Culture Archives - Page 5 of 20

My Favorite Foods Around the World, Ranked

September 28, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Junior Levi Kassinove

What is culture without food? Personally, when I visit a different country, I am only focused on the food. I couldn’t care less about the landmarks and tourist attractions. Sometimes the differing behavior is interesting though, like how in India people eat with their hands (theculturetrip.com). Other than slightly different mannerisms, the food is the only part of the culture that is worth experiencing in my opinion. It’s the only thing that differs so drastically from place to place, even within countries. I should mention that these rankings aren’t necessarily the best tasting foods I’ve ever had, but the ones that are most interesting from least to greatest. Without further ado, here are my most interesting foods from around the world.

Red Snapper Nigiri at Musashi, Palm Desert

Since we are going around the world (not including places I haven’t been to, such as Africa and Asia), I think it is appropriate to start locally. This dish is obviously Japanese, and Musashi is not located in Japan, but I want to start this list by highlighting the variety of cultures in the United States. Because of the mixed nature of the U.S., it is possible to get pretty much any type of food. Perhaps in most cases the foreign dishes will not be the same quality as served in their homeland, but I believe Musashi serves fantastic sushi. The red snapper nigiri, in particular, is blowtorched and finished with a yuzu-based garnish. Its instant burst of citrus is accented by the complex flavor of the torched red snapper, leaving a pleasant and exquisite aftertaste. While the food at Musashi is excellent, for the vast majority of sushi restaurants in the United States, I order without wasabi because it is extremely unlikely that they will serve actual ground wasabi root. Rather, most restaurants will serve a horseradish based substitute due to the difficulty of growing wasabi (businessinsider.com). That is an example of the quality difference between the U.S. and other countries.

My Experience at Pujol and Quintonil, Mexico City

This is mole: Pujol, *mole madre, mole nuevo*. The dark ring on the outside is aged mole. The inner red is fresh mole (i1.sndcdn.com).

Pictured: Quintonil, charcoal roasted chicken (theworlds50best.com)

One of the things that I did not expect to try in Mexico City was ant larvae. At both of these restaurants I was served some variation of it; Quintonil served it mixed with avocado, and Pujol served it on a puffed tortilla. Pujol is hands down the best restaurant I’ve ever been to, and currently it’s rated as the 5th best restaurant in the world (worlds50best.com). When I went there, I believe it was ranked 12th. Quintonil is currently 9th, and when I went there it was ranked around 20th. So, if you can get into these places, I highly recommend them. I remember at Quintonil I had for dessert a cake made of huitlacoche, which is a fungus that grows on corn (en.wikipedia.org). It is considered a delicacy in Mexico, and it was definitely interesting to eat, so it goes on my list. At Pujol I distinctly remember their dish, mole madre, mole nuevo, which is mole aged for 1000 days paired with freshly made mole. Mole is a dish traditionally made with peppers and chocolate; the exact ingredients of which vary between Mexican grandmas (en.wikipedia.org).

France and Spain

There isn’t much to be said about these countries that hasn’t already been said. The bread in France being good is an understatement. A croissant from any cafe in France makes a croissant from a local coffee shop in the U.S. taste like Wonder Bread. Seafood from Spain is absolutely delicious, especially Spanish octopus. My favorite food in Spain, however, is undoubtedly Jamón ibérico de Bellota. It is widely regarded as the best ham in the world, as the pigs are pampered and run wild in oak forests, eating mostly acorns, chestnuts, and grass (Jamon iberico-Wikipedia). The highest grade of Jamón ibérico de Bellota is pata negra, which is reserved for only the pure-bred Iberian pigs. Pata negra literally translates to black foot, a trait only pure breds have, so a good way to tell if a leg of jamón is genuinely pata negra is to look at the foot. The term is even used as slang to mean “the best” in Spain. It is absolutely delicious and widely available in Spain, like truffles in Italy. On the topic of meat, steak is excellent in France if you accept the way they prepare it. The French cook their steaks the only real way, which is bloody rare. I ordered a medium rare steak once in France, and they served me one of the rarest steaks I’ve ever eaten besides tartar. It was incredible. Unbelievably tender. I highly recommend it for the students going on the upcoming trip to France.

