Author: adviser

  • Why I’m glad schools are closed

    I was sitting in my TA period when it was first announced that schools would be closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Needless to say, there was a range of mixed feelings with my classmates; some excited, some upset, some afraid how it would affect the school year. Although I was a little anxious about the virus itself, most of that fear was for the effect on the economy. Schools closing, however, was a huge sigh of relief for me.

    I’ve learned a lot from Poly. The yearbook and newspaper teams are more responsible than my last school. The English teachers actually teach you how to compose essays without killing any existing passion you had coming into the class. The music students are held accountable, and the staff and administration encourage students to push themselves and be eligible to attend four-year universities.

    But I’m not upset about the cancelled events. I’m upset that I can’t edit or distribute a physical newspaper, but there were no events I was planning to attend aside from choir concerts and my graduation ceremony.

    I can’t say I hate Poly. But as a transfer student from another district, I can’t lie that I miss my previous high school. Four years ago, I had a completely different plan for my senior year. I never expected to be in a school with open enrollment or block schedules. At my last school, I was the de facto section leader in marching band. At Poly, I never even marched. I would never have thought I’d be writing (and especially drawing comics) on a newspaper team, either, yet here I am as a staff writer for The High Life. There were so many promises made to me in San Bernardino that I expected to be there for. So in a way, my senior year was disrupted a long time ago.

    Just as any stereotypical high school senior, I had a terrible case of senioritis coming into my final year. My two older siblings, who had similar feelings as me coming out of high school, became different people upon attending college. They used to leave me out of everything, tease me like most siblings, and always want to be alone. Since attending college, they are constantly calling me to chat or play video games, and they are almost always around friends whenever I call them. Heck, my brother has even asked me for help with writing and editing a screenplay.

    Seeing my siblings’ demeanors change after leaving high school has only made me more anxious to graduate. I’m sick of being told what I have to learn and when, and I want to have more freedom in my education. I find myself more productive in career building when I have a break from school, and whenever I have to go back, I feel drained, cranky, and sometimes a little depressed. After school, I don’t want to work on homework or personal projects, I don’t want to play my instruments, and I don’t even want to hang out with friends. While I love my teachers this year and enjoy my electives, the idea and pressure of having to survive another three months on little sleep and low motivation was killing my energy and creativity.

    Now that I am at home, I am able to work where I want to work. I can get up and walk around when I need to, and I have no more homework because now it is combined with my schoolwork. I no longer have to break my back lugging a full bag of books on my back, and I can keep my hands busy during lessons with whatever I feel like at the time. I’m wearing headphones less, playing my instruments more, and I feel more creative and less pressured by deadlines because I choose where I work. I’m at the point where I’m considering homeschooling my own children in the future.

    I don’t know if I regret coming to Poly. I probably wouldn’t be on the path I am now if I had chosen Wilson like I considered. But after four years of disappointment after freshman year trials, band drama, one of the hardest moves of my life, and newly developed social anxiety, I’m not sure I could have a better end to my senior year than this. I want this virus to end just as much as the next person, but I couldn’t be more grateful for the break from high school.

  • Celebrating HERstory!

    Celebrating HERstory!

    Happy Women’s History Month!

    The High Life staff features some of the inspiring women they admire.

    Don’t forget to celebrate the women in your life everyday!

  • AP and Elective Classes Recruit New Students at Annual Faire

    AP and Elective Classes Recruit New Students at Annual Faire

  • School Food? It’s Alright…

    School lunch has a reputation of being okay to being questionable, at least for me. When School lunch has a “real” meal in the menu, nine times out ten it looks either like a microwave dinner or barf. But, there are some good lunch items out there, although none of them are better than a Mcdonald’s burger.
    Let’s first talk about the spicy chicken sandwich. At first glance, it looks fine, and it is. Though it is spicy, it’s an understatement. It’s less spicier than hot Cheetos. But the taste is okay, but doesn’t come with lettuce. So if there is no lettuce in your lunch line, you have to eat it with no lettuce.
    I would include the PB&J sandwich, but it’s a Smuckers Uncrustable, so that would be cheating.
    So I’m going to talk about the french fries. The french fries are pretty good, but they serve so little fries, that it’s hard to enjoy them. There would be 3-5 fries in one tray, and they serve the fries on a big tray. Which is disappointing.
    Finally, the chicken tenders are the last thing I tried on the school lunch menu. They are served with 3 tenders and a piece of bread. The bread is just bread. Nothing surprising. The chicken, on the other hand, tastes alright. They’re your average chicken tenders that you could get at a store. Overall, nothing great, yet nothing bad either. Just average, bland school food.

