Promoting conservation through art contest
Posted on May 30, 2020 by Cristal Rincon in News
Cristal Rincon
Website Editor
The results are in for the six students who won awards in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Student Poster Contest.
The LA Times in Education partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to create a contest where students were to submit original artwork illustrating how everyone can do their part to conserve water and energy.
Any student in Los Angeles, from 4th grade all the way to 12th grade, was eligible to participate. Each entry had to include illustrations of how Los Angeles can conserve water and/or energy, accompanied by an original slogan.
For the students of Boriana Iamboliyski’s art class, these illustrations were part of an assignment. While submitting their work to the contest was just an additional option.
After entering the contest without any expectations of winning, Ingrid Muñiz, SAS Junior, was surprised to receive third place in the 11th grade category. Her artwork featured a prime example of what Angelenos can do to preserve water: turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth. It showed two situations, one where the person hadn’t turned the water off, and one where they had, with a slogan that read, “Little things matter too.”
“We all have to work together to conserve water and evergy because those are things we all use everyday,” said Ingrid. “This contest is just a little thing that we can do to help spread the word.”
The following students also placed in the contest:
- Jonathan Lopez has won first place in the 12th grade category.
- Rachel Fadersaer has won second place in the 12th grade category.
- Emy Rodriguez has won third place in the 12th grade category.
- Ashley Palacios has won second place in the 11th grade category.
- Ingrid Muñiz has won third place in the 11th grade category.
- Diego Palacios has won third place in the 9th grade category.
The prizes awarded for winning vary depending on placement. Due to school closures and state requirements, the luncheon ceremony to celebrate the winners will not be held this year. Instead, students who won will be directly mailed their awards.
What to binge for the next three months
Posted on May 14, 2020 by Cristal Rincon in Entertainment, Features
Guadalupe Dominguez and Cristal Rincon
Chronicle Reporter and Website Editor
Are you looking for something new to watch? Does nothing catch your attention on Hulu and Netflix? Well we have narrowed down the best shows and movies to binge now that you have all the time in the world!
- Elite (Netflix): We might not be in school but the students at Las Encinas are. The teen drama set in Spain will keep you stuck to your streaming device with its drama and cliches.
- Gossip Girl (Netflix): For a longer running teen drama, with just as much scandal and heartache, watch Gossip Girl—where the lives of privileged upper class students gets turned upside down by a mysterious blogger by the name of ‘Gossip Girl’.
- 9-1-1 (Hulu): The doors to the lives of first responders including fire fighters, police officers, and dispatchers are open during this series. From overcoming the loss of family and addiction to saving those affected by earthquakes, 9-1-1 tells the story of those who are there during emergencies.
- Becoming (Netflix): An intimate documentary that goes behind that scenes with former first lady Michelle Obama, as she goes on her inspiring book tour.
- Queer Eye (Netflix): Queer Eye has returned with four new seasons and the new Fab Five. The show which takes place in and around Atlanta follows the lifestyle makeovers of men and women. The Fab Five on this reboot include Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Tan France, and Karamo Brown.
- A Quiet Place (Hulu): For anyone who’s a fan of horror or suspense, A Quiet Place is essential to watch. The plot revolves around a family trying to survive in a world overrun by creatures with an acute sense of hearing who hunt you if they hear you.
- Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting and Internet Killer (Netflix): If you are looking for a docu-series to keep you on your toes Don’t F***k With Cats is your best choice. It follows the investigation and manhunt of Luka Magnotta, known for uploading the video titled 1 man 2 cats to Facebook. Watch at your own risk….
- Criminal Minds (Netflix): An elite squad of FBI profilers analyzes the country’s most-twisted criminal minds, anticipating the perpetrators’ next moves before they can strike again.
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Hulu): The show that should be on every sitcom fan’s watchlist, Brooklyn 99 is a police procedural comedy series following the detectives of the NYPD’s 99th precinct.
