Author: adviser

  • Ready for the Real World?

    This week, I and many other seniors will be given a diploma and moving on into whatever kind of life we want to live. It is up to us to determine if we will continue education, have jobs, or just do nothing.

    I’ve been waiting for the moment to finally graduate and have my life set. But as that day is approaching closer, I dread it more and more. Why was I so excited for this as a kid and what made me think I would have everything figured out by then?

    If anything I feel more confused and overwhelmed than ever before. What exactly is in store for me? And why does it seem like I’m being pushed out into something I’m not really prepared for? Yup that’s right, adulthood. This has been a long struggle, being in in school, for SO many years. It’s routine and what I’ve been doing the past 13 years. In these 13 years what have I learned? Maybe some social skills and how kids can be cruel sometimes. The basic subjects such as math, history, english, and science. But what about managing my money? That’s only something that I’m really learning and investing in my senior year. Why does everything cost so much anyways? Applying for jobs, it’s a struggle, especially when I’ve been trying for months to get a job. Hello? I’ve been calling for so long now. Please give me a job, please.

    I’ve decided for myself that I will continue to do even more education, all in the favor of trying to have a career that will hopefully keep me stable. Good luck to me and all the other seniors who are going to struggle and try to survive.

  • Senior Appreciation

    At last, we have come to the end of this school year! Congratulations to all the students that have made it, but more importantly, con- gratulations to the seniors who have come so far and even now, are still continu- ing to go even further as they take their next big step in life. This school year, I have met so many amazing seniors that have influenced me and left a huge impact on me in several ways. They helped me settle in when I was unsure of what to do in a certain class, they were the greatest student counselors at Poly North, they were even there to assure me that I was always welcomed in a friend group. It was always the little moments that made

    them leaving me thankful for ever having the oppor- tunity to have met them. Friends, classmates, peers; call them whatever but to me they will always be one of the biggest influencers to have ever come into my life. I also feel like they should be more honored and feel proud of themselves as we should for them. After all, they once started out like everyone else. They began sprouting as a tiny bunny and grew throughout high school becoming the ex- travagant jackrabbits they are now. This class of 2019 should deserve more ac- knowledgement because even without knowing it, they influenced a lot of other people’s lives, not just mine.

  • Prom 2019: Time to Shine!

    Prom 2019: Time to Shine!

    Sunday May 26 at 7:00 PM at the Hotel Maya was where the class of 2019s prom was held. At the event there was food, games, caricature, henna, karaoke, photo booth and multiple dance rooms.

    The weather was not as cooperative before prom, as it was raining. Multiple girls were either holding their dresses up or not even bothering to do so.

    Not only did they have a main dance room but there was also room dedicated to just music in Spanish. In previous years, this was not a thing and people were upset about having very limited songs played.

    Most of the activities were present in the same building as the Spanish DJ. There was some confusion amongst students about where some of the activities were. With the food not many people were enjoying the food, such as on how on one side there was cold food and the other having hot food.

    Senior Denise Diaz said her experience was “fun” and really liked the Spanish DJ. Diaz noticed that people who “normally don’t dance to Spanish music” were dancing to it. Although much people weren’t fond of the food, Diaz enjoyed the “chicken tenders”. She disliked walking in her heels, as she had to keep going “back and forth” and it felt like “forever” walking in them.

    Senior Darli Ortiz doesn’t consider herself much of a “party person” but for prom being one of her first “parties” she found it enjoyable. Ortiz disliked the fact that there was “two different ballrooms”, as everyone was separate and there not being much unity.

    Senior Montserrat Valencia Delgado preferred the spanish DJ as they played spanish music and was “smaller”. Delgado was alternating between the two dance rooms and liked that there was a “variety” of spanish music. Senior Jose Diaz added onto what Delgado said and stated that due to it being small “you could request songs”. Senior Rachcna Sokhom-Khou also said the area with the Spanish DJ was “crowded”.

    Senior Evelyn Sanchez was surprised when arriving to prom, as she expected “less” to be present. Sanchez felt the main dance room could have been “a lot better”. Sanchez liked the Spanish DJ but when it came to him playing music, he played a lot of “reggaeton” and she didn’t know how to “dance to it”. Sanchez for the most part had her expectation pretty low for prom, but when at the event felt it had went past her expectations.

    Senior Amy Martinez had most of the same remarks as other students but did point out about the lack of seating, and how people were “standing up” and had “nowhere” to put their stuff.

    The night ended with confetti falling from the ceiling and songs relating to having a good time and living or remembering the moment. Doors started opening up at 10:30 but most students stayed for the entirety of prom.

     

  • Hooligans Break into Campus

    On Sunday, May 19, an unknown number of people snuck onto campus and broke into six classrooms in the 300 and 400 buildings, the weight room, the locker rooms, and three coaches’ offices. Some items were stolen, and other rooms were only vandalized.

