Words of wisdom from the college-bound senior class
Posted on April 6, 2016 by Destiny Wiley-Yancy in News
Destiny Wiley-Yancy
Chronicle Reporter
An audible sigh of relief can be heard from the hundreds of seniors on campus, as the final admission decision letters are mailed and seniors set their sights on the schools they’ll attend in the fall.
The beginning of April marks the end of the college decision process and the beginning of the college committing process, a light at the end of the tunnel for many anxious Hollywood High seniors.
SAS senior, Morgan Martin, admitted to USC and UCLA is glad the process is over.
“I feel like the hard work I put into my applications paid off. It’s just really relaxing to know that it’s all done and over with,” she said.
Marlon Straker, SAS senior, heading to Cal Poly Pomona in the fall is also relieved to be done with the process.
“I put so much hard work into my four years of school, and it finally paid off,” he said.
Having successfully survived the gauntlet that is the college admission process, these seniors decided to impart vital information to underclassmen, who are sure to endure the same challenges next school year. Much of the advice was cautionary.
“Start early, don’t wait until the last minute, definitely try to chip away at writing a little bit of your personal statement and filling out a little bit more of your application, ” Morgan, a future kinesiology major, said. “Don’t try to do it all in one sitting, because it’s just really horrible to try and do it last minute. Don’t procrastinate.”
Marlon, planning to study political science as a Bronco next fall, had similar advice for upcoming seniors.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help, like Ms. Brown really helped me throughout my application process. She made it much easier for me. I did it with her,” he said.
Students React to AP Blitz
Posted on February 10, 2016 by Destiny Wiley-Yancy in News
Destiny Wiley-Yancy
Chronicle Reporter
The second annual AP Blitz, a lunch long seminar on Advanced Placement material, began Feb. 8, with many underclassmen getting a sneak peak of the courses offered at Hollywood High. Designed to give students a brief overview of the AP courses offered on campus, teachers and current students will be presenting course background everyday during lunch for the next week and half.
This year’s program began on Feb. 8 with Mr. Adisa leading the AP Calculus seminar and will close Feb. 19, with respective AP Biology and AP Physics courses.
Daisha Campbell, PAM junior, attended the seminar for AP Calculus, on Tuesday. “It was a good experience, I learned that Calculus isn’t as hard as it may seem.” Daisha said she felt like AP Blitz gave her the opportunity to see that Calculus is something she can handle.
“It was a challenge, but I feel like I can do this,” she said. AP Blitz ultimately helped Daisha make up her decision to take AP Calculus AB. “It really encouraged me, I was able to see what the class consisted of, and I realized: it’s not that hard,” she said.
Only attending the AP Government seminar to be with her friends, PAM junior, Chynna Tumalad, walked out of lunch surprised. “I feel like it’s hard to come across a teacher who sticks to the subject like [Mr. Wood]. He makes government sound interesting because of the energy he gives out,” she said. Chynna said she hadn’t considered taking AP Government before attending AP Blitz, but now she could definitely see herself in Mr. Wood’s AP Government class next year.
AP Blitz has had a positive impact on student registration in AP courses. Daisha commends the develop of the program, and urges all students to take advantage of the opportunity.
“I do feel like AP Blitz is something that people should attend and something we should continue to have at Hollywood High because it is something that will allow students to see what they’re going to get involved in, before they actually commit to it, ” Daisha said.
The remainder of the AP Blitz schedule is as follows:
Thursday 2/11: AP Spanish Lit./AP Spanish Lang (Mr.Martinez and Ms. Estangui—Room 231)
Friday 2/12: AP Computer Science Principles (Mr. Casas—Room 123A)
Monday 2/15: AP Psychology (Mr.Berumen— Room 314)
Tuesday 2/16: AP Chemistry (Mr. Brombach—Room 429)
Wednesday 2/17: AP English Language (Mr. Carmicle/ Ms. Cusolito/Mr. Medoway—Room 422)
Thursday 2/18: AP English Literature (Ms. Tobenkin and Mr. Auriemmo—Room 420)
Friday 2/19: AP Biology (Ms. Yoon, Ms. Murphy. Mr. Alas—Room 505)
AP Physics (Mr. Tuomala—Room 429)
“Hairspray” says good morning to Hollywood High
Posted on January 27, 2016 by Destiny Wiley-Yancy in Features
Destiny Wiley-Yancy
Chronicle Reporter
The start of second semester is the start of musical season here at Hollywood High. Actors, dancers, singers and the like lined up for the opportunity to land a part in this year’s musical, “Hairspray.” After a week long duration for auditions, the cast was announced after school yesterday.
