Oliver’s Ranking for Every Season of the Year

April 19, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

Spring is officially here; now we can see some plant growth; snow is melting and going away, and we are entering warmer times. However, there are some downsides to warmer spring weather–like awful allergies. I’ve personally started to feel these allergies, and that makes me like spring less. Still, to celebrate spring’s arrival, I’ve made my rankings from worst to best of the seasons of the year.

4. Autumn/Fall

Autumn is in my opinion very boring and the least eventful time of the year. Plants start to lose their leaves, which not only is really sad to see, it just makes it worse that it’s so windy so the leaves go all over the place. It makes it a pain to clean them up. On top of that, this is that sad time of year when school starts. Another thing I dislike about Autumn, weirdly, is the name. Autumn is such a weird name. I don’t know how to explain it, but it sounds so… artificial. Also, I hear people say they like the colors. I think there is nothing to like about them. Orange and yellow are lame colors. There are many that are far better than that.

3. Spring

Spring was close to going into last place, but I think it’s slightly better than Autumn. My main reason for disliking the season is that during Spring, allergies come around. I swear I haven’t gone a year of my life without getting allergies during Spring. They’re the most annoying thing ever. I hate them so much. I hate going to sleep knowing that I’m going to have to breathe through my mouth. It’s also really annoying to have a stuffy nose and, worst of all, a sore throat. I think that after COVID-19 came around, allergies automatically became three times worse. Now, whenever I wake up with a sore throat, I immediately assume I have COVID-19, and it’s really annoying. One reason why spring isn’t the worst season is because of the rebirth of plants and trees. It’s nice to see bright colors for once. And, it’s nice to see the different flowers that sprout during this season.

The palo verde trees here on campus shower us with yellow petals in the Spring. If you hurry, you may still catch the super bloom happening now in Anza Borrego.

2. Winter

I think Winter is a really good season. I like the cold weather, and I like the overall vibe of this season. I’m not entirely sure why, but people are generally much nicer and happier during Winter. It may be because of holidays, vacations, discounts in shopping, etc. It’s always nice to see people happy. On top of that, winter gives me an excuse to buy more hoodies. Then, since it’s the end of the year, there are a lot of things getting announced for the upcoming year: like movies, games, music, etc. I also like the plans that sports associations have during these times. Like the NBA games during the end of the year are way more fun to watch. They’re a lot more exciting, and teams are releasing limited edition merchandise along with stadium giveaways. And, to top it all off, we get two weeks of break during Christmas and New Year’s which is awesome. Overall, winter is so great because of all the awesome things that are going on at once – the ambience, how people behave, and because of the time we get off from school.

Winters surround us with snow on the mountains encircling the Coachella Valley. We’re lucky. We get to look at pretty snow, and we don’t have to scrape it off our windshields. Photo Credit: coachellavalley.com

1. Summer

My absolute favorite season of the year is Summer. Although I prefer the colder weather, Summer is just so fun. First of all, we get two months off of school, which is a big plus. I actually don’t mind the heat too much; I know it gets pretty hot, but waking up late and knowing there’s no school for some time is really nice. I have so much free time during summer, I start exploring different things that I thought I would never do. Last summer I read three books, which surprised me because I hadn’t seriously read a book in so long. I like playing basketball at night, and the best part is that all my friends are available to play because there’s no school or homework. I like that I don’t have to go to sleep early because I won’t have to go to school the next day. Allergies are generally not as common during Summer, and (at least for me) getting sick is rare. We also sometimes go on a trip somewhere which is really fun, even if it’s not too far. And, lastly, the NBA playoffs come during summer around mid-late June. It’s so fun watching the games live, and it’s very exciting because all the teams just play so much better during the playoffs. On top of that, it’s fun to find out what team will win the championship. One thing overrated about Summer is going to the beach. I think that going to the beach is overrated and more of an inconvenience because of how dirty you get and how absurdly crowded it is. Overall, Summer is the best season because of vacation off school, the warm weather, the free time, spending time with friends and because of the sports.

I think my list is pretty accurate; maybe it would change once I graduate because there won’t be vacation off school anymore, but for now this is my definitive list of the worst to best seasons of the year. Would you change anything on this list? Let me know in the comments.

*Apparently, the opinions expressed by Oliver Martinez do not express the overall opinions of thebirdonfire.org (especially not Louisa’s).

Fashion Trends Louisa Says We Should Bring Back

April 17, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Louisa Richardson, Freshman

I have always loved fashion. It might not show in the way that I dress, but I have always been fascinated by the clothing of others–especially women’s clothing of nearly a century ago.

These are some fashion trends that I think we need to bring back.

Bias-Cut Gowns

The bias-cut gowns were sort of an old Hollywood trend throughout the 1900s. A bias cut often drapes in the front and sometimes in the back. These gowns must include a neckline cut at a 45-degree angle. These have always been the most beautiful gowns–effortless, timeless, possibly formal, possibly not. Bias-cut gowns give that old Hollywood look that I love so much. They seem to be the one thing I simply need in life–other than corsets that is. Everytime I see these dresses, I always think about how good a wedding dress they would make.