Conclusion

Food is one of the defining features of each culture. Recently, I’ve been interested in exotic fruits. Many of the fruits that I have learned about this year have never been heard of by my peers. Have you ever heard of a mangosteen? The LA Times called it “arguably the world’s most delicious tropical fruit” (latimes.com). Perhaps I’ll rank the world’s greatest fruits next. Mangosteen would be pata negra. If you have a food that you think deserves to be on this list, please tell me in the comments below.

History Of The Cahuilla

September 27, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

I asked the Blog Staff to look into a country or culture of interest, to take us there, let us experience something of daily life that might not be our own. Penny takes us home. And, home for Penny and her ancestors is the Coachella Valley. If you’ve been hiking in the canyons to the south of Palm Springs, you may have visited Penny’s own “Andreas” Canyon.
Blog Advisor Zachik

By 7th-Grader Penny Andreas

The Coachella Valley has been around for quite awhile, along with its native tribes and cultures. One tribe specifically, the band of the Cahuilla Indians, has called the desert home for generations. I am native, and it’s important to keep our stories alive, along with our traditions. The Cahuilla natives have been around for thousands of years, but there are many different versions of how they ended up in the Andreas Canyon. One of them is told by Alejo Patencio, a tribal spiritual leader. It begins with two brothers Mukat and Temayawut, who were born by a swirling mass of color when the world started. At their birth, Mukat and Temayawut created all of the oceans, mountains, and the sky.

Then, the two brothers made the first people. Mukat chose to create humans by carving black mud and carefully sculpting. Temayawut decided to use white mud, and hastily carve them. When they were both done, compared to Mukat’s, Temayawut’s looked unrefined and rushed. After arguing about whose people were better, Temayawut decided to leave Mukat. So overall, Mukat is said to be the creator of the Cahuilla. This lesson and overall beginning shows that it is better to take time and not rush things.

Bird Singing And Dancing

One thing that is extremely important in this tribe is its ceremonial Bird singing. Bird singing often tells the story of lessons that were learned about life, such as the origin and migration. Bird singers, when performing, will always have an instrument called a rattle. The Cahuilla bird singers have been using rattles for thousands of years, even before the Europeans came. Just as your fingerprint is yours individually, that’s what a rattle is like. Each one is completely different from the others. However, every rattle is made the same. The holder must pick out a squash or gourd from a vine, and then boil it in water for 20 minutes, and it is often filled with pebbles to keep the gourd or squash from floating above the water. After it has become hard and completely dried out, they fill it with seeds of spirit. The seeds come from places you love and value. For instance, my favorite place is Andreas canyon. (If I was a bird singer, I might put palm-tree seeds in my rattle.) From the seeds is where you get the steady beat of the rattle. When men tend to always sing, the women dance. Every bird dancer has their own bird dancing dress. They choose patterns and colors they think reflect themselves.

These are a few examples of bird dresses (takookmedia.com).

The Cahuilla Social System

I’ve grown up with Cahuilla teachings. To understand clearly the structure of the Cahuilla social system, I suggest you visit the Agua Calienta Band of Cahuilla Indians website. I’ve borrowed the following information from aguacaliente.org.

Moieties

The Cahuilla are divided into two groups known as Wildcat (tukat) and Coyote (Isil). These Moieties, based on native blood percentage, are believed to originate from when the Cahuilla first started, which guided marriage rules among people. Only one group can marry another member from their group.

Clans

Within each Moiety, the Cahuilla were set into clans, and it wasn’t until the 19th century when they started to work together. The present-day Agua Caliente is now made up of the three clans: Kauisik, Panik, and Wanakik.

