Category: Opinion

  • Does Your Sign Match Your Personality? High Life Roundtable

    Does Your Sign Match Your Personality? High Life Roundtable

    According to astrology, celestial incidents coincide with human activity, but is that really true? In western astrology, astrological signs or Zodiac signs are twelve 30 degree sectors that make up the 360 degree orbit the Earth does around the Sun. The signs are named after constellations the sun annually passes through. Each Zodiac sign spans about a month within the year. The first sign is Aries that begins in spring, then there’s Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Your zodiac sign is said to have a personality trait or character that relates with you. Do certain occurrences in the sky affect our character? Are we our Zodiac sign? The High Life staff weighs in with their thoughts:

     

    Sierra Brott-Hunter

    My sign is a Virgo. My daily horoscope today relates to who I am really well because it said, “In true Virgo fashion, you’re in the mood to be productive and get things out the door.” The way I feel about astrological signs and horoscopes in general is that I think they’re cool. I relate to my sign in general so much that people always tell me, “omg that is such the Virgo in you!” and my friends and my family always tell me I have the motherly traits and that I can be very truthful even if it does come out mean.

     

    Zinia Francis

    I am a Leo. My sign describes me almost completely. Leos are said to be creative, boastful, a pleasure to be around, and people who enjoy being celebrated. I would agree that I am creative. I tend to look at many things from an artistic point of view. I enjoy making art such as poetry, painting, drawing and even making clothes. I also can confirm my courageousness, with any obstacle put before me I always go into the situation with the confidence that I will overcome it. I don’t think I love attention very much but I do agree that I can be boastful by the way I change my hair styles frequently, but when my hair is not done I will have an attitude. Over the years I have noticed friends and family gravitating towards me because of my caring and warm demeanor. Lastly, as a Leo I do enjoy having the attention and time of my loved ones, I like to know that I am wanted around.

     

    Xandria Hines

    I am a Virgo. Usually, when I go on a curiosity-filled zodiac hunt for my sign and any information/predictions on it, the most common idea I can find about my sign is that we’re commonly task-oriented, over-analytical perfectionists. With this explanation, however, one much more detailed than others I’ve been able to find on the internet, resonated with me more than others I’ve seen. The idea that Virgos are mild-tempered and calm, their earth element keeping them humble and ‘down-to-earth’, and using their attention to detail to help others is something I believe describes the basis of my ideas well. They also bring in how their ideas and idealism can keep them mentally detached from the present, too caught up in the detail of the past or future to keep their head from the clouds and enjoy the moment, is something I’ve begun to struggle with, especially with the stress of the past year. I would never say any one person can describe a large group of people perfectly, but I would say this would describe some of my recent struggles and ideals very well. Would I ever say that my birthday alone has shaped me into the person I am today? Absolutely not.

     

    Caleb Dunomes

    My sign is a Gemini. The astrology.com website says that the personality of a Gemini is “active,” using words like loving, social, and lighthearted to their interactions with other people. The weaknesses of a Gemini make them seem “all over the place,” and describes them as being unable to commit to responsibilities and relationships while also having a noticeably short attention span. Hearing about this single description of a Gemini and many of the traits seem like they align with my personality. I can see myself aligning with the social side of being a Gemini since I enjoy social interactions and try my best to be lighthearted when socializing with others. But I don’t think I’d describe myself as “active” to a point where I am not “trustworthy.” My active attitude and personality doesn’t really interfere with my goals and passions.

     

    High Life Adviser Daryl Holmlund

    I generally think that any alignment between the signs and reality is coincidental. However, I’m an Aries, and I must admit that what people have told me about the fire sign characteristics seem to match up with me. I’m definitely passionate and impulsive, and I love starting projects but sometimes don’t finish them in a timely manner. I’m a charismatic leader but not great with organization and taking care of the little details. I love new things, new places, new experiences. I can sometimes be too direct or harsh when talking with people I care about, and don’t always realize that I’ve hurt their feelings. All of these are Aries characteristics. But… I also love learning and sharing information, a Gemini characteristic; I’m curious, like a Scorpio; and I have a lot of friends and acquaintances like an Aquarius. So, am I a true Aries? Kinda? Do I think it’s because I was born under a certain sign? No.

