the bird on fire

The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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Holden Rants About a Topic That Isn’t Really Relevant But is Still Kind of Interesting: Part 1

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How Much Symbolism is Too Much?

By Holden Hartle

I have the pleasure of taking a class with Mr. Griffin. He introduced the idea of symbolism to me when I was a freshman, and now I am reintroduced to it as a senior. He has opened my eyes to a whole new way of reading a story. Currently in class we are discussing short stories. Some ideas are far fetched–like a card game representing the Irish economy. The discussions we have in class explore the story beneath the story, as Mr. Griffin likes to put it.

For example, we read the story A&P by John Updike, in which a teenager quits his job as a cashier to go chase some girls in bikinis. At least, this is the story on the surface level. If you go one level deeper, the story is kind of a coming-of-age story, as the cashier quits his job because it proves that he can be autonomous. You can even go one step deeper and look at the lighting of the story. The “fake” lighting inside the store conveys the illusion that the teenager can actually go out and get these girls, but when he steps into the sunlight, or the “real” lighting, he is met with “reality” and the fact that he can’t get those girls.

But when does symbolism go too far? How deep can you look into a story before your symbolic interpretation just becomes wrong? Well, as with most cases, there are two sides to the story. One side can argue that whatever the reader can extrapolate from the story as symbolism should be taken as such, but the other side may argue that sometimes the author may just want to write something for the sake of writing it. Not all pieces of literature have to have symbolism. The common example is when an author writes, “The curtains were painted blue.” Mr. Griffin and I may look at this sentence and say that the curtains convey the protagonist’s sadness, and possibly his loneliness, when in fact the author may have just written that the curtains were blue, with no intended symbolism whatsoever.

There is another side of the story that raises an interesting question. Sometimes, symbolism reveals secrets about the author, regardless of whether or not they put it in consciously. If we use the curtain example again, what if we were to say that the curtains are blue because the author was feeling depressed at that point in time. Is that fair to say? In my opinion, no. It is unfair to extrapolate symbolism and relate it to the author, because you could stretch an idea to the point that you could say the author is a sexist for using a color primarily associated with boys.

So, yes, Mr. Griffin and the AP Literature class have a grand ol’ time “over analyzing” passages, but there is a point where symbolic analysis becomes too much. Personally, I believe that the author and the piece should remain separate entities. You, as the reader, can take whatever you want out of the story, but what you take from the story shouldn’t fall back onto the author. This has been Holden Rants About a Topic That Isn’t Really Relevant But is Still Kind of Interesting: Part 1.

Editor: AJ Patencio

Do YOU want to be a Pokemon trainer?

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By Jeremy Cheng, Pokemon Master

Before Thanksgiving, Nintendo published two new games for the Nintendo Switch called Let’s Go Pikachu! and Let’s Go Eevee! Check out the picture below.


They are both very similar games with a few small differences. Let’s talk about those differences.

Players will get either Pikachu or Eevee, depending on the version that you play.

When choosing Pikachu, we can yell, “Pikachu, I choose you!”

The Pikachu and Eevee that you get at the beginning are not going to “evolve” like most Pokemon do. But, the Pikachu and Eevee that you catch in the wild can evolve.

When using Pikachu and Eevee to enter a battle, the characters are not going to throw a Poke ball to release the Pokemon like in previous versions. Pikachu and Eevee will stand on the player character’s shoulders and jump into the battlefield.


Usually, Pikachu stands on the character’s shoulder, while Eevee sits on character’s head.

The Pikachu and Eevee you get at the beginning are called Partner Pokemon. They can learn special skills that other Pokemon are not able to learn.

In the older versions of the Pokemon games, when players want to catch Pokemon, players have to fight with the Pokemon that they want to catch and throw the Poke ball. In these two versions of the game, players only need to throw the ball. Like in Pokemon Go, there is no battle needed.


The first difference of these games is the outfits. In these games, players can buy different outfits for their partner Pokemon. The clothes that you can buy depend on the version you play.

Secondly, there are some Pokemon that only appear in one version of the game which means that players of both versions have to make Pokemon trades if they want to collect all the Pokemon. It provides a chance for players to be able to interact with other players and gives the game a community.


Players who have played Pokemon Go on the phone can transfer their Pokemon from Pokemon Go to Let’s go Pikachu or Let’s go Eevee.


There is an accessory called the Poke Ball Plus. Players can use Poke Ball Plus to walk their Pokemon in real life. Crazy!


As for me, I prefer Let’s Go Pikachu. When I was young, I imagined that I could have a Pikachu just like Ash, the famous character of the TV show who has the first generation Pikachu. This game lets me realize my childhood dream.


