Tiger Newspaper VOL. XCIV NO. I

Senior girls try out for 2013 Rose Court

By Kelsey Hess Senior Staff Writer

Rachael Garner

Senior Jackie Duan advertises Key Club, which recieved 301 total sign-ups during Club Rush on Tuesday and Wednesday. 70 other clubs also participated. See Page 8 for more coverage.

Club Rush captivates Tiger Patio

By Kea Hudson Staff Writer Representatives from 71 clubs set up tables and banners for Club Rush during lunch this Tuesday and Wednesday. Crowds of students moved between posters and mascots to sign up for various student groups.

The event featured numerous clubs reinstated from previous years. Veterans such as Key Club and the Red Cross Club received 301 and 366 signups, respectively.

“We’re just trying to get as many people to join as possible and spread the word about our club,” said Red Cross president

Jessica Ng. “We do a lot of community service and help people in need.”

Not all of the clubs were service-based. Club interests spanned from feminism to origami.

Students founded 19 new clubs this year, including junior Tabitha Genato’s Yoga Club.

“Basically, we’re going to hold yoga sessions, hopefully every Wednesday, in Mr. Whitney’s classroom. And we’re hoping he’s going to instruct us, but we’re still working on convincing him,” said Genato.

The event served as an introduction to student life for freshmen and new students.

“Club Rush is a great way for freshmen and new students to find their spot in this school,” said freshman Ari Louie. “It makes me feel very welcome.”

Commissioner of Clubs Michael Chang spent weeks organizing the event and was impressed by the outcome.

“I think the cool thing about Club Rush this year is that despite there being less clubs than last year, there was still a ton of energy and excitement,” said Chang. “It isn’t easy to stand in the sun, talk to as many students as possible, and to just be energetic. I really admire how all the club representatives were able to do that.”

The first out of four rounds of the 2013 Rose Court auditions was held on September 15 at the Wrigley Mansion. Over one thousand South Pasadena High School seniors and other women aged 16 to 21 from the Pasadena area tried out for one of seven positions on the Court, which presides over the annual Tournament of Roses.

The girls were each allotted fifteen seconds to explain why they wanted to be a princess or the queen of the Court.

“Trying out for the Rose Court was unique, unlike anything I have experienced in the past,” said senior Jackie Duan. “I thought I wasn’t going to be nervous because I knew it was only a fifteen second tryout, but I was still overwhelmed while standing in front of the committee members.”

After their auditions, hopefuls toured the Wrigley Mansion and were professionally photographed. The girls also received two complimentary tickets to the annual Royal Ball, a semi-formal dance solely available to Rose Court applicants.

The 200 Rose Court applicants who qualified for the quarterfinal round were notified Wednesday afternoon.

Several SPHS girls were selected to advance to the next

Lai named new girls Car show held to varsity basketball coach benefit Rose Committee

By Madison Amido Staff Writer Tammy Lai has replaced Rich Kitagawa as the girls varsity basketball coach.

Coach Lai is a South Pasadena alumna, teaches physical education at South Pasadena Middle School, and has served as both the boys frosh/soph coach and varsity assistant coach.

“She played basketball here in South Pasadena, she’s got a tradition for it, and she has been involved with the program for many years,” said former SPHS athletic director Mr. Ralph Punaro.

Senior captain Wen Zeng is looking forward to working with Lai and has high expectations for their season. “[Lai] was my middle school coach, and she was on the coaching staff last year. I’m really glad she took the position

and I think she’ll make a great head coach,” said Zeng. “I think the team will make the transition quickly as it’s someone we are quite familiar with.”

Punaro declined to comment on why Kitagawa will no longer be the girls coach, but he did confirm that Kitagawa’s term with the basketball program has concluded. “[Kitagawa] would have to give that explanation. All we can say is that a change has been made,” said Punaro.

According to Punaro, a search is being conducted for a new junior varsity coach but at the moment the position remains unfilled. Lai is working with the varsity girls basketball team to prepare for its upcoming season.

The girls began practicing during the first week of September for the new season with Lai as their head coach.

By David Yang Staff Writer The eighth annual Cruz’n for Roses Car Show raised approximately $15,000 to $18,000 in revenue, according to the Event Site Chairman James Jontz. The local event, held on

September 16 on Mission Street, served as a fundraiser for the 2013 South Pasadena Rose Parade float.

“The streets were packed the entire time, so all the vendors had a really great day,” said Jontz.

See “Car Show” on Page 2

Rachael Garner

Over 100 classic cars were on display at the Cruz’n for Roses Clean Air Car Show last weekend on Mission Street.

round, including senior Harley Jennings.

“Whether or not to try out was never even a question for me.

The first round was all about presenting yourself well: smiling, good posture, eye contact, etc,” said Jennings. “This next round is nerve-racking. My fingers are crossed to make it even further, but I’m really happy to even have made it this far.”

Quarterfinals will begin tomorrow at the Pasadena Tournament House at 1:45 P.M. and last approximately one hour. The tenmanner panel will interview each applicant and approximately 75 girls will progress to the semifinal round.

Anastasia Velicescu

Seniors Ambar Velasco and Gabby Gladding review Rose Court rules.

Math CST scores fall

By Jason Wang Business Manager The 2012 South Pasadena High School mathematics CST scores dropped significantly from 2011 in three of five sections. California Standards Tests are distributed annually by the State Board of Education as part of a process that ranks schools, districts, and counties based on academic achievement.

In comparison to the 2011 CST results, Algebra II scores fell by 26.1 points to a combined grade-level average of 386.7.

Algebra I scores decreased by 21.5 points from 349.2 in 2011 to 327.7 in 2012. The General Mathematics average dropped from 354.2 to 338.3.

Math teachers have begun meeting with Math Coach Ms Janet Bryson to discuss areas where students need further preparation. The department has made creating a course curSee “CST Scores” on Page 2

News

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News

Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

AP Statistics canceled due to low enrollment

By Jenny Wang Staff Writer The Advanced Placement Statistics class was canceled at the beginning of the school year due to low student enrollment. Thirty-three students registered for AP Statistics at the beginning of last year, but the 2011-2012 school year ended with only nineteen students on the roster.

The AP class was replaced with an additional regular statistics class.

“We want a balanced student enrollment between classes [of a subject],” said Principal Ms Janet Anderson. “We do not have a concrete enrollment minimum, but with regards to AP Statistics, there was a minimum requirement in the twenties.”

The students who planned to take AP Statistics this year were placed in regular statistics. Many were dissatisfied with the change.

“I am extremely angry. I thought [AP statistics] would be a good alternative to AP Calculus BC because it is just as challenging.

Without it I will be forced to take a class I’m either not interested in or not challenged by,” said junior Kathy Lui. Former AP Statistics teacher Ms Gigi Leung hopes to see the course reinstated.

“Students are more interested [in the class] than they seemed to be last year,” said Leung. “I think that with more time, data can tell if the course is a favorable option among students.”

From “CST scores” on Page 1 all material tested on the CST its top priority.

“The teachers will follow both course content standards and the standards of mathematical practice, which teaches students to think critically,” said Bryson. “Teachers will also focus on creating strategies based on the data we have.”

Test scores in other subjects improved variably. Chemistry scores increased from an average of 367.8 to 372.9 and the average biology score rose nearly 14 points. Both World History and US History scores improved slightly and Language Arts scores remained consistent, increasing by 1.2 points on average.

The administration intends to analyze CST scores closely in the coming weeks in order to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of the high school’s academic program at large.

“We will continuously set higher goals,” said Assistant Principal Ginger Merritt. “We need to target areas that need improvement and focus on being growth-oriented.”

Around Campus

The Class of 2016 is hosting a fundraiser at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt today through Sunday. Fliers are available in the SAC Room. Menchie’s will return 20% of each purchase to the freshman class to help fund various events throughout the year. “I hope to see many students there, and hopefully they will be encouraged to participate in more school activities later on,” said freshman president James Song. /Remeny White

Students audition for The Importance of Being Earnest

By Shine Cho Staff Writer Auditions were held for the fall play The Importance of Being Earnest on September 13 and 14 in the Little Theater. Twenty students read scenes from the play to try out for one of the nine available roles.

“There were a lot of wonderful people at the auditions,” said Advanced Drama member junior Ruby Muller. “It was nice to see that more students, especially boys, were interested in being a part of the play this year.”

The play is set in upper-class nineteenth cen-

tury England and includes four female and five male characters.

Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, the two main characters, both assume a second identity as a man named “Ernest” while away from home so they can act freely.

South Pasadena High School Drama Director Daniel Enright describes the play as a satire of the traditional British elite. The play was not only chosen for the humor, but for the variety of other elements and styles it incorporates.

“The story involves a good balance of male

and female characters,” said Enright. “There is so much going on within. It is very different from last year’s winter production, Bus Stop, so it will be very interesting to cast,” said Enright.

The cast list will be finalized by next week.

Performances of The Importance of Being Earnest are tentatively set for December 6-8, 14, and 15.

“As a freshman, I was especially excited to try out for the fall play this year.

I’m anticipating the performance of this production as I’m sure it will be fantastic,” said freshman Jake Swayze.

Rachael Garner

Juniors Ruby Muller and Sophie Negrini prepare to audition for a part in the fall play, ”The Importance of Being Earnest”.

Icebreaker regains popularity

By Emily Markese Staff Writer

Sophia Arriola

403 students attended the Icebreaker Dance last Friday night in the gym.

ASB hosted the annual Icebreaker Dance following the first home football game of the season on September 14 in the gym. The event served as a fundraiser for the senior class. 403 students purchased tickets sold for $3 SAC and $5 non-SAC. “[Icebreaker] was definitely better this year than it has been in previous years.

More people showed up to dance than usual,” said junior Michael Mendenhall. “The one downside was that all of the extra people made it really hot and uncomfortable inside

the gym.”

A dance area was set up in the practice gym from 9:30 to 11:30 P.M. The main gym featured the movie Despicable Me projected on the walls, a photo booth with an array of props, multiple ping-pong tables, and several games of Twister.

“The dance was truly amazing this year. I especially liked the various ping-pong tables scattered throughout the practice gym, as it added something interesting, extra, and different from the norm,” said sophomore Hanna Crowley.

Senior Vice President Jessica Ng manned the photo

Board of Education plans for Measure S

By Shine Cho Staff Writer The South Pasadena Board of Education discussed the timeline for renewing the Measure S parcel tax during a meeting on September 18. District Superintendent Joel Shapiro presided over the debate on how to ensure that the tax is placed on the 2013 spring ballot.

South Pasadena passed a four-year parcel tax in 2009. Since then, the measure has provided approximately $2 million dollars of education funding annually. The money is used to maintain small class sizes, provide funding for various media programs, and reduce South Pasadena Unified School District layoffs.

The measure also provides art and drama teachers for South Pasadena elementary schools, library assistants for the middle school, and teachers and counselors for the high school. A portion of the funding is also used to uphold 20:1 student-

Siria Medina

SPHS math teacher Mr. Garrett Schorr speaks in front of the School Board about Measure S, which expires in June of 2013. teacher ratio in freshmen English classes at South Pasadena High School.

“We’re one of the few districts in Los Angeles who work to maintain small class sizes. We hope to keep it this way,” said Shapiro.

The tax is set to expire in June 2013. Due to low state funding, the SPUSD Board of Education aims

to renew the tax and will determine the amount mandated per parcel by mid-December. If the taxpayers are required to pay more than they did in 2009, the district may reduce some of the programs funded by the measure.

Two-thirds of the South Pasadena voters must approve the tax during the spring mail-in election in order for it to be renewed.

booth throughout the night and was impressed by its popularity.

“There was a wider variety of fun props to take pictures with this year, which made everything more exciting. There was a really good crowd throughout the night,” said Ng. The other ASB members were also pleased with the dance’s attendance and overall success.

“We are all very happy because it was a really good fundraiser for future senior events. It will really help us out a lot later in the year,” said senior class treasurer Evelyn Faung.

From “Car Show” on Page 1 The show featured hundreds of various hot rod pre-70’s era cars.