  • High Life Roundtable: Covid Positives

    The High Life staff recently posted a column with thoughts about what we’ve been missing or felt like we missed out on during the past year. In this column, we share things that have been positive, or ways that we’ve grown in the past year.

     

    Caleb Dunomes

    Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, I have learned a lot about myself and my ambitions. Moreover, one thing that I have learned that to achieve my goals I have to both believe in my dreams and believe that my dreams will come true. I have learned this after a year of losses and failures followed by lessons and successes. All of my challenges during track practice, online schooling and just life in general has forced me to grow up, manage time and even take time off for myself when I need to. Especially track practice, with us seniors having so much pressure to perform and put our names out there, I’ve been forced to believe in myself and all of my hard work. Because of these challenges, I have become even more ambitious, hard working and confident. In fact, I don’t think I truly knew and felt the definitions of ambition, hard work and confidence until this year.

     

    Xandria Hines

    This past year, going through school during the pandemic has been one of the weirdest times of my life. It’s sucked in so many ways, but nothing good goes to anyone without hardship. When the pandemic started, I thought that Covid infection rate would cool off enough for schools to be open by fall. It didn’t. But I was surprised to find that the online classes, the work, and my attention, seemed much easier than usual. It was common for me to get a large barrage of A’s with a B or two mixed in, but now on the honor roll, I’ve been able to find my preferred, and more productive way, of taking classes, and will most likely test this out more in-depth in the future, though hopefully not in the same circumstance.

     

    Sierra Brott-Hunter

    The Covid-19 pandemic taught me not to take anything for granted, it showed who are my real friends. You should spend more time with loved ones and you should enjoy life. That time and life is very valuable and precious . It taught me that I can focus on my mental and physical health more, and also made me more mature. It has changed me in a positive way. Online school can be easy but hard and I have learned to find myself and become who I want to be. I have learned something new. I’ve  learned to play the keyboard, though I’m not that great at it yet. I can go in my backyard and do school work instead of  staying inside, I can take my dogs for a run. It taught me a lot of interior design and I also got better at painting. 

     

    Kelly Rodriguez

    The past year we have been in the pandemic I learned things about myself; self-love was the first important thing. I also went away for a month to Georgia. I started to appreciate nature. I went to Georgia with my two sisters and my cousin. We went to visit my mom’s sister and her kids. It was great. I got really close to my cousins. I also went hiking a lot. I learned that nature is so pretty – like, I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. It was a way to keep me calm. It helps a lot just seeing nature. You get a lot of things out of your mind. I feel like I have grown. I want to be independent now without my mom doing it for me.

     

    Zinia Francis

    The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed me to become closer with myself. With not being able to see many of my loved ones and with many outdoor activities being cancelled, I was forced to be my own entertainment. To occupy myself, I explored my interest in many different areas, such as cooking, trying new foods, doing hair, working out, reading books, and writing. Doing these activities have brought me to feel comfort in my own company. During the pandemic I also realized that, like many people, I never used the time I had alone productively. I was constantly trying to avoid being alone and in the process I didn’t take advantage of being by myself. I have grown strong mentally in this past year. I thank the pandemic for my growth.

     

    Alex Phouma

    I think the pandemic helped people find out what they want out of life. Since we had to go into a lockdown in the beginning of the pandemic, it gave people time to think. For example I know people have had to rethink where they wanna work or what they want to do, and some students are thinking about college. For me, as a senior in high school, turning 18, it made me think about college and what I want to do as a career. I just think that helped people think about life.

