Category: News

  • Jackrabbit News Brief: December 2013

    Mandela Buried

    Nelson Mandela was laid to rest on Sunday, December 15 in his ancestral village (part of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa). Mandela, the first black South African president and the most influential anti-apartheild leader in South Africa, died on December 5. He spent the majority of his life fighting for the rights of South Africans and for a South African democracy. Mandela did not back down at any point during his fight for his dream South Africa; instead, he practiced civil disobedience several times in his life and wound up in jail for years. Among those who spoke at his burial, many claimed that the fight for South African equality and democracy would not die with Mandela.

    Arapohoe Shooting

    Eighteen year old Karl Pierson walked into Arapohoe High School in Colorado on December 15 and shot both seventeen year old Claire Esther Davis and himself. Pierson also fired many shots into the school hallways. According to news reports, Pierson was looking for revenge on a faculty librarian but could not locate him/her before a school officer had found him. In order to escape the situation, Pierson took his own life. It is unknown whether or not the girl he shot will survive, though her injuries are severe.

    Stronger Ties in Philippines

    Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Manila on December 17 in order to strengthen previous ties with the Philippines, a long-standing ally of the United States. There has been an increase in territorial disputes between the Philippines and China with regards to several small islands located in the Eastern China Sea. China has placed an air defense zone in Beijing. However, Kerry has made it clear that the United States plans to back its allies (Philippines and neighboring Vietnam) in the matter. Kerry claims that the United States plans to support its friends in order to come to a peaceful resolution. He also went on record claiming that the tensions aren’t as serious as they sound and that he believes everything will work out peacefully. Kerry also visited the typhoon devastated city of Tacloban on Wednesday, December 17. By doing this, he hoped to show support for the Filipino people who had lost so much from the typhoon.

  • Poly Saves Lives

    Poly Saves Lives

    Poly hosted its fall blood drive on Thursday, December 5, in the big gym.

    Poly’s ultimate goal was to donate 300 pints of blood. According to American Red Cross statistics, one pint of blood is the equivalent of saving three lives. Even though 38% of the US is qualified to donate blood, only about 10% actually does. With the collective Jackrabbit support, Poly was able to donate a total of 255 pints of blood. That much blood has the potential to save approximately 765 lives.

    “When you give blood, it makes you think about the lives you save. Some people don’t have a healthy immune system and when a healthy person donates blood, the donator can save lives,” said ASB officer Davis Ho.

    The blood drive was conducted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but the on-site procedures were operated by certified medical volunteers. Poly alumna, Cheryl Berlow, was the main coordinator of the event and helped to set up the blood drive with Poly’s Commissioner of Welfare Jonathan Coleman, who took care of things on campus.

    “Donating blood saves lives. My job is to take vital signs and draw the blood. The technical term for that is venipuncture. We also record patient histories in case there is a problem later that we would need to address,” said Melissa Curran, a registered nurse at PHI Health who volunteered during the event.

    Only seven percent of the US population has Blood type O negative which can be transfused into a recipient with any blood type. Because of this, O negative blood is always in high demand, but in short supply. The plasma from type AB-positive blood can also be transfused into any recipient blood type (except O negative), but is also in high demand and short supply because only three percent of the US population is AB-positive.

    “I think it was important to hold the blood drive because you never know when someone you love or even you yourself will need blood,” said Coleman. “The blood drive went very smoothly, and I would like to say thank you to everyone who donated.”

    In addition to helping Poly towards its goal and saving hundreds of lives, donors were offered small rewards for donating blood. These little perks included the choice of a T-shirt which depicts a mustache or a “Pint for a Pint” coupon that includes a free Baskin Robbins pint of ice cream for donating a pint of blood.

  • Bikes For Deserving Students

    Bikes For Deserving Students

    The Long Beach Firefighters of local station 372 donated new Huffy Beach Cruisers to four Poly students on December 3.

    Seniors Myleenah Gray and Nomora Warren and juniors Perla Rivera and Leah Phillips were chosen by the Poly counselors to receive the new bikes. The bikes were meant for two boys and two girls. However, because there were no male candidates for the bikes, four girls were chosen instead. The Poly counselors decided on these girls for many reasons.

