Category: Arts & Culture

  • The Signs as christmas episodes

    Aries: The Office: “Dwight     Christmas”

    Taurus: Parks And Recreation : “Citizen Knope”

    Gemini: The X-Files: “How The Ghost Stole Christmas”

    Cancer: Full House: “Our Very First Christmas Show”

    Leo: South Park: “Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo”

    Virgo: The Simpsons: “Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire”

    Libra: Black Mirror: “White Christmas”

    Scorpio: Buffy The Vampire Slayer: “Amends”

    Sagittarius: Supernatural: “A Very Supernatural Christmas”

    Capricorn: Will And Grace: “A Little Christmas Queer”

    Aquarius: Sherlock: “The Abominable Bride”

    Pisces: Friends: “The One With The Routine”

  • Dueling Pianos

    On November 29, Long Beach Poly’s Advanced 3-8 Piano class had a recital. The performances were from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m in the auditorium. The students performed in duets with songs that each person and their partner picked. Freshman Andres Flores played “Habanera” with his partner Nicolaniello Buono, also a ninth grader.

    Although he would have performed any other song chosen, Flores felt a comfort with this particular one.

    “I picked the song because it sounded familiar,” Flores said. “I feel like I could have played a little more accurately.”

    Freshman Daniel Garcia Hernandez and his partner, senior Kayshawn Soung, performed “Village Dance.”  Hernandez  described the challenges of playing with partner: “A duet you have to know you can rely on each other and you have to practice with each other or else it is going to sound kind of weird or off. A solo you really have to think about it for yourself.”

    Sophomore Makayla Roberts performed “Go Tell It On The Mountains” with her partner Julia Gustafson, Poly’s piano teacher. Roberts has been playing piano for about a year.

    There was no specific theme in this recital, however, there will be another recital on December 20, 2018 and the theme is Christmas music. For this recital different students will be performing, but only in the advanced class and some students from the November recital will be performing again. The recital will be at Poly in the auditorium, starting at 6:30 p.m. and will last for an hour. It is a free recital and everyone is welcome.

  • CREED 2

    1985, the iconic movie ‘’Rocky IV’’ where Apollo Creed fought up against the strongest fighter in the world: ‘’Ivan Drago.’’ Though Apollo’s was confident, it wasn’t enough to take on the Drago and sadly he was killed in the fight. 33 years later Apollo’s son Adonis Creed, played by Michael B. Jordan, is challenged by Ivan Drago’s son Viktor, played by actor/boxer Florian Munteanu, and gladly agrees to seek not revenge but the respect that his father truly deserved. Adonis can’t do it by himself so he is trained by his father’s former friend Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone, who puts Adonis through a series of difficult workout routines and training to get him ready for the biggest fight of his life. Director Steven Caple Jr. really put his best into this picture, in which Adonis Creed finishes what his father started. If you haven’t seen the movie it is played at pretty much any local movie theater near you. I recommend it with a rating of 2.5 out of 4 stars.

  • Poly Musicians Perform Holiday Concert

    On December 18, the Poly Instrumental Music Program hosted their annual winter concert featuring all of their orchestras, Symphonic Winds, and their top two jazz bands. The concert was in the auditorium and started at 6:30 p.m.

    That concert is one of the only concerts a year where nearly all of the groups perform on the same night, allowing parents to get a sense of the large scope of Poly’s music program. The concert is renowned across Poly musicians as “a marathon,” in the words of  junior trumpeter Gabriel Ochoa. Ochoa, who performs in Symphonic Winds, Symphony Orchestra, and Jazz A2, where he is lead trumpet.

    The concert covered a variety of Christmas music, including Tchaikovsky’s iconic Nutcracker Suite and a jazz interpretation of the Christmas standard “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Because this is the only holiday instrumental concert of the year, each ensemble centers their program around a seasonal favorite in addition to a non-seasonal classical or jazz piece.

    Each group performed two compositions to showcase versatility in musicianship as well as to maintain the concert’s forward motion. There were over seven ensembles playing, and each got their chance in the spotlight. For some freshman, that was their first chance to shine in front of a large audience. Veterans like junior flautist  Abigail Farmer are used to the spotlight and “enjoy the privilege of performing in front of their peers.”

    Everyone in the program was looking forward to the concert and being able to show the community their great progress.

  • Return of the Reboots

    Reboots have been around since basically the start of entertainment, from TV shows, to movies, to comics and finally, even video games.

