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cot vs. caught

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By House Linguist Brennan Nick

In case you did not know, the people of Shakespeare’s time spoke much differently than we do today. If someone in Shakespeare’s time came today and spoke to you, you may only be able to understand about 75% of what they are saying. However, the year 1600 was “only” about ten generations ago. Now, I personally do not feel like I speak much differently from my parents, let alone Shakespeare. Besides, there have been massive enunciation shifts from Shakespeare’s time to now. So I wondered, what massive sound changes are going on right now?

 

Well, one thing that I learned very recently is the fact that some people pronounce the words “cot” and “caught” differently, while an increasing number of people pronounce them the same. This is called the cot-caught merger. This blew my mind when I learned this because I never realized that we were experiencing sound shifts right now. The difference is between the “aw,” “au,” “al,” and “ought” sounds and the short “o” sounds. The difference can be seen in words like . . .

–“cot” and “caught,”

–”collar” and “caller,”

–”stock” and “stalk,”

–”chock” and “chalk,”

–and ”don” and “dawn.”

 

It used to be that everyone made a distinction between the two different vowel sounds. However, people are increasingly pronouncing those vowel sounds the same. This shift is occurring the most in the Greater Pittsburgh Area and West Virginia, the New England Area, and the entire western half of the USA, with some exceptions such as San Francisco (See map).

With this knowledge, I then decided to collect some data on who pronounced the vowel sounds the same way and who pronounced them differently. So, I went around to many people here in Southern California and had them say these words:

“Rock cot talk rob stalk water

Call stock caught doll also”*

*Unbolded = “cot” sound for all words

Bold = Both “cot” and “caught” sounds used

 

Here is what I found:

People who did make a distinction: 10

People who did not make a distinction: 27

 

Even though I got the data, I still wanted to find some characteristic that determined who made a distinction and who did not. Age did not have to do with it, as there were both teachers and students who made the distinction and did not. What I found to be the greatest determiner was whether or not they were from California or if they were from elsewhere.

 

People who made a distinction and are not from California–8.

People who made a distinction and are from California–2.

People who did not make a distinction and are not from California–7.

People who did not make a distinction and are from California–20.

 

This can be explained by the fact that, in California, the two vowel sounds are merged by most people; whereas the two vowels are largely unmerged in many other areas of the country.

 

All in all, this was a fun experiment.

 

Below is a video where you can “hear” the difference for yourself.

Editor: Leo Milmet

Fear and Loathing

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By Leo Milmet

 

I’ve been called a liar.

A bit excessive.

A weak little weasel who has just gotta toughen up.

A cold-hearted young man with a face of stone.

A slave to my fears.

A bitter soul.

I’ve been asked “What the hell is wrong with you?” countless times.

I’ve been unfavorably compared to the accommodation-needing, annoying kid in the car who constantly asks “Are we there yet?”

I’ve been told, by well-intentioned people, “Mine is different. You wouldn’t have a problem with mine.”

 

 

All I said was,

“I’m afraid of dogs.”

 

Editor: Peter Kadel

Common Mistakes I’ve Made While Driving

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By Claire Jenkins

Now mind you, I have a PERMIT, not a license. I am but a child in the driving world, and it is a SCARY world, people. For those of you who have been driving for years, it may seem like second-hand nature, but for us newbies it is practically WWIII. Whether you are trying to switch lanes or make it through a four-way stop in one piece, it feels like death flashes by every five seconds.

Below is a list of driving no-no’s that I accidentally “yes-yes’d”: 

  1. Stop signs are suggestions, right? Maybe not. But, okay, sometimes they are hidden behind things, such as bushes or people, and sometimes I’m just stupid, alright. I sort of made a rolling stop at one, but like, right in the middle of the intersection. It’s fine; I’m fine.
  2. Blinkers. Blinkers are complicated, and sometimes I mix up which way to push them. So, if you ever see an idiot turning right with their left blinker on, it’s probably me.
  3. Four-way stops. Okay, but if you and THREE other people all arrive at a four-way stop at the same time and everyone on your right goes first, excuse me, what? Then everyone is waving their hands at each other, and everyone is slowly inching forward, and next thing you know it’s been two hours and everyone has moved AN INCH. Driving is not for the impatient.
  4. Not hitting bikers is hard. Not honking at bikers is harder. Bikers shouldn’t be allowed on the road. That’s it.
  5. You know how you can turn right on a red light? Yeah, except I went left on a red light. Live fast die young; honestly, I’m amazed I’m still alive.
  6. What’s the difference between reverse and drive? I found out the hard way, and so did the curb in front of me. Olé, friend.
  7. I’ve cut people off before, but I haven’t killed anyone yet. I swear it’s not malicious; I really just don’t know what I’m doing.

