Author: adviser

  • My New Normal: Kelly Rodriguez

    When I first wake up I get my Chromebook to start my first period without getting ready. Sometimes I sleep in my class or watch youtube when my teachers are not talking or when I am done with my work. My son (dog) always wants to play while I’m in class so I go outside with him while I’m in class and let him run around or just throw his toys so he can get it.

    Also, I have some reasons why I don’t like online school. One of them is I have a lot of siblings in the house. There is nowhere in the house that you can be by yourself. Also, my mom tells me to pick up my son’s (dog’s) mess or to clean up or help her with the kids because she doesn’t know how to work the Chromebook. It’s just hard to learn when there are a lot of people in the house. A lot of my teachers don’t know how to give examples of how things work online or how to work some of the apps they tell us to get on. Sometimes I don’t feel like being on zoom with them.

  • 2020 in pictures

    2020 in pictures

     

    2020 has been a crazy year! Covid-19 basically took over the whole year. With the whole pandemic going on, rules were put into places like wearing masks when you go out. In the picture I had took my nephew to the barber shop, and since the pandemic was going on, they had some rules of their own. Everyone in the shop HAD to wear a mask (although they were not every strict on it as you can see in the photo his mask isn’t on properly) unless you were in the chair to get your cut, and if we were early for our appointment they asked us to wait in the car. They also took our temperature before we walked in.

    picture taken on 6/25/20

     

  • 2020 In Pictures

    2020 In Pictures

    With the new mandate for hair and nail salons should be outside. This nail salon has begun operations outdoors, the community may not be completely in favor of it.
    Outdoor Eating
    Many food establishments have decided to place more outdoor seating. This applies to the fact that there is a limited number of people allowed in a business operation at a time. The outdoor seating allows for more customers. However, there may be some repercussions.
    August 28th is the day that the well-renowned actor that furthered the black community, Chadwick Boseman, passed away. In 2016 Boseman was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer. During this time he shot countless films, including “Black Panther”. In his honor, there was a playing of Black Panther at a drive-in a movie theater.
  • 2020 in Pictures

    2020 in Pictures

    Stores in Downtown Long Beach are ripped bare after looters derived out of protest  in result of the death of  a police brutality victim, George Floyd, 
    Businesses put up signs informing customers to stay six feet apart from each other and to wear masks at all times.

     

    In Downtown Long Beach restaurants are open for out door seating, blocking off a section of Pine Avenue.
    Poly High School student, Zion Wilkins, attends a 7:50 am Zoom meeting.
    Murals are painted on boards that establishments in Downtown Long Beach put up due to recent protest resulting from the murder of a black man, George Floyd, by police officers. In this painting 3 black people who have died due to police brutality are painted surrounded the names of many other victims.
  • 2020 In Pictures

    2020 In Pictures

    A liminal space of a bedroom changed into a home office out of the necessity of the stay-home order due to Covid-19 [Taken: September 10] (Xandria Hines)
    Liquor Store sits closed and streets remain empty on September 3rd (Xandria Hines)
    Restrictions of mask requirements remain on most continually populated and shopped at stores [Photo was taken September 3rd] (Xandria Hines)
    Picture of full a street full of cars taken through the blinds of a home in Long Beach on September 11 (Xandria Hines)
    A wall in a Ralphs store completely sectioned off just for hand sanitizer on September 6. (Xandria Hines)
  • Humans of Quarantine: Chilling, Exhausted, and Not Missing the Beach

    Humans of Quarantine: Chilling, Exhausted, and Not Missing the Beach

    “Lately I have been feeling extremely exhausted and overwhelmed by not only school and distance-learning, but from my community being torn apart and all over the place from past/recent tragedies.”
    —Mahogani Sogules-Corbin

     

    “Quarantine just means I don’t have to worry as much about wearing sunscreen.”
    —Sophia DelBello
    Reymar Santos, High Life Staff Writer: “This is my Uncle Eddie, he’s been chilling and pushing through this quarantine and he said, ‘Make the most of the time spent with your family because that is all that we can do. Enjoy life that’s it.’ “
    “Life WAS like a box of chocolates, but now its as uneventful as a Kit Kat Bar from the 99¢ store.”
    —Christian Gisborne
  • Humans of Quarantine: My Mom

    Humans of Quarantine: My Mom

    When the first outcry from WuHon China began, I remember the immediate fear my mom had. I was worried, but I thought she was paranoid. She would always tell me to bring a facemask to school, stop eating at school, and to wash my hand before I enter the car. As a typical sixteen-year-old, I became irritated.