The draped bias cut dress features an angled neckline. Photo Credit: Alumni

1940s Swimwear

Swimwear pre-WWII was cute, colorful, and modest (for those of you who like that). It also wasn’t too restricting, but rather comfortable. I personally prefer those little swim shorts to our current stringy bottoms that we have in 2024. Not only that, but the ruffles, polkadots, and buttons are so much cuter than the all-exciting color BEIGE that everything seems to be right now. Though beige may be timeless, it is also colorless and boring. I would rather have some incredibly gaudy fashion trend be in style than have this gross beige color.

The V neck makes these swimsuits wildly flattering on multiple body types!
Photo Credit: Rare Vintage

Long Dresses from the 70s

I love specifically the single-colored ball gowns. This bit is more of a rant, but I have literally searched the entire internet for a single-colored long dress, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to find any that are flowy, long, and somewhat cheap (by that I mean less than a typical prom dress).

We should also bring back disco dancing dresses.

The Button Up makes these dresses flowy yet sculpting, a balance that I find wildly difficult to achieve using modern fashion. Photo Credit: fashion image

Corsets

One of the many reasons why I hate Bridgerton is that it is the furthest thing from historically accurate. When watching the opening scene alone, there is already a huge misconception of a popular item from the turn of the century (and centuries before): corsets. We see a young woman being squeezed into a corset with a matron saying, “We need to get you down to the width of an orange and a half.” Corsets are often thought of as being restricting, unbreathable, and organ crushing. Back then, the hourglass figure may have been in, but you can CHOOSE how tight your corset goes. If it is really that tight and unbreathable you can JUST LOOSEN IT! Second, the corsets you see in movies and TV shows are on very rich, wealthy people who wore those whalebone corsets. They were pretty expensive, and, because of that, the more middle class or working-class people wore quilted corsets. Essentially, it was just a stiff undergarment, which (although sewn to be tight) was breathable and stretchy (according to The history of corsets). If you ask anyone in the theater or drag biz, they will tell you that wearing a corset is only as miserable as you make it. So, I really think that we should bring corsets back, as they are merely wired bras that enhance that hourglass figure that most people get plastic surgery to achieve. Even our own local actor Jackie Padgett states, “They are pretty comfortable, but I don’t tie it to the tightest capacity. . . . I always look forward to doing old plays because I get to wear a corset for free!”

Braided Hairstyles & Hats

Another thing we should bring back are braided hairstyles paired with floral, colorful, comically large hats. These hairstyles were worn throughout history (and even now) though I am specifically talking about the Gilded Age hairstyles (late 1800s). The way that people braided hair back then was very elaborate but also didn’t take up all of the head. Usually, it was worn up in a braided high bun (100 years of women’s hairstyles). This was often accompanied by a very colorful hat, predominantly a pastel color with a big flower (or assortment of flowers) (Hat exhibit). Color has faded quite a bit in both fashion, cars, and hats (according to trailblazer); it is just a trend of course, but with all this beige madness and brown color craziness, the world is far more bland. Hats will make the world a more colorful place! For men, we should bring back tall Frosty-the-Snowman hats!

Though they may seem intricate, these hairstyles always add the extra flair and class you SHOULD look for in an outfit. Photo Credit The Frick Pittsburg

1930s Nightgowns

We should also bring back nightgowns–I mean those gorgeous silky nightgowns for ladies that are sort of bowed and long. According to 100 years of nightgowns, nightgowns were originally considered useless and not necessary; then they became a sense of social class (only being for the rich). The nightgowns in the 30s abandoned the hideous style of no figure and boxiness and went for a little bit of a prettier option with some ruffles and decor. From the 30s to the 60s, the nightgowns always opted for the more elegant option but were still silky, soft, and comfortable. This is a trend I can get with.

Light, airy, perfect for sneaking out of your castle in the middle of the night!
Photo Credit: Ladies Home Journal

Gadgets and Gizmos Aplenty

The final fashion trend I think we should bring back are those nice little decorations all over a dress. Whether it’s buttons, the big bows on the back, or random bits of tulle, these small knick knacks made those dresses; they brought the multiple layers together, and they added color and pizzazz (two things we are seriously lacking). Though these gizmos may seem simple, they can put your outfit over the top in a classy-chic way.

Once again adding the customizable flair to your Victorian dresses!
Photo Credit: www.alamy.com

I highly recommend anyone with a lot of guts (and some extra cash) try and make these fashion moves come back–not just come back, but historically accurately come back. This is one of the best ways of honoring our ancestors.

Luke Wins!

