Op-Ed Archives - the bird on fire

Why Do Things Fall Out of the News Cycle?

February 3, 2026 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Spring semester blogger Melina Brodeur asks, “Why do things fall out of the news cycle?” She did some research. Here’s what she found.

By 12th-Grader Melina Brodeur

News doesn’t stay “news” for long, and the main reason is the extremely fast pace of the 24-hour news cycle. The 24-hour news cycle is the constant reporting of issues, events, and updates around the clock across many platforms. This is a competition for attention between different news channels. Every news cycle wants to be the fastest to deliver information and stories. The new cycle pushes older topics out of the public eye, even if the issue persists. Everything in the news is constantly reviewed to see if it is still relevant to the times. In most 24-hour news cycles, according to KSL Executive Producer Kiera Farrimond, producers decide whether stories are worthy of broadcast; producers weigh whether audiences want to engage with stories or not. If a story cannot meet those requirements, it will be replaced by a new story. Journalists filter data because of either time, impact, or the ability to attract audiences, which causes newer stories to appear and old stories to disappear. In one case, the Coldplay concert was a controversy about a cheating scandal between a woman and her boss, caught on camera during a concert, and was aired online everywhere. But, today, we hear little about this situation; this controversy disappeared like a speck in the wind.

Research shows that audience behavior on a repeated topic can lead to boredom and news avoidance (International Journal of Communication, 2023). So many of us become psychologically exhausted looking at the news; there is too much information all at once. Studies show that as news consumption increases, adults feel overwhelmed. Many of us limit how much news we follow. A great example of news avoidance is my mom; she tends to hate constantly hearing the news blare in her ears about all the horrible things happening. It brings down her mood, and she gets incredibly annoyed. That’s why news outlets stop running stories that aren’t gaining any traction anymore.

News organizations rely on audience attention to gain revenue. When stories stop attracting attention, they are replaced with different ones that will bring views. Views bring advertisers. Advertisers bring money. All these issues combined can make it seem like ongoing stories, many quite serious issues, seem too old to cover. Ukraine is an example of a serious situation with many fatalities, and many people have lost their homes, a situation that persists, which we barely hear about as much as we used to. The news algorithm’s favorite is what is newest and trending, which pushes the old stories out of public view. So, stories don’t disappear because they stop being important, but more because the media wants newer news.

First we Bopl, Then we Battle

January 23, 2026 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By 8th-Grade Blogger Max Pretorius

Bopl Battle is a game published by Zapray games. The game was first published on November 23, 2023, for Windows and Steam Deck. And, despite the simplicity of its nature, it is, in my opinion, the greatest game of all time, and everyone reading this post should give Bopl Battle a try!

Bopl Battle is a game that prides itself on simplicity. You, and 1-3 other people, go into a round–playing as little slime creatures with three abilities on a map that consists of oval-shaped platforms. You battle it out with those abilities. Despite being simple, the game is fun and addictive.

Bopls start a game with three abilities. The player chooses the abilities. Here I chose “grenade,” “blink gun,” and “air dash.” (Screenshot by Max)

The abilities in Bopl Battle are different tools/actions that the Bopls can use with “cooldowns” to help them be the last one standing. The abilities in Bopl Battle are also very intuitive, but they work because of the complexity added when you combine them with other abilities or the map itself. For example, you could just throw a grenade using the grenade ability, or you could combine it with “duplicate” to send four–instead of one–grenades flying towards your opponents. Or, you could just use a missile to explode your opponents, but you could also combine a missile ability with smoke in order to have larger explosions. Ability combos are what make Bopl Battle so re-playable.

To employ a grenade ability, you simply throw it. (Screenshot by Max)

But, this isn’t just my opinion; I asked some of my friends who play Bopl Battle what their favorite thing about this game was, and these were their responses:

Hunter Fossey: “Killing you.”

Mason Mello: Beating you (paraphrased).

Jaxon Pacilio: “That I can play multiplayer.”

Mason Conway: “I like how the devs abandoned the game because the abandonment makes it niche.”