    The debate of reboots is that sometimes they do a good job and other times not so much.

    As of recently there has been a lot of Disney movies transforming from cartoons to live action, a classic movie revised into the mainstream.

    Obsessed fans often times demand more, which leads to the birth of reboots.

    Directors might even feel the need to bring back old fan favorites.

    This choice of reboots can either be to make profit or reel in new fans.

    An example of a reboot would be Riverdale, as it uses characters based off the Archies Comics but yet has a completely different plotline.

    The issue with some reboots is the production of it is often times take place in a different era.

    Most recently Doctor Who has added a woman as the new portrayal of the doctor’s vessel. Some fans were upset with the fact that the show is adapting into the views of today, instead of its traditional ways.

    Despite the reputation that reboots might carry, good or bad, that reputation still catches the attention of viewers.

  • Snow in Love

    Snow in Love is a holiday themed collection of short young adult love stories, written by Melissa de la Cruz, Aimee Friedman, Kasie West, and Nic Stone.

    The book was highly anticipated as all the authors are admired within the young adult genre. Released on October 30, it gained critical success, bringing people out of the spooky season and into the Christmas festivities.

    There are four stories in total within the anthology. The first follows Amalie as she tries to hurry home with the help from a handsome face.

    Another young girl, Kelsey, searches  for the perfect gift for her boyfriend.

    In another story, two old friends reunite by chance during a holiday scavenger hunt.

    The collection includes holiday diversity, with Aimee Friedman’s Hanukkah story about a young Jewish girl, working as a department store elf who surprisingly finds love.

    These stories do the job, offering that warm familiar feeling similar to that of a cheesy hallmark film. Each of these stories can be deemed relatable and enjoyable.

    Snow in Love is a recommended holiday gift for any love sick teen – or someone of any age can read this book with a nice warm cup of tea, under the blanket.

  • Poly Choir Lights Up the Night

    On November 27, Poly’s Jazz Choir performed carols for the Long Beach Christmas tree lighting event held at the Terrace Plaza, also known as, the Long Beach Performing Arts Center.

    The choir consisted of six boys and six girls: Caroline Wolfson, Christine Nguyen, Lauren Wynne, Aiyanna Johns, Caitlyn Song, Caleb Marsh, Dane Camacho, Jay Kumar, Justin Greenwood, Gabriel Vasquez, Jovanni Pham, and Angelo Vano.

    They performed two popular holiday hits, “Jingle Bell Rock,” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

    Caleb Marsh, a sophomore, in the choir said it felt “festive,” and “rewarding to perform in front of a large audience.” Although the performance was about eight minutes, they were paid which goes straight to the Poly Choir program for the items and materials needed such as choir attire.

    The impressive thing is that this is the second time the city has welcomed the Poly Choir to the Long Beach Christmas tree lighting because, they were in the exact same spot last year. Other than the spectacular carols sang by the choir, the place was fully decorated with Christmas lights and littered with children wanting to take a picture with Mr. Claus and Mrs. Claus.

    Jazz and Poly’s other choirs also had a holiday performance December 6  in the Poly auditorium.

  • A Christmas Movie to Die (Hard) For

    Die Hard (1988), a film about a single cop trapped in a skyscraper with twelve terrorists, still remains one of the best Christmas movies of all time, for good reason. It has fun for the whole family.

    The movie begins with a love story of NYPD detective, John McClane (played by Bruce Willis), trying to reconcile with his ex-wife whom he still loves, (something many of us can relate to), flying out to Los Angeles around Christmas time to attend a party with her at this skyscraper where she works. There is plenty of enjoyment to be had in this very relatable story of liking someone who does not like you back.

    On top of the romance, at the heart of this movie is plenty of high-octane action.

    When terrorists take over the building and holds everyone (including John McClane’s wife) hostage, McClane slips away and starts taking out the twelve terrorists one by one in a series of intense, adrenaline-filled action sequences.

    Using hit-and-run guerilla tactics, McClane attacks the bad guys then retreats and hides somewhere in the 40-story skyscraper while the bad guys hunt him down. Unlike most typical action movie heroes, McClane is not invincible; the odds are stacked against him. He gets seriously injured, and at multiple points in the movie, the audience is uncertain if he will succeed or not. His vulnerability grounds his character and makes him believable, and his perseverance to save everyone is admirable, makes the audience root for him. What makes him even more likable is all the sharp, witty one – liners he makes (like most 80s action movie heroes do), providing some comedic relief but without killing the immersion.

