Tiger Newspaper September 2020 by Tiger Newspaper

Empowering students to think critically and creatively since 1913

VOLUME 107 ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

IN THE NEWS

SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL 1401 FREMONT AVE, SOUTH PASADENA, CA 91030

Speech and Debate

SAC Assembly

Tiger Podcast

The first of Speech and Debate’s four Know Your Rights voting workshops is on Saturday, Sept. 12.

ASB will hold the annual SAC assembly virtually on Friday, Sept. 11 during fourth period.

Tiger’s podcast “Nightmare on Mission” releases its second episode on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Students demand anti-racist reforms

STORY LILIAN ZHU ILLUSTRATION DAVID SOHN

PHS students spoke out against police brutality in local Black Lives Matter protests this summer and are now calling for similar anti-racist reforms at school. While SPHS has implemented several programs to encourage inclusivity in the past few years, it has not enacted any new policies. In 2018, the administration collaborated with the Anti-Defamation League to provide teachers and 50 students with a two-day anti-bias training after “It’s OK to be white” stickers were posted around campus. A multicultural English class focusing on race, culture, and gender identity is also mandatory for the first time during the 2020-2021 school year after it was optional for the past two years. According to school administrators, the social studies department was offered a choice between new, more inclusive textbooks or a class set of Chromebooks two years ago. The teachers chose the computers, with the belief that they would substitute the lack of curricular diversity with online materials. However, many students do not feel Chromebooks are used in that way and still find their history classes very Eurocentric with minimal coverage of people of color. “In history classes most sources… are expressed from the white point of view,” senior Hye Won Rhee said. “Not only are students in general misinformed about the… past, but it’s especially detrimental to POC students, emphasizing a message that racial injustices… will not be acknowledged… [if] they taint the image of the white man.”

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH The Neighborhood Watch’s reporting of suspicious figures only worsens damage to marginalized communities. Page 5

Even when diverse concepts are incorporated into existing curricula, like summer reading books focused on the Black community, students feel as if they have been unable to have productive and inclusive conversations about race because their teachers are mostly white. According to the California Department of Education, in the 2017-2018 school year SPUSD’s teachers were 63 percent white, 22 percent Asian, and 11 percent Latinx, with only two Black teachers. In contrast, the 2019-2020 SPHS student body was 33 percent Asian, 28 percent white, 26 percent Latinx, 8 percent multiracial, and 2 percent Black. “I had [zero] elementary teachers who were POC [and] in middle school my Spanish teacher was the only POC [teacher I had],” junior Jaden Castellon said. “Throughout my entire high school experience I have had only [five] teachers who are of color. As a kid I [did] not want to learn or express my culture too much as it was different than what I saw everyday in classrooms…. [Hiring more teachers of color] would help many students be able to express themselves how they want to and not be afraid to do so.” Because white teaching staff often fail to connect with the unique experiences of their non-white pupils, many students want specific resources and counselors dedicated to students of color and their wellbeing. “I want the school board to focus more on counseling with our students of color and helping to fill the void of isolation that can happen when you’re few of a certain race,” junior Maya Turun said. “It’s hard to relate to some of your peers because of the difference in lifestyles. Having counselors who really focus on [BIPOC students’] mental health would help a lot.”

500 DAYS OF SUMMER

A walk through the streets of Downtown is a reminder that L.A. is a city of new beginnings — in and out of movies. Page 13

TIGERNEWSPAPER.COM

GYM CONSTRUCTION Construction on the new athletic facilities progresses towards completion despite coronavirus pandemic setbacks. Page 16

TIGER SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

NEWS

Local restaurants struggle during coronavirus pandemic losing revenue. A small loan from the federal Paycheck Protection Program sustained Cos&Pi, a local brunch spot on Pasadena Avenue, for two months during the pandemic. The restaurant is now struggling to come up with the money to pay for safety equipment for its customers and 10 employees.

SPUSD fires librarians over budget cuts STORY QUINN MANZO PHOTO COURTESY OF SELENA BAYDALINE

SPUSD cut the elementary school library programs and laid off the librarians in July after the coronavirus pandemic caused significant state budget cuts.

“Now, we are left in this grey area where we are operating, but with restrictions and added costs. We have exhausted all of our options to keep our doors open and to be able to provide the best possible food with the best possible service while keeping everyone safe,” Cos&Pi’s founder Xochilt Perez said. “We are humbly asking for help.”

Before their termination, the librarians expected that they would continue connecting with students and parents as they did during fourth quarter distance learning, and had prepared online programs to engage students. Following the news of their firing, teachers, parents, students, and alumni wrote letters to the district on behalf of the librarians. “It was a devastating blow, not only for us personally, but for our school communities,” librarians Selena Baydaline, Amy Blum, and Robin Becker said in a joint statement. “[We] were enthusiastic about the jobs we do, the extra [programs] we provide, and the care we take in choosing outstanding literature for our students to enjoy. Unfortunately, these efforts were not enough to persuade [SPUSD] to change course.” Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Karen Reed acknowledged that the librarians were fired because of financial strains, but did not explain why that particular program was cut. P.E. teachers and computer technicians were also let go over the summer. As a result of being fired, all three librarians no longer have their health insurance coverage. According to Baydaline, the cut also left significant emotional repercussions. “As I let the news of my ‘termination’ sink in, I was overcome with a strong sense of shame and embarrassment,” Baydaline said. “I sat in the library… looking at the filled bookshelves and book displays, and the anguish crashed down again.” Numerous parents have voiced their appreciation for the librarians’ work, specifically the “Popular Series Book Nook” and the Genre Book Challenge. “[The librarians] were such a fundamental part of AV for my own child,” Arroyo Vista parent Sorrel Barnard said. “I appreciated seeing how [they] customized and integrated book selections and read-alouds with the other curriculum the students were learning.” The elementary school librarians hope to be rehired once in-person instruction returns. Reed said that after SPUSD’s budget is restored, the district intends to reinstate the positions.

In order to keep its business

URBAN KITCHEN is only offering select on-site cooking classes running, Cos&Pi created a GoFundMe fundraiser, and for kids and has transitioned the rest of its services online. continues to do takeout orders. STORY KATHARINE FLORENCE PHOTO SEAN JIN

hese past few months, local businesses have struggled through the coronavirus shutdown and the economy’s subsequent downward spiral. Many restaurants have tried to cope by fulfilling takeout and delivery services after safety guidelines restricted inhouse dining. Urban Kitchen, a recreational cooking school on Fair Oaks, cut most of its provided services, including adult leisure classes, private parties, and pop-up promotional events. The kitchen is now limited to running socially-

“We also built out a more robust recipe page on the website, provided meal plans, and shopping lists via our newsletters, and hosted ‘Saturday Social’ live lessons on IGTV,” Urban Kitchen founder Michelle Hohman said. The Instagram Live events are short cooking lessons featuring at least one of the recipes from Urban Kitchen’s website. Guests can purchase a pantry box with the ingredients needed to follow along. However, operating under health guidelines can be costly, especially when businesses are already

Additionally, many local small businesses have collaborated in order to support one another. “We began promoting likeminded businesses who were also in need of help,” Hohman said. “These were not revenue generating activities but we felt it was important to be a resource to our customers and community.” Jones Coffee teamed up with Cos&Pi and sells its pastries at the shop’s multiple locations. However, Jones Coffee founder Chuck Jones said that the City should do more to create safe, al fresco dining. Many small businesses are also calling for residents’ support to stay afloat during the coronavirus.

SPHS campus resource officer draws criticism Students argue police presence on campus heightens discomfort STORY KATIE HOHMAN PHOTO HELENA FU Having police officers on campus has become a largely unquestioned part of a student’s life, but with recent calls to defund police across the nation, more students are pushing to eliminate their School Resource Officer (SRO) and to reallocate funds towards mental health resources. In South Pasadena, the SRO and SPHS collaborate on various student services, like wellness checks and abuse reports. When the SRO is not asked to come in, they are stationed as a detective at the police department. If law enforcement is needed on campus, the SRO is normally the first one notified. “The idea [for the position] was that if students see the officer as a resource (hence the name of the position), they would have another safe adult to contact if there was a reason to do so,” Principal Janet Anderson said. “ It was to expand the availability of people to assist kids.”

THE DISTRICT’S FIRING of the elementary school librarians left Selena Baydaline without health insurance and eliminated her much-loved connection with students.

distant kids camps, consisting of hands-on weekly cooking classes.

According to South Pasadena Police Department (SPPD) Chief Joe Ortiz, the SRO also serves on the School Attendance Review Board, shows up to sports events, and acts as an unofficial counselor to students. However, some students have had uncomfortable experiences with the SRO. “I got called in and [the SRO] sat me down (for the record I didn’t do anything wrong, someone turned in a picture of a vape and me in

AS PART OF THEIR DUTIES, the School Resource Officer participates in student wellness checks and files abuse reports. the same photo) and he acted like I killed someone,” an anonymous student said. “He lectured me like he was my parent and he ended our conversation by saying that he could call cops to my house[....] He was very unnecessarily rude.” Students who have not interacted with the SRO directly also have concerns about the position. They believe that there should not be a police officer on campus and that funds should be reallocated to mental health programs and positions, like social workers. “I feel unsafe having police officers on campus,” an anonymous student said.

“I have never felt comfortable around firearms so having them on campus in any capacity is frightening. Besides holding intrusive check-ins, I don’t know what the officers are intended to do. Our campus would be a much better place if the funds [currently] used for a resource officer were [instead] allocated for more mental health resources.” Currently, SPHS does not have a full time social worker. When on campus, Natasha Prime is available three times a week and splits her time between the high school and middle school. Still, SPHS has renewed the SRO position for another year.