Lineages

Lineages are made up of extended families inside a clan, with a man leading each household. Every lineage had its own food gathering areas and village.

Every culture in the world is important, and every culture has its own story. Every story even has its own lesson. I think it’s very important to share these stories and spread culture. I encourage you to spread your stories with the world!

Politeness is a Waste of Time

September 6, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

The Bird on Fire staff bloggers are tasked with writing about a cause. Here, Levi opts to go after the glue that holds together our society–politeness and small talk. It nearly goes without saying, the opinions of Levi do not necessarily represent the views of The Bird on Fire.
Blog Advisor Zachik

By Levi Kassinove, Junior

Dear Readers, given the comprehensive, semi-scientific post of last week, I feel you deserve a break. It’s time for a lighthearted post about why polite people are living a lie.
— Levi

Recently, on vacation, my friends and I were walking outside at night in the desert. Without giving too many details so as to not embarrass anyone, there were scorpions roaming around, and we needed a UV light to see them. We did not have a UV light. We walked around nonchalantly, accepting our situation, until a lady walked up to us and offered to let us borrow her UV flashlight. One of my friends fought absolute TOOTH AND NAIL for her to not give it to us. My friend repeatedly told her, “Oh you don’t have to, you really don’t have to,” to which the lady responded, “I insist. You guys are children and you should have fun.” This exchange kept going until I interrupted and said that I would like to use the light to see the scorpions. My friend grimaced and told me that I didn’t know how to handle social interaction. We had a great time looking at the formerly invisible scorpions in the night. We took pictures and gazed in awe at their beauty. Personally, I, along with some other people with us, had never seen scorpions in the wild before. It was a cool opportunity. Anyway, the point is that this would have never happened if my people-pleaser friend had successfully shooed the light-lending lady away. The lady had offered us a UV light that she already owned. She insisted that we try it out. So why fight out of politeness? It harms both parties in this case, since the lady seemed to genuinely want us to have fun. This exchange is an example of one of the many reasons why it is a bad habit to be unnecessarily polite, which is that it can prevent people from taking advantage of opportunities.

Small talk, on the other hand, is something that we’ve all had to endure throughout our lives. Some live for it. I’d say that they aren’t really living. You can forget having a real human connection with the person if you insist on rhetorically asking how the other person is doing. If one person simply gives the other a real answer, the conversation will switch and both parties will let their guard down. So, I say just skip the small talk. Everyone would find it refreshing, unless they don’t have anything to talk about beyond the weather. The people that prefer to stay engaged in small talk are not interesting, and not worth getting to know any further. That is, if there is anything further to know.

Perhaps small talk ties into politeness, if enough people feel that it is common courtesy. Ultimately, however, it is an unnecessary and exhausting exchange between people. And, it won’t provide any information of substance to the other person. To be blunt is to be genuine. I would go insane if people were to only engage in small talk.

Consider this guy Bill who’s asking about the weather, when they are both literally standing outside. Bill has no idea how to respond, as this is a nonsensical question. Be more like Bill.

The Art of Collecting Vinyl

August 24, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Luke Sonderman

Why Vinyl Records Are Still Relevant

Vinyl records were released to consumers almost 90 years ago, giving everyday people the ability to listen to the exact music they want without having to turn on a radio (thevinylrevivers.com). This revolutionary invention changed the way people could enjoy music forever!

To this day, vinyl records have been one of the most prominent ways to listen to music amongst the pickiest listeners. Now, you may think that vinyl is dead because of streaming and downloading music, but YOU ARE MOST UTTERLY WRONG! Mark Michalek of Fluance, a home theater company, said, “[A] proper vinyl pressing will reproduce an uncompressed signal with no additional artificial sound processing such as dynamic compression resulting in a greater effective dynamic range for a more life-like sound” (techradar.com). Through the uncompressed vinyl sound we can allow our ears to hear all of the frequencies of the music as if it was being performed in front of us. With streaming and downloading, we do not get the same live effect.

