Category: Opinion

  • Why Should Job Companies Hire Teens?

    Teenagers are needing jobs, but there is controversy about allowing student teens to get hired. The problem is, the working force isn’t as friendly as we think. In reality business and companies want profit,which means they don’t want to spend money on an extra paycheck. Teens are willing to multitask and practice there time management, but the truth comes down to corruption. This corruption has been seen throughout big companies like Nike and Zaful. These companies  don’t want to pay people to do harsh work, so they use workers from other countries who would gladly work for small amounts of pay (or a forced, P.S slavery still exists). Thus, no job opportunities for teens. But then again, some people might think: Why do teens need jobs? They already have school and parents, so why? Well, in some cases (seniors especially) cannot afford things such as; senior activities, school spirit-wear, supplies, etc. Some may even help hold a household together, but since companies choose to be corrupt and sometimes prejudice against student teens, life is more difficult than it should be.

    Another aspect to this problem is the recession of 2008. There are many jobs that were once offered to teenagers, but now they are primarily open for adults over the age of 21. Jobs such as, kitchen staff, team members, cashiers, retail assistants, and sales associates are now given to adults because they need the money to support their families and themselves. It is almost, always heartbreaking to know that companies use these tactics when selecting job careers, but it’s the reality of it. People are struggling. Teens are struggling.  Now we need to understand and anticipate how things are going to work out for the future. Maybe jobs can be offered on high school sites or maybe companies could stop being so cruel and actually invest into the society rather than lay people off and neglect the constant need for job opportunities. We want the best for the lives of the future and give jobs to the youth and benefit lives as well as creates new paths for individuals. Money is not more important than the happiness of others and it does not grant people the world, but it does give responsibility, success, and learning skills for the future. That is why teens need jobs.

  • Freshman Blues

    The first week as a freshman was terrible. I dislike it…very much. I had so much expectations for high school and maybe it’s too early in the school year to judge, but for now, it sucks. I had so many family members that said “High school will be the highlight of your life,” but it doesn’t seem that way. And I’ll admit, the first day of school was fun, but honestly it was the same as middle school for me. I was lost multiple times, looked for my friends at lunch, went over syllabi and finally, I went home. I mean yeah, it’s exciting, more people, more classes, and a bigger school. But school is school. Nothing has changed.

    Maybe I just had too high of expectations that high school would be more like the movies and I know it sounds silly, but it’s true. In real life, Troy Bolton doesn’t burst out singing unfortunately. But school isn’t meant for fun in my opinion. School is meant for learning. And I AM learning. But that’s all I’m doing IS learning. And people who have already attended Poly said that “If school is so basic, join a club or a sport because it will make your years here more fun.” But honestly, I joined a sport and my feelings about it is “it’s cool and all but whatever” (not to sound unappreciative or anything) and who has time for a club? Not me.

    Not to mention, my close friends don’t attend Poly high school so so there goes another con. Not to diss on Poly or anything, it’s a great school, but maybe not for me. Or maybe I am just thinking more about the cons than pros because I miss summer and I miss being lazy. Yeah that’s most likely it. I would much rather stay home and sleep in than wake up at 6 o’clock in the morning and attend school for eight hours. But who doesn’t? And at the same time, I want to have a stable job and a stable family in the future so I guess sleeping in all day  isn’t an option.

    And it’s not like I’ll stop going to school or ditch just because I don’t like it. High school is still important if you want to go to college and get that dream job. That’s one pro I guess, but currently, high school still sucks.

  • Just Do It.

    By: Jeremiah Jones

    My opinion on the Nike commercial starring Colin Kaepernick was dope, especially with everything that happened with Kaepernick when he protested. Him doing the Nike commercial was a good look on Nike as well as Kaepernick. If you haven’t seen the commercial it is about never giving up & just doin’ it.  It started off with a skateboarder falling off a rail, then a child with no legs on a wrestling mat, to a black boy who couldn’t be older than 10 years old running down a dirt road with a young shadowboxing woman wearing hijab, and lastly a Pop Warner football game and a blond girl playing high school football against boys.