I really do try my best, guys. Thanks for enjoying my stupidity, and don’t report me for breaking as many laws as I have while driving.

Editor: Makena Behnke

some coffees i’m ready to try… now:

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By Makena Behnke

many people enjoy drinking their normal morning coffee. it may be a latte, cappuccino, or a normal drip coffee. well, lattes, flat whites, and mochas are just the tip of the iceberg–

  • turkish coffee~ coffee with fine grounds and a cardamom pod included. also referred to as arabic and greek coffee. (turkey/greece/middle eastern area)
  • cuban espresso~ espresso sweetened with sugar while brewing the shot. (cuba)
  • marocchino~ espresso, cocoa powder and milk froth. sometimes thick hot cocoa and/or nutella is splashed in. (italy)
  • galão~ 1 part espresso and 3 parts foamed milk. (portugal)
  • kopi tubruk~ coffee with coarse grounds are left in the mix and are boiled with solid sugar. (indonesian)
  • swedish egg coffee~ the egg cuts the bitterness and heightens the smoothness. supposedly it doesn’t taste like egg. (sweden)
  • qishr~ spiced coffee husks, ginger, and every once in a while, cinnamon. (yemen)
  • fat americano~ substitute hot water with a can of Coca-Cola and pour it over ice. (america)
  • cafe breve~  0.5 part milk foam, 1 part steamed half and half, and 1 part espresso. (america)
  • red eye~ drip coffee with a shot of espresso. (america)
  • mazagran~ lemon juice, ice cubes, water, and espresso. (portugal)
  • espresso romano~ shot of espresso with lemon. (italy)
  • cafe tobio~ 1 part drip coffee and 1 part espresso. (america)

Editor: AJ Patencio

Is Far Cry 5 a “5 out of 5”?

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By Peter Kadel

Far Cry 5 is the latest installment of the Far Cry published by Ubisoft and developed by Ubisoft. The game takes place in the fictional Hope County in Montana. This is the first game of the series to take place in the United States. Many of the jokes and quests are more relatable and the characters seem to be more relatable and more farcical at the same time. As a sequel, the game stays close to the core concept of Far Cry: Lots of weapons, outlandish and wacky side characters, maniacal and oddly charismatic villains, and an expansive open world. But, it also mixes it up with a plethora of new minor features that give the game a fresh feeling for the first couple hours of gameplay. The gameplay itself is pretty standard for a Far Cry game. The main villain(s) is/are the Seed family and their radical evangelical cult, The Project at Eden’s Gate, who have taken over Hope County, Montana, and are capturing, brainwashing, torturing the people of Hope County. The main leader of the cult is Joseph Seed who oversees the entire cult with support from his three siblings: Jacob Seed, a cruel and merciless warrior who believes in culling the weak; John Seed, a charismatic man who forces people to confess their “sins” and submit to the cult; and Faith Seed, a sort of enchantress who uses a hallucinogenic drug to control and manipulate her enemies and turn some cultists into drug-fueled berserkers. Each member of the Seed family controls a region, and players have to defeat the three lieutenants and liberate their region before getting to the leader Joseph.

 

The main story of the game is entertaining at parts, but as a whole it is disorganized and lacks a compelling reason to follow the main quest. In all honesty, I only completed the main questline because the side quests were even more one dimensional and linear, with one exception–the Clutch Nixon Stunt missions, which are a series of time limited vehicular feats which you must recreate. The quests themselves don’t have a compelling backstory, but they unlock a series of star-spangled vehicles that are really fun to drive/fly around. But, in general, the game fails to provide a compelling reason to complete missions other than “do this to get some cool stuff” or “because an NPC [Non-Player Character] said so.”