  • Ah Valentine’s Day

  • Hairspray! Feb 20-22

    Hairspray! Feb 20-22

    The Poly Theater Department is opening Hairspray on February 20 in the Andrew Osman Performing Arts Center. Auditions were held for all Poly students the last three days before Thanksgiving break in 2019, and the chosen cast has been working hard the past three months for this production.
    Hairspray follows the story of Tracy Turnblad, an overweight high school girl who auditions for a local TV dance show, The Corny Collins Show, with dance moves inspired by her African-American classmates met in detention. Much of the plot follows her attempts to integrate the show.
    “This particular story is very culturally-relevant even though it takes place in the 1960s,” drama director, Linda Bon, said. “It has a timeless message that I think most students will appreciate and enjoy.”
    Hairspray will perform at 6:30 P.M. on February 20-22, plus an additional matinee showing on Saturday (February 22) at 1:30 P.M. Tickets cost $10 per student and $15 per adult but are available for presale at a discounted price through the banker.
    Athea Aguel and Gabby Kaiser are both starring as Tracy. Mara Stanford and Maile Quinn are cast as Penny (Tracy’s best friend), Lucas Nguyen has been cast as Link (Tracy’s love interest), and Joseph Diress and Elijah Simmons are both starring as Seaweed (Penny’s love interest). The play’s main antagonist, Amber, is played by Hannah Gardiner, and her mother, Velma, is played by Amanda Angeles and Mica Ramos.
    Select roles are double cast, so certain nights will have different actors portraying the characters. Mara Stanford, cast as Penny in Cast A, said she loves working with her counterpart to pull off the show, even if they are not going to be starring at the same time.
    Althea Aguel couldn’t believe she was cast as Tracy for Cast B while still a freshman.
    “I think everyone was cast…according to their personality and skill level,” she said. “Everyone’s really passionate about it. It’s exciting to be in a place where everyone loves what they’re doing.”
    Every cast member has put their “heart and soul” into the making of the musical, she said, so she encourages everyone to come and support.
    “It’s such an exciting entertainment mode because of the music and dancing,” Bon said. “The script is hilarious, so I think that most high school students would enjoy it more than they think they would.”
    “It’s a lot of fun. Everyone’s so talented, leads are fantastic, other than me,” Stanford joked before adding, “I’m really proud of everybody.”

  • Coronavirus a problem, but not at Poly so far

    According to the CDC, the coronavirus is a closely monitored respiratory illness that was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chinese authorities identified the new coronavirus which has resulted in thousands of confirmed cases in China, including cases outside Wuhan City.
    This illness caused a serious outbreak among people resulting in 3,700 additional cases and 73 new deaths reported on Wednesday alone. China’s total confirmed cases top 28,000 people, more than 3,800 of them are critical.
    In the United States there are three quarantine bases to treat patients who were infected while traveling in China or by someone that returned from China: the Travis Air Force Base, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and March Air Reserve Base.
    People need to be aware about what is happening because this is a serious sickness that is causing innocent lives to leave us early. Not only are patients dying, but some doctors are dying too. Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist working in Wuhan, died on Friday from the coronavirus weeks after he was hospitalized and treated. Not only was he a doctor, but he was the man who warned his colleagues about this infection going around with the use of a popular Chinese social media platform to inform everyone.
    So far there have been no cases reported at Poly, but exercise caution when interacting with people who have recently returned from traveling out of the country.

