the bird on fire

The Palm Valley School Student Blog

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Passing on the Torch: The Freshman Retreat

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By Holden Hartle

Three years ago, in September of 2015, my freshman class hopped onto a bus for Lake Arrowhead for the Freshman Retreat. This is a three-day trip for the new high schoolers during which they get to know their classmates better through group activities, workshops, etc. They envision what will be and can be their high-school career and beyond.

Back then, the general consensus of the grade was split in half. Some thought that it was going to be a great experience for team building, making new friends, and just a simple getaway from the city. The other half were dreading it, fearing social interaction. But, nonetheless, the freshman class entered the bus and headed to Lake Arrowhead.

This year is no different. In mid September, the future class of 2022 traveled towards Lake Arrowhead. Though I went to the UCLA Conference Center and this year’s class went to a large cabin, and though we may have done different activities, the idea of bonding with fellow classmates was still present.

According to current freshman Kaiya, this was the “…best field trip so far.” I don’t want to spoil the activities of the Freshman Retreat in fear that it would ruin the surprise for the upcoming freshmen, but in a survey sent to the current freshman class, 75% said that it helped them learn more about their classmates, 100% said that they had fun, 100% said that they would recommend it for next year’s freshman class.

This tradition is something that I hope will continue for many years to come. This passing of the torch is how I made some of my best friends that I have today. The memories I made on that trip always make me smile. I remember our shared songs, games, and team projects. It is such a great way to not only learn about new students, but it is also a great way to learn more about students that you may have known your whole life.

Editor: AJ Patencio

Adventures Through Slab City

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By Blog Adventurer Holden Hartle

Photo credits: Amanda Laule

Not to sound cheesy, but over Labor Day weekend I had the most amazing experience. I, along with a few friends, embarked on a journey around the Salton Sea. On this journey, we stopped at Salvation Mountain and, the real attraction, Slab City.

For those that don’t know, Salvation Mountain is a sculpture made by Leonard Knight. He dedicated 30 years of his life to the spread of one phrase: God is love. This phrase is plastered all over the mountainside. The pull factor of Salvation Mountain, at least for me, is that there is nothing like Salvation Mountain anywhere in the world. Its uniqueness and originality is unmatched.

If you travel half a mile east of Salvation Mountain, you will find Slab City. Residents live completely off the grid. There is no electricity, running water, or most things that make life in the desert comfortable, but residents make it work.

Upon arrival, you are greeted with rows of trailers, which may remind you of a trailer park. But, if that’s the case, this is the single greatest trailer park in the world. Beautiful murals line the entrance, and people are often outside their trailers selling various items, from pottery to art lessons.

Our specific destination was East Jesus, cleverly named as it is east of Salvation Mountain. East Jesus is an art gallery that is made entirely out of recycled material. We get out of the car and enter the appropriately named, West Satin. West Satin is more of a hang-out area rather than an art gallery. Inside was a group of people simply talking about their lives and their stories.

Before leaving home for Slab City, four different people came up to me and said, “Don’t get out of the car. You could get attacked by homeless people.” Let me tell you how glad I am that I didn’t listen to those people. The Slab City residents were some of the most genuinely nice people I have ever met. Though I never got his name, one resident gave us some insight into why and how someone would live there.

When I asked the man how he lives without common amenities, he responded with his own question, “How do you live?”

“With electricity and air conditioning.”

“Are you happy?”

“I’d say so.”

“Are you stressed?”

“Well, everyone is stressed where I live.”

“That is how I live comfortably. There are no electricity bills, no utility bills, and no rent. You just live. There is no timetable for when you have to do something. You just do it whenever you can.” To adults who pay bills and to teenagers who are generally stressed all of the time, this sounds like a Utopia. But it wasn’t always so Utopian.

When the government was surveying the area to build a wall between America and Mexico, they tried to drive the residents out. Their way of accomplishing this was to shut off Slab City’s water. Though he didn’t go into exact details, the man explained that now they have more water than before the government concreted their water pipes.

Their stress-free life and their sense of community is something that I’ve never seen before. We live in a society where we need to get everything done on a schedule, but why not take a breath? The residents of Slab City are living full Hakuna Matata, with no worries or cares. Most of us say that we could never live without our electronics or air conditioning, but look at the hundreds of people living in our backyard that have no electronics, yet they are some of the happiest people I’ve ever met. Maybe there is something to take away from these Slab City-ians about how to live a happy life.