These replies, though varied, show off the most popular part of the game, being the multiplayer between friends. When my friends and I play Bopl Battle, we are very competitive and have a lot of fun beating each other–so much to the point where we make rankings on how good we all are at the game. (I’m last.) Furthermore, if you want to play with your friends and family on the same device, you can! Bopl Battle supports a shared screen, meaning you can play with multiple people by connecting multiple controllers to a device.

Overall, Bopl Battle is a fun yet competitive game that you can play with your friends and family. So give it a shot!

Mason Mello, Hunter Fossey, and Max played Bopl Battle two weeks ago. Max compiled clips of the game.

The World’s Most Amazing Cats

January 22, 2026 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

With the new semester, we bring you new bloggers here at The Bird on Fire. For our first post of the semester, we introduce ourselves and share a passion or two. Here in January 2026, we’re interested in cats, video games, new year resolutions, musicals, and–how can we avoid it–the news cycle. — Advisor Zachik

By 8th-Grade Blogger Jacqueline Pretorius

My name is Jacqueline Pretorius, or Jackie for short. I’m in 8th grade, and this is going to be my first blog post. I chose to write about my three amazing cats. I’ve had more cats in my lifetime, but these are the ones that I have right now and am closest to.

All the way back in third grade I was practicing some spelling words with Grammy (my Grandma) and my online teacher, and one of the words just so happened to be kitties. Once I spelled “kitties” correctly, Grammy told me that we had two kitties in our dad’s bathroom. I remember being so excited that I jumped out of my chair and ran out of my room. I didn’t even say goodbye to my teacher. I needed to see the kitties now! I quickly told my brother Max about the news and continued going down the hall. We met up and saw our kitties for the very first time in their little cages.

We slowly introduced them to the house, and once they got to the living room, they were jumping around all over the place. It was so adorable. One cat we named Blitzen, after the reindeer. Blitzen for a while wouldn’t let me sleep since he kept on closing the door without realizing and then meowing afterwards. Eventually, after a couple sleepless nights we fixed the problem with a shoe blocking the door so that it couldn’t completely close. Then a while later Blitzen started making toilet paper art. I love him so much; he is more than just a friend to me. Every day after school he wants me to chase him down the hall for a scritching session. When I’m lying down on my bed he will sometimes go on top of me, put his paws on my neck, and start to purr. He has made it clear he has chosen me by meowing profusely when I’m at school or using the bathroom. The connection we built together is so indescribable. He has genuinely made me so happy that I can’t begin to imagine what life was like before we got him.

If I try to move Blitzen’s paw off my neck, he will nonchalantly put it back. This photo was taken when I was ten years old. Now I’m 14.

But overtime Blitzen became the only kitty in the house, and he was getting lonely when I wasn’t around, so in 7th grade we got two new kitties, their names being Frisky and Sunny. They came from the same litter, and they are both orange–although Sunny has lighter fur than Frisky. Sunny has chosen Max by always being with him, and whenever Max isn’t giving him enough attention Sunny will drag me along into his room. He also really likes these little alien toys for some reason, and he will run around to get them till we think it’s time to stop. He is cute, but also very manipulative when it comes to treats. Whenever we are in the kitchen he will meow or sometimes he will lead us to the cat treats.

Sunny comes to my room and meows, then goes to the cat tower and constantly looks back to see if I’m still there, and once there he will show me his furry tummy.

Frisky on the other hand helps Dad (a tele-radiologist) with the cat scans on his desk, occasionally turning off his computer monitor. Frisky has this specific spot that he leads me to so that he can be scritched. He is very playful since whenever you pet him he will try to bite and paw you, but it’s in a friendly way since he purrs throughout. Every night before bedtime we play with the kitties in my room, but Frisky has been too shy to go in. Last Christmas however we got a laser pointer, and he seems to really enjoy it so much so that his fear of going into my room when it’s play time has been conquered as he would not let the laser pointer get away that easily.

Frisky V.S Laser*

*(Above is a link to a Frisky Video: Just look at his head moving in sync with the laser. So cute! Also please don’t shine the laser pointer on your cat like I did accidentally as you can hurt them if it’s shined on their eye. Luckily he is okay!)

