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The New Leaders of the 2022-2023 School Year

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By Abigail Horwitt

This week the new Nest Captains and their Nest Deputies have been chosen. After tallying up all the votes from each of the Herons, Hawks, Owls, and Roadrunners, the new faces of the Nests have been finalized. Starting off with my Nest, the Hawks, our new leaders are Jerry Wang and Sierra James. Next, the Herons have new leaders Tal Maruvada and Rylie Conway. The Owls will be led by Lily Jones and Walker Craven. And finally, Ally Bankers and Evan Wang will lead the Roadrunners. Congratulations to all the new Nest leaders for the year of 2022-2023. Hopefully, you live up to the same or maybe even better standards of your previous captains. Say goodbye to the old and hello to the new faces of all the different Nests. 

Next, is the current scoreboard of all the Nest points and where they stand.

  • Standing in first place is the Hawks with a total of 471.
  • In second place we have the Roadrunners with a total of 439.
  • Close behind in third place is the Owls with a total of 433.
  • And, last but not least, we have the Herons with a total of 328.

There was also another election that had taken place around the same time as the Nest elections. The new ASB Executive Officers for the 2022-2023 school year were elected this month. Each candidate had to submit to their own video to help encourage students to vote for who would fit the role the best. And, if you looked around the school, you may have noticed some posters of the different candidates who were running. There were four different offices up for re-election: Business Manager, Spirit Commissioner, Vice President, and lastly President. After all the votes were tallied the results were in. 

  • Your new ASB President will be Harliana Otto,
  • with the Vice President Ani Madanyan, 
  • Spirit Commissioner Jocelynn Montoya, 
  • and Business Manager Abigail Assefa. 

Congratulations to the winners of the new ASB executive officers of 2022-2023. Let’s see what they will bring to the table for next year and how they could even improve on and differentiate from this current school year.  

2022-23 New Head of Upper and Middle School

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By Luke Sonderman

After Mr. and Mrs. Coffey announced their departure from Palm Valley after the 2021-22 school year, a search looking for who would fill Mr. Coffey’s shoes began. After a thorough search, the school landed on Mr. Winter, a current history teacher at Palm Valley. 

Mr. Winter came to Palm Valley this school year (2021-22) teaching 8th grade US History, 9th grade Human Geography, and AP US History. He has a background in teaching history and in administration. In an email interview between Mr. Winter and myself, Mr. Winter said, “I believe that it is important [to continue to teach], so I can continue to connect with students in the classroom. In my previous administrative experience in public schools, continuing to teach was never an option, so I am grateful that I can do this. What it is I will be teaching hasn’t been solidified yet, so stay tuned!”

When asked about current policy change, Mr. Winter said, “One of the first things I will be doing before school is out for this year is to speak with as many staff and students about those things that really work well, those things that may need to be looked at closer, and any new ideas to enhance the experience here at PVS. From there, I will start to work closely with Dr. Sherman to then take what I have learned from staff and students to inform any new policies or procedures that will benefit everyone here.” He also commented on students’ voices saying, “Student voice is very important, and I want to be able to help bring those voices forward. This does not mean everything that students would love to see in place or to change will happen, but it does mean that I will not make all decisions on my own.”

After the administrative merger of the Middle and Upper School in the 2021-22 school year, I asked Mr. Winter what his plans were for either keeping them together or creating privileges and policies to separate the Middle and Upper School. He responded saying, “I believe there are certain things that should be reserved for Upper School, so that Middle Schoolers have something different to look forward to as they move into the upper school.” Mr. Winter also commented on the AP and Elective selection choice saying, “This is the time of year when those decisions are being made, but the bigger contributing factor in class and AP choices comes down to how we are staffed, and what each staff is able to teach. Our first priority is to ensure that required classes are for sure being taught. Then, based on the number of staff we have and the number of periods there are available, we can get an idea of what can truly be offered in the form of AP or elective offerings. Currently, we offer 6 AP classes, and a handful of various elective offerings. If we are able to expand these, again based on staff availability as well as budget, I agree that this would be one of those things that could expand the high school experience.”

In conclusion, it looks like Mr. Winter has a very open mind about new policies and ideas for the 2022-23 school year. It will be interesting to see what changes come next year, and if you have any suggestions or ideas for next year, Mr. Winter encourages you to reach out to him. 

Let’s Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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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.

Comedy Tonight at PVS

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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

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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

The Festivals are Coming…

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By Luke Sonderman

Finally, after a three-year hiatus, Coachella Music and Arts Festival is returning to the Coachella Valley from April 15-24. The lineup has been released, and the wristbands are being sent out. So let’s talk about what this year’s Coachella will look like.