Editor: Luke Langlois

Go Climb a Mountain

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By Hiker and Blogger Claire Jenkins

On the 17th of February, right before the February Break, the Outdoors Club went on a hike up to the Palm Desert cross. The Outdoors Club, advised by Ms. Clark, hosts hikes monthly. All are welcome.

Happy hikers Sydney Armor, Sarah Jefferson, Claire Jenkins, and Hannah Makkai pose for a quick photo session and water break before climbing back down the mountain.

Ms. Clark and Hannah make interesting (“ahem” weird) shapes while Sydney and Sarah watch confusedly and Claire backs awkwardly away.

What’s happening? Possibly a playful pagan ritual? Actually, Ms. Clark was looking for an “interesting” photo op.

Ms. Clark smiles happily as her students dance like heathens.

PVS hikers rest in harmony with the view above Palm Desert from the yin-yang sign by the cross.

Editor: Renée Vazquez

Threshold

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By Peter Kadel

The footsteps have always been there, the paths of others for me to follow.

Some days they all lead me towards one place, a clear and pure consensus.

But other days they are split, and I must guide myself as best I can through the confusion.

There are also days when I must stray from the path to discover what lies beyond.

And then there is today—today is a day unlike the other days when certainty guided me.

As I arrived at the top of what I believed was the tallest peak I would ever climb,

I was faced with a new set of daunting challenges towering far above me.

As I viewed these giants, I saw that there were no trails marking the safe paths.

I realized that I stood at a threshold between the known and unknown.

There were no footprints to follow, no trails to track, no one to tell me where to tread.

And so I took a step forward.

 

Editor: Claire Jenkins

Lost Dreams in the River

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By Shelby Armor

 

A river,

so majestic,

so beautiful,

home to so many things

and I cannot be one with it.

My dreams are filled with the illusions

of fins on my arms

and of flippers on my feet;

it all seems so close

yet so far away.

I could sit for hours and sway,

sway to the melodic sound of rushing water

and leaping fish,

but I cannot.

I cannot breath using water

or slice through the sea

for I am a human,

and that is all I will ever be.

 

Editor: A.J. Patencio

Explaining Polo: What’s a chukker and other key facts

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By Claire Jenkins                  

Polo (the real kind, not the water kind) is known as the game of kings. To put it simply, polo is kind of like half hockey, half soccer, and throw in eight horses and eight players. The objective of the game is to get the ball through the goal posts, much like soccer. It is four against four in field polo, and the fields are about 300 x 160 yards, which is about the length of three football fields.

Four of the players are trying to score one way, and the other four are trying to score the other way. In field polo, after one team scores, you switch directions so that the teams are now going opposite ways. The ball for field arena is a small white ball, kind of like an oversized golf ball, but big enough to comfortably fit in your hand.

The match is divided into chukkers, each lasting seven minutes, with a break of three minutes between each one. At half time, the interval is extended to five minutes, and the crowds are invited to walk onto the field to tread in divots.

Polo has many interesting quirks, but like most other sports it has rules against fouling. There are lots of different fouls in polo, and some are severe enough to get you kicked off the field. Below are some common rules and possible fouls:

Right of Way–When the chukker is in play there is a  “line of the ball,” which is the direction in which the ball travels once the ball has been hit or thrown. When a player has established the right of way along that line, it can’t be crossed by any player if there is any risk of collision.

Crossing the Line–Any player who crosses the player who has the right of way close enough to be dangerous or cause a player to slow down, commits a foul.

Riding Off –This is the act of pushing another player and their horse out of the way using your horse and your body. It is allowed at any point in the game whether the person has the ball or not. It must not be done at a dangerous angle or varying speeds because that can cause serious injury.

Hooking mallets – A player may hook an opponent’s mallet if they are on the same side of the opponent as the ball and the mallet must be below the level of the opponent’s shoulder. Players cannot hook an opponent in front of the horse’s legs, as it would be called a foul.

 

For more information about polo rules or upcoming events, go to uspolo.org. or empirepolo.com.