  • Roundtable: What We’ve Missed During the Pandemic

    Scenes from the last year…

     

    March 13, 2020, a date which will live in infamy. There are other dates that marked the beginning of the Covid-19 era for other groups of people – for NBA players, coaches, and fans it might be Rudy Gobert’s positive test on March 11, the same day the WHO also officially characterized the spread of coronavirus as a pandemic. But for teachers and students, that Freaky Friday the 13th was the last day in the classroom – and for many students, the last day with their friends – for over a year.

    This is a collection of thoughts from the High Life staff and adviser about what we have missed over the past 13 months – or what we feel we have missed out on.

     

    Xandria Hines, Staff Writer

    I feel like I missed out on an entire year of my life. My family and I were supposed to do some travelling and visiting family. Getting together and celebrating smaller achievements and happy moments. My friends and I, too, most of whom are other seniors, won’t be able to have a normal prom or graduation. We would be standing so far apart from one another, unable to dance like weirdos or mingle with other groups, that there would be no point in going. Most of the smaller things in life you look forward to aren’t possible, because they’re done outside, or with others. It kind of sucks all the emotions out of you, and I miss that as well.

     

    Sierra Brott-Hunter, Staff Writer

    I feel what I missed out is going to family gatherings. I missed out on seeing my best friend that lives an hour away and missed going to her birthday. I missed going to Disneyland, Knotts, going to the park. Missed going to concerts. I miss seeing my friends and going to movies with and just having fun. Just going outside. I miss going to the mall and just being able to chill. I miss going  bowling. Going on trips  with friends and family. 

     

    Kelly Rodriguez, Staff Writer

    I feel like I missed out on being a teenager. I am going to be 18 already and we’ve been in quarantine for a year. I didn’t get to be in school doing fun things, going to games, or hanging out with friends since it wasn’t safe. Also, my friend’s parents were scared to let their kids out because it wasn’t safe. Another thing is that I spend my time on the TV and on my phone. I think that my whole family can’t stand each other because we weren’t able to go out and it was all of us in a house, fighting most of the time because we didn’t have space. Till this day my friend can’t go out because her parents are still scared. I only have one friend now. I lost touch with everyone I use to hang out with a lot. 

     

    Alex Phouma, Staff Writer

    Something that I feel like I missed out on is my last year of high school. For seniors it’s our last year of high school, and after high school you have to become more independent and responsible. You gotta worry about college, for those who decided to go, while balancing working, and the little milestones like being leading and able to drive to get to those places. 

     

    Caleb Dunomes, Staff Writer

    Throughout the beginning of the pandemic everyone had lost access to so many experiences and activities. Things like access to loved ones and significant others, big sporting events and even once in a lifetime school experiences. Personally, I have missed out on the true teenager experience. With both my junior and senior year being taken away I’ve lost the opportunity to go to dances, go to big track meet invitationals (like Arcadia, Redondo, Arizona and more), and even events outside of school. It felt like I was on the top of the world, going to Disneyland during February (before Covid was seen as a threat) directly after three months filled with events like club events, track meets, Black college expos and fun memories with my friends. Now it feels like I won’t be able to experience that anymore. My life now has just been working, track practice and homework assignments. Covid has made me feel like I’m being forced into growing up without experiencing things that teenagers experience. Now all us seniors can do is grow and face the unpredictable future.

     

    Zinia Francis, Staff Writer

    The past year has felt like someone pressed fast forward. I feel like I have missed a significant part of my teenage years. Since I was younger I’ve always wanted to have a true high school/teenage experience like going out after school with friends, sleep overs, hanging out on the weekends, going to amusement parks and having parties. So far as a seventeen year old I haven’t experienced the fun I have been yearning for. The Covid pandemic started when I was sixteen and I will be eighteen in three months. Up until I was sixteen I hadn’t had many outings with friends or was very social in general . I had begun to come out of my shell shortly before the quarantine. I’ve missed out on being social and simply taking advantage of having no responsibility.

