Poly held an out of state college faire with twenty nine different universities on Friday, February 19. They were all set up in the quad and each had their own booth where students came and spoke to the college representative and asked questions about the university they selected.
Along with many other states, representatives from Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Arkansas came out to Long Beach to educate and persuade potential students about their respective universities.
They had brochures at their tables which explained and showed the main focus of each university. The booths circled around the hedges in the front of the 100 building and were full of students trying to get their questions answered.
“My choice was the University of Nevada because it is one of the universities I’ve been wanting to go to since I first heard of it in my freshman year,” said senior Rath Kim.
If you were unable to collect a flyer from Ms. Sylvia Womack, facilitator of the Career Center, you could have also asked the college representative what level of GPA would be needed and the requirements for your school choice. Some of the schools do not come with scholarships and depend on your SAT scores so that is why it was best to be sure to check up on the schools.
“After I am finished with my two years at Cerritos College, I would like to go to Hawaii Pacific to get out of Long Beach and experience some place new,” said senior Karla Figuerou.
Many of the students who have not chosen their college yet were able to go around and pick up multiple brochures to see which college best suited their personality or major.
If you missed the faire, you can get some more information on your colleges from Ms. Womack in the Career Center.
Author: adviser
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Out-of-State College Faire
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Poly 2 For 2: National Merit Finalists
This year, Poly High School has the only National Merit Scholarship Finalists in the entire Long Beach Unified School District. Seniors Brandon Deutsch and Edward Lu have moved on to the final round of the competition.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation names 15,000 National Merit finalists, from which the winners are selected. The winners are selected based on PSAT score, academics, student activities, counselor recommendations and essay. The winners of the scholarship are awarded $25,000 by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
“I think [I advanced to the finalist round] because I was honest and straightforward in my essay. It’s important to keep in mind that even if you don’t get the scholarship, everything’s still going to be okay,” said Lu. “It’s much more important to just go out there and say, this is the kind of person I am, and this is what I believe, than to say, I was president of five clubs. It’s much better to be honest and talk about things that matter to you in a way that is genuine. I think [in my essay] I talked a lot about jazz, and how it has helped me grow as a person.”
The National Merit Scholarship Program has existed since 1955. Students are initially judged based on their PSAT scores. In later rounds, students are judged based on their academics and essays.
“It’s all about getting to the semifinalist round, its all about working hard to understand the content,” said Deutsch. “I think there’s going to be some issues next year since they’re changing the SAT. It’s really important to get the content down so you can get a high score… and on your essay, be honest.” -
Helping Our Hearts
In coordination with the Saving Hearts Foundation (SHF), Poly held a free heart screening on Saturday, February 6.
Unexpected cardiac arrest is a leading cause for death among athletes. However, a lot of people are unaware of the condition and its prevalence among athletes.
Last December, Poly suffered a devastating loss when senior football player Frank Murphy passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest.
Remembering Murphy, Poly wanted to make sure that its athletes and the community had access to possibly life-saving tests.
“UCLA came to us last year and asked us if we would want to do a heart screening,” said Activities Director Ngoc Nguyen. “When Frank passed last year, we decided to host this event in memory of him.”
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), is very common amongst young and healthy athletes, which is why it is usually very difficult to target during regular doctor visits. The condition is only detectable through special equipment.
The SHF Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by students at UCLA aiming to raise awareness of SCA by providing free heart screenings, CPR, and AED training in the community.
The free EKG test was available to everyone ages 14-24 in the Big Gym and was even made mandatory for all of Poly’s student-athletes.
Over 320 students came to the screening, and four needed follow ups with their doctors and parents.
Thanks to the generous volunteers at SHF and the Poly administration, this event gave the Long Beach athletes and community an opportunity to prevent any further cardiac arrest losses. -
‘Tis the Season of Taxes
Teacher Daniel Adler and student volunteers hosted the annual VITA Tax Fair on Saturday, February 6. The event was organized by seniors Kaitlyn Frawley and Alyssa Wren.
Though the turnout was not as high as anticipated, the volunteers were exceptionally prepared and toiled tirelessly to make this event happen.
“We did about 25 returns―not as much as we’d have liked, considering last year’s results were higher―but it was amazing,” said Adler.
Typically, those who visit Poly High School for the VITA tax returns come back every year to get taxes done for free―it just so happened that less people showed up.
Many positions at the tax fair were held by students―senior Timothy White, for instance, was the sole person in charge of helping people register to vote. On Saturday, March 26, the Los Angeles County of Equalization will be aiding the VITA team by rounding up people in need of getting tax returns complete―this means that resources will not need to be used for advertising and producing flyers on VITA’s behalf.
