Author: adviser

  • Raw Preparation and Practice Leads to SmackDown for Wrestling

    Poly’s wrestling season recently started and the teams are coming out strong. Recent encounter was with Lakewood, in which Poly brought home the W with senior Jerry Luna in fourth place, junior Chang Lou in sixth and senior Tomas Lou in ninth.

    Senior varsity captain Tomas Lou, explained that the team “started out a little rusty but as we worked together to improve in our matches.” Lou also he added that the “connection between our team we all share our blood and tears – I know it sounds cliché but when we’re in that room we all share those feelings where we work hard to improve as a team and a family.”

    With the support of their captain, the team has built up confidence. Freshmen wrestler Karin Lopez explained her experience in her first year on the Poly wrestling team: “They have been very supportive and showed me many new moves apart from the ones I knew before coming to Poly, and my coaches are always there cheering us on and being very supportive.”

    As shown the team has such a strong bond and them having a lot of confidence with each other gives them a positive vibe on the rest of the season and make them work to come out stronger.

  • It’s a Hard-Wood Life

    Long Beach Poly’s boys basketball team suffered a devastating loss to the Lakewood Lancers in overtime by 3 points ending with a score of 90-87.

    When talking to the senior Darryl Polk Jr about the loss he said, “I was so lost for words because we haven’t lost to Lakewood in 13 years and we lose to them by 3 points.”

    “We need to play as a team more because, when the momentum is lost we start losing sight of winning and start doing our own thing.” said Polk.

    Their next game they played was against Wilson. Poly was up by 15 points the whole game, until they started playing selfish and Sloppy. The game came down to the last quarter and Wilson started playing like the better team. After a buzzer beater by Wilson guard Jayden Woodard the contest went into overtime . Through an overtime rally Poly was able to win the game with a final score of 74-70, barely pulling through.

    On the other hand Long Beach Poly’s girl basketball team has been steamrolling through every Moore league team this season. They beat Milikan 67-47, and Wilson 72-30. Their next game is January 19 against Cabrillo.

    Even though they blew out Wilson the Lady Jackrabbits always fell like they can improve, “We didn’t play with as much energy as we did against Millikan,” said freshman Kalaya Buggs.

  • Girls Water Polo’s Many Goals and Aspirations This Season

    On January 10, 2018, Long Beach Poly’s girls varsity water polo won its first Moore League game of the season against Lakewood with a score of 18-1 .

    “It was our first Moore League game, so it’s exciting to see how well we are doing so early in the season. Our hard work and ability to work well together as a team is definitely going to pay off this season. We had a strong preseason with intense practices and scrimmages against competitive teams,” said senior Sidney Balle, a utility player.

    The Poly team has played schools such as Canyon (9-7 W), Mission Viejo (14-6 W), Agoura (12-9 L), Yorba Linda (18-3 W), Santa Monica (9-4 W), El Toro (8-3 L), Villa Park (14-7 W), Cerritos (23-1 W), Palos Verdes (7-3 W), Redondo Union (14-9 L), and Peninsula (8-5 W) during their preseason in December.

    “During the preseason we worked really hard. We had the future in mind and we knew it wasn’t time to rest, but time to prepare. We had practices and tournaments and those preseason games were our time to make mistakes and correct them in time for the season. My position on the team is a utility player which means I do a bit of everything,” said senior Amanda Horton, “Headed into the game, I was focused but I knew as a team we should just aim to have fun and play good water polo. We started out a bit slow offensively, but our defense shut them out.”

    In the first quarter, Poly was in the lead with four points against Lakewood’s zero. In the second quarter, Poly stretched the lead to seven points. During the third quarter, Lakewood scored their one and only goal, with Poly scoring another five.

    “We had an amazing defense against Lakewood. They often had only one or two passes before we stole the ball. We came out slow in the first quarter but stepped it up in the second, scoring most our goals off counterattacks,” said senior Darby Huff, a set guard on the team. “But, I can’t stress enough that the relationship shared between all the girls, a bond created out of blood, sweat, and tears is going to make us successful this year. I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls, especially our five amazing seniors who lead the way for all the younger girls.”

    “For the Lakewood game, I played as a setter. I felt that this game went great and was a great win for us to start Moore League an opportunity for us to fix any mistakes before facing tougher teams in Moore League and CIF playoffs,” said senior Sidney Brightenburg.

    “The Lakewood game started out slowly, but as the game progressed we had more intensity. Our great team defense paid off, allowing only two or three passes before we stole the ball from them. Our quick offense and good ball handling gave us the opportunity to make a lot of goals,” said senior Sidney Balle.