    Everything they showed in the commercial symbolizes “don’t give up” , don’t worry about what people think. This commercial in my opinion, represents a lot of people that have opinions like Kaepernick and give praise to Nike for giving him this spotlight to speak his mind. However, some people didn’t like what Nike did.  They started to burn their merchandise and stop supporting them just because of this commercial. Long story short, he wanted to make a powerful point and message, and he did. The video ended with him saying, “It’s only crazy until you do it. Just do it.” So the message of today is “JUST DO IT”.

     

    By: John Dy

    The Nike product-burning is moronic for a number of reasons.

    People can feel how they want to feel about the ad and Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem. Some feel it’s disrespectful to the country or to the troops, sure. Whatever. People care about their country and don’t want it to be disrespected; alright, that’s fair. Be upset about it and voice your opinion; that’s what the first amendment is for. But burning Nike’s products and putting the videos up on the internet is just idiotic. The controversy they’re stirring up is just giving Nike more publicity, free advertising. Their sales have gone up 31% since the Kaepernick ad aired, despite all the outrage and protesters. The shoe-burning ain’t doing squat to stop Nike. And why now do they wanna protest Nike? They could tolerate the 5 year old Chinese kids working the sweatshops, but now that Nike puts some football player in an ad, this is the time to protest? Inconceivable. And burning the shoes can’t be good for their air. Burning all that rubber and other toxic materials is spitting in the face of Mother Earth, slowly killing our home, their home.

  • In Response to “Why Does School Feel More Like Jail?”

    I have been reading the Poly High Life for over 32 years. I enjoy it, and more often than not I am impressed by the quality and content of the many articles that our awesome Poly students write. Even when I don’t agree with the content and substance of the article, I am still impressed. But in the March 28th issue I read an article entitled (sic) “Why does school feel more like jail?” by Koa Calloway.

    The writer took it upon himself, albeit ignorantly, to totally bash the Campus Security Officers who dutifully serve the students and staff at Poly. First allow me to briefly share a few of our duties/responsibilities: We prevent and break up fights at the risk of harm to our own selves, which has happened. We take weapons and drugs from students. We identify and remove non-students from campus who have somehow gotten on campus—sometimes for the wrong reasons. We work EVERY after school event—sports, music, drama, etc. to maintain the safety of ALL who come to these activities. We even secure the safety of their vehicles. We remove students from class whom the teacher have deemed unruly or disruptive. We do so much more.

    But Mr. Calloway seems to think that all we do is harass and disrespect our students! Wow. When I read his article I was shocked to find out that he is a senior at Poly. I wondered, where has this kid been for the last almost 4 years now? Has he ever been escorted to room 119 for getting into trouble at Poly? The odd thing about his article is that he never states that he personally ever had a negative run-in with a CSO. Mr. Calloway, the process of showing your I.D. when you leave campus during school hours, has been in existence since before you were born. And if you can’t figure out why we do that, then as a senior you have really been out of the loop. Students try to sneak off campus during school hours everyday at Poly. What do you think happens if one succeeds and then something really bad happens to him/her? Or if a CSO allowed a student to leave during school hours without showing their I.D. and their official excuse to leave campus? Not a good ending.

    You say a lot of students don’t seen to like us. Well I totally disagree with that statement! Poll your fellow students. Besides the ones who may have disciplinary issues, I think we would pass the test with flying colors. We don’t harass students, physically assault students, nor curse at students. You may have witnessed an isolated “incident” between a CSO and a student, but you don’t know the whole story. You only know what you saw and heard. Which wasn’t much, because our camera system recorded that situation. We are not here to be friends of the students. We are here to protect, and hopefully, respect our students. But along with discipline, comes rebellious attitudes that we have to deal with.

    No one on this campus has better relationships with students than the CSO’s. Students confide in us about many things. I should know, I am a CSO and a 33-year employee at Poly. And a proud alumnus. So before you attempt to pass ignorant judgment along again, remember, somebody knows the facts!

