Tag: Long Beach Poly

  • Affects of the Heat

    As temperatures rise here in Long Beach, so does frustration with beauty routines. Spending hours on hair and makeup, perfecting it, all to go outside and for it to run down your face along with the sweat due to the heat. For many, getting ready during heated days feels like an uphill battle.  Carefully curled hair falls flat, eyeliner smudges before lunchtime, and setting spray barely puts up a fight. There are other factors such as how the heat affects our energy to get ready, and the physical effects. 

    At Poly High I think we’ve all taken notice of the lack of air conditioning in some of our classrooms. The first couple of minutes in class is a pain, even in classes with air conditioning it takes a while to settle down. Long Beach weather in general has been pretty high reaching the 80s to 90s, not much fun especially for those who enjoy getting ready for school. There are so many struggles that come with going to school in unbearable heat and how it affects students physically and mentally.

    Being at school while the heat just continues to rise is a type of frustration many can relate to, but when it comes to hair and makeup, the struggle is hard. Between walking to class, hours spent under the sun, and classrooms without air conditioning, makeup and hairdos tend to fade fast, annoyingly. “It takes forever—like 2 hours to get ready, it takes long to do my hair and sometimes even my makeup, all for it to be uneven or frizzy like an hour later.” Said Diana Romero, a senior at Poly. The heat tends to mess up hair, the moisture from the humid weather causes frizzy hair and creates sweat that causes makeup to separate, quite annoyingly and quickly which creates a feeling of discomfort and vexation.

    Personally, when going to school and having makeup and hair done but then feeling uncomfortable due to the heat is a feeling so bothersome. Making it hard to focus on school due to the heat, the feeling of sweat filled hair and faces is such a sensory overload. Having some classes where teachers have about only one fan and spending the whole class wondering how isn’t anyone drowning in the heat as you are. The heat in general can cause anyone to be side tracked in classrooms where we come to learn which can be overwhelming.

    While the discomfort and annoyances from the heat can be such a bother, there always seems to be ways around it. Adapting is a huge step but at times may just benefit us. Some tips that can help avoid these challenges include adjusting routines, changing products, and finding what fits best for us. Changing up the routine and going for a more natural look in the summer is a huge yes and changing the way you do your hair and makeup, also a yes. For instance, using a hair curler racks up all that heat, but overnight heatless curls can do just the trick! Being able to adapt and feel comfort in weather you’d not expect to can also create a shift in mindset, we can always choose to see the bright side of things.

    Dealing with the heat isn’t just about beauty routines, it’s also about patience, flexibility, and learning to adapt when things aren’t how we want them. Whether it’s hair, makeup, or just the heat being a bother, finding comfort in imperfection can make all the difference. Sometimes the best thing we can do is just improvise, stay cool, and fight the heat!

  • Beyond the Classroom: The Hidden Layers of School Safety

    Juliet Haesly

    On November 18, 2025,  around 10:15 a.m., a Long Beach Polytechnic student was shot outside of Atlantic Avenue. CBS News reported, “According to the Long Beach Police Department, a 16-year-old student was injured when an adult male walked up to a group of boys and fired shots at them.” The boy was immediately sent to a local hospital, but has non-life-threatening injuries. Poly Principal Dr. Alejandro Vega reports that “our campus remains safe, and there was no impact on school instruction.” But this issue raises the question: are we truly safe while on campus? Parents are now concerned that it is unsafe to send their child to school, fearing that their kid could be the next victim of a violent attack. Long Beach Polytechnic High School is in a neighborhood that has historically faced crime challenges, but in recent years, it seems as if crime has gone down. Crime rates for specific high schools are not publicly reported in official city statistics, but less and less stories are being told about crimes occurring in the neighborhood. The last shooting in the neighborhood occurred on March 27, 2024, when a 34-year-old man shot 17-year-old Brianna Soto outside 11th Street when she was on her way back from work. On July 31, the man was sentenced to 358 years to life in prison. Now that students are being shot outside of school zones again, students begin to fear for their lives. Dr. Vega reported, “As an added precaution, LBUSD School Safety will maintain an increased presence around our school,” but what does that mean for the future of Poly? Polytechnic is a part of the LBUSD district, which is said to have a safety plan that includes emergency drills for various scenarios, a campus-wide notification system, visitor registration, and the use of school safety officers for suspected criminal activity rather than all student incidents. The future of Poly remains unknown, but we hope that this incident will provide an understanding of why we need increased safety procedures implemented throughout schools. Schools can be made safer through a combination of physical security measures, creating a positive and supportive environment, and implementing safety training and emergency preparedness. 

