School lunch has a reputation of being okay to being questionable, at least for me. When School lunch has a “real” meal in the menu, nine times out ten it looks either like a microwave dinner or barf. But, there are some good lunch items out there, although none of them are better than a Mcdonald’s burger.
Let’s first talk about the spicy chicken sandwich. At first glance, it looks fine, and it is. Though it is spicy, it’s an understatement. It’s less spicier than hot Cheetos. But the taste is okay, but doesn’t come with lettuce. So if there is no lettuce in your lunch line, you have to eat it with no lettuce.
I would include the PB&J sandwich, but it’s a Smuckers Uncrustable, so that would be cheating.
So I’m going to talk about the french fries. The french fries are pretty good, but they serve so little fries, that it’s hard to enjoy them. There would be 3-5 fries in one tray, and they serve the fries on a big tray. Which is disappointing.
Finally, the chicken tenders are the last thing I tried on the school lunch menu. They are served with 3 tenders and a piece of bread. The bread is just bread. Nothing surprising. The chicken, on the other hand, tastes alright. They’re your average chicken tenders that you could get at a store. Overall, nothing great, yet nothing bad either. Just average, bland school food.
Tag: poly
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School Food? It’s Alright…
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Coronavirus a problem, but not at Poly so far
According to the CDC, the coronavirus is a closely monitored respiratory illness that was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chinese authorities identified the new coronavirus which has resulted in thousands of confirmed cases in China, including cases outside Wuhan City.
This illness caused a serious outbreak among people resulting in 3,700 additional cases and 73 new deaths reported on Wednesday alone. China’s total confirmed cases top 28,000 people, more than 3,800 of them are critical.
In the United States there are three quarantine bases to treat patients who were infected while traveling in China or by someone that returned from China: the Travis Air Force Base, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and March Air Reserve Base.
People need to be aware about what is happening because this is a serious sickness that is causing innocent lives to leave us early. Not only are patients dying, but some doctors are dying too. Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist working in Wuhan, died on Friday from the coronavirus weeks after he was hospitalized and treated. Not only was he a doctor, but he was the man who warned his colleagues about this infection going around with the use of a popular Chinese social media platform to inform everyone.
So far there have been no cases reported at Poly, but exercise caution when interacting with people who have recently returned from traveling out of the country. -
Poly Teacher Calls Out “Pendeja” and Sparks Social Movements
Government, Economics and AP Psychology teacher, Myriam Gurba, has become an internet sensation. Her witty and no filter review of the book American Dirt titled “Pendeja, You Ain’t Steinbeck: My Bronca with Fake-Ass Social Justice Literature” published in late December caused controversy due to its candidness and repulsion towards a book previously adulated for its portrayal of the struggles of Mexican immigrants crossing the border.
The book, written by American author Jeanine Cummins, went so far as to become a part of Oprah’s Book Club and was publicly supported by Latina actresses such as Salma Hayek and Yalitza Aparicio and even renowned Mexican-American author Sandra Cisneros.
Gurba however insists that the novel is nothing other than “trauma porn that wears a social justice fig leaf.” In her review, Gurba thoroughly describes the inaccuracies and ignorance of Cummins’ narrative, saying that she writes superficially of Mexican stereotypes in an attempt to give a face to the “faceless brown masses.” (An introduction which Gurba cringes at).
Gurba’s review, which had previously been rejected by a feminist magazine due to its lack of redeeming qualities, was the first negative feedback for the novel which sparked the uproar of indignant Latinx authors and activists who also rejected it. Amongst which is the social movement #DignidadLiteraria that “redefines and affirms the experiences of writers. It is our intention to see more of us writing ourselves into history. Our community amplifies the Brown & Black voices that make up its fabric and creates space for all people of color,” according to Presente.org‘s member-led campaign platform: “¡SOMOS!”
Since its publication, Gurba has gained international attention and public recognition. She has been interviewed by the Long Beach Post, LA Times, Latino USA at NPR, and spoken at a panel organized by her group #DignidadLiteraria, amongst many more.
She admits that the amount of fame and interviews have been overwhelming due to the speed at which it happened and the type of attention she has received. She has even been recognized in public which she said has made her want to hide.
This was not what she had expected when she first published the review. Gurba said that she thought the review would simply run in the magazine that had originally invited her to write it and that it might perhaps dissuade a handful of people from reading the book.
