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VOLUME 112, ISSUE 6 FEBRUARY 26, 2026
IN THIS ISSUE
SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL 1401 FREMONT AVE, SOUTH PASADENA, CA 91030
OPINION
FEATURE
SPORTS
Tiger examines the backlash against veganism and the philosophy it derives from. Page 7
Tiger recaps the SPHS walkout in protest of ICE, and the student behind it. Page 11
Tiger examines the proven importance of transgender-inclusive policies in high school athletics. Page 15
SPHS talent show showcases bands, artists, and gamers
OPINION
Democrats falter
STORY RAFA ESTOLANOSRIDHARAN ILLUSTRATION JAYDEN ZUMBA A few weeks ago, 21 Democrats crossed party lines to vote for a spending bill that would continue to fund ICE for an extra two weeks. Just a few days later, ICU nurse Alex Pretti was dead, shot over 10 times in under five seconds by ICE agents in the streets of Minneapolis. A few weeks before, Renée Good was shot and killed by ICE agents while leaving a protest. (From left) Senior Aidan Garcia, junior Madelin Rentmeester, senior Baron Shroff, senior Rumi Dewan, and senior Wyeth Heimstadt of the band Fundamental Theorem during their opening performance.
Six bands and 25 individual performers were featured during the show. STORY MAXINE MESSINEO PHOTO MAC SHROPSHIRE SPHS held its 2026 talent show during a pair of assemblies on Thursday, Feb. 12 both before and after third period in the Anderson Auditorium. The show featured 25 performers and six bands. Also, similar to the 2025 SPHS Talent Show, a performer played a rhythm game, with it this time being the mobile game Project Sekai: Colorful Stage. A few of the judges for the talent show included math teachers Andrew McGough and Shane Mills, along with students, including junior Lorenzo Jones, sophomore Justin Kim, and freshman Liam Painter. Senior ASB Commissioner of Assemblies Baron Shroff opened the assembly with his band, Fundamental Theorem. Senior Cinbie Chang followed with a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Huang on the traditional Chinese instrument guzheng, and Ma on the piano playing a classical music piece. A video from Peer Mediators was played after Shroff’s announcement to advertise the program’s benefits with a comedic sketch. Senior Ellis Kim then made several announcements regarding Powerpuff, the flag football tournament between junior and senior girls coached by SPHS football players. Kim also announced that boys’ soccer had won their first round of playoff games. Sophomore Denis Blekhman screencasted a round of Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage!, otherwise known as Project Sekai, a mobile game similar to the more well-known Magic Tiles mobile game. Blekhman played the song Jinsei at the Expert 31 level. During the first assembly, Blekhman encountered a technical difficulty and, despite the setback, the audience cheered him on throughout the performance.
Just the Five of Us, consisting of juniors Vitalii Zelko, Eric Kim, and Talon Ebbert and senior Woody Wu then performed a cover of Just the Two of Us. The song was originally sung by Bill Withers and Grover Washington, Jr. in the 1980s. Then, a performance was delivered from sophomores Caden Ahn, Bono Stevens, and Maxwell Mobley with Can’t Stop, originally by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Senior Sean Kang, junior Sam Allen, sophomore Dylan Wantanabe, and senior Aiden Garcia performed Until I Found You, originally by Stephen Sanchez and released in 2023. They were followed by freshman Mav Swallow, senior Rumi Dewan, and Garcia who performed a cover of Minor Threat by the 1980s punk band, Minor Threat.
Juniors James Ouyang and Lucy Huang, along with senior Maxine Ma, performed afterwards with Ouyang on the violin,
Next up was Sin Prisa consisting of seniors Nick Matthew, Eric Salvado, and Chris Amaro, who played Me va a costar, a
IN THE NEWS
breakup song by Kevin Kaarl. Senior Andrés Urzua concluded the show by singing and playing John Mayer’s Edge of Desire on the piano. However, 18 total groups auditioned for the talent show, but there was only room for eight on the agenda, so many of them had to be cut. Additionally, Shroff’s role in planning the talent show assembly, as the commissioner of assemblies, was to plan and facilitate the organization of the event.
This is not the first time Democrats have facilitated the fascism that is creeping into American life. The Democratic Party has failed as an opposition party and is beyond reform; at this point, they are out of touch and fundamentally misaligned with the needs of the American people. A truly progressive party is needed to meet the challenges of the coming decades. See full story on Page 6
FEATURE
Little Tokyo is fading
Shroff creates the agenda for the event, deciding on the amount of acts that would be shown, and how long each act would be with the time available for the assembly. He additionally plans out the transitions so that the setups for each act could happen with minimal interruptions for those watching the assembly. He furthermore informs those in charge of equipment when they would perform and where they should set up. The winners of the talent show were announced Tuesday, Feb. 17 during fourth period. The first place winner, Blekhman, earned $100, with second place, Urzua, earning $75, and third place, Swallow, Dewan, and Garcia, earning $50. “Everyone who auditioned should be commended as one must have a certain bravery to perform in front of others, and I respect everyone that took the time out of their day to showcase their talents, even if they didn’t win the grand prize,” Shroff said.
ANNUAL RACC NIGHT
SPAGHETTI DINNER NIGHT
COMMISSIONER ELECTION ASSEMBLY
Regional Admissions Counselors of California (RACC) night will aid students in transitioning into college life on Wednesday, March 11 from 6 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
The annual band fundraiser is scheduled for Thursday, March 12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the main gym. Members of band have tickets available for purchase.
ASB will hold elections for the next school year’s leadership positions during their Commissions Elections Assembly on Friday, March 13.
TIGERNEWSPAPER.COM
STORY & ILLUSTRATION OWEN HOU In May of 2023, Little Tokyo’s Suehiro Cafe was evicted. Despite its status as a community staple for 51 years, the cafe was priced out of its building on 1st Street and forced to relocate to a Downtown LA location later that year. This incident has not stood alone, as in the face of rising bills and costs, several other legacy Little Tokyo businesses have had to close their doors. From the 122-year-old Rafu Shimpo newspaper having to move to Montebello in June of 2025 to Mitsuru Sushi and Grill permanently closing its doors after 49 years of service, the list goes on and on. See full story on Page 11