    “These girls were chosen because they continued to show dedication to school while balancing problems back at home,” said Humanities Counselor Kalani Caldwell.

    The students were awarded the bikes at the Bethune Transitional Center (BTC), a place where students with various problems receive counseling and other services. Since 2006, the BTC has helped students who persevered through high school despite problems at home. The Poly girls were very thankful for the bikes.

    “They all gave me thank-you notes and big hugs. It made me cry,” said Rhonda Haramis, coordinator of the Bethune program, to lbschools.net.

    The bikes that the Firefighters Local 372 donated also came with a helmet and bike lock. In total each bike set would cost about $205. Although grateful, the girls believed that the bikes should have gone to students who needed it more.

    “The bike was a nice surprise, but I feel like there are students who are more deserving of the bikes,” said Rivera.

    With the new bikes in hand, the girl show that with hard work comes some sort of award. This provides motivation for other students who have their own challenges at home. The four girls have advice for students who are in similar situations.

    “Just continue to attend class and maintain your grades. As long as you do you work, you will always get something in return. In my case, I got a new bike,” said Phillips.

    What Gray, Warren, Rivera, and Phillips have in common is that despite ongoing challenges at home, they still continue to stay in school, plan to graduate high school and ride into the college of their choice.

     

  • Worms Hooked on Books

    Worms Hooked on Books

    Students in senior Ladena Reed’s Bookworms Club enjoyed an eventful day last Wednesday, November 20 by reading children’s books to elementary school students at Mrs. Dorsey’s Daycare Center.

    The event was designed to both give the daycare children a fun time and to provide knowledge and experience to the Bookworms members. This was achieved by reading classic childrens books such as “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”, Batman comics, and a plethora of Dr. Seuss books to the daycare kids.

    “After we read ‘The Dark Knight’ we played Avengers and it was awesome. I really like the Bookworms club members. They should come back to read more to us,” said Los Cerritos 5th grader, Eric Ortega.

    Jordan Brown, creator of Mrs. Dorsey’s Daycare Center, also coordinated a game of freeze tag in order to get the daycare children more involved.

    “I love younger children and love the opportunity I’ve been given to interact with them,” said Brown,
    Merret Dorsey, who is a Poly alumnus, loved the services provided by the Bookworms Club. She was all smiles during the event and claimed to be proud of her former school’s current students.

    “The Bookworms Club is welcome back anytime; the children definitely enjoyed its company,” said the main caretaker of the children, Mrs. Dorsey. the club plans to revisit the daycare as often as possible.

    Many of the club’s members have also signed up to help baby-sit some of the younger children on their own time. The Book Worms Club might return to the Daycare in the next few months to have another reading.

  • Debate Session Victory

    Poly students Samantha Rustia and CJ Salapare competed in the Southern California Debate League Fall Debate competition on November 23 at Alhambra High School. The pair participated in Congressional Debate, an event more colloquially known as Congress, where students compete in simulated congressional houses and argue over proposed pieces of legislation.

    This competition had students debating over the ethics of harvesting shark fins and whether additional funds should be allocated to bee colony research in California, to name a few. Congress is often regarded as an amalgam of both speech and debate— competitors are required to deliver several three-minute speeches on the given topic, as well as face a barrage of instigating questions concerning the validity and clarity of their speech in the cross-examination period.

    Its status as a fairly new event in the debate category is shown through its small, but steadily growing pool of competitors. This Fall Debate competition hosted over hundreds of students from all over Southern California.

    “The competition itself is quite cutthroat. The caliber of the students I competed against in terms of their argumentative abilities are unparalleled. I loved being able give them a run for their money,” said junior Rustia.

    Rustia and Salapare both placed highly in the competition. Rustia was placed eighteenth, while team captain Salapare qualified for finals and placed seventh.

    “Placing was definitely a pleasant surprise. I am looking forward to improving and hopefully making it to State this year,” said sophomore Salapare.

    The next competition for the Poly speech team is Fall Varsity on December 14. Members are currently preparing for State Qualifiers in early March.

