Tag: Long Beach Polytechnic High School Newspaper

  • Perfect Timing: A Love Story

    Perfect Timing: A Love Story

    Savanna was shy, but a very sweet girl. There was a huge party coming up and her friends practically begged her to go. After a while she finally gave in. When she got to the party she expected her friends to meet her, but they didn’t. She didn’t recognize a single person there.

    Eventually a group of strangers introduced themselves to her; most of them were guys but there was one that caught her attention. His name was Jeremy. When jeremy first met Savanna, he thought she was beyond beautiful , he was almost too shy to say hello. Jeremy and Savanna ended up talking the entire party. They opened up completely in a matter of moments. Nobody thought they were strangers; they felt as if they’ve always been one– they clicked. Time flew by and they found themselves apart going to different homes, without so much as each other’s digits.

    Weeks went by and Savanna would find herself wondering where Jeremy went. Was he thinking about her? One day all the girls were talking about some new guy in school and she wanted to see what it was all about. They bumped into each other, it was raining and she felt it. She knew she had finally found her Jeremy. Jeremy couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or not. This time he wasn’t going to let Savanna slip away. They hung at school everyday, constantly wondering if they each felt the same.

    Months went by and still neither of them would confess until one day Savanna found the courage to  finally tell Jeremy her feelings for him. Jeremy was walking on the air, he considered himself lucky to have such an amazing girl. She was his . He was hers. And they would never be alone again.

  • No Environmental Justice, No Peace

    My fellow People of Color are going through a struggle everyday, either it’s discrimination for the pigment of our skin, our culture, or our simple morals in life. When I think of the definition of environmental injustice, I automatically think of low income, impoverished communities, a variety of ethnicities, toxic dirty air, pollution all around, and nobody enforcing a law, regulations, or policies.

    My name is Michelle Casian. I am here coming to you as a Youth Organizer with Communities for a Better Environment. I am here as a Woman of Color and a front line community member saying that I stand against these unjust oil refineries that are a part of the breaking of treaties like No DAPL (Dakota Access Pipeline). I am living proof as someone who is fighting for my community against the oppressive powers that threaten to take the rights that everyone should be receiving.  At the end of the day, it shouldn’t matter about the color of your skin, your income, or anything you identify as. You have the human right to clean air, water, and soil.

    One thing I witness everyday is having to carry a burden that our communities have to deal with. We live next to a very industrial city that is heavily oil influenced. We’re next to one of the largest oil refineries on the West Coast (Tesoro) and the largest oil drilling site west of the Mississippi River. We deal with our air being so polluted that it puts us at a higher risk of getting cancer, asthma, and other diseases. You’ll never see an oil refinery located in the backyard of someone’s home in Beverly Hills, but we have to deal with a whole block of oil refineries in the very backyard of residents in Wilmington, CA, and we have to assume that that’s totally normal? Either way, if these oil companies actually tried to go put a refinery in a community like Malibu, everyone would lose their mind. That community would demand to get that refinery covered up or gone for good, and based off of their income, they’ll get their wishes granted, which has happened in the past. What I’m trying to say is, why is it acceptable that a local community like Wilmington has to deal with this, but other folks don’t?

    This is an example of environmental racism. Some people can’t seem to get the hint that the environment is a serious problem, and especially for lower income communities. People have grown so used to getting treated badly that they think these situations are totally normal. We have a requirement to inform those who are not aware of this injustice and to fight for our right to clean air, water, and soil.

  • Songs About Loving

    1. “Silly Love Songs” by Wings

    2. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Haley Reinhart

    3. “I Want to Write You a Song” by One
    Direction
    4. “Friday, I’m In Love” by the Cure

    5. “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele

    6. “Helplessly” by Tatiana Manaois

    7. “As Long as You Love Me” by Sleeping at Last

  • Kake Hashi Exchange Program at Poly

    Kake Hashi Exchange Program at Poly

    From February 2 through the 4, some of Poly’s own got a chance to host students from Akita, Japan, and got the opportunity to expose the exchange students to the campus and southern California. During their journey, they got a glimpse into the best, and the worst, of American culture, experiencing everything from Hollywood to Disneyland. A whopping twenty-three Japanese students, along with two chaperones, accompanied a select handful of Poly students around.

