I know at the end of the year we say, “this was the worst year ever,” but… 2019 was literally the worst year ever. I don’t know if it’s because I got older and I have more responsibilities and I am much more aware of how much the world hates me… but my goodness. I won’t do an entire recap of how much the world showed me that it didn’t like me this year but I will say this one was definitely one for the books. Now it wasn’t completely bad. Some good things did happen. I got a new job, moved to a new house, started saving money. But the emotional strain that this year had on me was hard. I lost friendships that I truly thought would last forever. I cried more this year than I have since I was a fetus. I felt so much stress and pressure this year from so many different things but this year taught me that I am truly resilient. Every time I fell, I got right back up and continued moving forward. All the friends I lost, good riddance! Every bad thing that happened was to prepare me for something later on. A reminder for anyone who reads this, you are resilient! This year has tested everybody but we’re still here, growing!! So be proud. This decade was something else but here’s to the 20’s! Good luck!
Tag: poly jackrabbits
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PAAL Hosts “Lost in Art”
On November 6 Poly Academy of Achievers and Leaders (PAAL) hosted its second annual art showcase event featuring artists from Poly and PAAL. The stage never failed to have a presence, as spoken word artists, rappers, singers and dancers all came together to ensure entertainment was always provided.
While performing artists showcased their talents outside on the stage, visual artists’ work was displayed inside the gallery. Artists were given total creative liberty with their work, and a diversity of styles and subjects were present throughout the gallery room. Among the types of art displayed were paintings, drawings and sculptures. Topics present in the art often included Poly, society, and mental health, among others.
Attendees were not only able to immerse themselves among the art created by others, but also to take a chance and create art of their own. With stations like “Paint a Tree Ring” or “Paint a Canvas”, adults and children alike were provided the tools such as acrylic paint and brushes to create their own masterpieces.
One of the students behind organizing this event was senior Jessica Cubias, student council co-president at PAAL. Cubias said it was her favorite event of the year as it allowed students to connect to the paintings, the artists, and the music.
“Painting brings out what people are afraid to let out,” said Cubias.
The night’s line up consisted of performing artists such as Aermoongi, Mac, Money Traxx, KDI, T-Lost and many more.
“Not many schools give student artists a chance to present their art,” said Mac Harris, spoken word artist and PAAL alumni. “Art is everywhere and this event becomes an outlet which elevates that.”
“Lost in Art” was an event student council voted to keep and lead artist Ivan Rojas and PAAL seniors, as a class, collaborated together to ensure the night was a success.
Art can help cope and manage emotional pain, one of the reasons Activities Specialists and Restorative Justice course teacher Marisol Ibañez-Tintorer feels this event is important.
“It’s about giving everyone a voice,” she said, “everyone’s voice matters.”
PAAL hosted events are open to all Poly students and it is important for Poly to support its sister campus.
“We are a part of Poly and they’re a part of us,” said Ibañez-Tintorer. -
Stadia The Google “Console”
Google is launching a new streaming service that will allow people to play their favorite games via a cloud service. They plan to debut their system on November 19 this year, and it will be called Stadia. The upcoming cloud gaming service operated by Google is said to be capable of streaming video games up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second with support for high-dynamic-range, to players via the company’s numerous data centers across the globe, provided they are using a sufficiently high-speed Internet connection. Misconceptions of this project say they are working to make new console, but Google says they are not making a console, however a new way to stream and play games. It will be accessible through the Google Chrome web browser on desktop computers, or through smartphones, tablets, smart televisions, digital media players, and Chromecast. “There was a lot of speculation that we were going to be making a console, but that’s actually [not]part of our strategy, we want to be completely screen agnostic,” Phil Harrison, a vice president and general manager at Google, told CNN Business, “We don’t want players to be spending hundreds of dollars, sometimes thousands of dollars, to create a gaming rig in their home.”
Why is it so hyped? This is beneficial to the gaming community because it is made by Google and it is an easy way to stream games on YouTube and create videos for their audience. Google might not be known as a gaming company, but people watched more than 50 billion hours of gaming on its YouTube service in 2018. And every day, 200 million people watch games on YouTube. Gaming has been on the rise and many major corporations have taken notice. Adidas a popular sportswear brand sponsored a very well-known Fortnite streamer known as Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and this is a major step towards recognizing gaming as a sport rather than a hobby or past-time.
Stadia is not similar to Netflix, in that it requires users to purchase games to stream via Stadia rather than pay for access to a library of games. While the base service will be free, a Pro tier monthly subscription allows users to stream at higher rates for larger resolutions, and the offer to add free games to their library. Another option lets viewers join the person they’re watching live. “One of the great things about Stadia is the power of linking the world of YouTube and game play together,” said Harrison. “If I’m on YouTube and I’m a creator talking about NBA 2K, the latest basketball game, I can invite my fans, my audience [and] my subscribers to join me in that game.” The next big step in gaming debuts on November 19, 2019.
How it is ranked by critics?
“It’s getting there,” according to Wired.
Reviews so far: IGN 6/10; Wired 6/10; TechRadar 4/10. -
The End of the F***ing Season
“End of the F***ing World” was released on Netflix in 2017. The show follows the adventures of two lonely teens, James and Alyssa. James is convinced that he is a psychopath and wants to transition from killing animals to killing people and his first target is Alyssa. Alyssa, a new student at James’ school, feels as though she does not fit in and she befriends James. Alyssa and James embark on an adventure to find Alyssa’s dad while James plans to kill her. Over their journey, they begin to like each other. Their adventure is filled with many events, each one becoming more and more violent. In the end of the first season, James and Alyssa murder a professor and James is shot by the police.
In the beginning of the second season, James and Alyssa are older and they have been apart for several years. However, a student of the professor killed in the previous season sets out to kill the two as revenge for taking away her “lover”.
Now my thoughts on this season are pretty simple. I kinda loved it, kinda hated it, (a loving type of hate though).
However, this did not answer a lot of the questions I had from the previous season. For one, what happened to James’ psychopathic tendencies? Did they just disappear once he realized that he was in love with Alyssa? This season was pretty ominous and quiet and the death scenes in this season were far more gory. Season 2 was also much sadder than the first season (for obvious reasons) and it kind of altered the effect that the show gave me. It was almost too sad to watch. -
“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. -
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?
