Tiger Newspaper Vol. XCVII, No. IV by Tiger Newspaper

Aydin Salek, one year later

Virtual Business wins big in Bakersfield

By Ande Withers Copy Editor

By Max White Staff Writer

More than 100 people gathered at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills on Dec. 11 to celebrate the 19th birthday of Aydin Salek, as well as to mourn the one-year anniversary of his untimely death. Salek, then a senior at South Pasadena High School, lost consciousness while attending a party in Altadena and never awoke. It was determined that Salek died of alcohol poisoning on the evening of December 12, 2009—one day before his 18th birthday. Salek’s cousin, Pedram, began Saturday’s ceremony by reminding the group of mourners of why they were there that day. Friends and family of Salek and his family congregated at Salek’s grave site not only to pay their respects to his family, but to remember and celebrate Aydin’s life and vast contributions to his family, friends, peers, and community. Following an emotional speech by Pedram, Salek’s father, Hamid, read a poem to the audience in Farsi, which was later translated to English. The poem—which was read with immense emotion—evoked great feelSee “Memorial” on pg. 2

Members of South Pasadena High School’s three Virtual Business teams woke up at 4 a.m. on December 2 to compete in the 12th Annual California Trade Fair in Bakersfield. During the two-day event, 150 virtual enterprise programs from across California were evaluated in 13 different categories. The varsity team entered the competition selling high-tech bicycles through its company, Coast. It emerged from the competition with “Top Ten” finishes in ten different categories. Junior Varsity businesses Canopy and Scenic featured animal- inspired headwear and stylish wall decals, respectively. The Business Plan component of the fair was especially important, as the top five teams in this category qualified for the International Virtual Enterprise Competition in New York City. Maintaining the high standard that Atlantis set with its third place finish in

Laura Parada

Senior Himal Suthar consults fellow Canopy team members in Bakersfield.

Smith resigns as head coach District to explore selling assets By Michael Abelev Staff Writer Varsity football head coach Edward Smith resigned his position on December 9. Smith, a mathematics teacher at SPHS for 31 years, was head coach for 16 years. Smith informed the football team of his resignation on the home bleachers. The players expressed shock upon hearing the news. Junior Dominic Frescura said that Smith told the players that the administration asked him to step down, but that he was proud of their season and had planned on retiring in a few years anyway. “The administration wanted to go in a different direction. I can see that. I’ve been the head coach here for 16 years. They probably

Sam Gurley

Smith has coached the varsity football team for 16 years.

wanted a new voice and I’m okay with that,” said Smith in an interview on December 10. Smith met with the administration last week, where they discussed his future with the team. According to Smith, “they wanted somebody else to lead the program.” Athletic Director Ralph Punaro said, “Coach Smith made the decision to retire, and that’s all there is to it.” “There were discussions and we came to a mutual conclusion to the direction of the program as we’d like to see it,” said Punaro. He added that the Booster Club was not involved in this decision. Punaro said that the head coach position remains vacant for the time being and added that the application process will be handled through the personnel office. Smith will remain as the weight room coach for the remainder of the school year and will continue to teach mathematics. “It’s a shame that Coach Smith won’t be leading us to our true potential, but I feel his career ended on a high note,” said Frescura. The personnel office advertised the coaching position on December 16. Applications will be accepted by district employees until January 10, 2011 and by the general public until January 28.

By Luka Douridas Assoc. Opinion Editor The South Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education is taking further steps concerning the possibility of selling or leasing all or part of their District Office buildings as a response to California’s continuing budget crisis. Eric Hall, of Eric Hall & Associates, spoke to the Board during its meeting last Tuesday, requesting a proposal for the District Office’s possible sale or lease plans. As part of his presentation,

he shared a timeline detailing the various stages in the confirmation process. He estimated that September would be the final date of sale or lease, if such an arrangement is to be reached. Previously, the Board held a special study session on August 19 to review the contents of a report put together by the RPAC, or the Real Property Advisory Committee, in January 2009. The report reviewed various District properties for designation as surplus; the main properties in question were the

District Office property and the Oneonta Elementary School. When evaluated, the District Office property was divided into three distinct sections: the office buildings, the Boardroom, and the parking lot. The RPAC recommended that the parking lot be declared as surplus, but that the Boardroom, office buildings and Oneonta property not be declared as surplus. At this meeting, the Board decided to take steps toward creating a request for proposal, or RFP, for the See “District” on pg. 2

Jennifer Kim

The RPAC recommended the SPUSD parking lot be declared surplus.

2009, Coast’s Business Plan team placed fifth and Canopy’s placed second. “The Coast Business Plan team gave the best presentation we possibly could have, and even though we’re a little disappointed that our placement didn’t reflect the high caliber of performance we thought we had, we are still grateful to be going to New York,” said Coast COO senior Gabriel Khan. The six students in charge of each company’s Business Plan will take the weeklong trip to the New York trade fair in early April. “We are going to do what we do best and let our enthusiasm show,” said Canopy CEO senior Sean Wang regarding the team’s strategy. Coast’s Catalog Sales team, consisting of junior Siddhartha Vyas and senior Clement Chang, was judged to be the top in the state. Coast also earned the second spot in both Newsletter and Catalog Sales, and secured third place in Website and Professional Booth. Junior Jessie Yen of Scenic and senior Kevin Yin of Coast teamed up with students from other schools to win the Apprentice competition. Scenic’s junior Matthew Wong earned first place and was “hired” in the Job Interview. The Virtual Business teams exhibited respect and composure even in the midst of their success. “The level of professionalism we displayed was extraordinary and clearly superior to that of the other schools,” wrote Scenic CEO junior Calvin Chan in a letter to his company.

in this issue:

Opinion:

Feature:

Sports:

Thoughts on college apps, work over break, and reforming the MPAA rating system Read about the origin of the holiday hero Santa and upcoming trends Check out how all the winter sports are stacking up and preparing for league

News 2

News

Tiger - Friday, December 17, 2010

Drama teacher Mr. Daniel Enright hosted the radio version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” in the Little Theatre at lunch Monday through Thursday this week. SPHS beginning drama classes were featured in the performances, and all were welcome to attend. Freshman Sophie Negrini said of her class performance, “Although the theater was half-full, the audience seemed to really enjoy the performance.”/Libby Rainey

Around Campus

College admissions: Fall Play: “Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s only getting harder By Brendan Perry Staff Writer The number of early admission applicants reached an all-time high this fall. Many top universities received over 15% more applications this year than last year, including the University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern University. This increase in competitive applicants has led to even lower admissions ratings among selective schools nationwide. An example of this trend can be seen in Georgetown University, which traditionally accepts 20% of their early action applicants. This year, however, the prestigious university only accepted 16.9% of Hoya hopefuls, according to Georgetown’s student paper, The Hoya. This decrease in admissions followed a 9% rise in applicants, a fairly low increase compared to many other top schools. SPHS senior Gabriel Kahn, one of the many applicants deferred to the regular decision application pool at Georgetown University, commented on the situation stating, “It kind of freaked me out a little bit. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get into Georgetown, but the idea seemed much more plausible back in the day when the acceptance rate was higher.” If these early admission statistics are any indicator of regular admission, the class of 2011 will face the most competitive college admissions process to date. From “Memorial” on Page 1 ings of grief in the audience. With tears in his eyes, Hamid eloquently described the indescribably tumultuous feelings that occur when one experiences loss. Some of the family members and friends sobbed, while others just stared at the headstone that was piled with flowers, as well as a framed photo of Salek smiling. In addition to celebrating Salek’s life, the family also wanted to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Aydin Salek Leadership Fund, a scholarship founded in honor of Salek’s life and dedication to the world around him. The scholarship is to be given to a senior from South Pasadena High School who embodies the ideals through which Salek led his own life: “compassion for friends and family, never-ending thirst for knowledge, and fearless drive to…make a difference.” Even a year later, it is clear that the Salek family and those that were affected by Salek’s death are still greatly afflicted by the loss of a caring friend, devoted student, inspiring son and vital member of the community.

Got the Will?” a rousing success

By Meghan Roche Staff Writer Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got the Will?, a comedy written by Del Shores, opened Friday, December 3 in the Little Theater and was well-received by six audiences of SPHS students, parents, and faculty. The first show directed by Mr. Daniel Enright since he took over the drama department from Ms Donna Tucker brought several noticeable changes to the usual format of the fall play. Only members of the SPHS Drama Company used to be able to participate, but the fall play was fully open to audition this year. It was also the first play in recent history to utilize the stage crew and the expertise of Mr. James Jontz. “I knew that I wanted to do a comedy… I got the amaz-

ing opportunity to work with [Del Shores] to edit Daddy’s Dying to make it more suitable for a high school audience and I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out. It’s very funny, and more contemporary than most plays we’ve done before. And, well, we were sure to mention the PG-13 rating in the publicity,” said Enright. The play was one of the raunchiest ever performanced on the Little Theater stage, with some scenes depicting cast characters as drunk and high, as well as participating in sexually suggestive acts. Audiences seemed to love the comically winding plotlines and the vibrant, uproariously funny characters. “I really believe that 80% [of a show] is in the casting,” Enright said. “And I really got some very talented people auditioning.”

One standout performance came from junior Sara Patterson, a junior new to the school this year, as one of the hilarious yet convincing main characters, Mama Wheelis. Tickets were sold out for nearly every show, and most student reviews have been positive. “This is the first school play I’ve ever attended, but I think it’s actually really good! Everything is working out really well and it’s a surprisingly fun show,” said junior Helen Lee. The set also impressed audiences with a full-scale living room that utilized clever lighting and effects, adding a level of authenticity to the scenes that spectators enjoyed. “I was pretty impressed,” said junior Chloe Compton. “Everything was just really well done.”

