Photos by David Moore & Phoenix Jones
Tag: Long Beach Polytechnic High School Newspaper
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College Ready?
One of Poly’s specialties, besides sports, is academics and preparing students for the future. The College and Career Center is in room 801, and all students are welcome any day of the week.
Career Center Supervisor Sylvia Womack is there to help students in all areas from looking for jobs and internships to winning scholarships. College advisor Chidi Agu at the center is available to answer any questions regarding the college-application process.
If students cannot go to the center during school hours, they have the opportunity to visit Poly’s school loop website for more information on upcoming open houses, internships, and college visits.
Agu stated a positive of the College and Career Center.
“The biggest advantage of the center is having assistance figuring out which way to go after high school because there is so many ways you can go,” Agu said.
Since it’s the season for seniors to start planning their futures, the center is offering information on helpful programs like the Leadership Academy Mentoring Program (LAMP), the college and career exploration night at the CSULB pyramid on November 1, the college fair taking place in Lakewood, and important test dates.
College advisor Khtija Kat explained what the purpose of the center is.
“Our main goal is to help all of our students whether you are a freshman or a senior getting ready to graduate,” Kat said. “It’s to help you graduate and have a bright future, so that way you don’t graduate and not know what is going to happen.”
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Calling All Engineers
The robotics competition is a club that meets in room 809, Mrs. Echerri’s class. The students meet every Friday during lunch.
There is no need for experience. However, the club does involve different committees, so there are many aspects to work on. The club welcomes all grade levels and all academies.
Although the competition is not until March, there is a six and a half week pre-season that leads up to the games.
The robots vary from 80-120 pounds typically and can range anywhere from three feet to six feet depending on the game rules.
Senior Thena Guttieri is currently the president of the robotics club, and she explained that she is looking to pass her leadership role for the next season after she graduates.
Senior Sovannrat Hul said, “It’s a great opportunity, and you get to learn how to work in teams.”
According to Mrs. Echerri, being a part of robotics club is also a great opportunity for students who are striving to become engineers.
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What in the World?!?
Saturday, September 23- The World
The end of humanity on Earth did not come to an end like research scientist David Meade said it would.
Tuesday, September 26- Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Foreign ministry announced that women over 18 years old will be able to drive this June 2018.
Thursday, September 28- Bali and Vanuatu
The two islands of Bali and Vanuatu each have a volcano threatening citizens with potential to bring havoc. Both the volcanoes are located in the Pacific Ring of Fire and are expected to erupt around the same time. Nearly 144,000 people from Bali and 11,000 people from Vanuatu have been evacuated and being taken to safety– as of October 2.
Friday, September 29- Puerto Rico
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz spoke at a press conference. She states, “If anyone is out there listening to us, we are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency and bureaucracy.”
Saturday, September 30- United States
President Donald Trump responded to Cruz’s statement. He tweeted, “Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort.”
Sunday, October 1- Las Vegas, Nevada
64-year-old Nevada native Stephen Paddock shot and killed 59 people– as of October 2– from his hotel room on the 32nd floor at the Mandalay Bay.
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The Parking Fiasco
Poly’s baseball parking lot underwent a much needed makeover during the summer. The district’s call for this remodel was long overdue, according to assistant Activities Director Virginia Agredano-Perez, who stated that she couldn’t recall the last time the lot was worked on.
The renovation included a new walkway along the baseball field, which provided an easier way for pedestrians to move across the lot if necessary and for drivers to get to their cars. However, what was not implemented in the new structure’s plan was a drop-off zone for parents.
The amount of students that get dropped off outweighs those that can drive themselves. Each morning on Jackrabbit Lane, 15th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Street is a nightmare with these parents blocking the road. How are students expected to be on time to class when the traffic stops them from parking immediately when arriving at school?
Senior Kayla Gibson states that, “in order to comfortably get a parking spot, [she] has to get to school early.” Gibson, who parks on M.L.K. Street everyday, was unable to get a parking permit, another downside to the lot’s “improvement”. The total amount of permits distributed this school year was 173, around eighteen less than the total available last year.
“I don’t understand why they got rid of a whole row of spots,” senior Katie Pream pointed out, noticing the decrease in spots did not ease the difficulty faced when leaving school.
