szachik@pvs.org, Author at the bird on fire

Daily Fruit

June 5, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

How do you make daily life more interesting if you’re Hannah Hall? You go to the supermarket–to the exotic fruit section.

By Fruit Connoisseur Hannah Hall

Fruit at the average supermarket is just bleh. We’ve got the apples, the oranges, the lemons, the whatever! They are all just regular. To make daily life more interesting, I recommend browsing (and maybe shopping) for some exotic fruit. Here, I have a list of beautiful exotic fruits in rainbow order.

Red//Rambutan

The root word of this fruit means “hair.” The fruit is said to have a lychee-like flavor. When you take a look at this fruit it looks like a sea urchin with a cherry kool-aid dye job. This fruit is native to Indonesia and other tropical regions in Southeast Asia.

Orange//Kiwano

This fruit looks like a small bright orange horned melon. This fruit is said to have a flavor similar to cucumber and banana together. The kiwano is native to Southern and Central Africa.

Yellow//Buddha’s Hand

This fruit is a part of the citrus family. But, unlike the lemon and limes, there is no pulp! Usually, this fruit is used for flavor, not to eat. This fruit is native to China.

Green//Cucamelon

Simply, this is just a teensy-weensy mini melon. The flavor is similar to a watermelon, but more on the cucumber side. It’s also sour. This fruit is native to Central America and Mexico.

Blue//Blue Java Banana

Yes, you read that right–a blue banana. This banana is said to have the texture and flavor of vanilla ice cream. This fruit is native to Northern Australia. It would probably be good to make that frozen banana vegan ice cream with, so if you’re into that, get you some of these.

Purple//Pluot

This is a combination between a plum and an apricot. I think you can imagine the flavor with the details I have just said. These are grown in California. Not very exotic, but, surprisingly, there are not a lot of purple fruits.

Source:

https://www.healthyfoodtribe.com/exotic-fruits-list/

Editor: Holden Hartle

rory gilmore

May 31, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Makena Behnke

as you may or may not know, i’m a big fan of the show Gilmore Girls. i always come back to this show when i’m in a tv drought. i relate to a majority of this show, and i think everyone should watch it. since i’m a big fan, i obviously have some strong opinions about the characters’ choices. today we’re going to talk about Rory Gilmore’s (one of the main characters) boyfriends in order of worst to best. she only has three long-term boyfriends in this series, so this’ll be a short post. this post contains a fair amount of spoilers so come back when you’re finished watching. if you don’t care about spoilers, enjoy.

3. Dean Forester:

yes, he’s super cute & dreamy in the beginning, but near the middle/end, he turns sour. he was a good first boyfriend because he really loved her, but once Rory grew up and changed a bit, he didn’t know what to do and freaked. he’s always jealous and super possessive of Rory. newsflash buddy, 14 phone messages in 20 minutes is too much! also there was a whole “i love you” situation where he got mad then dumped her. terrible dude, really. he’s also a cheater! not on Rory, but on his wife. (that was Rory’s decision too, but Dean is the married one here). he also married his rebound while he was still in love with Rory, and that’s just wrong. he’s just a real jerk. he had some good qualities at first; he was sweet and caring, but that faded as soon as Rory figured out who she was and what she wanted out of life. just cuz Dean wanted the 50s housewife life who made dinner and perfect casseroles and cleaned all day doesn’t mean Rory had to conform to that and throw out her dreams. her constant back and forth with Dean throughout the show is really irritating, but it keeps the audience on their toes i guess.

2. Logan Huntzberger:

i really appreciate his sense of adventure and his rich-boy-rebelling attitude. he starts out kinda weird and rude then gradually improves into a pretty great boyfriend. he’s quite charming, but sometimes he comes off as an entitled rich boy who complains about his daddy. Rory and Logan are also genuine friends; their personalities really clicked. he really knows how to win Rory’s heart, and they really do make a cute couple. i’d be really happy if they ended up together; he’s a keeper for sure. i have to say, paying a coffee cart to follow Rory around because he did something wrong is a smart move. i don’t have a lot to say about him– i like him.