The majority of the entries were originally manufactured in the 60’s.

This year’s car show was presented in conjunction with the Clean-Air and Green-Living Car Show and Expo. The expo was organized by the city to raise awareness about carbon emissions and featured an assortment of environmentally friendly cars.

South Pasadena’s Emergency Services Department also took advantage of the publicity by hosting a public safety awareness fair further down the street.

“The show had a very family-friendly atmosphere, and there were a lot of kids around enjoying the cars and the snow cones,” said senior Emily Joe. “It was the type of event that you went to after a bite to eat, so it was very easy-going and fun.

Although the heat was a bit overwhelming, I think the car show was an overall success.”

Friday, September 21, 2012 - Tiger

News

City council unanimously votes to suspend King Spa business license The South Pasadena City Council unanimously voted to suspend King Spa Massage’s business license for fifteen days on Wednesday in response to charges of prostitution made in January. The suspension will go into effect on November 1.

The council chose to suspend instead of revoke the business license. A massage technician and King Spa’s former owner Mengdong Wang were both arrested on January 27, 2012 for soliciting prostitution and disorderly housing.

Ownership switched from Wang to Shunhua Yan in March.

An officer testified that Yan was not present at King Spa the day of January 27 and Yan said that she was unaware of the illegal activity occurring at the massage parlor.

The council spent a significant amount of time discussing whether or not Yan knew of the business’ past when she purchased it. Members of the council debated whether or not she should face the punishment illicit acitivty under Wang’s ownership.

Councilmember Robert Joe was convinced that Yan had

Academic Decathlon program comes to SPHS

By Kira Gabriel Staff Writer

By Madison Amido Staff Writer

Rachael Garner

The city council voted to suspend King Spa’s business license for fifteen days during the September 19 meeting. to have some form of knowledge of King Spa’s background, while Councilmember Marina Khubesrian believed there was room for reasonable doubt.

“I didn’t hear any real evidence that indicated that she did have any type of prior knowledge or had known the previous owner or that something had happened at the spa,” said Khubesrian.

The council established a list of case findings and facts that they believed to be true before reaching a final decision.

The members were able to agree that an act of prostitution occurred on January 27, 2012, the business had an unlicensed mas-

sage technician, the ownership changed from Wang to Yan, and Yan was not present at King Spa on January 27.

After initially disagreeing on the length of the suspension, the council reached a compromise to suspend King Spa’s business license for fifteen days.

“I think that having a suspension of the license does certainly have some consequences; however, it doesn’t perhaps put the entire burden of punishment on Ms Yan,” said Khubesrian.

An official resolution will be returned to the council for a vote at the regularly scheduled October 3 city council meeting.

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New Social Studies and English teacher Mr. Oliver Valcorza founded a South Pasadena High School Academic Decathlon team.

Academic Decathlon is a knowledge-based team contest in which students compete in ten events against schools from across the nation.

The team is comprised of nine students divided into three sub-groups of three students based on GPA: the Honors category consists of students with a 3.75-4.0, the Scholastic category is made up of students with a 3.03.74, and the Varsity category for students with a 0.0-2.99.

Nine SPHS students will be chosen in November through a series of teacher recommendations, interviews, essays, and performances at county scrimmages, according to Valcorza. Any interested student may join the research crew and help the nine-member group prepare for competitions.

“I’m looking for students who are motivated, committed, and willing to work hard toward a common goal,” said Valcorza. “I’d prefer to work with a student who may not be as talented, but willing to work hard and learn than a student who is extremely talented, but lazy. Talents and abilities can

be taught, but drive and passion cannot.”

During practice, the team focuses on one of the ten topic categories by taking notes and watching videos. The ten categories include art, economics, essay, interview, language and literature, math, music, science, social science, and speech.

“We are all so excited to show other schools exactly how smart and intellectually diverse SPHS is. Our goal this year is to make it to the State Championships,” said sophomore Leia Balliett.

The first Academic Decathlon competition will take place in January.

Sophia Arriola

Mr. Oliver Valcorza started an Academic Decathlon team.

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Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

Opinion

Opinion B

Detail-oriented view on life

oo to the school dress code. If

this weather doesn’t call for public nudity, we don’t know what does.

B

ravo to Mitt Romney for stating he won’t

A lesson in capturing all of the details and subtleties of your high school experience.

be president of 47% of the country. Our estimate was closer to one-hundred, but confidence is the key to success.

B

oo to Nick O’Brien for taking the mic from Hebs at the SAC Assembly. #givemikethemic

By Sofi Goode Editor-in-Chief

B

ravo to the Modesty Club for turning away potential members at Club Rush.

We’re sure the Socialist Club would love to have them.

B

oo to the freshmen that were arrested at the football game for achieving only attempted public nudity. Btdubs, the modesty club doesn’t want you.

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 Sofi Goode

Engaging new teachers

Opinion Natalie McLain, Editor Feature Rhian Moore, Editor Sports Christian Miyamae, Co-editor Clem Witherall, Co-editor Copy Editors Amber Laird, Shyam Senthilkumar, and Heather Vaughan Photography Rachael Garner, Editor Photographers Sophia Arriola, Siria Medina, Anastasia Velicescu, Matthew Winkel Senior Staff Writer Kelsey Hess Staff Writers Madison Amido, Petra Barbu, Shine Cho, Matt DeFulgentiis, Andrés García, Kira Gabriel, Kea Hudson, Brandon Kim, Andrew Shults, Sarah Stukan, Pooja Vyas, Jason Wang, Jenny Wang, Jordan Xiao, David Yang Tiger Online Writers Karen Hsueh, Rachel Newhall, Talia Wun-Young Tiger Online Illustrators Evan Davis and Amanda Stewart Staff Illustrators Rachael Lee and Annie Lu

Schools pay a premium for every teacher they hire. There are funds that must be spent on the hiring process, disturbances to staff unity and educational consistency, all with the quality of any fresh teacher being a crapshoot. Although new teachers can be valuable assets that bring the cutting edge of education to our school, teacher turnover is disruptive to the school environment.However, the hiring process is a necessary evil.

Because the administration spends countless hours researching and hiring new staff members, the prudent course of action is to implement supportive measures that would smooth the transition and give new teachers an incentive to remain on staff.

One way to energize new teachers and encourage them to stay is to give them a larger say in their course load. The current system places new teachers in vacant teaching positions after the more senior staff members are assigned to preferred classes.

This places new teachers in classes that they may not have interest in or be comfortable teaching.

Instead of using new teachers as fillers for miscellaneous classes, why not let them

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 withheld upon request.

Tiger is a forum for student free speech, in compliance with California Ed Code 48907.

select courses that take full advantage of their particular skill sets? Giving new teachers the opportunity to select some of their classes would ensure that they do not feel understimulated or overworked during their first years at South Pasadena High School. The chance to teach classes that are tuned to their personal interests and play to their strengths would offset some of the transitional jolt for new teachers, creating a better overall quality of education for students.

Another way to expedite the integration of new teachers onto the staff is to further encourage that senior teachers share their materials with new teachers. The Beginning Teachers Support and Assessment program currently pairs new teachers with the senior faculty members, but its effectiveness is limited due to the fact that not all new teachers participate. The standardization of the curriculum would reassure students and share the tried-and-true practices of veterans as well as the innovative teaching methods of fresh teachers.

New teachers are a valuable resource that comes at a cost. Having just acquired eight, SPHS must strive to be supportive in integrating them into the school.

This year’s SAC Assembly was surprisingly entertaining. For once, no one booed, there were shockingly few groans, and at one point—though many had to see it to believe it—there was laughter.

But what made that assembly different? It had all the attributes of the classic first assembly of the year: opening video teasing the new commissioners, introduction of new teachers, fall sports captains, pep, a dance from ASB, “The SAC Room, and, of course, the shameless and pointless promotion of the card itself.

The structure was exactly the same; it was the details of this assemblythe scripts of the videos, the one-liners, and the quality of the Commissioner General’s dancing—that made it special.

Such are our lives in high school.

Each year is structured exactly the same, but it’s the details that define these years in our memories.

Sometimes these details may seem trivial. After all, will anyone remember Commissioner of Assemblies Nick O’Brien’s first bad joke of the year?

Probably not.

But imagine life without these subtleties, and it becomes a blur of repetition. Without details, we fail to notice the extraordinary circumstances in which we live.

It is not every day that a fellow student receives international recognition for her talent in water polo. Not every person grows up in a town visited by famous authors, and the majority of the world does not have the freedom to express their opinion in print.

These are the details into which Tiger delves ever deeper. We strive to discover more, share more, and bring you the details that shape our lives at the high school and community levels. Details created by you, reported by us, and constructed, considered, and preserved in your memory.

Emily Dickinson once said, “Forever is composed of nows.” Our job and our great joy as your 2012-2013 Tiger Newspaper staff is to inform you of the details of now.

Clearing up college applications

Managers Marcy Kuo, Ads Jason Wang, Business Webmaster Michael Xu

Rachael Lee

Staff Editorial

Managing Editor Jessica Moog News Remeny White, Editor

Yeah Boi

By Pooja Vyas Staff Writer In the modern American system, the central purpose of high school has become preparing students for college. Yet as seniors begin their applications, many realize that there has been precious little done to help them understand the task.

Freshmen and sophomores are walked through Naviance programs and assignments that have the potential to be genuinely useful in the college selection process.

However, most of these tasks are never followed up on, and students are left wondering exactly what their Myers-Briggs Indicator means. These personality tests, career profiles, and practice resumes could be incredibly helpful to students trying to figure out what they want to do, but the counselors never explain how to apply these tools.

As juniors, students are expected to write their personal statements, fill out the common application, and complete several college-related forms. They spend hours essentially filling out a college application, but never receive

any feedback on their finished work. The purpose of this project should be to help students understand how to properly fill out their applications and provide them with feedback to improve their personal statements. Yet once it is turned in, the work is seldom mentioned again.

Instead of merely requiring students to go through the motions of this process, the counselors should follow up with one-on-one advice and criticism. A more personalized guidance system that begins freshman year would drastically decrease the stress and uncertainty

of applications.

The assignments and programs already in place would suddenly gain the follow-up and completeness necessary to fulfill their intended purpose: preparing students for the college application process.

Applying to college is extremely strenuous, and the current preparation system does too little in the earlier years and overwhelms both counselors and students in the final months. Personal attention and feedback throughout high school would go a long way towards minimizing stress during the application process.

Friday, September 21, 2012 - Tiger

Opinion

Technology as an educational tool

By Jenny Wang Staff Writer Ninety-eight percent of American Internet users use social networks. As social media takes on an increasingly significant role in the lives of students, it becomes harder to ignore the growing list of benefits to utilizing social media as a tool in classrooms.

Sites like Facebook and Twitter have become part of daily routine for teenagers. According to a survey, thirteen to seventeen year olds that usually spend two hours on the Internet daily use 80 percent of that time on social networking sites.

Since teenagers today are dedicating so much of their time to these sites, it’s a waste not to use their interest for academic purposes.

In fact, students are already using Facebook tools for learning purposes on their own time—they’re compiling and sharing knowledge in online study groups.

With a teacher’s involvement, these groups have the potential to turn into virtual classrooms.

This benefits both students and teachers, as helpful multimedia guides like videos and tutorials can be posted to enhance the understanding of a topic, and allow the teacher to teach at a more efficient pace in school.

The best part of social media is that most networks and applications are free and highly accessible through almost any electronic device.

Free applications like Skype allow teachers to bring guest speakers into their classrooms without their actual presence.

Additionally, incorporating social

Maintaining face-to-face contact

media into daily lesson plans would draw students into the lectures. Simply adding YouTube or Twitter to lesson plans makes learning become more relatable and appealing than the traditional PowerPoint.

Finally, having students learn how to use social media for educational purposes prepares them for future jobs.

Companies today are embracing social media and many publicize job openings through these sites. By teaching

By Shine Cho Staff Writer

students how to use social media sites as career tools, teachers can instill in teens important life skills, like using a LinkedIn profile to increase their employment prospects.

