Author: adviser

  • Box Office Takes Flight

    Interstellar
    Space travel once again graces the silver screen in this new thriller, but this time with a much darker motivation. Matthew McConaughey takes to the stars in this film, searching for a new home for humanity as Earth reaches its final days.

    Big Hero 6
    Disney embraces Japanese culture in this new animated flick as it follows the adventures of a boy genius and his robot. Senior Maria Lopez-Beltran expresses her interest, and said that it is “more diverse than recent Disney movies.”

    Nightcrawler
    Jake Gyllenhaal is back, and this time he’s looking pretty creepy. He plays Lou Bloom, an ambitious young journalist invested in documenting the world of LA crime.

    Birdman
    This dark comedy follows a washed up actor whose claim to fame was once his iconic superhero role. He attempts to revitalize his career through a Broadway role and reconnects with estranged friends and family along the way.

    The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1
    The much anticipated third installment in the Hunger Games series is coming soon, and excitement is growing. Katniss Everdeen is to be seen once again, but this time in the once nonexistent District 13. Fans are outwardly expressing their interest, like freshman Jordyn Jackson, who said, “Catching Fire left me on the edge of my seat. Mockingjay: Part 1 should be exciting!”

    Dumb and Dumber To
    Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey return to their iconically idiotic roles in this film, reviving a classic comedy in a wild roadtrip setting.

    The Penguins of Madagascar
    The Madagascar series has returned, but this time centering around our favorite flippered friends. These avian spies are setting out on a mission to stop the maniacal Dr. Octavius Brine. This movie gives us all a bit of nostalgia, as freshman Desmond Talley said, “[Penguins of Madagascar] used to be my favorite TV show when I was little!”

  • Orchestra Concert

    Orchestra Concert

    Poly’s annual Fall Orchestra Concert was held on October 29 in the auditorium at 6:30pm. A night filled with dramatic winds and delicate string pieces, the concert was a success.
    It featured pieces such as Full Orchestra’s “The Carmen Suite” and Chamber’s “Quiet City”. Students from all levels and orchestras prepared extensively to provide an amazing performance.
    This concert also starred senior soloist Nicole Martinez, whose violin was the feature for the Dvorak piece, “Autumn.”
    “I feel alive when I’m performing,” said Martinez. “Though I was worried about making mistakes, at the end of the day, I’m proud to say I did it. Even now, I can still feel the adrenaline running through me!”
    “It was exhilarating; the English Horn has such a different feel to it than the oboe,” said senior Damian Nguyen, a member of Symphonic Winds as well as first time player of the English Horn in concert. “It has such a rich texture; I love the timbre and color it makes as well as its ability to blend in with the rest of the orchestra. This is why I transferred to Poly: to be a part of such an amazing orchestral program.”
    Each song was graced with loud applause and occasional standing ovations from the audience.
    “I liked Chamber the most because it had a nice variety of pieces; ‘Quiet City’ was my favorite because it sounded so modern and cool,” said sophomore Elizabeth Bingham.
    The next orchestra concert is the Holiday Concert, which will be held on December 16.

  • Plastic Piano Pelts Poly Players

    Plastic Piano Pelts Poly Players

    The Long Beach Poly Marching Unit competed at Huntington Beach High School last Saturday, Nov. 1, against five other bands, including Millikan. Edison High School hosted the competition.
    This was the first time in marching band history that Poly has competed against Millikan in a field show tournament. They have been at tournaments together, but never in the same division.
    During halftime at the Poly/Millikan football game, the marching band performed its entire field show better than it ever had before, according to Director Chris Stevens.
    The field show this year featured the music of Elton John.AP Chemistry teacher Casey Gillett and Stevens teamed up to build a bright red Styrofoam piano. The Polyettes (color guard) and junior trumpet soloist Hunter Davis used the piano as a prop during the performance.
    However, during the first movement, “Funeral for a Friend,” the flimsy piano collapsed in the gusts of wind and broke into pieces that knocked into various members of the band and color guard throughout the show.
    Each band member handled the mistake with grace by recovering from trips and falls while continuing to stay in step. Of course, some band members were hanging their heads low in spite of the high level of performance that was maintained.
    The biggest worry after the piano fiasco was how it would affect the scores. In prior competitions, Poly had scored 53 and 56 out of 100, which placed Poly’s band second and first.
    Especially because of the competitive nature between Poly and Millikan, band members began to get anxious after the show. Millikan exhibited great skill with the drill they had been taught, and performed their music with great aptitude. This only increased the worry of the Poly band members.
    Rivalry is especially tough in the marching band world, which many people fail to realize. Millikan and Poly performers exchanged taunts, while band veterans attempted to stop the shenanigans.
    Soon came the time for the awards. In the bitter cold sat all 93 members of the Poly Marching Unit, freezing cold and absolutely crazy with nerves.
    When the judges reached Poly’s division and the scores began to be read, each member of Poly and Millikan became squeamish with anxiety and anticipation. The judges reached second place and exclaimed, “Jackrabbits of Poly with 72.5 points!” A sigh of disappointment from Poly mingled with the victorious cheers of Millikan.
    However, Millikan was in for a surprise when their score was read, they learned that they had beaten Poly by only .15 of a point.
    Both Poly and Millikan exhibited great improvements from prior years and competitions, and the rivalry will undoubtedly continue.

