SEPT 2011

September 7, 2011 Volume XV Issue I

Vital Signs

Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School 2011 Senior Advice

by Cynthia Serrano

The Four Years End

by Roxana Sierra

The last day of school and the biggest day for the class of 2011 was June 24 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

The Senior Class of 2011 would walk the stage to receive the certificate of completion— their diplomas. They can finally fulfill their dreams that are, without question, beyond Bravo’s walls.

However, the soon to be graduates would have to gather at the auditorium at 4 in the afternoon. As families and the soon-to-be grads stared, a line formed against the walls of the building as people attempted to stand under the cool shade. Fashion wise, From left: Principal Maria Torres-Flores, Assistant Principal Jean Mueller, and the there was an assortment of formal, counseling staff semiformal, casual, and everything in The performance of the Bravo Class of 2011 song between— tank tops, slippers, shorts, followed, which was sung by Sarah Soliman, Christina and shirts. For one, the very out-going and bold Leah Manacop Guo, and Kyrie Bucog with Emily Solorzano on the guitar. pranced around with her bright striped socks for a legal twist of Then the Spanish, Armenian, Korean, and Cantonese the traditional. However, it did not matter for the maroon gowns speeches were read by their authors and fellow 2011 and caps cover their suits and dresses. Finally, pins, awards, and classmates.

Eventually, valedictorian Ruqayyah Malik medals all dangle from the necks of the proud senior class. presented her speech and warm heartedly thanked her As the guests were being settled in their seats, the grads were mother; she even asked her to wave hello from the stands. in the Gold Room prepping for the walk of their lives. The soonAfter all the speeches and reminiscing, the principal to-be grads were anxiously waiting for the start of the ceremony. presented the class of 2011, initiating the distribution of When the Valedictorian was asked about how he felt, Roger Chen the diplomas. Here it was, the four years at Bravo had all led answered in one word: “Nervous.” Others had similar responses; to this moment: the rewarding of the diplomas. Mr. Chavez some were even more nervous while others were excited. Then began to announce the names and the audience applauded the the class was called to go backstage so they could enter from everyone who did their dance, strutted, or walked toward the stage and take their seats. As they sat, some started to do the Principal. The students, once reaching the Principal, jersey-styled fist pumps, and kudos to a fellow classmate for were given their diplomas and took pictures with her. When sporting a pair of enormous yellow slippers. the last student’s name was called, “Timothy S. Zendejas,” The guests, parents, teachers were greeted by the students the class of 2011 cheered. The principal finally presented in several different languages and then came the principal with the Graduated Class of 2011 and the Senior Class Officers her welcome. However, this graduation was different for there received their diplomas. were no Keynote Speakers to welcome the guests. (The last For the grand finale, the Class of 2011 moved their of them cancelled right before the graduation commenced.) tassels from right to the left and officially became Bravo This, however, did not dampen their spirits. Once Mrs. Torres High School Graduates! At the close of it all, caps— along Flores walked away from the podium, it was the valedictorian with a beach volleyball— were thrown into the air. With speech filled with sarcasm and witty jokes only a Bravo student the graduation ceremony over, the graduated class went would understand— like how everyone envied the kid with their ways to celebrate their successes. Finally the students the broken leg because he had the elevator key, or how have left their fleeting scene at Bravo to begin a brand new everyone knew the cool people hung out in the classrooms. journey filled with new friends, experiences, and memories outside Bravo’s walls.

“I guess all I want to say is hard work pays off. Enjoy yourself in high school, it only comes once.”

-Duke Seo

“Keep your mind focused.

Don’t stray onto the wrong path, especially for graduation.”

- Alexis Munoz

Principal's Welcome

“Freshmen, get prepared for a long high school experience.”

- Sarkis Bakalyan

Welcome back Bravo Knights. It's great to be back. I hope everyone is rested and ready to start a terrific year. A special welcome to the Class of 2015 and "high five" to the Class of 2012. You have finally made it to the top. You are now the leaders and positive role models for Bravo. I look forward to working with every one in the student body to keep Bravo academically strong, safe, clean, and accepting of all students and staff. Remember to have a dream and reach for the stars. Let's have a fantastic year.

