Author: adviser

  • Poly’s New Star

    Senior quarterback Malik Henry was awarded his Under Armour All-American jersey presentation September 23 during a lunchtime assembly for his selection to play as a quarterback in the elite game.

    The Under Armour All-American football game takes the best high school players throughout the country and brings them together to showcase their talent on the field in front of a national audience. The 69 players are chosen through ESPN’s recruiting process, and Poly’s own Malik Henry, a 5-star recruit and Florida State University commit, made this year’s team.

    Former players awarded with this honor of being invited to the game include Poly’s very own Iman Marshall last year.

    The All-Americans are flown to Florida and have only 5 days to practice and interact with one another before playing a game five days later, but when you’re dealing with some of the best that doesn’t seem to be a problem.

    “We aren’t the best for nothing,” Henry said when addressing the limited practice time. Other quarterbacks selected for the game include Palmetto’s Jack Allison, Glendora’s Matt Fink, Bullis’s Dwayne Haskins Jr., and Calvary Baptist Academy’s Shea Patterson who will all have one quarter to play to show what they are each made of.

    Malik is eager to have a part in carrying on Poly’s longstanding tradition of excelling athletics, so when it came to selecting a school for his senior year of high school, the choice was simple.

    “I really liked Poly’s tradition of football and the strong fan base here and that’s what I want to play in front of,” Henry noted.

    Be sure to tune into to Under Armor All-American game to see Malik Henry on January 2, 2016. in Orlando, Florida broadcasted live on ESPN2.

  • Jackrabbits in for the Kill

    On Thursday, September 25 Lakewood’s gym was booming with excitement and cheering from opposite sides of the stands as the long-time rivals, the Lakewood Lancers and Poly Jackrabbits girls volleyball teams, faced off for the first time in the 2015-2016 Moore league season.  Along with this game, the Poly girls played Millikan in Poly’s gym on Thursday, October 1.

    The Jackrabbits practiced hard all week for the long-awaited game against their old rivals.  The Poly girls fought hard against the Lancers, with a 3-2 win.  The Poly fans jumped and yelled along with the girls after a hard battle.  This was a memorable win for the girls considering that the Poly girls volleyball team hadn’t defeated them since 2012.

    “It was a team effort and we all stuck together through the whole match supporting each other,” said libero Franny Camandang.

    Though the team worked efficiently together a few girls stood out in the match.  Senior Sammie Ah-Hong and junior Penny Tusa had a great day starting off with some amazing kills in the first set that put Poly ahead of Lakewood.  With scores of 25-19, 22-25, 25-17, 22-25, 15-9, the Jackrabbits shook hands with the Lakewood girls and head their heads high as they pushed the next team out of their way towards CIF playoffs.

    “You had to be there to feel the heat and competitiveness of the game.  It was one to remember,” said senior Madi Hectus.

    The Jackrabbits also faced the Millikan Rams on Thursday, October 1.  Millikan’s team showed some strength but Poly pulled out the win in 3 sets easily.  The back row definitely helped the team pull out the win along with hitters Sammie Ah-Hong, Penny Tusa, and Kalyah Williams leading in the front row.  Coach Leland McGrath also put in his 2nd and 3rd string players to give them court time because the Jackrabbits had a strong lead on the Rams.

    In addition, the Jackrabbits played Long Beach Wilson on Tuesday, October 6 pulling out another win and managing to sustain their undefeated Moore League record so far.  Poly took the first set against the Bruins then Wilson came back in the second set pulling out a win with a score of 25-17.  The Jackrabbits came back to win the last two sets before beating their old-time rival.

    The jackrabbits will continue in their Moore League season Thursday, October 8 against the  Compton Tar Babes and will continue going into round two against Cabrillo Tuesday, October 13.

  • H20 Polo takes an L

    Boys water polo has had a rough start to the beginning of their season, with a overall record of 0-4 as of Wednesday, September 23.

    Most recently boys water polo traveled to Irvine, playing Irvine High School on Tuesday, September 22.