Sam Gurley

Policy confusion By Sofi Goode Staff Writer Recent campus rumors allege that Assistant Principal Mr. Terrance Dunn has changed enforcement of rules on campus this year. Suspicions fly about supposedly banned scarves and pajama bottoms, and several students have decided that they won’t stand for it. The administration, however, insists that policy remains the same. Senior Laura McClain is one student upset with what she believes to be a change in dress code policy. “We’re here to learn,” she said, “not to be judged for our appearance.” McClain was allegedly pulled out of her computers class last Thursday and told to change out of her SpongeBob pajama pants and put on another shirt. McClain started a petition and gathered over 100 signatures that same day. McClain is not the only student who has shown concern about supposed “changes of dress code.” However, Dunn has renounced the rumors. “The dress code has not changed and I couldn’t change it if I wanted to. It was made by a board of teachers, parents, and students and they would have to change it,” said Dunn. Dunn listed clothing rumored to be banned. “Scarves, gloves, sweatpants, fleece pajama bottoms, and hats – so long as they are not worn in class – are all allowed. However, it may be how the clothing is worn instead of the clothing itself that violates the dress code. Pajama bottoms are okay, but if we can see underwear then they are not within the dress code.” Administrators agree that the dress code remains unchanged.

Randa Bukowski, Kyle Ehlig and Abbey Veffer enjoy a moment on stage during the fall play.

Canned food drive encourages holiday cheer By Kelsey Hess Staff Writer South Pasadena High School ASB hosted the annual canned food drive in the spirit of the holiday season from December 6 through December 16. Cans collected were taken to the food pan-

Sam Gurley

Mourners left tributes at Aydin Salek’s gravesite in Forest Lawn.

try at Holy Family Church, where SPHS has held drives and fundraisers in previous years. To boost motivation, ASB made the drive a competition between fourth period classes. Ms. Annalee Pearson’s Spanish class collected 379 cans, winning first place in the competition and Inn-Out for the class. Mr. Paul Groves’ chemistry class came in second place by collecting 214 cans and ASB earned third place with a total of 204 cans. These classes will receive hot chocolate and candy canes for their efforts. “By making this a competition, we hoped to encourage more participation in the canned food drive. We are really happy with how much the school has stepped up to help,” said ASB Commissioner General Tim Lee.

Around the holiday season, Holy Family expects many people to come by to pick up food that has been collected by the community. An estimated 450 families in need will come to the pantry for their Christmas distribution. SPHS collected a total of 1,597 cans to donate to the cause.

Sam Gurley

ASB packs up cans to deliver to Holy Family food pantry.

From “District” on Page 1 possible sale or lease of the property in question. It is still unclear to whom the property would be leased or sold, although Hall emphasized that whatever facilities occupied the buildings are anticipated to be of benefit to the community of South Pasadena. At the meeting on August 19, the Board put together a list of requirements for the sale or lease of District property. They requested that the agreement would provide long-term revenue for the district, accommodation for transfer of the office’s personnel and functions, and good use of the property, including respect for the historical nature of the buildings and compliance with the city’s Mission Street Specific Plan. Eric Hall & Associates, L.L.C. is a company aimed to provide facility and business services for school districts in California. Hall was the original advisor for the RPAC report from January 2009, and is now facilitating the steps toward creating the RFP.

Friday, December 17, 2010 - Tiger

News

Band and orchestra entertain in annual winter concert

Live Music Week entertains with an array of student performances By Libby Rainey News Editor

By Jackson Atwater Asoc. News Editor Students and parents filed into the auditorium on December 9 th to kick off the South Pasadena High School music department’s annual winter concert. The concert band, directed by Mr. Howard Crawford and Mr. Albert Chung, started off the show with “Ceremonial Prelude,” “Chorale No. 1,” “Sleigh Ride,” and “March of the Toys.” Jazz Band followed with “The Girl from Ipanema,” “April in Paris,” “Señorita Blues,” and “I Just Want to Celebrate,” played in their signature freeform style. Among the more memorable moments of jazz band’s performance were solos from seniors Jon Weiner and Matt West, juniors Daniel Ruatta and Dylan Mulcahy, and freshmen Nathan Pokpongkiat and Matthew Chen. After a short intermission, the orchestra ended the night of festivities with “Overture to Reinzi,” “Queen of Sheeba” from the Introduction to Act II of Solomon, “Clair de Lune,” and a crowd favorite, “The Sound of Music.” Director Crawford said of the performance, “We can always use a bigger crowd, but there were quite a few people here tonight. The musicianship tonight was really high, and band and orchestra did a great job.”

Jennifer Kim

Live Music Week was held at lunch on the Tiger Patio throughout this week, following a tradition started by Commissioner of Noontime Aaron Childs in 2009. Performances ranged from the off campus group “Junk,” the techno pop sibling duo of Julian and Chloe Chaidez, to The Davy Li String Quartet, who performed a set of classical versions of video game songs today. Current Noontime Commissioner Henry Stambler said of the event, “I didn’t have to

look far to find an eclectic mix of performers I knew the student body would enjoy.” Seniors Zane MacPhee and Kaveh Javaheri also made an appearance on the Tiger Patio in one of the more amusing performances of the week, a freestyle rap battle. Javaheri, on crutches due to a knee injury, emerged victorious, pleasing the crowd with lines such as, “I’ve got the Midas Touch. Hey you look hurt, want a crutch?” Acoustic singers McKay Hatch and Nick Primuth were among other student performers featured throughout the week.

Edmond Mandin-Lee

Students celebrate the winter season with music: (Top) Senior Theo Hurley plays the timpani at band and orchestra’s winter concert. (Left) Choirmaster Mr. Michael Gray directs the caroling Arroyo Seco Ensemble at the Los Angeles Public Library on December 14. (Above) Senior Kaveh Javaheri hands classmate Zane MacPhee his crutch after winning their rap showdown yesterday during lunch. Libby Rainey

Friday, December 17, 2010 - Tiger

Get Cultured

Get Cultured Page by Marcus Kahn and Coleman Rainey

It’s time to start educating yourselves.

Politics Then “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” - John F. Kennedy

Politics Now “I can see Russia from my house!” - Sarah Palin

Billboard Top 100

1969

Sugar, Sugar The Archies

Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In 5th Dimension

Honky Tonk Women The Rolling Stones

Come Together/Something The Beatles

Everyday People

2010

Tik Tok

Need You Now

Hey, Soul Sister

Ke$ha

Lady Antebellum Train

Gurls 4 California Katy Perry

5 OMG Sly & The Family Stone Usher Featuring will.i.am

People grow up, enveloped in the generation that preceded them. The references their parents make, whether to an old cartoon or a presidential assassination are often overlooked and left unexamined because of their regularity. Coming from a parent the knowledge seems irrelevant, outdated, and even “cute.” But the cultural knowledge colloquial to a time period does not lose its importance as time wears on. The fact that it endures makes it worthy of your understanding, and discarding it for the time-dependent frivolities of Octamom and Kanye West is unfair, and unwise. What is the root of this problem? Why is the younger generation so intent on throwing out the old? It’s easy to attribute this phenomenon to an outbreak of angst, a streak of rebellion, or a lust for change. But a lot of the onus can be placed on a general lack of attention. Of course it gets annoying when an adult complains you never pay attention to what they say. You are too busy checking your Facebook, playing on your iPhone, and hopefully reading your newspaper to listen to what they have to say. But this is not a legitimate social criticism, just their need to be noticed. A measurable deficit of attention exists between teenagers, and the cultural references they have been weaned on. This might be a product of the modern day and age, it might be a product of youth, and it might just be human nature. Regardless, it is a phenomenon that deserves recognition. When you say “You talkin’ to me?” You might understand the intent of your speech, but you don’t understand the original context, and that is crucial.

Authors It is imperative that you sound intelligent in conversation. Here are some names to drop that will put you on a fast track to intellectual discussion. We’ve simplified their work, a bit.

Jane Austen

Jane likes to talk about boy troubles. Medieval chick novels.

John

Steinbeck Try mentioning rural poverty, and dust. This guy loves Biblical allusions.

George Orwell

Heard of an Orwellian regime? This guy was a pessim ist, who hated all governments. Big Brother wat ched people with televisions .

Dante Alighieri

Explains Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Dante’s Infe rno anyone? At the bottom ring of hell is Judas, Cain , and the devil blowing ice wind.

Ernest Hemingway Popularized the

term “Lost Generation”: angsty writers in Paris.

Edgar Allen Poe Emo poet, famous for “The Raven.” He was a narcoleptic and a drunk. OG Goth.

Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky Have you ever justified killing an old lady with an axe? Crime and Punishment.

Charles Dickens The original proponent of child

labor laws. He addressed poverty and political corruption. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

“I want the truth.” ”You can’t handle the truth!” A Few Good Men with Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise

“Show me the money!” Jerry Maguire with Tom Cruise

“Toga! Toga! Toga!” Animal House with John Belushi

“I’ll have what she’s having.” When Harry Met Sally

“I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan

Godfather with Marlon Brando and Al Pacino

Pop Culture Quiz

Sudden Impact with Clint Eastwood

“I’m king of the world!” Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio

“You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me?” Taxi Driver with Robert De Niro

Who starts in the films Good Will Hunting, The Bourne films, and The Departed?

What is the name of the car driven in Back to the Future?

Who wrote War and Peace and Anna Karenina?

Who is the bestselling fiction author of all time behind William Shakespeare

Who is the star of the 90’s sitcom Seinfeld?

What sports team does Jack Nicholson often frequent?

Who directed the two highest grossing movies of all time?

Who is the creator of Family Guy? What voices does he play on the show?

1. Matt Damon 2. Delorean 3. Leo Tolstoy 4. Agatha Christie 5. Jerry Seinfeld 6. Lakers 7. James Cameron 8. Seth McFarlane, Brian, Stewie, Peter

“Go ahead, make my day.”

Friday, December 17, 2010 - Tiger

Opinion

Opinion Yeah Boi

B B

Tax cut battle a phony compromise

to Kaveh Javaheri. Your Farsi rhymes were the bomb.

ravo

oo to printing on the Xerox machine in the library. Now I’m late to class, I have nine dimes in my pocket and I didn’t even win a stuffed animal.

By Coleman Westfall Rainey Editor in Chief

to senior Sam Pons for being the fastest land mammal in California and 21st in the nation. Cheetahs got nothing on you, dawg. ravo

oo to every Ivy League that didn’t accept us this week. “Deferred admission” is just another way to say, “I love you; I’m just not in love with you.”

to the canned food drive for helping us realize the true meaning of the holiday season. We wanted to contribute, but got the munchies before ASB got to our classroom. Sorry, Mia.

ravo

to teachers cramming in tests before the holidays. Have fun doing all of that grading during the vacation! oo

oo to the elimination of the four furlow days. We were looking forward to school ending on June 15. We wanted to hit the unemployment office early.

