Op-Ed Archives - Page 3 of 9 - the bird on fire

Sorry, “affogato” your name

January 24, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

The Blog Staff, united in its passion for that morning drink so many of us (especially Indy) can’t do without, celebrates coffee this week. Penny, however, voices a different opinion.

By Middle-Schooler Penny Andreas

(If you love coffee, prepare to be offended.)

From cold brew, to de-caf, to your extra tall carmel macchiato with 2 teaspoons of creamer with just a hint of sugar along with the smiley face on top, I dislike coffee. For the most part, I think coffee is gross and disgusting.

First, what actually is coffee? If you think about it…It’s ground up beans that are served hot. Some people even add flavors like “pumpkin spice,” along with cream. I don’t know about you, but beans with creamy chemical flavoring are disgusting. Also, What is the smell? To me it absolutely smells like burning rubber, or dry desert dirt. Both are gross.

Second, the taste is the most revolting, sickening, repulsive, icky, gut-churning, and monstrous thing I have ever tasted in my entire life. It tastes extremely bitter, even with (I promise) two cups of creamer. I swear every type tastes like the specific definition of dust and dirt. No matter how many types of coffee I have tried, I find almost no difference except the fact that some are spicy…which has been somewhat concerning to me.

Third, there are actually hazardous things when it comes to drinking the beans! Consuming and drinking too much coffee can lead to nervousness, addiction, frequent urination, or not being able to control urinating. Is coffee worth the risk of peeing your pants in public? I didn’t think so. However, there are some health benefits that coffee can give you, but that’s only if you don’t put a quart of creamer and a cup of sugar in your coffee. It can help you prevent cancers, heart diseases, and depression (hsph.harvard.edu). But note, once addicted to coffee, your body has an extremely hard time working and functioning without caffeine’s help. This can make you constipated–or the complete opposite. This is often caused because the caffeine in coffee affects the muscles in the digestive system.

So, as you can see, there are many things that happen to you internally when you drink the beans, from constipation, the loss of ability to control urination, and the gagging from the horrid taste. So…drink coffee or pee your pants in public? I wonder what you will choose….

*Affogato is an Italian coffee-based dessert.

Why I Hate The Color Yellow

January 18, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 4 Comments

By Junior Levi Kassinove

Middle-School Blogger Penny proposed we write about the color yellow. The Blog Staff accepted her challenge and came up with some surprising associations. Levi’s reaction went more in the direction of . . . yellow journalism.

CONTENT WARNING: I will trash on your favorite color if your favorite color is yellow.

Before I get into all of my reasons for hating the color yellow, let me just back up my opinion with cold, hard science. According to apartmenttherapy.com, yellow is the favorite color of a wee 5% of the people. Perhaps this means that I’m preaching to the choir. I imagine, however, 95% of people who don’t love yellow don’t completely detest yellow like I do. So, here are my top three reasons for hating the color yellow.

It’s the Symbol of Death and Decay

Head over to the cemetery and dig up your favorite grave. Open up the casket, and you’ll find a yellow corpse. Not a red corpse, not a green corpse, but a pale yellow corpse. When one has jaundice, one’s skin turns yellow. When one does not brush one’s teeth, one’s teeth turn yellow. When the yellow sun attacks people during the daytime, it can give them skin cancer, or worse, a farmer’s tan. Yellow is also the color of vomit. In general, yellow just radiates disease and rot. Some negative symbols with the color yellow include but are not limited to the radioactive symbol, wet floor signs, and general cautionary signs.

Yellow is a Negative Motif in Literature

In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, there is a yellow book that Lord Henry gives to Dorian, which, upon reading, throws Dorian down a spiral of self-hatred and guiltless crimes. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the monster that Victor creates is described as having yellow skin and yellow eyes. In a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, titled The Yellow Wallpaper, a woman suffering a temporary psychosis hallucinates a woman being trapped behind snaking bars as she stares at her room’s yellow wallpaper. Finally, in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, yellow is the color of Raskolnikov’s apartment walls, representing his impoverished state. No, I am not just listing off books from my English class.

