Mission hosts Arts Crawl
Math concerns spark district response
By Meghan Roche Staff Writer South Pasadena’s Mission District and the surrounding areas came alive with the sights, sounds, and smells of the Arts Crawl on Saturday despite overcast weather. “The crowds were great; there were so many people walking around! This was definitely the most successful Arts Crawl yet,” said South Pasadena Arts Council member Laurie Hendricks. The South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event; it was the third in a line of planned arts crawls. Hundreds of residents and visitors showed up to peruse Mission Street’s shops. Many stores in the area participated, staying open late and offering special sales, and popular food trucks like Gastrobus, Slammin’ Sliders, and Paradise Cookies were stationed throughout the downtown area. SOPA Studios, SPACE Arts Center, and the Fremont Gallery were among the South Pasadena art studios that hosted special exhibitions and activities. Several shops also featured live music. Kaldi Coffee & Tea, Salon 1023, and the Laurie Hendricks Gallery were temporarily converted into music venues, and Emmy-nominated composer and conductor Gary Stockdale performed in the packed Fremont Centre Theatre, leaving only standing room for stragglers. Videotheque presented the silent Charlie Chaplin film, Modern Times, and projected it onto the wall of Meridian Iron Works. “It was interesting to see all the stores I’ve never really been into ,really getting into the Arts Crawl, with music and food and stuff!” said senior Sidney Gerst. “I can’t wait for the next one.”
By Devin Mitchell News Editor
Matt Winkel
Residents gathered in the South Pasadena business district on Saturday night to enjoy art exhibitions, live music, special discounts at various stores, and fine cuisine from popular food trucks.
Boys basketball players face multiple misdeameanor charges By Clair Fuller Assoc. Opinion Editor Three SPHS students and members of the varsity boys basketball team are facing possible misdemeanor charges based on their alleged involvement in the reported hazing of another member of the basketball team. The students could face misdemeanor charges on two counts, one of false imprisonment and one of hazing. The alleged incident purportedly took place in December. “We understand they were wrestling on the ground and possibly one or more of the individuals had either grabbed or touched the victim’s genitals,” South Pasadena Police Chief Joseph Payne told the South Pasadena Review. “There was no sexual intent or gratification that could be proven, so it does not constitute sexual assault.” The students cannot be named
due to their involvement in the ongoing investigation, although one of the students in question is 18 years old and could be tried as an adult. The family of the reported victim brought the alleged incident to police attention. Principal Janet Anderson says that the high school has already taken “immediate disciplinary action” and also spoke to the police about the matter. “If things meet the standard of potential criminal behavior… we share the information as needed,” said Anderson. Superintendent Joel Shapiro stressed the fact that hazing is not tolerated at South Pasadena High School. “The district has an anti-bullying policy, and hazing is a specific type of bullying,” Shapiro said, adding that hazing is a violation of both the law and the California Education Code. “There is no room in our ath-
letic program for students who commit acts of hazing, and it should be made clear that those who commit these acts will not remain on our athletic teams,” said Shapiro. “We have to deal with it in a deliberate manner that sends a message to all students.” Anti-hazing methods are being taken as part of the “district’s proactive efforts to address bullying in all forms,” according to Shapiro. In a letter sent to all parents of student-athletes, Anderson detailed the school’s stance on bullying and hazing incidents within sports teams. “Hazing is an illegal activity. Students who engage in hazing will lose the privilege of participating on our sports teams, and they will be subject to police investigation under the penal code,” said the letter. Athletic Director Ralph Punaro declined to comment on the allegations and head coach Tim Brown could not be reached at press time.
Administrators at the high school and SPUSD have been forced to respond to criticism of the SPHS math department in recent weeks. Nearly 100 parents attended a January 30 meeting to voice concerns about the teaching of basic concepts, the necessity to get outside tutoring, and the failure to properly review tested material, among other topics. “On Wednesday, we met with the department and talked about our concerns and actually read from our notes initially so they would know all the things initially shared by parents,” said SPHS principal Janet Anderson. “It was a pretty somber meeting.” Anderson said that they talked and agreed that they needed to address not just the issues in the classroom but also the department’s perception problem. “People don’t understand that the teachers have the same passion for helping kids learn that See “Math response” on Page 2
Rachael Garner
Parent Muse Mak spoke at the January 30 meeting.
Kitagawa misses games after disagreement with player By Carlton Lew Opinion Editor South Pasadena High School girls varsity basketball head coach Rich Kitagawa did not coach during the games on January 27 and February 1 for reasons that were not disclosed to the public. However, Kitagawa’s absence occurred after senior guard Victoria Pallares approached Principal Janet Anderson and Superintendent of Schools Joel Shapiro about an alleged incident at basketball practice. Rachael Garner According to Pallares, Kitagawa returned to coach the team to a Kitagawa played a podcast
third-place finish in the Rio Hondo League.
over the gymnasium sound system during practice. The audio clip was an interview Pallares recorded with Sonn Eidem. Eidem, who is the SPHS junior varsity baseball coach, broadcasts the boys and girls basketball games on the radio. Pallares said that she felt embarrassed by the airing of the podcast in the gym, which she felt reflected poorly on her. She quit the team soon after the incident. “I felt humiliated in front of the team. It was really disrespectful,” she said. “I was tired of being picked on and singled out.”
Anderson was not able to confirm Kitagawa’s suspension, citing confidentiality regarding issues related to personnel. Anderson did, however, confirm that Kitagawa did not coach two games and that an investigation was ongoing. Assistant varsity coach Tammy Lai served as head coach during Kitagawa’s absence. The team lost games to Monrovia and San Marino during Lai’s tenure as interim head coach. This is not the first time that a player has left the team this year for personal reasons. Earlier in the season, senior forward Amanda Paggao also
quit the team. “To quit during my senior year is devastating. I really do love basketball, I just couldn’t play anymore,” said Paggao. Kitagawa is back at the helm of the girls basketball program as it prepares for the playoffs. The team finished third in the Rio Hondo League with a 6-4 record and at 16-9 overall. The girls will play Barstow High School in their CIF opener tomorrow. Neither Athletic Director Ralph Punaro nor Kitagawa would offer comment on the incident.
News 2
Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012
News
Around Campus
District moves forward with Carnation sales celebrate parking lot development By Heather Vaughan Staff Writer
Katie Whitworth
Ten SPHS students were named finalists in the College Board’s National Merit Scholar Program on February 10.
College Board announces National Merit Finalists By Jackson Atwater Staff Writer Ten of South Pasadena High School’s top students were selected as finalists in the College Board’s National Merit Scholar program, intended to recognize high achievement on the PSAT. The ten selected finalists are seniors Fedor Kossakovski, YeeLum Mak, Michelle Lam, Isabelle Rosenthal, Mei Chung, Tiffany Chen, Melody Sue, Haseeb Khan, Alex Tranquada, and Max White. Students who were already selected as semifinalists (about 16,000) must complete an application, obtain a high score on the actual SAT, and submit their SAT scores to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in order to become finalists. Finalists’ next step is to name a first-choice school; if accepted to that school, they are given scholarships ranging from half-tuition to a full ride, depending on the university.
Large corporations and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation also provide scholarships to select finalists. They were not as focused on progression to finalist status as they were to semifinalist status due to the easier nature of becoming a finalist, but were grateful and relieved nonetheless. “I didn’t expect I absolutely would, but I hoped I would [be named a finalist]. I was happy to find out that I wasn’t one of the 1000 that didn’t advance to finalist,” said Lam. Commissioner of Academics and National Merit finalist Fedor Kossakovski said, “I feel very happy and proud of my achievements.” The cut-off PSAT score for the California Class of 2012 National Merit Semi-finalists was 221. The Class of 2013 took the PSAT in November, and will be informed of National Merit status in the fall of 2012.
Eighth-graders from SPMS will visit the high school today to develop a feel for the campus. They will view a presentation in the auditorium before taking a tour and hearing about the academic departments and extracurricular programs such as drama and performing arts, publications, athletics, and virtual business. / Devin Mitchell
The city of South Pasadena is considering proposals from three different developers interested in purchasing or leasing the parking lot next to the SPUSD offices on El Centro Street. Three firms presented proposals to the city for their tentative plans if granted the site. The submitted proposals are “The School Yard” by Lambert/Creative Housing/Crux Studio, “Mission Place” by Legacy Partners/GMP Architects, and a new facility by YMCA/ Genton HED Architects. Consulting firm Eric Hall & Associates analyzed the proposals with a committee. “[The committee] rated each project according to [a rubric we developed]… and discussed the pros and cons of each project,” said SPUSD superintendent Joel Shapiro.
The “School Yard” and “Mission Place” plans both involve mixed-use residential and retail projects. The YMCA plans to build a new facility and purchase or lease the property at fair market value. According to school board member David Adelstein, the developers plan on purchasing only the parking lot, and not the adjacent office building. Shapiro said that the city will hesitate to sell or lease the property until it has been appraised and its value is determined later this month. He also said that the district is not making any binding deals with any of the firms in the near future. “We are waiting to decide which offer to take until value of the property is assessed,” added Adelstein. The value of the lot will be presented at the upcoming school board meeting on February 21.
ASB announced the contestants for Friday’s Talent Show last week. Groups Preezy and the Prom Queen, American Honey Group, Clean-Up on Aisle 3, WestWard, Active Crew, Cure 13, and Good Boy will be performing in the show. Sophomore Annie Kim and a musical group made up of sophomore Julius Lam, junior Josh Thomas, senior Zoë Detzel are also performing. “We are going to perform Adele’s ‘Someone Like You.’ Our group has two singers, a guitarist, and a violinist. I’m singing with Zoë and Julius is playing the violin,” said Thomas. Senior Calvin Chan, a member of Clean-Up on Aisle 3, said he was looking forward to
the show. “We have a pretty good act prepared. The show allows us to have fun and be creative off the drums,” he said. ASB extended students the opportunity to showcase their talents by scheduling open auditions on February 6 and 7. Commissioner of Assemblies Lee Miyauchi worked with fellow commissioners to plan the auditions. “We’ve had lots of publicity done with the help of Commissioner of Publicity Kyeong Min,” said Miyauchi. “I have also had our CASC representative, Chloe Acebo, help me in the judging process by preparing all the material for judging and finding final judges for the actual show.” SPHS seniors Joyce Al-
By Rhian Moore Assoc. Feature Editor Many students left fourth period yesterday holding red carnations from friends, significant others, and secret admirers. The flowers were part of an annual fundraiser for the sophomore class. According to sophomore class advisor Ms Ruth Charlton, ASB brought back the holiday tradition three years ago. “[We] tend to not be excessively busy during mid-February,” said sophomore class treasurer Julius Lam. “Many students do appreciate the ability to have someone to deliver their valentines.” According to sophomore class president Jason Wang, approximately 350 carnations were sold on Valentine’s Day. Remaining carnations were available during lunch for students to purchase and deliver themselves.
Female assaulted in home on Monterey Road By Remeny White Assoc. News Editor An eighteen-year-old female was allegedly sexually assaulted in her home on the 600 block of Monterey Road on February 8. The suspect allegedly forced entry into her bedroom at 2:50 A.M. and attempted to rape her. The South Pasadena Police Department received a report the next evening and immediately launched an investigation. The police are currently following up on leads and producing flyers to
raise awareness of the incident in the community, according to Sergeant Matthew Peterson. The suspect is described as a forty- to fifty-year-old, 5’11”-6’1”, 180-200-pound white male with brown eyes, brown curly hair, and facial hair. He was wearing a red sweatshirt on the night of the incident, according to a press release. “No additional information can be released to the public at this time,” said Peterson. Anyone with leads regarding the suspect’s location is urged to call the South Pasadena Police Department at (626)403-7270.
