Firstaresponders Work Rose Parade
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The Poly Optimist John H. Francis Polytechnic High School Vol. xcvii, No. 9 Serving the Poly Community Since 1913 January 2010 Politics ‘09 FirstaResponders Senate Passes Health Bill Work Rose Parade Parrots provide first-aid services By Angel Silva Editor In Chief on New Year’s Day in Pasadena. he Senate approved an By Stephy Menjivar $871 billion healthcare Staff Writer bill on December 24, Tpassing by a 60-39 vote. group of Poly’s First Responders joined forces “With today’s vote, we are with the American Red Cross to provide first aid now incredibly close to making A health insurance reform a reality services at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade in this country,” said President on Friday, January 1st. Barack Obama in a news confer- “The parade is a great oppor- orientation covering radio op- ence after the vote. Photo provided by Pia Damonte tunity for my students to practice erations, parade procedures, and However, the Senate still must FIRST AID: Poly First Responders on duty at Pasadena’s parade. the medical skills and training review of basic skills,” Sonen- meet with the House of Repre- acquired from my courses,” said schein said. sentatives to merge the bill with Poly ROP teacher Jeremy Sonen- Sonenschein made arrange- another version that the House Poly Brass Join All- schein. ments with Parade Coordinator passed on November 7. The main Sonenschein teaches a First Todd Blecha to have Poly’s First differences between the two bills Responders class at Poly and the Responders provide medical aid concern taxation, the addition City Band In Parade 14 Parrots who worked the pa- for the event some months ago. of a public option and abortion rade were his students. Sonenschein has worked as a rights. composed by Ken Dye, a college The Parrot First Responder Rose Parade medical station lead- The conjoint bill would in- By Diane Alvarado roommate of Poly band teacher volunteers met at Poly at 3:45 er for the past ten years. crease the amount of people Staff Writer Steven Isaacs. am on New Year’s Day and were Senior and level two First Re- covered by private and govern- At the end of the march, band shuttled by a Red Cross van to sponder, Luis E. Lemus was at ment insurance by 30 million and Seven Poly band members members got some free food. CalTech in Pasadena, where each Station 4 with Sonenschein dur- would require most people to buy played in the Rose Parade on “There was an In ‘n’ Out student was assigned to a station ing the parade. insurance. The bill would also Friday, January 1 in Pasadena as truck at the end of the parade,” leader. “I got to Poly at 3:40 am and provide federal subsidies to pay part of LAUSD’s All City March- said sophomore Daniel Bul- “Each student must be a Cer- got to our station by 4:40 am,” premiums and penalize employ- ing Band. lecer (trumpet). “It was so good. tified First Responder, possess a Lemus said. “I got assigned a ra- ers that don’t offer affordable in- “I had an idea what it was go- That’s what I call a well deserved valid CPR for the Healthcare pro- dio and a team, which was Team surance. ing to be like,” said junior Henry Mejia (Baritone), “because I meal.” vider card, complete a Red Cross 4 East. [ See Responders, pg 6 ] watched the parade every year, [ See Band, pg 6 ] background check and attend an “Myhcolleagues but it is definitely a different ex- perience to actually be a part of and I will work to the Rose Parade then to watch Fishler Introduces PAES Training to Poly stop this bill from it.” The day started early for the On-the-job training prepares special- becoming law.” Parrot band members. ed students for life after school. “We had to come to Poly Republicans, however, were around four in the morning so By Magdalena Corona not happy with the legislation. that the bus could pick us up,” Staff Writer “This fight is long from over,” said Mejia. “Surprisingly, there Republican Senate leader Mitch was not a lot of traffic. It took us Parrot teacher Brenda Fishler has instituted a job- McConnell said. “My colleagues about two hours to get there.” training program for special-ed students at Poly that and I will work to stop this bill The All City Marching Band will improve their chances of finding employment from becoming law.” was led by director Anthony when they graduate. The passage of the bill marks White. “I brought this program to Poly because I thought “It felt like we were never go- we needed something like this for our kids,” Fish- a victory that