  • Choice Night Impresses Future Jackrabbits

    Choice Night Impresses Future Jackrabbits

    Eighth graders from various middle schools toured Poly High School for Poly’s Choice Night on November 20. Choice Night gave the eighth graders a chance to learn what Poly has to offer. The students attended the event last Wednesday because they wanted to learn more about Poly and to get answers for any questions that they had.

    “I came to Poly’s Choice Night because I think Poly is a great school. I’ve heard many things about its electives and teachers and I wanted to know more,” said Jasmine Baker, an eighth grader from Hill Middle School.

    The eighth graders and their families were greeted by the International Ambassadors as they walked into the auditorium. Many performing groups such as Jazz Combo 1 and Vocal Jazz 1 also greeted the families to entertain and show off Poly’s esteemed music program.

    The performances were followed up by a talk from Head Counselor Gayle Mashburn. She told the students what to expect during Choice Night and what events to look forward to. She discussed the three specialized academies at Poly; PAC RIM, CIC, and PACE. Ms. Mashburn also mentioned the four smaller communities (Beach, MAPS, METS, and Justice). This was also a chance for the International Ambassadors to answer any questions prospective students and their families had.

    “Choice Night is important for eighth graders and their parents so that they can get to know about the opportunities that Poly offers,” said ambassador Ramia Thomas.

    After the talks, the eighth graders and their parents had a chance to go to designated areas where they learned more about the academies. These meetings were divided into two sessions giving the opportunity for students to visit another academy. Parents and students alike were impressed with all of Poly’s academies.

    “Academically and athletically, Poly is a stellar school. Poly’s reputation precedes itself,” said Mike Dwinell, a parent of one of the eighth graders.

    With the conclusion of Choice Night, the eighth graders left with an impression of what they can expect at Poly High School. The information they gathered during the night will help when making their decisions on which high school to attend.

  • Red Ribbon Week

    Red Ribbon Week

    Many students at Poly participated in Red Ribbon Week from October 21-25. During the week, students were encouraged to dress according to the designated themes chosen for each day.

    The purpose of having Red Ribbon Week at Poly was to encourage a commitment to avoid drugs.

    “Student Commission thought of fun dress up days to commemorate the week. Though the different themes sound a tad silly, they act as a symbol of drug prevention for participating students,” said senior and ASB President, Jeah Clemente.

    Students wore red on Monday in honor of Red Ribbon Week. On Tuesday, they wore crazy socks to “sock out drugs”. Wednesday’s pun was to shade away drugs with sunglasses. Thursday’s theme was to “lay off” of drugs with leis. Friday, students wore their team shirts to “team up against drugs”.

    “It was really fun to plan, especially because of the message it sent to the student body,” said junior Johnathan Coleman, Commissioner of Welfare.

    Coleman and junior Davis Ho also organized a rally on October 21. Students were able to go on stage and sign a star that pledged they would be drug free. The stars were placed on a larger poster that now hangs in the 100 building.

    The use of Red Ribbons originated with Enrique S. Camarena, a DEA agent, who promoted the prevention of drug use. It was not until after he was violently murdered that the media picked up his his story and goals and showed the American people how violent world of narcotics can be.

    When Poly celebrates Red Ribbon Week, they are honoring the dreams of Camarena by promoting drug prevention.