Collecting Vinyl

Listening to the sound on vinyl records isn’t the only part of the massive appeal. Vinyl records have become collectables, and some even sell upwards of two million dollars! (hmv.com) Many vinyl stores sell their records pre-owned which creates a large vinyl scavenging frenzy. When a collector walks into a vinyl store, they have no idea what treasure they may walk out with. You may buy a first edition Led Zeppelin print worth thousands, or you may find an old worthless Zappa album that isn’t worth skat.

Personally, I don’t search for valuable gems. I just look for pre-owned cheap records from groups I like because the new prints are wicked expensive.

What To Look For When Buying Pre-Owned Vinyl

Inspect the vinyl record’s cover. If the cover is in good condition, it is a good sign that the record will also probably be in good condition. If the cover is in bad condition, the record will most definitely be in bad condition. When you find a record in perfect condition with a very beat-up cover, there is a large chance that the cover is not original to the record and the same can be said vice versa.
Check if the record has a sleeve inside the cover. Never buy a record without a sleeve. The vinyl cover will scratch the record if there is no sleeve protecting it. Of course, if a sleeve is very torn and worn, the record was probably taken in and out of the cover many times. Usually, record stores will replace the sleeve if it is torn, which is good because when you buy a record you want to be able to maintain its condition.
Of course, you need to check the condition of the record itself. Often, used records in record stores have accumulated lots of dust and grime which you will want to brush off before purchasing the record. After dusting off the record, look for any scratches on the record. As a general rule of thumb, if you can feel a scratch with your finger, then the stylus (needle) will be able to feel it too. Also check to make sure that the record isn’t warped and is completely flat.

If all of that checks out, then you should be good to buy the record. When spending large amounts of money on vintage records, I would recommend you ask the store owner if you can play the record before purchasing it, but I buy my records for less than 10 dollars, so it’s not a big deal to me.

Here is a list of recommendations for used vinyl albums you should buy:

Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin
Appetite for Destruction – Guns and Roses
Wasting Light – Foo Fighters
Shout At The Devil – Motley Crue
Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin
2112 – Rush
Too Fast For Love – Motley Crue

Let’s Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May 18, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Alyna Rei

In the month of May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, like most memorial months, began in Congress. House Joint Resolution 540, proposed by Rep. Frank Horton of New York in 1977, declared the first ten days of May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week (asianpacificheritage.gov). Senator Daniel Inouye presented Senate Joint Measure 72, a similar resolution, the same year (asianpacificheritage.gov). Because neither of these resolutions passed, Rep. Horton sponsored House Joint Resolution 1007 in June 1978 to “proclaim a week” during the first ten days in May as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week” (asianpacificheritage.gov). On October 5, President Jimmy Carter signed this joint resolution (asianpacificheritage.gov).

Presidents issued annual proclamations honoring Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week over the next decade, until Congress approved Public Law in 1990, extending the celebration to a month. It was President George H.W. Bush who signed the bill extending Asian American Heritage Week to a month (apsva.us). Then, in 1992, Congress established a law designating May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month each year.

The month of May is designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to honor the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

There are many activities that you can do to celebrate this special month. But here are three of my favorites to do with a group of people or even by yourself (verywellfamily.com).

Book Clubs–Learning about Asian culture is best when you read from Asian authors. A few favorites are Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, and way more.

Interactive maps--Interactive maps are a great icebreaker activity. The National Park Service hosts interactive opportunities to visit the “stories of ordinary and extraordinary Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders preserved in our nation’s parks, memorials, and historic sites” (nps.gov). And, teambuilders.com offers activities that highlight the different countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the ties we have to them.

Watching a movie–This one can be great for any family and for the people that want to learn about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. If you log onto your streaming sites, you’ll see several Asian-American/Pacific Islander movies and series recommended. Movies that I like are mostly Disney movies. These would include Turning Red, Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, Raya and The Last Dragon, and the short Bao.

