Author: adviser

  • California Bans Teachers’ Assistants

    California Bans Teachers’ Assistants

    The controversy over the elimination of teachers’ assistants involves a series of issues, from where to best spend money to the activeness of teachers’ assistants to tax cuts.

    Unfortunately, California does not see this particular class as helpful for the students and not just the teacher. Assistants helping alongside the teacher provides valuable life lessons. The California Senate has been very skeptical about the worth of these teachers’ assistants. Their lack of confidence is based, in part, on studies, including a report that shows that immediate and secondary learners supported by teachers’ assistants made less of an average knowledge increase than those of similar ability and gender who do not receive help. Some say that the students tend to look upon the teachers’ assistants for a helping hand.

    The teachers’ assistants’ role is a success, giving them the opportunities to experience the real duty of an actual teacher and giving teachers extra help in the work that they do. On the other hand, teachers’ assistants should not be used to make up for the lack of teacher attention, but rather their support should allow teachers to spend more time with their students. They are trained and supported in understanding the teaching methods and how to apply them.

  • College Rejections

    March 25, 2016
    Ms. Andrea Garcia

    Dear Andrea,
    Thank you for applying to ____________. The Committee on Admissions has reviewed your application, and due to the large number of highly qualified applicants, we regret to inform you that we –.
    Thank you for applying to –.
    Thank you –.
    Tha – .

    It didn’t even matter anymore.

    What did I do wrong?  What could I have done better?

    It was as if door after door had been slammed in my face. Nine out of twelve doors, to be exact.

    As all my fellow seniors know, college season can be either the worst or best time of the school year. For me, the entire process, from testing to filling out applications to the actual moment of truth, was hell. I like to think that I am a person who would not be completely devastated by a college rejection, that I am someone better than the system. I know that neither a college acceptance nor a rejection defines me or my future. Yet, it is hard to feel confident about my accomplishments and myself and feel secure about my future when that goal I have been working towards these last four years becomes meaningless. Everything I have accomplished, all the hard work and late nights – meaningless.

    I tried to make sense of things and put everything into perspective.  However, the truth is that as much as I tried to put “things in perspective,” I really just could not. The college process always seems  so subjective and it makes me furious.

    WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT? I know one thing though: they did not want me. YOU WANT THEM, AND NOT ME? Are you serious? I know it sounds ugly, but do not even try to deny that you have not thought that way at least once. We all are entitled beings, and we all get somewhat bitter when we see someone succeed over us.

    I was disappointed in myself. My pain became my parents’ pain and that definitely was the worst part. I would lay awake thinking about what I could have done better: my test scores, grades, and essays, but no matter how hard I thought about it, the matter of the fact is that there is nothing I could do about it now but move on.

    “It all happens for a reason.”

    I would roll my eyes so hard every time I would hear that. But this time around, it seems to be the most comforting line. Even though that reason is not as clear right now, hopefully four years from now, I will be grateful for the ways things worked out.

    Let me tell you seniors, you are not alone and it is not just me. The first step is accepting the fact that even though we will not be where we imagined, we all must learn to be grateful for the opportunities we have. Take them and run. Berkeley was my dream school; however, I will be across the country for the next four years at American University in Washington, DC.

    We all must be excited for our futures, and if we are not, we must work towards something that excites us. With the college wave behind me, I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors. If a door was not opened for you, it was because there was not anything behind it for you, so find one that does. Get up, take a deep breath, and dust yourself off. Take advantage of all the opportunities presented to you, and work hard for those that are not. Be great wherever you go.

