Author: adviser

On Thursday, May 21, the Spring Vocal Concert was held at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University in Long Beach.
The concert began at 6:30 p.m. and featured the Chorale, Cecilian, Chamber, Jazz I, and Jazz II singers. Past alumni singers also joined in at the end of a beautiful concert.
The night started off with Chorale performing “Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Kyrie,” and “Dead Men’s Bones.” Both Sabrina Thiem and Thomas Fleming gave beautiful solos during “Kyrie.” Their music had soulful undertones with classic folk songs that brought life to the hall.
The concert then moved on to Cecilian singers, who sang “Down at the River to Pray,” and “Until We Meet Again,” and “L.O.V.E.”
After that Chamber Choir gave beautiful renditions of “All I Ask of You,” “Venez et Chantez les Louanges,” “Snami Bog,” and “Tanzen und Springen (Gagliarda).” These songs brought the music of many different cultures to the stage, including French, German, and Russian.
Jazz II then took the stage with “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” “Unforgettable,” and “Moonglow.” During “Dream a Little Dream of Me” Nina Hodjat gave an angelic solo, and Mia Grayson and Dylan Stump also had lovely solos during “Unforgettable.”
Finally, Jazz I performed “Joy,” and “Come Sunday,” with almost every esteemed member giving a solo performance at some point.
The night closed with Chamber Choir and Alumni singing “And So It Goes,” with Matt Oca’s touching solo highlighting the song.
The last concert of the year sent many senior singers home with fond memories of their time in Poly’s music department.

Feeling like a mad scientist’s ethereal fever dream, the Museum of Jurassic Technology is one of the most wonderfully weird places in Los Angeles.
There, inside of an understated little building, lies one of the strangest collections of curiosities and oddities in all of California.
The exhibits bear no singular category. In one room, microscopic painting made from butterfly wings fill case after case. In another, a series of superstitions are displayed alongside artifacts important to such beliefs, like a baby’s tooth or a vial of urine. And in another, miniature trailer parks line an ominously dark room.
However, the last room is by far the most memorable. Immediately preceded by a room of astronaut dog portraits and a movie beyond all description is a very simple space containing three things: tea, a couple a of chairs, and the sweetest puppy man shall ever pet.
Within all the things this museum presents, the most prominent are its questions: What is this? Is it a social experiment? An elaborate piece of performance art? Just one big joke? Hours of exploration, copious notes, and excessive patience could begin to answer these questions.
However, if you’re simply interested in an absurd evening of pure mystery, there is no other place to go but the Museum of Jurassic Technology.

Lions, tigers and bears. Oh my! This was my first time at a school-produced play. I went to go to see the play in its closing weekend with my best friend.
We sat down and opened our programs, realizing two things: that this play would be long and that it would involve a lot of singing. Suffice to say, we were extremely unprepared for what was to come. But, hey, you can’t blame us—we were only going for extra credit. However, much to our surprise, we ended up thoroughly enjoying this student production led by Kathy Hubbard.
In case you have been living under a rock, The Wizard of Oz is the story of a Kansas girl named Dorothy and her dog Toto, both of whom have been swept off to the Land of Oz by way of tornado. To find her way home, Dorothy, along with the help of the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man, follows the Yellow Brick Road to meet with the Wizard and defeat the Wicked Witch of the West.
The play started about ten minutes after we arrived. The first person out was Dorothy, played by senior Jasmine Sim, followed by her loyal companion Toto, played by an adorable St. Bernadid fifth grader, Alessandra Rubalcava. I have to give props to Sim for being able to keep that classic wispy, airy, yet mildly annoying voice while taking on the role of Dorothy.
Right after this first scene, we were introduced to all of the main characters. There was senior Gaby Rubalcava, who took on the roles of Miss Gultch and the Wicked Witch of the West. Even though she had more stage time as the Wicked Witch, I felt that this performance was much stronger. Next came Aunt Em, played by senior Emma Gressett, who also played Glinda The Good Witch. Personally, I felt that she was one of the best performances of the night, largely because of how natural and effortless her acting was.
We then saw Dorothy’s fellow companions in Oz: Tin Man, Lion, and Scarecrow, played by Patrice Berry, Donte Owens and Donge Tucker, respectively. As a group, I believe they worked well and played off each other beautifully. Individually, every single one of them embodied their character perfectly. But I have to say, the superstar was definitely Tucker as the Scarecrow. His performance was a perfect mix of over-the-top theatrics and believable acting.
As for the music and choreography of the play, the actors were accompanied by a small group of musicians from Poly’s own musical program, and the singing and dancing were not outstanding, but they were not half bad. I must admit that the whole shebang was actually very enjoyable. There was a total of twelve musical numbers, including the “Jitterbug,” a deleted scene from the original film.
The sets and props were fairly simple. There was nothing too fancy, just the typical high school sets (and not the ones in High School Musical, I can assure you) with hand-painted backgrounds of trees, walls, and a disappointing Emerald City, that did not bear any resemblance to emeralds in any way. You would expect some bedazzles somewhere, right? As for the costumes, props to all the costume designers, for all the costumes were great, fun, and playful, adding another dimension to the play.
There was a quick intermission between the acts, where I had a disappointing donut and my friend and I raved about how Toto looked exactly like Vivi-Anne from Dance Moms. Fifteen minutes later we were seated again and were transported back into Oz for the fantastic ending which features the Wizard himself. Adan Gonzales’ performance, of the Wizard and Professor Marvel, was one of the most enjoyable. He was funny, and his body language and eccentric behavior made for some wonderful acting.
Overall, I think this play deserves a solid 4/5 stars. I can’t even imagine the amount of effort that goes into these productions, and I highly admire the dedication of the whole cast.

