the bird on fire

The things that Ms. America taught me

June 7, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 5 Comments

–by Senior Blogger Ashley Zhou

Time has fled so fast, and suddenly it’s graduation season. I’ve been in the United States for almost three years. I have experienced both the happiest moments and the hardest times. If I can use a simple phrase to describe what America has taught me over the past three years, I will say, “America has taught me to ‘grow up.'”

I remembered when I first got out of the plane after a twelve-hour flight. I was so happy and excited to meet my first host family. But, things didn’t go as well as I thought. The lady in the little cell asked me about the signature on my I-20. I had no idea what was wrong with it, but something was. So, to put it simply, I was brought to a sealed room with people who looked extremely desperate in it. I was scared and didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have an American SIM card, so I had no way to contact my host family and let them know I was detained. So, I did a stupid thing and texted my mom. It was four o’clock in the morning in China, and my mom was worried to death. After waiting for like 20 minutes, they figured out what was going on with my I-20 and let me go. Nothing happened to me, and I met with my host family smoothly. In the evening, I got a message from my dad. He asked me how I was doing and said something I would never forget, “Baby, if you ever encounter something like this in the future, tell me, then we can figure out what to do. Don’t tell your mom. She will be worried, and this is not her fault. She doesn’t know about these situations, and she can’t do anything but be worried about you.” I felt so guilty for letting my mom worry about me. But this is what all mothers do; they worry and worry and worry. So, the second time I got into the secondary room upon arrival in a US airport, I didn’t say anything but let my family know I arrived safely. I’ve learned how to protect my family.

As we grow up, we see other people and ourselves in different lights. We are getting to know more about ourselves and have a more clear idea about who we want to be in the future. What I want to say is that in America, everyone’s talent is valued. There are artists, athletes, politicians, actors, writers, bookworms, scientists, musicians, and multipotentialites (elites who have multiple skills and potentials) in our school. They can be extroverts or introverts, and that doesn’t really matter. Even the slightest advantage in one person can be enlarged and appreciated. It sounds so easy a concept, but it is so hard to achieve and once achieved, it is actually amazing. I wonder so many times why my poor Chinese peers have to live a different life. Parents don’t understand that behind the ruthless and meaningless competitions between grades, their kids’ talents have been depraved.

Human beings tend to bully the weak and fear the strong. This is a universal phenomenon. But, I also have learned that this is totally wrong. Nobody should ever think or act this way. Being kind doesn’t mean being weak, and being rude doesn’t mean being strong. I hope everyone thinks the best of everyone. I guess this is called maturity.

These are some precious lessons I’ve learned from Ms. America, and I am sure there’s more to learn about growing up.

–Edited by Jordan King

Big G Rhapsody

June 3, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–by Big G

We’re finally here; we’re almost there.
Everybody put you hands up and say OH YEAH!
One more week, then school is over,
And I can throw the backpack off my shoulder!

But wait a minute, one more week?
That means the final test is coming quick!
I then look at my calendar, it’s 6/3,
Holy crap, tomorrow morning I have a SAT!

Thats’ alright; I’ll be fine.
It’s just a test; I ain’t gonna cry.
Been there, done that. I know all that.
Let me get a sixteen hundred and say I killed that！

It’s Friday afternoon; I’m just chilling.
Jordan sitting next to me, saying something really confusing.
Kinda zone out, staring on the screen.
I realize Ms. Clark’s paper is due Sunday, and start to scream.

The Same But Not the Same

June 3, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–by Blog Philosopher Jordan King

The ancient thought experiment Ship of Theseus made famous by Plutarch asks a much-debated question. It asks whether a ship that has all its components replaced, one by one, is still the same ship. How can a ship with all new parts still be the same ship? This introduces a puzzling dilemma about living forever. We may see in the distant (or not-so-distant) future the technology of uploading consciousnesses of dying people into a robot or even another human body. We may also see pills which allow people to live indefinitely, but for indefinite living to be possible the people taking ever-life pills would have to replace eventually all of their body parts as the old ones wear out. How can a person with an entirely new body still be the same person?

The conundrum, if an object has all of its components replaced, is it fundamentally the same object?