Lineup:

This year’s headliners are Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Kanye West (who has pulled out–his replacement just announced; get ready for Swedish House Mafia x The Weeknd). Personally, I don’t like any of the headliners, but I know that they are very popular right now and a lot of people are hyped to see Harry Styles perform songs from his new album that is coming out in May. 

I am looking forward to seeing the Skeggs, Wallows, Surf Curse, Phoebe Bridgers (to see what the hype is all about), and Current Joys. 

Tickets:

Right now Coachella tickets are EXPENSIVE!!! Although they are advertised as $450 for a General Admission ticket, after taxes and fees, the total ends up at around $620. I decided to also buy a shuttle pass (which is a shuttle that drives back and forth from different locations across the desert to the festival), and it ended up costing me around $110 after taxes and fees.

Photo: festicket.com

Masks and Vaccinations:

Originally, Coachella was going to require either proof of vaccination or a negative test result to enter the festival, but recently they changed that rule due to newer California Covid-19 regulations. Since I am going on the second weekend, I will probably wear a mask since there is so much dust at the polo grounds after the Weekend One-ers stomp through the grass, but you aren’t required to wear masks. 

Stagecoach Festival:

Every year I enjoy going to Stagecoach Festival, which occurs the week after Coachella. Stagecoach is a much more laid-back festival with lots of country and classic rock. The tickets are cheaper than Coachella, but there are less stages set up. If it is your first time going to a music festival, I recommend going to Stagecoach. 

Stagecoach Lineup:

This year’s stagecoach headliners are Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Combs. I am not the craziest country fan, but I am super excited to see the underliner, The Black Crowes–if I end up going to Stagecoach this year. 

If you live in the Coachella Valley and have never been to one of the famous festivals at the Polo Grounds, you are living under a rock. Go have some fun at Coachella or Stagecoach. You can still get tickets. Maybe you’ll see me there!

Meet Dora from Ukraine

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By Ani Madanyan, Trilinguist

This Dora is neither cartoon nor explorer. She is a Ukrainian high-school student to whom Ani has been teaching English online for six months. Dora remains in Ukraine, despite the war. Let Ani tell you about her connection to one of the hottest places currently on the planet.

 I’ve been teaching Dora through the Engin Program which is a “non-profit organization that pairs Ukrainian students with English-speaking peers for free online conversation practice and cross-cultural connection.” The Ukrainian  students typically are aged 13-22, and the English-speaking volunteers range between 14-25 (enginprogram.org). The Engin Program helps you pick students that you share interests with. For example, Dora and I both dance, both LOVE to read, and we’re almost the same age. The only difference we have is that she loves cats and I like dogs.

Dora lives in Myrhorod, of central Ukraine. She’s 14 years old, and she hasn’t gone to in-person school for three years due to the Coronavirus, now the war. She lives with her mother in an apartment building while her father lives in a small village in Ukraine, and he’s one of the rare people who lives in a house. Dora’s brother lives in America, and he traveled here all by himself when he was 17. Dora misses her brother so much, and she hasn’t seen him since she was a little kid. The main reason she’s learning English is to come to America and reunite with her brother. 

Ani Madanyan online with her Ukrainian student Dora.

As we all know, there’s a war currently going on in the Ukraine. 

How is Dora dealing with this?

Thankfully, Myrhorod is silent. The only alarming thing that happens is Dora hears sirens, which means that something is flying towards their town. But, so far she’s found that after 15 minutes, the sirens stop, and this means that there is no longer danger nearby. Dora has relatives in Kharkiv, and they got fired upon at night. Her relatives have been in bomb shelters ever since. A month into the war, Dora and her mother heard sirens that didn’t stop. They went to the bomb shelter, but then the sirens stopped once again. One night, they went to her father’s house in the tiny village, and they stayed there for a couple nights until Myrhorod was safe again. On March 17, 2022, Dora started distance learning again. Right now, Dora is very safe and her town is silent most of the time, and she finally went out with her friends for the first time. I’ve sent Dora packages of American foods, toys for her cat, etc. But, due to the war, I’m not sure she received them.

I learned about the Engin Program through senior Isabella Goetschel. I’m so grateful that she introduced me to this organization because if it weren’t for her I would have never met Dora. I recommend you volunteer and give Ukrainian children an opportunity to learn English while expanding your own horizons. Too often, we take our language and America’s peace for granted.

Have You Celebrated a Woman Lately?