Talent show contestants announced By Madison Amido Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day
Theo Mandin-Lee
Seniors Lee Miyauchi, Michelle Ozaki, and Erica Trinh judged the Talent Show hopefuls during a rehearsal on February 7. exander, Erica Trinh, and Michelle Ozaki joined Acebo and Miyauchi in judging the student performances. “You always want some variety in the talent show. This, however, doesn’t mean excluding acts just because you have too much singing. It is quite difficult to choose what is interesting due to the monotony of such acts. There are usually long discussions after the auditions,” said
Miyauchi. CASC representative Chloe Acebo looked for unique acts in the auditions that she hopes the school will enjoy. “We base everything on showmanship, originality, and overall entertainment,” said Acebo. “I’ve never judged before so it’s really cool seeing people you never thought could do things showcasing their talents. I hope everyone else enjoys it too.”
South Pasadena Police
A composite police sketch of the alleged perpetrator.
From “Math meeting” on Page 1 parents do,” said Anderson. “[The teachers] really listened to them.” Joel Shapiro, the SPUSD Superintendent, outlined the problems he saw at the district level and how he would like to broadly address them. “The district and the board have identified improved math achievement as strategic for the district and this is the second year in the row,” said Shapiro. “No program grows over night. All change takes time. You look for steps that you can monitor along the way and then you can make adjustments.” Shapiro also was asked by the Teachers Association of South Pasadena to remove video footage of the meeting that was posted to Tiger’s website accompanying an article about the event. But Shapiro said that he did not have to legal authority to remove the video and informed TASP that he felt doing so would infringe upon the free speech rights of the students and parents.
News
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - Tiger
3
Matt Winkel
Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich visits Pasadena Kelsey Hess and Libby Rainey: Tiger Staff Republican presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich spoke at the Castle Green in Pasadena on Monday night in a fundraiser hosted by TeaPAC, an organization affiliated with the Tea Party. Attendees paid a minimum of $25 to hear Gingrich speak; the candidate, currently third in the polls for the Republican nomination, spoke for around half an hour to a group of Tea Party supporters and local reporters. Gingrich detailed his plans to reduce the deficit, lower gas prices, and improve the quality of public education nationwide in his address to the crowd of around 200. “How’s this for a plan: we keep five hundred billion dollars here at home, we create millions of jobs, and we drive the price of gasoline back down to two dollars a gallon. We want you with us no matter
what your background or ideology is,” said Gingrich. “This is a movement that can make lives much better.” Junior Andrew McGuire and senior Eric Horng attended the fundraiser to hear Gingrich speak. Although McGuire will not be able to vote in the election, he identifies as a Republican. “I agreed with things that he [Gingrich] said, especially his ideas to lower gas prices and how he took the focus off of President Obama when people made attacks at him,” said McGuire. “I really liked that these people care so much about the politics, but I sometimes feel like they need to pay more attention to the hardcore facts.” TeaPAC has also extended invitations to presidential candidates Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Mitt Romney, as well as President Barack Obama. Further correspondence with the former Speaker will be posted to Tiger Online.
Question & Answer: Tiger asked Speaker Gingrich about
education in a brief press session after his speech.
Tiger: California is currently ranked 49th in the nation for education. How do you plan to bring back educational systems such as the one our state has today? Gingrich: Well, the challenge in California is pretty straight forward, speaking as an outsider. As long as you have places like L.A. Unified, where the teachers’ union is more concerned about protecting bad teachers than they are about the students, there is a huge crisis. Education is the central path to the future, which I think means you [must] get it out of Washington, and out of Sacramento, and frankly out of L.A. Unified and back to the parents, teachers, and students at the local level. All of the efforts to build these giant bureaucratic systems have in fact weakened education in America. Education occurs when the young people are learning.
What do you think about Speaker Gingrich’s response? Give us your thoughts on the presidential candidate’s stance on education and view further coverage at tigernewspaper.com.
4 Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012
SPHS Mathematics: the full equation Parents voiced their concerns about the mathematics program at a meeting in the library on January 30. The meeting sparked significant controversy. Students, parents, faculty, and administration are all anticipating and planning for the next steps for SPHS math.
Student voices
From the faculty “We are looking for more ways to reach out to parents and students, to figure out if your student really needs help - how can I help your student? Ms Anderson is still formulating the exact steps we are going to take.” - Mr. Andrew McGough, Advanced Algebra teacher
“I see this situation from two sides. I see it from the teachers’ perspective and from the parents’ perspective, because I have students who are going through the school system here. I can sympathize with both sides. From a teacher’s perspective, I think that most teachers want to do what is best for the kids and they do spend a great deal of time providing extra opportunities for the kids. For example, coming in during lunch, before school, after school, and during their conference period.” - Mr. Jeff Chi, Math Analysis and Advanced Algebra Honors teacher
“Perception is reality. It’s the math department’s job to make sure that the perception out there for the community is better, and right now the math department is working on it.” - Mr. Edward Smith, Geometry and Geometry Honors teacher
“When students are not feeling successful in something as important as mathematics, regardless of the reason, as professionals, we need to do whatever we can to help more students achieve more success.” -Principal Janet Anderson
“Mathematics achievement doesn’t just mean CST scores; it means more kids taking higher level math courses. We want to see evidence of stronger achievement by a number of different standards. It’s a goal of interest for myself, and for the board, so we want any plans regarding math instruction to be geared toward improving student learning.” “We have some wonderful math teachers and people need to be just as willing to tell the stories of the successes that our students are having and that our teachers are having, as opposed to looking for things to criticize, because there is a balance here.” -Superintendent Joel Shapiro
“There should be more interaction with kids. Every day it is the same routine; it is hard to remain interested. I want my teacher to be very passionate about math.” -Freshman Colleen Berry “Teachers could do more to prepare for test material to go more in depth into chapters instead of rushing through the book.” -Senior Ben Lee “I want [teachers] to explain what the book teaches, not repeat it.” -Freshman Darren Tom
What helps you learn and what has worked in your experiences learning mathematics?
The district and administration respond “We met with the math department and talked about our concerns and actually read from our notes initially so they would know all the things shared by parents. Clearly, some things resonated and sounded familiar and were not news. Other things were perhaps not as well founded as the parents might think. But, (the parents) clearly gave us enough to work on.”
What methods of instruction would aid your mathematical education?
“We need to spend more time with the concepts.” “What we get in the mathematics education in the United States, is a lot of cooks and very few chefs. A chef can throw in a pinch of this and a pinch of that, and can be creative. We probably, in the mathematic business, produce too many cooks. And this has been an issue.” “Teachers can be putting on the web what they’re going to do each week and why. Parents can be looking at that with their students and see what they’re supposed to be getting done.” -Asst. Principal Jack Smith
“I’ve used a couple of methods to understand the material. I buy the outlines for the textbooks that have step by step solutions so I can teach myself, and I get a paid subscription to hotmath.com, which also gives me step by step solutions.” -Senior Trent Kajikawa “I learn by doing different types of practice problems and seeing proofs. I’m more of an independent learner, so I learn things better if I try to understand why things work by myself. For me, the teacher introduces and then later reinforces the material, and ultimately forces me to understand things by testing.” -Senior Aashrita Mangu “The teachers and teaching methods that have best helped me learn will explain overarching concepts from different perspectives (visual, written out in English, proofs) and then check for understanding with challenging problems we work through in class.” -Senior Tiffany Chen
Update from the SPHS math coach “A lot of what we’ve been doing, the parents brought up. The part about partial credit, I’ve been talking to teachers about that for a year. So, we’re now at the place where we talk about that as department policy, as opposed to individual decisions. We are more systematically addressing some of those good practices that many of the teachers have been doing all along, but now we are making it a general statement. My goal for all math instructors, not just at the high school, but at the middle school and for anyone else I work with, is: are the students doing the math? I don’t want students watching the math, I want them doing the math. And that requires engagement, that requires checking for understanding, and…we want to make sure that the kids are getting exactly what they need and that they are doing the math.” - Ms Janet Bryson, Math Coach
Next steps for concerned parents Attendees at the January 30 math meeting were asked to email Ms Anderson if they were interested in continuing the discussion in a parent group. “One or two people [at the meeting] talked about getting a parent group together. Some parents have sent their emails to the principal, saying that they want to be a member of the parent group. No new meeting has occurred to formulate any thoughts or priorities yet. To my knowledge, there certainly is a group that has responded. I would say for sure that there will be a meeting in the next few weeks.”
- Mr. Robert DeFulgentiis, parent
Comments? Questions? What do you think of the steps being taken in response to the recent math meeting? Visit tigernewspaper.com
Parents expressed concerns about the mathematics program at a meeting on January 30.
Opinion
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - Tiger
Opinion B
ravo
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ravo to Adele for her six Grammy wins. We bet your ex-boyfriend now feels really, really bad about leaving you “Rolling in the Deep.”
By Elizabeth Ford Rainey Editor-in-Chief
to the CAHSEE scheduling. Two hours in the first class of the day is too much for anyone.
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oo
to the four day weekend. We really don’t feel a punch line is needed here. ravo
B
oo to the five freshmen girls who got more Valentine’s Day carnations than the entire senior class combined. Maybe you guys should start a club.
The Tiger Established 1913
CSPA Gold Medalist 2005 CSPA Gold Medalist 2006 CSPA Gold Medalist 2009 CSPA Gold Medalist 2010 CSPA Gold Medalist 2011 Editor-in-Chief Libby Rainey Managing Editor Jennifer Kim News Devin Mitchell, Editor Remeny White, Associate Opinion Carlton Lew, Editor Clair Fuller, Associate Feature Sofi Goode, Editor Rhian Moore, Associate Sports Jessica Moog, Editor Clem Witherall, Associate Copy Editors Alex Tranquada and Max White Photography Theo Mandin-Lee, Editor Kathryn Whitworth, Associate Photographers Rachael Garner, Siria Medina, Matthew Winkel Senior Staff Writer Harry Yadav Staff Writers Madison Amido, Jackson Atwater, Erin Chan, Matt DeFulgentiis, Kelsey Hess, Anne Kitchens, Marcy Kuo, Amber Laird, Natalie McLain, Christian Miyamae, Rachel Newhall, Meghan Roche, Joshua Roquemore, Heather Vaughan Tiger Online Thomas von Bibra
Rachael Lee
Freedom from a one-track education Staff Editorial The words “high school dropout” carry a negative connotation. They elicit images of pregnant teens and throwing away one’s chance of a successful future. In reality, however, this stereotype only represents a fraction of the 1.2 million students in the U.S. that drop out of high school each year. Many will halt their education at sixteen, the age at which it becomes legal to do so, to help support their family or receive training for a specialized career that is unavailable at a general high school. President Obama’s recent proposal in his State of the Union address to raise the legal dropout age from sixteen to eighteen will prevent those with good intentions from dropping out for legitimate reasons. Although the bill would encourage less enthusiastic students to stay in school, it overlooks a large portion of students who have other reasons to drop out. Significant portions of Americans live in rural areas of the country, where agriculture and farming are prominent careers. It is not uncommon for a student to stop attending school in order to jump-start their agricultural career or help their family maintain its established business. The struggling heartland of America is only hurt by policies that prohibit students from helping themselves and their families. High school education is obviously an
Staff Illustrators Rachael Lee and Daniel Willardson Managers Alexander Prescott, Ads Shyam Senthilkumar, Business Webmaster Makenna Sidle Faculty Advisor Mike Hogan
Tiger is produced by the advanced journalism newspaper class at South Pasadena High School, 1401 Fremont Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Layout and photo imaging are completed on-site. Printed by American/Foothill Publishing Co., Inc., Tujunga, CA. Signed articles appearing in Tiger represent the writer’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, student body, faculty or administration of SPHS. Contact the publications office at (626) 441-5820 ext. 2615 between 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. for advertising rates and subscriptions. Tiger welcomes articles, letters or rebuttals for publication in the print and online editions. All letters must be signed and verifiable, but names will be witheld upon request. Tiger is a forum for student free speech, in compliance with California Ed Code 48907.