Oliver’s Ranking For Every Star Wars Movie

May 11, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

Due to the fact that this month we celebrated May-the-4th-Be-With-You Day (AKA Star Wars Day), I’m ranking every main-story Star Wars movie: ninth being the worst and first being the best. I’m leaving out some other movies that aren’t main series like The Clone Wars, Solo: A Star Wars Story, etc.

Spoiler Alert: In Oliver’s rationale as to his rankings, he drops in some details as to how the movies climax and resolve. But, in the words of Luke Sonderman, if you haven’t already seen a Star Wars movie, you’re probably not going to go out and see one now.

Number 9:

The Rise of Skywalker

This movie was terrible; it has a horrible ending for a great trilogy that Star Wars was. To me this movie seemed boring. The lightsaber skills were appalling; the main villain (Palpatine) being brought back also wasn’t good because it’s like they bring him back every single movie; and he miraculously survives everything when he should’ve been dead a long time ago. It was so bad even Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 52% (rottentomatoes.com).

Number 8:

The Last Jedi

Do I even need to explain? This movie was BAD. The movie felt awfully long; some scenes even seemed unnecessary. Luke Skywalker acting like a coward? Really? All the past Star Wars movies worked to make Luke look like a leader, a legend perhaps. But in this movie, tossing the lightsaber and… milking an alien? That just throws everything else to the bin. Also, Snoke being killed right away although the movie makes him look super powerful is just absurd. Pretty much nothing works in this movie. The only reason this is above The Rise of Skywalker is because it has a higher score in Rotten Tomatoes; it scored a 91% from official critics and 42% from the audience.

Number 7:

The Force Awakens

This movie is… well boring. Easily one of the least creative. For people who watched this movie before any other Star Wars film, it may seem wonderful. But it lazily recycles old ideas like blowing up a star base, being in a sand world, etc…. There was some good acting. The death of Han Solo was heartbreaking, and the mistakes were not as severe as in The Last Jedi or in The Rise of Skywalker, so this movie is just a meh, and takes the seventh spot.

Number 6:

Attack of the Clones

Attack of the Clones is the series Episode 2. It definitely has more romance than any other Star Wars film. We can see how Anakin starts taking a liking for the dark side. There is some character development, etc. This movie is definitely not the worst, but the other movies are better.

Number 5:

The Phantom Menace

The Phantom Menace is the first episode of Star Wars. In this movie we get introduced to Qui-Gon Jinn, who finds Anakin. This movie has some really good parts in it. Like the lightsaber duels, acting, and the racing scene. This movie has gotten a lot of criticism for being too “childish.” People say the characters are too exaggerated or the racing scene is a bit ridiculous. But, in my opinion, the movie is still good.

Number 4:

Return Of The Jedi

Here we see the true dedication of the hero. George Lucas develops this movie fantastically. After Vader saves Luke, you can see how there’s still an Anakin inside of Vader. Although Palpatine doesn’t die (Palpatine is revived in the movies that follow), this heroic act of Vader makes the movie so much better. Apart from that, the opening scene–with the plan to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt and how Han Solo gets unfrozen–was epic. This movie is an art piece and barely comes behind number three.

Number 3:

A New Hope

This movie is easily one of my favorites. It’s a must watch from the Star Wars series; the movie takes the hero on a journey, as Princess Leia requests Obi-Wan’s help. The acting is brilliant; the plot is exciting; the movie is fun, as we go from place to place trying to save Princess Leia, the actors fit perfectly to their roles; the effects are amazing, like the CGI of the Star of Death is great, and the design of the lightsabers are really awesome; everything about this movie works. Easily one of the best.