It’s just straight up the worst color

When you see someone walking down the street, are they wearing yellow? 99% of the time, the answer is no. They are wearing jeans and a white t-shirt because they don’t want to look like they’re cosplaying as Morty Smith. Compare that to colors like blue and beige–the colors that look good in the world, and you’ll see that yellow has no place amongst these aesthetic giants. The sun is pretty, you say? Have you ever looked at it for more than three seconds? I didn’t think so. Yellow is a symbol of prosperity? It’s also what color your walls turn into when you smoke too often. I wouldn’t exactly call that a sign of prosperity.

Morty from the show *Rick and Morty* (usatoday.com)

From cancer-causing rays of sun to depictions of alcoholics in literature (Dostoevsky’s Marmeladov), yellow connotes the worst of the worst. It invokes a visceral reaction from me and many of my peers and teachers. Louisa said yellow makes her think of “thrown-up hot dogs.” Mr. Satterfield eloquently commented, “Yellow is the color of lukewarm indecision and treachery achieved by laziness.” Indy concluded that the color “reminds me of urine.”

Steak of the Gods–Wagyu

November 15, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Junior Culinary Aficionado Levi Kassinove

Who wants turkey when you could have wagyu?

What is Wagyu?

A grade A5 Wagyu steak is Levi’s picture of beauty. (Photo source: robbreport.com)

You know steak. You might have heard of wagyu. Wagyu literally means Japanese cow, which has evolved to connote the highly marbled and expensive ($200 per pound) steak that we know today. Generally, people agree that the more marbling (intramuscular fat) a steak has the better. The marbling is the white stuff you see in the steak. The steak pictured is grade A5, which is the highest grade of wagyu. Wagyu is graded by the Japanese Meat Grading Association (mychicagosteak.com). I wonder if there is a Japanese Meat Tasting Association. If so, sign me up. Anyway, for comparison, here is a picture of normal angus steaks that you’d buy at the grocery store:

Typical angus steaks found in the typical grocery store. You don’t see as much marbling, although an angus is still good if cooked right. (Photo source: dartagnan.com)

As you can see, the wagyu steak has much greater marbling. But what does this mean for the flavor? How do you cook it? And, most importantly, is the price worth it? I’ll give you a hint: The answer to all three questions is “Yes.”

The Flavor

Assuming that the steak is cooked correctly (which I will get to later), wagyu will genuinely be one of the best, if not the best, food you will ever eat. Your favorite food is pasta? Pizza? Tacos? Not anymore. It’s wagyu now. You know what umami is? It’s the flavor that makes things taste good. You best believe that wagyu is full of it. When you take a bite, it’s like a hedonist party in your mouth. The amount of rendered fat in there will make you redefine the word “juicy.”

Honestly, I don’t know how else to describe it. The flavor of wagyu isn’t actually so complex. It has a sort of…fiery simplicity. There is an explosion of comfort. It is heavenly. I will say, though, that the more marbling a piece of wagyu has, the less it tastes like steak and more like a kind of refined grease. It certainly won’t make you feel good after eating it. That is why I recommend staying away from notoriously marbled cuts like ribeye. In my opinion, it will just be too fatty.

How to Cook Wagyu

I would say that 70% of what makes a steak good depends on how you cook it. For most steaks, the optimal way to cook a steak is by reverse searing, which is basically just cooking the steak in an oven before searing it on a piping hot cast iron skillet. Medium rare to rare is objectively the best level of doneness for steaks, as evidenced by the late chef Anthony Bourdain in his book Kitchen Confidential. Bourdain stated that people ordering well done steaks at a restaurant “pay for the privilege of eating our garbage,” and that anyone who does it is a “philistine” who “cannot tell the difference between food and flotsam” (mashed.com). Now, I’m about to say something that might make you hate me. I prefer wagyu that’s cooked medium. I know that some ~~idiots~~ inexperienced steak lovers will say that medium rare is still optimal for wagyu. And, if you want to try that, then have fun. Tell me how it goes. I’m sure it will still be good, but I encourage you to do a side by side comparison of my method vs. the regular medium rare reverse sear. The fact of the matter is that wagyu is just too fatty to be cooked like a regular steak. Cooking a wagyu steak medium rare or rarer will just not render (melt) all of the intramuscular fat (in my experience), leaving you with a steak that hasn’t reached its full potential. Now, I’m going to teach you how I cook wagyu. It’s based on the way Japanese chefs do it.