Yeah Boi
Local tragedy holds larger lesson for SPHS community
to Singles Awareness Day. You might be ‘S.A.D.,’’ but at least your cynicism is trendy these days.
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essential base for most areas of study, but there are many career options that do not require a degree that the government should recognize. Vocational schools for specialty careers exist in the United States, but are not a respected alternative to high school, despite the fact that they provide training and hands-on experience that would otherwise be difficult to attain. Most American students don’t see vocational training as a valuable alternative, although many other countries see it as just that. A recommended option for students in France after finishing their ninth grade year is to attend a public “lycée professionel” to be trained in a specific trade. Students attending these French vocational schools still have the chance to pass the required test for general high school graduation without being burdened with irrelevant classes. In Mr. Obama’s State of the Union address, he stressed above all the importance of bringing jobs back to the United States, and relying less on foreign labor. Keeping the legal dropout age where it is and encouraging vocational schools would increase the number of jobs here, and create less of a need for imported goods and services. A traditional high school is not the place for everyone – and in a country as diverse as America, it is important to preserve that freedom.
Sophomore Drew Ferraro took a running start before jumping off a three-story building to his death at Crescenta Valley High School last week. Many students witnessed the tragic fall. Accounts of bullying have since surfaced as the school and community grieves. This scene is shocking. But it contains a lesson. Bullying, hazing, and harassment may seem far from South Pasadena High School, but they exist within this community just as they do in Crescenta Valley. SPHS must take note of this local tragedy, and remember it solemnly as South Pasadena’s Anti-Bullying Month approaches this March. Students hear messages of acceptance from their first day in kindergarten to their move to middle school. However after this early swell, anti-bullying slogans fall to the wayside in crucial years of development in middle school and high school. Government statistics in 2011 reported that one in every three high school and middle school-aged students have reported being bullied. Teenage harassment isn’t an abnormality; it’s the norm. South Pasadena has a generally inclusive school community, but action against bullying can’t be undertaken on a case-by-case basis; it must be a constant effort by both the school administration and the students themselves. Anti-Bullying Month, despite its juvenile connotations, is the perfect chance for SPHS students to put abstract ideals into action. This action can begin when LGBTQ advocates visit campus for a school-wide assembly on acceptance on February 22. The assembly will focus not only on issues for those struggling with gender and sexual identity, but on all students searching for acceptance. SPHS students have an obligation to approach Anti-Bullying Month and next week’s acceptance assembly with the utmost respect and diligence. Bullying isn’t always an issue of temporary happiness or exclusive social circles; it can have lasting negative effects on both the bullies and victims. Undoubtedly, the circumstances that led Drew Ferraro to jump to his death were of extreme and tragic proportions. But they must have started somewhere. South Pasadena students owe it to their peers, to Drew Ferraro, and to the memories of countless others to remember the power they have: both to save lives and to ruin them.
You are the thought police By Jackson Atwater Staff Writer Every uproar from an angry crowd is made up of individual voices, and what makes these uproars powerful in the context of social protest is exactly that. The fact that individuals, each with their own unique feelings on an issue, unify at a single juncture to deliver a message is exactly what makes that message so powerful. Conversely, if the distinction between those voices is blurred or removed, and if those voices don’t retain their individuality, the message they send is more easily lost or corrupted. Recent and widespread in-
ternet protests against SOPA and PIPA show how this can happen much more easily when the medium of protest is the internet, a forum in which people are much less likely to reflect on and consider their actions and are more likely to act without thinking. During the time SOPA was being discussed by the U.S. congress and protested by popular websites, the internet-based antiSOPA/anti-PIPA petition gained 10,000,000 signatures. The fact that so many people are using their voices is fantastic; the reason less so. These 10,000,000 spoke out in large part not because they read the actual text of SOPA, but because their favorite websites, including
Google, Facebook, and Wikipedia, were protesting the bill through blackout or other means and called on their users to do the same thing. Really, the protest was not a groundswell of popular opinion focused to a point but rather was a shortsighted, knee-jerk reaction to popular websites being blacked out or urging protests. In combination with the lemming-like social behavior the internet encourages, this detracts from the idea of the message. Protesting injustice via the culmination of individually formed opinions is the only way to avoid government or corporate control of the popular opinion. Taking into consideration the large viewership
of websites like Google and Wikipedia, it’s especially important that people act on their own opinions instead of doing what these websites tell them. It’s not unfathomable that such internet giants would act purely out of self-interest, and when this happens, and if people aren’t willing to realize what has happened, it could spell disaster. Protesters, now more than ever in the digital age, have a responsibility to form their own opinions and to reach their own conclusions about the things they are protesting. They have a responsibility to actively avoid the mob mentality, to think for themselves, and to protect democracy in a new and strange realm.
Opinion 6 Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012 Peer-editing: an easy out for both students and teachers By Devin Mitchell News Editor The concept of students grading some of the assignments that their peers complete is not bad in theory. They can look at how their peers are thinking and working, and potentially even improve themselves. Teachers also don’t have to take the time to grade assignments one at a time when the work can be scored by students in a fraction of the time in class. But manipulating the peer grading system is also one the easiest ways to cheat at South Pasadena High School. When students evaluate other students, there is very often a mutual understanding: grade me favorably and I will do the same for you. The quality of the work that the student has turned in is largely irrelevant as long it appears on the surface to be relatively
complete. After all, if the teacher planned on inspecting the assignment more closely, he or she would not have outsourced the grading to students. While this practice may seem unethical, it makes sense. All students benefit if everyone is getting high marks on peer-graded assignments. Classes are not zero-sum games; there are no rules insisting that only certain numbers of students can get an A or a B. With college admissions and the job market increasingly competitive, the stakes are too high to rely on the honorable sides of teenagers to accurately assess the work of their peers. The argument could be made now that the students who do grade fairly are unnecessarily harming their peers’ futures. The impartial adults need to examine most of what their students do, especially when it comes to writing assignments in
Daniel Willardson
Coeducation replicates real life for a reason By Matt DeFulgentiis Staff Writer Boys and girls are far from separate species, but upon examining the prevalance of single-sex private schools, one might not draw that conclusion. Parents clearly see advantages with separating sexes in the school setting, but the benefits of scorning co-education are far from entirely positive. Single-sex education is primarily based on the idea that boys and girls learn differently. There are common benefits that parents associate with separating boys and girls for school.
Some claim that girls lose their shyness and tend to take more risks than they otherwise would have in an all-girls environment. Girls are more confident, and consequently more on focused on academics than their appearance, they say. With boys, there’s a dampening of their competitive edge between one another. Without a need to impress female peers, they are able to collaborate more effectively with each other. These opinions appear sound, but they hardly hold up in actual same-sex schools. Carol Lewis, a mother of a student who attended the all-girl Westridge School in
humanities and foreign language classes that leave room for interpretation. Getting feedback from educators who are knowledgeable in their field isn’t just the easiest way to prevent cheating, it is also the best way to learn. When teachers take the time to thoughtfully explain their critiques instead of neglecting to even look at work themselves, students notice. They respond to effort shown by the teacher with a more serious attitude toward future assignments. Yes, most teachers would have to put in more work if peer grading were eliminated. But when the students in our school’s most difficult classes are working late into the night completing the work their instructors assign, asking those instructors to put in a bit more time is hardly unrealistic. Maybe some teachers will even think twice about assigning meaningless busy work if it means they will have to grade it.
Pasadena, initially felt that her child would pick up better study habits and gain selfconfidence. After her daughter went through the system, however, she came to a vastly different conclusion. “There was a problem with jealousy,” said Lewis. “There were too many ‘cliques’ and ‘mean girls’.” Segregating students by sex places them in a severely limited social bubble during a crucial time for development. Boys and girls attending school together replicates real-world experiences, and allows students to gain crucial social skills and learn to work with someone regardless of sex. In fact, after conducting fifty years of research, Alan Smithers, a professor of education at Buckingham University, concluded that there are no dramatic advantages for single-sex education. Same-sex education offers nominal benefits, while co-ed educational environments offer numerous advantages. Both the boys and the girls learn about the opposite sex in a competitive but non-stressed environment. One father of a young girl liked the fact that his daughter was competing with boys, and communicating with boys. He felt that this would make his daughter stronger and better prepared to interact with boys later in life. Mixed-gender schools provide diversity, and a chance to interact with both genders equally. They also offer the opportunity to help with maturity and more widespread friendships.
Leaving Megaupload users out in the cold By Shyam Senthilkumar Business Manager A website that previously garnered fifty million visitors every day ceased to exist on January 19. This website, the well-known filesharing site Megaupload, was shut down by the U.S. Justice Department on charges of copyright infringement. Megaupload was used by the vast majority of its clients to share and watch movies and videos, and is a direct violation of copyright laws. On these grounds, the Justice Department had valid reasons to shut down the site. However, the manner in which they did so had more negative repercussions than positive. Hundreds of people used Megaupload as an on-
line hard drive, a way to ger exists. At the very least, save countless gigabytes of the Justice Department could files. On the mor ning of have provided a warning of January 19, users woke up some sort. However, the agento find their files gone, wiped cy did nothing but provide clean. Megaupload was more a statement chastising users for not backing than just up their files in file sharHundreds of people a more stable ing. Artists location. and musiused Megaupload In cians used as an online hard the aftermath the site to drive, a way to save of the Stop collaborate countlesss gigabytes Online Piracy and work of files. On the A c t ( S O PA ) on large morning of January and the Prof i l e s, a n d then start19, users woke up to test Intellectual Property ed up their find their files gone. A c t ( P I PA ) , computers there has been to find the increased crititracks they had been working on for cism of file-sharing sites and media piracy. Although the months completely gone. T h e d o m a i n n a m e bills were not passed, the “megaupload.com” no lon- movement has led to govern-
ment action on sites such as Megaupload. Major media companies are the driving force behind this action, as they are directly affected by copyright infringement. Yes, the site deserved to be shut down for its abuse of copyright, but users who used the site for absolutely legal reasons should not become collateral damage. Denying users access to files they legitimately stored is a potential violation of their First Amendment rights, and a serious problem that must be addressed immediately. The Justice Department owes it to legal Megaupload users to attempt to access the files that went down with the site, and somehow return them back to their rightful owners.
Daniel Willardson
The school board is currently preparing a proposal that would extend the Measure S parcel tax, currently set to expire in 2013. The parcel tax allows for class size reduction, particularly in freshman English classes. How important do you feel class size is to effectiveness of instruction? Mrs. Kim Kadletz Freshman English and Sophomore Honors English: “In freshman English, the class size is critical... the main reason for the... reduction is to give the freshman students more writing assignments. This was a major concern because they have to be up to speed in their writing skills.”
Mrs. J udy Sammis AP P hysics and Honors M ath Analysis: ‘It’s critical... It’s how many lab setups we have, it’s being able to access people for help... there’s so many things about this. There are so many reasons to want to have this parcel tax keep going... I live in South Pas, I’ll vote for it. Our property values are based on the schools, and if they go to heck, so do we.”