“Just have fun and enjoy it.

Everyday is something different."

- Raul Llamas

Your Principal, Mrs. Maria Torres-Flores

Riots in London: Who, Why, How

by William Nubla

A series of riots occurred in England during mid August that, according to British riot specialist Michael Goldfarb, started from the killing of a young black man named Mark Duggan by British police officers in Tottenham, North London. Goldfarb stipulates that, although the rioting started from racial implications, the riots spread like wildfire and soon, racism was no longer the primary factor of them.

“On Sunday night [August 7], low-level looting spread to other parts of north London not far from Tottenham. The violence's tenuous relationship to the Duggan incident disappeared. The rioters were a heterodox mix of black and white youths who did not come out on the street to demonstrate against the police. They hit the streets to take what they could: electronic goods and sneakers, and then trash the shops they had just looted,” wrote Goldfarb. Rioters, consisting of mostly young, unemployed immigrants and British citizens, were anything but unified and caused disorder and pillaged shops. Perhaps, many say, some rioters were just looking for an opportune moment to loot local shops, steal from homes, and make extra money.

There is a significant connection-- NPR's Bill Chappell points out that 20% of 16-24 year olds in Britain were unemployed; and most rioters were teenagers in their 20s.

Racism was the underlying cause of the riots, but then their original cause was soon forgotten and new rioters stormed the streets against the police with new, disunited causes-- many were angered at their government's inaction of unemployment and their cutting of welfare and jobs. “The riots appeared to have little unifying cause — though some involved claimed to oppose sharp government spending cuts, which will slash welfare payments and cut tens of thousands of public sector jobs through 2015,” wrote NPR reporters. As a result of this, many rioters raised hell against the police, looted shops, or “torched stores apparently just for the fun of seeing something burn.”

The riots have done more harm than good. These riots have also had a huge impact on businesses. Amid fear, many stores, schools, and offices have temporarily closed down to prevent loss. Citizens are encouraged to stay indoors by London police and many don't feel safe in their homes. Though the Prime Minister, David Cameron, called upon Parliament for emergency sessions to combat these riots, he refrained from using military forces to stop the riots, hoping that the riots would settle down on their own. In essence, the police in London's districts were the only ones in charge of quelling the riots. Amid this generation's worst riots, however, the police have had notably low successes against the rioters. “Rioters, able to move quickly and regroup to avoid the police, were left virtually unchallenged in several neighborhoods, plundering stores at will,” commented NPR reporters. “People are seeing images of lines of police literally running away from rioters,” stated British criminologist Andrew Silke.

Alzheimer’s Disease Research in USC’s Brinton Laboratory

by Mahbuba Tusty

Alzheimer’s disease, though not commonly thought of as a major adversary within the US, affects about 5.4 million people nationwide and costs close to $183 billion. Alzheimer’s (or AD as it is commonly referred to) pathology involves the accumulation of beta amyloid plaques and tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles within the neurons in the brain. Neurons are nerve cells found within the brain that transmit information. These neurons then exhibit a lack of adequate nutrients and eventual cell death, and it is this loss of neurons that contributes to cognitive decline. Cognitive decline in AD patients translates into a significantly lower ability to formulate new memories, remember old memories, learn new things, or even carry out daily tasks. Therefore, often times, elderly AD patients forget their own relatives, need help using the restroom, and suffer through daily life in general.

In order to reverse cognitive decline and AD pathology, Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton (Principal Investigator & creator of STAR) and her lab are looking to promote neurogenesis, which is the creation of new neurons.

The Brinton lab has already successfully proven that allopregnanolone, a steroid found within the brain, effectively promotes neurogenesis. As a result, the lab is now looking at variations of allopregnanolone

which are Molecule A and Molecule B to check if one of these variations proves more effective than allopregnanolone, so that it can be used for therapeutic drugs.

To check how well allopregnanolone is working, to predict inception of AD, and to check if a patient already has Alzheimer’s disease, biomarkers are necessary.