Materials:

A wagyu steak
A cast iron skillet or stainless steel pan
High quality salt (why use the cheap stuff on a $150 steak?)
Meat thermometer ~~for losers~~ (optional; you can touch the steak to gauge internal temp)

That’s seriously all I would use. Now, let’s get into the preparation. I’m assuming you know how to defrost a steak. If you’re thinking about defrosting it in the microwave or something, you might as well stop reading this article. Moving on, the next step is to trim the fat. Save whatever you’ve trimmed off because it will be important later. After that, salt the steak. Be generous. Cover all sides including the edges. If you think you’ve salted it enough, put a little more. Then, you’re going to want to put it in the fridge for at least an hour. What’s going to happen is the salt will draw moisture from the steak, then let it distribute back in. This is why you need so much salt. You are salting the whole steak. This tenderizes the steak and gives it more of an evenly distributed flavor. The longer you leave it in, the better. People do it for 24-48 hours even. But I don’t know if I could leave wagyu in the fridge for two days without eating it.

Cooked wagyu (Photo source: kitchencookbook.net)

Now that the preparation is over, the next step is to get the skillet ready. You’re going to want to get it as hot as possible. I would say like 700 degrees Fahrenheit is a good place to start. If you don’t have an infrared thermometer, you can just splash some water on the skillet and see if it evaporates instantly. At this point you should also take your trimmed fat out of the refrigerator for it to melt at room temperature. Once melted, brush the steak with the fat and coat the skillet. Now, cut the steak into strips or cubes, whatever you want. This will efficiently cook the steak. Now toss them onto the skillet and sear the strips for about a minute on each side. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the steak. Just take it out when you feel like it’s right. Also, be sure to have a fan running and a window open because it’s gonna get smoky.

That’s it, and that’s all. Have it with a glass of wine–or water for the kids. But, I know you’re not sharing your wagyu with your kids. If you’re having it with wine, just make sure it’s red, unless you want to expose yourself as someone who doesn’t understand how the universe works.

Is the price worth it?

Honestly, yes. Absolutely. If I were a billionaire I’d have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’d live fast and die young for wagyu. In all seriousness, if you can afford it, I’d highly recommend you try it at least once before you die. It is truly an unforgettable experience. Even if you can’t afford it, I suggest you still save for it. Who needs water and electricity? Who needs to respond to the IRS? Spend that otherwise wasted money on wagyu instead. You won’t regret it.

Indy’s Outlook for the Midterms

November 8, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

By Junior Political Pundit Indiana Behr

SPECIAL ELECTION COVERAGE

The midterms are today, and the outlook is…. unclear. In the age of more political polarization than we’ve seen in decades, electoral prediction has gotten much harder. This election’s results are likely to greatly affect our country’s political future, with issues like crime, abortion, taxes, and the Biden administration’s political agenda being in play. I am going to show some of my predictions and some interesting info about what’s to come. I am going to start with some competitive Senate elections, an unlikely gubernatorial standoff, and the swingy Congressional race in a new district that covers Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, and La Quinta.

Pennsylvania Senate

John Fetterman (D) and Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) debate in the general election (abcnews.com).

One of the most prominent Senate races in this cycle is the Pennsylvania Senate race. The incumbent, Pat Toomey (R), announced his intention to retire last year, and almost immediately, a bitter Republican primary broke out. The initial frontrunner was the Trump-endorsed former House candidate Sean Parnell, but after a child custody battle with his estranged wife made its way to the media, he withdrew, and shortly after, television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz and wealthy businessman Dave McCormick entered the race. Oz initially lost several polls, and the race seemed to lean in McCormick’s favor… until Trump endorsed Oz. He experienced a surge after this, and after a long election with threats of recounts, Oz won by just 0.07%, less than 1,000 votes.