     

    Daryl Holmlund, Adviser

    Immediately after the home quarantine began, I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to visit my 99 year-old grandma over Spring Break in April – not just because flying to Chicago by plane seemed incredibly risky at the time, but also because she was in a retirement home that was locked down to keep the virus out. Grandma turned 100 in March, and while some family members visited her for her birthday, most of us didn’t feel safe or right flying in and potentially bringing the virus with us to infect other family members. We had a nice Zoom call with family, but it wasn’t the same, and I can’t help but think that if circumstances were different, we would have had a bit of a family reunion. I’m hopeful that I’ll get to see grandma and others this summer, but it won’t be the same as it would have been celebrating on her actual birthday.

  • School reopening is a good idea – but not for me!

    Jackrabbits are officially returning to school! As of March 2021, Polytechnic High School and the rest of LBUSD has announced that students are able to take a survey and decide if they would like to return to school and do hybrid learning or continue doing school online. 

     

    I feel like this is a good thing because I have noticed that many students have slept during Zoom sessions or do not take online classes as seriously. So I feel like having that hybrid option could really help students bring up their grades. 

     

    On the other hand, Covid-19 is still going around, so when students return it could expose students to the virus. We would have to do things like clean desks, wear a mask the whole time and keep our distance from teachers and other students. 

     

    Me personally, I think I will continue to do online instead of hybrid. I feel like the two days of the week in school isn’t going to help or affect me or my grade. I would like to return to school, but only if everything was back to normal. Overall, I think hybrid learning will be a lot of help for many students who can get on-hand help if they need it, but I don’t think it would be worth it for me.

     

  • Thoughts About Online Learning and Reopening School

    To start off, I feel like going back to school next month is pointless because of the fact that we are going back only for one month and we are gonna be doing the same thing that we do at home only in the classroom environment. I think that there isn’t really a reason to go back if we are about to graduate. The fact we only have a little bit of time left, and having no Senior Activities, it makes no sense for us to go back and have just one month of Senior year. I have chosen to stay online to finish the school year. 

    In my opinion staying home is the best choice for me and it’s better for me in a working environment, without distractions. It’s a plus for the students who don’t do too great in school because they can work at their own pace and turn in the assignments as late as they want without having to stress about it. It’s good because I get to take breaks if I need it and if I want to go ahead, I can go ahead and do the work if I already know what to do. I feel like online school has helped a lot of the kids who don’t pay attention in class to get better grades and be more successful in a way, because the kids can work and do school anywhere they want,  as long as there is wifi around.

    Aside from the first paragraph, there are cons with online schooling because there are things that kids can do in the comfort of their home without teachers supervision. Students feel like they can do what they want whenever they want, and the fact that we can turn off our cameras makes it easy for us to get up and do other things while in school. 

    There are tons of cons with online schooling, but the main one that I hear the most is that some people have bad Wifi and they can’t do the work and get to class because it’s a stream from the cloud that uses data to transfer the video to one computer to the other. Teachers need to understand that some people have really bad wifi and sometimes the Wifi is so bad they can’t even log into Canvas or Zoom, and we can’t control that. Another reason why people have problems doing online school is that they have an old computer or laptop that is crappy, and the system is old and can’t keep up with how much data is being transferred on Zoom, causing the computer to run slow and act up. 

    I would love to go back to school and get back in the habit of being in a classroom environment, but if we are going back and doing the same thing that we are doing at home, then there is no point in doing that. I can work at home in the comfort of a nice chair, desk, computer, and lay down in my bed without having to ask the teacher. At school the desks and chairs are uncomfortable and make our backs and butts hurt after long periods of sitting, and we have to ask to get up and do things that we can do at home.

    To conclude my opinion, I think that online school has helped me and other people do better in school even if there are problems with it. Sometimes online school can be stressful because we have so many things that can happen in our households, and I feel that teachers understand what we have to go through with online school and that makes us students feel better, because we know we are not the only ones that feel the same about online schooling. 

