the bird on fire

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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

GSA Day of Silence

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By Shelby Armor

On Friday, April 27, our school’s GSA (Gender and Sexuality Acceptance Club) is hosting a Day of Silence. This is an annual thing hosted by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), a K-12 organization that seeks to give greater inclusion to LGBT+ students. Day of Silence is a day to recognize bullying (specifically, bullying of LGBT+ people). The way our school is carrying this out is by keeping the silence through Friday morning and breaking it at lunch time to present poetry. The poetry will be in the Student Lounge at lunch, and the poems will be regarding LGBT+ bullying. Everyone is encouraged to bring or recite poetry–original or found. And, if you found an amazing poem, but don’t feel quite comfortable presenting it, fear not. If you don’t feel comfortable presenting something, you don’t have to. You can show a video or have someone else read. The point of the day is to just get poetry out there and respect the cause. The National Day of Silence is a day to get everyone together to realize the problem of LGBT+ bullying throughout schools all over the country.

Editor: Leo Milmet

Portable Poem Day

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By Leo Milmet

As many PVS students already know, on Tuesday, April 24, Palm Valley will be celebrating Portable Poetry Day. Essentially, the students will celebrate by wearing a word on themselves in some way. Below is Mr. Griffin’s release for Portable Poetry Day, where you can learn all about how we’re celebrating Portable Poetry Day at PVS.

If you need a couple of ideas for words, check below the poster for a few interesting words that might just tickle your fancy.

National Poetry Week

TUESDAY, APRIL 24

PORTABLE POETRY DAY

RELEASE THE MAGIC OF WORDS!

BE THE POEM YOU ARE!

Instructions:

  1. COME UP WITH YOUR MOST FANTABULOUSLY EXPRESSIVE WORD. ADJECTIVE, NOUN, ADVERB, VERB–WHATEVER. THIS WILL BE YOUR WORD FOR THE DAY.
  2. ON TUESDAY, APRIL 24-–WEAR IT PORTABLY SOMEWHERE ON YOUR SELF:
  • PINNED OR TAPED TO YOUR SHIRT, FRONT OR BACK
  • ON YOUR SHOE, ON YOUR SOCK
  • ON YOUR PANTS, ON YOUR SKIRT
  • ON YOUR HAT, IN YOUR HAIR
  • ON YOUR FACE, ON YOUR NOSE, ON YOUR EAR
  • THINK AHEAD AND HAVE IT PRINTED ON A T-SHIRT

(Dress code is still in force, but you may wear any alternate clothing that is directly related to your WORD: a hat, a scarf, a shirt, etc.)

  1. ON TUESDAY:  ALL THROUGH THE MORNING, PUT YOURSELF TOGETHER WITH CLASSMATES & FRIENDS & TEACHERS TO FORM WILDLY IMAGINATIVE POEMS THAT ARE PORTABLE!
  2. AT LUNCH IN MR. GRIFFIN’S ROOM, WORDS AND POEMS WILL BE VOTED ON AND PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED:
  • MOST HILARIOUS WORD
  • MOST ATTRACTIVE WORD
  • MOST EXOTIC (UNUSUAL) WORD
  • MOST MEANINGFUL COMBO
  • MOST SURPRISING COMBO
  • 2018’s MOST PORTABLY FANTASTIC POEM

Some of our favorite words here in Blog Class:

  • Orwellian
  • Vertebrate
  • Coniferous
  • Crepuscular
  • Antidisestablishmentarianism
  • Astroturfing  

Editor: AJ Patencio

Writer’s Block

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By Renée

 

In the absence of

time.

Unaccompanied by

fate.

Not having the use or benefit of

magic.

Lacking

experience

Short of

patience.

Deprived of

stability.

In need of

direction.

Wanting

accomplishment.

Needing

support.

Requiring

humility.

In circumstances in which the desired action does not happen,

write.

Editor: Bella Bier

Alice

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By Sue Doe Nimbly

i walked into love,

willingly.

you did lure me;

you did pull on my heart,

but i came on my own accord.

there was no plummet–

no blind stumbling.

i walked in with my head held high,

with silent and determined strides.

to all of this you remained

unaware.

you were immersed someplace else.

now

i close my eyes…

i rip out my heart…

and walk out

just as quietly as i walked in.