  • Poly Teacher Calls Out “Pendeja” and Sparks Social Movements

    Poly Teacher Calls Out “Pendeja” and Sparks Social Movements

    Government, Economics and AP Psychology teacher, Myriam Gurba, has become an internet sensation. Her witty and no filter review of the book American Dirt titled “Pendeja, You Ain’t Steinbeck: My Bronca with Fake-Ass Social Justice Literature” published in late December caused controversy due to its candidness and repulsion towards a book previously adulated for its portrayal of the struggles of Mexican immigrants crossing the border.

    The book, written by American author Jeanine Cummins, went so far as to become a part of Oprah’s Book Club and was publicly supported by Latina actresses such as Salma Hayek and Yalitza Aparicio and even renowned Mexican-American author Sandra Cisneros.

    Gurba however insists that the novel is nothing other than “trauma porn that wears a social justice fig leaf.” In her review, Gurba thoroughly describes the inaccuracies and ignorance of Cummins’ narrative, saying that she writes superficially of Mexican stereotypes in an attempt to give a face to the “faceless brown masses.” (An introduction which Gurba cringes at).

    Gurba’s review, which had previously been rejected by a feminist magazine due to its lack of redeeming qualities, was the first negative feedback for the novel which sparked the uproar of indignant Latinx authors and activists who also rejected it. Amongst which is the social movement #DignidadLiteraria that “redefines and affirms the experiences of writers. It is our intention to see more of us writing ourselves into history. Our community amplifies the Brown & Black voices that make up its fabric and creates space for all people of color,” according to Presente.org‘s member-led campaign platform: “¡SOMOS!”

    Since its publication, Gurba has gained international attention and public recognition. She has been interviewed by the Long Beach Post, LA Times, Latino USA at NPR, and spoken at a panel organized by her group #DignidadLiteraria, amongst many more.

    She admits that the amount of fame and interviews have been overwhelming due to the speed at which it happened and the type of attention she has received. She has even been recognized in public which she said has made her want to hide.

    This was not what she had expected when she first published the review. Gurba said that she thought the review would simply run in the magazine that had originally invited her to write it and that it might perhaps dissuade a handful of people from reading the book.

    “Nobody is prepared for that type of attention,” said Gurba, ”but I am also thrilled that people seem to have been politically activated and awakened by a lot of the discourse surrounding the review.”

    Amidst the growing attention, Gurba and the people involved in the same movement have also been receiving very specific death threats since the day the review was published. The threats are of very graphic, sexual and violent nature.

    In response to the threats, #DignidadLiteraria has created a “Death Threat Quilt” to expose the ugly truth about the susceptibility marginalized writers have to these threats. Gurba said that the reason she has been very proactive about these threats is that Flatiron (the publisher of Cummins’ book) had said that Cummins had received threats which were then proven to be false. An editor admitted during a meeting with #DignidadLiteraria that there had been no threats.

    Gurba said that the review seemed to “tap into the frustration and anger that Latinos living in the United States have been enduring for a long time.” After seeing her express her anger people were inspired to express their own discontent.

    Ultimately, Gurba alongside #DignidadLiteraria intends to “transform publishing and continue doing the work to dismantle white supremacy in publishing companies.”

    “We need to work on removing the hostility [towards marginalized writers],” said Gurba, “and essentially remove the border wall these companies have created.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • The Greatest Loss

