Author: adviser

  • Sing For Retired Teacher

    The Poly Choir ensembles performed at two concerts on March 6 and 7 in the auditorium. The chorale, chamber, Cecilian, and the two jazz ensembles performed on Wednesday, and Inspirational Glee and Grace sang on Thursday. They were split up to avoid holding a two-hour long concert in one night, choir director Brian Dokko said.

    The concert on Thursday was held to celebrate the retirement of Lori Grace, Poly’s chorale accompanist. Grace has been Dokko’s assistant director and teacher of both ensembles performing on Thursday for the past 10 years. She brought many Poly Choir alumni to the performance as well as a few former students from Jordan High School, where she started her career in the Long Beach district.

    Many of the students who sang at the concert said that they felt happy or nostalgic about the events. “This [was] one of my last concerts as a senior,” Poly senior Jovanni Pham said. “I had a lot of fun singing with my friends.” Sophomore Sophia King of the Cecilian ensemble said that while the choirs performing on Wednesday didn’t have a lot of time to rehearse, “We did a way better job than I thought we would.”

    The Poly Choir ensembles will sing again at their spring concert in May of this year. Dokko says that it is expected to be a smaller event than the most recent one.

  • A Marvelous Movie Night

    On March 8, at 6:00pm, Poly Academy of Achievers and Leaders (PAAL) movie night took place.
    The movie airing was Avengers: Infinity War. As you walked onto the PAAL campus, handmade posters of characters apart of Marvel were hung, welcoming viewers.

    Before the showing of the feature film there was a tribute to Stan Lee, as he recently passed away, and showed all the cameos he made in every Marvel movie, and even shows and other features.
    Although the movie night took place at PAAL, Oyuki Rosales stated she want to “expose [PAAL] to the outside,” to Poly as they “don’t have a good connection”. Rosales wanted that to be established.

    There was a month of preparation put in place, and the decision in choosing a Marvel movie to be shown, was up to the coordinators, Rosales and Angel Ramirez, as they “love Marvel” and it was the “last movie night” of the year, especially since it would be the seniors last movie night.

  • Drama Gets Help in Screenwriting

    Poly’s drama department has hired professional writer and actor Marcus Folmar to help students develop scripts for plays they will be performing April 4 – 6.

    For two weeks, Folmar has been showing up to the 7th period Play Production class to instruct the drama students in the art of playwriting. He started by giving lessons on constructing the basics of a play: the plot, setting, and characters. Then the class started learning more about nuanced aspects of playwriting, such as the dialogue, giving characters the right voice, and conveying a theme, or some kind of deeper meaning.

    After learning about what components make up a whole script, the students began actually putting together their own stories. They came up with their own original ideas and pitched them to the rest of the class. Folmar and the other students then gave each other feedback on what would be good to see in the play and how to make it work.

    Folmar and Poly drama teacher, Linda Bon, helped guide the class through the creative process of writing plays. Finally, when the scripts had been completed, every student read theirs out loud to the class, and Folmar and Bon selected which ones would be performed in the show in April.

    Marcus Folmar has acted in roles in popular TV shows such as Shameless, The Big Bang Theory, I’m Dying Up Here, and Modern Family. He also wrote ABC original movie, The List. The drama department will be putting on a show of a handful of their student-written plays in early April.

  • Wellness? Check.

    Wellness Week took place between the dates of March 4-8. The purpose behind it is to promote a full week of teen health and wellness, alongside with celebrating Women’s Day.

    Throughout the week there were daily lunch activities, arts, and games, as advertised on the flyer passed out to students.
    Majority of the workshops took place at the library around 3:00-4:30 PM in the Poly Library, with the exception of Thursday and Friday.
    Thursday, March 7, being about Loving Our Partners and Community Healthy Relationships at the Teachers Lounge at 3:00-4:30 PM.
    Other workshops were surrounded around the subject of taking care of ourselves, unity amongst women, and dealing with stress/anxiety.
    Friday March 8, the 6th Annual Health and Wellness Resource Fair, presented by Khmer Girls in Action, took place in the Quad from 10:00-11:30 AM.