  • Mental Health In Students

    Student Interviews:

    Student mental health is a prevalent issue in schools. I interviewed 20 students from my school, Long Beach Poly, to find out how students feel school impacts them mentally. Out of the 20, 19 of the students said school has a negative effect on their mental health. Many students said the amount of homework and pressure to do well were the main reasons that school affected them. A way teachers could help students is by giving more guidance, such as office hours for additional help. Another way would be to help foster a community, by getting to know the students on a more personal level. This would make students more open to communicate, and make it less nerve racking to ask questions, and lastly, can add a positive connotation to the class. 

    A 9th grade student told me, “Oftentimes I feel too scared to ask the teacher questions if I don’t know them well. Once I get to know them, it makes it a lot easier to communicate.”

    Teachers also should be mindful that many kids juggle extracurriculars such as sports or clubs, meaning they might have to stay up late to finish work. 

    A 10th grader mentioned, “There are many nights when I stay up late doing homework after soccer games. It feels like there’s never enough time to do everything I need to get done.”

    Knowing this could help teachers be more accommodating, and more mindful about the amount of work they assign. The 1 person who says they have a positive experience at school said it was because teachers help guide him, and show countless amounts of support. 

    An 11th grade student told me, “My teachers this year always help me with my work, and I never feel embarrassed or judged to ask them. This is a huge step up from some past years, where I was too scared of my teacher to ask for guidance.”

    This is very important in order to build a safe space for students. If we want to help struggling students we all need to do our part to help each other feel welcomed in schools.

    Teacher Interviews:

    I also discussed with three teachers about what they notice about mental health, and how they can help kids feel less anxious about school. Mr. Montooth told me that he notices many small habits with students, such as fidgeting of twitches. He can use these as indicators for how to adjust the lesson. If someone looks nervous about popcorn reading, he will simply ask another student. 

    “Body language is a big sign that someone is stressed. I always look for that because I know most kids aren’t always vocal about their anxiety.”

    Ms. Scholl told me that she senses when students’ moods change from day to day, and figures out how to approach them based on how they’re feeling. She won’t be as goofy around them if they are clearly upset. Matching moods helps students not feel overwhelmed in the classroom setting.

    “I had a student last year who went from very peppy and excited about school to tired and low energy. When I asked him about it, he told me he takes care of his siblings, and after finishing homework, there’s not much downtime to relax. Together we were about to figure out how to solve this issue. I ended up spreading out the workload more. I know students have lives outside of school, and I really wish all teachers understood that.”

    Lastly, I interviewed a teacher who said that she leaves resources for students in easily accessible places, such as Canvas. This helps students feel more comfortable to reach out without feeling like they’re put on blast. 

    Ideas for the Future:

    From personal experience, and after discussing with students, I feel that mental health can have detrimental impacts on students. I am beyond thankful that there are teachers that I know I could always go to if I were struggling, but a big issue is that not every teacher is as open with their students. I hope that we can advertise student mental health more. For example, student council can mention months such as Suicide Prevention Month (September) and Mental Health Awareness Month (May). This would help many students feel less alone in the internal battles they fight. As students we will do our part, and we hope teachers can join alongside us.