April 16, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

Palm Valley senior Luke Sonderman is the California Scholarship Federation South Region Seymour Memorial Award winner. This is one of the state’s most prestigious scholarships. After an all-day interview on Saturday, April 27, in Irvine with the other nine finalists, CSF judges selected Luke for his leadership skills and acumen. Said Ms. Cherise Sonderman (Luke’s mother), “The finalists all had crazy amazing qualifications. But when they said it was all based on today’s interview and discussion, I had a feeling.” Luke said he could tell it was time to step up and be a voice in the group discussions. His mother added, “One of [the judges] mentioned that Luke really led most of the discussions of this group of leaders.” These honor-society finalists will be attending some of the finest universities in the country. Each goes home with $2,000. Luke earns an additional $3,000. While our Palm Valley Chapter of CSF has sent half a dozen finalists on to the final interview in previous years, Luke is the first in our school and chapter history to be the regional winner. Of the day, Luke said, “It was fun.”

Underrated, Maybe Undiscovered, Snacks

April 12, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 7 Comments

By 8th-grader Jackie Padgett

Everyone always has some sort of secret recipe or combinations of food that not many people know about, so I’m here to share mine. You’ll notice a lot of these have peanut butter, cream cheese, and chocolate. Do I know why? To be honest, not really; I guess those three go really well with many things. Anyway, enjoy my five-course menu of odd and absurd food combos.

According to PartsTown, “A typical five-course meal consists of one-bite hors d’oeuvres, a plated appetizer, a palate-cleansing salad, the main entrée, and dessert.” So, this is how I have organized my snack menu.

The Hors d’oeuvres

Starting this five-course meal will be no other than the hors d’oeuvres, Oreos Dipped in Peanut Butter.

*The Parent Trap’s* Lindsay Lohan dips Oreos in peanut butter. So why shouldn’t Jackie? Photo Credit Devour Dinner

If this sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because they had this snack in The Parent Trap. When I first watched the movie, I felt the need to try the weird mix of food, and I immediately loved it. While talking to students about this, 8th-grader Hunter Harrington said, “By that point why don’t you just take the cream out of the middle and replace it with peanut butter?” So, I’m stealing this idea when I get an opportunity to talk to Oreo developers.

The Appetizer

Enjoy your lovely appetizer of Crackers with Nutella and Cream Cheese.

Jackie prefers to use Saltines for her cracker base, but Ritz works, too. Photo Credit Ifood TV

I think this is probably going to be the weirdest one here. So grab some crackers, any crackers; I prefer saltines. Also, grab any type of cream cheese and Nutella. Then, you carefully apply on a cracker the cream cheese and on another cracker the Nutella. Stick them together, and you have your appetizer. My grandma used to make this for me a bunch, but she also added peanut butter to the Nutella side of the cracker (so you have one cracker with Nutella and peanut butter and the other with cream cheese). If you’re feeling adventurous, you could try that extra step of adding peanut butter.

The Salad

After that appetizer, enjoy a Cheesy Rice Stuffed Green Bell Pepper.

Meat in your bell-pepper concoction is optional. Jackie prefers the vegetarian option. Photo Credit Food Network

This isn’t technically a salad–more as something green, but this is my menu, so it works. I’m also aware that this is an actual thing and definitely has been discovered, but I feel like more people should try it as a snack. All you do is cut off the top of the bell pepper, then scrape all of the bell-pepper insides out. After you fry some rice with whatever you want in it (for example eggs, onions, etc…), put the rice into the bell pepper, top it off with a cheese of your choice, and boom. You have the most meal-like thing on this menu.

The Entrée

Now for our main meal–Pasta with Cream Cheese. You choose a pasta of your choice (I recommend bowtie or just spaghetti), and we will make it however you want.

Cream cheese on pasta can be yummy, so says Jackie. Photo Credit: Don’t Go Bacon My Heart

I think this is one of the easiest snack dishes to make. You make any pasta, drain it, then put some cream cheese and a bit of salt into the bowl with it, then enjoy! I have this a lot at my grandma’s house as this is her secret combo that I stole. This is definitely a comfort food for me as it brings back a lot of summer movie-night memories.

The Dessert

For dessert, you will be served Any Ice Cream or Sorbet, with Any Cereal, and Optional Fruit.

Ice cream with cereal is like a birthday surprise. Photo Credit Hil and Dairy

This along with the entrée is pretty self explanatory and not that unique. You scoop out some ice cream. Put it in a bowl, take out a cereal of your choosing, sprinkle it on top (just a bit, don’t over do it), maybe add some fruit and milk–those are optional, then bam: Ice Cream and Cereal. My favorite combos have been Count Chocula with chocolate ice cream, raspberry sorbet with Fruit Loops, and finally vanilla with Honey Nut Cheerios. I personally like this a lot because it adds a lot of customization into the ice cream, like you could literally try any fruit and cereal combo, and I doubt anything would taste that bad together.

I promise I eat other things that are different colors than beige, white, and brown. These snacks just happened to be similar food groups and colors. Do you have any underrated, maybe undiscovered, snacks? Share in the comments below; I’ll try them out!

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

March 28, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

I don’t know . . . . They were pretty smart. During last quarter’s Move-Up Day, 5th-grade bloggers joined our Middle-Upper School Journalism class. We interviewed them. They interviewed us. Here’s what we gleaned.

