Firstaresponders Work Rose Parade

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 experience 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. Robinson on the Christian Broadcasting Network. club and I hope to become a bet- do better in school and I did. This If this is the case, then what do we call those who “They were under the heel of the French. You ter person from my new experi- year I want to lose weight, gradu- instead of providing help to the distressed politicize know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got ences. ate on stage, improve my vocabu- disaster? together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, lary, and get my GPA higher so Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh ‘s com- ‘we will serve you if you’ll get us free from the Krystal Schipper / 11 that I could get into a better col- ments about President Obama’s supposed failure to French.’ True story. And so, the devil said, ‘okay it’s lege. report the costs of providing aid to victims of the a deal.’” My New Year’s resolution last recent earthquake in Haiti and Southern Baptist So bizarre and inappropriate, one wonders where year was to start off fresh at Poly Juan Arreola / 12 Pat Robinson’s statement that the earthquake was a on earth did he pull that from. Rather than bring- and make new friends, get good form of infernal retribution are the newest idiocies ing people together in a time of chaos, he prefers to grades and make the baseball To me, having a New Year’s reso- from right-wing extremists. propagate ignorance and hate. And this is coming team and I accomplished every lution is like making a promise. Limbaugh’s rant about the costs of “sending a from a renowned Christian figurehead. Nice going, single one of those goals. This I once was told, “Don’t make a man to Haiti” are nothing but pathetic. Angry at the hypocrite. year my resolution is to help Poly promise you can’t keep” - so now swift response from Obama in providing assistance, Such glib comments only show how far the igno- baseball win a city champion- I don’t make promises I don’t Limbaugh’s course of action was to dehumanize a rance and willful stupidity of such people will go. ship, play at Dodger stadium and keep. I just say I will try my best. massive natural tragedy into a game of numbers and Limbaugh and Robinson are nothing but sad, dismal enjoy the rest of my senior year politics. excuses for the right and humans in general. with my friends. Christian Pagaduan / 12 As for Robinson’s comment...well, read for your- Eric Reyes / 12 To be honest I don’t even remember what my New Year’s resolu- John H. Francis Polytechnic High School My New Year’s resolution last tion was in 2009. I find it point- The 12431 Roscoe Blvd. Sun Valley, CA, 91352 year was to get good grades less to make a promise every year. OPTIMIST http://polyhigh.org which I accomplished. My grades At this point I can only make the have gone up dramatically – from best of every year. an F and D student to an A, B, Editor-In-Chief and C student. This year my reso- Karen Hernandez / 12 Angel Silva lution is not to let my problems News Editors Photo Editor get in the way of my education or Last year my New Year’s resolu- Karinina Cruz Karina Muñiz distract me from graduating and tion was to think of a New Year’s Stephy Menjivar going to college. resolution for 2010. Unfortunate- Political Editor ly, I was unable to think of one. Sports Editor Angel Silva Selenne Diaz / 12 Nevertheless, I set one for 2010 Jose Torres - to come up with a resolution for Cartoonist Last year I didn’t have a New 2011. Columnist Leticia Juarez Year’s resolution. This year Gabriela Melendez Marina Turrelles my resolution was to do well in Jesse Melgar / 11 school and try to graduate on time and on stage. I started interses- Few people manage to stay true to Writers sion alright and I’m going to try their New Year’s resolution. My Diane Alvarado, Magdalena Corona, Andrea Herrera, Joel Hinojosa, to keep it that way. I need 5 class- resolution is to do better at school Regina Martinez, Michelle Nolasco, Diana Olmedo, Ivan Salazar es to make up and if I don’t fail and keep any harmful substances anymore I’ll graduate on time. from hurting my body and mind. Optimist Advisor I am testing my willpower and John Blau Bryan Perez / 12 stamina.

I can’t remember what my resolu- Cesar Martinez / 11 Letters Editorial tion was for last year, but I know To The Editor Policy that this year’s resolution is to get My New Year’s resolution last a driver’s license, a stable job so year was to try to stop eating as Letters to the Editor must be typed or The OPTIMIST is the voice of the Poly that I can support myself and to much fast food. I broke it after a neatly printed in ink and include the writ- community and accepts the responsibili- graduate on stage in front of my week. This year I plan to eat sal- er’s signature. The OPTIMIST reserves ties of a free press. The OPTIMIST fol- parents and friends. ads and eat less junk food. I also the right to edit submissions. Send letters lows the Code of Ethics for the Society of plan to run three times a week to Rm.14 or Mr. Blau’s box. Professional Journalists. Editorials are the Haret Darbinyan / 12 and at least four miles a day. opinions of the staff writers. My New Year’s resolution last Julio Ceja / 12 The Poly Optimist Interview January 2010 3