Ms Patricia Wylie Freshman Honors English and AP Literature and Composition: “I think that at a freshman level, it is crucial to keep class size small. [Ensuring continued reduction] sounds wonderful.”
Mr . J oshua Whitney Spanish: “For language, [small class size] is extremely important. Especially for speaking, we want to hear as many students as possible actually speak the language. [With a big class] there are also limitations on the kind of assignments we can give and the amount we can grade and still be sane human beings.”
Faculty and staff members interested in contributing to this section can email us at opinion@tigernewspaper.com.
Opinion
Keeping it in the district SPUSD must find solution with residency to reinstate the residency checks; they haven’t officially said anything about it… Faking residency has always been a problem, though,” said SPHS registrar Rebecca Quiñones. “We trust that parents will tell us if any of the residency information has been changed. And if we find out someone has moved and not told us, the policy is very clear. Student attendance in the school is automatically terminated,” said Superintendent Joel Shapiro, clarifying the school’s policy. The fact remains that surplus students, many of whom have no right to be attending the school in the first place, are bogging down the school system. Parents are concerned for the quality of their students’ education, and tensions mount as others seem to leech off of legitimate citizens’ financial contributions. The massive nature of the issue can be quantified quite adequately through the simple observation of one’s own friends. “Everyone knows someone who doesn’t live here. Of course we’re not going to say anything, they’re our friends. But really, every group has someone that doesn’t live here. That’s just the way it is,” said sophomore Betty Soibel. The over-enrollment issue needs to be addressed. This is an indisputable fact. But how should the school go about it? By barring the students of families who directly contribute to the city, or by reinstating and reinforcing residency checks to limit interdistrict kids from taking advantage of a school system they did little to create?
By Natalie McLain Staff Writer The school is in a state of overenrollment, and the gates for those eligible to attend SPHS are slowly closing. There are simply more kids than the school can accomodate. But if space is an issue, why did administration weaken their policy of checking residency documents during the 2011 enrollment process? “Faking residence” has long been an issue because SPHS has such high API scores and is largely a “college-oriented” school, but the school has removed the need to present documents such as deeds of trust, mortgage payment receipts, gas and electric bills, and bank statements at any time after initial enrollment. Such soft policies simply makes subterfuge easier. The school has not officially accepted “permit kids,” per se, for quite some time due to high enrollment numbers. Up until this year, the school was accepting students whose parents owned businesses in South Pasadena, however such students are to be barred in coming school years. Meanwhile, some students squeak by using friends’ addresses, numbers from houses they previously lived in, or by simply lying about their residency in order to assure enrollment under the newly nonexistent residency checks. In essence, many who are actually contributing to South Pasadena as a whole can no longer utilize the school system they helped to fund, while those who in no way contribute to the system are practically being invited inside. “The school district has not decided
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - Tiger
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Students weigh in... The California 9th Circuit Appellate Court recently declared California’s Proposition 8, which defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman, to be unconstitutional. This decision is part of an ongoing national debate about same-sex marriage, and will likely be appealed to the United States Supreme Court.
STUDENT VOICE: “The ruling by the 9th Circuit is a fantastic step but the battle isn’t even close to being over. I am actually more proud about the reactions at school and on Facebook because any time it was brought up, everyone got excited and was just generally happy about it. At least our generation is headed in the right direction.” - Diana Spiegel, sophomore “I was not surprised when I heard that Prop 8 was deemed unconstitutional. We live in a liberal state, and despite how many conservatives, independents, and maybe some liberals voted yes on Prop 8, it will never be good enough. Our ideals do not mesh with the state government’s beliefs, but aren’t they supposed to represent the opinions of the people, and not their own? There will always be people trying to repeal Prop 8. As an advocate for Prop 8, I don’t think that I’m showing hate or disrespect to same sex couples. I’m not against allowing them to get married, but don’t call it marriage. It is stated in the Bible (Gen. 2:22-24) that God does not agree with homosexual marriage, so I too share the same belief.” -Tori Kause, senior “It’s a victory, yes, but it’s not as big a victory as it could have been. The ruling didn’t say that denying people the right to marry is unconstitutional, it said that taking away a right that has previously been granted is unconstitutional. It’s so specific, it really only applies to California. Which is totally great, but I would have liked to see something more applicable to the entire nation. I’m sure it’ll go to Supreme Court though, so we’ll see what happens there.” - Vesta Javaheri, junior “I’m very happy that, in the future, I get to marry someone, but I wish it were a bigger victory.” - Evin Robles-Morla, freshman
Tiger Newspaper Asks: In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama promised to make it more difficult for students to drop out of high school—stating that students must be 18 years old or have graduated high school before they can choose to discontinue schooling. Current California laws state that a student can drop out at age 16 with parental permission after passing the California High School Exit Examination. Should the current policy be changed? How? Is President Obama’s suggestion a valid one? Michael Amerine, Grade 11
Hyrum Judkins, Grade 12
Jenny Chan, Grade 11
Encouragement to transfer into a trade school would be a helpful alternative to dropping out. SPHS exacerbates the problem by making the goal of all students college and ignoring the shop classes (metal, auto, etc.) that many schools in lower income areas provide. While many of us do have plans to attend a four-year college (myself included), there are many who have no intention of doing so. The current system alienates those who do not; those students who will make up our future labor force instead drop out and become a burden onto society. College is not an option for every student.
I do not agree with the president for many reasons, but the most important one to me is that educational policies and standards are set by the state government, not the federal government. There are also many reasons why teenagers drop out of high school; it is not always because they do not want to be in school. I understand where he is coming from, but the federal government does not have power over educational policies and standards.
I agree with the President. If you decide to be a high school dropout, you are not likely to be very successful later on in life. Because most jobs require at least a high school diploma, students should at least get a high school diploma. That way, they have a higher chance of getting a decent job than high school dropouts. They also need high school knowledge to succeed later on in life. If you become a high school dropout, this conveys that you are not very intelligent and or credible.
Claire Woosley, Grade 12 To me, dropping out is different from testing out. By testing out, you have met the minimum requirements, but I do feel that 16 is not the age of responsibility. If you are 18, a legal adult, you can decide your educational future because you are now in control of your life, not another responsible party. I feel California should not allow students under the age of 18 years old to drop out. However, if under 18 years old, they should test out with a GED, proving they meet the requirements of a high school degree without having to judge if they are “responsible enough.”
Calvin Chan, Grade 12 I don’t think that the new policy will be effective. Although it is a noble attempt, it would be far too inefficient to effect change and monitor new restrictions. More money will be put into keeping kids in school than actually improving the education system. There is no tangible return on this investment because even if kids are required to stay in school, there is no guarantee that they will put in the effort and take advantage of the additional education. Furthermore, some kids drop out of high school because of other responsibilities. Not all families can afford sending kids to school until they are 18. Be it working to support the family or taking care of sibilings, some kids just can’t allocate time to stay in school for the additional two years.
Haseeb Khan, Grade 12 I believe that the current policy should be changed and that President Obama has a very valid suggestion. In this age, jobs in the US are becoming more and more difficult to obtain. No longer is it plausible for people to find jobs working in factories or labor. Those jobs have gone international, and it is becoming increasingly important to be educated in the U.S. When college graduates can’t find jobs, what chance do high school dropouts have of finding one? Owen Emerson, Grade 10 I think the policy is fine and should not be changed. If a student wishes to drop out, they have to take an
exit exam as well as receive approval from their guardian; only then can they discontinue their high school education. If they wish to do both of these things, they must be serious and probably have a different educational future planned ahead. The only reason I can think of dropping out is so they can either go into pre-training for the United States Army or continue on a different route of education, such as a foreign exchange. The only flaw in this policy is that if a student’s guardian dies and they are left to support their family, will they ask approval from the state to drop out in order to feed, clothe, and shelter their family? Barack Obama or whoever is elected as our new president might change this policy for the better or worse but for now the policy seems fair. Thomas Chang, Grade 11 It’s difficult to judge whether or not a teenager truly has the wisdom, maturity, and responsibility in making such a decision. The repercussions of making the decision to drop out of high school are likely to cripple the financial security of the individual. I find it hard to imagine someone obtaining a job that doesn’t involve manual labor without a diploma.
8 Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Feature
Feature
Out and About Advanced Dance is holding tryouts this Thursday in the dance studio. Hopefuls must prepare a thirty-second choreographed piece to try out for a spot on the squad. /Sofi Goode
“Look” serves the homeless By Natalie McLain Staff Writer When most students hear the phrase “look international,” they think of travel. Study-abroad programs, foreign food, and perhaps foreign debt and conflict mingle in their minds. But for one SPHS club, looking international means taking the world’s problems and addressing them locally. School service club Look International began volunteer work in the Los Angeles area this year. After inheriting the club presidency from his older brother, sophomore Jake Sim reinvigorated club efforts to address global problems at a local level. This year’s ongoing project is tending to the numerous poverty-stricken individuals living on Skid Row in downtown L.A. “Our mission is to learn about and educate ourselves on the different issues around the world and find solutions to them through hands on work,” said Sim. Sophomore Nathan Lee serves breakfast to homeless people on Skid Club members travel to Skid Row every other Sun- club Look International, Lee travels to Skid Row every other Sunday day to hand out drink and food bags to those who have fallen upon hard times. Thus far they have made two trips, but plan to continue their visits throughout the rest of the year. Sim spent the latest meeting giving members a brief educational description and history of Skid Row to supplement their physical visits. A high percentage of homeless The Reflections program accepts By Christian Miyamae people live in this region of East L.A, an area that many entries from students in preschool through Staff Writer believe the public is selectively blind to. The Look Internatwelfth grade to be judged in dance choretional club hopes to reach beyond such limitations. SPHS junior Emily Joe received the ography, film production, literature, musical Knowledge and awareness are essential to their Award of Excellence for her literary piece in composition, photography, and visual arts work, but above all Look International members value the Reflections program. With schoolwork categories. Professionals judge the contest face-to-face contact with those they are serving. and extra-curricular activities consuming and awards are given for interpretation, ex“Talking to the people who live on Skid Row is a students’ time, the Parent-Teacher Asso- cellence, and merit to students who interpret humbling experience,” said sophomore Nathan Lee. “You ciation runs Reflections to give students a the prompt in a unique fashion. understand that they are people just like us, but down on Nine South Pasadena Unified stuchance to express themselves by entering their luck.” self-inspired works. Although Joe’s journey dents participated in the program this year; Socioeconomic status has not proven to be a barrier ended at the First District level, her submis- they submitted entries for multiple categobetween the members and the impoverished, but rather a sion received the highest honors of all the ries, including photography, literature, visual uniting factor. From positive experiences thus far, the club arts, and film production. This is the first SPHS submissions this year. has already built up enough momentum to address its next Joe’s literary piece was focused year in which students have submitted art issue: human trafficking. around this year’s theme of “Diversity forms other than photography. The club members plan to spend the next few weeks “We really tie in the fact of expresmeans...” Her essay was based on her faeducating themselves about the issue before finding some ther’s childhood experiences with racism sion. It’s not just for art. It’s the way the sort of local organization or area to serve those who are students can express themselves through and oppression as a Chinese American. affected by human trafficking. Meanwhile, they will con“I thought it was a good chance for the theme,” said Mrs. Colleen Donovan, tinue their work at Skid Row, fighting small, local battles me to express myself through something I co-chair of the PTA Reflections program in in the global war on poverty. South Pasadena. could relate to,” said Joe.
Jeffrey Xiong
Row. As part of the on-campus morning to serve the community.
