and he claims that he will give test answers to anyone who asks.
The junior said that he would never tell on anyone who he witnesses cheating and does not understand why anyone would tell on someone who is cheating, since “it doesn’t affect [the person who tattles].”
“I didn’t want to cheat ... I needed to”
It is a fact that students cheat, but the question of why arises. Some students noted craving academic validation, while others discussed being unable to understand the content, yet too embarrassed to ask for help and unwilling to accept a lower grade.
“I tried asking the teacher for help, and I tried Veritas tutoring, but still every test I did poorly. None of it helped … I didn’t want to cheat, but I felt I needed to,” a junior said. “The pressure to perform well is so stifling at this school … There were so many expectations to live up to, and I guess I cheated to take an easy way out.”
AP Government teacher Oliver Valcorza noted similar reasons as to why students cheat. “Students cheat probably because it’s a lot of the pressure of wanting to do well,” he said. “And then, of course, [they] measure their performance with their peers. They want to get those high scores. And unfortunately, for some, they want to do it in any way possible, which is not always the best idea.”
Other students, however, blamed their own cheating on teachers, not themselves.
“The way that teachers think is if a student of theirs is failing, it’s the student’s fault, but a lot of the time, the way that the teachers are teaching, [students] just can’t understand it … If they have a kid that has a lot of potential in their class, they will devote their energy to that kid rather than helping those who are struggling,” a freshman said. “It’s also how competitive everything is … Teachers will compare class averages to other class averages, making you feel worse about your grade.”
Most teachers believe that cheating is not a “rampant problem” at SPHS. “Sometimes, there may be a temptation,” one teacher said, “but I think for the most part, they’re honest.”
However, data collected from a Tiger survey estimated that more than two in five SPHS students have cheated on an assessment.
One senior estimated that 75 percent of cheating at SPHS goes unnoticed by teachers, and because of this, the senior explained that it is easy to pity those who do get caught.
“It’s easy to feel bad for students when they do get caught. I definitely agree that cheating is wrong, but when so many students get away with it all the time, I feel bad for the few students who are unlucky enough to get caught,” the senior said.
A junior echoed the senior’s message, saying, “Teachers: Students cheat in every grade level, in every rigor of class. Freshmen are not too young to cheat, and AP students are not too academic to cheat, and all that stuff in between. If you’re a teacher and you don’t catch students cheating in your class, it doesn’t mean they’re not cheating, it means you need to get better at catching them.”
Too busy, not enough time, need sleep
It was the only way I thought I’d be able to raise my grade
The teacher didn’t explain the content so I didn’t feel obligated to understand
I’m bad at the subject and had given up trying to understand it
Couldn’t be bothered to study
Neither STEM nor humanities fields hold more value in future careers.
STORY SONYA SHIMPOCK
ILLUSTRATION LANAH KIM
Most colleges on the Common Application require prospective students to declare their choice of major before they can submit their application. Due to the presumed permanence of the selection, many students are forced to consider factors beyond talent or passion — namely, whether their major will lead them to a profitable and stable career.
“In terms of [college] applications, I don’t see a lot of people applying for humanities. Most people apply for STEM,” senior Maxwell Man said. “Both [disciplines] should be valued the same.” Man’s observation reflects a trend that has only continued to grow in the past two decades: college students appear to be losing interest in the humanities.
Salary and job permanence are governing factors of the job market. As students emerge from college, if they choose to enter the job market, they must do so with the requisite skills that employers expect. Because of this, the technical abilities refined in STEM majors like biology or chemistry are often perceived as more valuable than the soft skills and problem-solving abilities gained from humanities-based majors — an assumption that oversimplifies both disciplines. Neither is inherently more valuable.
The push and pull of the different disciplines has bled far beyond college to pervade lower-level academic institutions like middle and high schools, especially schools that emphasize academic success and ambition like SPHS. Following the Great Recession of 2008, college students turned away from the humanities and instead chose to major in more career-oriented fields such as engineering or health-based studies, a reasonable response to the economic crisis. However, once the economy began to recover and unemployment dropped, college students stayed their course; the majority did not return to the humanities.
Data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System shows this trend reached a peak in 2020:
for the eighth straight year, students graduating with a humanities major fell. In 2020, only 200,000 humanities degrees were awarded — a drop in graduation rates of somewhere between 16 and 29 percent, depending on which majors are considered “humanities.”
Just as the origin of the withdrawal from humanities majors was rooted in the 2008 economic crisis, it may still be perpetuated for economic reasons. Using data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, The New York Times reports that full-time workers between the ages of 23 and 25 who held degrees in STEM subjects such as computer science and engineering “earned an average of $61,744 in 2017,” which was “37% higher than the average starting salary of $45,032 earned by people who majored in history or the social sciences.”
Many students hold the belief that STEM degrees lead to more profitable careers. Art, theater, or literature degrees are often mocked as “ineffective” in the job market, which can drive students who may be genuinely interested in the subjects away from them.
However, the increased salary advantage that STEM majors hold over humanities majors drastically decreases by age 40, as the technical skills derived from STEM majors become obsolete as younger, more modernly educated graduates enter the workforce. Conversely, humanities majors find greater success later in their careers; the skills that they develop mature and build. Harvard economist David Deming found that this skill turnover among STEM graduates is correlated with their slower growth in earnings as they reach the age of 40. In his paper exploring this phenomenon, he noted that “male computer science or engineering majors roughly doubled their starting salaries by age 40, to an average of $124,458.” Humanities majors who held degrees in social science and history, however, “earned $131,154 — an average that is lifted, in part, by high-paying jobs in management, business and law.”
