High school lesson : you reap what you sow
Posted on June 2, 2019 by ethan murga in Op-Ed
Ethan Murga
News Editor
The four years went by quick … not really. High school came with friends from elementary, middle school, kids that moved from other schools and upper-class men who were already here.
So “it went by quickly”, that’s an overstatement. It was like running a mile: fast, then slow, then almost there and then the last lap took forever. But the beginning of the last lap, trying to figure out where you’ll run next, that’s when you reflect on yourself and who you are. Did you learn anything during the previous three laps, how to pace yourself, maybe. Or even savor the moments of high school.
Everyone comes up with new ideas, beliefs and actions after the four years that contribute to the timeline that determines who you will be, over who you’re supposed to be.
“You reap what you sow” comes out a little negative because nobody ever wants to face consequences, and that is what it’s all about.
So my point here is: address every problem because you’ll always face it sooner or later, in other words, “you reap what you sow”.
This is the advice portion, and this is where I’ll share the insight I do have. Something I have learned early on is that if you think about it everyone will have some regret or some dark days, but where it matters most is if you let the regret and dark days conquer you or you take something new out of them.
So senior year hits right and now I’m the News Editor for Journalism, I represent the “student voice” in ASB / Leadership and also I’m the Bulletin Editor for Key Club. Oh and on top of that I have a job. Okay so on paper for college this looks outstanding right, well, I got into five colleges. So, what did I take from all these activities that would eat up my time?
Well, the newspapers had some (an understatement) of mistakes on the news portion, I hardly ever spoke up in Leadership “to represent” the students, the whole year I went to like four Key Club events and stopped posting on social media a little more than half way into the school year, but I did do my submissions and then there’s my job. I worked a lot of hours and got a handful of experience in being yelled at by people who were bothered by something else beyond me and paid a bill or two at home with the money I made.
What have I taken from these obstacles and their outcomes? The newspaper has made me pay attention to every detail especially in life and read over everything thousands of times; ASB that you cannot control others and many things in life nor speak for them; Key Club that failure is good and important and my job has taught me millions of things, but mostly how much a dollar is worth. My closest friends have taught me to prioritize them because they’ve redeemed themselves as my backbone and family. All of these situations where I found myself in a difficult place have each taught me a different lesson that I can apply into my next situation.
So it’s like yeah, you may ask “why’d I sign yourself up for all that and then not even follow through?” well, it’s tough. Do you really want to resign, of course not. So what did I do, I reaped what I sowed. I faced the consequences and that’s how I learned to live and that’s okay. The lesson most predominating from what I took from my four years altogether is to learn from the obstacles you go through and apply what you learned to the next chapter of your life.
Missing France but glad to have moved here
Posted on May 29, 2019 by Alex Glebov in Op-Ed
Alex Glebov
Chronicle Reporter
It is pretty crazy to me that I have been living in America for two years already. I moved here from France when I was 17. It feels that it wasn’t even long ago that I was back in France going to my high school there, but now it’s been two whole years since I moved, and I’m now a senior who is right about to graduate. It’s really a weird feeling that it’s the end of high school for me and that I’m moving on to college soon. I’m honestly really excited for college and can’t wait to see what will happen there.
I do have to say that I miss France; the sea there was really beautiful and I do miss my friends, but I’m glad that I moved here. I met a lot of new wonderful people and just had a blast being here. Moving to a new country was a really nice change of pace for me, and I’m really happy that I ended up coming here.
A message to all Sheiks
Posted on May 29, 2019 by Mayeli Acuna in Op-Ed
Mayeli Acuna
Chronicle Reporter
With graduation just around the corner, all I’ve been thinking about is whether I am college ready. To be quite honest, I believe I am and starting all over is pretty exciting. High school took a massive toll on me and I’m sure in various of my peers. It is pretty hard to explain my feelings towards high school, but I can say it was a learning experience.
High school taught me much more than precalculus or how to find the literary devices in a piece of literature. It taught me that people who were once in your high school life will part ways, that self-care is a grand necessity and most importantly being content with who you are as a individual. I never thought that high school would be the place where I lost myself completely. The constant work thrown and the pressure of expecting so much from myself as not only a student, but as a human being. I am not gonna lie and say high school was as amazing as they partake in a film. It is not all dances and football games. It is a cycle of social life, school work and so much more, but growing as an individual plays a massive role in this cycle.
As the school year comes to end, it makes me reflect on my high school experiences. I lost contact with people, I met new people, I branched out, I formed cherishing bonds with my fellow peers and teachers, I lost myself mentally, but I have blossomed into an individual who is ready to see the outside world beyond Hollywood High.
