Author: adviser

  • Hello Valentines Day!

    Valentine’s day. February 14th. Day of love? Wrong. More like the day of reminding people that they’re not loved. Who decided that this will be the day where people will remember to love their significant other’s? Or maybe I’m just not loved. Either way, Valentine’s Day is trash.

    Why do I feel this way? Well, for the last couple of years, I’ve spent this holiday crying, being neglected, and envying those who had boyfriends and girlfriends to bring them nice gifts. I especially hate the boys who would flood the hallways with the PINK bags in hand and red chocolate heart boxes. Talk about disgusting! These kids should be buying books to read, not underwear for their girlfriends!

    Even when I am in a relationship, Valentine’s Day is still a horrid day for me. I find it quite hilarious when people in relationships purposely start conflicts with their significant other’s as an excuse not to treat them out for Valentine’s Day (If you’re someone who doubts that this actually happens, I can assure you it is not a myth. It’s happened to me.)

    Anyway, couples should not wait until one out of the year to love each other. Surprise your boo every single day! Buy the love of your life flowers every once in a while! Show them you love them everyday! Not just Valentine’s Day, hat’s mad corny! Valentine’s Day is just a regular day. The whole concept is super cringey. Maybe I am just a loser who no one loves but at the end of the day, I said what I said.

  • MOLAA for the Peers

    Students from Intensive Studies program attended a free tour and workshop at the Molaa as part of their community based instruction course.
    Thanks to the generous donations from donors at the Gala in October, Molaa is able to offer free educational programs.
    Students took the public Long Beach transfit and then walked to Molaa to learn sbout trending artist such as chicana artist Edith Hernandez and Long Beach tattoos history/landmark.

  • Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe

    If you feel like putting effort into your Valentine’s gift to someone, follow this simple recipe for chocolate covered strawberries!

    Ingredients

    A basket of strawberries

    2 cups of dark chocolate chips/ chopped chocolate

    Sprinkles, nuts, white chocolate is optional for decorations

    Materials

    Heat proof bowl (for melting chocolate)

    Saucepan

    Spatula

    Baking sheet

    Small plastic bag

    Instructions

    Wash and dry the strawberries

    Melt the chocolate by making a double boiler. You make a double boiler by filling a saucepan with roughly 2 inches of water and set on medium-high heat until it simmers. Then place the dark chocolate on a heatproof bowl, place it on top of the saucepan using medium heat and let the chocolate melt. You can occasionally mix the chocolate until it is completely melted.

    If you don’t have a heat proof bowl you can also microwave the chocolate for a couple minutes. Make sure to take out the chocolate between minutes to stir it.

    Once your chocolate is completely melted, place a baking sheet down and start dipping the strawberries into the down until it is coated.

    Repeat the process with the rest of your strawberries and add sprinkles or nuts if you want. If you want to add white chocolate drizzle, wait for the dark chocolate to set before adding it on top. Melt it the same way you melted the dark chocolate then place into a plastic bag. Cut the tip of the bag to use as a piping bag and drizzle the white chocolate on top.

  • How to Ask Out Your Crush

    Tip 1: Make sure they know who you are. At least talk to them once before you ask

    Tip 2: If possible tell them how you feel beforehand especially if they are out of your league

    Tip 3: Be funny and cute, so they can’t say no because you’re just perfect

    Tip 4: Shower and put your best fit on so at least you look fly

    Tip 5: Stalk them or get to know them so you’re not a homewrecker

    Tip 6: Ask them in private so it’s personal or spend $400 on a “Will You Be My Valentine?” airplane banner

    Tip 7: Have plan A ready, if not try plan B, and if all fails try plan C

    Tip 8: Be confident and well prepared for all possibilities

    Tip 9: Make sure you actually really like them before going all in

    Tip 10: Finally go up to them and ask away!!

    Good Luck <3

  • February 13: Palentine’s Day

    When February 14 comes around the corner, the typical thing you hear and see is couples buying and giving things to their significant other. However, there are a lot of people who don’t have a significant other to give any goodies to, but is that what Valentine’s Day is really about? In reality, Valentine’s Day is an appreciation day to show your close friends, family and lover you care about them.