As SPHS seniors continue to apply to college, students can consider their genuine passion and interests in their choice of major instead of false societal notions of differing academic value.
KWAK
Thursdays in Room 312
All I wanted to do when I became a freshman was join the SPHS literary magazine. There was none, so I joined Tiger. The next year, I founded Voice Box. I figured there had to be people like me who didn’t have a designated space on campus to connect through a shared passion for creative writing.
I liken the club to a busy intersection. Our discussions fuse art and literature. So far this year, we’ve read and discussed Raymond Carver (next up: Laszlo Krasznahorkai), watched and responded to a short film, and deconstructed the mermaid. Our meetings are structured as informal conversations, where debate is encouraged and questions are explored.
The most important goal of the club is not to impose or “teach” definitions of literature but rather to holistically explore literature through history, craft, and “learning by doing.” Through generative journaling, I hope to make room for a bit of imperfection within our otherwise highly scheduled lives. In a society that is toxically productive, just taking a few minutes to write without thinking can be cathartic.
If there’s anything I hope club members take away from our writing exercises, it is to be unlimited within the limitations. I hope that club members can find community and reach their own conclusions on what creative writing means to them.
The second most important mission of Voice Box is to publish and distribute an annual print volume of student art and writing. We hope that students are encouraged to continue to create by seeing their art and writing on the page. We distribute copies to the community, with the hope that more people can read and appreciate student work. Internally, our editorial discussions not only center around the submissions we receive but also focus on the literary world now. We are developing our own sense of why literary publishing is important to the global literary culture. What is the importance of advocating for art we believe in? That is the question that drives our editorial ethos.
So far, both of our Open Mics have been hosted in the Little Theater to celebrate Issues 1 and 2 (Thanks, Mr Hoffa!). Both issues’ printing costs have also been funded by teacher-direct grants (Shoutout SPEF!). We’ve come a long way since the days when the entirety of the magazine would be placed into InDesign at Teamorrow. Now, our editorial and design process is much more structured.
The production cycle begins in October with the call for submissions announcement. All the submissions are read blindly by our editorial team. Our editorial roundtables begin over winter break and continue in person until every submission has been thoroughly and thoughtfully discussed. We write emails to every student, sometimes with copy edits or editorial feedback. Sometime in February, we begin to place everything into InDesign. The copy editing process follows. The cover art is designed and the proofs are sent to the printer, just in time for our annual Open Mic in April.
While excess use of social media may be treated as a bad habit, in reality it is a dangerous addiction.
STORY UMA CHAKRABORTY
& HARRIET GODSON
ILLUSTRATION DIANA
LOPEZ
According to the World Health Organization, more than one in 10 adolescents have shown signs of problematic social media behavior. It is increasingly common for parents to give young kids access to screens and social media. The negative effects can be shown to impact social, focus, and emotional skills.
Substance abuse and social media addiction have comparable effects on the brain. It is a well-known fact that drug addictions have devastating mental consequences, including trouble with focus, memory, and learning.
While a social media addiction is not as severe as a drug addiction, it has some similar effects on the brain. New research is showing similarities between those with substance addictions and those who use social media excessively, such as prioritizing scrolling over relationships and work, and having withdrawal
symptoms when attempting to quit. Altered dopamine receptors mimic the symptoms of behavioral addictions and substance use disorders, according to Lindsay Oberleitner, a clinical psychologist at SimplePractice in Detroit, Michigan.
“Feel-good substances and behaviors increase dopamine release in the brain’s reward pathways. The brain responds to this increase by decreasing dopamine transmission — not just back down to its natural baseline rate, but below that baseline,” Stanford psychiatrist Anna Lembke said. “Repeated exposure to the same or similar stimuli ultimately creates a chronic dopamine-deficit state, wherein we’re less able to experience pleasure.”
This means that over time, higher amounts of screen time on social media will be necessary to achieve the same level of happiness. Excess usage of social media can change the brain’s dopamine receptors and cause simple activities such as hanging out with friends, reading, or watching long-form content to be less appealing or even stressful.
Like substance abuse, addiction to social media is hard to quit. Even those who recognize that their school, work, and personal relationships are being damaged still find it difficult to give up or reduce. Many face withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and feeling a physical need for the device.
“Broadly, in addictive disorders, we see a pattern of loss of control, compulsivity of use, negative consequences on personal and interpersonal functioning, and intense desires for use,” Oberleitner said.
These issues are especially harmful to teenagers, as they are at a higher risk of developing a social media addiction. Because their brains are constantly developing, they are more prone to the negative effects it can have. They are also less likely to consider the potential consequences of social media use on their mental health and brain development.
These effects can lead to decreased productivity in the classroom and school environment. Though teenagers are primarily affected, so are younger children. With lower attention spans, excessive social media or screen use can interfere with a child’s social and emotional development. According to Oberleitner, it can be detrimental to building coping skills, emotional regulation, and social adeptness.
American pediatric experts suggest that the pacing of children’s media directly impacts their attention span, behavior, and ability to build skills critical to development. Fast-paced kids’ shows or content catered towards children online, like YouTube videos, can be very overstimulating. This content makes it harder to concentrate and leads to a much shorter attention span.
Social media can be extremely addictive, even having comparable effects to drug usage on the brain. It damages memory, learning, and focus, and detrimentally affects the attention span. It is crucial to be intentional with the media consumed and be aware of its effects on the brain, especially in critical developmental stages like childhood and adolescence.
STORY
The annual SPHS fall play is coming to the Little Theatre on Friday, Nov. 7.
Unlike previous years, this year’s production is a combination of two plays, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind and Gone Missing
The cast has been working extremely hard since midSeptember and is excited to deliver an interactive, unconventional, and hilarious performance.