PTA awards honors for Reflections Middle School students Teddy Baker (photography) and Lewis Polansky (visual arts) were both recognized for their work. At the elementary level, Marengo students Ameya Tilaye (visual arts) and Timothy Okitsu (literature) also received awards. “The PTA and the PTSA, at the high school level, have worked really hard to try to involve young people and give opportunity [to students] and this is just one way they do that,” said SPHS principal Janet Anderson. Despite its ongoing nature, not many students participate in the Reflections program. The PTA hopes to gain more students to participate in the program next year and receive a variety of applicants in all six categories. Next year’s theme is, “The Magic of a Moment…” “I recommend doing [the Reflections program] because you never know what kind of feedback you are going to receive,” said Joe.
Personality Profile: Charlotte Foley By Meghan Roche Staff Writer
Katie Whitworth
Foley shows off her affinity for all things French with a short, stylish European haircut.
If her lively personality doesn’t make it obvious enough, the olive-green tint in Charlotte Foley’s eyes gives a clue as to her foreign heritage. The sophomore, jaunty and outspoken like her Irish ancestors, is not only a citizen of the U.S., but of United Kingdom as well. She and her three younger siblings are the last generation of her family to be eligible for dual citizenship through her grandmother. Perhaps it is her Irish blood that gives Foley an insatiable obsession with all things European. The private school transfer began studying French as a sixth-grader at Polytechnic School in Pasadena. A three-week cultural immersion trip to Paris cemented Foley’s fascination with French culture and language, and she has since focused her energies on mastering the language and all its
intricacies. The sophomore is currently the youngest student in AP French, and has recently submitted an application to study for a year abroad in France. She even hopes pursue her college studies in France. Coincidentally, Foley’s link to European affairs also connects with her interest in politics: “I would love to be an ambassador between the U.S. and France,” shares Foley, who is in her first year of Youth and Government. Despite her French addiction, Foley has mastered the art of English wit and sass as well. Known to her friends for her sharp sense of humor, she uses her big personality to her advantage as a volleyball player for the SPHS junior varsity team, and as a competitive swimmer during the summer. Foley isn’t simply an involved student; she’s a force to be reckoned with. “Charlotte is witty and funny. Not to mention stunning,” shares senior Mackenzie Forman.
In her spare moments, Foley enjoys spending time with her family. Her household, easily a model of familial harmony, includes her mother and father, eleven-year old Oona, six-year old twins Roddy and Jojo, and a newly adopted miniature poodle terrier named Rushmore. “Listening to music is a family activity for us,” said Foley. Due to an extensive record collection and turntable at home, she has inherited an appreciation for music from her parents. Foley’s ability to turn any situation into a fun one makes her a magnet to all those around her. Her open philosophy on music sums up her open philosophy on life. “Music is objective. There is no such thing as bad music,” said Foley. Whether you’re looking for someone with whom you can rock out to Rihanna to, cram French homework, hit around a volleyball or to simply be a new and interesting friend, Charlotte Foley is your girl.
Feature
Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Personality Profile: Thomas Chang
Cast prepares
By Rachel Newhall Staff Writer Junior Thomas Chang believes that he is decidedly average. Due to SPHS’s competitive atmosphere, he views his black belt in hapkido, 3.8 GPA and rigorous AP schedule as nothing extraordinary. But, if his comedic facial expressions are any indication, there is far more than a normal high school boy beneath Chang’s shell of “conventionalism.” Chang received a black belt his sophomore year, but abandoned five years of training to shift his focus towards a renowned ROP class - Virtual Business. Chang is the graphic design specialist for DuBass, one of SPHS’s junior varsity Virtual Business teams. He lists Virtual Business among his greatest passions. “Virtual Business gives me the motivation to spend hours upon hours on my computer experimenting with Photoshop and Illustrator,” Chang said. When not obsessing in front of his computer screen, the junior spends most of his time with his friends. He and fellow junior Austin Chee host a regular Skype call for many of their friends in their AP Calculus class that is known to be full of hilarity. “We always do homework together. He’s a hard worker, really entertaining, and different from all the other people I have
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for Curtains By Clem Witherall Assoc. Sports Editor
Theo Mandin-Lee
Thomas Chang makes one of his signature expressions. The junior is known around campus for his quirky, yet hilarious, eccentricities. come across in South Pas,” said Chee. Chang has two older brothers who both graduated from SPHS. One is currently in the navy and the other is attending UC Berkeley. Despite his brother’s distance, Chang hopes to venture even farther away for his own college education. Chang dreams of putting his skills in graphic design, science, and math to use by majoring in engineering. Although his career goals differ from his older brothers’ paths, he carries their influence wherever he goes, literally. “I have a pretty peculiar sense of fash-
ion. I have this wardrobe filled with handme-downs,” Chang said. Style is not the only attribute Chang inherited from his family. In typical sibling fashion, Chang strived to be like his brothers. In doing so, he gained their perseverance, quirky personalities, and kindness. “Everybody tells me I have so much potential…but I just live in the present,” he said. Chang’s spontaneous attitude might give him the appearance of mediocrity, but there is nothing average about this creative, comedic, and expressive individual.
Typical By Daniel Willardson
Like this comic? View it in full color at tigernewspaper.com.
The cast can be found dancing on the Tiger Patio and warming up in the cafeteria and Little Theater well after the school day has ended. South Pasadena’s spring musical, Curtains, is underway with less than two months until opening night. The school’s thespians have been putting in long hours of hard work in preparation for the show’s premiere. “It’s going well so far,” said musical director Daniel Enright. “We are a little bit behind on the music, but the choreography is almost completely done and so is the blocking.” SPHS history teacher Melissa Muntz is choreographing the show and heading costume design for the production. “We have learned the majority of two pieces, and we’re starting a third one this week,” Muntz said. “We didn’t get the score from New York as quickly as expected, so we had to get a score off the Internet. The two are not the same, but now it’s just a matter of editing.” The cast and directors are still deciding which scenes of the play to cut and whether or not there will be a full orchestra. They are currently unsure if the South Pasadena High School band and orchestra will be able to perform in the show. The actors rehearse from 3 P.M. to 6 P.M. Monday through Friday. They will add weekend practices soon. “It hasn’t gotten stressful yet but it will eventually as we get closer to opening night,” said sophomore David Yang, a lead in the production. “It’s a lot of fun and is going to be a good show.” Although the drama program lost several seniors to graduation last year, many underclassmen have stepped up to take parts. “One of the surprises was this ninth-grader named Julia Primuth. She is a fabulous singer and good dancer. There is a lot of work to be done but overall I’m very happy with the cast,” said Enright. Primuth is similarly positive about her castmates. “There’s a great leading lady and plenty of talent in the supporting roles as well. They are an exciting group of people and a joy to be around,” she said. The first performance of Curtains will be on April 19 in the high school auditorium.
The Canoe House has M.O.C.A. holds annual Teen Night positive atmosphere By Erin Chan Staff Writer
3/5
By Kelsey Hess Staff Writer For South Pasadena residents desperate to don the abandoned Hawaiian attire in their closets, look no further. The recently opened Canoe House’s Hawaiian-themed décor and native-tiki vibe, akin to the Islands restaurant chain, brings a twist to the traditional Fair Oaks Avenue restaurant lineup. The eatery’s tropical drinks and featured surfing videos keep the restaurant entertaining; while a bit expensive for a group of friends, the food and ambiance are well worth the money. The Canoe House offers a welcoming and upbeat atmosphere, largely due to its expansive and friendly staff. Seniors Evelyn Ashleigh and Katie Whitworth both work as waitresses at the joint. The same pair that owned the location’s predecessor, Wild Thyme, runs the restaurant.
Owners David Yost and Randy Hoffman also own local eateries Shakers and The Diner on Main. The Canoe House rivals these sister restaurants, and its food and ambiance are equal to, if not better than, the other Hoffman and Yost establishments. Like Islands, the Canoe House mainly offers simple sandwiches, burgers, and tacos. Some of the highlights on the menu are the pork-pulled sandwich and bacon-and-bleu-cheese burger. The burgers and sandwiches cost around ten dollars. These prices would be reasonable, except fries and sides are only included at a two- or threedollar expense. Cost makes the restaurant more attractive for family outings than high school gatherings. As shops and restaurants around South Pasadena close their doors in bankrupcy, it’s refreshing to see a new business opening. Despite the slightly high prices, the Canoe House offers a tropical paradise with charming hospitality.
A museum is rarely the most popular place to be on a Saturday night. But this past weekend, masses of high school students flocked to the Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo for a night of provocative art, music, and live entertainment. The Museum of Contemporary Art held its annual Teen Night on February 11 from 6:30 to 10 P.M. The event was exclusively for high school students from the greater Los Angeles area. The event followed the theme of “Dissent,” inspired by the M.O.C.A.’s Under the Big Black Sun exhibit featuring California art from 1974-1981. The experience aimed to educate Los Angeles youth about the role that artists play in rebelling against social and political oppression. The night catered to a young and contemporary audience. Attendees enjoyed student DJs Knockstudy, Mutations, and Treyvon X, and were able to participate in interactive art activities. Outside the museum, guests were allowed to decorate a truck with paint to their heart’s content. The art inside the Geffen included a student visual art exhibit that featured work from Los Angeles high school students, as well as the art from Under the Big Black Sun. The main exhibit was displayed over two levels, and conveyed the theme of dissent with over 500 art objects on topics ranging from American history and politics to ecology and the environment. High school students under the age of eighteen
Theo Mandin-Lee
L.A. teens mingle outside the Musuem of Contemporary Art during the free-admission Teen Night. were required to bring a parental waiver, given the explicit nature of some of the art. Many SPHS students drove out to attend the event. “There were a lot of different genres of art, and it was an interesting atmosphere,” said senior Morgan Palma. “I would go again.” Not all attendees were so enamored. Senior Diana Huang said, “It was a good effort, but they could lose the pretentious atmosphere.” Everyone who stayed until the end of the night received a complimentary museum membership. For those who did not attend but would like to view the exhibit, admission is five dollars with a student I.D., or free every Thursday from 5–8 P.M.
10 Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012
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The Vow is cheesy and cliché 3/5
By Sofi Goode and Kelsey Hess Tiger Staff Strategically released the weekend before Valentine’s Day, The Vow built hype to rival Breaking Dawn. A star cast and seemingly winning plot had people lining up outside the theaters, but the movie inside ultimately disappointed due to a poor story and screenplay. The Vow follows Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum), newlyweds living in Chicago. The spontaneous and artsy couple are madly in love until Paige is injured in a devastating car crash and awakes from a coma remembering nothing from the past five years. She has no recollection of Leo, who is put up to the difficult task of making his wife fall in love with him again. This struggle comes off as more depressing than sweet. From the beginning, the film seems to prioritize style over clarity, cutting between the car accident and the early days in the couple’s relationship. As the story progresses into the “adventure” of their
companionship, it cheesily chronicles the emotional tribulations of being in love. However, unrealistically, these trials never seem to cause much of a problem for the couple. Secondary love interests are introduced, but do nothing to affect McAdams’s and wallpapersbank.net Tatum’s relationship. Despite heartwarm- Rachel McAdams stars with Channing Tatum in a new roing scenes, the film mantic drama as a young woman who develops amnesia. mainly displayed the pictured shirtless as much as possible to angst behind a situation without any sort of solution. It was make up for his lack of acting ability. While it stars two of the most deconsequently more frustrating than enjoysirable actors in the business, The Vow’s able to watch. Despite the weak screenplay, Rachel screenplay and plot leave these sensations McAdams managed to shine. Her emotion- little to work with. The actors do their best, but the overal breakdowns are entirely believable and her overall character is incredibly complex. all result is cheesy and cliché. The film ofTatum is a weak counterpart to her com- fers mindless entertainment, perfect for lyplex character. He is only featured in small ing in bed with a head cold, but it is hardly moments of aggression and is noticeably a must-see in the theater.
