Read this weeks newest articles!

Feb 5th - Feb 14th

The History of Valentines Day 02/14/24, Amerie Telon

Do you know the history of Valentine's Day? Surprisingly, it's not a card manufacturer like Hallmark looking to make money.

Valentine's Day is commonly associated with Cupid, however it is originally about a Roman saint. His name was St. Valentine. He was supposedly executed on February 14th, roughly 270 A.D. People don't know much about him because valintine was a popular name at the time.There were actually over a dozen St. Valentines when he was alive. Even a Pope.

According to History.com he was "the saint of romance" but was not even related to love nor romance.

Some people think that the reason he is associated with love is to due to Medieval English poet Geoffery Chaucer. "No record exists of romantic celebrations on Valentine’s Day prior to a poem Chaucer wrote around 1375"(Hanes,History.com ). This means that it is possible that he is the reason why we celebrate February 14th. "In his work “Parliament of Foules,” he links a tradition of courtly love with the celebration of St. Valentine’s feast day–an association that didn’t exist until after his poem received widespread attention. The poem refers to February 14 as the day birds (and humans) come together to find a mate. When Chaucer wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate,”" Chaucer may have just made a hoilday without trying.

No Effort Study/Homework Tips!

01/24/24, Kayla Garcia

Studying and homework can be exhausting for many students, here are some easy tips and tricks to stay on top of your game with MINIMAL to NO effort!

Stay hydrated: It may seem like a pointless thing everyone says, but they say it for a reason. According to CNET’s article on dehydration, “Here’s Why Drinking Water Is the Key to Good Mental Health”, “it makes it harder to concentrate, remember things and fight off brain fog.” How can one efficiently do their work when the brain isn’t even able to keep up? Keeping your body hydrated, ideally with water, will have you more concentrated naturally without any extra work.
Stay fueled: Not only hydration is important, but so is keeping your body filled with energy, as well. The brain and body need energy to function, having enough food power will keep you awake and actively focused.

Breaks and Timers: Breaks are not counterproductive; they ensure you don’t overwork your brain. It will be beneficial in keeping your workflow going. Timers, like Pomodoro timers, can be used to keep an accurate account of how much time you are taking from work to play. If you ever feel tired, take a small break to catch up on yourself.

Clean space: A clean and clear space can clear the mind. It gives you the clarity needed to focus on the work in front of you. If you have a clean space, it is less stressful and one less thing on your to-do list after homework.

Have a treat: Homework, or especially studying, can be dreadful, tiring, and something to procrastinate. If you make it fun to do your work, you're more likely to want to start, and actually finish it. Having a reward system is one way to make work a game. Once you finish an assignment or work after a certain amount of time, help yourself to a small treat. It can range from a piece of candy to watching a new episode of a show.

Music: If your mind needs stimulation while working, music can be great. Try not to use music that distracts you more than helps you, such as songs you tend to sing along or daydream with. A main distractor is music with lyrics. Keep a playlist running so you don’t have to keep going back and forth and wasting time trying to find a new song. Even better, use a timer with music in the background- a 2-in-1 deal.

Be held accountable: Tell your friends/family your workload and show them your before and after to prove you are being productive. This will keep you responsible and finish more work than if you did it alone.

Write it down: Write down all the things you need to do before you start. You should finish the work on the list from most important (first due/most points) to least (further due date/less points). In doing this, you will use the best brain power for the greatest cause.

The 2023-2024 Cheer Leading Season Comes to an End 02/02/2204, Allison Bolanos

The University Preparatory cheerleaders celebrated their senior night by cheering for the girls and boys basketball team on February 2nd, 2024. Although both boys and girls lost that night the cheerleaders did not fail to keep the crowd filled with energy and emotions. The cheerleading team had five class of 2024 seniors having the captain Abigail Jimenez, and her squad Aubree Byrom, Ja'lia Bryant, Valery Garcia, and Paris Rodriguez. At the end of both games their coach held a special ceremony for them and the basketball team.

Abigail Jimenez who has 4 years on the cheer team 2 of those years as a captain was accompanied by her parents Alejandro and Martha Jimenez, sisters Cynthia, Maribel, and Noemi, nephew Dolan, brother in law Dorian, and boyfriend Aaron. Abigail plans to attend college and pursue nursing states her favorite memory of being on the team were "the start of each year where that was when she would get to know her teammates" she stated that " it's sad that I wont get to experience that ever again but I want to cherish all the memories I have made since my first year.

Aubree Byrom, a senior who has 4 years on the cheer team, was accompanied by her mother Cathy Byrom father Steven Byrom, brother Connor Byrom, sister Amanda Byrom, niece Nyliah Taylor, brother in law Aaric Taylor, and boyfriend, Cameron Stinnett. Aubree Byrom plans to attend college and pursue a career in nursing following her mothers footsteps. Aubree stated it was "hard to choose a favorite memory since she had so many" she enjoyed the team's practices and team bondings. "Cheer has given me so many great friendships that have lasted me throughout high school" "it's bittersweet knowing it has to come to an end" she stated.

Valery Garcia who is a first year cheerleader was accompanied by her father, Miguel Garcia, and mother, Maria Gutierrez. Valery plans to hopefully attend California State Long Beach and major in business administration with an emphasis in management. When Valery was asked what her favorite memory on the team was she stated that "her first team bonding party. having laughs and stunting in the pool was just a glimpse of all the fun they've had". She ended this bittersweet message saying "the friendship bracelets we made that night truly resembles the lasting friendship we have. Love you girls!".

