Category: Arts & Culture

  • Student Art Show

    The JCC Art Show ended on Friday, March 3. The art show went on for four weeks and took place at the Jewish Community Center. The exhibit included 97 different works of art from 20 different schools. Ten middle schools and ten high schools participated in the event. The categories consisted of the following; high school art, high school digital art, and middle school art.
    Six Poly students submitted their work into the show, five of whom won an award or prize. Senior April Ray won third place in high school art. Ray stated, “My piece was a water piece called ‘Still Life’ and it took months to put together.”
    For the same category, Emma Hastie, Enrique Martinez, and Andreana Santos-How won honorable mentions. Elizabeth Sandoval won first place for high school digital art. This category was new as of this year, created for all the digital/photography submissions received.
    There is another upcoming art show for the students who didn’t get a chance to submit work into the JCC art show.  The theme will be the role of gender in today’s society.
    Artists are asked specific questions to consider in preparation: What is the relationship between gender and society? How does culture shape one’s gender identity? What does it mean in a given culture to be masculine or feminine? How is society’s view of gender changing? Thoughts can be represented through a drawing, painting, photograph, collage, or a three dimensional sculpture.
    Everyone’s artwork will be judged by the Long Beach Art Museum in conjunction with the Millikan High School Museum Studies Exhibitions Department. The art will be judged based on the its visual depiction of theme, artistic merit, and meeting all of the stated requirements. Students interested have the choice of digital media, drawing, watercolor, acrylic, photograph, oil painting, ceramic, print, or collage.
    Two dimensional work should be at least 8”×10” but no larger than 16”×20”. Three dimensional work should be no larger than 16”×16”×20”. Art works can’t depict obscenities or weapons. Any Poly student is allowed to enter their piece, the deadline is still to be announced.

  • Humans Of Poly

    Humans Of Poly

    On herself:
    “I’m Sakeena. My name means tranquility in Arabic. I like photography and traveling. That’s basically me really.”
    On discrimination:
    “Well I’ve been pretty fortunate because we’re in California so there aren’t very many people who are overtly discriminatory. I’ve heard snide side comments, but not anything towards me, personally, which has made me want to be more of a positive presence. I don’t want people to even have to think about making comments like that. I want people to know true Islam and that’s why I made the presentation.”
    On her presentation for World Hijab Day:
    “I talked about the concept of hijab which basically just translates to modesty, and how it applies to both men and women, not just women. Women do show it more, we cover our hair. But hijab doesn’t just apply to appearance, it’s also about the way you talk and the way you act. I also pointed out that Islam’s not the only religion that encourages modesty. Nuns in Christianity, [and] some orthodox Jewish women also cover their hair. So basically, it’s just about feeling closer to God. For me, it’s about being comfortable in my religious identity.”
    On ignorance:
    “Don’t be afraid to ask [about Islam]. We don’t bite. I love to answer questions. I would love to clear up any misconceptions that anyone has. If you are ever confused, don’t hesitate to ask.”

  • The Serialized Adventures of John P. Chandatlantic, Part 1

    Can I stop calling myself  Freshman now? It’s second semester now, so, like, I’m sorta not that fresh anymore. I know my way around, I can find classrooms and stuff. I found that club – damn, forgot to go again. Still haven’t been in the 500 building though. That’s weird. I don’t think I’ve been in the cafeteria since orientation day either…

    Jackie says I’m a freshman until I have my first bit of drama. I’m not doing that. I saw what she was like in her freshman year. I had to live with her during her most diva-ish moments. Jackie is, of course, my sister. She’ll graduate at the end of this year. Sometimes she’s a pain, but the rest of the time she’s… well, a pain, but she’s a pain who at least cares about her kid brother. I wish she’d drive me home, but I know that if I need her she’ll be there. I’m pretty sure she could beat up most of my classmates if they started picking on me. I don’t think I’ll need it, but it’s still good to have a safety net like that.

    I was picking at the ASB sticker on my ID earlier. I don’t know why mom got it. I’m never going to use it. I mean, I like football and I do know some of the players, but I just don’t think I’ll ever go to a game. I enjoy  my Friday nights. It’s the one night I know Jackie will be out and I don’t have homework and Mom and Dad usually go out to dinner. I can just play Fallout in peace. I like my friends, they’re awesome, but I like alone time, y’know? It lets me reflect on the week while venting my frustration into some mutants.