TIGER SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

NEWS

Care First group calls for defunding SPPD Community members are demanding a 15 percent reduction in the SPPD budget STORY SOFIA ALVA PHOTO ELLA JAYASEKERA GRAPHIC CHARLOTTE COHEN

he global movement for police accountability has inspired local protests and initiatives to defund the police, including resident-led group Care First South Pasadena. Partnered with activist organization South Pasadena Youth for Police Reform (SPY4PR), the group has worked to present the Care First budget approach to the City Council, which reallocates funding from law enforcement to programs that promote community welfare. Care First South Pasadena is currently collecting signatures for a letter to the City Council that demands a 15 percent cut to the SPPD budget, reducing officers on the City’s payroll, selling a portion of SPPD vehicle assets, implementing of bicycle patrolling when applicable, and an independent audit of the department. The CARE FIRST WANTS REDUCTION OF OFFICERS ON PAYROLL 15% BUDGET REDUCTION CANCEL THE FOOTHILL AIR CONTRACT DOWNSIZE VEHICLE FLEET

CURRENTLY COMMUNITY SERVICE ONLY GETS 5%

1/3 OF CITY BUDGET GOES TO THE POLICE

33%

SOURCE: CARE FIRST SOUTH PASADENA

group also wants the City to terminate its $30,000 contract with the Foothill Air Support Team for law enforcement helicopter surveillance services.

“The police department has about a third of the [city] budget at $9.3 million,” Care First member Helen Tran said. “We are hoping [the city council] can downsize that budget to address the city-wide deficit and actually make a difference to public safety.” According to a Care First South Pasadena press release, the SPPD budget has increased by more than 14 percent, or $1.2 million, over the past two fiscal years. The department consumes 80 percent of the new sales tax revenue, which has already plummeted due to the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, more than 50 city employees in community programs, like childcare, senior, and library services, have been laid off. Recent SPY4PR protests focusing on specific SPPD reforms have garnered many community members’ support, especially among the local youth. However, a significant number of residents are concerned about having a limited police department and do not support defunding the SPPD. “I believe police are simply an essential part of our city,” resident Albert Wong said. “If anything [the SPPD] need[s] more funding, especially now. I do support and believe Black Lives Matter but don’t agree with [some] parts of the movement, like the defunding of the police. South Pasadena is a safe city because of our police and I hope it can continue to be [that way] in the future.” Other South Pasadena community members have praised the Care First

BUT WAIT! There’s more: ONLINE tigernewspaper.com

FACEBOOK tiger.newspaper

INSTAGRAM @tigernewspaper

TWITTER @SPHStiger YOUTUBE SPHS Tiger Newspaper

CARE FIRST SOUTH PASADENA wants the SPPD to sell part of its vehicle arsenal and patrol on bicycle more. budget approach and strongly support defunding the police. “Our city needs more resources that actually benefit the community, not more police funding,” resident Rachel Woods said. “I fully support the Care First group and I hope the city council will realize how important implementing this is.” With residents divided on the issue, Care First South Pasadena aims to educate the community about what defunding the police locally will look like. “There are systemic issues that are causing police to kill Black lives,” Tran

said. “A systemic issue is the funding to the police that [are] responsible for these killings. People [need to] understand that reducing the police budget has a direct effect on what they are saying when they say they support Black lives.” The group has already met with council members Richard Schneider and Michael Cacciotti and is currently preparing to formally release the Care First budget plan to the City Council. If presented at a future meeting, the City Council would most likely consider the Care First model as a possible SPPD funding level for the 2020-2021 fiscal year budget, which is set to be adopted in the coming months.

For more coverage, visit the Tiger website at tigernewspaper.com!

TIGER

4 SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

NEWS

City Council Candidate Proﬁles STORY EDDIE ZHOU & LILIAN ZHU

PAGE DESIGN CHARLOTTE COHEN

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES

Three City Council districts are up for grabs in the 2020 election and seven candidates are vying for the seats. This issue, Tiger highlights the prospective local representatives and analyzes their policy ideas for several issues facing South Pasadena.

Jaz Sawyer

Evelyn Zneimer

Candidate Policies SPPD

Stance on Defunding SPPD

In light of numerous police killings of Black people across the nation, many have called for the defunding of law enforcement — including the SPPD. For the City Council candidates, however, “defund” is not necessarily the right term, as no one is willing to commit to concrete budget cuts. Rather, there is a general consensus that the words “reprioritize” and “rethink” fit better.

District 3 Public Art Commissioner Jaz Sawyer has lived in South Pasadena with his wife for six years. Sawyer has worked as both a social worker and music teacher in the past two decades, in addition to implementing several community programs such as the South Pasadena Arts Council and homeless prevention projects in New York. As a City Council member, Sawyer plans to improve the City’s budget shortfall by working with other council members to meet deadlines and limit mismanagement.

All the candidates believe that it is necessary to carefully analyze the City’s current spending and create lasting discussions between the community, SPPD, and city leadership. Michelle Hammond, Alan Ehrlich, Evelyn Zneimer, and Jon Primuth stressed the City’s need to increase funding for community welfare services, such as social workers. “I see a large part of defunding the police as creating a community service department that would include well-trained social workers and psychologists,” Ehrlich said. “This would take burdens that the police are not properly trained to do off of them. The [new] department would work with the homeless, take part in welfare checks, and provide services for the less well-off portion of our population.” Calls for more comprehensive police de-escalation training were also common among the candidates. Jaz Sawyer highlighted the need to increase the community’s trust in the SPPD through town hall discussions. Additionally, Zneimer, Ehrlich, and Primuth mentioned their interactions with the leaders of SPY4PR and vowed to continue discussions with them.

Addressing Environmental Issues

Jon Primuth

Air pollution and the outbreak of the California fires have shown that the effects of climate change are visible locally. As a result, candidates have proposed policy reforms to make South Pasadena more environmentally sustainable.

District 1 Seeing the city she loves struggle due to an absence of leadership pushed Evelyn Zneimer to run for City Council. Zneimer has served as City Clerk since 2013, been on both the Parks and Recreation and Natural Resources and Environmental Commissions, and participated in various ad hoc committees during her 30 years in South Pasadena. If elected, Zneimer hopes to re-establish city transparency and fiscal responsibility through her leadership, decision-making, and willingness to listen.

Jack Donovan

Almost everyone running has expressed an interest in community composting, increased recycling measures, and reduced gas emissions. Zneimer is committed to reforming the City’s transportation and waste methods to make them more accessible and less polluting.

District 3 School Board member Jon Primuth has resided in South Pasadena for over 20 years and has volunteered for organizations such as AYSO, SPEF, and the Chinese-American Club. Primuth cites city turmoil and leadership weaknesses as the primary reasons for his candidacy, and he promises transparency, a culture of respect, and collaboration if elected. He believes his experiences serving on the School Board and practicing law, paired with his ability to unite people, provide him with a skill set well-suited for a City Council member.

Alan Ehrlich

“The city must look to its transportation issues and [create] a safe, walkable community [through the] utilization of public transit and use of electric and hybrid vehicles,” Zneimer said. “Public awareness of composting and gray water development are also examples that the city can aggressively pursue to reduce waste.” In an effort to address multiple city issues, Hammond advocated for more affordable housing in order to reduce the vehicular pollution from commuting. Hammond also proposed assistance programs for small businesses to transition to greener practices with less plastic use and organic waste.

Budget and Transparency South Pasadena’s leadership has been under intense scrutiny for corruption, a lack of transparency, and budget problems. Residents have complained about city services being outsourced, being left out of conversations and decisions, and several years late financial audits. Everyone running for City Council cited at least one of these issues as a main reason for their candidacy. Hammond, Ehrlich, and Sawyer highlighted the need to put a higher value on community input, while Zneimer emphasized open dialogue and the elimination of back-door preferential hirings.

District 2 Jack Donovan, a long time South Pasadena resident, focused on the City’s public wellbeing most of his career, serving on the Parks and Recreation Commission and working over 20 years on the AYSO board. To keep the City’s high standard of public safety, Donovan will work to strengthen the role of the Public Safety Commission in the oversight of the SPPD to keep it accountable, along with supporting police de-escalation training.

Michelle Hammond

“[We need] to make sure that the city manager and each department head, including the city attorney, [are being] held accountable,” Zneimer said. “Periodic audits should be conducted and reported to city council so that [it] can assess which department needs [more] assistance.” The candidates have promised to meet deadlines and ensure that there is no overspending within City Hall. Primuth called for proactive problem-solving and transparency in regards to problems in the City’s finances and Jack Donovan committed to requiring an independent city financial audit.

Affordable Housing

Recent years have seen the median home price in South Pasadena rise above $1.2 million and more and more renters pushed out of their homes. This has led to widespread concern that the City is not doing enough to protect tenants and provide affordable housing.

District 3 Public Safety Commision vice-chair Alan Ehrlich has been a South Pasadena resident since 2000, where he has served for organizations such as AYSO, SPLL, and Friends of the L.A. River. As a City Council member, Ehrlich hopes to restore the public’s trust in city leadership and believes that he can use his experience as a financial executive to improve the City’s maligned finance department.

Primuth, Zneimer, Ehrlich, and Hammond all suggested some variant of an inclusionary housing ordinance ensuring that a percentage of new units are affordable. Additionally, Sawyer, Ehrlich, Hammond, and Zneimer cited the need to protect tenants by implementing rent control measures. “I’m a renter, so I understand the importance for a city to explore all options for renters such as considering a rent control measure, especially during the pandemic,” Sawyer said. “This issue must be addressed so that locals are not pushed out of their homes.”