All the cats have similarities–like using the chairs as their scratching post, even when there is an actual scratching post, as well as re-purposing random objects as things to paw even when there are cat toys just for that. Speaking of which, let’s hear their thoughts on these matters.

Interviewing my cats

I understand if at first cats seem to not be that energetic, keep more to themselves, claw the furniture, and sometimes toilet paper, but it’s the bond you have with them that really counts.

Is Power a Good Thing?

September 5, 2025 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

This week, our bloggers consider the in’s and out’s of power and leadership. Soleil begins with a balanced approach. Wait until you get to Sami’s, Mason’s, and Morgan’s pieces on power run amuck.

By 8th-grade writer Soleil Antle

Power is defined as “the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events,” so says Leadership Magazine.

Thus, power is an extremely influential force. But, remember: not only can it inspire greatness; it has the ability to destroy. When power lies in the hands of someone who has the will to improve and create opportunities while opening doors of new wisdom and ideas, it is capable of shaping history, impacting nations, and changing lives. Think of the accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr., George Washington, and Oprah Winfrey. However, power comes with responsibility. When that ability is abused and turned into manipulation and lack of empathy, it turns power dark and dangerous.

Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his famous Civil Rights “I have a dream” speech before an estimated crowd of 250,000 (constitutioncenter.org).

When you have power, you control, and when seeking a positive outcome, it takes influence, perseverance, responsibility, and compassion. Abraham Lincoln, though a powerful president, faced many setbacks, personally and politically. He endured business failures, losses in elections, family tragedies, etc. (abrahamlincolnonline.org) But that didn’t defeat him; he continued excelling by persevering and using his determination, and that elected him President. He ended up making a powerful impact leading the county through the Civil War, uniting the Union and even ending slavery. He was one of the most influential people to use their power for good.

Abuse of power often leads to an exploitation of the human condition. To have an impact on the people around you, your approach must be appropriate. I know that personally if a decision were to be made that affected me, I would like to contribute input rather than being told what to do. Regarding my education or career choice, I want to choose, do my research, and find a school or profession perfect for me that reflects my interests, because this is my future. I wouldn’t like it if that was chosen for me.

If you use your influence to explore the thoughts and opinions of others, you show your respect. If you gather other people’s opinion on big tasks, that could change the way they are living in a good way, and you are more likely to follow through on the commitments you promised them. People want to have a say in what is happening around them; otherwise, they see you as someone who is thoughtless and only in it for the title.

Power is not defined by its title: President, Queen, Governor, etc. When used selfishly for personal gain, it creates a divide, and you model ill action. As a kindergartner you have an older buddy who is typically a role model, someone you look up to. Whatever they do you learn from–right and wrong–and might try doing it yourself. Innovations, ideas, connections come from political and social experiences that help guide you to make stronger decisions, pushing boundaries you once thought were unbreakable. I’ve learned as a gymnast that it’s not all about how you perform but who you are as a teammate. I tend to do better when I’m in a healthy mindset and making rational decisions that better benefit me and my gymnastics. Your motive determines your outcome.

“I’ve learned, power doesn’t control you, but what you choose to do with it defines your destiny.”

— Soleil Antle

Why Knowing Things is Overrated

April 26, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 4 Comments

By Gil Maruvada, Senior

Yeah, I’m sure you didn’t expect this from me, but I think knowing things is overrated. Look, I know a number of things, but I think it’s far more helpful not to know things; honestly, most of the time you can scrape by just guessing.

I’m not going to advocate pretending you know more than you do through blind guesswork, but what I am saying is that knowledge in an absolute sense is entirely overrated. Let me give an example: say you’re trapped in a maze–what’ll help you more, knowing exactly how to get out, or how to solve mazes in general? Of course, the exact instructions will get you out faster, but let’s say you’re in a different maze now; well, you’re going to wish you had chosen the more general knowledge. See, that’s what I mean when I say that knowing things is overrated; knowing a lot about a little is sometimes worse than knowing a little about a lot. Everything is connected. If you understand those connections well enough you can understand them on the fly in your head, even if you don’t “know” exactly what they are.