     

  • A Rude, but Subtle Awakening

    A Rude, but Subtle Awakening

    These past months have had a series of highs and lows. It’s been hard for me to stay consistent in many ways. I often catch myself overthinking small things such as the way I speak, write and solve homework problems.  With the COVID-19 pandemic being the root of many of my problems in the present day, I noticed that I’ve been overwhelming myself with thinking about my future. Although, before the pandemic I wasn’t very social, I hate the fact that I don’t always have the option to decide if I want to be. I am not a very social person, I keep my circle small and the few people that I confide in bring me joy through these times.  Recently,  while speaking to one of my friends I told them that I had been attempting to do too many things at once resulting in not getting anything done. I realized that I was ironically stressing myself out trying not to stress which resulted in not completing anything. I came to the conclusion that staying inside everyday while doing online school has made school my entire life. School is important to me but the question that I frequently ask myself is this: What’s next?

    I say to myself, “After school what can I do with my day, realistically speaking?” Then the only thing I come up with is doing homework so I have a better GPA which will make the chances of me getting accepted to a university greater. While confiding in my friend, they  reminded me of how unhealthy it can be to overwhelm ourselves. Hearing that from an outside source other than myself and my mother seemed to be a little more effective. My friend then offered to take me out of the house to clear my mind. After being away from my computer and my family,  just embracing the moment that I was currently experiencing, I felt a tremendous amount of weight lift off of my body. One particular outing my friend took me on was as simple as walking to the beach and sitting on the sand before sunset. Having experiences non-related to school has improved my capability to perform when solving problems. I appreciate the little things and experiences more than I have ever before. At this point in my life anything can happen, school shouldn’t be more important than myself.

  • Working out During Quarantine

    Working out During Quarantine

    Working out is endorsed by doctors and health-specialists for all kids or for anyone who may be in need of it. Many supply this need with walking, biking, or other hour-long activities that can be accomplished at a park or out in the open. Other workouts are done in gyms or closed-off workout spaces. Some people indulge in building up a private gym in their homes and have been unaffected by the change Covid-19 brought upon them. Others, however, have been left in the dark about how best to go about continuing their routine while stuck at home – and some people are too busy trying to support themselves or their dependents to worry about it.

     

    I have experienced this myself, even as a student with no workout-heavy extracurricular activities, the sharp decline in the amount of walking I accomplished in a day, walking from class to class, and walking around school with friends have left me uncommonly lethargic, eternally tired, and while my grades have taken a sharp upturn with the abundance of time I have to do nothing, my physical upkeep has been lacking. While no negative effects have shown long-term problems, should the world go back to normal, it shows me more clearly the lack of agency I take in keeping myself fit, as I usually rely on everyday exercise to keep me healthy.

     

    Without that outlet, I’ve been put in charge of my own health and wellness, and I’ve done my best to develop a small, important way to make sure you move about and give your body the smaller exercises it needs to stay healthy.

     

    1. Don’t sit at your computer all-day

    No matter what you believe, schoolwork won’t keep you glued to your chair all day. Every workspace and school schedule allows for small breaks to be taken in between bouts of work and classes. Don’t take this time for granted, and sit at your computer or on your phone, watching Youtube or Tik Tok. instead, get up, shake out your legs and stretch your arms, use every break you can to move as much of your body as possible.

    1. Have a small workout or stretch routine

    Set aside a small amount of time in your schedule to work out, no matter how intense it is. It can range from a small ten-minute low impact routine, or an hour-long weight-lifting routine. Any extra movement will be beneficial for your body, and its health. I prefer a ten-to-fifteen minute workout, short and simple, with hand weights to ensure I keep the strength in my arms and torso. There are plenty of examples of short, long, easy, and intense workouts out there if you look for them.