The Democrats saw this seat as a potential flip in their favor, especially with the incumbency advantage gone. John Fetterman, the incumbent Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania, created an exploratory committee early on, and later officially entered the race. Then, a few months later, Rep. Conor Lamb entered; however, he failed to gain traction even when Fetterman attracted criticism for an incident where he chased a Black jogger with a shotgun in 2013 while mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Fetterman stated he believed the man was connected to a recent shooting, but the jogger was not. Though Lamb received a multitude of endorsements, including three members of the House in Pennsylvania, and over thirty State Representatives, that ultimately was not enough, and Fetterman won with a margin of 32%, sweeping every single county.

Days before winning his primary, John Fetterman suffered a stroke. This has become a central point of the campaign. Due to this, Fetterman has publicly required the use of closed captioning devices to speak with reporters, and he used these devices during his debate with Oz. He has struggled to speak at times as a result, and this showed during the debate, where he occasionally struggled to get words out. Oz has been criticized for being out of touch with Pennsylvanians. Many people have claimed that Oz lived in New Jersey prior to the election, and he has also been called out for promoting medical practices not approved by the FDA on his show. Initially Fetterman led all polls by wide margins; however, it has gotten much closer over the last several weeks. Now, a couple polls show Oz with the lead. FiveThirtyEight has moved their prediction from “Lean D” (barely Democrat) to “Toss-Up.”

Georgia Senate

Another high-profile Senate Race is Georgia’s, where incumbent Raphael Warnock (D) is defending his seat against former football star Herschel Walker (R). The primaries for this race were not very contentious, and both won by very wide margins with no serious competition. The general election, on the other hand, has been the most controversy-filled this year in my opinion.

Almost all of these controversies surround Walker, yet he is still tied with Warnock in several polls, and he has even won several. Several news outlets have alleged that Walker paid for a woman to terminate her pregnancy, and on Monday, the New York Times reported that they had spoken to the anonymous woman, and she reportedly told them that two years after that incident, he unsuccessfully lobbied her to terminate another pregnancy. Walker has denied these allegations. Many have accused Walker of hypocrisy, as his campaign platform states that he has a pro-life stance. Other parts of his past, such as his unsubstantiated claim that he was an FBI agent, or his admittance that he played Russian roulette have also come under scrutiny. Walker may struggle in the general election due to these scandals.

New York Governor

On the left is Lee Zeldin (R) and on the right is Kathy Hochul (D)–the two wrangle for governor of New York (static01.nyt.com).

New York, a typically blue state, is seemingly facing an unlikely competitive race. After two competitive primaries, polling has indicated this race is down to the wire, with most showing incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul (D) ahead. Hochul, the former New York Lieutenant Governor, became governor following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo due to a sexual harassment scandal. The race instantly had a shake-up, as several candidates jumped into the Democratic primary for the position. Attorney General Letitia James launched her campaign early, but withdrew due to polls showing her trailing, and she is now running for reelection. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and New York Representative Thomas Suozzi also ran, but both candidates did not do well, sometimes polling in the single digits. Ultimately, Hochul won the primary by nearly 40%. This indicates that the Democratic electorate is firmly behind her, but the question is whether turnout will be enough to bring her across the finish line in the general election.

On the Republican side of the aisle, a race that initially seemed competitive ended in a landslide. Representative Lee Zeldin, 2014 New York Governor GOP nominee Rob Astorino, and Andrew Giuliani (son of former New York City Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani) were the three main candidates in the election. Despite previously aligning himself with Trump in the House, Zeldin painted himself as a moderate in contrast to other candidates. Polling showed the race was within single digits; however, this proved to be false when Zeldin won by over 20%.

