HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF AFTER COLLEGE REJECTIONS By Fariha Anwar & Onima Khan College rejections are the most difficult time during a senior’s high school experience. Although it is an unfortunate outcome, there are ways to cope with the rejections and ways one can motivate themselves. See Your Rejection as a Challenge Yes, you got rejected. And it is going to hurt but what you should keep in mind is that now, you have to prove to everyone that they rejected the wrong person. Take this time to find new ways to climb the ladder instead of sliding down. With this, you can find
Better opportunities in the near future. It is Not Your Fault So Don't Take It Personal The first thing you should know it that there are many factors that come with college rejections and acceptances. Not everything relies on your capability. There are also factors like school size, school acceptance rate, and major acceptances that plays into the situation. So even if you did the best in high school, know your worth and know that this is not your fault AND, this is not the end. Tae the rejection and go, no need to beat yourself down when it is not your fault.
Image provided by roanoke.com There Is Always An Opportunity You might not have gotten into your dream college, but that does not mean you are not wanted by anyone. If there are other choices such as other colleges or a community college, take it! Always remember that education is an opportunity that many can’t, but you can have.
Things Non Muslims May Not Know About Ramadan By Fariha Anwar & Onima Khan Muslims can Eat, Just Not When the Sun is up During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to fast from sunset to sunrise. It’s not a complete fast all day and night for 30 entire days. Food and drink is consumed during the hours when the sun is not up. And most Muslims celebrate the breaking of the fast each day with loved ones in a meal called iftar.
Ramadan is Not about being Hungry/Thirsty/Tired For Muslims, Ramadan is a time to examine who they are on a base level and improve themselves. Spiritual Growth is the main idea for the month of fasting. It’s a time to build character, spirituality, and discipline. It’s cleansing for both the body and the soul.
No, Not Even Water!
When the sun is up, Muslims can’t have anything to eat or drink, not even water. And it’s not just food and water that Muslims must refrain from. Fasting is all about training yourself to be more disciplined. To that end, Muslims must also avoid cursing, gossiping, smoking, fighting, arguing or even just acting cranky.
Not Everyone can Fast
This is a big question on many non-Muslims minds: do sick people or even children have to fast? The answer is no. Only adult Muslims of good health may fast. Children and elderly people are not required to fast since it may be detrimental to their growth or health, respectively. Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers have the option not to fast since their bodies are already being taxed. Women who are menstruating do not fast, since again, they are dealing with demands on their bodies. People who come down with a serious, acute illness during the month are not allowed to fast. And people who are travelling have the option to fast or not to fast.
The purpose of fasting should not be to harm oneself. And if there is a likelihood that fasting will do serious harm, that Muslim is extempt from it. But don’t congratulate Muslims who cannot fast because many feel intense grief over not being able to participate in the fast of Ramadan.
Quick facts about Ramadan By Fariha Anwar & Onima Khan Islam follows a lunar calender, and the month of Ramadan is believed to be when the Quran was first revealed.
Fasting is also a way for Muslims to understand a small piece of the suffering those less fortunate experience on a daily basis.
Muslims fast during Ramadan to gain a closeness to God, or Allah (God in Arabic).
Those that are pregnant, sick ,haven’t hit puberty, or even much of the elderly do not fast because health is so important.
During this month long fast, Muslims use this time to acknowledge the privilege they experience on a daily basis. And grow their understanding of the Quran.
Muslims believe during this month long holiday, all of the evils of the world are chained up. So any sins you commit would be your own doing not from the temptations of any devils.
Ramadan is a time for forgiveness, for both yourself and others, and good deeds are multiplied tenfold.
Fasting means, that they don’t eat or drink anything from the break of dawn to until sunset. That includes water!
They use this time to become more aware of themselves and their spirituality.
When Muslims finally feast it is usually with family, spreading as much as happiness and love as possible.
