Coping with COVID-19

Posted on March 26, 2020 by frida larios in Features

Frida Larios

Opinion editor

Let’s face it, we are living in a really horrifying time right now. Every time we turn on our television or even check our phone notifications, some news appears about the coronavirus. Everything is changing rapidly, only two weeks ago we were still able to go out and go to school.

With everything going on right now, it may be hard foe people to keep up and anxiety in others is spiking. It could be challenging to perform your usual therapeutic routines such as hiking right now, but here are some safe alternatives to help you cope with coronavirus anxiety.

The guided meditation app called Headspace is offering free meditations, sleep guides, and movement exercises to help people through stress and anxiety at this time.

Limit your intake of news. Its common to refresh the news every hour or so, but this could have a negative impact on your mental health.

Maintain a regular routine for sanity. This could mean having your meals at consistent times every day, having a regular sleep schedule, daily or weekly cleaning. This could help you give a sense of control in your life.

How to stay safe from the Coronavirus

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Joan Kim in Features

Joan Kim

Editor-in-Chief

COVID-19 or Coronavirus has impacted the whole world and LAUSD schools. The school district decided to close schools officially on March 16, 2020 and will be closed for two weeks. The virus itself is a disease with symptoms similar to the common flu such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, according to the World Health Organization. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) announced that there is no current vaccine or cure that could reduce the outbreaks. While fears of the respiratory disease are reaching faster than the virus itself, here are some important tips for your safety and awareness.

Wash Your Hands

Although washing your hands should be necessary every day, many should be aware to wash their hands after they eat, before and after preparing food, using the toilet, using the garbage, etc. Irene Tan, a nurse at McAlister High School, suggests that washing your hands for 20 seconds (which is the duration of singing the birthday song twice) is most effective.

Use an Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer

When you cannot wash your hands, you should use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Purell Hand Sanitizers ($2-$5 based on size) are the most effective at killing germs, while other hand sanitizers such as those from Bath and Body Works ($1.90) are available. Hand Sanitizers are also available in sprays such as ‘Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Hand Sanitizer’ ($5) and Trader Joes’ ‘Grapefruit & Lemon Hand Sanitizer Spray’ ($1.99). 

Try to wash your face often and not touch your face.

When we touch our faces, the dirt, oils, and bacteria from our hands will attract our faces. Our eyes, nose, and mouth have mucous membranes that can provide bacteria to enter our bodies. Therefore, wash your face and make sure to remove makeup.

Cover your mouth when you are coughing or sneezing.

It is always important to cover your coughing or sneezing with your elbow. You should not cough with your mouth because your hands will need to be washed and as you touch doors or other objects in order to wash your hands, your germs can become a disadvantage to others who touch the same objects. 

Do not burden others if you are sick.

Even if you are down with a common cold, think of others around the environment and do not come in close contact with others. This way we can prevent everyone from getting sick. 

Regular Masks will not help.

While many tend to use masks and believe that they will be able to avoid the virus, this is false. Masks actually should be used if you are constantly sneezing or coughing or if you are taking care of someone with COVID-19. (If you are using a mask, make sure you are washing your hands constantly and you are not reusing single masks).Otherwise, masks will not help you avoid the virus. Instead, make sure you are not touching your face.

Do not travel and try to stay home.

If you travel to different locations, your risks of exposure to the virus will increase. In addition, you can get infected if you are near someone who does not know they have the virus. Usually, a person will show signs 2-14 days after they come in contact with the virus. Also do not try to raid the supermarket or stores because we should consider those who are vulnerable to resources such as the elderly or sick. (Raiding the toilet paper at Costco will not save you from the virus).

Be kind to everyone.

When we are in a panic, we tend to forget the act of kindness. Do not make negative racial comments to other communities because as humans, we are all trying to fight this epidemic. Pointing or calling someone inappropriate comments are not the cures to this virus. Be kind to those in the medical field and people who work at grocery stores. Those people are trying their best to help the community. Our generation can do our best by showing kindness and making sure we are keeping everyone safe. 