Jessica I’ve been very fortunate to have Caballero “such a great support system. POLY ” Success Story

Poly senior Jessica Caballero re- ber I was notified that I was admitted to MIT. cently learned that MIT had offered her a full ride scholarship. The OP- As of now I have a full ride for all four years to MIT and TIMIST asked Caballero to tell our I will most likely be visiting for Campus Preview Week- readers how she did it. end. The Minority Introduction To Engineering and Sci- know that I owe a huge part of this accomplish- ence (MITES) summer program consisted of five rigor- ment to my teachers and counselors. Before attend- ous courses over a six-week period. MITES was a great ing the magnet I had no clue what an AP class was experience. It was ridiculously hard, but I had a fantastic andI I never even thought of applying to schools such as cluster leader who helped me out every time I needed en- the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard couragement. and Stanford etc. I was ignorant of this world of private colleges and universities. The Trip

I was recently in Spain for about 10 days. We went to But I’ve been very fortunate to have such a great sup- get to know a different part of the world, a different culture port system. My teachers encouraged me for four years and a different country. and helped me believe that I had all the potential to gain acceptance into top schools. I can still remember walking We visited major cities such as Barcelona and Madrid in to the cafetorium in ninth grade for parent conferences. and also got to see a couple smaller cities like Montserrat, The first teacher my father and I greeted was Ms. Martin Toledo, and Granada. We saw a lot of beautiful cathedrals, and the first thing she told my father was that I was going parks, museums, castles, and historical buildings. to go to a top school like Harvard or Yale. The history of Spain is preserved in its architecture. The Studying My favorite building was the Cathedral Sagrada Familia Obviously wanting to go to these schools was not (Sacred Family), especially since I had studied Antonio enough. I dedicated lots of time to studying and doing Gaudi, the architect, during the summer program at MIT. homework. Gradually I developed the discipline needed

to keep up with such a busy schedule. I tried to avoid pro- Spain is a completely different culture. People buy flam- crastinating and tried to work on everything day by day boyant masks and wigs to welcome the new year. They but of course this didn’t always work. have a countdown at Plaza Sol in Madrid where thousands of people get together to wait. They welcome the new year I think that over these four years I’ve learned how to with lots of fireworks and happiness. manage my time and learned what works best for me academically. I hate working in a room that’s completely The Beginning quiet. I usually do homework in my room while listening I was born in Sylmar, but I’ve lived my entire life in Pa- to some of my favorite songs on iTunes. coima. I have a small family of five, including myself. I’m the middle child. I have an older sister who’s a sophomore I plan to major in Biochemistry. My interest in Biol- at CSUN and a younger brother who’s a sophomore at Sun ogy started during the AP Bio course I took my sophomore Valley High School. I live with both of my parents Maria year. I had a fantastic teacher and her passion inspired me. and Alfonso Caballero. After attending the 2009 summer program at MIT, I knew I wanted to incorporate Chemistry into my studies as well. I really enjoy reading for fun. I can read for hours and hours if I get my hands on a good book. I like working out The Scholarship whenever I have time as long as I have my iPod with my In the beginning I was not considering the Questbridge favorite songs. I also enjoy just hanging out with friends, application, I thought my possibilities of receiving a schol- going out to eat, and shopping. arship were slim. Luckily, a teacher insisted that it was a fantastic opportunity that I should not let pass by. The Future Over these four years, I have tried to learn as much as The Questbridge application consisted of three major possible not just on an intellectual level, but on a personal essays and a couple of short responses. It required letters level as well. Starting at a new place with completely dif- of recommendations and the typical testing information, ferent people will be really tough but I know that with the grade point average, community service, etc. After being help of my teachers I have prepared myself for this next identified as a Questbridge finalist, I had to submit extra phase of my life. supplements to some of the other schools. In early Decem- The Poly 4 january 2010 Year In Review Optimist

1. Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen Top Ten Sports Moments of 2009 Total Gross: $402,111,870 Autobots battled Decepticons to the top of the box office, becoming the top earning movie of the year and planting itself at number 9 among the By Ivan Salazar top ten highest domestic grosses ever. Staff Writer 2. Avatar ompetition makes watching sports exciting and there was plenty Total Gross: $367,536,685 of excitement in 2009, from upsets to buzzer-beaters. See if you Arguably one of the most anticipated movies of the decade, director James C remember these: Cameron’s visionary sci-fi epic quickly went top ten and is on pace to be the biggest box office hit ever.

