AP Security Breach Causes Scandal
Posted on May 10, 2015 by Kiyoshi Koiwai in News
Casey Koiwai
Chronicle Reporter
In response to a testing breach on the May 5 AP Calculus exam in which a student brought in a phone and reportedly took photos, the school issued a new policy that the students must not bring any personal items into the testing area. These include backpacks, purses, gym bags, and books. Students are responsible for where to store their belongings and if it is stolen or damaged, the student is liable for anything that happens.
Heather Brown, college counselor, and Raul Grijalva, SAS counselor, did not disclose any details about what happened during and after the AP Calculus exam other than to say it is ongoing process with College Board. Principal Alejandra Sanchez said, ” [We will] continue with security measures…[the student did] violate a rule.”
“If a student is caught with a cell phone, they will be asked to leave the testing area,” said Brown. “Even if you had it in your pocket, you will be asked to leave and store it safely away from the testing location. Sometimes the proctor will be nice and store our phones in a box while testing, but it not their responsibility for our phones.
Then on the AP Literature test on May 6th, a female student was caught with her cell phone and was asked to leave. And again on May 13th on the AP Language test, a male student was caught with his phone and asked to leave.
“[Hollywood High School] has always enforced College Board’s rules,” said Brown, “We increased testing security above and beyond while putting the inconvenience on the students.”
According to the College Board bulletin on AP exams, “A student observed with any of the any of these devices during the testing or breaks may be dismissed from the exam room, and the device may be confiscated.” Included among the devices are cell phones.
“College Board reserves the right to decline to score an AP Exam or cancel an AP Exam score when, in its judgement, any of the following occurs…[in order to] …prevent any students from gaining an unfair advantage,” according to the bulletin.
Students in the AP calculus test were concerned that their test scores were going to be cancelled. Brown responded by saying that “everyone’s test scores are safe and there is no problem so far…[unless] if a group of students scores are negatively affected then [the school] will respond accordingly.”
Before the testing, students are encouraged to eat a hearty breakfast. Students who rely on Breakfast in the Classroom for nutrition are unfortunate, because College Board’s hard 8 a.m. start time prevents students from eating Breakfast in the Classroom.
What defines Earth day
Posted on April 27, 2015 by Kiyoshi Koiwai in Op-Ed
Casey Koiwai
Chronicle Reporter
In celebration of Earth Day on Apr. 22, we must keep our planet healthy and clean. By picking up a piece of trash and putting it in its respective compost bin, we lower the growth of the Garbage Patch, which is the size of Texas. By switching from plastic bottles to reusable bottles, we reduce the production of harmful plastics and decrease polluting our oceans. By turning off electronics, we reduce the waste of our electricity consumption.
With limited resources, it is crucial that we perform more eco-friendly acts everyday. We only have one planet and the amount of trash we produce is growing. The famous phrase, “reduce, reuse, recycle” can only make a scratch in the growing destruction of our planet if we do not encourage cleaner living.
Take a day to plant trees in your neighborhood, or ride your bike around town instead of driving. If you do need to drive around then think about the car you are driving. Is it a compact car, SUV or sedan? The car you drive release harmful emissions so in accordance to California’s strict SMOG regulation, our cars must be checked every other renewal period. They must also have the proper amounts of fluids to function easier.
Try turning off the power for a day or two each week to do something proactive: play outside, go to the gym, or sit outside and stare at the big blue sky. While in class, open the classroom windows allows more sunlight and fresh air to lighten up the room.
H2O, three elements that create the essence of life. If you did not know, California is in a water crisis, suffering through several severe droughts. California may have to ask other states for water, as a result water prices will rises higher than they ever been.
Instead of Earth Day, it should be called Earth Year or Earth Millenium to encourage eco-friendly living. Leave a comment below about what has you done to keep our planet healthy and clean this year?
Insur(divergent)t
Posted on March 22, 2015 by Kiyoshi Koiwai in Entertainment
Angie Quintanilla
Chronicle Reporter
Insurgent, the second installment of the Divergent Trilogy, was released in theaters Friday March 20. The movie, starring Shailene Woodley and Kate Winslet, made $21 million on opening day, passing the Cinderella movie by a long run.
As you may recall, the first movie of the Trilogy Divergent ended with Tris and Four (Theo James) escaping the dauntless facility and the evil leader Jeanine, played by Kate Winslet. The pair, along with Tris’s brother Caleb and Four’s father and fr-enemy Peter, took refuge in Amity (The Hippy Faction). They remained there until the faction was raided by Jeanine’s minions, forcing them to once again escape and end up in the faction-less headquarters. Four was reunited with his mother who abandoned him as a child. She offers him an alliance with intentions to bring down Jeanine. With much contempt, he agrees and brings the remaining dauntless and faction-less together.