Magnet Coordinator Mr. Itkin, this year’s director, has nothing but high hopes for the production.
“I’m expecting an unbelievably exciting production,” he said. “The cast is wonderful.” The “Hairspray” cast is made up of roughly 60 students, whom according to Mr. Itkin, are “the best of the best.”
“At Hollywood High School we don’t do high school plays,” Mr. Itkin said undoubtedly, “we do professional plays albeit with high school students.”
There will also be students working behind the scenes with Mr. Itkin as he directs the musical. PAM senior Josine Torres and PAM sophomore Angela Friedman both hold the titles of Assistant Directors.
Nothing short of professionalism is expected from these Assistant Directors. After every line has been memorized and every dance step grasped, Josine and Angela call the shots until the final curtain has been drawn.
With performance dates set in May, Hollywood’s production of “Hairspray” is sure to be a knockout of the park.
Get the scoop on Girls’ Basketball upcoming season
Posted on December 8, 2015 by Destiny Wiley-Yancy in Sports
Thanksgiving canned food drive ends with dismal numbers
Posted on November 18, 2015 by Destiny Wiley-Yancy in News
Destiny Wiley-Yancy
Chronicle Reporter
This year’s canned food drive ended with the low numbers and even lower spirits as the Associated Student Body Leadership Service committee’s Thanksgiving drive collected the smallest number of cans in years.
Service chair, Brenda Lucas, was disappointed by the turnout. It has long been a tradition to raise food for the community’s homeless shelters, to aid those in need during the holiday season. She hypothesized the lack of cans this year was due to the student body not being aware of the drive.
Linnssy Munoz, SAS freshman, said that the lack of student support was due in part to students not being notified about the drive in advance. “[Leadership] should have [an assembly] in the auditorium so students can be informed about where to put the cans,” she said.
Aurora Massari, SAS sophomore, spoke out on the committee’s failure to bring in impressive numbers of cans this year. She said one of the reasons the canned food drive didn’t do as well as previous years is because of its absence in the morning announcements. “It should be in the announcements,” she said. “Maybe if we did something in the morning, and went by classrooms to pick up the cans, we would have received more cans.”
Meet Hollywood’s Politically Involved
Posted on November 6, 2015 by Destiny Wiley-Yancy in Features, Politics
Destiny Wiley-Yancy
Staff Reporter
If you asked the average kid what his stance on gun control was, you’d probably elicit a response that sounded similar to Call of Duty controls.
Which isn’t the least surprising. A horde of ailing men debating on a stage for hours isn’t the most entertaining thing on prime time television. Yet, at a time when presidential candidates hurl insults at just about every subgroup in the continental U.S., and federally funded reproductive health programs are under attack, it is encouraging to know that young people are interested in politics.
Meet Daniel E., SAS Senior, a self-proclaimed conservative, who found his way into the political arena by way of research. Daniel said he noticed the starling fact that many companies were moving out of California in lieu of states with less strict gun control laws. Daniel, who sees himself leaning toward the right of the political spectrum, drew alarm at this notion. “That’s how I put my foot into it,” he said.
His view on gun control isn’t the only thing to ignite friction. His colorful words about government’s heavy-handedness also stirs up discord.
“I don’t support stringent gun control laws, I don’t support taxes and regulation by the big government, and I don’t support affirmative action. I support limited government,” he said.
With political opinions differing so greatly from those of his peers, Daniel’s outspoken beliefs are often the center of debate in Hollywood’s classrooms. “Usually when people hear [about me being a conservative] they get a negative impression. They associate conservatism with bigoted, almost always a [negative] connotation. “In a debate you have to present all the facts, all the evidence. Sometimes, in the face of all the facts, they’ll just run away from all of that. ” Daniel countered the presumptions of conservatism with, “My version of conservative is pro-business, following our Constitution, granting citizens their Constitutional rights, and a limited scope of government.”