Those interested in getting taxes done with the VITA team at Poly High School may contact (562)-607-7986. Tax returns will continue on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. -
Apple’s Privacy Controversy
For years, I’ve been reading about the silent battle that tech giants have been fighting with the government. In a more recent circumstance, Congress has been trying to top itself in its tech illiteracy by coming up with a bill against net neutrality, which would have given Internet Service Providers the ability to charge media companies to access an exclusive “speed lane” at a more expensive fee.
It absolutely baffles me that some politicians have the tendency to disregard political and moral policies when it comes to the digital world. The very act of imposing these seemingly totalitarian ideas on subject these politicians know nothing about is ridiculous.
This time, the controversy is regarding encryption and privacy—specifically, when it is plausible for a tech company to decrypt a user’s personal device under warrants. The FBI recovered an iPhone 5C that belonged to one of the San Bernadino shooters, however the phone is protected by a passcode. The FBI has been trying to access the iPhone, but failed attempts will result in a longer delay each time and the possibility of wiping all the potentially valuable data. A federal judge has ruled that Apple must create a special iOS firmware that will allow unlimited attempts without a timed punishment, and disable the possibility of wiping data. However, doing so undermines everything that Apple stands for in addition to the extensive progress they have made in creating one of the most popular and secure operating systems.
This is not the first instance that Apple has been public about stressing the importance of their customer’s privacy; in 2014, CEO Tim Cook had already released a public letter stating, “We have never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products or services. And we never will.” To understand this premise, it must be realized that this “backdoor” does not exist. If a backdoor is created, then there will always be a way for hackers to get in. Creating the backdoor will set forth unknown repercussions in the future, and Tim Cook is trying to prevent just that. The FBI wants an “unprecedented use of the All Writs Act of 1789,” a vaguely and conveniently written law, to justify this demand. If Apple succumbs to the FBI’s demands, then this will be a major issue for future court cases, because this issue may set a legal precedent.
Those opposed to Apple’s decision believe that it is necessary for the safety of the American people to unlock this device. However, many tech CEOs such as Google CEO Sundar Pichai have chimed in, agreeing with Apple’s decision: “Forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users’s privacy.”
It is imperative that the government and the tech industry work together, but the insight and opinions of one of the largest tech companies in the world should be respected and compromises should not be made if the privacy of their customers is at stake. -
Beyoncé Publicizes Black Lives Matter Movement
Beyoncé aka Queen B created a song called “Formation,” which shows what the true meaning of Black Lives Matter. The main focal point of the music video was the showcase of individuals who were murder by the hands police and oppressors. The video portrayed the African slaves and individuals such as Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, and Emmett Till.
The Black Lives Matter movement and a pro-Beyoncé organization contributed a lot in the video. While there is a pro-Beyoncé movement, others formed an anti-Beyoncé protest against Beyoncé’s video, saying it was “too black.” This group of ignorant people created a parody of the music video and labeled it “The Day Beyoncé Turned Black.”
A lot of the white fan-base of Beyoncé is “hurt and angry” about “Formation.” In their eyes, Beyoncé is not African-American and that she is a disgrace to them.
Why is there so much hatred about Beyoncé’s pro-black statement? One reason is the attire of Beyoncé and her back-up dancers, who dressed in clothes reminiscent of the Black Panther movement. The Black Panthers was a 196o’s black activist self-defense organization, which pushed and encouraged young individuals to take up arms and be more educated about the Constitution. These people took the Constitution’s first and second amendments to heart. Beyoncé wanted to create her attire to symbolize what the panthers stood for. She showed people at during the Super Bowl halftime show and celebrated the fifty-year anniversary of the Black Panthers.
The former Mayor of New York was equally hurt and frustrated with the demonstration of the police being displaced in the music video. He said, “I don’t want the police force being [an] enemy towards the people, what she does is utterly degrading.” With this defense caused an anti-police sentiment. A former Beyoncé fan name April Bedunan was a part of the anti-Beyoncé protest and strongly persecuted and backlashed Beyoncé. She quoted with, “If white people wore KKK outfits, everyone would go crazy.” In my opinion, the KKK costumes were replaced with police uniforms and suits. The people don’t realize it because of the denial and ignorance that cloud their minds. Beyoncé is only showing people around the world that she is black and proud. She wants people to wake up from their denial of reality. A lot of individuals of color have lost their lives for America to be a better nation to live in for generations unborn. Their lives should be left in peace rather than in vain.
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America, Give Iowa a Try
With the presidential election moving ahead, with President Barack Obama finishing his second term, and with others just itching to become the new president of the United States, the Iowa caucuses took place on February 10 for the candidates to compete for the most votes.