I don’t mean to frighten those who remain in high school, but rather leave them with a message of hope. Everything will be okay, no matter how hard it gets and you are forming into someone amazing. High school is simply the road to the real world, we are thrown obstacles in this small community and our duty is to keep pushing through them. Once completing these courses, the blooming begins. Here is a message from a senior of the class of 2019, life goes beyond high school and all you can do is push.
Like any other year
Posted on May 21, 2019 by Rafael Hernandez in Op-Ed
Rafael Hernandez
Chronicle Reporter
A good two weeks before graduation day and so far senior year has felt like any other year. I made new friends and tried new things. The senior project was not so hard but time consuming. Applying to colleges in November was fun and exciting, applying for FAFSA was a little stressing, and finding out whether I got accepted into the colleges I applied to was very scary.
Senior Breakfast at Dave & Buster’s was fun but the food did not satisfy my expectations. The bagel was hard as a rock and the eggs tasted disgusting. The bacon was dripping in grease. Yuck. The fun part about it were the games.
The one thing that was very disappointing about senior year was the lack of senior activities. I’d say that the only one was Senior Breakfast. Disneyland didn’t feel at all worth the price.
That is why senior year felt like any other year.
Class of 2019 take a trip to Disneyland
Posted on May 13, 2019 by Kimberly Figueroa in Op-Ed
Chronicle Reporter
Kimberly Figueroa
On Friday May 10, seniors at Hollywood High celebrated gradnite at Disneyland and California Adventure. The night was filled with festivities to honor the class of 2019. Seniors arrived at the park at 7pm and began to explore what Disneyland and California Adventure had to offer. California Adventure closed to the public at 12pm in order to begin to celebrate the seniors. There was a dance party, light and water show, and fireworks.
Senior Monica Sanchez shared her thoughts regarding gradnite. She said “It was not worth the money and was very unorganized.”
The ticket was $165 and included the park hopper. Many seniors had a different opinion on gradnite and they were all mostly negative. To begin with, the bus driver got lost and did not know where to drop the second bus group of seniors. Because of this, our students lost an hour of being at the park. To end the night, one of the buses broke down, so the first group of seniors had to leave on a school bus.
Overall, gradnite was a good way to spend time with friends, but it could’ve been better.
High school journalists refine their skills at convention
Posted on April 29, 2019 by Sidney Gonzalez in Op-Ed
Sidney Gonzalez
Chronicle Reporter
The National High School Journalism Convention was recently held to further the skills of young journalists and yearbook contributors.
It was held April 25-29 at the Hilton of Anaheim, California. It consisted of workshops along with speakers where students and their advisers alike could attend and take notes. Some topics included the representation of the LGBTQ+ community, photojournalism, jump-starting creativity, leadership, and how to write good first drafts. Schools came from around the country, some from here in California and even Hawaii. There was around 3,500 attendants for the event.
Overall, for me the experience was overall a good one because of all the interesting options. One particular workshop that stood out was one centered around getting better interviews. As a reporter, interviews are so important because they further occurrences. They had us all practice different handshakes and also gave tips to improve questions. The 30-10-3 process is very useful in this. In this, prepare 30 questions, plan on asking only 10, and shoot for three solid questions.
There was also a lot of emphasis on the telling the stories of individuals. Focusing in on the community and the lives of community members allows newspapers and readers to connect on a more personal level and readers to be interested.
To anyone who is interested in writing and passionate in getting the truth out, I recommend joining Journalism next year. It can help you improve your writing while giving a voice to your passions in our school community.
Furry Friends
Posted on April 23, 2019 by Rafael Hernandez in Op-Ed
Rafael Hernandez
Chronicle Reporter
Since I was little I’ve always wanted a dog. My parents always turned down my request because we aren’t able to care for a dog and our apartment isn’t big enough. When I was nine my parents bought me a bird. I found that I was pretty good with birds, they easily trusted me and found that caring for one was very easy. Throughout the years I got different kinds of birds like Doves, Lovebirds, Finches, Budgerigars, and Cockatiels. After a while we either let them go or we give them away to family members we know will take care of them.
Recently I’ve been taking care of two cockatiels that lift my spirits when i come home after school. I’ve had one since freshman year and took in another my junior year. Cockatiels are friendly birds if treated well. Usually when I get home I let them out of their cage to wonder around the apartment. They have gotten use to their surroundings which makes it easier for me to take care of them. Occasionally they eat with us at the dinner table and have their own plate. They like to eat scrambled eggs and rice. I usually have them in my room after school, they like being on my shoulder or on top of my laptop.
