CPDA mAGNET NEWSLETTER
WHO WORE IT BETTER?
Lancer Sports News
Boys’ Soccer
January 24 was the most crucial game for the boys’ soccer team. After losing to Polytechnic High School earlier in the season by a score of 4-2, the Lancers needed a comeback win. They epically came back from a 2-1 deficit in the last 20 minutes of the game, successfully scoring two goals in the short span of 10 minutes to beat Poly by a score of 3-2. The Lancers look to continue their success as they played against Verdugo Hills on January 26.
Girls' Soccer
Our lady Lancers had a big test on January 26 as they traveled to Verdugo Hills High School as they expect to keep their eight game winning streak alive. A victory against Verdugo will put the Lancers one step closer to securing their second East Valley League title. Good luck to our undefeated Lancers!
Boys' Basketball
After a rough start to the season, the boys’ basketball team has seemed to find a rhythm as soon as the league championship started.
The Lancers are 6-0 in league and they are seeking to bring home yet another league title to Grant after such key wins against Verdugo Hills (50-47) and Monroe (44-40). Keep it up boys!
Yorgo Tarakjian
Yorgo Tarakjian is a CPDA Magnet 10th Grader.
1. What are you planning on doing after high school? I plan on going to CSUN and training in the R.O.T.C (Reserve Officers' Training Corps).
2. What do you like about the Grant CPDA Magnet? The teachers and students are kind and helpful; and there are more opportunities in this program that ensure my success.
3. What do you do on your free-time, outside of school? I like to hang out with my friends, as well as read nonfiction, sci-fi, and fantasy books.
4. What is your favorite subject, why? My favorite subject is English, because I excel at it and I would like to pursue it more to improve my speaking skills.
~ by Ani Gharibyan and
Domonique Oseida , Grade 12
Magnet Student Spotlight
Important Dates: FEBRUARY
1-28: Black History Month—Learn more at The National Museum of African American History and Culture, a part of the Smithsonian.
08: Armenian-Latino Friendship Assembly (Per. 3-4)
08: Black Student Union meetings begin—every Thursday at lunch in Room 110
14: Valentine's Day
15: Boys' Basketball Playoffs vs. Roosevelt High School (7-9pm)
19: President's Day—No School
22: Remain Drug and Tobacco Free—Quad Stage at lunch
PENNY WARS RESULTS
COMING SOON!
A Letter From Andrea Caruso
CPDA Magnet Coordinator
“Lean how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” – Leonardo da Vinci
When I think of connections, the obvious connotations of the word arise: bonds with family, ties with friends, romantic relationships. These are not the only types of connections that exist in the world, however, and da Vinci’s command for us to understand that everything is interrelated is an important idea to explore. What da Vinci is advocating is not seeing in the literal sense, though there is something to be gained from the sights discovered when taking a new route to school, or the fresh perspective earned from rearranging your bedroom furniture. Instead he is compelling us to regard the world with a critical lens, acknowledging that we must train ourselves with the discipline required to learn something not teachable in textbooks.
If only we could heed da Vinci’s advice, and learn to see what is around us, we would notice far more connections that enrich our lives. Retraining ourselves to see the things we usually ignore can add to our daily existence, and show us that there truly is more that unites us than separates us. For example, in your next class look around and see if you can name every student in the class. If you can’t, ask yourself why not? You are part of a classroom community, a group that meets in the same location and time each day, learning from the same educator – you are connected. Or think about the student you may see crying by the lockers after school. Would you reach out and ask if he or she needed help? Or would you walk by, thankful that you didn’t have as bad a day? This student attends Grant – our larger interconnected community – and by extension you are connected to him or her by the title “Lancer” – so what should you do? Lastly, what if you were at the mall and you saw someone being bullied? What is your obligation to the person being picked on? How are you connected to that soul in a larger context, and how are you going to honor that connection?
Recently our campus had the honor of hosting a Latino-Armenian Friendship assembly, designed to show our students that these two rich cultures are equally valued on our campus. However, all the assemblies in the world won’t do us any good if we leave the auditorium and forget or disregard their messages. Thus, the idea of uniting our campus into one cohesive Grant student body begins with you. Join a club, make a new friend, hang out in a different spot on campus to gain perspective, and attempt to do more for Grant than just warm a seat. Follow da Vinci’s imperative and train yourself to regard the world differently, because it is only after we push ourselves to make connections beyond the commonplace that we truly begin to see and flourish.
Five Questions With
Mr. Dickerman
1. What would you name your boat if you had one?
The Golden Fleece
2. What would students be surprised to find out about
you?
I wrote a children's comic book
3. What are your "trapped on a desert island" books or
movies?
Ghostbusters, Sneakers, Wall-E, Wings of Desire
4. If you won the lottery and decided to give up
teaching, what would you do instead?
Learn to surf, bike a lot, hang out with family
5. Are there any embarrassing teaching moments
you're willing to share?
Oh, God, no.
