Category: Opinion

  • PSA To Freshmen’s: Live A Little!

    It seems recently a lot of changes have been made in the 2018-2019 school year. This might seem a bit unfair to seniors, as they’ve been around a lot longer than the freshman. Incoming freshman experience the new changes for the first time, and have no prior knowledge about the previous years. Which is great, but for us seniors this is our last year and will be our first and last time to experience the new events and changes. The first ever homecoming happened this year, why was there not one since my freshman year? It also seems that school spirit has not been as alive this year as freshman seem to have an “I don’t care” attitude about most things.

    Seniors eagerly have been trying their best to be involved with games, dances, dress up days, and most school events. It seems as more incoming students come in year after year they seem to lose the motivation for school and school spirit. But hey, who am I to know? This is just what it seems on a bigger scale. It seems freshman are quick to call some things lame or not even give it a chance. And for the very few freshman that do participate and give things a chance, this is not at all for you. In fact, good for you being involved.

    As for the rest of you, what’s up? I just want to know why you act as if everything is too cool for you? Or as if you don’t have an interest in anything? Live a little.

  • I’m Sick of Christmas

    It feels like every year, Christmas season is being pushed earlier and earlier by businesses. Over the radio, through shop windows, and television screens.  The relentless corporations are taking Christmas “spirit” and shoving it deep down our throats, attempting to take our money on the way out. It’s disgusting and so very exhausting.

    Thanksgiving hadn’t even passed yet when I first started hearing Christmas music on the radio. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas music, but there are a few problematic things with it being played so early. First of all, during the week of Thanksgiving, I’m in Thanksgiving mode, not Christmas mode. I don’t want to be thinking about gift-giving and Jesus’ birth; that stuff is a month away. Let me focus on stuffing my face and being thankful. Having all the Christmas stuff  pushed so early kills my Thanksgiving vibes. On top of this, having a whole straight month of Christmas music is tiring. I like Christmas music, but there isn’t a whole lot of variety, which would be fine if radio stations didn’t start playing it as early as before Thanksgiving. Hearing the same stupid songs for over four weeks makes them incredibly unenjoyable, and by the time Christmas rolls around, I’m already sick of it.

    What makes all this worse is the sinister intentions behind all of it. The corporate pigs have Christmas season start early so that people buy all their Christmas gifts earlier, and when Christmas comes around, these people are more likely to go ahead and buy some more Christmas stuff anyways. It’s an evil, greedy practice that we ought to protest and hopefully put an end to.

  • The Lion King Live

    Disney released the original movie, The Lion King, on June 24, 1994. They are now releasing a live-action version of The Lion King is being released July 19, 2019. Now, all I can say that I’m seriously excited for the new live-action version that is being released next year! Although, I am pretty confused as to why they called it “live-action”? The trailer still looks pretty animated and I find it quite hard to believe that they taught ALL of those animals, to talk, sing, etc. Nonetheless, I am very excited because Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino,is playing Simba! Not only that, but Beyonce is playing Nala! I am super excited for the celebrity features that will be present in the remakes.

  • Spirit Spendings

    Holidays are meant to be spent with family and loved ones, but in reality, there is actually more spending on family rather than with family. From November to December, there’s an average of more than one thousand dollars spent on gifts.

    During November from Thanksgiving dinner, to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, over $900 alone are spent. Moving onto December, there is both Christmas and New Years. The spendings here are also sky high, with buying Christmas and New Years decorations and meals, and holiday gifts.

    The real question is: Is spending all of this money for these holidays really worth it?

    I would say it is. In the end, you spend time with family, sharing new memories, laughing and growing a stronger bond with one another.

    As for gifts, it’s always nice to see a smile on someone’s face. It’s even nicer when you’re the reason for it. It doesn’t even have to be family. Seeing your friends happy for receiving something they like is also a good feeling when you’re the one who gave it to them. Teachers too, can leave a wonderful feeling when they give you a warm smile or a kind ‘thank you’ for a simple gift.

    Christmas time is also known for charity and donations, it is one of the best ways anyone can spend their money. We’re lucky to still have generous people who love to give back.