    As I interviewed my mom about this virus, I understood her fear more.  Throughout the interview, I grew to love, and admire her efforts.  This is what she said to me: 

     “With the CoronaVirus, you can not avoid the death and the depressing state of this country. It makes me sad, not stressed but sad. If we are on lockdown forever, I know I can not visit my family in Cambodia. Even though I’m used to staying at home, as a housewife, I constantly feel worried when I go outside, it’s a motherly instinct. I miss going to the beach without worrying that I might catch the CoronaVirus. When the CoronaVirus is over I want to go to the beach, visit China Town, and go to the mall with my kids. But right now I’m ok staying at home with them.”

    Within the interview, a big theme that my mom highlighted was her fear that I would catch the coronavirus. In spite of all the misfortunes the Corona Virus brought, it also created a stronger sense of unity for families. It is hard to look at any positives in these unprecedented times, but staying with family is a sure way to keep oneself sane.

  • Volunteers Clean-up Downtown Long Beach After Riots

    Volunteers Clean-up Downtown Long Beach After Riots

    On the night of May 31, citizens of Long Beach watched as rioters looted and destroyed countless stores in Downtown Long Beach and other areas of the city. The looting came after thousands of peaceful protesters marched down Broadway making their voice heard and joining the millions across the country protesting the death of George Floyd. 

    These protests have been notorious for turning violent and some people are taking advantage of the large crowds to break store windows and loot both small and corporate businesses. Organizers of the protests in Long Beach wanted to make it clear that the looting seen in Los Angeles and other cities would not be tolerated at the protest. That tactic kept the protests peaceful but only for a short time. Around 5 O’clock the city of Long Beach declared a curfew which would be in effect from 6pm to 6am. This curfew was the push that sent many of the peaceful protesters home.

    At the same time, the march took a turn to the Pike where stores like Nike, Forever 21, and H&M were looted. The chaos carried up to Long Beach Boulevard and Pine Avenue. Multiple news outlets were broadcasting the anarchy in the city throughout the night and some people decided to make a plan to take action and clean up the mess that was made.

    The next day volunteers met at Jean Machine at 7am where they hit the streets and cleaned up what they could. Sam, the owner of Jean Machine was speechless and was in disbelief as he stood in his store surrounded by piles of his merchandise strewn on the floor. “I just want to go home and sleep,” he told volunteers inside the store. One of the volunteers directed me over to a cash register that had been smashed on the floor and told me how the register “served the community for countless years and provided clothing for hundreds of residents” and “provided clothing for anyone no matter their status.” 

    There were hundreds of people walking up and down the streets with brooms, dustpans, and garbage bags all sweeping up glass and picking up trash from the streets. Many of them with the same purpose, to help protect and rebuild the small businesses in the city. There were also clean-up crews in other parts of the city.

    Curfews were set in the Long Beach for the second day in a row with the business district closing at 1pm and the rest of the city at 4pm in an effort to curb any plans for looting again.

  • Moose: As Advertised EP Review

    Moose: As Advertised EP Review

    “This feeling is overpowering” for Chris (AKA: Moose), and so are the sounds used on his debut EP.

    I never imagined an indie band creating an album so bad that it’s worse than Justin Bieber, but lo and behold, As Advertised did it. I’m happy his wife thinks it’s cute, but I can’t imagine lovers of the genre enjoying anything about it.