In the Republican Party, Ted Cruz won with 27.6% of the vote, beating second-place candidate Donald Trump, who gained 24.3% of the vote. Hillary Clinton took first in the Democratic Party with 49.9%, 0.3% lead over second-place candidate Bernie Sanders, who took 49.6% of the vote.
Unfortunately, there is some debate over whether the primaries for the party nominations should start in such an unrepresentative state. According to a 2014 survey by the US Census Bureau, 92.1% of the state of Iowa is white. African-Americans, Hispanics, Latinos and other racial minorities do not make up a large portion of the Iowa population. The Iowa caucuses have been criticized as “overwhelmingly white.” What makes the 2016 presidential election so interesting is that some candidates are Jewish [Bernie Sanders (D-VT)] or of African-American [Ben Carson (R)] or Cuban [Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Marco Rubio (R-FL)] descent. Some say that Americans are more open to having a Catholic, female, black, Hispanic, or Jewish president.
The Iowa caucuses are problematic for future primaries. Because it is the first state to vote in the presidential primaries, Iowa sets the tone for the future primaries and can even sway voter decisions in other states’ primaries. Iowa contains few major cities and hardly any people of color. New Hampshire is in a similar boat as Iowa, being the second state to hold its primary. Iowa and New Hampshire have large white populations, 92.1% in Iowa and 94.2% in New Hampshire. African-Americans make up only 3.3% and Latinos 5.6% in Iowa; New Hampshire is 1.5% African-American and 5.6% Latino. The United States collectively is 77.7% white, 13.2% black, and 17.1% Latino.
Over fifty years ago, African-Americans campaigned and fought for the right to vote; now we have that vote. However, when presidential elections start with a deeply unrepresentative primary, we need to reassess whether this is truly equal. I believe it would be much better to have the Nevada caucus spearhead the primaries because it has a more diverse population. Nevada’s population is 51.5% white, 9.2% black, and 27.8% Latino, a much more representative racial breakdown than Iowa’s. This would not be a huge change either; Nevada is the third state the hold its primary (Tuesday, February 9 for the Democratic National Party and February 23 for the GOP). All we need to do is move the caucus up three weeks and let a more diverse state set the tone for the presidential election. -
Whites, Camera, Action!
There has been talk recently concerning the diversity, or the lack thereof, in the nominations for the 88th annual Academy Awards. This is the second consecutive year in which the lack of diversity—and African Americans, to be specific—has been a concern of the public. What’s the deal?
Last year, it was more reasonable as to why there were not that many African Americans, to be more specific, nominated. The only big movie with an African-American leading actor or an African cast and director was Selma, a movie depicting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his struggle for civil rights. It is a struggle that we seem to still be going through today. This year, on the other hand, there does not seem to be a valid excuse as to why there are not any minority nominations. There has been an extensive list of exceptional movies with African American lead roles that came out in 2015.
The 2015 dramatic sports film Creed was written and directed by Ryan Coogler, who just happens to be black, and starred Adonis Johnson, another black man. But alas, despite raving reviews from TIME, Rolling Stone, and other publications, the only one to get nominated from this film was a white man.
Director, F. Gray Gray, an African American man, had a booming, charismatic cast of young, new faces, who were all-black in the hit blockbuster Straight Outta Compton. This edgy, heartfelt movie told one of the least known but most intriguing rags-to-riches stories of all time. It truly made you want to laugh, cry, and straight up made you wanna yell “F**k the Police!” It reminded this generation’s group of African-Americans what we can do with the power of music. Ironically, the Academy did not seem to think so because the only ones to get nominated from Compton were the white writers. I mean kudos to them—they helped make an amazing film— but really Academy? Really? You completely overlook the almost all-black cast and black director? This is a movie that not only showed the public the emotional, tortured side of some of the toughest rappers, but also incorporated racial controversies that still exists, and are a problem to this day. No offense to Leonardo DiCaprio and the writers and directors of The Revenant but I am not so sure that a movie about mountain men and DiCaprio trudging through mud is Oscar-worthy.
Both Creed and Straight Outta Compton were just a punch in the face. They gave you a look into crude reality, but they also made you want to hug someone. That is not easy to find. Although there are not many films with a predominately minority cast, they were not hidden from the Academy’s view. Maybe the Academy voters just thought, “We get it; it’s hard being a minority, now stop complaining,” but what they do not understand is that these are the movies that keep us going. They remind minority groups what they/we have been through and that it does not matter if we are Anglo-Saxons. You just got to have dedication and heart. If the Academy, and all of the media industry, chooses to keep Hollywood white, we will just keep making movies that tell us where we come from, and what we have been through. -
News Brief
CSULB Graduation Rates Improved
More funding to CSULB allowed for professors to research habits and patterns to determine the reason for failing first-year freshmen students. Graduation rates in 2004 were floating around 46% and spiked to 65% by 2014. Professors found that using the “flipped classroom” approach would yield higher information retention and result in a higher academic grade. Through the flipped classroom method, professors assign the bulk of the learning outside of the classroom―for example, students watch informational videos or lectures at the leisure of their home while hands-on lab exercises or simulations are done in class. Previously, students struggled to sit through lengthy lectures and taking notes―now, students do the bulk of the learning independently.
