Several Poly faculty members participated in the annual JetBlue Long Beach Marathon on Saturday, October 11. Activities director Ngoc Nguyen, and Mrs. Sato finished the full marathon, while athletic director Rob Shock, teacher Dante Ealy, and teacher Janice Valentine finished the half marathon. Journalism teacher Daryl Holmlund finished the hand cycle marathon in third place.
Considered one of the most scenic marathons in Southern California, the race gives runners a complete tour of Long Beach, starting at Rainbow Lagoon, looping around Rainbow Harbor, passing by Wilson High School and Cal State Long Beach, and finishing near the Long Beach Convention Center.
The race started at 6:00 AM to beat the heat of the day, but running in high temperatures was inevitable as the race went on. These Jackrabbits competed in the race with approximately 19,000 other runners.
“The heat was brutal! I was just glad I finished!” said Valentine.
By 8:30 AM, temperatures rose to the 80s coupled with high humidity.
This was Nguyen’s first full marathon, but she completed many half marathons before.
“The marathon was on my bucket list of things to do. This was one of the most physically challenging things I’ve done,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen completed the full marathon and raised funds for Poly North, a fall camp for sophomores to interact with other Poly students. Poly North was an official charity of the Long Beach Marathon.
Author: adviser
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Poly Marathoners Brave Tough Conditions
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National Merit Semifinalists
Several students at Poly have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program based on their PSAT/NMSQT scores. Brandon Deutsch and Edward Lu have become National Merit Semifinalists. They are the only students in Long Beach to have achieved this.
In addition, a short list of students have been recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars. These students are Caitlin Crahan, Christian Greer, Andrew Jones, Nia Kelley, Marissa Mak, Diego Monroy, Carl Olson, Erin Osman, Rudy Peterson, Kieran Reiser, Elizabeth Robinet, Sofia Salcedo, Steele Speelman, and Timothy White.
“I felt pretty confident about it but I was surprised when I got my score back because it was definitely higher than I expected,” said Deutsch. When asked if he had any advice for juniors who plan to take the PSAT, he said “I honestly think that a lot of the PSAT and SAT stuff is just trickery and my personal opinion is that the ACT is a better test. I’m glad they’re changing the SAT so future students can take a test that I think more accurately tests knowledge. But as of now, I’d say just get a prep book or take a course and study all of the different tricks they use to try and mess you up. Besides that, just try your hardest even though it’s a practice test because there could be some definite benefits.”
Lu, also had some advice for test takers. “You don’t need to take an elite prep course to do well. The best thing to do is to just take a practice test every week, and read a lot.”
Out of the approximately 1.5 million entrants into the National Merit Scholarship Program, about 34,000 become Commended Scholars. Of these, 16,000 become Semifinalists, and of these 15,000 become Finalists. From these Finalists, the program then selects, based on academic records, test scores, essays, and letters of recommendation, about 7,400 National Merit Scholars. -
My Life, My Death, My Choice
When I was five, my grandpa was in the hospital with diabetes and many other illnesses.
His last few months were torture. I remember my mother saying that if he could speak, he would want the plug pulled to end his agony.
I believe my mother hurt more watching him go through that pain than she did the day he was gone. This is why the Death with Dignity Act in California was made, so that people and their families will not have to suffer like mine did. The act was passed on Monday, October 6, 2015.
It is a controversial bill that allows self-euthanasia for terminally ill patients with six months to live.
Patients can only do this if they are sure they want to end their lives. It requires patients to take the medication themselves; under the law, other people cannot administer the medicine.
The patient must sign papers and have two doctors sign off on the decision with two witnesses present, one of whom must be not be related to the patient.
I am not against this act, but I would honestly never use this act on myself, no matter the circumstances.
Most who oppose this are religious and see assisted suicide as an intervention in God’s plan.
The ones who side with me are typically nonreligious, and support the right to die. At the end of the day, it is the patient’s choice to live through the pain or end it.
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Students Survive SAT/PSAT
On October 14, 2015, the Long Beach Unified School District had its first year of free testing for the PSAT/SAT.
Students were held different classrooms throughout campus to take their tests. Overall, there were 24,000 juniors and seniors test-taking.
These exams are for young adults to be tested on their abilities, knowledge and strength.
“The test was quite challenging and simple at the same time,” said senior Cherish Presley.
“Being able to have old material and questions being mixed with new ones are what make the tests a challenge,” said Junior Irene Davis.
“Taking the test is way easier than waiting for results,” said senior Maria Lopez.