Overall, Insurgent is definitely worth watching. It had many action-packed scenes yet several emotional scenes to balance it out. In the book, the relationship between Four and Tris is much more emphasised than in the film. Their “love” scene was very quick and subtle, making the film PG-13. Also, the characters’ development throughout the movie is just like the book. I don’t’ think Director Robert Schwentke could have chosen a better cast.
To learn more about Insurgent’s ratings and cast check out IMDb
Isabel Quintero, a girl like you
Posted on February 22, 2015 by Kiyoshi Koiwai in Entertainment
Angie Quintanilla
Chronicle reporter
Author Isabel Quintero is a writer, poet, and English professor who tore down barriers with her novel “Gabi, a Girl In Pieces.” Quintero won several awards for her debut novel: William C. Morris Award, the Tomas Rivera Award, and is in the Best-of Young Adult Book List of 2014.
Quintero visited the Will and Ariel Durant Library on Thursday March 20, 2014.
Quintero said, “Gabi, a Girl In Pieces” took about seven years to write and to publish because she originally intended for it to be a poetry style book. An agent urged her to change it to a novel so she had to edit and change the vernacular of that of a teenage girl. Quintero said she did not struggle with this change because she has “many young nieces and nephews and a friend’s daughter helped with edit[s].”
Certain publishers rejected Quintero, but she emphasised more on the surrealness of her success. She said it is “almost like an out of body experience. I’m in LA for writing this book”.
She also mentions how the main character, Gabi, is based on her life as a teenager and her dreams to be someone else. The book addresses some of feminism ideas Quintero faced as an adolescent. For example, in the novel, Gabi is conflicted when she has feelings for a boy but already has a boyfriend. Gabi is afraid of expressing her sexuality to both boys but is worried of becoming a “slut.” Quintero addresses other issues throughout the novel like teen pregnancy and identity problems.
What sets Quintero’s novel apart is it focuses on Mexican-American culture. It has many Spanglish (Spanish-English) terms, cultural references and accurately depicts the life of a Mexican teenager. The fact that Gabi is a poet and an all-around intelligent girl while a minority is different yet inspiring.
“It is difficult to connect when you do not see yourself in the book,” Quintero said. “People of color have been writing for a very long time. Not just two years ago.”
“I teach so I do not write 8 hours a day… I just carry a Moleskin around and write something” Quintero said in response to some questions regarding her writing routine. Quintero ended her presentation with an excerpt from the novel.
Love or consumerism?
Posted on February 15, 2015 by Kiyoshi Koiwai in Op-Ed
Brandon Argueta
Chronicle Reporter
The ideal gifts for Valentine’s Day was flowers, chocolate, and a stuffed animal. Handmade gifts are the hardest to create but leave a lasting impression. These small gestures on Valentine’s Day made our partner feel special. With the growth of internet and other technological advancements, businesses take the opportunity to advertise their Valentine’s Day deals and products. We often notice advertisements offering special deals for Valentine’s Day, like Verizon Wireless offering deals on the latest phones and tablets. Verison persuades people to join their services by asking consumers, “What will you get your valentine this year?”
Is it right to use Valentine’s Day to promote consumerism? Is a new phone or a tablet the new ideal gift? How will you change the celebration of Valentine’s Day?
Movie review: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
Posted on February 9, 2015 by Kiyoshi Koiwai in Entertainment
Casey Koiwai
Chronicle Reporter
The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is ocean-size fun as Spongebob and the gang find the Krabby patty secret formula. The movie begins with a classic rivalry between Plankton and the Krusty Krab. The conflict continues until the formula magically disappears and Spongebob and Plankton are to blame as the city becomes a post-apocalyptic world.
The movie is fun and entertaining for all ages. From his first exploration onto land to his super-powered fight today, it is a reminder of the classic Spongebob with a modern twist. One example is including Epic Rap Battles of History’s Lloyd Ahlquist (EpicLLOYD) and Peter Alexis Shukoff (Nice Peter) as cameo actors and songwriters for the ending song.
Overall, it is an entertaining movie but with some minor story issues and trite movie cliches that are only used to process the story. Even though it is a children’s movie, it can be enjoyed by adults too; it references famous books and films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Avengers but with the fun of Spongebob.
Are you insured?
Posted on December 14, 2014 by Kiyoshi Koiwai in News
Casey Koiwai
Chronicle Reporter
Health insurance is the last thing to be concerned about, but there’s a way for you and your family to have affordable to free health care. Covered California is a LAUSD-approved program for people to have the available information about health care and other additional support. There are 4 different levels of coverage: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. “At each level, all insurance plans offer the same benefits, allowing consumers to determine which level is best for them based on the expected use of medical services,” said in the Covered California Fact Sheet. The bronze coverage is the least cost per month at the expense of high medical bill. While platinum is their premium package, offering the highest cost per month but almost everything is paid for medical expenses.