  • Boys are on the Road to State

    The boys basketball team is on a historic postseason run, competing in the Division II State Championship game on Saturday, March 26. This is after they won 61-54 win against J.W. North on Saturday, March 19 at the CSULB Pyramid. The teams had met at the CIF Championship two weeks before, where the Huskies won 61-58. However, the most recent game’s outcome was different and the Jackrabbits were victorious 61-54.
    The start of the game was very low-scoring, with both defenses playing strong and shots getting unfriendly bounces. After the first quarter, the Huskies led 9-8. Both teams were evenly matched in the first 16 minutes and neither team had big leads. The Huskies, however, gained momentum going into halftime, aided by a buzzer beating three-pointer, which gave J.W. North a 26-23 lead.
    Poly slowed down the Huskies in the second half and did not allow their opponent to score consecutive buckets. The Jackrabbits got more rebounds in the second half and maintained a sizable lead through the final minutes. Throughout the game, Poly was efficient in perimeter shooting, getting three-point shots from senior shooting guard Harrison Bonner, senior small forward Garrison Gowens, and sophomore point guard Daryl Polk. Senior small forward Drew Buggs was the star of the game, getting 20 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a steal for his team.
    “I just want to do whatever I can so my team can win,” said Buggs.
    On Tuesday, March 15, the boys also defeated the Los Alamitos Griffins in the state semifinal game. In front of energetic student sections from both sides, the teams were closely matched throughout the game. Going into halftime, the Jackrabbits trailed 26-28.
    The Griffins appeared strong coming out of the locker room, extending their lead to 33-26. However, the Griffins lost momentum, to the triumphant Jackrabbits.
    Poly’s lock-down defense allowed the Jackrabbits to go on 20-0 run in the third and fourth quarters, catching Los Al by surprise. The Jackrabbits allowed 8 points in the third quarter and a mere 3 points in the final quarter. Junior power forward Zafir Willams finished the night with 16 points and 16 rebounds, Buggs had 16 points, and Bonner had 12 points. Bonner’s underrated defensive skills and three-point shooting has helped the Jackrabbits in this postseason run.
    While the Jackrabbits have won many CIF championships in recent years, the state title has eluded them time and time again. The last boys team to win state was back in 1984, over thirty years ago.
    “It’s definitely a great feeling that we got the opportunity [to play at State]. It’s something we’ve all dreamed of,” said Buggs.
    The boys will face the Junipero Serra Padres at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento on Saturday, March 26. The Padres have an overall record of 25-5, compared to the Jackrabbit’s 24-10. Win or lose, this is the last game of the season, and the final time the seniors will suit up as Jackrabbits.

  • Girls Basketball Loses Heartbreaker

    Fresh off their 53-44 win against Clovis West in Fresno on Tuesday, March 15, the girls basketball team was ready for another title against Chaminade in the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional championship at the Pyramid Saturday night.
    Before Saturday’s game, Coach Carl Buggs had hoped that “the girls come out and play hard and follow the game plan they had planned.”
    Things were starting out smooth for the Lady Jackrabbits as they tied with Chaminade 8-8 with 3:52 in the first quarter. However, even with pretty good defense, Poly still trailed 18-9 at the end of the first quarter. The girls started the second quarter with a rocky start, and it was hard for the Jackrabbits to execute all the way through, falling behind Chaminade 29-25, by halftime.
    The third quarter started off better, with Poly and Chaminade tied at 30 points. The Jackrabbits finally led 35-31, three minutes into the third quarter. Towards the end, Chaminade was up by one against Poly 38-37. Poly senior Da’Jah Jackson hit a huge three pointer that put Poly up again by 40-38, deep into the 4th quarter. It was back-to-back minutes before points were scored again.
    Action packed and intense, with only 49 seconds left in the game, Poly junior Ayanna Clark shot one free throw to tie up the game 47-47. A Chaminade turnover left Poly the ball to tie the game with only 27 seconds left. At that point, Coach Buggs called a timeout to regroup.
    Another outstanding shot by Jackson put Poly up 49-47 with 10 seconds left. This time, Chaminade called a timeout. With the clock ticking down, it was Chaminade’s Leonna Odom who made a shot that bounced off the rim, then bounced twice on the heel before falling through the hoop. That ended the game 50-49, with Chaminade winning the state title.
    Jackson stated after the game that “the shot bouncing 3 times before going in was heartbreaking, and it still feels like a dream and not reality.”
    All in all, the Lady Jackrabbits had a fantastic season, filled with hard work and memories to last a while. Great season, ladies!