The Tiger Established 1913

CSPA Gold Medalist 2001 CSPA Gold Medalist 2005 CSPA Gold Medalist 2006 CSPA Gold Medalist 2009 Editor-in-Chief Coleman Westfall Rainey Managing Editor Marcus Kahn News Libby Rainey, Editor Jackson Atwater, Associate Opinion Devin Mitchell, Editor Luka Douridas, Associate Feature Lana Ho, Editor Jessica Moog, Associate Sports Carlton Lew, Editor Christian Miyamae, Associate Copy Editors Christine Chen and Kristin Gunther Photography Sam Gurley, Editor Edmund Mandin-Lee, Associate Photographers Tai Carter, Jennifer Kim, Kathryn Whitworth

Daniel Willardson

Colleges spending more Staff Editorial Every year, someone claims the same thing. “More people are applying to college this year than ever before!” For the past two decades, this has been largely true. Each year since 1995, 70% of American four-year universities have reported an increase in the number of application submissions. Applications submitted during the 2008-2009 school year peaked, even at the onset of a crushing recession. This trend follows a natural growth in population, but is compounded by the fact that out of high school graduates, more have been applying to more colleges. Seventy percent of seniors in 2009 applied to three or more schools, a 15% increase from the previous year. Twenty percent of seniors submitted seven or more apps. This indicates not just a natural trend, but a growing perception that the college admissions process is a competition. To today’s high school students, this seems obvious. With so many vying for a finite number of spots at America’s elite universities, college-bound high school students work for years to compile competitive resumés. From where was this competition borne, however? What is the source? The answer is simple: college admission is a business. The admissions process has never been so cut throat. American universities spent $285 on average per applicant for recruitment advertising and promotion. To schools with 10,000 applicants (a fair median) that

Staff Writers Michael Abelev, Wyatt Bukowski, Clair Fuller, Sofi Goode, Kristin Gunther, Kelsey Hess, Amber Laird, Chloe Lloyd, Brendan Perry, Meghan Roche, Joshua Roquemore, Alex Tranquada, Max White, Ande Withers, Harry Yadav Staff Illustrators Samuel Shin, Daniel Willardson Managers Kennedy Diaz, Ads Angela Jang, Business Webmaster Makenna Sidle Faculty Advisor Mike Hogan

Tiger is produced by the newspaper class at South Pasadena High School, 1401 Fremont Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Layout and photo imaging are completed on-site. Printed by American/Foothill Publishing Co., Inc., Tujunga, CA. Signed articles appearing in Tiger represent the writer’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, student body, faculty or administration of SPHS. Contact the publications office at (626) 441-5820 ext. 2615 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. for advertising rates and subscriptions. Tiger welcomes articles, letters or rebuttals. All letters must be signed and verifiable, but names will be witheld upon request.

means they spend almost three million dollars a year on recruitment. This incites higher application rates and increases competition, all for the benefit of the school—not the student. Many juniors and seniors have experienced this first hand. They have paid ludicrous fees to the College Board, a non-profit organization...that brings in $55 million in revenue annually. They have been buried in letters and pamphlets, barraged by messages that we must “be prepared”, each one personally addressed. And each of these steps designed to secure a student’s future only makes them even more uncertain. Students are paying the price, as those who are not necessarily qualified for acceptance clutter the system. What incentives do colleges have to whip students into fervor of collegiate competition? One, it is an investment. Application fees alone can be nearly $100, and more applicants leads to the possibility of more tuition paying enrollments. Two, it allows a university to appear more exclusive. When a college can turn away more students, not only does it become more desirable, but it also allows the college to charge more for tuition. The college admission process is caught in a horrible positive feedback loop: colleges pour money into massive rec r uit ment campaig ns, spu r r i ng competition, and students react by applying to many more schools. The competition of the system is actualized only by students belief in its competitiveness. And that’s before anyone is even accepted.

Following the November 2 election, Americans expected a change. Disgruntled citizens flocked to the polls in droves, boldly declaring their opposition to the Obama administration and his Democratic Congress. In response to the election results, President Obama indicated that voter disappointment was “his fault” and that he was “ready to compromise.” None of these expectations came to fruition. As Congress debates the extension of Bush-era tax cuts and jobless benefits, Obama and Republican leaders are toting their negotiations as a “bi-partisan compromise.” It is nothing of the sort. It is a massive piece of legislation borne from a misplaced sense of political mandate and a desire to appear as though voters are receiving exactly what they asked for. They aren’t. Regardless of how one personally feels about the Bush-era tax cuts, or jobless benefits, no one can say that they are a fair trade. The agreement extends tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans put into effect during the Bush administration. This would lead to an absence of potential nine billion dollars in revenue to the federal government, that for the past year has become a Republican talking point. Republicans across the country have signaled this as a party victory, and a return to quasi Tea Party values and small government. There’s only one problem. The tax deal has a price tag of almost $900 billion. Those tax cuts represent 1% of the total deal. What is being advertised as a bi-partisan compromise, and what now seven out of every ten Americans supports, is actually incredibly one-sided. Democrats have tagged on massive extensions of jobless benefits and ethanol subsidies with expenditures in the hundreds of billions, supported by the party of a “balanced budget.” Why? Because policy has become more about its perceived value, than it’s literal application. Although the Republican Party has only secured a miniscule part of the deal’s fiscal impact, outraged Democrats have clawed each other’s faces off in opposition. It appears to be a political victory—so it is. Republicans appear victorious and compromising— and this supposed influence compounds influence. And the worst part about the deal? It will pass. Few within Congress agree with the provisions of the agreement. It’s not really an agreement at all. No one in Washington can afford, however, to vote against the will of 70% of Americans. Public opinion, not economic or legislative reasoning, will dictate its passage—and all of that support is built upon faulty advertising. And so I ask: who’s deluding who?

Freshmen need to do the time By Kristin Gunther Copy Editor To be a member of a varsity sports team, a player must demonstrate some kind of athletic prowess and maintain a decent academic record. It is understandable that these are really the only requirements to achieve a spot on the varsity roster, but other factors, such as seniority and maturity, need to be considered as well. Having different grade levels on the same team allows for different experiences and friendships. It also allows a team to strengthen its lineup, providing eventual replacements when the senior players graduate. These benefits aside, freshmen should be prohibited from varsity sports teams or at the very least the first half of the varsity season.

Most varsity players play on a freshman or junior varsity team at some point in their career. As members of those teams, they endured long bus-rides, hours of varsity games, and many incidents with snack thieves (older players who prey upon the unguarded snacks of lower teams). Freshman players have not had these maturing experiences, and by going directly to varsity, never will. Being on a varsity team is a privilege, one maintained through commitment and determination. Most think it is just the varsity title that garners respect, but it is actually the unacknowledged seasons spent playing on freshmen and junior varsity teams that make a player worthy of respect. This respect is earned by completing menial tasks and obtaining the worst practice times. It is earned by wearing

outdated uniforms or having to put away every piece of equipment. Varsity freshmen receive undeserved esteem for a rank they didn’t rightfully achieve. Most upperclassmen have worked hard within the team to attain a slot on the varsity roster, and for a freshman to “earn” a spot, without putting forth effort, seems wrong, no matter his or her ability. These freshmen bypass all the time and work that other players committed to receive a starting position. This bypass can only result in a feeling of undeserved entitlement. On freshman and JV teams, players learn the most important lessons of sportsmanship, teamwork, and maturity. While athletic ability is obviously important to a varsity sportsteam, other factors need to be considered before inviting the youngest players into to highest level.

6 Tiger - Friday, December 17, 2010

Opinion

With technology, the world is watching By Lana Ho Feature Editor “Tonight I want to ask you to join me in a prayer for peace, that these attacks between the Chinas do not make our situation worse,” wrote Former Miss Universe Alicia Machado in a Twitter update, responding to the North Korean artillery attack on South Korea. Her misnomer prompted an onslaught of criticism, causing Machado to delete her account. In response to the reaction from the Internet community, the former beauty queen vehemently denied that she made a mistake, claiming that referring to all Asian countries as “China” is a common idiom of Machado’s home, Venezuela. Unfortunately, her attempt at rationalization seems more like a cover-up than a viable explanation. Whether or not her claims are true, her refusal to apologize

for her error calls for the most concern; she shirks any responsibility for the mistake. Someone titled “Miss Universe” should have had a more worldly knowledge about how generalizations can be interpreted as racism. This Twitter fiasco highlights some of the major caveats that come with integrating cyberspace into our lives. Most often, celebrities are updating their Twitter statuses and Facebook threads with publicly-accessible evidence of their ignorance. (Google “Willow Palin Facebook” for an example.) Instead of admitting their mistakes and apologizing, the current trend is to either find a scapegoat—claiming to have been hacked is a popular one—or to try to rationalize the mistake. A Twitter update is one of the most accurate means of portraying raw, unfiltered thoughts. So when a mistake is made, even without any malicious intent,

it is potentially immortalized through reTweeting and screen-shots. Your blunders are cemented in rows of binary code and there’s no room for denial. So how do celebrities such as Machado try to win their fans? By offering a convoluted excuse that places the blame on the reader, not the writer. Fortunately, this usually acts in reverse and highlights the celebrities’ cowardice, as well as the mindset that these outlets for verbal diarrhea create. Although one quasi-celebrity’s mistake is not something that calls for attention, other famous figures have been found guilty of side-stepping responsibility for any internet-mishaps, causing those of us not under close scrutiny to take on the same mentality. Therefore, it’s important to consciously recognize what we write on the Internet and how it can be interpreted, and have the maturity to own up to any mistakes we make.