  • The Meme is Dead

    If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet in the past two weeks, chances are you have seen him. His posture is unmistakable, and his voice even more so. The young man is dressed in a while shirt, red bow tie, blue jeans, and boots, with a rugged cowboy belt buckle to top it all off. More striking than his appearance is his location. The boy appears in a Walmart with a single elderly onlooker, which wouldn’t be too strange if not for the fact that he is giving a legendary performance. With nothing but the tapping of his foot to accompany his voice, the young man yodels his rendition of Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues”. When I first saw this meme I liked it. The singing was simultaneously sweet and grating, while the lack of context raised many compelling questions. However, my amusement with the meme faded quickly, and its constant reuploads and reiterations have begun to wear me out. The internet has taken things too far, and ruined something funny by shoving it in everyone’s faces 24/7. I don’t need to know his name. I don’t need to see him on Ellen. I don’t need to see him perform at Coachella, of all places. The meme should have just been left to fade as a pleasant memory, and not soullessly milked of all originality through the thousands of individuals and corporations who jump on every viral bandwagon that rolls through town. A lot of tired, worn out memes started out funny and original, but as the masses of pop culture consumers overtake the meme, it soon loses every shred of individuality, as parasite after parasite claws at it, trying to claim a morsel for themselves. My advice for those who want to cherish their memes is this; save it for yourself and for your friends, but DO NOT let the meme spread to those who won’t respect it the same way you do!

  • Are You Stressed?

    Are you stressed? Do you have anxiety? Are you in fear of something? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this article might be helpful to you. Anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States, and nearly all of us experience it at some point, with or without a diagnosis. Why is it that we have to experience anxiety, stress, and fear?

    Our bodies react chemically towards our situations and atmospheres. For example, we run from bears because we know they can kill us. Without this instinct, there would be no motivation to act, and we would be dead. It is our innate survival mechanism.

    Too much stress, though, could lead to a chemical imbalance, which is never beneficial. High school is full of demanding classes and extracurriculars, which create stress for many students. Every day, I deal with these emotions, but what keeps me “sane” is my foundation in Jesus Christ. Sometimes, I have to realize how fragile my mind and body both are, and that I have to give all my worries up to the Lord.

    Jesus is my savior, who I place my trust and faith in for my life. He will take care of my needs and desires, but I first have to believe He will. There is no curveball that life throws at me that Jesus cannot handle. Despite my sins and shortcomings, Jesus remains as my guide and protector.

    There is a variety of ways to cope with difficult times, but are they consistent and helpful? Trusting in Jesus is the best method to have peace. His peace—majestic and beautiful—is almost unexplainable and only comes from Him. Here are a few Bible verses to emphasize Jesus’ promise:

    “You [Jesus] will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3).”

    “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you (Isaiah 54:10).”

    Does leaning on Jesus mean you will never stress? No, I mean if that were the case, I would live a stress-free life but I am not. We are still human and will continue to feel these emotions.This promises that Jesus will be by your side through the thick and thin. It would be in your best interest to remember this verse:

    “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).”

  • This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

    There have been some changes added to Poly this past month. Three of the girl’s restrooms now have sanitary napkin/tampon dispensaries. Yes, something we’ve actually needed for a long time; no more bringing an entire box from home, which is great for me. Living in a single dad household is great until it’s 10:00 at night and you’ve just realized you are completely out of tampons. I once asked my dad to buy me some pads and he came back with adult diapers. Needless to say, the idea of being able to get them at school when necessary was a blessing for me. That’s not even the best part. They. Are. FREE.

    After years of criticizing the third-wave feminists, I was actually appreciative of the first world problem protests, until the time came when I actually needed a pad on campus. It was exactly two days after the dispensaries were up and all of them were completely out. I should have seen it coming, mostly because I actually saw it happening. I saw a girl press the button 8 times and took 8 pads with her, while her friend encouraged her and giggled. Did I also laugh? Yes, because I was under the impression that girl was robbing the school, not me. It’s you greedy females, and you know who you are, that are the reason we can’t have nice things like tampons and real toilet paper.

    I don’t know why I thought the school would refill the dispensaries once they ran out, why on earth would they do that? Some things are just too good to be true. I am thankful for the girl code, section 8, paragraph 3 that states that, if another woman asks you for a pad and you have one and don’t need it, by law you have to give it to her. The consequences for breaking such law is being labeled as a fake for life.