Editor: Luke Langlois

King of the Fighters XIII–A Review

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By Game-Reviewer James Zheng

A great graphic quality, a realistic sense of hitting, a diversity of abilities from game characters, all these are key elements to decide if a fighting game is truly extraordinary. All these qualities apply to one of the most classic and famous fighting games in the whole world, King of the Fighters. This series has continued updating for nine years. The very first work of KOF (King of the Fighters) was born in 1994; from there it gradually became an overwhelmingly popular fighting game. SNK Playmore released more versions each year until 2003.

SNK Playmore had a long and tortuous course in the development of King of the Fighters. While they were trying to release the seventh work of KOF they had to fight off a piracy version and fake simulators of their games. SNK Playmore rose again and then pushed out their thirteenth work–KOF XIII–as an announcement to the world that SNK Playmore is back.

There are three parts which make this particular work so fantastic. First, the animated artistic style mixes with 3D modeling. The characters are incredible even if the whole game is a 2D fighting game. If you play a special movement (a characteristic ability besides punch and kick), the animation may include fire, sparkles, and lightning. Secondly, because there are so many characters from which to choose, the game offers plenty of fighting combos. Some of them also have a characteristic background that creates a story. Thirdly, this game would not fail in the sense of playability, which refers to a factor that decides if this game gets boring. Since this game requires so much skill, it might take you a long time to master a certain character, but do not get me wrong. What I said does not mean every single character is extremely hard. They all have the basic and advanced fighting skills waiting for you to dig them out.

Depending on your preference of using keyboard or controller (I would suggest that controller is better) to play the game, you can play KOF on Xbox or PC system. The game is sold for $20 on Steam.

Editor: Makena Behnke

Ode to “Bohemian Rhapsody”

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By Holden Hartle

 

Queen has been in the media a lot recently, largely due to the movie Bohemian Rhapsody that came out last month. Since the release of the movie, Queen seems to be all that most music critics are talking about–a bit of a blast from the past. The song “Bohemian Rhapsody” is something where everyone goes, “Oh yeah, that’s a good song.” But, how did the song come to be?

The recent movie explains that after Queen released their first album, Freddie Mercury wanted to do something big and different, combining the vocal extremities of opera and the punchiness of rock n’ roll. And, after a long period of time composing in the country, the song was complete.

There was a lot of debate over whether or not “Bohemian Rhapsody” should be released as a single, as the song is almost six minutes in length. The record company was worried that the song was too long and that maybe it was a bit too avant garde. Needless to say, the song was released and was a huge hit. Its uniqueness is something that still strikes people today.

But what if the song was never released? Personally, I think the song is the work of a musical genius. This song fuses balladic lyrics with hard rock instruments, and operatic vocals. Yet, somehow, with all of these contrasting parts that dip into different genres, the song still remains coherent, and something that most people can immediately recognize from the piano introduction. But what if the song was never given the recognition? It is very possible that if Mercury wasn’t so adamant on the song being released as a single, it would have just been released as a part of the album and overlooked by a lot of people. Only the more hardcore fans would have listened to the song, because let’s be honest, even I only know Queen’s greatest hits.

It is kind of heartbreaking to think of a world without that song. Last year I went to a Green Day concert, and the introduction went like this. All the fans are talking to each other and suddenly, the lights go out. Then, in darkness, “Bohemian Rhapsody” plays before the band enters the stage. I was astonished as what seemed like every person in the stadium knew every word to the ballad. During the concert itself, Billie Joe Armstrong uses many of the crowd-hyping methods that Freddie Mercury did, i.e. the call and response method of singing a riff and having the crowd sing it back to you.

But now, back to the song at hand. Imagine creating a song with so much influence that a band from decades in the future will play your song in tribute, and that hundreds of thousands of people will be singing this ballad like it’s a hymn. But now imagine if that song was never released. Sure, life would go on, but only a select few would know of this fantastic song and its beauty.

The song deserves all of the media attention that it is currently receiving. The song has had several resurgences to the top of the charts, and, in my personal opinion, the song should remain on the charts for all time. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is so forward-thinking and is definitely unique from most other rock n’ roll ballads. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is truly beautiful.

Editor: Leo Milmet

2018 Palm Valley School Pride

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By AJ Patencio

On November 4th, Palm Springs held its 32nd annual Palm Springs Pride Parade, and the PVS Gender Sexuality Acceptance (GSA) Club was there to represent our loving community. We were put in spot 79 and given a banner with a colorful take on the Palm Valley Firebird logo. I was one of the GSA members who joined them, and it was an amazing experience to march through the streets while surrounded by my friends. I’m glad to have experienced it in my senior year before I go off to college. However, it’s not my first time participating in the Safe Schools march at the Palm Springs Pride Parade.