New York is normally a solid Democratic state. After all, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by over 23% in the Presidential election. Despite that, this election has been uniquely close. One of the most prominent topics in this election is crime, and this is an issue where Hochul has attracted severe criticism. Crime has risen in New York City, and she has taken a hit for this. Hochul has criticized Zeldin’s support for the pro-life movement, and he deflected this by saying that he would not make any attempts to change reproductive health laws in New York if elected, a state where 63% of people have said they support expanded abortion rights. The latest poll from Emerson College shows Hochul at 52% and Zeldin at 44%, with 3% being undecided at this time.

US House CA-41

Incumbent Ken Calvert (R) and challenger Will Rollins (D) vie for the newly-drawn 41st district (gannett-cdn.com).

Following California’s redistricting, the incumbent Representative for Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs, and several other parts of the Coachella Valley switched from Raul Ruiz (D) to Ken Calvert (R). This race has become very competitive, as this is now a district that Trump won by just 1%. Trump endorsed Calvert, stating that he is, “a leader on National Security and Strongly Supports our Brave Military and Vets.” Calvert’s opponent is Will Rollins (D), a former prosecutor who received the second most votes in California’s nonpartisan jungle primary system, where all candidates are on the same ballot, and the top two candidates move to the general election regardless of party affiliation. Rollins has very effectively established his presence in the district. In fact, his signs are planted right outside of our school, and I see his television and YouTube ads daily. While I have seen the occasional Calvert sign, his presence is much less significant in the valley. The latest poll showed Calvert up by just 3 points, and Cook Political Report predicts this race as “Lean R,” their closest ranking after “Toss Up.”

I hope you found some of these races interesting, and I encourage you to do more research about our local Congressional race and other local races, and, for any senior students, teachers, administrators, parents, or anyone else reading who is eligible, please vote!

Student-Led Conferences Are Dumb: A Luke Rant

November 2, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

Student-Led Conferences are scheduled for Monday, November 7. Luke has lived through several of these bi-annual conferences. And, he has an opinion about them . . .

By Junior Luke Sonderman

This is going to sound like a bit of a rant, but hear me out. I think that the Palm Valley student-led conferences do no good for most students, and there isn’t much of a reason to have them in place. Let me explain.

The Problem

End results are all that matter. Who cares how you get there? As long as you produce solid end results there is no reason for parents to stay updated on their child’s academic progress. Don’t taste the dish before you cut the onions. Don’t eat the burger before you cook the meat. Don’t fry the eggs before you crack them. Don’t drink the milk right from the cow. Don’t cook the chicken before you pluck the feathers. Anywho, students read off of a script that asks for pieces of work that students are proud of. Hold up… why do parents need to see what their kid is proud of at a conference? Students can show their parents work they’re proud of at any time. If they’re really proud of it, then they shouldn’t need a script to get them to show their parents.

Also, student-led conferences should really only be about what needs improvement. If I’m getting a 4.5 GPA, then why should my parents have to leave work to come to a conference about my progress? That’s what PROGRESS reports are for.

Honestly, I feel kinda bad for the teachers. Imagine having to sit at school all day talking to parents of High Honor Roll students on what they need to do to improve. Just take your A+ and be happy with it.

The Solution

I think that student-led conferences should only be held for students that are in significant need of academic improvement. Maybe a better solution would be to have a set GPA threshold that determined which students are in need of a conference, or advisors could decide which students really needed a group conference with the teacher and parents.

Students prepare for the Student-Led Conference where the discuss their classes, their academic strengths, and their challenges.

I mean when everything is said and done, I am cool with the day off of school. If I have to spend a half hour of my day talking about what I need to do to improve my academic performance then so be it.