Number 2:

The Empire Strikes Back

Arguably one of the best films of all time, The Empire Strikes Back. This movie makes the hero work; Luke Skywalker loses his hand, and the lightsaber; he doesn’t beat Darth Vader, and the “I am your father” line from Darth Vader is an absolute classic. Also, the addition of Yoda to the cast is great. It makes the movie so much more mysterious and interesting as he pours his wisdom into Luke. This movie is a must watch, and every aspect of it works and makes it feel more and more exciting.

Number 1:

Revenge of the Sith

Although some may disagree, this movie is in my opinion the best Star Wars movie. It was sad how Annakin had turned to the dark side and become Darth Vader, and how he tried to kill everyone that he loved. The fighting scenes were absolutely amazing, as the lightsaber animations were on point, and the CGI was great throughout the movie. Obi-Wan trying to convince Anakin to come back to the Force was so heartbreaking with the classic line, “You were the chosen one. It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them!” In this quote Obi-Wan tells Anakin how disappointed he is in him for betraying the Jedi. This movie made almost everything work; it was brilliantly executed, and the acting was amazing.

Now, remember these are only opinions. Everyone can have their favorite movies. If you want to disagree, leave your opinion in the comments!

Things to do in the UAE

May 10, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sienna Price, World Traveller

I have been to the UAE (The United Arab Emirates) two times now, and the first time (when I was ten) I did not love it. We stayed on the Palm Islands which are man made and a rip off with overpriced hotels. If you stay in the Palm, be expected to pay $40 for an average burger and $10 for a can of Coke. We went to the Aquaventure water park which was fun, but it only fills one of your days. The thing about the Palm is that it’s on an island connected by a bridge, so it’s hard to get anywhere off the island.

Over Spring Break, I travelled to the UAE again.This trip was a lot better despite the sixteen-hour flight time from LAX. We stayed in Ajman, which is an emirati around forty minutes drive from Dubai. The only downside to Ajman is that you need to rent a car to get around. You can get taxis, but it would cost a lot to get to the places you want to go. Most of the tourists in the UAE are European. There are a lot of British and Russian people. The common tourist goes places like the Burj Khalifa and the Souks. But this trip we thought of doing something a little different. The first couple days of my trip were full of sleeping and swimming. The jetlag was not fun with a twelve-hour time difference.

On the fourth day of our trip, my dad and I drove up to Ras Al-Khaimah. Ras Al-Khaimah is the emirati next to Ajman but Ras Al-Khaimah is mainly desert driving where you see lots of wild camels and tons of sand. But we drove to Ras Al-Khaimah to do the longest zipline in the world, Jebel Jais Flight. I thought it would be a good idea to do the longest zipline in the world with two hours sleep. Jais Flight is 2.83km long. I went down at 150 kmph for three minutes headfirst lying on my stomach down the side of a mountain 1,680 metres above the ground. First, I get altitude sickness; second, again, I had two hours sleep, so going down the side of that mountain… let’s just say my breakfast did not stay down! The zipline is definitely not for the fainthearted, but I would do it again, just maybe next time with more sleep under my belt.

We decided to do a Bedouin experience, where you get a taste of Arabian culture. It was fun. We rode camels, and I sand boarded down the dunes. One thing that was a little strange was that they were filming a Bollywood film, so I am now an extra in a Bollywood film that I don’t even know the name of! But it was cool to see the dancers and actors. Apparently the lead was famous, and everyone there wanted his picture. I googled him after and he has been in tons of Bollywood films.

Finally you can’t go to the UAE and not go to a water park, so we went to Wild Wadi at the Burj Al Arab. It’s not as big as the Aquaventure water park, but I prefer this one because it’s less crowded and you can get on a lot more slides.

Travel well, and do your homework on the plane.

Thank you!

The Tea Club Revival

May 4, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Levi Kassinove, Tea Club Founding Member

Two years ago, the former 8th grader Remi Benomar had the idea of starting a middle-school Tea Club. He pitched the idea to me during a Wednesday assembly meeting in the MPR. We talked at length about our visions for the Tea Club and how it would evolve in the future; we dreamt up Tea Club meetings where we would have tastings and discussions of flavor notes. It would be a place where people come together and have peaceful conversations. It wouldn’t just be about the tea, but rather the community. Immediately after hearing his idea, I knew we had something great.