District 3 Living in South Pasadena with her family and two children for over 10 years, Michelle Hammond hopes that being on the City Council will allow her to continue her advocacy for climate reforms and a more racially diverse community. Hammond is currently on the Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission and helped create the community garden on Magnolia. Hammond’s belief in the importance of racial diversity in government and her own family’s experience with racism encouraged her candidacy. Current mayor Robert Joe is running for re-election in District 1, but could not be reached for an interview.

TIGER SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

THE TIGER ESTABLISHED 1913

CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2019 CSPA CROWN AWARD 2018 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2017 CSPA CROWN AWARD 2016 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2015 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2014 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2013 CSPA GOLD MEDALIST 2011

STA F F ED IT OR IA L

OPINION

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CAT FLORES MANAGING EDITORS MATTHEW TSAI, Print CHRISTINE MAO, Online NEWS NOAH KUHN, Editor OPINION AMBER CHEN, Editor FEATURE CLOE MAURER, Editor SPORTS ELLIE CAMPBELL, Editor DESIGN TALULLA CHOW, Editor MADDIE YOO, Editor PHOTOGRAPHY ELLA JAYASEKERA, Editor COPY ADAM KWOH, Editor LUYANG ZHANG, Editor

The Neighborhood Watch incites racial profiling

SENIOR STAFF WRITER KIMBERLY HSUEH STAFF WRITERS SOFIA ALVA, KATHARINE FLORENCE, SAM GROTENSTEIN, KATIE HOHMAN, HAELEE KIM, QUINN MANZO, KAHLEN MIAO, GEORGIA PARSONS, ZOE SCHLAAK, EDDIE ZHOU, LILIAN ZHU SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER OSCAR WALSH PHOTOGRAPHERS KATELYN HERNANDEZ, SEAN JIN, SARAH LEE, SOPHIE YEUNG SENIOR STAFF ILLUSTRATORS NICHOLAS FORMAN, DAVID SOHN ILLUSTRATORS TERRY SONG, ALICIA ZHANG GRAPHIC DESIGNER CHARLOTTE COHEN WEBMASTER JACKSON MCLANE VIDEOGRAPHER ALVARO RODRIGUEZ CHAVEZ FACULTY ADVISOR ANDREA FOX VOL. 107 NO. 1 DISTRIBUTED SEPTEMBER 11, 2020.

DISTRIBUTION: 1460 STUDENTS; 70 COMMUNITY. 1600 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 L.A. WEB OFFSET PRINTING, INC., EL MONTE, CA.

Reporting suspicious activity only harms racial minorities

he recent national spotlight on racial injustice has pushed Americans to re-examine the systemic racism that plagues long standing institutions — most notably, the criminal justice system. Among the organizations complicit in this system is the National Neighborhood Watch, which encourages its members to report suspicious activity as an extension of local law enforcement. The Neighborhood Watch functions under a psychological complex of vigilantism that when coupled with loose guidlines, creates a breeding ground for rampant racial profiling with serious consequences. The organization is a blatant example of the “race to prison pipeline” that disproportionately reports and incarcerates Black and Latinx people. The program’s notoriety for racial hostility can be attributed to its failure in recognizing bias as grounds many people report on. For example, South Pasadena Neighborhood Watch’s homepage does not provide any sort of anti-bias training that would prevent racial profiling. This is only exacerbated by its broad definition of suspicious, stating that “a person you [have] never seen before walking down your neighbor’s driveway, or side yard,” and “excessive foot traffic to and from a residence occurring on a daily or regular basis” are both grounds to report suspicious activity. These broad guidelines force members to rely heavily on their intuition, which inevitably clouds “objective judgement” with personal beliefs and biases. Nearly two-thirds of AfricanAmerican adults say that they have been in situations where people acted as if they were suspicious of them because of their race or ethnicity. Reports on the basis of suspicion also target people with mental health issues, inserting police officers in situations they should not be involved in.

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. ORIGINAL STORIES WILL CARRY BYLINES, ALTHOUGH STORIES REWRITTEN BY ANYONE OTHER THAN THE ORIGINAL WRITER WILL NOT RECEIVE A BYLINE. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE BYLINES. CONTACT THE PUBLICATIONS OFFICE AT (626) 4415820 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’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 . ALL REMAINING CURRENT TIGER NEWSPAPER POLICIES ARE ONLINE AT TIGERNEWSPAPER.COM

These instances of profiling can lead to vigilantism, or the enactment of perceived justice. The 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin is an example of the violent acts that can occur when suspicion-based reporting is combined with vigilantism. Martin was visiting his relatives when Neighborhood Watch coordinator George Zimmerman called the police to report Martin as suspicious. After Zimmerman ended the call, a physical altercation occurred between the two, in which Zimmerman pursued and fatally shot Martin, who was unarmed. South Pasadena is not exempt from violent acts of vigilantism. At the Aug. 30 Vanessa Marquez march, couple Michael Plough and Jane Mi attacked DJ Zane Crumley while he was peacefully playing music in front of the school district office. This occurrence was not affiliated with Neighborhood Watch activities, but it still speaks to the vigilantism that is especially pervasive in upper middle class communities. Of course, anyone can perform acts of vigilantism on their own time, however, there is a significant difference between having an entity endorsing it and acting on one’s own accord. It goes without saying that there is a power involved in the Neighborhood Watch that is not present on an individual basis. The current structure of the Neighborhood Watch is not keeping anyone safe. Simply narrowing guidelines is not enough. Reports to the police should be crime-based, not suspicion-based. The program’s focus must shift from reporting to prioritizing the safety of all community members, through an implementation of anti-bias training and fundraising for social programs. The Neighborhood Watch needs to redefine what safety in the community actually means — building relationships and providing support.

Boos & Bravos Tiger ’s cheers and jeers for the month of September. BOOS

BRAVOS

BOO to College Board. They deserve a whack to the head every now and again.

BRAVO to JV Nightmare on Mission Street otherwise known as ASB’s MicCheck. MicCheck will join Copa and Y&G as Tiger’s minor league affiliates.

BOO to whoever decided we had to show our side profiles during tests on zoom. You’re going to hell for that. BOO to not being able to bond with any teachers this year R.I.P. my letters of recommendation. How am I supposed to put my entire personality into a rhetorical analysis?

BRAVO to all of Janderson’s informational emails and the six correction emails that inevitably follow. We cannot express how grateful we are to have Janderson spam. BRAVO to us for pretending that we’re a real newspaper. We’re actually just a super leftist Y&G radical faction.

TIGER SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

OPINION

PRO CON : Capitalism

Capitalism is belief in the “free market,” or the idea that the economy will regulate itself without the need for outside intervention. Whether or not this can be made ethical is up for debate.

+ Democratic socialism is an ethical capitalism STORY HAELEE KIM ILLUSTRATION TERRY SONG The discussion regarding capitalism is as divisive as ever, with proponents defending it by harkening back to an age where unbridled industrialization generated prosperity. However, this picture does not accurately describe the reality of today; capitalism has gotten out of hand. But, as long as its negative aspects are ameliorated by regulations, capitalism’s inclusion in economic systems stands to reap a slew of benefits and thus should not be abandoned. Unregulated capitalism looks like what much of its dissenters say: corporation abuse and pervasive inequality are prevalent problems. In the United States, the deregulation of various industries started to pick up steam in the 1980s as the government assumed laissez-faire policies and directed political power away from the middle class. The inevitable growth of monopolies and oligopolies cemented this, and subsequent anticompetitive behavior began widening income inequality. The rate of labor income has barely increased in the past two decades and there have been decreased investments in both welfare and public goods. Getting rid of capitalism is not the solution, however, because it can be made ethical and no modern society can navigate the 21st century without free markets. Capitalism implements a natural cycle that replaces failing products and systems. Free markets are also essential to the human drive, because without incentives, it is virtually impossible to compel an individual into a particular task or act.

This proclivity is coupled with the fact that evolutionary psychology suggests property rights are inherent in humans. Therefore, because free trade relies on the ownership of private property, one cannot ever be separated from the tenets of capitalism. Unregulated capitalism can be saved accordingly by considering alternatives in systems like democratic socialism, sometimes referred to as the Nordic model. Although this system has diverging outlooks on its practices, its fundamental framework relies on advocating for social interventions in the economic realm. Essentially, it is a capitalist welfare state and safety net. Welfare state policies include universal healthcare, raising the minimum wage, and strong pension programs. A mixed economy would be able to grow under a supervision here, allowing for necessary capitalism to flourish, while also making sure to mediate any of its unfavorable effects. Concurrently, other important and welfareminded platforms would be properly undertaken by the state. This might look like investing more in welfare, social justice, public goods, other universal services, and expanding public ownership in key industries. These police implementations would highlight the scores of areas requiring improvement or bring awareness to causes that are in need of attention or reform. Adopting systems that combine regulatory, capitalistic, and welfare policies can be the new norm. Social democracies have produced synergistic results that have rectified the effects of rampant capitalism, ensuring that there is no need to completely remove a system that can benefit people.