I went around school and asked students if they have any pets at home and if so what do they mean to them?
TCA Junior Joseph Guerrero said, “I have two dogs named Leno and coco, these pets mean so much since most of my pets ran away or have died. So these are the first pets I’ve had in a while so I cherish them and try to hold on to them as much as possible. My pets mean the world to me!”
TCA Senior Jonathan Hernandez said, “Yes, I have a dog. Her name is Maggie. She means a lot to me because I can rely and depend on her to make me happy on my down days.”
NMA Senior James Mezovari said, “I do, one of them is named Pablo while the other is Bella. They’re okay. Bella is annoying and Pablos is too but I still love them.”
PAM Senior Daisy Pinto said,”I have two cats and their names are Oreo & Albert. I’ve only had them for a couple of months but they mean the world to me I love both equally.”
College admissions reflection
Posted on March 21, 2019 by Katie Adaya in Op-Ed
Katie Adaya
Chronicle Reporter
Getting rejected by one of the colleges I was looking forward to was very disappointing. It was difficult to deal with it at first, but then I learned how to cope with it. Though it wasn’t easy, I learned how to push through and looked at the bright side.
College admissions are something we all look forward to our second semester of senior year. It can be exciting and heartbreaking to hear back from the colleges we applied to. However, an acceptance or rejection from a college doesn’t define your worth. Whether or not a college accepts you, it doesn’t reflect your full potential, intelligence, or talent. These are all qualities that only you know for yourself, and you shouldn’t let a college define that for you.
Many reasons play into the part as to why you got accepted or not. Although it can sting, a rejection isn’t the end of your life. There are many different opportunities in the colleges you got admitted to, so don’t be afraid to take them. These colleges might not have been the ones you dreamt of, but at the end of the day, they are colleges that you still had an interest in, so might as well give them a try.
At the end of the day, as long as you’re content where you attend that’s all that matters. Try not to focus so much on the negative but focus more on the positive. Always strive for the best and know that at the end of the day anything is possible as long as you work hard.
Short or long periods?
Posted on March 20, 2019 by Rafael Hernandez in Op-Ed
Rafael Hernandez
Chronicle Reporter
From middle school to my first year of high school I grew to the comfort of block schedule.
Three classes a day for two hours. There were benefits from it like having more time in class to finish assignments or homework wouldn’t be due the next day. The thing I dislike about it is that every class is about two hours and sitting for two hours straight can be very draining.
I went around school and asked two students on how do they feel about block schedule and which do they prefer, normal or block schedule?
TCA Senior Giselle Santiago said, “I prefer block schedule because we get time to catch up on work and as a senior it really piles up.”
PAM Senior Daisy Pinto said, “I feel like the block schedule is better because you don’t go to all six classes and feel stressed about multiple assignments due the next day and if your in a class you like you should have no problem.”
I personally don’t like block schedule because I don’t like being stuck with the same people for two straight hours. I like seeing other people and having different conversations throughout the day.
My advice to underclassmen
Posted on March 13, 2019 by Katie Adaya in Op-Ed
Katie Adaya
Chronicle Reporter
As senior year winds down, I would like to reflect upon my past years. Here is some advice I would have told myself based on my experiences and some advice I would like to share with underclassmen.
- Don’t procrastinate: “Due tomorrow do tomorrow” is a common phrase many follow. Don’t wait until the last minute to work on a project, assignment, etc. Although you might get away with it at times, it will catch up one day and you’ll have to face the consequences.
- Join clubs/sports: It’s important to join anything that sparks your interest. You might think that a sport or a club isn’t “for you”, but you never know unless you try. It could also be the other way around. You might think that you like something but once you join you realize that it doesn’t interest you anymore.
- Volunteer: Look for internships or any local organizations and apply to volunteer. You can gain a lot from these volunteering opportunities. For instance, you learn how to work with others, manage your time, expand your knowledge, and discover abilities you didn’t know you had.
- Take your time on college apps: Once again, don’t wait until last minute to complete something as important as your future. Write your essays on time and try to get an admissions counselor to revise your essays and take the advice they give you. Also, don’t forget to research important factors of colleges that interest you, such as the environment, school size, and student life.
- Have fun: With everything being stressful, don’t miss out on after school and school activities, like football games and school dances. Those will be one of the most unforgettable memories you’ll treasure when looking back at your high school years.