Knowing things has absolutely nothing to do with being able to figure things out. And, does knowing things have any real value anyway? Well, here’s what Socrates had to say, “All I know is that I know nothing.” If Socrates didn’t know anything, what hope do we have? You never really know anything about anything. Maybe you just made it all up? Here’s an article from Nature, “Subjective signal strength distinguishes reality from imagination“; essentially what it says is that there is a “reality threshold” at which your brain perceives something to be real, and real or imagined stimulus can sometimes cross that threshold. You know that time you could have sworn you heard a noise, or when you saw something unusual out of the corner of your eye, but when you looked, it was gone? Some might call this one of the perils of humans having an overactive imagination, but I would hazard to guess that it’s simply due to a reality that lacks sufficient stimulus.

One of the oldest thought experiments in philosophy is the idea of a philosophical zombie; essentially what it says is that if there was a thing that wasn’t conscious in any meaningful way but reacted in the same way a conscious being did, how would you be able to tell the difference? Your friends, your family, everyone you know, and everyone you ever met, if they were all philosophical zombies, how could you tell? There isn’t even a foolproof way of knowing anyone outside of yourself is conscious. You trust what a neuroscientist says about the brain, but have you ever seen a brain? Do you know how the machinery works? the physical laws it’s based on? Of course, you don’t. You can’t be expected to know everything either. The only thing you can do is say with some confidence that something is true or false, it exists or it doesn’t. But, let’s be honest; you’ll never really know what is real and what isn’t; you’ll never really know anything. It’s all just your best guess, and that might be enough.

Now, it’s time for me to come clean. Everything in this article is a foregone conclusion I wanted to reach simply by writing the title. I just wrote the title, “Why Knowing Things is Overrated,” and then decided how the article would go. Sure, I cited sources, but only to fit conclusions I’d already drawn by the time of writing. It’s all a narrative that had been formed in my mind from figments and illusions far before any of it was written or researched. I don’t know anything. Now, you might feel betrayed by this revelation, or maybe you saw it coming, but, hey, it’s all just a guess anyway. Remember, you don’t know what you know, and doubly so for what you don’t know. And, I’ll see you later. Bye.

Why Aren’t We Talking About These Cars?!

April 23, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 4 Comments

By Jack Edelstein, 8th Grader

On our theme of “Underrated/Overrated,” Jack says the following cars–to borrow from comedian Rodney Dangerfield–don’t get enough “respect.”

When I overhear (more like eavesdropping) a conversation about cars, I always hear about the mainstream Lamborghini Huracan or the Ford Mustang. Although these cars are good in their own right, here are some cars that I think are not discussed enough in these conversations.

1986-88 Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer Coupe

The Stern-looking AMG Hammer.
Photo Credit: robbreport.com

What makes the AMG Hammer special is that it was one of the first sedans that could compete with Porsche’s 911, Ferrari’s Testarossa, and Lamborghini’s Countach, all while being practical and comfortable. In order for you to get one of these “super sedans,” you would need to buy an E class from Mercedes, then buy the parts from AMG, and finally retrofit the AMG parts onto the E class. You also had the choice of three V8’s: 5.0L, 5.6L, and a 6.0L–the 6.0L being the quickest with a 0-60 time of 5 seconds and producing the most horsepower at 375 (hotcars.com). This very expensive process would have cost a whopping $161,000 or $452,862 in today’s money (in2013dollars.com). As you can tell by how much it would’ve cost to buy these, not a lot were made; only 30 units were ever sold. I don’t think this car is talked about enough; it was one of the first cars that was efficient and comfortable and could still beat top sports/super car companies.