    During this past summer, Poly students went to Japan, along with Christine Tram and Susan Watson, to visit the same students at their high school, Akita Minami. This unique exchange program is made possible by Kake Hashi (Japanese for building bridges), an organization that is aiming to form a bond between Japan and the United States by allowing youth of both nations to better understand each other’s culture. “Well, taking my students to Japan benefits my class because they get to actually use their Japanese in a real life situation, and they got to see all the stuff they learned in class. I wasn’t making up Japanese, I was teaching them real words,” said Watson with a reminiscent smile.

    Can you imagine going to school for six days a week in a suit and tie, or a blazer and pleated skirt? That’s what daily life is like for a high school student in Japan. They uphold a professional appearance to keep up with their world renowned academic reputation. But, can you imagine not being able to show public displays of affection to your significant other? These sort of regulations are commonplace in a Japanese high school, so you can imagine their surprise when they came to Poly with couples snogging at every corner and fashion choices from ponchos and bell bottoms to flip flops and crop tops. Akita is covered in nearly three feet of snow right now, adding to the cultural distinction.

    However, there are a few aspects of the culture that American students can relate to. Around this time of year, Japanese students are anxiously going through the process of pursuing a higher education in college. In America, we have numerous chances of getting a good enough SAT score to impress the colleges of our choice. In Japan, however, they have one shot. They go to said institution, take the test, and wait at the edge of their seats for results. Though this may seem inconceivable, Japanese students grew up with this healthy, competitive attitude towards their education, and consider anything else to be foreign. “It inspires me to just work hard and be grateful that I live in America, a country where, just like college, you have multiple opportunities to be successful,” said senior Tatiana Tate, as she recalls the difficulties Japanese students have to face.

    Both Japanese and American students alike got an enriching experience from the exchange. Exposing the exchange students to American culture may have been rewarding by way of freedom of expression through clothing and physical contact with other humans, but could also remind them of their academic advantage from being in such a cultivating environment. American students, on the other hand, would jubilantly return to their five-day school weeks and multiple opportunities to achieve success in their scholastic endeavours. However, the slight division between the two is the very foundation of the bridges being built through the Kake Hashi program. The experiences it provide to students from both sides of the world are unforgettable, and emphasize the importance of blending cultures in order to improve global relationships. “No matter where you are from around the word, you typically have similar morals and similar hobbies,” said senior Kayla Sanders.

    Future exchange opportunities in the Poly Japanese language department include partnerships with Long Beach’s sister city, Yokkaichi, that extend beyond surface level explorations. On July 20, 2017, two students and one teacher from each city will be sent on a three week trip to Japan to act as goodwill ambassadors. On July 31, four students and one teacher will embark on an eight day environmental summit, learning about innovative ways Yokkaichi is helping the planet become more environmentally friendly. Application deadline for both of these opportunities are on Friday, February 24.

  • Holocaust Remembrance Project

    January 30 marked the eighty-fourth year since Adolf Hitler was “elected” chancellor of Germany. What followed in the years after his rise to power was destruction on a massive scale, both in the form of a world war and in the slaughter of millions of innocent Jews.

    Wars have always been a part of history, but genocide on this scale was unprecedented. Millions were complicit, complacent, or directly involved in the systematic extermination of Jewish, Roma, Slavic, Black, homosexual and disabled people. So many were targeted, and so many were comfortable turning a blind eye like the thousands of Germans who ignored the death camps practically in their own backyards. Chapman University in the City of Orange is one of many modern organizations that seeks to honor those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis and shed light upon how such a tragedy could occur.

    Every year, they host a contest in which they challenge American students to watch survivor testimonies and then connect the survivor’s stories to their own lives. The students then create an art piece based on this connection.

    Joylyn Souter, the English teacher who hosts this contest at Poly, has seen many terrific and moving projects come out of the contest. One can never really underestimate the connections that can come from watching these testimonials. It is a common mistake to view Holocaust survivors as a type of war hero or valorous figure. They are human beings, just like the rest of us, and that is the most important thing to remember.

    There is power in these connections, these stories, such as that of former contest winner Danielle Spriggs. She sat down and opened her backpack to eat her lunch, and discovered that a pear her mother had packed for her was crushed and smeared all over the other food, rendering much of it inedible. She ate what she could and when the bell rang for class she went to class disappointed and still a little hungry.