Steelers win sixth Super Bowl Nail Biter 3. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger The Villanova Wildcats narrowly defeated Total Gross: $301,959,197 launched a miracle pass to wide receiver the Pittsburgh Panthers in the East regional The popular teen wizard returned for his sixth year at Hogwarts to grab Santonio Holmes in the corner of the end for the 2009 NCAA men’s basketball tour- third place, but cast a powerful spell on the worldwide box office, taking zone with 41 seconds left to give Pitts- nament. Guard Scottie Reynolds’ make the number two spot with a magical $929.4 million. burgh a 27-23 victory and a record sixth with 5.5 seconds left put Villanova in the Super Bowl. Final Four. 4. UP Top Total Gross: $293,004,164 A Block to the Cup The animation wizards at Pixar did it again, Pittsburgh won game 7 of the Stanley Cup nabbing the studio its second highest grossing Finals in the closing seconds when Penguin Ten movie ever (behind “Finding Nemo”), and be- goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury blocked coming the highest grossing 3D movie of all Detroit Redwing Nicklas Lidstrom’s des- Grossing time. peration shot. 5. The Twilight Saga: New Moon World Series Hit Films Total Gross: $288,548,185 The Phillies, down 1-2 to the Yankees in the Hot off the success of 2008’s ‘Twilight,’ the sec- Series, were tied 4-4 in the top of the ninth By Andrea Herrera Staff Writer ond installment of Stephanie Meyers’ supernatu- with two outs when closer Brad Lidge fell ral romance saga wolfed down a record-breaking apart. Critical hits by Alex Rodriguez and $72,703,754 for the highest opening day earn- Jorge Pasada gave the Yankees the game ings of all time. 7-4 and eventually the World Series. 6. The Hangover Triple Victory Total Gross: $277,322,503 Barcelona defeated Manchester United 2-0 The breakout hit of the summer, this tawdry tale of the ultimate Vegas Please Stay Seated in the 2009 European Champions League bachelor party gone wrong defied all expectations, becoming the top R- A determined Roger Federer outlasted Final, becoming the first team in Spanish rated comedy of all time. Andy Roddick in a 30-game fifth set at history to win the country’s league (La Wimbledon for his 15th Grand Slam title. Liga), La Copa del Rey, and Champions 7. Star Trek The four-hour and 16 minute contest over league titles simultaneously. Total Gross: $257,730,019 77 games was the longest in a men’s Grand Live long and prosper! Director J.J. Abrams’ bold re-imagining of the Slam Final. The score was 5-7, 7-6(6), Nothing but Net classic sci-fi franchise proved popular with old and new fans alike, gross- 7-6(5), 3-6, 16-14. LA Laker Derek Fisher hit one critical three ing more than any previous Star Trek movie. pointer with 4.1 seconds left in regulation Faster than Lightning to send Game 4 of the NBA Finals into 8. The Blind Side Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt broke the overtime and a second in OT to defeat the Total Gross: $210,068,528 world record for the 100-meter dash in Orlando Magic and give the Lakers their Boasting no explosions, CGI robots or vampires, but propelled by good the World Championships with a record- 15th NBA Championship. word-of-mouth, this inspirational drama reached the top ten over the setting 9.58 seconds, besting his previous Christmas holiday weekend. record by 0.11seconds. Perfect Catch, Perfect Game Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle’s Film | Sports | Fashion > 2009 < Music | Best & Worst

One Second Victory perfect game was saved when center field- 9. Monsters Vs. Aliens The Big 12 Championship featured Texas er De Wayne Wise jumped over the center Total Gross: $198,351,526 Longhorn quarterback Colt McCoy and field wall to rob Tampa Bay’s -Gabe Ka In a crowded field, this animated adventure towered over the pack, mak- Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong pler of a hit and save Buehrle’s 5-0 perfect ing the top ten with one of the biggest spring opening weekends ever. Suh. But it was Longhorn kicker Hunter game. Lawrence who kicked the game-winning 10. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs field goal as time expired, giving Texas a In 2009, it was thrills, spills and chills for Total Gross: $196,573,705 ticket to the national championship game sports fan everywhere. Pass the popcorn, The prehistoric critter crew had their biggest box office outing yet and with a 13-12 win. please. captured the number two spot at the worldwide box office with a massive $883.7 million.

