Tiger Newspaper April 2015 by Tiger Newspaper

Uriarte named Gates Millenial Scholar

In the News Healthy South Pasadena Coalition to host Youth Summit on Sunday, April 26

By Stanley Wu News Editor

Swimming remains undefeated on all levels after meet against rival San Marino (pg. 15) Commissioner runoffs conclude and apps for Commissioner of Assemblies available (pg. 2) Boys’ Volleyball to play against RHL rivals La Cañada Spartans at home today SPHS Instrumental Music wins eight awards at music festival in San Francisco (pg. 10) SPHS ASB plans Denim Day to raise awareness for sexual assult victims on Wednesday, April 29 Senior Glenda Chen presented with certificate for “Academy Awards of Lionism” from the Leo Club for dedication and service California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress continues throughout the week Prom ticket prices rise by $5 on all levels and will continue to increase weekly up to May 9

VIEWPOINTS: JUNG SU PARK

“Although all athletes share the desires to come out as victorious, not every player or team will end up achieving what they want. Athletic events alike almost always produce a clear distinction between winners and losers, outside of the occasional tie. However, there also exist factors that instead of separate, unite sports competitors under similar characteristics: the relentless drive to improve and the everlasting passion for the sport.” Read more on pg. 16

New century, new look Read more at tigernewspaper.com

Anna Jung

GOLD MEDALISTS The entrepreneurship team, composed of junior Ryoung Kim and sophomores Noelle Cho, Jake McCurdy, and freshman Alex Fonseca, won gold at state.

Skills USA competes in San Diego By Alex Nakagawa Assoc. Sports Editors Students from the South Pasadena SkillsUSA team participated in the 48th annual Leadership and Skills State Conference from April 9 to 12 in San Diego, competing against 2,200 other high school students from California. South Pasadena students competed in events including cabinetry, computer programming, photography, and firefighting, and demonstrated their skills before a panel of judges to win five gold medals, five silver medals, and two bronze medals. Sophomore Matt Postrel won the gold medal in Woodwork-

ing for his footstool. Postrel hopes to enroll at Cerritos Community College in the near future and pursue a career in furniture making. Senior JC Limon participated in the firefighting competition, completing the CPAT obstacle course with the fourth-fastest time. The course included a six-story stair climb while wearing a 50-pound lead vest and a blindfolded search-and-rescue. The entrepreneurship team took gold with a presentation on it’s invention, a bin optimized for worm composting. Junior Ryoung Kim remarked that they were able to overcome their newness to the competition. “Even though we were pretty confident and prepared go-

ing into the competition, it was still our team’s first time competing in the state level,” Kim said. “Our positive mindset and teamwork really helped us to move on to the national level.” The competition is part of a larger program to help students develop the skills they will need to enter the workforce. A total of 109 different categories allows students to experience workplace environments and meet professionals from various fields. The team hopes to send as many representatives as possible to the 2015 National Leadership and Skills Conference, which will take place in Louisville, Kentucky after the end of school, from June 22 to June 26.

Senior Katherine Uriarte was recognized as a Gates Millennium Scholar by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The scholarship covers all tuition, room and board, and books, based on student need.. Applicants are required to undergo a lengthy application process: Uriarte wrote eight 1,000-word essays and obtained two recommendation letters. Nationwide, 62,000 students applied for the scholarship. Finalists were notified in mid-March, and the 1,000 recipients were notified in mid-April. Uriarte found out about the scholarship after meeting a recipient during a youth conference and was encouraged to apply. “I applied for the scholarship because (See Uriarte, pg. 2)

Stephanie Kim

Katherine Uriarte is the first SPHS student to receive the award.

Shooting plot suspects admit to Oneonta Scholarship winners announced criminal threats By Jenna Giulioni News Editor

By Alex Nakagawa Assoc. Sports Editor Seniors Sunshine Cho, Megan Mellon, and Abigail Shulman each received $10,000 scholarships from the South Pasadena Oneonta Club Foundation, which offers one of the largest scholarships exclusively awarded to South Pasadena High School students. Oneonta Scholarship Committee chairman Mr. Carl von Bibra notified the three award recipients on Wednesday, April 15. Applicants for the award were required to submit a letter, up to three pages in length, to the Oneonta (See Oneonta, pg. 2)

College as an endpoint: High school culture’s emphasis on college allows students to forget that it is only a small fraction of adult life

PAG E

Jenny Luo

The scholarship recipients will be officially honored on Monday, May 11 at the Oneonta Congregational Church.

Winter Guard starts strong: Team has successful showing in preliminary competitions as it prepares to vie for the state dance championship

10 PAG E

Two former SPHS students who were previously accused of planning a mass school shooting admitted to making criminal threats in connection to the plot that surfaced in August 2014. The students were sentenced to probation after confessing on April 15, what would have been the first day of their trial. Previous charges of conspiracy to commit murder and assault with a deadly weapon directed at faculty members and students have been dismissed. “I was surprised to see this resurface since it happened so long ago,” senior Helen Yip said. “At the same time it just reminded me of how lucky we were to have avoided it.”

Boys’ volleyball undefeated:

Boasting a 19-1-1 overall record and 4-0 league, boys’ volleyball is on track for another undefeated league seson

PAG E

News Tiger - TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015

SPHS students bring physics and engineering to Science Fair By Alex Nakagawa Assoc. Sports Editor

Four South Pasadena students competed in the 65th annual Los Angeles County Science Fair at the Pasadena Convention Center on Saturday, March 28. The event featured over 1,007 different middle and high school students, showcasing projects in fields ranging from Animal Biology to Product Science. Junior Raymond Gilmartin received first place in Engineering and third place overall in the high school division for his project, which evaluated a new type of computer memory device based in magnetic resistance in tunnels. Gilmartin was one of 104 students chosen to represent the Los Angeles chapter at the California State Science Fair from May 18 to 19 at the California Science Center. Sophomore Hoyt Gong’s project explored climatic variables in the atmosphere by measuring isotopic ratios in rainwater. Gong received awards from the American Meteorological Society and the Southern California Paleontological Society for his research. SPHS freshmen Daniel Kim and Caroline Liu also competed in the high school division with projects exploring the Emergency Alert Systems in school campuses, which monitor carbon dioxide levels in the air.

FBLA falters in state competition By Faye Witherall Assoc. Feature Editor Eight South Pasadena High School students competed at the Future Business Leaders of America’s statewide competition in Santa Clara on Sunday, April 12. Despite not placing, the entrepreneurs returned with experience after competing against over 100 California schools. Juniors Jacob Benowitz and Alyssa Schwantner successfully campaigned for leadership positions during the weekend in addition to their competitive events. Benowitz was elected as Mission Valley Section President, and will lead a business organization of 17 regional high schools next school year. Schwantner also won her election for Mission Valley Section Vice President of Activities. The team’s performance was affected because key team members had conflicting commitments with SkillsUSA and Virtual Business. Despite not advancing to nationals, the team has high hopes for next year’s competition.

News

AROUND CAMPUS

Around this time of year, seniors receive acceptance letters from colleges, but even the best students will find a few rejection letters in their mailbox. Instead of throwing these letters away, seniors can take them to the Tiger Patio and burn them for a free scoop of ice cream at lunch on Friday, April 24, courtesy of ASB. /Sandy Grossman

COMMISSIONER ELECTIONS Second-week runoff elections conclude; Twelve positions filled and Assemblies open for applications By Olivia Nouriani | Assoc. Opinion Editor Christina Valdivia Commissioner General

James Song Academics

Ian Geiberger Noontime

Kristen Kafkaloff Internal Affairs

Olivia Chu Activities

Katerina Levandis Publicity

Emmett Jang Correspondence

Alexis Mora Athletics

Sheridan Nansen School & Community

Arian Nazarian Finance

Cameron Waters Clubs

Gabby Marquez Spirit

The 2015-2016 SPHS Commission was announced on Friday, April 17 after two weeks of campaigning. The 31 original candidates were narrowed down to fill twelve leadership positions after the student body voted online in the primary and runoff elections. The first round of voting opened at lunch on April 10, and results were announced that evening. Candidates vying for the positions of Internal Affairs, Athletics and Publicity went into a second week of campaigning. Candidates were originally allowed to spend up to $200 for their campaign, which they could spend on any campaign materials within ASB’s regulations. One notable difference in this year’s elec-

tion process was the absence of candidates for the Commissioner of Assemblies position. ASB announced that an application process will be used to select next year’s commissioner, chosen by the current Commission. After the class election process during the next few weeks, the incoming Leadership class will be finalized and the newly elected ASB members will begin to prepare for the 2015-2016 year. “The ASB family is incredible,” incoming Commissioner of Internal Affairs Kristen Kafkaloff said. “I’m so fortunate to be given the opportunity to do what I can to ensure that students’ voices are heard this upcoming school year.”

ONEONTA SCHOLARSHIP (cont. from pg. 1) Scholarship Committee outlining why they should receive the award. After evaluating the letters, the committee offered interviews to ten finalists from the pool of applicants, who were allotted 15 minutes each of face-to-face questioning. The committee ultimately decided on the three seniors after a week of deliberation based on their academic and extracurricular achievements. “I’ve gotten the privilege of getting to know the South Pas community on a more personal level in my four years of high school, which is why I’m so grateful for this scholarship,” Mellon said. “It shows me that my community supports me as I pursue my dreams. This idea means more to me than words can express.” The three seniors will be honored at the Oneonta Club Foundation’s dinner on Monday, May 11 at the Oneonta Congregational Church. “We have many, truly great students at SPHS, so I am both surprised and humbled to get the scholarship,” Shulman said. “When I saw the list of students who made the top ten, I was honored just to be considered alongside them.”