The Reopening of California By: Carlos Villalba
As vaccination rates continue to increase, the number of people infected with Covid-19 gradually decreases. The areas that are affected the most are shown in different colors in the graphic on the next page that indicate the spread of the virus.. The colored tiers the level of spread in parentheses: purple (widespread), red (substantial), orange (moderate), yellow (minimal).
The red means hair salon can, open indoors with modification, retail stores: open indoors at 50% capacity. Also, malls can open indoors at 50% capacity and limited food courts.In the orange state movie, theaters open indoors at 50% capacity or 200 people. Therefore, the school can reopen for in-person instruction after five days out of the purple tier.
In the yellow tier, professional sports can continue with outdoor venues that can have fans up to 67% of capacity.
Coronavirus Update -April 22, 2021-
Photo by: Al Seib for LA Times As of today April 21, 2021 there have been 1,924 new confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. There have been more than 25 million vaccines administered in all of California. Hospitalization rates are low and 43.4% of Californians have gotten their first dosage of vaccine. With the vaccine rollout there has been fewer coronavirus outbreaks. Now restaurants can increase their indoor capacity to 50% and outdoor dining can still continue. All of the non-essential retail locations can now operated at 75% capacity.
-By Jazmin Gonzalez LopezMovie theaters can now open up to function with 50% of their capacity or around 200 people. Groups of people must be seated at least six feet away from each other at all times. Theme Parks such as Six Flags and Universal Studios are allowed to open back up and could only allow 25% of their capacity. Schools now in LAUSD have given the students an option of returning back to school or staying in the online model. In schools it has been seen that their are outbreaks at schools accounted with youth sports not with physically attending classes.
Starting April 15th, anyone who is 16 and older would be eligible to get the vaccine. Gavin Newsom stated that to speed up the process of vaccinating Californians there would be more than 4 million vaccines administered per week by he end of April. Some ways you can make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine is by going to Carbon Health Coronavirus Vaccine, or by clicking on the link below. https://carbonhealth.com/c ovid-19-vaccines/los-angel es Another way a person can make an appointment is going to My Turn California, or by clicking on the link below. https://myturn.ca.gov/
Photo by: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Having heard the recent news and order of council member Mitch O'Farrell, many of the residents in the Echo Park community and advocates went out of their way to protest the unfairness of such an act and to stop them from moving the homeless population. More than 180 people were arrested including multiple journalists who were reporting on the chaotic confrontations at the scene. The area surrounding the lake was later cleared and fenced off leaving protestors to voice their concerns through the streets of Sunset. Even with the offers the city was granting the homeless population many advocators questioned what would happen to the homeless once their stays at the temporary hotel rooms ended. On March 24, L.A. City Council member Mitch O'Farrell gave the order to close down Echo Park and remove the homeless population occupying it which was funded by a planned $500,000 cleanup project. Forcing many residents who resided there to allocate to hotel rooms or other social service places, however, they refused leaving LAPD riot police to force them out.
Due to the pandemic, many people lost their homes, majority begin minority groups with low income jobs. Having no place to go they moved to Echo Park where, unlike other LA encampments, the park offered many useful systems such as its own social order and security since a number of ex-cons served as enforcers/protectors of the community.
By March 26 all 200 hundred homeless people were evicted. Though it has been weeks since the initial removal, Echo Park remains closed to the public until further notice from the city.
The Most Thrilling Time of the Year By: Brandon Martinez As the COVID-19 pandemic raged throughout
the
world
in
2020,
amusement parks were forced to shut their doors. However, it wasn’t until recently on April 2021, that many of these parks plan to reopen soon. Here are specific reopening dates: ✅ - Legoland began it’s reopening on April
In order to visit the park, you must: 1.
1, 2021 to season pass holders, but recently reopened to the public on April 15, 2021.
prohibited from entering. 2.
3.
4.
season-pass holders on May 6, 2021, but will official reopen to the public on May 21, 2021.
=
no
entry.
Some rides may be closed due to limited capacity
Household sizes are reduced at a maximum of 3, with 10 people per group.
5.