With the decrease in spots, students have to resort to parking on M.L.K. Jr. Street, 15th Street, and even 17th Street. An issue with parking on the street is twice a week street sweeping eliminates parking spots. Last school year, the times changed to 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Gibson explained that the change in street-sweeping days has been extremely inconvenient, and she has seen students running late to class from having trouble finding parking spots on those two days.
Photo by David Moore -
Recycle Now!
Facts are important, extremely important. When Intensive Studies teacher Tonia Schwichtenberg voiced the controversy surrounding Poly’s recycling program, it was apparent that there were many misunderstandings.
During certain periods of the day, students with intellectual disabilities can be seen picking up and recycling bottles and cans.
The point Schwichtenberg has been trying to get across is that the students participating in this program are choosing to participate.
“It’s a school-wide program that is their choice to be a part of,” Schwichtenberg said. “It is NOT trash pick up. I need everybody to understand that.”
To clear up any confusion and end the recycling program’s negative connotation, a list of facts was included and discussed by Schwichtenberg herself.Schwichtenberg’s List of Facts:
1. The program is not a trash pick up. The students recycle cans and bottles, and it is called Recycle Now.
2. Recycle Now was designed by and for students who have intellectual disabilities.
3. Students involved in Recycle Now use the bottles and cans recycled each day to create reusable products, such as backpacks and rulers.
4. Recycle Now is a paid job for students who are interested.
5. Students that choose to be a part of the program have to go through an application process to be picked for the position. 6. Schwichtenberg and her students began Recycle Now around 19 years ago and have proven the success of the program each day. The students that have this job recycle around 3,000 pounds of bottles and cans on the Poly campus each year, and Recycle Now has been honored with various awards from the City.Recycle Now has been beneficial for students with disabilities, and the program will continue to thrive. There is always more than what meets the eye.
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What in the World???
Record-Breaking Earthquakes
Hurricane Harvey and Irma have been all the talk in the United States press and media. Still today, residents of Florida and Texas are losing everything because of the natural disasters.
However, Mexico has been dealing with two of its most destructive earthquakes in the country’s history.
After the Category 1 hurricane, Katia, struck eastern Mexico, the southern coast felt the brunt of the strongest earthquake in 100 years for the country, according to Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto. The earthquake had a magnitude of 8.1, and ABC news announced on September 11 that 96 citizens have died.
Chiapas and Oaxaca were the most affected states of Mexico by the quake because of how close the two states were to the earthquake’s epicenter. Around 5,000 homes were destroyed in Chiapas, and 11,000 homes were destroyed in Oaxaca.
To make matters worse, a tsunami warning has been issued to citizens because of the increase in ocean-wave size.
More recently, on September 19, Mexico City was struck with a 7.1 earthquake.
Unfortunately, it was on Septe
mber 19 that Mexico City was honoring those that died on that day in 1985. In 1985, an 8.1 earthquake struck Mexico City killing around 6,000 citizens. 32 years later, the 7.1 earthquake shook Mexico City for a second time.
Citizens had to be evacuated from buildings and into the streets because of the endless destruction. After a couple of hours, the City announced that the earthquake had already killed 100 people and destroyed multiple buildings.
To help those affected by this earthquake in Mexico City, visit the Red Cross Mexico.
*Information from ABC, CNN, and The LA Times was used for the creation of this article.*
Hurricane Dogs
Hurricane Harvey has been tormenting Houston citizens and their families for weeks now. What about the animals left behind?
On September 5, Southwest Airlines created a system to fly homeless animals from the destruction and wreck Hurricane Harvey to safety.
The animal shelters in Houston were overpopulated with homeless dogs and cats that were left behind during the hurricane. Southwest Airlines came up with a plan to help.
The airlines teamed with an animal shelter in San Diego, California to transport the homeless animals from Houston to the San Diego shelter.
Around 60 cats and dogs were rescued and brought to safety in San Diego.
The animals that were transported are now being taken care of at the San Diego shelter, Helen Woodland Animal Center.
*Information from Today News was used for the creation of this article.*
Cholera Outbreak in Northeast Nigeria
Cholera is a disease that infects foods and drinking water, and once these are contaminated and consumed, the individual can be killed within a few hours without treatment.
A cholera outbreak has contaminated and infected individuals near northeast Nigeria dwelling in camps run by the organization, Boko Haram.
The Boko Haram is a militant Islamic group in Nigeria.
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, is where the outbreak began. However, the disease has spread to neighboring towns such as Monguno and Dikwa.