  • Dodgers World series Champions

    Los Angeles Dodgers
    Back To Back
    The Los Angeles Dodgers are 2025 back to back champions. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2025 season focused on building a dominate starting rotation and continuing their powerful offense to win their second consecutive World series. The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the 2025 MLB Playoffs with a “must-win” and “all-in” mentality, laser-focused on repeating as World Series champions after winning the title the previous year. It would be extremely difficult for the Dodgers to win a back, to back, to back championship because wining one is hard enough and repeating is even harder. Making it a three peat would be one of the rarest and most impressive accomplishments in modern baseball history.
    The Dodgers have a high chance on winning next years world series and making it a three peat because there defense is very good and their bullpen will be even better than this year. Manager Dave Roberts said that “ we are focused on working our bullpen right now due to the fact of some of our players injured half of the season and we will have them healthy and ready for the 2026 off season”.
    A Long Beach Poly freshman, Santiago A Gonzales who is in Polys CIC pathway and is on Polys freshman baseball team said, “ I was expecting the Dodgers to make it to the world series and also they spent a ton of money on buying players that it would be sad if they lost”. Santiago also stated that, “ I was over joyed with happiness when the Dodgers won the World series back to back because it is a very hard accomplishment and the Dodgers are a very talented”. Santiago finally stated that “ It is possible for the Dodgers to win a three peat tittle because they usually make it to the playoffs so I would Imagine that the Dodgers would win another one because of there players this year”. it is very clear that the Dodgers have a very high chance on winning another championship.
    2025 World Series Champions
    November 25, 2025
    Athlon Sports
    ESPN
  • Summer’s New Album: Bops or Flops?

    Summer’s New Album: Bops or Flops?

     

    Summer Walker dropped her second studio album Still Over It on November 5 for the world to listen to and some people have mixed feelings about it. 

    Many people had very high hopes and expectations for this album, as her debut album Over It was a success all over the world. With major past hits like “Girls Need Love” and “Playing Games,” people were expecting Still Over It to have no skips and be filled with heartbreaking ballads as well as some cute love songs. 

    The lead single of this album was called “Ex For a Reason,” and featured the City Girls. It helped set the tone of the album, as the album was full of breakup songs and sad melodies. When the full album was released people listened to it with excitement, as they had waited two years for a new album from Walker to drop. After listening to the album some people have expressed their disappointment, while many others have expressed their love for the collection of songs. 

    Sophomore MEDS student Cheyenne Clark says that she loved the album, as she can tie some of it into experiences she’s had. She said, “My favorite songs would be ‘Insane, No Love,’ and ‘Closure,’ those being the songs that really hit me because they’re about healing or the after effects of a break-up.”

    Madison Williams, a CIC sophomore, said she had “been waiting for her to drop an album for a while” and had set “high expectations for the album.” She said that Walker definitely reached them. Her favorite song off of it is “Insane,” A song about the feeling of going crazy over a significant other’s own actions. 

    On the contrary, PACE senior Brie Lao said, “All the songs sound the same, just like on Summer’s last album. The song’s are okay, but there is nothing really good about this album.” She isn’t alone in this opinion, in fact on a poll taken from local students, 24% of people said that they did not like Walker’s album, or that it wasn’t that good. Still, this album is loved by 76% of students polled at Poly.  

    Walker has been a prominent female RnB artist since the release of her first official collection of songs titled Last Day of Summer in October of 2018. She has a strong fan base of teenage and young adult girls, who find comfort in her music and find ways to relate to her lyrics. Still Over It was a highly anticipated album and is having a large amount of commercial success. Overall, this album is loved and Walker’s next album will be as well. 

  • 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.

     

  • Boredom Strikes: What to do when class is over?

    This school year has already been different from anything students have ever experienced. Most students start school at 7:50 am. We wake up to open our computer sometimes not even getting ready for the day. For the first time in its history, the Long Beach Unified School District is forced into homeschooling across the entire district.  For seniors this school year is new to them in many ways with the responsibility of applying to colleges, scholarships or finding a job. With school being online and ending a bit earlier for most seniors, the remainder of the day goes to homework. Even after doing homework and some studying there is still time in the day that can be filled by doing many activities. Have you been active? Have you been eating because you’re bored? Have you been sleeping your days away? Here are a few safe ways to fill your days during the pandemic:

     

    • After classes go on a walk or run

    A 30 minutes walk or run through your neighborhood or the closest park(with a mask) may be just enough activity you desire. 30 minutes of activity is just the start of creating healthy habits. If you wish to start working out there are many free personal trainer videos on YouTube and websites that can help you begin your journey at home and at your own pace.