Biomarkers are basically any substance (usually proteins) that can be indicators of the progression of a disease. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to detect the development of AD in patients until it is too late. Therefore, Dr. Brinton’s laboratory is examining biomarkers such as ketone bodies,insulin, and more as indicators of whether AD pathology is developing and whether allopregnanolone is effective.

In the future, Dr. Brinton’s laboratory hopes to start clinical trials of allopregnanlone which means humans would be used as recipients of allopregnanolone (or its variations) as opposed to mice. Furthermore, the lab plans to utilize a more effective method for selecting biomarkers. As with any other research group, Dr. Brinton’s laboratory is always searching for new and innovative ways to identify, treat, and reverse the disease.

Collective Bargaining Disagreement NBA LOCKOUT ENTERING 10th WEEK WITH NO END IN SIGHT

by Albert Petrosyan

At this time of year, with October coming closer and closer, NBA fans salivate at the nearing start of the NBA season as they will get to see their favorite teams and players begin the long and difficult journey that ends with only one team standing and hoisting the ever so majestic Larry O’Brien trophy. These fans, however, are in for a big disappointment.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement, the contract between the NBA players and the NBA (led by NBA commissioner David Stern), which details all financial and revenue sharing specifics, expired on July 1st; and the huge difference in the states of mind between the players and owners became quite alarming. The CBA expiration locked out the players from the NBA-- meaning that until a new CBA can be agreed upon between the NBPA (NBA Players Association, led by Head Billy Hunter and President of the Executive Committee Derek Fisher) and the NBA, players can't have any contact with their respective team, players negotiate personally with any of the 30 NBA teams, nor can players get paid. Teams, in addition, cannot host any kind of basketball-related sessions or practices, nor may their facilities be used by the players. With the economy still under trenches, the argument between the players and the NBA over who gets which slice of the "money pie" has been non-stop. While the NBPA and the NBA have met several times, there has been no substantial progress and the talks are coming to a screeching halt. The latest meeting was August 1st and another one is planned to take place some time before Labor Day. After the August 1st meeting, head of the NBAPA Billy Hunter gave rise to increased fan bedlam-- that the 2011-2012 NBA season might be nonexistent as the two sides were nearly $1 billion apart. Evidently, these issues continue to pile up and progress is still staggering.

Of the issues that remain to be solved by the new CBA, which don’t appear to have had much light, almost all have to deal with money. The Salary Cap is the biggest issue because it deals with the maximum amount of money a team can spend on its players’ salaries. The NBPA wants a very flexible and high Salary Cap whereas the team owners want one that is low and legally impossible to exceed. Owners of teams that do not produce a lot of income also believe that a low Salary Cap balances the table for their teams to compete for star player titles.

Team owners also do not want the amount of money that is guaranteed in player contracts to be at the same level as it was originally because owners are tired of paying large amounts of guaranteed money to players who do not perform well on the court.

Likewise, the NBA and team owners do not want to give the same percentage of the income produced from anything related to Basketball to the players equally (which was 57% last year). The NBA claims that there had been too much revenue lost from the last couple of seasons for such a percentage while the NBPA claims that to be false. These issues are not going away; on the contrary they worsen as time goes by while players and owners continue to bicker.

Many NBA players have decided not to sit idly while the dog days of August burn away as some have organized training sessions and player workouts in order to stay in shape and have something to do. Some have taken it to the next level by signing contracts with basketball teams overseas-- London, China, Italy, Israel, and Turkey teams. Well known Lakers' Ron Artest is set to join the Cheshire Jets of Britain, Nets' Deron Williams has agreed to play in Turkey and Lakers' superstar guard Kobe Bryant has also been involved in talks with a Turkish team. Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder is looking to raise some eyebrows in Spain while Lakers' Pau Gasol might be going to Australia. By rule of their contracts, which are suspended due to the lockout, players must return back to the NBA once a new CBA is established. All in all, players won’t stop playing (and earning big bucks) and fretters won’t stop bickering.