    The crime is still classified as an ongoing investigation by the LBPD. so Poly principal William Salas was not able to completely share all the details of the event (such as how exactly the suspects broke into the locked rooms and what items were stolen) because spreading that information could affect the investigation.

    However, he did say that none of the gates were open on Sunday, so the suspects most likely climbed a fence to get on campus.

    He couldn’t say exactly how they got into the locked classrooms and offices, but they definitely did not use a key.

    The school is equipped with silent alarms and numerous video cameras, security measures to help deter these kinds of crimes from happening and to catch people who do commit them.

    When asked if there’s anything he’d like people to know in regards to these breaks-ins, Salas stated, “The campus is well-secured. There

    are safety measures in place that will help us apprehend whoever’s responsible.”

    Out of the six classrooms that were broken into, according to administration, the one that got the worst of it was Sarah Schol, 10th grade PACE English teacher and club sponsor for Female Leadership Academy. Schol has stated that the suspects probably “came in through the window.”

    They then proceeded to kick over everything they could and “destroyed one of [her] metal filing cabinets by walking on top of it.”

    When describing the shambles her room was in, she said, “They took all the food that was in the refrigerator and… decorated my floor with protein shakes, salad dressing, cookies… They opened up my FLA file drawer and poured liquid into all the drawers and destroyed a lot of the items donated to Female Leadership… They crumpled papers up and threw paper everywhere… They destroyed student projects by stepping on them, ripping them apart, breaking them… They did a lot. I’m leaving a lot of stuff out; they ripped stuff off the walls. It was devastating.” The suspects also stole a number of items from the class.

    Schol was not at school the Monday after the vandalism had occurred; the substitute for her class called her to inform her that the classroom had been vandalized and sent her pictures.

    “It was frustrating because I wished I’d received more updates about what was happening. You feel powerless already when you’ve been victimized and violated, but to be kept out of communication just amplifies that feeling… It really hurts.”

    DeAngelo Moss, the boys’ locker room attendant, said that the vandals stole items such as skateboards and shoes from lockers that students had left unlocked.

    The vandals left a mess everywhere, having thrown clothes and other trash all over the floor. They also broke into the office in the locker room, went through all the drawers, and threw a bunch of papers around.

    The Sunday before these vandalisms had occurred, on May 12, someone had graffitied profanity and slurs onto the benches in the batting cage, however it is unknown if this event is related to the vandalisms that occured on May 19.

  • Long Beach Celebrates Bike Month

    Ab Tudayan
    Senior William Frankenfeld bikes in style to and from school each day.

    “Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike,” said the famous John F. Kennedy. Starting May 1st, it is Bike month, an event celebrated in Long Beach for people like John F. Kennedy who cycle for pleasure, fitness, or transportation. With the bike invention dating back to 1817, how did such a simple tool come to be?

    It started with Baron Karl von Davis a servant for the Grand Duke of Germany in 1817. Baron created a fully wooden bicycle sporting iron-shod wheels. Unlike today’s bike it had no wheels and required leg movements to move. In Baron’s first recorded bike ride he accomplish 8 miles in just one hour. Now a days when using a standard road bike and going 13 mph you can ride 26 miles in two hours.

    Ever since then the bicycle has evolved through the age with the addition of wheels, a different frame, and more comfortable seats, but still retaining the two wheel cycle charm it had two centuries ago.

    But what are the benefits? Other than the obvious, bicycling can improve posture and coordination, joint mobil- ity, and better cardiovascular fitness.

    California too celebrates this event by holding a state- wide tour of cycling called, “Tour of California,” allud- ing to the famous tour, “Tour De France.” This tour goes from Sacramento to Pasadena, a total of 771 miles over the span of six days. Professional cyclists each day ride from checkpoint to checkpoint usu- ally biking an average of 128 miles each day. After arriving at the checkpoints they rest un- til the next day repeating this cycle till they reach Pasadena. Levi Leipheimer holds three wins in this tour and is also a US champion and olympic medalists.

    Long Beach was seen at the top 50 cities in the nation that are the most bike friendly plac-es, and there is no better way to celebrate the accomplishments than by hosting various events in the month of may like Ride Your Bike to School and Work as well as World Bicycle Day. Various Organizations in Long Beach came together on May 26 for the “West Long Beach Food Tour.” It was a 16 mile long event with many food stops like Gemmae Bakery, Tepechi Birrieria, and Guanabana. Sophomore extraordi- naire, Addison Pann whose recent achievements would be breaking 6 minutes in the mile during track season participated in this event stating it was a, “refreshing and fulfilling event,” going to several places eating delicious pastries along the way.