    Throughout the first three quarters,  the boys were able to get a total of four goals past Irvine, with two from senior Brody Wells and two from junior Jack Calhoun.

    Despite their efforts, it was a deep end struggle for the Jackrabbits, who gave up a total of thirteen goals.

    Even though Calhoun was able to up the score for the Jackrabbits with two more consecutive goals in the fourth quarter, the Jackrabbits took the loss with the final score of 13-6.

    “I tried to spark the offense,” said Calhoun. “But it just wasn’t enough.”

    Before they took on Irvine, the boys went against Crespi High School, on Thursday, September 17. With a mainly junior-sophmore team, the Jackrabbit’s offense was not able to get past Crespi’s defense,  losing 15-7.

    Two days before, Tuesday September 15,  Poly suffered yet another devastating loss, falling to University High School with final score of 13-7.

    As their first game of the season, the boys faced Fountain Valley High School on Thursday, September 10. Even though the Jackrabbits were able to put five goals up on the scoreboard, they were not able to match Valley Fountain’s 21 goals.

    “We need to try to coordinate our defense better and start working harder at practice,” said junior goalie Andrew Moskovitz.

    The boys have their first Moore League game against Lakewood, on Wednesday, October 7th at 6 PM at the Cabrillo Aquatic Center.

  • Tennis Causes a Racket

    The girls tennis teams has been moving forward into the season.

    They are striving to have intense workouts and practices in order to be the best that they can possibly be.

    Tennis coach Ricardo Montecinos is an excellent teacher and motivator for the tennis team.

    He sees the potential in each player regardless of whether the athlete is big or small, girl or boy, and he encourages them to be able to work hard and dedicate themselves in every game and practice.

    The old saying is “practice makes perfect.” What players do at practice affects what they bring to the stage, court, or field.

    Their upcoming match is on October 29, when the girls will bring forth Poly pride and determination to take the title as champions on the court.

    “We’re looking forward to winning the Moore League title and beating Wilson all over again,” said senior Jasmine Roberts.

    The girls tennis Moore League Doubles will be located at El Dorado Park. This year, the girls will certainly conquer and overcome obstacles along the way.

    “I’m looking forward to playing Millikan and Wilson because they are going to be a tough match,” said senior Amani Lyles.

  • Volleyball Bumps Up the Competition

    The Lady Jackrabbits made volleyball look easy last Thursday, September 17, with their win against Cabrillo in the Poly gym.  It is clear that the Poly girls volleyball team is ready for a great season, especially since Poly won in the first thre sets against the Cabrillo Jaguars, earning the Jackrabbits their first Moore League victory of the 2015-2016 season.

    Although the girls beat them in three sets, Cabrillo did manage to rally some points against the Jackrabbits in the third set, with scores of 25-10, 25-14, and 25-20.  Sophomore Kalyah Williams assisted the win as a middle blocker managing 14 kills throughout the match.

    From September 18 to 19, the volleyball team travelled to Las Vegas for the infamously competitive Durango Fall Classic.  Poly finished with five wins and two losses, taking second place in the silver bracket.  The Jackrabbits ended the tournament above the two other Moore League teams, Lakewood and Wilson.  The girls placed tenth out of 64 teams in tournament, which was a great accomplishment for the team.

    “We fought hard and never gave up.  We supported each other no matter what the score was,” said senior libero Frances Camandang.

    The girls have great team chemistry and play as a unit, which aided them in defeating some really tough teams at the tournament.

    “Why not us?” said Sammie Ah-Hong.  The team was considered to be the underdog but the girls proved their critics wrong.  Nobody had any expectations for the girls volleyball team this season, but so far, they have shown the higher level teams that they can compete  and proved why the Jackrabbits are the volleyball team to look out for this year.

    The girls fought the tough teams and showed endurance through both long days of playing.