As present and coming generations increasingly depend upon social media, change is inevitable.

The world has already adapted to embrace social media, as should education. It’s only practical that schools embrace the need for change and start to fully embrace the benefits of social media as an educational tool.

Social networking sites are remarkably popular among students. They serve as valuable tools in terms of staying connected outside of school, and even uniting geographically separated friends and family. However, these sites are only a distraction when used in class. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter divert the attention of students away from curriculum and towards socialization. Such access can be easily abused, and utilizing the websites for solely educational purposes can quickly turn into mindless web surfing.

A common argument in favor of

Social media is a thriving aspect of our generation. From hashtags to mobile uploads, social media has been completely integrated into our lives over the past decade. And although our society has largely adapted to and embraced this new lifestyle, it should not encroach on the classroom environment.

By Hannah Rips SPHS Senior

Annie Lu

5

Neither the New York Times nor the New York Post made a single mention of September 11 on their front pages. “The Today Show” planned to run a memorial on its station, but opted to play an interview of Kris Kardashian ranting about her implants rather than observe a moment of silence. This ridiculousness might be expected from the media, but what does it say about South Pasadena High School that not a single mention was made of 9/11?

I’d like to ask a question to the administration of South Pasadena High School—why was there no mention of 9/11? To be frank, the lack of recognition is offensive. Not only was there no mention of the event itself, but there was no mention of South Pasadena’s very own

using networking websites as educational tools is their development of student familiarity with various tools that they may one day utilize in the workforce.

Most occupations, after all, call for some kind of virtual interaction. Collaboration via Facebook or GoogleDocs might help students learn technology skills, but at they same time, it discourages face-to-face communication. Students are exposed less and less to real-life social interaction and miss the valuable skills they can attain from them. After being subjected to largely virtual communication, students may not be able to engage in a real conversation or form eloquent thoughts and sentences.

High school does not only exist to educate s t u d e n t s, b u t a l s o t o teach them impor tant life skills for careers and relationships. Face-toface communication allows students to physically interact and c o nve r s e w i t h e a c h other in ways that e- m a il s a nd Linke dI n profiles do not. A school environment is one of Annie Lu social interaction and active communication that can’t be emulated in virtual conversations. These communication skills are absolutely essentially in college and job interviews, not to mention everyday workplace activities.

While social media has become necessary for students to stay connected, it is a distraction in the classroom: not only a distraction from curriculum, but a distraction from properly acquiring necessar y social skills. By ignoring what a face-to-face school environment actually provides, students miss out on the opportunity to exercise vital skills.

that were lost that day. For example, Sue Hanson, a 1984 graduate from South Pasadena High School, was killed on Flight 175 en-route to Los Angeles with her husband and their two year old daughter.

Our history teachers are constantly reminding us that the past must not be forgotten. In our social science classes we are reintroduced to the same material every year. By high school, all of the events we had been studying were so prevalent in my mind that I couldn’t fathom the world forgetting. How could anyone forget the Holocaust? The Vietnam War? September 11?

Yet I didn’t even have to graduate before my school decided to completely skip out on remembering 9/11. It’s heartbreaking. The classes of 2013 and 2014 will be the last group of students at the high school that actively experienced and remember that fateful day.

For the class of 2013, it was our last opportunity to share our perspectives with our peers and our teachers, and recall what it was like for us as five and four year olds. And although it was eleven years ago, September 11, 2001 still feels like yesterday.

September 11, 2012 serves as a lesson in why we learn history, and why we must constantly remember the events of yesterday. We have witnessed the progression of history in front of our own eyes. We students, not even having reached the age of twenty, have seen a historical event change the course of the world, and we have seen it fade.

This experience is proof that people forget, no matter how devastating the event was. And as we’ve learned, history repeats itself.

We are responsible for educating the future generations. You and I, we must not forget.

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Opinion

Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

Students weigh in...

School administration has recently issued strong reminders to students via the Tiger Dispatch, e-blasts, and phone messages about the school’s long-standing dress code policy. Of particular concern is the clause stating that shorts must cover “a hand’s width below the bottom of the buttocks.”

STUDENT VOICE: “As long as it covers everything, it should be fine. There shouldn’t be one rule for everyone, because everybody is different, and the hand rule simply doesn’t apply for most people.”

-Jenny Luo, sophomore “The dress code is simple enough to follow; it really shouldn’t be a problem.”

-Thomas Kutzer, junior I do believe that the dress code is somewhat reasonable, since I always see girls wearing shorts with their backsides hanging out. But I do not agree with the strict enforcement, because it is difficult to find shorts in stores that meet those standards.

-Karen Lee, senior “I think that people should be allowed to express themselves freely, especially in the way that they dress. ” -Laura Mendenhall, freshman “I think that we’re old enough at this point to make our own decisions and be responsible for our own clothing.”

-Audrey DeGenova, sophomore

Dress code is unrealistic and unevenly enforced

By Amber Laird Copy Editor A glance around campus on a hot day will almost always reveal an abundance of dress code violations, particularly in the form of “short shorts.” Official dress code policy states that shorts must cover “a hand’s width below the bottom of the buttocks.” Skirts must “extend half of the length between the hips and the knees.”

Needless to say, the majority of the time, these rules aren’t followed.

The cause of the discrepancy between the official policy and what is actually worn at school is debatable, but a strong argument could be made that the dress code isn’t practical, especially for girls.

Hot weather means girls will wear shorts. Shorts made for

girls, as is the current style, are stood that the policy is impractirarely ever long enough to be com- cal, yet the school continues to pliant with the dress code. This es- enforce it.

“For an educational institusentially narrows down the female wardrobe to two choices: violate tion,” said Principal Janet Anderthe dress code, or wear a com- son, “you should be concentrating on studies…[so] pletely different students should style, one that Shorts made for be dressing apreaches at least girls, as is the propriately modthe knees. Findestly.” ing something current style, are If short in the middle is rarely ever long shorts distract almost imposenough to be students from sible. compliant with the their studies, “Studress code. then it seems dents and like high kicks parents have in even shorter reported that finding dress code-appropriate skirts would be doubly distracting. shorts is very difficult,” said South The dress code supposedly applies Pasadena High School counselor to all school functions, including football games and assemblies, but Marilyn Garcia.

It appears generally under- no one seems concerned that pep

uniforms don’t extend anywhere near “half of the length between the hips and the knees.”

Perhaps it is because the skirts don’t actually detract from an educational environment. Neither do short shorts. Short shorts are so ingrained into our society that seeing them in a school setting isn’t at all noteworthy.

There are occasionally flagrant violations, with some shorts not even reaching “the bottom of the buttocks,” but the dress code needs to be modified to distinguish between these particular instances and the type of shorts available for purchase.

It’s time for a dress code adjustment. Not a radical change, but something that no longer criminalizes almost every pair of shorts available for girls to wear.

By Kelsey Hess Senior Staff Writer It has become obvious over the last several months that the integrity of the presidential election has dropped substantially. Most media discussion of campaign development centers on frivolous games of “he said, she said.” The significance of the issues is lost in politicians’ determination to dissect every pause and punctuation mark, looking for spots of potential fabricated weakness or malevolence. What was once supposed to be a system of centralized issues and non-biased debates has devolved into a game of wordplay and mudslinging.

On July 13, President Obama delivered a speech in Roanoke, Virginia.

“If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges,” Obama said. “If you’ve got a business—you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”

The second half of that quote was removed from its context and so overly publicized by the Republican Party that it adopted “We built it!” as a cheer at its convention. Obama did not imply that small businesses do not work hard or that they have lesser roles in society, but that it is because of big businesses, American infrastructure, and outside influences that smaller businesses are able to thrive.

But the Republican Party was not seeking to interpret or understand the meaning behind Obama’s speech as a whole. They were looking for key phrases, small subtleties: the tools, not to debate or counter, but to spread bad press.

Political party supporters on both the right and left have been rightfully accused of crossing ethical lines in the past few weeks. What is respectable is no longer a concern, the truth is but a long-past formality, and the spirit and interest of politics have moved away from the things that truly matter in a candidate.

Simplifying scheduling issues

By Petra Barbu Staff Writer

Annie Lu

The first few days of a new school year are crucial. Students need this time to ease back into a rhythm and establish relationships with their new teachers; teachers use it to learn names, assign groups, and go over class essentials.

Yet every year this time is squandered by constant scheduling changes. If schedules were mailed home with registration packets and a counselor booth was set up on registration day for making changes, the entire process of getting students into the right classes would be streamlined.

The most frustrating issue for students is being placed in the wrong class. Whether it’s a lower level, one they’ve already taken, or simply a subject in which they have no interest, it’s a struggle for students to appear engaged in a class

when they intend to transfer out.

Teachers and other students carry the brunt of this disinterest as the class slows down to accommodate those who don’t intend to stay.

However, the problems don’t end when the student transfers out.

Most teachers jump right into the course material with first day tests and assignments, and if a student transfers into a class a few days into the year, he or she is already behind.

Teachers and students alike are then forced to give up lunches and late starts to make up tests and turn in homework. Project or class groups established at the beginning of the year are disrupted as the cast of the class changes.

In addition to the student and teacher inconvenience, scheduling conf licts overwhelm the counselors. They are overrun by frustrated students and can’t focus on anything other than schedules for the first weeks of school.

The new method would work in a simple step-by-step process, eliminating stress by breaking the system down.

First, students’ initial schedules would be mailed home with registration packets so that any concerns could be emailed to counselors. The counselors could then look over said changes and send out updated schedules. To complete the process, multiple booths could be set up on registration day, each addressing specific scheduling issues (i.e. adding classes, switching periods, turning in home study forms, etc). The week and a half before classes start could then be used by counselors to input and finalize changes, rather than saving such an arduous task for the first few weeks of school.

Putting students in the right classes is the simplest principle of education, and implementing a new system would make starting school just as simple.

Opinion

Friday, September 21 - Tiger

7

New website favors functionality over aesthetics

By Andrés García Staff Writer

Rachael Lee

Investing in financial proficiency

By Kira Gabriel Staff Writer The Federal Reserve estimates that American citizens had over 2.5 billion dollars in outstanding credit debt as of July 2012. Personal debt continues to rise rapidly and most Americans lack adequate knowledge about budgeting their personal finances.

Basic financial tasks such as managing a budget and filing taxes are eventually required of every citizen of this country, yet many high school students have never heard of balancing a checkbook, much less a financial portfolio.

Managing personal finances is a necessary life skill that is completely ignored in public schools, a disastrous oversight. There is a simple, though costly, solution: a nationwide, required finance class.

At South Pasadena High School, finance is already offered as a yearlong course.

During the first semester students learn how to handle problems that they immediately face after leaving high school—loans, saving accounts, and credit—as well as financial strategies they will use throughout their lives,

such as 401K accounts and other long-term investments. In the second semester students apply what they have learned in financial competitions.

Instead of the current optional yearlong class, a semester-long finance class should be an “A-G” graduation requirement to prepare students to be fiscally responsible adults.

Instituting this requirement beginning with the class of 2015 would ensure that the change would not endanger any student’s graduation. Though it would be costly to school systems nation-wide, poorly managed personal finance contributes to the current economic slump. In order to return to a stable American economy, the country must invest in the financial education of the next generation.

A required finance class would ensure that all students, regardless of their future careers, are prepared to handle their roles in the economy by being financially responsible.

Learning as teenagers to balance a budget, pay bills and taxes in a timely manner, and invest in their futures will put the next generation at an advantage and help America climb down its mountain of personal debt.

over the summer to familiarize teachers with the new site and on consultants hired to move all the previous web pages Among the many changes that to School Loop. Next year, the district have been introduced this year, the expects to save $8,000.

In the future, SPHS has the option redesigned school website has perhaps been the innovation most criticized by to integrate the school website with the students and teachers at South Pasadena already established student information system, which would allow students to High School.

