January 2022 Issue
Will we stay in school?
Alarming COVID-19 numbers leave students wondering about a return to online learning
Winter break brought many new things - cold weather, relieved stress, holiday spirit… and of course, a tremendous COVID-19 spike. A rocketing holiday surge of the Omicron variant left many in shock and panic, especially as similarities began to emerge between our current situation and that of March ...
The AP Dilemma
Worth taking, or not?
Many ambitious students turn their attention to the AP curriculum, which provides a more rigorous, college-level learning experience for a variety of subjects. With the college application process getting increasingly competitive each year, students are striving to enroll in more AP classes—to the p...
Teacher Spotlight: Ms. Orret
I recently had the opportunity to interview one of my favorite teachers at PHS. Ms. Deborah Orret is one of the App Academy teachers and also develops a large part of the curriculum for the program. “I’ve always liked Computer Science,” she says as we sit down. “When I was in 7th grade, I was really...
Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Recollections of MLK's 1960 visit to Pasadena
A National Holiday since 1986, Martin Luther King Jr. Day serves as a remembrance of his impact on American society. We are all familiar with the textbook description of this historic Baptist Minister, who preached non-violence and transformed the civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s. Award...
PHS Junior Raises Over $3,500 Towards Cancer Research
How a Cancer Survivor and His Fellow Orchestra Members Raised Thousands for a Good Cause
On November 17th, 2021, PHS junior Zen Glick, concertmaster of PHS’s Advanced Orchestra, took to the streets of Sierra Madre with his violin and one purpose in mind: to raise money for research towards neuroblastoma, a rare type of childhood cancer. Along with PHS orchestra teacher Dr. Anne Rardin (...
Club Spotlight: Robotics Club
The PHS Robotics Club is a dedicated team of budding engineers, programmers, artists, and more. The club focuses on building robots to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), an international robotics competition for 7 to 12th graders. On the technical side of things, the Robotics Club assembles ...
The Truth Behind COVID's Spread
As COVID numbers skyrocket in the past month
Ah winter break, a wonderful time to spend time with family and friends celebrating Christmas and New Year's Day. For some, this year was no different, but for most it was spend at home. Like many holiday seasons these past 2 years, 2021 holidays have brought a spike in COVID cases. To many, this sp...
A Look at the State of Modern Curriculum
As the new year begins, many people are looking forward, trying to find ways to improve themselves and lead better lives. In a similar vein, it is important that we examine not only ourselves, but also those institutions which govern much of our lives, and education is no exception. What we learn in...