During my freshman year, before PVS had a GSA club, I was one of the only openly gay students in the Upper School. Our English teacher at the time, Mr. Griffin, had talked with the advisor for Palm Spring High School’s GSA club and received permission to send any of our students who wanted to participate in the Pride Parade with them. He handed out flyers, but I was the one student from our school who actually went. I was dropped off near the parade and had to walk alone to meet with the PSHS group, and I knew none of them. I was an alone 14 year old surrounded by people I didn’t know in a loud and crowded place. It was a memorable experience, but not in a good way.

This year was different. I’m 17 now. I was with friends and people I knew and trusted. I was never alone and  always easy to find, as I had a giant rainbow umbrella that unintentionally attacked anyone who got too close. We had school GSA shirts and many rainbow-colored tattoos. I learned of a certain teacher’s habit of putting empty gift cards in his wallet. I ate greasy pizza with my friends as we laughed at a cringy pamphlet. I met enthusiastic parents that were proud of what their kids were doing. I got to have an amazing experience that I won’t forget. I felt happy with who I am, and I’m glad that others will be able to experience this in the future.

Editor: Holden Hartle

Speed “Limits”?

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A Satirical Op-Ed By Luke Langlois

Hello to my fellow licensed drivers. Today, I am here to present an idea: the speed limits should be just a recommendation. We should all drive faster. There are so many reasons to leave the slow-driving hooligans in the dust.

Most cars literally encourage driving faster: Why is it so easy to drive faster? Well, it’s because you should drive faster! Driving slowly requires effort. It requires control. Honestly, who doesn’t want to just stretch out and floor it? To add onto this, why would a speedometer have speeds over 100 on them if you are not supposed to go over 100? When I’m cruising down Da Vall drive in my Lamborghini, I make it my goal to hit 160 before I get to school.

You use more fuel: Look, the world is running out of gas. By driving faster, you burn more fuel. By burning more fuel, you accelerate the rate at which we run out of fuel. If the Earth runs out of fuel, we would be forced to move to renewable energy! By moving to renewable energy, all of the world’s problems will be solved, no questions asked. Also, by burning more fuel, you have to spend more money. Spending money helps the American economy. Woo!

You save time: When I was a slow driver, I arrived slightly later to school. I was always in a rush. I found myself missing the five seconds that I could have had if I had just driven faster. I could open my locker with those 5 seconds! That time builds up, and we all know time is our most valuable resource. In a week, driving faster could save you a few minutes. Awesome!

You get more run-ins with the police: Who doesn’t love police officers? By driving faster, the police will happily spend more time with you due to your service to our community via economic contribution and a vastly efficient lifestyle.

You get to agitate the people in front of you: Under the shade of anonymity, annoying others is fun! By driving faster, you get the opportunity to ride the bumper of drivers in front of you. Who doesn’t love free rides?

So, that’s what I’ve got for today. Trust me, the list goes on. There are an endless amount of benefits to driving faster. I strongly encourage all of my readers to add at least an extra 50 mph to their average driving speed.

*Do note the element of satire and irony in the piece. The Blog advocates safe driving and good health.

Editor: AJ Patencio

Existentialism at the Third Grade Level

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By Guest Blogger-Editorialist Charles Schnell, Singing “Hello, Dolly!” Too Loudly in the Afterlife

 

The possibility that there is no almighty deity, definitive meaning, or afterlife is a frightening notion, particularly if you’ve been paying for a Netflix subscription all this time.

After taking AP Chemistry for quite a few weeks now, I have come to hope that there is an afterlife, that there is more than this.

Though, when I reach the afterlife, I have a few questions that need some answering before I can start enjoying myself. Firstly, how long has it been since the afterlife was founded? How late is the neighborhood delicatessen open? Will my college debt carry over? Are there more levels of education? Have we gotten a clear lay of the land? How much money are the cartographers making per 1,000 maps? And, of course, is there anything after the afterlife? Is there anything after the afterlife’s afterlife? How many afterlifes are we going to have to go through before we get some peace and quiet? And, on average, what is the cost of quality plumbing in each of them?

Having posed those questions, we must remind ourselves that all of them will be answered eventually. It is of the utmost importance that we try not to worry about the future so much. How could we? There’s too much going on in the present moment to consider what could be, as well as what could have been.

Editor: Luke Langlois

Teachers and Students

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By Charles Schnell, Self-Proclaimed King of Mediocrity, Controversy, and Unavailability

 

Is it better to be the teacher or the student? Neither, if you still do not have a significant other.

When all is said and done, there is not much of a difference between teachers and students. We are all human, and that means on our best days, we are all imperfect. (Albeit, some more than others.)

