Author: adviser

  • Spring Ahead

    Spring is here, which means the flowers are blooming causing the air to fill up with the air with the smells of new plants and leaving us with a breathtaking scenery of flowers and trees. However, this also means time change. On March 10, 2019, all clocks in California changed as they sprung forward an hour, and as a result of this, many people lost an hour of sleep.

    Even so, this doesn’t necessarily mean that all outcomes HAVE to be negative. Catching up on sleep might be a struggle but it is not completely impossible; you can give yourself the opportunity to sleep an hour earlier than the time you usually sleep at. If school work is an obstacle to this solution, attempt to do this during your weekend. Generally speaking, taking care of yourself and making sure all your other needs are met is also key to staying healthy and keeping from getting sick.

    Aside from that, there are also some other things you can enjoy about this time change. For instance, the sun starts going down later than 6pm! It seems safer to walk the streets and be outdoors than it did during the winter, so you can hang out into the late evening.

  • Trackrabbits Bring Home Another Victory

    The Trackrabbits brought home another victory against the Jordan Panthers and the Compton Colts on March 13th at Long Beach Jordan High School. Although, the meet had many altercations, the Trackrabbits dominated on all levels, both boys and girls. The varsity boys were even given the opportunity to jog a 4 x 100m race due to Jordan disqualifying themselves with a false start.
    The girls varsity ran for themselves due to the lack of runners coming from the other two teams. Queen Okoh, Shandria Martin, and Zamaella Mallet ran their hardest against each other in the 400m race.
    They continued their Moore League victory streak at the California Relays on Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16. At the meet Poly entered with 80 athletes and of those 80, more than half the team achieved a new PR or personal record, a medal, or in the case of the 4 x 400m race, broke a record in Long Beach history.
    Overall, Long Beach Poly took 2nd for the boys and 4th for the girls in the California Relays Invitational. The team scored high against our Moore League competitors. From the district, Millikan, Wilson, and Lakewood participated in this meet. The track meet itself brought over 50 schools to Long Beach Wilson for both the Friday and Saturday.
    The team altogether has done an amazing job so far this season. The long distance and sprint teams for the boys have overruled the Moore League conference schools in the season.
    The girls on the other hand have created a constant stamina for themselves and are striving to improve their running skills for sprint team, as well as the distance team.
    So far, a rivalry has sprung up against the boys short distance team against the Wilson Bruins and for the girls long distance team the Bruins have become a hassle.
    As far as the field events, shotput, discus, and high jump have been successful for both the girls and boys. In the Jordan and Compton meet, shot put dominated by taking 1st place in boys varsity, 3rd on boys varsity, and 1st on frosoph. For the girls, JV and Varsity, the Jackrabbits take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd on both levels.
    For the jumpers, Poly takes 1st and 2nd for the boys and 2nd for the girls.
    Jumps Coach Chucky said, “There will be a time when the Jackrabbits will improve and stay consist, this only the beginning.”
    Coach Chucky has been with Poly for many years and also has a reputation for coaching long jump at Cerritos College and taking Zhane Smith, a Poly alum, to the state championships two years ago.

  • What Spring Cleaning Really Looks Like

    As we transition into spring, it’s time to start opening up the windows and packing up the blankets. I do not consider myself to be a pity person at all, I’m convinced that a small family of raccoons are actually living in my dirty clothes pile. However once a year I am able to function as normal person in society and clean my house. Here are a few steps that keep me from becoming a full-time slob.

    Organizing Clothes

    I often find myself repeating the same outfits because they are in the front of my closet. Moving all the frequently worn clothes, or items from last season into a bin that takes up less space. If those clothes are especially tiring, donate them. This benefits people on a budget and offers more space for whatever needs storage. Pull up items with a new color scheme, or clothes you forgot you had, but will fall in love with all over again.