  • YouTube War

    Felix Kjellberg, rather known online as YouTube sensation Pewdiepie, created his YouTube channel in 2010. As of now, he has over 67 million subscribers and has been the top subscribed channel on YouTube since 2013. However that is about to change as the YouTube channel T Series, is slowly catching up to him with a subscriber count of over 66 million.

    Now everyone is wondering who will be the next “King of YouTube”.

    Personally, I have been watching Pewdiepie’s channel since late 2013. During that time, he and a couple other YouTubers were great distractions from whatever troubles I was going through at that time. His videos would always make me laugh no matter what type of mood I was in. In other words, he had a huge impact on my life.

    With T Series around, this brings up a lot of questions, concerns, and thoughts. After all, the difference between T Series and Pewdiepie is what their channels are based off of. For starters, T Series is an Indian music record label

    and film production company owned by Bhushan Kumar and Kishan Kumar that owns other channels under the same name. Pewdiepie on the other hand, is a single person channel with no other companies based off it. Just like Matthew Patrick (The Game Theorists) had said, “Since their MCN (multi- channel network) contains a whole bunch of huge channels, not just one, all those channels can be used to promote each other.”

    I find it unfair for T Series to be receiving subscribers from their other owned channels, meanwhile Felix has worked really hard to earn his. From what I see, T Series is only receiving more subscribers just because they don’t want to see Pewdiepie stay on top. If T Series ever does come to exceed Felix, will things be any different? Are they getting the same love and support any other regular YouTuber receives? Is there anyone who will really be affected by this?

    It’s not hate I feel towards the competition, but I can assure that it is not love either. In the end, whether Pewdiepie stays number one or not, he will always have my full love and support.

  • The King Reigns Over a New Empire

    The King Reigns Over a New Empire

    As the gates open for another National Basketball Association (NBA) season, debatably one of the best basketball players on the earth, LeBron James (LBJ), enters a new team: the Los Angeles Lakers.

    Why is this so important?

    Well it’s LEBRON FREAKING JAMES. The 3× NBA champion, 3× NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, 4× NBA Most Valuable Player, 14× NBA All-Star, 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP player (the list can go on and on). James offers everything the LA Lakers need from leadership for the young potential they have to dominant offensive and defensive presence on the court.

    The thirty-three-year-old, premier basketball player takes over the court against any team and single handedly carried the Cleveland Cavaliers (21W – 45L before LeBron came) to become a four time finalist team, but sadly lost three of those titles against the Golden State Warriors.

    Although, let’s be real, the Cavalier’s roster didn’t have the pure talent that the Lakers have now such as Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, and JaVale McGee. The current roster is projected to win the 2018- 2019 NBA Championship and many more after that. If LeBron James can take a below average team to the NBA finals four times, there’s no doubt in my mind LBJ can do even better with the LA Lakers as the team already has a solid foundation as it is.

    The likes of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart all grew up watching LeBron and now they’re playing with him?! They will flourish into extraordinary players as we get deeper into the NBA season with the leadership of LBJ which bodes well for the LA Lakers. Young players such as Lonzo Ball synergizes with LBJ as the player fares well with long distance passes enabling LeBron to cherry pick layups and dunks.

    Lebron James will dawn number twenty-three against the Portland Trail Blazers this Thursday.

    Kind of weird to see Kobe Bryant’s team and Michael Jordan’s number on LeBron James’ back, huh? I hope to see a dominant start to further solidify the superiority the LA Lakers have now.