 

Editor: Shelby Armor

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

National School Walkout

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By AJ Patencio

In honor of the many school shootings in the past years, a National School Walkout is being organized on April 20, which is the 19th anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. The walkout will begin at 10:00 am when students will walk out of their schools, take thirteen seconds of silence for the thirteen killed in the Columbine shooting, then use the rest of the day for organized protests. Participants are encouraged to wear orange, the color of the anti-gun violence movement. Over 2,000 walkouts are registered* in the U.S. with at least one per state and several registered outside the U.S. The Walkout was organized by 16-year-old Lane Murdock, who grew up three miles from Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School where 20 students were killed in 2012.** Murdock and three of her fellow classmates at Ridgefield High School were dissatisfied with the seventeen minutes of silence for the Florida Massacre that killed seventeen people. They hope to bring a stronger message that students will not be silenced or forgotten.

Editor: Bella Bier

*https://www.actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/enough-national-school-walkout

**http://time.com/5238216/national-school-walkout-april-20/

Fuller-TON of Fun

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By Brennan Nick, actor and blogger

The Palm Valley School cast of “Murder, Murder”

Just last month, the Palm Valley School Drama Department went to Fullerton College to compete with over 60 other schools in monologues, scenes, and a musical number–that you saw showcased at morning assembly. This is the Fullerton College Drama Festival. The key word here is “Festival” as it is emphasized that the most important aspect of Fullerton is the festivity of it per se. In other words, it’s all about having fun, and there’s ample opportunity for it. For example, there are songs played in the courtyard to “energy circles” formed by students from dozens of schools.

However, the real reason we’re all at the Festival is for the competition, and Palm Valley School was no slouch. Although we did not place, we had five finalists. To put this into perspective, two years ago we had only one finalist. This year was the first time we ever made it to the finals for a musical number. We did it with Murder, Murder from the play Jekyll and Hyde. Our other finalists included:

–A scene from Almost Maine performed by Lawrence, Shelby, and Josh;

–A scene from Twelfth Night performed by Joe, Aurora, Jordan K., Nathan, and Aidan;

–A monologue from Measure for Measure performed by me, Brennan;

–A monologue from I am not Batman performed by Graham.

None of this would have been possible without the help from Mr. Sarkis and Mr. Gahnz. They are the reason a school as small as ours can compete with schools of thousands of students. These two teachers worked alongside all of us for the month and a half leading up to Fullerton. Here’s to winning trophies next year!

Editor: Makena Behnke

Mythological Misunderstandings

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Graphic by Harlow Berny

By Harlow Berny

I. Love. Fairy tales. If it has magic(k), mythical creatures, or an interesting and emotionally deep plot, then chances are that I’ll like it. But the thing that sets me off the most is when there’s a misunderstanding of something important about the magic(k) or mythical creature involved in the story. Here are some of the mistakes that upset me the most.

Types of Magic(k). There are two main types: magic (simple things like pulling a rabbit out of a hat and someone using cards for a reading) and magick (occult magick such as divination and summoning a demon). The two main types of magic are not black magic and white magic. The terms black magic and white magic can be construed as racist terms made to separate the “evil, impure, and barbaric” African magic from the “good, pure, and refined” European magic. These insensitive terms are often used by people who are new to the community and mean well or people who are just using magic(k) for show/money.

Occult vs. Cult. These words do look very similar, but they certainly do not mean the same thing. Occult simply refers to anything that can’t be explained by science, while cult refers to a group that worships a particular being or object. It can be confusing to people who haven’t been told the difference, and thus has caused misrepresentation of both subjects. One example would be the game Yandere Simulator (Warning: This game would likely be rated M for Mature by the ESRB–Entertainment Software Raters Board–if it wasn’t still in development) which has an Occult Club that the player can join. When you join the club, however, you participate in cult activities such as demon summoning and sacrifice.

Satyr vs. Faun. What does a satyr have to do with a female deer? Nothing. What you’re thinking of is a fawn. A faun is a creature from Roman mythology that can be male or female and has goat legs, horns, ears, and tail with a human torso, head, arms, and hands. They typically play pan flutes, drink wine, and have an affinity for romance. Sounds familiar? That’s because many people use the word “satyr” for creatures like that, when a satyr is really a different creature from Greek mythology. A satyr is a middle-aged (or older) man with a long beard, pointed ears, a donkey tail, and a goat or enlarged human phallus that is permanently erect. They are almost always ugly and drunk, have extreme lust for women, and play a pipe flute. These creatures are from different cultures and are quite certainly different species.

Chimera vs. Manticore. For the last misunderstanding, we have two mythical creatures that I don’t see very often. A manticore comes from Persian mythology and has a lion body, human head or face, and a scorpion tail. Sometimes a manticore has poisonous spikes on a lion tail, and some modern depictions give it large bat wings. A chimera is from Greek mythology and is a female creature with a lion head, goat body, and serpent tail. Some modern depictions call any monster that is a combination of multiple animals a chimera.

Editor: Makena Behnke

$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