Virtual Business finishes season in New York City By Jordan Xiao Copy Editor Virtual Business traveled to New York City on Saturday, April 11 to participate in the national-level Virtual Enterprise competition. Members of varsity company Walden participated in three distinct competitions over the course of the week. Participants formed teams with people from other companies around the world to solve complex businessMichael Ozaki related problems in the Global Business Junior Erik Chan finalizes a sale of a Walden micro- Challenge on the first day of competihome at the New York City trade fair on April 15. tion. Walden also hosted a booth at an

international trade fair, where giveaways and sales talent compensated for a smaller venue. Walden’s business plan team, comprising seniors Abby Shulman, Karen Hsueh, Nayad Salim, Timothy Wong, and Kelly Xing, and junior Erik Chan, placed in the top 16 out of 24 participating schools. “My teammates are serious about what they do, and I think it came across in our Business Plan and speeches. I would not have changed anything about [our presentation],” CEO Shulman said. “This trip was about the experience over the outcome, so it was a success.”

GATES MILLENNIUM SCHOLARSHIP

ACADEMIC DECATHLON

(cont. from pg. 1) he talked about how much financial stress it lifted from his shoulders, especially since he’s in graduate school,” Uriarte said. “I knew that some of the colleges I was going to apply for were really expensive, so I wanted to lessen the financial burden on my family.” Uriarte recounted her excitement when she received the scholarship. “I was actually home alone when I opened the envelope, but when I saw the envelope my heart was racing and then when I actually saw the certificate I did a almost cried a little.” “When my mom got home I basically screamed it at her and then she started jumping up and down, saying, ‘Thank you, Bill Gates!’” According to Principal Janet Anderson, Uriarte is the first South Pasadena student to receive the scholarship. “I’m so glad that her

Decathlon wins 21 awards in national competition

“When my mom got home I basically screamed it at her and then she started jumping up and down, saying, ‘Thank you, Bill Gates!’” achievement and skills have been recognized in this way, and with such a substantial scholarship, I’m sure it will really help her continue her studies,” Anderson said. “Likely since it is a Gates scholarship, they will have a lot of expectations of her moving forward even out of college, so I know that she will not disappoint.” Uriarte plans to attend Columbia University next year as a biochemistry major, in hopes of becoming a medical researcher. As of now, she is still considering graduate or medical school.

Competitive season concludes for award-winning SPHS team By Somi Jun Feature Editor Six academic decathletes traveled home from their final competition, national championships last Friday, April 17. Although they perform well enough at the state competition to enter as a team, South Pasadena Decathletes won 21 individual medals total at their first national meet. The students traveled to Garden Grove, California for the three day conference, and three

students competed from home via online test. “California is so competitive. We didn’t make it as a team, even though we probably scored higher than [those from] other states,” junior Symona Stans said. For departing seniors, the national competition marked the end of their Decathlon careers. Four members are slated to return next year under the guidance of advisor Mr. Oliver Valcorza. Additionally, some seniors plan to return to SPHS during break to help coach the new students. “I don’t doubt that they will be very good next year. It’s just a matter of training,” co-captain senior Elise Matsusaka said. “When I’m back, I’ll likely give back to the program in any way I can to help them grow.”

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TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015 - Tiger

Tiger - Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Anti-Prom

AFTERNOON TEA AT THE LANGHAM

Looking to combine the formality of prom with a little British tradition right in South Pasadena’s backyard? If so, make a reservation for afternoon tea at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena. For $46 a patron, The Langham will provide your party with a selection of savory sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, fine teas, and a variety of specialty sweets, including French macarons. If you can postpone your anti-prom an extra day, are willing to spend an extra $13, and consider yourself adventurous, then you can attend the hotel’s Sunday “chocolate” afternoon tea. The latter features a menu of dessert sandwiches (including chocolate mint melon and white chocolate dill mousse), a pastry presentation, and a chocolate fountain.

The quad is filled daily with cheers of congratulations to all prombound couples. People with roses and elaborate signs all seem to emphasize the lack of plans you have for the evening of May 9. So change that! Head to Downtown Long Beach that night for exhibits of painting, photography, sculpture, and crafts. The art event occurs every month. Street performances and live music will be featured from 4:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Poking around art and surrounding yourself with lively music will surely perk up your mood. The event takes place in the East Village Art District, around the streets of Linden Ave, 1st Street, Broadway, 4th Street, and Elm.

LONG BEACH ART EXHIBIT

anti-pro m

With prom rapidly approaching, many of your friends are sure to have a special someone to go with, but don’t fret if you don’t plan to go––here are five fun alternatives for your anti-prom.

• Page by Michael Stukan • Illustrations by Sandra Moore • • Text by Fiona Bock, Sandy Grossman, Ross Lelieur, Sarah Stukan & Faye Witherall •

STUDY FOR THE AP TESTS

Thanks to some fortuitous timing from ASB, the date of prom happens to fall on the weekend between two stress-inducing weeks of AP testing. This means that many students at SPHS have an important decision to make: spend hours staring at their prep books and preparing for an extremely important test or spend hours dressed in an uncomfortable suit dancing with people they barely know. For any true AP student, the choice to stay at home and study will be an easy one. From AP Chem to APUSH, a full range of advanced placement curricula will occupy the minds and pencils of any sedulous student for the whole weekend. There are plenty of grand dances and important events throughout the school year, but AP tests come along once a school year. It should be obvious that staying locked up in a room on your own with your books is better than being locked up in a room with your sweaty friends.

Do you have a date on prom night? Are you tired of having to pay $80 to dance awkwardly for a couple hours? Are you looking for a romantic place to take your special someone when everybody else is at the dance? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then keep reading. Most couples associate romantic gondola rides with the canals of Venice, but not many know that there are gondolas departing from the many beaches around Los Angeles. Gondola Getaway offers romantic rides around the Long Beach area, complete with food and refreshments. Many prefer to bring a homemade picnic and enjoy it on the water. More information can be found at gondolagetawayinc. com. So, instead of spending the night dancing at Universal Studios, spend it on a romantic gondola ride with your sweetheart.

HAVE A GONDOLA GETAWAY

CHUCK E. CHEESE'S NIGHT

Want a fun and stress-free night? Grab some friends and head to Chuck E. Cheese’s in Pasadena. It has food, games, prizes, and, best of all, no formal clothing or date is required. Unleash your inner tenyear old because this is the place “where a kid can be a kid.” You can lose yourself in the colorful ball pit, climb the play structure, and treat yourself to some greasy pizza. A casual, but fun outing at Chuck E. Cheese’s will definitely be a night to remember!

Opinion

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - Tiger

Opinion

Yeah Boi

ravo to Virtual Business for establishing itself as one of the top teams in the nation!

ravo to the student store for selling ice cream. Many people enjoy ice cream. Thank you.

B B

By Suki Sekula President of Feminists Unite

to Academic Decathlon for taking 3rd in California! ravo

to everyone who took the time to give us feedback on our Boos and Bravos. We hope you appreciate this milder version. ravo

The Tiger EstablishEd 1913

CSPA Gold Medalist 2005 CSPA Gold Medalist 2006 CSPA Gold Medalist 2009 CSPA Gold Medalist 2010 CSPA Gold Medalist 2011 CSPA Gold Medalist 2013 CSPA Gold Medalist 2014

College is not the end of the road Staff Editorial

Editor-in-Chief Sunshine Cho Managing Editors Sarah Stukan, Print Brandon Kim, Online News Jenna Giulioni, Editor Stanley Wu, Editor Kyle Kan, Associate Editor Opinion Petra Barbu, Editor Olivia Nouriani, Associate Editor Feature Somi Jun, Editor Faye Witherall, Associate Editor Sports Julian Prime, Editor Andrew Shults, Editor Alex Nakagawa, Associate Editor Copy Editors Karen Hsueh, Jordan Xiao Photography Stephanie Kim, Editor Tucker Judkins, Associate Editor Photographers Raj Jain, Jenny Luo, Matt Scholtz Senior Staff Writer Kira Gabriel Staff Writers Fiona Bock, Sandy Grossman, Andrew Gruhn, Ross Lelieur, Sandra Moore,Ryan Nakamura, Jung Su Park, Jake Swayze, Kevin Park, Marion Wood Staff Illustrators Sandra Moore, Matthew Shults Graphic Designer Michael Stukan Videographer Heather Held Managers Stephanie Warren, Ads Kelly Xing, Business Technology Manager William Walker Faculty Advisor Mike Hogan Special thanks to sports statistician Nicholas Baer. Vol. CI No. VII distributed on April 21, 2015. Distribution: 1523 students; 70 community. 1700 copies printed. Distributed by Tiger staff free of charge. Tiger is produced by the advanced journalism newspaper class at South Pasadena High School, 1401 Fremont Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Layout and photo imaging are completed on-site. Printed by American/ Foothill Publishing Co., Inc., Tujunga, CA. Signed articles appearing in Tiger represent the writer’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, student body, faculty or administration of SPHS. Contact the publications office at (626) 441-5820 ext. 2615 between 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. for advertising rates and subscriptions. Tiger welcomes articles, letters or rebuttals for publication in the print and online editions. All letters must be signed and verifiable, but names will be withheld upon request. Tiger Newspaper’s mission is to provide a reliable news outlet for SPHS and the local community. Through a variety of coverage, Tiger empowers/enables students to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, solve problems, set and reach goals, and work cooperatively and independently as responsible citizens. Tiger is a forum for student free speech, in accordance with California Ed Code 48907.