Students and teachers alike have check their grades on the school website complained about the lack of aesthetic instead of going through Aeries sepaappeal; the dull orange and rudimen- rately. School Loop is also beta testing tary design are hardly inviting. In addi- an online student assessment system that will allow teachers to tion, many students determine more acutely had trouble initially if a student needs help in navigating the weba specific subject. site and teachers Students need to Though the new were frantic when look past the website’s website lacks the simplicit seemed that all design and understand ity, design, and straightof their information that the district is makforward structure of its stored on the old ing cuts to preserve predecessor, the district website had disapstudents’ educational is saving significant monpeared in the transexperience. ey under the new School fer.

Loop contract. With budHowever, the get cuts affecting SPUSD website does not exist to be visually pleasing. According so severely, this saving is essential. Stuto SPUSD Technology Director Gen dents need to look past the website’s new Naydo, the district was paying about design and understand that the district $16,000 a year to Edlio, the company is making necessary cuts to preserve the that hosted SPUSD’s previous websites. students’ educational experience.

“We need to accept the website Since other web hosts offered prices that were as much as 50% cheaper, it became for what it is, and move forward with it,” unreasonable to continue with Edlio’s said SPHS webmaster Don Wielenga.

The school website was not meant contract. After investigating the websites used by other districts, School Loop was to impress with stunning graphics and selected as the new web host last spring. elaborate layouts. Its sole purpose is to By switching hosts, SPUSD will communicate information, and it now save $4,000 per year. About $3,000 of does so at a lesser cost with more opthe savings was spent on a webinar held portunities for future convenience.

Tiger Newspaper Asks: With the start of each school year comes renewed attempts to integrate new students and teachers into the SPHS system. From your experiences and observations, do you think that activities and committees such as Tiger Links and the SAC assemblies actually help new students and faculty to acclimate to the high school? Do you think students and teachers make incoming teachers and students feel welcome and comfortable? Or do you think there is something the school or student body could be doing better to include newcomers?

Evelyn Faung, Grade 12 Although Tiger Links does give freshmen and new students a base of people that they can approach with questions, it does not provide them with the strong friendships that are needed to ease them into the new school system. By strong friendships, I mean people who they can contact at any time, people that they can feel comfortable attending school events with. Sometimes I see new students roaming around during brunch and lunch, with no one to really meet up with, so I believe that more can be done to make them feel more welcomed. An idea could be a class outing and splitting up existent groups so that individuals would be more congenial to the new students, instead of grouping to themselves.

Arian Nazarian, Grade 9 I, as a freshman myself, think that SPHS is doing a great overall job of making new students feel welcome. Tiger Links at orientation allowed students get to some new people in their groups and showed them around so that the freshman didn’t feel lost. The SAC Assembly really brought the school together and entertained everyone. This made new students feel more at home because they get to see that SPHS is a fun and welcoming environment. The teachers at SPHS are doing a fine job as well.

A few people have mentioned that some new students wander around with no one to hang out with during lunch/ brunch. But that isn’t something the school can control, as long as the school provides a welcoming environment, students will eventually find people they enjoy spending time with.

Overall, SPHS is a wonderful place that has done a lot to help everyone feel welcome and at home. The existing student body has done an outstanding job.

Ai Maguire, Grade 10 I think the SAC assembly really helps with the freshman feeling comfortable.

They can have fun, it’s not too serious, they can laugh, and it also tells them about the SAC card. Teachers are also pretty good at explaining what you have to do to do well in your classes, and how the system works. Freshman and returnees as well are all able to come into the high school comfortably and know that they all can have fun together for the entire year.

Jeffrey Xiong, Grade 11 The school has stepped it up this year.

As a member of Tiger Links, I can attest to our effort in helping incoming students successfully transition into high school. Freshman orientation, the pool party, and the tour served as a

fun and awkward way to break the ice, and make them feel, if not at home, at least less nervous. Not only that, but SPHS itself is already welcoming. Our assemblies and activities further bring us together as a campus, whether we are teacher or student, old or new. So, to all the new students, it’s going to be a long four years, but don’t be afraid.

Join sports, join clubs, and you’ll meet many new friends and shape your high school experience for the better. It’s not perfect. It’s high school, so there are bound to be cliques and complaints at first. However, the school has done a great job so far, and we should be proud to call ourselves Tigers.

Austin Chee, Grade 12 Tiger Links is a good way for new students to become acclimated to the school. Activities with seniors and juniors who are already experienced with high school would be fun, especially with people as outgoing as Ryan Stone. In addition, it helps humanize the upperclassmen and make them feel less like intimidating beasts and more like real people who are fun to hang out with.

The freshman pool party with a good deal of upperclassmen ASB certainly helps as well. However, the way teachers are treated tends to be more based on what students they have, as well as

how they teach, but in general, most students tend to make their teachers feel welcome at South Pasadena, and from what I have seen, much of the staff also helps make new staff members feel welcome at South Pasadena.

Nayad Salim, Grade 10 I think that committees like Tiger Links help new students integrate to SPHS. The current teachers & students also make the incoming teachers feel welcome. Although Tiger Links helps freshman & new students start out getting familiar with the school, they should follow up to make sure new students are doing great.

Vesta Javaheri, Grade 12 My situation may be different because I knew older students who were already at the high school, but I really didn’t think the transition was that daunting.

It always seemed like high school was the same thing as middle school, only your grades matter more. Again, other people may feel differently because I already had a group of friends at the high school as well as having an older brother who could assure me that it wasn’t that bad, but I really wasn’t that freaked out about the high school.

8 Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

Club Rush

Red Cross The Red Cross club is one of the largest service clubs on campus. These students host events such as trick or treating for cans, Red Hand Day, and Relay for Life. They work with a variety of organizations and groups, and strive to give back to their community.

“I’ve met a lot of new people [through Red Cross] and I’ve become a lot more aware of my community and my surroundings. I’ve gotten a lot of community service opprotunities that I never would have done by myself and it’s really rewarding.”

-Club President Jessica Ng, 12

Martial Arts The Martial Arts club is new on campus this year. This talented, dedicated group of students aims to bring awareness to the sport and teach self-defense and patience to students.

“We teach that martial arts aren’t just about ninjas, but also a beautiful art form.” -Club President Diane Kim, 12 “We’re going to be doing demos, practice, and learning about other forms of martial arts. I practice martial arts on my own time and want to become involved in it at school.” -Pearl Lai, 10

Brick By Brick This unique new club focuses exclusively onLegos®. Over the course of the year, the members intend to hold building competitions with their sister club at Temple City High School and Lego socials with students from the local elementary schools.

“Over the summer I worked at a camp at the kids seemed to really enjoy playing with Legos®. My friend at Temple City and I decided to start service clubs focusing on them. We hope to spread and enhance creativity in the school and the community brick by brick.” -Club President Arthur Puu, 11

Meditation Most club strive to help students find additional activties, but the Meditation Club focuses on helping its members decompress. A group of students will be gathering in Ms Huynh’s room every Wednesday at lunch to clear their minds for fifteen minutes.

“I’ve been meditating every week at my temple for a long time. For students, especially junior year, there’s a lot of work, and one of the benefits of meditation is that it reduces stress and allows you to concentrate better in school.” -Club President Nathan Pokpongkiat, 11

CLUB

Club Rush

Friday, September 21, 2012 - Tiger

RUSH Club rush makes me proud to be a part of a student body that’s so involved. It’s inspiring.

-Commissioner General Will Jones

Page by Rachael Garner Photos by Tiger photographers Reporting by Brandom Kim, Sarah Stukan, and Andrew Shults

9

10 Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

Feature

Feature

Out and About There is still one male role open in the school’s fall play, The Importance of Being Ernest. If you’re interested in playing a reverend, be sure to contact drama director Mr. Daniel Enright for an audition. /Rhian Moore

Band and Colorguard prep for “Unstoppable”

By Brandon Kim Staff Writer

Mike Hogan

Fourteen SPHS students won awards at this year’s Los Angeles County Fair. Their works were submitted to the fair’s art competition, “America’s Kids,” and will be on display in Expo Hall 10 for the duration of the fair.

SPHS students take prizes at L.A. County Fair

By Jordan Xiao Staff Writer South Pasadena High School continued its success in the “America’s Kids” art competition at the 2012 Los Angeles County Fair, winning awards in multiple competitive categories.

Fourteen students took a total of sixteen titles in woodworking, communication design, digital graphics, and screen printing.

First place awards were taken in all subjects except communication design.

Awards were given based on the Danish System of group judging, meaning identical awards could be given to

SPHS Winners at the 2012 L.A. County Fair Wood

1st place Sweepstakes: Vesta Javaheri 1st place Sweepstakes: Natalie Song 1st place: Alec English Honorable Mention: Alec English

Screen Printing

1st place: Isaac Lee 2nd place: Jimmy Don 2nd place: Kevin Kusayanagi 2nd place: Kevin Ryu

Digital Graphics

1st place: Moises Aquirre 1st place: Raul Huang Lui 2nd place: Karissa Coluso 2nd Place: Patricia San Pedro 3rd Place: Jeffrey Xiong

Communication Design 2nd place: Jeffrey Xiong 2nd place: Vijay Nachiappan 3rd place: Paul Song

multiple contestants.

Senior Vesta Javaheri won the Sweepstakes Award with her submission of an ash wood coffee table with a marble top.

“I made a coffee table to replace my grandmother’s because hers is falling apart,” said Javaheri.

Sophomore Alec English received a first place ribbon for his mahogany chess board at the county fair. He also made a baseball bat that won First Place in the CA State Fair in July.

“I really wanted to make a chessboard that has a frame,” English said. “I bought a set of wooden pieces; now I’m going to play chess on it.”

All awarded works are currently being displayed in Expo Hall 10 at the fair.

“It’s an honor to have students participate [in] and win the county fair,” said woodshop teacher Mr. Bruce Jessen.

Anyone within a three-block radius of the high school in the evenings can hear the up-tempo music of a field show as the South Pasadena High School Marching Band and Colorguard prepare for their season.

The band, a quirky assortment of wind and percussion players, and colorguard, a talented cast of flag and rifle dancers, perform during assemblies and the halftime shows of varsity football games in addition to their competitive season.

Twenty-four newcomers have joined band this school year, including twenty freshmen. The musicians kicked off the season with two weeks of eight-hourlong summer “band camp,” where new and veteran band members practiced and memorized music, drills, and visuals for their field show.

“The newcomers are very motivated and have a good attitude. I think it will be a good year,” said senior drum major Derek Wang.

Wang will be conducting the band in several performances with assistant drum major junior Henry Sue. The colorguard competes alongside the marching band throughout the year and participates in competitions of its own in the spring.

“We have a really strong team this year, because there are lots of returnees,” said senior colorguard captain Moises Aguirre.

Band requires up to thirty hours a week of its participants and is known as one of the most demanding activities at SPHS. The incredible dedication is reflected in this year’s aptly named field show, “Unstoppable.”

“Everyone is very enthusiastic about the upcoming marching season,” said band director Mr. Howard Crawford. “The field show will be exciting and have lots of visuals.”

Marching band and colorguard are currently set to participate in five competitions this season, including ones at Riverside City College and in Fresno. They start off the season at Ayala High School on October 22.

Personality Profile: Wendy Tsai

By Jenny Wang Staff Writer For many people, making a good impression may prove to be a challenge. Senior Wendy Tsai, with her vibrant disposition and infectious smile, has the strenuous process of first impressions down to an art.

“I would call myself a ‘micawber,’ which is someone who is eternally optimistic,” said Tsai.

Her optimism has taken her far; this summer Tsai was one of only forty students admitted into a summer electrical engineering program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For three weeks Tsai stayed in a dormitory with other girls from all around the country, taking college-level courses and doing realworld research.

“I also fell in love with electrical engineering and coding, and I’m sure that that’s what I want to major in now,” said Tsai.

Math and computer science are not her only strengths. Tsai also has a

talent for writing. She is a two-time winner of National Novel Writing Month, a competition in which contestants take on the task of completing a 50,000-word novel in thirty days.

Winners receive a free copy of their finished novels as well as discounts on writing materials.