~ by Lucia Perez, Grade 12
Dr. Bryant is the AP Environmental Science, AP Biology, and Honors Biology teacher for the Grant Magnet Program. This school year was her first here at our magnet. So far for her, she’s had an amazing time. She states that the students in our program are some of the most studious. Her remarks about students are great, stating that the students are dedicated to their classes and learning.
Dr. Bryant holds a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Management, and a Masters in Secondary Education. She has been teaching for ten years and loves passing down the knowledge she has acquired to her students.
Her passion for teaching has always been science and specifically biology. Her love of this subject was initially sparked when her parents gifted her with a microscope set as young child. From then on, all of her interest has centered around science.
Dr. Bryant, who began her teaching career at Garfield High, has come to us after teaching at several prestigious schools. She taught at Esteban Torres High School and spent four years at East Valley. Currently now in her first year at Grant College Prep and Digital Arts Magnet, where students and staff will continue to appreciate and cherish the work that she does.
Dr. Bryant hosts the Black Student’s Union (BSU) in her room (Room 110) at lunch every Thursday and all students are welcome.
Fun fact about Dr. Bryant: She loves singing. In fact, she is part of a choir. She says she loves to sing and although her passion is science, she enjoys singing and travel.
~ by Justin Crisanto and
Sarkis Melikyan, Grade 12
Teacher Feature: Dr. Bryant
Love at First Sight?
Love at first sight might be called a cliché that occurs mainly in movies by the media, while scholarly articles can develop a scientific approach as to why our brain falls for such an emotional connection. John Staughton (2016), the author of the media article “Scientifically Speaking: Can You Really Fall In Love At First Sight?,” argues that since there is no true definition for love that everyone can agree upon, then love at first sight might work for some, “but as with any matter of the heart, it depends on the individual” (Staughton, 2016). Since everyone is different, this idea can work for those who believe in it. Saffron Alexander (2016) found that "one in four people aged 65 or older said they can confidently tell within seconds whether they are attracted to a new date, while just 19 per cent of peopled aged 45 or older could say the same." This article provides the results of a love at first sight experiment taken at a retirement community that concluded older people can find love at first sight to be easier for them than younger ages. The older generation is more experienced with their past relationships, which helps them be more aware of what they are looking for in a life partner along with having an accurate judge of character.
In contrast, James A. Grant-Jacob (2016), author of the scholarly article “Love at First Sight”, claims that “the apparent superficial manner of falling in love at first sight could mean an individual may become attached to someone they have nothing in common with” (Jacob, 2016). Throughout the article, Jacob explains that this quixotic concept can occur between two strangers that are just basing the attraction off of physical aspects. This encounter can also happen to one of the two people, while the other has no attraction to the other whatsoever. In addition, Veronica Hefner and Barbara J. Wilson (2013) state, “romantic comedies are widely consumed… For instance, Johnson (2007) qualitatively examined 13 popular wedding films and identified a number of romantic myths… such as the idea of ‘love at first sight’ ” (Hefner & Wilson, 2013, p. 152). In their scholarly article “From Love at First Sight to Soul Mate”, they explain how romantic films spread false ideas that do not have much of a possibility in real life, but do positively influence the audiences’ perception of love. Some movies might use the idea of love at first sight in order to increase their ratings, instead of spreading the idea of it.
In “Is it Possible to Fall in Love at First Sight?”, the author, Isabel Thottam, mentions, “Many biologists believe that love is a biological construct because all human cultures have the capacity to love, as well as some animals that appear to express it. Moreover, scientists report that all humans are genetically wired to be able to fall in love at first sight–it just doesn’t happen for some people” (Thottam). The author explains that love at first sight is something that almost everyone encounters at least once in their lifetime and we are all capable of experiencing this feeling. Some animals also experience love when they mate for life, but not every animal has one life partner. She also states, “Moreover, research reveals that different parts of your brain work together to release chemicals (dopamine, oxytocin, adrenalin and vasopressin) that give off an experience of euphoria, bonding and excitement” (Thottam). The biology behind encountering love at first sight is instantaneous no matter if the person wants it to occur or not. The chemicals that are released are the reason that one knows the attraction being experienced is love and not any other feeling.
In my opinion, love at first sight can be possible, but it is mainly a rare event. I think that many encounters can be one-sided because if one person feels an attraction for another, then how can one confirm the way others feel about them. Although I think love at first sight is rare, I believe that a serendipity can occur between two people who are least expecting it. Not everyone has to believe in this instance in order for it to occur because the chemical reactions due to this instance cannot be controlled by the person experiencing them. There are also some people who recognize one’s characteristics and what kind of a person they are just by looking at them. Not everyone can do this, so they may be fooled by one’s physical features and think that they are in love with another person. Overall, the central idea of love at first sight is known all over the world, but is dependent on each individual at hand, since everyone is different and has their own opinions on the characteristics they find attractive.
~ by Ruzanna Demirchyan, Grade 12