The Woman in Black: simple but well-made 3.5/5
By Meghan Roche Staff Writer The Woman in Black follows the formula of a traditional ghost story: remote Victorian setting, mysterious ghostly happenings, and a protagonist who somehow
ktrailer.blogspot.com
Radcliffe changes his acting style to accomodate his new horror-esque film.
doesn’t have the common sense to leave a haunted house when bad things happen. Harry Potter fans will be disappointed to see Daniel Radcliffe without his glasses and lightning-bolt scar in this decidedly adult role and his first post-Potter project, but it’s clear that as an actor, Radcliffe has matured significantly since his work on the popular film series. His character, widowed lawyer Arthur Kipps, is sent to a remote village to sort out the affairs of a recently deceased eccentric and his spooky old mansion in the film, based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Susan Hill. Once inside, Arthur quickly begins to see and hear eerie things. Chairs rock on their own, footsteps sound in empty rooms, and, most importantly, a mysterious female figure dressed in grim clothing makes several vague appearances in cloudy windows and from a distance. As he digs into the mystery of the haunted figure and her connection to the mansion and townsfolk, Arthur’s persona begins to crack as the evidence mounts that something is terribly wrong.
The film is quite well made, a rare trait in the horror genre. Eerily beautiful cinematography and appropriately dreary, yet surprisingly gorgeous, scenery sets the appropriate mood. Even more notable, perhaps, is the soundtrack. Though the score itself is good, what really makes some of the most tense moments in the film is the outstanding audio editing. In the most haunting part of the movie, an extended wordless scene in which Arthur explores the nooks and crannies of the massive estate alone, every creak of a door and drip of water has the power to make the skin absolutely crawl. Good pacing helped keep the occasionally cheesy and cliché script from navigating the movie into a rut, but several avoidable plot holes in the story were distracting, as is the case with many horror films. Though it isn’t a “must-see” movie by any stretch of the imagination, fans of the genre definitely will not be disappointed.
Born to Die: beautiful sound but little substance 3/5
By Rhian Moore Assoc. Feature Editor Lana Del Rey was in the spotlight long before the release of her debut album on January 31, and not always because of her singing. Controversies regarding her name change, live performances, and possible plastic surgery aside, carefully crafted delirium through haunting vocals and dramatic instrumentals can be one way to describe Born to Die. Her love-or-hate style is recognizable from the very start in the title track. “Born to Die” combines a slow pulsing beat with strings, which combine with Del Rey’s sultry, husky voice to create a memorable piece. In a way, the song sets the stage for the rest of the album. “Video Games” brought Del Rey into the spotlight when the music video went viral in October and remains one of the best tracks on the album, bringing out her alluring, deep voice with simple but powerful sound effects. A few hidden gems among the tracks not included in previously-released EPs include “Dark Paradise,” “Million Dollar Man,” and the bonus track “Lucky Ones,” all slow-paced, melancholy songs that succeed amongst others in capturing the style that so many fell in love with in “Video Games.” The album attempts to showcase Del Rey’s vocal range, which is especially impressive in the lower tones. This effect is balanced in “Blue Jeans,” in which her voice completely captures the emotion of the song. At other times, shifts are taken to an extreme - the high, breathy choruses in “Off to the Races” and “Diet Mountain Dew” can be unnerving to one’s ears. The lyrics tend to be repetitive and revolve around similar themes. Many songs focus on Del Rey’s femme fatale image, and feminist ideals take a blow as Del Rey continually expresses her dependence on a bad boy and attempts to hang on to their doomed relationship. In songs like “Radio” and “Without You,” Del Rey makes herself out to be a privileged starlet wanting something else in life - something most cannot relate to. Born to Die, while flawed, is an album that sets Lana Del Rey apart from other artists. It’s enough to generate hype and keep fans devoted. While the lyrics generally lack depth and bring down what could have been a much better debut album, the beautiful melodies and artistic orchestration are what will satisfy most listeners.
Dr. Dog rocks The Orpheum Theatre 5/5
By Libby Rainey Editor-in-Chief The lights dimmed, the curtain rose, and five-man band Dr. Dog took the stage with “That Old Black Hole,” an upbeat track off itsnew album, Be the Void. The alternative band commanded the audience at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday, February 10, just three days after the release of its seventh album. The group’s most recent record presents a compilation of its early raw sound and more recent rock-inspired melodies, and the lively performance on February 10 seamlessly connected its past and present music. After a lackluster performance by opening act Purling Hiss, Dr. Dog’s leading men bassist Toby Leaman and guitarist Scott
McMicken reenergized the theater with a vigor they sustained throughout the entire two-hour performance. The band featured a number of favorites from old albums in the show, including “I Only Wear Blue” and “Shadow People” from Shame and “The Breeze” from Fate. The mix of old and new eased
Overall Best of Dr. Dog “The Breeze” on Fate “County Line” on Toothbrush “Ain’t It Strange”on We All Belong “From” on Fate “I Only Wear Blue” on Shame Shame “Do the Trick” on Be the Void “Adeline” on Toothbrush “The Rabbit, the Bat, and the Reindeer” on Fate “Jackie Wants a Black Eye” on Shame Shame “What a Fool” on Be the Void
the crowd into the group’s new album, which strays significantly from other recent work by the band, although all their songs feature tight harmonies and pop-rock beats. Highlights of Be the Void include high-energy “Do the Trick” and slower bonus track “What a Fool.” These harmonies were a highlight of the live performance. Leaman’s and McMicken’s distinctive sound, aided by steady third voice Frank McElroy, filled the theater. The group shone the most in moments when the guitar faded and the vocals rang out. The set ended with a cover of “Heart it Races,” a track by Architectures of Helinski, but the band went on to play a four-song encore. “Don’t worry, we’ll come back. We always come back,” said Leaman to disappointed cheers when the performance was coming to an end. When they do come back, buy a ticket. The group’s infectious energy and honest vocals are a treat live.
Libby Rainey
Singer Toby Leaman and guitarist Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog perform at the Orpheum Theatre. The band just released a new album, entitled “Be the Void.”
Feature
Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012
11
By Sofi Goode Feature Editor
Kristina Horner
(youtube.com/italktosnakes)
blog.whitepages.com
Kira Gabriel
Jennifer Kim
Iz, Short for Izz By Amber Laird
Despite being the City of Angels, Los Angeles is surprisingly Earth-bound. With only two major airports and a terrain-level metro system, its citizens are stuck firmly on the ground. Trampoline playground Sky High is aiming to change that. Anxious to confirm rumors of a room made entirely of trampolines, we set off for Sky High in Woodland Hills with high expectations. Though the thirty-mile trip can be quite a trek given L.A. traffic, the destination is definitely worth the drive. After turning in our pre-signed safety waivers and paying eleven dollars for an hour of jumping, we were turned loose on the facility. Sky High has three main areas – the field, the foam pits, and the exercise area – all of which are made entirely of trampolines, including the walls. We started with the field, a large area of connected
Like this comic? View it in full color at tigernewspaper.com.
Photos by Rachael Garner
trampoline squares. At first we were cautious, simply jumping between the squares and making weird tentative movements. But after a few minutes of watching the regulars— there are people who are able to do triple flips off the walls and backflip all the way across the field—we decided to try some simple flips. Once we had mastered a flip on the field, we headed over to the foam pit. This is a smaller field with a huge pit of foam squares on one side for jumping into. It’s perfect for more cautious jumpers. In the exercise area, Sky High holds aerobic classes for a small extra fee. However, even just jumping in the field is a full body workout. We found an hour to be more than enough time of incredible fun. The Sky High experience is easily worth the distance, and a similar company is soon opening a trampoline room in Glendale. If you ever have a free afternoon, fly down the 134 and jump sky high.
12 Tiger - Wednesday, February 15
Be my
Valentine’s Day
Photos by Katie Whitworth and Rachael Garner
valentine
Page by Jennifer Kim Illustrations by Rachael Lee
High school has always been considered a mecca for finding love, and SPHS is no exception. These young couples spend their time cuddling, hiking, watching movies, and cooking together. No matter their common interests, these young lovebirds have all managed to find love in a hopeless place.
When Andy Kang ran wildly at Christine Ching waving a tennis racket in order to claim a court during seventh grade P.E., he probably did not anticipate falling in love. The couple’s first encounter ended in playing an awkward tennis game against one another, and from there, as Ching said, “the rest was history.” Kang and Ching already fit the bill of a married couple; they celebrated their fifth anniversary this past summer on July 4th. They’ve naturally fallen into traditional lovey-dovey norms, like only calling each other by pet names like “hun” and “babe” and talking to each other on the phone every night. They even admit to finishing each other’s sentences. This past Valentine’s Day, the pair saw “The Vow” for its annual date. Mutual friend Eryn Bollin is baffled by the couple’s relationship: “Out of seven billion people, what are the chances of finding your soul mate in high school? It’s amazing.” ~ Erin Chan
Christine Ching & Andy Kang
Danielle Krieger & Adrian Suarez
Seniors Montane Silverman and Veronica Hang have known each other since freshman year, but the love bug didn’t bite until the second semester of their junior year. Their dates are always actionpacked-- from biking to JPL to exploring interesting museums. Silverman says, “We are really into going on adventures … we don’t really have normal dates.” Hang claims she fell for Silverman because of his unparalleled intellect and impressive toned muscles. The two enjoy spending quality time together and blend beautifully to form a peaceful, easy-going pair that inspires jealousy among their single friends. ~ Anne Kitchens
Danielle Krieger and Adrian Suarez are not just a couple -- they are also best friends. Although they have been dating for only three months, the foundation of their relationship is based on a long and meaningful connection. Having been friends for a year, their friendly bond began shifting to a more romantic one following this year’s homecoming dance. Since then, the pair has come to discover how easy it is to talk to one another. The comfort and trust that they gain from being together is the driving force behind their relationship. “One of my favorite memories with her was watching Insidious,” said Suarez. “At the scariest part of the movie my friend Will Renken walked in the door and started yelling. Danielle and I both started screaming and then laughing. It was hilarious.” ~ Josh Roquemore
Veronica Hang & Montane Silverman
Junior Jessica Ng and senior Alan Shen are a couple in sync with each other, although it hasn’t always been quite as perfect. “Once, I was climbing a fence to get into school, and I swung my leg around and kicked Alan in the face,” said Ng. “Even though I knocked his glasses off, we can laugh about it now.”
Jessica Ng & Alan Shen
Now having been together for nearly two months, the couple met through a mutual friend and attended Homecoming and Winter Formal together, and have since “gone on too many boba runs to count.” They have even run up Bank Street together, despite never even making it to the top. Shen attributes the success of their relationship to their exceptionally similar personalities and their comfort around each other. “It just happens,” said Shen. “A miracle happens.”
Single girls looking for love: your search is over. Tiger has handpicked some of the finest, most intelligent, and respectable young bachelors—just in time for America’s loneliest holiday. So don’t waste another minute alone and get ‘em while they’re still hot!
Zach Dunn
Sophomore Zach Dunn may not be the tallest, but what he lacks in height he makes up in charisma. This dedicated athlete and scholar plays for the varsity soccer team and is looking to play professionally and study biomedical engineering in the future – “and maybe do a little modeling on the side,” he said. Dunn says that his ideal date would be a romantic dinner at the beach;“…but any date would be ideal with a beautiful girl,” he said with a wink. Dunn is prone to winking, and flexing his muscles; he cites them as some of his main tactics to pick up ladies, along with just being himself.