    Some teachers took their students earlier out of class, to get an opportunity to check out the different tables and what they had to offer.
    There were about 65 organizations present.

    There was a table explaining about stress and providing interactive activities such as asking in what ways does one cope with stress and a paper given with what kind of emotion your feeling and where you feel it.

    Afterwards students would then throw that paper into the trash and if you made it in, you would get a prize.
    And if not, students were still given a bubble wrap to pop attached with coping skills, good and bad, in order to see the difference and develop better ones.

  • Banker Blues

    Banker Blues

    With the AP test payment storm now complete, many Poly students have now interacted with the new banker, Lynne Amyx.
    For the past few years, Poly students have faced what seems like an ever-changing banker and system.
    It has confused many students and done little to assuage potential concerns about the organization of the high school’s financial system.
    According to Brett Alexander, Yearbook and Speech and Debate teacher, Poly was “spoiled” by the previous banker, Lovinia Ilog.
    Ilog worked as a banker at Poly for over 25 years, and had an efficient approach honed by years of experience working with the system.
    She was a “well-oiled machine” as described by Alexander and many students.

    After she left about a year and a half ago, the Poly community got a new banker by the name of Andrea Sanchez.
    Sanchez was enthusiastic but “notoriously slow” according to sophomore Jason White.
    Her hiring came at a time of a transition in Poly’s banking system from paper-based to electronic.
    This transition proved difficult for her, which may have partially caused the long lines to pay for dance tickets and AP tests that plagued the school last year.

    Several people said that at one point Sanchez left a vendor payment check for around $30,000 unsent, and it was found later on the bottom or a pile of papers.

    In addition, she also failed to deposit over $200 in personal checks that were intended for an academic program.
    Sanchez applied for a position at Wilson High School and was hired, leaving Poly.
    Alexander believes that this was largely due to better alleged opportunities at Wilson than at Poly.
    With the new electronic banking system well in place, new banker Amyx is well-positioned to succeed at Poly.
    It is in the high school’s best interest to have a well-organized and thorough banker to keep the school and students in good fiscal order.

     

    Update: A previous version of this article stated that Sanchez was transferred, however she applied for the transfer, interviewed, and it was approved.

  • Winter Has Come Again

    Okay so, the final season of Game of Thrones is here! Not really, but it’s coming April 14, so it’s basically here. There are lots of theories about the end: the Night King prevails and everyone dies, Daenerys goes crazy and burns everyone, or Cersei goes crazy and burns everyone – the list goes on.

    I have my own theories on what will occur throughout the season but I have yet to really care about how it might end.

    However, the closer the end comes, the more I start to think about it. So… what I want to happen at the end of Game of Thrones is for winter to consume all of Westeros. To usher in a new Long Night, but I want the Night King to be vanquished, but even though he’s gone, winter still prevails.

    And I want the Iron Throne to be destroyed, no one wins the game, but someone survives to become the “ruler” of Westeros. I also don’t want everyone to die, but maybe just most people. Only a few left to rebuild and usher in the new world. The end is near, winter is here, I just hope I’m not disappointed by the ending.

  • Super Smash It UP, My Bros

    Super Smash It UP, My Bros

    Recently, from 5-8 March 2019, the Poly eSports Club hosted a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament. A game widely loved over the generations from Super Smash Bros. 64 (1999) to present. The club’s leader, Gabriel Cortes, hosted the tournament using Computer teacher Jonathan Virak’s room (416) using his monitor and projector to host 2 Nintendo switch setups.

    The prize pool was not money, but a Nintendo Switch GameCube Controller which is priced at $24.99. The tournament contained 30 people playing in a best two out of three match the first day, and best out of one the next two days.

