Tiger Newspaper June 2017

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VOLUME 103 ISSUE VIII JUNE 2, 2017

IN THE NEWS

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

Tiger

BACCALAUREATE

CALCULUS FOR A CAUSE

LAST CHANCE DANCE

Olympian Shevon Stoddart will speak at the event on June 4, at 5:00 p.m. in the auditorium.

Ms Moonesinghe’s calculus students will host the biannual math finals review session today at 3:00 p.m.

The last dance of the year will be Club Penguin-themed, and is tonight at 8:00 p.m. on the Tiger Patio.

SENIORS CONTINUE THE 38-YEAR TRADITION at Yosemite National Park, hiking through the backcountry for four days. Above, Mr. Joshua Whitney wrestles a water bottle out of Sophia Lopez’s backpack. Matthew Lee (bottom right) trails through a wet marsh behind his group.

Seniors embark on end of year Yosemite trip Fifty-nine students and five teachers returned from Yosemite last Friday after spending nearly a week trekking through the wilderness for the annual senior trip. During the trip the students challenged themselves physically and mentally, learning both survival and social skills. For seniors, the trip marked the beginning of the end of their time at SPHS. The Yosemite Institute was started in 1979 by former SPHS science teacher Greg Ring and two other teachers. Students hiked over twenty miles in four days through both heat and snow. The students are required to carry all of their supplies and expected to work together when setting up camp. Due to the California snowpack being almost double the average amount, this year’s mileage was slightly less than in previous years. Though the trails are known to be very physically strenuous, seniors highly anticipated the trip year round as the culmination of their four years of high school. Student involvement with the Yosemite trip began in December, followed by a five-week training period in February. In April, the seniors were broken up into five hiking groups, each one led by a different teacher. The groups were designed to foster bonding between students from different cliques.

The students had prepared since December for the backpacking trek STORY MAYA WILLIAMSON PHOTOGRAPHS TUCKER JUDKINS & KEVIN HUANG

“The group formation process is a closely guarded secret,” said Mr. Don Wielenga, one of the group leaders. “It aims to create groups that promote an environment for personal growth, camaraderie, and deep reflection.” The ultimate goal of the senior trip is to provide the graduating seniors with valuable life experience and social skills before leaving high school. All students who attend Yosemite are given a journal at the beginning of the trip and write in it across its duration. They are also encouraged to write a post-trip paper, reflecting on what they have learned. For many, the trip is a defining part of their high school experience. For others, Yosemite reminds them of basic life lessons. When asked what her greatest takeaway from Yosemite was, senior Rebecca Daley simply said “to be more kind.” “I was surprised over and over by how helpful and kind everyone was towards people who were struggling and just in general,” Daley said. “It made me want to put more value in other people’s happiness and also to learn how to do acts of labor without expecting praise or gratitude.”

PIRATES DESERVE TO SINK

SENIOR FAREWELLS

COACH MIKE’S SPHS HISTORY

Dashiel Bove critiques the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, citing the franchise as overdone and monotonous.

Tiger’s seniors share their parting words, as they reflect on their experiences and look ahead to the future.

Read about water polo coach Michael Gonzales’ path, from graduating SPHS in 2007 to returning as a coach.

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