- One Day at a Time (Netflix and Pop TV): Pop TV has brought back One Day at a Time after its cancellation on Netflix. The show follows the life of the Alvarez, a Cuban- American family living in Echo Park. Along with being culturally diverse it deals with issues like immigration, sexism, racism, and mental illness.
Theatre department waits for its princess
Posted on March 27, 2020 by Cristal Rincon in News
Cristal Rincon
Website Editor
Amid the spread of COVID-19, the school musical “Once Upon a Mattress” has been postponed, and many questions are still up in the air about its opening.
The musical was originally scheduled for the weekends of March 20 and March 27. It was almost ready to open, with only microphones, costumes, and the orchestra left to add. However, due to LAUSD’s decision to keep schools closed until May, “Once Upon a Mattress” joined countless shows all across the country that had to close down their productions.
“Obviously, it’s extremely frustrating,” said director John Tourtellotte. “Countless hours of dedicated, disciplined work put in by the cast, the crew, and Dr. Sannah’s students to bring this musical to life, and we were almost there.”
The cast had been hard at work, rehearsing weekly since the beginning of second semester, with PAM sophomore Morgan Rhone and PAM senior Hannah Barukh leading the cast as Prince Dauntless and Princess Winnifred. Working alongside Tourtellotte was assistant director and PAM senior Zoe Schiller, choreographer Jessie Holder Tourtellotte, and musical director Lisa Hertzner.
Despite the disappointment of the cast and crew, Tourtellotte assures that the theatre department of Hollywood High is “alive and thriving”, and “will continue to grow”.
As of now, there are no rescheduled dates for the musical. Final decisions will be planned out depending on what the rest of the school year looks like. If given enough time, three to two weeks of heavy-duty rehearsals will take place before the show opens.
To the audiences looking forward to watching “Once Upon a Mattress” after the quarantine, Tourtellotte says, “You can expect to see a theatrical phoenix that will rise from the ashes of postponement and Shelter-In-Place with a level of joyous abandon that will be impossible to explain.”
KIIS FM provides opportunity with The Jonas Brothers
Posted on September 14, 2019 by Cristal Rincon in News
Joan Kim
Editor-in-Chief
As the sun sets and autumn leaves are ready to fall, KIIS FM (radio station 102.7) provided one last summer activity- a chance to play a softball game with the Jonas Brothers and KIIS FM’s staff. Ten schools from the Los Angeles area were nominated and Hollywood was one of the chosen schools.
The Jonas Brothers is a trio pop group consisting of Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. In the 2000s, they had their own Disney channel show called “Jonas” and starred in movies such as “Camp Rock.” They also are known as Billboard artists with songs such as “Sucker” and “Burnin’ Up”.
As votes started on Sept. 13 at 12 p.m., students started voting and advocated each other to vote. SAS Junior Ingrid Muniz said, “When hearing this opportunity, I got excited because although I do not actively listen to the Jonas Brothers, I know how much some of the students enjoy their music. This made me want to vote right away.”
SAS Junior Lizbeth Zesati said when she heard the news, she was “speechless, over the edge… just breathless” like in the song lyrics from “Lovebug” by the Jonas Brothers. “ I believe that our school could benefit from the positive publicity.”
The voting period ends at Sept. 26 at 11:59 p.m. and students can vote through:
Reopening the curtain on a tradition
Posted on September 6, 2019 by Cristal Rincon in News
Melisa Lovos and Cristal Rincon
Chronicle Reporter and Website Editor
Hollywood High School’s beloved JROTC is making it’s return after the program met it’s demise on the 100th year anniversary in 2017. The program is being led by Colonel Darryl Hensley, who runs all of the JROTC programs in Los Angeles Unified School District.
The program was cut due to financial reasons, but is being brought back now thanks to interim principal Fonna Bishop. Hollywood is the fastest school to have gotten approved for this program, due to the school’s history, administrators said. In 1917, Hollywood was one of seven schools across the nation that was chosen to introduce and run JROTC.