Female Flannel / Plaid Shirts: These shirts’ versatil- ity gave girls a chance to show off their Gladiator Sandals: Every girl had a pair n high school, we all use personal style. Deep dish Lauren Conrad SLAVES in her closet. These sandals could give loves ‘em and you should too. fashion to define ourselves. any outfit a little edge. Typically made of I The way we dress is a form leather, gladiators were a must-have for the Floral Skirts: Looking and feeling pretty of communication that needs no summer. while staying fresh on a summer day with TOroiyj translation. Every year we follow florals. Forever 21 was the go-to place. UGGs: Not only are they super comfortable, new trends and make them our own. but they can be worn with any outfit. UGGs Rompers / Jumpers: A strictly modern take 2009 saw a lot of these. have been on the scene for years now but on overalls, this popular item was seen FASHION they still work. on every one from celebs like Leighton Meester to your classmates at lunch. By Diana Olmedo and Michelle Nolasco Elastic Waist Dresses: Typically made in two Staff Writers tone colors, the dresses were popular. The Distressed Denim: Unlike the 90’s grunge elastic waist is flattering to every girl’s look, 2009 hip distressed jeans were sim- body. ply cool and could give any outfit a rocker The Poly Optimist Year In Review January 2010 5

In 2009, new artists and My Lips Unsealed veterans had their time to Top shine, whether their ca- Thank Goodness That’s Over reer had just started or Ten tragically ended. These ten had a big impact on Artists By Gabriela Melendez music in 2009: Columnist

Lil Wayne: Wayne has sold over 6M units of in his 13-year career and is considered the irty, lowdown 2009 was so unkind and only occa- best rapper of his generation. He grabbed 2009 sionally fine, so this Best and Worst list is best read eight nominations for the 51st Grammy D sitting down. Awards, including Album of the Year and By Regina Martinez Best Rap Album for “Tha Carter III.” Staff Writer Octamom - She got knocked up and had eight children, bringing the total to 14. Mothers and taxpayers absolutely adore her. NOT. Beyonce: After charting four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Single Ladies,” Mad at Madoff - Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff squeezed $7B from his clients, Knowles was invited to perform at Obam- saying their cash would go in a hedge fund when he really kept it for himself. He’s as’ inauguration. The diva took home 10 been scamming people since the ‘90s. He got 150 years in prison. That’s impres- Grammy nominations this year and had a sive. big hit with her “I Am Sasha Fierce” album. Hold that Tiger - Woods affairs cost him his marriage, his crystal clean slate, and major endorsement deals like AT&T and Accenture. Now Woods is in for sex Taylor Swift: Taylor won five American rehab. Better run, girls. Music Awards, four CMAs (country music awards) and eight Grammy nominations, You gogo, Gaga - Lady Gaga’s bizarre style dominated the media this year. “Pa- including Favorite Female Artist. By pro- parazzi” and “Bad Romance” were catchy songs, but others were downright odd. I ducing both country and pop hits, Taylor respect her because she got popular by being herself. She’s still weird, though. has won a wide range of fans in a very short time. Balloon boy - The Heenes, a nobody family in Colorado, pretended to put their six year old son in a balloon and fly him over the state. They wanted a reality TV Eminem: A battle rapper since he was 14, show. The parents got jail time instead. A sick way to get publicity. The kid must Eminem’s “Relapse” sold 600,000 units in be traumatized. its first week, with “Relapse 2” released soon after. Using other artists on his al- Education Takes a Hit - More budget cuts. Wonderful. From 2006-2009, over bums has been a winning formula for the $1.6 billion was taken from LAUSD. Here in PArrotsville, subjects were cut, classes rapper. got incredibly crowded, and hundreds of teachers were handed pink slips. Miley Cyrus: Miley went from Disney Lady Gaga: 2008’s “The Fame” put this teen product to full-blown adult. “The Groovy Baby - Avatar was one of the coolest films I ever watched. Critics didn’t artist’s career in high gear. Gaga’s UK Climb” and “Party in the USA” got Cyrus like it, though. Apparently it was too “hippie.” Like, whatever. summer tour was a huge hit with Brit fans. nominated for Choice Female Hottie, Most fans say her dance hits are the best Choice Music Female Artist, and Choice Long Live the King - June 25, the death of Michael Jackson, the worlds be- out there right now. TV Actress in a Comedy. loved Pop King. He overdosed on sedatives. After a remembrance movie, radio dedications, and a depressing funeral, we moved on. Akon: Collaborations with others artists Chris Brown: After the Rihanna incident, and a wide range of styles, from hip-hop many fans lost faith in Brown, whose new Toothsome - 2009 was the year of the vampire. “New Moon,” to be precise. to bachata to reggaeton, have been a win- singles “Graffiti,” “Crawl” and “So Cold,” Robert Pattinson can’t walk down the street without attracting a posse of screaming ning formula for Akon. “Sexy Chick” with left fans cold. girls. There were tons of vampire books and movies and even a TV show. I hope the David Guetta was a big hit in 2009. trend ends with 2009. I’m sick of it. Drake: “Best I Ever Had” was a big hit, Michael Jackson: M.J was preparing for while guest starring on songs by other Film | Sports | Fashion > 2009 < Music | Best & Worst

