Why celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted on October 11, 2019 by Guadalupe Dominguez in Features

Guadalupe Dominguez Trujillo

Chronicle Reporter

Sept. 15 is the day that marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. The Hispanic community is no longer a minority but a majority. During this month the contributions Hispanics have made to the American culture and Hispanic heritage is recognized and remembered. 

Former President Ronald Reagan extended the celebration to a month on Aug. 17, 1988. The reason behind the chosen date was because during the time period of Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Latin American countries celebrate their independence, for example, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua all celebrate their independence anniversary on Sept. 15.

“It’s an important time to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to keep the culture alive and to remind everyone where we come from and who we are, represent each country as it deserves,” said Sandy Barrios, Latino Student Union President. “People should acknowledge Hispanic Heritage month especially with everything that is going on.”

Spooky Season at Trader Joe’s

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Jasmin Kim in Features

Jasmin Kim

Copy Editor

As fall rolls around the corner, so do the seasonal items at Trader Joe’s. Some of the best items are sadly limited or seasonal so get them as soon as possible before they disappear! Here are some things to pick up during your next trip to Trader Joe’s:

The Maple Ginger Cookie Swirl Ice Cream is an item to look out for in the frozen section! It is a creamy maple ice cream with pieces of ginger cookie and a maple swirl. You can purchase this for $3.

Pumpkin Joe Joe’s are a delicious and seasonal snack to try this fall. They are pumpkin flavored cookies with pumpkin flavored cream in between. This item sells for $2.

The Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Stirring Spoon with Mini Marshmallows make great stocking stuffers. It features both dark and milk chocolate for the best of both worlds and makes one serving of delicious hot cocoa. It is reasonably priced at $1.

The Honeycrisp Apple Mini Scented Diffuser will bring a fresh and sweet scent to your home. It smells like apple cider but it is not over-powering. It is subtle and it great to put by your bed or bathroom! This item is sold for $5.

The Pumpkin Spice Coffee is perfect for coffee-lovers who are ready for the autumn spice. It is a medium-dark roast coffee made with natural spices. This item can be purchased for $8.

Ending the year with Hollywood Idol

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Kimberly Figueroa in Features

Kimberly Figueroa

Chronicle Reporter

Hollywood Idol took place on Friday May 24, ending the 2018-2019 school year off in a perfect note.

It started off by showing a short video clip of the person who started the tradition of Hollywood Idol, the one and only J.B Carmicle. This year, senior Isaak Ramirez from SAS hosted the event. The judges were Johnny Wood, William Manning, Mauricio Arocha, Alyssa Pinedo, and Lisa Hertzner.

Hollywood Idol mostly consisted of singing, but a group named Black Spadze brought intense dancing to this years show. A surprise performance by the teachers definitely made Hollywood Idol one to remember. Ms. Escobedo thought of the idea to have teachers come together to perform to Bruno Mar’s “Uptown Funk”. Secret rehearsals took place in Ms. Goldshein’s dance studio after school, where Ms. Escobedo choreographed and taught the flash mob dance to teachers and counselors.

The third place winner was Black Spadze, second place was Kings of No Nation, and the winner of Hollywood Idol 2019 was Randella Drew. Randella Drew sang a song that she wrote which was based on taking risks and standing up for eachother.

NMA Senior Jayson Duran shared his thoughts on this years show. ¨The show was great, it was also surprising to see the teachers perform. It was fun to cheer them on and laugh.¨

Billionaire pays off student loans

Posted on May 22, 2019 by America Flores-Hernandez in Features, News

America Flores-Hernandez
Chronicle Reporter

Billionaire Robert Smith announced last week that he would pay off the student debts for the Morehouse College graduating class of 2019, a class that includes the son of Dean Essick Allen.

Smith was the commencement speaker at its recent graduation ceremony, when he announced he would pay off the student loan debt of the graduates.

“It came as a shock to all of us present at the ceremony, I can recall seeing a few students crying out of joy because once you get your degree and credentials to work in the field within it, you start preparing to pay off those debts, which usually take years to complete,” said Dean Allen.