    They Might Be Giants is a strange artist to take inspiration from among other soul and folk influences. He claims that he writes indie pop/rock, but As Advertised is anything but. If I were to assign it a genre, I would say it’s some subgenre of electronic, maybe computer music.

    Even by those standards, the “instrumentals” used on this EP resemble that of a warped record or badly damaged CD. The beat sounds either rushed or dragging on top of the vocals (and I do mean on top of them — they overpower them), and his vocals sound off at times like in the track, “Old News.” His voice sounds like it would fit well in the indie/psychedelic scene, but the sounds he uses as music are too cheap and bubbly to blend together well.

    As Advertised isn’t carried by the vocals or lyrics, as hard as it tries. The aforementioned “Old News” sounds like it’s trying to be an electronic Alex Turner speak-singing over elevator music. The lyrics of “Irl” are cringe-worthy at best, littering text-speak once or twice per line, it seems. And I’m not exaggerating: “Maybe you’d LOL if I sent you a GIF.” The song has an attitude about it trying to be one of the “cool kids” and it is not subtle about it, either.

    No, the EP is carried instead by the worst possible aspect you could add to a song: samples. And his selection is strange, at best: sitcom laugh-tracks to end off “Old News,” the “You’ve got mail!” notification in “Irl,” and even monkey noises in “A Fine Specimen?!”

    I understand that this is my own opinion. People love albums that I hate. But I can’t imagine anyone loving this EP. I would love to hear what a fan has to say about it — maybe I’m missing something. The worst part? I actually think he could pull off a career in music. So pinch me and tell me it’s a dream, because I can’t stand this first EP. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever heard worse than this. And I certainly hope that I never will.

    Overall Rating: 0.0/10

  • How Covid-19 Affects Youth’s Mental Health

    How Covid-19 Affects Youth’s Mental Health

    Mental health, though often stigmatized, has been an issue since before Covid 19 shifted our everyday lives. Now, as stay at home orders displace us from our work and school environments and our everyday routine, mental health continues to be a top issue, especially among young people. 

     

    According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 10–20% of adolescents globally experience mental health conditions, yet these remain undiagnosed and untreated. 

     

    At least one in five youth aged 9–17 years currently has a diagnosable mental health disorder that causes some degree of impairment; one in 10 has a disorder that causes significant impairment. 

     

    Regardless of whether youth have a diagnosed or undiagnosed disorder, factors such as isolation, fear, and a lack of engagement with friends and peers can negatively affect a young person’s mental health and lead to stress and anxiety.

     

    As social distancing, isolation, and online learning become the norm, how has this taken a toll on students’ mental well-being?  Four Poly students were asked how the Covid 19 pandemic has affected their mental health personally. Here’s what they said:

     

    Lizette Karina Ramon, Pace Senior

    “It’s been so hard because I’ve had a lack of motivation for doing things. This whole situation is depressing, and the way our country is handling this pandemic is frustrating. My mental health has not been the best because I try my best to be optimistic but the way things are going, I don’t think they are going to get better soon. I’m just very tired mentally.”

     

     

     

     

    Luis Cuahtli Sanchez, Justice Junior

    “You lose a lot of motivation for doing school work just for passing, it’s like they’re simply giving us things to do and not giving things for us to learn. 

     

    But I’ve forced myself to get used to this because this pandemic will last a long while so it’s better to make it easier for me rather than harder. 

     

    But still….just knowing this virus is out there and there’s no vaccine just scares me, it can infect anyone, my friends, my family and even me. But there’s no point in being scared all day, there are still things that have to be done and we can only hope for the best outcome for everyone in the future and hope this ends soon. This has affected me quite a lot and it takes time to get used to it.”

     

    Maya Morales, CIC Freshman

    “The first few weeks were easy mentally. I was being lazy but I was happy. After about a month or so, I started to feel depressed. It went on for a few days and the whole time I didn’t leave my house at all. I didn’t want to go anywhere and for some reason, I would just listen to sad music and make myself even more sad and cry. So dramatic!