     

    • Make breakfast/ learn how to cook your favorite meal?

    There are many YouTube videos as well as cooking shows that can be streamed to help you discover new meals to cook. You can also find blogs giving detailed steps on the food you are trying to create.

     

    • Bake desserts

    On Netflix there are a number of baking series available giving insight on different desserts and how to make them. If you don’t have access to cooking shows there are always YouTube videos you can watch as well. You can also be creative and create your own sweet treat using your favorite ingredients and prior skills.

     

    • Try different hairstyles

    Although many people will not get to see your hairstyle getting up and trying a different look builds confidence and may change your mood. YouTube and Pinterest have some of the best ideas for new hairstyles.

     

    • Paint or draw 

    Painting and drawing always helps me express myself. If you feel as if you’re not artistic whatsoever then this isn’t the activity for you. Painting and drawing can be time consuming and expensive if you are dedicated. Supplies can be found at a local drug store, 99 cent store and art and crafts stores such as Michaels. Getting your emotions down on paper can be a therapeutic experience called art therapy, different colors, styles and texture can inflict certain types of emotions and even relief. In art there are no mistakes, anything you make is beautiful. 

     

    • Discover different diets 

    There are many ways you can start healthy eating habits. Blogs and YouTube can be essential tools to your new journey. Here’s a helpful link to a blog I used when I began my Keto diet: 

    https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/essential-guide-to-healthy-eating/

     

    • Discover new movies or shows 

    There are many ways to watch movies or series either way it can be streamed through various apps. If you sign up for subscriptions for at least $9 a month each you can have access to Netflix, Hulu, HBO, STARZ and for a few dollars more you can subscribe to Disney Plus. All of these streaming apps include  original shows and  movies and a variety of popular movies and series from various networks. There are also movies that are and able to rent that can be streamed through YouTube. My personal favorite shows at the moment are Hannibal, One on One, Sister Sister, Moesha and Grand Army, which can be found on Netflix.

     

  • My Braces Experience

    My Braces Experience

    I feel at some point everyone wanted to have braces whether you needed them or not. Prior to me having braces, I would see people with them, and I never really realized that these people were having their teeth moved by it every single day. 

     

    Before I get into my experience with having them I wanna give a brief explanation of what braces are. Braces have different parts to it, so first brackets (this is what holds your wire) are glued to every tooth, then you start with a thin wire  placed to go through each bracket, your wire is what is moving your teeth. Braces wires come in different thicknesses, you usually start with a thin wire, and upgrade to a thicker one little by little then the wire us attached to the bracket by rubber bands, which are your choice of color. Then every month you MUST go in for a check up where they change your color bands (may switch to different colors) and the bands may be smaller making your braces tighter, which makes your teeth move a bit faster, and you may also get a new wire, but that depends on how much your teeth has moved since your last check up. Braces straighten your teeth, and also fixes your jaw, over bite, and under bite.

     

    Now I have had my braces for about 4 months now and let me tell you something… these braces have a lot more maintenance than I thought! 

     

    So first thing I had to do was go in for a consultation where they see if you can benefit from braces treatment. The next thing they do is fix anything with your teeth, for example, one of my teeth had a root canal so before I got my braces they had to get that removed and I also had a small hole in my tooth that they had to fill. After all that is done they sized my teeth to add molar bands (brackets on your molars but wrapped around the tooth instead of just in front). After that the next appointment is when you get your full set of braces. 

     

    Now I was really excited to get these braces – I been waiting forever to get my teeth straighten – but what I didn’t realize was the maintenance that came with braces. Literally ANYTHING you eat will get stuck in your braces and it’s not easy to get the food out. I always have to rinse out my mouth after I eat. And within the four months I’ve had braces, I’ve broken four brackets total off my teeth, which you have to go in and get redone. I have also had my wire come out on the ends many times, which you also have to go in and get placed back in, if your wire comes out at the ends your braces will NOT work. 