Sandra Moore

Our high school culture puts college on a pedestal, elevating it as the decision that will determine your career, your financial success, your standing in society, and your ability to influence others. In this culture, SAT prep academies offer classes for middle school students and many parents start cultivating their childrens’ resumes as soon as they are old enough to join club sports, learn piano, or attend tutoring centers. Most students spend more time researching and discussing their college prospects than their career prospects, even though college might take four to eight years, while a career will span decades. In other words, students at South Pasadena High School are raised with the perception that college is some kind of final destination, the culmination of 12 years of hard work in school, a life-determining turning point. This idea is problematic because it creates false expectations in the minds of college-bound students; life doesn’t just end after college begins. The idea of college as some final destination makes college-bound students feel ashamed if they don’t get into a prestigious college, even though almost all colleges, whether they be Ivy Leagues

or community colleges, offer plentiful opportunities for career advancement and personal improvement. S i m i l a r l y, n o m a t t e r h o w prestigious the college, most students will still face career crises and struggle in school. An acceptance or rejection is a measure of how accomplished a student seems at the end of high school, but it does not guarantee anything into the future. This isn’t to say that college is not important: college is one of the few environments where a student can explore his or her interests and identity, and experiment with independence. But the role that college plays in each student’s life is likely to be identical, no matter the prestige of the institution: college is supposed to prepare students for life as an adult. Ultimately, college is just a preparatory chapter in life, not the fairytale ending or tragic conclusion. A s M ay 1 a p p r o a c h e s f o r seniors, be proud of yourself. You have just completed one challenging chapter of your life, and are about to begin another.

The article concerning the Feminists Unite Club published by Tiger Newspaper [in the March issue] seems to unnecessarily connect a broader issue of feminism with the club I started. This club is something that I am very proud of because we have been an overwhelmingly positive source for education on feminism in the community. The reasoning behind the weak connection is one I simply do not understand because of a lack of grounds. Petra Barbu and Julian Prime neglected to cite any specific instances of supposed borderline cyber bullying that was said to occur on the Facebook group Feminists Unite. I created the club’s Facebook group and monitor it daily, and there has been very little controversy-—which is rare for a group with such a controversial focus. I take pride in the fact that nearly all of the members of Feminists Unite are respectful and kind to one another. Every now and then someone trolls the Facebook group, but this is inevitable because of the fact that we exist on a social media platform. There have only really been two or three instances of said trolling in the group’s three-year existence. The problem with linking Feminists Unite to the hypersensitivity that some feminists exhibit is that there simply isn’t grounds for a connection. I aim for the group to be a comfortable learning environment and it saddens me that we are perceived as otherwise. The actual conversation that occurs in our meetings is very all-inclusive and nonjudgmental. We welcome all individuals interested in learning about the complex topic that is feminism despite their knowledge in the subject. I would’ve been much more understanding had Tiger Newspaper more thoroughly researched their subjects, in this case our club. Had they come to one or two meetings, they might’ve been able to see first-hand the truly open and welcoming community. While I do find the problem of unapproachable feminism valid, I find the connection to Feminists Unite to be unwarranted and unnecessary. Also, I was particularly taken aback by the cartoon, which was depicting feminists as angry man-haters. I don’t have much to say other than do a little bit more research on feminism before you portray us as the ridiculous archetype of angry feminists. The Feminists Unite Club was created to raise awareness for important gender-related issues concerning our generation, and stimulate conversation about such issues. I do not feel it was properly represented in the Tiger article.

Speaking out against campaign speeches By Kira Gabriel Senior Staff Writer Recently, Commission Election finances have come under fire; commission candidates, including runoffs, had a total of $6,800 to spend over these last two weeks. But the real evil of SPHS Commission Election isn’t the seemingly large cost— it’s the over-romanticized and overvalued speech. Speeches are probably the single most influential part of Commission Election Week; after two weeks of applications, a spring break of preparation,

and four days of campaigning, elections are determined by one minute of speaking. Only two of the thirteen commission positions require regular public speaking, but every Commission position requires enormous amounts of behind the scenes works, organization, planning, and execution—none of which are demonstrated in a one-minute speech. Campaign week is the most accurate indicator of a candidate’s ability; it requires planning, creativity, originality, and interpersonal skills. However, most voters base their decision

on candidates’ speeches—both last year and this year, candidates who did no campaigning during the week made it to runoffs, and no candidate who missed their speech made it to the next round including every candidate gone for the band trip. The criticism of SPHS Commission Elections shouldn’t be on the $200 dollars candidates are allowed to spend. The finances in Commission Elections finances are the most regulated part of the entire process. Financial affidavits must be filled out accurately and completely, with documentation

of every purchase and receipt, or else candidates are deducted considerable percentages. But the money they spend is not persuasive —none of the TigerAsks answers in a survey conducted last year said that handouts were influential in their decision. Speeches are important—they allow candidates to explain platforms and articulate qualifications. But they are not accurate representations of candidates’ commitment, capabilities, or competence, and they should not be the most influential part of Commission Elections. The heavily criticized campaign week should be.

Tiger - Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Opinion

Ending excuses based on race By Sandra Moore Staff Writer Hours after the news broke that Germanwings Flight 9525 was downed by its copilot, Andreas Lubitz, everyone from journalists to bloggers was talking about Lubitz’s history of mental illness, and using it to excuse his actions. However, the deep analysis of the mental health of known ISIS members, like Mohammad Emwazi, is yet to be analyzed in such a manner, and instead focus is put on his actions and the group he is associated with. Nor do we talk about the poor mental health of Jaylen Fryberg, who shot five friends and cousins before taking his own life. But, unsurprisingly, James Eagan Holmes, famous for being the gunman who shot over 70 people and killed twelve at the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in Colorado, has a psychology that has been explored. The correlation between these cases, of course, is that Holmes, Lubitz, and Lane were all white and Emwazi and Fryberg were not. There is a troubling pattern in which people search extensively for the meaning behind the actions of these white, homicidal maniacs, yet disregard the motives of other races. In a society as eurocentric as ours, we have the unconscious tendency to associate cultures alien to ourselves

Motive vs. mental capacity

with violence. Holmes, who has been pleading guilty by reasons of insanity, has journalists puzzling over the mystery of how such a promising neuroscience student turned into a mass murderer. However, Mohammad Emwazi, the executioner of James Foley and many other ISIS victims, is labeled as a terrorist with no regard to his past, and Jaylen

By Faye Witherall Assoc. Feature Edttor

Fryberg’s Native American heritage has him labeled as a savage. Andreas Lubitz and James Eagan Holmes had mental illnesses when they committed acts of murder. What society often forgets it that Jaylen Fryberg and Mohammad Emwazi did as well.

Yet Elliot Rodgers was labeled mentally ill, rather than a terrorist, because he was mentally ill. The distinction between terrorism and mental illness has nothing to do with race. The difference between the two is motive and mental capacity. Committing

an atrocity because of political or religious beliefs is very different from committing an atrocity due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. To suggest that people of color are labeled “terrorists” while white people are labeled “mentally ill” regardless of crime is not only ridiculous, but also offensive. Let’s take the Real Irish Republican Ar my. So m e year s bac k, the R IRA aimed to unite Ireland. In an attempt to bomb a courthouse, the RIRA misplaced the bomb. The explosion killed 29 people and injured 220 others. The scene was described as “utter carnage with the dead and dying strewn across the streets and other victims screaming for help.” A leader of the RIRA is Michael McKevitt. Michael McKevitt is white. M i c ha e l M c Kev it t i s a terrorist. There is political ter rorism and religious terrorism, both stemming from the purpose of creating ter ror. Mental illness encompasses a range of disorders that significantly impair one’s ability to make decisions. Sandra Moore The notion that ethnicity somehow impacts those definitions in any way is foolish and simply wrong. To find the difference between the crimes, we turn to intention and cognitive ability. There are hundreds of topics where race impacts the treatment of a person. This is not one of them.

The man who went on a murderous rampage near UC Santa Barbara a year ago, Elliot Rodgers, was a sick individual. He had a long record of therapists that he began seeing when he was eight. He was prescribed medicine that he refused to take. Elliot Rodgers was of mixed race.