  • The Health Effects of Closing Abortion Clinics

    The pro-life vs. pro-choice debate on abortion has undoubtedly ruffled many feathers on both sides. However, regardless of religion, sex, or self-righteousness, it is a fact that the effects of limited access to legal and safe abortion services are deadly.
    Do you know what happens when women do not have access to legal abortion? Women perform the abortions themselves.
    Many women, especially in developing countries with unsanitary conditions, use wire hangers, knitting needles, or other sharp objects in an attempt to pierce the fetus and terminate the pregnancy. This causes major internal injury and infection, sometimes leading to the deaths of the fetus and the mother. I do not know about you, but this does not sound pro-life to me.
    Women have also turned to popping pills of all kinds, pouring bleach or gasoline into their vaginas, purposely falling down flights of stairs, drinking far too much alcohol, or drastically overheating or freezing the body.
    Now, I know people are thinking, “That is the woman’s fault for throwing herself down a flight of stairs!” However, that is not the point. The point is, if women had access to a legal, safe abortion in the first place, they would never have thrown themselves down a flight of stairs, injuring or killing both them and their fetuses. With a legal, safe abortion, at least one life would have been saved.
    Before Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, up to 5,000 women died from DIY abortion methods every year in America. According to a report by the Texas Policy Evaluation Project, somewhere between 100,000 and 240,000 Texas women attempted self-induced abortions in 2015.
    If women cannot get abortions, they may have to give their babies up for adoption. Now, many people see absolutely no problem with this. But please, explain that to the seven million children who are currently in institutional care worldwide. If adoption is so “good” and “easy” and “available,” please explain that to the 120,000 orphans currently living in America, the 27,000 of those orphans who will age out of the system with no financial or emotional support each year, and the 25% of those who will have no high school diploma or GED, according to SOS Children’s Villages. There is also plenty of research supporting that neglected foster children are more susceptible to falling into a life of crime. In 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice concluded that 30% to 40% of foster children have been arrested after exiting the system. According to the California State Legislature, over 70% of State Penitentiary inmates were once in foster care. When children are left in a series of homes that are rocky at best, the odds of stability are stacked against them.
    If these statistics do not phase you, are you really pro-life? I think the more accurate phase would be “anti-abortion access.” Regardless of political standing, it is completely undeniable that the effects of closing abortion clinics are fatal and damaging for women and their fetuses, the latter of which will become their children.

  • The Abortion Facts

    Views of the Presidential Candidates and US Citizens

    Abortion definitely appears like a partisan issue, especially during the current presidential election. All Democratic candidates are pro-choice, meaning for abortion, and all Republican candidates are pro-life, meaning against abortion. However, abortion is not so simple a subject.
    Within each party, Americans are divided on the subject of abortion. According to the Pew Research Center, the Democratic Party is divided with 60% pro-choice and 35% pro-life. The Republican Party is divided with 39% pro-choice and 57% pro-life. Despite these in-party divides, the Republican Party leans to the pro-life side and the Democratic Party to the pro-choice side.

    Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt

    The Supreme Court heard the controversial abortion case Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt on Wednesday, March 2.
    People are claiming that Texas’s abortion laws passed in 2013 are an “undue burden” for women trying to obtain an abortion.
    The Texas law requires all abortion clinics to have hospital admitting privileges and to meet the construction standards of surgical centers, measures that appear logical until looked at closely. Hospitals rarely give abortion clinics privileges and abortions are rarely surgical, meaning that dozens of abortion clinics were shut down for no good reason.
    With the death of pro-life Justice Antonin Scalia, a 4-4 decision looks very likely, and would allow these states to shut down even more clinics. Thus, it is crucial for pro-choice advocates that Justice Anthony Kennedy votes in their favor.
    The Supreme Court’s decision is expected in June 2016.

  • The Abortion Debate

    The Abortion Debate

    The Killing of a Living Being

    Either you believe that each and every human being has an equal right to life or you do not. The belief that a fetus is not really a baby until the third trimester is a common misconception.            Many women choose abortion because they cannot afford to take care of the child, because of unwanted pregnancy, or because it could endanger their health. Most importantly, women could also have abortions because they were raped and do not want to carry the burden of bearing a stranger’s child.
    However, just because a woman does not want a baby, does that justify the killing of an unborn child? Abortion is the intentional killing of an innocent human being. There are 1.2 million abortions in the U.S. each year, which means 1.2 million children do not have a chance to live and make a difference in the world.
    Abortion clinics are often required to explain all the other options before women can sign consent to an abortion. However, I believe these options are not strongly considered. If a woman chooses to put the child up for adoption, that child has a chance to live and have a family that loves them. 12% of women between the ages of 15-44 are unable to have children, but are willing to adopt. Nearly 135,000 children are adopted in the U.S. per year. The woman also has the option to keep her baby or give the child up for adoption. Unborn child or full-grown adult, all lives matter.