Face masks are required for ages 2 and older, and must be worn at all times unless you have a condition preventing you from doing so, or during
✅ - Universal Studios Hollywood officially
❌ - Knotts Berry Farm will reopen to
reservation
and social distancing
April 30, 2021.
reopened on April 16, 2021.
No
season pass holders given priority.
remains closed until further notice.
California Adventure plans to reopen on
location.
Reservations are also first come first serve, with
reopened its doors on April 1, 2021.
✅ - Disneyland Park and Disneyland
Must make a reservation at each desired amusement park
➖ - Six Flags Magic Mountain officially
However, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Be a California Resident. Any outsiders are
dining. 6.
Park hours vary at each location, but close at early times to give employees and staff time to sanitize the park.
Bravo’s Annual Talent Show By: Brandon Martinez
On April 16, 2021, Bravo had it’s annual Talent Show! The talent show was of course virtual, and was held on Zoom for students, faculty, and staff to enjoy!
With school closures back in March 2020,
Bravo’s
talent
show
was
transitioned to be a virtual one. Unfortunately, the Talent Show for 2021 was also virtual. However, that did not stop Bravo students from participating! Poster on: Schoology Sign ups for the Talent Show were on March 1, 2021. Students were required to submit an audition video for the Bravo Leadership crew to view and critique,
allowing
the
students
to
improve their performance video before the final submission entry. On April 16, 2021, the Talent Show was officially broadcasted, with over 64 viewers!
The Talent Show proved to be a great one. With many jokes cracked, audience participation, and of course the performance videos, the Talent Show came to an end, and the winners were announced! Although the performers were the ones responsible for the amazing performance, the Talent Show would have not been possible without the Bravo Leadership group, and the judges themselves! This was a grand collaboration that many Bravo students will look back on and smile to.
Get ‘er Done, 51! By: Brandon Martinez On April 22, 2021, the House of Representatives approved a bill that would propose Washington D.C. as a state. If approved in the Senate, it would become the 51st state!
Washington, D.C. serves as the capital of the U.S., residing along the
borders
of
Maryland
and
Virginia. It is not claimed territory of Maryland, or Virginia. The reason for this is because in the U.S.
Photo by: Caroline Brehman, Zuma Press
Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17, states that the Capital buildings for the U.S. must reside in a district in which the government would have special oversight of. This then resulted in D.C., which stands for the District of Columbia, standing as the residing area for the
However, they do not have representation in the Senate or Congress, so they can’t vote. The 23rd Amendment (1961) has given the residents the ability to vote for the President and
Vice
President.
The
residents also pay the highest in
capital of the U.S.
taxes than 22 states, but do not For
decades,
constantly
D.C.
pushing
has
been
Congress
to
approve D.C. as a state. It is home to almost 700,000 people, which is more than Wyoming, which houses 670,000 residents.
have a say in how their tax money is used. Their population also consists of 48% of blacks, which proves to be a civil rights issue considering that they are prohibited from exerting their voting rights.
Photo by: The Washington Post What the new state would look like.
Continued... Although D.C. can certainly be admitted as a state, it would present problems to the
political
parties..
Democratic,
which
D.C. angers
is the
Republican party if it were to become a state. This is because D.C. would receive
2
Democratic
Senators.
Republicans have argued that Democrats only want to administer D.C. as a state because it means they would receive more power, instead of trying to provide for the people. Heated debates have occured over this, and each time D.C. applies for statehood, the Republicans furiously go against it.
The problem goes beyond just a
simple
“Democratic
power-grab”. It is about civil rights
issues,
equal
representation, and the voices of the people. The people do not
have
representation
in
The last U.S. state to be
Congress, which only proves
admitted into the Union was
that American Democracy must
Hawaii
change.
Washington, D.C. were to be
Republicans
would
vote
in
favor,
considering that 0 Republicans voted for approval
in
Representatives.
the
House
However,
of Vice
President Kamala Harris can possibly serve as a tiebreaker, which presents hope.
in
1959.