- Capitalism is inherently flawed and unethical STORY SAM GROTENSTEIN ILLUSTRATION TERRY SONG

America has always been, at its core, a capitalist country. From the stolen land that this country is built upon to slavery, capitalist principles have been present from day one. Therefore, it is no surprise that most Americans see capitalism as core to their identity and are thus resistant to any suggestion of mass economic change. This is a problem, as capitalism in and of itself is inherently flawed and cannot be made ehtical. A peripheral glance at the United States’ working class today paints a disheartening picture. If one were to ask a defender of capitalism how one finds success in America’s economy, the answer would likely follow the lines of “hard work will be rewarded.” Yet, this myth of an “American meritocracy” becomes more implausible by the day. Over the last 50 years, the 200 percent increase in federal minimum wage has done very little to combat the more than 3,000 percent increase in average cost for healthcare and college tuition. This, in combination with the increasing automation of working class jobs, has created a positive feedback loop, in which those who can afford college tuition and stable healthcare are more likely to net high paying jobs, and thus be able to pass down that wealth to the next generation. Furthermore, while democratic socialism may work to create a more equitable playing field, it doesn’t address the underlying problems of capitalism. Under capitalism, any form of paid labor is innately exploitative, as workers need to be paid less than the value of their labor to ensure profit. The idea that a form of “ethical capitalism” exists is also completely false. There are individuals who alone have the money to end America’s homelessness crisis for a fraction of their total wealth, yet choose not to. Moreover, by examining America’s history with capitalism, we can see that the implementation

of child labor and minimum wage laws are the loose bandages on a gaping wound. Federal minimum wage is barely enough to survive on and most large companies outsource the majority of their labor to countries with less strict labor protection laws in the name of saving money. While proponents of democratic socialism may push for union rights and accessible healthcare, they are also defending a system that needs to be constantly reminded that workers deserve weekends and healthcare should be accessible to all people. Democratic socialism also fails to address the fact that capitalism is antithetical to human nature. Large-scale capitalism is a relatively new phenomenon. It began to emerge after the Black Plague, as the smaller number of living workers meant that they held more power over feudal lords. Workers levied this power to receive direct pay for their labor as opposed to just receiving shelter. In his book Postcapitalism, author Paul Mason argues that over the last few decades, humans have worked to dismantle patriarchal power structures, another facet of society that was long believed to be a product of human nature. The same lens needs to be applied to capitalism. It is very easy to fall into a state of capitalist realism, or the idea that capitalism is the only viable form of economy. This is often backed up with examples like the current state so called “communist” countries, in which problems have been caused by U.S. interference, or said countries were not actually communist to begin with. But, unlike communism, capitalism accepts and justifies oppression and forced inequality as a part of the natural world. This is simply false. To think human kind cannot do better is frankly insulting and incorrect.

TIGER SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

OPINION

Protect South Pasadena's small businesses Large corporations have been rapidly infiltrating South Pasadena, harming the city's community STORY ZOE SCHLAAK ILLUSTRATION NICHOLAS FORMAN

outh Pasadena prides itself on its endearing small town charm, most notably possessed by the small businesses that characterize Mission Street. However, large businesses have been covertly making their way into the city, disturbing its ambiance and economy. Corporate interests dominate all aspects of today’s money-driven world because of the incredible capital and subsequent lobbying power they possess. This great wealth makes large corporations especially appealing to cities like South Pasadena that as of March 2019 had a budget deficit of over $1 dollars. But, although corporate wealth can be enticing and beneficial in the short term, it’s also the direct source of corporate greed and corruption. These companies often manipulate the tax system by dodging income taxes. A 2018 study conducted by the Institute on Taxation and National Policy found that out of 379 corporations surveyed, 91 had cheated their way out of federal income taxes. Starbucks, one of these 91 corporations, runs four shops in South Pasadena. Large corporations push small businesses out of cities by offering low prices that are a result of inexpensively mass-produced products. These products are created through worker

exploitation and an overuse of environmental resources. Low prices unfortunately make large corporations appealing to customers, which pushes small businesses out and makes themselves and the city more money. Chipotle, a company with over 2,000 locations, is moving to the corner of Mission Street, which threatens the surrounding local businesses. Small businesses contribute much more to their local community by sourcing materials locally and participating in community functions. The coronavirus pandemic has further exacerbated big business takeover. Social distancing guidelines have forced many small businesses to close. On the other hand, big businesses' wealth and exploitative power has allowed them to thrive and feed off of the closures of small businesses. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that the income of small businesses for the month of May was 80 percent less than the previous year’s income, whereas Chipotle’s sales rose eight percent within its first quarter of the year. In order to retain its vibrant community, South Pasadena must take initiative and support its small businesses while limiting big businesses. This city needs to create a small business committee within the city that is run by owners who voice their opinions and concerns. South Pasadena can’t pride itself on Mission Street while hurting that exact small town ambiance so many of its residents move here for.

Quarantine worsens eating disorders STORY QUINN MANZO ILLUSTRATION DAVID SOHN Eating disorders are common, life-threatening psychological illnesses of varying severity that result in abnormal eating habits. They often stem from a need to regain control — a common outcome of depression, anxiety, insecurity in one’s physical appearance — and intense stress in general. Some insecurities that drive eating disorders can be attributed to social media’s promotion of the one “ideal body type": skinny. Instagram models lie about plastic surgery, clothing brands photoshop their models, and influencers constantly advertise juice cleanses, restrictive diets, workouts with unrealistic time frames, and dietary supplements. This collective messaging results in a loss of control over what one’s body actually looks like, also known as body dysmorphia. Quarantine has upended people’s routines, taking away the control and dependability of day-to-day life that many recovering from eating disorders rely on to avoid relapsing. The drastic change in routine and utter lack of structure enables many to fall back into detrimental eating habits in an effort to regain control while causing others to take up disordered eating practices for the first time. Depending on one’s current financial situation, quarantine-induced panic buying has also created scarcities or surpluses of food, which is proven to increase the risk of relapsing or developing

an eating disorder. A scarcity in food from understocked grocery stores can cause binging out of fear that food won’t be there when it’s needed. Having too much food is just as harmful, making it difficult for one to compartmentalize, a common way of coping. To further complicate things, many stock up on non-perishable fear foods, such as pasta and rice, which are more challenging to eat and cause discomfort as well as anxiety because they are associated with weight gain. As aforementioned, the competetive nature of social media is one of the driving forces of insecurity and eating disorders. It’s difficult to distinguish whether social media has gotten worse in promoting the “ideal body standard” during quarantine, or if people are just being exposed to it more. People on social media are definitely making more of an effort to display their rapid weight loss and other body accomplishments online, which results in many compulsively comparing themselves and their habits to the picture-perfect lives they idolize. In order to combat eating disorders, the root must be removed. Companies and celebrities devoid of empathy should not exploit people’s insecurities in order to market their brands. To those struggling, take baby steps to create a reliable schedule, like waking up at the same time every morning or planning all of your meals ahead of time. Seeking help for an eating disorder is the first and arguably the most difficult step. If one needs support, call the National Eating Disorder Helpline at (800)-9312237 or text NEDA to 741741.

Cat's Planet | Cat Flores

Rising out of a pit of corona-induced depression I am officially a senior. I made it y’all! I was really looking forward to pushing the freshies around and being cool, but ’rona had other plans. It doesn’t even feel like senior year; it just feels like a continuation of coronavirus but with massive amounts of school work, which can honestly be really discouraging, disappointing, and depressing. I’ve struggled a lot with my mental health these past few months. Even now things aren’t the best, but my emotional wellbeing is starting to improve. This is because I stopped focusing on my sad feelings and the causes of my anxiety and depression.

I don’t want to send the message that you shouldn’t be sad about the things that validly make you sad. That is toxic positivity. It is natural to be feeling all the sad feelings that we’re feeling. I am saying we need to try to not make the situation worse for ourselves and actively work on bettering our mental health. I participated in a lot of selfdestructive behaviors that made me miserable, like not eating healthily or enough, going to bed too late, spending too much time on a screen, living in an overly messy room, etc. I know there are situations where people are so sad that they feel like they can’t

even get out of bed or like they can’t do anything without breaking down. I’ve been there before. In fact, that’s where I was for the majority of quarantine. But the worst thing you can do for your mental health is doing nothing. So although the next few months or even the entire school year might generally suck, my advice is to not make it worse for yourself. Have good hygiene and self-care practices like exercising and going to bed early. Surround yourself with people who make you feel good and happy. But whatever you do, don’t let yourself fall deeper into a pit of emotional self-sabotage.

TIGER SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

DISTANCE LEARNING

Distance Learning REPORTING SOFIA ALVA, ZOE SCHLAAK, MATTHEW TSAI, & LILIAN ZHU PAGE DESIGN TALULLA CHOW & MADDIE YOO

ILLUSTRATION TERRY SONG GRAPHICS CHARLOTTE COHEN

ith the majority of the United States still stuck at home, schools across the nation have been forced to tackle a new realm of education: distance learning. After prolonged debates on the secondary school model and a last-minute scramble for student schedules, SPUSD launched its own 2020-2021 online campaign on Thursday, Aug. 13; parents, teachers, and students share their frustrations, excitement, and hopes during the first few weeks of this unprecedented experience. All quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

Teacher Perspectives

Student Perspectives Zoom Group Chat From Tonalli Garcia-Rodriguez to Everyone I know that breakout rooms are quite the controversial topic right now amongst students. I’d say that they are a good resource, but unfortunately they are not being used to the best of their abilities as of now because students are not well acquainted with each other at this time. Since they aren’t comfortable with each other quite yet, it’s nerve-wracking to share in groups even if it’s just two to five people even, and as a result the groups often end up being silent awkward interactions. From Anonymous to Everyone I think [admin is] focused on pleasing the parents more than the students. Mental health and support is more important than ever right now, and I feel like they’re really slacking on offering counseling and outreach programs for students. Class time is important, but it’s shown that the admin cares about how many hours we’re spending in class rather than the education that students get. From Donovan Milroy to Everyone

Zoom Group Chat From Mr. McGough to Everyone Most teachers are grading, planning, and preparing all weekend long in some capacity. And if we had that extra work day [from the TASP proposal,] it would be more beneficial for students because we could plan better activities and better ways to connect with students as opposed to what we’re doing now which is just everyday regular instruction. From Mrs. Pearson to Everyone Considering the fact that [the School Board] unanimously voted against it was very telling that they didn’t really understand what distance learning was really going to entail. I don’t think they accounted for the fact the unaccountable like the kid that needs extra help or the kids that just want to talk and have mental health issues after school. From Ms Kadri to Everyone The greatest challenge, by far, is not being able to build connections and community with students inperson. We’ve aimed to replicate that in an online environment to the best of our ability, but it truly just isn’t the same. From Mr. Guiou to Everyone Exams are just much harder to give. We’ve got to go through a whole lot of prep work to be able to see students on a seperate device, and using locked mode on a seperate device does not always work as well as I want it to.... Grading takes a lot longer on Google Classroom than if I’ve got physical papers.

