ITAL IGNSV SBRAVO MEDICAL MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL | LOS ANGELES, CA | VOL. XVI, ISSUE v | WWW.BRAVOWEB.LAUSD.K12.CA.US | DECEMBER 7, 2012

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CONTENTS

EDITORIALS • 2

ENTERTAINMENT • 3

HOLIDAY • 4

Prop 30 and Youby Jeremy Villarreal

Dances of the World’s Last Hurrah at Disneylandby Ani Amirkhanyan

WhenWhat Where

TBA

Mon., Dec. 10Dismissal @

3:04p.m.

Tue., Dec. 11 Dismissal @

3:04p.m.

Prom Committee

Results

Final Exams

TBA

Periods 1 & 5

December Calendarcompiled by Nina Gonzales

Season’s Greetings from our Bravo Journalism and Yearbook family to yours.

Bravo students give their opinions on the best and

worst of 2012 pop culture.

The natural disaster’s catastrophic effects are still

being felt today.

WhenWhat Where

Tue., Nov. 27, – Fri., Dec. 7

Nutrition & Lunch

Wed., Dec. 12 Dismissal @ 12:34p.m.

(Fri., Dec. 14 Dismissal @ 12:34p.m.)

Mon., Dec. 17 – Fri., Jan. 4

Holiday Gram Sales

Final Exams

Winter Break

First Floor Lobby

Periods 2 & 6

----

On December 1, 2012, the curtains opened for Dances of the World’s final performance at the annual Community Arts Showcase at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It was an honor for them to represent Bravo, the only high school from LAUSD to have had the opportunity to be a part of the magical experience. As the hours approached for their performance, the girls, Armen Titizyan (’14), and the Latin couple partners dominated the stage with different cultural dances and enthusiasm. It was one of the largest crowds Dances ever performed for. The joyful mood was shared amongst the girls and lively audience. After setting things off with the amazing performances, Dances enjoyed the Candle Lighting Ceremony and entertaining rides. “Throughout the four years of being a part of Dances of the World, I have cherished every special moment, especially

Periods 3 & 4

November 6th was an emotional day for a lot of people, least of all the teachers and students of LAUSD. Proposition 30—a temporary tax increase to fund education—faced both competition from rival Prop 38 and the unwillingness of some to pay higher taxes

performing at Disneyland,” said Amy Garsevanian (’13). After overcoming several walls of adversities to perform that date, Dances completed their fifth and final year, ending their contract with Disneyland and being a huge success. As the curtains of the castle

close, greater opportunities will hopefully rise in the near future.

but still came out on top. What will it do for the everyday students of LAUSD, however? The effects are many fold. The simplest and perhaps most relieving effect is that the last day of school will be May 31st. Had the bill not passed, the projected day for exit would have been May 10th. Astute students will notice that this is right in the middle of AP testing. Such a large scale interruption of standard testing procedures is unfounded; it would have been nightmarish. The additional funding the measure will bring in will extend this year and future years as well. The effects of the budget cuts can be seen no more clearly than in our very own Thanksgiving break. This year

we had a break lasting a little over a week. This is the result of severe budget cuts; as we enjoyed every minute of respite, teachers and administrators mourned the loss of pay. This year, an astounding number of days had to be cut due to lack of funds. Naturally, with more revenue comes more school time. This will come as mixed news to some, but every student stands to benefit with more time in school. The bill is extremely nuanced, mentioning extra funding for all of California’s public colleges, so seniors can expect a literal extra padding when it comes time to consider how to pay for college. Until then though, all students can rejoice in the immediate benefits!

Photo Credit / Nina Gonzales

Final Exams

Photo Credit / lgrossmont.edu

“Here you leave today and enter the world of

yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.”