    Like last week-ohgod, I don’t know why, but I swear Mrs. Cotner hates me. I was talking in class, yea, but not loud or anything, and she wasn’t even talking – we were just doing bookwork – I had a question so I asked the guy next to me and she snapped at me like what am I supposed to do? Then she says if I have a question, I should ask her and I did and she was like, “well I explained that earlier, you’ve got to do this this and this” but I just didn’t get it. It just didn’t click, y’know?  I dunno, maybe that’s just how high school is. How would I know; I’m just a freshman.

  • Black History Music

     

    Michael Jackson

    Many people try arguing that Michael was ashamed of his race due to him constantly tried to change his skin tone, but this, of course, is just a rumor. Michael was constantly trying to better the lives of Black youth, through many foundations and charities, including The United Negro College Fund. He donated over $100 million in his lifetime. MJ was also the first black artist to appear on MTV, which had a very strict rule limiting Black artists from screen time. Once he got the opportunity, Michael’s videos became the most popular. “Thriller” is still the most popular and most viewed video of all time. Long live the king.
    Recommended listen: “The Lady In My Life”

    Billie Holiday


    Holiday was brought up in a brothel house and at the age of twelve was arrested for prostitution. It was at this age that her love for the blues began. She collaborated with saxophonist Lester Young in the 1930s, and continued to make music with him throughout her career. The most notable song of their partnership was “Strange Fruit.” Considered the first protest song she recorded, Billie began expressing the pain she felt as a Black female entertainer. This only worsened her situation, as the racial attacks and sexist obstacles grew as rapidly as her fame did. Her alcohol and heroin addiction led to her downfall and eventual her death in 1959 at the age of forty-four. Her message and legacy live on, as she is still considered to have one of the greatest voices in all of jazz.
    Recommended listen:  “Gloomy Sunday”

    Otis Redding


    Otis Redding had a short-lived but full career. He began singing as a child in the choir, and Redding wasn’t only extremely talented, but was also a smart businessman. He owned multiple homes and 300 acres of land at the time of his death. Otis Redding made true soul music; white people respected him and welcomed his music with open arms, which was a huge deal for a time when segregation was still very common. He was the closing act of The Monterey International Pop Music Festival and one of the only Black artists to perform at Woodstotck other than Jimi Hendrix. What sets Otis apart is the fact that he made music for Black people to enjoy, and ended up bringing everyone together in the name of music. His final recording track “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay,” although released after his death, became his most well known song.
    Recommended listen: “Pain In My Heart”

    Diana Ross


    Front woman for the infamous group The Supremes and film star, bombshell Mrs. Ross has had a big career and is still active to this day. Her career is one that spans over forty years.  One of her most critically acclaimed films was her portrayal as the previously mentioned legend Billie Holiday in Lady Sings The Blues, for which Diana Ross received an Academy Award. She also starred alongside Ted Ross, Richard Pryor, Nipsey Russell, and Michael Jackson in the musical classic, The Wiz. Her skills in both singing and acting are monumental to say the least. She will forever be looked back upon as one of the greatest Black entertainers of our time.
    Recommended listen: “My World Is Empty Without You”

  • Flowers for Nobody

    You walk into a store
    Red packages in the shape of hearts invade every possible space.
    You watch as nervous boyfriends and husbands approach
    the flower display.

    Hoping for a perfect bouquet of roses, their petals velvety- soft, the color of A bleeding heart.
    You turn away.

    But later, as you’re about to leave the store,
    You turn back towards the flower display,
    You ignore the looks of the boyfriends and husbands.
    You feel their pity upon your back as you grab a bouquet of the most Perfect red roses.

    It’s as if
    They know there is nobody to… So
    You walk away.
    You and your flowers
    For nobody.

     

  • Comedy Sports: Teachers vs. Students

    Poly Comedy Sportz hosted a teachers versus students event on Friday, February 3, in the Poly Playhouse. Teachers versus students was a great event if you were looking for a good laugh. Admission was three dollars and they had snacks for sale too. It was an overall good audience of students and parents.

    In the event, teachers and students that participated were divided into two teams: staff and students, and played games for points.