Tiger Newspaper Asks: College can be seen as a stepping stone, a definitive end point, or a detour. How has your perception of college changed or grown along with your own personal journey? Nate Rudman, Grade 10 I would agree with the idea that college is a stepping stone towards a better career, as it can be a very useful conglomeration of resources. However, there is a very hastily brought out stigma towards college of it being of the largest importance of our young lives. We see people judging the first 20 or so years of our lives based solely on the college we got into, rather than our own accomplishments, and college itself is set on a pedestal that drives an atmosphere of stress for us. Rather than focusing solely on college, we should also have the freedom to pursue our own achievements, progress, and success in our early life. If we can, we’ll see a rise in creativity, activism, and achievement. Raymond Gilmartin, Grade 11 All of the above! But now more than ever, I would say it’s a stepping stone because so many jobs require more education. If you are in college, you are probably already thinking about post-college plans. Vaughn Huelsman, Grade 10 It’s obvious that I’ve never experienced what it’s like to go to college, but when progressing through my high school ca-

reer, I’ve been in an environment where everything is done to get into college: grades, AP classes, extracurriculars, etc. With such an emphasis on getting into a desired school, it’s hard to imagine what students in other communities must face, working while after classes to support their families, raising siblings in homes with absentee parents, and other specific hardships let alone even think about college. I used to see universities as possible doors to whatever future I wished to have, but as I thought about others’ circumstances, it became clear that the expenses of college continue the ever-present cycle of poverty in lower class citizens. Although much has been done to lessen this gap, it’s hard for me to see college as the opportunistic place I saw before, but rather a perpetual line dividing those from different backgrounds. Michael Ozaki, Grade 12 Even though I do not like the idea that getting into a highly acclaimed university is the only way to earn people’s respect and approval, I see college more as a turning point. A good or bad turning point? That is up to you. It doesn’t matter if you attend a public university, private university, state university, liberal arts college, or community college. If

you want to get into medical school or law school, you can make that happen at whatever college you attend. If you want to attend all the college parties, you can do that too. I hear college is the best four years of your life, so advice to future applicants, apply to colleges where you can see yourself attending but more importantly, where you will succeed at. Grace Kull, Grade 10 For me, college has always been a major stepping stone in life. But what seems to be less emphasized to high schoolers is that for many jobs such as an engineer or a lawyer, graduate school is just as important, if not more, than undergraduate education. I think it’s because graduate school is even further away from high school than the regular four years of undergraduate education. However, students should realize that even if they don’t get into a high-ranked school for undergraduate education, it’s still possible to go somewhere great for graduate school, and to succeed in whatever they want to do in life. Katerina Levandis, Grade 11 I used to see college as a superimportant stepping stone. And it still is, because it’s impossible to become

a doctor, teacher, humanities expert, accountant, scientist, etc. without a degree! But when I decided that I want to be a fine artist, my personal view of college changed completely. I realized that I would have a better chance of success if I didn’t spend a fortune at art school. Jobs for fine artists don’t exist. I prefer to be self-taught (go to workshops and take advantage of art tutorials online) and put money into opening an art studio business. I’d have a head start compared to other artists who go to school for four years and then realize that they need business skills in order to run their own studio. I would still try to get a degree in art history, but later on, after I have put all of my energy into what I think is the correct path. Katia Hise, Grade 10 There is this notion that everything we do during our high school careers is leading up to getting into college, and I think that this is very problematic. Schools should teach students to be curious, and learn for the sake of gaining knowledge. When everything is being done for the purpose of building up a college application, this aspect is completely removed. After we all get into college, and eventually graduate, where are we going to find the incentive to learn?

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - Tiger

Opinion

Every drop counts

Growing emphasis on agriculture By Ross Lelieur Staff Writer

By Olivia Nouriani Assoc. Opinion Editor

Though people often forget it, the reality is that California is in the midst of a historic drought, with water levels in both local and distant sources dropping to record breaking extremes. In order to remind the populace of the true gravity of the issue, Governor Jerry Brown announced municipal water cuts of 25% in April to help save water. While such measures are undoubtedly helpful in conserving California’s water, the true focus should be on agricultural water use, where the majority of California’s water is used. There is misplaced emphasis on domestic water use in the current crisis, as a full 80% of water is used in the agricultural sector, while only 10% is domestic use. This means that even halving the entire water consumption of every household in the state would only cut overall water use by 5%, while the Central Valley farms continue to use vast amounts. This is not to say that farmers have been hit hard by the drought— the roadside signs lamenting “no water—no jobs” on the 5 freeway attest to their struggle. But no meaningful change will occur without the further cooperation of farmers. This group must use more efficient irrigation, switch to more water efficient crops, and most importantly, must decrease acreage in crops not necessary for feeding the world. There is no doubt that this will cut into farmers’ profits, but the long term benefits— not sucking California dry—are far greater than the farmers’ loss of revenue. Governor Brown’s most recent water cut imposes no restrictions on agricultural use. Challenged with the aforementioned 80% statistic, he defended the decision, saying “Yeah, you bet it’s true. But by the way,

Residential water use is often considered an insignificant contributor to California’s drought. Because only 11% of the state’s water use is domestic, the idea that individuals can waste the little water we have left is a prevalent one. Although c o n s e r v i n g wa t e r o n a p e r s o n - b y person basis may not be a permanent solution to the drought, wasteful water u s e w i l l q u i c k ly b u r n t h r o u g h t h e remaining supply. On April 1, Governor Jerry Brown imposed mandatory water restrictions across the state, requiring cities to cut water usage by 25%. It seems ridiculous to claim that cutting back water use is a bad thing; California is suffering through the worst drought in recorded history and has only enough water in storage for the next 12-18

Matt Shults

[farmers are] not watering their lawn or taking longer showers. They’re providing most of the fruits and vegetables of America.” However, Brown’s point actually makes little sense. First, as he himself mentioned, the vast majority of water goes into agriculture, not showers and lawns. Many California based crops are cash crops like alfalfa, which use 15% of California’s water total, not vital vegetables for the health of America. Alfalfa itself is a curious example, because much of California’s alfalfa is actually sent to China for the livestock grazing. Governor Brown’s water cuts are a step in the right direction, but without further sacrifices from the agricultural sector, little progress will be made. The issue of California’s drought will only become more pressing, and it is vital that citizens rise to the responsibility of putting pressure on the state’s farmers to tighten their belts.

Institutionalizing discrimination By Sandy Grossman Staff Writer The Indiana State Legislature recently ruled that business owners had the right to ban gay and transgender individuals from their establishments. Even though an amendment has been made to this law, which effectively fixed the problem, people have begun to debate whether or not the measure was discriminatory. Many are using religious freedom as a justification for this clearly discriminatory law. Even though this law has been amended, the fact that this law was passed in the first place is disturbing. This stipulation gave businesses the right to separate a community from the rest of society under the pretense of religious freedom, and this cannot be allowed. The First Amendment in the Constitution grants citizens of the United States the right to total religious freedom, and this right should not be infringed upon. However, the law passed in Indiana does not protect this liberty. These

laws granted people the right to impose their religion on the customers of their businesses. The CEO of a fast food chain could decide to ban members of the LGBT community from their establishments, thus subjecting his customers and employees to his religious beliefs. This is not religious freedom; this is religious persecution. While this law has been amended, its original, unaltered state still has serious implications. Many Hoosiers still support the law with its discriminatory clause, which shows their uncaring attitude towards the LGBTQ community. While fixing the laws that discriminate against gays is excellent progress, real change must be made in the minds of those who support such laws. If other states were to follow Indiana’s example, bigoted business owners across America would have the right to discriminate against gay and transgender people. This law shows how the idea of religious freedom can be used as an excuse to discriminate against others.

Sandra Moore

Matt Shults

months. But because the vast majority of California’s water is used agriculturally, the legislative action has been seen as the unnecessary punishment of innocent citizens. What the cut can do is extend the state’s current water supply long enough to develop long-term solutions. California supplies the vast majority of many of America’s fruits and vegetables. Because of the country’s dependence on California for so much produce, renovating the state’s agricultural techniques is not a quick fix. It will take brainpower and, most importantly, time. Cutting domestic water use, however, is. The reality is that California’s entire irrigation system needs to be reevaluated. Cutting back elsewhere, however, is not drawing attention away from that issue. Brown’s proposed cut could save almost 500 billion gallons of water. While that number may be small relative to statewide consumption, 500 billion gallons is far from negligible. Each small step on the path to a final solution will be fundamental in extending our water supply for as long as we can. The effects of the drought are not obvious in South Pasadena, so it’s easy to believe that beautiful lawns and long showers are forgivable. It’s time for a reality check: water is disappearing fast. Sacrificing a green lawn to put water where it’s really needed is hardly painful, and it’s certainly not a punishment. Instead of complaining, individuals need to realize that shortening showers and letting grass die is the far lesser evil when the alternative is running out of water for good.

Protecting religious freedom By Brandon Kim Online Managing Editor The Indiana Senate Bill 101* allows businesses to legally defend themselves if their exercise of religion has been substantially burdened. The bill has sparked a heated debate on the supposed legalization of discrimination. Religious freedom is a fundamental part of equal rights. The ignorant actions of “equal rights” supporters have made them just like the very people they criticize. After the passage of the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Memories Pizza of Walkerton, Indiana was the first business to publicly announce its refusal to serve gay weddings. Many people consequently gave negative Yelp reviews, fake orders, and even death threats. An expression of disapproval is within the realms of free speech, but when this speech extends to potential bodily harm, these advocates step over the line. The law’s purpose isn’t to abridge gay rights. It’s an expansion on religious supporters’ right to be innocent until proven guilty and present their side of the story, as it approves the use of religious reasons as a legal defense. Contrary to the law’s image of promoting bigotry and prejudice, it merely prevents a mindless witch hunt that can unfairly silence religion’s case for innocence. If the people of Indiana do not agree with the law, there are much more civil ways of disagreeing, such as electoral or legislative action. Terrorizing businesses is nothing more than shooting the messenger

bearing bad news. Death threats won’t change the law and are bad practice in general. America’s view on gay rights has been swiftly changing for the better, which is a commendable movement for greater social equality. However, as gay rights supporters become the majority, the same wave of tolerance must extend to the minority of primarily Christian dissenters. After all, one of America’s founding principles is to provide a place for its citizens to have a free-flowing exchange of often conflicting ideas, and until gay marriage is sanctified in the words of printed law, the debate surrounding it must continue without unjust harm to members of either side. The rights of people with different sexual orientations as well as religions must be protected to ensure the democratic stability of one of the leading nations of the free world.

Matt Shults

*The Indiana Senate Bill 101, also known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, is a controversial law which allows individuals and companies to assert that their exercise of religion has been, or is likely to be, substantially burdened as a defense in legal proceedings. The bill has been extremely controversial as opponents have asserted it directly targets the LGBTQ community.