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind ran from 1988 to 2016 in Chicago. Its central gimmick is that there is a countdown from 60 minutes, thus its nickname, “30 Plays in 60 Minutes.”
There is no set order of the play. This means that the audience can call out what skit they want to see next, and whatever they say, the cast performs. This gives the show a swift pace and a fun element of surprise, highlighting the cast’s talents on stage to transform quickly from one
skit to another. There is no set plot to this play, so every performance will be different than the day before. “It is extremely funny and a perfect night for friends and family,” said SPHS sophomore and producer Lexi Mayne.
The second half of the play is called Gone Missing, written by the theater company The Civilians, and is a musical about things people have lost in their lives.
It can be items lost, such as a shoe, or even relationships and other emotions. Just like Too Much Light, there is also no set main character, and everyone will have roughly equal parts.
Unlike anything the fall play has done before, Gone Missing is a musical and will be the first musical ever performed in the Little Theatre.
Contrary to other musicals, Gone Missing speaks directly to the audience and has vast dialogue to go along with the songs. “It alternates between hilarious and heartbreaking,” Drama teacher Nick Hoffa said.
Last year, the fall play was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written by William Shakespeare, as traditional a play as can
be. It was a terrific production, but this year, Hoffa wanted to switch things up. “It’s really valuable to have the students see that good theater is not just 500 years old, but that compelling material is being created today,” Hoffa says.
In Too Much Light, there are 23 cast members; in Gone Missing, there are 18 cast members, with 16 students performing in both shows.
Despite the limited number of cast members, more students tried out for the play than ever before. Additionally, each show has multiple producers to help reach its full potential.
Producers have fine-tuned the music, costumes, props, and blocking while cast members have practiced their lines, all to make for a night of fun.
“Even though people have likely not heard of either play, I hope people will come out, as it will be an incredibly fun night,” Hoffa says. “The shows are accessible and funny, and heartwarming. This is not a night of ‘boring theater’ that you are forced to go to, but hopefully an exhilarating and unexpected evening.”
Teachers may recommend a student drop an AP class that they are not prepared for to avoid failure. Students may interpret the advice as a sign that teachers are focused solely on their own AP exam pass rates.
STORY ZOE CHEN
LANAH KIM
Continued from Page 1
AP exam pass rates at the expense of the students’ education. This story aims to explain both perspectives. Students and teachers interviewed wished to remain anonymous. In September, a junior enrolled in an AP class received a C grade on a test, which was lower than the class average.
By her account, she was pulled aside by the teacher, who used her test performance as a clear sign that she would not succeed in the class and urged her to drop it. The student interpreted the teacher’s words as a message that she was not welcome in the class. The student was not discouraged by the idea of failing the class or AP test, assuming that she had nothing to lose; it is up to students to choose if they wish to submit AP exam scores to the colleges they apply to. However, she felt that the teacher prioritized their AP exam pass rate over the students’ learning or potential success. She dropped the class.
Two other students, one sophomore and one senior, told similar stories: both expressed the belief that their teachers had asked them to drop in order to preserve their AP exam pass rates. While the decision to drop a class is entirely up to the student, as teachers cannot force students to drop, many students feel awkward remaining in a class after their teachers have encouraged the opposite. AP teachers, on the other hand, noted a competitive academic culture at SPHS that drives students to enroll in advanced classes they may not be prepared for and to take high grades for granted.
“I think we’re very inclusive on who we allow to take classes … We keep in mind the fact that in a lot of AP classes, even if you earn a C, you’re learning more than you would in a standard-level class,” one AP teacher said. “For some students, that’s worth the trade-off. For others, they’re very focused on their GPA, and so we just want to respect where different students are at and
allow them to make that choice … of course, we want students to make that choice mindfully and with good information.” The teacher added that excellent grades in rigorous classes, while possible for some students, are simply not a reality for other students.
“I don’t feel like students should feel bad about not being one of the few who is able to manage that,” the teacher said. “I think the underlying reason for most students feeling that that is a necessity for them is to earn a place into the most competitive colleges, and that is where I will very emphatically state you do not have to attend the most competitive colleges to be successful in life … fit is just so much more important than name.”
The teacher explained that their guidelines as to when students may consider dropping the class are simply guidelines, and the ultimate choice is left to the student. The teacher added that student grades and AP exam scores largely do not affect the teacher.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look at my AP pass rate. But teachers are not judged on the basis of that pass rate, and I know that some of the lower scores I have are from students that are trying and still learning a lot, even
though they didn’t manage to pass. Some of those are students … I’m very proud of,” the teacher said. “I can’t speak for other AP teachers, but it’s not a major factor when I’m thinking about these things.”
Students in non-AP classes also receive recommendations to drop the class from their teachers. In those cases, AP exam pass rates are clearly not a motivating factor for teachers. One senior noted that, during their sophomore year, a teacher of a regularlevel class had recommended that the student drop the course and retake it a different year when they would be more prepared. Another student, earlier this year, found relief in their AP teacher’s advice to consider dropping the class. The student, in reflection, did not believe that they would have come to that conclusion without the teacher’s guidance, but believed that dropping was the right choice for them as an individual.
“He recommended I drop; it was very supportive though. It wasn’t aggressive in any way. It seemed like he just didn’t want me to fail, I don’t want to fail either,” the student said. “I’m glad he recommended I do it, because I wouldn’t have gotten there in time on my own, but it was the right decision for me.”