Tsai has self-published two novels, both of which were NaNoWriMo entries. Norman is a story about a girl in a futuristic society who rises to overthrow the upper class. Headfirst, written last year, is a realistic fiction novel about a college diver’s struggles with his family and himself as he journeys to the Olympics.

While most people would instantly list this as well as their other academic and athletic achievements when asked about their talents, Tsai just proudly proclaims her ability to make “killer” brownies.

Despite juggling rigorous academics with time-consuming extracurricular activities such as band and varsity Virtual Business, Tsai believes that she is just as nor-

mal as any other high school kid with a sweet tooth and a passion for film. For Tsai, watching movies is not only a relaxing pastime but also what reinforces the closeknit bond between her and her family—every week they have a family movie night.

Tsai also has close ties with another family: the SPHS marching band. As the clarinet section leader, four-year band member, and band president, Tsai is essentially the mother figure. She takes new band members under her wing, guiding them through band life and mentoring them in music and marching skills.

“I really appreciate how even when she’s overwhelmed with things to do, [Wendy] always finds time to help me with my questions and needs,” said friend and assistant section leader, junior Roy Lee. Whether you’re looking for a tutor or just someone to talk to, Tsai is both easily approachable and insanely qualified.

Sophia Arriola

Both of Tsai’s NaNoWriMo competition novels, Norman and Headfirst, are available for purchase on Amazon.

Feature

Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

Personality Profile: Raymond Gilmartin

By Petra Barbu Staff Writer Freshman Raymond Gilmartin is involved in everything from a rigorous academic program to an intense relationship with a sports team. Despite being 4’11”, Gilmartin towers above his peers in nearly everything he takes on; there’s practically nothing he won’t try.

Yet Gilmartin is exceptionally humble about his many achievements. It took him half an hour to admit that he is a finalist for the BroadCom MASTERS Competition, in which he single-handedly built a wind tunnel for his experiment involving spoilers on SUVs. Gilmartin shrugged when asked about the youth competition, which

takes innovative science projects to a national level. As a finalist he will be going to Washington, D.C. at the end of the month to showcase his work and compete for the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Award.

“It’s really not a big deal. I built a six-foot-long tunnel. Then I went to NASA, where they had a 125-footwide and eight-mile-long tunnel,” said Gilmartin.

This modest humor is his trademark, and his smile broadens as the conversation turns to school.

Gilmartin manages to keep stress of being a high school student at bay with a multitude of interests outside school.

He is on the cross country team and currently attends the Colburn School

Siria Medina

Gilmartin’s interest in cars translates into other aspects of his life, including his award-winning science project for BroadCom MASTERS.

Wen Zeng was one of just twenty selected from hundreds of applicants to participate in mechanical engineering at the Women’s Technology Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Students in the four-week summer camp took math and science courses, worked on projects (including a crane-building competition), and went on field trips to various engineering related companies, such as Kiva Systems, which produces warehouse robots.

of Performing Arts to play violin for one of the youth orchestras.

The secret to his success is that he genuinely enjoys everything he does.

Gilmartin is particularly excited about physics, a class he’s been waiting to take since middle school.

“The word that I associate with Raymond is enthusiastic. He’s always eager to learn,” said science teacher Mr. Dean Papadakis.

Transcending all of his other interests is Gilmartin’s love of cars, and he tries to incorporate this into his work. He’s a self-proclaimed car addict and subscribes to many automobile magazines, including “Car and Driver” and “Top Gear.”

He looks forward to having his own car one day.

“High school definitely hasn’t been scary, but it’s a bit unnerving, though, to see students actually drive away. It really puts things in perspective,” said Gilmartin.

Cars may serve as a reminder of the long road he has ahead, but Gilmartin is still embracing his years left as a kid.

He quoted The Secret Life of Bees as his personal motto and said, “You’re going to have to live past fourteen if you want to have a personal philosophy.”

“But,” he added, “If I had to have a philosophy, it would be to try to do everything, but know that you can’t.”

Gilmartin, however, seems to be have no problem doing it all.

11

Library kicks off concert series

By Jordan Xiao Staff Writer The South Pasadena Public Library kicked off its seventeenth annual Restoration Concert series last Sunday with a performance from the Pantoum Trio in the Community Room. everything to know about the The Friends of the South Pasadena Restoration Public Library will Concert Series host a monthly conWhere: South Pasadena Public cert for residents Library Community Room until May, giving When: Once a month local music fans opPrice: $18 per concert, $88 for portunities to enjoy a season pass classical music.

Musicians perWant more information?

Call (626) 799-6333 or visit friendforming throughout sofsopaslibrary.org/concerts.htm the year include saxophonist Pete Christlieb, pianist Robert Thies, and the Fiato Quartet. Several of these performers return annually, including the New Hollywood String Quartet, which is now entering its sixth season.

“Musicians like the idea that we reach out to seniors, teenagers, and all ages in between,” said concert committee co-chair Kay Rosser, one of the original committee members who founded the event in 1996.

Proceeds from the eight concerts will go towards renovating the library’s Community Room.

The Friends of the Library have already purchased a nine-foot grand piano with funds raised through the Restoration Concerts.

Will Rygg may have just had the summer of a lifetime. The senior spent his time on a cruise ship visiting Greece, Turkey, and Sweden, and went back to spend an extra day in Athens and Istanbul. He then spent ten days in Stockholm, Sweden. “Stockholm was my favorite,” said Rygg. “I got to do a lot of boating, clubbing, and [seeing] the city.”

Betty Soibel immersed herself in the culture of Israel for the Diller Teen Fellows, a leadership program for Jewish teens. Soibel and her peers attended sevenhour classes every day, explored the Tel Aviv, Israel, and attended congress for a week of seminars and debates on the five pillars of Judaism. The program included an exchange in which Soibel lived with a family from Israel.

Sisters Isabel and Madeline Chin worked with the American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad (AYUDA) program in Ecuador. Within the three-week program, the sisters worked as counselors for children with Type 1 Diabetes. “Isabel was interested in the program because she also has Type 1 Diabetes, and I have always been interested in traveling abroad,” said Madeline Chin.

Most students think of the seventy days of summer vacation as a time for lazily sleeping in. Take a look at six students who did the opposite and traveled to all four corners of the globe to fill their summers with volunteering and learning.

Text: Kea Hudson, Emily Markese, Jenny Wang, Sarah Stukan, and Kelsey Hess Photos: Tiger photographers Map from outline-world-map.com

Taylor Altice and a group of 32 others spent fourteen days in Davao del Norte, Philippines working with the Ata-Manobo tribe. They distributed over $10,000 worth of medical supplies to the villagers. In addition, the organization is devoted to fighting for the human rights, land, and education of Ata-Manobo and other tribes. “It’s a problem that needs to be fixed. It’s not a Filipino problem; it’s a world problem,” said Altice.

12 Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

Feature

Beacon is polished but does not spark

Tiger explores the lesser known parts of the greater Los Angeles area.

By Sarah Stukan Staff Writer

By Kea Hudson and Emily Markese Tiger Staff

2.5/5

Two Door Cinema Club’s long-awaited second album Beacon presents its listeners with a more polished set list than its first album, Tourist History. However, despite its professional sound, the album lacks the personal feel of its predecessor.

Tourist History revolved around a unique fusion of excitable pop with bursts of punk rhythm and nervy, scrappy energy that made the band a hit. Beacon simply doesn’t pack the same emotional punch.

The seamless transition of sound and style between the two albums is sure to please die-hard fans looking for an add-on to Tourist History.

Two Door Cinema Club has further refined its electro pop style, filling Beacon with pleasingly intricate harmonies and clever chord changes.

Tracks like “Handshake,” while not particularly distinctive, are great examples of the band’s bright dance-rock. These songs have an upbeat feeling and a personal touch that make them enjoyable, if not particularly remarkable.

On the other hand, attempts at hard rock such as “Someday” lack the signature light-heartedness at which Two Door Cinema Club excels. The sound is weighed down and the combination of heavy guitar and soothing vocals creates a feeling of unauthentic and exaggerated emotion.

The band fares much better sticking to its signature electro-guitar pop, which is brilliantly demonstrated in the track “Sleep Along.” Bittersweet, almost eerie lyrics such as “He sleeps alone; he needs no army where he’s heading, ‘cause he knows that they’re just ghosts” are penned to a punchy beat and make the song an instant classic.

Although each individual song sounds creative and well refined, the album as a whole is disappointingly monotonous. The songs lack diversity, leaving listeners bored only a few tracks into the album.

Stylistically, Beacon is a musical plateau for Two Door Cinema Club. The streamlined melodies show that although there is nothing overtly wrong with the album, the band didn’t produce the same spark that made its first album so successful.

10 Years is relatable and humorous

By Petra Barbu Staff Writer 4.5/5

It’s nearly impossible to imagine what the members of your graduating class will be like in ten years. Director Jamie Linden attempts to do just that in his latest film, 10 Years, where he expertly pieces together relatable moments, big-name actors, and a lighthearted energy throughout the

insidemovies.ew.com

Linden artfully weaves together stories of adults who haven’t grown up.

The Harry Potter franchise formally ended over a year ago with the release of its final movie. But for those of us who refuse to believe that J.K. Rowling’s magic will ever truly end, we can visit Whimsic Alley: a downtown Los Angeles store completely dedicated to all things Harry Potter.

From the outside, Whimsic Alley appears modest and fairly small.

But upon entering we were instantly captivated by the store’s enchanting interior. The ornately decorated corridor is modeled after Diagon Alley and

lined with small-scale buildings filled to the brim with Potter merchandise.

The store is stocked with everything from Hogwarts uniforms and elegant hats to movie posters and an impressive selection of wands.

One room is full of a terrific assortment of wizard fare, including butterbeer, dragon eggs, and chocolate frogs complete with collectable wizard cards.

In the back of the store is an impressive banquet room known as the “Great Hall.” It can be booked for birthdays and tea parties and hosts the “Wizard Camp for (socalled) Grown-ups,” the store’s annual multi-day social event for adult Potter fanatics.

Although the merchandise is definitely on the expensive side, we couldn’t resist purchasing some gear of our own. We bought an “I Love Ron Weasley” bumper sticker, a Dark Mark tattoo, and several boxes of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans (we later had the pleasure of tasting the impressively inedible “rotten egg” and “vomit” flavors).

To those who decide to visit Whimsic Alley, be forewarned—

Photos by Rachael Garner

shoppers are bound to be among the most passionate Potterheads you will ever meet. One girl walked up to us, flourished a wand, muttered “Mermify!” and asked if we got a fishy taste in our mouths.

The staff is friendly and enthusiastic, the merchandise is fun and unique, and the store is teeming with magic. Whimsic Alley is like the Room of Requirement for Potter fans: ordinary on the outside, but filled with everything you could ever want.

Illustration by Rachael Lee

There’s always that one person who reminds you of somebody else. Agree? Disagree?

Have a suggestion for a future Look-Alike?

Let us know.

h t o T y e r Aud

film. 10 Years features an allstar cast with an indie movie soft-edge feel, and shines as a witty comedy with a sensitive side.

Channing Tatum, Justin Long, Max Minghella, and Kate Mara, to name a few, play a group of friends reunited at their tenyear high school reunion. Everyone is exactly the same as they were in high school even though their lives have diverged from the “expected.”

Midnight concessions evolve into midnight confessions as friendships are reaffirmed, and they all discover that though they have moved on to the adult world with grown-up problems, none of them have quite grown up.

The movie covers several interlaced stories but manages to stay continuous, providing ample time for each plotline. Each moment contributes to the shared story, told through embarrassing photographs, romanticized memories, and even a handheld camera montage.

The consistently witty dialogue and the hilarious antics of the night keep the

Siria Medina

Ellie Kemp er from The Office

film from becoming cheesy or corny. The actors are believable and relatable, and the characters feel naturally connected.

10 Years gained energy as a result of a great relationship between the cast and crew. Behind-the-scenes footage and media interaction have made it clear that the onscreen chemistry is authentic.

“I went to high school with [Scott Porter], and the film is loosely based on our 10 year anniversary. It was great working with everyone. Channing is the best producer I’ve ever had,” said Linden, who attended the premiere along with members of the cast.