 

That being said, the game is entertaining and provides an enjoyable experience in many parts. New vehicles such as planes, helicopters, and semi trucks offer more options in terms of gameplay and how to overcome certain challenges and obstacles such as enemy strongholds and convoys. The game also includes a new type of weapon–melee weapons. These give the player more stealth options in terms of combat.

 

SO! Overall the verdict is: Far Cry 5 is an entertaining game and provides a good gaming experience, but it isn’t worth the 60 dollars needed to pay for it, so if you would like to purchase it, I suggest waiting until it is cheaper.

 

Editor: Bella Bier

Denim Day

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By Claire Jenkins

Today, April 25th, Peace Over Violence has organized a Denim Day in honor of Sexual Violence Awareness Month. This campaign was ignited by a ruling made in a Supreme Court in Italy, 1999. This ruling, known to Italian lawmakers as “denim defense” or “jeans alibi,” suggested that a woman cannot be raped if she is wearing jeans due to the idea that “they are impossible to remove unless she helps,” which, in the eyes of the court, suggests consent. This ruling brought on an even angrier debate about how judges (and societies) should view sexual assault and rape.    

The third division of the Supreme Court of Appeals in Rome released a statement from a November ruling that overturned a 34-month sentence for rape in Italy. They stated that ”jeans cannot be removed easily and certainly it is impossible to pull them off if the victim is fighting against her attacker with all her force.” This suggests that the victim was not fighting hard enough and takes the attention away from the wrongdoings of the attacker. This is known as victim-shaming. It is the same type of thought process as “Well, what was she wearing?” or “Her skirt was too short.” This type of mindset is dangerous.

After this ruling, women lawmakers across Italy showed their support for this victim and their resentment towards this ruling by going on a “jeans strike.” They said they will wear jeans to Parliament until the decision is changed. On April 25th we carry on this “jeans strike,” and the students of Palm Valley wear jeans after donating one dollar to Peace Over Violence. Students also signed a pair of jeans in solidarity with victims of sexual assault around the world.

25th of April: We wear jeans to show our support.

Editor: Bella Bier

Hail to Women’s History Month

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By Renée

March is Women’s History Month–that special month out of the year, in which we remember the incredible feats of the women that came before us. Women that can now serve as paragons for all of us, regardless of gender, that show us we can overcome any challenges and make significant changes in the world around us. So, to honor the culmination of Women’s History Month, here is a list of seven underappreciated women whose contributions forever changed the world.

Augusta Ada King-Noel, Countess of Lovelace. King was a mathematician and a writer. She was mostly known for her work on Charles Babbage’s proposed Analytical Engine. King was the first to recognize that the machine had practical use beyond pure calculation and published the first algorithm intended to be carried out by such a machine. She is often considered to be the first computer programmer.

Augusta Ada King-Noel  (December 10, 1815 – November 27, 1852)

Amalie Emmy Noether, a German mathematician known for her keystone contributions to abstract algebra and theoretical physics. She developed the theories of rings, fields, and algebras. Noether’s theorem explains the connection between symmetry and conservation laws.

Amalie Emmy Noether (March 23, 1882 – April 14, 1935)

Anne Boleyn, second Queen consort of Henry VIII. She is one of the most important characters in English history. She won the heart of the king. She was the the reason why Henry VIII decided to cut relations with the Pope; therefore creating the Church of England. Boleyn was also the mother of Elizabeth I of England.

Anne Boleyn (around July 1501-1507 – May 19, 1536)

Bertha Van Hoosen, first president and one of the founders of the American Medical Women’s Association, first woman to be head of a medical division at Loyola University Medical School. Dr. Van Hoosen, besides running her private practice, taught sex ed, advocated for the use scopolamine-morphine anesthesia for childbirth, and was a prevalent activist against the discrimination of women in the medical industry. She also is known for developing the “buttonhole” surgical technique, and advocating for the importance of hygiene and sterilization of medical instruments to prevent infection. [1]

Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen (March 26, 1863 – June 7, 1952)

Dorothy Mary Crowfoot Hodgkin, Order of Merit, Fellow of the Royal Society, Fellow of Royal Institute of Chemistry, won the Nobel prize for Chemistry in 1964 for developing protein crystallography. Dr. Hodgkin advanced the technique of X-ray crystallography. Among her most influential discoveries are the confirmation of the structure of penicillin as previously surmised by Edward Abraham and Ernst Boris Chain and the structure of vitamin B12, for which she became the third woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. [2]