1. Jess Mariano:

i can’t really express my love for him. he’s just such a great boyfriend for Rory. in the beginning, he was definitely a risk seeing as he was the “bad boy” and he crashed her car, but i think this was the best relationship. they had similar taste in music, and they both loved books so much. and once they were together, he really loved her and treated her really well for a good portion of their relationship. also, their on-stage chemistry was probably the best because the actors actually dated in real life. the Jess relationship era was really a rollercoaster, but an enjoyable one with quippy comments and the perfect amount of attitude and band shirts. i have to say, he definitely needed to mature because during some points, he was just a teen boy who messed up his life, including the Rory portion of it. later on in the series, he reappears, fully mature and ready to be the best boyfriend he could possibly be. and then, he pops up again, ready to convince Rory to make some good life choices during her low period. he did get her tickets to see The Distillers, a good move on his part.

Editor: Hannah Hall

Not Sure About AP Classes? Here’s Why you Should Take Them

May 30, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Luke Langlois

As a student progresses through high school, one of the most monumental decisions they have to make is choosing which classes they want to take. Most of the time, classes in high school are pretty streamlined. But, as a student gets to junior year, sometimes sophomore year, they are presented with more choices. Usually, a student gets the choice of whether or not to take an AP class. Today, I would like to present the knowledge I have of AP classes, being relatively experienced with them. I do not intend to FLEX my classes. Rather, I would like to offer some advice to those who are going to be making these tough calls soon. Let us begin!

College credit – If you’re a student who intends to go to college, an AP class can help you get college credit. College credit can be awarded for a score higher than a 3, though some colleges will only take scores of 4 and 5. It depends on the school. But, in general, a high score on an AP exam will save you time, energy, and money in college, probably the most valuable resources. This is the most straightforward benefit, but it is likely the most important one in practicality. In addition, if a college allows an AP course to fill a general education course, you can get a jump-start on your major and quickly start on work that you are passionate about. If you are unfamiliar with how many classes/credits you need to have to get a college degree, I’d look it up. You need to take a lot of classes! If you are given the early opportunity to fill up a college’s requirements, DO IT!
Majors – On the topic of majors, AP classes can help you narrow down what you potentially want to major in. Large colleges these days can have hundreds of possible programs, so you probably do not want to go into college with zero ideas on what you want to do with yourself. If you turn out to be absolutely awful at AP World History and are not able to remember historical facts to save your life, you’d know that, just maybe, history isn’t the direction for you. And, of course, doing well in an AP class could drive you to a certain major. Personally, I have been completely steered straight. No biology majoring for me. Just kidding, I have no idea what I want to do with my life. But, I do have a much greater understanding of what I would be getting if I decided to major in Biology. The same goes for all of my AP classes.
Up your game – AP classes, conducted well, will challenge you and push your academic limits. When classes do not have a well-defined deadline that they are approaching (like an AP exam), they can take a good amount of time to make sure the class understands the material. This is not something that’s bad about non-AP classes; a slower pace is the better option for many students. But, if you are looking for a “thrill,” take an AP class. In AP classes, the class has a test approaching. There is no time to take breaks. For example, the AP Biology textbook we went through this year contained 43 comprehensive chapters. Some chapters were shorter than others, but none of the chapters were ones that you could just get through in a day or so. In classes like this, students are forced to up their academic game if they want to stay on top of the workload.
Colleges love it – Colleges are like parents. They want students that can make them proud and give them a good name long after graduation. When you take AP classes, you are giving colleges a concrete way to view how you challenge yourself. Essentially, AP classes show colleges that you are willing to dedicate more effort to your academics. Course rigor is important.
Be humbled – This sort of ties in with my third point, but AP classes are going to be harder than any other non-AP class you have taken. You may think you’re ready for it, but you’re probably not going to be. There have been two specific AP classes that I have taken that hit me like a TRAIN. That would be AP World History and AP Biology. AP World was my first AP class. When we started taking reading quizzes in that class, it was the end of my dignity. It’s easy to get lost in textbooks when they detail the history of the entire world. Then, a year later, I started with AP Biology. The first AP Bio test hit me like a fighter jet going faster than the speed of sound. In both of these cases, I was rocked. AP classes challenge you and show you that you’re not as great as you think you are. It’s tough to swallow, but when you believe you have a lot to improve upon, you improve.