5th-grader Reagan Kaminsky shared her experience, wisdom, and eagerness with 8th-grade Blogger Jack Edelstein:

“I’ve learned that to move on if I get something wrong or if someone is making fun of me.
“My favorite teacher Mrs. Delegans, the music teacher; she is not just a teacher but is also a friend. She has really helped me excel in my knowledge.”
“I’m excited for middle school because of more freedom such as lockers and being able to spread around the campus during lunch.”
“I am excited for electives, especially this one (Blog). I’m excited for this elective because I get more freedom on work compared to other classes with stricter work.”

5th-grader Cleo Antle told senior Blogger Gil Maruvada . . .

. . . she loves basketball and performing. She’s always loved to dance around the house. She did a play at Palm Valley, The Wizard of Oz. And, she wants to be a doctor, go to UCLA ,and do gymnastics. Her favorite class? Science, music or drama. Favorite quote? “Everyone gets their own turn.”

Freshman Blogger Louisa Richardson asked 5th-graders Levi Laberge Ranger and Savannah Sanchez, “What are you excited about next year?”

“I’m excited for things to be different. I want to blog next year. . . . I like lower school better because I am more used to it, I guess. Today we threw pencils at Mr. Killeen; it was fun.” –Savannah

Levi says he wants to blog. “One of the big differences is that there is more free roam in the middle school. I’m in Mr. Spurlock’s class, and I enjoy… that he is funny but has boring jokes. I liked math today; I had Mr. Gil.

Senior Blogger Indiana Behr asked Remington Rice, “What’s fifth grade like?”

“I think it’s pretty fun, and you get to… have fun.”
“Who is your teacher?”
“My teacher is Mr. Spurlock.”
“What did do today for move up day?”
“We did math with Mr. Gil. I am having robotics later, and I am having fun in Blog. I went to English with Ms. Maguire. Oh, and we did World Studies with Ms. Schapiro.”

The Past and Present of the NBA: Which is Better?

March 26, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

Recently, the NBA hosted the All-Star game. Although this is supposed to be one of the most hyped events in the NBA, as it unites the best from each division, it really doesn’t live up to the hype. People are seriously disappointed with it and prefer the way it used to be in the past, when players did make an effort to win and actually played defense. This led many to believe the past NBA is better. But could this be true? To answer, I will compare the past and present of the NBA in three major categories, and then give my opinion on which I think is better. The categories are as follows: Players (two players on each position from each era compared), Jerseys, and Overall Game (Defense, Offense, Strategy). For the old NBA, I’ll be looking at the years 1960-1998 and for the present 1999-today.

The Players

The players are what makes the game so special. The majority of players have their own individual set of abilities that distinguish them. It’s always satisfying seeing a great player display their abilities, like sometimes a player is really good at scoring a three-pointer but not so good at guarding his man. That’s why I’ll be comparing the two best players at every position from the past and the present.

The best point guards from the mid 60s to the end of the 90s were Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, compared to today’s Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. Though it’s close, I think that the older players are better. It is difficult to justify the modern players being better when Chris Paul hasn’t won a single ring in 19 years of being in the League. On the other hand, Magic Johnson (who has five rings) is considered the best at his position, only competing with Stephen Curry (who has four rings) and Oscar Robertson who has one ring which is more than CP3’s zero. Since the point guard position’s role has changed so much from an opportunity creator and making many passes to more of finding the open three and heavy reliance on handles, it is more difficult to compare these players, but I would still consider the older era better.

At the shooting guard position, the best from the past are Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler compared to today’s best, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. Personally, I would take today’s best all day over the past. The older combine for seven rings (MJ has six, Drexler one), while the players of the present combine for eight, (Kobe has five, and Wade has three). This is also somewhat based on personal preference; I just prefer Kobe over everyone in the NBA. That’s why I think the present is far better in this position.

Legends of the sport, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan deep in discussion during the 2003 NBA All-Star game. Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times

The best of the small forwards of the past are Larry Bird and Julius Erving. It’s tough to decide between Dr. J (Julius Erving), and Scottie Pippen, but out of respect I think Dr. J deserves it. And, for the present, LeBron James and Kevin Durant win. This is a no-brainer. The present wins by a mile and a half. LeBron James is arguably the best of all time, and Kevin Durant is a top player of all time as well. Larry Bird and Dr. J just can’t compare to the legacy these two players are building.

The best power forwards of the past are Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. The best of the present are Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki; once again, the players of the present are just better. In a way, Tim Duncan is like Kobe except they played different positions; they both have five rings and won all with one team. Dirk also went on a crazy playoffs run, even beating the Miami Heat super team in 2011. Neither Charles Barkley nor Karl Malone won a ring, but they’re both very dominant players who knew their game really well and scored loads of points.

Finally, the best centers of the past are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell. For the present, the best are Shaquille O’Neal and Nikola Jokic. The past takes this win; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was extremely dominant and managed to score tens of thousands of points without the three-point line and also winning six rings. Bill Russel’s record is unbeatable; he has 11 rings. Shaq and Jokic are great but are nothing compared to what Kareem and Bill Russel did for the game.