Dr. Dorothy Mary Crowfoot Hodgkin (May 12, 1910 – July 29, 1944)

Mary Wollstonecraft, was an English writer, philosopher, and advocate of women’s rights. During her brief career, she wrote novels, treatises, a travel narrative, a history of the French Revolution, a conduct book, and a children’s book. Wollstonecraft is best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, in which she argues that women are not naturally inferior to men, but appear to be only because they lack education. She argued that both men and women should be treated “as rational beings and imagines a social order founded on reason.”

Mary Wollstonecraft (April 27 1759 – September 10 1797)

Wangari Maathai, an environmental political activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. In 1977, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, advocated environmental conservation and  pushed for women’s rights. She became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Maathai was also elected as Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources in Kenya’s ninth parliament. She was appointed Goodwill Ambassador to the Congo Basin Forest Ecosystem by the eleven Heads of State in the Congo region, UN Messenger of Peace, Millennium Development Goals Advocacy Group. She founded the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies (WMI).[3]

Dr. Wangari Maathai (March 23, 1882 – April 14, 1935)

Editor: Makena Behnke

[1] surgical technique to perform an appendectomy

[2] method used to determine the three-dimensional structures of crystals

[3] a panel of political leaders, business people and activists with the aim to impel worldwide support for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

$igns on the Dollar Bill

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By Brennan Nick, Resident Historian and Illuminatus

Top: Obverse. Bottom: Reverse

Our One-Dollar Bill seems to be shrouded in mystery. Why does it have Latin phrases like “Annuit Coeptis” or “Novus Ordo Seclorum” written on it? Why does it have a pyramid and the same eye symbol that belongs to the fabled Illuminati? Why did the founders of the United States engrave the dollar bill with these symbols? Well, to begin with, they didn’t. At least not all of it. In fact, the dollar bill that we all know and love today wasn’t put into circulation until 1929. It didn’t even reach its general design until 1935, and even after that its most recent change was in 1963 when they changed the border design of the obverse side of the bill to what we see today with the leaves and the designs around the number one in each of the corners. However, perhaps a more notable change was in 1957 when they added the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the reverse side of the bill above the large “ONE.”

Nevertheless, what do the rest of these symbols mean? Well, on the reverse side of the bill there are two circles. Together, they form the Great Seal of the United States. This was made by a group of men–which included Benjamin Franklin. He and others designed the pyramid and the eagle. The circle on the right depicts the bald eagle holding an olive branch and some arrows. The bald eagle itself is only found in North America and is our national animal. It represents victory and courage. Floating in front of the eagle is a shield, which signifies that Americans should rely on their own virtue as the shield does (statesymbolsusa.org). It is also a symbol of how the United States can now stand on its own. On the shield, there is a horizontal bar at the top which symbolizes the federal government and both below it and supporting it are the thirteen vertical stripes which symbolize the states (13 at the time this was made). In the eagle’s mouth is a banner with the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM” which is Latin for “Out of many, one.” Then the eagle’s right talon holds an olive branch, signifying peace while his left holds arrows, signifying war. Not only does the eagle hold the olive branch in the dominant talon, but the eagle’s gaze is also towards the olive branch, away from the arrows. What is being communicated here is that this country wants peace, but is not afraid to fight if need be. Finally, above the eagle are 13 stars symbolizing what we know as the original 13 colonies.

Now, on the left circle of the seal is the pyramid. First thing to take note of is that the face of the pyramid is lighted while the side is darkened, symbolizing how we were entering into the light and leaving the darkness. The cap of the pyramid is then broken off with the all-seeing eye imposed onto it. When the seal was first being designed, they wanted a symbol of divine providence. The all-seeing eye was put there for this as it is an ancient symbol of divinity dating back to Egyptian times. The letters at the base of the pyramid, “MDCCLXXVI” are the Roman numerals for 1776, the year of the Declaration of Independence. Above the pyramid is “ANNUIT COEPTIS,” which is Latin for “God has favored our undertaking,” also hitting the theme of divine providence. Below the pyramid, on a banner, are the Latin words “NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM,” which mean “a new order of the ages.” Now, does this part sound like some sort of a secret society? A little, unless you know what it symbolizes, which is more or less the beginning of the new American Era on this new continent with a new style of government without a king.

