The Mirror | Van Nuys High School | Mar 2020 | Volume 106 |Issue 3

CURRENT
4EVENTS
FEBRUARY 2020 vnhsmirror.com
Peanut wizard
Born a slave, George Washington Carver became
a prominent scientist and inventor, best
known for devising over 100 peanut products
and popularizing peanut butter.
SOURCE: HISTORY.COM
theMIRROR
SOURCE | TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
House of Blues
music foundation
partners with
Technical Arts
By ANI TUTUNJYAN
& DENNIS GALIN
THE MIRROR STAFF
Lights, sound, action.
These are just some of the backstage
components needed to stage a performance.
The House of Blues Music Forward Foundation,
a Los Angeles-based organization that focuses on
accelerating career skills for youth through music,
will be emphasizing the technical arts in its collaboration
with the school, the only school selected to
participate in the partnership in the San Fernando
Valley.
House of Blues is an American chain of live music
concert halls and restaurants founded in 1992
by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe,
and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film The Blues
Brothers.
In 1993, House of Blues established the International
House of Blues Foundation, the initial name
of Music Forward, to provide services for the youth
through arts programs.
The partnership’s goal is to promote and enhance
the school’s technical theater department,
lighting design, stage design, film and business
PEXELS | DAVID BARTUS
BACKSTAGE House of Blues Music Forward Foundation
has impacted over one million kids, as well as invested
$25 million in providing workshops and showcases,
kickstarting careers in the industry for over 25 years.
aspects of the industry.
“What the House of Blues Music Forward Foundation
wants to do is mentor and teach our kids
the behind the scenes aspects of performing arts,
and the ins and outs of the music industry from
the backstage component,” said Performing Arts
Magnet Coordinator Ms. Fanny Arana.
The semester will kick off with numerous
workshops beginning in February introducing
students to various career pathways in the music
industry including participation on artistic teams,
venue teams and production careers through live
performances, panel discussions, and hands-on
activities.
Ms. Arana stresses the importance of students’
awareness of these different career pathways.
“Realistically, you’ve got people on stage and
that’s great, but
without sound
and lights, you’ve
got nothing,” she
said. “You’ve just
got a bunch of
people standing around in the dark yelling at each
other. Without documentation and the business
aspect of it, you’re not going to have an audience.
Who markets it? Who gets the word out? How do
you get the word out? There is so much that goes
into planning a show.”
Throughout the year, students will have the opportunity
to job-shadow, create a personal brand
and craft a resume.
“Networking will be a key component to getting
our students jobs in the industry,” said Ms. Arana.
Students involved in the Technical Theater
Department will be most involved in the partnership.
“The program teaches responsibility and accountability,”
Jude Struble, a technical arts student,
said. “You have to know what you’re doing with
other people. I’m excited to involve myself and learn
more about the industry.”
Palforzia: A “game changer” for Americans with a peanut allergy
BY ANI TUTUNJYAN
THE MIRROR STAFF
For nearly 2.5 percent of children
and teenagers, one
of their biggest
fears is accidentally
eating something
that contains
traces of peanuts.
Those with peanut
allergies can experience
severe reactions and even
die.
But help may be on the way.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has approved the first treatment for
peanut allergy in children ages 4 to 17.
The drug, sold under the brand name
Polfarzia, is a peanut protein in powder
form which is given to children in increasing,
controlled doses. Every two weeks, the
dose is ramped up until it hits a target of
300 milligrams, which is the equivalent of
about one peanut.
Polfarzia does not cure the allergy, but
rather reduces the severity and number
of allergic reactions. Users will still have to
carry an EpiPen and avoid peanuts.
The medicine is similar to oral therapies
offered by some allergists, but it is the first
to be approved by U.S. health regulators.
“Not only is Palforzia the first approved
therapy for peanut allergy, but it is the first
approved therapy for any food allergy,”
Daniel Adelman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer
of Aimmune Therapeutics, the company
that developed the drug, said in a press
release.
Dr. Alan O. Khadavi, an allergy and
asthma physician, believes that the drug
could be very helpful for hypersensitive
patients who may accidentally consume
something with traces of peanuts.
“It would be very good for patients who
are hypersensitive who sometimes have
accidental exposures that can cause reactions,”
said Dr. Khadavi. “This is something
we can offer patients who are very scared
of accidentally eating a peanut. It gives
another treatment for them.”
‘‘
It would be very good for
patients who are hypersensitive
who sometimes have
accidental exposures that
can cause reactions.”
Dr. Alan O. Khadavi
SOURCE | PIXABAY
Although the drug does not cure
patients or work for everyone, Aimmune
says the benefits can be life-changing to
parents and children who worry about
the potentially fatal effects of accidental
SMALL BUT DEADLY: Peanut
allergy is the second most
common allergy in children,
occuring in about 1 in 50 children
and 1 in 200 adults.
exposure to peanuts.
“This is a defining moment for the peanut
allergy community and for Aimmune
Therapeutics,” Jayson Dallas, CEO of Aimmune
Therapeutics, said in a press release.
The company is also studying the
medicine in children ages 1 to 4, allowing
a larger number of the roughly 3 million
Americans with peanut allergies to undergo
the treatment.
“Having an allergic reaction is not a very
fun experience at all,” said Ryan Limpasurat,
a student with a moderate peanut
allergy. “Having this treatment will make
day-to-day life more simple since I will be
less stressed about reading each and every
ingredient list.”