  • Auditorium To Be Renamed For Retiring Music Teacher Andy Osman

    Auditorium To Be Renamed For Retiring Music Teacher Andy Osman

    Some people leave an indelible mark on everyone around them. Poly Instrumental Music Teacher Andrew Osman is one of them. Over a month ago, Osman was diagnosed with advanced stage pancreatic cancer and retired immediately to begin treatment. In his absence he left a music program in good order but at a loss for words. To understand his legacy, let’s look at the music department that he inherited and how he transformed it.

    Poly has a long history of musical success since its founding in 1895. From initially rehearsing in downtown churches near 8th and Long Beach Boulevard, the program added orchestras and winning jazz bands through the middle twentieth century. However, by the early 1980s, it was in shambles due to budget cuts. These cuts resulted in a tumultuous time from 1976 to 1982, where the school had five

    band directors in seven years. In the fall of 1983, Osman came, fresh out of UCLA, to a school that Poly music historian Kent Hayworth said was “in a crisis situation.” The instruments were in poor order and the musicians were mostly incapable.

    Osman immediately began demanding excellence from his students and worked hard individually with them to build a strong Poly music pro- gram that lived up to its prior reputation. It is difficult to match the work of one’s predecessors, but Osman managed to do so. He surpassed it in many regards. Piano instructor Julia Gustafson, who has taught at Poly for 24 years, said that Osman is “responsible for creating the current music program.”

    By the early 1990’s, the program was in its element. At a 1990s concert honoring Poly alumna opera singer Marilyn Horne, she suggested that the Poly auditorium needed a music shell. She gave a benefit concert and thus a shell was purchased that is still in use. today. The musicianship at Poly under the baton of Mr. Osman excelled and put seven lackluster years far in the past.

    It was the standard that Osman’s musicians performed to the best of their ability.

    Each rehearsal was expected to be productive. He had lots of well-recognized sayings for his students, including often saying,

    “You all sound like high school musicians.” Mr. Osman had no interest in the tinny sounds of a high school band and worked daily to emulate a collegiate music program.

    His rehearsals were rigorous, but he always supplemented his intensity with humor.

    When his ensembles were playing well, he would often correct a section or individual’s performance with a phrase, such as “Was it good or was it luck?” Or a classic joke about an instrument.

    Despite Osman’s directness, his warmth won over many students who regarded him highly as an educator and also liked him as a person.

    His skill as a director and teacher were recognized in 2010, when he was given the prestigious “Music Educator of the Year Award” for the Long Beach, South Bay, and Orange County region.

    If respect and effort are indicators of a successful career, Osman scores top marks on both accounts.

    Jazz director Chris Stevens, who worked alongside Osman for 23 years, said that the retiring director “is a great friend and colleague at the same time.”

    Principal William Salas said that he built a music program that “draws students from across the district” and is “nationally renowned.”

    Choir director Brian Dokko said the he “put his students first” and is a “fantastic team player.”

    Dokko is also primarily responsible for starting the effort to rename the Poly auditorium to The Andrew Osman Performing Arts Center through a petition with over 3300 signatures.

    Senior Frank Wells described having Mr. Osman as a “privilege” and something that he’ll “cherish for the rest of his life.”

    Current San Diego State University Marching Band member John Berry, Poly class of 2018, said, “You can’t look at the music programs in Long Beach without seeing Osman’s footprint.”

    Alumni and parents of students or former students from across Southern California and beyond have been leaving comments on the auditorium name change petition online.

    Paraskevi June, a student of Osman’s from 1986-1989, wrote that playing under Osman “enriched (her) beyond measure.”

    The Poly Auditorium is set to be renamed The Andrew Osman Performing Arts Center.

    There will be a renaming ceremony on June 23rd at 1-4 p.m. followed by a reception in the Quad.

    Food will be available from a variety of food trucks.

  • Ethan Neil

    Ethan Neil, is a Junior playing in the Varsity Boys Golf team. Neil made the decision to start playing golf because he think of the sport as a “fun and different experience.”
    Neil is motivated to play golf and better his playing because of his growing competitiveness. His goal is to further improve in his matches. To add on, Neil thinks that this season, he has been doing better than last year and enjoys playing tournaments with his team.
    He also really enjoys his teammates and finds that playing with other people makes the sport more enjoyable. He especially enjoys playing golf with James Lemmis and believes that Lemmis is doing really good this season as well.
    Neil is supported by his family and he plans on continuing to play golf as a senior but isn’t likely to continue to play in college.
    When Neil attends college, he wants to focus on his studies and he plans on majoring in business and engineering.
    He likes playing golf as a hobby, however he does not want to play seriously in the future.
    If he wasn’t in golf, he would have liked to join track or cross country. But he feels like golf for now, is the right choice.