    1. Understand that you need to go outside

    With the threat of Covid-19, many fear going outside. By saying you need to go outside, I’m not encouraging you to go outside and have parties or visit others, but to sit or stand outside, with proper mask protection and sunscreen, and stretch or stand or walk. Breath in the air and let the sun warm you. Becoming stagnant inside can lead to more brittle bones with a lack of vitamin D, which can become a long-term problem. Make time every day to stand outside, and sit or lie down, in your front or backyard, if you can, or try to squeeze the time in when going out for needed groceries. 

    My main suggestion would be to do a pre-warm-up outside, or if your workout is short, spend your entire workout outside, if you are able to do so and with proper face protection. I do a combination of school work and workouts outside, intermittently throughout the week.

    Image result for Dumbbells

    Working out and moving around, no matter how often, is an activity that will help with the monotony of staying indoors and any feeling of stillness that may come upon you. These are three smaller ideas that I’ve come up with to help myself when facing being indoors for the unseeable future, and keeping your body strong is one of the main ways to combat this. 

     

    The next time you get a ten-minute break, rather than looking at screens, stand and stretch, take a breath, and move your body.

  • High Life Resolutions

    At the start of the New Year, a few of our staff members shared their New Year’s Resolutions.

     

    Zinia Francis

    1. Get a new wardrobe 
    2. Be more social with the people I enjoy 
    3. Take aesthetic pictures 

    Xandria Hines

    1. Text my friends at least once a week
    2. Create a resume & get a job

    Sierra Brott-Hunter 

    1. Get my drivers license 
    2. Get a job 
    3.  Not procrastinate 

    Daryl Holmlund, High Life Adviser

    1. Actually wear a tie to work for the first time since March 2020.
    2. Pack lunch for school that is more than a peanut butter sandwich and yogurt.
    3. Get more than five hours of sleep per night – for some reason I’ve been sleeping even less even though there’s nowhere to go and I’m working from home.

  • What should LBUSD do with $100 million? Students have ideas…

     

    The Long Beach Post has reported that Long Beach Unified School District is set to receive $99.4 million in federal funds from the December 2020 relief package. The money is based on LBUSD’s low-income and otherwise disadvantaged Title 1 student population. LBUSD spokesperson Chris Eftychiou told the Long Beach Post in an email that the district has been using federal funds from the earlier relief package for “technology, professional development, nutrition of students, distance learning and personal protective equipment.” 

    But what do Poly students think the district should use the money on? Our panel of writers made some suggestions.

     

    Xandria Hines

    With the grant of 99.4 million dollars given to the Long Beach Unified School District through the government’s relief funding, a lot of betterment can be done to the schools that LBUSD resides over, as well as those who work and learn there.

    With everyone stuck within their own homes for the time being, possibly until the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022, using that amount of money to tear down and rebuild some of the worst areas of the older schools would be a possible endeavor that could be done with the money. Allowing the schools to remain closed until the autumn/winter semester of 2022 would give the school board enough time to plan, budget, and rebuild some of the worst buildings that could become hazardous.

    If the reconstruction of hazardous areas is not a priority, however, the money could still be used for the reconstruction of schools, changing some of the unused, and more unused bathrooms into “sanitary stations”. With Covid-19 back on the rise in early 2021, schools may need to push back in-class schooling until the vaccine is distributed regularly and avoid of more severe effects, but for those who simply will not wait for such a time, having stations within the school where children and teens can pick up gloves to replace their ripped ones, pick up or refill their hand sanitizer, or replace masks they might accidentally throw away or break would help everyone stay safe at school.

    Using that money to redo anything about the standing school (repainting, cleaning, new desks, new supplies, etc.) would be a positive change for any high schooler that would be going back to school when it’s finally safe to do so.

