Foreign Territory

I was more scared than I had ever been in my life. Dropped off in a new land, the bright yellow caravan pulling away leaving me to my certain demise. As I slowly moved my stiffened legs along the path, I could feel my heart pound.  The tops of the walls are covered in barbed wire. Of course. Passing underneath the green and gold “Home of Scholars and Champions”, I took a deep breath and faced the moment I had feared for months before.

Long Beach Poly is more than just a high school. It’s a symbol, a sturdy safe haven in the notoriously dangerous downtown Long Beach area. After nine years of schooling on the opposite, more affluent side of the city, I was in shock when my parents announced I was going to Poly (which, despite the majority of the school being “ghetto”, had the best college prep program in the city). I had heard all of the stories. Poly, a school with less than ten percent Caucasians and conveniently located on the border of two notorious gangs’ territories, stirred up all sorts of rumors throughout the latter part of eighth grade. My middle school friends, most of which opted to go to the closest high school Millikan, constantly told me how I was going to get shot, mugged, jumped, and beat up every day at Poly. And of course, I just COULDN’T wear red or blue, as the only people who wore those colors were Bloods or Crips. Throughout the summer my anxiety rose, even to the point where I called my future advisor (without my parent’s knowledge) and asked if there was any way I could transfer. After all, how could a sheltered kid like me survive the same hallowed grounds that bred Snoop Dog, DeSean Jackson, and countless others?

Reppin His Roots

On that first day, I sulked around campus, scared to make myself stand out of the other 5,200 students in the crowd. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, I fell in love. Poly became my home. From our badass football team to the tight knit community, I had truly found a diamond in the rough. All I had to do was give it a chance. Sure, the student population was extremely diverse. Sure, I knew people who affiliated with the Blood and the Crips. Sure, walking outside of campus wasn't always the best of ideas, especially at night. But at Poly, no one cared. It didn’t matter what was going on outside of the gates. As Sports Illustrated put it in their 2005 article, “On the outside, you may be red or blue. But once you step in the gates you are only green and gold”. Overcoming my fear of the “ghetto” is one of my proudest accomplishments, as I really loved being a part of a unique high school experience and allowing it to shape me into the person I am today. I am proud to call myself a Long Beach Poly Jackrabbit.

“Green and gold together, lose to y’all never, diss eastside forever, (where you from fool?)     Long Beach Poly."