    Ladies, I understand, I do. We need these items in order to survive, and there just isn’t enough for all of us, but don’t be a pad-hog! We are not to be fighting over things like animals, that’s the men’s job. We need to continue looking out for each other during those trifling 4-8 days. I guess what I’m trying to say is, whoever took all the tampons and didn’t need them can square up because I ain’t putting up with this BS. I’m crampin’, I’m hangry, and I’m breaking out, and the one time something good happens to me, you just had to take it away, I cannot even with y’all messy, greedy, inconsiderate little girls. I’m tired of asking randoms for pads and getting those XXL triple flow, heavy duty, see-it-thru-my-leggings, pads. If they were 25 cents, none of y’all broke peeps would’ve been stacking up, blessings become curses, it be ya own gender!

  • Can I Just Graduate Already?

    Senioritis: I think it’s safe to say that most of us seniors suffer from this condition; making us sleep through first period and wait until the due date to even start an assignment. I know I’ve been slacking a lot this semester; I’ve shown up to school late everyday and I even turned in this article to my editor late. Senioritis definitely takes a toll on us and though many people say that senioritis is not real, trust me, it is. When you begin to slack off, your grades suffer. Even though it might be your last year in highschool, it is still very important to keep your grades up. If you don’t pass all of your classes you may miss out on the experience of walking the stage on graduation. And if you’ve been accepted into any universities, your acceptance can be revoked if your grades fall. We don’t want that to happen.

    Senioritis is a struggle, yes, but it isn’t terribly difficult to overcome. You just need to be motivated enough to actually do your work when it is assigned. Prioritize school work over social media and utilize all of the resources available to students. Your GPA will survive.

    The truth is though, senioritis isn’t exclusive to seniors. We all know that one kid who’s had senioritis since freshman year. Some of us started freshman year thinking it’s cool to not care about high school and kept that mindset. We are only three months away from graduating. If you could just stick it through for two more months it’ll be worth it. Good luck with your senioritis!

  • Stop Romanticizing Paedophilia!

    Thanks to Instagram’s explore page, users are able to view content that they would not normally come across on their own feed. This content may spark emotions that range from happy and uplifting to weird and controversial. So when I came across a photo of a person getting a tattoo of the iconic image of Lolita sucking on a lollipop, I was confused to say the least. Was this an act of praise towards Nabokov’s novel? Or, were they on the romanticized bandwagon of the age-gap relationship that this book has infamously portrayed?

    Since Lolita’s U.S. release in 1958, Vladimir Nobokov’s novel has created a blatant erotic fascination for young girls which can be found in movies, music, and books today. If you haven’t already guessed, Lolita is basically about paedophilia. The story is centered around Humbert Humbert, a man in his late thirties who spirals into a heated obsession for Dolores Haze, his 12 year old step-daughter.

    Since the book’s publication, two films (one by legendary director Stanley Kubrick), musical adaptations, ballets, and stage productions have been released to pay tribute to the novel. But Lolita has also had its influence elsewhere. One example being Luc Besson’s film, “Leon: The Professional.” It more or less follows the same premise in which 12 year old Mathilda joins forces with hitman Leon after her family is murdered. Again, the young girl is made to be more precious than what is typically observed among children in society. Why does any of this matter, you may ask? Well, because movies and other forms of entertainment have a great deal of influence over society. This Lolita-esque iconography is even more prevalent in mainstream music. In an article for The New Republic, Ira Wells stated that “today, popular culture rewards adult women who act like children for the collective erotic enjoyment.” A few of the recognizable artists include: Melanie Martinez, Lana del Rey, Britney Spears (from the early 2000s), and Katy Perry.

    In regards to the novel, John Updike, the late novelist and literary critic, stated  “Nabokov writes prose the only way it should be written, that is, ecstatically.” And I have to say that I agree. The novel is beautifully written. It has a way of provoking feelings of shock, anger, and sadness all within a few sentences. Even though it feels kind of gross reading a book about something so terrible, Nobokov has a way of reeling the reader in with his use of “punning comedy” and “dark poetics.” Another review by Vanity Fair stated that Lolita is “the only convincing love story of our century.” That is my issue with the book. It isn’t so much the novel itself as it is the admiration that has surrounded the main characters’ relationship. Humbert feeds off of Dolores’ innocence during her early teenage years and then victimizes her to the point of complete mental disillusionment by the time she is barely becoming a woman. Maybe it’s just me, but I do not find anything romantic about that, Vanity Fair.

    So even though the book was written 63 years ago, I feel like there isn’t enough conversation about its influence on American culture and how it may affect the young girls of today’s generation whose innocence is used as a ploy to mask people’s darkest desires.