    What to Toss and What to Keep

    There are many techniques used to decide what stays and goes. Find what works best, a new trend is Marie Kondo’s “Spark Joy” method: “Only keep what truly sparks joy into your life,” while removing what doesn’t. I admit that I am a hoarder and keep everything I touch throughout the day. So I think about my day-to-day life, and if I’m not using that object at least three times a day, I toss it. There are millions of people who swear to have found the cure to clutter, but to each his own, as long as it’s tidy enough to fit your own needs.

    Set a Deadline

    Whether it’s the entire house or just one room, nobody is in a hurry to clean, setting a deadline for yourself can help get the job done. Giving yourself 15 minutes per corner will have an entire room done in a little over an hour. Putting aside a full day will help you stay in the zone to give your home the tender loving care it deserves.

  • Hello Spring

    National Dyas in April

    1 – April Fools Day

    2 – National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day

    2 – World Autism Awareness Day

    4 – National Burrito Day

    5 – National Go For Broke Day

    6 – New Beer’s Eve

    7 –  National Beer Day

    10 – National Siblings Day

    10 – National Hug Your Dog Day

    14 – National Gardening Day

    18 – National High Five Day

    19 – National Hanging Out Day

    28 – National Superhero Day

    29 – National Peace Rose Day

    30 – National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day

    Retrieved from nationaldaycalendar.com

    Spring Bucket List

    Fly a kite

    Plant a garden

    Make a flower crown

    Clean out your room

    Go biking

    Run in a flower field

    See the sunset at the beach

    Read a book

    Tie-dye a shirt

    Have a picnic with your best friend

    Draw with sidewalk chalk

    Drink lemonade

    Wash your car

    Get a new haircut

    Post an Instagram Picture

  • A Homemade Spring Lemonade

    Ingredients:

    1 gallon cold water

    1 sliced lemon

    Ice

    2 cups sugar

    2 cups water

    2 cups fresh lemon juice

    Directions: 

    1. Boil on low, the sugar and water into a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Then, let in cool.

    2. Into a large pitcher, add some slices of lemon, a gallon of cold water along with the simple syrup and ice.

    3. Stir well. Carefully pour the drink into a tall glass and add lemon wedges to the rim. Then, enjoy!

  • New Season, New You

    Spring is here and that means looking and feeling your best. There are little adjustments and new things that could improve your mentality on the new season. Spring is full of new life and the rebirth of our winter, warm bodies. Winter is the time to relax and cover up but if you are looking to prepare for the warm weather and have the confidence to shed some clothes this season, you will need a new mindset.

    Some tips to achieve your personal goals are: going outside more, working out, eating healthy, and just simply taking risks. The sun will be setting in the evening therefore, the weather will be perfect to go out for a walk with a couple of friends or just  to receive fresh air to let stress go while getting your steps in, at the beach or to the hilltop. Maybe while you are at the park or beach think about going for a jog just to increase heart rate and endorphins.

    There is no need to kill yourself working out but if just the simple change in movement can speed up metabolism and help you feel better. If you are in search for new workout, switch it up by planning a new workout plan or finding a new workout buddy, even try getting a gym membership, at “24 Hour Fitness” that only costs $29.99.

    Eating healthy is an important part to feeling and looking your best. Your body is like a machine and what you put into it is how it runs so think about eating healthy alternatives. Everything is in moderation so don’t give up all hope because you can still eat that dessert.

    Finally, you are beautiful inside and out and these tips are for you to feel your best even though you already are 🙂

  • The Best Cartoon Ever.

    Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the greatest cartoons of all time. Avatar has great consistency and strong storytelling. It paints a vivid picture of how a good cartoon should be.

    Most cartoons are very random and have no formula. But Avatar has a consistent story that keeps the watcher at the edge of their seat and leaves them wanting to watch more. It is a timeless piece in history that will never be forgotten. Nickelodeon has received so much praise for  this show and even had a remake called the Legend of Korra that also has great ratings.

    This cartoon has many of the characteristics of anime, it’s emotional, and it has great dialogue. It even won the Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Animation for one of the final episodes – “Lake Laogai” – which featured an incredible fight scene between Azula and Zuko.