Overall, the present has better talent in most positions. But what about the apparel?

The Jerseys

In the past, jerseys were made by Sand-Knit (AKA Champion); there are some really nice jerseys like the showtime Lakers jersey:

Icons of basketball Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and Magic Johnson rocked this iconic Lakers jersey. Photo Credit: silverscreen

These are extremely clean and look great. I personally prefer when the jersey has the logo of the brand that made the jersey printed onto it, but these are great regardless. I like the way the “R” stretches below the “S.” Even the modern Lakers jerseys take inspiration from these.

Another great older jersey is this Super Sonics Classic jersey:

This jersey is great; the basketball going around the “SONICS” in a circle looks good, and I like that the letters go kind of on an upward slope.

I love that these jerseys were simple and showed what the team was about rather than trying to get some secret meaning behind an insanely overcomplicated designed jersey. One complaint I would have is the quality of the numbers and logos because they were kind of like stickers, and when you use the jersey a lot, the numbers would kind of start to peel off, and it would ruin the jersey. Overall, older jerseys look great.

Now, the newer jerseys. This is when Adidas and Nike, and a little bit of Reebok, come in. Although I would argue that Adidas didn’t make the highest quality jerseys, they have some classics–like the special edition Christmas jerseys which were some of the most amazing jerseys ever released.

I love the way the lettering works; they look so smooth. They’re not simple enough to be boring but not complicated enough to be mind-boggling.

Another example of some great Adidas jerseys were the 2014 jerseys that had the players’ first name rather than the last name.

These are really cool, maybe not the most creative design. But, it is refreshing to see something different being done with the jerseys. They made the logo smaller, and emphasized the player’s first name rather than last name. I think it looks really cool. I kind of wish we could still buy these.

I won’t even put a picture of Reebok jerseys; in my opinion, they are extremely lazily designed and are very low quality.

Lastly, there are the Nike jerseys, which are the ones we have now. I’ve already talked about my favorite Nike NBA jerseys, so I’ll only mention one. Here is the Black Mamba Lakers jersey:

Photo Credit: helmut=lakers-to-don-black-mamba-jerseys-for-game

The jersey holds a huge meaning, representing the Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant. It looks great, the black makes great contrast with yellow. Even though it’s just the basic design with yellow and black, it looks super clean, and it looks even better in-game.

I struggle to decide which era has better jerseys; it’s really hard to come up with an answer because in the past the NBA almost never made a horrible jersey, but instead made simpler ones with solid designs but generally more boring. Today’s NBA can make incredibly bold designs that work 65% of the time and are very interesting, while the other 35% are just terrible jerseys that are quickly forgotten or are never really popular. I’d say the deciding factor is that since my collection is based primarily on apparel of this era, I’ll give the win to today’s jerseys.

Overall Game

Today’s game is way more offensive than before. The reason why is that in 2004-2005 the NBA got more serious about hand-checking. “Hand checking is when a defender illegally uses their hand or arm to touch or control an offensive player’s movement. It’s a personal foul” (homeschoolhoop). Now, the defenders can BARELY touch the defender without the refs immediately calling a personal foul on them. Thanks to this, every game goes to around 110-120 points scored by each team (basketballreference). In the mid 1990s to 2000s, teams scored 95 ppg each; that is a crazy difference and is all thanks to the hand-check enforcement. On top of that, refereeing has gotten so annoying recently, with refs calling fouls on basically everything, from hanging on the rim to literally just passing the ball to the ref–anything can get you a technical foul. In a way, refs are just too soft nowadays, soft meaning they get annoyed easily and call almost anything a foul. “As of January 14, players have been ejected 29 times so far in the 2023-24 season. Moreover, the sheer number of these rulings has led to many fans calling the NBA and its refs ‘soft.’ Some players have received techs for the smallest and most ridiculous infractions” (LWOS). I can see why the NBA would implement these changes though. More points equals more viewership and more intense games which attracts more people. However, I also argue that it is more satisfying to watch a team score because they created a brilliant play that allowed them to score rather than the other team just playing lackluster defense or the referee calling a foul on non-existent contact. So, for this category, I have to give it to the older NBA.

To conclude, both the past and present of the NBA have amazing talents, apparels and overall game. But, it should be noted that the NBA has improved over the years, and that’s why the newer NBA performs better in most of these categories. My personal opinion is that this modern era is better than the older. But, then again, I didn’t grow up watching Michael Jordan, or collecting the Sand-Knit jerseys, so due to that, I may have to admit a bit of bias towards this newer generation.

What do you think? Do you prefer the newer or older NBA? Let me know in the comments.

Mirabelle Lee Comes in 2nd at State Poetry Out Loud!

March 25, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

PVS Junior Mirabelle Lee travelled to Sacramento on March 17 & 18 to compete, as our Riverside County representative, in State Poetry Out Loud. And, she placed 2nd! Out of 18,000 statewide participants, 51 county representatives, and 5 finalists, Mirabelle is our #2 poetry recitator in the state of California. In rounds one and two, she recited Toi Derricotte’s “My dad & sardines” and Lady Mary Chudleigh’s “To the Ladies.” Then, the five finalists were selected.