     

    Chansochata Thon

    As an LBUSD student, I believe the most important area in which the budget can go is investing in better laptops for the students who cannot afford their own. First of all, the chromebooks that the school provides are not guaranteed to work well. Many of my friends and myself have a chromebook from school, and we have faced many issues. My chromebook, in particular, cannot handle having more than three tabs open when I am using zoom. This is a problem, because teachers usually require us to have multiple tabs open, whether it be a google doc, website, or peardeck. When I do have my zoom and more than 3 tabs open, the zoom becomes laggy and I cannot access the websites quickly, and at times I get disconnected. This causes stress, especially if the teacher gives a timed assignment. In addition, when I do get disconnected, I struggle in refocusing when I rejoin.

    In addition, the school can direct some of the money in helping students transition to a life with COVID-19. By this, I mean helping students cope and learn what to do when a family member is hospitalized. For me, when my dad was diagnosed with COVID-19, my family and I struggled in knowing what to do when he was sick, especially when his condition worsened. There seemed to be a lack of clarity of what to do, especially when we called an ambulance they would not take him to the hospital. So we had to take him to a hospital ourselves but did not know whether to go to urgent care or the emergency room. Furthermore, when he was admitted to the hospital, we had difficulty in learning how to pay bills. This caused immense stress, interrupting my motivation to learn. I believe some resources that may help include available/well known hot-lines or places that can aid families with bills, grocery, and information. In addition, these resources should also provide access for those whose first language is not English.

    Lastly, a resource that can directly help students during distanced learning is one-on-one tutors or a mentor who can track their grade and provide them support; this can be a tutor who students check up with or just someone who can be relied on for advice. These tutors should go towards the students who are evidently struggling the most with online school and want help (because if they need help but do not want it there will be lots of resistance on their part). This program could assure that the students who do not have the support at home can have access to what they need through Poly.

     

    Sierra Brott-Hunter

    I think that LBUSD SHOULD use the money on giving the students cord baggies filled with mask, hand sanitizer, thermometer. They also should provide better food. This is a good idea because if the students do not have a clean mask at home they have a mask in the bag. Another reason this a good idea to spend the money on the baggies is so students have hand sanitizer with them at all times and it would be easy to get out their backpacks they can also use it if they are in a rush between classes. A third reason this a good idea that should use the money on is the students have a thermometer to see if they have a fever before they go to school to let them know if they should stay home or not. I also think that LBUSD should use the money on better food. This is a good idea because the school food now is okay, but it is not the best food.

  • Opinion: Canceled SAT

    This month, all of Long Beach Poly’s students were notified that the October 14 SAT was canceled. I believe this was the right move by the school, to place health before anything else, but I and a lot of my peers can’t help but feel that we are at a disadvantage. 

    As a senior, I have not taken the SAT and many of my peers have not taken it either. Even though many colleges and universities have made the SAT optional, the word optional makes it feel as if it is still something crucial. 

    Even before quarantine, the SAT was inaccessible and too time-consuming for students. While some students can splurge on tutors and prep books, other students only have access to YouTube and libraries that only contain books that are outdated and worn out.  Not only that, but the high price of the SAT was not designed for communities of lower socioeconomic status. Even with the fee waiver, it still does not account for the money needed for a tutor.

    When the best variable used to predict a high SAT score is high household income, there should be a red flag. Throughout my 17 years in America, the one thing I am most certain of is that institutions continue to marginalize and overlook poor communities. In addition, how do we know if the SAT is an effective way of measuring intelligence? It can’t possibly be that intelligence is constant because each student is unique and come from their own culture. Due to this rich diversity, each student is intelligent in their own ways, yet the SAT fails to take that into consideration.

    In the future, I can only hope that the SAT can change. That the SAT can become a test that doesn’t measure income but truly measures a child’s own individual intelligence and potential for success.

     

  • my new normal: sierra brott-hunter

     

    Online school 

    The 2021 school year has started online and at home because of Covid 19 so I am here to talk about why I like online school and why I don’t like online. My routine for online school is that I wake up like 20 minutes I get ready and I get some food. I feed my dogs and give them water. I wait for my classes to start and that’s all I do.