STORY ALISON SCHRADER
ILLUSTRATION KRISTEL HOUNG
“Taylor Swift is the music industry.” Following the release of Swift’s Magnum Opus 1989 in 2014, Barbara Walters made this famous remark. This quote is peddled by Swifties and serves as a reminder of the singer’s success. On Oct. 3, Swift’s 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, came out to mixed reviews. Some praised it for its simplistic pop feel, while others said it sounded lazy and unfinished. The gap between these opinions began to polarize over time, creating tensions between Swifties and haters, Swifties and normal people, and Swifties with other Swifties. Swift’s work is too popular to be interpreted only one way, so division is natural. A lack of focus, and a misleading central theme leave Swift’s Life of a Showgirl out of place in her discography.
This new era does not sound sonically distant from what many Swifties are already familiar with. The entire album was produced by Shellback, Swift, and pop icon Max Martin. These three have made magic together on Swift’s older records like 1989 and Reputation. Before Swift was a stadium-selling, record-breaking Goliath, she was a 17-year-old girl getting praised for bringing country music back to a younger audience.
She released her debut album in 2006, and it became one of the most sold albums of any female artist that year, beating out artists like Beyonce and P!nk. Her rise was only more meteoric from there, with Album of the Year for her sophomore album, Fearless, at the 2009 Grammys. She kept growing as she shed her country accent and moved into pop with Red, with songs like 22. After her cancellation in 2017, she came back stronger (than a ‘90s trend) than ever with her “ultimate comeback” to Kanye West, Reputation
Swift had risen to new heights in 2019, but the world began to change in ways that nobody expected. Swift had kept a vice grip on millions of millennial women, but in 2020, with the softer Folklore/Evermore project, she was able to rope in Gen Z fans. These albums also made her more palatable and gave her critical acclaim. With her announcement of the Eras Tour, Swift returned to her peak and seemed to keep growing, quickly becoming the monoculture.
The Life of a Showgirl was announced on Aug. 12 on Travis Kelce’s — Swift’s fiancé — podcast, New Heights This was the first podcast that she had ever done, and it acted as a peek into Kelce’s and Swift’s private lives. Swift described the album as “12 bangers” and declared that it would be a return to pop after the 2024 The Tortured Poets
Department. She said the album would be a “look behind the curtain” and a deep dive into her life on the era’s tour. These statements set up the album to fail. Not only were 12 bangers notably absent on the album, but it featured very little about the happenings of the Eras Tour and focused on her and Kelce’s budding romance.
Fans and critics alike pointed out lazy and sloppy writing in different songs. The Life of a Showgirl feels like an overcorrection from the overly melancholic Tortured Poets Department into a dazzling, blinding light show. The songs have a more unique beat than many of her earlier numbers, but feel unfinished and lack soul. The emotional centerpiece of any Swift album is track 5, and Eldest Daughter is one of the worst tracks she has ever written. The slow piano chords create a sense of meaning and prime the listener to resonate with what she is going to say. Instead of heartfelt melodies, the audience hears a spoken word revisting her about her cancellation. Including slang from the time like “savage” or “looking fire.” While everyone is entitled to their struggles, dredging up her cancellation for an eleventh song feels cheap and stale. The song gives the impression that she is emotionally immature and dwells on her cancellation, but after Reputation, she seems to have nothing new to say.
This lack of viable subject material leads to patchy quality. Eldest Daughter’s bridge is the only part of the song that is decent. The chords change, her voice swells, and the words make sense. Unfortunately, the majority of the album follows this pattern. A decent bridge, good production, and unfocused writing.
While most of the album is an incoherent mess, other songs have become classics. Opalite has become a standout from the album. Its fun, upbeat melody explains her and Kelce’s relationship, and serves as a metaphor for making one’s own happiness. Opalite is the man-made version of the popular luxury stone, and Swift uses it as a comparison between her past and her future. The lyrics are succinct, clever, and follow a classic song structure. She shifts the narrative by talking about how her mother impacted her life and uses her wisdom to further her own relationship with Kelce. It is catchy and fun, and no part of the song feels weaker than another.
This new album will likely take a while to settle in. It may not be remembered as one of her best albums, or probably not even in the top ten. At the end of the day, it is only one album. Swift is one of the most prolific artists of this generation, and she has not given any indication that she will not make more music.
Tiger explores the Aquarium of the Pacific. Seals and sharks and penguins, oh my!
Aquarium of the Pacific has been on my bucket list for years. I was, and still am, a huge Percy Jackson kid, fascinated with the idea of somehow manifesting Percy’s power to communicate with sea animals and having a conversation with a spider crab through a glass enclosure. When the aquarium was pitched as a TAAGLAA destination, I jumped on it quickly, along with Alison, Emi, Lanah, and Helena.
On Saturday, I am finally about to achieve what I’ve been waiting years to do. Lanah, Helena, and I are waiting in Alison’s garage for Emi to arrive before we can make the 40-minute drive to Aquarium of the Pacific, where both Lanah and Alison have previously volunteered and therefore hold free tickets.
Looking around at the bags everyone has prepared, I’m feeling cognizant of my lack of aquarium knowledge, equipped with only my AirPods and a cellphone at a very solid 65 percent. I do, however, like to listen to David Attenborough documentaries when I’m stressed, so I’m tangentially familiar with the subject of sharks and have loudly informed Lanah three times about how excited I am to encounter one.
Emi arrives after about five minutes, and Lanah, Helena, and I pile into Alison’s car. I open a map to the aquarium on my phone and give very half-hearted directions to Alison — I can barely find my way out of a paper bag, and therefore likely should not have been trusted in this capacity — while Helena picks out a playlist to listen to. Soon, we’re listening to Raye’s WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! and cruising along the 710.