    The room was filled to the brim each day with spectators and players alike to watch the phenomenal event. This event was a first of its kind and players were hungry for the win. As the dust settled, each set ended with a fist bump or handshake to keep good sportsmanship, but at the end of it all, who was left?

    It was semi-finals and the two giants of the tourney where Matthew “Matt” Mercado and Michael “MikeDuu” Duu. Michael Duu showed up to show out on the first two days with his Falco stringing together multiple hits and spikes to utterly destroy his opponent.

    Players from the corner of the room witnessed how both prospects tore through their brackets, ending up in the semi-finals. Duu favoring to play King K. Rool for his super-armor and heavy punishes. While Mercado stuck to his trusty Donkey Kong for its punishes and spikes. And in the best of such a match, it is very hard to predict a winner.

    In he end, it was Mercado who stood atop the mountain triumphant ending the last stock with a winded up super punch.

    With the grand finals ahead it was Gabino “Gambino” Diaz with his Little Mac against Matthew “Matt” Mercado, a classic Donkey Kong v.s Little Mac matchup. In a surprising turn of events, Gambino turns the tides and takes a clean 2 stock upset. Gabino wins it all, the honor and the nifty controller at the end of the day.

    We hope to see more come out of the eSports Club and their semi-annual Smash tournament. Join president Gabriel Cortes in the Jackrabbits eSports Club every other Wednesday in room 416 during lunch.

  • Too Close For Comfort?

    In my opinion friendships only grow when you are close to each other, whether it may be physically or mentally. Society has made closeness an uncomfortable sanctum for friendship.

    In other words, people think that being physically and mentally close to someone means that they are bound to be together romantically, but that’s not necessarily true.

    I personally think that closeness can encompass physical actions towards one another in a friendly passion. For instance, two friends of the opposite sex or same sex can hug or cuddle without having feelings.

    Society has made people subject to thinking that close encounters with other individuals is uncomfortable or unacceptable in public.

    This could be because the media shows closeness only in the form of a relationship. I believe friends have the ability to not have feelings for one another and still be a caring and understanding person towards them. Society should be more open minded and allow closeness in public.

    The amount of people who do not accept closeness between friends in public is extremely high in my opinion. Therefore, the discomfort of society is out of control.

    Students at Poly, such as Marc Hines, a sophomore, said, “Boys sometimes believe that being close to a girl or opposite sex can make it look like [you] are together and that causes many problems.”

    I asked him why he felt as though there were problems created and he could only say that he was afraid of being questioned by his friends. If that is the reason why closeness is not accepted in society, then technically closeness is just seen as different for other people.

  • 2019 C-SPAN Competition

    The 2019 Student Documentary Competition, C-Span’s StudentCam winners have been announced!
    Poly had four winning teams this year for the cable news channel’s StudentCam Competition.
    One out of the four teams earned the 2nd Prize, which is highest award Poly’s ever received compared to previous years.
    What exactly StudentCam is? C-SPAN’s “annual national video documentary competition”, according to their website, which requires students to think more in depth about issues affecting our communities and our nation.

    Students are given the platform in order to express their views on whatever topic is given for the yearly competition.
    The topic for this year was “What Does It Mean To Be American?”
    One of the requirements was to choose between a constitutional right, national characteristic, or historic event and explain how it defines the American experience.

    Competition was open to students from grade levels 6-12.
    There were middle and high school categories.
    Students could have chosen to compete individually, or in teams of either 2 or 3 members. Including clips either supporting or opposing C-SPAN video, relating with the topic.

    The length of the documentaries ranges from 5-6 minutes.
    There were about 150 winning entries announced on Wednesday March 13, according to their website calculating their votes.
    Students were asked to pick their favorite documentary out of the entries, submitted by January 20. Voting was open from Monday February 25 to midnight Sunday March 3.

    C-SPAN plans to attend Poly on April 18 to congratulate the students who earned awards. The ceremony will be held possibly in room 310 or the library, it’s still in the works.