8 Tiger - Tuesday, April 21, 2015

PUBLIC 4-YEAR IN-STATE

BuSIneSS

SoCIAL SCIenCeS & HIStoRy

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - Tiger

Page by Stephanie Kim Photos by Tiger photographers Text by Ryan Nakamura & Jordan Xiao Graphics by Matthew Shults

statistics

Davis (64,582) Berkeley (78,863) Santa Cruz (45,534) Merced (17,611) Santa Barbara (70,532) Los Angeles (92,681) Irvine (71,770) Riverside (38,504) San Diego (78,084)

UCLA

is the nation’s most applied-to four-year university:

112,000+ students

92,681 freshman applicants & 20,063 transfer applicants

FiGures From The universiTy oF CaliFornia

of colleges

n a t i o n w i d e

1,729

2-year institutions

2,870

4-year institutions

eDuCAtIon

FiGures From The naTional CenTer For eduCaTional sTaTisTiCs

PSyCHoLogy

FiGures From The naTional CenTer For eduCaTional sTaTisTiCs

HeALtH PRofeSSIonS & ReLAteD PRogRAMS

M o s t Po p u l a r U n d e r g r a d u a t e M a j o r s

FiGures From ColleGe Board

PRIVATE 4-YEAR

PUBLIC 4-YEAR OUT-OF-STATE

$18,943 $32,762 $42,419

UC freshman applications received in 2015

While seniors celebrate their decisions or continue to deliberate, underclassmen may be at a loss as to the scale and scope of colleges across the country. Tiger presents some statistics on higher education both within California and nationwide.

college bound 2015 Kevin Yonami SOPHIA UNIVERSITY Senior Kevin Yonami will be going across the Pacific Ocean and attending Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. Yonami’s plans for college include majoring in business finance. With this he hopes to make a career as a CPA/ investor after finishing his college education.

As the school year comes to a close, many seniors are hard at work figuring out where to continue their education. Check out these few SPHS students who’ve answered all these questions.

Hannah Sipe UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA Hannah Sipe was accepted early action to the University of Hawaii at Manoa and committed. Sipe hopes to start her own makeup company after graduation, which are reflected in her plans to major in business with an additional focus on chemistry.

Samantha Lee SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

Samantha Lee will continue her studies in computer science and engineering at Santa Clara University. As advice to future seniors undertaking the application process Lee said, “Getting your stuff done early. Procrastination is a sickness to all of us but getting it done early is what matters.”

Drew Hodis UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Drew Hodis plans to attend the University of Southern California but deferred his admission until 2016. Planning to major in neuroscience, Hodis hopes his studying at USC will fulfill his dream of making a career in neurosurgery.

ARD

committed

Griffin Yerian LINFIELD COLLEGE Griffin Yerian plans to attend Linfield College in Oregon next year. Yerian plans to take up swimming for the Linfield Wildcats and pursue a career in the medical fieldFor advice to fellow seniors Yerian added, “Look around schools across the country and don’t sway yourself in getting in based on last years admissions.”

Will Renken BROWN UNIVERSITY Will Renken will travel to the east coast to attend Brown University. Renken aims to major in neuroscience with hopes of beginning a career as a neurosurgeon. “Students going through the application process should make sure that they get the best opportunities but just remember that colleges look at more than just grades,” Renken said.

Jasmine Li UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA

Jordan Jackmon CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

Katherine Shinno CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

Katherine Shinno was drawn to the welcoming campus and college town environment of California State University, Long Beach and plans to major in communications. Shinno feels that despite the large campus, she will have many opportunities to become involved in the close-knit community.

Jordan Jackmon plans to attend California State Polytechnic University, Pomona as a computer engineering major. A devoted athlete, Jackmon was attracted to the school’s strong soccer program and intends to play as a member of the Division II Broncos.

Jasmine Li is committed to the University of California, Santa Barbara as an economics and accounting major. Li looks forward to the school’s strong sense of community and proximity to the beach. Given another opportunity to apply for college, Li would have started earlier and given herself more time.

Grace Wakabayashi NEW YORK UNIVERSITY Grace Wakabayashi was admitted to her first choice, New York University, in December as part of the first phase of early decision applicants. Though she hasn’t decided on a major yet, Wakabayashi will continue her swimming career as a Bobcat.

AveRA InCLu ge yeA DIng R R ooM A Ly CoS nD Bo t

TIGER - TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015

Feature

Out and About “Llyn Folks One Man Band,” a documentary that chronicles the life of acclaimed artist Llyn Folks, will premiere at the Library Community Room on April 30, at 7 p.m. Join community members for a relaxing night of film appreciation and conversation. /Sandy Grossman

Band wins eight awards at WorldStrides Concert band, orchestra, and jazz band travel to San Francisco for an annual music festival By Karen Hsueh Copy Editor

Andy Au

Winter Guard has been preparing for state dance championships since its field season, a time dedicated to not only performing alongside band but also honing its prop-handling skills.

Winter Guard prepares for championships By Andrew Gruhn & Faye Witherall Staff Writers Winter Guard finished its last competition before state championships, placing second at Savanna High School on Saturday, April 11. “Even though we got second, I think it’s okay, because everyone’s been a little out of practice since spring break,” Winter Guard captain senior Helen Yip said. “We’ve had a solid foundation since the beginning and have been hard at work ever since.” Head coach Courtney Cheyne began training Color Guard for the current season at the beginning of the

school year, and members praise her for this year’s award-winning choreography. The team’s five-minute routine is called “In the Light of Rain,” and draws inspiration from the characteristics of raindrops. The 14 members of Winter Guard are currently polishing their drills and continuing their demanding practice schedule in preparation for championships. Team members practice an average of three hours a day, five days a week. “We may be small, but we’re strong,” senior captain Daniela Rayon said. “Our team is composed of some of the most hard-working people

on campus.” South Pasadena Winter Guard will compete with 40 schools on Saturday, April 25. If South Pasadena finishes in the top three of its subdivision, Winter Guard will move on to championships on Sunday, April 26 at the University of California, Irvine, with 14 other finalist schools.

Winter Guard’s Season Monrovia HS - Mar 7 - 2nd place Valencia HS - Mar 21 - 1st place Aliso Niguel HS - Mar 28 - 1st place Savanna HS - Apr 11 - 2nd place

South Pasadena High School concert band, orchestra, and jazz band embarked on a six-hour bus ride to San Francisco for the annual WorldStrides Heritage Music Festival on Thursday, April 9. The Tigers came home with a total of eight awards, including the first place Gold Award for band, second place Gold Awards for orchestra and jazz band, a Sweepstakes Award for outstanding concert band, and individual Maestro Awards for senior Alex Pinto and junior Maddie Hayes for their jazz band performances. The concert band and jazz band also received the Adjudicator Award, which is only offered to exceptional bands. Because of its prestige, the Adjudicator is not awarded every year. While the concert band and symphonic band are usually separate, they performed as one for this year’s competition, using pieces from a previous festival at La Cañada High School. “We had a really solid performance, and this was the first performance where the concert band performed with the symphonic band,” band president senior Yaeji Choi said. “These pieces are difficult and they worked really hard to learn them.” The orchestra learned a new piece for the WorldStrides Festival in only two weeks, but the group’s biggest challenge was overcoming a sound imbalance between instrumental sections. Violinists outnumbered violists and cellists, which the orchestra addressed by having several violinists play viola parts. “Although it was a much smaller group compared to previous years, we dominated in terms of sound due to the amount of rehearsals and practicing before the actual competition,” orchestra concertmaster junior Erik Chan said. “We tried our best and performed really well.” The band and orchestra’s final competition will be at Burbank High School on Tuesday, May 5, as a continuation of the SCSBOA festival.

Personality Profile: Django Schermerhorn By Sarah Stukan Print Managing Editor Senior Django Schermerhorn’s adventures can be likened to episodes of The Amazing Race. Schermerhorn has stumbled upon jellyfish-infested waters while vacationing with his family in Cancun, Mexico and has accidentally broken a finger off a statue at the castle Château de Tonquédec in Brittany, France. These global voyages, however, are only part of Schermerhorn’s fascinating life story. A New York native, Schermerhorn moved to Los Angeles when he was five, where he began to develop a deep appreciation for nature. This love for the natural world combined with Schermerhorn’s background as an Eagle Scout has led him to become a licensed scuba diver, mountaineer, and sailor. “I’ve always been kind of Tucker Judkins an outdoor kid,” Schermerhorn Schermerhorn’s woodworking talent was showcased at the Skills said. “My philosophy is that you USA California state competition, where he built a nightstand. shouldn’t have to survive with the

wild, but instead coexist with it.” However, Schermerhorn is known at South Pasadena for the more technical skills of architecture and woodworking. He began woodworking his freshman year when he took an architecture class taught by former woodshop teacher Mr. Bruce Jessen. He progressed from simple class exercises to creating Risk boards with his best friend, senior Alec English. The two are currently working on their third version of a Risk world map, where each continent is crafted out of wood from that continent. Schermerhorn participated in both the annual California State Fair and SkillsUSA. He won first place in architecture, first place with English for a Risk board, and multiple second place and honorable mention awards for additional projects at the state fair. Schermerhorn aspires to work as either a mechanical or aerospace engineer, natural extensions of his interest in design and construction. Schermerhorn’s experi-

ence in these fields makes him seem almost over-qualified for life after high school compared to most of his peers. However, Schermerhorn was once told that he would never attend a regular high school. “When someone knows you are dyslexic and they don’t really understand what it is, they almost treat you differently,” Schermerhorn said. “They treat you like you’re kind of fragile, and I don’t like that.” Schermerhorn was diagnosed with dyslexia in the third grade and was not able to read nor write until the fifth grade, when he began using the Barton Reading & Spelling System, a scientifically formulated tutoring program for dyslexics. Despite considerable obstacles in his academic career, he is now set to attend college in the fall. Schermerhorn is undecided as to where he will spend the next four years, but whatever path he takes, it will undoubtedly add to his illustrious list of accomplishments.