  • Depression Amongst Students

    Often times we are told that a depressed person is someone who is quiet, has no joy, and wears dark clothes.  They might be considered rebellious and listens to sad or loud music, but that is not always the case. How can a depressed person display that they are depressed, based merely off of appearance? Even then, if you are close to someone, sometimes it is not always apparent if they are. Signs that suggest someone might be depressed would be feeling helpless/hopeless, loss of interest in daily things, their weight either drastically goes up or down, reckless behavior, angry, and/or has insomnia. Although some of these are based on appearances, the rest are internal and can not be easily shown. These may be signs in which you can look out for, but they might not be accurate for most people. Take for example a student who has good grades, socializes with friends and classmates, and who you see is in a good mood for the most part while at school. Some would assume that their life is good and they have everything set. Well what if this same student, after coming from school, goes home and it’s all just a facade. They in fact are breaking down, overthinking everything, doubting themselves, have parents constantly criticizing them and just a completely different person. You would not know that they suffer from depression. The reasoning behind why they might put up this facade is for many reasons such as, not wanting to fail or be considered a failure. They are often pressured into keeping up with grades, or they don’t want to bring attention to themselves. People should not have to suffer alone or conceal that they are hurting. It might be hard to get help or to tell someone about everything that is going on with them, but it is better to open up, even if it’s just a little part of their life. We, as teenagers have a lot going on and even in our struggles we can find similarities and unity.  We should not have to be alone, we should reach out, create groups where we can talk to each other and be heard, and possibly talk to a trusted adult who would not judge us but instead give us advice in how we can conquer our issues.

  • AHS: Apocalypse

    Everyone knows that season one, Murder House, was by far the best season of American Horror Story. Some may argue that season three, Coven, may even be the best. Imagine a season that combines both of Murder House and Coven. Crazy, right? Well, it can’t be too crazy because that season definitely exists and it is the current season of AHS called Apocalypse.

    AHS: Apocalypse begins with the end of the of the world caused by World War Three. Missiles and bombs are obliterating the world as families face the fact that the world as they know it, is finally coming to an end. However, some people, with “special genes” have been picked apart from the rest to survive the end of the world. Michael Langdon is all grown up this season and he presumes his role as the Antichrist. The Witches from season three return to stop him, once and for all.

    The season goes back and forth through the past, showing how Michael Langdon earned his superiority to the present, where the world is ending.

    In my opinion, this season is very, very intriguing. Due to my love for Murder House, I would say that this season is definitely developing nicely. Each episode leaves me eager to watch the next. I definitely do recommend this season for those who loved the Murder House and the Coven season. There will be some surprising and fulfilling appearances this season and answers to questions you’ve had since season one. It’s definitely a must-see.

  • Do I Miss The Old Kanye?

    Kanye West is known for his inspirational music and his influential style that the masses appear to follow. He has recently met with the President of the United States, Donald Trump. Kanye is one of the more popular Trump supporters, and people do not support him because of his unpopular beliefs that go against mainstream ideals. He visited Trump last Thursday to talk about revisions, improvement, and developments in Chicago. It circulated loads of publicity on social media surrounding Kanye. Speculators believe Kanye is pulling a publicity stunt for his new shoe drop and Yeezy Season clothes as well as his new album, YANDI. Memes have been made about him unlocking his phone with the password of “0000” all over Instagram and other social media platforms. This isn’t the only time Kanye West has stirred up controversy on social media. There are countless amounts of tweets with him sharing an opinion that proved unpopular. For an example Kanye had said, “slavery was a choice” and that caused severe negative backlash from many. People began to stop supporting Kanye after he said that statement. However,  some people began to support the artist for individuality and speaking his mind. Personally, I think Kanye shows differentiation and creativity among the basic ideals people choose to follow. His opinions show that not everyone has to follow the beliefs of mass media, but that people have to power to formulate their own opinions.

  • I.D Disaster

    We finally got our ID’s and they’re horrible. Everyone is complaining about how orange they look, how the quality of the picture is terrible, and how the layout is horrendous, which it is. I literally look like an orange in my picture. Honestly, who chose the photographers this year? Besides the quality of the picture the whole ID is messed up.

    Under gender, some people have their academy, also missing unscheduled periods, and mismatched ID’s. My friend’s ID had all her information but it wasn’t her picture, it was another girl! On the back, some people have the “2018-2019 Bell Schedule” which you might think they’re lucky but they are not because it is not even the schedule we follow. I’m pretty sure everyone has their unscheduled periods wrong or missing. Mine doesn’t even have them written, my other friends do, but they’re the wrong periods.