Daniel said if he had a friend wavering between parties, he’d attempt to guide them to the right, “I’d try to break down their concerns: where do they meet on the scale–some people have more conservative views, and they don’t even realize it. They associate with one party because they jump on the bandwagon, but then when you ask them what they believe about this, or what does they believe about that, you’ll find that they have some views that a totally contradictory to the liberal philosophy.” Daniel concluded that it is important to educate students about where they actually place on the political spectrum, rather than apply oneself to what’s ‘trendy’.
In regard to youth political awareness, surprisingly, Daniel believes young people should steer clear of any political involvement, until they reach an age of maturity.
Regardless of how outlying a student’s views are, they are still an observation of a world we are certainly to inherit. Despite being a pariah here at Hollywood High, Daniel has succeeded in placing himself on a political scale, and all student should follow his lead by finding their own political passions.
Biden Says Sayonara to the Presidential Race
Posted on October 21, 2015 by Destiny Wiley-Yancy in News, Politics
Destiny Wiley-Yancy
Chronicle Reporter
Vice President Joe Biden announced earlier today, according to reports from The New York Times, that he will not be a candidate for the 2016 presidency, ending the country’s prolonged period of speculation.
After the loss of his son Beau from brain cancer, Biden cites the length of the family’s grief process–indicating there would not be enough time to make a “realistic campaign for president”–as his reason for not running.
The New York Times writers, Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman wrote in a news article that Biden concluded that window of opportunity for him to initiate his candidacy has in fact closed.
This news comes as a disappointment to many Biden supporters, who, according a recent poll performed by CNN/ORC, drew strong waves of support within the Democratic Party.
The possibility of Biden’s candidacy would have complicated the structure of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, easily drawing votes from her in key states like Iowa and New Hampshire. Biden, however, would have had little effect on the strides of Bernie Sanders campaign, whose supporters exist far away from the range of Biden’s sphere.
With Biden opting out of the race, the playing field is tilted heavily in the direction of Hillary Clinton, who now with notions of Biden’s apparent candidacy diminished, will begin to pick up speed.
Biden, whose choice to sit out removed any ambiguity of the Democratic Party’s potential nominee, asserts that he will remain active in government.
“I will not be silent. I intend to speak out clearly and forcefully, to influence as much as much as I can where [the Democratic Party] stand as a Party and where [America] stand as a nation.”
Welcoming Back Hollywood’s Alumni
Posted on October 16, 2015 by Destiny Wiley-Yancy in News
Destiny Wiley-Yancy
Chronicle Reporter
Former Sheiks will reminisce good times and first loves over barbecue at Alumni Day 2015, an annual event coordinated each year by the Hollywood High School Alumni Association. It is scheduled to take place tomorrow in the Cafeteria.
This year’s theme is Western and guests can expect to be entertained by the Dance Enhancements, a fusion of Hollywood’s past cheer, drill, and dance members.
Former Sheiks have long held the tradition of hosting Alumni Day; the beginnings of the Alumni Association date back to 1907. One of the Association’s long held traditions is Roll Call, which individuals from each class identify themselves and then engage in impromptu patter about their class.
There are many elements that go into consideration when planning Alumni Day. It’s tough “trying to keep things within a reasonable period of time on a program [while] providing some entertainment, some awards and performances,” said Dave Moreno, Hollywood High School Alumni Association Secretary.
Assembling a congregation of Hollywood’s eras under one roof is among the things the Hollywood High School Alumni Association does on campus. Working behind the scenes, sometimes without recognition, the Alumni Association funds many of the extracurricular activities on campus.
Longtime patron of Hollywood High, the Alumni Association gathers funds each year to purchase materials for the Preforming Arts Magnet, athletic teams and, the Academic Decathlon team.
The main function of the Hollywood High School Alumni Association, however, is to provide scholarships to deserving seniors said Moreno. Funds are generated through donations at Alumni Day and letters sent out to benefactors.
Looking to expand and grow, the Association’s latest project is their new clothing line, HHS Nostalgia Apparel. The website is expected to be up next month, for inquiries visit www.hhsalum.org. All proceed will benefit the Association and Hollywood’s future Sheiks.
In regard to Sheiks knowing the historical significance of their campus and the particular rarities that occupy their campus, Moreno emphasized student involvement.
“Everything in [the museum] belongs to the Alumni Association, and eventually to you guys” Moreno said. “We want to make sure you young people are aware of what’s in [the library] and aware you have it–why it’s there. We have to be sure we take care of all of that, so you guys have something to look for.”