Mr. Satterfield’s Economics class and I logged into the live stream just in time to watch the finals. In the third and final round, Mirabelle recited “Meeting at an Airport” by Taha Muhammad Ali. Mirabelle brings home a trophy and a record performance for Palm Valley. Previously, Jackson Dean (Class of ’19) placed 3rd in the state. Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of poetry via a recitation competition for high school students across the country.

Junior Mirabelle Lee, pictured here in the state Capitol, took 2nd place in California’s Poetry Out Loud competition. Photo Credit: Ms. Shawane Lee

–Blog Advisor Zachik

The Best Cars of the Past

March 22, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Jack Edelstein

A common thing that people do to bond is think about the past. Whether it’s about sports or places, it is still comforting to think about a time we remember as nice. When I talk about nostalgic times, even though I was not born, I like to talk about cars. Here are the cars I like to bring up when the topic of nostalgia is brought up.

1965 Shelby AC Cobra 427 S/C

Powered by a 427 V8 iron block pushing 485 horsepower and 480 ft-lb of torque with a 4-speed manual (caranddriver.com), Shelby really put it all into this car. The car’s iconic blue body and white lines, exposed roll cage, open grill, and shiny loud side exhausts really sets it apart from other cars from its era, and, trust me, Shelby did not have easy competition. Cars that were also made in this era were the Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Mustang. This is definitely a nostalgic and memory bringing vehicle.

1974-1990 Lamborghini Countach

Lead character Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) crawls to his Countach in *The Wolf of Wall Street.* Photo Credit: *esquire.com*

The Countach is a sought-after car by all car collectors. It is a staple of Italian car-making. Its distinct air vents poking out the top sides of the car, sharp retro edges, big wing, and pop-up headlights make it easily recognizable to any car person. You may also recognize the Countach from the movie The Wolf of Wall Street. Although there are multiple models, the most common Countach model, the 25th Anniversary, is pushed by a 5-liter Naturally Aspirated V12 revving to a stellar 7,000 rpm and making 455 horsepower and 370 ft-lbs of torque (supercars.net). The Countach is considered by many a sort of poster car of the 80s, and I can definitely see why.

1987-1992 Ferrari F40

The Ferrari F40 was made to celebrate the 40 years of Ferrari, hence the name, and was Enzo Ferrari’s last car before he died a year later, in 1988. The Ferrari F40 was made mostly of composite materials (carbon, Kevlar, and steel), meaning it was made of two or more materials with different properties intended to do a specific job–in this case making the car lighter (ferrari.com). This car was made to be a track car because of its very minimal interior appliances (there wasn’t even an A/C unit in the car until it came to the US), uncomfortable lightweight racing seats, and it doesn’t have door handles, just pull cords (exoticcartrader.com). Now, you’re thinking, “Well, Jack, what’s so special about this car? It doesn’t even have door handles!” What’s special about this car is that this car was not made for the ordinary. It was made for the bold and spectacular. It was made for those who wanted to experience the thrill of a Ferrari. Those who wanted to feel the raw 478 horsepower and 424 ft-lb torque twin-turbocharged V8 yelling at 7,000 rpm, and feel the smooth shifts of the 5-speed manual transmission. The F40 is the pinnacle of Ferrari engineering and holds its place at the top of Italian car-making, rightfully so.

Conclusion

Those are the three cars that I bring up when I talk about the past and cars. I will definitely write one of these blogs again. I really enjoyed learning new things about these cars, especially the F40. If there are any other cars that you like, let us know in the comments!

Teaching Advice

March 15, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

. . . from PVS teachers

Compiled by 8th-Grader Jackie Padgett

Everyone in life has had a moment where they’ve needed some advice on a situation. I know I have. So, who else to get advice from than our PVS teachers? I asked all of them the same four questions:

What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?
What advice would you give your high-school self?
What advice would you give your middle-school self?
Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?

Let’s hear what wise advice our Palm Valley teachers have to spread, starting with none other than . . .

Ms. Zachik, the multitasked Blog and English teacher–

What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?

“Get lots of sleep; read everything you can; enjoy the camaraderie of the classroom. This time goes fast.”

What advice would you give your high-school self?

“Loosen up. Have fun.”

What advice would you give your middle-school self?

“This time will pass. You won’t always be 7-feet tall, bespectacled, with braces and flat hair.”

Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?

“The Bird on Fire is such an enchanting shared platform. Everybody should read it, get their face on it, their ideas, their opinions.“

Ms. Zachik enjoys Blog Class. Immensely. And, she can solve Wordle in three.

Next, Mr. Satterfield, our Daily Journal history teacher, shares a short but insightful answer.

What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?

“Identify what you can control and what you can’t, and prioritize your efforts accordingly.”

What advice would you give your high-school self?

