Category: Arts & Culture

  • Inspirational Glee and Choir Concert

    On Wednesday, March 15, Poly had a choir concert at Cal Heights Methodist Church. The night began with Chorale singing “My Girl” and two other songs. Next, Cecilian started their set with a processional where they walked up to the stage while singing, then sang a jazz piece and one more.

    Chamber sang three songs, one in Latin, one in French, and an African hymnal. Jazz Two sang an a cappella ballad and two others with one that featured Claudette Maloles. Jazz One then sang three songs, featuring Morgan Luke and Joe Pham and scat solos from Lan Nguyen, Abbie Hage, and Claudine Maloles.

    On Thursday, March 9, the Inspirational Glee, a beginning level group, and Grace choir, which is the more advanced  group, put on a stunning vocal performance in the Poly choir room.

    As sophomore  Tajahnai Clemons said, “We did good because during rehearsals we did not put as much effort as we did so the teacher did not think we would do as good as when we performed but everyone was clapping so we felt proud because eventually we achieved what we wanted to.”

    There were also soloists at the concert, but each soloist only sang a verse from a song. The song “Baby”, which was originally composed by the R&N artist Ashanti, was performed by senior Jasmine Castelo.

    Castelo said, “I sang a solo to ‘Baby,’ but just the first verse because other people sing different verses… I felt good about it, I think I could have done better, but I was a little nervous.”

    Choir director Brian Dokko was pleased with his students,, “The concert was great!”

    The next and final concert will be held on June 1.

    The entire music program is hopeful that the last concert of 2016-2017 school year will be held in the Poly Auditorium, which has been under construction for quite some time.

  • Artist Spotlight: Chuck Berry

    When most think of the king of rock n’ roll, the first thing that comes to mind is Elvis Presley. There was, however a leader of rock, a man who not only is credited with creating the genre, but perfecting it. Chuck Berry is a true musical legend and passed away at the age of 90 on Sunday, March 19. He is the most influential artist in rock.

    His hit “Johnny B. Goode” was even included on the Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1971. He was born Charles Edward Anderson Berry, on October 6, 1926. In 1955, he became the first singer-guitarist to be on the Billboard 100.

    So many other rock icons wouldn’t have even thought of picking up a guitar had they never heard his music. Artists whose lives he touched included Lenny Kravitz, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, and The Beach Boys, groups who continued to change rock music forever. Without doubt, his music will also inspire generations to come. Long live the king of rock n’ roll!

  • Irvine Jazz Festival

    On Saturday, March 18, Poly’s jazz bands performed at the Irvine Jazz Festival from  7 A.M. to 7 P.M. Many students performed in the festival including Madeline “Maddi” Farmer and Brandon Samuels. They are a part of the Poly Combo 2, which is in the advanced division. Their combo won the second place prize for their performance.

    Samuels stated, “Mr. Stevens prepared us for this concert by really being there for us and helping us whenever we need the help.”

    Farmer said, “Mr. Stevens is always there to help us but the combos also have separate practice after school.”

    Jazz teacher Chris Stevens prepared his students and was there helping them so they could show off everything they worked for at the festival.

    Samuels said, “Overall I felt that my group and I did well in our performance and we worked hard and put in everything we had.”

    The next big jazz festival will be held in Reno, Nevada. This festival will take place from April 27 – 29. Last year Poly Combo 1 got first place overall in the whole festival in the combo category.

  • Playhouse Turns Tropical for ‘Once On This Island’

    At the end of this month, Long Beach Poly’s drama students are performing their second production this year,  Once on This Island Jr., a younger adaptation of Lynn Ahren’s one-act play called Once on This Island. This play is an adaptation of the novel My Love, My Love; or The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy, setting the story in the Caribbean.  The story has some elements from the well-known tragedies Romeo and Juliet and The Little Mermaid. The show times of the play are March 24, 30, 31, and April 1 at 7:30 P.M. There are also showings on March 24 right after the Intercultural Fair, and March 25 at 2:30 P.M.

    Tickets are being sold for $8 per student and $12 per adult. Tickets can be purchased at the banker, room 851 and online. Snacks will be available for purchase at the play.

  • Long Beach Jazz Festival

    Long Beach Jazz Festival

    Poly students performed at the Mayfair Jazz Festival on February 24 at Mayfair High School, where Poly’s Jazz C ensemble came in first place. They also played at  the Western States Jazz Festival on February 25 at Upland High School where Poly’s Jazz A2 ensemble came in third place and Jazz A came in fifth place in their own divisions.

    Those festivals are the oldest and most famous jazz festival in Southern California. Most of the best schools were there, as jazz teacher Chris Stevens said, “The Poly musicians played great!”

    For the first festival, the following four songs were played; “Sack O’Woe” by Cannolbal Addrley, “It’s Alright With Me” by Cole Porter, “Breathing” by Fred Sturm, and “Backjump” by Troy Andrews and Mike Ballard. For the second festival, the following four songs were played: “Low -Down” by Thad Jones, “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin, “ Here’s Looking at You” by Charlie Haden, and “One Sided Coin” by Dan Radluaer.

    There were many solos at both festivals, each involving about two or more soloists per song.

    Freshman Alex Reams, one of the soloists at the Mayfair Festival, said, “There were about three judges there and I was nervous, but overall I think I did pretty good.”

    Senior Madison Alexander, another soloist, did not have that much time to prepare for the festival because one of the other piano players from Jazz A2 wasn’t able to make it. However, according to the judges, Alexander was still part of one of the “tightest rhythm sections” and that her solo had good licks. Alexander claimed that hearing that was “unimaginable and pretty elating to hear.”

  • The Serialized Adventures of John P. Chandatlantic, Part 2

    Part 1 of the “John P. Chandatlantic” was published in the High Life on February 23

    I heard a senior call the area between the 200 Building and the 300 Building as “The Meadow.” I like that. It’s cute. A good place for flowers and bunnies and—crap, Dad has me making Jackrabbit puns.
    Everyday when he drops me off he always says, “All right, hop along now, have a good day.” Every. Single. Day. Hop along.

    Oh, who am I kidding, I love puns. Last Thursday in math, the girl who sits behind me was talking to her friend and her friend says, “Dude, my sister literally locked me out. I had to climb the tree up to my window!” The other girl goes, “Wow, you’re really branching out.” So I turned around and was like, “I cannot be-leaf you just said that.” She laughed and then I didn’t really know what to say so I just turned back around. Nobody said anything for a little while so I kinda half-turned around; then realized I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t. Then I turned around and asked if she would be interested in Batman Club.

    She was kinda cute actually…

    I still haven’t really found a lunch group yet. Most days I just chill in Mr. A’s room during lunch. My friend Evan and I play Speed. Sometimes when the computers are open we’ll find some stupid browser game to play together, so that’s fun. And there’s Batman Club once a week. We just get together and Mr. Maddison plays episodes of the Batman Cartoon. Evan comes with me, when he remembers. There are usually one or two other kids, and sometimes we chat.
    I still haven’t really found my niche though.

    But the other day I was looking out of Mr. Maddison’s window— that one that can’t close because it’s broken— and down into the Meadow and I noticed that she was sitting there, laughing and chatting with some of my classmates. There were little white flowers in the grass and a couple of her friends were making dandelion-bracelets for each other. I knew everyone she was with; most of them I talk to in class.

    On screen, Batman punched the crook off a dock and the end of lunch bell rang. Evan threw his arm around my shoulder and dragged me off to my next class.

  • 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.