Final note, watch the prevalence of the number 13 on our dollar bill. Remember, it corresponds to the original 13 states/colonies.

  • There are 13 letters in the Latin ANNUIT CŒPTIS (the “Œ” is a two-letter ligature of “OE”).
  • There are 13 letters in the Latin E PLURIBUS UNUM.
  • There are 13 stars above the Eagle.
  • There are 13 plumes of feathers on each span of the Eagle’s wing.
  • There are 13 bars on the shield, representing the original colonies united in defense.
  • There are 13 leaves on the olive branch, representing the original colonies’ desire for peace.
  • There are 13 fruits, representing the prosperity of the  original colonies.
  • And, finally, there are 13 arrows (if you look closely) representing the united colonies’ preparedness to fight for the common defense.

This 1780 New Hampshire bank note appeared in circulation four years after the beginning of The Revolutionary War.

 

 

 

 

*statesymbolsusa.org referenced.

 

Editor: Renée Vazquez

Ignify

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By Renée

 

lately the world seems to be on its head.

in fact, that is how it has always seemed. we always have our

visors pulled over our

eyes. there we try to hide

 

from all our progress, which we deny, but we must realize that we

occupy a great time to be alive.

right now is all that we will ever

 

have.

apparently it is becoming harder and harder to see that.

perspective is what we need to solve the

problems that our beautiful world has. we need to be

involved. we, all of us,

need to care. it is

essential to stop being

squeamish about the problems that we have all allowed. we need to

stop, care and act.

Editor: Leo Milmet

Pete’s Declassified School Survival Guide: The Essay

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By Peter Kadel, Senior Survival Scout

Essays, the go-to assignment of choice for English teachers everywhere. Ranging from 1 page to 100 pages, throughout your high-school career you will write so many essays and papers that it is likely that one of them will resemble the works of Shakespeare. But, what if all of them could be as good as the great William Shakespeare? Today, here at Pete’s Declassified, we are going to teach you how to write essays that are so good they will make your teacher question the very fabric of the universe and move to Thailand to discover inner peace. So fasten your seatbelts everyone! It’s time to learn.

  1. First, you need to consider your deadline. The best concepts can be ruined by spending too much time worrying about staying on topic and making sense. The best time to write a wonderful essay are the first 48 hours after the essay has been assigned; if you wait any longer your ideas will be lost forever. So, as soon as an essay is assigned, check yourself out of school, and go home. Once you are home, lock all of the doors and retreat to your lair to begin writing.
  2. During your 48-hour writing marathon, you are going to need to fuel your mind and body so you have enough energy to write a wonderful essay. While coffee may sound like the right choice, it’s not. Your best bet is to embrace your inner mad scientist and concoct a caffeinated sugar monstrosity so potent that it will give you a caffeine buzz just from looking at it. My personal favorite is brewing my coffee in Red Bull instead of water and instead of using creamer I buy an iced mocha and use that as my creamer to maximize caffeine intake. Once you’ve got a gallon or two of that in your system, you’ll be all fired up to write an amazing essay.
  3. Now that you are ready to begin writing your essay, you need to think about the content of the essay. While the subject will vary, all essays can follow the same template: hook, line, and sinker. The hook should be eye-catching and astonishing, so even if it doesn’t relate to the rest of your essay, use the flashiest paragraph you can muster to hook your audience. Next, comes the line; all you need to do for this portion of the essay is write as many lines/pages as you need to fulfill the essay’s requirements. Use as many quotes as you can; there is no need to reinvent the wheel here. The human race has been writing stuff down for thousands of years; it would be wasteful not to use what previous generations have written. My favorite resources to quote are the Rosetta Stone, the Magna Carta, the White-Gold Concordat, and business records from Mesopotamia. Once your line is of adequate length, it’s time to move on to the sinker. All you need to know for the sinker is that it should essentially sink your essay in reality. Bring it down. Crush it like reality crushes all high-school students.

If you follow all of these steps, your essays will bring a tear to your teacher’s eye and an “A” to your report card. You’re welcome.

Editor: Makena Behnke