     

    My reasons why I like online school

    1. I  can work at my own pace. Working at my own pace does not stress me out. 
    2. It is faster to do some assignments. I basically self teach myself things and so the assignments are fast and I like typing more than writing.
    3. If I need a break I can just take a break from it. Like if I’m doing an assignment, I can just stop and work on it later.
    4. I can teach myself faster. I don’t have to wait to move on. I can just move and go. 
    5. I learn a bit faster than actual school in the classroom. In classroom learning is a bit slower than online school because when you are in class you have to learn with everyone else but when it’s online the assignments are already posted and I can just  look at it and read it and get it done and move on to the other assignments. 

    There are many more reasons why I like online school but it’s time to give my reasons why I do not like online school.

      So here we go:

    1. Classes are too long. I don’t like long classes because they are stressful and sometimes it gets boring just looking at a screen and sitting in the same spot  for that long.
    2.  Some of my teachers are giving too much work. They pile so many assignments on, I do not like the piling of the assignments because some teachers think that we only have  work for their class and pile on five assignments that are due the same day  and it gets really stressful because I have other work to do for other classes.
    3. I get a headache from staring at a screen  for 90 minutes. I don’t even stare at my phone that long. I wear glasses. I know wearing glasses helps  when you are working on a computer and everything because of the bluelight thing they have in a lesne, but I don’t like staring at a screen that long because it hurts my eyes and it gives me bad headaches. It is not healthy to be looking at a screen that long for 90 minutes straight and for 7 hours out of the day.
    4. Some of my teachers don’t know how to explain things and give examples. So in two of my clases my teacher will just give us the assignment and be like here you go, imma put you in breakout rooms and the teacher never gives us directions. Then my other teacher will be like here is the work due by the end of the week and barely  gives us an explanation on how to do it. 
    5. I start to get distracted. Staring at one thing for a long time. I lose interest in it because it will have to be explained more than three times and I start to lose interest. I will look at my phone or get up and walk around to stretch my legs.
    6. I have to help with my dogs while I’m in class. So my dogs love attention don’t get me wrong I love my dogs but they love to bother me when I’m in class. They will high pitched bark or scratch at the door or scratch me, they will walk  were my computer charger is and it will get unplugged.
    7. I don’t like turning my camera on. I hate  showing my face on camera in zoom classes because sometimes I’ll just wake up and roll outta bed and go on zoom so I will be looking crusty. It’s also kinda awkward just having your face on the screen and having other people look at you.
    8.  The teachers always calls me to read. I hate reading out loud. I am an independent reader. I like reading by myself. 
    9. Some of my teachers don’t know how to work canvas. The teacher will be like i posted an assignment  and tell us to go do it and it will be locked  till 1:06 and we will tell the teacher and the teacher will start arguing with us and  finally realize it’s locked.
    10.  Canvas assignments disappear and I sometimes have to restart them. It gets really annoying when that happens, then I just get frustrated. I can go on and on about why I don’t really like online school. There are so many more reasons but just to make it short, that is why I like and I don’t like online school.

     

  • My New Normal: Kelly Rodriguez

    When I first wake up I get my Chromebook to start my first period without getting ready. Sometimes I sleep in my class or watch youtube when my teachers are not talking or when I am done with my work. My son (dog) always wants to play while I’m in class so I go outside with him while I’m in class and let him run around or just throw his toys so he can get it.

    Also, I have some reasons why I don’t like online school. One of them is I have a lot of siblings in the house. There is nowhere in the house that you can be by yourself. Also, my mom tells me to pick up my son’s (dog’s) mess or to clean up or help her with the kids because she doesn’t know how to work the Chromebook. It’s just hard to learn when there are a lot of people in the house. A lot of my teachers don’t know how to give examples of how things work online or how to work some of the apps they tell us to get on. Sometimes I don’t feel like being on zoom with them.