    This ID issue isn’t just about students complaining about the design and quality, we all need to show our ID at the gate when we enter. Since some people are still waiting for the ID printer, students still don’t have theirs making complications upon entering the school. If you come in through the side gate and you don’t have your ID, the staff member checking for them will most likely send you to enter through Jackrabbit Lane to get a temporary one, even though the people from the activities office said to tell them about the ID issue. That’s honestly a waste of time because if you live closer to the side gate then what’s the point in going all the way around!? The schedule or the temporary ID’s the freshmen got should be allowed to be used while the actual fixed ID’s are given out. Overall, these ID’s are a mess and super chaotic, hopefully it’s more organized next time!

  • Poly’s DJ’s Are Not the Life of the Party

    Have you ever asked for a song at a Poly dance just to only not have it played? If you answered yes, then you aren’t the only one. Why don’t we get acknowledged or have a song played at our school dances, of our choice? I get it if the song you suggested was inappropriate but most suggestions aren’t. Half of the time the song we wanted just wasn’t added to their approved playlist. Knowingly, sometimes, us students start jumping to conclusions and blame it on the DJ. Honestly, the reality is that most of the students who have attended any of Poly’s dances can clearly agree that the DJs suck.

       Now, I usually don’t have a problem with the music that is played at dances because it’s decent, but what ticks me off is when My Boo by Usher and Alicia Keys is played 5 times or when your favorite verse of Drunk In Love by Beyonce doesn’t get played because they put some another song (usually a whole other genre) that kills your whole vibes. Isn’t this relatable even if you switched in some other songs than the ones I put?

      I also understand and respect the school policy, but I know too well that the school rules don’t tell a DJ to play 40 songs over and over. Also, who makes the approved playlist? Where’s Playboi Carti, Chano, Bruno Mars (new and old), Ed Sheeran, Kehlani, basically the music of today. I get it, you gotta throw it back and play the backyard boogie old school remixes but that’s not all we’re looking forward to. And what didn’t make sense was when we had a Throwback themed party and the DJ was playing Bruno Mars’ new album and suggested other songs that just recently came out…..PLEASE GO WITH THE THEME OF THE PARTY OR YOU CAN GLADLY QUIT YOUR JOB. Like tear your own contract because you blew it.

        The DJ of the party literally determines whether it’s fun or not. The decoration, sorry ASB, we know you work hard to set up and make things pretty, but even if it’s a picture scene, the whole party is trash if the DJ can’t mix or go the whole night without replaying a song a thousand times. The DJ skips over songs that the crowd clearly enjoys and even playing the wrong genre at the wrong time. In my opinion the man who was the DJ at the Poly Kickback/Coachella did a fantastic job. Bring. Him. Back. Please. Students have been saying the music selection should be more groovy and uplifting rather than laid back and depressing. Sorry, no one wants to listen to Alone Again by Train or Fake Plastic Trees by Radio or anything that makes us sad. “We tryna twerk!” said some of the seniors. I agree! Let’s get lit and turn up while we still can.

  • My Hero Anime

    Anime can bring the masses together and create a bond between people you can’t even imagine. Anime can change the world as we know it.  Everywhere I go there’s always at least a couple of people that watch anime and you can sometimes tell by the type of clothes that they wear or the stickers on their car or you can even overhear a conversation. It comes in handy sometimes, even a cashier at a store gave me a discount just because we both shared a common interest. Teachers even watch anime! For example, Mr. Gwen and Mr. Kawai is an avid watcher of anime and that could strengthen your student and teacher relationship. They might even possibly give you a bump on your grade. Some good anime recommendations would have to be Attack on Titan. Attack on Titan is about a young man named Eren who lives in a world ravaged by naked giants trying to eat people, and the people try to survive the giants attacks. Season 3 had just came out, and it’s so good. Another really good anime would have to be My Hero Academia, it could possibly be bigger than Naruto. My Hero Academia is about a kid named Midoriya who was born without any quirks (super powers) in a world where superpowers are normal. He then sets up high aspirations for himself such as being the greatest/number one hero. He gets scouted by the world’s number one ranked hero who passed his quirk down to himself and later enrolls him into a high school specifically to train young adolescents to become heros. In conclusion, anime brings people closer together so you can build an unbreakable bond with one another. It may seem unappealing at first but once you start watching you would not be able to stop. It’s honestly better than the average animated American television show. It even shows on Adult Swim late at night to make it easier to watch. It even shows up on Netflix!