According to close relatives, “Many of us assumed you would need an application for this sort of thing, but no it was real and not just your regular fantasy.”

Based on this experience, Allen noted the impact of historically black colleges/universities, and how they’ve shaped the progress of the black community in terms of educational, economical, social, and political purposes.

“This wouldn’t happen at UCLA would it? Now that’s the distinction between how giving back to your community no matter what, with nothing holding you back from doing so,” he said.

Known for his philanthropic and investment efforts to organizations that serve under-represented communities, especially those for people of color, Robert F. Smith has a net worth of $5 billion, and is among the group of Forbes’ individuals who rose up from humble beginnings. He has founded his own private equity and venture capital firm, Vista Equity Partners, which serves to assist individuals in times of need. 

Math teacher uses her musical skills for a good cause

Posted on May 15, 2019 by frida larios in Features, News

Frida Larios

Chronicle Reporter

In an email recently sent to staff, PAM algebra 2 and pre-calculus teacher Alissa Abad explained a project she started to help raise money for the class of 2020 while practicing her violin skills.

The goal was to practice violin for 600 minutes.

“The reward for completing this challenge is
obviously for me to improve my musical skills, but there is also an opportunity for people to pledge money towards fulfilling the 600 minute goal, in which I will give 100% of the pledge money to a charity. Last year I raised some money to go towards the graduating class funds at my previous school. This year, I would like to give that to our very own Class of 2020.”

Abad asked for a donation of 1 cent or more a minute so if she reached 600 minutes, she would have at least $6 to donate to the junior class, but by the time she reached her 600 minute goal, she reached more than she initially thought.

“In total, a check of $146.05 will be written for next year’s graduating class.” Abad wrote in a follow up email.

“I am grateful for Miss Abad for doing that for us because that was her personal time.”

Says PAM junior, Jasmin Kim.

“I am thankful for the other teachers as well for participating because they didn’t have to do that.”

Tips on how to enjoy Grad Night

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Yadira Romero in Features

Yadira Romero

Chronicle Reporter

This Friday the seniors will attend one of their biggest senior activities, which is Grad Night at Disneyland. After having a stressful year, the seniors will be able to let loose and enjoy the night at the happiest place in the world.

To the seniors who are going, do not forget to meet at the Orange gate by 3:30 p.m. or else you will be left behind. Here’s a list of what you should do to ensure that you enjoy your time at Disneyland.

-Be sure to wear comfortable sneakers because you will be walking a lot.

-Bring money in case you want to buy something that you really like.

-Take pictures to have memories.

-Bring a sweater because it will be cold at night.

-Don’t forget to bring a portable charger because it’s a long drive to Disney so you might drain your battery.

-Don’t stray away from your friends.

-Lastly, have fun and be safe!

Weekly Sports Roundup

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Jasmine Cortez in Features, Sports

Kenyon Dawson and Kahliyah Williams

Crimson Chronicle reporters

Track

Girls Varsity and boys Frosh/Soph took first place in the Central League Finals on Thursday beating Belmont, Bernstein, Contreras, Downtown Business Magnet, and Roybal high school. Girls Frosh/Soph placed second while boys Varsity placed fourth.

On the girls’ side, sophomore Da’Keya Rogers broke the triple jump record jumping a whopping 29 feet, 5 inches. Also, SAS senior Stephanie Starks broke her own league record in the 100 meter dash running at a time of 12.65 seconds.

While on the boys’ side, they started the meet with a disqualification from an event due to some unsportsmanlike conduct, but they eventually pulled away with wins in several races. Junior Edwin Garcia won the 200 meter dash in a time of 23.95, while sophomore Aimar Aguilar lit up the track with his wins in both the Frosh/Soph 400 meter race and 200 meter, Fellow sophomore Edson Ortiz won first in the frosh-soph high jump, jumping 5 feet.