Professionals have been travelling to northeast Nigeria to help cure those infected by cholera and give vaccines to citizens to protect them from the disease.
Already, 2,600 people have been infected by cholera, and 48 individuals have died.
Professionals and workers from Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) have been campaigning to vaccinate the people of northeast Nigeria, and if carried through, the vaccine will be given to 900,000 people for this week.
*Information from Thomson Reuters Foundation News was used for the creation of this article.*
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Who Cares? Poly Peer Counselors Cares
Do you ever feel like you need to talk to someone about something that’s bothering you or you just want to get it off your chest?
Poly has a place where students can do exactly that, and it is called the CARE Center in room 205. Mr. Gray is the counselor, and the hours are from 7:30 AM to 1 PM Monday through Friday.
Students can go there for personal concerns, family problems, academic problems, to improve relationships in school or at home, child abuse, sexual abuse, depression, self harm, suicidal thoughts, student-athlete issues, or anything they are struggling with.
If students need help, they can tell their teacher during class, and get a pass to the CARE Center. The center is not an excuse to get out of class. Other options, besides going to the center during class, is to go during nutrition or lunch.
Counseling groups consist of personal development, stress and anxiety, and grief and loss. It also has groups to help support parents and teachers.
“If a student is ever scared to go to the CARE Center, you should know that everything you talk about in there is completely confidential,” Senior Lily Brossus said. “No one will know what you share, not your parents, friends, or teachers. It’s a safe environment, and if you have problems, I encourage people to go if they need help.”
The CARE Center is a safe place, and Poly students are encouraged to go seek help. All of the counselors are supportive, and the center helps approximately 1,500 students each year.
“Everyone should know that it’s okay to talk about your problems, because us peer counselors are students at Poly just like all the kids who come in,” Senior Zenita Leang stated. “We’ve experienced things like some of the people who come in.”
“It’s a really safe place where you can meet new people who really care about you and want to help you with your problems or whatever you have going on in your life that’s bothering you,” senior Abby Rubin explained.
The CARE Center has helped people with all kinds of problems, no matter how big or small. The counselors are there to listen, give advice, and guide students while they are struggling. They are also there to make students feel better and like they are cared about.
“As a freshman and sophomore, I learned that the CARE Center was a place where you could go for help,” Leang said. “I realized that it’s a very useful and valuable resource to have and it was something I wanted to be part of to help fellow students out and make them feel better.”
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Summer Bummer
Most people have a favorite season, especially when choosing between the polar opposites summer and winter. A good majority of students prefer the sunny, school-free former over the cold, depressing latter.
But as for me, well… I just do not know. I am not the type of person to be going out everyday, but at the same time I can relate to the feeling of being over school just as much as the next person.
However, I have now gotten to the point where I’m not completely sure I agree with the majority, because like many people I know, without school my weekdays are pretty bare of plans.
I am Mexican, so that means I am going to be getting up just to clean and turn on my loud banda songs and after that, I’ll only be sitting on the couch eating – which is not good because of the huge amount of weight I will inevitably gain.
On the bright side, my stress levels will experience a plummet that mirrors the Xcelerator ride at Knotts, and my sleep habits will return to normal, aka hibernation. So, I guess summer shouldn’t be too bad.
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Plastic Wrap Couples Be Like:
I hate clingy relationships soooo much.
For instance, when you are no longer able to hang out with a friend because they’re with a new person who is practically controlling their lives.
I can’t even list on two hands the amount of friends I have lost because they got in a weird relationship which consumed their lives (ok fine, I might be exaggerating, but you get the picture).
Then of course, after they break up they all of a sudden are able to hang out with the ones they left friendless and abandoned, as if nothing ever happened, as if they’ve done more than wave hey to you in passing! Ha, haha, – I don’t think so!
Nope, not today sister! Why not go crawling back to your boyfriend – you know, the one you left us for? Oh, what’s that?… you say it didn’t work out? We are in high school sweetie. I could’ve predicted that!
Especially now during my senior year when I see clingy behavior between people who won’t live in the same time zone in about three months. Sorry not sorry! They are, and I say this with 99.99% certainty, NOT the love of your life. In fact I bet $20 you will not even talk to each other 10 years from now.
So, to the people who ditched their friends for ‘soulmates’ throughout high school and have found themselves without a companion in sight, I say this: LOL.