a comeback concert series in London when artists has helped his career as well. He Peace On You - President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I didn’t he died suddenly on June 25. Michael’s received two Grammy nominations and like that. He hasn’t earned it yet. He just has his plans. But if he comes through 50 sold-out concerts at the O2 arena were many critics think Drake is as big as Kanye with his promises, like trying to rid the world of nuclear weapons, then no harm, scheduled to begin July 13. At five he West and Snoop Dog when their career first no foul. joined his family’s musical group by 13 started. launched a solo career that quickly made With 2009 gone, we can start again. New gossip, new television shows, new eco- his name a household word. nomic problems. I can’t wait.

edge. School Boy Glasses / “Nerdy” Glasses: The Colorful Hoodies: comfortable and more styl- Male nerds are back! Looking geeky has been ish than the trad grey-hooded sweatshirt. Suede boots: Steve Madden popularized cool ever since Chris Brown and Kanye these in ‘09 The simplicity and color va- West made the glasses popular. Blazers: Celebs like Robert Pattinson were Flannel / Plaid shirt: Indie bands such as riety of the boots made mix and match a often seen sporting blazers. An easy way to A Rocket to the Moon matched their mu- breeze and could also dress up any outfit V-necks: Combining v-necks and cardigans make a casual outfit a little more interest- sic genre to their personal style by wearing without being over the top. was the perfect combo to wear for the indie ing. flannels and plaid shirts. crowd Passion Pit. V-necks could give any Printed Nylons: They give a ladylike look, casual outfit some spice. Cardigans: Mr. Rogers was the godfather “Authentic” Vans: “Got my vans on, but they with a touch of modesty, while still show- of cardigan. In 2009, all the young dudes look like sneakers”, the catchy hook by ing lots of personal style. Prints range from Over sized Beanie: The quick fix to a bad revived the old standby for the twenty first The Pack really popularized the shoe brand geometric to floral and lace. “Gossip Girl” hair day. Urban Outfitters carries a wide century. and made them a must have item on every Taylor Momsen rocked these in ’09. range of colors. guy’s closet. Motorcycle Jackets: Seen on individuals not Nike SB blazers: Pairing these with 501s Levi’s 501 Jeans: a basic for any outfit. afraid of making a statement. They show was popular because the jeans highlighted off the wild you, but also give your femi- the shoes. nine side a little boost. Entertainment The Poly 6 january 2010 Optimist First Responders At Parade [ Responders, from pg 1 ] and well arranged. It showed how “Knowing I had something to the faces of my students’ gives much effort and work everyone do with their interest in the field me a feeling of personal achieve- “At first our station was slow,” put into it,” Meneces said of the of emergency medicine and pub- ment.” said Sonenschein. Lemus said. “Then by 9:00 am parade. lic safety and seeing the smile on we got very busy and every re- Friday’s Rose Parade was the sponder was with a patient.” first Meneces had seen. Lemus did manage to see some “I was pretty surprised and of the floats, however. amazed at how pretty and well “They were huge, epic and at Poly Band At Parade decorated the floats were and the end, the parade leaves you [ Band, from pg 1 ] Alvarez-Parra also marched in how great and rehearsed every- wondering how they did it and last year’s Rose Parade with The thing was,” Meneces said. “One Auditions for the All City Band how they made the floats func- All City Band. of the floats that I really liked was were held at the Dodger Stadium. tion,” he said. All seven Parrots in the All one that had this life-like gorilla Only brass players participated in Photo by Karina Muñiz Junior Ashley Rodriquez also City Band agreed that music will moving around. It was pretty in- the event. worked Team 4 East with Sonen- be in their future. TRAINING: Poly’s Brenda Fish- teresting.” “We got to go to Dodger Stadi- schein and Lemus. “I think that it would be like a ler works with a PAES student. All three Parrots had served as um to practice our conditioning,” “The station I was in had a dream for all of us to be able to First Responders at Poly football said senior Marlon Alvarez-Parra. couple hypothermias, a sprained play professionally or for our col- PAES Workshop games, but none had ever worked “That was a lot of fun.” ankle and an older woman that leges,” said Alvarez-Parra. a Rose Parade before. Rodriquez was diabetic and had not taken Comes To Poly was the only one of the three who her meds or checked her blood had attended a Rose Parade in [ PAES, from pg 1 ] sugar level.” person. “The older woman was a still each component has its own Both Ashley and Karen want call who was about two blocks color. Categories include Busi- to be nurses and say helping at the from our station. We walked her ness/Marketing (red), Computer parade was a great opportunity to to our station and checked her vi- Technology (green), Construc- test the water. tal signs and gave her food to get tion/Industrial (Blue), Consumer/ Lemus wants to make EMS his her blood level back.” Service (yellow) and Processing/ career and says working as a first The assignment made an im- Production (silver). aid responder has given him the pression on senior Karen Menec- “We treat the program like a opportunity to get hands-on expe- es, who worked another station. job,” Fishler said. “Students have rience and learn how to work well “It was definitely an experi- to wear a collared shirt when they with others. ence I’m never going to forget,” come in, they have to address me At the end of the day, Sonen- Meneces said. Photos by Karina Muñiz as supervisor and they have pro- schein was pleased with his First “Everything looked perfect BRASS: Poly Band members Marlon Alvarez and Charles Hollowell. cedures to follow everyday.” Responders. The students do activities based on the five components. Favorite activities include the cash register and cooking, said Fishler. Fishler joined Poly’s staff in 2003 and has worked with special-ed since 1989. “I used to work at Pacoima Middle School and at Hathaway Family services,” Fishler said. “Middle school kids are very squirrelly, they can’t stay still, but kids are kids. They know when someone cares about them and they usually respond well to that.” High school kids are some- times harder to motivate because they have had a lot of failure in their lives, Fishler said. They are afraid to try new things because of the fear of failure. “A lot of special-ed kids have been protected in a way because they would do something and it would be okay,” Fishler said. “But no one in the real world is going to say ‘Good job for making five mistakes.’ In here, we say ‘oh, good try, but you need to do it again.” S u d o k u Using the numbers 1-9, fill Solution To in each of the boxes. Each number can be used only December’s Puzzle once per box. Good Luck! The Poly Film Optimist january 2010 7