ITAL IGNSV SPAGE 2 EDITORIALS VOL. XVI, ISSUE v DECEMBER 7, 2012

EDITORIALS

Does this screen look familiar? To most teenagers, the answer is probably “no.” This is the “Stocks” application on the Apple iPhone—most likely the least popular app used by teenagers, mainly because of its complex charts and numbers. But don’t let these intimidating technical figures scare you. Stocks are actually quite easy to understand. First, what is a stock? A stock is the capital (or fund) that a corporation raises through the sale of shares which entitle the stockholder to dividends (sums of money paid regularly by a company to its shareholders out of its profits and to other rights of ownership. A stock is also the number of shares (a part of a larger amount that is divided among a number of people) that each stockholder possesses. The Stock Market, then, is a special market where these stocks and bonds are traded (bought or sold securities or commodities). Our stock market is located in New York know as the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, and is followed by many stock brokers. The NYSE is open Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Now, how does one read stock on the iPhone application? First, click the “I” (Internet) button at the bottom right corner of the screen. This gives the freedom to add as many major (in)corporations to a list where one can keep track of stocks. Then, press “Done” to return to the chart of all the stocks that you have chosen. The abbreviation of that corporation is saved on the left hand column. Next, the numbers at the center of the screen displays the value that the stocks are currently trading at. In the right hand coulmn, are numbers in green or red. The green and red buttons on this column show the day’s increase or decrease in the stock. Green indicates an increase, while red indicates a decrease. Tap the green or red box once, and you will see the market cap (a measurement of size of a business enterprise or corporation). Tap twice and you will see its percentage. At the bottom of the page, there are three pages that are relevant to the highlighted stock. The first window provides a summary of the previous close (the latest reported trading prices). Next is the open value (the best price expected to be obtained at arms’ length for an interest in a property) and range

Getting to Know Stocksby Anee Davtyan

| see STOCKS, page 4 |

Living in a Galaxy Not So Far Awayby Hannah Contreras

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Russia Federal Space Agency joined forces to send two men for a year-long mission in space to study the long term effects of microgravity on the human body. Though it seems that it was just yesterday that NASA ended its shuttle space program, the space agency has hardly shown any restraint in the phenomenal yet expensive exploration of space. Set for 2015, the widely anticipated mission will have the well versed U.S. astronaut, Scott Kelly, and Russia’s adroit cosmonaut, Mikhail Kornienko, take part in the longest space mission known to man. With more knowledge of space, researchers from NASA are looking to move beyond low-Earth orbit by gauging the effects of microgravity on the human body. Put simply, astronauts have the same acceleration

as the space shuttle they are riding, making them equal to its gravitational field. This, however, is a problem for the health of astronauts since their bodies are not used to the heightened strength of gravitational force that pulls their bodies toward Earth. As a result, their bodies suffer a considerable amount of trauma resulting in “nauseating problems—among them loss of bone and muscle mass, vision problems and redistribution of fluid in the body (Los Angeles Times).” However, NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration and operation at their headquarters in Washington state remains optimistic. “The one-year increment will expand the bounds of how we live and work in space,” says William Gerstenmaier. NASA’s plans for the space mission will surely be another impressive “leap for mankind” in the race to living in space and unlocking aerospace research.

Last October, Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the United States. This devastating event still affects almost 50 million people living in states like New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.Many lives have been taken by the hurricane’s destruction. At least sixteen deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to the storm, and at least sixty-six people in the Caribbean have died. This has

also severely affected Wall Street and closed it down for two days, which caused a halt in stock market activities. Numerous people have lost their homes as well as their valuables. A growing number of at least 7.5 million people on the East Coast do not have electrical power. On

Hurricane Sandy: Picking up the Piecesby Elizabeth Jektyan

the night of October 30, 2012, Sandy hit New Jersey with a 13-foot surge of seawater, flooding homes, businesses, streets, and subways. This is truly one of the most tragic events that has happened since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. The aftermath of both storms is still being felt today.Victims of the Hurricane Sandy are thankful for the help of volunteers and rescue teams across

the nation, but are still very much in need. To learn more about reaching out to those affected by the hurricane, visit relief organizations like the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org, Habitat for Humanity at www.habitat.org, or Convoy of Hope at www.convoyofhope.org.