    They as well travel with a gigantic bus across the country, where they showcase the winning entries.
    To give an idea of just how gigantic this bus is, Jeff Montooth has stated their has been “trouble fitting it anywhere at Poly”.
    The 2nd place team from Poly, awarded $1,500m was Hamid Torabzadeh, Katherine Padilla & Pia Hao, with their video titled “Retained by the People- The Promise of America”.

    There was quite a few, honorable mention winners, awarded with $250.
    The honorable mention winners consisted of students Grant Atwood, Justin Rosu and Jacob Jacoub in their video “We Didn’t All Come on the Mayflower”; Samantha Williams and Inanna Khansa, with their video “The Press and the People”; And lastly, Audrey Song with “One Person, One Vote”.

  • This Is A School, Not A Trash Can!

    There I am, walking, minding my own business and suddenly I feel the crunch under my feet. I look down and see crushed up goldfish on the ground. My eyes then move to scan the floor around me. Spilled hot chocolate and empty Gatorade bottles everywhere. Someone actually smashed their lunch against the wall. Honestly, what’s the point?

    I hate it when people just throw their trash on the ground when the trash can is literally right there! What kind of disgusting,  good-for-nothing bum can you be?!

    People who throw their trash on the ground, tells me something about them. They obviously have no respect for their school, the earth, and for themselves. Y’all are nasty. Just clean up after yourselves. What do you think the visitors see when they come to our school, the so called Home of Scholars and Champions?  You know what they think? That we’re just a bunch of immature and disrespectful delinquents.

    Don’t you feel bad for the schools janitors or staff who has to clean up after you treacherous children? It has gotten so bad that even Mr. Puth, our School Activities Director, has had to make  public  announcement to everyone  about this trash problem at our school.

    During lunch and nutrition, I see school faculty  and janitors try and clear out the hallways to try and reduce the trash people produce at school. That lasted about a week. A week later, the buildings were bombarded with students (not all) who just through their trash on the ground. It’s not the school’s responsibility to remind students to pick up after themselves.  These kids should know how to do the basics of cleanliness. I wonder, at home, do you throw trash on your ground and expect someone to clean it up? If not, then don’t do it at school.

    Quite honestly, I am appalled and disgusted. This is a public high school, not a public trash can.

  • Outraged By Nazi Imagery

    On the first weekend of March, students from Newport Harbor High School hosted party, in which they played a drinking game otherwise known as “rage cage”.

    In the “game’’, the students didn’t place the cups in the traditional triangle shape, but instead decided to place the cups onto a swastika. And in case you’re thinking, no, not the Buddhist kind.

    We’re talking about the symbol the infamous Nazis used during the horrific events of the holocaust. Not only did they place the cups into a swastika, some of the students even held up the Nazi salute for pictures that went viral on social media.

    Once I heard about what these students did I was disgusted. Especially because the students, along with many other people, were defending these actions.

    They said that it was a “joke” and that it doesn’t necessarily mean that they support Nazis. But honestly should people be joking about an organization that killed millions of people?

    No. Because it’s a sensitive subject that no one should be joking about. And believe me, I love myself some dark humor, but this is just outrageous and disrespectful.

    Many other people are outraged as well and it was even reported that some of the students in the picture were getting threatened at school and although I don’t think that the students deserve to be physically or mentally hurt, they should be accountable for their actions.

  • SLATT+^!

    Playboi Carti is undeniably the best artist at this date and time. Playboi Carti brings out so much energy of any person who listens to his music. Jordan Carter (Playboi Carti) does not  have the best lyricism but when paired with the right elements such as a great producer, like Pierre Borne to make wonderful beats and set up Playboi Carti’s delivery, it becomes a wonderful combo.

    His music is even better live because everyone there in the crowd matches the same energy.

    His music is so good that people hack his laptop to leak his music all time which also contributes to his fame as well because he has a consistent flow of music always coming out. He also has a role in the fashion world such as modeling for Off-White, Alyx Studios, and Dior.