  • Back to 1989

    When Taylor Swift dropped the lead single from her fifth studio album entitled 1989 on a late-August afternoon in 2014, it was not simply a song release—it was a global event.
    This may sound like hyperbole to many, but it is hard to deny that Swift (love or loathe her) stands unrivaled in terms of mass musical appeal while she maintains a deeply personal lyrical method to her work. So when Swift announced during her livestream that 1989 would be her “first documented, official pop album,” she did so with exuberant confidence.
    Swift knew that she had the power to goose those dog days of summer back into a fever pitch merely by exhibiting pictures of accidental Polaroids and gushing about red lipstick. To be candid, her elopement to pop should not have come as a surprise; in her 2012 blockbuster, Red, she had already been flirting with Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback in a crossover effort to distance herself from her humble country roots while making for the canopy of the charts where she always seemed to have been destined. This time with 1989, Swift boldly doubles down on her investment and, to her credit and the delight of her listeners, she earns it back thirteenfold.
    The album opens with “Welcome to New York,” an immaculately polished synthpop number in which Swift declares, “it’s a new soundtrack / I could dance to this beat forevermore.” It is a song that the gals from Sex and the City would have on their iPods, you know, if they had those back in the eighties.
    On that note, Swift and her producers do a superb job in bringing that decade’s sonic palette to the album, but they still manage to keep the proceedings distinctly modern. “Out of the Woods” and “I Wish You Would,” two tracks that Swift co-penned with fun. frontman Jack Antonoff, most triumphantly accomplish this endeavor.
    Elsewhere, it is clear that Swift borrows from the best of her contemporaries: with her clipped vocal delivery, “Blank Space” screams Lorde while “Wildest Dreams” is completely à la Lana Del Rey.

    All the while, Swift still manages to make those songs her own. Even the most seemingly impersonal song on 1989, “Shake It Off” has all the trademarks of a Swift number: an inimitable girlish effervescence, a subtly sublime spoken-word section, and sly ex-boyfriend bashing. And least we forget those hooks—catchy is indeed a gross understatement.

    1989 is not a perfect album (“How You Get the Girl” and “This Love” are relatively unremarkable), but it comes pretty darn close. The album closer, “Clean,” in which Swift describes the sobering recovery from a past romance as “a wine-stained dress I can’t wear anymore” is the most mature track that she has ever recorded.
    Perhaps the biggest concern Swift’s fans had with the new album is that the intimate songstress would lose herself in pop and become as faceless as her contemporaries: Katy, Miley, et al.
    On the contrary, they can shake those worries off because 1989 is not only Swift’s best work to date and an excellent album in general, but also the one in which she finally found herself.

  • Recent Faves: Horror Movies

    The Conjuring

    If you want to wet your pants, go watch this movie! Carolyn Perron is possessed by a witch known as Bathsheba who sacrificed her 7-day-old baby to Satan and possesses every mother who lives on her land forcing them to kill their children. Carolyn nearly murders her daughter but is saved by paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren. Her memory for the love of her family pushes her to fight and be saved.

    Annabelle

    Creepy dolls–fear them all. A young girl (Annabelle) known to be missing, comes home to murder her parents as proof of her love for Satan. She then terrorizes the neighbors in the form  of a vintage doll that will give you nightmares through Christmas.  Who can save the neighbors from this horror?