  • Onision and Chris Hansen

    Youtube has been trying to enforce regulations to keep viewers safe from creators. But, what happens when Youtube fails to create safety measures fast enough? YouTube creators have been abusing their platform for their gains– whether it’s to make more money or for their selfish needs. Logan Paul demonstrated this behavior when he exploited a suicide victim and XtremeGamez, demonstrated this behavior when he pretended to be dying. Both did it for views.
    Chris Hansen, known for his segment, How to Catch a Predator, took it in his own hands, to shut down creators who abused their power. In November 2019, Hansen debuted his new YouTube series, Have a Seat with Chris Hansen and addressed controversial YouTuber, Onision.
    Hansen realized that Onision’s online actions have been questionable. Concerningly, Onision has a series online where he comments on underage girl bodies. He once stated that cutters are “white girls” doing it for attention. Mockingly saying “I’m just gonna put lines in my skin because that makes sense.”
    But that was not the cause of Hansen’s investigations. Hansen began investigating after it came to his concern that Onision has been grooming his fans, specifically underage girls.
    Onision, along with his fiance, Kai Anderson, is being accused of grooming a fifteen-year-old girl named Sarah, for sex and eighteen-year-old model, Billie Webb. Both victims spoke out against the abuse they witnessed by Anderson and Onision on Chris Hansen’s new YouTube series.
    After Hansen created attention towards the situation, the FBI has created an open investigation. The FBI currently is looking at Onision’s alleged predatory behavior and child grooming.
    Chris Hansen attempted to receive a response from Onision, to allow him to defend himself. However, Onision called the police on him for “internet stalking,” and filed a lawsuit on Hansen.
    Onision seems to be avoiding any repercussions and uses his fans as a barrier from the law. The Onision and Chris Hansen drama shows the dark side of Youtube. portraying it as a site to exploit viewers for income and personal pleasures.

  • Hair Discrimination

    For some, hair is definitely a sensitive topic because essentially, it is a representation of who we are. What’s the first thing you notice about somebody besides their face? Most likely their hair. We all choose to wear our hair how we want but why is it that many black girls are ridiculed for their hair?

    There are things you should and should not say when talking about a black girl’s hair. Things you should say: “I love your hair!”  “How did you get it like that?”  “What products do you put in your hair?” Things you should NOT say: “You should do something with that hair.”  “That looks a mess!” And you absolutely do NOT call a black girl’s hair “nappy”!

    These are the few things that are and aren’t acceptable to say to a girl of any ethnic background. It is derogatory and undermining to the person receiving it and to the race as a whole. African-Americans have fought a long and hard battle and even to this day still continue to fight for our freedom to be who we are. We shouldn’t be told that the way we wear our hair is “out of uniform” or “needs to be more kept”.

    You should KEEP your salty opinions to yourself. For years, black women have been fired from their jobs for wearing their natural hair instead of choosing to change how they look just to appeal to others. Black girls have gotten their hair cut at school, they’ve been suspended, they’ve been bullied and embarrassed. Why can’t black girls be accepted for who they are and how they look? We can’t confidently wear the hair that we were given? Just because our hair isn’t straight, stringy, and boring does not mean that it is not beautiful! And who is to say it isn’t beautiful? I’ll wait.

    All textures of hair are beautiful and should be appreciated. If you do not have anything nice to say, it’s best to just shut up, sit back, and mind your business.

  • Is It Time to Bring Down the Patriarchy?

    Since the beginning of civilization in Mesopotamia, lives of women have been controlled by men. Women were denied many of the rights that men had, such as an education, but were expected to serve husbands and fathers.  The voice of oppressed women was not loud enough for men in power to hear until Mary Wollstonecraft started a “revolution in female manners” during the French Revolution, according to the political theorist Eileen Hunt Botting on Bringing Down the Patriarchy.  Although this did not create equality overnight, this was just the start of women coming together to bring down the patriarchy.

    Today, inequality still lives between men and women, which is a big problem. According to Marie Claire, women make 16% less money than a male employee of the same job, and it is worse for women of color.

    Even though we have made progress with reducing the wage gap, there is still a long road ahead of us, including aiming for more representation in government and senior positions for companies or firms, for example.

    The feminist movement is making strides in fighting for rights not just for women, but for fellow minorities in ways like speaking up about gender discrimination. Unity is the medicine for this patriarchal disease.

    I know people who think that there might not be a point in fighting for equality, some of them my friends. They think that equal rights for everyone or the end of discrimination is never going to be possible. But this is where they are wrong.

    By teaching young boys that catcalling women on the side of the street is unacceptable, by teaching young boys about toxic masculinity, by teaching them about how they can contribute their privilege and power to the feminist movement, by teaching women all around that other women will have their back in a sisterhood.

    By coming together, educating people, and having the will to fight for rights is how the patriarchy will one day be broken.