[Discussions are] so quiet. Anytime someone says something, there’s not an immediate response. And when you’re asking a question, it makes it feel like you’re the only one on stage because you see a whole lot or silent eyes and faces staring back at you. It’s also been hard to hold in laughter. People are funny and their facial expressions can definitely lead to some smiles. But overall, I will say I am surprised that the way that teachers are giving lessons and lectures isn’t all that different. They are still teaching the material and we’re still writing it all down, so it’s been pretty smooth in that sense. From Tia Guang to Everyone I’m pretty confused about Club Rush and what’s going on with that. It’s pretty devastating for me, because a lot of students couldn’t make it to SkillsUSA, Virtual Biz, Speech and Debate competitions we were supposed to attend. Last semester, we held the state Delegation event for SkillsUSA online and it was definitely different because there’s so many factors about being online in these events. From Levi Srebalus to Everyone Being in one place all day long makes me feel really exhausted for no reason and then I feel bad for not getting out of the house. Going to school in real life makes school for learning and home for resting and relaxing. Thankfully, there’s not too much homework right now, but if there was, I don’t think I would have much motivation to do it after already sitting at the same desk for the previous five hours. From Emily Wei to Everyone I didn’t think so much time would be spent on Zoom. Many of the teachers use the whole 80 minutes [of class] for Zoom time. I expected some independent time to do work instead of sitting in a meeting. From Laurian Lien to Everyone Originally I thought it would be difficult to actually learn and participate, but my teachers have done a good job of including different ways to participate that have been beneficial.

From Mr. Afram to Everyone

From Dustin Huang to Everyone

Where a question would have taken 20 seconds to answer now becomes an email. I frankly feel overwhelmed by the amount of emails I receive from my students. I try to respond as quickly as possible but there’s a little bit of a lag time.

I feel like they should give us way more time and consider the teachers and students. We need breaks. A plus side is that we are able to end our school day earlier. [But] I’m not able to eat with my friends.

From Mrs. Pearson to Everyone I’ve been teaching now for almost 20 years, and I feel like a first year teacher all over again. And that doesn’t mean I’m not knowledgeable, what it means is I feel very inexperienced, and with that inexperienced comes a lot of learning.... I’m grading more than I ever have. On the weekends and after hours. I’m prepping way more than I ever have ever have. Because it’s a full new platform, what it’s making me do is transform everything and with that takes time. From Mr. Jontz to Everyone Hands-on classes just do not translate well and students tune out after attendance [is taken].

Of the 34 teachers surveyed

Of the 447 students surveyed

TIGER

10 SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

FEATURE

Kim’s Convenience KIMBERLY HSUEH

MY TIME IN SCHOOL AS JENGA I poked my index finger at the wooden block. Ignoring the sway of the tower, I quickly pulled the block through and greedily added a tally mark to the total number of extractions. Jenga is a really boring game, my 10-year-old self thought. I randomly selected another block to push out and the tower inevitably fell. One game after another, I tumbled into the continuous loop of me trying to carelessly extract and pile the blocks. My lack of strategy was prominent in my decisionmaking during high school. My own goal from the start of freshman year was to complete the most AP courses, happily checking the courses off from the entire list of APs. As the number of classes and extracurriculars rose my mental stability began to wobble. Without any control over how I wanted to spend my time, my mental health was buried beneath piles of work. Eventually, my interest in school began to crumble. High school became a place for me to seek achievements that would crank up my resume. Academics were my main priority while pursuing my passions was at the bottom.

Contextualizing papaya salad STORY KAHLEN MIAO ILLUSTRATION NICHOLAS FORMAN

aotian culture, like most Asian cultures, is rooted in a strong sense of community and family. During every family gathering, there is always papaya salad on our family’s table helping us connect with one another despite language barriers, no matter what the occasion. Mealtimes that serve such dishes are a way to bring the family together and to pay respects to your elders. The similarity of family-oriented traditions in Asian culture often causes people to mistake Laotian culture with Thai culture. Along with their cuisine, Thai and Lao languages are also very similar, diffusing ideas between cultures. Variations of papaya salad and many other Laotian dishes can be found all throughout Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia, though the base of the dish varies from country to country. Papaya salad has always been a staple in the Laotian kitchen. The dish consists primarily of unripe papaya, chili, fish sauce, garlic, and lime and is typically shared among the whole family and eaten with sticky rice using your hands.

Chinese, Thai papaya salad also does not use unfiltered fish sauce and is usually topped with some chopped toasted peanuts.

Studying to maintain a stellar GPA and high grades on assessments required most of my time. As semesters passed, I was just burnt out. Every program required dedication, but how could I be everywhere at the same time, while attempting to seek a desire to learn?

Laotian papaya salad is often eaten in the summer as its salty, spicy, and sour elements are perfect for the heat. Laotian people typically use it as means to sweat out the heat and refresh themselves in their country’s relentless humidity.

College apps have shaken my reality. Looking back at my yearly schedules, I regret joining several classes and activities. Back then, my mind was clouded by the idea of having more extracurriculars and subjects underneath my belt. Hearing my peers describe the course as an “easy A” was appealing and overrode the fact that I had no interest in these courses in the first place. But now as I fill in my applications, I don’t have the slightest urge to include them.

Back in Laos, my family would never make papaya salad because it was easy to buy anywhere and very convenient. However, papaya salad is not as accessible in the U.S., so my mother and grandmother began to make their own.

With experience, I have gained a new perspective of high school, one that is too late to aid me as I reach the end of my journey. Instead of focusing on the quantity of my achievements, I should have prioritized the quality of my actions and decisions.

In creating an authentic and Laotian dish, you must also connect it back to its heritage. Those who are unaware of Lao culture can learn through food as my siblings and I have. Papaya can spread Laos culture to those who enjoy it by putting it into context.

Continuing school with optimism and understanding whether a course complemented one’s personality and curiosity are what students should consider when deciding how to involve themselves in school.

Although Thai and Lao dishes may taste similar, Lao dishes are typically more spicy, sour, and bitter, and tend not to use coconut milk.

Much of papaya salad’s popularity has to do with its affordability. Lao’s citizens utilize papayas, which are easily found all over the country, making the dish very affordable. As refugees in Thailand, my family often saw other Laotian refugees set up papaya salad stands to make money.

Papaya salad’s distinctly Lao and Southeast Asian origins have helped my family stay connected to our Laotian heritage. Being half Chinese and half Lao, it is easier to see East Asian and especially Chinese culture represented in the media and all around us. However, it is difficult to find representation of Southeast Asian culture, especially of undeveloped countries like Laos.

Laotian papaya salad is most often identified through its unfiltered fermented fish sauce or paste and is typically topped with pork rind. Chinese families, like my grandmother’s that immigrated to Laos during World War II, don’t often use the unfiltered soy sauce as it is an acquired taste and very strong. Much like the

Laotian dishes and papaya salad have helped us better understand our origins, and has also become important in understanding not only Laos, but the rest of Southeast Asia as well. By enjoying cultural dishes such as papaya salad our family can still connect with one another and appreciate our heritage.

As I play one last game of Jenga and restack the wooden tower, I remember the importance of strategy. Slipping into a pattern of intentional moves, I finally begin to understand the fun of the game. The same goes for high school. Blindly taking AP courses and overpacking your schedule to one up another student or just to build your resume will result in a cycle of failure. Don’t put too much emphasis on the number of courses, sports, clubs, or activities. Instead, experiment with your passions. This is the strategy: the strategy to building a healthy, enduring tower of stability, motivation, and enthusiasm.

TIGER SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

FEATURE

PERSONALITY PROFILES ELLA PLUM ROLIN: BRINGING CHARACTERS TO LIFE Rolin has found many ways to spread her talent through the community. She has volunteered on multiple occasions with Upstage, a local theatre musical program, managing and fitting costumes. She also participated in costume design for SPUSD’s 2020 production of Alice in Wonderland and will be helping out with costume design and management in upcoming SPHS plays and musicals. Her creative nature has been inspired by the artistic community around her, including her parents and friends, many of whom are in the design industry. To Rolin, having a talent for drawing goes hand in hand with her passion for fashion and costume design. “I would often see [clothing items] in stores that I liked but weren’t quite what I wanted. So I began to draw out what I wanted it to look like,” Rolin said. The artist applies her unique and creative charm wherever she sees fit, whether that be shopping, school and community projects, or even holidays. Being a costume designer, Rolin constantly looks forward to a certain spooky holiday. Halloween has always been an exciting event for her, as she spends almost the entirety of the year planning her costume down to a tee. “Every year I try to do something different and challenging. I almost always have the concept decided by spring so I have more than enough time to make sure everything looks how I want it to,” Rolin said. Fashion and costume design takes more than just a creative outlook; a technical approach is needed as well. Different skills such as calculating the correct dimensions for measuring and cutting fabrics are essential for a successful outcome. “It takes at least four measurments for even basic things and that number skyrockets the more complex the garment is,” Rolin said. “Then there’s geometric shapes that make up pattern pieces and it goes on from there.”