1986-93 Porsche 959

The 959 pushing it around tight corners.
Photo Credit: (caranddriver.com)

The Porsche 959 has a very interesting story behind it. The 959 was built on a 911 chassis but had a four wheel drive system, more streamlined design, and a 444 horsepower twin-turbocharged flat 6 paired with a manual 6 speed transmission (caranddriver.com). The 959 was made to actually compete on the dirt, more specifically the Group B Rally Class, but in order to qualify, you would have to make 200 road-legal units of your car. Unfortunately though, by the time the 959 went into production in 1986, Group B had been ended by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile). The 959 did compete in the Paris-Dakar race, which it won both times when it competed in the 1984 and 1986 races (evo.co.uk). Even though this was a race car, it was actually pretty easy to drive because of the very advanced electronically controlled suspension system and four wheel drive system. Fun fact about this car, Bill Gates owns one of the 292 units manufactured. The 959 would have cost you $227,000 or $642,737 today. This car isn’t discussed enough even though its technology was 20 years ahead of its time.

2004-06 Porsche Carrera GT

The sleek and quick Carrera GT.
Photo Credit: (caranddriver.com)

In the early 2000s, Porsche had released their crossover SUV “soccer mom” car, the Cayenne. Many thought that the German powerhouse had gone soft, until they came out with the Carrera GT. The GT brings easy driveability to the supercar world because of its advanced suspension system and full carbon fiber chassis. It’s also a convertible, which makes it even more notable. You are able to take the hardtop off and enjoy the 605 horsepower mid-engine aluminum V10 paired with a 6-speed manual blowing in your hair; it seems like Porsche adopted the “California style” of supercar, right? To own this magnificent car, you would have needed to pay $448,400 or $735,976 in today’s money. There really isn’t any other car like the Carrera GT; that’s what makes it so special.

Those are the three cars which I think are not discussed enough in conversations about cars. Let us know in the comments which cars you think are underrated.

Oliver’s Ranking for Every Season of the Year

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

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

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

4. Autumn/Fall

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

3. Spring

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

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

2. Winter

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

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

1. Summer

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

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

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

A New Year’s Post for The Haters

February 6, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

By Freshman Louisa Richardson

I hate New Year’s resolutions. I hate everyone asking me about what my New Year’s resolution is. I misread the situation. I say something funny or realistic, and they say something that I think is a joke because it’s so unrealistic, BUT THEY ARE BEING SERIOUS. Another reason I hate New Year’s resolutions is that they are always given up on. When you fail, you feel bad.

Ever since I was a kid, my mother (whom I love) has asked me what my goal is in the summer, winter, and of course for the NEW YEAR. For several years, I got away with saying that I wanted to learn how to do a back handspring, until the fateful day that I quit gymnastics. So then after that, I started learning something called sarcasm. Essentially every time someone asks me my New Year’s resolution, I either lecture them about why established habits are better, or I say some rather odd response: my favorite being, “Chair,” but my go-to is “to high dive off of the sun.” Such replies are said, of course, with a completely straight face. I am sick of New Year’s resolutions. The thing is that other people aren’t. I have heard countless times, “My New Year’s resolution is to go to the gym and work out every day!” Fun fact the gym has the most membership cancellations right after the new year (70.4 percent to be exact) (New York Post). Which brings me to my next point, why New Year’s resolutions are unrealistic.

New Year’s resolutions have always been rather unattainable. The top resolutions in general are to save money and go to the gym (Massive entertainment). Despite the fact that only 9 percent of New Year’s resolutions last for more than a few months (OSU), I still hear so many people talking about these completely unrealistic expectations for themselves! Though these unrealistic expectations lead to frustration, disappointment, and sadness (Counseling), people still want to put themselves through the trial of New Year’s resolutions! According to a study in 2014, 35% of these resolutions are completely unrealistic, and 23% are forgotten (Face off). According to reclaim.ai, 80% of these resolutions are thrown out by the second Friday in January. Quitting your resolutions by the second Friday of January apparently is so common that the day is known as “Quitters Day.” Many people believe that the largest reason why resolutions fail is because we as humans set the expectation a little too high (Very Well Mind). I can’t help but agree. The thing we really should start doing is setting habits.