    The girls’ water polo team’s success did not come without hardship. For about five weeks, one of the heaters in the Poly pool was broken. They spent a week practicing in cold water before switching their practices to Cabrillo’s pool. Practices were also held at CSULB, LBCC, and Belmont. Shortly after, the girls returned to their own pool on January 8.

    Huff described how the team overcome adversity: “I feel very confident going into the season despite our setbacks involving sickness and our pool being out of commission for four weeks. We all have worked really hard this year, and our amazing coaching staff has pushed us not only physically but mentally as well.”

    Since the Lakewood game, the Jackrabbits have played five matches, including wins against Brea Olinda High School on January 12 and Warren High School on January 13. Poly’s girls water polo team now has an overall season record of 12 wins and six losses.

  • Community Reminisces  the History of MLK Day

    Community Reminisces the History of MLK Day

    Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and civil rights activist who fought for equality and human rights for everyone during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

    He was known for his strategy of fighting injustice through peaceful protest. He was the force that brought together events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington, which helped bring about such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

    King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, thanks to his wife, Coretta Scott King, a U.S. federal holiday since 1986 when President Ronald Reagan signed a bill that created a federal holiday to honor King.

    On Saturday, January 13, the Martin Luther King Jr. parade celebrated King. Poly’s JROTC program, band, and cheerleaders were among the participants who was a part of the parade. The parade in itself had a great turn out that ended with a celebration at the Martin Luther King Jr. Park which had booths set up with food and services. The parade demonstrated the huge impact that Martin Luther King had on people  that we celebrate him to this day, and he will be continue to be celebrated in many years to come.

  • 75th Annual Golden Globes

    The new year kicked off on January 7th with the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at 5 pm EST.  presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, several actors, productions, and series were awarded for their excellence and achievements in film and television.

    The Golden Globe Awards are known for their silver tongued speakers and announcers that use their voices to speak out about issues that are socially significant and detrimental to certain communities. This year the “Times Up!” “Why We Wear Black” and “#Me Too” movement were big hits for several celebrities campaigns. Laura Dern, America Ferrera, Debra Messing, Emma Watson, Millie Bobby Brown, Shailene Woodley, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Oprah to name a few.

    But the biggest statements of the night were that of the fashion statements. A large majority of the celebrities who attended wore black to symbolize their fight for a life free of sexual abuse and sexism in the entertainment industry. Natalie Portman notoriously spoke about the lack of female director recognition in the movie industry and said, “And here, are the all male nominees” as she announced the award for Best Director.

    Oprah Winfrey was the first African American female to accept the Cecil B. Demille Golden Globe in recognition of her many accomplishments meanwhile eloquently speaking during the night that was already rife with politics.

    To close her speech, Oprah hinted at the audience about a possible run for the presidential candidacy, perhaps in 2020. In addition to a bold dress code that celebrities followed, many brought outspoken dates who, just by their attendance, spoke volumes.

    A disappointing aspect of the entire award show was the lack of solidarity in protest from the male population of nominees. But sometimes, men must use the platform and privilege they are given to be able to actually be heard and make a difference.

  • Horoscopes Jan 2018!

    The Signs Studying 

    Aries: *throws textbook*

    Taurus: wings it and gets 100%

    Gemini: doesn’t even lift an eyebrow

    Cancer: cleans room instead

    Leo: screw this *does anything other than study*

    Virgo: procrastinates by eating

    Libra: starts right when they get home

    Scorpio: cries endless tears of self pity

    Sagittarius: whines, but eventually gets it done

    Capricorn: studies right before the test and gets an A

    Aquarius: over it

    Pisces: we had a test???

  • Humans of Poly: G-Vaq and his G-Gains

    “Practice makes permanent, it does not make perfect because no one is perfect.” stated Gabriel Vasquez a freshman most likely known as “Gvaq” (pronounced “Gvac”) a cross country athlete.

    The nickname “-Vaq” comes a long way, from a talented poly student named Christian Vasquez who was a great varsity cross country track runner being called “Cvaq”, even his older brother Jose was called “Jvaq” also a talented Poly student athlete, and since he is the youngest sibling he proudly takes the name too.

    Being active and working out helps Gvaq cope with stress and gives him a sense of mission and purpose.

    At the young age of 14, Gvaq already has plans on enrolling to become an United States Marine so he has started preparing early.

    “I’ve embedded working out at a young age to always practice because I know that in the future I will be doing the exact same thing, I need to hold myself accountable wherever I am, wither be at home school or even just waiting for bus because practice make permanent,” stated Gvaq.

    Lastly, Gvaq said “I want everyone to know that life is going to throw a lot of challenges your way and how you deal with it, is going to define who you are!”