     

    And going in every month is a lot too, when you go in every month they tighten your braces, so you feel some pressure on your teeth for about two days and if you miss appointments your braces won’t work because you didn’t go get the adjustments you need. Also if you miss your monthly appointment that adds another month to your braces treatment. Braces has also changed what I eat, I try to stay away from hard foods because it’s better than breaking off your brackets and that’s hard for me because I like crunchy foods.  

     

    It has also affected my night routine. In order to keep my teeth clean and white, I brush my teeth for 10 minutes each night, which is a long time to be brushing your teeth, not saying 10 minutes is needed but you know I gotta keep these teeth nice and white and especially since you gotta get in between your braces. You’re also supposed to floss every night which is difficult to do cause you have to go in between your braces before even being about to floss, but I went ahead and purchased myself a water floss to make it easier, it’s like a water gun that constantly shoot out water to clean out the food from in between your braces and teeth. This replaces regular flossing completely and it’s way faster. 

    But the results in my teeth in just four months are amazing!  The before and after pictures of my teeth show you the results: p

     

     

  • 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.

     

  • New Dog in Town

    New Dog in Town

    Kelly Rodriguez, center, with Zion, left, and King, right.

    This is Zion, my dog. The small dog is my sister’s dog, named King. We are going to talk about King first. We got King when he was two weeks old. My mom got him from my grampa for $50. We have had him for two years now. He´s really smart and we don´t have to put a leash on him. Also, we never trained King or Zion.

     

    Zion is a really good dog. We got him when he was two months old. Zion was my brother’s dog at first. My brother’s name is James. He paid $400 for Zion he was supposed to pay 800, but my tia’s girlfriend was friends with the girl who sold Zion to us. James and I agreed that I would take care of Zion when he’s at work.

    Zion when he was a puppy.

    So I took care of Zion and my brother would come home and not give him any attention because he was tired and Zion would make a lot of mess, so my brother decided he wants to sell him and my mom was okay with it because she doesn’t want him. After all, he’s going to grow big but I told both of them no I’ll keep him since I take care of him more than my brother since he’s always working. My mom said no I can´t keep him but I begged her to let me keep him and she said okay.

     

    Now Zion is seven months. He’s a husky mixed with a   german shepherd. Zion still makes a lot of mess. I walk him every day for like 30 minutes or less. I take him everywhere with me because my mom doesn´t want him in the house. Sometimes when I try to go somewhere I can´t because of him since my mom doesn´t want to babysit him, so I just stay home or try to figure out something.

    Zion is in the festive Halloween spirit.

    Zion is an indoor dog because I live in an apartment and my neighbor has other dogs outside and they don´t want Zion close to their dog because he’s big so I try to take him out when I go somewhere.

     

    Zion loves meeting new people and kids, he is so nice to them. One day we went to the dog beach and he lay down next to someone and tried to hug them – I got a little jealous.

     

    Zion is my whole world, the only one who makes me happy. Also, dogs are better than people.

     

    Kelly Rodriguez with Zion.

  • 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.

  • Humans of Quarantine: Chilling, Exhausted, and Not Missing the Beach

    Humans of Quarantine: Chilling, Exhausted, and Not Missing the Beach

    “Lately I have been feeling extremely exhausted and overwhelmed by not only school and distance-learning, but from my community being torn apart and all over the place from past/recent tragedies.”
    —Mahogani Sogules-Corbin

     

    “Quarantine just means I don’t have to worry as much about wearing sunscreen.”
    —Sophia DelBello

    Reymar Santos, High Life Staff Writer: “This is my Uncle Eddie, he’s been chilling and pushing through this quarantine and he said, ‘Make the most of the time spent with your family because that is all that we can do. Enjoy life that’s it.’ “

    “Life WAS like a box of chocolates, but now its as uneventful as a Kit Kat Bar from the 99¢ store.”
    —Christian Gisborne