Feature

Personality Profile: Abby Shulman

Ex Machina: a twisted, technology-age tragedy

By Petra Barbu Opinion Editor Senior Abby Shulman has been a middle-aged mother since sixth grade. She hydrates religiously and gets anxious when she forgets sunscreen. She enjoys 19th century British humorist P.G. Wodehouse, has read Harry Potter 42 times, and blasts old Will Smith CDs at a reasonable volume. And, of course, she dances along every Wednesday night to So You Think You Can Dance and takes the title as a challenge because yes, she absolutely thinks she can dance. If the mother metaphor holds, Shulman could be in a romantic comedy about a working mother trying to have it all. The CEO of varsity Virtual Enterprise, she’s on the business plan team of one of the highest ranked programs in the nation and has created her own brand of leadership focused on communication rather than intimidation. “She’s a very caring person,” Chief Technology Officer senior Timothy Wong said. “Her immense sense of maturity allows her to nurture and guide her employees as opposed to a harsh and threatening form of leadership.” The team just competed at the national competition in New York, and was ranked among the top 16 in the nation. Shulman is the only female member of cross country to run for four years, and has run track for two. She’s also an active

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - Tiger

By Ross Lelieur Staff Writer 5/5

Raj Jain

Senior Abby Shulman’s garden hosts a diversity of plants, an accurate metaphor for her layered background and ambitions. member of TASSEL, a club that tutors children in Cambodia, and volunteers for Schools on Wheels tutoring homeless youth. If you still aren’t convinced that Shulman is a mother, she also babysits several times a week. Shulman has been like this since elementary school, when she wanted to be a mermaid-schoolbus-driver-dancer-singer-doctor. The doctor part stuck and Shulman has wanted to go into medicine since she worked at a medical lab sophomore year. Shulman is described by her friends as incredibly understanding and mature, and much of this comes from her eclectic upbringing. Inside the tropical jungle that surrounds her home, there are always

beans and rice cooking, and she has picked up a few words of Spanish from her Salvadorian stepfather. She also has shabbat every Friday, often at her safta’s house, where characters such as her dreadlocked cousin frequently make an appearance. She’s very well-traveled, having visited Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Switzerland, France, Greece, Costa Rica, and Mexico, and she’s heading to Rome and Israel after graduation and then hiking a portion of the John Muir Trail. “Abby just genuinely cares about people,” senior and friend Marion Wood said. “It’s very motherly. She’s always the one to tell you to wear sunscreen or to put on a sweater. And, just like a mom, she’s always right.”

In Alex Garland’s new sci-fi thriller, Ex Machina, there is one line that stands out above all others: “I am become death, the destroyer of worlds,” a statement that reveals both the tone and thematic elements of the film. And like that famous line, popularized by Robert Oppenheimer who took it from Hindu scripture, Ex Machina raises philosophical questions about the emergence of powerful technology. The story follows Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer who wins a staff lottery to visit the gorgeous subterranean hideaway of his enigmatic employer Nathan (Oscar Isaac). Upon arrival, however, he is told that the true purpose for his visit is to judge the “humanity” of Ava (Alicia Vikander), a machine with the face of a beautiful woman and an artificially intelligent mind. Ex Machina explores the nature of consciousness and thought without becoming pretentious. It begins with an exploration of what makes artifical intelligence passable for a human, and then shifts into a far more fascinating question: what makes us human ourselves? Ex Machina forces the audience to constantly reevaluate its ideas about humanity, as the film’s characters themselves grapple with Ava’s human capabilities. Rookie director Alex Garland also deserves commendation for his command of the film’s tone. The film progresses from a mildly uncomfortable beginning to a harrowing and brutal conclusion, without once breaking a superbly tense atmosphere. Garland directs his film, in both narrative and design, like a Shakespearean tragedy with a technological twist. A thoughtful execution and premise, combined with Garland’s previously untested but powerful talent, earns Ex Machina intellectual acclaim in the field of philosophy as well as critical approval in the realm of cinema.

wired.com

Garland has worked primarily on screenplays for movies, including 28 Days Later and Never Let Me Go.

After School: Behind the scenes of movies Students are often conflicted about what major or career to pursue after high school. In response, parents, alumni, and community members were interviewed to analyze real careers and show that there truly is a world after school. By Fiona Bock, Sandra Moore, & Faye Witherall Tiger Staff South Pasadena is the suburban backdrop for films and TV shows such as Halloween, Modern Family, and Back to The Future, so movie trucks and cameramen are a common sight around town. These sets give students the excitement of seeing a neighbor’s house on TV, but also an understanding that the movie industry breeds real careers. Alan Shapiro is a writer and director who has written for Warner Bros. and Disney productions. His passion for filmography began when he was a child and created short movies with super-8 film. Shapiro wanted to be a magazine photographer until he was in high school, when he realized his true passion lay in storytelling. As a result, he only applied to one school: New York University, renowned for its film program. “My teacher was the late great Haig Manoogian, who was Martin Scorsese’s teacher, too,” Shapiro said. “In fact, at the end of Raging Bull there is a moving tribute to Haig. He was very influential and supportive.”

Similarly, Charlie Siskel did not always aspire to work in the movie industry. Even while he was a full-time lawyer, Siskel yearned to create documentaries. His dream career became a reality when Michael Moore, a documentary filmmaker, hired him as a producer and lawyer. Siskel is now an Emmy-nominated writer, director, and producer. His recent works includes Finding Vivian Maier, which was nominated for an Oscar, and Bowling for Columbine. He is also an executive producer of Comedy Central’s most watched show, Tosh.0. Both Siskel and Shapiro managed to transform their passions into careers and find success. Siskel’s favorite part of his new profession is his ability to tell stories. Shapiro is fond of the whole filmmaking process, but especially enjoys post-production editing. Siskel and Shapiro both emphasize the amount of work needed to make it in the movie industry. “First, read a lot. Read nonfiction and fiction. The more you know about the world and how to write about it, the better you will be at it,” Siskel said. “Second, do the work. Make something. Today you can make

movies on your phone and put them online for people to see. None of that was possible when I started.” Shapiro, on the other hand, has a warning for future filmmakers. “The film business is notoriously horrible

and unbelievably competitive,” Shapiro said. “You do not want to get into this business unless you [can’t not] be in it, because you’re that passionate about making movies. So you endure the horribleness because you love movies so much and you’re determined to make them.”

Courtesy of Alan Shapiro

Alan Shapiro directed and wrote Crush, Alicia Silverstone’s first feature film. Shapiro’s other credits include Flipper, The Outsiders, and Tiger Town.

TIGER - TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015

Feature

Directions to Murphy’s Ranch: 1. Get on CA-110 from Fremont Ave and Grevelia St 2. Follow CA-110, I-10 W and I-405 N to Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles. Take the Sunset Blvd exit from I-405 N 2. Continue on Sunset Blvd. Drive to Sullivan Fire Rd

Hikes at socialist ranches are more fun with water By Jake Swayze Staff Writer Murphy’s Ranch is an abandoned farm built in the 1930s by a pair of married Nazi sympathisers, who wanted to build a self-sufficient farm based on National Socialistic ideals. They hoped it would be used as the headquarters for the Nazi government, which they assumed would soon take over the United States. After the U.S. joined

World War II, American forces actually raided the camp in 1941 and shut it down. The ranch stands unfulfilled of its original purpose, but has served as a blank canvas for graffiti enthusiasts over the years. On the property, the gardens, water tank, and power station are covered in street art and drawings. The ranch’s constantly evolving artwork and peculiar origin story attracts locals and explorers alike. Julian, Raj, and I decided we needed

to see this place for ourselves. Julian navigated stop-and-go traffic and three connecting freeways like a true L.A. native to the Pacific Palisades, a small community by Santa Monica. We made our way to the end of Sullivan Ridge Fire Road and officially left the residential area. After a short hike through the hills, we came across the long flight of stairs that led down to the ranch. As we climbed down the stairs, sweating hikers walking up told us to head back now because “it was not worth it.” Despite their warnings and our conspicuous lack of water bottles, we continued for the sake of journalism. We finally got to the base of the ranch and entered the power station, which is accessible through a hole in the chain link fence. Both the inside and outside of the dilapidated power station are completely

Raj Jain

covered in graffiti, creating a beautiful dichotomy between the run-down ranch and chaotic artwork. Once we explored the rest of the camp, we decided to head back, which meant climbing up all those stairs. On the way up, we counted a total of 497 steps, which was too many for our dehydrated bodies. But like Drake and Soulja Boy before us, we made it. Murphy’s Ranch is one of the more interesting relics of L.A., and, with stamina and water bottles, worth a visit.

Tunnel champions young art During Paint/Draw 1 last year, junior Sophia Williamson used magazine cutouts and oil pastels to transform fashion models into bug-like creatures, an homage to artist Guim Tió. In AP Studio Art this year, Williamson followed up her Guim Tió series with six portraits made out of macaroni, colorful paper cutouts, and ink. Williamson’s hard work would normally stay hidden in her bedroom, but Tunnel Magazine provided an outlet for her talent and published both series to its website. Tunnel is an online magazine based at South Pasadena High School, founded in August 2014 by junior Somi Jun with help from senior Benny Feldmann and sophomore Perah Ralin. Its mission is to be “a simple place, for things to change, develop, and be young and fresh in peace,” and has since become a publishing platform for over thirty different artists, hailing from a range of 12 schools and three countries. “I love being a part of Tunnel because I get to interact with lovely, creative human beings that I would otherwise be too afraid to approach,” Ralin said. “Through Tunnel, I get to encourage some of these people to publish their artwork, allowing them to be recognized and appreciated by new audiences.”

