Written By: Kate Di Guglielmo, Editor
Dear Poly,
You have been with me for four years. Whether I wanted you to or not, you have been the most consistent part of my life. You have pushed me to meet new people, try new things, learn how to write (thank you Mrs.Yeyna), and learn how to be “mentally strong” as said by Coach Grisham (my water polo girls will know what I’m talking about). Not only have you taught me how to live, but also how to take time and think about myself, and judging by my amount of absences, I’m sure the office knows that I take quite a bit of time to think about myself. I blame senioritis for my absences as Poly has never made me feel like I needed to leave. Especially now that I am going we seem to be doing all the fun things that would make someone want to stay. For instance, finally being able to have four classes (and a zero period) and getting to do fun senior trips like DisneyLand and Knotts Berry Farm. As a freshman I would have never believed how much fun I’ve been able to have with Poly.
Now that my life is changing and I have the privilege of graduating from THE Riverside Poly High School, I would like to thank all those who have helped me on my way. Thank you Mr. Jambretz for putting up with me and Téa’s never ending questions and conversations. Thank you Mrs. Yeyna for always being there for me and helping me vent. Thank you to my swim and water polo coaches for the never ending constructive criticism, support, and memories, which will never be forgotten. Lastly, thank you to my parents who have gotten me through high school by constantly guiding me in the right direction.
I will forever carry with me what I have learned and experienced during my high school career.
Written By Tea Summers, Staff Writer
Although I am absolutely devastated that I am coming to the end of my four years with you, I am so very ecstatic to be carrying with me the knowledge that has prepared me to yet again spend four (or more) years going to school! …just joshing! In all honesty, I am extremely grateful for the staff (ESPECIALLY YOU MRS. YEYNA, insert heart emojis), that have brought me to where I am now. However little the accomplishment, however grand the exploit, all hold significant value in not just our own eyes, but also in the eyes of those who have led you, who have helped you, and those who have peer edited your Spotlight article: shoutout to Ava Erickson and Delaney Norris. In spite of my short time here at Poly in reference to the grander scheme of things, I am forever indebted to my friends, my family members (even the distant ones that don’t send me money on my birthday), my opps, and “The Riv” itself (#RIVNASTY). To sum this entire letter up, Spotlight is the best class in the whole entire galaxy and if you’re reading this as an underclassman but haven’t applied for it, what are you doing? Bear out…
Written By: Alex Muller, Editor
In 2019, I touched the pre-trodden ground of Poy High School, stained with both memories and, of course, the black gum-spit marks of previous classes, for the first time. Cringing at the “Bears, Bears, GO GO GO!” chant performed with asynchronous bombasity by all except the freshman class, I admittedly failed to grasp the allure of high school: it was seemingly a larger, more grand extension of middle school. Indeed, throughout my freshman year, new friends, excluding in extracurricular activities such as marching band, came almost exclusively from my previous middle school class, with myself uncomfortable to expand my social and personal horizons. By March 13 2020, the day before school closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an intrusive, unfamiliarity-fueled antagonization of other, particularly more senior students festered within me – everyone unknown to me perceivably resented me.
The COVID-19 lockdown, particularly prominent my sophomore year, marked a significant turning point: social isolation and the inhibition of in-person communication spurred self-reflection and helped initiate the adaptation of a new, more optimistic social and personal perspective. During my junior and senior years, my experiences in Spotlight proved particularly key to this transition. From interviewing Poly staff and students in-person to specifically researching Russian propaganda in the build-up to the Russo-Ukrainian War and communicating with staff as an editor, Poly Spotlight let me explore other’s perspectives through research and communication. In other terms, Spotlight helped demolish the previous barriers of antagonization, which separated me from the rest of the Poly community, as I was forced to connect and actively communicate with other students and, in general, external perspectives I once avoided.
Underneath the layers of perceived resentment I once applied to Poly’s community was a genuinely supportive environment. While not perfect, this community, particularly as I grew familiar with those I once avoided, supported me in my personal endeavors from academics to my (let’s just say) more unique passions of growing gourmet mushrooms. Throughout my time at Poly, I have learned and grown with the help of Spotlight and the larger Poly community, but now as a senior, I must say goodbye and proceed to future endeavors. Despite some tumult, particularly my first two years, I will always cherish the opportunities and friendships Poly offered me, and I will never again refrain from exclaiming “Bears, Bears, GO GO GO!”
Written By: Devin Varner, Editor
Entering high school freshman year, my teachers advised me to treasure each moment because it would all be over in a “blink of an eye.” As a naive 13 year old, I couldn’t comprehend this logic because all I saw was the ten page essay I had to write for my lit class. However, four years, three rivalry football games, two sports, and one global pandemic later, here I am, saying goodbye to the Poly family as if it were just yesterday I was that young freshman.