    Oculus

    You will never know what you are really looking at until it’s too LATE! Tim and Kaylie try to prove that an antique mirror is the reason for the murder of their parents and the horror of their childhood. But the plot twists when history repeats itself.  The ending may make you angry and strangely dissatisfied because the  simplistic resolution is overly predictable.

  • Don Norford Welcomed into Hall of Fame

    The legendary football player Don Norford was inducted into the CIF-SS Hall of Fame on Oct. 23. He is well-known for the numerous CIF-SS and CIF state titles he’s won for Poly and has been named by ESPN as the top high school coach in the nation for football and track.

    No other coaches have accomplished this feat, making the nomination all the more significant.

    “I really hold this award close to my heart,” said Norford. Throughout his career, Norford has mentored many kids, many of whom have gone on to have successful athletic careers. One of the famous athletes mentored by Norford is Willie McGinest, who has gone on to win 3 Super Bowl rings, as well as Mark Carrier, who was named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year.

    Some of the kids mentored by Norford actually lived under his care. He made sure to give them with the attention and support that they needed.

    “[Mentoring is] really important for the kids, and you’ve got to show that you love them,” said Norford. “Don’t coach if you don’t love kids.”

    When coaching, Norford tries to show student athletes the same respect and encouragement that he would for his own children, being consistent in his encouragement and persistent with them in their athletic pursuits.

    “Along with the support for them comes the desire to do anything you can to make the kids succeed,” said Norford.

    His goal in mentoring and coaching is to build relationships that will be meaningful beyond a child’s athletic career. Norford aims to instill values that will follow his players off the field, or track, as well. The wisdom and understanding that Norford imparts on them, which he hopes they pass on for generations, characterizes his mindset when coaching.

    “[In coaching], it’s not necessarily about a man’s wisdom but God’s wisdom,” said Norford.

    This wisdom certainly served Norford well in his own athletic career, as well as the true track race that he continues to grind upon today. Successful in every which way, Don Norford can celebrate his induction into the CIF-SS Hall of Fame with pride.

    Editor’s note:  This article was mistakenly attributed to Maria Palaroan in the print version of this story.  We apologize for the error.

  • Rabbits Run For the Hills

         Poly’s Cross Country Team had a “hard run” this past week, from October 10th-18th, with the Clovis Run, Moore League, and Dos Pueblos race all in the same week..
    The Clovis Invitational is an intensive 3 mile race that took place in Fresno’s Woodward Park on Friday and Saturday, October 10-11. This exclusive race only hosts the boys, and only takes the top seven runners from all levels. Varsity member, Colby Penn, junior, came first for Poly’s boys’ team, with a time of 15:55. He was followed by Sophomore Hugo Novoa, with16:13, and then Junior Gian Delfin, with 16:24. Penn ranked 68th place out of 1895 contestants. Novoa
    was placed 125th, followed by Delfin who finished 174th.
        The second half of the boys Moore League happened on October 15th on Signal Hill, a 3 mile course and said to be one of the more difficult ones.
         “It’s hilly, full of dirt, and generally a slow course,” said Senior Kai Filipow.
         Despite the challenging course, it was a sweeping victory for Poly, who won first place once more.
         Yet again it was Penn, who ran a 16:23 that took first place. In second place came Novoa, who ran a 16:26, followed by Delfin and Junior Conor Ragland, who  both tied for third with a run time of 16:27. All in all, the boys did well on all levels.

         On the girls side, the Jackrabbits were commanding. Sophomore Melissa Tanaka won the race, with a personal best of 19:31. The rest of the team followed right after her, taking the top seven spots.
         From Friday October 17th to Saturday the 18th , all levels of the boy’s team were in Santa Barbara for the Dos Pueblos race. The 3 mile race was held at Shoreline Park, a scenic course along the windy coastline. Despite the difficulty of the course, with its gradual climb and tall grass, Poly still won for the 11th year in a
    row.
         Finishing first was Penn with a time of 15:50, shortly followed by Delfin who finished with a time of 15:55. One second behind Delfin was Novoa, who placed third with a time of 15:56.
    This Saturday, October 25th, with is the Mt.SAC race, where Poly should stand out. The next Moore League meet will be on November 6 at Heartwell Park.