    With a little bit of romance, plenty of exciting action, and more than a few comedic  moments, Die Hard provides fun for almost any audience, which is why it’s still one of the best Christmas movies ever and definitely worth checking out.

  • Poly Alumni Success Story

    Majoring in the arts can be a controversial risk for those applying to college because the debate still stands of whether it is a reliable source of income.

    Helena Hsieh has had her successes in the art industry around the country, beginning with her experiences at Poly. She is a former Poly graduate who attended UCLA majoring in English. She continued to pursue her artistic career in graphic design and went to school at the San Francisco Art Institute. Like many, Hsieh used art as an outlet for her emotions that soon developed into a passion when she took art classes as a freshman at Poly.

    When initially applying for colleges, she was unsure of what she truly wanted to do as a career, in her mind art was still a risk because of financial reasons. Her parents were worried that she would not prosper and also remained skeptical that she didn’t choose a secure career in a different industry. Despite possibly disappointing her parents, Hsieh decided to take that risk of becoming an artist. She surpassed the struggling artist stereotype and consistently worked other jobs to make sure she had a stable income. She made connections as she moved farther away from Long Beach and felt like she made the right decision to follow her passion.

    Even after traveling the world, Hsieh realized that Long Beach will always be her home and the place her career took off. Her words of wisdom for those considering art as a career is to always “be passionate.” Do not believe that “what you create has to be mainstream in order to succeed” because then your work would no longer be meaningful to you. Even if times might might be hard financially, “it isn’t always about the money” and the real reward is doing what you love everyday.

  • Signs As Thanksgiving Food

    Aries: Mashed Potatoes

    Taurus: Pumpkin Pie

    Gemini: Green Beans

    Cancer: Stuffing

    Leo: Turkey

    Virgo: Sweet Potatoes

    Libra: Gravy

    Scorpio: Ham

    Sagittarius: Salad

    Capricorn: Cornbread

    Aquarius: Dinner Rolls

    Pisces: Peach Cobbler

  • Must Watch Horror Series

    New shows were recently launched on Netflix, one being The Haunting of Hill House. It is based off the book series written by Shirley Jackson. Created by Mike Flanagan, the show features stars such as; Kate Siegel, Violet McGraw, Michiel Huisman, and many more.

    The show tells about the history of the Crain family’s life growing up in a haunted house.

    Parents Olivia and Hugh Crain are renovating a house while living there with their kids, Steven, Shirley, Luke, Nell, and Theodora.

    The previous family that lived there, known as the Hill family, have an interesting past with the house.

    Each member either died or disappeared mysteriously, but throughout the series the show begins to explain what actually happened to each family member.

    While renovating the house the kids begin to hear noises, see spirits, and the mom begins to go insane. The show flashes back and forth between the past and the present.

    It goes through the hardships each member faced in the house and the ones they are currently experiencing in their own adult lives.

  • New Teen Drama Follows A Witch

    Friday, October 26 was the Netflix premiere of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, created by the same producers as Riverdale.

    The show takes place in Greendale, the neighboring town of Riverdale, but unlike Riverdale the cast deals with things of the supernatural, more specifically witches and warlocks.

    Chilling Adventures of Sabrina deals with Sabrina Spellman, portrayed by Kiernan Shipka, age 16 who is a half-witch and lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda Spellman, played by Lucy Davis and Miranda Otto, and cousin Ambrose Spellman, portrayed by Chance Perdomo.

    The series includes characters such as Harvey Kinkle, Sabrina’s boyfriend, played by Ross Lynch and her friends Rosalind “Roz” Walker (Jaz Sinclair) and Susie Putnam (Lachlan Watson). The plotline follows Sabrina as she must choose between her mortal life or becoming a full witch and the consequences that follow.

    Although most people believed the series to be a reboot of Sabrina the Teenage Witch it has it’s own canon, although both take inspiration from the comic Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

    The new series takes a much grimmer tone than the sitcom. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina also has lots of diversity representation in the characters, such as People of Color (POC), LGBT characters, and a strong female lead.

    The series is divided into parts, and Part 1 currently has 10 episodes and the duration of each episode lasting about one hour. Cast and crew are currently under production for Part 2, and it is rumored that it will come out sometime next year. Words of a crossover between the show and Riverdale are also spreading.