Let’s start off with the ship; it’s easier for now. To be able to answer the question of whether the Ship of Theseus is wholly original or wholly different, you would need to know what makes a ship a ship. Is a ship the sum of its parts, or is a ship an overall structure? If you were to take the original pieces of the disassembled Ship of Theseus and build it into a second ship, would it be the same ship? Do the pieces define the originality?

Or, if you replace the original pieces with identical new pieces while retaining identical structure, is it a new ship? Or, the original ship? I would say the original ship replaced with new pieces would be the real one. I say this for two reasons. First off, the ship would have exactly the same structure. Replacing each piece one by one would stay more true to the initial structure of the ship than it would to rebuild the ship completely. Secondly, when you are replacing each piece with a new piece, at what point does the ship cease to be the same ship? The first piece being replaced wouldn’t make it a new ship, nor the second. The ship’s only identity is The Ship of Theseus, nothing else; the ship has no thoughts, no personality, and no persona. The ship’s sole purpose of existence is its use as a ship, to transport goods and/or people. If you rebuild the ship using the same parts after the original ship was replaced with new parts, the rebuilt ship wouldn’t be original. It’s identity is not the same because it doesn’t exist in the same location. If the ship had a soul, the ship with the new pieces would be original because it has the same existence, purpose, and structure. It has the Same identity.

People do change though. They grow older; their skin falls off; their hair falls out, and their cells replace themselves. Almost all cells die and replace themselves every 10 years, with the exception of the nervous system, female gametes, and lens cells, which take a lifetime to replace.

Here is a chart from bionumbers.org, of the amount of time cells take to replace themselves:

So, every 10 years you are a completely different person (when it comes to what you’re made of). But… It’s not just your body parts that are different; you actually change psychologically, too. Your personality will change dramatically over the next decade (Time.com). You’re not the same as your four-year-old self; you are more mature (hopefully), and you are smarter with more life experience.

When we are able to transfer human consciousnesses onto machines or take pills to live forever, we will be different people. But we already become different people every 10 or so years. Nothing has changed. When we are able to live forever, we’ll still change, just a lot more, as we will be alive hundreds or even thousands of years. Five-hundred-year-old you won’t be anything like you were in your teens.

5 Technologies That Will Change The Way We Live

June 1, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

–by Blog Technology Correspondent Jordan King

Tired of driving in traffic? Weary of going to the post office to pick up a package? Do you wish you could sit court side to watch Steph shoot those waaayyy outside shots? Jordan says times they are a-changing. We’re in the middle of the technological revolution, a cyber renaissance.

Technology makes our lives better in so many ways. It allows us the get places quicker; it allows us to access information faster; it lets us interact with the world in an entirely new way. The near future will bring several game-changing technologies to the main stage. Here are five technologies–already in development–that will change the way we live.

#5. Drones

The idea of a sky filled with drones may seem a little scary at first, but small drones (not the large ones often used in the military) could change the way we get stuff. Drone delivery is going to be a reality in the very near future. Amazon drones are already working; the only thing in the way is FCC regulation. Most likely, within the next five years, drones will be approved for commercial use in our air space, and you’ll be able to receive a package in a matter of minutes or hours.

Drone deliveries will change the way we live because people will be able to receive things without leaving the house. If there aren’t any stores nearby that sell what you need, you can get it. If you needed something but are too busy to go out, you can get it. Imagine looking out your front window, and you see a drone approaching, closer and closer. The dog is barking crazily. The drone comes in for a landing, and you see suddenly the orange of the Amazon logo. Then you realize, it’s not your creepy neighbors or the NSA spying on you, it’s your order of New York Times best-selling books deposited at your doorstep.

#4. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality headsets immerse you in another world. Wearing VR headsets is like sitting right in front of a 4K HDTV but better; the picture surrounds you. Virtual Reality puts you IN the picture. In a Virtual Reality basketball game, you can sit court side, see Steph Curry make the game-winning basket, then you can turn around and see the reaction of the stands. Look up, and you see the score is tied on the JumboTron. Gaming, nature shows, movies, sports events are now more realistic than ever.

