Category: News

The Model United Nations Club took part in their first conference on October 12 at Cerritos High School.

Led by club advisor Dan Adler and senior co-presidents Caroline Saul and Aida Ylanan, Model United Nations (MUN) is one of the premier academic teams here at Poly which strives to broaden students’ cultural and worldly perspectives through simulated conferences.

These conferences are made to mimic actual United Nations assemblies, comprising of committees with fifteen to twenty students who serve as ambassadors of a specific country. Each committee is centered on one or two main topics, serving as a catalyst for diplomatic policymaking and debate.

The conference held at Cerritos High School was designed specifically for people new to Model United Nations. Only novices are allowed to participate, creating a relaxed, low-pressure atmosphere for students who want to experience a less rigid version of an advanced committee.

“These novice conferences allow students to discover their love for MUN before they develop their skills in diplomacy and international relations,” said co-president Caroline Saul.

Thirteen Poly students served as delegates of Libya, a country undergoing political upheaval after the collapse of Muammar Gaddafi’s socialist government. Its proximity to refugee-laden countries such as Sudan and Somalia and its prioritization of water security amid a desert environment were some of the issues students had to keep in mind while taking on the role as a Libyan representative.

“I thought it was really fun. It was a great experience which expanded my knowledge about the world,” said freshman Emma Larson.

Poly MUN will compete in numerous conferences throughout the year, including Berkeley MUN in March. The club’s growing popularity and ambitious agenda is a promising sight for club advisor Mr. Adler.

“We have great leadership this year, so my hope is to build a program that grows over the years and starts to do some of the bigger conferences, such as Berkeley this year and hopefully New York and Georgetown in the coming years,” said Adler.

Time will only tell for Adler’s goals and aspirations, but both he and the club members are optimistic about the future.

On September 9, the National Society of High School Students announced a Long Beach Polytechnic senior as a member of their organization. The NSHSS recognizes students with strong leadership, academic accomplishments, and community service participation. However, this may not be so.

The student had previously applied for the group in junior year, but did not get in. This year the NSHSS contacted the student and told her that they viewed her academic year and liked what they saw. The student then applied to join, paying a sixty-dollar “one-time fee,” and was selected after a few months waiting period.

“Our vision is to build a dynamic international organization that connects with the members with meaningful content, resources, and opportunities,” said NSHSS President James W. Lewis.

The organization itself was founded in 2002 and currently has more than 830,000 members in over 160 countries mentioned in a press release.

Ms. Sylvia Womack of the College and Career Center did not believe this opportunity was legitimate. When students take the PSAT or SAT, their scores are not only sent to potential universities, but find their way into the hands of questionable organizations. Scholarships and financial aid is often free to all students.

“For them to charge students is unethical,” Womack said. “If students come to me about paying any fee, I tell them ‘don’t do it.’”

Womack suggested that Poly students seeking scholarships and aid should come to the College and Career Center, where the staff can easily help them many scholarships they can qualify for. She also warned that FAFSA.com, which asks for a fifty-dollar “submission fee,” is often mistaken for FAFSA.gov, leading students down the wrong path.

There are many other websites such as fastweb.org, Zinch, and College Board that provide genuine help.

During the first week of school, Chinese visitors entered Poly for a four-week period to observe English language instruction. These Shanghai residents plan to watch PACE’s English classes, grades nine through twelve, and see how American English instructors teach.

Pamela Amici, AP Calculus teacher, arranged this via a Cal State Long Beach professor, Dr. Wu, who works with schools in China. She says that the Chinese teachers are reacting positively to the new environment and interacting well with their fellow American teachers in their free time.

“They ask a lot of questions about how the Americans teach and how they engage their students,” said Amici.

Laura Leaney, AP English teacher, agreed on the inquisitive nature of Poly’s visitors. Forty of them have already sat in five of her classes, rotating in at ten at time. However, they also travel back and forth between Stanford Middle School on Tuesdays and Poly on Wednesdays. The guests get ideas from the American teachers, while the latter observe the different cultural teaching styles, such as the emphasis on teamwork versus individuality. Every month, teachers choose a topic for a monthly newspaper, and the students must incorporate it into their articles. Chinese teachers also don’t decorate the classrooms as Americans do—the students have that job.