    What is love? There is always many different responses to that question. There is always love going around and there is not a specific definition of the understanding of love but this date is the day to celebrate the feeling of love in general.

    Palentine’s is when both genders get the chance to celebrate their love for their friends on February 13. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy them a box of chocolates, roses, or a giant teddy bear. You can get together with your friends and do something fun to make them feel loved.

    Make this year be the best Palentine’s by having a coffee date with your friends, or going for karaoke. If you want to avoid seeing couples on every corner you turn on Valentine’s Day, go to a bowling alley with your gals or pals, go to Home Depot and start a new DIY project, or go feed homeless people downtown – you’ll feel good about yourself and forget that you’re all alone.

    Treat your friends this Valentine’s Day, spending time with them, or buy yourselves matching shirts and let them know you appreciate their friendship. Even the smallest gestures can be enough to bring a smile on their face and make them feel loved.

  • Dancing Away our Heart and Soul!

    Dancing Away our Heart and Soul!

  • DATE IDEAS

    Let’s be honest, any time spent with your significant other can be considered a date! But if you want to go all out for your loved one this Valentine’s day, then here are some date ideas that will make your significant other feel loved and special.

    Scavenger Hunt- Hide romantic clues and notes at various locations and have your significant other find them.

    Cook an entirely new and exotic meal together.

    Dress in your best attire and go to a fancy new restaurant.

    Go for a hike.

    Make sandwiches and go for a picnic.

    Attend an Escape Room or Murder Mystery.

    Take a long drive together.

    Go to the beach and watch the sunset.

    Re-create your first date.

    Go to a drive-in theater.

  • Rebelling Against Valentine’s day

    Thinking about staying home alone in the dark on Valentines? Then this is a perfect guide for you! While your friends are out having fun with their “boo” you could be having fun too! So instead of sulking by yourself, treat yourself to a nice warm bath with a Big Blue Bath Bomb and a Mask of Magnaminty from Lush. Or, be basic and order fast food from Postmates while watching your favorite Netflix show for the “12th” time.

    Thinking about going out? How about a romantic three-course dinner by yourself at your favorite restaurant, plus you only have to pay for yourself. And if you’ve already watched everything on Netflix, go to the movie theater and buy an extra-large bucket of popcorn for yourself, not before stopping at the Dollar Tree and smuggling candy into the movie theater. Just in case you haven’t spoiled yourself enough, go on a huge shopping spree and take advantage of all the Valentine’s sales, you might even get a chance to help a lost boy buy a gift for his girlfriend.

    Lastly, if all else fails, make a mental note to buy all the discounted Valentine’s day candy on the following day, then while your parents are out on their 397th cringy Valentine’s date, you can enjoy a large glass of wine.

  • Miles Hines

    Senior basketball player Miles Hines has been playing basketball practically his whole life, encouraged by his family, but eventually growing his own love for the sport that continues to this day. “I’ve been playing for about 12 years.” said Hines

    Miles is family encourages his athletic ability and he will likely continue to play after graduation, although he is unsure of where he will be this fall. “I don’t know where I’ll go, but I’ll probably still play.”

    Hines has put a lot of hard work into basketball and loves many aspects of the sport “ I really enjoy playing and working with my teammates. Practice can be tiring. That would be my least favorite.”

    No matter where he ends up in life, Miles can always count on his love of basketball to be there with him, “ I’ve been doing this for most of my life.”

    He thanks his family, who have been his strength throughout his life both on and off the court. “My family really supports me. They put me on this.”

  • Timothy Gomez

    There is so much joy to be found in playing on the Poly High School football team. The tension building while waiting for the kickoff. The roar of the crowd cheering you on. The sense of accomplishment when the last quarter has ended, and knowing your team has won. The sound of the band pronouncing your victory. And Timothy Gomez has enjoyed this life for almost a decade.

    Gomez is one of the senior captains for Poly High School’s football team. He is one of their anchors for defense, coach Stephen Barbee said.

    Barbee said that Gomez is a laid-back, carefree person that cares a lot for both his family and his friends. He is very involved in his religion as well.