The Case for Poetry Out Loud

November 1, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Junior Indy Behr

It’s that time of year when PVS students wander the halls mumbling lines of verse under their breath. It’s time, again, for the annual Palm Valley School Poetry Recitation–something we’ve done at PVS for fifty years. Parents have told me Poetry Recitation Finals are their favorite PVS assemblies. And, English teachers seem convinced the world is a better place with poetry in it. Students, however, don’t . . . always respond with joy at the prospect of reciting poetry before crowds. Indy Behr argues poetry reciting is good for us–kind of like taking your vitamins.
Blog Advisor Zachik

Recently, Alyna Llapitan authored an article, “An Ick I’ve Had,” advocating for changes to Palm Valley’s annual Poetry Recitation Competition–a competition that, in the Upper School, segues into the national Poetry Out Loud competition. Personally, I enjoy this annual tradition, and I also think it offers valuable learning opportunities for students.

Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition that occurs annually. About ten years ago, Palm Valley melded its 50-year-old Poetry Recitation with national Poetry Out Loud standards. While students in nearly all grades still participate in Palm Valley’s Poetry Recitation, in the Upper-School English classes, students pick primarily poems from the Poetry Out Loud anthology. Typically, guest judges are brought into classes for one day. They choose 2-3 winners per each class, depending on class size. Those winners move on to the Upper-School finals.

I think that Poetry Out Loud is great because it teaches students two very valuable things that will be useful throughout their lives. Firstly, it teaches students how to speak with confidence. I understand that some people really dislike speaking in front of others, and I have had that fear myself, but if you go through high school without attempting to combat this, you will face many hurdles in your career. Speaking with confidence is a skill that is crucial in almost every career imaginable. Secondly, Poetry Out Loud teaches students about not just the value of poetry, but the value of literature as a whole. Though perhaps not all careers involve it, being familiar with literature and having an appreciation for it is something that will help everyone in my opinion. Cultural context and exploration can effectively be taught through these poetry recitations, and we learn about many poets as well as different types of poetry through this program.

Alyna made the point that Palm Valley should consider having students perform only in front of the judges rather than having to perform in front of their entire class. While I understand where she is coming from, I think this defeats the purpose of this competition being a way for students to feel more comfortable performing in front of several people. When you have to present a plan to your office at a job later in your life, you will be doing it in front of thirty people, not three. She is correct that in 9th grade we opted for performing solely for judges; however, this was due to the pandemic, and this is the reason we reverted to the original system the following year.

Overall, I do very much sympathize with those who are against the Poetry Recitation continuing in its current form. Despite this, I still think that these opponents could still learn several valuable things from this competition, and I wholeheartedly support it remaining in place.

*Join us the the Upper-School Poetry Recitation Finals on Friday, December 9, at 2:15. Do you have middle-school recitators you want to cheer for? Join us for the Middle-School Poetry Recitation Finals on Tuesday, December 6, at 1:10.

Dino Diet

October 20, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Junior Luke Sonderman

As our final health post, we return again to the issue of diet. Luke . . . has some concerns regarding an all-meat diet.

Hate to break it to all the vegans, but humans are supposed to eat meat. Now, if you want to hear my opinion on veganism you can read my blog article I wrote last year (“The Most Unhealthy Diet That Is Spreading Fast“). I’m here now to talk about the polar opposite of veganism: Carnivorism.

What is a carnivore diet?

A carnivore diet is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It is a diet that consists of only animal products and excludes all vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and all other non-animal foods (health.clevelandclinic.org). To someone who loves meat, this diet may sound like heaven. But, there are lots of downsides to this diet (just like there are downsides to the vegan diet).

Upsides to the carnivore diet

This diet consists of lots of protein and fat, but near zero carbs.

Low carb diets are actually very popular when it comes to weight loss, but to be honest low-carb diets are just diets for people too lazy to hit the gym, jump on a Peloton, or just knock out some push ups every morning. The body transforms carbs into glucose (sugars) which can be used as energy. The thing is if you don’t use that energy (go to that spin class, do that hot yoga, hit the gym, go for a run)… then that glucose becomes fat.

The reason all of that doesn’t apply to this diet is because with the massive protein and fat diet, you can get ridiculously shredded from the amount of protein you are consuming while having energy from the fats. With no carbs, when you work out, the theory is you will keep a low body fat percentage and increase muscle mass.