  • Fashion Week Overview

    I’m not the type of person to ever watch a fashion show, but when I heard about the Milan Fashion Week, I had to see it myself; via my phone screen, of course, because the show took place in Italy. The world’s top designers and brands showcased their Fall/Winter collections from February 21 through the 27th.

    The Dolce and Gabbana runway stole the show. Models were replaced by Drones, this vision of the future of fashion took a forty-five minute delay because guests were asked to turn off their phones’ wifi and bluetooth. Drones modeled a parade of the label’s new devotion handbags while Kendrick Lamar’s “All The Stars” was played.

    The most interesting moment of the week was when Gucci’s runway was turned into an operation room with bright surgical neon lights. Alessandro Michele’s collection was inexplicably interesting. The show itself suddenly became creepy when models carried out a replica of their heads, snakes, and a baby dragon.

    To complete the collection, accessories were a must. Dolce and Gabbana had a model showcase a headband, a pair of sunglasses, and earrings that were in the design of big red purses, all in the same outfit. Roberto Cavalli’s models wore loop around serpents, real or not they looked great on the model.

    The Milan Fashion week was worth watching. I hope to soon see the fashion trends that I saw on the runway around school. I enjoyed the outfits I saw and I hope my peers at school will soon adopt the trends brought by the fashion week.

  • Fake Drake

    In 2016, the iconic Canadian rapper Drake released his fourth studio album, titled Views, with the top charting song “Hotline Bling” serving as the lead single. When the music video and the single were released in 2015, Drake witnessed some intense meme-age and publicity. The psychedelic neon lights in the living room sized cube was something brand new and exciting many had not seen before–only, they had seen it before. And so have many others. As any art fanatic like myself may know, the famous modern artist, James Turrell, featured his groundbreaking studies of light, color, and space at LACMA in 2010. En lieu of Turrell being known for his vivacious presence in the art world, he is now known as the sole influence behind Drake’s music video.

    When accusations of copyright arose, the director of the music video said that any connection between the video and the artwork was “merely accidental” and there was no intention of content theft. But, in an interview, Turrell said that Drake “honored [his] work and [Turrell] was flattered by that,” and continued to say that he has in fact “enjoyed a lot more attention since [he] got involved.”

    Previous to the release of the album, Drake visited LACMA in 2014 and was accompanied by Rolling Stone. In their trip to the museum, Drake told the magazine that Turrell “was a big influence on the visuals for [his] last tour.” Turrell and the rapper even took time out of their adventure to meet, and Drake was photographed inside one of the artist’s famous light boxes. In the end, both artists came to a mutual conclusion. Turrell stated “While I am truly flattered to learn that Drake F’s with me, I nevertheless wish to make clear that neither I nor any of my woes was involved in any way in the making of the Hotline Bling video.”

    However, I personally think that Turrell was robbed of full credit and did not get his rightful piece in the collaboration. In the matter of artistry, there is and always will be a fine line between what is plagiarized and what is inspiration.

  • Care Center in Jeopardy

    Many of us Poly students have not been aware of one of the most important resources that we have here at Poly. The Care Center has helped many students through high school with any of the issues that they might have. Such as problems at school or at home And having someone who will listen if you just need someone to talk to. If you may not know, the Care Center will be shut down by next school year and Mr. Gray, counselor, will no longer be here; the students will no longer have a safe place to go to. I personally think the Care Center is necessary for those of us who may not have someone to talk to at home. Bottling things up can lead to severe mental health problems, which the school is ignoring by shutting down the center. It seems as if the school could care less about the mental and emotional health of its students. The school invests so much in athletes and the PACE program but cut something that everyone in the school can benefit from. In my opinion, the school should keep this program because many students need it. They might not admit to it because they might be embarrassed, but everyone needs someone to talk to sometimes. Many students have made very good friends in there and they find comfort in knowing they have safe space on campus. I wish people would think about the well-being of others more often. Mental health should be prioritized and spoken about freely and shamelessly. It’s normal to feel these things and if you are in this position you should be able to get a hold of help no matter the time or place. By taking the Care Center away, students are being stripped of things they might need, so we should do everything we can to help them and to keep the Care Center open.