the bird on fire

The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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Explaining Polo: What’s a chukker and other key facts

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By Claire Jenkins                  

Polo (the real kind, not the water kind) is known as the game of kings. To put it simply, polo is kind of like half hockey, half soccer, and throw in eight horses and eight players. The objective of the game is to get the ball through the goal posts, much like soccer. It is four against four in field polo, and the fields are about 300 x 160 yards, which is about the length of three football fields.

Four of the players are trying to score one way, and the other four are trying to score the other way. In field polo, after one team scores, you switch directions so that the teams are now going opposite ways. The ball for field arena is a small white ball, kind of like an oversized golf ball, but big enough to comfortably fit in your hand.

The match is divided into chukkers, each lasting seven minutes, with a break of three minutes between each one. At half time, the interval is extended to five minutes, and the crowds are invited to walk onto the field to tread in divots.

Polo has many interesting quirks, but like most other sports it has rules against fouling. There are lots of different fouls in polo, and some are severe enough to get you kicked off the field. Below are some common rules and possible fouls:

Right of Way–When the chukker is in play there is a  “line of the ball,” which is the direction in which the ball travels once the ball has been hit or thrown. When a player has established the right of way along that line, it can’t be crossed by any player if there is any risk of collision.

Crossing the Line–Any player who crosses the player who has the right of way close enough to be dangerous or cause a player to slow down, commits a foul.

Riding Off –This is the act of pushing another player and their horse out of the way using your horse and your body. It is allowed at any point in the game whether the person has the ball or not. It must not be done at a dangerous angle or varying speeds because that can cause serious injury.

Hooking mallets – A player may hook an opponent’s mallet if they are on the same side of the opponent as the ball and the mallet must be below the level of the opponent’s shoulder. Players cannot hook an opponent in front of the horse’s legs, as it would be called a foul.

 

For more information about polo rules or upcoming events, go to uspolo.org. or empirepolo.com.

Editor: Makena Behnke

Special Christma-Hanu-Kwanzaa-Kah Announcement

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Graphic by Harlow Berny

 

By Harlow Berny

Hello, Palm Valley students! For the holiday season, there will be a snowflake-crafting table to your left as you walk into the Front Office in the two weeks leading up to Winter Break. Also, every Friday morning while it’s cold there will be a hot chocolate booth run by our CSF club. One cup of hot chocolate will cost $1, so make sure to bring your cash. Next Wednesday, there will be a school-wide Ugly Sweater Day, and a Holiday Luncheon will be hosted by the Parents’ Association the day after, followed by a school-wide Pajama Day on next Friday’s half day, which is a wonderful way to end school before the Winter Break!

To give you an idea of three of the holidays taking place in December, I’ll tell you the dates of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa in the order of when they happen. Hanukkah will begin on the evening of Tuesday, December 12, and end on the evening of Wednesday, December 20. Christmas will be on Monday, December 25, and Kwanzaa will begin on Tuesday, December 26, and end on Monday, January 1, 2018. Happy Holidays!

 

Editor: Makena Behnke

A Reading of Charles Fort’s “One Had Lived in a Room and Loved Nothing”

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Reading and Interpretation By Charles Schnell

 

Somber, subtle poems catch my attention and stimulate thought. Below is a recording of my reading of “One Had Lived in a Room and Loved Nothing” by Charles Fort–a somber, subtle, and stimulating poem.

One Had Lived in a Room and Loved Nothing

One had lived in a room and loved nothing.
Full of spiders and what memory remained,
one had loved and she had forgotten things.

Clock stopped and aeroplane lost in the dark,
and who was that voice on the telephone?
One had lived in a room and loved nothing.

It was a rare sleep in helter-skelter;
one awakened a half-blessed and charmed fool.
One had loved and she had forgotten things.

One had lived in a room and loved nothing.
Whose tiffany ring on her ring finger;
who gave one mantis kiss as the jazz played?

The faceless lover and last known address,
a writing pad and table overturned,
one had loved and she had forgotten things.

What was day or night with no hours left
and who were the two in the photograph?
One had loved and she had forgotten things.
One had lived in a room and loved nothing.