Sam Shin

MPAA system inconsistent and unfair By Max White Staff Writer

Sam Shin

Groan for the holidays By Sofi Goode Staff Writer Whenever break sits before you, whether it’s Thanksgiving, winter, spring, or summer, that first afternoon is blissful. There are no worries other than how you’re going to spend your free time. But when you wake up the next morning, reality attacks. Your backpack seems to be about three times the size it was yesterday, blocking all the game consoles and endless fun from view. Many teachers claim not to assign homework over break, but that never seems to decrease the workload. For many students, there is a big project due in early December. Teachers often tell you that you “don’t have to work on the project over Thanksgiving break.” However, not working over break puts you so far behind that you have to at least start. Procrastinating and enjoying your break leads to a severe lack of sleep and major stress the week you come back. Other times, the first few days are open for blissful emptiness. Then the break is nearly over, and the horrible truth sits in front of you: testing is coming. Whether it’s finals after winter break or the rapidly approaching AP tests after spring, many students find themselves spending significant break time sitting in the middle of a huge pile of books. But the most egregious time theft comes during the summer. Select students get their full eight weeks of beaches and friends, but many students don’t. In fact, some students only get two weeks of summer. Those who take summer school at SPHS lose five weeks of freedom right off the bat. During the two weeks following, there are no school events, and everyone gets some semblance of leisure– at least the part that isn’t consumed by homework. But after those two weeks are over, all students who participate in fall sports, band, or ASB are back at school, preparing for the beginning of the year. Mid-school year breaks are consumed by homework and studying for tests, and the combination of summer school and sports take a bite into almost everyone’s summer. So really, when are students on break? It all seems to have been eaten up by school.

A few weeks ago I went with a friend to the movie theater to go see Due Date. When we got to the front of the ticket queue, the theater refused to sell us tickets because we were both sixteen and the movie had been rated “R” by the Motion Pictures Association of America, or MPAA. Countless teenagers have found themselves in this situation before, and while some just buy tickets for less restrictive movies and sneak into the flick they had intended to see in the first place, most will agree that the rules regarding the MPAA’s ratings are unnecessarily restrictive. Before a movie is released, its developers can pay a fee to have it rated by the MPAA. This is voluntary, but since virtually no mainstream theater

will show an unrated movie, nearly every major film is reviewed. A board of eight to thirteen members, consisting of parents with no connections to the movie industry, will then use their best judgment to place the movie into one of five categories: G, PG, PG-13, R, or NC-17. Since groups of a dozen people cannot represent the morals of an entire nation and attitudes toward what is appropriate, the MPAA rating system is inherently flawed. The type of content that parents deem to be acceptable for their child to see alone should not be decided by a group of strangers. Consider Blue Valentine, a film that will be released on December 31 that has already generated Oscar buzz. It was given an NC-17 rating because of a brief sex scene despite the fact that it did not contain nudity. Yet the intensely gory Machete and Piranha films were

both only rated R. The MPAA has often been accused of rating arbitrarily, and although Blue Valentine’s NC-17 rating was recently overturned after the studio appealed, the incident illustrates the MPAA’s bias against sexual content and tolerance of unnecessary violence. Instead of simply tossing movies into five broad categories with blurry and inconsistent borders, MPAA should divide its all-encompassing rating into several different subcategories. Movies should be rated based on their level of violence, profanity, and sexuality separately instead of bunching them all together. Additionally, the audience ought to make informed decisions about the film, not a committee of strangers. Sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice simplicity and convenience for depth. Ultimately, it should be the individual and his or her parents who decide what is and isn’t appropriate for viewing.

Pat-downs and scanners spell paranoia By Clair Fuller Staff Writer In 65 airports across the country, including LAX, fliers are greeted with a grim set of options that eliminate any shred of personal privacy from air travel. Passengers can go through the backscatter x-ray machine, which produces a full-body image of the passenger’s unclothed (albeit blurred) body, or they can opt to undergo an invasive pat-down by a TSA officer, now involving fingers and palms on the passenger’s groin and genitals. Privacy has been replaced by paranoia in a “necessary” attempt to keep us safe. The TSA vehemently states that the scans are not saved (although leaked images have appeared online), that the officers who view them never come into contact with the actual passenger, that the nearly naked images are completely anonymous, and that the pat-downs are a fair and necessary alternative. But they seem to be ignoring the fact that there are less intrusive options. In the Netherlands, for example, scanners use radio waves to detect any abnormalities or suspicious objects under the passenger’s clothing. If

such things are present, the relevant area of the body is projected onto a vaguely human blob-like image. In the US, however, the scanner’s images reveal the presence of feminine hygiene products, medical hardware, and even the pre-operation status of transgender passengers—information that the public calls unnecessary and some lawyers call unconstitutional when revealed in this

nature. In addition, each scan supplies a small dose of radiation, which could provide a health concern for frequent fliers. Then, of course, there are the patdown horror stories. Toddlers and the elderly breaking into tears, triggered attacks of post-traumatic stress disorder for sexual assault victims, and a man whose urostomy bag tore during the pat-down and was forced to board the plane covered

in his own urine—just one example of the numerous disasters brought about by this invasive procedure. In most cases, these searches occur in full view of the other passengers. Sophomore Evan Davis, who recently saw a man patted down at an airport, said that it was “much more [intense]; they really checked every inch of his body.” Without examining the principle of these policies, the fact is that there is no longer a way to get onto a plane without it being assumed that you are attempting to smuggle weapons onto it. This is a “better safe than sorry” approach, but it’s present hardly anywhere else in your day-today life. You don’t Daniel Willardson assume that every person on a crowded street or in a shopping mall is plotting an assault on public safety. Yet still, the TSA insists on treating every flier like a terrorist at the cost of personal privacy, ignoring the superior security options and assuming that every passenger is attempting to smuggle contraband in their underwear—even if it’s just a 5oz bottle of shampoo.

Opinion

Academic decisions are subjective choices

Friday, December 17, 2010 - Tiger

Monthly Doodle

sports per year is meant to be the maximum for any high school athlete, and yet some students decide to practice two at once, Chances are that during your time at often on top of AP and honors classes and SPHS you’ve had someone tell you that you other extracurricular activities. Of course, these examples don’t were going to die. However, unless you’re a part of South Pasadena’s infamous gang apply to everyone. Most students can’t scene or you feel that parachutes cramp handle AP Bio and AP Calc BC at the same your skydiving style, they were speaking time, some would prefer to never hear the figuratively. Certain classes and certain phrase “Save the World” again, and others projects have attained an almost mythical wouldn’t be able to balance schoolwork reputation, passed down from year to year with two sports, but if these students have by word of mouth. In other words, if you an accurate picture of their own scholastic take those classes, or if you have to work on abilities they shouldn’t be trying to do any of those things in the that project, your social first place. Whether you’re life will not survive the It’s much more benchoosing classes or starting avalanche of work. eficial to know exactly a project, it’s much more Such hyperbole is where you stand in beneficial to know exactly common among today’s where you stand in terms students. The problem terms of work ethic of work ethic and intellect is that it is not always and intellect advice. than to rely on the erratic true. Depending on the and exaggerated advice of kind of student you are, it may never be true. The workload incum- others. If you know that you’re part of the bent upon students taking AP Calculus 90% of the student body who procrastinates BC and AP Biology at the same time is dangerously, your life could probably be supposed to be too great for one person to made easier if you don’t decide to take handle, yet multiple students have shoul- classes that give you multiple hours of dered the burden this year and are doing homework every night. There’s a fine line between taking just fine. The Unresolved World Issues proj- challenging classes and committing acaect, more commonly known as Save the demic suicide. If you’re deciding to take World, is, according to most upperclass- 6 APs and play five different sports at men, meant to brutally murder one’s social the same time, you should figure out for life from January to April of sophomore yourself which side of the line you’re on, year. But most easily survive the experience rather than listen to others prophesize your and some actually make new friends. Three impending doom. By Alex Tranquada Staff Writer

Daniel Willardson

Tiger Newspaper Asks: Do you think that the recent actions of WikiLeaks are ethical? Do you think their continued existence has had and will have a positive effect on the United States as a whole? Daniel Patterson, Grade 10: I think the reactions of the U.S. and other countries are just, in that the creator of WikiLeaks knowingly released sensitive information about government deals that was unnecessary. I think the organization should be shut down and managed by someone so that this type of event cannot occur again. The government should also manage their files and dispose of them in a safe way if they don’t want info leaked to the public.

Steven Hongyi Xing, Grade 12: Is WikiLeaks a media channel publishing the leaks of Private Bradley Manning or an organization created to disrupt world governments through the spread of classified documents? For the sake of argument, let’s assume the second and forget the media rights debate the first option has. So, WikiLeaks is here to disrupt your governments, destroy your security, and possibly nuke international relations, to throw a bad reference to the North Korean situation around. So what? Things such as WikiLeaks have been created for this reason throughout history for good and bad. They have served, and will serve, as our primary check and balance to powerful things. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Cold War satellites. Every

American spy, to be USA all the way. They’ve greatly benefited America. But why not against the United States? In US history, we have the Daniel Ellsberg’s Pentagon Papers and the secret informer Deep Throat who took down then President Richard Nixon. How about as a non-American? From the Middle East to the Far East, to Europe and the Americas, we’re a country that can impose our will militarily, economically, and diplomatically. WikiLeaks has become a check on that power. It harms us, but it creates international transparency. It keeps us from becoming too powerful. It’ll be what keeps China from becoming too powerful, Russia from becoming too powerful, Europe from becoming too powerful, short of Orwellian totalitarianism. In our 21st-century world, that’s what we need. We’re going to need social networking to check Iranian dishonesty. We’re going to need an Internet underworld to check Chinese corruption. And, we’re going to need things like WikiLeaks to check American aggression.

Samudra Thio, Grade 11: Democracy in its many forms means that ultimately, the decision is made by the people. Whether it is in a direct or representative form, the concept

in democracy is that in the end, “we the people” matter. With that, we should have the final say. Thus, the principles of democracy cannot be upheld without the citizens knowing what their government is doing. Additionally there is no bright line that dictates when it’s okay for the government to conceal information from the people and when it isn’t. But, if we let them do this then, using the same logic, they’ll continue to justify concealing information from us in the future and that could lead to more extreme circumstances in which they conceal really important information from us which allows for governmental abuse.

Sasha Hondagneu-Messner, Grade 12: Every one of us should be thanking Julian Assange. Because of him, we are now aware that our government is pursuing policies that put our country and others in significant danger. WikiLeaks should make our government accountable for their actions. WikiLeaks has taught us that America has launched yet another war on another Muslim country, allowed torture, covered up the killing of 15,000 civilians, kidnapped innocent people in free countries and intimidated the police into keeping it quiet. There are those who believe that the release of this information has jeopardized our country and its

citizens. I disagree. The information that has been released, though classified, has caused no known harm or threats to any individual—except Julian Assange. Also, every single document that has been released has kept names anonymous as to protect the confidentiality of the individuals involved. We can only alter the policies our country pursues if we know about them. WikiLeaks has given us the concrete proof to do so.

