Last year in January a show on Netflix was released called Sex Education. The show is about a socially awkward high school student, Otis, who has no experience in “making love” but is advanced in the knowledge of the subject because his invasive mother, Jean, is a sex therapist.
Otis is uncomfortable about the entire topic of sex yet is surrounded by it every day. People in his school found out about his mother being a sex therapist and Otis then decides to use his knowledge to gain popularity and social status a school.
He starts an underground sex therapy clinic with a rebel girl named Maeve. Otis provides advice and correct information to lost and misinformed students, while Maeve, collects the money and scouts for people. As their business progresses, new problems arise within their personal lives.
Otis’s best friend, Eric, becomes jealous of the newfound relationship between Otis and Maeve, Otis’ mother tries to force a relationship between them but also begins a secret relationship with a local plumber, his dad isn’t around and he is occasionally frustrated because of it. Maeve lives alone at a trailer park, her family is full of junkies and is left to fend for herself she, she begins a relationship with the most popular athlete at their school and doesn’t feel like she’s good enough, and her addicted brother returns to town and stirs things up in their business and at school.
Overall Otis and Maeve build a strong bond throughout this time but never fully express how they feel. The new season was released recently showing the aftermath of the drama in the previous season and the supporting character’s stories and their development through the season were brought to light.
In my opinion, this show is very informative and also controversial being that it shows an inside view of a portion of a teen’s life. The show is very relevant to teenagers and adults in this day and age showing how people of different ages, backgrounds, sexual preferences, and gender, react to certain situations and their views on the topic of sex at a young or older age.
The show is humorous, inappropriate and relatable. Many people can relate to many emotional obstacles and struggles within the show. This show is interesting and worth watching. I would recommend this show to anyone at Poly looking for a good laugh and interesting situations.
Tag: Long Beach Poly
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“Sex Education”
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“Yummy” more like “Yucky”
It’s 2020: the start of a new decade, new year, and a new generation of pop culture.
I would’ve liked to think, given how many decent popular albums that were coming out as the previous decade was coming to a close, that we would start this year off with a bang – have a second “roaring 20s” for music.
But just as he did in 2010, Justin Bieber has to step in and ruin it for everyone. We started off the 2010s with Bieber, and we’re stuck with him again. “Yummy,” released on January 3, was the first big pop song to drop in 2020, and it sets a bad rap for the other pop artists getting ready to release their next albums.
It’s easy to forget the verses, what with their mumbled lyrics and outdated trends, but once the chorus kicks back in with the repetition of “Yeah, you got that yummy yummy yummy,” you are overcome with the urge to scratch your eyes out. Bieber is trying so hard to be cool, but the choice of a word as silly as “yummy” makes him seem more like a prepubescent tween than a 25 year-old man releasing his 38th single. It’s a load of meaningless crap designed to infuse itself in your brain like a drug you can’t withdraw from.
There should be no surprise – the attitude isn’t much different than one of his earlier singles, “Baby.” But still least that song had the sense to have melodic differences. “Yummy” couldn’t even manage to give a proper ending over than that last repetition of the chorus. And that lack of an ending is exactly what describes the song. It has nothing to say. There is no point, no meaning, no other reason than to release a song.
If this is the sound that we have to start off the new decade with, I pray that the new generation doesn’t have to live with this is their ears from the moment they can remember anything. But just wait – soon enough it’ll be playing in every clothing store, restaurant and grocery store, and it’ll be burned into our minds forever. -
“Hiccups”, a Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese fusion restaurant
Hiccups is a restaurant located at 1946 N Lakewood Blvd Long Beach, CA 90815 which offers a wide variety of milk teas, smoothies, fruity teas, and slushies. They also have many different types of food from different Asian cultures to choose from.
As you walk into the restaurant you would instantly notice the aesthetic interior decor they have which makes the small restaurant look pleasing to the eye. But because it is small, I imagine that when it does get crowded, the restaurant will get packed rather quickly. There are also not many tables which would make it hard for you to find a seat when it’s packed which was the problem I had when I went.
Their service could use some work with paying more attention and interacting more with their customers and the wait time for the food to be done took longer than expected around 25 or 30 minutes.
