BRAVO NEWS • 1
WORLD & ENTERTAINMENT• 2
BRAVO MEDICAL MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL | LOS ANGELES, CA | VOL. XXXX, ISSUE XVI | WWW.BRAVOWEB.LAUSD.NET| DECEMBER 2020
Distinguished School Award By: Samantha Soto Gonzalez
“Bravo won a National ESEA Distinguished Schools Award. Basically what that means is that every state at their department of education...can select two schools that can be named.” (Mr.Sinclair, Student Information System Coordinator). Last week, Bravo’s staff, Dr.Lopez, Mrs.Wakasa, Mrs.Espinoza, Mr.Moreno, and Mr.Sinclair, attended an awards ceremony in Atlanta to receive the National ESEA Distinguished school awards the school won this year. The school was selected by the state of California along with a middle school as a winner. Yet, why does this award matter? It is important because it adds prestige to the name of the school which in turn the reputation of Bravo students. It is also another beautiful sigil that can be painted at the front of the school.
Decathlon
By: Esmeralda Lemus
This is Mr.Nakamas last year coaching academic decathlon. He’s been coaching for the past 20 years and this year’s goal was for every member to win a medal. Therefore, they started looking at their strengths and find subjects they were strong in. End of the day, they ended up winning 4 medals: Alin Garcia Bernal (HIPP/LADWP leadership award) Kimtee Kundu (Bronze Medal- Speech) Tasnim Jahan (Silver Medal- Interview) Songran Xu (Gold medal-Science) This year the program made so many changes that Mr.Nakama and many coaches from other schools weren’t really happy about. The director of decathlon made these drastic changes of the competition to be online. Since most of the competition is online it takes out the joy and fun that decathlon used to be. All the schools used to get together and compete and it was exciting. Some of these competitions have been taking place in the library or the college center. Shoutout to Mr.Nakama for coaching Bravos Decathlon program for the past 20 years!
“We received the award in the city where Martin Luther King was born, lived, and practiced. Where to a great extent the civil rights movement developed. Right on the same street, is now the gravesite of his wife and him, and it’s a monument. There’s a large fountain and there’s an eternal flame” (Mr.Sinclair). Bravo qualified for the award because it is recognized as a school that meets 100% of the Title I requirements, according to Mr.Sinclair. He explained that “Title I, it all goes back to the ESEA which was the elementary and secondary education act of 1965.” Essentially, the Title I is a legislative program that was passed by Congress following the desegregation of schools in the United States. However, besides our academic achievements Bravo was selected for its numerous opportunities given to the staff and students. The ESEA website states the qualifications of schools as follows, “These schools demonstrate a wide array of strengths including team approaches to teaching and learning. Focused professional development opportunities for staff. Individualized programs for students’ success and strong partnerships between the school parents and the community.” Mr.Sinclair agreed that the award was well deserved because it reflected the efforts of the school as a whole. He stated, “Everyone working together. Teachers, students, parents, administrators, and staff. Everyone worked so hard to achieve an award which is due to the fact that we have had high academic achievement over the last several years.”
More awards, great potential extracurricular activity: The Bravo Debate Team By: Samantha Soto Gonzalez
“Debate is traditionally, white and male dominated. And by having two people of color represent the Los Angeles Debate League I feel like it provides other students with the opportunities to believe that they can also have access to this space that maybe they feel intimidated by” (Ms.Diaz, the Debate teacher). A great number of Bravo Debate members recently won in several divisions at their last tournament, and the National Qualifiers for a competition that will be held in Texas during the month of April against the best teams of the country. The latter will represent the Los Angeles Urban Debate League in a national Debate tournament which will be about the sale of arms, explained Ms.Diaz. “One of our JV teams made it in first place, Varsity teams made it second place. Our captains, Jackie and Diego, made it to nationals”(Jessica Ruiz). Jessica Ruiz is a Varsity debater and a Senior that has been competing for three years. The winners of the last debate tournament were sophomores,freshmen, and seniors. When Jessica was asked how she thought the winnings would benefit the school she said, “We don’t get a lot of recognition, but we still put our all into it. I think that it’s a win for Bravo overall. It shows that we do more than get high test scores.” Debate is not something one immediately thinks about in association to Bravo. Yet, Debate is one of the many other extracurricular activities that students can participate in to develop their passions and talents. “The Los Angeles Urban Debate League provides an opportunity for students who typically don’t have an area to debate...in a space where they can hone on their debating skills” (Ms.Diaz). “I know debate sounds very boring but I actually think it’s very interesting especially if you’re into politics. It branches out to philosophy and science. Such a welcoming environment, debate is like another world” (Jessica Ruiz). Debate has four different divisions and anyone can start as a novice and work to the highest division. Basically, Bravo students who are still looking for a place to form lasting friendships, talents, and experiences should join the Bravo Debate Team. Considering the many awards that the Team has won it speaks volumes about the potential a student can exercise in Debate.