    Avatar also makes me wish that those different tribes and elements were implemented in the real world. Like, honestly bending fire is so sick! You can make food and fly with firebending. Firebending can also conduct lightning which is super beast. My favorite element would have to be water because it’s very resourceful. For an example, characters in the show can get water from sweating and from the moisture in the air. They can also bloodbend to control people’s movements. Earthbending is an ok skill, but not as exciting. Characters can build houses and bend metal. With airbending, you can basically fly and do other stuff like that.

    While the original Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon series ended in 2008, Netflix has announced a live action version that is beginning production this year, but there is not yet a release date.

  • This Is Innocence

    More people are hopping on the Michael Jackson hate train since the premiere of the Sundance documentary Leaving Neverland.

    The film follows the alleged victims Wade Robson and James Safechunk as they go over in detail the experience and trauma they endured in their relations with Michael Jackson. Now, reports of Michael Jackson sexually abusing children is not a new claim, in fact Robson was the first witness in Jackson’s 2005 trial.

    I’m not going to tell anyone what to think, or in any way try to discredit the film’s work, how can I when I never seen it. All I’m offering is my own personal opinion and how the facts that are presented to me support that.

    I’ve been hearing Michael’s name come up a lot more often now ever since that R Kelly miniseries. Now, I’ve defended Jackson numerous times and will continue to do so until someone can give me any substantial evidence.

    R Kelly has had so much evidence put against him for decades and is barely getting any consequences this year, while Michael’s entire reputation and career was tarnished after just hear say. And to this day no significant  evidence has been found to support the idea of Michael Jackson being a child molester. Headlines had before claimed to have actual proof, such as last year’s “Child Pornography Found in Jackson Home” which turned out to be a book of art containing 1 page of a shirtless boy brushing his teeth. People of course only remember the headline, not the actual story.

    Another questionable aspect is the fact that most alleged victims never really pushed to go to court and opted rather to settle out of court. If I were a parent and my child was sexually assaulted, I would rather have justice than money in the bank. These men are coming out now to tell their story and I’m not saying that you shouldn’t hear them out, I fully intend to as soon as the film is made available.

    Just to be completely clear, I’m in no way, shape, or form trying to call all the real victims of sexual assault liars, if you experience something please report it, the world deserves to hear your story, and if it ever comes out that Michael Jackson was in fact a child molester, it will be a hard pill to swallow, but I will admit my wrong.

  • Go For Gold

    With graduation vastly approaching, seniors and their parents are starting to plan out their celebrations. It might even feel as if some parents are more excited than their student.

    The pressure to meet your parents expectations is, I assume a life-long struggle. I am not yet prepared for the anxiety I will receive walking across the stage, and the confusion on my family’s faces when wondering why my cap and gown is green.

    My aunt Marie attended Poly, so naturally I had to as well. There is a framed photo of my family hero glued onto my grandmother’s wall, it’s there that she taunts me, smiling in her pure gold cap and gown. I’ve stared at that picture my whole life, waiting for mine to be glued up next to it.

    This of course will not happen, since receiving a gold cap and gown is not easy. It’s a way to praise the perfect attendance, 4.0, cookie cutter scholars, while the the rest of us normal folk rock the standard green. Don’t get me wrong, those students do deserve it. They’ve given their all and sacrificed a lot to be on top, but you know what’s a great reward for that? Going to your dream university and having a successful career. I mean, that’s what they do it for, not to make a fashion statement.

    If we are all scholars and champions, then maybe the school should start treating us all like that. Instead of promoting elitism, can’t we all just celebrate together, so my dad won’t be ashamed of me? Don’t set me up for failure, that’s what college is for.

  • Anti-Vax Ignore All The Facts

    A very vocal and very ignorant minority of people keep spouting their stupid beliefs, spreading both misinformation and diseases, diseases that we have had vaccines to protect against for as long as 100 years.

    Measles is a respiratory infection that weakens your immune system and causes a total-body skin rash. Polio causes flu-like symptoms and potentially paralysis, which could be fatal. Cholera causes severe diarrhea, which often leads to severe dehydration and possibly death. Most people would agree that having to deal with these diseases would suck and would do anything they can to prevent themselves or their families from catching . That’s why most sane people get vaccinated and get their kids vaccinated.