  • Poly Silences the Lancers

    The Poly football team continues to roll through the M o o r e L e a g u e . T h e i r m o s t r e c e n t w i n o v e r L a k e w o o d (49-7) gives the Jackrabbits a current league record of 4-0. In the week leading up to  the Lakewood game, an article appeared online, which was highly critical of the Jackrabbits. Written by a Lakewood alumnus, this article caused a social media frenzy. Though the article was not officially associated with Lakewood H i g h S c h o o l o r L a k e w o o d football, it caused quite a stir.
         Before a packed and fired up crowd at Lakewood High  School, the Jackrabbits trampled the Lancers. This game was a record night for senior quarterback Josh Love. He threw for seven touchdowns, tying the school record. Four of the touchdowns were to senior cornerback Iman “Biggie” Marshall. The other three touchdowns were scored by senior Justin Calhoun, and juniors, Jackie Jones and Dae’John Logan

         “[Having the record] feels great, but it’s not just me. It’s my team. I had a lot of time in the pocket, thanks to my offensive line. The receivers made plays.” said Love.
         While the offense had a stellar evening, the defense was relentless throughout. Senior safety Kitu Humphrey had an interception. Senior linebacker Omari Lyles and senior defensive lineman Joseph Wicker put constant pressure on the quick and talented Lakewood senior quarterback Justin Collins. Entering halftime, Poly was leading 42-7. Unlike the previous Moore League games, the starters were left in, and continued to play for the second half. According to Poly coaches this strategy will be implemented in the remaining Moore League games to prepare the players for the tough postseason opponents.
          Another highlight happened earlier in the day, before the Lakewood game. Marshall was named an Under-Armour All- American. This prestigious title indicates he is one of the country’s best players. Marshallwill play in the All-American
    game in Florida in January.
        “It is a tremendous and great honor. I am now understanding my responsibility as a player. Getting  to wear All-American on my back and on my chest lets me respresent Poly.” said Marshall.

         The Friday before the Lakewood game the Jackrabbits traveled to Jordan High School, to compete against the Panthers. Before the game, a small ceremony was held in memory of Brad Davidson, who passed away this summer. Davidson was an administrator at both Jordan and Poly. A U.S. flag was draped over the field, and balloons of both colors were released into the air.
         In the dominating game, Poly beat the Panthers 54-10. An early fight by Jordan tied the game at 10, but the Jackrabbits showed a relentless offense and defense afterwards. Receivers Dae’John Logan and Justin Calhoun had strong performances in the air, while senior running back Jeremy Calhoun ran the ball effectively on the ground. After a bye week on October 24, the team has two home games to finish out Moore League competioin.
         They will face  Millikan on Thursday, October 3 0 , a n d Wi l s o n o n F r i d a y, November 7. The first round of post-season play begins on Friday, November 14. These teams are not determined until the CIF decides on a playoff bracket.
  • Quidditch is a Real Keeper

    Quidditch is a Real Keeper

    People may think of Quidditch as just a fictional sport from Harry Potter, but it can easily be played by Muggles (non-magic humans).

    The Long Beach Wonderbolts Quidditch Team (not directly associated with Poly) has been training every Saturday, preparing for games against colleges and high schools.

    For those who have not read Harry Potter, Quidditch is a game played on flying broomsticks that involves beating large airborne balls called bludgers at other players, scoring points with a ball called a quaffle, and catching a small, golden, winged sphere called a snitch.

    On land, Quidditch is much more like a mixture of rugby, soccer, and football.

    “The style of tackling is rugby’s. Soccer is blocking the hoops (keeping), while the receiving lines for the quaffle are just like the receivers in football,” says senior Samanda Sweet.

    There are many differences between the Quidditch Harry Potter played and the Quidditch Muggles now play, but the biggest difference after flying is the snitch. Sweet explains that the snitch in Muggle Quidditch is a human dressed in yellow that is chased, which brings in an element of tag.

    The Long Beach Wonderbolts have been around for four years, and if you’re interested in joining the crew, go to Heartwell Park this Saturday.