Marian Slocum, Grade 12: The government has a right to keep secrets. Our government was created by the people and for the people. People should trust those who they elect and if they don’t, don’t vote for them. Unfortunately we live in a world where some things aren’t meant to be shared with others. WikiLeaks is disrupting the workings of governments, and rarely have their released documents provided any useful information to the public. All they have done is strain vital international relationships that need to stay intact especially in the current world climate with North Korea threatening South Korea with nuclear attacks, a war in Afghanistan, many countries struggling out of recessions, and a volatile Middle East. WikiLeaks is putting millions of lives in danger for little benefit to the common good and should be shut down immediately.

Feature

Tiger - Friday, December 17, 2010

Feature

Culture Music Art Books Movies Fashion People

Cee Lo Green: The Lady Killer By Kristin Gunther Staff Writer After spending years taking in the glory of featuring on mega-hits like Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and Goodie Mob’s “Cell Therapy,” Cee Lo Green Sam Gurley is now attempting to revive 4/5 his solo career. This past November, the hip-hop artist released his first solo album, The Lady Killer, since 2002. His last release was the collaborative effort St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley in 2006. Although The Lady Killer is not one of Cee Lo’s (born Thomas Callaway) most brilliant and authentic CDs, it does maintain its creator’s true voice and soul, and his nod to an era passed. The album features the hit song, “F**k You,” which topped radio charts as a pre-released single in September, and was even re-recorded in the clean version “Forget You.” The track’s music video on YouTube has already reached over 30 million views. Though “F**k You” became one of fall’s most memorable songs, the album’s release was not widely publicized, and potential listeners should know that it does feature more than one catchy song. The CD’s strongest attributes range from “Wildflower,” a fast paced track heavy on pop melody to “Love Gun,” which uses a low-key beat reminiscent of a Bond film to emphasize Cee Lo’s sultry, sexy side. It is evident from every track on The Lady Killer that Cee Lo is a man on a mission, trying to teach the meaning of love to anyone who will listen. The first song, “Bright Lights Bigger City”, describes his optimistic attitude towards finding love; with “Fool for You,” he devotes himself to his girl, and in “It’s OK,” he realizes he’s far from being OK after being dumped. As well as finding his way through the tortures of love, Cee Lo Green has even managed to acknowledge whispers that The Lady Killer is aimed more at producing revenue then expressing creativity. “For too long, I’ve been underground and [the] underdog, and I need to be seen as the thing to do,” the Atlanta native conceded. All selling-out allegations aside, The Lady Killer is a wonderful throwback to old-school hip hop and soul. Its lessons on love ultimately showcase Cee Lo’s ingenuity and musical talent as well as admiration for nostalgia.

Spyglass Entertainment

Academy Award winners Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp star in this tribute to Old Hollywood movie-making. The film highlights much of Italy’s beautiful landscape as the two travel across the country, but fails to use two of Hollywood’s greatest actors to build a cliched story to life.

The Tourist loses train of thought By Kelsey Hess Staff Writer

Adding to the never-ending parade of Angelina Jolie fails, The Tourist is yet another over-budgeted addition to her string of unsuccessful, overrated films. The movie clearly hoped that the combination of the two most famous actors, a breathtaking location, and a wardrobe to die for would overshadow the amateur directing and the exceedingly unoriginal script. As the first film Jolie and Depp have co-starred in, it was failure on every level. Angelina Jolie plays Elise, a woman searching for her past lover, Alexander Pierce. Having stolen $744 million, he’s been on the run for two years, linking Elise to his crime. He continually mails her instructions, claiming that she needs to follow

Five things you need to know about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Barack Obama’s campaign promise to end the military policy “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” may finally be fulfilled as Congress reacts to public pressure for a repeal of the law. By Clair Fuller Staff Writer 1. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” or “DADT,” is the U.S. Military policy regarding gay, lesbian, and bisexual soldiers. Military superiors cannot investigate the sexuality of a subordinate, however, those who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual may not disclose their sexuality or discuss any homosexual acts or relationships. Those that are openly homosexual or bisexual may not serve. 2. Superiors may instigate investigations if they find “credible and articulable” evidence of the disallowed homosexual behavior, and, if verified, the soldiers in question can be discharged. 3. DADT was enacted during the Clinton administration in an effort to soften military law regarding homosexuals at the time, which stated that homosexuality and homosexual acts were not compatible with military service.

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4. Possible repeal of the law, which would allow gay, lesbian, and bisexual troops to openly declare their sexuality, has recently become a subject of national focus. A repeal was included as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, and passed in the House of Representatives. However, it failed to gain the necessary votes to pass in the Senate. Supporters of repeal plan to bring up the issue as a separate bill, which would need to pass in both houses to become effective. 5. A survey of almost 115,000 troops in active duty and 44,200 military spouses has revealed that nearly 70% believe that repealing DADT would have either a positive effect or no effect on their performance. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen among others have urged repeal. Opponents such as Senator John McCain worry, however, that repeal would negatively affect troop performance and unit cohesion.

them. One letter instructs Elise to pick a man with Alexander’s height and build in order to throw-off, we assume, those who Alexander robbed. Elise, in an attempt to channel Old Hollywood, searches a train to Venice in order to find her decoy. She picks a homeless-looking math teacher from Wisconsin, Frank, played by Johnny Depp. Given the film’s premise and the main characters’ repertoires, critics predicted the film to showcase the trifecta of an Old Hollywood action-drama: a sex scene, a chase scene, and a black tie event. Jolie and Depp don’t get quite that intimate, but there is one chase scene. The black-tie event is so obviously thrown in the plot to fulfill action movie qualifications that it seems almost extraneous from the plot it-

self. For a love story, the lack of chemistry between Jolie and Depp shoot into the negatives. This throwback to Hollywood’s golden age fails miserably as poor character development leaves the two greatest actors struggling to stay on track. The pathetic attempts at wit, sexual tension, and fear show that Depp and Jolie have clearly forgotten how to act. Somehow, Angelina Jolie and Jonny Depp’s futile performances were both nominated for best actress/actor for the Golden Globe Awards. Adding to this apparent confusion by the Golden Globe Nomination Board, the movie was nominated for best comedy contrary to the movie’s genre. The film lacks a solid plot, interesting or clever dialogue, and character development. This is an atrocity and an insult to real action movies. It shines Angelina Jolie and Jonny Depp under a maladroit light, much below their potential. The Tourist was not worth the $20 million budget, three golden globe nominations, or anyone’s time.

Santa culture: an abridged history By Meghan Roche Staff Writer The average American child is exposed to the likeness of Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, and Kris Kringle) at least several thousand times a year. Santa is best described as a rosy-cheeked, moderately overweight, bespectacled white man in a red coat who, in the middle of the night before Christmas, takes a sleigh led by 12 magical reindeer from his base in the North Pole to the home of every child in the world. Obviously, there are some logical holes in the Santa myth. However, every year millions of Christmascelebrating children leave out cookies and milk for

Santa, and attempt to stay awake in the night to listen for the sound of his sleigh in the distance. Santa has been part of our culture for centuries. The first legend of Saint Nick emerged in 4th-century modern-day Turkey. An actual man, Saint Nicholas of Myra became well-known for his generous gifts to the poor, the most famous being dowries to three girls in poverty so they wouldn’t have to become prostitutes. Around the same time, before the Germanic conversion to Christianity, several folk tales of gods rewarding children for gifts to hunters at Yule emerged, as well as a story involving a holy man – sometimes called Saint Nick – punishing a child-eating demon by making it give

gifts to its potential victims instead. Variations of these tales eventually led to the beginnings of the American St. Nick. He was called Santa Claus for the first time, an Americanization of the name Sinterklaas, from the Dutch version of old St. Nick- and he has gradually come to represent less of a religious figure and more of a jolly gift-bringer. Small changes were gradually made to the mythology, stemming from poems, magazines and books. This led to the most popular Santa campaign in history. In the 1930s, CocaCola began their world-famous Christmas campaign with Saint Nick as the centerpiece, and the modern Santa archetype was set in stone.

Feature

Personality Profile By Chloe Lloyd Staff Writer Arriving to the interview wearing a denim jacket, army green button-up combat boots by Steve Madden, and carrying a Venti iced coffee in his hand, Ethan Bourland instantly makes a statement with his wardrobe combined with an energetic and optimistic personality. However Bourland is much more than a trendy face: Bourland’s easy smile and vibrant green eyes solidify his uncanny ability to make any acquaintance feel like an old friend. Bourland can best be described with two words: elegant and classy. A large part of Bourland’s apparent charm comes from his worldly experiences. Although Bourland was born and raised in South Pasadena, he has spent most of his life traveling. Ethan’s nomadic spirit has been with him since his youth as he can recall taking periodic trips to the airport alone to simply walk around. Bourland has traveled to over fourteen countries, including Japan, Singapore, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Denmark and Belgium. Bourland’s favorite location of these is “Copenhagen, Denmark [because] there is

Friday, December 17, 2010 - Tiger

Ethan Bourland

sun twenty hours a day, and there are beautiful six-foot naked tall models walking around.” One would originally think that a desire to wander would promote a lack of ideas in a stable career, but it is just the opposite. Already accepted to Johnson And Wales University, a college specializing in hospitality, Bourland has a clear idea of his future plans. “I want to major in international hotel and lodging management, have an assortment of odd jobs including an airport check-in clerk, then start my own hotel chain, and eventually end Sam Gurley in Connecticut with five children and a black sub- Bourland’s debonair style is a cross beurban.” tween old money and new flair, making It is clear that Bour- him a prime candidate for GQ covers. land’s dreams are quickly Bourland’s independent and becoming a reality. Although it may seem that he is already on to big- unique personality is sure to send ger and better things, Bourland still him to stardom “I’ll see everyone in 20 years finds time to balance his “Kentucky Fried Chicken side and his Ritz Car- when I am on the cover of GQ,” said Bourland. lton side”.