At one point during the movie, the undisputed “queen” of the high school (Lynn Collins) admits that things don’t always go as planned, and longs for the glow she had in high school. 10 Years has managed to capture this glow with naïveté and authenticity.

this month in

Pop Culture

Catch the Emmys on September 23 30 days of free musical performances that you can stream on your iPhone or on iTunes

albums

films

Looper (9/28) Pitch Perfect (9/28) The Paperboy (10/5)

Muse: The 2nd Law (9/28) Matt and Kim: L:ightning (9/28) Ellie Goulding: Halcyon (10/5) technologytell.com

Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

Feature

Robot & Frank: a tale of a unique friendship

By Kelsey Hess Senior Staff Writer 4/5

The average robot movie follows a very simple plot: either the robots or the humans are fighting for world dominance. However, in the enchantingly simple and ominous Robot & Frank, a man and his robot form an unusual, futuristic relationship.

Frank, a seventy-year-old cynic, is a retired jewelry thief who lives alone in the outskirts of New York City and struggles with Alzheimer’s disease. His son, Hunter, lives five hours away in the city and feels morally obligated to visit his increasingly detached and lonely father every weekend.

In an attempt to han-

dle his father’s needs and reduce his own stress, Hunter purchases a robot for his father. Though intended to serve as Frank’s caretaker, butler, and servant, the bot builds a charming companionship with his owner. Frank is reinvigorated by the company, and slowly transforms into a spunky, energetic man.

The plot moves continuously and maintains a charming sense of humor. Though simple, the movie is well written and avoids predictability.

It easily entertains without requiring much thought or processing on the part of the viewer.

Although the film has its sentimental moments, Robot & Frank is in no way a feelgood family film. The story is composed of progressively worse catastrophes, some of them with heartbreaking and

emotional consequences.

Despite a simple yet dark story, the actors shine in their roles. Frank Langella perfectly portrays the unpredictable old man struggling to stay youthful. His performance is surprisingly compelling, given that most of his interaction is with a robot, but his complex background makes it difficult to relate to him.

Hunter (James Marsden) is a far more reachable character, though his harrowed attitude is occasionally overdone. Together, their dysfunctional family dynamic is hauntingly realistic.

A straight-forward plot, brilliant characters, and a simple charm combine in Robot & Frank to prove that there is no age gap for emotional growth – whether it be thanks to family, friends, or robots.

Like this comic? View it in full color at tigernewspaper.com.

13

Fashion: Autumn Bloom

By Talia Wun-Young Staff Writer Although the weather has stayed consistently warm these first few weeks of school, the fall and winter seasons are coming up. The runways are filled with dozens of unique, standout fall pieces in light of New York Fashion Week 2012. Autumn is quickly a p p r o a c h i n g, bringing with it a menagerie of lace, flirty textures, and earthy tones.

T h e prime color palette for this season consists of natural colors such as olive, rust, and toned neutrals. These earthy colors can play into several fall outfits and create a laid-back but sophisticated look. Maroon and mustard are also huge this season, and, when paired together, develop a very whimsical and medieval style.

Slouchy oversized sweaters and military jackets are key pieces to look forward to in the coming season, and can easily be matched with maxi skirts, leggings, or high-waisted jeans. Look for these in fast-fashion boutiques such as Forever 21 as well as vintage

inspired chains like Urban Outfitters.

“I love big, comfy sweaters.

They look great paired with jeans,” said sophomore Camryn Bukowski.

Infinity scarves, combat boots, and oxfords throw Photos by Anastasia Velicescu in a bit of extra flair into an outfit. These simple additions put an edgy twist on an otherwise basic ensemble.

If you’re looking to invest in a long-lasting and trendy pair of boots, Steve Madden has an incredibly vast selection of intricately designed chic boots.

“This fall I’m really looking forward to wearing scarves and boots,” said junior Annie Kim. “I think boots are a great statement piece to an outfit.”

Fall is full of exciting textures, colors, and accessories.

This season is all about taking risks and experimenting with your personal style.

14 Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

New Inspiration New Faculty and Staff

“I [am] excited about integrating positive practices and ideas that the new staff could bring to our organization. Having selected such stellar individuals as our new hires, already they are bringing innovations that we can incorporate.” - Principal Janet Anderson South Pasadena High School is home to thirteen new faculty and staff members this year. Some are new teachers, some new administrators, and some are staff members that we may not interact with on a daily basis, but who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Regardless of their title, every one of these new hires brings a new outlook and personality to SPHS. The school welcomes Philip Bliss, Alice Camacho-Espinoza, Aron Cavanaugh, Jamie Deedler, Trang Huynh, Tracy Ishimaru, Angelica Madrigal, Garrett Schorr, Ian Merrick, Ginger Merritt, Suzie Wong, and Mark Zalin into our school this year. In addition, Rouzanna Berberian, Sandy Bishop, Lisa Greenhouse, and Tasha Wahl have returned from leaves of absence. Welcome to SPHS!

Tracy

Athletic Director Zalin has more than 30 years of experience coaching and working with high school athletics.

Former District of Employment: Various districts in Monterey, CA Childhood Dream Job: “I wanted to be a professional football or baseball player. I used to play, but not professionally.”

Favorite Dessert: “Do I have to say just one? I like cake, ice cream, pie, and cookies and candy, etc.”

Sandra Koeper SPHS and SPMS Intervention Counselor Former District of Employment: “I was at the middle school last year. Before that I was working in the Temple City District. That’s where I learned everything I know.”

Favorite Dessert: Frozen yogurt Preferred way to die: “I’d prefer to die calmly.”

Childhood dream job: “I wanted to be a fashion buyer or a clothes buyer.”

Color Day Outfit: “Oh, I can’t tell you. It’s a secret among us counselors.”

Maricela Fuentes Subject: Spanish 1 Former District of Employment: Magnolia Science Academy (a private middle school) Favorite Dessert: Chocolate cheesecake Craziest Student Story: Nothing crazy has happened yet.

Preferred Way to Die: “To go to sleep and not wake up. I don’t want to know that I’m dying.

Childhood Dream Job: “I wanted to be a Spanish teacher; I guess I got my dream job!”

What would you be for Color Day: A piñata

Reporting by Shine Cho, Jason Wang, Madison Amido, Shyam Senthilkumar Photos by Rachael Garner, Anastasia Velicescu, Matt Winkel Page by Sofi Goode

Mark Zalin

SPHS Counselor Craziest Student Story: “I had a student from another district that had a strange phobia of quick-sand. He was very afraid that he was going to die in quicksand. So he’d have to come in and I’d have to talk him through this fear of falling into quick-sand. I remember pulling out a map and locating points with quick-sand and [telling] him there aren’t any nearby.”

Assistant Principal of Instruction Former District of Employment: Los Angeles County Office of Education Childhood Dream Job: 18-wheeler truck driver Craziest Student Story: One of Ms Merritt’s students explained a physics trajectory concept by using the Kennedy assassination as an example.

Preferred Way to Die: While sleeping peacefully Favorite Dessert: Lemon bars Color Day Outfit: A slice of pizza to make up a whole pizza with her friends.

Ginger Merritt Trang Huynh Subjects: Social studies, economics, and US history Former District of Employment: Los Angeles Unified Favorite Dessert: “My favorite dessert…oh my gosh…there are too many; I definitely have a sweet tooth.”

Childhood Dream Job: Drama film director Color Day Outfit: Punk rocker

Craziest Student Story: “Since I used to work at South Central, there are too many to share.”

Preferred Way to Die: “In my sleep; I just don’t want to wake up.”

Former District of Employment: Crenshaw Arts/Tech Charter High Favorite Dessert: Ice cream cookie sandwiches Craziest Student Story: “I actually do have one, but it’s too inappropriate for viewers.”

Friday, September 21, 2012 - Tiger

New Faculty and Staff

15

Social Studies teacher Mr. Oliver Valcorza leads his class in a discussion about Enlightenment thinkers.

Ian Merrick Subjects: Applied Math, Algebra B, Geometry Former District of Employment: Vista Unified Craziest Student Story: One of Mr. Merrick’s students was arrested after threatening to slash his tires.

Preferred Way to Die: While doing something fun at an old age, like skydiving at age 80.

Favorite Dessert: Muddy Buddies (Chex cereal with peanut butter and chocolate) Childhood Dream Job: Dinosaur hunter Color Day Outfit: Hobbes from Calvin & Hobbes

Ishimaru Preferred way to die: “I’d like to die in my sleep. Or maybe out of an airplane. Like maybe jumping out of an airplane without any parachute.”

Favorite Dessert: Crème brulée Childhood dream job: Veterinarian Color Day Outfit: It’s a secret.

Oliver Valcorza Subjects: Freshman English, Honors World History, and Academic Decathlon Favorite Dessert: “Everything. Honestly I have a gigantic sweet tooth. I love Serendipity. But my ultimate favorite is French macaroons.”

Craziest Student Story: “I had one student who tried to set the 8th grade bathroom on fire.”

Districts of Former Employment: San Marino Unified and Azusa Unified Childhood Dream Job: Doctor Color Day Outfit: “I can’t discuss that, it’s top secret.”

Preferred way to die: “I want it to be short and sweet. And before I’m fifty. I want to die young.”

Childhood dream job: Teacher or rocket scientist Color Day Outfit: “I don’t know yet. I’m not a big costume person.”

Garrett Schorr

Subjects: Algebra B and Advanced Algebra Favorite Dessert: Crème brulée Preferred Way to Die: Quickly in a warm ocean Childhood Dream Job: Professional soccer player Color Day Outfit: It will be a surprise.

Former District of Employment: Gilroy Unified Craziest Student Story: One twin tried to take a test for the other twin.

Philip Bliss Subjects: Geometry and Math Prep Former District of Employment: Los Angeles Unified Childhood Dream Job: Astronaut (and he still wants to go to space) Color Day Outfit: The math department has some top-secret plans. “I cannot divulge that. But I’ve got the beard to be a pirate!”

Preferred Way to Die: Shoved out an airlock.

Favorite Dessert: Yozen Frogurt (a froyo chain)

Jamie Deedler

16 Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

Cell Phone Policy As another school year begins, students are struggling to comply with cell phone policy at SPHS. Tiger looks at the facts and figures behind the controversial regulation.

Legislation ·State law hands the power of cell phone policy to school districts, who in turn leave it up to each school to set their own policy.

· Employees who take possession of any personal property of a student have the responsibility to ensure that the property is placed in a properly secured location.

Administration “The current cell phone policy is always a work in progress. As needed, we have responded to the times and current issues. Last year it was modified to allow teachers to let their students use cell phones in class for instructional purposes. Especially in ELD classes, where students have Google translate on their phones, they can use this within the lesson.... If a phone is confiscated because of use, that is never a reason to look through it. It’s not our policy...

We don’t have the time. In a case of plagiarism, cheating, or campus safety, if something could endanger students and staff, we have the right.”

-Mr. Terrance Dunn, Assistant Principal of Student Services

“Our cell phone policy is you can use your phone during break/ lunch but not during passing periods, although they’re not very strict about that. In the classroom, if the teacher sees it one time it’s a warning, the second time they take it away. Teachers do enforce the rules in their classes, but differently.

Kids use them all the time to check grades and to do homework during lunch.”

“Students are allowed to use their phones as they please in between classes. The official policy might prohibit cell phone use during school, but I, along with the majority of Poly students, keep my phone on my desk during class. Most students are respectful enough to not text while the teacher is talking.

People sometimes give presentations with notes on their iPhone as well.”

-Kimya Khoshnan, San Marino senior

-Evie Zavidow, Polytechnic senior

Do you think the current cell phone policy is doing a good job of preventing phone use?

·Unlike law enforcement, school authorities do not need probable cause or a warrant to search through students’ thingsonly “reasonable suspicion.”

“If a cell phone goes off, my students know to bring their phone up to my desk. The student will get a referral and can pick up their phone at 3:00 from Student Services. This rule applies to my own cell phone as well. My students are respectful and generally abide by the policy. I don’t really have a big policy violation problem.”