“Nobody is prepared for that type of attention,” said Gurba, ”but I am also thrilled that people seem to have been politically activated and awakened by a lot of the discourse surrounding the review.”
Amidst the growing attention, Gurba and the people involved in the same movement have also been receiving very specific death threats since the day the review was published. The threats are of very graphic, sexual and violent nature.
In response to the threats, #DignidadLiteraria has created a “Death Threat Quilt” to expose the ugly truth about the susceptibility marginalized writers have to these threats. Gurba said that the reason she has been very proactive about these threats is that Flatiron (the publisher of Cummins’ book) had said that Cummins had received threats which were then proven to be false. An editor admitted during a meeting with #DignidadLiteraria that there had been no threats.
Gurba said that the review seemed to “tap into the frustration and anger that Latinos living in the United States have been enduring for a long time.” After seeing her express her anger people were inspired to express their own discontent.
Ultimately, Gurba alongside #DignidadLiteraria intends to “transform publishing and continue doing the work to dismantle white supremacy in publishing companies.”
“We need to work on removing the hostility [towards marginalized writers],” said Gurba, “and essentially remove the border wall these companies have created.”
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High-Five Fridays Frighten Introverts
As an introvert, there is nothing more terrifying than to see a group of bubbly people standing in line on a Friday morning with their hands ready to give you a high five.
Yet this is exactly the view each Friday morning at Poly’s main gate. Teachers and staff from around campus partake in “High Five Fridays,” a school campaign meant to create an encouraging and positive atmosphere for students.
This however is not the case. The only thing I am encouraged to do is go through the gate on 15th Street to avoid the awkwardness. Their positivity is not contagious. Physical contact with overzealous strangers as I keep a forced smile plastered on my face is the last thing I need on a Friday morning.
As I’ve mentioned before, I am an introvert. Social settings have never been my forte, and dealing with too many people can really overwhelm me. Especially, too many enthusiastic people, this being one of the main reasons High Five Fridays and I have never really clicked.
“High Five Fridays” is not for students to enjoy but rather forces us to be polite. The majority of people I know don’t smile back because they’re truly feeling encouraged but rather to not hurt the feelings of teachers who have taken the time to do this.
And I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings either, but a campaign which was supposedly centered around students has really just become something students have to go through. Not for their own sake but for the sake of teachers and staff.
My opinion however, does not reflect the opinion of the other 3700+ students on Poly’s main campus. So if someone somewhere has a better school experience due to this enthusiastic socialization, then I guess it’s a win for the campaign. I however, will continue to avoid that gate whenever I can and encourage whoever else can’t handle extroverts too early in the morning to do the same.
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The Life of An Office Aide
Everyday in school you see an office aide walk into your class and I’m pretty sure you think it’s probably one of the most fun classes you can take on campus, but that may not be the case.
Don’t get me wrong being an office aide does have its perks, walking around school to kill time, just chill there for a bit, walking around and delivering stuff, but most of the time you may not have something to do.
In my experience, being an office aide in the counselor’s office, you get to take call slips, sort out the mail, and deliver things for counselors and occasionally take other things, but what do yo undo when they don’t have mail or what if the they don’t anyone to call out of class? You just sit there in the office… right in the middle of one of the busiest offices in school. Everyone, including teachers, students and staff memebers are walking in and out of a very small office.
So yeah, it’s an easy ‘A’ and does get fun, but a lot of the times you are just sitting there. But for me I have a friend that I’ve known for a while in that class so it’s kinda just like another lunch period, and we just walk around when we don’t have any passes to hand out, but we can’t be out for too long in case they do need an aide to do something, even though there are three aides during my period.
Personally, I would recommend being an office aide, it’s an easy ‘A’ and it’s even more fun if you take the class with a friend, because you get to pick what office you want to be in, you get to take some walks, when you don’t have anything to do you can just sit there on your phone. The cons is it can get boring waiting on stuff to do, sometimes the mail can really pile up, there’s many people walking in and out of the office, sometimes teacher don’t even wanna open their doors… and teachers can sometimes be a little bit rude, but most of them are pretty cool.
One time a teacher asked me what the pass is for and SIS, I really don’t know, and she kept asking me, like the students name is on there and tells them where to go… I’m just the aide, the little delivery man, sister, so I don’t know why you would keep asking me, that’s between the counselor and the student.