Augmented Reality has been much less successful than Virtual Reality, but it could be even more useful. Augmented Reality could be game-changing to education. It will change the way students learn and their learning environment. Students will be able to interact with problems in new ways, and teachers will be able to make learning environments more interactive and creative. The digital and physical world intertwine, and concepts come to life. For example, students can record themselves defining vocabulary words. Later, other students can access the Aurasma app to see their peers’ image pop up with a recorded definition. Educators call this a Word Wall. Imagine an avatar teaching you the latest Calculus theorem. One app, PhotoMath, allows a student to take a picture of a math problem, submit it, and PhotoMath will walk that student through the steps of solving the problem. Virtual teachers teach flesh-and-blood students. Here’s a video of it in action.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TyXePLD54uU

#3. Self-Driving Cars

Self-driving cars are already fully operational. They’re legal in seven states and DC. Self-driving cars will change the ridesharing industry. Uber plans to start phasing out its human drivers with self-driving cars in the next decade. Uber would be able to cut its fares in half after phasing out human drivers.

Self-driving cars will change how we get around. Car ownership will decrease drastically as people switch to the ease of ride-sharing services and expanded public transportation.

#2. The Hyperloop

Transportation needs to be drastically improved. How we get around is behind the times. We have been getting around the same way for nearly 100 years. That’s where the Hyperloop comes in. The Hyperloop will allow people to travel at 800 miles per hour. With the Hyperloop, you can travel from LA to San Francisco in half an hour.

The effects of the Hyperloop would be enormous. People will be able to get places faster than ever before. You would be able to live in LA and work in San Francisco. You’ll be able to cheer on your grandchildren’s Little League game in Santa Barbara and still make your tee time for 9 holes back in the desert. Distance will become less and less an issue, and people will be more connected than ever.

#1. Artificial Intelligence

Without a doubt, the single technology that will impact people the most is artificial intelligence. Every single item on this list relies on virtual intelligence to operate. Artificial intelligence will soon be able to learn from itself and get smarter. This is how self-driving cars are getting more accurate. The more Tesla’s cars are driven by their owners, the smarter they get. The more Amazon’s drones are used, the more efficient they become. Artificial intelligence is gathering data, refining data, learning. Technology may one day, be smarter than humans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UBdrMTxsvs

The Impact of the Digital Age on Adolescence?

May 26, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

–A Blog Survey

The showing of the movie Screenagers on campus last Wednesday got us talking about the impact of computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones, video games, and television on teenagers. Many families, educators, and psychologists worry about the effect of teenagers staring at a screen for hours a day. Thebirdonfire Blog team wanted to know: Who calls the shots in your life? You or your Smart Phone?

We asked around the PVS Upper School, “Do you think you’re experiencing enough face-to-face social interaction? (Or, are you just staring at your screen all day?)

54% in the Upper School surveyed said, “Yes,” they get enough face-to-face time.
23% said, “Yes and No. ” They thought they met with enough interaction IN SCHOOL, but OUT OF SCHOOL, they were spending significant time in front of the screen. Henry Huang said, “In school, we have all these people we talk with about life, school, events. We have friends outside of school, but, perhaps ironically, we converse with them via text, email, SnapChat, Twitter.”
15% surveyed said, “No,” teenagers today are not connecting enough with humans.

We asked, “Hey! Whose responsibility is it to pay attention in class?”

54% answered resoundingly, “The student’s!”
46% said, “It’s BOTH the student’s and teacher’s responsibility.” Jordan King answered, “It’s up to the student to not use devices. It’s up to the teacher to engage students.”
NOBODY thought it was the teacher’s job exclusively. Everybody thought the student should take at least some responsibility for attentiveness.

When asked if cell phones should be banned in schools, the PVS Upper School responded 62% of the time, “NO.”
31% thought there should be parameters, or, yes, ban them in class, but not on campus.
Only one person answered, “Yes, ban ’em.”

When asked how much intervention do you want from parents and adults in monitoring your screen-time, 39% answered, “None. Leave me alone.”
54% thought a gentle reminder might be helpful or welcome. Jacob Langlois said, “Monitoring would be acceptable, . . . If I was 8!”
One adult said, “Monitoring is important.”

When asked if indeed our “lives” on social media have become a competitive sport and a popularity contest, 86% of females polled said, “Yes, of course.” Every boy, on the other hand, scratched his head and asked, confusedly, “What do you mean a competitive sport?”

The documentary Screenagers states kids spend on average 6.5 hours a day in front of screens BEYOND doing their homework or school work. When we asked “How much time do you spend in front of a screen daily (excluding class/homework time),” responses ranged from 2 to 6.5 hours a day.