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by Silvia OrozcoGoogle Images / www.fayerwayer.com

ITAL IGNSV S PAGE 3 ENTERTAINMENT VOL. XVI, ISSUE v

ENTERTAINMENTDECEMBER 7, 2012

The Best and Worst of 2012collected by Daisy Flores, Atrianne Dolom, Vito Perez, & Cynthia Valadez

Star Wars Becomes Disney Propertyby Maria Guillen

It was on the last day of October that the rumors were confirmed to be truth. Disney Corporation purchased the Lucasfilm empire for a mere $4.5 billion dollars. The official signing surprised many, but none more than the excluded 20th Century Fox Studios, Star Wars film producers since 1977, who complained they were not even given the chance to bid. Disney’s sole intention in acquiring such an enterprise as Lucasfilm was to continue the originally shut down production of the legendary Star Wars films.

Disney commented during the signing that they plan to release episode seven in the year 2015, and hopefully a film every two years from there on. Disney’s last large purchase was in the year 2009, with Marvel, only three years after the entertainment monster also acquired the famous Pixar Studios in 2006. Expectations from Lucasfilm fans are based on the way Disney has continued the Marvel lineage. According to critics, experts and box office evidence, Disney has done a good job in continuing the Marvel enterprise, a feat that must

be accredited. But the uncertainty of what Disney may decide to do with the Star Wars empire remains. Yet many fans will remember Jar Jar Binks and “The Clone Wars” and realize Disney can’t do worse than what’s already been done by Lucasfilm. Also, there aren’t a lot of creative paths left after the independent trilogy and prequels. And to feed the fears of fans even more, Disney hasn’t shown much potential when bringing about science fiction films, ahem, John Carter.

by Elihu Rodriguez & Nina Gonzales With the numerous events that have occured in the past year, here are a few that have made national headlines:

January• Violence in the Middle East escalates, resulting in hundreds of casualties

February• The New England Patriots become Super Bowl XLVI champions• Whitney Houston, singer, dies• Leap day February 29

March• Encyclopaedia Britannica announces that it will discontinue its print publications after 244 years• Maryland becomes the 8th state to legalize gay marriage

April• Dick Clark, broadcaster and TV personality dies• North Korea prepares to launch a missile despite international disapproval

May • MCA, Adam Yauch, Beastie Boys singer, dies

June• The Los Angeles Kings win the Stanley Cup

July• Aurora, Colorado mass shootings occur at the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises• The 2012 Summer Olympics are held in London, England from July 27 to August 12

August• the Mars Science Rover, “Curiosity,” successfully lands• Neil Armstrong, the first man to land on the moon, dies September• a series of terrorist attacks on U.S. embassies in the Middle East are allegedly sparked by a movie trailer titled “Innocence of the Muslims”• Michael Clarke Duncan, actor, dies

October• Space shuttle Endeavor arrives at California Science Center• The San Francisco Giants win the 2012 World Series• Hurricane Sandy slams into the Eastern seaboard, destroying millions of homes and lives• The New York Stock Exchange closes for two days. This was the first day since 1985

November• President Barack Obama wins reelection for a second term in office

The Year in Review

TOP 3 WORST MOVIES 1. The Avengers -- Sazi Coronel (’14)2. The Master -- Arturo Gomez (’13)3. Magic Mike -- Mercedes Perez (’13)

TOP 3 BEST MOVIES1. The Dictator -- Abby Garcia (’14)2. Men in Black 3 -- Ana Galvez (’13)3. The Possession -- Roy Seo (’13)

1. “We Are Young” by Fun -- Abby Garcia (’14)2. “Let Me Love You” by Ne-Yo -- Lauren Lam (’14)3. “Gangnam Style” by Psy -- Elton Zhou (’13)

MOST ANNOYING SONGS OF THE YEAR

BEST NEW T.V. SHOWS1. “How I Met Your Mother” -- Iridiam Hernandez (’13)2. “The Walking Dead” -- Ana Galvez (’13)3. “New Girl” -- Daniela Sanchez (’16)