Sometimes I feel like the teachers don’t remember that we don’t know what they’re going there for, we’re just the delivery man (or woman).
But at the end of the day, I do enjoy the class, I feel like it’s very easy, and a majority of the time pretty fun, especially if you have conversations with the workers in your office. So if your thinking about being an office aide, I most definitely recommend it, it’s like a free class period.
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Dream Prom, Vote at Hollister.com
2020 is a great year to be a senior! Prom is coming up on May 23 and this year there is a twist in the prom planning. Maybe you have seen the posters around school advertising the competition hosted by Hollister. The competition is available to all high schools across the U.S. promising the first place winner a prize of $150,000 for their school prom. For a chance to win, anyone can vote once a day from January 13 to February 9, family and friends included. Even if we do not win first place, the top 10 schools will win $1,000 towards their prom. Money can be spent however way the school wants, that could be lowering the price for tickets, having crazy decorations, or even hiring a famous DJ. Since Poly is such a large school, we have a good chance at winning some extra money for our prom. If interested, head to the 100 building where you will find a QR code sticker that will send you to the link that will allow you to vote for your school. After your first vote, all of your information provided will auto fill making it easy to vote quickly if you’re just passing by to get to class. Let’s make this the best prom ever, go vote!
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The Greatest Pageant
“The Greatest Show” was the 25th annual Mr. and Mrs. Jackrabbit Pageant, that displays the talents of senior students at Long Beach Polytechnic High School. This year 13 Jackrabbits competed with each other for the title “Mr. and Mrs. Jackrabbit”. Meanwhile 3 fellow seniors took place in the show by participating as hosts. Here are some questions we asked each contestant, along with the three daring hosts:
- What prompted you to try out for the pageant/host?
- If you could only have one wish, what would you wish for?
- If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?
- What have you gained from the experience of working up to the pageant and/or the pageant as well?
Michael Chhay
1) Well, during my junior year, I was the head of the Jackrabbit Pageant and organizing it was one of my proudest accomplishments. So, of course, I wanted to be in it because of how it brought the community together.
2) I would wish for an unlimited boba supply in my fridge so I can have easy access in times of need.
3) I would visit Japan because I have studied the language and culture, and I would live to put my skills to use while seeing the beauty of the country.
4) The most valuable experience is the connections I have made with the contestants and MCs. We have gone to school together for the past four years, and some I didn’t know well, but they have gone from familiar faces to reliable friends. Now when we see each other in the hall, our greetings changed from small smiles to warm hugs.Chakravartin Sokhomsan
1) From attending Jackrabbit Pageant in previous years, I realized there was a lack of Cambodian representation in the pageants. This was saddening since Poly is located in the largest Cambodian population outside of Cambodia. Therefore, since as a freshman, I’ve wanted to represent my culture and heritage; I thought, what is a better way than performing a Cambodian Classical Dance piece and dressing up as a pioneer paving the way for more men to be a part of Cambodian dance!
2) If I could wish for one thing, it would be rain for Australia, and no drafting for WWIII, I’m trying to go to college.
3) If I could visit any place in the world, it would probably be somewhere in Southeast Asia. On my bucket list are Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam since their culture and heritage and arts are similar to Cambodia.
4) A valuable lesson is the importance of authenticity: It’s not just about winning. You should remain yourself, especially when competing in a pageant. Once you’re focused on the prize rather than your pride, you lose yourself. Choosing to perform certain pieces, and portraying myself according to certain inspirations was on my terms; swaying from portraying any other way to not please others.Valery C. Sanchez
1) I wanted to do something for myself, and perform, I love to perform and I just wanted to be apart for the 2020 pageant.
2) That’s a hard one but I think I would just wish for more wishes like everyone else.
3) Europe, for sure, I would to visit many places but Europe is the first place I would go.
4) Just so much love and support from everyone and the contestants. We kinda have this family bond.Gari L. Nolan
1) I saw it last year and just knew I had to be in it. The past contestants looked like they were having so much fun, so I knew I had to do it.
2) I would wish for more wishes, obviously.
3) I would really like to visit Ethiopia because my ancestors are from there and I would like to experience the culture.
4) I have met a lot of new people as a result of being in the pageant, and I don’t think I would have met them if it wasn’t a contestant.Heather Davis
1) I’ve always loved performing and being on stage since I was a kid because I grew up doing dance and being in dance recitals.
2) For my family to always be okay, like to be healthy, always be okay financially, and to be safe.