    Soon after, Spriggs would hear the story of Ilse Diament, who was freed from Bergen-Belsen by British Soldiers near the end of the war. After she was released from the camp, a doctor gave her a can of pears. The taste, even after years away from the hell that was Bergen-Belsen, was a sign of freedom to Diament.
    Something as ordinary as a pear can connect people in two different situations and backgrounds, almost a hundred years apart. Unfortunately, the contest closed on Monday, February 6. Interested students are encouraged to see Ms. Souter in room 203 to partake in next year’s contest.

  • Port of Long Beach Internship

    Are you afraid of being pathetically broke this summer? Yes? Well fear no longer because the Port of Long Beach is offering a paid internship to high schoolers like yourself! For eight weeks students interested in international trade and other related fields will experience a real work environment and mentoring from professionals. Interns will be paid $10.50 an hour and work thirty hours a week. The program starts on June 26 and ends on August 17; however, the application period starts on February 6 and ends on March 6. To apply, students must meet certain requirements. You must be a junior or senior in high school in LBUSD; you must have a 2.5 GPA or higher; you need reliable transportation; you must be available for the entire eight weeks; you will have to attend the Port’s World Trade Week, Celebrating Education; and you must submit your application by 6:00 P.M. on March 6. Once the application is completed and signed by both you and your parent/guardian, it will be submitted, in person, to Pacific Gateway. You can download the application by visiting http://academy.polb.com/scholarships-internships/internship-info/high-school-information/ and clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.

  • Senior Information Night a Success

    This past Tuesday, February 7, Poly hosted Senior Parent Night from 6:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. All 12th grade students were expected to attend, along with a parent; students and parents were provided with the information that as a senior is necessary, like getting a cap and gown, a class ring, graduation DVD’s, graduation photos, graduation announcements, graduation leis/flowers, spirit wear, graduate night at Disneyland, yearbook, and most importantly, the senior packet, which includes the form required for graduating, free graduation tickets, and a senior picnic ticket. Senior packets were distributed until 6:30 P.M. in the Activity Office. The Senior Assembly began right away at the big gym with the head counselor Gayle Mashburn, who talked about the requirements for graduating. Sylvia Womack, a College and Career Center specialist, provided information on scholarships available for seniors. This was the perfect opportunity for seniors and their parents to get well informed about all the upcoming events. Then, from 7:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. all the vendors gathered around Hare Square for Poly’s class of 2017 to purchase graduation items. Ngoc Nguyen, the  Activities Director, was available that night for any questions parents had.

  • Valentine’s Day forecast

     

    This Valentine’s Day shapes your romantic desires and expectations. Expect great things to happen on romantic front as Jupiter is walking with you giving you boosts as and when you require. Become sure of your own wants and what you want out of your life. Start expressing your feelings without even a penny of doubt in your mind. So, all in all it will be a great learning opportunity for you.

    Congratulations you have immense luck in matter of relationships. Venus in your chart which paves the way for a romantic encounter which comes after decades. Come February and you will start experiencing the hypnosis of love. In fact, a wonderful planetary combination will take your love life to an altogether different level. The good news is that if you tread on the path with an honest and true heart you will ultimately reach your destination in flying colors. So, just hop in, love wants to take you on a long drive.

    Pisces, the dreamers of the zodiac will definitely feel the need for fighting for what they want and fighting for what they do not want. You are likely to develop an aggressive tone and a very fierce approach towards your partner, so you need to keep a check on your temper and behavior as sometimes even your silence can hurt somebody very badly. The forces in your zodiac chart will press you to focus on your love life as it needs a great deal of attention and care from your side or things may turn awry.

    Aries you will have a roller coaster ride in your relationship. This day brings a fresh wave of romance, love and commitment in your life. Your relationship will remain strong, all thanks to a new moon which is going to settle in your zodiac .However before this you will be have to take some crucial decisions of whether to continue your current relationship or just let it go. Singles will meet someone they have been waiting for. Mercury and Sun in your zodiac chart will put your best foot forward in matters of heart.

    Taurus descendants are going to have a time of their life this Valentine’s day. Relationships, Romance, Roses are waiting for you. You will be given a chance to relive some lost opportunities and even you

    will reap huge benefits as you get unlimited chances to take a plunge and find true love. There are very strong chances of a romantic encounter this whole valentine month and there will be a major turning point in your life on the relationships front so keep your heart open.

    You need to make final decisions about your relationship. The day will prove instrumental in defining your romantic expectations as you will be much clearer of what you want. You need to take your love life to an altogether different level which will give you immensely fulfilling and satisfactory experience. 2011 was a year when you defined your relationship agenda and the same person stays through this year. Just have patience and stop behaving restless.