    They had different types of games such as improvisation games, jokes, and even dance battles. At the end of the event, they played slow motion music and announced each of the players off the stage. One of the top players for the staff was journalism teacher Daryl Holmlund, who had some pretty good jokes. “A shoe walks into a bar. The bartender says, ‘We don’t accept your kind.’ The shoe says, ‘well, why not?’ The bartender says, ‘I’m sorry, we’re just giving you the boot,’” told Holmlund. There were many other fun jokes like this. Drama teacher and captain of the staff team Linda Bon said, “The staff came off swinging with all their weapon unleashed and some ended up browned-bagged. The staff triumphed.”

    Brown-bagged is when a player said an offensive or just plain bad joke. They would get a brown bag put over their head and had to ask the crowd for an apology. Algebra teacher Steven Perrin, who got browned- bagged twice, said “We all had a great time and I’m sorry if they did not appreciate my jokes.”

    The staff dominated most of the games and won the final score. “Although the students are experienced pros, the staff just appeared to want it more,” Bon said. The participating students were Ryan Bacon, Kaelah Franklin, Shank Vamanrav, Gabby Kaiser, Nicolas Garcia- Zacher, Mika Dao, Adrianna Luna, Eliana Valenzuela, and Veggie Bacon.

  • All District Side-by-Side

    On February 1 and 2, Poly students performed in the All District side by side concert. The concert consisted of an orchestra that was half high school musicians and half of the Long Beach Symphony.

    The event is a great opportunity for the high school musicians to learn from the best of the best. Professional studio musician Carole Castillo said, “ I wish they had this event when I was your age.” The high schoolers who had the privilege of attending the event got a lot from it. Junior viola player, Jordan Sutter puts it best: “There’s this awesome sort of energy here, kinda like listening to live music except we get to be a part of it.”

    The professional musicians at the event make sure the atmosphere is comfortable for the high schoolers. “All the regular people help and support the high schoolers, so it’s not an intimidating opportunity,” said professional trombonist Andrew Malloy.

    The side-by-side orchestra played for elementary school kids and encouraged them to start learning an instrument and continue practicing their instruments. The kids were so excited to listen to classical music, they even sung along with the First Movement of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.

    The band’s set consisted of three patriotic songs. It might be because the U.S. is currently being lead by an orange, but there’s something refreshing about good old American Propaganda.

  • Letter to My Ex

    Dear Bitter Loser,
    You really need to get your life together. You screwed up, deal with it! Stop calling and texting me; I blocked you for a reason. Stop texting my friends; they hate you and so do I. No, we can’t be friends. I tried being your friend after the break up; you screwed that up too. I don’t care that you miss me; the feeling isn’t mutual. I don’t care if your life is falling apart; it’s not my problem anymore. No, we can’t “talk it out,” there is nothing left to say. You f’d up. I hate you. End of story. Have a nice life, or maybe don’t; I couldn’t care less.

    Yours for-never, Jordyn

  • Does Valentine’s = Love?

    Does Valentine’s = Love?

    Love is a very beautiful thing. It can be possible for two soulmates to find each other at such a young age, but all this puppy love makes me roll my eyes so far back in my head, I’m scared they’ll fall out one day. I would love for a guy to offer me his hand, dance with me, and ask me questions other than “Send nudes?” but, sadly those days of young romance are just gone.
    For example, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were both already married when they met each other. Yoko had been married twice and was 36 years old. I have yet to meet a couple who genuinely love each other and who have lasted as many years.

    I don’t believe that romance is dead, I believe love evolves, and relationships change. Since the Victorian era, women’s only goal in life has been to catch a husband and pop out a bunch of babies. The way we date may have changed, but our end goal hasn’t, and why is that? This is a new era and a new generation. Love is so much more than one day of gifts, than a marriage, than planning a future together. Love is now, love is for everyone, and it’s everywhere. Spreading love is everything, but being in love isn’t. Focus on yourself, be the amazing person you deserve, reach your goals, marriage doesn’t equal success.

    If real love comes around, don’t celebrate it once a year with expensive gifts and empty promises. Love is everyday, Valentine’s is everyday. Single, taken, interested, irritated, high school is our time to grind, not plan a wedding.

  • Perfect Timing: A Love Story

    Perfect Timing: A Love Story

    Savanna was shy, but a very sweet girl. There was a huge party coming up and her friends practically begged her to go. After a while she finally gave in. When she got to the party she expected her friends to meet her, but they didn’t. She didn’t recognize a single person there.