Volleyball

The boys volleyball won their last league game against Bernstein 3-0, leading  them to the playoff. On April 30, the boys lost in the first round of playoffs against Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies with a score of 3-0. They ended the season with a record of 13-8.

Baseball

  The boys baseball team won their most recent game at home on Wednesday against Contreras. They beat Contreras with a score of 9-6. With the win of the last game, it leads the boys with a overall record of 10-5.

Softball

The Lady Sheiks are on fire with their most recent softball win versus the Bernstein Dragons on Apr. 30 with a score of 18-0, solidifying their 10-game winning streak, nine of which ended as a mercy win. TCA senior Kylese Francis and SAS senior Lesley Lujan both scored a home run. Not only was it their last league game, it was also senior night in which families and friends presented seniors with posters, flowers, and balloons.The girls advance to playoffs.

Seniors sign off to college

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Salma Rodriguez in Features

Salma Rodriguez

Chronicle Reporter

Today Hollywood senior students were able to enjoy some fun out in the sun at the quad during their fourth period class to celebrate college signing day. At the event, they gave ice cones, popcorn, and had customized shirts. There were also life size games like Tic-Tac-Toe, Connect Four, Jenga, and toss the bean bags. There was also music that was played and enjoyed by everyone to make the event even more livid and exciting.

I asked some students about their thoughts on the event overall just to see how they had enjoyed it, what they liked about it, and how it went. Here is what they had to say:

Roselyn Lopez, 12th grader PAM student said, “College signing day wasn’t too bad overall, I really enjoyed the games and the popcorn was delicious.”

Ali Dugally, 12th grader SAS student said, “I feel like the college signing event today was more fun due to the games provided, rather than the actual college admission appreciation. I feel like it gave us students an opportunity to talk together about the colleges we are going to and how we feel about it.”

Recognize these empowering women

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Yadira Romero in Features

Yadira Romero

Chronicle Reporter

Women’s History Month is about to end and there hasn’t been much recognition. Before the month ends, let’s recognize these women who have accomplished so much.

1.Amelia Earhart

She became the first woman to cross the Atlantic in an airplane.

2.Harriet Tubman

She helped slaves escape through the Underground Railroad and was considered the first African American woman to serve in the military.

3.Sonia Sotomayor

She became the first Hispanic justice nominee on the United States Supreme Court.

4. Dolores Huerta

She is an American labor leader and civil rights activist and is a co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association.

5.Michelle Obama

She is the first African-American First Lady, a lawyer and university administrator and writer.

AP Exams are nearly here

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Mayeli Acuna in Announcements, Features

Mayeli Acuna

Chronicle Reporter

It is that time of the year again to prepare for AP exams considering they are just around the corner. It is pretty difficult to remain calm when it comes to preparing for an exam that will be taking multiple hours and many students are taking more than one of these exams. Students have been on this ongoing cycle of trying to keep up with school work, sports, family and their social life, but it is important to prioritize what can benefit you in the future. Passing an AP Exam with a four or five can potentially give you college credit, saving you and your parent’s money. It is rather hard to take time out of a students daily routine to study for these exams, but here are some tips on how to add reviews to your day.

1. During breakfast in the classroom look over previous worksheets and or test, you have taken.
2. Purchase 5 Step To A Five – A new copy cost ruffly around $15 for a new copy depending on the course, a used copy is about $8. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=five+steps+to+a+five&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
3. On your way to school or home watch Khan Academies to freshen up your memory. (Only applies to math, science, and history AP’s) https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/163503591115/khan-academy-is-the-official-practice-partner-for

Mentally Preparing

1. Just breath, don’t overthink the idea of passing the exam and go in ready to show what you have learned.
2. Do not focus on the time limit, looking at the clock constantly will only add more pressure and nerves; focus on what you know.
3. Do not cram before the test, study efficiently.
4. Dwelling on getting college credit will only add extra stress, look at this exam as if it were another class exam.
5. GET SLEEP AND EAT BREAKFAST. https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-exam-schedule-weeks-1-and-2-2019.pdf