The NBA Collective Bargaining “Disagreement” has affected many people involved in professional basketball. NBA hopefuls did not have the chance to showcase their talents to NBA teams in the Orlando and Las Vegas Summer League games. Many team employees, those in the office in charge of custodians who wax the courts, continue to live without pay. If the lockout continues into the season, food vendors and even more employees have a chance of being laid off due to the reality that there will be no one to buy tickets or popcorn. This is a difficult time even for the regular fan who will not get the chance to enjoy some quality NBA basketball, while NBA leaders argue over who gets which piece of the gazillion dollar pot. As October gets closer and closer, the chance for NBA basketball to exist this season wanes.

The Final Harry Potter Review

By Roxana Sierra

Music at Colossal Proportions

For more than a decade, Harry Potter has captivated the world through its popular books and films, and inspired an entire generation to imagine. July 15, 2011 marked the start of the end; the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise was released in theatres nationwide. Fans were eagerly anticipating the film, and the movie sold over $32 million in presales alone!

Despite the six hour wait, the film was worth it. As soon as people were allowed to enter the establishment, the management every now and again moved the line to accommodate as many people who were waiting in line. Camera crews showed up, and people made a grand entrance with costumes and other Harry Potter merchandise (from T shirts to wands, to hats to the Hogwarts robes). Anticipation and excitement was in the air; people yelled with passion every once in a while. To some— the well-prepared and even those who were not— entering the theater and racing to get the best seats was rude, but necessary. Twenty minutes before the film began, a review of what had happened last started; everyone held their breath when they saw a small segment from where the last movie had left off.

Suddenly silence struck the entire theatre. Quick note— there may be some spoilers. Read this at your own risk.

The movie began with Harry, Ron and Hermione in the impenetrable Gringotts devising a plan to get another horcrux. And, as they escaped, the real battle began at Hogwarts. In any great battle, there are deaths.

Sadly there are too many favorite characters that die, but the plot continues as “The Boy Who Lived” finds out shocking secrets so obscure, yet so prophetic, that it’s a must watch.

Concerning the book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the movie follows the book as close

by Cynthia Serrano

as it possibly can. In some moments, the fans cheered, awed, laughed and gasped at the funny, the “finallys”, and the utterly doleful moments throughout the film. Even the epilogue— finally tying up the lives of the characters— ended the series in a sincere, yet explosive, m a n n e r .

However, a bit of a warning, the film will make you cry. No matter what you think, it will make you feel an unexpected sadness. Seeing the Hogwarts Express leave Platform 9 ¾ at eleven on the dot with the characters waving goodbye is the saddest end to any childhood. I strongly recommend that every person watch the final installment of Harry Potter. And I congratulate J.K. Rowling, the movie cast, and fellow dedicated fans for sticking it through to the end.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Review

by Katherin Javalera

After the phenomenon in the late 60s, including four films and a television series, Planet of the Apes has returned to show how it all began.

Director Rupert Wyatt alongside writer Pierre Boulle (who wrote the Planet of the Apes novel) made an instant great movie— Rise of the Planet of the Apes. James Franco plays the leading role as Will, a scientist trying to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s by testing his experiments on apes. The experiment, potentially helping humans with uncured diseases, also has an interesting effect on apes— making their intelligence levels increase.

It begins with an intelligent ape in which the scientists named Bright Eyes, a chimpanzee

whose enigma was to be presented to a corporation until it went wrong and they had to put her down.

Unknowingly, Bright Eyes had given birth to a chimp; and, as a result, Will took the baby chimp home to keep it safe. Will named the ape Caesar (played by Andy Serkis). Will discovers that Caesar genetically inherited the boosted intelligence from his mother. Caesar learns how to communicate with humans by the use of sign language and his intelligence capacity increases to human level. Unfortunately, animal instincts took over Caesar and he started to show outrageous, beastly behavior. To protect him, scientists get Caesar sent into an Ape Sanctuary. Wanting to escape, Caesars’ attitude turns dark, and he leads all the apes in the facility to escape, creating a rampage of rebellion against the humans.

This movie was not only one of the best films of the summer, but a good start for a comeback of the series itself. It was well written, the acting was great and the visual effects were amazing. The film makes such a connection with today’s world in a way that leaves you thinking it just might be possible for apes to take over. Its themes are vast, complex, and important.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is definitely a must-see.