This was only a glimpse of the cheerleaders senior night overall the cheer team helped everyone stay positive and show their school spirit throughout every game and every pep rally. Sadly, everything must come to an end. Congratulations to all the seniors and thank you for your hard work and dedication.

Understanding the Leap Year: An Extra Day in Our Calendar

02/01/24, Bryanna Villalpando

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Every four years, we experience an anomaly in our calendar: the leap year. This additional day, tacked onto the end of February, holds historical significance and mathematical precision. Let's delve into the intricacies of the leap year, its origins, purpose, and why it matters.

The Origins

The concept of the leap year dates back to the ancient Romans, who initially had a 355-day calendar. To keep their calendar in sync with the solar year, they introduced the concept of an extra day every four years. This adjustment, known as the Julian calendar, was later refined by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, resulting in the Gregorian calendar that we use today.

The Purpose

The primary purpose of the leap year is to ensure that our calendar stays aligned with the Earth's revolutions around the sun. A year, defined as the time it takes for Earth to complete one orbit around the sun, is approximately 365.2425 days long. Without the leap year adjustment, our calendar would gradually drift out of sync with the seasons, leading to significant discrepancies over time.

The Mathematics

The leap year formula is deceptively simple: if a year is evenly divisible by 4, it is a leap year, except for years that are divisible by 100. However, years divisible by 400 are still leap years. This rule compensates for the slight discrepancy between the solar year and the calendar year.

Significance

Beyond its practical implications for timekeeping, the leap year holds cultural and symbolic significance. It has inspired traditions, superstitions, and even proposals. February 29, the extra day in the leap year, is often considered rare and special, prompting unique celebrations and events.

Leap Year Traditions

Throughout history, February 29 has been associated with various customs and beliefs. In some cultures, it's considered unlucky to be born on a leap day, while others view it as a day for women to propose marriage, reversing traditional gender roles. These traditions, rooted in folklore and superstition, add an extra layer of intrigue to the leap year.

Practical Implications

From a practical standpoint, the leap year affects a wide range of areas, including finance, astronomy, and software programming. Financial institutions adjust their calculations to account for the extra day, while astronomers use leap years to maintain accuracy in their celestial observations. In the realm of technology, programmers must ensure that their software correctly handles leap years to avoid errors in date calculations.

The leap year is more than just an extra day on the calendar; it's a testament to humanity's ingenuity in tracking time and seasons. By incorporating this additional day every four years, we maintain alignment with the natural rhythms of our planet. So, when February 29 rolls around, take a moment to appreciate the significance of this rare occurrence and the precision it brings to our calendar system.

Lady Jags Soccer: Senior Night and First Round CIF by Dani Jackman 02/05/24

On January 31st, University Prep's Girls Varsity Soccer Team secured their 11th overall win during their 2024 Senior Night game against Big Bear. Seniors Leila Ortega, Krystal Ortega, Aramari Gonzalez, Angela Bettess, and Nirvana Alba all scored along side junior Kylie Flores and freshmen Andie Lujan, Serenity Murphy, and Ryan Reynolds. The team celebrated Big Bear's seniors with roses at halftime and their own seniors with a banquet for family and friends after the game inside the campus MPR. The seniors were celebrated with gift baskets, going away presents, posters made by their teammates, and personalized speeches from the coach and their families.

The 9-0 shutout also placed the team 1st in the Cross Valley League for the 2024 season, meaning they would go on to play their first CIF (The California Interscholastic Federation) game in Round 1 against Xavier Prep from Palm Desert on February 8th. Xavier Prep's Girls Soccer went 6-3-1 (6 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie) in their own league play and placed 3rd in the Desert Empire League while our Lady Jags went 6-0-1 (6 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie) in their season. The game was tense, with neither team scoring in either half, forcing the game to go into two 10 min. overtime periods and, finally, a penalty kick shootout where University Prep won 5-3.

The team will move onto their second round of CIF against La Cañada's Spartans this week on February 12th.

Combined Orchestra

02/12/24, Joseline Tanchez

On Friday, February 9th, Combined Orchestra gave a performance for Phantom of the Opera. These students were a select few from Wind Ensemble and Advanced strings. After just a few rehearsals the music was ready to be performed and directed by Mr O'rane.

Combined Orchestra is a new idea to our current school's music program. While it is not an official class, there are days where the classes merge to practice. On the days that these students are called to practice, it is done in the strings room with a larger amount of strings students than band. This is because the band is a sort of background for the strings while still making their presence known.

Phantom of the Opera was the first piece that was performed by this music group, though it was prepared a bit late. This isn't the only piece they will be performing together. While it hasn't been rehearsed yet, the student should be performing and practicing Pirates of the Caribbean soon. While many details are unknown of the sort of arrangement it will be, we can be sure the final product will be a good one.

There are a few exceptions the the students from band that are permitted to enter. One good example of this are instruments that do not normally have a melody. Some instruments do not have parts in the music and therefore cannot play with the combined group. Not all students from a section can make it in either, mainly just about 2-3 students from a section.

Although not all students can be apart of such a new group, there are many fun things that can be felt from just watching it. Both the performers and the audience have a chance to witness and experience something like this. There are likely to be more performances like this, we just have to wait and experience them.

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