Bezzy takes the stage

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Julius Joseph in Features

Julius Joseph

Chronicle Reporter

Jabez Byrd, also known as “Bezzy”, received information from his history teacher, Francisco Juarez, about a contest to perform at a famous play. The play he competed for was Hamilton, a musical play which tells the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton. 

The competition required the contestants to perform a song that they’ve created. Among all the other contestants, Jabez won the first part of the competition. However, because Jabez did so well, he was chosen to perform at the Pantages along with nine other talented students. 

So when can we see Jabez perform at the Pantages? Sadly, the Pantages have been postponed. Due to COVID-19, coronavirus, the Hamilton play has been temporarily shut down.

Killing time during the quarantine

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Nayeli Alviar in Features

Nayeli Alviar

Photo Editor

With LAUSD schools shut down due to the COVID-19 epidemic students were let go for two weeks. This being said learning and school work is still a requirement for the students and teachers during those two weeks. But besides all the school work that was assigned to students, there are other ways to distract yourself. On March 15, 2020 Mayor Eric Garcetti made the announcement that public places like dine-in restaurants, entertainment venues, and gyms were all going to be closed to the public. This means that most activities to kill time during this quarantine will now have to be in the comfort of your own home. 

To help make this quarantine experience a bit more bearable here’s some things to do while you’re trapped inside :

• Music:
• Without disturbing your surrounding neighbors, pick up an instrument and practice.
• Sing ‘When Will My Life Begin’ from Tangled cause we are all feeling like Rapunzel right about now.
• Social Media: 
• With Tik Tok being a trend right now learn some Tik Tok dances and have fun with it. 
• Creativity: 
• Try new makeup and hair styles. You never know what creative side you got in you until you try. 
• Do any form of art projects. Paint, scrap booking, coloring books, or draw.
• Rearrange your room to make it look like a completely new setting.
• Read or even write a book. 
• Movie Night Everynight?:
• Watch a new movie everyday. (All those long movies you decided to avoid in the past will now come in handy.)
• Stay in Touch:
• Use apps like FaceTime, Skype, and Google Hangouts to talk to all your friends cause 2 weeks is a lot of time without them. 
• Family Time: 
• Play board games with your family. Do things like puzzles and charades. 
• Food:
• Being considerate of the food available in your household, try a new recipe. Whether it be in your cooking or baking skills. 

These two weeks might feel quite lengthy but keeping your spirits up will help with everything going on. Simple things like washing our hands for 20 or more seconds (you can also choose to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice) can make a huge difference. So rest up during these two weeks, catch up on all missing work, keep track of all work being assigned by teachers, and stay safe and healthy.

Jumping into the New Year and New Semester

Posted on December 13, 2019 by alexander oppenheimer in Features

Alexander Oppenheimer
Chronicle Reporter

With the first semester of Hollywood High School coming to an end in the next 7 days, students have a lot to look forward to in the new semester. Getting a fresh start for students who may not be happy with their current grades in their classes, or students who just want a break and have some free time during break. Then there are the seniors who have the stress lifted off their shoulders with finishing the ominous “senior project”. For all the students of Hollywood get excited for the new semester and new year where everything seems to be changing, the decade, you can change your habits, your choices, make this upcoming year one of the best.

Check out these foods for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Julius Joseph in Features

Julius Joseph
Chronicle Reporter

Thanksgiving is next week, and food is the top priority. Foods you can try out this Thanksgiving could be: green bean casserole, roasted sweet potatoes with honey, Hawaiian rolls, creamed corn bread, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, and baked potatoes.