My New Year’s habit this year is to move my body for at least 45 minutes. It’s not a wish, or an unrealistic goal, but a simple walk. It helps lower blood pressure, build muscle, and even helps blood to flow a little easier (Honor Health). Movement is great for mental health! Walking for just 10 minutes a day can increase positive mood, alertness, and reduce stress and anxiety (Mental Health Foundation). Taking a walk with my mom, neighbor (and best friend) Kate, or even just calling some friends while I walk is my favorite pastime right now–that and climbing trees. If you need a little mental health and physical pick-me-up, try to get outside for at least 15 minutes every day. You will feel better. I highly recommend these New Year’s habits because they will help you in the future. Whether your habit is to get outside, walk, or wear more makeup, it’s always good to start a habit that invests in yourself, even if your need is catching up on your sleep. After all, in the words of our blog teacher herself, “Even humans need to hibernate–just like bears.”

As you can see, there have been studies upon studies for these sorts of resolutions and expectations, and . . . failures–which very much backs up my speculation that perhaps New Year’s resolutions aren’t so great after all. Perhaps next year, a resolution could be to start making good habits.

These are the Best Sports Jerseys Ever, Without a Doubt

January 5, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sophomore Blogger Oliver Martinez

Oliver is a big sports fan. And, he has the sports jerseys to prove it. When we asked him to discuss “His favorite things . . . ,” he turned to his revered pile of jerseys.

With the NBA at the beginning of its season, the MLB over its season, and Soccer/Football midseason, jerseys in all three sports have been trending. For that reason, I have decided to make a list of my favorite basketball, baseball, and soccer jerseys. I will be showcasing six NBA jerseys–three older, and three newer, six soccer jerseys, and two baseball jerseys.

Basketball

My first older jersey is this Pistons jersey.

Pistons legend Joe Dumars #4 looking menacing wearing this awesome jersey. Photo Source: theathletic.com

This jersey is very nice. The horse in the middle of the jersey actually looks threatening, and the fire on top of the horse makes it even better. The letters are very clean. The white of the letters makes great contrast with the rest of the jersey. This is infinitely better than their rebrand:

Boring new pistons jersey. Photo Source: nike.com

Although simplicity is good, the complexity of the classic Piston jersey works perfectly.

My second favorite jersey is this Utah Jazz mountain jersey:

Karl Malone and John Stockton of the Utah Jazz confer in style. Photo Source: legendsofsport.blog

This jersey is absolutely amazing. It has good colors that make good contrast, and it has some meaning behind it. These are the mountains that encircle Utah. These jerseys debuted in 1996 and were discontinued in 2004.

For my third vintage jersey I choose this Phoenix Suns jersey.

Legendary Power Forward Charles Barkley rocking this jersey. Photo Source: boardroom.tv

I think that you just can’t go wrong with purple, orange, and white. This jersey is great because it includes everything a jersey should have: the name of the team, the number, and the symbol of the team. The symbol here is the sun, and it’s even better because the basketball represents the sun. Orange just contrasts so well with purple, and the white letters work well with the rest of the jersey.

My first newer jersey is this Warriors Oakland Jersey.

Golden State Warriors Oakland Jersey. Source: bluemanhoop.com

It’s a special jersey because it remembers the Golden State Warrior’s days when they were a team based in Oakland; now the Warriors are based in San Francisco. The colors match so well, and it’s a clean, slick jersey.

The fifth jersey I picked was this black vice city Miami Heat jersey:

Jimmy Butler’s black vice city jersey. Photo Source: cbs12.com

According to cbssports , this jersey is “A tribute, honoring its past through the prism of our future. A uniform, coded as a composite of those that came before it.” Honestly, the meaning for this jersey makes me like it even more; I like the black base with the blue and pink. They make good contrast, and the jersey is overall very clean. You could argue that the white version of these jerseys is better, but personally, I prefer the black one.

Lastly, the “Black Mamba” Lakers Jersey is a favorite of mine.

GOAT of basketball LeBron James and teammate Anthony Davis wearing the “Black Mamba” jersey in the 2020 NBA Finals. Photo Source: mb.com.ph

This jersey is in my opinion one of the best modern jerseys. Black and yellow go so well together it’s impossible to go wrong with it. Plus, it is a jersey made to honor the legendary Kobe Bryant (nicknamed the Black Mamba, who played with the Los Angeles Lakers for twenty years and became an icon of the sport. Sadly after retiring, he passed away in a helicopter crash.) The Lakers wore this jersey throughout the 2020 playoffs. The Lakers won that championship.