     I think just being inside all the time and feeling a little lonely because my sister, my mom and my dad would work for so long, it messed with me a little. But I learned you just need to be a little more active and not simply do homework and stay in the house all day. Working-out or any physical exercise like a walk helps boost your mental health and makes you a little more productive.”

     

    Lance Manago, Meds Senior

     

    “I’m doing pretty good honestly. Online school is okay, but I just miss everything about waking up early and driving to school and seeing all my friends and teachers.

    I would say it didn’t affect my mental health but rather affected my physical health. I’m an outside person, I love being outside and try to be active every day. 

    I was also looking forward to graduation and prom and grad night, it truly sucks what class of 2020 has to go through”

     

  • Less Jammed? Time to Drive!

    I learned that to get the streets to become less jammed, it takes a quarantine. During quarantine, life outside has been far from busy. The stores are emptier, fewer people are outside, and the streets are less crowded. For a learning driver, these are the perfect conditions for them. 

    After the announcement that school will move online, I have been able to set aside more time to learn how to drive. I have been practicing every day, in case preventive measures are set in place (that possibly could limit the time, and how often cars are able to go on the roads). After practicing for a month, I have a list of the perfect places for beginning drivers to start off: 

    1. Malls: Due to all malls forcibly having to shut-down, the only cars visible in the parking lots are security cars. I’m not sure if we are not allowed to practice in the parking lot, but while I was there the security never stopped us. The best bet is to check if the mall is private or public property. If it is private,  it is best to find somewhere else to go.
      • For Long Beach Locals, go to Lakewood Mall! Even though it is in Lakewood, it is not too far from Long Beach, and it is a perfect place (with the exception of some taunting security cars). Also to note, Costco is still open, so you will face some cars if you go when Costco is open.
    2. DMV: To get hands-on practice of what it will be like the day of, go to the DMV. As a warning, there are often other cars practicing too, the most I’ve seen in a day was two other cars– not including myself. 
    3. Grocery Markets: I have been going to Food-4-Less to practice parking in between two cars. This is a little bit more challenging as there are more cautions to look out for, like pedestrians, other cars, and random shopping carts (that sometimes hauntingly move by itself).
    4. Neighborhoods: Practice in the neighborhood where you know the driving test will take place. There are a lot of videos online showing the DMV Routes of several different DMV’s on YouTube. Of course, this is assuming they haven’t changed the route or have other random routes as well.

    Hopefully, if you have not learned how to drive, this comprehensive list will urge you to start. But remember, if you are under the age of 18, get a permit. The streets are less crowded and it is much more navigable to start learning

    Before you start learning, I will caution you, there are a lot of police cars (so follow the law! No speeding!). I assume that they are only there to patrol any mass gatherings, so don’t be worried– if you are lawfully learning there is nothing to be concerned about. 

  • Quarantine Playlist

    Music always makes the atmosphere much livelier, and what more do we need in a quarantine than that? Despite being alone, music fills the quiet space. Below I compiled a list of song recommendations. Each is separated into its category, describing an emotion to uplift you during quarantine:

    When you need to feel a little bit happier:

    • BENEE – Glitter 
    • Goldville – Sway
    • Rudimental – These Days (AJR Remix)
    • The Wombats – Greek Tragedy ( Oliver Nelson Remix)
    • Astro Safari – Oh My Lord

    When you need motivation and more energy:

    •  Razihel – Legends (feat. TeamMate) (Hyper Potions Remix)
    • Eminem – Berzerk
    • HONORS – Over
    • Tyron Hapi x Liam Ferrari – I Like The Way
    •  Jose Hertz – Stay Lost

    When you need to relax and chill out:

    • FKJ – Leave My Home
    • Alina Baraz & Galimatias – Unfold
    • Somar- My Window 
    • J L – Summertime
    • Troye Sivan – Too Good

    When you want to have an existential crisis:

    • GANZ – Whatever You Choose
    • Tahoma – Find You
    • Aidan – you’re so beautiful
    • Trinton – Lately
    • Birdy – Not About Angels (Tr3ybeatx Remix)