WORST SONG OF THE YEAR- “We are Never Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift “The chorus sounds like a squealing pig getting run over by a tractor.”Sazi Coronel (’14) Jeremy Villarreal (’14)

BEST SONGS OF THE YEAR1. “Wide Awake” by Katy Perry -- Elton Zhou (’13)2. “Die Young” by Ke$ha -- Brian Chang (’13)3. “Gravity” by Hit the Lights -- Abby Garcia (’14)

TOP 3 BEST FASHION TRENDS

1. Coral lipstick2. Sheer tops3. Denim jackets

Abby Garcia (’14)

TOP 3 WORST FASHION TRENDS

1. Oversized clothing2. Bright camisoles3. Ankle socks

Mercedes Perez (’13)

BEST VIDEO GAME OF THE YEAR- Chivalry: Medieval Warfare “Rather than use a tired, tried-and-true method, the Indie developers of Chivalry put an exciting and fresh title worthy of any AAA studio.”

TOP 3 BEST MUSIC VIDEOS

1. “Catalyst” by Linkin Park2. “World” by Alice in Chains3. “Wide Awake” by Katy Perry

Joanna Sanchez (’13)BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR1. The Hunger Games -- Monica Roque (’13)2. Strengths Finder 2.0 -- Siboney Arias (’15)3. Perks of Being a Wallflower -- Meena Puangchaj (’15)

Pre-Order Your Yearbook Today!

$65 from Dec. 3 - Jan. 11$75 from Jan. 14 - Jan 31$80 Feb. 1 and after

Cash or money order only!

Pick up order forms at room 312 or at the Student Store.

HOLIDAYITAL IGNSV S DECEMBER 7, 2012PAGE 4 HOLIDAY VOL. XVI, ISSUE v

Amy Guerra Editor-in-Chief

Monica Roque Editor-in-Chief

Maria Guillen Managing Editor

Karl Pascasio Photographer-in-Chief

Hannah Contreras Editor Anee Davtyan Editor

Daisy Flores Editor

Miriam Ifegwu Editor

Carmina Paz Editor

Vito Perez Editor

Cynthia Valadez Editor

Jeremy Villarreal Editor

Letters to the Editors

Letters to the editors concerning any topic relevant to Vital Signs are welcomed. Please refrain from using vulgar or

disrespectful language. Letters should be brief and should be edited to maximize space use and heighten clarity. Letters may be

anonymous or signed by the author. Please send letters to:

journalism2013@yahoo.comor

Drop them off in Mr. R. Rodriguez’s mailbox or in Room 312

Editorial Matter

Opinions expressed in Vital Signs belong to

the writer. They do not reflect the opinions of the

Journalism staff or those of Francisco Bravo Medical

Magnet High School.

ITAL IGNSV S

Christmas Before Christ

A Multi-Cultural Christmas Day: Latin America, Africa, and the Philippines

(the area of variation between higher and lower limits on the stock market). The second window gives you a graph of that stock’s performance over one day, one year, or a longer period of time if you flip the iPhone horizontally. Finally, the last page provides us with articles related to the highlighted stock and can direct you to the source of that article on the Internet. Stocks are an important matter because people use them as

| STOCKS, from page 2 |

a form of investment (saving money for profit or material result). When people have investments, the chances of our economy facing a recession become lower. If everyone invests in the stock market, our nation will be much richer, and before we know it, college tuitions or student loans will be a thing of the past. Also, it’s a great way of earning enough money to splurge with during this holiday season and many more to come.

by Vito Perez The enticing aroma of hot cocoa, the brilliance of flashing lights, and the cheer of jingling bells all serve as a reminder of that time of the year. Yes, the most wonderful time of the year when people exchange mass produced commodities wrapped in mass produced paper on which mass produced clip art is printed. No doubt, this is an extremely delightful tradition, but why be genuinely cheesy at this time of the year? According to Christian officials, December 25th is the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Wrong. They chose December 25th because it is the winter solstice—the date when the day is shortest and the night is longest, which creates the optimal time for partying. The proof is in Wikipedia (yes, in the history books too). When Constantine the Great convened the Nicene Creed in 325 A.D. to unify the Roman Empire under Christianity, he chose to take advantage of the Yuletide holiday which was set on the