We arrive in Long Beach after a very spirited directional debate in which Emi correctly confiscated the map from me and pulled into a parking garage down the street to avoid the aquarium’s parking lot prices. Aquarium of the Pacific stands before us after a quick walk, and Alison ushers us through the doors so we can scan our tickets and proceed in.
The aquarium is only semi-congested —
with relative ease. Past the entry cafe, the first exhibit consists of sweeping glass walls that hold colorful fish and fake coral. Toddlers crowd around the front of the exhibit, fingers splayed on the glass as Garibaldi and lemon sharks glide through the water.
Further in, the walls are swapped out for isolated tanks that hold “gelatinous drifters” — jellyfish — and smaller tanks containing an isolated fish species. In one long hallway at the end of the exhibit, towering tanks built into the walls return, now arching above our heads, containing a group of seals and seal lions dubbed Parker, Chase, Cain, Ellie, Shelby, Troy, and Kaya by the information placard. Even though we lingered to catch a glimpse of them, only black-and-white spotted Ellie seemed to be interested in swimming up to the glass.
The rooms widen out the further we proceed, eventually branching out into an outside courtyard with a bold “SHARK LAGOON” sign strung on the opposite end.
Directly to the right of us is an aviary exhibit that we hurry through, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the parakeets that hop and fly overhead, constrained by a dome-like cage of reinforced wire. As we watch a guide feed a parakeet nectar from a small metal cup, a squirrel paws hopelessly at the wire, desperate to enter the exhibit.
Once we emerge, I quickly drag Emi, Helena, Lanah, and Alison to the shark lagoon. On the lower level, a side-view window reveals a huge eagle ray sprawled on the opposite corner of the tank, the ends of its body curling up as it shifts on the sand. I jump slightly as a blacktip reef shark comes cruising by the window.
Moving up a level led us to a stingray touch pond, where we could dip our hands into the shallow water and wiggle our fingers to attract the attention of docile stingrays with trimmed barbs. They came floating through the water to accept a gentle two-fingered pet down their slightly slimy backs. Emi quickly became popular and was repeatedly approached by very enthusiastic rays.
The next tank held the namesake of the
patiently hands me paper towels as I wash the touch tank water off my hands, we decide where we are going next: the moon jellyfish exhibit.
A two-minute walk from the shark lagoon found Emi, Alison, Lanah, Helena, and me at a jellyfish touch tank. Moon jellyfish floated throughout a circular tank, bobbing up and down in the dark water. Having just scrubbed my hand in the outside sink, I stood to the side and watched as Emi, Lanah, and Alison pressed two gentle fingers to the top crest of the jellyfish.
Past the jellyfish tanks is another upper level, and we climb a flight of stairs to reach the penguin exhibit. Each penguin is colored in sharp, clean lines of white and black, their flippers tagged with a loop of string and individually colored beads.
Upon chatting with the guide at the exhibit, I learned that the penguins had just undergone their annual “catastrophic molt” and had recently regrown the coats that allowed them to float, buoyant, on the top of the water tank.
After some obligatory pictures with the penguin statue in the corner of the exhibit, we proceed back inside to the interactive upstairs exhibits. Here, we could design virtual axolotls and salamanders on touchpads, which were then uploaded onto the hologram projected against the main wall, where our personal salamanders crawled along with other hand-colored sea creatures.
We end our day in the gift shop, where Lanah buys a Calico Critter-style otter figurine, and I resolutely resist purchasing a $25 mug. Once we validate our parking and emerge from Aquarium of the Pacific, it is a quick walk back to the parking structure before we begin the drive home.
The aquarium was a fun excursion, and occupied us easily for three hours. The facilities were well-cleaned and the staff was friendly, making it a satisfying way to spend an afternoon. It works well as a destination with younger children, but high school students also have opportunities to engage with guides and explore touch
Freking has led the football team to a league title as co-captain and hopes to play at the collegiate level.
STORY ANNA MCDONNELL
PHOTO HELENA EASTERBY
On Friday, Oct. 10, the South Pasadena football team faced off against the La Cañada Spartans on South Pasadena’s home field. During the game, it seemed as if the Spartans would win. When the team arrived, they were “cocky” and “mean,” says senior Trey Freking, the star SPHS running back and cornerback football player. Despite the rumors and comments, Freking stayed optimistic and put his best foot forward during the game. The Tigers pulled through and won 23-22.
“I love the team aspect of football and how you have a giant family around you. During games, you all function together as one unit and work together,” Freking said.
Freking’s passion for football began at a young age. In elementary school, he often threw a football around with his father and older brother; his father is a former collegiate football player for the University of California, Santa Barbara. In fifth grade, he joined a tackle football team, which he continued for several years until he eventually joined the SPHS JV football team.
Freking hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps and play in college at the University of Chicago, while majoring in business. The school has a Division III football team, and they have won the UAA several times in a row. Although Freking does not see himself going pro, his love for the sport compels him to pursue it in college.
“I don’t think going pro is in the picture for me, but I want to go to University of Chicago; they have a great business school, and I can play football, meet a bunch of people, and hopefully contribute to the team as much as I can,” Freking said.
Freking started to become more serious about his football career when he made the SPHS varsity football team in his junior year. His parents supported him throughout his skill development in football by ensuring he ate sustaining food and helping him through the sport’s ups
and downs. Soon after making the team, Freking realized that he was talented in the field and wanted to hone his skills throughout the rest of his high school career.
“The main help through high school was my mom and dad. They’re always supporting me and making sure I stay healthy,” Freking said.
It is a big jump from JV to varsity; there is more pressure on the athletes to be at their best, and there are evidently more people in the stands watching the players. Even though he had made it to varsity, Freking did not stop pushing himself or working hard. The SPHS football
team has won the past two league championship games in the two years with Freking on varsity.