These food choices are absolutely delicious and will make you full in no time. However, you still need to save room for the best course, the desserts. Here are some choices of Thanksgiving desserts: caramel spices pumpkin parfait, pecan pie bars, upside down pumpkin pie, candied yams, strawberry shortcake tiramisu, and double chocolate & caramel turtle trifle.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

National Diabetes Day taking place today

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Melisa Lovos in Features

Melisa Lovos

Chronicle Reporter

The primary world diabetes awareness and education campaign is being held today, Nov. 14- each year. This was first created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Foundation and the World Health Organization to have the people become aware of its prevention as well as its costliness, and to celebrate the fact that insulin was brought as a treatment against it, brought in the year 1992.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the blood glucose (or blood sugar) is too high. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps the glucose from food to get into the cells and be used for energy. When the cells don’t receive enough glucose, it may result in fatigue and weakness. 

“One of the struggles is constantly having to be checking sugar levels, which means constant pinching fingers. And depending on the sugar levels is how urgent the situation is and we have to watch what we eat- what we have at home” says SAS junior, Leslie Rodriguez.

Ways of preventing diabetes, accoring to Heathline.com, include, cutting sugar and refined carbs from your diet, working out regularly, drinking water as a primary beverage, losing weight if overweight or obese, quiting smoking (if smoke), follow a very low carb diet, watch portion sizes, and avoiding sedentary beverages. 

While having diabetes is a major health issue, it is clear that it is very time-consuming and costly endeavor, as the economic cost of diabetes globally is around $245 billion (US).

The Spook on Campus

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Julia Rouillard in Features

Julia Rouillard

Chronicle Reporter

This Halloween teachers and students dressed up all around campus. Many teachers got into spirit and had fun with their classes. Some teachers passed out candy and had different lessons than usual.

The best costume this Halloween was Mr. Milton as Thanos, catching everyone by surprise with his infinity gauntlet. Other good costumes were Dr. Kiesler as a mad scientist and Michaela Trelby, TCA Junior as a Vampire. Many people also wore onesies this Halloween to stay on the comfy side.

Plan your spooky night

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Guadalupe Dominguez in Features

Guadalupe Dominguez Trujillo

Crimson Chronicle Reporter

Still looking for something spooky to do today? Checkout these events in the LA area. 

1. Looking for the fright of your life visit Universal Studios for their Halloween Horror Nights. This year Universal has decided to open the upside down again and allow visitors into the world of Stranger Things. They open their doors at 7:00pm and tickets start at $72.
2. Or you could join the West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnaval, which begins on Sunset Blvd. This free event not only lets you enjoy the horrifying costumes of the carnival goers but also live music.
3. If hayrides are more of your setting visit Griffith Park home of the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride. For only $35 you can enter Midnight Falls, the town that celebrates Halloween everyday, at 7:00pm.
4. More than 200 monsters await you at The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor. If that isn’t enough to get your hair on end the creaky narrow staircases and mazes will. The price to step on The Queen Mary’s deck at 7:00pm  is only $35 (not including other fees).
5. Last but not least put on a costume and go around the neighborhood trick or treating. 

To enjoy this spooky day remember to be safe. Happy Halloween!!

Veganism in Hollywood

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Cheyan Metcalfe in Features

Cheyan Metcalfe

Chronicle Reporter

Veganism is making its round at Hollywood High.

Vegan options are now available for lunch that feature whole grain cheese pizza wedges, bean and cheese pupusas, and a plant based burger called the “Possible” burger. It helps prevent students that don’t eat meat from skipping lunch. I myself, have been pescatarian for seven months and whenever I have a salad for lunch I would have to take out every bit of chicken and eat it plain.

In addition, Hollywood High’s Vegan club is teaming up with book club to create a cook book just for vegans. This is well needed since the rate the rate of veganism is increasing in the world.

Going vegan is beneficial in various ways and will lead to longevity in life. For example, a vegan diet protects against cancers, lowers your risk of heart disease, decreases anxiety, improves your skin, and your quality of sleep. A vegan diet consists plant milk, nuts, seeds, salad, tofu, and other minimally processed meat substitutes. Eating animal products aren’t safe because they contain harmful contaminants including dioxins, mercury, and bacteria that affects our health. It’s not as difficult as you think to stop eating meat. You would still get enough protein and if you really love animals then you have to stop consuming them.