Technology Catches Up To Cameron’s Needs New camera systems and advanced stage make Na’vi world possible. Filmmaker James Cameron delayed “Avatar” for years because the technology wasn’t advanced enough for his project. “In fact, Avatar wasn’t possible when it was first written 11 years ago,” said Cameron, “and only through pushing the technology to new levels over the past year and a half have we reached the point where the film is finally possible to make.” Cameron’s CGI technology is advanced enough to enhance and ana- lyze actors’ expressions down to the small pores on their faces. Cameron‘s He used a head-rig camera that could even record eye movement. “The key to it is the software, which interprets the movement of the actor’s face, pupils, and eyelid responses as the image flows in from Personal the video feed of the head-rig camera.” Another major advance in technology is the Simulcam, which allows Cameron to work as if he were using a live-action camera but still Vision see a virtual world. Through the camera he would see Zoë Saldana as a ten foot blue Na’vi and the “The Volume,” a motion capture stage “Avatar,” 2009’s most anticipated movie, has six times bigger than normal stages, would be the beautiful forest of already done $1 billion at the box office. Pandora or the floating Hallelujah Mountains. “Avatar’s” technical feats have also revolutionized 3D. Cameron James Cameron is best known Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), helped develop a filming rig that features stereoscopic lens which are for his hit movie “Titanic,” which a paraplegic Marine, replaces his paired like human eyes. The camera allows the user to capture two still stands as #1 worldwide, but murdered twin brother, a scientist images simultaneously which creates a perfect alignment to produce his high-tech holiday blockbuster, trained for the avatar program. depth. “Avatar,” may even outdo “Titan- During a trip as avatars, Sul- Cameron’s “Avatar” has broken new ground in film making technol- ic’s” box office take. ly becomes separated from Dr. ogy. The movie has already made Grace Augustine (Sigourney “This film integrates my life’s achievements. It’s the most compli- over $1 billion dollars and is clos- Weaver) and her partner Norm Stories by cated stuff anyone’s ever done,” said Cameron. ing in on “Titanic’s” record $1.8 Spellman (Joel David Moore). Joel Hinojosa billion. Sully is saved by a Na’vi named Staff Writer “Avatar” has gotten plenty of Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) falls in love praise for its new technology and with her and turns his back on the camera methods that are expected humans to help the Na’vi fight to revolutionize the film industry. against RDA. “The (film’s) new technology, “The climactic battle sequence with live action seamlessly mixed in Avatar is a stupendously orches- with CGI imagery, has revolu- trated clash of color and move- tionized film-making as a techni- ment, of machine-gun droids and cal art form,” said Jose Antonio Na’vi warriors flying their primi- Vargas of the Huffington Post. tive griffin steeds down canyon AVATAR James Cameron‘s “Avatar” has fascinated audi- The movie takes place on a walls,” said Owen Gleiberman of ences and quickly become part of pop culture. Con- moon named Pandora in 2154. the Entertainment Weekly. Conservatives servatives, however, find Cameron an unpatriotic A corporation named Resources “It’s an impossible but com- director and his film a distortion of what America DevelopmentaAdministration pletely plausible and seductive Condemn is about. They take issue with the many themes and (RDA) has been exploiting the world that invites your total im- political undertones implied in the film. jungles and environment of the mersion,” said Richard Corliss of “Avatar’s” “Avatar” story involves the Na’vi, creatures on Na’vi, blue skinned natives, for the Times, “Don’t resist it; sink in another planet that live in harmony with their en- unobtanium. and fly with it. All Cameron asks Political vironment and believe in a goddess named Eywa. The Na’vi, tall harmonic crea- is that you open your eyes.” The RDA, on the other hand, wants to destroy the tures who love their nature-rich “Avatar,” pro-environment environment for money by using military forces. and bioluminescent home, em- and anti-war, portrays humans as Message Conservatives see the movie’s message as pro-envi- brace a nature goddess named a destructive species. ronment messages and anti-American. Ewya. “Avatar is dizzying, envelop- The blockbuster’s subtext is seen “‘Avatar’ is a thinly disguised, heavy-handed and Meanwhile, scientists use ava- ing, vertiginous ... I ran out of ad- by conservatives as unpatriotic simplistic sci-fi fantasy/allegory critical of America tars, Na’vi bodies mixed with hu- jectives an hour into its 161 min- and anti-American. from our founding straight through to the Iraq War,” man DNA, to help communicate utes,” said David Edelstein of the said right-wing film essayist John Nolte. “It looks with the Na’vi and help them New York Magazine. like a big-budget animated film with a garish color speak English. palette right off a hippie’s tie dye shirt.” Conservatives are also upset with the film’s religious undertones that point to pantheism and away from Christianity. “’Avatar’ is Cameron’s long apologia for pantheism -- a faith that equates God with Nature, and calls humanity into religious communion with the natural world,” said Ross Douthat of The New York Times. Conservatives see the movie as critical of former President George W. Bush and the Iraqi war. In the movie, for instance, the chief tells the humans they will “fight terror with terror.” “The conclusion does ask the audience to root for the defeat of American soldiers at the hands of an insurgency,” wrote John Podhoretz in the ‘Weekly Standard.’ “So it is a deep expression of anti-Amer- icanism.” Cameron, however, says his movie shows how greed and imperialism destroys the environment. “They are doing the same thing on another pris- tine planet that we’ve done here on earth,” Cameron said in a Today Show interview. “So it’s a way, sort of looking back at ourselves from this other world Internet Photos and seeing what we’re doing here.” Sports The Poly 8 January 2010 Optimist Poly Picks Up First Road Win Both teams have bad shooting night but rules say someone must win.