These tests, along with Grade Point Average (GPA), are the factors that determine which college will accept and mold students into being the best that they can be. Students are encouraged and motivated to take the exams and to have the readiness for which universities suit their interests.
“The SAT is what help me to see my weakness and strengths, to know that I have the understanding to try harder in being good at something rather than fail,” said senior Ana Suarez.
However, applying to college isn’t an easy task, and is also a long process. Having amazing grades, outstanding test scores and wonderful results from the PSAT/SAT can without a doubt cause the schools to have interest into the mind sets of these students who try hard to achieve their goals and overcome the obstacles.
“Waiting for the results are nerve-racking because it’s scary to find out,” said senior Stephanie Garcia.
There are many opportunities to receive variety scholarships from different colleges and universities. The National Merit Scholarship is the biggest break point for juniors and seniors to see what they can conquer. This is a type of competition for recognition and scholarships. To participate for entry, students are required to meet certain requirements, including writing about your achievements and awards and having the results of the SAT exam.
“I thought it was an unfair advantage for students who are not in Pre-Calc to see a Pre-Calculus question on the PSAT. It made some kids’ self esteem lowered. I heard some kids say that they hated math,” said Paula Clemente. -
Alabama Falls Behind California in Voting Rights
California
On Saturday, October 10, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law The Motor Voter Act, a bill that automatically registers to vote any person on the day he receives or renews his driver’s license.
The Motor Voter Act, sponsored by Secretary of State Alex Padilla, will hopefully reverse the record-low voter turnout from last November, which was a shocking forty-two percent.
Before this act, only fifty-two percent of eligible voters ages 18 to 24 were registered to vote, an embarrassing statistic in a country where people died for the right to vote only fifty years ago.
California is still behind Oregon, who now registers every person to vote on his/her eighteenth birthday.
Padilla says about his measure, “Citizens should not be required to opt into their fundamental right to vote. We do not have to opt into other rights such as free speech or due process.”
Alabama
Alabama, on the other hand, is slipping back into the 1950s, a time when many were often barred from the polls by unjust, discriminatory laws.
Alabama has closed 31 driver’s license offices, almost all in areas with large minority and poor populations.
In Alabama, one is required to provide a federal- or state-issued ID when voting, and a driver’s license is the most common form used by voters.
Residents will experience difficulty obtaining and renewing driver’s licenses, meaning these people will be unable to provide a valid ID when voting.
Presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said about the law, “50 years after Rosa Parks sat and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched and John Lewis bled, it is hard to believe we are back having this same debate about whether or not every American gets a chance to vote and exercise his rights.”
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We’re Kicking Off Red Ribbon Week
Red Ribbon Week occurs over the course of October 19 to 23.
Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign.
It is observed annually in October in the United States.
“I’ve never met anybody who had a problem with drugs but I’ve seen and heard what they do to people, especially in our generation so I know to stay away,” said sophomore Jason Hy.
Poly showed Red Ribbon spirit by dressing each day to show drug free awareness. Rallies were also held during lunch.
The week began Monday, October 19, which was “Be A Jean-ius Dress-Up Day,” so students wore their best jeans.
On Tuesday, students and teachers wore sunglasses all day to “Shade Out Drugs” during school.
Wednesday was “Sock It To Drugs Dress-Up Day.” Power 106 radio station participated and a basketball rally was held during lunch.
Thursday held the theme “Red Shirt Dress-Up Day.” During lunch, there was another rally.
Friday will be “Pink Shirt Dress-Up Day.” There will be a rally for the girls tennis and the girls golf teams that afternoon during lunch. -
Speech Scores at Competition
The speech and debate team participated in the Package Deal tournament on Saturday, October 10, at Arcadia High School, with many Jackrabbits placing highly amongst a field of 280 entrants.
Freshmen Iyanna Blackburn, Dan Dao, Darren Hall, Aiyanna Johns, Thomas Robinett, Coco
Sanabria, and William Terlinden competed in this event. Senior Destin Bigsby accompanied
them as an event judge.
Being the only one of its kind in the nation, the competition gives first-time speakers the chance to explore both the oratorical and argumentative sides of forensics. Only novices, or first year members, are allowed to take part in this tournament.
Participants competed in a variety of events that day, starting off with National Extemp. Students were given 30 minutes to draft a five to seven minute speech on a random topic.
After competing in that round, they moved onto Dramatic Interpretation, which involved students presenting a serious story, play, or published work. Impromptu was the next event, in which they were given two minutes to prepare a five minute speech on a random subject.