Amy Winehouse’s Death

by AJ Saniano

Struggling with drug addiction and alcohol abuse, Amy Winehouse r e m a i n e d infamous for being such a sporadic character.

But on July 23, the world heard of the soul-jazz singer’s untimely passing, earning her a bittersweet

welcome to the 27 Club.

Amy Winehouse's struggle to quit drugs were well documented. But her family fears that sudden abstinence from alcohol might have been what led to her death at age 27, according to a report. Her doctors suggested during her rehab was to let off the drugs and alcohol steadily, but Winehouse ignored her doctors' advice to step

back gradually from her heavy drinking and went cold turkey in the past month. Her family believes that this sudden halt was too much of a shock to her system. The abstinence her body went through was sudden and her death may have been caused by the distress.

“Alcohol withdrawal is a condition that affects far too many people who try to go cold turkey without seeking medical counsel,” says Jeannine Stein, a health writer. “At some point the brain becomes dependent on alcohol and reacts badly when its supply is cut off, raising the risk of stroke and heart attack.”

And though alcohol was detected in Winehouse's system, it's not clear whether it played any role in her death — or whether the problem was that it was too much, or too little.

But not until October, when the results of an inquest are due, it's unlikely the cause of the songstress' death will be any less of a mystery.

This summer, with the help of influential band Rage Against the Machine and Goldenvoice Productions, the city of Los Angeles regained its voice with the LA Rising festival held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The festival consisted of 6 musical acts— El Gran Silencio, Immortal Technique, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Rise Against, Muse, and, of course, Rage Against the Machine. As leaders of the whole festival, Rage Against the Machine played a significant role in choosing the line-up. The social awareness of the artists was a key factor and was more important than the type of music they played. As a result, the event provided a variety of genres like hip-hop to rock and everything else in between.

The band’s mission was not only to bring music back to Los Angeles, but also to educate its citizens by having an area called the “Re-education Camp.”

This camp contained information on selected nonprofit organizations, local and international, with hopes to make fans conscious of social issues.

Issues such as immigration, war, and poverty were discussed throughout the site, shedding light on subjects that affect many people in Los Angeles and everywhere else around the world.

One Organization, PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), talked about the poverty in Los Angeles and their efforts to help homeless individuals and families find permanent homes. This camp truly embodied what Rage Against the Machine wanted in terms of promoting community activism.

The event began at 3:00 p.m with Spanish rock band El Gran Silencio followed by hip-hop artist Immortal Technique. Although most of those attending were there for the headliners, both acts energized the crowd and set the mood for the rest of the night. R&B singer Ms. Lauryn Hill took the stage next, performing a mixture of her solo work and covered songs by Stevie Wonder. But unfortunate technical difficulties drowned out her voice. Rise Against continued the festival with performing their lively rock and punk infused songs. After Rise Against, LA Rising took a turn and had a change of pace with Muse; it was “the calm” before “the storm”. After Muse, the anticipation was evident throughout the stadium as fans anxiously awaited Rage Against the Machine. There were a couple false alarms, but soon after a video began playing and sirens went off. Then the band finally took the stage playing their hit, “Testify,” but technical difficulties made it difficult for everyone to hear until it was resolved a few moments later.

The mosh pits began and a fire was started during their performance, showing just how energetic the crowd was. With Brad Wilk on drums and Tim Commerford on bass, everyone was on key. Tom Morello reminded everyone why he will always be one of the greatest guitarists with his technique and use of effects. Zack de la Rocha tied it all together with his vivacious vocals and speech during “Wake Up” where he promoted revolution and unity. The nine hour festival ended with their performance of “Killing in the Name.”

LA Rising was the biggest musical event in Los Angeles this year, and it may possibly become a permanent annual festival. Reaching out to 60,000 individuals, the artists who performed and those at the “Re-Education Camp” changed lives and will hopefully continue to do so in the following years.

Bravo Student Tips

Thou Shall Not Fear the Stairs

by Roxana Sierra

by Jacqueline Romero

9th Grade Freshmen • Take full advantage of the sports and clubs and college courses offered so you won’t be stressing over them last minute.