Their bite-sized popcorn chicken is crispy and seasoned well. Another thing when combined with the sweet and sour sauce (provided with the order) it gives the chicken a nice sweet and savory flavor.
The Beef Pho was a little disappointing taste-wise. The beef included in the pho was well cooked and also gave a bit more flavor to the broth but the broth itself was a little bland. I also did not like the type of flavor the herbs added to it.
The Boba Thai Tea had a great sweet taste to it just like you would expect a Thai tea to taste like and the boba had a soft texture to it which brought it all together. They did add in more ice than what I had originally asked but it was ok.
Hiccups seems to be a nice place to meet up with friends or family to order some food. They have a good selection of drinks and a good variety of different dishes to try out. Some of the food might not appeal to everyone but they are still worth eating the others types of the other food that they offer. -
Poetry Slam!
January 16th at 6:30 pm was Long Beach Poly’s annual Poetry Slam at the Poly Playhouse directed by Drama Director Linda Bon.
In the beginning and throughout the show students from the Poly Jazz program performed a Jazz combo. The excellent musicians were Ben Rifkin on Trumpet, Shogo Ellefson on Bass, Nathan Greer on Drums and Nathan Mai on Alto Sax.
The panel of judges consisted of Daryl Holmlund, an English teacher at Long Beach Poly, advisor for the High Life student newspaper and serving his 5th year as a Slam judge, Gwen Larsen, an English teacher at Long Beach Poly who is a supporter of Poly’s artistic community, Andrew Shrout, an improv coach for the Long Beach Unified School District who takes his experiences from teaching, Peter Seng, a Poly senior student that stepped in for judge Angelina Taylor who was the winner of last years slam with her compelling poem,” Up Until Now”, and Jenna Webb a 5th year teacher at Long Beach Poly.
“I truly enjoyed being able to hear these stories that students had to tell,” said Webb, “they were honest, vulnerable, and brave. I know that I could never be courageous enough myself to be so open and exposed, yet these students were able to do so- and they were able to do it so eloquently.”
There were 5 categories: Identify, Mental States, Love and Loss, Injustice and Mixed Bag.
The Jazz Combo played , “There Will Never Be Another You” and “Wave” during the show.
Taylor McEachin won with her astonishing poem “How to be a good girlfriend,” which showcased how self love is the first step to loving someone else. Briana Mendez-padilla won 2nd place with her heartfelt poem about body image standards titled “Image” and Mariah De Vera winning 3rd place with her poem “Keats”. -
Dancers Bust a Move (Photo Gallery)
On November 7th, Poly’s dance program held their annual winter dance show at the Andrew Osman Performing Arts Center. Featuring choreographies by Cynthia Negrete, the event showcased performances from Poly’s Dance Team as well as Negrete’s dance classes.
Photos by Nick Eismann, Contributing Photographer
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“She Kills Monsters” Killing it at the Poly Playhouse
On November 14, 15, and 16 the Poly Playhouse presented their play “She Kills Monsters.” An action packed comedy which still managed to touch upon serious subjects, “She Kills Monsters” is a breath of fresh air amidst a stressful college season.
The play, put on by Mrs. Bon’s Play Production class, starred Gabby Kaiser as Agnes, an “average girl with an average face living an average life,” and Audrey Moor as Tilly, Agnes’ geeky little sister who died in a car crash and a renowned Dungeons and Dragons master.
Agnes and Tilly were never close while Tilly lived, both sisters being polar opposites and Agnes having a tendency to be ashamed of Tilly, a scenario which may be relatable to the audience. After her sister’s death, Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons and Dragons notebook, containing a game scenario she created.
Realizing there is much more about Tilly she does not know, Agnes seeks help from Chuck, a “dungeon master” who will lead her through a D&D journey in an attempt to understand the complex younger sister she never took the time to get to know.
Filled with cheerleading demon girls, an aggressive fairy, bugbears and a cube of slime which eerily talks like her boyfriend, Agnes is in for the time of her life as she explores the universe her sister has created and often found refuge in.
Once in the game, Agnes meet’s Tilly’s character, Tillius the Paladin, a mix between the side of her she never showed and what she aspired to be. Agnes discovers things she never knew about her sister such as her sexuality or her being bullied.