Downsides to the carnivore diet

To keep things plain and simple, this diet is considerably as deadly as Trump’s McDonald’s diet which consists of McDonald’s Egg McMuffins for breakfast, meatloaf sandwiches for lunch, and a McDonald’s order of two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches for dinner (theculturetrip.com). But seriously, the amount of saturated fat in this diet is absolutely ridiculous. Lots of saturated fat equals a high cholesterol which will lead to heart disease. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Eating too much protein can also cause kidney issues, which is yet another reason why this diet can KILL YOU.

An Ick I’ve Had

October 20, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

Alyna’s True Feelings for the Traditional PVS Poetry Recitation

At Palm Valley school, it is mandatory for grades 3rd to 12th to participate in the Poetry Recitation once a year. Basically what students have to do is memorize a poem, recite it in front of their classmates and judges–who determine which students go on to the next round. The number of lines is different for each grade, but when you’re in high school, you most likely memorize at least 13-14 lines. This is usually the time of year where I want to disappear as I hate having to speak in front of people.

Why do I hate the Poetry Recitation so much?

It’s not about having to memorize lines as a grade, or about projecting my voice for once. It’s about reciting my poem in front of the class. I hate speaking in front of the class, whether it is a presentation or even just a few words added to a discussion. I tend to stutter or stammer over my words when I have to speak for a period of time to a group of people. I am okay with speaking in front of very few people, but with a huge group of people? No thanks. Other people have other opinions about the Poetry Recitation. They say that they hate the judging, or that they don’t like memorizing 14 lines, or that they dislike making eye contact with an audience. Some even say they like the Poetry Recitation and the opportunity to advance to the nationwide Poetry Out Loud competition (looking at you, Indy Behr).

For me, I hate being in front of the class. The class is usually silent when I recite, and I feel all eyes on me. I hate that. I feel like all the eyes are just studying me.

Another solution?

I’m not saying that we should just not do the Poetry Recitation as I think it is a good way to have people practice enunciating words and expressing emotion. But, I feel that there can be one way we can switch it a little.

I’m fine with talking to judges, so talking to JUST judges would be nice. I remember seeing this in 9th grade when there would only be the student, the teacher, and the judges. That way, other students can focus on their poems–outside the competition room–without having to hear the person speaking.

I think that the Poetry Recitation is a nice way to get other students to practice speaking, but there is always going to be this tiny grudge in my chest that would always make me resent it. There should be options as to how to deliver a well-phrased poem.

An Opinion Penned by Junior Alyna Rei

America Needs High-Speed Rail

October 19, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

An Indy Think Piece

*A digital rendering of California’s proposed high-speed rail system.* Source: hsr.ca.gov.

When we think of high-speed rail in America, we tend to think of Japan’s well-known bullet trains. Despite this, high-speed rail is actually increasingly common throughout the world, with multiple lines being found in Europe, Eastern and Central Asia, the Middle-East, and several other regions. Though high-speed rail does exist in America, it is much more sparse than it should be considering our country’s high GDP and infrastructure.

The environmental impact of public transit, including trains, is a major reason why I think creating a better rail system should be one of our top priorities when it comes to improving our country’s infrastructure. The scientific consensus is that carbon dioxide emissions harm the environment, and research shows that while cars emit 371 grams of carbon dioxide per mile, trains emit only 177. This is less than half the carbon dioxide!

Trains also take up significantly less space in cities throughout America and reduce traffic and street congestion. The traffic seen in many large cities not only has an environmental impact that affects our biosphere, it also affects peoples’ health. Children in places with higher amounts of traffic face higher rates of asthma, lung issues, and cardiovascular diseases due to the pollution caused by traffic. Additionally, more cars on the road means more car-related deaths. Pedestrian deaths are an often overlooked result of car congestion, but in 2020 over 6,000 pedestrians were killed by cars.