-Mr. Sean Regan, History “This is my fourth year collecting cell phones [before class starts] and it has worked beautifully so far— no one complains. If a phone vibrates, the student feels compelled to check it. I wanted to remove the temptation. I always tell my students the vibrations of a phone are like the call of the sirens in The Odyssey.”

· Private

Public

· This power extends to the contents of a student’s celluar device.

Teachers’ thoughts

Other schools speak ·

· A reasonable suspicion search of a phone must be (1) justified at its inception and (2) reasonably related in to the original search.

Playing games 11%

-Ms Kim Kadletz, English

“Cheating is a big concern for me, especially with the ease with which you can take pictures of things, like tests. I believe administration should be allowed to search through phones only if they have a reasonable suspicion that someone is in danger.”

-Mr. Joshua Whitney, Foreign Language

Survey says...

Tiger conducted a recent online survey on SPHS cell phone use and policy opinions. Here are the results: Checking social media 15%

Do you think the current cell phone policy is fair?

64.6%

86.7%

Texting/calling friends 21% Checking the time 29%

Texting/calling parents 24%

13.3%

Yes

Rank the following activities based on how, and if, you use your phone during school hours:

No

What is your preferred method of communication using your cell phone?

29.3%

% 7 .

0 7 Timeline- Ever wonder how an average student risks 9:47- Send text from library: “Thanks Mom!” Check twitter.

9:25- Check time and text Mom during class: “Forgot my outline- can you e-mail it to me?!”

10:06- Turn on iPod while reading textbook in study hall.

Check out new Dada Life music video on YouTube with your friend.

Yes

No

Student Voices “A lot of teachers won’t give you a referral on the first offense, but some teachers do. There’s this imbalance of the rule being used and I find that unfair.”

–Jenny Luo, sophomore “After I had my phone taken on a first offense, they sent home a referral.

I think that response is a bit dramatic and wasteful. When my phone was taken in study hall, I was told, ‘I don’t negotiate with students.’ I don’t think that shows a lot of respect, and neither does the policy.”

breaking policy to use their phone?

7:57- Arrive on campus, check phone for time before speed walking into class.

35.4%

12:35- Read text in class from coach: “Practice cancelled today.

Varsity tomorrow at 4:15.”

11:49- Quickly check phone for notifications during lunch.

–Angelise Slifkin, senior

1:15- Use phone to look up translation of Spanish word. Enter newly announced unit test date into phone calendar.

2:05- Text friend from in front of gym: “Where are you?!

Jamba runnnn!”

Sports

Friday, September 21, 2012 - Tiger

17

Bryan Bednarski

By Pooja Vyas Staff Writer

Anastasia Velisescu

Senior team captain Jessica Arroyo hopes to lead the Tigers to the Rio Hondo League title.

Jessica Arroyo

By Amber Laird Copy Editor On campus, Jessica Arroyo appears to be a laid-back senior enjoying her last year at South Pasadena High School, but when she’s on the court, she is a committed volleyball player who brings unexpected intensity to the game.

Arroyo has been playing volleyball for South Pasadena schools since seventh grade. She has also played on a club team and traveled around the country, including to Nevada, Arizona, and Indiana, for competitions.

For now, though, her focus is on her own South Pas team. She is the setter, or as teammate Claire Kieffer-Wright puts it, “our quarterback.” This means Arroyo touches the ball every time it comes on the Tigers’ side of the court, putting it in place for her teammates. The setter is crucial to a team’s success, and Arroyo’s natural talent and years

of experience mean she is up to the challenge.

“You have to stay positive, or it will show on the court,” said Arroyo.

Arroyo’s position also means she is a team leader, which is especially important in a sport that requires such teamwork and communication. Arroyo takes control when the situation demands it, which leads to some constructive yelling from time to time.

“I’m meaner when I’m playing volleyball,” Arroyo said.

However, her teammates clearly respect her though. They understand that it’s only for the betterment of the team. Off the court, she’s nothing but kind and caring towards her teammates and friends.

Teammate Ella Hardy said, “She truly cares about each of us individually.”

Arroyo has tried a number of other sports, but she has really found her niche in volleyball.

“She…[puts] her heart into the game,” said Hardy.

With 153 yards receiving, 32 tackles, and one touchdown all from the first three games of the season, senior strong safety Bryan Bednarski credits his success as a football player to pure dedication, hardwork, and competitive drive.

“If you get knocked down in football you have to hit back. There’s always going to be bigger players than yourself, so you have to be determined to compete,” said Bednarski.

Despite Bednarski’s motivation to push himself beyond his own limits, he is decidedly a team player. He served as team captain in the first game of the season and proved his natural ability as a leader and teammate.

“Bryan comes to practice motivated every single day, and he’s always pushing the team to give their best,” said teammate Nathan Lee. “He’s always the one to bring players up when things are down, and he has all the qualities you want in a leader.”

With former star quarterback and South Pasadena alumnus Conor Bednarski as his older brother, Bryan Bednarski has always been determined to find his own path as a player and individual.

“I don’t feel any pressure from my peers to live up to the legacy left behind by my big brother. I take it as a compliment to what he has done when he is mentioned or I’m called ‘Conor,’” said Bednarski. “But I’m making my own

path through high school and life and I plan on doing what I want, for myself and no one else.”

Bednarski is looking forward to potentially playing football in college as a walk-on. Although his top academic choices, University of Notre Dame and Vanderbuilt University, both have major Division I football programs, Bednarski has decided to pursue academics as his first priority. “[Bednarski] brings intagibles to field: a lot of energy and a lot of excitment,” said head football coach Martin Konrad. “He is one of the guys that us coaches lean on.”

Rachael Garner

Bednarksi scored a touchdown in the first quarter of the Tigers’ 39-6 win over Glendale last Friday.

18

Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2013

Girls tennis strives to improve after shaky pre-season

By Shyam Senthilkumar Copy Editor The girls varsity tennis team lost to Temple City High School yesterday in a close contest that ended in a 6-12 defeat. This loss in their first match of league play leaves the Tigers with a 2-5 record.

South Pas number one singles Symona Stans dominated two of her three sets 6-2, 6-1, but lost the third.

However, facing the Rams’ imposing lineup, the Tigers were unable to win any other singles sets.

The girls fared better in doubles play, winning four of the nine possible matches.

The team of junior captain Anastasia Velicescu Jennifer Orr and sophomore Katherine Shinno won two of Nationally ranked freshman Symona their sets 6-2 and 7-5.

Stans drives the ball down the line for a “We struggled a lot in forehand winnner against Alhambra. the first round. By the third round we started getting some points School on October 10. The Bulldogs back. We need to stop being so tense. dominated throughout and earned a If we can come with more in the future 15-3 victory over the visiting Tigers.

The dramatic scoreline didn’t I think we have a fair chance of making fully represent the Tigers’ efforts. South CIF,” said Orr. Head coach Jim Asher was dis- Pas received strong play yet again from appointed by the loss, but is determined Stans, who won two of her three sets by scores of 6-3 and 7-6. not to linger in the defeat.

The sole doubles point came “We had our chances. We could have won this game. Our number one from the number one pair of An Le doubles team had a match point in and Sarah Choi, who won their third one of their sets and lost it. But the set 7-6 to take their series.

“Burbank is a really good team. bottom line is that we couldn’t convert We struggled in singles and doubles. in singles,” said Asher.

The Tigers’ struggles have been They were simply the better team. due in part to lineup changes. With pre- But I am happy with the way the girls season play coming to an end, Coach played,” said Asher.

Despite their struggles against Jim Asher aims to set the lineups soon.

The team suffered another dis- Burbank, junior captain Karinna Loo appointing loss against Burbank High remains optimistic about the season.

“We still need to work on our game and figure out some set doubles 9/20 combinations, but it’s looking good 9/17 and we’re looking forward to a great SPHS SPHS v. Burbank v. Temple City season,” said Loo. The Tigers play Crescenta Val12-6 L 15-3 L ley High School next Monday at home.

Sports

Boys XC excels at Woodbridge

By David Yang Staff Writer The South Pasadena High School varsity boys cross country team exceeded expectations at the Woodbridge Invitational sweepstakes race last Saturday.

All seven of the team’s runners who participated in the race ran a sub-seventeen minute time.

Junior Joshua Wilson came in first for the SPHS team with a time of 15:14 and placed 48th out of 154 runners.

Wilson was followed by senior Paul Messana, who broke the finish line at 15:28 and placed 65th overall.

“Woodbridge is the foundation for the rest of the season,” said Messana. “The times we run there establish a standard on which we continue to improve.”

Tyler Gershman and Blake Benevides completed the race with times of 16:39 and 16:40 and came in at 142nd and 143rd, respectively.

Junior Thomas Steele completed the Tigers’ scoring five and set a personal record of 16:45 in his first varsity race. Steele placed 144th.

“Some of the guys really headed out really fast, so it was a new experience altogether,” said head coach Patrick McGrail. “Varsity really

adapted well.”

The race drew the best runners from multiple geographic regions, including teams who typically participate in more competitive divisions.

Despite the loss of several core runners to graduation and the tough competition, the team performed strongly and ranked 19th overall.

The boys varsity team’s next race will be on September 22 at the Dana Hills Invitational, held at Dana Hills High School.

“Based on the results of this race, the season looks like it’s going to be pretty amazing,” said Steele.

Anika Renken

Paul Messana

Jessica Hitchcock

3 mile PR: 18:15 minutes

3 mile PR: 15:09 minutes

3 mile PR: 19:38 minutes

Photos by Rachael Garner

Girls cross country meets expectations

By Jason Wang Business Manager The girls varsity cross country team competed at the annual Woodbridge Invitational on Friday, September 14. The race began at 8:15 P.M. through a threemile flat course over grass and dirt.

Senior captains Anika Renken and Jessica Hitchcock led the Tigers, placing 18th and 97th respectively.

Renken ran an impressive race with a time of 18:32.

Hitchcock finished with a time of 20:17, only half a minute behind her personal record.

“We worked really hard and we could have done

a lot better, but the race was a great starting point for the season,” said Hitchcock.

State-ranked runner Helena Van Loan was the sole qualifier for the girls’ sweepstakes race the next day. Van Loan fell mid-race due to a calf injury, but remarkebly still managed to place 37th out of more than 200 runners with a sub-18 minute time.

“In the beginning of the race, I was in a good position,” said Van Loan. “It got harder to keep my position due to my calf, and I ended up finishing at 17:56.”

Sophomore Katherine Uriarte and freshmen Emily Ye ran notable races in their first varsity meet. Ye ran a

time of 20:35, placing 3rd on the team and 112th overall.

Over all, the varsity girls ranked 15th out of 40 teams in the race.

“We reached our expectations. The invitational is always a good indicator of how the season will go. The results will also give us a solid understanding of what we should do to prepare for the rest of the season,” said head coach Patrick McGrail.

This season, the Tigers will compete in only two league races, including league finals, as opposed to the traditional three. Both meets will be held at Lacey Park in San Marino.

The Tigers next compete at the Dana Hills Invita-

Girls golf starts strong in league play South Pas wins its first three matches

By Sarah Stukan Staff Writer The South Pasadena varsity girls golf team improved their record to 6-1 with a win against Gabrielino High School yesterday. The girls shot their season best in the second match of a double header, finishing 209-234. Sophomore co-captain Katie Rosenberg led the team with a 34 shot performance and sophomore Amy Chong finished with a close 37.

“We have a very strong team this year. Based on how we played pre-season, I feel like we are going to do fine this year,” said Chong. “Playing our hardest and having fun are going to be key to a great season.”

The team earned its third league victory of the year on Tuesday with their first game of the Gabrielino match-up, taking the Eagles 212-231in the match.

“We played really well during

our last match against Gabrielino, so we have high hopes for the future. Based on our performance we expect to go undefeated this season and play in CIF,” said Rosenberg.

The top scores included Rosenberg’s 37 and junior Marcy Kuo’s 41. Fellow junior Megan Srisutham shot a 42 and sophomore Alyssa Carlos trailed closely behind with a score of 44. Sophomore Amy Chong rounded out the top five with a 48.