    Barbee has also said that Gomez is in one of his classes as a teacher’s assistant. Gomez has high character and efficiently helps out the students in the class. He is a high-achieving student, and with a 3.5 GPA, his hard work has put him in an excellent position, Barbee said.

    Gomez first started playing football when he was nine years old. His father was a big inspiration for him, as he used to play, as well.

    One of Gomez’s teammates, Mase Suaava, calls Gomez a leader and a great player on the team that other players look up to because of his disciplined playing style. Gomez is goofy, knows how to have fun and make people laugh, while also being hard-working and dedicated, Suaava said.

    While he thinks he is a good player, Gomez considers all of his teammates to be equally as valuable. “You know… in football, there’s 11 people on the field, so everybody has to do their job,” he said. “So if one person isn’t…holding up their part of the deal, it can go wrong for everybody.”

    Besides sports, Gomez is a part of a Christian club at Poly High School called Cru Club where he participates in Bible studies. He also enjoys working out, going to see movies, and hanging out with his friends.

    Gomez has talked to a few schools about playing football in college, but he is not yet sure where he will end up. He hopes he will know within the next few weeks, and if not, he plans to attend a junior college in the area. He is considering studying either law or business.

    With a new team and new coaches, Gomez said that while this past season didn’t turn out how they would have liked it to, it did go well. “It was good that we, well, just came together and… made it work.”

  • Kira Ybarra

    Kira Ybarra is a student-athlete at Long Beach Poly High School. She is the goalie on the girl’s varsity soccer team. She shows great potential and is seen as a strong leader of the team.

    Ybarra has been playing soccer since she was five years old. Her parents were both athletes in their day so it was an easy decision for them to make to have Ybarra play a sport. She then grew to love and appreciate the sport of soccer. Ybarra began playing for club at the age of seven. They “threw [her] in the goal” and she hated it because she got scored on fourteen times in her first game.

    With proper training, she eventually became good at it and loved it. Now Ybarra currently plays for SoCal Blues ECNL club team, in addition to Poly’s team. Ybarra is able to juggle school work and training, but does not have much free time to herself. When she does find time, she enjoys writing “fictional stories about previous dreams [she’s] had before.”

    Ybarra has made an impact on her teammates and coach this school year. Her coach describes her as a “block wall” for the team and that she is very encouraging to her teammates. She always gives one hundred percent and has a great work ethic. Kelsey Adams is a teammate of Ybarra’s on the Poly team. Adams has been playing soccer with Ybarra for a long time and claims that Ybarra works really well with everyone.

    Ybarra is very “energetic, hardworking, and competitive” in her everyday life outside of practice. She acts like a leader of the team in the eyes of Adams and the other players. Ybarra’s main concern this season would be not getting hurt because after the season at school, she has her regular season with her club, so she’s trying her best to stay fit and healthy. 

  • Funds for Film

    Contemporary video teacher, Laura Stringer has been attempting to make her video class more advanced in order to help her students create and produce the best quality films.
    Doing this has been proven to be a challenge, as throughout the three years of her teaching this class she has moved rooms twice and has been denied film equipment until this year. Prior to this semester, all film students have been forced to record on their cell phones and edit on outdated computers.
    Last year, Mrs. Stringer received a grant which allowed her to purchase enough equipment for each student in her class including video cameras, a green screen, tripods and other softwares.
    While her future classroom has been under construction, Miss Stringer has been funding for a big screen on various donation websites. So far she has made close to $1,000 in donations from both students parents and anonymous supporters.
    The website that Miss Stringer is currently funding was Donors Choose, recommended to her by English teacher Miss Garcia.
    Laura Stringer believes that this website will benefit her class more quickly and efficiently then if she were to use a website like GoFundMe.com, “a host of a late night shows once paid for all the donations on this website a few years ago so i’m hoping maybe someone from the district will see this or someone with a little more extra money to spare then the average parent will seizes and be able to fund our screen.”
    Until the class is able to permanently move into their new room number and receive their big screen, they have been working on documents and critics and practicing their film critiquing skills.
    Miss Stringer expects the screen to be fully paid for and delivered in time for the next school year.

    By Yesenia Pacheco
    Poster, thanking those who donated.