Category: Arts & Culture

  • Poly Marches To Success

    Poly Marches To Success

    Poly’s Marching Unit marched into second place on Saturday, October 4 at the 13th Annual Kennedy Field Tournament. Poly placed second out of the three bands in the 2A division. Twelve bands competed in the Tournament.

    Poly’s score put them ahead of Marina High School’s Marching Unit, but behind Rancho Cucamonga’s.

    The Jackrabbit auxiliary scored 3rd in the 2A division. The auxiliary, which includes the color guard, is also known as the Polyettes.
    “I feel like this is a very good start,” said sophomore saxophonist Paul-Edward Johnson.

    “We tried our hardest and prevailed” said sophomore mellaphone section leader Daniel Sagrera.

    Poly’s field show this year is La Nouba, a compilation of Cirque du Soleil songs including; Distorted, Rêve Rouge, Urban, and A La Lune.
    Poly’s Marching Unit is led by senior Drum Major James Donahue.

    “At the beginning the pit was really rag tag. I myself started late, but we all put 100% in which is why I believe we are constantly improving each day and we will be ready for the next competition,” said pit member Truan Barkis.

    Poly’s marching band, which performs their field show at every home game, will also perform their show at two more events, LBUSD’s Band Spectacular, and Huntington Beach High’s Field Tournament. LBUSD’s Band Spectacular will feature bands from all five of Long Beach’s high schools.

    From Left to Right, Drummers Alex Derrick, 10th, and Steven Hernandez, 12th drum to the beat.
    Andre Na
    From Left to Right, Drummers Alex Derrick, 10th, and Steven Hernandez, 12th drum to the beat.
  • Jackrabbits And Panthers Battle It Out On Atlantic

    Jackrabbits And Panthers Battle It Out On Atlantic

    Poly and Jordan battled it out to rally up friendly competition for the Homecoming game last Thursday at the annual Homecoming Battle.

    Student Commission organized another successful Battle, this time in the parking lot of the Baja Senora on Atlantic Avenue, to help raise funds and school spirit in anticipation for Poly’s Homecoming football game.

    “I was the head of this event and there was a lot of work that went into it,” explained senior Girls’ Athletic Director Alexis De La Fuente. “Pep rally fundraisers are a great way to raise money for our school while showcasing the talent of our band and cheerleaders.”

    Poly and Jordan faced off in the form of a combination battle of the bands and cheer off where they took turns to exhibit their expertise and muster up a spirit of competition and school pride. There was also a performance by the Jordan dance team and an appearance by some of the International Ambassadors who were formally showcased during the Homecoming game.

    “It’s fantastic to have this friendly rivalry on and off the field,” said Poly’s co-Principal Principal, Joe Carlson. “Poly and Jordan have more in common than you think.”
    The event served not only to bring together the two schools in a friendly competition, but also to raise money. Ten percent of all the proceeds Baja Senora made that night was split in half and given back to both Jordan and Poly.

    “It was a really fun experience; it’s something I probably wouldn’t forget. It was really cool to see all these people come out to support the teams,” said junior songleader Sonita Tan.

    Poly and Jordan faced off once again on the field last Friday at the homecoming game in which the Jackrabbits won 31-0.

  • Movie Review: This is Us

    Movie Review: This is Us

    One Direction may raise eyebrows, but thanks to their new movie “One Direction: This is Us” (featuring the ever adorable Niall, Liam, Harry, Zayn, and Louis), I no longer have a gag-reflex response upon hearing their names. Sure, their music is shallow. Sure their floppy hair drives some girls to do maniacal, obsessive things. It may seem silly, but after watching two hours of smoldering smiles, I get it. So now, fully aware that I have submitted to the charming ploys of five calculating boys, I’ve given up up chucking at the sound of “That’s What Makes You Beautiful.” Instead I can only smile a knowing smile and shake my head. Silly, silly One Direction.

    By now you’ve gathered I am not a Directioner. I can’t even spell the word. But, unlike most movies, One Direction caters to a specific audience. And since I’ve never found myself in the position to actually take One Direction seriously, I brought along my 9-year-old friend Ruby as a trail guide. Ruby is the epitomy of what a Directioner should be. In our brief before the movie, she listed off the items she had that were One Direction themed, which included One Direction socks, duct tape and a calendar. And yes, when I went to pick her up, she sported a One Direction manicure. Somehow, having her by my side gave me a renewed confidence, and as the movie time drew closer I even felt slight anticipation.

    But unfortunately, the movie wasn’t that great. The thing about the One Direction movie is I knew exactly what I was getting myself into because the trailer spoiled everything, and the movie’s repetitive structure got old quickly. We followed the boys as they went on tour, watching them as they basked in the glow of a thousand screaming fans over and over again. For Ruby, this is exactly what she paid $10.35 for. But for me, the movie felt very one-dimensional. It was easy to like this movie because their lives seemed so fun; the biggest problem of the day was what outfit to wear. But I found it hard to accept that five boys becoming adults would want their lives to be so consumed by a shallow pop band.

    Regardless of the factuality that this is a so-called documentary, here’s what to take out of this review: this movie really just affirms everyone’s pre-conceived notions about One Direction. If you are a die-hard fan, then the movie will cater to your every fantasy. If you turn your nose up, then you will find more reason to do so after watching this movie.   Honestly, I’m glad I used up two hours of my life to go watch this movie. Now One Direction will forever remain in the crevice of my heart, to be indulged only at midnight with the volume turned down really, really low.