  • Weak Protest at the Golden Globes

    2017 brought a lot of Hollywood’s sexual predators to light, a good amount of previously respectable men lost their jobs. Women by the dozen each came forward with stories of sexually and physically assault that have been kept under wraps for decades. The #MeToo movement and the #TimesUp movement have helped many women feel supported enough to share their experiences in hopes of finally seeing justice be made. To show their own support for the movement, The Golden Globe Awards, on their 75th year, decided to set a dress code, all black attire. The dress code was meant to showcase solidarity for the women who have experienced physical and sexual assault or abuse. It was also done to promote racial and gender equality in show business.

    Though their hearts and wardrobes were in the right place, not much can be gained from the color of someone’s $20,000 dress. Not much was said about these important issues during the event, other than Oprah’s uplifting that’s-why-we-love-her speech. Actors and actresses who have worked with well known creeps wore black even though they don’t care about the message behind it. Justin Timberlake and Emma Stone both wore black and spoke on how men in charge in Hollywood shouldn’t abuse their power. Pretty ironic considering they both starred in Wonder Wheel, which was directed by Woody Allen, a well known child molester, who still works and is very successful in film.

    Stars didn’t wear black because they wanted to show their support, but because they were afraid of being otherwise shamed. If we really want to give women more freedom and power, we should stop talking and do it! There is this false sense of progress, when nothing is really changing. All we keep seeing are small, insignificant forms of protest being hyped up by people who could actually spark change but won’t. Women are still being criticized because of what they wear and perverted, abusive men are still very much in charge. Firing a few actors because of allegations isn’t the right way to go. The media claims they want change but will ignore doing anything constructive. These “protests” are an easy gimmick to allow the film industry to pat themselves on the back for being “so progressive”, when in reality nothing will change until we change what we watch. The industry has been like this forever. The first films Shirley Temple starred in are too disturbing to watch. A four-year-old girl playing a prostitute with a full grown man and nobody bats an eye. It’s more than just women speaking up, what’s the point when everyone hears but nobody is actually listening?

  • Creativity at its Finest

    Creativity at its Finest

    A new mural and garden have recently been added to the school. Both the mural and garden are located northeast of the 600 building. The mural was created by one of Poly’s very own students. Ahmad Ali, an 11th grader in the intensive studies program, was the one who created the design for the mural. The chance to create the mural was given to all the art classes at Poly, but in the end Ali’s design won and was chosen.

    Intensive studies teacher Indria Jimenez feels like the garden is a great chance for the students to learn about gardening and healthy eating habits. Also, they’re going to have inclusion between the general education classes and intensive studies students by developing STEM, environmental science, and gardening lessons.

    To make the garden and mural come all together, a lot of people put in time and effort into the process. A local artist volunteered to come and outline the students art work for free. Auto mechanics teacher Chris McColm gave used tires for them to use as planters. Two additional garden beds will be donated by Bobby M and Mr.Hazel. Also, students from multiple programs provided help in painting the garden beds and tire planters. The paint was donated by Allan H-building maintenance worker. With the help from all these amazing people and students the mural and garden was created.

  • New Year, New Me

    New Year, New Me. It’s 2018, this is my year. It’s about that time of year again. I can feel it all around. People are going to work out more next year!  Learn how to cook, be adventurous, put themselves out there more, find a boyfriend, find a girlfriend, have no more regrets, create memories, blah blah blah. “New year, new me.” It’s time to make a change, no more complaining, do something about it.

    I’ve set goals for myself and I have a whole year ahead of me to do something about it. I spent last year doing a lot of soul searching. I was able to find myself and grow as a person. This year I’m committing to my resolutions. I don’t have a whole list of things to change because I find that having so much to resolve only results in accomplishing one or two. In 2018, I’m achieving my goal to be stronger and healthy, both mentally and physically. Start off small, then end the year with a BANG!

    Three things to remember: First, accountability. In order to truly change and reach some of your New Year’s goals, you really need a partner. Someone that will give you a good slap when you cheat yourself. Someone that will make you accountable throughout your journey to achieving a goal. That can be a friend, family member, or your advisor. This person can be the one to remind you of your goals and motivate you to stick with it. Second, commitment. It’s going to require you stick with it all year. That means every day of the year. For example, if you’re planning on get fit and healthy this year, ease into going into the gym. Rather than going for 4 days in a row then wearing yourself out where you get unmotivated and lazy. You’ll have to decide what you want and what you want to give up to get it. It will be worth it, just like losing twenty pounds. Finally, habits. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. You cannot expect to make progress if you’re doing things the same way you did last year. Think about it, are you still in the same position? It’s probably because you haven’t broken those bad habits.

    This is our time to grow. 2018 will be filled with positivity and happiness. To achieve this we are breaking habits and sticking to our agenda, which is reaching these goals. Set daily reminders! Get organized. Make this year yours!