3 WORLD
VOL. XXXX, ISSUE V
ANNOUNCEMENTS!!!
Prom dresses to give 2020 By: Esmeralda Lemus
On Sunday March 15, there will be a special event for Seniors attending any high school in the city of Los Angeles. This event will be taking place at PUENTE Learning Center from 12:30pm-4:00pm. They will be having a variety of prom dresses in any color and size. To RSVP go to EventBrite.con by searching “PROM DRESSES TO GIVE 2020”.
Help for hope
By: Esmeralda Lemus
Help for Hope is hosting a denim drive until February 21,2020. When you donate a pair of jeans you will receive a free entry for a $60 Spotify Premium Gift Card raffle. Please donate gently worn jeans, they would be going to homeless teens in need. Colored, ripped and short jeans are all accepted. There’s boxes on the 3rd and 4th floor!
WORLD
December 2018
Iran Strikes
By: Jazmin Anguiano
In the last days of January, more than 100 US troops have suffered the aftermath of the Iran missile attack on the Asad military base. They have dealt with physical and mental wounds. Currently these service troops have been diagnosed with TBI (Tramautic Brain Injury). TBI is a disruption in the function of the brain which is usually caused by a bump or jolt. The symptoms include headaches, dizziness, seizures, and lack of coordination. On Monday the Pentagon specifically announced that 109 soldiers were diagnosed, and 74% have returned to their duty regardless of their brain injuries. The press secretary Farrah said, “Our research has been instrumental in the development of various breakthroughs to improve the lives of those individuals who have sustained brain injuries. Our efforts must address the total picture before, during and after any blast exposure or injury. This is a snapshot in time and numbers can change. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.” The pentagon further reveals that there were 200 troops in the blast zone showing the evident symptoms. This did not go unnoticed by the chief chairman of the pentagon, Mark Miley. Mark Miley admits that cases of TBI are increasing and the symptoms are taking time to show. Miley states, “All of those people were screened and we have got a certain number and the number is growing, in this particular case TBI -- that manifests, it takes some time to manifest itself, it’s not an immediate thing necessarily -- some cases it is, some cases it’s not. So we continue to screen. Some of them have been evacuated to Europe, some have been evacuated back to the United States so there is a layered approach to this, we’ll continue to do that with our medical professionals.” Although these officials express concerns about the mental health of these troops, the president and leader of the United States had other concerns. According to Donald Trump, he does not consider a brain injury as severe as an open wound. During the World Economics Forum in Davos he clarified their was nearly no harm done to the troops by stating, ““No, I heard that they had headaches, and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report, it’s not very serious.” Centers such as the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that TBI is mostly caused by car accidents or sports. Now these centers have grown skeptical of the numerous recent diagnoses because they are wary of declaring an outbreak. Their hope is that constant hospitalizations and death of TBI patients like the 2014 outbreak don’t reoccur in 2020.
Breaking down the New Hampshire Primary By: Amy Morales
After voting on February 11, 2020 the voting is finally over. The results are in. With the amount of chaos that occurred at the Iowa caucus, New Hampshire relatively had better results. In fact, within hours of polls closing in New Hampshire, three Democratic presidential candidates called it quits. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang and Senate Michael Benner ended their campaigns nearly an hour after most polls had closed on Tuesday. Later on, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick ended his campaign as well on Wednesday morning. All three candidates received low numbers and respectively decided that it was time to stop. “You know, I am the math guy, and it is clear tonight from the numbers that we are not going to win this race,” Yang told his supporters. The voting from New Hampshire resulted in Sanders and Buttigieg both receiving nine delegates from the state. While Klobuchar received six delegates. Candidates Joe Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren didn’t cross the 15% threshold needed to receive delegates, but that doesn’t mean they did not leave an impact. Both Biden and Warren left New Hampshire with messages of perseverance and a promising timeline ahead since the Nevada caucuses and the South Carolina Primary are steadily approaching. Overall, Bernie ended up with the highest percentage of voters in New Hampshire (25.7%), but Buttigieg came in a close second with 24.4% of the votes. The overall amount of delegates so far is twenty-two for Buttigieg, twenty-one for Sanders, and 8 for Warren.