    You need to make final decisions about your relationship. The day will prove instrumental in defining your romantic expectations as you will be much clearer of what you want. You need to take your love life to an altogether different level which will give you immensely fulfilling and satisfactory experience. 2011 was a year when you defined your relationship agenda and the same person stays through this year. Just have patience and stop behaving restless.

    This Valentine’s Day is a mixed bag for you. You’d be posed with direct issues on the relationship front .It would be quite a task for you to come out of this situation. Though the romantic front seems bit dry but things will fall in place with time. Relationships not a priority right now. Though there are some sweet surprises in your life which keep your spirit going. The days oozing with lots of planetary activity instrumental in changing the way you see relationships.

    Virgo, the most sensitive of the whole zodiac, well to tell you there is not much exciting and thrilling for you this Valentine’s day. As in your zodiac chart there are no new moons so you can expect things to run on their own pace, Things on the relationship front can get a bit touchy and emotional and being the most delicate sign of the whole zodiac we advise you to be hopeful and to avoid cribbing over pity things. Your nagging and impulsive attitude at times can lead to some tensions.

    There is a lot of activity indicated on the romantic front. February is very crucial for taking the plunge and taking your life back on track as you start your year with romantic Venus and dreamy Neptune in your romance sector. You can expect lots of drama this month. Regarding finding your true love this day is going to be special. You will meet him/her but make sure you don’t mess up things. Learn to juggle between your career and your love life.

    For Scorpions this is an auspicious day for love, relationships and it will cultivate the potential of becoming a steady romantic partner, who will literally take you to the other side which is more green and full of happiness. Something big is going to happen. With the favorable Jupiter residing in your chart you are likely to have some heavy dose of luck on the romantic front. But, the stubborn and sometimes arrogant behavior of scorpions can cause problems for them so they need to keep a check on their emotional attributes.

     

    It is a golden year for the archer of the zodiac. There lies immense opportunities in relationships and you will break the shackles of an old fling and head straight towards your own garden of dreams where you will find your soul mate. Life will give you innumerable reason to smile as far as the relationship and romantic front is concerned. So, all in all rocking days ahead for the archer.

     

     

     

  • Valentine’s Day

    Valentine’s Day

    Indie Films

    Indie films are not only better, but also cheaper. The Los Angeles Art Theatre charges about eight bucks a head, and seriously guys, you wouldn’t be paying 40 dollars at the movies if you didn’t see it in 3D and brought your own snacks. It’s not like they actually check bags. Besides, movies are the perfect first date– you get to spend time with your crush, without ever having to talk to them!

    Price Range: $16-$25 (if you do it right)

    Go on a picnic

    All you have to know is what kind of food your partner likes and to bring music, blankets, and pizza on a nice day outdoors to make a great date. It can be romantic or easily bromantic if you’re single and just want to spend time with your friends. Best of all, you only buy the food.

    Price Range= $5- $10

    Antique Shopping

    No lie, there are approximately three antique stores on every block out here, and it’s amazing. You and your date can glance around the store and buy each other one gift that you think the other would like, it’s great bonding, you get to see how much you really know each other, and who doesn’t love gifts?

    Price range: $7- $15 each

  • Remembering Reverend Smiles Eugene Walker

    Remembering Reverend Smiles Eugene Walker

    On Monday, February 6, 2017, Poly lost a beloved member of its family. Smiles Eugene Walker, known by all as “Rev,” may be gone in body, but the lasting imprint he has made on this school will stay longer after.

    Born on November 21, 1929, in Toledo, Ohio, Rev lived to 87 years old and shared 47 of those years with Poly. During his time in Ohio, Rev claimed a state title in table tennis.
    Graduating from high school in 1947, Rev moved on to receive his Bachelors of Science from UCLA in 1951 before enlisting in the army. Rev served in the military until 1956 after being released with honorable discharge. During his time in the army, Rev played on various basketball and track-and-field teams, as well as coached U.S. track teams.

    In addition to table tennis and military sports, Rev also played semi-pro basketball, a huge source of pride for him. But nothing brought Rev more pride than being a VIP at Poly. While working at Poly, Rev coached girls basketball to twenty-three championships and the track and field team to ten championships.
    He worked in the P.E. department, as a staff assistant, a book room assistant, and a locker room assistant. He also used to be in charge of transportation for staff of the basketball and track and field teams.