Mr. Killeen (now the Tea Club advisor) loved the idea and, fortunately, so did the middle school. We had the former Science room completely filled on the first meeting. Around 30 kids were showing up for these weekly tea parties at lunch. Overnight, it became one of the most popular clubs in middle school. We had multiple varieties of tea, including spiced chai, hibiscus, and green tea. Members were to pick their tea at their leisure and add honey if they so desired. Some brought their own mugs, such as Indy Behr, and others used the mugs generously provided by Mr. Killeen, who also provided the tea. The club was a thriving community, but, unfortunately, it had some issues. For instance, moderation was extremely difficult with our large member count. Dozens of kids were in a single room, each with a cup of near boiling water. Spills and burns were inevitable especially with the shaky plastic tables we had. When Covid hit, the Tea Club disappeared into the shadows and was largely forgotten, save for a few of us who drank tea over Google Meets in its memory. By the time we were allowed to come back to school, the Tea Club was gone.

Nowadays, a handful of middle schoolers still meet every week behind the gym to drink tea. But it’s known as an informal gathering rather than an official Tea Club meeting. So I’m revamping it. It’ll be the same aesthetic meeting place (behind the gym, mountains in the background), same core idea, but our methods will be slightly different. For instance, instead of having a fixed set of regular teas, we will have one type of tea available per week. The tea will change every week–a tea of the week, if you will. This way, the general discussion will be geared more towards the specific tea rather than normal lunch talk. The previous tea club was more club than tea, and now we want to put more emphasis on the tea. We will have fewer members, but in turn we will have higher quality teas. We will introduce members to the world of teas, from normal green, to matcha, to hibiscus, to oolong, and even to blends carefully curated by tea enthusiasts. It will be a place where people can discuss flavor notes and ultimately bond over tea, just like Remi’s vision all those years ago. This time, it’s without the chaos of a large group. It’ll have a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, unlike the rowdy type that seems to be an inherent part of middle-school groups. It’ll be a tight-knit family of 16 high school students that come together every Tuesday to enjoy tea. Our debut was yesterday, Tuesday, May 4, at lunch behind the gym. The next meeting is next Tuesday the 11th. If you want to make friends and explore the wondrous world of tea, you can stilll sign up for the club. But, there are only 16 slots!

Sign up at this poster at Mr. Winter’s door. (Poster by Cole Robinson)

Comedy Tonight at PVS

May 3, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

Comedy tonight was a theater show where students at PVS performed multiple plays that aimed to bring a smile to whomever was watching. The PVS theater classes prepared for over a month for this show. The show played Wednesday, April 6th, Thursday the 7th, and Friday the 8th. Some plays or songs that were part of the show included the beginning scene of the Wizard of Oz, Pure Imagination, Good Morning Baltimore, The Gold Rush, The Cat in the Hat and so much more!

I have interviewed students who acted in the play compilation.

I asked them what role they played and if they enjoyed it.

“In Comedy Tonight I was one of the MC speakers, and I was also the Pawn Shop Man/Frankie in Gold Rush, written by Oliver, Tal and Zander. I did really enjoy both of these parts, especially Frankie in Gold Rush.”
Sherwin Hemmati

“I was part of the opening quartet, Jeff in Gold Rush, Tin Man in Wizard of Oz and solo singing ‘My Favorite Things.’ I really enjoyed all of them.”
Tal Maruvada

“I was part of the sonnets and of the MC. I didn’t really like doing the sonnets, but I liked doing the MC.”
Michael Pete

The Production Team’s Perspective:

As part of the Production Team, I was helping in lights and was stage manager. I’d say this was a really successful play because we got laughs from the audience, everyone remembered their lines, and the production team made few errors.