STORY ELLIE CAMPBELL PHOTO OSCAR WALSH

lla Plum Rolin spends her free time drawing and designing clothing which she often transforms into wearable garments. The SPHS senior harnesses her creative and artistic side to construct masterpieces she calls costumes. Ever since she was young, Rolin has been drawing and painting, but as she got older she started to take it more seriously. She first realized her love for art at Arroyo Vista Elementary School, where she attended the art classes offered by SPUSD and has been furthering her passion ever since. On Friday afternoons, Rolin can be found at Art Work Place, a local art studio, honing her skills. In addition to drawing, she is passionate about fashion and costume design. Rolin is a highly skilled seamstress and has been practicing her craft since kindergarten. “I remember talking with my dad about wanting to work in the arts and having a career where I could be creative,” Rolin said. “Then maybe a month or two later I made the decision and told my parents I wanted to be a costume designer.”

Although Rolin is interested in fashion and costume design, it’s not her ultimate goal; she yearns to bring characters to life. “My dad once asked me if I really wanted to do costume or fashion,” Rolin said, “and I recall saying costume design specifically because I loved seeing how costumes could change the perception of a character or contribute to the story being told.” Rolin is dedicated to art and plans to study fashion design at the university level. Until then, she continues to enjoy working on design projects and paintings that will help further develop her artistic side. “As to what I’ve taken away from it, it’s probably some mix between always needing to be ready to learn a new skill and to get something done right,” Rolin said. “You need to keep trying at something you care about even if it doesn’t turn out how you want it to at first, because results come with experience and practice.”

CHARLIE KAMI-DUFFIN: FINDING FUN IN HARD WORK STORY SAM GROTENSTEIN PHOTO SOPHIE YEUNG

harlie Kami-Duffin is never not doing something. When this SPHS sophomore answered the phone, she was in the middle of executing her precise recipe for the perfect microwaved popcorn. “The trick is,” Kami-Duffin said, “to leave it in for a minute and 11 seconds, to get the perfect crisp. I have popcorn down to a precise science. An artform even.” While this quote may seem unimportant, it is indicative of Kami-Duffin’s unique outlook on life. Kami-Duffin has now entered her second year at SPUSD, and has made a name for herself by doing whatever she can to spread positivity on campus. Kami-Duffin’s energy is immediately apparent and she makes it a point in life to find the most joy in everything she does, even in hard work. Kami-Duffin applies this attitude both in and out of school. She joined the tennis team in her first year at SPHS. When she wasn’t playing, Kami-Duffin cheered from the sidelines, an enthusiasm that was appreciated by the entire team. She was more than happy to have her efforts and her energy recognized in the form of the “most team spirit” award. “While I didn’t win MVP, I won the award for team spirit, which is kind of like MVP. I like to think of it as like the MVSP. Most valuable spirit person. While my enthusiasm was not always thoroughly appreciated by my teammates, I like to think that my spirit helped everyone play at least a little bit better. Being passionate is really the only way to compete with being talented.”

SOPHOMORE CHARLIE KAMI-DUFFIN IS A BUBBLY COCKTAIL of infectious optimism and an unshakeable sense She has also applied this enthusiastic outlook in her personal life, as it has helped her stick to many of determination.

goals. Whether she’s playing the piano or following a keto diet, she finds joy in the little things. At this point in the phone interview, Kami-Duffin had gotten up to feed some of the popcorn to her sea turtle, which had slowly wandered its way into her room. “I’ve been doing keto for 8 months, and it’s super hard. But cooking keto stuff is so fun. You have to get weird almond flour and psyllium husk, and it felt kinda goofy making bread without carbs, but it was super fun,” Kami-Duffin said. “I feel like it’s really important to find fun in challenges. It just makes things a lot more bearable.” Coming to SPHS in her freshman year, KamiDuffin faced the inevitable challenge of being “the new kid”. While she struggled with this at first, Kami-Duffin saw coming to a new school as a chance to grow and change as a person. “I saw going to South Pasadena as sort of a way to reinvent myself. Before coming to South Pasadena, I was a pretty shy person until you got to know me, and I just kind of decided to drop the shy bit,” KamiDuffin said.” The most important lesson I learned coming to South Pas is that by being yourself, it’s a lot easier to find people that you want to spend time with.” During her sophomore year, Kami-Duffin hopes to maintain the positive attitude that has gotten her through high school thus far, and to continue to spread that positivity to her peers, despite the difficulty of having limited social interaction in her online classes. “Online school is super difficult for me. Not [being able] to talk to people has drained me. I try to have as much fun in breakout rooms and class discussions as possible. The thing I miss most about school is spending time with people who make me happy.”

TIGER

12 SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

FEATURE

‘Nice White Parents’ asks all the right questions While IS-293 encouraged Nice White Parents to transform the school, Success Academy is designed to limit its power by enforcing inflexible rules that apply to all students and all parents. Success Academy doesn’t contribute further to the power imbalance, but it does nothing to correct it. The two schools want the same thing for their students: They want them to succeed. They go about it in opposite ways but end up with similarly flawed systems. And herein lies Nice White Parents’ greatest strength: meticulous and mind-blowingly comprehensive journalism. Jumping from past to present multiple times an episode could have easily been confusing but Joffe-Walt understood that understanding the past is key to understanding the present and in turn, nothing felt random. Everything from bits of archived news broadcasts to excerpts of recorded PTA meetings wove an intricate web, equal part story and history lesson. Nice White Parents crossed the arbitrarily delicate lines that revealed themselves when engaging in a discussion about segregated education in search of the truth. Walt did not hesitate to ask white parents difficult questions and often did so in hopes of receiving difficult answers.

STORY ZOE SCHLAAK ILLUSTRATIONS ALICIA ZHANG Nice White Parents confronts the power of white parents in public education and traces the deep roots of their power in one New York school. The five-part podcast series hosted by Chana Joffe-Walt of This American Life deftly explores the uncharted nuances of the prominent role race plays in public education with the steady hand of a skilled storyteller. In the podcast, Nice White Parents are defined as middleclass, white, and often liberal. They believe in the value of diverse classrooms, so they send their children to schools that serve primarily low-income students of color; in this case, it’s Brooklyn’s Boreum School of International Studies (IS-293). They fundraise for programs to better their children’s school from a place of immense privilege, failing to acknowledge their disproportionate power. Nice White Parents are not malicious, just troublingly ill-advised. The podcast pays special attention to Rob Hansen — an IS-293 Nice White Parent and professional fundraiser. After forming his new fundraising committee, Hansen proposed that the school host an almost comically tone-

deaf charity ball to raise money for a new Dual Studies French program at none other than the French Embassy across the bridge on the Upper East Side. The program would only benefit white families of French descent, and Hansen and the other white parents disregarded implementing an Arabic or a Spanish program that could benefit the majority of the students. Most of the people attending this ball were donors with deep pockets, all friends of friends of Nice White Parents who had never heard of the school. During the toasts, the attendees preached the importance of diversity in schools while the few parents of IS-293’s majority BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) student population exchanged frustrated glances, the only ones acutely aware of the irony of the bizarre situation. Joffe-Walt gives the listener all the pieces, one episode at a time, equipping them with the tools to come to a logical conclusion, not unlike an intricate puzzle. One of the biggest and most unexpected pieces is an in-depth examination of the fated question of equality versus equity in the public school system conducted by observing one building with two completely different programs. In the same Cobble Hill school building as IS-293, there was another charter school — Success Academy — located in their basement.

Focusing on one school makes sense if trying to accomplish the level of depth Nice White Parents did in only five episodes. However, one school’s results leaves unanswered questions regarding every other school. Nice White Parents leaves class out of the equation and functions under the assumption that every white family is affluent and most families of color are not, which is true for IS-293’s Cobble Hill neighborhood. But what about the rest of the country? This question isn’t one that Chana Joffe-Walt is going to answer for us. The series is probing and engaging and that is more than one can ask from a five episode podcast. It answers some questions and raises so many more. Nice White Parents isn’t trying to teach us everything; it is trying to teach us enough to want to educate ourselves.