“If I notice a part of my game or in school where I’m struggling, that motivates me to pursue that and get better in that field,” Freking said.
During the second-to-last game of his junior year, Freking tore a part of his shoulder that put him out for several weeks. He had to push through weeks of rehab to recover from the injury and basically start training from the beginning again. In addition to being physically injured, he missed the game the week following his injury, which the Tigers lost. This was very difficult for him mentally because he felt discouraged and partially responsible for the team’s loss. He had to recover from seeing all his hard work go to waste so he could be there for his team and redeem their loss the following season. It took him a while to get back to the level he was at, but despite the disappointment of having to restart his training, Freking did not give up.
“I’m very motivated and determined. I don’t give up easily, even if I’m not the best at something, I’m going to work as hard as I can to be the best,” Freking said.
Freking, in addition to being a star player, is the cocaptain of the SPHS football team. This has given him the opportunity to become more of a leader as well as a role model amongst the team. He has been able to hone his skills and help others. Freking also uses his skills from the field in his role as the Commissioner of Athletics in ASB.
“Being team captain has helped me grow as a person and become a better leader. In situations, I am able to speak up more and be more comfortable speaking out on things,” Freking said.
Freking is sure to have a bright future ahead of him as he continues to inspire his teammates and other incoming athletes and students.
“Keep working hard, you might get discouraged sometimes, but there is going to be a light in the tunnel if you stay committed and stay focused,” Freking said.
STORY HARRIET GODSON & KHLOE YUEN
PHOTOS LUCINDA ERNST
Student-athletes in the class of 2029 have shown extraordinary performances throughout the 2025 fall season. From girls’ cross-country to girls’ tennis, South Pasadena is home to impressive athletes with future potential for their sport.
When freshman Anna McDonnell and Sophia Tam made varsity cross country together, they quickly became friends, constantly encouraging each other and joking around between sets. Soon after the season began, the pair quickly became the top runners on varsity.
“We inspire each other to work harder and celebrate together when we perform well. It’s really nice to have a friend on the team who can push me to always do better,” McDonnell said.
McDonnell fell in love with running when she ran her first Tiger Run during elementary school. She did cross country in middle school, excited by the proposition of running on the varsity team. McDonnell’s personal record was 19:02 at the 2025 Woodbridge invitational. She broke the freshman course record for SPHS previously held by Abigail Errington, weeks later at the 2025 ASICS Clovis Invitational. McDonnell is motivated by her hope of running at the collegiate level.
“I worked really hard for this. I didn’t miss a day of practice. Even on vacation, I did extra work. That’s how badly I wanted it,” McDonnell said.
Following in her mom’s footsteps, Tam’s passion for running echoed her mother’s, having run on the crosscountry and track and field teams in middle school. Her personal best was 19:16 at the 2025 Woodbridge Cross Country Classic. Tam appreciates her teammates’ support and enjoys the cross-country environment.
“I love running because of all the friends I’ve made through it, the feeling I get after every run, and because it always pushes me to be mentally and physically stronger,” Tam said.
Bella Vanichsombat’s passion for golf bloomed after winning a most improved award in the youth development organization, First Tee, in 2022. From practicing one to two hours every day, to graduating from the Junior Development Tour program to the Player’s Tour, Vanichsombat has been working hard to secure her spot at number one on the varsity golf team.
Vanichsombat has been playing well all season with shocking scores like 37 and 35 at the par-36 Alhambra Golf Course and was ranked eighth in the Rio Hondo League, averaging around a score of +3 or +4 a match. Despite these impressive scores, she was not able to qualify for CIFs.
“I knew I was good enough to qualify, but all it took was one bad round on the day of CIFs,” Vanichsombat said. However, Vanichsombat refuses to let one bad day deter her from the game.
“What keeps me going even when it’s hard are the moments in golf when you win or have a good round. I keep on going because I know my hard work will pay off eventually,” Vanichsombat said. “I’m really grateful to be able to represent SPHS as their number one player [on the girls’ golf team].”
Caitlin Watson has played volleyball for three years, her hard work paying off when she earned a spot on the varsity volleyball team. Her stats reflect her talent and dedication. During the 2025 season, she ranked 13 for kills and 18th for blocks in the Rio Hondo League. As a freshman in the Southern Section Division 1/2, she was ranked seventh for hitting.
She is grateful to have her teammates’ and parents’ constant support throughout her club and school season.
“I’ve made so many new friends, and I’ve genuinely gained so much love for this sport again. My favorite part is my teammates because they’re so supportive and overall feel like the older sisters I’ve always wanted,” Watson said. Watson is always looking to improve, reviewing game footage her dad thoughtfully taped and pushing herself at every game and practice. She hopes to continue her passion after her high school career by playing for a Division I college.
The program, led by John Ramos, advocates for students looking to pursue a career in sports broadcasting.
STORY LUCINDA ERNST & LEIGHTON KWOK
PHOTO THEO THOMPSON
At the start of the 2026 school year, SPHS welcomed a new after-school program, the SPHS Broadcasting and Media team. The group focuses on webcasting the SPHS sports teams for parents, teachers, or anyone wishing to watch the game who cannot make it to the sideline. The livestreams are available on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Network, an organization that streams every high school sports game across America.
Students in the program learn how to set up technical broadcasting equipment and run it during games. While the supervisor monitors the recording to the NFHS Network, students are expected to learn the ropes. Playby-play analysis and color commentary narrate the game, periodically handing it off to the interviewer on the field. Students in the class learn how to execute each of these skills, rotating on sport and availability.