On their website, they can calculate the best possible coverage. All they ask for is the number of people in the household, the annual income, ZIP code, age of the oldest person in the household, and if anyone has any disabilities such as blindness or pregnant. Or if you are a dependent child, you are still eligible for Medi-Cal or financial help through Covered California. According to Mr. Fenderson, “their goal is to inform the public about general health care and not get the most people to sign up.”
Mr. Fenderson offered his services last semester but he was not successful. He spoke to his classes about the program but not many people wanted to sign up. This year, he encourages Leadership to participate in the teen outreach program where they contact at least 10 people, if they are relatives or acquaintances, about the kind of services Covered California has to offer. If you wish to help, enrollment is open until Feb. 15 and training until Jan. 22, or contact Mr. Fenderson in Room 222.
Don’t forget the turkey
Posted on November 25, 2014 by Kiyoshi Koiwai in Op-Ed
Silas Samayoa
Chronicle Reporter
Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to gather around to enjoy the little things life has to offer and to be thankful for them. Thanksgiving is like no other day, but we seem to be forgetful in our society to giving thanks. This is a holiday centers tremendous emphasis on “getting” instead of “giving”.
It seems like no one wants to appreciate what they have. Thanksgiving has lost its place in people’s heart and its values seem to diminish every year that passes. Right after people gather around and say grace for everything they have, they are lined up outside a store waiting to get new things that are better than what they already possess.
In addition, Thanksgiving is a day where everyone congregates at the dinner table and has a wonderful time, but it’s values have even been outshined by the food. Food is great, but without meaning Thanksgiving becomes a day when everyone just eats more than what they can chew. And so many people only celebrate Thanksgiving to end up with leftovers for the next week. Kids don’t want to give thanks, they want turducken (a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey, yum!).
There is no need to go to a church or temple to simply pause and be grateful. Stopping and helping others who are less fortunate is a great way to show appreciation for what we have. It’s called Thanksgiving not Ungrateful Taking.
Penguins of Bosses
Posted on November 25, 2014 by Kiyoshi Koiwai in Entertainment
Not only enjoy the turkey and gravy, but also enjoy the the Thanksgiving films: Penguins of Madagascar & Horrible Bosses 2
Hovhannes Maghakyan
Chronicle Reporter
Penguins of Madagascar is a spin-off of the Madagascar series and takes place after Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. Penguins of Madagascar will release in theaters on November 26, 2014. The movie follows the four penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private on a spy mission which brings them to a place called North Wind, an undercover task force that helps animals who can’t help themselves. The penguins must work with North Wind and its team leader, Classified, a gray wolf, to prevent Dr. Octavius Brine, an octopus from taking over the world.
Brandon Argueta
Chronicle Reporter
Director and creator of Horrible Bosses, Sean Anders, is back with the sequel, Horrible Bosses 2. This time the story revolves around Nick, Dale, and Kurt, actors from the first movie, who decide to become their own bosses by creating their own business The problem is that a sneaky investor, hijacks their business from them. In order to regain control of their business they come up with a plan to kidnap the investors adult son in order to ransom him and take their business back. Will the bosses go to jail? Find out by watching the movie, premiering on Wednesday November 26.
Absences-Minded
Posted on October 31, 2014 by Kiyoshi Koiwai in News
Jocelyne Gutierrez
Angie Quintanilla
Crimson Chronicle Reporters
While at the college fair, Ms.Payne, the senior counselor, made an announcement regarding attendance. For seniors to be allowed to walk the stage at the Hollywood Bowl, they are allowed to miss only seven days of school year. For those who want to graduate in white cap and gown, they are only allowed at most five absences.This has caused much confusion among students because of the misunderstanding about what is considered an excused absence.
To clarify exactly what is classified as an absence, it is simply any period of time a student does not attend one or more classes. The confusion is, if a student was absent due to a class field trip or any class related event, would his absence be excused or unexcused? Excused absences are cleared when it is due to, but not limited to illness, attending a family funeral or jury duty. However, Ms. Torres, who is in charge of monitoring the students’ attendance, must have documentation that proves their participation in the activity or appointment to clear the absence. Parent notes are sometimes sufficient; however, a doctor’s note is preferred, especially if a student is out for more than two days consecutively. On the other hand, any absence for reasons other than listed before are not excused and will result in the student being truant after the third period of the whole day. Concerning absences, due to a field trip or a school activity, will only be cleared if a student or his teacher submits a list to the attendance office explaining the participation. This will be the only way to not count it as an unexcused absence.
When asked what they think of the policy, quite a few responded positively. “It is fair because it shows commitment from students”, says Josue Quinteros, SAS senior. TCA Senior Patty Castro says, “It is good because it keeps us in control and sets a boundary.” However, there were those who are completely opposed to it such as TCA Senior Leslie Chang who believe the “school should not limit the days we can miss” because “we have personal events”. Ms. Torres said, “Attendance is important…come to school everyday.” Do you agree or disagree with this policy?