I could go on all day about how much I adore AP classes. I promise I’m not a College Board mole, but I do think AP classes get an unnecessary negative reputation. If you have not taken an AP class yet, take one. The AP exams are stressful, but we get the privilege of taking them at THE PALM VALLEY SCHOOL (unless you take something weird like Latin). You may hate taking the class with all of your being all the way up until June, but in the end you’ll look back and say “I learned.”

Editor: Hannah Hall

ASB Presidential Candidates

May 29, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Holden Hartle

In anticipation of the upcoming ASB elections, I thought I would do an analysis of those who are running for ASB President, similar to a post that I did detailing those who were running for President of the United States. I interviewed each candidate as well as read their candidate statements from previous campaigns, whether that be for a cabinet position or a class representative. Here is a brief profile on each of the three people running for Palm Valley’s ASB President.

Hannah Makkai

Hannah, a rising senior, enjoys being a part of the decision-making process. She has held positions in student government since middle school. She also mentioned being a student at PVS since preschool. She said that because of this, she has watched the school grow and has adapted with it. She believes being a part of the Palm Valley community for so long will allow her to note the diversity of the student body and make decisions accordingly.

One of her most defining achievements is the PVS Instagram page. I asked her if it was helpful or useful, to which she responded affirmatively. She did concede, however, that it is very difficult to make posts, considering the multiple hoops one has to jump through. It is something she would like to improve upon if elected President.

Finally, she has lots of ideas. She has the creativity to think up events, but has she thought of all the possibilities that could deter a night like “movie night” from taking shape? Expense? Enthusiasm? Availability? Moreover, it is possible that she is prioritizing ideas such as “movie night” and “team competition night” over ideas such as efficiency and democracy. Perhaps this is something that she will learn as President. Nevertheless, if you are looking for someone with copious amounts of creativity for fun ideas in ASB, then Hannah should be your choice.

Brennan Nick

When I asked Brennan, also a rising senior, why he wanted to run for President, he started by saying that it was a very difficult question to answer, but he went on to explain that he enjoys being a part of the decision-making process. He said that he did not agree with the 2017-2018 administration and some of the decisions made. He said that this year was a lot better than last year because the ASB process was more democratic. Along with being more democratic, he said that communication among ASB greatly improved, mainly due to the current president, Jackson Dean.

Brennan is a man of his word, and you can count on that. Last year, his campaign statement claimed that he was going to use Google polls to bridge the gap between students and ASB. He did just that. Honesty and transparency are rare in today’s political climate.

When I asked him if he had an edge over the other candidates, he said that he has experience at the second highest position that an ASB member can be, as he is the current Vice President. He also said that he has a document with all of the plans he has for the upcoming year. To me, at least, this shows that he is “on his game” so to speak. His pragmatism shows his motivation and willingness to be President.

My criticism is that if you want fresh eyes and a new way of thinking in ASB, Brennan might not be the way to go. The fact that he looks up so highly to Jackson means that he may model a lot of his platform and his style of leading after him. So if you are a fan of Jackson’s presidential style, then Brennan is the right choice, but if you want a fresh change, perhaps one of the other candidates would better suit you.

Caroline Scheil

Caroline, despite being a grade below the other two candidates, feels as though she can make a big impact in the school. When asked why people should vote for her, she said that her leadership qualities and ability to compromise set her ahead of the game. Also, being a grade below Hannah and Brennan protects her from the dreaded Senioritis that will most likely affect the senior candidates. Along with this, the other senior candidates will no doubt be stressing over college applications during the beginning of the school year, but Caroline said that she would stay motivated throughout that time and be dedicated to ASB.

My big question to her was whether or not she felt like an underdog. She said, yes, but she is still up to the challenge. This says something about Caroline’s character. The fact that even though she is afraid of a task, she has the ability to power through it.

Along with her status as an underdog, I wondered if her age would benefit or hinder her ability to lead a cabinet of mostly seniors. She said that it would benefit her, that her experience as a class representative would give a different perspective to the cabinet.