“A lot of things are different,” Isabella Liu, one of the visitors, commented.

Liu then explained how the students stay in one class the whole school year, while the teachers alternate throughout the day to teach the subjects. Liu enjoyed Poly’s classes very much, especially that of Leaney’s, and the energetic teachers. She also liked how impressive the students are.

Leaney is aware of her methods being observed, and though she said that she teaches the same way, she appreciated the visitors’ inquisitiveness of American teaching strategies.

“They arrived bearing a genuine interest and a humming curiosity about our teaching practices. It was a gift to host them in my class, I wish I could go to Shanghai and reciprocate their enthusiasm,” Leaney said.

The Chinese teachers plan to continue their learning experience at Poly until October and return with a new outlook on their own teaching styles.

Poly scholars Nia Barbee, Kandise Le Blanc and Neyah Barbee traveled cross-country for the NAACP’s ACT-SO scholarship competition in Orlando, Florida from July 10th to the 15th.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People formed a scholarship competition dubbed the Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) to empower the African American community to pursue success in areas outside stereotypical athletics by offering more than $100,000 worth of scholarships and prizes.

“As an African American student, it was inspiring to be part of an event where so many talented and motivated students of color from across the country come together for such a positive event,” said Nia Barbee.

The trio, 3 of the 14 gold medalists from the Long Beach Branch of ACT-SO, was sent to Florida to compete in the National Competition.

“It was empowering and unique. Everyone brought something to the table and they were all supportive. We competed professionally but at the end of the day we all had fun together,” said Neyah Barbee.

In addition to having the opportunity to participate in the national competition, each participant was able to attend one of more than 25 category workshops led by a professional in their particular area of interest.

“It was great seeing so many kids who were fully devoted to a craft. Often you meet people who ‘like’ subjects, but rarely do you get the chance to meet someone who shares your enthusiasm towards what most people would belittle,” says Le Blanc.

Senior Nia Barbee played soccer for two years and is now the Concert Mistress in Chamber Orchestra while juniors Neyah Barbee and Le Blanc run for the girls cross country team, proving that they are truly both Scholars and Champions.

The Red Cross LBC (Long Beach Chapter) held a seminar from August 4-9 at Pilgrim Pines in Yucaipa, CA. The purpose of the seminar was to recruit volunteers and blood donors.

Some Poly students from the Red Cross Club attended the seminar to further their knowledge and help fellow classmates to understand it as well.

During the week, students attended several seminars about leadership, presentation, diversity, and conflict resolution. They also spent a lot of time furthering their teamwork skills by doing team-building exercises.

Though it was an event geared towards education, the students still received their dosage of entertainment for the week.

One of the team building exercises was a talent show hosted on Wednesday. Teams did a range of acts such as skits, dances, singing performances, and more. It allowed students to get to know each other on a more intimate level.

“We focused on team building and leadership. Most of the activities involved bonding and getting to know other students. It was fun, powerful, and a great opportunity,” said senior and Red Cross Club President Viviana Van.

On Thursday the students attended a banquet and a dance. They enjoyed plenty of food and a few hours of relaxation as a reward for their hard work and dedication.

“The seminar gave students the ability to get to know students from all over LA county and Long Beach. It was great working with other staff members from other Red Cross Clubs. We all learned a lot,” said Van.

Specific delegates from different schools were selected to go based on their interest in leadership and the Red Cross Organization. Many people from all over LA county were involved in the seminar. As a result, there was a higher chance of community bonding that allowed students to bond who may have otherwise not known each other.

“The seminar was so fun and exciting. I really had a great time bonding with other students and working in teams. It was an overall great experience,” said senior Kimberly Ma.

By the time Friday came around, many students did not want to leave their new friends and memories; however, they knew their mission and left the seminar eager to educate everyone in what they had learned during their stay.