Nice White Parents

Director Genre Episodes

Chana Joffe-Walt Podcast 5

What does a virtual future mean for concerts? STORY SAM GROTENSTEIN ILLUSTRATION ALICIA ZHANG Over the summer, hyperpop duo 100 Gecs made history with Square Garden, the largest virtual concert in the history of Minecraft. This groundbreaking event parallels a larger trend that has emerged from the coronavirus pandemic: the rise of virtual concerts. The concept of putting on a concert that requires little to no preparation, no budget, and can reach an international crowd is incredibly appealing — especially to independent artists. Being able to perform on a pre-existing content platform such as YouTube, Twitch, or the aforementioned Minecraft allows artists to perform without the majority of the expenses required for a regular, in-person concert. This shift towards accessibility for artists falls in line with the patterns seen in the music industry today. The widespread appeal of streaming platforms such as Spotify and SoundCloud have ushered in a new era of making and listening to music, in which artists have more freedom to find success in a niche market. This is a universal good for the music industry. Despite the flaws present in many major streaming services, they still do a significantly better job of catering not just to the needs of artists, but to the interests of fans. The increased convenience of putting on a virtual concert ensures increased accessibility for fans. Virtual concerts not only have the option to be significantly cheaper than live venues, but also can entertain a near infinite amount of viewers from across the globe. While virtual concerts are primarily beneficial to independent artists and their fans, many

major artists are hopping on the bandwagon as well. Look no further than Astronomical, a Travis Scott concert taking place in the popular online shooter Fortnite. This event made headlines, with over 12 million people in attendance, almost three times larger than the biggest live performance of all time. Astronomical sets a high bar, and demonstrates the versatility of virtual concerts, but also raises some difficult questions. The reason this concert netted such a large crowd is due in large part to the price of admission: $0. While this is undoubtedly a massive step forward in terms of audience accessibility, it also foreshadows an imbalance in the world of virtual concerts. A lot of what Astronomical was able to achieve is due to the backing of Fortnite, a large third party media conglomerate. There is no inherent problem to giving artists a large platform, but this situation creates an uneven playing field for smaller, more independent artists, who don’t have third party support. This issue could quickly compound, as already popular artists are made more popular by corporate backing. Furthermore, those artists are more likely to receive even more third party backing as they have been shown to guarantee profit. While so far the virtual concert scene has proven to be a welcoming place for independent artists, concerts such as this suggest the possibility of a bleak future, in which a select few third parties have a monopoly on the virtual concert market. That said, the threat of over-monopolization is yet to slow down independent artistsas virtual concerts, whether pre-performed or live, are still coming out with creative and boundary pushing concerts on a daily basis.

TIGER 13 SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

FEATURE

TAAGLAA: 500 Days of Summer TIGER’S AWESOME ADVENTURES IN THE GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA began to decline following suburbanization in the 1920s and 30s. Despite efforts to renovate the building into a luxury hotel, it is now a primarily low-income residence, resisting the rapid gentrification occurring around it. Although its decay is apparent, the faint echo of its golden-age ballroom parties can still be heard. Just around the corner from the Barclay Hotel, Spring Street’s tree-lined sidewalks are a breath of fresh air in the midst of busy downtown. Tom and Summer do a lot of their couple activities on this street, including visiting the record store and people-watching outside of cafes. This aspect of the movie, coupled with the neighborhood’s youthful vibe, creates the perfect new relationship feel.

STORY GEORGIA PARSONS PHOTOS KATELYN HERNANDEZ

owntown Los Angeles is a popular location for many films, particularly romance movies, because of its versatility and the subtle nostalgia of its older buildings. In the iconic doomed-romance movie, 500 Days of Summer, which follows the birth and ultimate decay of couple Tom and Summer, the city takes on a larger role as an integral part of the plot. On a hot Sunday morning, I set off to Downtown LA to explore the locations of 500 Days of Summer.

the youthful radiance of Spring Street. Many people like the idea of pursuing their dreams while simultaneously finding love, and Downtown Los Angeles is the perfect place for that. The seemingly endless sprawl of busy city streets and winding alleyways provide innumerable possibilities to meet new people and visit new places, which is part of the reason why the city is such an integral part of the plot. The older locations are more warm and romantic, yet the fast-paced feel of the city reminds viewers that when a relationship ends, not all hope is lost. As Tom’s friend Paul constantly reminds him, “there are plenty of fish in the sea.”

Dubbed “the park for everyone,” Grand Park is an oasis of shade and (mostly) quiet in the busy downtown area. The park stretches between the City Hall and the Los Angeles Music Center on Grand and features long shade dappled paths and native flora. The cascading waters of the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain are the obvious focal point of Grand Park, and the place where Tom does the iconic dance sequence to the Hall & Oates song, “You Make My Dreams Come True.” Built in 1893, the Bradbury Building is one of Downtown L.A.’s great marvels, attracting tourists and design mavens from all over. A luminous five-story court lies behind the modest and often unassuming exterior of the building. The interior reflects the Italian Renaissance Revival style that was popular at the time, with its ornamental cast iron and skylight that floods the court with light.

My first stop was the Hotel Barclay, which was converted into a hip coffee bar where Tom and his friends hang out, however, the real hotel is anything but contemporary. Nothing can quite describe the feeling upon first walking into the hotel. The decaying lobby is captured in Downtown’s golden age, now a distant memory. The lobby was mostly bare apart from a few solemn figures slouched in the mismatched chairs, a stark contrast from the glamorous pink moulding and stained glass windows that reflect onto the tile floors in the afternoon light.

In 500 Days of Summer, the Bradbury is the location of Tom’s dream architecture job. The building symbolizes a new beginning for him, both in terms of his career and his relationship. Beginning anew from a difficult time can be painstaking and stressful, but also liberating. One upsetting situation, like Tom and Summer’s emotionally fraught breakup, can send a person careening into a seemingly endless state of self-doubt and worry. Pursuing a passion that had been long set aside or labeled “unattainable” is truly the perfect remedy.

The Hotel Barclay was one of the several grand hotels built in the early 1900s, but like many other hotels,

The movie’s locations make for a perfect romance movie, whether it’s the nostalgic feel of the Barclay or

OLD L.A. GLAMOUR echoes faintly through the faded grandeur of Hotel Barclay and the Million Dollar Theater.

Tiger’s New Podcast! Nightmare on Mission Street Hosted by Cloe Maurer and Amber Chen New episodes every Tuesday at 5 p.m. @nightmareonmission Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Nightmare on Mission Street is a podcast about current events and personal perspectives. This podcast only represents the views of the hosts and any guests. It does not necessarily represent the views of the SPHS staff, student body, faculty, administration, or Tiger Newspaper.

TIGER SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

SPORTS

Kerrigan Riley: dancing, running, and winning STORY KATIE HOHMAN PHOTOS COURTESY OF KERRIGAN RILEY

unior Kerrigan Riley is known on the SPHS campus for her dedicated involvement in cross country and track and field, but outside of school, she is involved in another unique sport. For the past 10 years, she has participated in competitive Irish dance at the national and international level. Through the form of dance, Riley has been able to strengthen her teamwork skills and hone in on a different type of athletic ability. Riley first heard about Irish dance from her older sister, who had seen a competitive group performing and asked their mom to sign her up. Later on, Riley fell in love with it. She found herself following in her sister’s footsteps, and took on the dance form herself. Unlike cross country and track, Irish dance is focused on appearance as well as ability. One day, Riley might be dancing in an intricately designed dress and wig and then have to switch to simple running gear. While running is all about agility and speed, Irish dance also has the added element of grace. During group performances, dancers must form shapes with ease. Irish dance is extremely focused on precise leg work, with a multitude of jumps and fast-twitch muscle movements. Participating in that demanding style of dance has allowed Riley to not only strengthen her lower body, but build stamina and endurance, which she has been able to apply to her distance running in cross country and track.

“You need to have a good endurance to finish the whole dance and really going for it on stage is like a sprint,” Riley said. “You’re really putting your all into it while trying to hold everything together because you need to have really good posture.” Through dance, Riley has also been able to develop strong team working skills and respect for coaches. By growing up with strict dance teachers and intense regiments, Riley has learned how to listen to her coaches’ orders and not complain. “When I first started doing sports and running, the coach would tell us to do something and I would see other people not wanting to or talking back,” Riley said. “[In dance] our teachers are really strict and you don’t mess with them.” In Irish dance, respecting coaches is just as important as respecting teammates. While dancing, everyone on the team relies on each other in order to give a good performance and through that, develops a sense of trust. Much like cross country and track, the entire team is rooting for each other. Another one of Riley’s favorite parts about Irish dance is the sense of accomplishment that she gets onstage when she knows she is doing well. Her Irish dance team currently ranks first in their region and in the nation. They are also fourth in the world and Riley has been able to compete in Scotland, Canada, and across the United States. “Sometimes you really feel like you’re floating and it feels really nice,” Riley said. “When you’re doing it well it feels good. In the soft-shoes there are these big leaps and you feel like you’re floating.”

AS AN UNUSUAL DUAL ATHLETE, Riley competes in cross country and Irish dancing, translating skills from each to improve in the other. Years of competing in the intense sport of Irish dancing has prepared Riley to compete as cross country and track runner.

Learn about your voting rights and important info about the upcoming 2020 elections! FOUR IDENTICAL SESSIONS Saturday, Sept. 12 Sunday, Sept. 27 Saturday, Oct. 10 Saturday, Oct. 24 Hosted by Haelee Kim and Nicole Lu REGISTER AT: HTTPS://TINYURL.COM/REGISTER4KNOWYOURRIGHTS