The low-down on WikiLeaks his staff has had to shut down recently due to lack of funding, since Visa, MasterCard, and Pay Pal have cut off the ability for people to send them money. This is not the first time they have had to shut down because of funding problems but they are trying, with much difficulty, to start up again. Assange was arrested on December 7 in London on sexual assault charges in Sweden where there is a warrant out for his arrest. He denies the allegations, but after a one hour hearing at a Westminster magistrates court the district judge, Howard Riddle, ruled there was a risk that he would refuse to surrender if granted bail. Although the WikiLeaks website is currently not active the seed of Assange’s ideas has been put into the minds of the millions of people who have seen his website, and it is only a matter of time before someone else starts up where he left off. The secret government information that Assange and his associates posted shocked and scared the public and it makes the citizens of those countries wonder what else the government is hiding from them.

By Jake Folsom Senior Staff Writer WikiLeaks is a whistleblower’s website that has received widespread press about releasing information related, most infamously, to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In late November and December of this year, the website disclosed confidential information regarding diplomatic messages between the state department and American officials abroad. The enigmatic leader of the website Julian Assange monitors the site along with a staff of like-minded activists and computer experts. The computer experts are required due to the classified nature of much of the content of the website. “To keep our sources safe, we have had to spread assets, encrypt everything, and move telecommunications and people around the world to activate protective laws in different national jurisdictions,” Assange told the BBC news earlier this year. Since the start of the site, hundreds of thousands of classified documents have been uploaded to the site. Assange and

Sam & Luka’s awesome adventures in the Greater L.A. area By Luka Douridas Assoc. Opinion Editor

Sam Gurley

It’s an indisputable and unfortunate fact that in our increasingly modernizing society, humans have placed less and less importance on nature and more and more on materialism: trees and bushes have been swept aside for more profitable edifices, and Native American burial grounds have been thrashed over and redeveloped as bowling alleys and Olive Gardens. Master adventurers Sam and Luka care deeply about nature—in fact, we consider ourselves a part of it, and it in turn, a part of us. So that’s why this month, we decided to take SLAAGLAA au natural, or so they say—and take our travels into the wild. Finding nature in a highly developed metropolis is not an easy task. Not only is the supply of foliage minimal, but also just accessing that foliage is tricky enough. If you’re in Los Angeles, you typically want to head north in order to find some wilderness—and that’s exactly what we did.

Leaving our homes at 5:00 one Wednesday morning, Sam and I grabbed some donuts and set our sights on Angeles Crest. But after hitting a roadblock—literally—we went farther west, to Tujunga. The experience was unforgettable. Dancing along the border of private government property, we hiked up into the foggy mountains to catch the sunrise. There, we learned a lot about ourselves, involving subjects of life, love, and redemption—but mainly whether or not we had the capability to put up with soaked pants and muddy shoes. Little did we know, things weren’t as perfect as we had previously assumed. Not only had a nearby resident called the cops on us, but we also realized that we parked in a gated driveway—and we would have been trapped if we hadn’t left just as it was about to be locked. Maybe we city boys are too conditioned to handle the merciless hands of Southern Californian wilderness. And after our narrow escape from the law, it may be a while before we don our trusty boots and jackets again. Next stop? City of Industry! ‘Til next time. Sam and Luka out.

The future of fashion: predictions for the new year By Jessica Moog Assoc. Feature Editor With 2010 coming to a close, we say goodbye to a year full of trends. This year has seen a rise of the indie mindset, with a hipster and bohemian aura sweeping runways across the world and high schools throughout the nation. 2011 is drawing near, and fashion-conscious teenagers must be ready to rethink their look and clear space in their closets. Detail-orientated designs dominate runways One of the most dominant looks seen on the runway of 2011’s spring collections includes a mix of minimalist cuts and complex textures, with designers focusing on fabrics and detailing. Embellishments and hand stitching is something to look out for in order to complete a fashion-forward outfit. The materials most used on both the runway and in the 2011 collections in stores like Urban Outfitters and H&M include leather, sheer/mesh, cashmere, sequins, fur, denim, and glitter. The Future of the “Jegging” Trend Leather has been featured by designers like Michael Kors and Christopher Kane, and is best used in simple fitted skirts and shorts. Sheer fabric in blues and blacks are predicted to become extremely popular in the coming year. Patterns that

you can expect to see include animal, floral, cosmic, geometric, and military prints. Denim returns with a vengeance as denim shirts and skinny jeans continue to be fashion staples on both the runway and in everyday life. Both the city-cut jean and the famous jegging will be returning most notably in simple black and charcoal washes. Like History, Fashion Repeats Itself When looking for inspiration, look no further than the four elements, with aqua sheers and denim blends, desert themed trousers and blazers, and forest hued army colors. It is always said that fashion repeats itself, so it comes as no surprise that 2011 will give a nod to the bohemian era of the 70’s and the cropped-top look of the 80’s. Polished and Chic Accessories The shoe of choice has moved onto wedges; this solid and polished-looking footwear is being featured in editorials and storefronts alike. Belts can be wrapped or knotted to compliment the new year’s simplest pieces, while unadorned, fitted leather gloves have begun to climb in popularity. Look out for head wraps and delicate scarves that give a nod to 70’s glamour, and vintage color-blocked jewelry is stealing the show for Spring 2011. Men’s Fashion The men’s 2011 Spring Collections are filled

at’s wnhew

with throwback styles with 80’s swank. Pants have turned away from the skinny jean and fitted dress pant to a looser fit, including slacks and khakis in more classic cuts. This year’s fabric of choice is linen, with the exception being relaxed, knitted sweaters in cashmere and cotton to break up the lineup of safari toned shirts. Runways indicate that the next year’s men’s shoe appears to center around modified versions of the espadrille (think Toms for men). The men’s accessories of choice are messenger and bowling ball bags with simple, thick leather belts in light browns. Finding New Inspiration Look to those in the fashion business like up-and-coming Aussie designer Dion Lee, style blogger and model Rumi Neely, and actress and design consultant Emma Watson, for cues on how to be on trend for 2011.Whatever your fashion tendencies are, make way for a new world where classic old school glamour collides with relaxed, hipster pieces.

Images from Christopher Kane, TopShop, Michael Kors, celeb*tchy.com

12 Tiger - Friday, December 17, 2010

Feature

Personality Profile: Laurel Kitada

Movie Review: The King’s Speech By Harry Yadav Staff Writer

5/5

If you were to look up King George VI in an encyclopedia, it probably would not mention that he was plagued by a crippling speech defect. That is because by the time George had become King, he had already found an unlikely solution. The King’s Speech, directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler, tells the story of the friendship between King George VI and unconventional speech therapist Lionel Logue. This riveting true story has quickly caught the attention of critics worldwide, and is up for seven Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor. Much of the movie’s success can be attributed to extraordinary acting and a flawless cast. Academy Award winner Colin Firth does a masterful job of portraying the many noble qualities of George. Despite his inability to speak, George was a courageous ruler who loved his country, and was willing to make any sacrifice for the welfare of Great Britain. Firth’s rendering of George as a father, a husband, and a tragic hero make it impossible to not root for him the whole way through. While Firth serves as the heart of the movie, Mr. Logue, played by Geoffrey Rush, provides the flair, and Queen Elizabeth, played by Helena Bonham Carter, provides the backbone.

Another impressive aspect of the film is the intertwining subplots. Set in Great Britain at the commencement of World War II, the constant threat of a Nazi attack creates palpable worry among the royal court. In addition to a public affair forcing George to assume the throne, the urgency of finding a cure is compounded by the quickly spreading demand for broadcasted speeches. Though the movie is intense from beginning to end, it provides its share of laughs as well. The primary source of the humor is Rush, whose wittiness and bluntness while speaking to the King results in a nervous irony that the King learns to accept. Perhaps the most beautiful part of The King’s Speech is the theme of triumph through perseverance. The reason George’s achievement is so remarkable is because his progress is so dramatic. In the opening scene, an uncomfortable George comes before a stadium of people, and fails to complete a single sentence. By the final stages of the film, George has mustered enough confidence to stand up for himself. In one of the final scenes at Westminster Abbey, the king and Logue get into a heated argument. When asked why his words merit attention, George responds passionately by saying, “Because I have a voice!” The King’s Speech fully deserves the nominations it has received, and is a truly fitting candidate for movie of the year.

Tai Carter

Expert baker Laurel Kitada rolls out a sheet of sugar cookie dough, which she made from scratch. The junior is known for her personable nature and delicious creations. By Libby Rainey News Editor Her own business, a rigorous class schedule, two varsity golf letters, and… a messy room? Junior Laurel Kitada, known for her perfect handwriting and successful management of various hobbies, admits, “I’m really organized when it comes to school, but there are piles of clothes all over my room!” Despite this one anomaly, for the most part Kitada really is as put together as she seems. A proud Hapa, half Japanese and half European, Kitada has been dancing a classical style of Japanese dance called Odori for thirteen years in honor of her father’s cultural background. “I like having a connection to my Japanese heritage,” she says. As for her European roots, her mother is Jewish, and her family appreciates and celebrates Jewish culture as well. Beyond her dedication to dance, Kitada most notably has a passion for baking, which she

Book Review: Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk By Marcus Kahn Managing Editor Have you ever read the fable of the racist warblers? How about the tale of the homicidal rabbit? These are all short stories included in the notoriously hilarious, and openly homosexual David Sedaris’ new book. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is the unfailingly satirical transcription of human events onto animal characters. Without fail Sedaris is able to expose the flaws in our reasoning, whether as an elitist American, or an abusive husband, using the comic metaphor of animals. As a compilation of short stories the book definitely lacks a cohesive plotline. But just like an episode of Saturday Night Live, it is unnecessary. The brevity of each story allows the book quick movement, and sudden humor, along with a punitive message that both mocks and instructs human nature. In the busyness of high school it can be difficult to block out the time to read a full novel. The expediency of a David Sedaris short story solves this problem, leaving the reader wholly satisfied, and infinitely entertained. And for those of you out there who lack patience, but love to laugh, this is a golden read. Don’t be fooled by the written words. The images and comically flawed characters in this book are as clear as day thanks to a skillful infusion of vibrant yet simple language. This is the perfect follow up to his immensely successful novels Me Talk Pretty One Day, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames. Say hello to the world of our friend Mr. Sedaris. It’s a fun one. One where magical unicorns get their horns chopped off by angry rabbits, and squirrels have an awfully difficult time finding a date.