“When I came here and I visited the school three weeks ago and I saw all of the photos,” said Colonel Hensley, “I literally got emotional and I said, I’ve got to bring this school back.”
JROTC stands for Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps, and is a program that is focused on discipline, teamwork, and leadership values. Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of JROTC is to create better citizens, rather than soldiers for the military. It also offers credits to those participating, and helps students stand out when applying to college.
“It’s just a great program that inspires students to become leaders,” said Assistant Principal Pacino Furioso.
JROTC is now being offered as a free seventh period class every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. Anyone interested in joining should speak to their counselor for more information.
Students win LADWP art contest
Posted on May 15, 2019 by Cristal Rincon in News
Cristal Rincon
Chronicle Reporter
Seven of Ms. Iamboliyski’s students have won awards in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Student Poster Contest, with artwork that brings awareness to water and power conservation.
It began as an assignment for Ms. Iamboliyski’s art classes, with an additional option to submit their work to the contest. “I think it’s very important that they learn to conserve water and power for the future of the planet and future generations,” said Ms. Iamboliyski.
The contest is a partnership between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the LA Times in Education. As the second largest city in the nation, Los Angeles uses a large amount of water and energy. This contest served as an effort to promote conservation tips.
Students made original artwork using illustrations depicting different ways that one can do their part to save water and energy. Schools from all over Los Angeles participated, ranging from elementary schools to high schools. Awards were given in first, second, and third place for categories organized by each grade level.
Alyssa Lira, SAS Senior, received first place in the 12th grade category. Her artwork was a watercolor painting of the earth, with a faucet putting water into reusable water bottle. She included statistics on the amount of plastic wasted when using plastic water bottles rather than reusable ones.
“I didn’t think I would win, I think it’s really strange because I don’t consider myself a painter,” said Alyssa. “I just hope I get more people aware of the fact that we only have 12 years to reverse the effects of climate change.”
Along with Alyssa, the following students received awards:
- Sorokina Maryna has won second place in the 9th grade category.
- Laisha Salvador has won third place in the 10th grade category.
- Violeta Torres has won first place in the 11th grade category.
- Kayla Kwak has won second place in the 11th grade category.
- Marilyn Chicas has won third place in the 11th grade category.
- Alyssa Lira has won first place in the 12th grade category.
- Kaizz Maniego has won third place in the 12th grade category.
The winners will receive their awards and be celebrated at a luncheon held on May 23, at the Los Angeles Times Printing Plant, alongside the rest of the winners.
Students donate to Red Cross blood drive
Posted on May 1, 2019 by Cristal Rincon in News
Cristal Rincon
Chronicle Reporter
In partnership with the Red Cross, Hollywood High School Leadership hosted the second blood drive of the year on Tuesday, May 3.
The blood drive was organized by Leadership’s Service and Wellness committee. They officiate sign ups, schedule everyone in, and keep in contact with the Red Cross. They also help set up the gym, and clean up afterwards. The gym is stocked with necessary supplies, set up with a waiting room, and various stations where the donors get their blood drawn.
Emily Hellstrom, SAS sophomore and leadership member said, “It’s important for us to host this event because in the scheme of things, we are saving lives.”
This time, around 82 students signed up to donate. For some, this was their first time donating. “I decided to donate blood because I felt that I could actually help people,” said Kegan Standridge, SAS junior. “The experience was long, but rewarding. Afterwards, it gives you a new outlook on life.”
According to the American Red Cross, one donation can potentially save three lives. Altogether, Hollywood High School saved about 246 lives through donating.
Swim team prepares for first meet
Posted on February 27, 2019 by Cristal Rincon in Sports
Cristal Rincon
Chronicle Reporter
Hollywood High School’s swim team is preparing for their first meet against Contreras, scheduled for Wednesday, March 6.
On Wednesday, Feb. 20, the team participated in a scrimmage against various other schools in the area such as RFK, Contreras, and Mendez. This served as an opportunity to introduce the new team members to how meets work and get them comfortable with competing.