~ Heather Vaughan
Sam Anukapado
Freshman Sam Anukapado gives classy a new definition. With his signature Ray-Ban glasses and perpetual semi-formal attire, his charm fills the room as soon as he enters. This bachelor participates in soccer as well as leadership, serving as the Class of 2015’s vice president. “I try to keep things fresh,” says Anukapado of his tactics for getting girls. “You have to come on in a smooth way, and try to impress them with your humor.” Humor is one of Anukapado’s strong suits, and he lists it as one of the most important components of making an impact on girls. And his nofail routine? “Just keep it humble, smile, and see where it goes from there.”
James Kawakami Nathan Lee James Kawakami is the perfect companion for any girl looking for a steadfast family man who values and respects relationships. He’s the type of man to commit completely to his girlfriend and would go great distances for love--but James isn’t ready to settle for just any girl. In fact, he is looking for a sporty, compassionate girl with a genuine personality with whom he can build a future. On dates, this basketball superstar enjoys going out to romantic comedies, nice dinners, and watching the sunset descend over the beach. Ladies, if you want a man who is in it for the long haul, Kawakami is the way to go. ~ Anne Kitchens
SPHS’s ~ Heather Vaughan
~ Heather Vaughan
Nathan Lee is far from your regular high school jock. Yes, he is an outgoing person with all-natural toned muscles and an award-winning smile, but there is much more than meets the eye with this young bachelor. In romantic relationships, he plays the dark knight by keeping things interesting and mysterious without revealing his true motives, and in order to catch this highly sought after young man, innocence is key. He usually prefers shy girls who play hard to get, as he finds thrill in the chase. A true romantic at heart, Lee reveals, “I’m a nice guy. I would never cheat, and I’ll always take care of my girlfriend.”
~ Anne Kitchens
most eligible
bachelors
Sports
Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012
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Kelsey Nakamura By Shyam Senthilkumar Business Manager After forcing the turnover, the girls varsity basketball team always looks to get the ball to its star player, senior Kelsey Nakamura. She excels academically and is an active member of ASB, yet her real passion lies with basketball. Nakamura has played the sport since the age of four and has been a member of the varsity team at the high school since her freshman year. She gained interest in the sport after watching her older sister play, as well as receiving encouragement from her parents. She first began playing basketball competitively in her church’s league. Nakamura doesn’t have a set position on the squad; she rotates between point guard, shooting guard, and forward. Although Nakamura made the varsity team her freshman year, her season was cut short due to injuries. Despite this rough start, the following three seasons have been very successful and this year she leads the team as captain. Nakamura takes it upon herself to make sure everyone on the team is updated and prepared for upcoming games and events. “Kelsey is one of the most inspiring players I’ve ever played with. She’s an amazing basketball player, but I think her presence as a leader is one of the most important parts of what holds our team together,” said junior teammate Wen Zeng. Nakamura is still unsure if she will take her skills to college-level play. “I’ve applied to colleges all over the United States. I’m going to first see where I
Theo Mandin-Lee
Estrada receives congratulations from his coaches after capturing the League title.
Ned Estrada By Harry Yadav Senior Staff Writer
Rachael Garner
Nakamura takes a jump shot against Temple City. The senior is captain of the varsity squad. get in and then decide. I don’t think I’ll ever play for a Division I school, but playing intramural is something I’ll definitely try and do,” she said. Outside of basketball, Nakamura always keeps herself busy with numerous extracurricular activities. She even coaches a third-grade team in the same church league she once played in. Nakamura’s near future is unclear at the moment, but she has made it apparentthat there will always be room in her heart for basketball.
11/30/11
No wrestler is more feared in the Rio Hondo League than senior Ned Estrada. With an overall season record of 35 wins and 7 losses, a second consecutive league championship in the 170-pound weight class, and a sixth-place finish at the prestigious Morro Bay Invitational, Estrada heads into CIF playoffs with soaring confidence and a laundry list of accomplishments. His enormous success is no fluke. Since first trying the sport his freshman year, Estrada quickly fell in love with it and decided to dedicate himself entirely to reaching his full potential. He has an ability to pick up moves quickly and a thirst for knowledge. But according to his coach, Al Shuton, Estrada’s biggest advantage has been his work ethic. “In the offseason Ned set goals and followed through. He wrestled seventy offseason matches all over Southern California; he worked his butt off,” said Shuton. Estrada calls his victory at the Best in
the Valley Tournament earlier this year the best moment of his career. He entered his 24-man bracket unranked, but after upsetting multiple opponents to get to the final, Estrada pinned the number two seed to finish first. Ned has made his greatest improvements over the past two summers, during which he honed his skills by working out on the Alhambra High School wrestling mats when SPHS’s weren’t available. “I work so hard because I love the feeling of the ref raising my hand after I win. It’s a true feeling of accomplishment,” said Estrada. When Ned isn’t wrestling, he loves to snowboard and hang out with friends. His post-high-school plans are to wrestle at Rio Hondo College and then to transfer to Cal Poly San Louis Obispo. “I’m going to miss the wrestling family. Coach Shuton is one of the best coaches around because he brings out the best in every player and does a good job of bringing our team together,” said Estrada.
14
Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sports
Wrestling boasts three league champs By Harry Yadav Senior Staff Writer
Theo Mandin-Lee
Senior Sean Erlich pins down his opponent from San Marino. The victory earned him the league championship in the 126-pound weight class.
SPHS students on pro sports In his first four starts of the season, Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks has burst onto the NBA scene, averaging 28.5 points and eight assists per game. Do you think Lin has established himself as a force to be reckoned with, or is he just a fluke? Arthur Puu, Grade 10 I believe that Jeremy Lin has become one of the New York Knicks’ go-to guys and has established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Even with Amare Stoudamire returning to the lineup, I think Lin will continue to play like he is now and also continue to run the Knicks’ offensive game if he continues to start. Even with two of the greatest players in the league today [Anthony and Stoudamire], the injury-filled Knicks really needed Lin’s recent surge after suffering a slumping 8-15 record before winning their last five games. With Anthony and Stoudamire out recently, this shows that the Knicks don’t need an all-star to win games. Eren Cameron, Grade 12 The only way to tell if he’s the real deal is more games. This hot streak proves that he’s certainly capable of scoring, but I’m not certain it can continue. I am sure, however, that the NBA would benefit enormously from being able to market him as a star to a huge Asian basketball market. Regardless, I think he’ll contribute to the Knicks in the future as at least a consistently good player who is capable of putting up big points. Danny Shapiro, Grade 12 I say fluke; he’s awesome, but it’s four games. He’s getting more playing time without their main two stars and he has nothing to lose because of his low reputation previously. The pressure is on to see if he can sustain these insane stats with the Knicks rising in the East. Andrew Wong, Grade 10 I don’t think it is a fluke because he has lead his Knicks team to a five-game win streak against worthy opponents, such as the Lakers, without two of their superstars (Amare and Carmelo). I am a litle biased because I am Asian and I have gone pretty “Lin-sane” over him. He is scoring a lot and making his teammates betterl and that is a testament to his work ethic. All of this Jeremy Lin coverage is well-deserved. Paul Song, Grade 10 I think Jeremy Lin is not a fluke since he has been leading his team to victory for a while now. He has amazed many NBA fans due to his race, but his skills have proved that he is not a fluke.
The SPHS wrestling team had a successful showing at league finals, held at Monrovia High School on February 4. Seven Tigers qualified for the final round of their weight class and three won their respective weight classes. Senior co-captain Ned Estrada won the 170-pound division for the second consecutive year, senior co-captain Sean Erlich placed first in the 126-pound division for the third consecutive year, and freshman James Yun won his 106-pound division. Ehrlich pinned San Marino’s Thomas Krimmel with 1:05 to go. Estrada pinned Monrovia’s Marquise Bias with 1:10 left in the second period. All three champions will compete Friday and Saturday at Roosevelt High School in the first round of CIF playoffs. The seven remaining team members will travel to the competition, but are not guaranteed to wrestle. Rio Hondo League competition came to a close for the boys on January 31 with a victory over Monrovia.
With the triumph over the Wildcats, the Tigers’ overall league record improved to 1-2. The Tigers opened league with a close loss to the La Cañada Spartans. The match was well-fought, but the Tigers forfeited the points for the two weight classes in which they were unable to field wrestlers. The defeat at the hands of San Marino was more of a disappointment, because South Pas won by a score of 66-6 last season. Despite the losses, the Tigers improved tremendously throughout the season, greatly thanks to the efforts of assistant coach Peter Phe. “Coach Phe really improved the kids’ technique in the last couple months,” said Head Coach Al Shuton. “Going to Morro Bay brought us together as a team. Losing to San Marino was disappointing, but for having such a young team, we had a pretty good year,” said Estrada. “If all goes as planned, we will have a very good team next year,” said Shuton, who will have seven returning varsity wrestlers for the 2012-13 season.
Track tryouts present strong prospects Richards held intense tryouts; the first round of cuts was posted this past Sunday, February 5. Cuts will continue to be Over 100 students tried out for the made over the course of a month as winter renowned SPHS track and field team last sports’ seasons end and their teams’ athweek. Coaches PJ Hernandez and CB letes come out for the track team. The boys varsity and junior varsity track squads are going for their fifth consecutive league championship, while the girls varsity team is aiming for its second. This is the inaugural season for the girls frosh/soph level. Richards, responsible for field events, described what the coaching staff is searching for at tryouts: “Obviously we look for overall athleticism, but we also seek out those with a good attitude, work ethic and good team chemistry.” The tryouts consisted of a timed 1600-meter run, multiple hundred-meter sprints, a vertical jump test, a medicine ball toss, and many other evaluations of strength Rachael Garner and mentality. Those trying out Sophomore Hee-Jin Yim practices hurdle often point to sprinting up the Bank Street hill as the single most drills as part of her tryout warm-ups. By Rachel Newhall Staff Writer
dreaded part of tryouts. The coaching staff includes this rigorous climb to reveal “who has the determination, speed, and heart to not give up,” said Richards. Freshman Nina Acebo is in the process of trying out for track with hopes of competing in hurdles and long jump. Acebo’s first impression of the team was very positive. “The team is great and the coaches are really helpful. They gave me many pointers on how to improve,” she said. Junior Hector Fernandez is returning to track for a third year, trying out for hurdles and various sprint events. Fernandez hopes that the track team will maintain its outstanding reputation and be league champions once again. Many new talents have surprised the coaches at tryouts, mainly at the frosh/soph girls level, and they excitedly await the rush of new athletes after the winter sports end. This week the tryouts will focus on identifying athletes who excel at specific events. Students will begin to train for their desired event while continuing the tryout process.
