The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
Tyler Pak

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief

Ever since he joined the Journalism 1 program in his freshman year, senior Tyler Pak knew that he had found his passion. Fast forward three years and Pak is now spending his senior year serving as the editor-in-chief for The Accolade. Pak has also served as a news editor, assistant sports editor and staff reporter. Over the summer of 2020, Pak also served as an intern for The Stanford Daily and GovSight.

If Pak isn’t working on a story, you can find him singing along to musicals, eating food or playing basketball.

All content by Tyler Pak
Female politicians like Michelle Steel (left), Kamala Harris (center) and Young Kim have all made strives toward becoming gender parity in the U.S. political system.

I’m glad our leaders are becoming more diverse

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • December 21, 2020

Kamala Harris makes history. In the weeks following Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump for The White House, you’ve likely seen some form of this headline. Biden’s pick is a historic one...

Linebacker senior Kevin Hu runs around a cone during a June 23 practice. The Lancer football team currently practices Monday-Thursday from 3:30-5:00.

[Photo] Athletes in Cohort C still ‘C’ to it that they stay in shape, contribute to their sports team

December 8, 2020

Linebacker senior Kevin Hu runs around a cone during a June 23 practice. The Lancer football team currently practices Monday-Thursday from 3:30-5:00.

An artist's interpretation of the writer and his comments on the environment.

King for a day: We need to work to put out these fires

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • November 3, 2020

This is the fifth and final part of a series of stories written by five of Accolade‘s top editors as if they were to be “Kings for a day” — all of which originally appeared in the “Photo Finish”...

Flames erupt again at approximately 12:20 p.m. Following this report, the Anaheim Fire Department, which had been dispatched instead of the Fullerton Fire Department, was called to put out the flames for good.

Photo Gallery: Palm tree fire

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • October 28, 2020

A firefighter standing upon Anaheim Fire Department's Engine No. 2 aims a deluge gun toward the palm tree on fire.

[Photo] Instagram live: Palm tree fire

October 27, 2020

A firefighter standing upon Anaheim Fire Department's Engine No. 2 aims a deluge gun toward the palm tree on fire.

While standing on Anaheim Fire Department’s Engine No. 2, a firefighter uses a hose to extinguish a palm tree’s flames across the street from the 20s building on Oct. 26. Firefighters had been dispatched to the Sunny Hills campus twice -- at 11:36 a.m and again at 12:20 p.m. to respond to a palm tree that struck power lines and caught fire twice because of winds reaching 20 mph.

High winds Monday, Oct. 26, spark fire — twice — on palm tree across street from Sunny Hills, forcing evacuation of staff, teachers

Andrew Ngo and Tyler Pak • October 26, 2020

While gusts of up to 60 mph wreaked havoc in Orange County for most of Monday, Oct. 26, and caused several wildfires totaling over 7,000 acres, the Sunny Hills campus in Fullerton was also momentarily...

Then-junior Ella Eseigbe (center) cuts paper during a classroom simulation of a tent-making company in her IB Economics Higher Level 1 class last November. The class’ corresponding exam is just one of the many assessments that IB is modifying for the 2020-21 school year.

After canceling exams last year, IB eases requirements for full diploma candidates

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • October 3, 2020

To mitigate the educational challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, the International Baccalaureate [IB] program has modified its curriculum and exams, which many SH students believe will...

Robert Hathaway, a former FJUHSD trustee who opted not to run for re-election for his FJUHSD school board seat in 2018, wore many hats throughout his life — being a veteran, engineer, lawyer and educator before his death on Sept. 18.

Former Fullerton Joint Union High School District board of trustees president dies at 91

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • September 30, 2020

Robert Hathaway, who had served for 33 years as a trustee on the Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD] — seven terms as the president — died of a heart attack on Sept. 18. He was 91.  Hathaway...

The Accolade: We've still got issues planned during distance learning; meanwhile, check us out online during this historic COVID-19 period

The Accolade: We’ve still got issues planned during distance learning; meanwhile, check us out online during this historic COVID-19 period

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • August 24, 2020

This past school year, The Accolade has truly lived up to its namesake.  In previous years with our print issues, we’ve traveled down a two-year win streak of taking the Best High School Newspaper...

Defensive back rising junior Dane Soaper kneels while stretching following a June 23 practice on the Sunny Hills baseball field. The SH football team had been preparing to defend its 2019 CIF-SS Division 8 title when the Orange County Department of Education opened schools for sports summer workout sessions but now must wait until January 2021 to play under Friday night lights again.

[Photo] Sunny Hills sports delayed until end of 2020 given spread of COVID-19 cases

July 23, 2020

Defensive back rising junior Dane Soaper kneels while stretching following a June 23 practice on the Sunny Hills baseball field. The SH football team had been preparing to defend its 2019 CIF-SS Division...

Sunny Hills High School’s quad and classroom buildings will remain empty Aug. 11 when school starts as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate that campuses in counties on the state’s coronavirus watch list stay closed for safety reasons. The July 17 decision comes nearly a week before a July 23 special meeting of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District trustees to discuss reopening plans for Sunny Hills and the other seven schools in the district.

[Photo] Gov. Newsom issues mandate for campuses in 33 counties -- including Sunny Hills -- to start 2020-2021 school year with distance learning because of high number of positive COVID-19 cases

July 19, 2020

Sunny Hills High School’s quad and classroom buildings will remain empty Aug. 11 when school starts as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate that campuses in counties on the state’s coronavirus watch...