As a student at Poly, I discovered what it meant to have pride, not only in my own work but in my school and community as well. I grew into a person to be proud of through some amazing teachers (shoutout to Mr. Schiller and Mrs. Yeyna), making it that much harder to leave the Poly bears. With graduation right around the corner, many goodbyes must be said, but the hardest will be to the Spotlight family. I joined Spotlight as a freshman following in the footsteps of my older sister, but ended up discovering an overwhelmingly positive and collaborative atmosphere run by an amazing group of editors. When given the opportunity to become an editor myself, I saw the incredible talent and creativity from the entire spotlight staff I hadn’t seen before. I learned to foster and celebrate their individuality through the newspaper, just as my editors had done for me, and I hope this tradition continues long after I graduate. While I say goodbye to Spotlight and the Poly bears with a heavy heart, I look forward to taking the lessons I learned with me on my future endeavors as a college student and in life.
As high school slowly becomes a memory, I can confidently say it was all over in a blink of an eye.
Written By: Jenna Largent, Staff Writer
Entering high school, I knew four years to be a blank slate. It was a restart, a refresh, a renewal. Becoming a bear at Poly High School was a way for me to truly discover who I was. After four years here, I can say I have accomplished that. The means by which I learned who I was and who I want to be was a strenuous task, but it was all there for me, quickly provided and easily accessible. From all my hours spent on this campus, morals developed and virtues followed, and the value of hard work increased consistently.
Through countless teachers, hours of classes, and dry heat practices, Poly became my second home. I spent a large chunk of my time at Poly being a student, another being an athlete, but the rest of my time was spent making friends, building connections, learning about myself, falling in love, falling out of love, and being supported the whole way through. I have met people at this school whose friendship I can count on to never fade.
My next steps after high school are something I have put incredible effort into. However, I could never have grown an understanding of this value without the genuine assistance of Poly. As an athlete, I built outstanding relationships with my coaches, teaching me to be a leader and blossom into a confident young adult. As a student, I joined an education system which ensured my success and my individualized learning the whole time through.
Leaving Poly is bittersweet, as in any goodbye. It is not one that would ever be warranted as easy, but a well-deserved goodbye to ensure I continue on my way. Grateful could never be a strong enough word to express my feelings of admiration, appreciation, and respect for this institution. Poly pride is something that I can count on a majority of Poly seniors leaving this campus with, and I am proud to say I am one of them. Thank you Poly! It’s been great to be a bear!
Written By: Jerry Vaughan, Staff Writer
To start it off, I’m planning on going to a four year or a community college to continue not only my education but my track and field career. Now that the big question is out of the way, I can get to the good stuff. My favorite memory at Poly, throughout my entire four years, has been the CIF semi-finals for boys basketball my freshman year. The game was played at King because of how big the game was, (our tiny gym couldn’t handle the amount of people that were going to be there). It was the most packed I have ever seen in a single high school gymnasium, and the atmosphere was electric as well. Both sides were going at it, we played an all boys school called Damien, so you already know that they were going at us. The fans and the players on the floor, it was one of the most intense games I have ever been too. It even came right down to the wire, as we were up by two points with very little time left on the clock. Damien came down and put up a shot as time expired and it barely missed, and when it did everyone went berserk. People from our side of the stands started rushing the court and next thing I know I’m in the middle of a big swarm of people. It was one of the most entertaining and fun experiences that I’ve ever been a part of throughout my entire time in high school. It was those moments like this that helped create such a positive experience for me, these moments not only helped create some great times, but helped me create some life long friends as well. My high school experience has been one filled with ups and downs, but these types of moments have helped the ups become more prominent than the downs. I am so extremely grateful for Poly, and I feel so lucky to be able to call this place my home for the past four years. But all good things come to an end, and we all must move on at one point or another. So goodbye Poly, and thank you again.
Written By: Taylor Bates, Staff Writer
Everyone always told me high school would be the best four years of my life. I’m really hoping that isn’t true because if it is, the rest of my life is looking pretty crappy. Like many of my peers, I didn’t have a Sophmore year of high school and I only had about half of my Junior year. Even though I spent a quarter of my high school experience in my own home, it still managed to be terrible. I won’t miss the gym with floors so dusty you could never get a good grip during a game. I won’t miss the bathrooms littered with horrible things to be said about other girls. I won’t miss the hallway between the 600 building and the portables that always got backed up and made me late to class. I won’t miss the hours of homework every night that ended in tears of stress. I won’t miss the fake friendships that put a strain on me and my already diminished mental health. I won’t miss a lot of things about Poly, but I will miss the good times. I will miss passing my friends in the halls and giving them a high five. I will miss running to class late after having laughed with people for longer than eight minutes. I will miss having personal conversations with my favorite teachers. I will miss getting a good score on my tests and comparing it with my friends. I will miss running out of the locker room after a half-time pep talk and feeling gassed up. I will miss seeing familiar faces in the hallways as I trudge to class and smiling at old friends I haven’t seen. Most of all, I will miss sitting in the parking lot before school with my friends and laughing about everything from what we did the day before to what our greatest fears were. Most of all, I will miss the strong friendships I have made and relied on to make it to senior year.
