The Poly ptimist John H. Francis Polytechnic High School Vol. XCVIII, No. 5 Serving the Poly Community Since 1913 December 2011 ELECTION 2012 CANDIDATES, Parrots Get 20K+ at ISSUES AND Aca Deca Scrimmage POSSIBILITIES Smart squad hopes score is By Nam Woo Staff Writer good enough for state. Many people are anxious for The LAUSD competition is the 2012 presidential race to begin. By Yenifer Rodriguez more difficult than two thirds of the Editor In Chief Barack Obama is obviously the state competitions. Last year’s team candidate for the Democratic would have won state anywhere else Party. For the Republicans, the top Poly’s Academic Decathlon team if they weren’t in California. nominees for now are Mitt Romney, scored 20,622 points in an official Last year ten teams were chosen Newt Gingrich, and Herman Cain. scrimmage against all 70 LAUSD to go to the state competition. Poly Romney, former governor of Aca Deca teams. The scrimmage came in 11. Massachusetts, ran in 2008, but lost was held in the cafetoruim on “The team has the ability, but is to Arizona Senator John McCain November 19. short on experience,” said Block, after changing stances on key issues “For the third year in a row, “and in any competition experience numerous times. Or so his critics we appear to be right on the line is a crucial factor.” said. between just getting in and just Block said the best person on the Romney’s positions are fairly missing,” said Aca Deca coach Brian team is the Captain, senior Kathy simple. He wants to lower the Block. Silva. Her specialty is art, but she’s corporate tax rate to 25% from 35% Granada Hills High School had strong in all subjects. and eliminate taxes on interest and the highest score. “This year I picked the captain, dividend income for anyone making “The point of the scrimmage was but the team would’ve picked her less than $200,000 a year. Romney to see their abilities and weaknesses anyway,” Block said. also wants to cut spending and for the upcoming competition,” said regulation and repeal Obama’s health Block. care law. The next competition is on the Gingrich would overhaul the last Saturday in January, when tax code by cutting corporate rates, Photo by Catalina Murillo the teams give their speeches, do Yellow Has ending capital gains taxes and IN THEORY: Enigmatic Theory members Micah Mora and Diana Guerrero interviews and write essays. eliminating the estate tax. He’d also perform at Thursday’s Talent Show. See story on page 3. “Which we do incredibly well move to a flat tax, keeping charitable on,” Block said. “We speak well and Parrots and home ownership deductions. write well.” Gingrich also wants Obama-care The multiple-choice test and the Saturdays at UCLA Super Quiz relay are held on the first Seeing Red Gingrich would Saturday of February. Last year the Where have all overhaul the tax code AP classes get more instruction at UCLA. Super Quiz relay was televised. Winners get invited to state. the murals gone, “Based on the scrimmage, I think by cutting corporate A unique program sponsored By Lisa Guardado there will be 13 teams who make it wondered students by LAUSD offers these Parrots a rates, end capital gains Staff Writer to state,” said Block. chance to take additional AP study and teachers back Last year, 10 teams received at- taxes and eliminate the sessions at UCLA. large bids and went to state. from the holiday. Most Parrots sleep in on Saturday Classes meet once a month and estate tax. Every county or school district and forget about school until all Poly AP students are welcome gets to send their best team. The Monday morning. to attend. An LAUSD bus arrives repealed. runner-ups fill any leftover spots. By Ramses Lemus But for about 50 Poly students at Poly at 8 am and transports the Gingrich was a former speaker Between one third to one half of Staff Writer enrolled in AP Calculus, Biology and Parrots and their Poly teachers to of the House until his resignation Chemistry classes, Saturdays have a the teams come from the LAUSD. in 1998. Gingrich also led the different look. [ See Parrots at UCLA, page 6 ] Poly’s new coat of yellow paint impeachment of former President had some Parrots and teachers Clinton. seeing red on the Monday after Cain, former CEO of Godfather’s Thanksgiving break. Pizza, is not a career politician, USC Holds Journalism Day The colors were chosen by unlike the rest of the nominees. Poly Principal Gerardo Loera and Cain favors a return to the gold Register, the Wall Street Journal, the Daily Bruin, and the By Jasmine Aquino a special committee, according to standard and supports a strong Staff Writer Daily Trojan. Assistant Principal Lourdes De national defense. His “9-9-9” tax A photo journalism panel hosted by freelance Santiago. Different shades were proposal calls for 9% personal, photographer Armando Brown from the Orange County painted on the walls of the 70’s and corporate and national sales taxes. Hundreds of practicing high school journalists and Register discussed how young photo journalists can input was sought from teachers and Cain also wants a reduction in their faculty advisors attended the University of Southern produce more compelling photographic coverage. students. government regulations, tough California’s (USC) semi-annual High School Journalism “Capture emotion in your photos,” Brown urged while “The principal had input from border security and enforcement of Day on November 18. offering examples of both high and low quality photos. different people,” De Santiago said immigration laws, an overhaul of High School Journalism Day provides an opportunity Brown also demonstrated how to get the most out Various factors were used to Social Security and a new health for high school students to attend a variety of workshops of a camera and stayed afterwards to answer student choose which murals would be care law. and panels led by professional journalists and USC questions about media equipment and his experience as a painted over. Romney, Gingrich and Cain are faculty members. photojournalist. “The outdated murals, the murals all against the health-care law, in Each school is allowed to take up to five students and Investigative reporter Robert Lopez of @LANow (the for programs no longer funded and fact, but what exactly is the health a faculty advisor. Each student received a personalized breaking news blog of the Los Angeles Times) hosted murals on rooms where the class had care law? folder with a schedule of what workshops to attend and a Backpack Journalism. moved were chosen for removal,” The health care law was passed meal ticket. Lopez produces multimedia content for breaking news De Santiago said. in 2010 after much effort from Students had a chance to explore various aspects of stories using just the contents in his backpack – a hand- Colors on some of the murals President Obama. The law states that journalism from working professionals with firsthand held HD camcorder to record video and a laptop to edit were fading, according to De experience. The more than two dozen guest speakers represented the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County [ See Candidates, Issues, page 6 ] [ See A Day at USC page 6 ] [ See Parrots see red, pg 6 ] More Paint Christmas For News Your Pet Pal Principal Loera with Complete your pet’s the straight scoop. christmas wish list. Photo by Catalina Murillo INTERVIEW - page 3 Google Image LIFESTYLE - page 7 2 December 2011 The Poly Optimist polyhigh.org/opt.jsp OPINION EDITORIAL LETTERS Faded Spirit Many Poly students are not satisfied with Poly’s new Stanford Commencement look, including me. I believe that the murals made the school unique. They were all different and would stand out. Now its Apple CEO Steve Jobs 2003 Stanford I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had appearance gives the impression of any ordinary building. a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, Every mural told a story of a role model, such as Albert address offers some uncommonly through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into Einstein. The quotes made me think of the importance of life my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, and the murals would show the talent at my school. Poly even good advice for students of all ages. but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed had a special mural that been there since the 1980’s. The blue Below is part two, the final words of the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because and yellow plain colors have faded Poly students’ spirit because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is it lost the murals memories. his speech. The OPTIMIST ran part curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now. one in our November issue. This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope it’s - Rocio Joya, 12 the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through Unwanted Changes I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I death was a useful but purely intellectual concept: All changes have their melancholy. There are some effective guess the patient needed it.