The creation of the program began with the SPHS Boosters setting the goal of providing a way for students to get involved in sports, and not only having a video of the game, but also having background audio to tell the audience what is happening in every play. With the need for a quick-paced person to get the ball rolling as the advisor, school Principal, John Eldred, lobbied John Ramos for the job. Being the high school’s campus supervisor for three years and the JV girls’ softball coach on and off for the last 13 years, Ramos was happy and eager to coach the team of upperclassmen for NFHS radio.
Ramos is no novice to sports broadcasting, as he worked for FOX Sports Radio and other large news stations for the last 30 years. His passion for the art, which started in college, made him feel like his job was never real work.
“What I love about sports broadcasting, and broadcast in general, is just the immediacy of it, the immediacy of radio and of audio that you know what happens,” Ramos said. “There are all different aspects of the communication
business, and sometimes you have to find the niche that you like. For me, it was broadcasting.”
Ramos carries this mindset with him as he teaches the high school group. He hopes to allow everyone to achieve something in the class, whether it be learning about the technical side or finding a new passion that they want to pursue for their future careers.
“I think this class really helps me, [it] just enhances the passion by getting to do hands-on work,” Ramos’ student junior Olivia Mendez said.
The students broadcast and sideline report games, then later on edit and critique each other on ways to improve their sense of the game and on command commentary. Ramos acknowledges that sports broadcasting is tough work. Therefore, allowing the students to practice and learn the ropes before going live on NFHS Network. Broadcasting is not just the live aspect, but also the preparation behind it.
It is evident that Ramos, via the Booster Club, creates a positive environment for learning through the broadcasting team. The team is hoping to cast and voice as many games as possible, expanding its reach to anyone with an interest in the world of sports journalism.
“I just want this to just keep growing. To spread the word, and they already have … so let’s see how far we can take it,” Ramos said. “I think it’s a wonderful thing that the booster club put this together in conjunction with the high school. I hope it can expand itself to many different aspects, not just broadcasting of the games, but to other things.”
TUESDAY, NOV. 18TH @ 5:30 PM, BOYS’ SOCCER VS. MARANATHA AT HOME
THURSDAY, NOV. 20TH @ 4:00 PM, GIRLS’ WATER POLO VS. BURROUGHS AT HOME
FRIDAY, DEC. 5TH @ 5:30 PM, GIRLS’ SOCCER @ SCHURR AWAY
STORY EVELYN DIAZ
PHOTO MAC SHROPSHIRE
Ray Solari Stadium comes alive with energy on fall Friday nights as the crowd rises to its feet. The school’s orange and black Tiger banner flies high, sprinting across midfield to rally both the stands and the players.
It comes up halfway through the second quarter with the Tigers trailing, the stadium lights catching the waving flag in sharp relief. It is pulled from the sideline by a dedicated student wearing Tiger spirit, charging forward across the field, cheered on by the band, the cheerleaders, and a sea of students in Color Day attire.
That single gesture changes the tone of the game. The Tigers seem to rise up. In the next series, the defense settles in. The offense answers, culminating in a touchdown. And when the scoreboard changes, the energy around the field does as well, because there is someone waving a a flag in celebration. Junior Sam Allen is often that someone.
“Running the flags during a football game is definitely the most exciting part,” Allen said. “It feels amazing getting to run down with hundreds of people cheering you on.”
For Allen, the experience goes beyond just sprinting across the turf.
“It feels amazing representing South Pasadena, knowing that not only did our team just score a touchdown or win the game, but the whole crowd is cheering you on as you run across the field,” Allen said.
Flag running is about spirit, bringing hope for the Tigers to bring out a win. It shows that school spirit is still ongoing and how much our school cares about it.
“To me, school spirit is the school cheering and coming out just to support our team. I can feel the excitement in the crowd when I’m running by, knowing that all of them are on the edge of their seats while they watch our team giving their all on the field,” Allen said. “I love how excited everybody gets during the games, and I love how I can be a part of that excitement.”
Allen was first introduced to the idea of flag runner last year through the distance track team. There, an assistant coach and college student named Austin Borgerding, whom Allen respected greatly, had been running the flag for football games that season. One day, while talking to Borgerding, Allen had jokingly asked to sub-in, running
the flag for them alongside one of Allen’s friends. Borgerding agreed.
That moment marked the beginning of a very notable and eye-catching job for Allen, running the large banner across the field to rally the stands’ spirits. After Borgerding transferred to the University of California, Irvine to continue his educational path, Allen became the face of the activity. Since then, Allen has joined any home football game when the team could not find someone to run the flags, and invites as many of his friends as possible to join him to not only as an exciting way to energize the game, but also to connect with the school. That first experience of flag running across the football field sparked a new routine. Beyond excitement and determination, the position helps bring students together, even those unfamiliar with football, and connects them to the crowd’s energy and South Pasadena spirit.
One of Allen’s favorite memories came during the homecoming football game, recalling when he and
several members of the homecoming court ran the flag together, all dressed in suits and dresses. It was one of the most memorable runs, with many people coming up afterward to comment on it.
For many, sprinting across the field in front of a packed stadium could be intimidating. But for Allen, it is the opposite: he finds joy in it.
“As someone who performs a lot, and in many different aspects of life, it feels natural to me to be in front of a lot of people,” Allen said. “It’s less about feeling nervous and more about feeling the adrenaline and excitement in the heat of the moment.”
Beyond the thrill of the sprint itself, part of the fun comes from the unexpected moments on the sidelines.
“I love hyping up the crowd and doing it with all the random people I find on the sidelines,” Allen said. “It makes it so much more exciting because I never know who I’m going to do it with next until right before we run.”