    Eventually a group of strangers introduced themselves to her; most of them were guys but there was one that caught her attention. His name was Jeremy. When jeremy first met Savanna, he thought she was beyond beautiful , he was almost too shy to say hello. Jeremy and Savanna ended up talking the entire party. They opened up completely in a matter of moments. Nobody thought they were strangers; they felt as if they’ve always been one– they clicked. Time flew by and they found themselves apart going to different homes, without so much as each other’s digits.

    Weeks went by and Savanna would find herself wondering where Jeremy went. Was he thinking about her? One day all the girls were talking about some new guy in school and she wanted to see what it was all about. They bumped into each other, it was raining and she felt it. She knew she had finally found her Jeremy. Jeremy couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or not. This time he wasn’t going to let Savanna slip away. They hung at school everyday, constantly wondering if they each felt the same.

    Months went by and still neither of them would confess until one day Savanna found the courage to  finally tell Jeremy her feelings for him. Jeremy was walking on the air, he considered himself lucky to have such an amazing girl. She was his . He was hers. And they would never be alone again.

  • Music Collaboration in the Works

    The Intermediate Drama Class.
    Photo by Morgan Luke
    The Intermediate Drama Class.

    Unifying The Arts is a project thought up by Ms. Goyette, the new drama teacher here at Poly. Her plan is to bring together all of the arts programs–choir, orchestra, jazz–and perform a musical. Due to the reconstruction of the auditorium, the musical most likely will not happen until the 2016-2017 school year, but the instrumental and vocal departments are already in the early stages of preparation.
    Goyette’s interests in starting this began when she observed the divisions within the Poly arts programs; aware of the untapped potential of unification, she began to plan this massive undertaking upon receiving her new position.
    She is certainly the right teacher to ensure that this project is completed. Goyette graduated from University of California, Irvine, with a degree in musical theatre, working as a theater advisor at a performing arts magnet school prior to Poly. In addition, she was also a background performer at Disneyland, acting as Ariel the Mermaid in the daily parades.
    For the following year’s musical, Goyette is looking to put on Lynn Ahren’s Once on This Island. The musical is a Caribbean retelling of The Little Mermaid, centered around the romance of Ti Moune and Daniel Beauxhomme. The musical aspect consists of many island beats and Latin melodies, two new areas for the musical department to explore. Furthermore, the story is one rooted in love and friendship, themes guaranteed to attract a diverse audience.
    Though the instrumental and vocal departments have already begun rehearsing their parts, this project is not limited to those already involved in the arts; auditions will be open to any Poly student. Goyette hopes this will bring the hidden talents of Poly students to light; she wants to make sure there are no entry barriers, for talent is the decisive factor.
    Considering the depth of these departments in past years, the current absence of a program like this is confounding. This can be attributed to one major factor: budgetary restraints. A majority of the department funds goes to purchasing sheet music, so there is not much left for discretionary spending. In order to finance this project, Goyette has started planning fundraisers to raise money for the musical.
    Unifying the Arts has the potential to make these departments more familiar to Poly students and faculty. In the near future, the school will have to add a third category to its reputation: artists, for the arts are an under-appreciated but wholly essential component to Poly’s success.

  • Band Springs Into Final Concert of the Year

    Poly’s Spring Band concert was held at Cal State Long Beach’s Daniel Recital Hall on Tuesday, June 2nd.
    The Concert Band performed “Trifolium,” a trumpet trio featuring sophomores Brandon Samuels and Tatiana Tate, and junior Hunter Davis as lead trumpet.
    Following Concert Band, Symphonic Winds stunned the audience with two very dramatic moving pieces, the first being Steven Verhelst’s “A Song for Japan.” The song, featuring senior Michael Franco on trombone, serves as a tribute to the victims of the Fukushima earthquake that occurred in Japan in April 2011.
    Symphonic Winds ended the night with Daniel Bukvich’s “Symphony No. 1,” a four movement commemoration of the victims of the firebombing of Dresden, Germany during World War II.
    “The piece even included spoken words in German meaning help, fire, smoke, and firestorm,” said junior flutist Jonathan Rodriguez.
    The piece moved the audience, leaving them in fascination and in awe.
    “The piece ended with me playing a low note with inflections to imitate a sob. That was the last piece of the concert and it left such a powerful impact on the audience that there wasn’t any applause until the conductor left the stage,” said Rodriguez.
    Overall, the band members were very pleased with their last concert of the school year.
    “There was a full crowd, the bands played really well, the musical selection was very good, and the bands had a lot of support and love for the graduating seniors,” said Davis.