“Talk to more people. Your friends are great, but so is everybody else.”

What advice would you give your middle-school self?

“Pretty soon you won’t even remember the mistakes you made, so go ahead and make them.”

Mr. Satterfield gives all the right answers at Faculty meetings.

Ms. Maguire, the English teacher, shares a kind response:

What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?

“I would advise middle school students at Palm Valley School to give many sports and activities a try. You may think you are terrible at basketball, let’s say, but if you practice and play you will get better. It’s a small school and everyone’s participation is welcome and even needed, so why not put yourself out there and give it a shot? I would actually give the same advice to upper school students.”

What advice would you give your high-school self?

“I am one of the lucky ones whose high school self had things pretty much together. I would definitely tell myself not to leave that project for Mr. Schultz’s class until the last minute, though. That was my first all-nighter and it was no fun.”

What advice would you give your middle-school self?

“My middle school self was acutely self-conscious and, in sixth grade, in a state of low-grade misery pretty much all the time. I would tell myself not to bother with what the mean kids were doing and saying. I let them get into my head too much.”

Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?

“It costs you nothing to be kind, so just do it. Whatever momentary ego boost you may feel after being mean to someone, even if you are allegedly ‘just joking,’ is not going to last. And friendships formed on the basis of excluding or targeting others can blow up in your face if you become the new target. If you are consistently kind to people, they will reciprocate eventually. If they don’t, why would you want to be friends with that miserable human being anyway? Be kind.”

Ms. Maguire has constructed the famous “Know, Wonder, Learn” board in her classroom.

Up next Mr. Hesson, our math teacher, shares his serious but humorous response–

What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?

“Don’t conflate confidence with arrogance. If you have to look down on others to feel good about yourself, then your confidence is fake and easily shattered. True confidence is predicated on your ability to remain humble and to recognize that your talents and privileges exist to be shared, not hoarded.”

What advice would you give your high-school self?

“The concept of giving my past self advice is kind of disturbing to me. We make mistakes in our lives, and we learn from them, and over the course of several mistakes we build a foundation of accumulated knowledge that is wisdom. The idea of forcing that wisdom onto a version of myself that never had to make the mistakes seems fundamentally wrong, like teaching a person to speak without teaching them the meaning of the words.”

What advice would you give your middle-school self?

“Buy a bitcoin in 2010.”

Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?

“Every once in a while, spend some time listening to music without doing anything else. No screens, no conversation, no distraction. Just close your eyes and listen.”

Mr. Hesson performs a reenactment of the thought process it took to think of his answers.

Ms. Castellano, who teaches science and loves plants, says, . . .

What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?

“Be proactive, it will make you stand out in a positive way! “

What advice would you give your high-school self?

“Do what you love and people will support passion. Be a crazy plant lady and grow all the plants!”

What advice would you give your middle-school self?

“Don’t give yourself bad haircuts; do that and more! Express yourself!”

Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?

“Life is too short to please others, pursue your own bliss!”

Ms. Castellano knows to sprinkle your leftover coffee grounds in your garden to make your garden grow.

Mr. Griffin–GSA leader and excellent English teacher–says…

What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?

“Teach yourself to not procrastinate. Believe me, it feels better to have something done early than to wait and be rushing because it’s too late. Also, the weight of an assigned task grows in direct proportion to the length of time you carry it. Do it. Get it done and off your mind.”

What advice would you give your high-school self?

“Be yourself, for yourself.”

What advice would you give your middle-school self?

“Start early determining who you are. Then you’ll be ready to be yourself, for yourself in high school.”

Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?

“Experience as much as you possibly can at every opportunity.”

Always generous, Mr. Griffin steps into Blog Class to share advice.

Ms. Schapiro, note-taking professional and history teacher, provides a thoughtful response:

What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?

“Ask thoughtful questions. Don’t always look for the easiest answer or course of action: think critically and carefully. Don’t assume you know what other people are going through.”

What advice would you give your high-school self?

“Don’t stop taking math after your freshman year. Don’t be so worried about what the popular kids think. Be proud that you’re so smart and recognize that you are NOT fat, in spite of what your mom thinks.”

What advice would you give your middle-school self?

“Choose your friends more carefully and don’t believe everything everyone tells you. Don’t take everything so personally. Don’t kiss David Seidel when you’re going out with Scott Singer.”

Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?

“No matter how important/life-changing/immediate EVERYTHING may feel now, I promise you it’s not. Try to focus on the things that will still be important to you in the future, as well, not just now. Also, don’t wear so much perfume/body spray: you don’t want people to know you’re coming from a mile away.”

Ms. Schapiro gazes toward the horizon through her mountains of advice.

Advice is such an important thing, and I think people shouldn’t be embarrassed or shy when needing help with a situation. If you ever find yourself needing advice, I would definitely recommend our PVS teachers. I think they’ve proven themselves to be pretty wise.

My Visit to the 2024 Rancho Mirage Writers Festival

March 15, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Senior Indiana Behr

A couple weeks ago, I attended the Rancho Mirage Writers Festival for the third time. I always love this event, and I met some very interesting people and saw some very cool programs, so I decided to write a blog article about it. Here are my top favorite sessions.