The magazine began with the SPHS Creative Writing Club’s printed literary magazine, The Carpal Tunnel. Over the summer, Jun and Feldmann dropped the word “Carpal” and adapted the print-style magazine to an online format, expanding content to include film, flash fiction, music, photography, poetry, visual art, and miscellaneous. Most contributors to Tunnel are South Pasadena High School students, but the magazine has gained an international presence through artists in the UK and Japan. Katie Carson, a 17-year-old student in North Ireland, has become something of an international liaison, recruiting her fellow filmmakers and artists to submit pieces to Tunnel. Although the magazine gets most of its hits from the United States and the UK, it also gets views from a variety of countries. “Since January, we’ve been getting a lot of hits from the Philippines and Japan,” Jun said. “Last year, Canada, Israel, and Mongolia were third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. It’s pretty cool and quite funny to think of people all over the place discovering our little project.” The Tunnel staff has few explicit goals for the future, but plans on maintaining its high school base in South Pasadena. As of now, the staff is simply enjoying the experience of meeting new artists every week.

Sophia Williamson

By Fiona Bock & Faye Witherall Tiger Staff

Raj Jain

Junior Sophia Williamson’s quirky multimedia pieces currently occupy the home page of tunnelzine.wordpress.com, Tunnel Magazine’s web address.

Feature

Daredevil’s cutout superhero is its one fatal flaw By Sandy Grossman Staff Writer 4/5

Marvel’s latest superhero installment, Daredevil, chronicles the story of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer turned vigilante named Daredevil. The first season was released on Netflix’s streaming platform on April 10. With all the hype surrounding the show before it came out, fans were expecting a dark, complicated, and in-

triguing look at the fictional criminal underworld of Hell’s Kitchen, a neighborhood in New York. For the most part, the first season lives up to expectations, with one major shortcoming: the eponymous superhero himself. Murdock is an uncomplicated and bland character, whose only motivation is to fight crime. Even when he tortures and nearly kills criminals, Murdock is never portrayed as anything more than a hero pursuing justice for his hometown. He only begins to show character development and

hitflix.com

One of Marvel’s more iconic heroes, Daredevil has had his fair share of publicity through comic books and a movie adaptation. Netflix’s TV version follows this lengthy tradition.

depth in the last few episodes of the season, when he is forced to face the consequences of his alter ego’s actions. Cox does his best to bring life to his flat lines, but not even his performance can revive Murdock as an interesting and layered protagonist. Fortunately, the rest of Daredevil is populated by complicated, three dimensional characters. Hell’s Kitchen’s resident kingpin of crime and Daredevil’s main adversary, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), is a truly terrifying psychopath. Fisk is equipped with a twisted and moving backstory, making him a more compelling character than the show’s namesake. Even Murdock’s partner in law, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), is funny and engaging, which is more than can be said for Murdock. Almost every character on the show gets a generous helping of screentime. In fact, Daredevil is sidelined on multiple occasions, in favor of developing the other residents of Hell’s Kitchen. This allows Daredevil’s enemies and friends, such as Fisk and Nelson, to become fully realized characters. On the other hand, the sheer amount of backstory leaves little room for the show’s action scenes, which are all beautifully choreographed and stylishly filmed. If it weren’t for Murdock’s lack of character depth, Daredevil would be a superb remake of an old fan favorite and likely an instant classic. However, even with its two dimensional lead, Daredevil is a solid addition to Marvel’s superhero roster.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - Tiger

Sports

Tiger - Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Sabrina Zavala By Marion Wood Staff Writer Senior swimmer Sabrina Zavala broke the school record in the 500 freestyle as only a sophomore. Since then, she’s placed first in league, qualified yet again for CIF, and led her teammates to two more consecutive league titles. Zavala gained her success through hard work and dedication, practicing up to six hours a day, and often as early as 5 a.m. She has been a member of club team Swim Pasadena since she was only seven years old “I’ve always loved swimming,

because I like how I can be part of a team but still compete for myself,” Zavala said. “I also like how I can just focus on myself, because I’m in the water and there aren’t as many distractions.” She has been on the varsity swimming squad for all four of her years at SPHS, where she mainly competes in the 200 individual medley and 500 free. She has qualified for CIF in Division I and placed in the top three at league in the 500 free since her freshman year. Besides her impressive stats, Zavala is an integral part of the Tigers’ team dynamic as the varsity team

captain. She inspires teammates by organizing team bonding activities, fundraising, banquets, and leading her team in warmup and cheers. “[Zavala] is such a great athlete because she’s constantly thinking of how to make the team better and more fun for everyone,” teammate senior Jasmine Lee said. “She always has the team’s interest in mind.” Zavala is bringing this positive attitude to Cal State Bakersfield, where she is competing next year at the Division I collegiate level. “The whole team is really close,” Zavala said. “I’m very excited to swim with them next year.”

Jenny Luo

Zavala has qualified for CIF Division I in her strongest event, the 500 free. She broke the record for the 500 free in her sophomore year.

Lenn Kushigemachi By Karen Hsueh Copy Editor

Jenny Luo

Kushigemachi has been an important source of leadership for this year’s young squad, helping new players transition to high school play.

Senior Lenn Kushigemachi, while short in stature, is nothing short of significant on the tennis court. As the boys’ team’s only three-year varsity member, Kushigemachi quickly rose up the ranks in leadership for this year’s varsity tennis team. After playing in both singles and doubles over his high school tennis career, he’s found his calling in doubles due to its intensity and teamwork. “It’s just fun to play tennis,” Kushigemachi said. “It’s often a hard sport to understand what teamwork is, especially since it’s focused on

players and their opponents, but it challenges the mentalities of every single player, whether you’re in singles or doubles.” Having played tennis since second grade, it wasn’t until high school that Kushigemachi realized the benefits of playing on a team and the importance of peer motivation. Due to the young team of mainly underclassmen under the leadership of a new coach, he found it important to keep the team motivated while still improving during practices. “I learned that although each point and match won is important for the team, having fun and enjoying tennis with team members

became the root for me to have good memories and experiences,” Kushigemachi said. Kushigemachi plans on attending the University of California, Los Angeles and pursuing a career in the science and mathematical fields by majoring in civil engineering. “As I will be graduating SPHS and going to college, it will be hard for me to make time for tennis, and I will miss the encouragements that each member brought me and the fun times we’ve had,” Kushigemachi said. “The jokes and laughs that were made on the courts is what I want to treasure even after graduating.”

Sports

Tiger - Tuesday April 21, 2015

Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; volleyball continues to dominate Rio Hondo competition By Jung Su Park Staff Writer The boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; varsity volleyball team has been dominant throughout the season, dropping almost every team theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve played in three sets. The Tigers have not experienced much adversity, as they currently stand at 19-1-1 overall and 4-0 in Rio Hondo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s errors get in our heads during games,â&#x20AC;? junior Greg Luck said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Positivity is one of the biggest factors that resulted in the winoriented season that we have put up so far.â&#x20AC;? Luck and senior Richard Yu have been crucial players for the lethal South Pas offense, combining to notch at least 20 kills each game. Feeding the ball to the two talented hitters with accurate setting from junior Max Luck has been the priority in the Tigersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; game plan all season long. Max Luck fills the role of the pivotal

bridge that links the two offensive aspects of setting and hitting. He showcases versatility by playing as both a hitter and a setter to create a variety of attacks. Senior Aydin Pasebani serves as a utility player, shifting roles on both sides of the ball. The Tiger defense has proven to be near impenetrable due to juniors Scott Kawakami and Alex Nakagawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s valiant efforts to return every opponent attempt on offense. Outside hitter junior Matthew Ng attributes the ongoing series of triumphs in the South Pasadenaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volleyball expedition to the close-knit team chemistry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our bonding to grow closer to each other does not happen only on the court, but also off the court in other settings,â&#x20AC;? Ng said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The atmosphere in the bus heading to away matches is always loud. We would grab food before every game, and meet up around the local community to simply have good conversations.â&#x20AC;?

Matt Scholtz

The boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; volleyball team celebrates a successful point against the Temple City Rams on April 9. The undefeated Tigers swept the Rams in three straight sets, 25-15, 25-20, and 25-17. The Tigers are looking to capitalize on the matchup against the La CaĂąada Spartans today at

Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tennis sweeps Monrovia By Karen Hsueh Copy Editor The boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tennis team is back on its feet with a 5-6 overall and 2-4 league record after its most recent win against Monrovia High School on Friday, April 17. After the Tigersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; four preseason matches, league kicked off with the Wildcats, giving them their first win at 15-3. The team then played tennis powerhouse San Marino, losing 0-18. After, the Tigers faced consecutive 5-13 losses against La CaĂąada and Temple City, and a 9-9, 1 point win against Mark Keppel. The Tigers lost 1-17 to Arcadia High School, and after their two game league break, went back to beat Monrovia with a 13-5 win. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As of now, we are fighting hard to win as many games as possible,â&#x20AC;? captain senior Lenn Kushigemachi said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve not been playing as well as we hoped to, we are pushing ourselves and making each loss a lesson to make the team even more prepared for the next match.â&#x20AC;? Now that the Tigers are more than

halfway through league play, they have more experience in the other teamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; playing styles. South Pasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; singles lineup has been fluctuating throughout the season with Kushigemachi, junior Sagar Raju, sophomore Jesse Chen, and freshman Nick Corvino while doubles has been ever-changing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We plan to improve on our scores for each school since the last time we played them,â&#x20AC;? sophomore Kendrick Shen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have practiced our doubles formations extensively and have improved quite a bit since February, but most importantly our goal is to have fun and play our best.â&#x20AC;? The Tigers have had several disadvantages due to injuries and personal issues, losing two key players of their starting lineup. However, the team remains optimistic, focusing more during practices and matches to limit their unforced errors during matchplay. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every player has a unique contribution to the team,â&#x20AC;? sophomore Jesse Chen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our team is full of talent and character, and I truly believe that the team will continue to do well.â&#x20AC;?