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By Alyna Rei

Throughout the month of March, we celebrate women: Malala, Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Frank, Amelia Earhart, and more. This month is Women’s History Month! Women’s History Month is a designated month that recognizes the important contributions women have made throughout history.

Before we celebrated a full month of women, the actual celebration only spread out a week. The “Women’s History Week” became a local celebration in 1978. The Education Task Force of Sonoma County selected the week of March 8th to go with International Women’s Day. This movement eventually spread through other communities. In 1980, a group of women and historians wanted national recognition. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8th as National Women’s Week. Since then, every community has celebrated Women’s History Week. In 1987, Congress passed public law and designated March as Women’s History Month. Between 1988 and 1994, Congress kept on requesting and authorizing March as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, each President has issued proclamations trying and succeeding to designate the month of March to represent Women’s History Month (womenshistory.org).

The Women History Month Alliance selects the yearly theme. This year, the theme for 2022 is “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” This is a tribute to the work of caregivers and frontline workers during this pandemic. This would also be a recognition to all the women of various cultures who have provided healing and hope throughout the years (nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org).

womenshistorymonth.gov

The women that inspire me~

Many famous women inspire me, but I feel the most inspired by my family. My grandmother and my mother teach me new things everyday: how to water my plants, what to read, how to be grateful. Who are the women you celebrate?

The Vending-Machine Crisis

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Abigail Horwitt tells us about the controversy going on in the PVS Upper School. The vending machines are charging $1.25 instead of $1.00 for food and drinks. We find out what the students are trying to do about it and why the 25 cents is such a horrible idea. – Editor Lilah Nick

By Abigail Horwitt, Vending-Machine Objector

Recently, there has been a major problem in the Palm Valley Upper School. About a month ago our vending machines were hijacked. Instead of our drinks and snacks being a dollar, the price was raised to a dollar and 25 cents. This sparked an outrage between both students and teachers. Having to have an extra 25 cents is inconvenient and troublesome. Due to these issues, ASB Co-President Sara Habibipour has taken it into her own hands by putting up signs protesting against the vending machines. With the help of the students, Sara has managed to get many signatures with the hope of bringing back only having to pay a dollar for your Diet Coke. I have heard countless students and teachers complain about not having two dollars, or not having an extra quarter just to buy a snack or drink. The amount of students and teachers going to buy something from the vending machines has decreased due to the pain of carrying around an extra quarter. I used to buy a drink from the vending machine everyday until the price unexpectedly rose an extra 25 cents.

 

Not only is the food overpriced, some of the food had been reported to be stale. The Palm Valley Upper School students are also hoping for a different variety of snacks in the vending machine, since some of the food has been sitting in these machines for most of the school year. The selection is “not good,” says senior Jesse Denyer. Hopefully, the spark of controversy with the vending machines helps raise enough attention to the school vending market and helps to bring change to our machines. 

Bring back our $1 drinks and snacks!

Soccer News, Rumors, and Scores

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This week Oliver thrills us with the latest update on soccer, or football as we call it in England (or what the world knows as fútbol). In his article, Oliver provides us with the recent match scores and placings in the Premier League. On top of that, he shares up-to-date soccer rumors and news. – Sienna Price, Editor

By Oliver Martinez, Fútbol Enthusiast

Welcome back to soccer news, rumors and scores. Let’s start with the Premier League. On Saturday, January 15, Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0. Manchester is now in 1st, and Chelsea moves to 3rd. On Saturday, January 15, the Wolves beat Southampton 3-1. The Wolves are in 8th, and Southampton is in 12th place. And, Aston Villa drew Manchester United 2-2! Because of this, Manchester U is in 7th and Aston V in 13th place. On Sunday, January 16, Liverpool beat Brentford 3-0, putting Liverpool in 2nd and Brentford in 14th. 

As for La Liga, there have been no relevant games since last week. 

Soccer Rumors and News: Big teams like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Manchester City are looking to trade for Erling Haaland. Erling Haaland is a great player that is currently in Dortmund; his contract ends in 2024, but there is a release clause that would allow him to leave in the summer of 2022 for a total of 75 million euros (amp.marca.com).

Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich are hoping to buy Spanish young star Pablo Gavi. One of Gavi’s accomplishments include being the youngest player to play for Spain’s national team. He was only 17. Another one of his accomplishments is being the fourth youngest to play for Barcelona in La Liga (espn.com). English soccer legend Wayne Mark Rooney, also known as Rooney, hopes to get a chance to coach Everton. “I’m the same as everyone else, I see the speculation on social media and in the newspapers. Of course Everton is a club I grew up supporting.” There is a strong possibility he will get the job–Everton just sacked Rafael Benitez (football365.com).