By Jose Torres way mark. Sports Writer The second half was a nail biter. The Parrots got their first road “Stay aggressive…play hard,” Photos by Karina Muñiz win of the year with a relatively Bonino told his squad during a DRIVE-BY: Parrot senior Oscar Aguilar slices through two Arleta defenders in Wednesday’s 53-44 win. easy 53-44 win over host Arleta timeout in the third when the Par- Wednesday. The win followed a rot pace started to fade. disappointing 63-60 loss to Ca- Poly shot a weak 39% for the noga Park on Monday game, but Arleta was worse at "We really needed this one to 20%, making just 10 of 49 shots. Bonino On the Season get our confidence back," said Neither side could drop a basket- head coach Dave Bonino. ball in the ocean from a rowboat. Poly’s Dave Bonino begins basketball team need one? Senior guard Victor Solano A strong 15-10 finish saved led Poly's scoring with 11 points, the day for the Parrots. Solano hit his third year as head B. We are able to fundraise to support our needs. In while senior Oscar Aguilar had two free-throws late in the fourth coach. He talked to the OP- an ideal situation, a school-wide booster club would 10 points, including two threes, to put the game out of reach. TIMIST about the upcoming be great, but it is a huge task to organize and run and shot 50%. JV won 49-37, with junior The Mustangs' William Sim- season. effectively. Poly is a reflection of the society, if you Rene Arias putting up 10 points win, they will follow. I believe with the return to a mons and Andy Ambriz com- to help seal the win. traditional schedule, school spirit will also return. bined for 28 to lead Arleta. Poly (3-14, 1-1) visits Van By Jose Torres Poly took the lead early and Nuys Friday before beginning a Sports Editor Q. Do the players have to learn your system or do was up 23-9 with five minutes six-game home stand while Ar- you tweak your system to fit this year’s players? left in the second quarter. But the leta (9-5, 0-1) travels to North Q. Tell us a little bit about the preseason. Obvi- Mustangs galloped back and were Hollywood. ously, at 2-12, you weren’t overjoyed with how B. As a coach you can have a system, but being able only down by 27- 22 at the mid- things went. Did the team not play up to expecta- to adapt your system or get rid of your system based tions, or were you guys overmatched? on your players’ ability is the key. Ideally, players learn a framework in order to assure proper position- Bonino: We were only outmatched in a few games. ing on the court both offensively and defensively. We have the tendency to only play hard for two or Once players understand the framework and are in three quarters out of the four. The result of this in- a position to achieve on the court, the teaching of ability to play hard for four quarters mixed in with fundamental skills through repetition will allow for turnovers and poor shooting led us to this record. that player to be successful.