3) Sydney, Australia because I just think it’s so beautiful and I’ve never been out of North America, and I really want to go to Australia.
4) It’s great getting to know all of the other contestants and being part of a big show. It’s helped me make my senior year memorable and fun.Emmanuel Guia Guerrero
1) What prompted me to try out for the pageant was knowing that it would be my very last important performance in high school.
2) If I were to have one wish, it’d be to help anyone that is suffering physically, mentally, and/or emotionally.
3) I would love to go to New York. It has always been a huge dream of mine ever since I was little. I’ve always dreamed of being able to see musicals on Broadway, take a walk at Central Park and take a boat ride to the Statue of Liberty and see all the pieces of history.
4) What I gained from working on the pageant is that it takes hard work and determination to put on a huge show. It may be tiring with rehearsals and meetings, but in the end it was completely worth it. Knowing that I was able to be part of a huge production and creating new friendships that I know will last for years to come.Jailenn A. Williams
1) Watching the show as an underclassman I knew that I wanted to be a part of it but I didn’t have talent so I thought being a MC would be a good fit for me, I also thought it was a great way to finish off my time at Poly.
2) I would wish for the ability to stop the world at any moment and take a nap, or go to the mall and grab a pile of clothes and then let it continue when I want it to without anyone knowing it stopped.
3) If I could visit any place in the world it would be the setting of the movie Guava Island with Rihanna and Donald Glover.
4) I have learned that JPAG is so underrated and how much time and effort is put into it to become the greatest show.Lucille A. Nottonson
1) It seemed like it would be a cool event to experience since it’s already my senior year.
2) I would wish to be happy for my whole life without any sadness to deal with. It will bring me more success.
3) I would visit Egypt so I can see the pyramids with my own eyes instead of pictures.
4) I met new people from different programs around Poly and made new friends.Zane Witter
1) I decided to try out for the pageant because I wanted to feel like I was participating during my senior year, but also because the deadline had been extended due to so few male applicants.
2) I’d wish for a more cooperative global community (world peace is always a classic).
3) I’d visit some super remote area of Alaska that’s been almost untouched by humans, the geography there is spectacular.
4) The greatest thing I’ve gained from the Pageant is 12 new friends, and that’s not counting everyone involved in the pageant that I grew closer to but wasn’t a contestant. They’re all so supportive, and they made the hard weeks leading up to the pageant worth it.Snigdha Barua
1) I think I ultimately auditioned for JPAG because I wanted a high school experience that went beyond the classroom. As someone who is not involved in many activities on-campus, I thought JPAG would get me out of my comfort zone and allow me to meet people outside my pathway.
2) It’s a bit foolish, but I would wish for my home-country Bangladesh to be larger in landmass. I think a lot of the problems faced by many Bangladeshis such as sanitation could be improved by it.
3) If I could visit any place in the world, I would go to Lumbini, Nepal. It’s Siddhartha Gautama’s birthplace and its sort of a pilgrimage site; I hold deep value in Buddha’s teachings so being able to go there would be amazing.
4) As cheesy as it may sound, I now understand what “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” means. Throughout the past months we (the contestants) worked tremendously hard alongside the ASB heads, Stage Crew, staff in charge, etc. Although our end goal was to put on “The Greatest Show” the bonds we created together will forever stick with me. I was rather “over it” the week prior to the show and now I miss it.Nohemi Pino
1) I really wanted to be a part of something big at Poly, because I’ve never been super involved in school activities.
2) I would wish for my college to be paid for.
3) I would love to go to Greece, it looks so beautiful.
4) I definitely bettered my public speaking and planning skills, bust most importantly, I gained an awesome group of friends!Amanda Angeles
1) I love to perform and it would be a cool opportunity to show my talents on stage for the whole school to watch. I had never performed in front of this many people from Poly before, and it was interesting to sing for a full auditorium of her peers.
2) I would wish to be on Broadway.
3) If I could go anywhere in the world I would go to New York.
4) Unlike my typical musical theater performances, this type of audience tended to want to clap in the middle of my song instead of waiting for the end. It was interesting to have to work around the cheering and stuff like that. So I guess I learned how to adapt my performance based on having a different kind of audience.Dominic Rojas
1) I’ve performed at a lot of the Poly Faire’s and I liked singing in front of people so I thought “why not?”
2) I’d wish for free education because college debt is no joke.