  • Merit Scholarships

    Poly seniors Priya Kumar and Kevin Chau have been selected as semifinalists in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship program.
    The National Merit Scholarship program provides recognition and scholarships to qualified students who scored highly on the PSAT/NMSQT. Divided into Critical Reading, Math, and Writing, the PSAT/NMSQT gauges students’ knowledge of these three sections and serves as a precursor to the SAT, exposing test takers to the substantial amount of questions and extreme time constraints most associated with the standardized test.
    All high school juniors who take the PSAT are automatically entered into the National Merit Scholarship Program. The initial pool of students consists of 1.5 million entrants, which is then narrowed down to the top 50,000 scorers who are recognized by the program for their achievements. From that point, the field is reduced to 34,000 students, all of whom are named Commended Students.
    Kumar and Chau are part of the 16,000 students nationwide who qualify as National Merit Scholar semifinalists. They are eligible to apply to be one of 15,000 finalists, and if selected, can vie for the 8,000 scholarships available to National Merit Scholar finalists. According to PACE counselor Connie Loggins, attaining the coveted National Merit Scholar finalist status not only entails national recognition and scholarships, but also opens up the door to other benefits.
    “Being a Merit Scholar is recognized nationwide, but its rewards vary from college to college. It definitely gives you a boost in the admissions process. Some colleges even provide additional scholarships,” said Loggins.
    Studying for the PSAT/NMSQT can take on many forms. Some students prefer to self-study, while others take SAT workshops as preparation for the test.
    When asked how they prepared for the PSAT, Kumar said, “I went to one of the SAT workshops, and I brought my calculator,” to which Chau replied, “I have a nicer one. I also did an SAT prep thing, but it didn’t really help.”
    Kumar and Chau are currently in the PACE program. Kumar plans to major in chemical engineering while Chau hopes to become a literature or philosophy major.
    In addition to Kumar and Chau, Poly seniors Theresa Becich, Eric Brunner, Rachel Ogata, Lucia Procopio, Ryan Riehl, Samantha Singal, Isabel Wagner, Madeleine Wamsley, Vanessa Wilder, and Aida Ylanan were recognized as Commended Students.

  • PAC Rim At Port

    The PAC Rim ninth and tenth grade students took a trip to the Long Beach Harbor as part of a district-wide program on both October 17 and 25. The students learned about international trade and observed different career paths at the Port.
    “We went on the trips to get a sense of who works at the Port and what jobs are available there,” said Mr. Jeffrey Inui, the PAC Rim Facilitator.
    Seventy PAC Rim freshmen took a bus to the Harbor on the 17th for a one hour boat tour on a two-story yacht, the Sea Breeze. The students visited the Gerald Desmond Bridge and observed clean beaches as a result of the Green Port Policy.
    Leading up to the trip, they had worked for a month studying the Port’s role in international business.
    “The students are looking forward to applying for internships at the Port this summer,” said Ms. Libby Huff, the PAC Rim Business teacher.
    On the 25th, the same ten sophomores received a four hour tour at the port from 8:30 to noon. They were granted this opportunity from a program called Exploring Careers. The program has had a six-year partnership with LBUSD and each year has intoduced ten students from all of the LBUSD high schools to many careers in maritime trade, from the blue-collar docks to the white-collar businesses.
    As international trade is the focus of PAC Rim, the students were required to make a print-ad from pictures they took at the port that expressed the Port’s three main ideas: protecting the environment, future projects and jobs, and revenue for the city.
    “The print ad was designed to reflect how a business advertises in its marketing campaigns,” said Ms. Huff.
    Jen Choi, the Port’s representative and Manager of Creative Arts and Design, chose the best design on October 25, and the winners will be invited on top of the Port’s holiday parade float. The ten PAC Rim students who were nominated to attend the field trip by their teacher received certificates.
    “It was a great learning experience. Not only did we get to learn what goes on in the port, but we spent the day with very sophisticated people. They taught us that if we choose a career that we love, we’ll never really work a day in our lives,” said sophomore Antonette Santos.
    The Long Beach Port Trip’s goal was for the students to learn about how the Port affects both Long Beach and international trade, while also helping them in their business project.

  • Truancy At Poly

    Starting this school year, ACE is imposing stricter measures in order to ensure that students are arriving to school on time and attending all their classes.

    According to the new bell schedule, school starts at 7:50 a.m., which is ten minutes earlier than last year’s start time. Due to the schedule change, Poly administrators have noticed an upward trend in students arriving late to class.

    Each class period, administrators sweep through every hall on Poly’s campus in order to make sure that students are attending their classes. Regardless of the excuse, a student will be sent to ACE if he or she is seen without a pass by a school administrator. Although students are not present in class, they are still accounted for in the attendance system.

    “Students who are habitually late to class will be reported to the LBPD for loitering,” said Assistant Principal Brad Davidson.

    Students who are sent to ACE spend an entire class period standing against a wall. According to the Poly administration, this measure is intended to discipline students to arrive to school on time, teach them the importance of attending class, and improve school attendance.

    While ACE’s goal to make sure students are attending class has good intentions, there are students who believe that ACE’s disciplinary measures defeat its purpose.