TIGER SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

SPORTS

The long road to college commitment STORY EDDIE ZHOU ILLUSTRATION DAVID SOHN

merica’s youth are constantly reminded of the meritocracy of the American Dream — that a “nobody” can rise to the top by way of work and will. For high school athletes, this dream is no different, as tales such as Rocky and Rudy have encouraged thousands of students to climb themselves to the top by pursuing their sports beyond high school. Recently, SPHS sent nine students from the Class of 2020 to play college sports and although coronavirus has shifted much of the athletic recruiting process’ landscape, the process continues to attract a multitude of athletes from across the nation. The recruiting process begins with coaches compiling a prospective list of athletes from various sources such as recruiting sites, camps, showcases, and emails from coaches and athletes. Senior Anthony Felix, a UC Irvine water polo commit, made sure to catch the eye of coaches and scouts at his games. “I made it a point to walk up to college coaches and introduce myself with the hope that my name might stick in their head or that they would remember me as the kid that didn’t shy away from putting myself out there,” Felix said. “On many occasions, I actually had college coaches come up to me after water polo games and ask who I was. To my surprise, this was how Brown University initially made contact with me.” Felix also acknowledges the advice he received at a water polo camp as inspiration for his constant communication with coaches. “The coaches told us that the ‘squeaky wheel gets the oil.’ Meaning, the biggest problem the colleges experience with players that are trying to be recruited is their lack of contact,” Felix said. “From then on, I kept my current recruitment opportunities alive, but I set out to email the college coaches at the schools that I really liked. Eventually, I had weekly/monthly correspondence with these coaches.” The next step of the recruiting process involves an athlete evaluation. However, recruiting does not officially begin until coaches directly contact athletes and their families, whether it’s to watch athletes in-person or invite them on campus for visits. Such visits allowed Gianna Beasley — a UC Berkeley freshman and track athlete — to explore the campus and atmosphere of the schools from which she received offers. “I had offers for official visits at multiple schools, including NYU, Northern Arizona, Occidental, and UC Berkeley. I knew I was going to have a lot to process so I asked some of my first-year college friends how they were able to choose the right school for themselves,” Beasley said. “They all told me that when you find yourself at the right place, you get a feeling where you know you can picture yourself walking the campus and enjoying the amenities.” This insight proved crucial for Beasley in her college decision. The ability to picture herself at a school played a deciding factor in her commitment to Berkeley. “My first visit was at Occidental, and I enjoyed the experience, but all I remember thinking was: this is cool, but I can’t wait to experience this at a different school,” Beasley said. “My next visit was at Berkeley and every part of the experience was amazing. The amenities were just incredible and I loved the atmosphere of the campus. It was the right place for me because I could see myself there in the future.” Athletes receive offers during the last stage of recruiting, and those who do not receive a scholarship offer can still walk on, meaning, athletes who are accepted into a university can become a part of a team without having been officially recruited. For senior Lindsey Hirano, a NYU volleyball commit, committing to a Division III school was just as rewarding as any other. “When [the NYU coach] offered me [a spot] in February, I felt pretty confident that NYU was going to be a great place for me and the place I was supposed to spend the next four years of my life,” Hirano said.

ANTHONY FELIX ANNOUNCED HIS COMMITMENT to the University of California at Irvine, on Thursday, Aug. 13. While this process has held true for many athletes, the coronavirus pandemic has threatened its efficacy for current high schoolers. Events such as games, camps, meets, and visits have all found themselves delayed or cancelled due to coronavirus health regulations. Many upperclassmen have found it difficult to grab scouts attentions during the shutdown. “I have not been able to visit the campus and meet everyone on the team in person,” junior diver Nicholas Chau said. “I was planning on committing after I visited my schools, but now the visits aren’t going to play a factor as to where I’m committing. Hopefully, I can visit with proper precautions sometime in the future.” The recruiting process is a long road that is not for everyone, but for those who are have the right combination of dedication, talent, and determination, it can be an extremely rewarding experience.

Tiger talks with ASB athletic commissioner STORY HAELEE KIM PHOTO COURTESY OF KHALIL MURDOCK The ongoing pandemic has forced athletics into a corner, but Commissioner of Athletics Khalil Murdock is hard at work in navigating these challenges, hoping to promote school spirit and spotlight the efforts of athletes virtually. Tiger: How has your role as an ASB Commissioner been impacted by distance learning? Murdock: A lot of the stuff that I planned for was hands-on, so I can’t really do them now. One of those things was this Ultimate Frisbee tournament between different sports teams at our school. Tiger: Are these plans on hold or will you be adapting them virtually? Murdock: The Ultimate Frisbee [tournament idea] is put on hold, but there is a new project. In the upcoming assembly, we are planning on releasing “Athlete Spotlights.” Here, I interviewed athletes about their experience, how they were coping with quarantine, and more. We will be posting these on YouTube or the SPHS Athletics’ IGTV. Tiger: How will you be selecting the athletes and do you currently have any names in mind?

AS COMMISSIONER OF ATHLETICS, Khalil Murdock has been spending his time finding ways Murdock: I want to reach all sports and make sure it’s to virtually bring athletic spirit to SPHS. not limited to just upperclassmen. I know somebody

from every sport, so I’m going to be making sure to feature outstanding underclassmen and even SPHS alumni. In fact, one of the individuals we are working with right now is Jack Renken. He graduated two years ago and was a track and soccer athlete. Tiger: When is the first “Athlete Spotlight” going to be released? Murdock: We are working on one this month, so probably early September. We haven’t worked out the logistics of how often we would post, but it would likely be monthly or biweekly. Tiger: Do you have any other plans in regards to sports games? Murdock: We still don’t know the circumstances with sports, whether there are going to be fans or no fans. But I am thinking about recording the games, club and school, and clipping them into highlights, so we could add commentary over that. Tiger: How will you hope to improve low morale in athletes right now? Murdock: I do have some ideas, like the competitions with Navy officers we used to have. I’m thinking of doing push-up and sit-up competitions virtually with students and then giving out prizes for winners. Also, I am working with the Health and Wellness officers to get the teachers to make exercise videos for students again and bring back activities like Yoga with Jaroch.

TIGER

16 SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

SPORTS

DESPITE CORONAVIRUS SETBACKS, construction of the athletics facilities continues after weeks of delay as builders approach the final stages.

New gym construction nears completion STORY SOFIA ALVA PHOTO SARAH LEE

he SPHS athletic facilities are close completion after being under construction since January 2020. After being delayed in March 2020 due to stay-at-home guidelines, work has resumed in order to complete the project during the fall semester. Gym construction has been ongoing throughout the coronavirus pandemic, but the completion date has been pushed back a few weeks from its original Aug. 31 deadline. According to SPHS Athletic Director Anthony Chan, shipping was delayed on a few materials needed for the gym, but all items are now in the process of delivery or have already been delivered. The gym’s walls and alma mater mural will remain the same, although some aspects of the building such as the basketball hoops will be replaced. Additionally, new flooring in both the main and practice gyms are almost completely done.

A new field house will be completed during construction; workers will begin furnishing it soon. The new structure includes an additional storage unit for team equipment, along with a training room and a film room that both teams and the sports medicine class will use. New bleachers for fans to watch tennis matches will also be installed, while the visitor stands will be replaced and secured to the ground. The ground around the tennis courts, baseball cages, and outdoor basketball courts has been leveled. In order to ensure all aspects of construction are completed to the district’s standards, the district administration, school site administration, and Chan have been inspecting the site multiple times a week. The entire construction will likely be finished by midto-late September. “We are approaching the final stages and I know that SPUSD will be excited to reveal the entire project once complete,” Chan said.

CIF’s new calendar leaves athletes frustrated STORY KATHARINE FLORENCE PHOTO ELLA JAYASEKERA CIF announced its plans for the 2020-21 Athletic Calendar this past July. Rather than canceling it, the commission decided to push back fall sports and create a two-season schedule. The fall season will start at the initial winter start time and spring will consist of 10 total sports. Fall sports include the traditional boys water polo, girls volleyball, cross country, and football, as well as girls water polo and boys volleyball. The spring season will add soccer, basketball, wrestling, girls tennis, and girls golf to the original spring sports: badminton, swim, baseball, softball, and track and field. Because of this new season structure, many multi-sport athletes will be forced to choose between two or more sports. By having multiple players subjectively prioritize one sport over another, talent will be spread thin, impacting overall team success. Junior Allysan Tse once dominated on the hardwood and in the pool, but will now have to decide which sport she wants to represent SPHS for: basketball or swimming. “I’m sad because as a dual athlete, it sucks having to choose between two sports. But I am thankful that we get to have sports this year,” Tse said. “Since I cannot play in both swim and basketball, I am most likely going to high school basketball and club swim.” In addition, the spring season will begin directly after the fall campaign. Those who are fortunate enough remain dual athletes may struggle physically, academically, and mentally without the typical downtime of the offseason. Senior long distance runner Lindsay Michels participates in both cross country and track and field and will experience season overlaps firsthand. “This change makes it impossible to have a rest period between cross country and track. Runners need a two-

BUT WAIT! There’s more...

week break in between seasons or they’re at risk for injury from prolonged stress on their body, and now the first track meet is right next to the end of cross country CIF,” Michels said. To accommodate these changes, CIF has decided to standardize all seasons to a maximum of 72 days. However, there is no change in the number of competitions teams are allowed to participate in. Section championships will continue as usual, but regional and state championships will be streamlined to no longer than one week once Southern Section Championships have concluded. The change in season length has many in frustration about the number of days teams can practice. “I believe our normal season is usually four months long,” senior wrestler Roxanne Lynch said. “This gives us a much shorter time to prepare and improve our skills... I just think this is a really unfortunate way to begin the year, especially for us seniors.” Anthony Chan also has some concerns about the new official calendar and its effects, one of which being a strain on available facilities and officials. “Boys and girls tennis are now in the same season. The [Rio Hondo] League and I are working on finding a way to make it work, as we only have so many courts which would need to have four levels of tennis in a season instead of the usual two levels of varsity or JV at a time,” Chan said. “Now, boys and girls volleyball occur in the same season. The officials for boys and girls volleyball are usually the same, and are trying to cover twice the matches in a season with the same number of people.”

THE NEW COMPRESSED ATHLETIC CIF is following guidelines from local and state public SEASONS for 2020-2021 athletics has created health departments, allowing room for changes in the new challenges for dual athletes. The new fall schedule according to public health mandates. and spring season will include a total of 10 sports.

CHECK OUT MORE COVERAGE ON

TWITTER @SPHStiger

ONLINE

FACEBOOK

tigernewspaper.com

tiger.newspaper

YOUTUBE @SPHSTigerNewspaper

INSTAGRAM @tigernewspaper