Her downfall, however, could be her optimism. She said that she is very “doe-eyed.” Perhaps this optimism could cloud her judgment to see a situation clearly. But, even if this is the case, her ability to compromise could counteract this, making her a fit choice for President.

Editor: Hannah Hall

A Review of “Never Gone”

May 29, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Movie Fan Blogger James Zheng

I hardly ever watch Chinese films, but I found a Chinese movie that I really want to talk about. I have several reasons for not watching Chinese movies; the majority of them are really awful.

But not all of them are awful. While most are low quality products, you can find that ten percent of Chinese movies are exceptional works.

The movie I am going to talk about in this post is a romantic movie that has a simple story. It is mainly about the torturous experience of a couple, the disharmony they have and how they work it out. Well, do they eventually work it out? My answer is watch this film yourself and find out.

The part that draws the most attention is the preparation of actors. Kris Wu, a Chinese Canadian musical artist, is invited by director Zhou Tuoru to perform as the major character in Never Gone. I went into the movie wondering why a director would let a popular music idol be in a film. The director might just as well focus on how good looking the actors are rather than how skilled they are as actors. Two days ago, before I watched Never Gone, I read many negative comments saying how Kris Wu ruined the movie.

After seeing these pathetic comments, I finally chose to watch the movie to give it an “authentic” review. Here it goes–every setting being used in Never Gone has been used at least a thousand times. I could even say that if you are a romantic movie person, you can tell what will happen in the next second; you can see where the plot is going without questioning it. And, dialogues between the characters always give me a sense of being … embarrassed since the dialogue seems improper in that situation or just too generic. And, most times, Kris Wu’s acting just collapses; in other words, his acting is just extremely terrible or over-exaggerated.

So, overall. Is it a worthless film? Just wait: here are some positive things I have to say about it. The story of the movie is really similar to our daily life and reality; it isn’t that dramatic, which is the common flaw the director avoided. In that sense, he rejected the traditional style of romantic movies. In agreement with the negative reviews, I also think that Kris Wu’s acting is truly amateur and inflexible. However, his performance still left me an un-erasable impression. His emotion is real. He expresses his sentiment in the most explicit way. He conscientiously integrates himself into the show; he strives to present to us what the character should be feeling. After all, if you only take it from a single perspective and follow the majority opinion, you may only describe how bad it is. You would never observe Kris Wu’s achievement.

In the end, I am still not sure if I should recommend this movie. If you are interested in a romantic movie, you should try to watch it and see what comments you have.

Editor: Makena Behnke

*Available on Amazon Prime.

What do you think about on Wednesday: Bloggers Consider Breakfast

May 24, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

Each Wednesday I give our bloggers something to think about, something to write about. I often steal the prompts from Poets & Writers’s “The Time Is Now: a weekly dose of writing prompts.” In April, the Creative Nonfiction Prompt asked, “What did you eat for breakfast this morning?” I asked our bloggers the same question and urged them to muse on what their breakfast foods reveal about them, their routines, and universal truths. Our bloggers responded:

* * *

breakfast is one of my favorite meals because you can really eat whatever you want, and i like that. this morning i had my tried and true (i haven’t eaten it in a while, but i did for a long time): two pieces of Dave’s Killer Bread, toasted, with Barney almond butter (picture included for your viewing pleasure) and Bonne Maman raspberry preserves. it’s like an open-faced, toasted pb (or almond butter) & j. since i don’t like peanut butter, almond butter is my nut butter buddy. recently i’ve been getting more into overnight oats, but i was simply too lazy to make it this weekend. yesterday morning, my mom and i stopped by Krispy Kreme to grab a dozen doughnuts for her office (i stole two), and i highly recommend their iced coffee with caramel and a little bit of milk. my mom and i went the weekend after it opened and it’s pretty darn cool. on weekends or days when i have extra time, i usually have leftovers (pasta, tacos, pizza, soup, etc). I usually have some fruit with my weekend breakfast too. i often make a pitaya bowl as a midday snack or breakfast. coffee almost always accompanies my food. i am also a classic biscuits-and-gravy girl, porridge, and, of course, pancakes and bacon never hurt anyone. i rarely eat eggs, maybe twice a month, but if i do, scrambled with pancetta and onions and hot sauce (of course) or scrambled on a piece of buttered toast with hot sauce and onions. honestly, on the weekends, i sometimes sleep through normal breakfast hour so i feast at 11 am.