    From the time Rev settled into the Poly family, he was awarded recognition by the Poly P.T.A. and the Long Beach Press Telegram, and was awarded the Moore League Gold Pass in 1979. He also had the honor to be called “Mr. Poly” throughout the state.

    Nearly every day for 47 years, Rev walked without fail to Poly to volunteer as a Campus Security Officer (CSO). Up until the day he passed, he happily gave up his time to break up fights, end make-out sessions, and control the general bedlam outside the Student Store.

    Rev’s signature move when students misbehaved, CSO Ray Porter remembered, was to blow the whistle around his neck and yell, “Boy, I’m sending you to Jordan!”
    Two years ago, the High Life featured Rev in an extended Humans of Poly article. Rev spoke of how proud he was of the school that had become his home. “Poly has the top academics, the top sports, and the top music in the country,” he stated.

    He spoke about memories of when he first came to Poly and the sexism that he worked to combat. “When I was in high school, girls were ignored in class… I want girls to make something of themselves.”

    He remembered a specific time when the girls track team didn’t have any shoes: “I raised money to buy every single girl in track shoes. When I didn’t have the money, I’d call Nike and tell them they needed to donate money so these girls could run. It was the first time a company sponsored Poly sports.”

    Rev was more than dedicated to Poly, and he was a loved member of the Poly community. So many students knew him as just the friendly old man, and he was just fine with that. “People talk about love,” explained Porter, “but this man showed love.”

  • Song Squad gets a Big Break

    On January 22, the Long Beach Poly Varsity Song team and Mascots competed in the USA Regional Competition in order to qualify for Nationals. The Varsity Song squad is a small but powerful force, consisting of sophomore Kennedy Cofield and returning juniors Lily Brossus, Becca Gutierrez, and Megan Villaverde. The mascots were sophomores Coco Sanabria and Sandra Rosas.
    In order to prepare, Song’s Gutierrez  said, “We  practice almost every day throughout the week in order to prepare. These practices range from practices dedicated to conditioning in order to improve our stamina in the dance, or to working on our technique.”

    Mascot Sanabria added, “My partner Sandra and I worked with Coach Cynthia on choreography and made up the ending on our own.”
    The theme for the Song portion was “Teamwork,” so the song mix for the routine had to reflect that. High School Musical, “Everything is Awesome,” and Lorde’s “Team” were included.  The routine was choreographed by Cynthia Negrete and her daughter Marissa Negrete. Their fast-paced dance and cheerful facial expressions kept the audience intrigued.
    The girls were happy with their performance, but Villaverde said, “There is always room for improvement.”

    Cofield, first-year Songleader, said, “I feel that I did great for my first competition, but there is always something I can improve on for the next competition.” Cofield has been working on her aerial since summer and she executed it perfectly at the competition which made her and her team proud.
    The mascot routine has to have a storyline that is conveyed to the audience and gets the audience participating in supporting their team. The theme was “Create a Lover,” and Jonathan Rabbit was a mad scientist who decided to make his own perfect lover. It had songs including “Somebody to Love” by Queen.

    Song and Mascot both placed second overall in their divisions. Their scores were high enough to qualify for Nationals, which will take place March 24-26 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Cynthia Negrete commented, “I am proud of the girls. The goal of the day was to beat the score in order to qualify for Nationals and we did.”

  • Solve the Valentine’s Day Riddles

    1. Where does Easter come before Valentine’s Day?
    2. You see me as one but I am made by two. What am I and what made me what I am?
    3. Where is this qoute from?
    “Love is heavy and light, bright and dark, hot and cold, sick and healthy, asleep and awake — its everything except what it is!”
    4. I represent love.
    I’m the daughter of Heaven and Sea.
    You may find me in the sky above,
    And many envy my beauty.
    My love belongs to fire,
    But if I said I was true to him
    I would be a liar,
    But I have no shame for my whims.
    My son taught many to love.
    To me the only earthly items of worth
    Are myrtle, sparrow, swan, and dove.
    And no one remembers my birth.
    Who am I?
    5. I am one of three who make you “fall in love” but I melt away around 121

    Win Two AMC Movie tickets

    Students who correctly complete the Valentine’s Day riddles will be entered in a drawing for free AMC movie tickets. Please return completed puzzles to Mr. Holmlund in room 202.