Day 1

On the first day, I started off with a session where Valerie Biden Owens, President Biden’s sister, was interviewed by Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes. This was a really interesting start to the festival, and it was very enlightening to see what Owen’s experience has been as the sibling of a politician who first ran for office (and won) 54 years ago. Apparently, she has been involved in every one of his campaigns as a senior staffer. She also told a very interesting story about seeing someone on the flight to Palm Springs wearing an “FJB” hat, which stands for F*** Joe Biden. She talked about how it’s difficult for her to reconcile that people don’t see her own brother as a person because of the power he holds, and she also told some funny stories about her childhood with the now-President.

I also saw a very interesting and funny session with famous author and filmmaker John Waters. One of my favorite movies, Hairspray (1988), was directed and written by Waters. It almost felt like a stand-up comedy routine, which is really rare for the often serious Rancho Mirage Writers Festival. Waters’ delivery was pretty vulgar and a little stomach churning at times, to the point where I can’t really repeat what he said on the blog, like when he talked about having sexual relations in a voting booth. He actually apologized for this talk being scheduled right before lunch…. Overall, it was one of the most entertaining sessions and was really hilarious.

Day 2

I started off this day by seeing the host of MSNBC’s The Beat, Ari Melber, interview former Trump administration staffer Cassidy Hutchinson. Hutchinson is notable for testifying against the former President and his associates to the “January 6 Select Committee” in 2022. I was familiar with her because of her testimony, but it was really interesting to hear more about the experiences of her time in the White House that weren’t disclosed during her Congressional testimony. I also have always liked Ari Melber’s interviews on MSNBC, so seeing one in real life was a fun opportunity.

Assistant to former President Trump’s Chief of Staff, Cassidy Hutchinson, penned the book *Enough*. Indy got a signed copy.

I also saw a fascinating discussion between 2022’s Pulitzer Prize in History winner Ada Ferrer and Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs regarding Cuba and its historical relationship with the United States. This event had a really low turnout which was surprising to me since it was such a good topic. Cuba is the only country that the United States has a full trade embargo with, and many people on all sides of the political spectrum have noted that the embargo really does not do much other than harm ordinary Cubans who have already suffered under a repressive dictatorship. There are also further sanctions because Cuba, under the Trump administration, was recognized as a State Sponsor of Terrorism alongside the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Syria, and Iran. There is really no basis for this, especially compared to the other three, which Ferrer and Dr. Cobbs discussed. They also discussed how President Obama began a “thaw” of the icy US-Cuba relationship. Obama removed Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, normalized relations, and stepped towards the shuttering of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Nearly all of the thawing process was rolled back from the first day to the last week of the Trump administration, and President Biden has done little to return relations to Obama administration “thawing.”

I also saw a discussion with Donna Brazile. Brazile served as the acting Chair of the Democratic National Committee from July 2016 to February 2017. She took over after former Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned when leaked emails showed she was secretly favoring former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party’s 2016 nominating process, when party officials are required to remain neutral. Brazile took over in the interim, and also was simultaneously serving as a CNN contributor. Once again, DNC emails got leaked, and it was found that she used her position as a contributor to secretly give Clinton questions prior to a debate the news channel hosted. Overall, I kind of expected to be annoyed hearing from someone who had been involved in a shady situation, one who oversaw Clinton’s unexpected defeat. Nevertheless, she was astoundingly funny and had a lot of relevant things to say that I really appreciated.

Day 3

On the final day, I started off by seeing Cassidy Hutchinson again, but this time interviewed by conservative pundit Margaret Hoover. Hoover did a great job at making sure that this wasn’t just a rehashing of Hutchinson’s previous session. Instead, she chose to focus much more on her personal life and childhood. Hutchinson also discussed how she entered public service, and how she grapples with still having conservative leanings while feeling disconnected from the Republican Party, and even facing regular death threats and harassment from Republicans. She even told a very funny story about her finding teetotaler and then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who she served as an assistant to, intoxicated after he consumed multiple White Claw cans thinking it was simply sparkling water.

I also saw a very good talk between author Anand Giridharadas and journalist Ezra Klein. I have been a fan of Klein for several years, even back when he starred in YouTube videos for Vox, of which he is a co-founder. The Rancho Mirage Writers Festival features people from across the political spectrum, but Klein had a much more progressive perspective than many of the liberal speakers. He discussed why people are so much more polarized now than in much of American history. He also got into a rarely discussed subject of Presidential nominating conventions, saying they have been essentially symbolic over the last several decades. For example, Ronald Reagan actually won the popular vote during the 1968 Republican primaries, whereas, in that election, Richard Nixon was selected at the convention. I also got to speak with Klein, along with fellow PVS seniors Gil Maruvada and Landon Elder, which was fun.

Overall, I am really glad I got to go to the Writers Festival for the third consecutive year, and I got to learn a lot of new things and see some very interesting perspectives.

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