Makena Behnke

* * *

Ever since I moved from my previous host family, my breakfast choice has changed. Nowadays I just order the breakfast on a Starbucks app to get a drink and egg sandwich. Although I need to spend at least nine dollars to get rid of hunger, I do not feel unhappy about it. Since I hardly ever go to Starbucks to buy anything, everything seems fresh to me. The amount of food is just enough for me, and I always like to try different drinks. By the way, the latte and cappuccino are pretty good!

James Zheng

* * *

DONUTS. In my life, DONUTS have always been associated with extraordinary events. Do people usually have donuts for an everyday routine breakfast? Nope. And my family falls under the category of not having donuts for routine breakfasts. Therefore, donuts always mean going somewhere with family or somethin’. Donuts are special.

Luke L.

* * *

Mocha and Muffin

Each school day at 7:30 without fail I am at the Koffi on Highway 111. The baristas all know me by name. The moment I walk in the door, one of them will say, “Your mocha, bud?” I’ll nod. “And your blueberry muffin?” I’ll nod once again.

Within seconds the mocha and muffin are in my grasps as I head to school.

What follows next is the madness of the school day. The weight of my classes and the weight of my future grasp my shoulders and press down, but that doesn’t start until 8:15. At 7:30, before that insanity begins, everything is calm, content, consistent. The only things I have to worry about are the occasional bitterness of the mocha and the blueberry that may get stuck in my teeth.

Holden

* * *

For breakfast, I enjoy eating sausage. My fave is chicken-apple sausage. Orange juice is a fat pass for breakfast. . . ew. I love iced coffee. Iced coffee makes everything better. If I get a hash brown from McDonald’s in the morning, it makes me happy.

Hannah Hall

Analyze My Dream

May 23, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Holden Hartle

Recently, I had a dream, and I thought I would leave it up to the readers of the blog to analyze it and figure out what’s wrong in my life.

____________________________________________________________________________

You’re sitting on a hill. You are midway between the base and the top. The hill itself is grassy, but not the typical green, lush grass. It’s dirty and faded. The dirt isn’t soft or cold either. It’s dry and sandy. As you stand up, you have to wipe the dirt off of your shorts. Looking out in front of you, you see a landscape of that same grass and scattered trees.

At the base of the hill, two lions come out of hiding. You inhale sharply. They walk towards you ever so slowly. It feels like an eternity before they reach you. Their fur is golden and shiny, and their eyes are so brown one could mistake them as black. As they approach, you see their white teeth gleaming in the sun. They are ready to kill.

The moment they are at arm’s length, you give a swift smack to each of their noses. That seemed to do the trick. Seemingly in fear, they rush back to the base of the hill. You take a big sigh of relief.

To relax, you lie down on the grass. It’s crunchy and dry, but the sun feels nice on your skin. As you lie, you take a deep breath of fresh air. With your eyes closed, you have to rely on your other senses to feel the world around you. Doing this, the world seems different. You notice that it’s rather warm, and you begin to perspire. Your relaxation keeps being interrupted by an itching sensation caused by the unpleasant grass. As you sit up to itch your leg, you open your eyes to see that this landscape that was once covered in dry grass has been replaced by a hoard of snakes. You inhale sharply.

There is nowhere to run. As far as the eye can see the world is covered with snakes. These snakes are silver with teeth that are ready to kill. Their eyes are black. You turn around to face the top of the hill. At the very top is a school desk. You figure that snakes can’t climb, and so you decide to rush to the desk. The desk is only about fifty feet away, but it’s uphill. You can’t risk falling down into the snakes, so you walk briskly, but carefully, with your arms spread out beside you like a tightrope walker.

Upon reaching the desk, you climb on top of the chair. The snakes seem to realize that they can’t get you, so they slither away.

