Hollywood High • Home of the Sheiks The Crimson Chronicle 1521 N. HIGHLAND AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90028 VOLUME VII, ISSUE I OCTOBER 2009 Test Scores Skyrocket 89 Points KIARA HURTADO years to improve by this much. ment, meaning this school did NEWS EDITOR The average score that the School 2009 Score not meet the required API score school receives on the CST, de- of 800 points, the highest being Hollywood High School met termines the ranking of the Fairfax 733 1000 points. In order to get out the school’s target for the Aca- school. This report helps con- of Program Improvement, the demic Performance Index (API) clude which schools need to Hollywood 702 school must meet the API target Report. The API score is the improve and which schools are Marshall 665 for two consecutive years. Since overall student scores of the doing well academically. HHS met the target last school California Standards Test (CST), After comparing Hollywood’s Bernstein 541 year, HHS must meet that tar- which was taken in May. API score with other high school get once more this school year The API score increased by 89 scores, Hollywood ranked sec- to get out of Program Improve- points for the 2008-09 school ond most improved compre- nities and traditional calendar, lieves it was the “demographic ment. year. Hollywood went from hensive high school in all of said Principal Jaime Morales. changes,” like the addition of Morales says he wants to scoring 613 points in 2007-08 California. HHS also ranked the HHS went through a lot of advisories that helped HHS im- thank “all teachers and stu- to 702 points in 2008-09. What most improved comprehensive changes last year, like having prove their API score. Accord- dents for getting us where we do these 89 points mean? These high school in LAUSD. a new principal and changing ing to Miller, schools with tradi- are in academic growth” and he 89 points are actually a remark- Several factors aided this im- from a year-round calendar to a tional calendar do better by ten said that “this year we want to able improvement because it provement, such as the transi- traditional calendar. Ray Miller, points. reach 800.” usually takes a school three tion to small learning commu- Student Data Coordinator be- HHS is in Program Improve- Hollywood’s Spirit Week Reaches its Peak CHARLES RAINEY team, drum line, etc. a “Red Carpet Affair.” Equiva- CHRONICLE REPORTER - lent to one of those parties that ished, then preparations for actors and actresses would at- Throughout this entire week, the OnceHomecoming the Pep Game rally willis finbe- tend, except this a dance for school spirit has reached its gun. Don’t miss the astonishing high school students. zenith. Coming along with the showdown between the Holly- Students don’t need to show wood Sheiks and Roybal Titans, up to the Homecoming Dance Homecoming game, parade, junior varsity starting 4 PM, dressed in an expensive tuxedo, andfinal dance.days of The Spirit pep Week rally is the varsity starting at 7 PM. or a ridiculous dress.“Everyone SHEIKS VS. TITANS is this Friday October 9th, 2009 starting at 4:00PM. Buy your tckets before the game and save! event in which the Homecom- The Homecoming Parade will is there to look nice and have ing weekend will start. also take place around 6 PM. fun,” says George Thomas “A fund raiser was organized by cantankerousness and mental All classes will follow the Many clubs will participate in Hayes, Leadership Advisor. A us to provide for a professional states of unawareness. The rays schedule of a shortened day, the parade, as well as leader- hint of formality should be rep- DJ.” says Leroy Smith, Leader- of the sun are quite powerful, but all students will be released ship students. resented in the way students ship Chairman for Events. and consistently underestimat- from school as if it were a nor- After that momentous day, dress, to impress, but the dance If the idea of having another ed until one realizes the power mal day. After sixth period, all is a night for all guests to have a pep rally is irritable, because of the heat; the pain seems to students will be lead to the au- will be the dance. The dance great time. of the previous ones that were override the student’s mind ditorium; that is where the pep willthe finalbe located event atof school,Homecoming in the The decorations, music, and arguably unecessary, then there more than the entertainment rally will be held. big gymnasium commencing at most of all the attendants will will be no reason for any anger. that is