    “Occasionally, I will be late to class. However, looking at a wall as punishment for my tardiness does not encourage me to arrive on time. In fact, ACE wastes valuable class time,” said an anonymous Poly student.

    Whether or not students agree with ACE’s disciplinary measures, administrators recommend that students arrive on time in order to avoid being sent to ACE.

  • 54 Years Later and Still Hopping

    Poly alumni Atsuko Yomogida, Diane Olson, Jo Shuford, and Judy Salter stood with their Poly shirts on, inspecting the campus they said they once knew and loved.  This past week the four alumni from the class of 1960 took a tour of the campus and recalled what high school was like 54 years ago.

    “Back then when we were going to school, life was simple, and we had a lot of fun. We still talk all the time about high school,” said Olson.

    The women noticed that much has changed since they last visited. They admired the school’s new paint scheme, the portraits bordering the doors on the catwalk, and the mural on the side of the science building.

    Beside the physical changes, the culture at Poly has changed too. The women said that the girls had to wear skirts and were not allowed to wear pants. They did P.E. in bloomers and had to monogram their shirts.

    “We wore knit bathing suits, which sagged when they were wet. Once I tied the bathing suit too tight and I had to get it cut off,” said Salter. “They were awful.”

    Poly also had sororities and fraternities on campus.  “The different sororities and fraternities would sit in different sections of the quad,” said Shuford. “So if someone told you to meet them at the quad, you knew which part to go to because of what club they were in.”

    But the ladies also mentioned the cultural tensions that existed during their three years. There were no interracial couples at Poly, and there were separate social events outside of school for black and white teenagers.

    “Poly has always been a completely integrated school. At that time we didn’t realize the segregation. It took me 10 years before it became contentious,” said Shuford.

    As the women looked at the mural on the science building, they remembered many of the events and people depicted on the walls. They went to school with Billie Jean King, they rode the Cyclone Rider coaster that once stood on the Pike, and they danced at the Hutch.

    Although these women are not from the same generation as current students, they share a common experience with them: Long Beach Polytechnic High School—Home of Scholars and Champions.

  • Poly Gets Pretty in Pink For Breast Cancer Awareness

    The Breast Cancer Awareness Club ran the Pretty in Pink campaign fundraiser to support breast cancer research through September into October with Poly students and families.

    An estimated 1.6 million new cases of breast cancer occurred among women worldwide in 2010, according to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website. After skin cancer, it is the most common cancer in women.

    The fundraiser asks for donations from students and families to help a breast cancer recipient, along with the Breast Cancer Care and Research Center.

    The research money goes to purchasing mammograms for women who are unable to afford them. A mammogram screening shows an image obtained from mammography, which uses x-rays to find and diagnose tumors of the breasts.

    “The receiver of the funds is going to be someone affiliated with Poly who is fighting or has fought breast cancer. We want the recipient to be someone who can’t afford all of the costs of treatment so that the money will really mean a lot to them,” said senior club president Isabel Wagner.

    The club also distributed donation boxes to 5th period classes, hoping for teacher and student donations. The class that collects the most donations will receive a pizza party. Half of that money will be part of the amount given to the cancer patient at the football game against Lakewood on October 18th.

    “I got involved in breast cancer awareness because it’s a cause that is very important to me. Many of my close friends have had relatives who have fought the disease, so I have witnessed it secondhand. I really want to help those who are diagnosed win their fight against breast cancer,” said Wagner.

    The club also collects pink Yoplait yogurt lids for 10 cents per lid. This money goes to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a community fighting for the cure to breast cancer.

    “Breast cancer patients go through a lot, some of which isn’t covered by insurance. It doesn’t matter how the patient’s family uses the money, just as long as it eases their financial burden. The kids are doing a great job,” said Breast Cancer Awareness Club sponsor Cynthia Negrete.

    Those who donate $1-4 to the Pretty in Pink fundraiser will receive their name on a 100 building banner. With a donation of $5, they will get a pink breast cancer awareness bracelet as a gift, along with the banner. A donation of $15 or more will earn them a breast cancer awareness pin and their family’s name and donation amount posted in the 100 building.