Soccer/Football

So, for my first soccer jersey, I choose this Corinthians Paulista 2022/23 third jersey:

Its inspiration comes from Corinthians’ 2012 Club World Cup victory in Japan; this is clearly shown in the beautiful design which has many characters in Japanese and a nice base color. These quickly sold out, and even after a year, they are still not back in stock. Authentic ones have been reselling for over $110, which is crazy considering they retailed for $95.

My second favorite football jersey is this Arsenal 2022-23 away kit:

Winger Gabriel Martinelli and midfielder Thomas Partey posing for the picture. Photo Credit: arsenal.com

This jersey perfectly demonstrates why you can’t go wrong with a black jersey. It goes with everything. The golden badge, Adidas logo, and letters are such a great contrast with the black. According to arsenal.com, the meaning of the jersey is that “Gooners everywhere connect with the club through their own Little Islington community, no matter where they are in the world. Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Italy – in cities across the United States these cultural outposts are everywhere.” I actually own this jersey, and if you look very closely, it has the letters “AFC” all over the jersey in different patterns. This is the abbreviated version of their name, Arsenal Football Club. This, on top of the two great colors, make for a great jersey that deserves to be in my list of favorite soccer jerseys.

My third favorite soccer jersey is this 2022 England World Cup away.

Top England players, Jude Bellingham on the left, Declan Rice in the middle, and Jack Grealish on the right wearing this jersey. Photo Source: Footballfashion.org

Usually blue and red wouldn’t work too well, but this time the English FA have made it work. England has proven they have a plethora of talent in their team as they have made the final for the Euro Cup in 2020 and have been very dominant against most teams, especially in the World Cup where the team barely lost to France. The soft blue color makes a good contrast with the red, and the simplistic design is perfect. The collar having dark blue and light blue is a nice detail, too.

For my fourth football jersey favorite is this unreleased China 2018 jersey:

This jersey was actually only released for a very short time. Nike went all out for China in 2018, releasing this amazing jersey that had a great dragon design with perfect contrast as it had yellow as its secondary color. But, the China FA rejected this design. And the reason is absolutely insane. Their reason for rejecting this jersey was that its “aesthetic is too similar to tattoo-style art. Tattoos have been historically associated with organized crime groups in China” (footyheadlines). This rejection is a shame considering how great this jersey was. I predict it would’ve sold extremely well.

Don’t overlook the 1992-1994 Manchester United home jersey:

Manchester United won back-to-back Premier League titles with this jersey, and it’s honestly stunning. The vibrant red is such a great color; it reminds me of the days when Manchester United was actually good. This season has been atrocious as they struggle to win in the European Champions League and can’t maintain a top 5 spot in the Premier League. This jersey is just iconic, as one of their biggest legends, Eric Cantona, who scored 82 goals in five seasons and aided the red devils in winning four Premier League Cups, six English Super Cups, and two English FA Cups, wore this jersey.

My last soccer jersey is the 18/19 Paris Saint-Germain third jersey:

What can I say, I’m a sucker for black jerseys. PSG is always coming out with amazing jerseys, but I think this may be their best. The white Paris logo looks so good, and it’s nice seeing them collaborate with Jordan–which not many teams do. They initialized their collaboration with Jordan in 2018 for three years, then extended it for one more year. After 2022, their collaboration ended. The line in the middle is a nice detail so that it’s not too simple but also not complicated.

Baseball

I just want to let it be known that I am not too familiar with baseball, but I have seen some jerseys I do like.

Check out this Space City Houston jersey:

I’ve seen this one trending recently, and I can see why. This jersey is stunning. The contrast being made with dark blue and orange with yellow is a nice detail, and it makes a reference to Houston always being called Space City. According to the MLB website, “There is no better way to represent the city that continues to believe that human potential is limitless.”