Teachers and students are more similar than the teachers would like to admit. For one thing, we all fall in love. Teachers fall in love with Lincoln, the Ti-84, the government, and the College Board. And students, well, we fall in love with each other–for better or worse.

Additionally, we all have favorite foods. I am sure all my teachers are craving an In-N-Out burger as much as I am. The difference here is students have the metabolism to handle the burger, the shakes, and the fries that find themselves tossed around in the bag.

Sure, metabolism is great, but being a student certainly is not free of its own disadvantages; teachers have a “leg-up” on us in many things. They cannot be grounded by their parents, only the law; they get to correct the homework instead of doing it; they can drink. As a lover of freedoms like these, I would rather be a teacher than a student. However, if you were to ask teachers, I’m sure they’d rather be students again.

To sum it up, teachers and students have one key similarity trumping all other similarities: our humanity. We are all human, so maybe we can reach an understanding and compromise. Teachers, if you stop giving us homework, we will stop giving you homework to grade. Imagine how many outings to Applebee’s we could make.

 

Editor: Luke Langlois

Why you Shouldn’t Live for the Weekend, Proven by Math. (NOT CLICKBAIT)

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By Luke Langlois

In honor of National Positive Attitude Month, I, Luke Langlois, am here to say that “living for the weekend” is a horrible way to live. I define living for the weekend as counting the days, every week, until you reach the short, two-day weekend. Why live like this? Why not appreciate every day given?

No one is ever skeptical of numbers; therefore, I will use numbers to prove my point. To start, let’s look at some facts. Using my big brain knowledge, I can tell you that there are 52 weeks in a year. If we multiply 52 by 2, we get 104. 104 is the number of weekend days we get a year. If we subtract 104 from 365 (days), we get 261. That would be 261 weekdays in a year. If you despise the weekdays and only live for the weekend, you fail to appreciate 261 days out of the year. Let’s go further. The average human lifespan is 79 years. An average 79 year old experiences 28,835 days (unless they happen to have fallen into a coma). That is a lot of days. More big brain knowledge tells me that 79 (years) multiplied by 261 (weekdays) is 20,619. Finally, let us subtract 20,619 from 28,835. That would be 8,216 weekend days in a 79 year old’s life .

So, in conclusion, live for all seven days of a week. It is to the entire planet’s benefit to learn to appreciate every day that you live. If you live to be 79 and only live for the weekend, you will only appreciate 8,216 days of your life, compared to the possible 28,835. That is a lot of days you could be missing out on! Please, appreciate your days, at least for National Positive Attitude Month.  

Editor: Makena Behnke

Different Time, Same Humans

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By Luke Langlois

Unless you happen to be an 80’s movie star with easy access to a certain DeLorean, you most likely have not time traveled. However, you’ve definitely thought of what kind of petty things you could do with the power of time travel. You could tear the very fabric of the universe in order to procrastinate a little longer! While that would be incredible, the sun may implode before we figure that out. For now if we really want to time travel, we simply need to look to one the world’s greatest inventions, film.

When we young people tend to look back to the land before our conceivable time, it’s usually in black and white photography. While we may think we have a general idea of what’s going on, do we really? Personally, I find it difficult to actually process what I’m seeing. My brain registers a black and white picture as little more than a relic of history. In reality though, these people were once living, breathing, and struggling, just like ourselves. My eyes have recently been opened to the past due to the gears of capitalism–advertisements.

Humans seldom look back on what has changed. We seem to view the mid-20th century as a completely different time with things like the Cold War, funny hats, and video games like Pong. While of course big changes have been made globally and culturally, humans have always been humans. Last weekend, I was on YouTube, a rare occurrence in these junior days. On YouTube, as people do, I looked up “old commercials.” I clicked on a video that was titled “Commercials from the 60s.” I was expecting ridiculous advertisements for irrelevant products or some sort of American propaganda. However, I had heard of almost every product featured (look below for a link to said video). It was almost surreal, though that may be a bit dramatic. Many things have changed, but, in the grand scheme of things, there is so much that hasn’t changed at all. We humans are still just humans. While the advertisements are a bit strange by today’s standards, it’s really just a bunch of food, coffee, or medicine commercials. Yes, the Trix rabbit has been attempting to steal cereal for more than half a century.

The point is, we can’t time travel in the science-fiction sense, but we do have access to a type of time travel. I encourage you all to watch any available old film, audio, or video, to put life, and previous eras, into context. Who knows, maybe you’ll be enlightened! Along with the video of commercials I referenced, check out things such as old political or colorized footage.

Tide–because the world has always been in color.

Link to video of advertisements below. Students, you’ll have to watch it at home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2AQdyB34so)

Editor: Holden Hartle