Eight in Custody Amid New Year’s Eve Assaults
Around New Year’s Eve in Cologne, Germany, there was a massive influx of alleged sexual assaults and robberies, adding up to over 581 criminal reports. Victims describe the perpetrators as Arab or North African men; however, suspects were not caught until nearly three weeks later. The immigration status of the men in custody remains unknown, but at least one of the men was accused of groping and robbery. Other European cities are experiencing similar assaults, though the Cologne assaults caught the most international attention. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called them “disgusting” and wanted those responsible to be punished as soon as possible.
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Rabbits Parade for MLK
Poly participated in Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the annual MLK Parade on January 16. Poly’s JROTC, band, and cheerleaders participated that Saturday morning, marching on Martin Luther King Street. Poly’s International Ambassadors and the newly crowned Mr. and Ms. Jackrabbits were also present in the parade.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sought to raise the public consciousness of racism to end racial discrimination and segregation in the United States.
It has been decades since the 1963 march in Washington where Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered.
However, the influence of King has lasted long past his assassination in 1968.
We now celebrate this man who advocated for repealing the unfair “separate, but equal” laws in place since the Jim Crow era.
JROTC had cadets who were led by cadet Captain Jason Thatch and had three teams performing behind. The Dark Knights were flipping rifles, Unarmed was tapping out beats, and Color Guard was marching with their flags.
“I had a really good time and took lots of pictures,” said junior Jaylene Thatch.
Poly’s band played loud and had the crowds cheering, as did the Poly cheerleaders walking in front of them.
At the end of the parade, everyone could go to MLK Park and enjoy food that was being sold at the booths. -
Students Win Rare Opportunity
Second-place winner junior Amelia Haynes and third-place winner junior Elizabeth Bigham of the AP Capstone Project Soapbox speech competition visited Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia’s office on Monday, January 4, and were greeted by the incredible invitation to intern at the mayor’s office over the summer of 2016.
The AP Capstone classes convened at McBride High School in November for a district-wide speech competition with Wilson student AJ Walker winning first, with Haynes and Bigham placing second and third, respectively.
Haynes’s speech tackled the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“I have family and close friends who suffer from mental illness and I hated that they felt ashamed,” Haynes explained about why she chose the topic. “I was… angry at the way society treats mental illness.”
Bigham discussed sexual harassment in schools in her speech. After doing some research, she realized that sexual harassment is “a lot bigger than the media might put forward.”
“I started off by addressing sexual harassment in college and the fact that college women don’t come forward about incidences [of harassment]… We need to stand by victims of sexual harassment to make sure that they can get through [it],” said Bigham.
Both girls were excited by the opportunity of a paid internship before even starting their senior year of high school. When they arrived at the mayor’s office, the winners had no idea what was coming.
“I was not expecting that at all,” said Haynes about the internship offer.
Bigham expressed her eagerness to participate this summer. Bigham said, “I am super excited about the internship and… an amazing experience.” -
Students Swing to Iowa
AP Seminar, AP Government, and AP Economics teacher Daniel Adler and seniors Amelia Haynes and Katie Seaman were privileged to visit Iowa under the Mikva Challenge during the MLK weekend. The program offers eligible students the opportunity to work with presidential candidates during their campaign in Iowa.
Over 160 students from various states such as California, Florida, and Texas flew into Des Moines, Iowa, to begin their volunteer service. Students were able to select which candidate they wanted to work with, and were assigned a van to travel the state with five other students. This allowed for them to have their own unique experiences. Haynes worked under the Clinton campaign, which involved a more on-hands approach: “We went knocking on doors and spoke with the residents to vote for Clinton in the freezing five-degree weather.”
Residents of California do not get to experience such political participation from presidential candidates due to a firm political party preference. Iowa is a swing state, meaning the state is given more attention by presidential candidates to get their vote. As most presidential candidates are in Iowa, there is a respective candidate tracker for those interested in finding campaign rallies. “We looked at the tracker and we saw that Chris Christie was having a breakfast, so we went and ended up meeting him,” said Adler. “We also did phone calls for Bernie Sanders and walked around to see people who would want to go to the caucuses.”
“My favorite part being there was getting to meet Martin O’Malley. We were standing in the foyer of the town hall, and he walked in, shook our hands, and took a picture with us,” said Haynes.