But seriously, your lover isn’t the only person in your life who loves you, so act like it.
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Can’t Break Away from Kimmy Schmidt!
“Unbreakable, they alive dammit!” These are the opening lyrics of the theme for the hilarious Netflix series, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt written by Tina Fey that get my heart racing. That combined with the upbeat drum and the swat team member’s hand that seems to pop out of the screen reaching towards me makes me fall in love again with each episode!
No, I am not crazy. But the characters in one of the greatest shows to ever be filmed certainly are. Each season of the comedy contains 13 episodes, and while some are over in a flash, others seem more extravagant in production and hilarious as you go on.
The first season took me about a month to fully watch (twice) and digest. Then, they made me wait a full year to finally continue onto the second season, which satisfied my itch after an intense cliffhanger.
After I finished the second season, which felt at most two seconds long and ended on another monumental cliff-hanger, I had to wait another year for season three! Obviously, you can tell how dedicated I am to this show.
Why? Because each season introduces new love interests, hilariously outrageous conflicts, and a Titus Andromedon music video.
In my opinion, the third season was the funniest out of the three because in seasons past, not all of the characters were equally funny. Titus would usually be the only one whose jokes made me LOL. But thankfully, everyone has material that makes not only me, but my family as well, laugh.
So here’s the low-down [SPOILER ALERT!]: Titus covers songs from Beyonce’s Lemonade album like “Hold Up” and “All Night” after breaking up with his first love and getting scurvy. Kimmy goes to traffic school to become a crossing guard but can’t because she is married to her kidnapper and Lillian becomes the local representative and falls in love with the guy whose reputation and career she is trying to destroy. And Jacqueline gets married to her comatose boyfriend and changes the Redskins offensive name and logo.
This is also the season with the most innuendos referring to real-life conflicts such as unwanted deurbanization, racism in sports leagues, and the many definitions and practices of feminism in college.
Overall, despite the final cliff hanger of Kimmy getting an amazing job at a new successful business, I think this season was a complete success, even if Nia disagrees with me.
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Another Michael Jackson Article
Yay, I get to write another article about Michael Jackson! Anyone who knows me knows that I love Michael Jackson.
I love him more than the casual listener, and more than I probably should. That being said, whenever anything new comes out that is MJ-related, I’m one of the first to know. On memorial day, Lifetime premiered the film Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland. It was based on the book Remember the Time by Jackson’s former bodyguards Bill Whitfield and Javon Beard.
Now, I read the book and it was fine. I’ve read a lot of books written by people who’ve claimed to be close friends of Michael. When reading or watching things like that, I always take it with a grain of salt.
Everyone thinks that he’s the one who was closest to Michael.(Even Conrad Murray in his stupid book that nobody asked for!) Everyone claims he is the only one Michael could turn to.
It’s funny, a lot of people said this and yet, he died alone and went through his court trials with almost no support from his so-called friends. I’m sure that parts of the story were true, but most of it seemed like complete BS.
When I heard that Michael was getting a Lifetime movie, I knew they were going to try to get the audience to feel sympathy for him. It was going to be very dramatic and I was going to end up crying. I mean, it’s Lifetime for goodness sake. They casted the Michael Jackson impersonator, Navi, to play him.
I’ve heard of Navi and had watched some videos of him online, and Lifetime casting him as the love of my life brought about three problems.
Navi is British. He is British and he cannot hide his accent. So when he’s performing, he barely talks for this very reason.
Navi is NOT an actor. Michael Jackson was way too emotional for his own good. How can we expect someone to properly portray one of the iconic musicians of all time during his most controversial periods when the guy playing him isn’t even an actor!?!
Michael wouldn’t approve. A movie was made about Michael in the 90s and they were considering a non-black actor to portray him. Upon hearing this, Michael became furious and reportedly shut down the production. If this movie was really about honoring Michael, they should have respected his wishes, or even better, not have made it.
The movie itself wasn’t all that, but it really wasn’t too bad either. And if you don’t know that much about Michael Jackson, it is definitely worth the watch.
The Michael Jackson estate didn’t really approve, and his family hasn’t publicly said anything positive or negative about it. But I can’t fully support anything the family doesn’t.
I suggest reading the book instead to really see the side of Michael they try to show. Michael Jackson was an amazing person and people should just stop trying to squeeze every last penny they can out of him. The man has been dead for over seven years!
Let my husband rest.