    A Right of All Women

    We are each given a choice in the decisions we make. I believe the public is not actively educated enough about abortion, leaving people uneducated and unaware of the facts.
    The turning point for abortion was the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, decided in 1973, along with the Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling in 1992 in favor of abortion rights, and these cases remain the law of the land. Additionally, the right to privacy expressed in the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is broad enough to include a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy without it becoming the business of the entire country.
    In general, embryos and fetuses are not fully developed, self-determining beings until very late in the pregnancy, and abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, not a baby. Moreover, the term murder is being misused because the fetus is not yet a conscious being.  There is no certain scientific proof that the fetus or embryo feels any type of physical pain when the abortion is being performed.
    The debate between pro-life and pro-choice remains a prominent issue in society and causes a lot of conflicts. A majority of Americans believe that in at least some circumstances, abortion should be legal. A baby should not come into the world unwanted. Having a child is an important decision that requires consideration, preparation, and planning.

  • Let’s Get Down to Business

    On Sunday, March 13, Poly students participated in Project ECHO, a business plan competition where students have to create a business and pitch it to a panel of investors. The acronym ECHO stands for “Economic Concepts Hands On.” The competition was held at LMU University and was a preliminary to the official ECHO competition to be held at UCLA on April 17.
    The day started at 8 AM with check-in at Loyola. Then, the students listened to an introduction in the auditorium. Next, the students re-located to their assigned rooms to give their presentations. After that, they ate lunch and listened to the keynote speaker while the judges scored their presentations. At the end, the winners were announced and invited to compete at the next.
    The competition was a special day since only students from Poly and Banning competed because of the numbers of students who participate. At Poly, freshmen students from PACE, CIC, and Pac Rim competed. Since it is a preliminary competition, two teams in each category (retail, tech, and food) from each academy were chosen to move on to the final ECHO day.
    From PACE, the winners of the retail category were Simplicity and Tanked. The winners of the tech category were Kono Cards and WaterWise. The winners of the food category were Pressed and The Social Study.
    “The experience was beneficial because from it, I have learned how to work with a group, what makes an idea inspiring, and the practical implementation it takes to turn a concept into reality,” said freshman Caris White from Kono Cards.
    From CIC, the winners of the retail category were Get Real and Mall Care. The winners of the tech category were Get Schooled and Occupied. Sporty Foods, Eh? won in the food category.
    “ECHO helped with our confidence. After our presentation we felt we did terribly, so when we won we were very surprised and it boosted our confidence in our presenting skills,” said a CIC member from Mall Care.
    From Pac Rim, the winners of the retail category were Metamorphosis and Teen to Teen Tours. The winners of the tech category were Jordanian School for Women and ArtGen.
    “Project ECHO taught me to work well with others and prepared me for the real world,” said junior Anthony Hokenson from Teen to Teen Tours.

  • Six Weeks of Work Put to the Test

    On Saturday, March 12, Poly students competed at the Los Angeles Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, placing thirty-seventh out of 66 teams. As part of the Momentum Robotics team, a team based at Sato Academy that represents all of Long Beach, team members put the robot they had spent six weeks constructing to the test. The robots played a game called Stronghold, in which they try to place foam balls in the other team’s goal or cross the other team’s defenses like moats and portcullis. The robots shoot balls, climb towers, and do a variety of tasks.
    The Momentum Robotics team’s robot is named Charles II, and he is the successor to Charlie, a robot built by the old Poly Robotics team. Charles II can be controlled by a human or control himself autonomously.
    Each member of the team put in at least one hundred hours constructing him. They measured, cut, and drilled metal components, put together a wiring and controller system, and even wrote letters to potential sponsors for funding. During the six-week season, they met for fourteen hours a week, sacrificing much of their lives for their robot. But despite the grueling hours, most Robotics team members are glad to have participated.
    “This is a valuable experience for anyone, regardless of who they are or what they want to do,” said senior Kieran Reiser. “It’s a team effort that requires many skills and talents, one I’m happy to say I was a part of.”
    After spending more than a month building, the team finally showed off their robot at the competition. Charles II won three matches, lost four, and tied one. The team is hopeful that they will do even better at their next competition in Orange County.