By Max White & Alex Tranquada Staff Writers Junior Bennett Kopperud has had an epiphany. Sitting on the Gold Line and drawing ever closer to Orochon Ramen in Little Tokyo, where he and fellow junior Wilson Muller will attempt to consume a giant bowl of ramen noodles so spicy that it was featured on Man vs. Food, he proclaims: “Wait, you guys. This is going to suck.” Bennett’s prediction was not far off. In the first five minutes of the half-hour allotted

OVERheard

to those who attempt to make Orochon’s Wall of Bravery, neither he nor Wilson were able to consume more than a few spoonfuls of broth. Within ten minutes, both had acknowl-

exhibits as president of the Baking Tigers Club. Her signature touch has not been lost in the club atmosphere, as seen in the Baking Tigers’ delicious and neatly labeled goodies at their homecoming picnic booth. Not only does she take on baking challenges in the club, but she also runs a personal business called “Detailed Delights”, in which she sells intricately designed, custom-order sugar cookies. Fortunately for the sixteen year-old her parents pay for all ingredient expenses, and as she admits with a smile, “the business is pretty much all profit right now.” With all profit coming in and a successful clientele including Virtual Business and Tiger Bingo, it seems that Kitada has found the perfect recipe for success, and it strikingly resembles her delicious sugar cookie formula. The modest sweet tooth’s impressive accomplishments as a small business manager are largely due to the organized and meticulous style that she brings to all aspects of her busy life, excluding of course, her supposedly messy room.

edged that eating the entire bowl was a feat well beyond their abilities. After Bennett and Wilson had thrown in their napkins, we decided to call their masculinity into question, and finish the bowls ourselves. “Real men don’t acknowledge pain,” we reasoned. “Therefore, as real men, we’ll have no trouble with this.” We had lots of trouble. After witnessing Wilson and

Max White

Bennett’s surrender to the broth, we came up with a new plan: go for the noodles. Their flavor was noticeable for the first few seconds of each bite, but, in the words of Wilson, “They tasted like... ow.” Sitting there, drenched in sweat, and with our lips on fire, we realized just how stupid our decision to do this had been. By the time our waiter brought the check, the two bowls of ramen remained mostly full, surrounded by a dozen empty water glasses. Although we were not up to the task, we could see how a person could make the Wall of Bravery. Despite the incredible heat, the soup was not completely unbearable; had we been challenged to finish the bowl or die, we would have lived to tell the tale. Though this challenge might not be impossible, but it is incredibly painful.

Overheard anything interesting or funny recently? Send us the quote(s) at feature@tigernewspaper.com!

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illustrations by Sam Shin

Feature

Friday, December 17, 2010 - Tiger

The Next Best Thing rocks Hollywood’s Key Club Christopher Mintz-Plasse as McLovin in Superbad & Kenneth Rodriguez-Clisham, sophomore

By Michael Abelev Staff Writer The Next Big Thing Tour, an anticipated event hosting over 50 bands from all over Southern California, has been promoting bands and helping them spread their music for several years. Their most recent show series proved to be successful, rocking the crowd at the Key Club on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood on December 4th. Some of the participating bands were invited to perform- making a line-up of some of the best bands Southern California has to offer- and others signed up by registering on the official website. Bands registering had to sell at least 30 tickets to get a time slot to perform on one of the two stages at the Key Club, where there the bands were provided with amps and a drum set. After being selected to perform and selling their tickets, all each band had

to do had to do was show up with their gear and play their music. Each competing band was reviewed by a panel of judges, and the winning band was able to choose between two prizes: a $1000 in cash collected from ticket sales or 20 hours of recording time. Armorists at Large, the up-and-coming acoustic duo who opted for the studio time. With over a thousand people at attendance, the Key Club was the place to be that Saturday night. While many came out solely to discover new talent, others came out to support their friends in their bands. Former SPHS student Jesse Gonzalez, the frontman of one of these performing bands said, “The crowd was great! It all sounded great, we definitely had some problems on stage (like always) but the crowd still loved us. And we loved the crowd!” Other bands brought to light included LA locals The 57’s, Black Pendant and Ska Pirates.

Notable December Movie Releases Tron: Legacy, Rated PG Release Date: Today Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci Fi/Fantasy In The Walt Disney sequel to the 1982 film Tron, 27-year-old Sam Flynn (Garrett Hudland) looks into his father’s, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), disappearance. Sam finds himself being pulled in an awe-spiring cyber universe, where his father had been trapped for 20 years.

Gulliver’s Travels, Rated PG Release Date: December 25, 2010 Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy In a modern adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s 1726 satire, Gulliver’s Travels stars comedy-star Jack Black as Lemuel Gulliver, a mailman clerk in a New York newspaper. Lemuel is hurtled into a mysterious land, Lilliput, where he is a giant among miniature people.

14 Tiger - Friday, December 17, 2010

Sports

Girls water polo starts off strong By Brendan Perry Staff Writer

Katie Whitworth

Senior Jefferson “J.J.” Astle drives past his defenders while chasing a loose ball against Schurr High School on Dec. 7

Boys soccer season starts in mediocrity By Christian Miyamae Asoc. Sports Editor Despite high expectations, boys varsity soccer has started out the season in a slow fashion with a 4-3-1 record. As the Tigers approach the regular season, they hope to turn things around. “We’ve been up and down and mediocre. We’ve won some hard games but also didn’t win some of the easier ones,” said junior Mathewos Ghebrekristos on how their season has gone. Yesterday, boys soccer came out with a 2- 0 victory against Pasadena Polytechnic. The Tigers were lead by

junior Steven Blackwell, who scored both goals to get them above .500 as they prepare for their game tonight against Marshall. This past Wednesday, they came out even with a 1- 1 tie against Alhambra. Junior Raymond Yonami scored the only goal keeping them out of the loss column. However, the Tigers pulled off wins in consecutive days, winning 2- 1 against Duarte and 2- 0 against San Gabriel, respectively. In the Duarte game, the team was lead by juniors Fedor Kossakovski and Cody Dunn, with each scoring one goal apiece. The day before, Kossakovski also scored a goal along with Black-

well. However, these wins followed a devastating 0- 1 loss against Schurr High School where the offense could not capitalize on opportunities. “We need to improve mentally going into the games. We also need to think more positively and start off stronger,” said senior captain Benjamin Charney on how they need to improve as preseason comes to a close.

12/14 SPHS v. Alhmabra 1-1 T

12/16 SPHS v. Pasadena 2-0 W

A talented varsity girls water polo team looked for redemption against Crescenta Valley this past Wednesday, after falling to CV in an 8-9 overtime thriller the week before. Wednesday’s game was evenly matched; neither team took more than a two-point lead throughout the contest. The Tigers, led by senior co-captains Tyler Brown and Anna- Lena Hathaway, gave the Falcons another close game but ultimately suffered a heartbreaking defeat. Despite the loss, South Pasadena looks ready to repeat as league champions, and make a strong run in CIF. They finished second in the Los Altos Tournament, winning four of their five games. The Tigers’ only loss came at the hands of Crescenta Valley in the final game. The leading scorers from a year ago, Brown and Hathaway, are back along with their experienced goalie, senior Kristin Gunther. In addition, the team has gained a promising young player, freshman Devin Grab. Grab looked especially impressive in the most recent game against Crescenta Valley, scoring a long goal that put South Pasadena up, 8-7, with only two minutes remaining in the game. “The expectations are high, said Hathaway. “I think we have league in the bag, and we are looking to win CIF. If we improve offensively, I think we will be well on our way to a strong CIF run.” The Tigers begins league play January 6.

12/10 SPHS v. Westlake 9-7 W

12/14 12/15 SPHS SPHS v. Los Altos v. Crescenta Valley 12-9 W 8-9 L

Girls Basketball By Sofi Goode Staff Writer Despite injury and illness early in the season, girls basketball is performing well. In their most recent game against the Westridge Tigers, the South Pasadena Tigers triumphed over their Westridge counterparts. The 48-25 win put their pre-season record at 6-5. “We played our hearts out,” senior captain Kelsey Lee said of the game. “But we could have made better passes.”

12/13 SPHS v. Alhambra 44-28 W

12/15 SPHS v. Westridge 48-25 W

Last Monday, the Tigers played Alhambra High School. They emerged victorious, holding the lead for the entire game and won 44 -28. Despite their victory against Alhambra, the girls have shown a little inconsistency in their record. For five games – including the Alhambra game – they’ve won and lost, leaving them with a 5-5 record, up until that game. The team got off to a promising start, towering over San Gabriel with a 53-19 win. After beating Morningside as well, they fell 39-48 to Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. “It was a rough game,” senior Jennifer Wong said of the FSHA game. The Tigers were slightly disheartened, and the two games following – against San Marino and Arcadia – both yielded scores

of 48-51. “We lost a couple of close games to La Salle and FSHA,” Coach Rich Kitagawa said. “We were without our starting center for the beginning of the pre-season, but she’s been back this week and we’re better now We have two more games against Arroyo and South Hills before league, and with a little luck, we can be 9-2.” League games don’t begin until January, but Lee has already scored over 130 points for an average of 13.2 points per game. She also leads in assists and steals and was named to the All-Tournament team at the San Gabriel Valley Classic. Lee’s basketball expertise and leadership skills are helping to bring the Tigers to the top.

“We’ve got a lot of potential this year,” Lee said. “We can’t underestimate [the other teams in the league], but if we play our game, we should do okay.” The coach agrees with Lee. “I’d put my girls up against anyone, and I think we still have a chance to win league.”