Charles Fort

 

This poem is a “villanelle.” A villanelle is a nineteen-line poem where the first and third lines of every stanza are the same, but they alternate places with every stanza. Every stanza is three lines long excluding the last one, which is four lines–the final two lines of that stanza are the first and third lines that have been repeating throughout the rest of the poem. In this poem, “one had lived in a room and loved nothing” and “one had loved and she had forgotten things” are those alternating lines.

 

When I first read the poem, I interpreted the poem as describing the tragic case of a woman who has now developed dementia. There are many signs of her not being able to remember something that she should be remembering, something important from her pre-dementia past: for instance, there is the unknown “voice on the telephone” (who I think is a family member) and the unknown “two in the photograph” (perhaps she and her husband or child). The poem speaks with a desolate, isolated voice. The images are empty, as if something is missing or wrong with the picture. This incompleteness sells the idea of something mis-remembered or gone.

 

I look up another person’s opinion online, and they thought the poem was supposed to represent a disconnect from the world. This could be a person without any disorders or the like, but rather just someone who is in a room that she has lived in for so long, for some reason suffering, that she has become unfeeling now. Very smart interpretation, I think.

 

If you would like to read this poem and many more like this, consider picking up Edward Hirsch’s and David Lehman’s The Best American Poetry 2016. The anthology contains lovely poetry: https://www.amazon.com/Best-American-Poetry-2016/dp/150112756X.

 

Here’s that other person’s interpretation I mentioned: https://ashberyland.com/2017/10/12/completely-subjective-charles-forts-one-had-lived-in-a-room-and-loved-nothing/.

 

Here’s where “One Had Live In A Room and Loved Nothing” was originally published: http://greenmountainsreview.com/two-poems-14/.

 

Editor: Peter Kadel

 

Thanksgiving Special: Curious Customs

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By Renée  

 

As Thanksgiving came and went along with Black Friday’s mindless shopping sprees and the eating of unhealthy portions, I mulled over the peculiarities of U.S. traditions. I was born in Mexico. And, in my foreigner’s curiosity, I decided to research other curious customs of the U.S. Here is my top 10 list of curious U.S. customs (along with my very helpful commentary). Enjoy.

 

Curious Customs from America

 

  1. The Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival in Delaware. It is exactly what it sounds like…
  2. The National Hollerin’ Contest in North Carolina. Why?
  3. Tailgating Football Games. I’m not exactly sure why you would really want to wait outside a stadium during a game. You can’t see it.
  4. Pumpkin Pie Martinis. Why does all non-pumpkin pumpkin flavored stuff exist?
  5. Roadkill Cook-Off, West Virginia. Okay, kinda interesting, but I am conflicted.
  6. Cherry Pit Spitting, Michigan. Eww. No, nope. No.
  7. Black Friday Shopping Sprees. Groups of people running over other groups of people for stuff, *chuckle* no.
  8. Pardoning the Thanksgiving Turkey. Like a ceremony for telling a turkey that you’re not going to eat it.
  9. Choosing the Imperial System–It’s just dumb and inefficient and impractical, especially now that there is the far superior Metric System.
  10. Thanksgiving. It’s strange. Seriously. Cranberry in cans, turkey slaughter, Black Friday pseudo holiday, questionable origin story. Nope.

 

Editor: Brennan Nick

Come See The Crucible!

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Public Service Announcement created by Brennan Nick and Charles Schnell

The Crucible opens tomorrow! There are shows scheduled for December 1, 2, 3, 8, and 9! On the 3rd is the afternoon matinee at 2 p.m. The rest of the shows will start at 7:30 p.m., with the house opening at 7 p.m. General seats cost $15 a piece, while priority reserved seats are $20 each.

 

The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller that takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials. Salem at the time is a distant corner of the world on the fringes of both civilization and the dark wilderness where the Bible is the law and the citizens believe unquestionably in its teachings. A teenage girl begins accusing others of being conquered by the Devil and committing themselves to witchcraft, and the village becomes consumed by fear and religious zeal.

 

Arthur Miller lived in a similar time of fear–a fear of communism which pervaded in the early 50’s and was known as McCarthyism. Miller wrote this play to provide a parallel world to the one he and his peers were living through. Today, the play is considered by many scholars to be one of the great pieces of American literature.

