PolyToday: Cultural field trips

Eighth-graders picked up a bit of the culture of their language of study last week. Mandarin students enjoyed a Taiwanese breakfast and scavenger hunt activities at an Asian grocery store. Students then returned to Poly and spent the afternoon making dumplings and fried rice.

As part of a lesson on the affinities between the Latin language and the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, the eighth grade Latin class went to the Norton Simon Museum to view its South Asian art collection. The highlight of the trip was viewing a Buddha statue made in what is now Pakistan in the second century that exhibits the influence of Greco-Roman portraiture. This, the students learned, was part of the legacy of Alexander the Great and those of his successors who continued to inhabit what is now Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The students also traced Classical influences in several representative paintings in the museum's European collections.

French students attended the COLCOA French film festival premiere at the beautiful Director's Guild Theatre, listened to a Q&A in French with the film's director, and then consumed a French meal at Lucques restaurant, owned by Poly parent Suzanne Goin.

Spanish classes took a field trip to Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles. The activities included a guided tour and an introduction to the goals and mission of Father Boyle's project. The guides also shared their paths to Homeboy and current goals. It was a moving conversation of how a life can be derailed by one mistake, as well as the resilience of these young men and women. Students then took a guided walking tour of the historic L.A. murals by Olvera Street and in the Central Post Office. They also visited the America Tropical Interpretative Center and viewed the formerly whitewashed Siqueiros mural "America Tropical." One of the guides, a well-known muralist, shared some of the histories of mural creation in Los Angeles. Students then returned to the Homegirl Cafe to have lunch.