• Join a sport or a club to meet new people and fully enjoy your high school experience.

• Try NOT to fail any of your classes because they will come back to haunt you.

• Visit the sixth floor pool sometime, you might run into the football team there (who are always hogging the pool).

Goodbye summer, hello boundless stairs. Regardless of how tiring or overwhelming it may seem to hike up our loving school, the stairs don’t deserve all the hate. After all the ice cream cakes and everything in between, how much exercise did we all get done? After three months of vacation, you probably had five whole days of exercise, or was it less? Fear no more! All the fat calories accumulated during the summer will eventually be seared off by Bravo’s flight of stairs. Walking up and down the stairs is great exercise, and it burns calories. Thus, climbing stairs will firm your butt, your legs and your stomach. You can burn about three hundred kilocalories in thirty minutes of walking up or down the stairs (depending on the intensity of your workout). The workout for all Bravo knights is very intense, depending on the floors of their classes and of their lockers. The lucky ones are the few freshmen who will soon have the gift of fifth floor lockers. Prepare for extreme calorie loss, kids.

There are many advantages for this method of exercise. First of all, there is no special training or equipment required besides the heavy backpacks and necessary textbooks. Furthermore, you can do this exercise in short spurts. If you only have time to run two flights up, it would still be considered as exercise even if you don’t take the stairs again for another couple of hours. Moreover, climbing the stairs is a good workout for your heart (just in case there were any heart breaks in the summer); therefore, it will be healed and get healthy. It can be an intense activity both for the heart and leg muscles because you are carrying your body weight against gravity. However, it is low impact and safe for the knee joints. Also, stair climbing uses the muscles of the legs-- the quadriceps (front of the thighs) and the buttocks.

Nonetheless, keen exercisers in cities as far apart as Boston and San Francisco are starting to use skyscraper stair climbs as their workout of choice – a fifteen minute stair climb offers the same workout as thirty minutes of running on flat ground. A research in Northern Ireland has also shown that walking upstairs for just six minutes a day will make you ten to fifteen percent fitter. So despite the common excuses for not being able to exercise-- because you have no time, there’s too much traffic, you have nowhere to, you have no equipment, you have too much homework-- now you have no other choice. Want to get to class on time and get those good grades? Want to prevent yourself from getting tardy swept and from getting truancies? Walk, skip, and run up the stairs and get ready for a new, healthy school year.

10th Grade Sophomores • Continue doing well in your classes and try not to fall behind.

• If you didn’t so well last year, change your ways and work harder: study hard, do homework, and you’ll see how much less of a pain being a sophomore will be.

11th Grade Juniors • So now that you are here let us warn you: Junior year is crucial because colleges tend to look at this year the most.

• Take the hard courses, do your best and strive to do well.

• Take time to chill and relax, no need to be a crazed study maniac, that will come later in the year.

12th Grade Seniors • Get to work on those college applications and recommendations and all that good stuff if applying early action or early decision!

• Even if your not applying early, still get to work because the sooner your done the less worries you’ll have.

• At all cost, avoid getting senioritis! If you develop any of its symptoms, pinch yourself to get back on track.

• Embrace the moments and memories that have yet to come; just because this is your last year does not mean you have to pass it in social isolation.

• Good luck on your college application process, but remember to give yourself time and don’t be discouraged if you’re not accepted into your dream colleges.

Scholarships

by Roxana Sierra

Seniors, the application process has (hopefully) begun and you are all well on your way to stress mania. Such stress can be derived from all those ticket prices-- that is, the cost of your higher education-- but there’s no need to fret over such petty things.

Instead, you should focus on your applications and scholarships! Here’s a list of a few scholarship websites :  Fastweb.com provides an infinite array of scholarships for different occasions  Scholarshipexperts.com again specializes in providing scholarship searching.

Creating an account is required.  Scholarships.com offers a specialized search option for scholarships that are compatible with you.  The College Board requires for people to have an account for its many benefits.