  • Polyball Smacks Panthers

         The Poly girls volleyball team played both league and non-league games over the middle weeks of October. Though not winning every game, the Jackrabbits showed perseverance against competitive opponents. On October 14th, the Lady Jackrabbits visited Jordan for a breezy win.
         The girls took advantage of this easy game and started strong from the beginning, winning the first set 25-9. The girls went on to win the second set with a score of 25-11, and the third set 25-8. Outside hitter Tati Yandall had 11 kills and right side hitter Jaylee had 8 kills.
         “The girls earned this game with hard work over the season,” said Head Coach Leland McGrath.
         On October 9, Poly was faced with their biggest league rival, the Lakewood Lancers for the second time this season. The Lady Jackrabbits went in strong, and were able to extend the game to four sets, a feat no other league team has been able to do against Lakewood since 2012. Though Poly won the first set, the Lancers won the game and took another step closer tot heir second straight league. Lakewood took the game with a 25-20, 25-21, 23-25, and 27-17 win. Yandall yet again led the team with 15 kills, followed by 7 kills from Erin Williams.
         On Saturday, October 10th, the girls participated in the Steve Lewis Memorial Festival. Unfortunately, the girls fell with a four set game to Villa Park High School.
         “We had rough run at the Steve Lewis Volleyball Festival,” said  McGrath.
         Losing the first set 25-20, the Jackrabbits rallied back, winning the second set 25-21. Even with 14 kills from outside hitter Tati Yandall, and 9 kills from Sammie Ah-Hong, the Jackrabbits couldn’t hold Villa Park. Poly lost the last two sets, 25-20 and 25-15, respectively. While Poly is out of league contention, they are looking forward to the postseason.
          “Hopefully we’re getting each other ready for a good run in CIF,” said McGrath.
         The girls will play at Millikan tomorrow, Thursday 22, followed by Cabrillo on the 27.
  • Water Polo Needs a Breather

    Water Polo Needs a Breather

    After losing two tough games to Wilson and St. John Bosco, our underwater Jackrabbits were able to break through with a victory over Long Beach Jordan. On the Thursday October 9, the boys hosted the Wilson Bruins in their first Moore League game. Despite losing 16-5, goalie Andrew Moskovitz played a great game with ten saves and a full length goal at the buzzer. Next up our Jackrabbits played St. John Bosco on October 14 and sadly lost to the Braves in an 18-6 upset. Upon a two game losing streak the Jackrabbits ambitiously in search for a win, were able to snap the streak with a 14-2 victory over Jordan. The boys will visit Millikan tomorrow, Thursday 22, and then go onto participate in the Canyon Tournament at Valenica High School this weekend.

  • Fall into the New TV Season

    Fall is a great time of the year! Halloween, Thanksgiving, cooler weather. But for me, fall is all about television. After their usual summer hiatus, the hit television shows have returned with a bang, as well as some very anticipated new shows that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

    I made it my mission to go around campus and ask 150 Poly students what shows they are looking forward to watching the most this fall. I came up with 10 shows for this fall that seemed to be the most popular with the general public. These 10 shows are: 1) NBC-Scandel, 2) CBS-The Big Band Theory, 3) FOX-Gotham, 4) CW-Arrow, 5) AMC-The Walking Dead, 6) BBC-Doctor Who, 7) FOX-Glee, 8) CBS-NCIS, 9) NBC-The Voice, and 10) CBS-Two and a Half Men. Lastly, I included a category for “Other.”
    As I predicted, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” took the crown. The wildly popular Zombie Apocalypse show is in its 5th season. Coming in second place was the “Other” category. I was given many different shows for this category, some of the popular ones being “American Horror Story” and “South Park.” Rounding out the top three would be the only new show on this list, FOX’s “Gotham.”
    In terms of genre, Action/Adventure was the most popular among students, with the strong combination of the previously mentioned “Walking Dead” and “Gotham,” along with CW’s “Arrow.” The second most popular genre goes to the CBS comedies “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Two and a Half Men,” which happens to be in its final season.
    The poll’s only reality show NBC’s “The Voice” did relatively well in comparison to a couple other shows. Most of these shows received their fair share of votes, but there were some that faltered. In a tie for last place was CBS’s “NCIS,” and FOX’s “Glee,” which I find surprising, considering “Glee’s” massive popularity just a couple of years back.
    So, to conclude, the students of Poly have spoken! “The Walking Dead” takes home the gold and is officially Long Beach Poly’s most anticipated show of the 2014 fall season. Happy TV watching, Jackrabbits!