Junior Grace Park holds up her two award-winning paintings -- "Rotten" (left) earned her a first-place $100 check and "Hide" netted an honorable mention $10 check, both of which she has since cashed -- that she entered in the 34th annual Fullerton Joint Union High School District Education Art Show. Although the art show was scheduled to begin March 30, it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. District art show organizers were able to send winners their awards as the event was judged before the exhibit took place. Image used with permission from Grace Park.

Annual District Art Show canceled because of COVID-19 outbreak; winners receive certificates, checks by mail

Hannah Yi, Tyler Pak, and Aaliyah Magana • April 30, 2020

The 34th annual Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD] Education Art Show at the district’s Education Center was originally scheduled to begin March 30 -- the first return date that the...

Seniors worry about being eligible to receive their International Baccalaureate diploma following the program's decision to cancel all exams this school year. Image taken by Accolade news editor Tyler Pak

IB cancels all April and May exams because of coronavirus-related school closures worldwide

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • April 24, 2020

Unlike the College Board that has gone on to offer a much abbreviated Advanced Placement exam for its various subjects next month, the International Baccalaureate [IB] program has issued a statement canceling...

The Fullerton Joint Union High School District board of trustees met on April 24 via Zoom call and voted to adopt a resolution to temporarily modify the traditional grading system. Image taken by Accolade news editor Tyler Pak

Fullerton Joint Union High School District trustees approve new grading policy; teachers will follow A-C or no credit for less than 55 percent for students’ spring semester marks because of campus closures

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • April 24, 2020

While trustees statewide are weighing their options for spring semester grading policy in response to school closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it took only 25 minutes for the Fullerton Joint Union...

The College Board's March 20 tweet reveals that Advanced Placement testing will still be offered amid the coronavirus crisis -- the earliest in May -- with each subject exam comprising a 45-minute, free-response section instead of a multiple choice that students can take from home. Hand completing a multiple choice exam by Alberto G. 2UqYwRv license under CC BY 2.0

Coronavirus pandemic will not deter College Board from offering a 45-minute, free response online version for all AP exams

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • March 21, 2020

This story was updated March 24 at 3:17 p.m. with a teacher reaction quote to the College Board's decision about testing students from home. The College Board announced via Twitter on March 20 that...

The Helios staff meets with adviser Lindsay Safe (top left corner) March 19 via the Zoom online app to discuss what they need to do to finish the 2019-2020 yearbook since school will remain closed until May 4. Zoom is among some of the distance learning tools that Sunny Hills teachers are using to conduct classes online. Image used with permission from Anika Madan.

Sunny Hills to remain closed through May 1; classroom return date scheduled for May 4

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • March 19, 2020

In an effort to slow the coronavirus pandemic, Sunny Hills will remain closed through May 1; until then, students will continue their education through distance learning, Fullerton Joint Union High School...

This Aeries communication email was sent to parents and students at 7:40 p.m. March 15, followed by another one sent at 8:50 p.m. containing a much shorter message and informing readers to go to the Fullerton Joint Union High School District website to access the superintendent's letter in a PDF file. Students remain uncertain, though, as to how their teachers will take Aeries attendance when distance learning begins Wednesday, March 18.

District sends eleventh-hour notice changing online learning start date from Monday, March 16, to Wednesday, March 18

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • March 16, 2020

After a Friday, March 13, email from Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD] superintendent Scott Scambray that Sunny Hills will be closed to students and that they would have to be educated...

The Fullerton Joint Union High School District announced its notice of closure from March 16-20 for all of its campuses -- including Sunny Hills -- in an Aeries communication email on Friday, March 13, at 1:37 p.m., 11 minutes after fifth period ended. The school was on a special ASB elections bell schedule that featured a 14-minute extended Period 2 for teachers to show two videos to students.

Coronavirus threat forces Sunny Hills — and all Orange County public schools — to close next week; students on free and reduced lunch can pick up packed, to-go meals from campus

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • March 14, 2020

Accolade staff writers Hannah Kim, Hope Li and Aaliyah Magana, sports editor Andrew Ngo, business manager Umbert Caseres, photo editor Megan Shin and editor-in-chief Michelle Buckley contributed to this...

Junior Luke Yang (right) performs a 3-point near fall on sophomore Zion Mejia during practices on Nov. 14 in rm 153. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake

Team of veteran wrestlers aims for Freeway League title

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • November 15, 2019

Coaches: David Wilde (head coach), Josue Chew (assistant coach) and Ryan O’Sullivan (assistant coach)0 Top Returning Players: Ethan Nguyen (11), Andrew Park (12), David Park (12), Tim Park and Luke...

Freshman English teacher Jennifer Kim's students hide under their desks in Room 188 after hearing about the lockdown announcement during second period Oct. 24. Image posted with permission from Jennifer Kim

Sunny Hills on lockdown for 23 minutes morning of Oct. 24 after police alert administrators of armed men in the area

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • October 24, 2019

This story was updated Oct. 25 with additional quotes from administrators; it was updated Oct. 31 with another student quote. For the first time in this era of violence on school campuses, Sunny Hills...

College and Career Center’s guidance and counseling technician Evelyn Casillas (center) helps a student and parent gain information on the college application process. (Photo by Accolade photo editor Megan Shin)

College and Career Center opens to students, parents

Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief • September 11, 2019

After a 10-year absence, the College and Career Center has reopened in Room 2 so students and their parents can seek advice on post-high school options as well as find out how to obtain work permits for...

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