Looking for scholarships should be quite easy if you click on the “Pay for College” tab

Heed this warning, if you have to pay to get a scholarship then it’s a scam.

(Why waste money trying to get more money right?) Also, try to adhere to the deadlines; if you miss it, you miss a great chance of being granted great amounts of money.

To help start your search, here are a couple of great scholarship opportunities (which are due by late September and to late October): Questbridge A great supporter of higher education that matches top notch colleges with low-income high achieving scholars through their National College Match. All you have to do is sign up through its website and apply to the program, no cost. The award, all four years costs will be met through scholarships; no loans. If you have further inquiries, then log on to their website at questbridge.org. DUE SPETMEBR 30, so get moving because it is much like a college application!

Freedom in Academia Essay Contest

You may have to watch TWO documentary videos, on THE FIRE website, about certain colleges and their inappropriate stance towards ideas and self expression. This one of course involves an essay on how these colleges betrayed the purpose of providing a environment compatible with the endorsement of ideas and how they violated the First Amendment rights.

Due November 1; for more information visit thefire.org.

On a lighter note, there are many scholarships out there that students do not take advantage of. Plus, there are always scholarships waiting for anyone at our very own college center! There are also many scholarship opportunities in the local neighborhoods, church, or anywhere if you can just find them. Good luck. Vital Signs will have more scholarship opportunities in future print or online. By the way, underclassmen are welcomed to look into these because some are not restricted to grade level except for the Questbridge National College Match. (In the spring there will be a College Prep Scholarship from Questbridge.)

New Academic Year: New Attitude

by Amy Guerra

As a new school year begins, a more mature attitude should be taken into account for all students. You cannot change the past because that is already gone, but think of this year as a time for change— good change. The high school experience is steadily leaving you behind. It should be your mission to prepare for senior year and to prove to yourself that you have what it takes to succeed in your post high school life. There really isn’t any secret to it. One simple word can sum it up. Preparation.

Start thinking ahead and brainstorm a list of academic goals you have decided to set for yourself. As of today start working towards those goals. Each day matters.

Take initiative and push yourself to perform better on an academic level. It may be dreadful, but strive to excel in any assignment you are given. Desire to learn, and slowly this will become your daily routine. You should not begin the school year with a pessimistic attitude because that will only hold you back from performing your best. Someone once said, “It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.” Do not prevent yourself from succeeding through negative thoughts because that will only lead to failure.

Make each year in high school worth it. You will not only expand academically, but as a person as well. Start the year with a new set of personal rules and you will soon realize that the actions you start taking toward your education from now on will affect your future. Live in the moment, but don’t forget to plan for the future.

“Sexting”

by Amy Guerra There was once a time when passing a note during class to your crush was a massive stepping stone towards letting them know how you felt. It was through those sweet acts that innocent love was expressed between two individuals. Now, with the multiple advances in technology, different forms of social interaction have developed. People can use social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace to engage in chats with others. With cell phones, having conversations, taking pictures or recording videos, and uploading them onto the web is just a button away. A byproduct of this improved technology is the not-so-old, disturbing trend in teenage flirting known as “sexting.” Sexting involves sending nude or sexually explicit images and texts via mobile phones.

More and more young adults are participating in this type of interaction. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy published a study suggesting one in five teens has sent or posted provocative images of themselves online or on cell phones. A 2009 UK survey of 2,094 teenagers aged eleven to eighteen recorded that approximately thirty-eight percent had received a “distressing” sexual image by text or e-mail. Sexting may appeal to many teenagers, but what they do not realize is how serious the consequences can be. Young adults who send pictures of themselves can face prosecution for obscenity or child pornography, while those who received the images can be charged with possession of child pornography.

The practice of sending explicit photos or texts could be tempting because it provides a more intimate connection with the other person, but how much privacy is granted? None whatsoever. All messages or pictures sent can easily be forwarded to several unwanted recipients. Additionally, those “private” pictures could affect the individual when applying for college and job opportunities.

Sexting might seem like a pleasurable game at the moment; however, it could come back to haunt you for years. Conversations or pictures sent between cell phones and online are never private, so think twice before you send. Your reputation or life is on the line.