 

This production is directed by Ken Sarkis, Kim Phillips, and Craig Gahnz. The Blog Staff are very excited to see it (or act in it), and we hope to see you there, too!

Edited by Peter Kadel and Claire Jenkins

things you can do to feel a bit better:

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By Makena Behnke

  • read until your eyes hurt.
  • take a long shower. just think.
  • listen to music; tune the world out.
  • stay up so late that the world seems peaceful and friendly.
  • get up so early that your household is not bombarded with family members and pets (but go back to sleep right after).
  • buy or make your friends little gifts (e.g. small drawings of their favorite animal, funny pairs of socks, silly stories written, etc.)
  • go on a walk; stay safe.
  • jump around and dance once in awhile.
  • blast your favorite song, or learn the words to another song.
  • just have a cleaning day. (do laundry; organize your bathroom, etc.).
  • go through things, and donate what you don’t want. (start small; try underneath your bathroom sink or the second drawer in your dresser.)
  • spend a little time to yourself.
  • brush up on what you have to do this week.
  • find something you’ve always been wanting to do, and do it.

Editor Charles Schnell

How Autism Can Affect Schoolwork

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Graphic by Harlow Berny

 

By Harlow Berny

I was going to go back to retelling old fairy tales this week, but I am noticing that problems caused by my autism are becoming more prominent in my classes. While the teachers at this school, for the most part, understand that autism has an effect on a student’s learning ability, I believe that they do not have an understanding of how it affects the student. While I know that autism is a spectrum and it is quite different in each case, I will be going over the general effects of it and my personal struggles with it.

A common thing in autistic students is that they let small assignments slip past them but then are able to do larger assignments and projects thoroughly, thus having a negative effect on their grade as they fail to turn in more and more small assignments. This is not because the student does not care for the class or the assignment, and it is not because they do not know how to do the assignment or are not intelligent enough. It is because they have trouble focusing on the small assignment when they are not in a calm school environment, as they will “zone out” or “daydream” easily when the environment becomes unfocused or too silent. Another factor in not completing assignments is short-term memory problems, which is common with autistic students and can make them forget that school even exists. Back to the environment, that has to do with hypersensitivity. Autistic people, no matter where they fall on the autistic spectrum, are to some degree hypersensitive. This means that they are more sensitive to light (specifically certain bright reds and greens), sound, touch, taste, and emotions. In terms of sound, autistic students can’t handle tons of noises and screaming, but they also can’t work in complete silence. We need some kind of sound, such as white noises, in order to focus, as a silent room can let our mind wander onto other things and branch out our thoughts, causing confusion. An example of this is that at multiple points in writing this post, I have struggled to find a way to describe something while my mind is overcrowded with thoughts. I have gotten a headache from straining my mind and had to move on to other thoughts, which is what I am doing as I write this sentence. Another off-topic thing that happened, I remembered that I saw a post on social media that highlighted the importance of stressing certain words when writing. The post took a simple sentence–

 

I never said she took my wallet.

 

–and then stressed different words.

 

I never said she took my wallet.

I never said she took my wallet.

I never said she took my wallet.

I never said she took my wallet.

I never said she took my wallet.

I never said she took my wallet.

I never said she took my wallet.

 

This gave the sentence an entirely different meaning each time.

 

Editor: Brennan Nick

What It’s Worth

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By Naturalist Poet Pete

What’s it worth?

What’s the worth in protecting the great outdoors? What dollar amount can be assigned

To open meadows, rolling hills, and swift streams? What are they worth

Once they are caught and defined? What is the profit of seeing the Grand Canyon strip-mined?

In blasting the mountains and depleting the veins? in taking the treasures beneath the earth?

There is something golden on the surface. There are green treasures that tower above,

Ancient giants from ages past, enduring symbols that are the heart of the forest.

They are the guardians of the old worlds and sentinels of life, creatures deserving of our love.

We must defend them; we must not soften. We must be undaunted in our noble quest.

There is a value in the untouched world, not in dollars but in the human soul.