Q. What should Poly fans expect to see in this Q. What does the preseason mean? year’s team - run and gun, half court, high scoring matches, defensive battles, lots of zone de- B. Losing in the preseason can demoralize a team. fense? Things such as a good loss get old after a while. Los- ing wears you down mentally, no matter how hard B: fans will see a team that likes to push the ball. you play. Since learning is a repetitive process, and The only problem we have had with this is turnovers learning from your mistakes is part of that process, and our lack of finishing at the basket. We are only mentally, you can learn how to lose, just like learn- scoring in the mid forties range, yet if we were able ing to win. One good win can cure lots of ills. I ex- to cut down on turnovers and finish our shots, we pect during the preseason, based on my own per- could be a high scoring team. sonal playing experiences, that everyone is fighting for playing time through the process of competition. On the defensive end, if we are playing hard and Photo by Karina Muñiz Competition, along with the fundamentals of the with intensity, we can play any defense effectively. COACHING: Poly head coach Dave Bonino on the sidelines. game, need to be taught. In most aspects of life, we

are in competition in some way. Q. Talk about stats. Which ones mean a lot to Soccer Diary you? Q. Look into your coach’s crystal ball and tell us

how the season might turn out. Who is the team B. I focus in on assists and turnovers. Assists show to beat and what makes them so good. Is this an- Some Fundamentals how the team is functioning as a whole and turn- other building year for Poly or should we have overs, well turnovers result in missed opportunities By Yendi Lozano some pretty high expectations for what this team and adversely affect the momentum of a game. Of- Correspondent can do? fensively, Basketball is a momentum game. Excess Q. Let’s cover some basics. sponsibilities? turnovers kill any chance of going on extended scor- B. Verdugo is the team to beat. They have size, What are the positions called ing runs that demoralize an opponent and energize speed and quickness, along with an experienced and what are their responsibili- When it’s the beginning of the a team team. They have played a much tougher schedule ties? season, there are two and when than Arleta. We would have a better overall record if it’s playoffs, there are three. When Q. Tell us about your staff. Who does what, how we scheduled lightly. Goalie - blocks incoming goals. there are two, one gets half of the long have they been with you, what experience do Forwards - score goals. field and the other one gets the they have, who calls the shots if you call in sick? We will struggle to finish in the upper half of the Left wing - runs up and down other side but they have to be in league unless we cut down on turnovers. Our first the left side of the field only, she the opposite side from each other. B. I have a new sophomore coach, a Poly graduate, three away games in league will tell the story. I feel helps the defense and forwards. If there’s a fault in the other half Danny Zelaya and a new JV coach, also a Poly grad, we can win all three, which would allow us be 3-0 Right wing - same as the left wing of the field, the referee that is not Charlie Martinez. I am very lucky to have both of with six straight home games. Winning on the road but on the right side. there can not call it from his side them as they have coached the majority of our play- is difficult, but is the quickest and best way to regain Stopper - makes sure the ball unless it is on his or her side. ers in the local park leagues. our long lost confidence as a team. doesn’t reach the forward line or go through her. Now if there’s three referees two Coaches never get sick. Our sickness, which we car- We begin league play at 0 wins and 0 losses, just like Sweeper - the last defender, she of them get the same positions ry our whole life like a virus, is the passion and zest everyone else. Our goals do not change: compete for sweeps all the junk that the mid- as the one of the top halve and to motivate and teach athletes to reach and perform a league championship, make the playoffs. I hope dle didn’t control. half and the third one gets to be at their highest level. that our best basketball is ahead of us and we start to in the middle and has to run up

believe we are very close to becoming a good team. Q. How many officials call a and down he could be all over the Q. The football team has a booster club. Does the match and what are their re- field.