A variety of Poly’s student ensembles attended the Millikan Band and Orchestra Festival on March 17^th and 18^th and delighted the judges with outstanding performances including classic orchestral repertoire and modern compositions.

A wide range of pieces were performed by Poly’s musical groups at Festival, including Holsts’ “Mars” and “Venus” from The Planets and “Blue Shades” by Frank Tichelli

Middle and high school bands and orchestras from across Southern California performed in front of a panel of three judges who evaluated the quality of their performance based on tone, pitch, overall musicality, etc. The groups then received their final scores, ranging from poor to superior, superior being the highest score a group can receive. Post-performance, the orchestras were tested on their sight-reading skills, and the bands experienced a valuable clinic from one of the judges in their panel.

For further improvements, recordings of comments from all three judges were provided and used to tweak the bands’ and orchestras’ performances.

“Festival allows us to develop ourselves both individually and as an ensemble with the help of professional advice from three well-practiced professional musicians,” said Jeffrey Lam, concertmaster of Chamber Orchestra.

Overall, the Poly orchestras and bands performed strongly. Full Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and Symphonic Winds received unanimous ratings of superior. The Symphonic String Orchestra and Concert Band received overall grades of excellent.

“They performed very well despite the move to Millikan. I’m very proud,” said music teacher Mr. Osman.

Poly’s annual Scholarship concert will be held at LBCC on the 27th for orchestras and on the 28th for bands, and will feature senior solos from Eddie Oliver, Sihyun Ahn, and Chelsea Cameron.

7:05am. The sun begins to climb over the jagged peaks of Abalone Cove.

“Jump!”

The word reverberates in the still air, as I leap from the rocks and plunge into the churning waters of the Pacific Ocean. Adrenaline rushes through me as millions of icy needles sting my exposed flesh. For an eternity, a penetrating sense of blue surrounds me, before my lungs strain and I break the surface. Seaweed-like hair sticks to my face and I expel the water from my mouth. The taste of salt is overwhelming.

Now comes the hard part. “Swim!” I hear Katie yell and I barely understand her, the waves are deafening. My limbs struggle to acclimate to the tug of water, the cold that seems to penetrate my bones. I swim frantically, knowing the ocean’s capacity for cruelty. The salt stings my eyes as I struggle against the pull of the current. Fumbling, my finers grasp the smooth, slippery rock and I haul myself up over the ledge. I collapse, drained but ecstatic. Katie offers me a hand and I gladly take it. She smiles, beckoning towards the rocky expanse before us.

The tide pools teem with hermit crabs, urchins, and sea anemone. Sunlight reflects off the undisturbed water. While exploring, I think less about the anxiety of slipping and more about the exhilaration of leaping. I leave feeling utterly alive, knowing that I have to embrace the risk of slipping in order to dive into the vast ocean of opportunity.