Written By: Jaidyn Gayman, Staff Writer
These past four years have shaped me in every way I could have imagined. Having to say goodbye is near impossible when I feel like freshman year was just last week, and how I felt this time would never come. I am wary of expressing my feelings of a final farewell, but I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunities I’ve had. Thank you Poly High for helping me create lifelong memories and bonds, learning what hard work looks like, and how to be confident in sharing my thoughts and opinions. Thank you for the best experiences through Art Club and Journalism, and for pushing my creative boundaries farther than I could ever picture. These experiences have helped me pursue new ways of expressing creativity and even helped motivate me to take my first AP courses in AP Literature and AP 2-D Design. Looking back and seeing who I was when I started high school is unrecognizable. I came into high school with no work ethic and low self-esteem, and now I have changed in many ways and have developed a love for learning and a sense of self-confidence for the first time in my life. Even though my journey through high school wasn’t easy, I have grown from a lost teenager to a self-assured young adult, and I am nevertheless grateful. Now I am on my way to being a college student, officially entering a new era in my life. I will be attending Riverside City College and eventually transferring to UC Davis. I plan on majoring in Psychology/Sociology in an effort to one day be a family therapist or marriage counselor. These upcoming years will be a challenge but continue to excite me. And with that, cheers to the class of 2023 and all of our adventures yet to come!
Written by: Reese Mcarty, Staff Writer
Over the last 4 years at Poly I have learned so much, had so much fun, and met my best friends. Joining different sports and clubs has opened me up to so many new people and made me a better person. Even though I only joined Spotlight for my senior year, I feel so lucky and thankful that I had the opportunity to be in this program. Being in Spotlight for the last year has been an amazing experience. The people in this group are truly spectacular and have inspired me to write about my experiences at Poly. I loved being able to contribute to the school newspaper and being able to write about the things I love about Poly(which is everything).
I would like to thank Poly for everything that I have learned here and gained here. My best experience at Poly has been being a part of sports teams. From being on the water polo team and swim team, I met so many friends and learned so much about teamwork and just how to work around many different people. I am so thankful for my coaches over the past 4 years who have helped me grow as a person. I would also like to thank my teachers for helping me prepare academically for college, thank you for challenging me. Most importantly, I would like to thank my friends for making my time at Poly so enjoyable. Sometimes, going to school was very difficult and exhausting, but having my friends here made me want to come to school and they made my time here so much better. All of the students and staff at Poly are amazing people that have made my time at Poly so much more interesting and much better.
Thank you Poly! Even though I am sad to be leaving, I am so ready to do so. My time at Poly has taught me so much and I believe that because of my experiences here, I am ready to go to college and do more. I could not imagine going to another high school. Poly has prepared me for the real world and I’m so thankful for all of the opportunities Poly has and for everything that I have learned here. Looking back to when I was a freshman just starting here, I am so proud of myself for who I have become. Goodbye Poly! I will miss you, but I am ready to go! Once a bear, always a bear!!!!!!
Written by: Delaney Norris, Staff Writer
Though I hate to admit it, my mother was right. High School really does fly by before you know it. It feels like just yesterday that I was walking into Poly HIgh School as a scared Freshman trying to find my classes and talking about how old and mature all the seniors seemed. But now I look around my fellow senior classmates and wonder how a bunch of babies are all about to graduate high school. Even though our Freshmen and Sophomore years were slightly out of the ordinary I couldn’t have asked for a better High School experience. I couldn’t be more grateful for the fun times in Spotlight such as the potlucks and the walk of shame when you’re late to class. I would like to thank my friends for being by my side these past four years and getting me through every grueling test and water polo practice. I would especially like to thank Mrs. Yeyna for teaching me to write halfway decent essays and articles (even though this farewell letter may not necessarily reflect that). I will forever admire your motivation to instruct and help every student that walks through your door no matter if they want you to or not. Even in this last month of school, when even making the effort to even roll out of bed to come to school feels impossible, I can’t help but to feel a little heartbroken that I will no longer be able to call Poly my home. As my high school career comes to an end, I know I will never forget all the lessons and wonderful memories I have made in my time as a Poly Bear.
Written by: Ava Erickson, Staff Writer
These last four years at Poly have been filled with countless memories that I will always remember. This last year, being in spotlight has made me learn more, become more creative, and appreciate writing more. My teachers over the years have also taught me many things from learning in the classroom to learning real life skills. One of my favorite things about Poly has been the people that I get to surround myself with everyday. Another thing would have to be the amount of school spirit we have. I am sad to be leaving this school and leaving these people. I remember my first day of ninth grade thinking of how long the next four years will be. The last four years flew by so fast. I would do it all again if I could. My freshman year was cut short because of COVID, resulting in a two-week spring break that turned into summer break. Then my sophomore year was online for the first semester. I would still do it all again because it was nice being able to do school from my bed. I won’t miss all the homework, tests, worksheets, presentations, assignments, and the late nights but I will miss the school in general. Although my teachers were the ones assigning the work I will still miss them. Most importantly I will miss my friends here that I see everyday. They have shaped me into the person that I have become in these last four years and have made my high school experience as fun as it could be. I am sad, anxious, and happy to leave, but I am eager to see what’s to come.