Editor: Charles Schnell

Why An iPhone (or any expensive smartphone) Is Worth The Price

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BY Luke Langlois — guy with opinion

 

Apple’s newest phones, the iPhone X and the iPhone 8, were unveiled to the public at their 2017 presentation in September. The new “flagship” device, the X, has sparked a plethora of design nitpicking, debating, or just plain old praise.

 

The one complaint that people tend to agree upon is that the four digit price tag of $1,000 is just too high. Pair this with any Apple Care programs, any other irresistible pieces of tech, and the day-to-day costs of life on Earth, and you’ve got a noticeable absence of money in your bank account.

 

This raises a question for everyone who loves their smartphone: just how much am I going to have to shell out for my new phone every couple of years? Will the prices continue to rise? These are all valid questions. But, my humble opinion is that people have just become spoiled.

 

I don’t mean to call people spoiled as in children who whine and cry; people maybe have just forgotten (or never have lived in) the time before the lightweight and portable phone. If you think your phone is in your pocket, you reach for it and it’s not there, it is worrying to say the least. Our phones are such an amazing luxury. We have all of the world’s information, games, entertainment, connections, productivity, and notes available in our purses or pockets. Not only the functionality of the devices are incredible. The technology in these devices are FANTASTIC.

 

No, I’m not saying you need to shell out for the latest Apple or Samsung product. It will still be difficult to spend so much money on these phones now and in the future. Nevertheless, remembering the ridiculous amount of function and power these devices give you might help make the decision easier.

 

 

Editor: Shelby Armor

It’s Coffee Time: A Review of Java with a Splash of Politics

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By Peter Kadel, Consumer of Caffeine

Recently, I found out about the Black Rifle Coffee Company, a veteran-run-and-owned coffee-roasting operation based out of Utah. Their beans come from South and Central America. The company is owned by Evan Hafer, a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who has been working on his coffee-roasting skills for the past ten years. The company advertises itself as “the world’s premium conservative coffee company.” The BRCC roasts its coffee in small batches. The coffee is made to order. This means that the coffee isn’t made until you order it on their website. Thus, BRCC’s coffee takes a little longer to reach you due to the 2-3 day roasting period. Additionally, shipping takes about 7-10 days, but that is at the lowest cost for shipping. If you are willing to dole out the extra money, it can get there in two days.

BRCC carries a decent variety of coffee with 17 different blends that come in 1 of 4 roast types: light, medium, dark, and extra dark. The available textures are ground or whole bean.

I have tried two of the available blends. The first one was a medium-roast blend called the Fit to Fight blend which has an excellent aroma and decent taste. The coffee was delivered quickly. The blend tasted good. Usually I need to sweeten coffee in addition to adding heavy cream, but with the Fit to Fight Blend and with the Black Buffalo Blend–the second blend I’ve tried–I enjoyed the flavor of the coffee by itself. All it needed was a little cream. Even after I accidentally left the grounds out in the open air for a week, the Black Buffalo Blend kept its rich and full flavor and has not let me down yet. The Fit to Fight Blend had one incident where it began to taste sour as I was drinking it, but I’ve only had that issue once (but that might have been the cream).

Overall, the Black Rifle Coffee Company produces quality coffee that has the same effects on me as every other coffee I’ve had–virtually none. However, that doesn’t mean the coffee won’t offer the caffeinated kick most coffee lovers need to get through their day. While some people may be hesitant to support a company with strong political views, BRCC is not the only coffee company to have a political bias; Starbucks is a nationally recognized coffee chain that has often taken a political stance on various issues, rather than remaining neutral. For years, Starbucks has supported same-sex marriage legislation. And, in February 2017, Starbucks offered to hire 10,000 refugees in reaction to recent immigration legislation. The BRCC, in response to Starbucks, stated it wants to hire “veterans instead of refugees.” It should be noted that Starbucks also has a 10,000-veteran hiring initiative. The fact of the matter is, you’re voting with your wallet when businesses get political. You don’t have to buy their product. But, do note, BRCC makes some great coffee!

 

 

Referenced:

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-trump-supporters-boycott-starbucks-2017-2

https://www.snopes.com/politics/sexuality/starbucks.asp

Editor: Charles Schnell