When we asked how many hours do you spend daily playing video games, the girls overwhelmingly said, “0.” The boys averaged 1 to 3 hours a day gaming.
So, if you’re not zoning out in front of a screen, what are you doing? We asked. The replies? “Reading.” “Playing guitar.” “Snacking.” “Talking to my parents.” “Hanging out with my friends.” “Researching the stock market.” “Playing baseball.” “Doing homework.”

Does it add up? 8 hours a day in school. 6.5 hours in front of a screen. Hours a night doing homework, playing baseball, guitar, talking, eating. These are long days in the Digital Age. Perhaps our days are long because studies show our Digital Age has extended into our nights. Three quarters of young people fall asleep at night with their cell phone within reach (Huffpost Healthy Living) . . . so they can check Instagram one . . . last . . . time.

Talking about dreams

May 25, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–by Blog Dreamer Gaven Li
Does everyone dream? The answer is, Yes, even though some people claim that they don’t dream every night. According to the International Association for the Study of Dreams, laboratory studies show that all human beings have dreams during a type of sleep called Rapid Eye Movement (REM). People who say they don’t dream actually just have trouble remembering their dreams.
Personally, dreaming is one of my favorite things to do. I dream every night and remember many of my dreams. The most terrifying dream I’ve ever had was a long story: me and my friend were playing basketball in my elementary school when a huge monster showed up. We ran upstairs, but the monster was chasing us and getting closer and closer. Then, we saw two big trash cans in the corner, so I jumped into the left trash can, and my friend hid in the one on the right.

I was so scared. I started shaking and hoped that the monster would go to my friend (sorry, dude). However, the monster came straight at me and picked me up!!!

“Oh crap.” Then I got eaten.

When I woke up, my heart was beating fast, and I was soaked. That dream was so clear and so realistic that I remember so many details of it after years. It’s interesting because I sometimes forget the dreams I had last night but still remember dreams from years ago.
So, why do we dream? Unfortunately, the answer has not been found yet, but scientists did come up with a few interesting theories: one is that when human beings are dreaming, our brains are actually sorting the information we collect during the waking hours. During sleep, the brain is deciding whether to keep the information or not, which creates the dream. Was it important: the car we saw? the person we met? the commercial we watched? This theory makes sense; I find it questionable, however. In life, I never met a monster or hide from one in a trash can, and I never met Adolf Hitler in my life. Yet, there was one time I dreamed about Hitler–standing next to my bed and watching me sleep. Scary, isn’t it?
Another theory about why we dream is that dreams reflect our emotions. Our brains are not required to focus on anything during sleep, so all the emotions of the day occur in the dream cycle.
If something is weighing heavily on your mind during the day, chances are you might dream about it either specifically, or through obvious associated imagery. This theory sounds more reasonable to me because there were so many times I dreamed about failing my tests before taking them, and I kept dreaming about my grandpa after he passed away.
But, what does dreaming about Hitler mean? I found this “dream dictionary” on dreamscloud.com:

Someone who is controlling or tyrannical? I don’t know about that. While the “Dream Interpreter” makes dreams sound more intriguing and mysterious, it is also important to realize that everyone has different stories and the same thing might represent totally different meanings for different people in different dreams. Many times, dream dictionaries serve the purpose of amusement more than scientific research.
Anyways, we still have a long way to go on dream study. Don’t remember your dreams? Just put a pen and a piece of paper next to your bed, then write down your dreams as soon as you wake up! You’ll be amazed by how crazy your dreams are!!

Register to Vote Today!

May 23, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

—Public Service Announcement by Blogger Henry Huang

So, the California primary election is on June 7. Today is the deadline for California voter registration. I urge everyone to register and vote. It’s not about which party or which candidate you support; it’s only about the practice of democracy. The best way to protect democracy is to practice it. Democracy is not only a right, a privilege, but also a duty that every citizen has to fulfill. Besides, the post office is not on Mars. You don’t need a spaceship to get there. The registration process is easy. The internet is easy to access. (You can even register electronically.) Please, register today, and vote on June 7 to protect our democracy.

Easy registration: Go to http://registertovote.ca.gov/.