You slide down in the chair and sigh with relief. You can once again feel your surroundings. The air feels warm again, but the desk is cool and feels pleasant against your skin. You are facing the opposite direction you were facing before. On the other side of the hill, the trees are much more plentiful. The grass gradually turns lush and green as it disappears behind the trees.

A friend walks up behind you. She stares in the same direction you are. Upon noticing her, you ask, “Are you okay? Did you see the lions and the snakes?” She doesn’t respond. Instead, she turns to you and exclaims, “This is what you get!” She reaches into her pockets and grabs handfuls of beetles. You can’t examine them because as soon as she dumps them on you they crawl towards your face. You feel their mouths biting your skin. You close your eyes. Everything turns black.

____________________________________________________________________________

At this time, I woke up in a cold sweat shaking profusely. This happened several weeks ago, and I am still trying to pinpoint what the different animals and landscapes could mean.

Editor: Makena Behnke

Liberation

May 22, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Hannah Hall

Some days I need to just lift my spirits and set myself free. The one cliché people say is “go to your happy place” and all will be well. Do you know what I say to that? I say alrighty, and I head on out to my happy place. You may have thought reading that question I was about to bash the whole idea of happy places ‘n such, but actually I just wanted to bring you along to my happy place to experience it…you know, in case it is one of those days.

“The Happy Place”

Imagine yourself waking up to the peaceful aurora and its warm, pink, glow glistening upon your cheeks. You go to open a window; the cool breeze prances upon your body as if you were the sky. You are breathing in the clean, fresh air, letting it fill your lungs, and then you exhale–it leaves your body along with any tension you have hidden within you. You listen to the trees as birds sing and leaves crinkle. Take a step outside and feel the earth beneath you. The ground is not harsh, but comforting and supple. Feel the space between you and everything around you; embrace it and allow yourself to flourish. It is just you and the world, man, you and the world.

Doesn’t that feel nice? Personally, I am not a morning person, but this scenario just makes me want to be woken up by the sun naturally with no uhhhhhh blaring alarm clock. Sorry for making you think of that dreadful device, but at least now you have a happy place to go to! I am interested to hear your happy place and how mine made you feel. Thanks for coming along the journey with me. Peace out, my free birds.

Editor: Luke Langlois

These Songs are Actually Pretty Good

May 22, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By James Zheng, a surprise music critic blogger

Music, as a part of our daily life, has always accompanied us whenever we need it. And, according to what I have seen so far about what people usually listen to around me, it’s normally either rap music or pop music. I’ve included plenty of unknown songs worth recommending in this post; you might recognize them; maybe not. Let’s find out.

Overall, I categorized them by genre to give you a brief preview of each.

Rock Music

Simple Plan the band. Recommendation for their songs: Holding On and Take My Hand. Simple Plan is from Canada. I would consider them as derived from punk rock. I have listened to each of their albums; I am obsessed with their unique style; this style is second to none. They do not generate the conventional idea of rock that makes a very noisy track. They don’t do much heavy metal sound; instead, they have a very cheerful track style. And, before they put the sound of electric guitar in, they usually have a fantastic melody mixed with piano and bass. All of their songs are amazing.
Daughtry the band. Recommendation for their songs: It’s Not Over and Over You. Daughtry is from America, and they are more popular than Simple Plan. Their style is a little bit hard to define because they keep changing it in each album. The unique thing about Daughtry is probably the lead vocalist’s–Chris Daughtry’s–wild singing style. You feel like he is yelling, but in fact he is not. He just puts his emotion fully into the song as few people do.

Instrumental Music

String For a Queen by ELYZA/Xan. Speaking of instrumental music, String For a Queen is my favorite ever song. The beat keeps rising and falling, it is really unpredictable. In another words, you don’t know what’s coming next, but you are expecting something more, and eventually the better thing than the expectation comes. The String For a Queen has a really dreamlike beat which more sounds like a fantasy motif. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK075fzsDCM
Blue by Xeuphoria. Blue has a very tranquil beat. When you are nervous or restless, try to listen to this song and it could help a lot to calm your mind down and make you fall into the enjoyment of this quiet melody.