This year, the team has approximately 15 members, a significant amount of them being individuals who are new to the sport. Emily Luis, SAS sophomore and new member said, “I think swim is fun, but it is a bit difficult. With time I think I will get better.”
The team started conditioning in November, and started practicing in the pool in early February. The team has been practicing at Bernstein, because Hollywood’s pool has yet to be fixed, an issue they have been experiencing for the past two years.
Adding to this difficulty, there have been problems involving the team’s transportation to and from practices. They have to arrange a bus everyday of practice after school. However there have been times when the bus is either late or simply doesn’t arrive.
Raquel Kaufman, team member and SAS sophomore said, “Even though the obstacles we’ve faced have been discouraging, it’s made the team work harder as a whole, and we’ve gotten closer because of it.”
Annie finds its cast
Posted on February 6, 2019 by Cristal Rincon in News
Cristal Rincon
Chronicle Reporter
Hollywood High School’s spring musical, Annie, is in the midst of finalizing it’s cast after holding auditions and callbacks Monday, Jan. 28 through Thursday, Jan. 31.
The classic musical Annie follows the story of “Little Orphan Annie”, and her journey to find her parents, based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray. Since it’s time on Broadway, the show has warmed the hearts of many by sharing the message of hope and endurance, something director John Tourtellotte hopes to showcase to the Hollywood High School community.
Economic parallels between society today and society during Annie’s time period, along with the lack of classic musicals at Hollywood High in recent years are part of what drove Tourtellotte to pick Annie as this year’s musical. “Ultimately it’s a fun show that has a tremendous number of roles for our students to explore and play and grow within.”
The audition process featured a dance segment done in groups of eight, and an individual singing segment. Some went in with a specific part in mind, while many were open to playing whichever role recieved. Those who progressed to the callback were later notified if they recieved the part.
Hannah Barukh, PAM junior, who was cast as Miss Hannigan said, “I felt extremely excited and started listening to all the songs and envisioning all the things we could do with it. I’m excited to work with the rest of the cast.”
Playing the lead role of red-haired orphan Annie is PAM senior, Audrey Crabano. “I feel really honored and blessed because it is my last show. I’m excited to celebrate all our hard work. The biggest shift is going to be working with a new director, who I’ve only worked with once, and getting to know his methods and style.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda receives Hollywood star
Posted on December 4, 2018 by Cristal Rincon in Entertainment
Cristal Rincon
Chronicle Reporter
Award-winning composer, lyricist, and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda left his legacy on Hollywood Boulevard after receiving a star on the Walk of Fame on Friday Nov. 30.
Miranda is best known for creating and starring in the groundbreaking Broadway musicals “Hamilton” and “In the Heights”, along with various TV and film credits, the most recent being “Mary Poppins Returns.” Not only is he an active voice in the entertainment community, but also as an activist.
The work he’s done over the span of his career has impacted many, which was evident by the crowds of people who attended in the audience. Fans lined the street in anticipation as they waited, some having gotten there as early as 3 a.m. Many wore costumes and merchandise from his work, and even engaged in a “Hamilton” sing along as they waited for the ceremony to begin.
The ceremony itself took place outside the Pantages Theatre, a historic spot both in Los Angeles and for Lin-Manuel Miranda, who recalled having performed there for his first musical “In the Heights”, and which is now the home to his star. “It means the world to me that my star is outside this theatre because I love it so much,” Miranda commented during his speech.
Also in attendance to Friday’s ceremony was actress Rita Moreno and singer-songwriter “Weird Al” Yankovic, both of whom also spoke and helped unveil the star. “You have earned this honor—especially because you made a choice to focus the brilliance of your star power for the good of others,” said Moreno. Yankovic added on by describing Miranda as “gifted beyond words,” “absolutely fearless” and “the best human I know”.
The magnitude of the ceremony and the words spoken there prompted many who were watching to shed a few tears, including Miranda himself. It was an emotional day all around.