Dorm Necessities . . . Those Simple “Dorm” Necessities

May 20, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 4 Comments

It’s almost time for graduation! I’m sure that all the seniors are
super excited to go to colleges. Going to college, students have to
not only study on their own, but also have to live on their own. So dorm
essentials seem to be very important. I have made a list of
necessities for dorms and their relative prices for future reference.
You are very welcome to comment if you think of other important
commodities that I didn’t include~

Bedding
Two sets of bedding set of four (including duvet cover, pillowcases,
and flat sheet.) $100
Two standard twin pillows $16
Water proof mattress pad $20
One bolster $5
One comforter $55
One blanket $30

Bathroom
Two bath towels $34
Hand towel $10
Wastebasket $16
Bath rug $10
Bath coordinate $5
Cleaning supplies $20
Shower caddy $5
Shower sandals $13

Laundry
Hamper/ laundry basket $8
Hangers $7

Room decor
Study lamp $15
Picture frame and wall decorations $20
Storage boxes $20
Bookshelf $25

Small fridge or microwave $150

The approximate cost of all the listed items is $585 dollars+tax, and
those items are pretty common and necessary in most the dorms.
Also, girls might want to purchase more cosmetics and more decorations
for the room, and boys may need to buy a tv or an Xbox to play video
games. Sometimes cookware is also important for students who like to
cook for themselves. It depends on the specific need of a student,
but in general, our tabulations are pretty accurate. Although it seems to be
pricey, a lovely and comfortable dorm provides us a nice environment to
study and relax. It’s worthwhile after all to have a nice dorm.

Did we forget anything? Let us know.

Jake: Live @ New York City

May 19, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

If you’ve been living under your bed for the past three weeks, perhaps you DIDN’T hear that PVS freshman Jake Mule, English Speaking Union Shakespeare Monologue Riverside region winner, took his Launce monologue and his sonnet to New York’s Lincoln Center. HE WAS ONE OF THE NATION’S 10 FINALISTS!–and the only freshman in a field of 55 national contenders. The ESU has released video of the finalists. Here is Jake’s final performance: his cold reading from Romeo and Juliet, his prepared monologue from The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Sonnet 55.

On Saturday, May 14, the local English Speaking Union welcomed Jake and his parents, Mr. David and Mrs. Manny Mule, to their May luncheon at Seven Lakes Country Club. Jake described the experience of performing at Lincoln Center, his ventures into New York and NYU; then he performed his monologue and sonnet. Pictured below: Mr. David Mule, Jake, Bill Gaye (ESU Boardmember and former Shakespeare Monologue Competition Chair), and Mrs. Manny Mule. Mr. and Mrs. Mule also spoke. They described the experience from the parent vantage, sitting in the audience, watching the impressive talent gathered from around the nation.

Say What? Aphorisms make it brief, make it clear.

May 5, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

Henry exclaimed suddenly, “The Oxford Book of Aphorisms! Whoa! There is something I want to buy!” Now, Henry is in the process of slimming down his collection of books. He’s moving across the country to George Washington U and has no room for more books. So, we went on a hunt to compile a brief collection of these brief sayings for Henry.

An aphorism is, according to literarydevices.net, “a statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner. The term is often applied to philosophical, moral and literary principles. To qualify as an aphorism, it is necessary for a statement to contain a truth revealed in a terse manner.”

What follows are our favorite found aphorisms on Advice, Respect, Love, Failure, Motivation, and Computers.

“Most people, when they come to you for advice, come to have their own opinions strengthened, not corrected.”

–Henry Wheeler Shaw

“Respect is greater at a distance.”

–Publius Cornelius Tacitus

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.”

–Winnie the Pooh

20aphorisms5

“There are two kinds of failures: those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought.”

–Laurence Johnston Peter

“All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.”

–James Thurber

“Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window.”

–Steve Wozniak

“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”

–Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Try an aphorism. Share it with us. Focus on brevity and clarity to find your way into an idea. For you Romantics out there, Henry has provided links to his favorite romantic aphorism cites: for romantic lines from Wuthering Heights, go to https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1565818-wuthering-heights; for the most romantic lines in the UK, go to http://uk.reuters.com/article/arts-us-books-romance-idUKTRE7198H220110210; and for Buzzfeed’s “43 Most Romantic Lines,” go to https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliapugachevsky/most-romantic-lines-from-literature?utm_term=.nfR7yLN0w#.yhlnmYaxG.