“My favorite event would have been the impromptu. It was a new and interesting thing that I hadn’t done before, and I got [the Internet], a topic that I felt I knew perfectly,” said Terlinden.
After a lunch break, students concluded the day with Congressional Debate, in which they were tasked with either defending or opposing proposed legislation.
Participants won ribbons based on their performances in either the morning or afternoon rounds. Terlinden was awarded two ribbons for placing first, second, third, and second in his events. Sanabria and Hall placed highly in Congressional Debate, while Blackburn and Johns placed second in their Dramatic Interpretation rounds.
“The competition was a great experience. It helped all of the new speakers on our team to really get to know how a tournament works and what would be expected of us,” said Johns.
Led by long-time coach Brett Alexander, the speech and debate team has been very successful on the regional and state levels in past years. He has coached several state champions and finalists, all of whom have gone on to attend prestigious universities like Harvard and Stanford.
Their next competition is Fall Novice, which will be held at Gabrielino High School on November 14. The team is preparing itself for State Qualifiers at California State University, Long Beach in late February and early March.
“We have good senior leadership and a lot of new faces. The state championships are in San Jose in April, and I think we are going to have two or three qualifiers,” said Alexander. -
Cultural Appropriation: What’s the Big Deal?
Now that Halloween is around the corner your local party supply store is stocking their shelves with your typical sexy nurse or hunky firefighter costumes. However, among these costumes you’re bound to find some that are accused of “cultural appropriation”.
First off – What is cultural appropriation? Its become topic of controversy nowadays, especially with these “young internet activists” who are educated via tumblr. Wikipedia defines cultural appropriation as, “a sociological concept, which views the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture as a largely negative phenomenon.” In simpler terms, it is the mockery of people and their culture through the adoption of ideas associated with a culture outside their own. So your cute Tribal Spirit Tween costume, that can be seen as the appropriation of the Native American race and culture.
I can only speak for myself, and the appropriation my own culture, but when I see these Mexican *Sombrero Included* costumes on the racks, I am not offended at all. I am 100% Mexican, and the Mexican culture is deeply embedded in my everyday life – so when I see these costumes all I see is ignorance in plastic bag. My culture is the holidays we celebrate, the music we listen to, the food we enjoy – it is not someone in a multi colored poncho, wearing a plastic sombrero. I don’t see the point of being bothered by the ignorance of our extremely insensitive society. They are taking a complex culture and turning it into a stereotypical caricature. You are not dressing as a Mexican if you walk around with a sombrero and a mustache – you’re dressed in classical American Ignorance, head to toe.
However, as I researched the topic for this article, I came across some valid points that offered a new light to the situation. Even though I still hold my previous beliefs, I still have some food for thought for you guys that enjoy “exotic” dressing.
Many of these ethically-cultural-and racially based costumes are merely intended to be one of two things – exotic or funny. But the question I am asking is – what about these groups make them exotic or humorous?
Our society associates normalcy with “Whiteness” and therefore everyone outside is foreign, weird, or funny. Some readers might think dressing up as a person of certain culture is justified on the grounds that it is all done, “as a joke” and “should not be taken seriously.” I am not insinuating that you are racist if you choose to wear these, or that you are doing it with an intention to directly hurt or discriminate against another race, (If you are, you are a horrible person). However, keep in mind – you can’t just “borrow” someone else’s identity for a day. Because guess what, perhaps unlike yourself you don’t have to live with the stigmas associated with that costume.
This is why it is so dangerous to “dress up” as another race because once you take off your sombrero and poncho you don’t have to worry about anyone asking you about your citizenship, like they do to me.
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Jackrabbit News Brief
Water Found on Mars
On Tuesday, September 29, NASA announced its discovery of liquid water on the surface of Mars. Though the origins of the water is unclear, NASA stated that the water is extremely salty as it is filled with perchlorates, which are not drinkable. “…we think this is a very small amount of water-maybe just enough to wet the top layer of the surface of Mars. The streaks are [approximately] 4-5 meters wide and [approximately] 200-300 meters long,” said Deputy Project Scientist, MRO, Leslie K. Tamppari. Scientists agree that water is necessary for life to exist on Earth, which is therefore a good litmus test for determining if Mars is habitable. NASA and Tesla/SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s dream for a colony on Mars by the 2030s may be one step closer to reality after this discovery.