I also like this Padres jersey:

I think the brown and yellow make good contrast with the white, and the pinstripes all over the jersey are a nice detail to keep it interesting. It isn’t their traditional jersey; their traditional one is gold and brown. Here the Padres keep the color scheme, but add a contemporary touch with the lines.

The new jersey looks better in my opinion. I just don’t really like the buttons on MLB jerseys, but sometimes wearing button-up jerseys can be comfortable.

Do you think you could improve on my list? If so, let me know if I missed any potential jerseys in the comments!

A Volleyball Game from the Perspective of Someone Who Knows Nothing About Volleyball

November 29, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Freshman Louisa Richardson, Special Volleyball Correspondent

Our 2023 PVS Varsity Volleyball Team went undefeated in league. They were the league champions. I know nothing about volleyball. So, volleyball and I make the perfect match for a good article. At the last league home game, I decided that I just had to know what all the fuss was about. I knew our team was good, but I have never had an interest in volleyball. I had never been to a full game before. The last league home game started with a brief Senior Volleyball Ceremony and then plunged right into the game. I was pleasantly surprised by the players’ skill, Coach’s coaching ability, and the crowd’s support. I made sure to take very detailed notes, and here is what I got.

First of all, the players. The girls were great with teamwork; they seemed able to work off of each other very easily as though it was second nature. If Bianca Torres was serving and got it over the net, it reflected on the whole team. I think that this teamwork was what made the girls so good at their craft. Rachel De la O was incredible! She always got the ball over the net with the strength of a god, and made it look easy. Kristina Panagiotaros communicated well with her teammates and was always watching her fellow players. Together they fed off each others’ energy. Christina Lam made everyone get in line. She was always very focused. And, she encouraged everyone. Keira Nash, Team Captain, whether she was doing well or not, always kept a smile on her face, and the look alone was enough to keep everyone in good spirits. Kayliee Augustine-Sails moved with ease and confidence, whether it was a ball she was catching or a ball she was serving, she was capable. Leah Ferreira was the only freshman playing in this game. She did an amazing job watching that ball like a hawk. All of the girls seemed to have a blast playing and, while taking winning seriously, had tons of fun.

Second of all, the crowd. Our student body and faculty were what made these games so fun to go to. The players and sport were, of course, incredible, but the positivity radiating from the crowd was remarkable. If we did badly, you heard, “It’s okay; you can recover,” and if they were doing great, it was “We knew you could do it!” The game was competitive and suspenseful, but the crowd was what made it so fun. The audience also might have been so happy because of the delicious food being eaten from the Firebird Cafe (formerly known as the Snack Shack). A few of the sixth-grade girls also held up red and yellow flags in order to signal whether the ball was in or out. The girls took their jobs very seriously and clearly had fun. In the crowd, there was one little girl in particular who made it her absolute mission to get the whole crowd chanting, “Let’s go, Firebirds, let’s go.” This girl got the crowd going.

Thirdly, Coach Erenberg. He is the perfect balance of fun-loving and strict. He gives the players–individual as well as group–criticism that seems to help rather than put down. Coach also yelled out encouragement: “It’s okay!” emanated from him a few times during the game if players seemed particularly discouraged after getting out. He started off the game with the very nice Senior Ceremony surrounding seniors Ally Bankers and Christina Lam. The seniors seemed to love it; Coach seemed to love it, and Matteo Lam seemed to love it (who was also inexplicably there on the court).

Finally, my overall reaction. My favorite part of the game was watching Christina Lam lie down on the floor waiting for the buzzer to ring in the middle of a team meeting. I also really enjoyed the food. I recommend the mini pizzas. At one point of time, the ball flew into the bleachers about two feet in front of me, and Ally Bankers retrieved the ball like a champion. We won the first two sets by a landslide but the third one was troublesome. A quick side note, Coach Erenberg was rocking that blonde hair and truly becoming “Kenough.” We did end up winning, and the players congratulated each other with a heartfelt high five. I highly recommend you go to any volleyball game you can–whether on the beach, in college, or during next Firebird season. The games are tons of fun, and, this year, a very good reason to be proud of the school you come from.