Empowering students to think critically and creatively since 1913
VOLUME 112, ISSUE 7 MARCH 27, 2026
IN THIS ISSUE
SOUTH PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL 1401 FREMONT AVE, SOUTH PASADENA, CA 91030
OPINION
FEATURE
SPORTS
Tiger examines the American-Israeli war with Iran and the public relations strategy that underlies it. Page 7
Tiger explores the celebration of Holi, a Hindu festival in which participants are covered with colored powder. Page 10
Tiger addresses the ongoing challenges female athletes face in sports with tackling unequal representation. Page 14
Assistant Principal Chad Bryant Personal memoir will leave SPUSD this year OPINION
STORY EMIKO ESSMILLER ILLUSTRATION KRISTEL HOUNG
THE CITY plans upgrades to Oxley Street’s community infrastructure.
Bryant will leave SPHS after eight years working in the district and three years as SPHS’s assistant principal.
Bryant will depart from SPHS with aspirations of pursuing his goal to be a principal. STORY CLAIRE MAO PHOTO HELENA EASTERBY
attendance [and] grades. That’s been really enriching for me,” Bryant said.
S
Bryant additionally compiles school data regarding 5-Star, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), and Advanced Placement (AP) testing.
PHS Assistant Principal Chad Bryant announced to SPHS staff on Friday, March 6 that he will be leaving SPHS once the 2025–26 school year concludes. He will officially conclude his time at South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD) on Tuesday, June 30. “I have decided it is time to step into a new role that allows me to further expand my leadership experience. I’ll be taking the lessons learned here at SPHS and the high standards you all set with me,” Bryant wrote in the email sent to staff. Bryant hopes to step into a new chapter with greater leadership opportunities and is pursuing his goal of being principal at another school. “On a personal level, I’m very upset. He’s not just a colleague to me, he’s an excellent friend and a great person,” Principal John Eldred said. “Professionally, I’m going to miss his talent … He’s gonna be really, really hard to replace, but with that said, he’s gonna do great wherever he goes. I [am] really happy for him.” Bryant has worked with SPUSD for eight years and as SPHS’s assistant principal for three years. At SPHS, he compiles data reports surrounding grades and attendance. Bryant analyzes the reports with SPHS Assistant Principal Vanessa Blackwood to identify areas in need for helping students. “I felt really encouraged by some of the positive shifts that we’ve seen with
IN THE NEWS
“He grinds … the guy is non-stop. He’s like a machine,” Eldred said. Memorable moments of Bryant’s time at SPHS included interacting with students. He believes that fostering a connection with students is important to building rapport and understanding his role as an administrator and leadership style better.
well as] also having opportunities to work with a really rigorous and capable and incredibly smart staff across the board. People that care about their jobs, [that] care about [the] students,” Bryant said. SPHS began their search for a new assistant principal on EDJOIN, the leading educational job site in the United States, on Monday, March 9 and the application closed on Monday, March 23. SPHS admin and Human Resources are currently reviewing the applications.
There was writing on the walls — it was mostly gibberish, written in permanent ink that I would imagine people had to sneak in. Unlike the conditioner, the hospital did not provide any Sharpies. I roomed with two other people: a narcissist, and a girl with bipolar. I do not remember their names, but I remember us laughing in delirium about how drowsy the Benadryl they prescribed See full story on Page 6
FEATURE
Elder isolation
The new assistant principal will officially start working with SPHS on Wednesday, July 1 to undergo training to prepare for the 2026–27 school year.
Bryant additionally observes choices students make, and studies how social trends evolved over time at SPHS.
SPHS admin will meet as a team over the summer to plan, prepare, and go over job responsibilities for the coming year.
“When I started [at SPHS], it was particularly unique because we were still in the reverberations of COVID and students were still recentering and finding how to interact with one another,” Bryant said. “We’re not 100 percent there, but I’ve seen a transition over time of like very small insular groups where they’re mostly just playing video games. Now, it’s bigger insular groups where they’re playing video games, but at least there’s more interaction, and I’m seeing more students choose to set their phones aside and have conversations with each other.”
“This is my sixth administrative team I’ve worked on … But this team has been the absolute best. I am incredibly privileged and lucky and blessed … to work with … assistant principals that are so intelligent and good at building relationships and good at their jobs and fast learners,” Eldred said. “This is literally the best team I have ever worked on and Mr. Bryant will be sorely missed.”
Bryant will miss South Pasadena’s community and the in-depth conversations he has with students during brunch and lunch. “The day-to-day interactions with students are going to be the things that I miss most [as
The psychiatric hospital did not have shampoo. Instead, there were hand soap dispensers on the wall. The result was a lot of kids with greasy hair. They did, however, give you unlimited conditioner upon request, handed to you personally by the nurses in tiny paper cups like the ones for ketchup at fast food restaurants.
Bryant encourages students to come up to him and take an opportunity to get to understand him better before his departure from SPHS. “I look forward to [the students’] futures being bright. I’ve already made a couple of promises to come back for graduation,” Bryant said.
SPRING BREAK
CAASPP TESTING
LOTE PLACEMENT TESTS
Spring break will start on Monday, March 30. Students will return to school on Tuesday, April 7.
Testing will begin on Wednesday, April 8 and last until Tuesday, April 21. Make-ups will occur the following three days.
Language placement tests will take place in their respective classrooms on Friday, April 10 from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m.
TIGERNEWSPAPER.COM
STORY & ILLUSTRATION OWEN HOU Isolation is an issue that plagues all groups of society. From fellow students on the SPHS campus to celebrities seemingly at the top of the social order, loneliness finds everyone in one way or another. However, one group is much more prone to this obstacle: senior citizens. Social isolation is defined as an objective lack of meaningful and sustained communication. While not entirely forgotten by society, older adults — namely The Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, and even some of Gen X — all still face high rates of this communicative cutoff. Social isolation is a well-known issue, but with few people understanding the true extent of it, the issue remains See full story on Page 12