Fellow Production Team member Kayliee Augustine-Sails agrees:

“I’m part of the lights, and I think it went well. The actors did their job.”

I have also interviewed members of the audience:

“My favorite part of the play was Good Morning Baltimore. But everything else was good, too.”
Timothy Reed

“I liked Comedy Tonight, but it took a long time to finish. My favorite play was Gold Rush.”
Donavan Knott

*Gold Rush* actors in this scene include, from left to right, Oliver Martinez, Zander Eaton, Tal Maruvada, and Sherwin Hemmati.

Lastly, here are a few words from our director Mr. Hilbert:

“I liked how we had different types of comedy. The acting was good; the singing was good. I’m really proud of all the actors.”
Mr. Hilbert

Comedy Tonight was an amazing experience, hopefully we see more people in future plays. Like . . . High School Musical! PVS’s next production, High School Musical, premieres next week, May 10th and plays through the 13th. Get your tickets now with Ms. Greer at the Middle-School Desk.

Everything That Happened at the Oscars

April 14, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Lilah Nick

By now you have probably heard about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock over a joke involving Jada Pinkett Smith looking like G.I. Jane. You’ve probably also heard that Will Smith went on to win Best Actor for King Richard. I have watched the video of The Slap at least 20 times. It’s all my family and friends could talk about the next day. Despite this crazy interaction between Smith and Rock, so many other things happened at this year’s Oscars–from outlandish outfits to the first deaf man to win Best Supporting Actor.

Best of the Red Carpet

Let’s start with the beginning of the night, the Red Carpet. So many beautiful gowns and tuxedos were worn–but also some really bad ones that make you question, “Who’s idea was that?” We’ll start with the best of the night.

Lena Waithe

Lena Waithe wore a neutral tone suit. It was my favorite suit presented on the Red Carpet. It looks so good on her. It’s classy, looks amazing, and isn’t just a plain black tux.

Lily James

Lily James, who you may know from playing Pamela Anderson in the new show Pam and Tommy, wore one of my favorite dresses on the red carpet. It’s so beautiful, elegant, and looks incredible on her. I love all the embroidery and the added train in the back.

The Worst

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart, nominated for best actress for her performance in Diana, was wearing Chanel. I totally get that her outfit was much more than a fashion statement, but it definitely could have been . . . better. I don’t think she should have worn shorts for a red carpet event. The jacket would have been classier with a pair of pants. Her hair is also not my favorite. I just don’t like it. The deep side part is not in right now. It’s not 2012 anymore.

Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer, one of the hosts of the Oscars, was wearing Oscar de la Renta. Whoever decided she was going to wear this seriously did her dirty. I hate the bow; it’s so unnecessary, and it could be so much better for being The Oscars. This looks like something that’s sold at Macy’s for six year olds. Her dress also received a lot of backlash on Twitter. People were calling it “Hideous,” “God awful,” “so ugly,” and “unnecessary.”

Firsts

Ariana Debose won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and was the first openly queer woman of color to win.
Troy Kotsur won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and was the first deaf man to win an Oscar.
CODA was the first movie from a streaming platform to have debuted at Sundance to win an Oscar.

The Jokes

After The Slap, everyone stopped making the kind of jokes that might have made things less awkward. Everyone was waiting for someone to get on stage and make a joke to release the tension in the room. Amy Schumer finally came back out and relieved that tension, but it was about an hour after the incident. She came out and said, “There’s like… a different vibe in here,” and there was a roar of laughter.

There was absolutely no way that everyone would have forgotten about The Slap. But, more jokes to ease the tension would have made watching the rest of the Oscars more comfortable.

On that note, there were a few jokes that worked. These from co-host Amy Schumer:

“I’m Amy Schumer or as they know me in Hollywood, ‘Melissa McCarthy said no.'”
Independent

“After years of Hollywood ignoring women’s stories, we finally got a movie about the Williams sisters’… dad.”
Independent

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