Wrestling gets pinned down Despite a relatively inexperienced team, the Tigers are optimistic By Michael Abelev Staff Writer Only a few weeks into the season, the South Pasadena High School wrestling team has shown its thirst for another successful season. After losing six starters from last year, the team has had to substitute the open positions with relatively inexperienced wrestlers. However, even with the inexperience, the Tigers still showed their might and determination early on. At the last match against the Beverly Hills Normans on December 7th, the Tigers came close but lost 40-43. The Normans exposed the immaturity of the squad as the majority of new, incoming wrestlers lost their matches. The junior varsity team did not fare any better, as they lost 12-45. “We have a lot of newcomers this year and they don’t have a lot of experience, but they have time to prepare,” said junior Joaquin Rascon. On the other hand, the more experienced wres-

tlers were able to put up big points and truly show their strength. Rascon broke his toe in the middle of his match but still beat his opponent by eleven points. Senior Alex Larrimore was able to quickly pin his opponent in less than 20 seconds. Senior Chris Nunez and junior Max Sanchez had intense face-offs, but both were able to pull off wins. “The returning veterans came out and we did what we set out to do,” said junior Ned Estrada, who also won his match. “Overall, this team is still a work in progress. The way these first few weeks have gone, you can tell we’re strong. We are rebuilding, but this season still shows promise,” said Coach Jeff Robinette. “I believe 12/14 Jennifer Kim we’re ranked 8th in SPHS CIF right now so that v. Beverly Hills High Sophomore forward Wen Zeng fights for rebounding there tells you some40-43 L postition against an Alhambra player last Monday. thing about us.”

Sports

Matt Nelson By Brendan Perry Staff Writer Senior Matthew Nelson is the athlete’s athlete. His unrelenting competitive spirit and passion for sports paired with his tall, lean, energetic body has allowed him to excel in physical contests of all sorts. He has played varsity soccer for four years, varsity football for three years, and will begin his second season of varsity track this spring, giving him an incredible nine varsity letters. Nelson has been playing soccer his entire life, participating in programs like American Youth Soccer Organiza-

Friday, December 17, 2010 - Tiger

tion (AYSO), Crown City United, and the Los Angeles Football Club. Surprisingly, he only began playing football and running track after entering high school. The senior’s hard work in practice is unmatched, and it shows come game time. As a receiver for South Pasadena’s football team, Nelson led the league in receiving by a remarkable 224 yards. Consequently, Nelson was named First Team All-Area receiver. The athlete’s physical and energetic defensive play in soccer has earned him great respect not only within South Pasadena, but also around the league, being named Second Team All-League his junior year. However, track may be where his athletic ability really takes off. Nelson (6 feet 2 inches) is capable of breaking the school’s high jump record this year by clearing over 6 feet 5 inches. Nelson is not only an outstanding player, but also an outstanding leader. He has been elected or appointed captain on every one of his varsity teams, an impressive accomplishment. Nelson plans to attend Oregon University next fall. And while he hopes to participate in sports during college, he recognizes the difficulty in making the team at an elite Division I program like Oregon’s. Nonetheless, Nelson’s athletic achievements in high school are unrivaled.

Marian Slocum

Sam Gurley

Senior Marian Slocum in different phases of the game against La Salle High School on Friday, December 10. The Tigers lost 0-2.

By Amber Laird Staff Writer Senior Marian Slocum, the varsity girls soccer sweeper and captain, is usually mild-mannered. On the field however, her focus and ferocity are unleashed. She has quite a record to back that up. Slocum started playing AYSO soccer at age six, and had moved onto club by twelve. She made an instant impression on the SPHS team, being recruited onto varsity as a freshman. She became sweeper as a sophomore, and team captain as a junior. Freshman year, she won the “Rookie of the Year”

Katie Whitworth

Senior captain Matt Nelson looks on to the action as he prepares for a game against Duarte High.

award, followed by “Defensive Player of the Year” as a sophomore. Last year, as a junior, she was deemed “MVP” for her competitive spirit and decisiveness on the field. This year, she hopes to assist her team in winning the title of “Rio Hondo League Champion,” a perfect way to end a successful high school soccer career. After high school, she hopes to continue playing soccer at whatever college she attends. It will be a change, being surrounded by heavier competition, but if anyone can handle the transition, it’s Marian. Slocum says she’s usually

more absent-minded and passive, but something about soccer makes her focus and be assertive. As a sweeper, she may not get recognition for goals, but she plays a crucial part in defending as well as communicating with other players. Becoming captain last year didn’t even feel like a considerable transition, since she’s always had to be a leader in her position on the field. To Marian, soccer is an outlet for her natural leadership, passion, and skill. “When you put on the uniform, you become someone else. The sport takes over. You can do things you wouldn’t normally do,” she said.

Tiger - Friday, December 17, 2010

Sports

Girls Polo

The girls aims for another CIF berth. Page 14

[inside]

Wrestling

Player Profiles

Read up on Marian Slocum’s and Matt Nelson’s athletic journeys through high school. Page 15

Check out how wrestling is doing so far this season.

Page 14

Boys Soccer

The boys started off slow, but are now back on track. Page 14

Sam Pons finishes 21st at Nike Cross Nationals Speaking of Sports

mile course. His average mile time was 5:25. Despite his finish, Pons was a bit disappointed in his performance but nonetheless happy with the result. “Two guys from California that I usually beat, beat me,” the senior said. “I would have hoped to run better, but it didn’t turn out that way.” The competition, held on a very challenging course, was filled with mud puddles. Mid-way through the race, Pons’ slipped and his rhythm was thrown off. “I [had] taped my shoes to my legs to make sure they didn’t fall off [on the muddy surface],” he said. “However, the tape started falling off and I was running with a strand of tape behind me,” he said. Pons’ injury early on in the season perhaps affected his performance at Nationals. The senior suffered a stress fracture in his foot and Paul Messana was set back for two months. Senior Sam Pons leading the pack of elite runners at Nationals in Portland, Oregon. “As the season comes to an end, it was [a] good [one] considering all the injuries early on,” he said. “I’m happy [with my performance], in Portland, Oregon on December 4, senior Pons By Carlton Lew but still eager to strive for better.” thought to himself, “I have to go out fast in order Sports Editor As for the future, Pons hopes to attend to get a good position.” Princeton University and one day compete interThe senior executed his plan to near perfecAs a freshman, Sam Pons never thought nationally. “I can see myself competing for my tion finishing 21st amongst 200 of the top runners he would be in this position. Standing at the country, but it wont be easy.” in the nation with a time of 16:49.6 for the threestarting line at the Nike Cross Nationals “NXN”

Girls soccer plays up to expectations By Wyatt Bukowski Staff Writer The girls varsity soccer team took on Immaculate Heart High School yesterday in a game they were favored to win. However, they were without starting freshman Janel Ismail and experimented with a new formation, which led in part to a disappointing 0-0 tie. Last Saturday, the girls faced off against Redondo Beach in their second game of the South Torrance Tournament. It was a hard fought battle on both sides but the Tigers pulled away with two early goals from Ismail, and senior Alex Nomura. The girls win can be credited to their suffocating defense which held its opposition to one goal. The team stands with a record of 3-3-1 after a solid start to the season. It’s been a roller coaster year for the Tigers, who have experienced up and downs early in the year. They dominated against

Alhambra High 4-0, only to drop three straight games, the worst of which was a 2-0 loss to La Salle High School. But the girls are now back on track, after their two convincing wins in Torrance. Due to the Rio Honda League’s performance in CIF the past few years, the teams were dropped from Division V to Division VI. With easier competition in the lower division, the Tigers feel they have the ability to have a larger impact in the tournament. “I think our biggest competition [are the teams in] League, if we can finish strong there, we should be able to do really well in CIF,” says senior team captain Marian Slocum. The team is bursting with the 12/16 12/10 self-confidence and SPHS v. SPHS the self-assurance v. La Salle IMAC needed to win the 0-0 T 0-2 L league title.

Sam Gurley

Senior Tara Aalem advancing the ball to a teammate against La Salle.

Boys basketball aims high this season By Joshua Roquemore Staff Writer Last season, the boys basketball team finished 4th in the Rio Hondo League and qualified for CIF. This season, the team started on a promising note, winning their season opener by one point in a grueling game against Alhambra. Now, six games later, the boys are still feeling confident in their chances. “Our team is small this year, but if we work hard and do our best we will be ready to compete,” said junior guard Zach Lindecamp. “We are young, but we do have a few seniors.” Following their win against Alhambra, the Tigers suffered a 3-game losing streak before winning by a landslide in a tournament game against Sun Valley 88-39. The Tigers played yesterday after press time against Venice and will play two additional games this weekend. Their pre-season record is 3-5.

Tai Carter

Junior Kai Matsukuma prepares for a free throw shot last Alhambra. After the weekend, the Tigers next game will be on January 4. The boys look forward to a down time for practice, conditioning, and some well-earned rest.

“We have improved [our] half court defense and toughness,” said head coach Skip Parry. “[But] we need to improve our shooting at the 3 point line and our ball-handling.” The La Cañada Spartans are the team to beat this year, standing with a current record of 4-0. The Tigers will face the aggressive Spartans on January 14. South Pas also looks forward to playing the San Marino Titans in their annual rivalry game. The first of which is on January 7. The Tigers easily defeated the Titans in both games last season. “We are confident that we are a superior team,” said junior captain Kai Matsukuma, “and we can not wait to prove that.”

12/13 12/15 12/10 SPHS SPHS SPHS v. St. Francis v. Marshall v. Chatsworth 54-38 W 48-75 L 45-67 L

Ande Withers

Does Cam Newton deserve it? Auburn University’s Cam Newton won the 76th Heisman Trophy Saturday, a result that was easily predicted by college football fans throughout the country. Newton undoubtedly had one of the most memorable seasons in recent history. When one looks at the statistics that compare the top candidates, it is not surprising that Newton won in a landslide. However, what remains to be considered is whether or not Newton truly deserved the Heisman Trophy. The NCAA says that Newton is eligible for the Heisman. But both the NCAA and the FBI are investigating whether or not that is really true. It has been confirmed that Newton’s father, Cecil Newton Sr., and Kenny Rogers, a man who claimed to be representing the Auburn quarterback during his recruitment out of junior college, were asking for money when he was being considered by Mississippi State. The crux of the issue remains: Did Cam Newton know that Rogers and Newton Sr. were trying to solicit money? Apparently, the NCAA doesn’t believe so. However, it seems likely. When asked about the accusations, Newton has said that he is “a person that did nothing wrong.” He has said that “there are a lot of rumors and speculation going around, and I’m not going to be up here entertaining them. I’m not here to bash anyone for what they said or what they did.” Do these sound like the words of an innocent person? In addition to the issue of the bribe, Newton has commented on some academic issues, including stealing a student laptop and plagiarizing (twice). About these instances, he has said: “I’m not going to stand up here and say whether I did or did not do it.” Saying that pretty much says it all. The Heisman mission statement says the “Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.” Sorry, Cam, integrity just isn’t your thing.