Russia Launches Airstrikes
Last week, Russian president Vladimir Putin launched airstrikes against ISIS. Local videos also reveal that they are targeting rebel groups trying to overthrow Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The United States believes Assad will continue to stay in power if ISIS collapses, so Russia’s intervention with the rebel groups may weaken this effort to defeat his regime. On Friday morning, October 2nd, Moscow reported that there have been 18 strikes since Thursday, twelve of which have been targeted towards the Islamic State. Warplanes also have reportedly attacked an Islamic State command center Friday morning as well.
Oregon Legalizes Marijuana
Oregon became the fourth state to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes, following Colorado, Washington, and Alaska. Residents in Oregon over the age of 21 are able to carry up to one ounce of marijuana in public, keep up to seven ounces of marijuana in private, and maintain up to four marijuana plants in their residence. With a tax on marijuana, Oregon will most likely see the positive results that Colorado experienced such as a major decrease in crime rates and large gain in surplus funds for projects like funding infrastructure and education.
Oregon Shooting in Umpqua Community College
On Thursday, October 1st, ten lives were taken and nine were wounded after a shooting occurred in Douglas County, Oregon. The shooter was included among the death toll, as he allegedly took his own life after authorities arrived to the scene. While the shooter’s motives remain unknown, witnesses reported that he questioned victims’ religious preferences before firing. Multiple news stations found that he ran a personal blog in which he voiced his opinions about school shootings, suggesting his lust for infamy. Prior to the shooting, there was a post on 4chan, an internet forum that allows anonymous posting, stating, “Don’t go to school tomorrow if you are in the northwest” which is now being investigated by federal authorities for authenticity. The thread was posted at 1:19AM while the shooting occurred at 10:38AM, so it may have been the shooter. “Somehow, this has become routine. The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium ends up being routine. We become numb to this,” said President Obama.
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Poly Marches to Second Place
The Poly Marching Band came in second place in a field competition at Segerstrom High School on Saturday, September, 26th. The band played its field show, called To Catch a Thief. “For a first competition it went very well. We decided to get an earlier start on our show this year and the score definitely showed improvement on past years and we are definitely optimistic,” said Poly Drum Major Elizabeth Kriebal. In marching band competitions, marching bands play music and make a series of formations called drills on the field. These drills may be pictures, designs, geometric shapes, or blocks of musicians. During a field show, marching bands are evaluated based on criteria including musicality, uniformity, visual impact, artistic interpretation, and difficulty of the music or drill. Marching bands are popular throughout the country. They often serve as entertainment at football games, and sometimes work in tandem with cheerleaders. The Poly Marching Band plays at almost all Poly football games, providing encouragement to the team. “There’s still work to do, but we’re off to a very good start,” said Kriebal.
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ACEing Autism Comes to Poly
Senior Jasmine Roberts has brought ACEing Autism to the Poly tennis courts. This seven week program started on September 19, and has seven sessions every subsequent Saturday from nine to eleven AM, at the Poly Billy Jean King Tennis Courts. ACEing Autism is a volunteer-based program that teaches kids with autism how to play tennis. It is designed to give the kids social interaction and physical stimulation. The organization was established in Massachusetts in 2008 by Richard Spurling, whom Roberts worked with last summer. It has since been brought to the West Coast and has locations in Encino Park, Westwood, and Burbank. Each session consists of a warm-up, skills training, drills, and closing games. A team of three volunteers is assigned to each participant and every volunteer has been trained to keep the activity fun and engaging. Roberts originally proposed ACEing Autism for the International Ambassadors program but was turned down. Despite this, she decided to continue with the project, and last summer visited hospitals, autism centers, and physical therapy centers throughout Long Beach and Torrance. At each establishment, she spoke to administrators and posted flyers to spread the word. Over the summer, she gathered around forty volunteers for the Poly program. “There aren’t many programs like this, so it is really fun for the kids, and more-so for the the parents. They are really happy to see their kids having fun. Last Saturday, one of our participants said for the first time in their life that they had fun,” said Roberts. Roberts is now in the process of bringing more attention to ACEing Autism. She is working to get press releases published in the LA Times and Press Telegram, and she has been in contact with the Long Beach Mayor’s Office. While Mayor Robert Garcia was not able to make it to the October 3 session, he did give this statement to Roberts: “I commend the efforts of the Poly High ACEing Autism tennis volunteers…This community volunteer program addresses the lack of quality recreational programs to children with Autism, it’s a perfect match to use tennis as a means to enhance kid’s health and fitness while simply having fun with other kids.” ACEing Autism has proved to be quite the success. CBS News attended the October 3 session and a has had a news segment, about Roberts and the program that was shown that night. In the news segment it was announced that the Poly chapter of ACEing Autism will hold more sessions in January.