VOLUME 103 ISSUE V FEBRUARY 10, 2017
IN THE NEWS
SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL 1401 FREMONT AVE, SOUTH PASADENA, CA 91030
Tiger
TIGERNEWSPAPER.COM
THE MUSIC MAN JR.
SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE
TEMPORARY RESIDENCES
SPEF presents its annual musical featuring fifth grade students this weekend at the SPHS auditorium.
The SPHS National Honor Society is collecting school supplies for Lebanon and Jordan-based Syrian refugees.
The City Council passed an ordinance on Wednesday, prohibiting temporary car residences on public property.
JUNIOR COLE CAHILL leaves a voicemail for a Republican senator, hoping to persuade them against confirming Betsy DeVos as the Secretary of Education. Principal Janet Anderson also writes letters to senators voicing her concern over DeVos’ pro-school choice position.
Students protest Trump’s education pick Before DeVos’ confirmation, students voiced their concerns. STORY & PHOTOGRAPH BRANDON YUNG The busy clamor of students talking on their phones added a tone of urgency to the already tense environment in the SAC Room. Around 40 students read off of scripts while talking on the phone, some wrote emails, and others researched the contact information of U.S. senators to display on the whiteboard. SPHS students were gathered to protest President Trump’s nomination of Betsy DeVos to the position of Secretary of Education. A group of seniors organized a call-in after school on Monday, January 30, urging students to help sway the votes of moderate Republican senators away from confirming DeVos. Students from all grades at SPHS gathered to advocate their voices on national issues, namely ones that impact them. Support for the call-in came from administrators and outsiders. Principal Janet Anderson contributed to efforts
within her personal capacity and wrote letters to senators urging against DeVos’ confirmation. English teachers Mark Zavidow and Mark Afram assisted students who were new to political advocacy, instructing them on what to say over the phone. Casey Cep and Kathryn Schulz, two New York journalists, found out about the event online and donated pizza. The call-in ended after 5 pm, as most Senator voicemail boxes had filled up. Commissioner of Internal Affairs Anthony Chen began planning the student call-in after watching DeVos’ confirmation speech, which garnered notoriety online. DeVos’ pro-school choice position favors the use of public funds to support alternatives to traditional public schools, such as private and charter schools. Despite student efforts and widespread opposition (from conservatives as well as liberals), DeVos was confirmed on Tuesday. Although South Pasadena is not likely to be heavily impacted by changes made by DeVos in the future, Chen emphasized the importance of student advocacy for public schooling. “South Pasadena won’t be affected much as those who are
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a lot less privileged than we are,” Chen said. “But we still need to be concerned.” Superintendent of SPUSD Dr. Geoff Yantz also remained confident in the authority of California’s governing authority over its schools. However, Yantz warily explained the possible effects on SPUSD from the federal level. “The current education system is highly interdependent in all aspects. Interference in this system can cause great disruption,” Yantz said. DeVos’ proposed policies aim to reallocate public funds to assist students who wish to attend private or charter schools. One of the proposals DeVos advocated for during her initiation is the redistribution of Title I funds—which provide money to schools with families in need—as voucher initiatives for nonpublic school tuition. She plans to do the same with federal funds allocated for assisting students with disabilities. South Pasadena High School currently benefits from both of these programs. As the new Secretary of Education prepares to change how schools are funded, the school braces for the possible impact.
GIRLS’ SOCCER DEFEATS SAN MARINO The Tigers made a comeback in the final minute of the match against the Titans
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