The Tigers’ first two league matches of the season were held last Tuesday and Thursday, September 11 and 13, each against Buckley High School. Both matches concluded in automatic wins for South Pas when the opposition forfeited due to a lack of players. Buckley opted to still play full matches despite their team’s deficiency.

South Pas’s 237 points total in the second match included Rosenberg’s 40, Chong’s 48, Kuo’s 45, Srisutham’s 50, and

Carlos’s 54. The team braved the 104-degree valley heat and managed to finish the round of 18 holes.

The first match’s totals were undetermined due to Buckley’s player deficit.

Despite losing five key seniors to graduation, the Tigers have continued to excel with their young team. Led by sophomores Rosenberg and Chong, the team consists of four sophomores, one junior, and one senior. “[The girls] fit well; they are very amiable people, and they support each other well: as an old coach, I like to see that,” said head coach Richard Goto.

“The seniors we lost were class, but we will get there. [Katie Rosenberg] has been ridiculous. She went to CIF finals individually, and we’re surprised by Marcy Kuo. She’s been playing consistently well.”

South Pas hopes to continue its success on Tuesday in a game against Mayfield.

Sophia Arriola

Sophomore Amy Chong drives the ball down the fareway in a match against the Gabrielino High School Eagles on Tuesday.

Friday, September 21, 2012 - Tiger

Sports

19

Water polo struggles Looks to improve teamwork before league

By Heather Vaughan Copy Editor The South Pasadena boys water polo team fell to the Palos Verdes Sea Kings on Wednesday in a match that ended in a 15-8 loss for the Tigers. This was the Tigers’ first defeat in regulation play this season, bringing their record to 2-1.

Throughout the game, the boys were unable to surpass Palos Verdes’s lead. The Tigers were behind 3-1 at the end of the first quarter and 7-3 at halftime. They fell even farther behind during the third quarter, as the Sea Kings kept an 11-5 lead, and then closed the game 15-8. Despite forcing a total of twelve ejections, South Pas was only able to mark goals during two of these instances.

Junior Adrian Suarez was the top scorer of the game, making six of eight goals and drawing nearly half of the team’s ejections.

9/19 SPHS v. Palos Verdes 15-8 L

9/15 SPHS v. Flintridge 9-8 W

“Our main problem was six on fives,” said Suarez. “We took shots we didn’t need to take.”

Suarez further remarked that this is one of the Tigers’ main weaknesses and they have been focusing on it at practice.

The boys also participated in a tournament at Los Altos High School last weekend and captured fifth place out of 25 teams. The Tigers’ first two games were both successes; they defeated John Bosco High School 16-7 in their first match, and went on to win their game against Los Altos 16-9. However, the boys fared less well on their second day of play, losing to La Serna High School 9-3 and then to Polytechnic 9-8 in overtime. They came back at the end of the day to triumph over Flintridge Preparatory 9-8.

In regulation play, the Tigers’ record remains a strong 2-1. In the last several weeks, they earned victories against Burroughs High School and Peninsula High School. Their matchup with the Burroughs Indians was a narrow success that ended in an 8-6 win for the Tigers. Goals by Suarez and junior Pierce Deamer as well as senior

Siria Medina

Junior Adrian Suarez makes a shot on goal in a scrimmage during Tuesday’s practice. The boys play their next game on September 26 at Burbank High School and will begin league play on October 4 against San Marino at home.

Wyatt Bukowski turned a close game into a solid win for South Pas. The team’s second game, against Peninsula was also a close match. The boys were unable to gain a lead throughout the first half, ending the second period in a tie. They entered the fourth period with a 2-point lead, which they quickly lost. The teams were tied with a minute left of play when a quick shot by junior Cameron Lee sealed the game and

Will Renken

Pierce Deamer

Wyatt Bukowski

Second-Team All-League Goalkeeper

Scored teamhigh 86 goals in 2012.

Senior Team Captain

Matt Winkel

Matt Winkel

Matt Winkel

secured the Tigers a 10-9 victory.

The Tigers will face Burbank High School September 26 at Burbank. Their first league is on October 4 against San Marino at home.

“I feel good about league,” said assistant coach Michael Gonzales. “These guys can’t get discouraged. We’re definitely a sound team, the guys just need to work on patience and faith in each other.”

Adrian Suarez Second- Team All-League Set Guard

Sophia Arriola

New Face of the South Pas Athletics Department:

Mark Zalin

Rachael Garner

“I enjoy watching student athletes having success and finding out that they can do things they thought they couldn’t do.”

-Athletic Director Mark Zalin “I think Mr. Zalin is a great fit for the school, and I think his track record is great. He brings a lot of motivation to the athletics program as a fresh face in the department.”

-Senior Michael Heberlien

Mr. Zalin grew up in Southern California, where he attended Birmingham High School. After graduating from the University of California at Santa Barbara, Zalin became a high school athletics coach. He has been in the profession for more than 30 years and is experienced in baseball, volleyball, water polo, and football. One of Zalin’s top coaching experiences was winning the CIF championship with Harvard-Westlake High School in 1991.

He was also part of the elite development staff for the men’s United States Volleyball Association. There, Zalin held tryouts throughout the country and traveled to Canada, Russia, and Mexico to compete.

Zalin is currently teaching health at SPHS, but plans to make his focus the athletic department as a whole.

“First and foremost, my attention is on directing athletics. Coaching requires more attention to the athletes, and being an athletic director requires a lot of time to run a successful program. Perhaps in the future I will coach again, but my focus is purely on directing the athletic program.” ~Andres Garcia

Anastasia Velisescu

“He has been helpful with transitioning us to our new basketball coach. Mr. Zalin has been approachable, very friendly and easy to talk to. I think he’s a good addition to the SPHS community.”

-Junior Caitlin Chan Sophia Arriola

“[Mr. Zalin] has many of the qualities that made Mr. Punaro’s time [at SPHS] so special. Mr. Zalin comes to us with vast experience and great sensibility with regards to high school athletics.”

-Principal Janet Anderson Anastasia Velisescu

Rachael Garner

20 Tiger - Friday, September 21, 2012

Sports

Sports

Upcoming Games:

Friday 9/21: Football v. Alhambra Tuesday 9/25: Girls Golf @ Mayfield Thursday 9/27: Girls Volleyball v. La Cañada

Speaking of

Sports

Matt DeFulgentiis

Changing fanbase values

Rachael Garner

Senior fullback Nick Fong takes the ball down the field for a touchdown during the home game against Glendale.

Football set for successful regular season

By Andrew Shultz Staff Writer After a disappointing loss to Hoover High School on September 7, the South Pasadena High School varsity football team was looking to bounce back with a big win in their first home game of the year against Glendale High School.

The Tigers beat the Nitros 39-7, leaning on a charged offense and solid defense.

South Pas running backs Rudy Murillo and Nathan Lee were the main contributors to the win; both were able to break through Glendale’s linemen and score a pair of touchdowns.

Quarterback David Madrid was

also able to connect with Bryan Bednarski in the end zone for a first-half touchdown. In the fourth quarter, receiver Hector Fernandez added a TD with less than ten minutes left on the clock.

“We attacked them and kept them on their toes, we had them guessing the whole game,” said Madrid.

However, in South Pasadena’s previous game, the Tigers were upset 33-28. Hoover kept the lead for the majority of the game thanks to running back Jesse Pina, who completed all five of the Tornado’s touchdowns.

Despite the loss, the team remains firmly optimistic.

“Things are moving along nicely. We have been banged up the last two weeks, but are getting better. If we can stay healthy, we’ll compete for a league title,” said head coach Martin Konrad.

As league play approaches, the Tigers hold a 2-1-0 record. They look to improve on last year’s third place finish, which ended their season one game out of contention for playoffs.

Senior running back Lee,

8/31 SPHS v. San Gabriel 49-40 W

strong safety Bednardski, and quarterback Madrid hope to spark the Tigers’ offense and carry the team to CIF. “We have the potential to possibly win league,” said senior fullback Nick Fong, “It’s just a matter of us staying focused and knowing what we need to do.”

The Tigers take on the Alhambra Moors tonight at 7:00 on Roosevelt Field. Last year South Pasadena beat Alhambra, and the team hopes for a third preseason win tonight.

9/7 SPHS v. Hoover 28-33 L

9/14 SPHS v. Glendale 39-7 W

High expectations for girls volleyball ByMathew Defulgentis Staff Writer The South Pasadena girls volleyball team suffered a frustrating defeat at the hands of Pacific Christian with a score of 2-0 on Saturday, September 15. The game marked the end of their run in the Arcadia Invitational Tournament.

The Tigers lost both the first and second set by an identical 26-14 score to the Seawolves. Despite the tough loss, the girls’ felt they had improved against Pacific Christian compared to years past.

“Last year we played them and lost very badly. It was a lot different this year,” said junior captain Claire Kieffer-Wright.

“It’s good to see that we’ve gotten better and that we’re continuing to improve.”

South Pas got off to a solid start in the tournament. Before their third-round elimination, the Tigers beat Lancaster in two straight sets with identical scores of 25-15.

The Tigers’ head coach, Ben Diaz, was proud of the squad’s overall effort in

the tournament.

“There’s nothing too bad you can

Matt Winkel

Junior Samantha Figueroa smashes the ball on Sept. 13 against Rosemead. say. We stayed strong and put out a strong fight the whole way,” said Diaz. “We’re not worried about the loss, we played our game. They were just a very good team.”

The girls came into Saturday’s games with confidence after victories over Rosemead High School and Polytechnic in three straight sets last Thursday and Tuesday.

The Tigers will play their first league game against the La Cañada Spartans on September 27. This will be an important match for the Tigers who hope to earn the title of league champs this year. The Spartans won the Rio Hondo championship last year and South Pas came in a close second.

“We are going to need to work on going all out every point and sacrificing our bodies to do whatever it takes to get the win,” said Kieffer-Wright. “We have to come out with a lot of energy, trust our training, and just do all our jobs.”

9/11 9/13 SPHS SPHS v. Polytech- v. Rosenic mead 3-0 W 3-0 W

9/15 SPHS v.

Pacific Christian 2-0 L

There is a notion in sports that when it comes down to the wire, winning should be everything. But to what extent are some professional teams willing to risk the connection with fans for the victories?

Traditionally, baseball fans have been known for their unconditional love and support of their team no matter the circumstances. The Los Angeles Dodgers was an organization known for having fans that enjoyed watching an amateur come up through their system and prosper as a player. Fans would build a seemingly unbreakable bond with these players.

Recently, however, there have been a few uncharacteristic changes that seem to have diminished these feelings among Dodger fans and in the baseball world at large. Nowadays, fans never know who is going to be in the lineup on any given day, and they seem to expect that.

On August 27 of last month, the Dodgers made their biggest trade deal in franchise history, acquiring $250 million in player contracts from the Boston Red Sox. The Dodgers received the three best players on the Red Sox in an attempt to create a new, winning Dodger team. Almost all teams get a hold of numerous players by the trading deadline, but an exchange like this is unheard of. Just before those acquisitions, the team also grabbed the all-star center fielder Shane Victorino and starting pitcher Joe Blanton from the Phillies, in addition to the all-star short stop Ramirez from the Marlins. Clearly, money is no object for the new Dodger management. However, all of these funds don’t seem to be making much of a difference. The Dodgers’ record since the Boston purchases is a dismal 8-13.

More worrisome than the Dodger’s recent results is what these kinds of business tactics could mean for the game of baseball as a whole. True fans should not be concerned solely by the outcome after nine innings, but rather the team that played all nine. It’s about all the things that can’t be bought, but still matter in sports – attachment, continuity, identity, and loyalty.

At the end of the day, what is the fan rooting for? The team colors? The name on the back of the jersey? The acquisition of new players has diminished a team’s ability to connect with their fans as well as their number of victories.

[inside] Mixed results for waterpolo in preseason

Siria Medina

page 19 Girls tennis strives to improve.

Anastasia Velicescu

page 18