“She Kills Monsters” targets different audiences. Firstly and most obvious, to the geeks and nerds who are fans of the game and understand what it’s like to be Tilly. This play does not mock them or make them the butt end of a joke but rather, divulges into their lives and explores their sentiments under the surface.
But you do not have to be a D&D expert to enjoy the play, the premise is explained quite clearly, and remember, Agnes does not have any prior knowledge of the game so the audience can learn along with her.
But the play was not only relatable to a teen audience, adults could get a kick out of the endless 90’s pop culture references.
Overall, “She Kills Monsters” was beautifully executed play and made the audience laugh, think and cry at some point. The acting was phenomenal and the set design and costumes really transported the audience to a world of fantasy. “She Kills Monsters” was well worth seeing and my condolences to those who missed it. -
Un”Boxing” The YouTube Match
Two popular Youtubers, Logan Paul and KSI (Olajide Olatunji), are set to fight their rematch on November 9 at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California. The two YouTube stars meet in a rematch of their highly anticipated amateur bout, which ended in a controversial majority draw.
According to Eddie Hearn, a reporter from the Independent, the pay-per view cost will be around £9.95 on Sky Sports Box Office and will also stream on Youtube. With KSI and Paul possessing a combined subscriber count of over 40m on YouTube, it would make sense to put the fight exactly where the fans are.
The first fight generated about 1.3 million pay-per view buys, a number expected to increase, according to experts, due to the hype of seeing these two powerful influencers go head to head once more.
During the build up of KSI vs Logan Paul, they held two press conferences, one outside of the Staples Centre, and the other in the UK. They exchanged a few harsh words with one another in order to promote the fight.
It’s the nature of boxing, but the tension between these two seems real. In recently uploaded videos posted on their channel and based on the press conference they look like they are both determined to knock each other out.
Since it is a professional bout this could be the start of a new career for each of them. “If they’re a professional fighter and they go 1-0, who knows!?” Hearn said, “I’m not looking at it for the future of their careers, I’m looking at it as a one off.” The fight is set to take place on November 9th in the Staples Centre live on pay-per view. -
Library Renamed In Honor Of Poly Alumni
On September 21, the Long Beach Public Library reopened its doors with an improved and renamed library. The now Billie Jean King Library held an opening ceremony with guest speakers such as Mayor Robert Garcia, council member Jeanine Pierce, among others as well as the tennis player and women’s right activist herself, Billie Jean King. King was greeted by an uproar of applause and proceeded to tell the story of how she would sleep with her tennis racquet and library books at night. The Poly alumni is fiercely loyal to Long Beach and hopes this new addition will be a helpful resource to the community.
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13 Reasons (More or Less) Why Season Three is Different
The Netflix drama, 13 Reasons Why, was released in late August of this year. Season two ended with the aftermath of Tyler’s school shooting attempt, and season three picked up after the incident eight months later. While the two previous seasons focused on the main character of the show, Hannah, season three focused on the death of one of the most frustrating and hated characters, Bryce.
The season starts out with Bryce missing after a huge brawl that took place during the homecoming game at Liberty High. Similar to seasons one and three, each episode analyzes one of a few of students at Liberty High and tries to make a connection between them and Bryce’s murder. Within 13 episodes, each of the suspects who were known to have issues with Bryce are interrogated.
This season was a bit heartbreaking as one of the most hated characters, Bryce (hated for his sexually abusive behaviors, the role he played in Hannah’s suicide and the harm he caused to several girls), is seen trying to right his wrongs and become a better person. The show almost has you rooting for Bryce until you are once again reminded of what horrible acts he has been responsible for. He was seen trying to become a better friend to all the people he once hurt and seeking help to change who he is. As the show unfolds, each character is guilty of his death.
Personally, I liked this season. I hated Bryce with every fiber of my being, but seeing him trying to get better was a reminder that people do have to ability to own up for their actions and actually want to change for the better. This show talks about real, raw topics such as bullying, rape, murder, and teenage social problems that are hardly addressed in the media nowadays. The show received backlash for some of the negative impacts it had, such as enabling suicidal tendencies in teens and for continuing the show. It is unknown if the show will be cleared for a fourth season but honestly, what would they even have to talk about?