2 ENTERTAINMENT VOL. XXXX, ISSUE V
January 2020
WORLD & ENTERTAINMENT The kings of bachata are back on the road By: Amy Morales
After 10 years of them announcing their breakup, Aventura announced their reunion tour back in December of 2019. The Dominican-American family band that is composed of Romeo Santos, Lenny Santos, Henry Santos, and Max Agende Santos, is currently on the road again. Hailed as the Kings of Bachata, Aventura is widely considered one of the most successful Latin pop groups of all time. In fact, they are said to be pioneers of the modern bachata sound. With the band visiting seven different cities in the U.S, they were able to sell out their tour in a matter of minutes. Which in fact led to the addition of more dates so that fans could get another chance at getting tickets. The tour kicked off at the Forum with four soldout nights and will wrap up in Miami somewhere around March. Fans can expect to hear many of their top hits at the shows which include 2005’s “Ella y Yo,” 2009’s “Por Un Segundo,” 2010’s “Dile Al Amor,” and 2019’s “Inmortal.” As a matter of fact, the tour was heavily inspired by the release of “Inmortal.” The song was released in April of 2019 and it debuted at No.5 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs Chart, while the band’s greatest hits album, Lo Mejor De Aventura, was certified as the top-selling tropical album of 2019.
Authors Review:
I was lucky enough to attend the last night of the LA show on February 8th at The Forum. It was easily one of the best concerts I have attended in my life. The atmosphere and energy the crowd gave to the band was spectacular in every way. People dancing, singing along, or just enjoying their time there made the experience so much better. It felt like a huge family bonding over our love for the band. For anyone who still has the chance of seeing them throughout the last few dates then I totally recommend going.
Editorial Matter
Grade Level Advice
By: Jazmin Anguiano & Esmeralda Lemus
9th Graders: -Be active outside the classroom. Consider joining a club, after school program, or sport if you are able to do so this year. If you already joined extracurricular programs start thinking of the ones you plan to commit to throughout highschool. Feel free to participate in new programs. This will be a great opportunity to step out of your comfort zone. -Set Goals Start making long term goals, and start thinking of ways to achieve them. These goals can be about your grades, or for your plans after highschool. Remember to pave the way for your dreams. -Focus on your academic priorities. As the second semester almost ends, do not start giving up on your classes. Make sure to dedicate the time into studying and finishing assignments. Do not wait until the very last minute to make a difference in your grades. 10th Grade: -Research Summer Internships or Programs. Outside of the classroom setting, there are various programs and internships that allow students to gain work experience. Aside from that, students can build connections and strengthen their skills. Internships and programs are outlets for students to discover potential careers they want to explore. Some of these opportunities can be found in Schoology or the College Center. -Start studying for any of your enrolled AP Classes. If you are enrolled in an AP class make sure to start preparing and studying for the exam in May. Also, be sure to refer to the AP handbook that was handed to you by either Ms.Montes or a counselor. -Know your strengths and weaknesses. Recognize your strengths and weaknesses in order to improve as a student. It may be helpful to start thinking of habits to change before transitioning into junior year. Overall, remember that you have the potential to achieve your goals if you set your mind to it. Juniors “As a junior do not miss school at all, you need to be in school because it’s the most challenging year. Start preparing for the SAT at the beginning of your junior year. Even though you don’t get tested as soon as school starts it’s better to start studying early. I recommend you to use khan academy or download a SAT practice test book. You should really be on top of your grades Junior year because some colleges check your 10th-12th grades.Don’t let your gpa drop below 2.5 you should have a 3.0 or higher. Don’t be afraid to ask your teachers for help, they are there for a reason to help you. Start researching colleges and majors you may be interested in.” Seniors “ I advise people to start their applications earlier. Do not procrastinate, don’t do them last minute and take your time. You should make your common app as soon as the applications are out . Start adding colleges to your list. Make sure to check if the applications don’t ask for extra stuff like letters of recommendations and essays. Remember to start that early. And keep up with your grades because many colleges check your grades at all times. Make sure that your grades for second semester are C or better.
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Highlights from the 2020 Oscars
By Azucena Hilario The 2020 Oscars were a memorable award show filled with musical preformances by new and returning artists. - American rapper Eminem returned to the stage for the first time in a very long time and preformed his hit song, Lose Yourself. - Singer Billie Eilish preformed Yesterday alongside her brother, in memory of all the actors and directors lost over the year. The Oscars also award the best films and actors and actresses. Some of the winners include..... - Parasite for Best Picture -Toy Story 4 for Animated Feature Film - Hair Love for Short Film (Animated) - Joaquin Phoenix in Joker for Actor in a Leading Role - Renee Zelwellger in Judy for Actress in a Leading Role - Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) in Directing If you would like to see more of the Oscar winners, make sure you head over to the Oscars website to read more!
oscars.go.com
Vital Signs Staff Azucena Hilario Samantha Soto Esmeralda Lemus Amy Morales Jazmin Anguiano
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