Democrats have Photo by Karina Muñiz been pursuing since President ing to reach that end,” said Alva- ler said. “We were sending them out into the world FISHLER’S LAB: Brenda Fishler teaches work Bill Clinton’s previous attempt rez-Parra, “but it was all worth it without being ready.” skills in the PAES program. to provide healthcare in 1994. because we knew that all our hard Poly is the first comprehensive high school to use Republicans have halted any at- work had paid off.” the program, called the Practical Assessment Ex- ago for her doctoral dissertation, demonstrating that tempts to reform healthcare ever Poly Band members wore ploration System (PAES) Lab, and the first LAUSD the program is a valid assessment for special-ed. since until the passage of the LAUSD band uniforms. They school to have the program. Fishler brought the program to Poly after attend- bill. also wore special shoes for the “I had to speak with people from the District,” ing five days of PAES training. “Our challenge then is to finish event. Fishler said, “and get approval from Principal Lo- “The training explained the scoring system, how the job. We can’t doom another “We wore ‘Show Stoppers,’” era because I needed a room to keep for the whole to write down the information and what the symbols generation of Americans to soar- said Alvarez-Parra. “They are year.” meant,” said Fishler. “We had to learn that we can’t ing costs and eroding coverage,” shoes that were made especially “I have two assistants, Yvonne Vasquez and Steve help the students, we can’t have our hands out and Obama said. for marching.” Oganesyan, because we have power tools and sew- point at anything. They’re supposed to figure things A final bill may reach Presi- The band preformed five ing machines. We need to have a close eye on the out on their own.” dent Obama’s desk by late Janu- songs, repeating them to the end kids to make sure they don’t get hurt.” The PAES Lab consists of five components and ary or early February. of the parade. The tunes were Dr. Judy Swisher created PAES about ten years [ See PAES, pg 6 ] just into low back the level from Na’vi glide Spain world path See Page 3 See Page 7 See Page 8 Opinion The Poly 2 january 2010 Optimist EDITORIALS California Fails f the U.S were a high school, California 36.3% of CA high school grads go on to a col- would be one of many troublesome stu- lege, compared with over 40% nationally. The cost dents. of attending a UC has tripled in the last ten years, to I First class that California would fail in - the grand sum of $27,502 a year. Hell, the cost of Funding 101. The state controls 67% of California’s attending UCLA’s School of Law is $40k. school funding, so when politicians upstate screw And now for social science. up and land California in a defecit, schools take the A ‘05-‘06 study showed that California has 21 LETTERS TO hit too. students per teacher, the highest ratio except for So how exactly does the state provide money for Arizona and Utah. The same study showed that THE EDITOR schools? It’s up to the Legislature, which controls California spends approximately $8,500 per stu- 40% of school spending. And with over a thou- dent, placing it 29th in the nation for (K-12 student sand school districts with different amounts of stu- spending.) The OPTIMIST asked students if dents (LAUSD alone has 700,000, and 50 districts Another study found more than 2 million drop- they kept their New Year’s res- have less than 100 students), there’s bound to be a outs for the ‘07-‘08 school year in high schools in screwup somewhere. California. oluiton last year and what they Now let’s see how California does with some Grade? A big, fat, juicy F. Someone put Califor- resolved to do in 2010. economics. nia in Intersession, please! My New Year’s resolution last year was to finish school and find year was to challenge myself a job. I didn’t finish school but I more in school. I accomplished did get a job at Pollo Loco. This Politicizing Haiti my goal by taking classes I nor- year I will finish school after in- mally wouldn’t have taken, and tersession and find another job. passing them. This year my main henever tragedy strikes, it is human nature self. resolution is to be involved in Carlos Caldera / 12 to lend a helping hand to those in need, to “Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, other activities outside of school. W comfort the hurt, to treat the wounded and and people might not want to talk about it,” said I’m volunteering and joining a My New Year’s resolution was to to assist with whatever we can give.