If
admitted as a state, it would
51 senators, would be required for approval. It does not seem likely that
Photo by: 51for51
Supporters for D.C. statehood
be the 51st state and star on
have adopted the label of “51
the U.S. flag, marking a vital
for 51” which stands for 51
moment
senators needed to approve
Democracy.
statehood,
which
unlikely to occur, it is not
state.
impossible. If anything, this
President Joe Biden and Vice
proves that the day D.C.
President Kamala Harris have
becomes a state is becoming
joined the movement, and have
closer!
would
be
for the
D.C. 51st
made public support for D.C.’s statehood.
for
American
While
it
is
There is No Planet B -April 27, 2021-
-By Ann Thomas and Karen Aguilar-
Photo by: Science History Institute Background: In 1962, Rachel Carson published her book Silent Spring in which she shed light on the effects of pesticides on humans and the environment. Carson's book became a bestseller and encouraged thousands of people to begin moving towards environmental protection and regulations. Before Carson’s book, people did not pay much attention to the increasing levels of pollution as it was seen as a sign of prosperity and industrialization. Then, in 1969, Senator Gaylord Nelson sought to bring awareness towards the
effects of water and air pollution. Nelson had been inspired by the fierce anti-war marches led by students. Therefore, Nelson planned a teach-in in college campuses, however, he renamed the event Earth day which caught national media attention. On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day took place in which millions of college students marched, held rallies, and educated each other about ecological awareness. Nelson did not expect such turnout and did not take all the credit for himself as well; a student at Stanford University was chosen as Earth Day’s national
coordinator, hence, he worked with students and Nelson’s staff members to organize and lead the project. After such an extraordinary event with millions of participants, environmental protection became a serious issue that elected officials planned to solve through legislation. Citizens across the U.S. changed their perception of environmental protection; several polls showed an increase of citizens who believed that protecting the Earth was an important goal.
In 2021, Earth day took place in different manners; people marched to urge their elected officials to prioritize environmental protection policies. Additionally, social media has become an essential tool for younger generations to spread awareness and information about climate change. Younger generations have used social media to share their opinions, make petitions, share environmental injustices, and organize their own marches. They refuse to accept the indifference from politicians and corporations that have made profits at the expense of natural resources. We are hopeful that our relentless efforts will eventually yield results! History of Climate Change in the State of California: In the last century, southern California has warmed by about three degrees (F), and the state as a whole is warming. Heatwaves are becoming more common, snow melts earlier in the spring, and rain falls less frequently in southern California. Climate change is expected to reduce water availability, increase the risk of wildfires, and endanger coastal development in the coming decades. Because of global warming, our climate is shifting. Since the late 1700s, people have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 40%. Other greenhouse gases that trap heat are also rising. During the last 50 years, these gases have warmed our planet's surface and lower atmosphere by about one degree.
As the atmosphere warms, evaporation rises, increasing humidity, average rainfall, and the frequency of heavy rainstorms in some places while contributing to drought in others.
Photo by: History Climate Change in California Now: California considers itself a global leader in the Climate Crisis however it hasn’t been doing nearly enough. Scientists propose that the state reduce its global warming pollution by nearly 80% by 2030, rather than the current mandated 40%. Californians are dealing with the following issues: In 2020, 4.3 million acres, or about 4% of the state, burned; nearly $150 billion in health and economic damages were caused by smaller firestorms two years prior; and conflagrations so bad that experts didn't expect to see them
for another 30 years. Not to mention worsening droughts, rising sea levels, and increasingly intense heat storms, which are far more deadly than many people realize. Despite its long history of leadership in the transition out of fossil fuels, the researchers claim that the state is now falling behind. By 2030, California must have 100 percent clean electricity. Transportation emissions, the most significant source of climate pollution, would have to drop 70% in nine years, almost certainly requiring the end of gas car sales this decade. Faster action to transition out fossil fuels would also result in cleaner air, particularly in low-income areas and communities of color, which have been hit hardest by lung-damaging pollutants associated with coal, oil, and natural gas combustion. Californians as a whole need to do a much better job on these practices to save their state.