    The fact that thousands of parents around the world willfully choose not to save their kids from now easily preventable, life-threatening diseases both astounds and absolutely disgusts me. A totally false, totally harmful misconception we hear from people arguing against vaccines is that they cause autism, which is just plain wrong on so many levels. First of all, this claim stems from one outdated study that’s been proven inaccurate dozens of times, so no one should be basing any beliefs off of it. Second, almost any parent would say they love their children unconditionally, and their health and well-being is the top priority. If that’s truly the case, it is unfathomable to me that some parents would rather risk their kids catching a life-threatening, nearly extinct disease than have them be born with autism; some parents really believe autism is worse than death, and that is seriously jacked up. Babies born with autism (not that vaccines cause autism, but let’s just say they do) can easily grow up to live healthy, successful lives. Babies who aren’t vaccinated and die within a year of whooping cough cannot grow up to live healthy, successful lives.

    Other opponents of vaccines (it’s absurd that they exist in the first place) think vaccines are made just for profits and refuse to give money to greedy, evil Big Pharma. In actuality, a 2015 statistic of the top 20 highest-earning products for pharma companies does not list any vaccines–they don’t make a lot of money. Even if they did, anyone refusing to protect their children against potentially fatal diseases just because of their principles is a lunatic and not fit to raise a child.

    The only sane, relatively reasonable argument against vaccines is that they’re too expensive. It’s understandable to want to avoid any unnecessary spending, but if you just compare the cost of a vaccine to the cost of treating its associated disease (along with the threats to health it could bring), the vaccine becomes well worth the cost. For reference, a whooping cough vaccine costs about $100, while treating it can cost over $10,000, as well as your life.

    If people just stopped clinging to the first bit of information they hear and if they stopped unquestionably believing whatever they’re told and just did a little bit more research, we could reduce the insanely high number of babies dying of diseases we’ve been vaccinating against for decades.

  • A Social Virus

    I personally think social media is a virus to our mental health. It is a magnet for us to compare our lives to others instead of focusing on our own. We idolize celebrities and influencers for living extravagantly, literally wasting money because they can. I am tired of the constant hype for new fashion trends and sales plastered on my feed. It’s like we never get a break to enjoy the current season before the next is shoved down our throats by ads for new makeup palettes, shoes, and clothing.

    Majority of us look at our phones as soon as we get up to see what happened while we were sleeping. A lot of the time using social media for an excessive amount of time can cause us to have a lower self esteem, decrease the amount of time for self improvement, disrupt our sleeping patterns, and cut us off from socializing in person.

    Instead of living in a materialistic society, always worried about the next big thing, we should just use social media as a way to connect with people and send a positive message. Lets bring eachother up and use platforms to educate ourselves on what is going on in the world around us.

  • Shop With Friends

    Shop With Friends

    Like every year, a plethora of high schoolers emerge with their own personal clothing brands. Here to set himself apart from the rest is senior Dakota Song, creator of the upcoming streetwear brand, Shop With Friends.

    “Before, I used to overthink and complicate the concepts surrounding my past clothing brands. Shop With Friends presents itself naturally as it represents my personal creative outlet. It’s hard to put a definition of what Shop With Friends means, since I want to avoid putting restrictions on the brands potential and what it can be,” said Song when defining what his brand means to him. Song already has reputable experience in the streetwear industry as he’s worked with other local streetwear brands, being a photographer and media outputter as well as videographer. Song also trained as a creative director while being an intern.

    “My brand is going to feature the essentialized hoodie and everyday T-shirt. Shop With Friends is definitely out-there in terms of color and style, so you have to be comfortable with dressing it,” said Song. Shop With Friends showcases bright and vivid color ways that’s going to revolutionize the way people think of dark and obscure winter clothing.

    From genuine heat press to multi-stitched embroidery, Shop With Friends proves that high school streetwear brands can still exhibit quality. For more information and updates, follow the brand via Instagram @shopwfriends.