25th of December—a pagan holiday widely celebrated throughout the empire. Thus, instead of celebrating the Yuletide, he ordered that scribes and priests tell the wonderful story that Jesus was born on this day to mark the phenomenal coming of a new era. However, he was born some time during the spring season (as written in Luke 1: 26-38). Jesus was not born on December 25th after all? Very shocking, indeed. This tradition of gift-giving can be traced back to the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, the birth of the Roman god Saturn, which begun on December 17 and later expanded with festivities through December 23. Men would binge on alcohol, release their pent up desires on each other, and beat their wives for no reason. Fortunately, today’s gifts are handed, not thrusted (for the most part). And they’re wrapped in paper—or rubber.

As the family sits down around the table to enjoy the delicious aroma of pozoles, ponches, and tamales, the Christmas tree lights

reflect a glow within the house giving everyone a feeling of warmth and love. In the Latino household, spending time together is the best part of the holidays, but the food is also a great bonus. For example, pozole, a corn-based stew with chicken or pork seasoned with chili and oregano, is one popular dish that everyone chooses to make not only because it’s delicious but also because it’s simple. Pozole traces its roots to the Aztecs, who held grain in great merit and created this dish during their ritual sacrifices. Next, ponche is a Venezuelan drink that is made up of different tropical fruits boiled together to make a sweet tea drink to keep winter nights warm. When ponche is made, the whole house smells like a tropical island.

Lastly, the tamales are made from dough stuffed with chicken, cheese, or chilies and wrapped a corn husk. With a vast array of Latino dishes, a special holiday evening is celebrated with loved ones.

Throughout the African continent, the over 500 Christian communities celebrate Christmas in a few different ways. For example, The Coptic

Christians in Ethiopia and Egypt celebrate Christmas on the 7th January, which is the 25th of December in their calendar. Even in some of Africa’s predominantly Muslim countries, Christmas is marked for celebration. On Christmas day, carols are sung from Ghana all the way to South Africa. In Dakar, Senegal’s capital, hawkers are happy to sell plastic trees and inflatable Santas. In many celebrations, meats are roasted, gifts are exchanged, and family visits are made.

Christmas in Africa is centered more on the religious aspect of celebrating the birth of Jesus and singing in church. In South Africa, the sun is hot and beaches are full of families enjoying braais (barbecues) or traditional Christmas dinners of mince pies, turkey, and plum pudding (a vestige of the British colonial legacy). In Ghana, Christmas dinner is not complete without fufu (mashed cassava) and okra soup. In Liberia, rice, beef, and biscuits are the order of the day. Zimbabweans make sure there are plenty of bread, jam and tea to eat along with goat meat. Though Africans have different means of celebrating Christmas, they are unified by its spiritual aspect. Traditionally, people of the

Philippines begin Christmas celebrations in the month of September, the start of the “-ber” months. During this time,

Filipinos prepare festive decorations and plan their Christmas feasts. Because of this, the Philippines has earned the title for celebrating the world’s longest Christmas season, with parols (star-shaped lanterns) hung and Christmas carols sung in September and lasting through early January. As Christmas nears, many participate in Simbang Gabi, a devotional nine-day series of night masses held from December 16 to December 24. The event culminates on Christmas Eve, with the Midnight Mass. The Midnight Mass is followed by the traditional Noche Buena (The Good Night) feast. Families gather and feast on customary dishes like queso de bola (Edam cheese), lechon (whole roasted pig), fruit salad, hamón (Christmas ham), and lumpia (fried spring rolls). Presents are commonly given at Midnight following the Noche Buena feast.

by Siboney Arias, Atrianne Dolom, & Miriam Ifegwu

Holiday Cartoon Sweepstakes Winner

Congratulations to Leonel Arana (’13), the winner

of the Vital Signs Holiday Cartoon Sweepstakes!

You will receive one AMC Theatres Silver Experience

movie ticket for your awesome cartoon.