attempted to be offered From 2:10 PM to 3:13 PM, stu- 7:00 ending at 11:00 PM. Liv- create the atmosphere around It is true, every previous Pep by the pep rally performers. In dents and staff will be audience ing up to the fame and popular- the whole gym; students should a useless struggle to commu- members for a unique show put ity of the city of Hollywood, the grasp the style of a celebrity. Af- in which the intense sun would nicate to these lifeless and un- together by cheerleaders, drill theme of the dance is noted as ter all, this is the city of the stars. distressRally was many located students, on the causing field, See page eight State Budget Cuts Affect Teachers, Custodians and Students KARLA SAMAYOA job does not include cleaning tor and Intervention Specialist, Climaco say, “I feel that these might also not happen this year. CHRONICLE REPORTER the school. One custodian has asks for a favor, “We would like trying times call for us to pull Climaco hopes that these pro- to be dedicated to cleaning the to ask all of our students to help together as a family, and that it grams will not be canceled. In the fall quarterly newsletter school’s pool, leaving only two us keep our campus clean, and is that unity as the Hollywood Even though Hollywood is sent to parents, LAUSD revealed people in charge of the entirety they could do that by making High School family that will pull working with fewer resources, that in the next two years, there of the school, which includes sure they put their trash in the us through.” roughly 95 classrooms, the trash can.” Some students are in need of the water. A great deal of this added to the $700.9 million gymnasium, the locker rooms, In the year 2002, there were extra services such as Saturday successit is still goes trying to theto floathard abovework- fromwould thebe a 2008-2009$1.3 billion deficit,school the quad, the cafeteria, etc. three budgets dedicated to- school or tutoring or CAHSEE ing staff and teachers that try year. Some 2,519 teachers, Two people provided by wards paying for clerical sup- prep. In the 2009 school year, to make the school function along with 3,228 support staff LAUSD are in charge of clean- port, custodial staff, and cam- Saturday classes are no longer smoothly. ing the restrooms, but also try pus aid. The budgets amounted being offered. Tutoring pro- Joseph Nacorda, Assistant let go. But what does this mean to help with duties that are not to more than $200,000 for the grams are only made available Prinicipal expresses the same toand Hollywood classified High personnel School? were truly theirs, such as cleaning because of the LACER program. sentiments. “In times of eco- In the past year, quite a few the campus. The night staff has and ends June 30th of the next nomic recession, all of us have teachers were let go or demoted year.fiscal year, In thewhich year begins 2009, July there 1st days, four hours each day, of to do our share of doing more and some of them are on vaca- is only one budget, which has preparationSenior boot camp,for the which CAHSEE, is five for less.” It is all a matter of of our custodians. Hollywood tiona personnel or work of during only five a different people, been reduced to less than 10% might be canceled. Tenth grade pushing through till the end. Highalong is with left almostwith three fifty custodipercent- part of the year. of the original: $16,000. That is pullout where sophomores ans and a plant manager, whose Tadeo Climaco, Administra- a difference of over $184,000. practice for their CAHSEEs, INDEX Man on the street Social Networking This Month in History Student interviews on the The use of social networking What happened around the world 2 • Op/Ed 6 • Entertainment and its real world application in this month in history 3 • News 8 • Sports first day Seeback Page at school 2 See Pages 4 & 5 See Page 6 2 OCTOBER 2009 OP/ED ID badges: really necessary? Letters JAFET BUCARAM Mr. Steinberg’s Government class CHRONICLE REPORTER states their opinion about the war in Afghanistan. It all starts with one photograph, with give a sense of division to the school. lanyards distribution, said that the - The lanyards have different colors; IDs must be visible and will have to be By sending more troops we are just add- how out of the blue, we end up with a worn around the neck. This shouldn’t ing to the number of deaths and wounds smalljust one version flash toof theour eyes.face, Thenon a somecard, in our school. For example, SAS has be considered fair. Students shouldn’t to a never-ending battle.