    Outside Sammie Ah-Hong had a great run that weekend averaging about 12 kills per match.  Freshman setter Elizabeth Schuster had the team’s back on both days, showing her endurance and reliability to the team.  Junior Penina Tusa, who is usually a setter but plays outside hitter out of necessity, averaged ten kills a set as Poly’s other outside hitter.

    “The tournament was very nerve-racking but I’m glad I got to experience it with these girls,” said sophomore Kalyah Williams.

    Poly will continue playing in Moore league this week, going up against Jordan on Tuesday, September 22 and Lakewood on Thursday, September 24.

    The Lakewood vs. Poly game is expected to bring a crowd,  being that the Lancers have been a competitive rival for Poly girls volleyball for a number of years.

  • If You Want to Talk, Come Find Me

    If You Want to Talk, Come Find Me

    Look around at any given moment and you will most likely see people attached to their phones, eyes fixated on screens, drool possibly spilling from their mouths.

    Though it probably seems like everyone has had a touchscreen baby since the prehistoric era, the birth of the smartphone we know and obsess over today only occurred about eight years ago. Revolutionizing the way we communicate, portable technological devices have taken over the lives of an estimated seventy-three percent of people in the U.S. alone. This all seems dandy, but with technology comes the rise of social media, also known as the reason eye-contact and genuine conversations freak you out.

    Social media is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “forms of electronic communication in which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content.” In reality, social media has become a platform for superficial ideals, obnoxious thoughts, and unrealistic expectations, creating competitive undertones amongst youth with a quick double tap.

    If you didn’t post it, did it actually happen? People are eager to document everything now, from a tornado coming straight towards them to a deadly fight.  Obsessed with capturing every single moment, we fail to live in them.

    People underestimate how much influence social media has on them. Likes and followers are closely associated with popularity, commonly thought to be the same thing. Women’s self-esteem is often dependent on the amount of likes, followers, and retweets they receive, comparing themselves to ‘Insta-famous’ sex symbols that attract millions of followers. The concept of followers and likes has morphed into the determining factors of self-worth, making people desperate to reach the unrealistic goals of perfection that social media community enforces.

    The way we interact and develop relationships with each other has been permanently altered by social media. We live in an age where before you even meet someone you can know an outrageous amount of information about them. Privacy is a thing of the past; nowadays, our closest friends and family, phone numbers, and even our addresses are available to anyone who can click search. Gone are the days of meeting your true love by chance; we now scroll through snapshots of potential partners as if flipping through a magazine. Bold comments of heart-eye emojis on your crush’s latest post translate into awkward exchanges passing one another in the hall.

    Where do we stand as a society by allowing social media to determine our self – worth and moral values? One might say social media is a creative outlet that allows people to network and make “friends”, but I strongly disagree. Some recognize social networks as nothing more than a tool to enhance their social status and express themselves. Others rely on the volume of positive responses they receive from friends and foes alike as a barometer of their beauty and value amongst their network of peers. If this is only the beginning of the “feeding-frenzy,” imagine what the future holds. If this world is going to be one of faux online personas and Twitter fights, I’m not interested.  If you want to talk, come find me below the rock I live under.

  • Jackrabbit News Brief

    Settlement on Moon

    Russia and Europe are planning to work together on a space program to create a permanent space settlement on the moon. Luna 27, the name for the first stage of the project, will begin in five years time, led by Russian space agency Roscosmos and partnered with the European Space Agency.

    The goal of the mission is to trek through the unexplored areas near the vicinity of the South Pole. In the beginning, most of the mission will be done with controlled robots but the end goal is to establish permanent moon bases. “The 21st century will be the century when it will be the permanent outpost of human civilization, and our country has to participate in this process.” said Professor Igor Mitrofanov, Space Research Institute. By the end of the year, Europe’s space committee will confirm their cooperation and begin the program.