  • Kole Kikuta

    Kole Kikuta is only a sophomore and he is already become a valuable asset to his team. And has earned his spot on the varsity team. He is known to be one of the best players on the varsity boys golf team.
    Kikuta enjoys playing golf because it is fair and all his friends play it.
    Kikuta says that he is motivated by his teammates and his coaches. “I admire all their hard work and the devotion they all put into the improvement of our team.”
    Kikuta believes that he is doing “pretty good” this season. He has developed better teamwork skills and has improved a lot on his craft. He says that he is “proud” of how far he has come.
    In addition to being proud of himself he is also extremely proud of his teammates. He mentioned that he enjoys playing his matches because he likes cheering on his good friend and teammate, Henry Dearborn, because “when Henry plays good, [he plays] good too.”
    Kikuta also supports and cheers on one of his other teammates, Dylan Valley, because Kikuta says that Dylan has been doing good and that he is phenomenal in his craft.
    He is supported by his parents and little brother and will continue to “keep grinding” to get better.
    Although Kikuta enjoys playing golf, he is unsure if he wants to play in college. For right now he is just playing golf for fun and because he just enjoys the sport and being able to play with all his friends.
    Even though he is not entirely sure that he will play golf in college he is for certain that he will be playing golf in his junior year.

  • Max Irwin

    Max Irwin, a junior attending Polytechnic high school, is one of the best players of the Varsity Boys Golf team. Irwin joined golf because it has always been a part of his life, his grandpa and his grandpa’s brothers had played, so it was only a matter of time before Irwin felt the need to join in on the action as well.
    He enjoys playing the skillful sport because it’s, “fun to be outside and socialize”. Although, Irwin does not believe that he has been doing too well this season so far and it frustrates him.
    Despite this, Irwin believes that he should keep a good mind-set and practice more to improve. Irwin is greatly supported by both of his parents and grandparents so he feels ready and willing to play in college as well.
    He plans to major in financial management or investment management. Although golf is considered a individual sport, Irwin enjoys the time he spends with his teammates and would like to shout out his teammate Tyler Nicol for doing really good in this season so far.

  • Intercultural Faire

    Intercultural Faire

     

     

    Photos Courtesy of Liz Rico and Isaac Covarrubias

  • Come One, Come All

    Come One, Come All

    On April 4, 2019 at Poly’s auditorium, Julia Gustafson’s period 4, Advanced Piano class, put on a recital of extraordinary ability. The pianist lineup began on the right foot with a rustic song titled “Arrival in the Country,” arranged by Weekly and Arganbright as performed by Gregory Chao, Justin Ramsical, Chan Thon, and Alexander Vega. This gave the audience a little taste as to what was to come. The pieces had so much variety. The songs played ranged from pieces like “Fantasy in A Minor” by Mary Leaf, and “Scherzo, Opus 129 No. 6” arranged by Phillip Keveren to pieces such as “Feelin’ Good” by Robert Vandall and “Beauty and the Beast” by Alan Menken. The recital also included a multiple instrument piece titled “Lindaraxa’s Balcony” by Walter and Carol Noona. The leader of it all, Mrs. Gustafson even joined in on the fun playing “Valse Noble” with students Abigail Menchaca and Samuel Santana. Within the mix were amazing solo performances such as the one from senior Lucia Sato, playing the classic “Deux Arabesque No.2” by Claude Debussy. She stated that she has “been lucky to be a part of the piano program for two out of the four years.” Ms. Sato also gave advice for upcoming piano students: “Keep practicing and have fun while playing piano. Also, try not to stress out during your performance because there will be many more.”

    As a fellow piano student, this allowed me to see a performance from the audience’s perspective for the first time. I can simply say that what Mrs. Gustafson, along with the hard work of the students, put together a fantastic performance. I only have three words to use to describe the performances: Sophisticated. Fun. Brilliant.

  • Celebration for Women

    Female Leadership is acknowledging March, Women’s History Month, by hosting a celebratory tea in the school’s cafeteria on March 27th.
    The party honored women who have impacted the lives of the members of Female Leadership Academy.
    Each member will brought an important role model in their life and introduce them with a heartfelt speech.
    These women who were invited to the tea party represent an important bond to the lives of these young women.
    Some in which will influence young ladies to go far and aspire to do amazing things in the future.
    Not only did the tea correlate with Women’s History Month, it was an event that promoted women empowerment and the act of doing something kind for those who have done so much for us.

    Sometimes a simple thank you isn’t enough and the tea provided an open space to show how women impact those around them.
    Ms. Schol, the FLA sponsor, believes that “we tend to take those around us for granted, despite all the sacrifices they make.
    It’s never too late to start showing your appreciation to the women in your life.”
    This tea is meant to recognize the strong women that go unnoticed, to really show how their actions have inspired the future generation.
    These women have taught girls how to embrace themselves, and encourage them to make outstanding legacies here at Poly and in their own futures to come.

    To say the least, many bittersweet tears were shed and tight