Boys soccer wins 1-0 in CIF wild card By Christian Miyamae Staff Writer Boys soccer rallied in the second half of the season to earn a wild card berth for the CIF regional playoffs. The boys won 1-0 in the first round against Garden Grove thanks to late heroics from sophomore Heven Gomez. Senior captain Mathewos Ghebrekristos provided the assist from a left-footed cross which allowed Gomez to head the ball into the net. The Tigers held on for the last ten minutes to clinch the important victory which secured their spot in the second round. “It was a great win, a sensational win. It wasn’t an individual effort. It was the team, the stands, the bench, everyone. The result was perfect,” said Ghebrekristos. In the Tigers’ last game of the season, they beat Temple City 3-1 to propel themselves to their third straight playoff appearance. Sophomore Zachary Dunn gave the Tigers the lead in the first half by lobbing the ball into the top left corner of the goal from thirty yards away. After Temple City tied it at 1-1, South Pas regained the lead thanks to re-
Siria Medina
Senior defender Raymond Yonami sends a long ball against Garden Grove. cent freshmen call-up Ramon Gutierrez. Sophomore Dunn crossed it to Gutierrez to allow him to chip it in. Senior captain Steven Blackwell then added to the tally, scoring the third Tiger goal after being assisted by a corner kick from Dunn. The boys tied La Cañada 2-2 on the 7th. The game began with a scoreless first half thanks to a combination of missed Spartan offensive opportunities and the Tigers’ strong defense. South Pasadena struck first in the second half when Dunn assisted Ghebrekristos via corner kick. The goal was well played, as senior Cody Dunn dummied the ball to allow Ghebrekristos to score. “La Cañada dominated [in the first half] and had five or six shots on goal, but [junior Chris Mejia] did a good job in goal filling in for [ senior Daniel Ruatta]. Our
defense has stepped up as we’ve outscored our opponents 19-5 in our last five games,” said senior Fedor Kossakovski. After La Cañada scored a goal, the Tigers broke the 1-1 tie thanks to another corner kick assist from sophomore Dunn. Blackwell received Dunn’s corner kick and headed the ball in for South Pasadena’s second goal. The Spartans were able to tie up the game in the closing minutes, keeping South Pas out of contention for first place. “I felt like this was the best [league] season we’ve ever had. We’ve all had a lot of fun and we are one big family. We hope to go far into CIF and make it to the finals,” said Blackwell. The Tigers will resume play on Thursday, February 16, when they take on Animo Leadership in Inglewood.
Sports
Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012
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Girls basketball headed to CIF By Heather Vaughan Staff Writer
Katie Whitworth
Senior Naomi Krieger launches the ball against La Cañada; she scored two goals and had one assist in the 15-3 victory.
Girls water polo closes out third undefeated league run By Matt DeFulgentiis Staff Writer South Pasadena’s girls water polo team finished league play undefeated for the third straight year, marking the first time a girls water polo team in the Rio Hondo League has run the tables for three consecutive seasons. A combination of strenuous morning workouts, lengthy tournaments, and exhausting daily practices led to a great deal of anticipation going into their 2012 league games. With their unwavering fierceness and
hunger for success, the girls were once again able to pull off a great accomplishment. The Tigers are moving on to CIF after securing their goal of a league championship last Tuesday with a 15-3 defeat of rival La Cañada. “ I t ’s a n i n c r e d i b l e achievement that we should all be proud of,” said sophomore captain Devin Grab. “We worked hard throughout the season and we really deserve this.” The Tigers’ combination of great team defense and counter plays overwhelmed
the Spartans, and resulted in a South Pas victory. “They couldn’t score on us, it’s as simple as that,” said Head Coach Robert Echeverria. The past two years, the girls have lost in the semifinal round of the CIF playoffs. This year they are hoping to get over that hump, cross the threshold and secure a CIF championship. Echeverria is very impressed and pleased with his team this year and how all the girls are able to work hard and in touch with each other. “This was the first time
I’ve had a team that really seems like they enjoy playing together,” said Echeverria. “They worked really well as a team.” After more than a week of rest and preparation, the girls will play Oxnard High School on Wednesday at home. In the 2010 CIF playoffs, the Tigers defeated the Yellow Jackets 11-3. Both the girls and Echeverria feel very confident about the upcoming game. “We’re going to win,” said Echeverria firmly. “We’re going to play tight defense and win as a team.”
The South Pasadena girls basketball team finished third in league after a close win against Temple City last Thursday, putting its league record at 6-4. The girls’ most recent 45-44 win against Temple City was brutally close in the last minutes of the game, with possession switching back and forth until the Tigers emerged victorious with a winning basket by freshman Sophia Hathaway. Their first matchup against Temple City on January 20 was even more successful; the Tigers dominated and snagged a 50-24 win, bouncing back after their loss to La Cañada earlier that week. Interim head coach Tammy Lai coached the girls in their games against Monrovia and San Marino. The squad fell to both teams, losing 54-42 to the Wildcats on January 27 and suffering a 33-21 loss to the Titans on February 1 in its lowest-scoring game of the season. They quickly regained their composure, however, and prevailed over Blair two days later in a 48-31 victory. In the Tigers’ second matchup against La Cañada, the team once again could not manage to hang with the Spartans. Despite an even score throughout the first three quarters, South Pas lost focus in the fourth and was outscored nineteen to two by La Cañada. Despite the disappointing loss, the girls finished the season strong with their win at Temple City. The girls now look forward to facing Barstow High School Thursday at home in their first round of CIF play.
FRESHMEN STEP UP TO VARSITY
The winter sports teams have seen tremendous success this season, partly due to young talent. Featured below are stats on six freshmen who snagged varsity jerseys this year.
Sophia Hathaway
Jackie Mejia
Sport: Basketball Position: Starting center Years played: 3 Favorite achievement:
Sport: Soccer Position: Starting forward Years played: 10 Most memorable moment:
“Being named to the All Tournament Team at a recent tournament - I was honored to be one of only a couple freshman to make the team.”
“Probably scoring against San Marino. I put in the last goal, and we won the game. Beating them and being a part of the victory, that’s the best feeling in the world.”
Lexie Scholtz
Jazmin Jackmon
Sport: Basketball Position: Starting guard Years played: 9 Most memorable moment:
Sport: Soccer Position: Starting left back Years Played: 10 Favorite part of being on varsity:
“My best memory is when I scored the game-winning layup against Rosmead. My worst memory was missing a game-winning freethrow.”
“Definitely the food! Team dinners are the best. And my teammates of course, we’re so close it’s basically a family. I’m never left out because of my age.”
Elise Takahama
Samuel Benzoni
Sport: Basketball Position: Starting point guard Years played: 10 Worst time to be a freshman:
Sport: Wrestling Weight Class: 120 pounds Years played: 1 Most embarrasing moment:
“The team went to the mall and I had to try on this weird outfit and send pictures out...it was pretty embarrasing.”
“In my very first match, I actually threw up on the guy I was wrestling. I guess it was nerves?”
16
Sports Tiger - Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sports
Upcoming CIF matches...
Boys basketball vs. San Dimas
Girls soccer vs. Santiago/GG
Wednesday @ 7 P.M. - Home
Friday @ TBA - Home
Girls basketball vs. Barstow Thursday @ 7 P.M.
Girls water polo vs. Oxnard Wednesday @ 5 P.M. - Home
[inside]
Katie Whitworth
page 15 Read about girls water polo’s third undefeated league season in a row.
Rachael Garner
Senior forwards Alireza Jabalameli and Eren Cameron will lead the Tigers into the first round of CIF today, 7 P.M. at home.
Basketball wins league for the first time in 21 years Tigers share the Rio Hondo title with La Cañada and look towards CIF playoffs By Carlton Lew Opinion Editor The last time the South Pasadena boys basketball team won the Rio Hondo League crown, George Bush Sr. was President of the United States. That changed last week when the boys defeated reigning league champ La Cañada 44-38. “I’m so proud of our guys. I knew we had a group of talented guys,” said South Pas Head Coach Tim Brown. “People thought I was crazy when I said that we’d win league this year, but we set that goal.” The victory over the
Spartans left South Pas in control of its own destiny with one game left in the regular season. However, the Tigers fell to Temple City last Thursday and failed to secure the league title outright. They ended the season sharing the league title with La Cañada. The contest against the Spartans was an extremely hard fought game that came down to free-throw shooting. The previously indomitable Spartans were unable to sink free throws down the stretch that would have sealed the game. South Pas, however, was able to capatalize on its opportunities, sinking multiple key free throws in the final
minutes. Senior James Kawakami was sent to the line three times in the last two minutes. He sank all six of his free throws, which turned out to be the deciding factor in the game. “I wasn’t thinking about being nervous,” Kawakami said. “I just wanted to put the ball in the basket and ice the game.” The season finale against Temple City did not go as well. The Tigers found themselves down by twelve at halftime, but managed to stage a late rally in the fourth quarter. With twenty seconds left in the game and the boys down by one, senior Alireza Jabal-
ameli sank a key jumper and gave the Tigers their first lead of the game. The Rams, however, were able to drive down the floor and hit a layup as time expired. “We didn’t come out strong enough at the beginning,” said senior forward Eren Cameron. “We can say that we lost it at the end, but I don’t think we were playing well enough at the beginning.” The Tigers ended the season with a 7-3 record in league, 15-11 overall. They will host San Dimas tonight in the first round of CIF playoffs.
Girls soccer takes Rio Hondo championship By Kelsey Hess Staff Writer South Pasadena girls soccer is on a seventeen-game undefeated streak of winning and tying, with no losses since mid-December. The team is now ranked 143rd nationwide and 87th within the state. The Tigers are moving on to CIF after winning their February 9 match against Temple City and securing the Rio Hondo League title. The team is having a record-setting season; the girls went undefeated in league with a record of 6-0-4 and 14-2-6 overall. The Tigers will face Sage Hill High School in their first round of CIF this Friday at home. The Tigers’ final league game against the Rams ended with a score of 3-0, with the closing goal scored by sophomore Kelly Brady in the last five minutes. The Tigers had already secured their spot as league champs after their 0-0 tie against La Cañada on the 7th, but the Temple City win assured the squad it would not have to split the title with the Spartans.
Brady scored the final goal by accidentally kicking the ball in a Temple City player’s face. After the impact, the ball then bounced off, landing in the goal. Earlier goals were put away by Brady and sophomore Emily Figueroa. With two of the goals scored in the second half, the game became more aggressive as emotions flared. Although the Tigers missed several more scoring opportunities throughout the Jennifer Kim game, the match ended in a deserved win for the squad. Senior Taylor Colliau manuevers the ball up the field “Being undefeated for the Tigers. SPHS put away Temple City 3-0. After the match, Head Coach Randy and winning the league title means so much, especially because of the hard Lilavois acknowledged seniors on the team work we put in this season. It’ll be tough for their hard work and dedication to the to continue our success through CIF, but program throughout the season, as well as we hope that the school will come out to over the past three years. Seniors Taylor support us and help us win,” said senior Colliau, Jennifer Suh, Michelle Lam, and Morales were all honored. Katherine Morales.
Speaking of
Sports
Matt DeFulgentiis Staff Writer
Accessibility and the NFL: As the numerals climb, so do the prices
The NFL and professional sports, try as they might, no longer have any connection to the average fan, and they proceed with this strategy at their own peril. In 1970, the Kansas City Chiefs played the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. The cost of a ticket was $15. Two weeks ago, the New York Giants faced off against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, and the average face value ticket was $900 (prices ranged from $600-$1200). To make matters worse, most of these tickets were sold on the secondary market via ticket brokers such as Ticketmaster and Stubhub for as much as $16,000. Interestingly, during this same timeframe, the median income in America went from $9,870 in 1970 to $51,413 today (according to the U.S. Census and U.S.A. Today). In short, income has gone up by a factor of about five times but the price of a Super Bowl ticket has gone up by a factor of sixty times. Clearly, when it comes to their premier event, these numbers show that the NFL has made a definitive decision about what type of fans it is most concerned about, and it is not middle-class football enthusiasts. This makes one wonder who the Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, was referring to in a recent e-mail sent out to NFL fans: “Our responsibility in leading the league is to protect and enhance the bond between our game and the passionate fans who sustain it.” If a passionate fan could be defined as the kind of guy who enjoys tailgating and watching his team every weekend, then clearly that’s not the guy going to the Super Bowl every year. It’s probably just a coincidence that during the same timeframe, player salaries went from $23,500 or about twice the median income in 1970, to $1.9 million, or roughly 35 times the median income in 2012.