     

    Democratic Debate Drama

    Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Jim Webb, Martin O’Malley, and Lincoln Chafee were the candidates debating on the democratic side. In order to prevent a one-on-one debate between Sanders and Clinton, candidates Webb, O’Malley, and Chafee were considered seat fillers by many with Webb even expressing his frustration that “I’ve been standing here for about ten minutes.” Seconds after the debate, CNN received a lot of flak on social media for posting biased headlines such as “Clinton’s Confident Sweep” or “Hillary Clinton Dominates…” CNN held a public poll on Facebook and Twitter for viewers to vote for the candidate that they think did best; Sanders received a whopping 83%, while Clinton received a 12% ‘dominance’ with over 12,000 total votes in the poll. Less than 24 hours after the poll was public, the post was deleted. Many journalists took to Twitter to expose this scandal, but CNN did not comment on the issue. Some point to Time Warner Cable’s endorsement to Clinton (Clinton’s 7th largest endorser), which coincidentally owns CNN, as the source of the bias to Clinton.

     

    North Korea Demands Peace Treaty with US

    After a meeting involving President Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye, they talked about their willingness to discuss with North Korean President Kim Jong-un about peace talks. The catch is that it will happen only if North Korea is willing to stop all nuclear weapon developments and production. Kim Jong-un rejected the idea of ending their nuclear program, but still demanded for a peace treaty with the United States. Apparently, the only way to resolve conflicts in the Korean peninsula permanently requires the US’s involvement with a peace treaty. In the long run, Obama wishes to reach similar ease of sanctions with North Korea as they have reached with Iran with the Nuclear Deal in July. “We haven’t even gotten to that point yet, because there has been no indication on the part of the North Koreans as there was with the Iranians that they could foresee a future in which they did not possess or were not pursuing nuclear weapons,” he said.

     

  • Free West Papua Campaign

    Free West Papua Campaign

    West Papua is part of an island above Australia, and I’m guessing most people reading this have never heard of it.

    European interest in West Papua and its vast natural resources has existed since the 1500s. In the 1600s, the Dutch claimed sovereignty over West Papua and remained there until the mid-twentieth century. The Dutch formally withdrew from the country with the intention to grant West Papua their independence in 1962.

    The people of West Papua have no geographical, ethnic, or cultural ties to Indonesia, but despite that, the country began asserting authority over West Papua  immediately  after the Dutch withdrawal. Through U.S.-led negotiations, Holland and Indonesia signed The New York Agreement, which included the
    infrastructure for a voting process known as the Act of Free Choice. What should have been a vote under U.N. supervision of  800,000
    became 1,025 Papuans who voted for Indonesian rule at gunpoint under the threat of great harm to themselves and their families.

    The campaign to win West Papuan independence is called “Free West Papua,” and the campaign website claims it strives to “educate and engage the American public and government around the history, issues, and challenges of the indigenous Melanesian citizens of West Papua, as well as the diaspora of exiled West Papuans currently being impacted by Indonesia’s oppressive rule.”

    Since 2007, the campaign has been directed by independence leader and two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Benny Wenda.

    After being arrested, beaten, and tortured for organizing a peaceful protest to promote West Papuan independence, Wenda escaped imprisonment and was granted political asylum by the English government.

    “The people of West Papua have been suffering under Indonesian occupation since 1963. Over 700,000 civilians have been killed, and thousands more have been raped, tortured, and imprisoned,” said United States campaign representative Jewell Fa’amaligi.

    “Foreign media and human rights groups are banned from operating in West Papua, so people rarely hear about the situation there. The Free West Papua Campaign is bringing the story of West Papua to the world and campaigning for freedom and justice in West Papua.”

    To support West Papuan independence, we must educate others about the growing deaths of the islanders. Those who are fortunate enough to raise their own flags outside their homes need to help the West Papuans, who will be killed for raising theirs. Without their oppression being common knowledge, there is little hope for them to better their situation. More information about the genocide can be found on the campaign website at freewestpapua.org.

  • Poly Marathoners Brave Tough Conditions

    Poly Marathoners Brave Tough Conditions

    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.

  • 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

    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.

  • 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.