Quarterback Ethan Nott throws the ball downfield during an away game against Monrovia, from which they emerged victorious.
STORY ELLIE SONG
THEO THOMPSON
The SPHS fall season hosts many beloved sports such as volleyball, water polo, tennis, cross country, golf, and football. After another competitive season, these sports are now coming to a close.
The 2025 varsity football team won the Rio Hondo League with four wins and zero losses. In the Southern Section Division X league, the Tigers had a total of six wins and four losses. Football home games were crowded with screaming fans and high energy, especially in the student section, where students dressed up according to the theme. The team was uplifted by senior co-captain Trey Freking, with 72 rushing yards, 7.2 yards per carry, and ten carries.
Coach Michael Parkinson has trained the 2025 cross country teams well, with the varsity boys’ ranked sixth in the CIF league and eighth in the state. During the summer, Parkinson led practices where the team would train every day from the first two weeks of summer vacation all the way until the end of the season. He believes that the cross country team has a chance to be top three in the state, and to bring home a trophy.
The girls’ team is moving up in the rankings, and Parkinson is hoping to make it to the CIF finals. The team has many young runners this year due to the graduation of seven seniors last year.
“It’s a lot of rebuilding, but [the new runners] are doing great,” Parkinson said.
The girls’ volleyball season ended with slamming hits, high sets, and perfect passes as the Tigers made it to the 2025 CIF Southern Section playoffs.
The team has a strong record of 19 wins and eight losses. It also placed first in the Rio Hondo League with nine wins and zero losses. The games were full of energy, as players on the team performed various cheers to hype up the crowd and their teammates.
“The players’ hard work and bond on and off the court [has] created unforgettable moments and recordbreaking performances that make this season truly one to remember,” junior volleyball player Bella Ventura said.
Boys’ water polo trained hard this summer, with coaches quickly putting together a varsity team after almost 18 seniors graduated last year. Despite this, water polo played a great season, full of wins and losses. Overall, the team placed fourth in the Rio Hondo League, with four wins and six losses. In the Southern Section Division III league, the team had eight wins and 20 losses. The games were filled with cheering fans and lots of support for the Tigers. Diego Pizarro, with 20 goals and 40 steals this season, helped the team succeed this season.
The girls’ tennis team had a total of 10 wins and two losses throughout the season, which demonstrates the determination and perseverance the 2025 varsity girls’ team had. Hoping to ride their momentum, the team is prepared to make an outstanding run at CIF.
“[Playing] alongside eight seniors taught me so much and made my experience so much more meaningful,” freshman tennis player Linnea Wong said.
Notably, tennis also got closest to beating South Pasadena’s long-time rival, San Marino, this year, barely losing 11-7. With the Rio Hondo League changing next season, sports teams have been going all-out against rivals for what may be one of the last local league games.
Girls’ golf had another great season, which eventually ended in Alhambra where they shot 186, which was seven points behind Temple City and San Marino. Notably, freshman Delaney Wong had a total of 33 at Alhambra, which gave the Tigers a boost of confidence.
Overall, the 2025 fall sports season ended on a high note, effectively transitioning to the SPHS winter sports season: boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ basketball, and girls’ water polo.
SONYA SHIMPOCK
When I’m getting nothing done, I exile myself to Cielo, a cafe in San Marino about a five-minute walk from my house.
I rationalize the $7 drink and $5 pastry as a table fee for the seat by the front window, my laptop screen conveniently visible to the entire cafe. This way, I feel at least a little bit of shame when I close my Gov study guide for an episode of Franklin & Bash.
When I inevitably tire of whatever work I’m pretending to do, I like to play a round of “Backstories.” The rules are simple: pick a stranger, take one small clue — drink order, laptop stickers, a half-eaten chicken pesto sandwich — and let a backstory, a past life, manifest.
I started playing Backstories to make myself slower and kinder. It allows me to resist my reflex to flatten someone into a single moment or observation; imagining an alternate reality anchors me in this one.
This is how a round typically begins: I tilt my clear iced coffee cup and squint through the warped reality that I can see through the plastic.
The man in front of me, online poker on one half of his screen and a half-hearted essay on the other, blurs, then sharpens, then becomes someone else entirely: a boy in a too-bright, too-loud casino in Vegas, silently counting the cards a dealer presses to the worn velvet table. He taps his fingers, two-threefive, two-three-five, a rhythm that will later become an adult comfort — clicking pens in meetings, double-checking receipts.
I move the cup back. In the present, he drums his fingers on the table, sips his coffee. Two-three-five.
Once you start, it’s hard to stop. The barista rubbing their eyes between orders: a young carpenter, palms rough, exhaustion bone-deep. The student asleep on an open textbook, iced coffee dripping condensation onto the table: a dress maker with candlewax on her sleeve, fingertips pricked and bandaged. Everyone here has once faltered, succeeded, paused.
Though most of my guesses at people’s pasts are framed as a game, Backstories often causes me to contemplate on reincarnation. Do I believe in it? I don’t know. I believe that what we practice repeats — that our habits survive us.
Maybe past lives are the artifacts of those repetitions, proof that we are accumulations instead of accidents; that the choices we make and the people we become are grounded in history instead of one-offs. Or maybe they’re just a trick to keep me from deciding too quickly and with great confidence who someone is.
Past lives, real or invented, are my antidote to that habit. They help me treat every stranger like they’ve lived before, and will live again.
My phone alarm jolts me: I predicted two hours ago, when I set it, that I would have become distracted by this point. I reopen the Gov study guide, dally, then close it.
I still have no idea what a constituency is. Whoever I was in my past lives, I think it’s pretty safe to say I was at no point a politician.