3) I’d visit Hawaii and chill at the beach.
4) I gained valuable friendships with some of Poly’s most talented people. I’ve also became more confident in performing.Laura Yontz
1) I just wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and have fun.
2) I would wish for the world to receive what it needs most to become a better place.
3) I would go to Egypt and explore the rich history there.
4) Taking a baby step and trying something new can open so many doors for you to broaden your experiences and to meet new people. The best things always come as a surprise!Micaela A. Ramos
1) I thought it would be fun and I thought it would be a good opportunity to perform for the school. I wanted to put myself out there and be brave.
2) That a drunk driver didn’t kill my family. I would love that.
3) I think it’d be cool to go to Japan.
4) I got a lot closer with people I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t do Jackrabbit Pageant.Janelle Soriano
1 ) I wanted to try out for the pageant because I’ve known about it since I was in 8th grade and I love showcasing my talent.
2 ) If I had one wish, I’d wish for a lifetime supply of boba from Sharetea 🙂
3) I’d want to visit Bora Bora because I love being on tropical islands.
4) I’ve gained new friendships along with a new love for my talent. I learned that singing is all I ever want to do in life 🙂 -
A Shakespearean Experience at UCI
On December 10, CIC seniors went to UC Irvine for a campus tour and a demonstration of the Shakespeare production, Macbeth.
CIC AP English Literature and Composition teachers Gwendolyn Larsen and James Cooperider organized the event, encouraged all of their students to attend, and chaperoned at the university.
While there, the students were split into three groups to rotate between a tour of the campus, a presentation of different adaptations of the play, and a chance to see and handle old copies of Shakespearean scripts at the school’s library archive. Among these rare books in the archive was a copy of the First Folio, the first official written source for the scripts for Shakespeare’s plays averaging about $3-7 million US dollars in value.
“The First Folio was probably the coolest thing I saw that day,” said Amber Payan. “I have a big appreciation for theater, so it [made] me feel more immersed in the world; it really makes me feel like this is my spot. It’s where I want to be.”
After lunch, the students gathered again in the presentation room to sit in on an acting theory lecture from one of the college professors, as well as witness a sample of an acted scene from two of UCI’s acting majors. One Poly student, Isaac Absalom stepped up at the end and got to act as Macbeth with one of the college students. “It was fun! I like doing fun stuff,” he said. “I feel like that’s my character – extroverted.”
Absalom was happy he was able to see the campus and get a glimpse of what college life may be like for him in the near future: “I think to pay attention to more things than just the teaching and the campus – like seeing who goes there and what the vibe is like – that and a lot of things go into choosing a college.” -
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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Doin’ it all for the (Kindness) Gram
What can make your day better than a written card from your friend addressing how thankful they are for you? Of course, money and materialistic items might cause a feeling of happiness, short term, but a personal letter written to someone you admire can leave a mark on that person’s heart.
Long Beach Polytechnic High School this year provided the opportunity for students to send kindness grams to their friends. In addition, there was a Kindness Week starting from November 12th to the15th. Each day represented a way to be kind to your friends, students, teachers, and yourself. Audrey Deth from ASB stated the purpose of Kindness Week was to get kids mood and overall vibe uplifted. However, according to Deth it does “take a lot of dedication because we represent the student body so we try our best for any even that’s also not the Thanksgiving Drive or Kindness Week.”
Teachers were more than grateful to take time out of class to pass out the grams to students. This year, English teachers were given the role to pass out and return the kindness grams, but the students themselves had to know what period and English teacher their friend has in order to deliver it to them.
Karen Ferrer, an 11th grade student received cards and wrote cards to friends. She thought it would be a great time to draw images and write witty comments to her friends to uplift their day.
Most people were shocked when they received a gram. The shock of receiving a kindness gram demonstrates how we tend to forget to remind those we love how much we appreciate them. Not only do we forget to love others, but we also forget that we are loved, which is something everyone deserves to know. We often are so focused on our day to day, trying to go down a set schedule, that we forget to take a moment, step back, and just appreciate what we have.
Make sure to remind someone how thankful you are for them, even if it isn’t even a holiday. It may seem silly or outright useless to you to even take time from their day to tell them such plain words! However, you never know what someone is going through and just the two words of thank you can say more words then its composed of. If you’re looking where to start, send a handwritten letter– if you’re feeling extra thankful draw a heart or a picture along with it.