  • Culture Competition

    On Saturday, March 12, students from the Japanese department participated in the fourth Annual Japan Bowl of California, which was hosted by the Japan America Society of Southern California. This event took place at Loyola Marymount University and was the first time that both level-four teams made it to the championships, ranking second and third place.
    The Japan Bowl is an academic decathlon that tests students’ knowledge on Japanese language and culture, with topics ranging from common Japanese phrases and yojijukugo, a 4-character compound consisting entirely of kanji, to literature, history, and even economics.
    This year, AP Japanese and 5-6 Honors teacher Watson-Sensei organized two level-three teams and two level-four teams from the 5-6 Honors and AP Japanese classes―level-three representing the 5-6 Honors difficulty and level-four representing the AP Japanese difficulty.
    Seniors Azalia Avellan and Jonathan Rodriguez placed second in the level-four category, and seniors Fatima Nunez, Panhaneath Seng, and Jared Weinstein placed third in the level-four category. Junior Michaela Gonzales and seniors Tiffany Pham and Itza Soto participated in the level-three category alongside juniors Emilio Carreon, Isis Hayes, and Brianna Son. Though they were unable to place, their hard work leading up to this event should still be recognized.
    “We started studying since January. I’d like to thank Sensei for working so hard to prepare us for this event. It was a really fun bonding experience for everyone and I am glad I took the opportunity to participate,” said Weinstein.

  • Feeling the Vibe at Vining

    On Thursday, March 24, Long Beach Poly’s Student Commission went on a weekend visit to Lee Vining High School, which is six hours away from Poly.
    Located in the Eastern Sierra Unified School District, Lee Vining has been appointed as Poly’s “sister school.” This means that the two schools are linked together. Due to the fact that Lee Vining has twenty six students and that Poly has around five thousand, the two schools are able to learn a lot about each other’s culture.
    “We had many things in common and many differences. Learning from each other was a great experience,” said junior Toni Flores.
    Ever since the early 2000’s, Poly has had a relationship with Lee Vining, one of the smallest schools in the southern section of CIF. In the fall of 2014, Lee Vining students came to Poly and watched a football game as well as carved pumpkins with the Student Commissioners.
    However, this time around, Poly made the visit and enjoyed their time at Lee Vining. Arriving around 4 AM, the students had fun from start to finish. On Friday, the Commissioners joined the students in their classes and played different games. In fact, one of the games involving running threw off the Commissioners due to the extremely high elevation. Later that day, Poly made pho and had an activity night, which included dancing, music, and sports.
    On Saturday, some people went skiing or snowboarding, while others simply played in the snow. After that, they went to a dance and had different games in the gym.
    “I think for the students it was a good experience for Student Commission to step out of what we know in Long Beach and have a small town feel,” said Activities Director Ngoc Nguyen.
    Although the two schools are unique in many different ways, they were still able to have a good time with one another.

  • Documenting HIstory

    National History Day was on Sunday, March 13, hosted by the LA County Office of Education (LACOE). This event was held at Azusa Pacific University (APU) campus in Azusa, CA, from 8 AM to 4 PM.
    There were about two dozen high schools, close to 20 middle schools and many more elementary school participants.
    This event originally began in 1974 at Case Western Reserve University. The idea came from a history professor named David Van Tassel, who was very concerned about the decline of the humanities in America’s schools.
    Van Tassel was particularly distressed by the rote memorization he saw in most history classrooms. He wanted to reinvigorate approaches teachers and students had with history curricula.
    Patrick Gillogly, an AP US History teacher, was the only Poly teacher who attended, along with seven students: seniors Benjamin Neal and Daniel Sagrera and juniors Derek Matos, Eric Fuson, Emma Larson, Danielle Gallandt and Tatum McCann.
    Students produced ten-minute documentaries from different time periods and places that centered around this year’s competition theme: Exploration, Contact, and Exchange.
    Larson was given an honorable mention for her documentary on the history of coffee titled “Coffee Through the Ages” and Matos and Fuson won first place for their documentary on the United Fruit Company and the Panama Canal titled “American Enterprises: Profitability and Exploitation in Latin America.”
    Matos and Fuson advanced to State Finals, which will be held on May 6-7 in Rocklin, CA. If they win at State, the duo will advance to Nationals in Maryland in June.
    “The students who participate in this competition work very hard, balancing the demands of their classes with the challenges of producing a project that involves real historical research, teamwork, and skill in video editing, among many other things. I am immensely proud of their efforts. To see the enthusiastic students of all levels engaging with each other and the history is a pleasure to be a part of every year,” said Gillogly.