The reason that high-speed rail in particular is so needed is that many people will not use trains because of the inherent inconvenience of the current slow trains we primarily see in America. There are some high-speed lines in America, with Chicago being the main hub, but many states have no high-speed rail running through them whatsoever. For the states that do, they almost exclusively are seen in big cities. Though people in cities have limited access to high-speed rail, people in rural areas are completely and entirely neglected. I cannot blame people for choosing to fly as opposed to riding trains when our current system is so terrible. A nonstop flight from Los Angeles to New York is around five hours, but it takes three days to do the same by train, and you still need to change trains in Chicago and Texas.

Many people who oppose high-speed rail in our country argue that the cost is far too much, but I think it is more than worth it. The current estimate for California’s high-speed rail plan is 105 billion dollars, but I prefer that over our planet collapsing due to the effects of climate change while children experience asthma attacks due to horrific traffic clogging their cities. The initial investment is high, but it will pay for itself when it protects the people of our country’s safety, and the fees people pay for public transit also help cover these costs.

I hope you can see why I think that America is in such desperate need of high-speed rail and better public transit in general.

By Junior Indiana Behr

The Transportation Security Administration Theater

October 18, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

If you know Luke, you know he has opinions. Here, after an uncomfortable episode at the airport, Luke takes on TSA.

By Junior Luke Sonderman

One of the biggest pains of flying is going through TSA (Transportation Security Administration) security. From long lines, to rude officers, to being groped during extensive pat-downs and having to take belts and shoes off, TSA is just no fun. But, how much is TSA really protecting air transportation? Is TSA really trying to sniff out bad guys, or are they just trying to look official to make travelers feel more comfortable?

My Personal Experience with TSA

I’ve never really minded flying. It’s always been pretty enjoyable for me. That was until I had a flight from Palm Springs to San Francisco at 6:30 a.m., all alone. I got to the airport an hour or two early and made my way to the security checkpoint. Everything was normal. I took my shoes off and put my bags up on the conveyor belt. The bags went through with no problem. I walked through the metal detector without having any beeping or metal detection. As I went to grab my bag, a TSA officer asked me to step aside. I went with it because like those dudes have guns. He asked me if I wanted to be searched in front of everyone or in a private room. Now, I’ve had my fair share of security pat-downs at public events and when using public transportation, so I just told him to get it over with. What I didn’t know is that I was about to have an extensive search of every nook and cranny of my body. He started off with the chest, neck, and under the hair. He checked behind my ears and in my arm pits. Now, I thought that this was a bit of a strong search. The guy didn’t have to check behind my ears. I can’t fit a bomb back there anyways. But, then he got to my hip, rear end, then crotch region, and that’s where I had the surprise of a lifetime. I felt groped, harassed, and confused. That man’s fingers went where I very much didn’t want them to go, and I never got an answer for why he searched me.

What TSA is Actually There For

TSA is commonly referred to as a “security theater.” This basically means that TSA is a security administration put in place to make people feel safe and secure while flying, when in reality they aren’t really keeping you safe from anything. Jason Harrington, a former TSA Agent, says that “Yes, TSA agents are ogling or making fun of your naked physique in the full-body scans. Yes, they are racially and politically profiling certain people for extra screening. Yes, the body scans are ineffective and can be easily manipulated” (theatlantic.com). He went on to say, “It was a job that had me patting down the crotches of children, the elderly and even infants as part of the post-9/11 airport security show” (theatlantic.com).

In 2015, Homeland Security ran a study on TSA and how effective the security checkpoints were. They sent 70 agents through TSA security checkpoints with hidden weapons and fake bombs, and 67 of them made it through security without getting stopped (nbcnews.com).

Now, I’m not here to say that you aren’t safe flying because to be completely honest, TSA works. There has not been a successful large-scale airline attack in the United States since the creation of the TSA. Though what I will say is that if TSA isn’t catching guns and bombs behind my ears… can we please bring larger self-care products and not take our shoes and belts off? Let us just walk through the metal detectors. Please, spare us getting to the airport two hours early and having to spend extra time packing everything in the tiny little 4 oz bottles.