Editor: Makena Behnke

Why Mountains Are Important

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By Peter Kadel, Blogger Naturalist

 

Mountains, throughout history they’ve been there. Majestic towering behemoths that inspire adventure and invoke wanderlust in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. The Greeks told stories of the famed Mount Olympus where the gods dwelt; mountaineers dream of summiting lofty peaks such as Mount Everest; the rolling hills and mild peaks in the Lake District of Great Britain have inspired many classic literary works. Mountains are deeply ingrained in our history, and I believe they can be instrumental in fostering a new appreciation and even reverence for the natural world. Mountains are more than just geological features; they are mighty titans that bellow a challenge to the world, daring us to summit them. Climbing a mountain, putting its entirety beneath you and breathing in the vistas seen from that exalted point of view, is a thrill that will instill anyone with a love of the earth and a desire to protect it. Since the beginning of time we have sought safety in valleys and looked for protection in the shadows of mountains, but now as we have become more adventurous, we seek out the challenges mountains have to offer. And this is good; it’s common sense that being outside is good for you. Exercise and fresh air are beneficial.

If we can convince people to appreciate and even enjoy the mountains in the world, then we are one step closer to preserving then for generations to come. After all, people are more likely to protect things they care about. And protecting mountains and the surrounding areas isn’t just to allow recreation; it can also keep water sources clean because many mountains deposit rainwater and melted snow into lakes and rivers below. Protecting the mountains–staving off development–will go a long way towards protecting our water sources from contamination. These benefits won’t just help us; the various critters that inhabit mountains benefit greatly from having places that aren’t full of people and factories and housing subdivisions. Giving the natural world and its denizens their own space will greatly improve the harmony between mankind and nature.

 

Editor: Makena Behnke

What It’s Worth

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By Naturalist Poet Pete

What’s it worth?

What’s the worth in protecting the great outdoors? What dollar amount can be assigned

To open meadows, rolling hills, and swift streams? What are they worth

Once they are caught and defined? What is the profit of seeing the Grand Canyon strip-mined?

In blasting the mountains and depleting the veins? in taking the treasures beneath the earth?

There is something golden on the surface. There are green treasures that tower above,

Ancient giants from ages past, enduring symbols that are the heart of the forest.

They are the guardians of the old worlds and sentinels of life, creatures deserving of our love.

We must defend them; we must not soften. We must be undaunted in our noble quest.

There is a value in the untouched world, not in dollars but in the human soul.

Editor: Charles Schnell

The Road Less Traveled

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By Peter Kadel

Last month, I went to the Schoepe Scout Reservation at Lost Valley to work as a volunteer for one of the off-season events. The entire weekend was packed with activities and shenanigans that made my time up there enjoyable. The event itself was not the only fun part; the journey there was also a part of the adventure. This is not because I don’t like the camp, but because to reach the camp I drive up a series of windy mountain roads that culminate in a ten-mile dirt road–a dirt road that is legend among the Boy Scouts of Southern California and parts of Arizona.

“The Road,” as we call it, is a bumpy, windy, washed-out, pot-hole-covered, ten-mile gauntlet that acts as the only public land entrance to the camp. The only other entrances to the camp are by helicopter or through an Indian Reservation. The road has quite the reputation with those who frequently drive to the camp. While the faint of heart may dread the long drive to Lost Valley, I cherish it. I would rather drive down a ten-mile dirt road through a stunning wilderness landscape that makes me feel at peace than drive for one mile on I-10 or any busy freeway in America.

Windy roads are more fun to drive once you have the hang of driving them. The rougher terrain and the sharper turns on windy dirt roads are much more engaging than straight busy highways. You can’t use cruise control or go on mental autopilot. The looser terrain also allows for sliding or drifting, which can be really fun as long as you are careful. The thrill of a fast turn of a dirt road is quite the adrenaline rush when you do it right. And, aside from the obvious fun, a windy dirt road signifies a separation from hustle-and-bustle cities and the trappings of society that in the end don’t really matter.

On my drive home, I actually had to stop driving for a good five minutes so I could just take in the beautiful vista before me, breathe in the clear air, exist for a minute in this paradise with a sky so blue that it took my breath away. The spiritual benefits cannot be replicated on busy highways. If that doesn’t convince you of the benefits of off-road driving, then consider this: when I’m on a major highway, I see people exchanging insults and honking at each other. In the backwoods, I barely see a soul. And, when I do, they’re kind-hearted people with a respect for nature and for those around them. The experiences found off the beaten track and in the heart of nature are something that everybody needs and most don’t get enough of. So go; find them.

Editor: Shelby Armor