Electronic Music

Demons (Original Mix) by Paris Blohm.
Wolves by Selena Gomez, Marshmello.
I am not sure if electronic music is popular in America. I think that it is a huge improvement from traditional instrumental music. Initially electronic music was played without lyrics, but to further innovate and make it more exceptional, a DJ (Disc Jockey) decides to add the singing part in to make it better.

Popular Music

What Are Words by Chris Medina. This song has a touching story behind it. The incentive for Chris to write this song is due to an accident that happened to his wife. His wife got severely injured and needed a large amount of money to pay for the therapy bill. Chris decided to participate in the show American Idol and strove to get the reward so that he could pay for his wife’s medical bill. Although he was eliminated, the song left an intense impression. The track consists of piano and violin, which is a simple combination of sounds. But he has a great voice and captivating emotion in the song.
Color Blind by Matt B. Matt remixed an instrumental song called River Flows in You, and then made Color Blind. Matt has an unexpectedly unique voice; his singing style is quite natural and casual. And the whole rhythm of the song is really relaxing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BInjDfGMUlM

Anime Theme Music

Call of Silence by Gemie. Call of Silence is a interlude song within the anime called Attack On Titan 2nd Season. It is more likely to be a character song. The whole song is in English without a singing accent; you can understand the lyrics clearly.
Red Swan by YOSHIKI/HYDE. Red Swan is the theme song for Attack On Titan 3rd Season, and most of the lyrics are in English. It is a light rock song fused with the sound of piano.

If you listen to music a lot and have not yet known these songs, I strongly suggest you to get know them. You might step into a new musical realm.

Some Social Psychology

May 17, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Luke Langlois, AP Psychology Student & Blogger

At this point in my life, I have already taken the AP Psychology exam. But, that does not mean my knowledge of psychology can just hide off in a crevice forever. Not yet, anyways. Today, I would like to introduce to you some concepts from the last chapter of the AP Psychology textbook: social psychology. Social psychology is the branch of psychology that focuses on interactions between people. First, I will go into the fundamental attribution error. The fundamental attribution error is a simple concept, but it describes an “error” that we make just about every day.

The fundamental attribution error is the social psychology phenomenon that says we tend to explain someone’s behaviors or actions with their internal dispositions, rather than with their external circumstances. This concept is usually applied to a situation in which one person does something another person does not like. The peeved person will usually think something like “Wow, that person probably hates me, tortures puppies, and is generally a terrible person.” The error is believing that the actual “bad” behavior was due to something in the offender’s personality. Why not an example? You get cut off while driving by someone who is going about 80 miles per hour on the city streets. You shout out loud, as many drivers seem to do, “What a ******!” But, that driver has a pregnant lady in the car who is having a BABY! It’s the external factors that usually drive a behavior, not the internal ones. Now, that’s not to say some people aren’t just rude. But, I do not have scientifically backed knowledge on that fact. So, stop making the fundamental attribution error. Catch yourself making this error. Maybe you’ll like people more.

Speaking of liking people, why not have a brief segment on what goes into attraction? That’s another thing that goes into social psychology. The following is a list of the big elements that play into attraction. Be warned: this isn’t an exact science.

Proximity – Geographic proximity is an important one. Obviously, you can’t fall for someone across the country. That’s obvious. In addition, if you’re around and are interacting with a person over and over, you’ll find yourself liking them. That’s us people falling victim for the “mere exposure effect,” which states that the more we are exposed to something, the more we like it. Again, don’t go for the “ACTUALLY I HATE THIS PERSON AND I’VE KNOWN THEM FOR YEARS.” It’s not an exact science.
Physical Attractiveness – Unfortunately, physical appearance does rank up there as one of the most important features of social attraction. There are a lot of reasons as to why that is, but I’m not going to go into that.
Similarity – Fun fact: opposites do not attract. That is a phrase meant for hopeless romantics. Birds of a feather flock together. The more like-minded you are to someone, the more you’re going to like them.

So, that’s a couple of concepts of social psychology. If you want to know a bit more about social psychology, google it yourself, or DROP A COMMENT!

Editor: Makena Behnke