Track on pace for league crown By Marion Wood Staff Writer The SPHS track teams are currently ranked first place in the Rio Hondo League and are expected to claim the title in their final league meet against Temple City. In their most recent league meet of the season, the Tigers dominated both San Marino and Blair on Tuesday, April 15. The boys scored 82-41, and the girls won by an even larger margin of 92-27. The team hosted the Tiger Invite on Friday, April 10, drawing athletes from all over the world. The meet has doubled in size since last year, and has become one of the most prestigous meets in the area. The team continued this momentum and swept all four levels in the meet against La CaĂąada on Thursday, April 9. The Tigers were missing several key athletes but managed to take first in almost all events. The Tigers faced their biggest competition of the season on Wednesday, March 25 against the Monrovia Wildcats. Monrovia dominated in the sprints, but the South

Pasadena distance and field squads managed to pick up the slack. The boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; teams both won with scores of 92-35 and 80-47, respectively. Overall, several key athletes have scored consistently. The distance squad has been indispensable in league meets, with highlights from junior Emily Ye and freshman Oliver Chang. The boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 4x400 meter relay has won every league meet and girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 4x100 meter relay has won first place against all but Monrovia. The pole vault squad has also been important, with junior Esteban Suarez and senior Rowan Leddy challenging school records. The Tigers have their last league meet against Temple City this Thursday, April 23. Both teams are expecting to win against the Rams, following a trend from recent years.

Top performances this season Kate Kutzer placed 13th in the Heptathlon at the Arcadia Invitational with 4220 points, currently the second sophomore in the nation

Estaban Suarez scored one inch away from the school pole vault record with a height of 14â&#x20AC;&#x2122;5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; at the Tigersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; meet against the Monrovia Wildcats

the main gym to mark their fifth straight Rio Hondo league victory. La CaĂąada heads to the game with

a 3-1 league record, its only loss coming against South Pasadena earlier in the season.

Softball disappoints in Rio Hondo preseason games, but fell to Monrovia in its league opener. South Pas earned its first win of the seaagainst San Marino on WednesThe 2015 seasonEconomic has seen mixed person at home Asian American Development Enterprise formances from the softball team, which are day, March 25. The team fell into a slump after at 1-5 in Rio Hondo and 5-6 overall after two this with four consecutive losses in league. The consecutive losses against Monrovia last week. Tigerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defense faltered in a 9-0 loss to the La The Tigers started the year determined CaĂąada Spartans on March 26. In their first to make improvements on last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5-16 game after the spring break, the girls fell 5-4 to record, seizing a 7-2 non-league win against Temple City in a game that came down to the Heritage Christian in their first game of the last inning, when the Rams scored on a final year. The team proceeded to win four more walk-off single to win 5-4. By Kevin Park & Jordan Xiao Tiger Staff

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Tiger - Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Sports

Sports B. Volleyball

So. Pasadena La Cañada Gabrielino San Marino Temple City

Wins

4 3 1 1 1

Rio Hondo League Standings Losses B. Tennis

0 1 3 3 3

San Marino La Cañada Temple City

So. Pasadena Monrovia

Wins

Losses

9 8 5 4 2

0 2 4 6 7

Going Hard with Jung Su Beyond the numbers By Jung Su Park Staff Writer

Stephanie Kim

Senior Jorge Puig pitches for the Tigers in their 4-3 loss against Monrovia. The game marked the series finale for the Wildcat-Tiger matchup, with Monrovia claiming all three games. The Tigers now stand at 1-5.

Baseball struggling to find success in league play By Ryan Nakamura Staff Writer The baseball team carries a disappointing 1-5 record in Rio Hondo League play after Friday’s loss to first seed Monrovia High School. The Tigers are struggling to salvage what’s left of the season in hopes of qualifying for CIF playoffs. The team’s only victory came against the rival La Cañada Spartans on March 25. South Pasadena was able to emerge victorious 9-8 against the Spartans. The Tigers’ offense made an impact early, allowing the Tigers to take a 4-1 lead. La Cañada would not give in, but South Pasadena finally came through and finished the game 9-8. This season also marks the first for

head coach Dave Bise. The Tigers have had three different coaches over the past three years, and they are hopeful this season will be different. “It has been hard transitioning from coach to coach but most of us have been playing together since little league so we still managed,” captain senior Justin Ninomiya said. The players hoped Friday’s game would mark a turning point for the baseball team. During South Pasadena’s final game against Monrovia, the Tigers jumped out to a quick two-run lead. However, the Wildcats quickly tied the game up at two apiece. Monrovia then managed to get two more runs across while keeping South Pas to one, forcing the Tigers to take 4-3 loss. Despite losing, the team was mostly

satisfied with the improvement from its previous two games against the Wildcats, which ended in dismal 11-0 and 8-1 losses for the Tigers. “Obviously with the score last game going 8-1, we had our hands full. But from our attitude to our mentality to everything we did today, we outplayed them,” Bise said. “I think overall we weren’t afraid to attack the ball and played with a lot more passion and heart than we have in the past couple games.” The team will return to league facing rival San Marino on Tuesday, April 21. “We fought hard, improved a lot, and played really well,” Ninomiya said. “I’m proud of my team and it was a close game all the way. We worked harder even though we lost and I’m proud of how we played.”

Swimming undefeated in league after three wins By Olivia Nouriani Assoc. Opinion Editor Varsity swimming has had a flawless start to its season, as both boys and girls are currently undefeated in league 3-0. With large shoes to fill from last year’s team, when the girls finished first and the boys finished second in the Rio Hondo League, the Tigers have come out with intensity to take down the Monrovia Wildcats as well as their

rival teams and biggest competitors, the La Cañada Spartans and the San Marino Titans. “We are determined to win league this year,” captain senior Garrett Tse said. “Last year, the boys took second after losing to San Marino. This year we trained to our best ability and finally beat them, so we are on track to take Rio Hondo.” The team practices every day from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. On top of afternoon practices, the squad meets Monday, Wednesday,

Raj Jain

The swim team has achieved an undefeated 3-0 record in the Rio Hondo League and hopes to continue its momentum into its future meets.

and Friday mornings from 6:00 to 7:30 a.m., training physically as well as building the mentality needed to win. “Our biggest obstacle has been getting to the point where we know that everyone is important, even the person that takes fifth place,” captain senior Sabrina Zavala said. “At first, some swimmers were discouraged, coming in close to last, but the coaches have done a great job of letting us know just how important every swimmer is.” The team will continue to train with an emphasis on personal strengths in preparation for its next meet. Having individuals with a variety of skillsets has been an advantage to the Tigers thus far, and they plan to continue to utilize that. “What sets us apart from previous teams is the support system we’ve built,” Tse said. “Watching the San Marino meet was great, because all the girls and guys were cheering each other on so loudly.” The squad takes on Blair on Thursday, April 23 at the Tiger pool. “We have so much depth,” Zavala said. “That’s definitely the reason we’ve been able to win.”

A universal similarity among all sports teams is that they all crave winning. Although all athletes share the desire to come out victorious, not every player nor team will end up achieving what they want. Athletic events almost always produce a clear distinction between winners and losers, outside of the occasional tie. However, there also exist factors that, instead of separate, unite sports competitors under similar characteristics: the relentless drive to improve and the everlasting passion for the sport no matter where they are in the standings. On a local level, SPHS boys’ volleyball has been historically phenomenal and is currently first in league standings after winning all five regular season matches along with 15 out of 17 non-league matches. While volleyball enjoys its success, softball struggles with a drought, positioned dead last with a 1-5 league record. The two teams’ polar differences may alter spectators’ views of each team, but they are both similar in that they value other aspects in sports than simply beating opponents. “Losing sucks, but winning isn’t everything,” starting pitcher senior Cassie Baca said. “As long as we can look back on every game and find something to reflect and improve upon, it’s not all too bad.” Sophomore Joseph Bu, the backup defensive specialist for the powerful boys’ volleyball team, agrees with Baca’s point of view. “Striving to be the best that we can be not only in our skillset as athletes but also in our character as human beings by showing good sportsmanship, win or lose, is just as important as achieving a title,” Bu said. As a sports coverage writer for cross country, boys’ basketball, and boys’ volleyball in their respective seasons, I was able to take a glimpse at the athletes’ state of mind. I observed that they will give all they have until the end of regulation no matter where they are in a game, proving that the numbers on the scoreboard have no effect on the players’ level of effort. Players put their love for the sport as priority over the end result, maintaining modesty in victory and gracefulness in defeat. Regardless of a sports team’s record or rankings, athletes undergo worthy experiences that do not derive solely from winning. Wins and losses are just aspects of an incredibly complex and diverse entity.

[inside]

Matt Scholtz

Undefeated boys’ volleyball team looking towards playoff run page 15