the bird on fire

Celebrating National Poetry Month

April 22, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

The Palm Valley World Literature class, in celebration of April as National Poetry Month, read a modern poem called, “What Do Women Want” by Kim Addonizio. In this poem, the speaker longs for a red dress which serves as a metaphor for her passion to be understood and appreciated. Inspired by this poem, Ms. Zachik, as the class’s instructor, encouraged her sophomores to write their own poems of “What Do I Want?” The following poems are their unique interpretations of the topic. –Blog Editor Ashley Zhou

What do Women Want?

by Kim Addonizio

I want a red dress.
I want it flimsy and cheap,
I want it too tight, I want to wear it
until someone tears it off me.
I want it sleeveless and backless,
this dress, so no one has to guess
what’s underneath. I want to walk down
the street past Thrifty’s and the hardware store
with all those keys glittering in the window,
past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old
donuts in their café, past the Guerra brothers
slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly,
hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders.
I want to walk like I’m the only
woman on earth and I can have my pick.
I want that red dress bad.
I want it to confirm
your worst fears about me,
to show you how little I care about you
or anything except what
I want. When I find it, I’ll pull that garment
from its hanger like I’m choosing a body
to carry me into this world, through
the birth-cries and the love-cries too,
and I’ll wear it like bones, like skin,
it’ll be the goddamned
dress they bury me in.

Peace – Harrison
I want peace.
I want no one to suffer.
I want people in the world to not have to worry about terrorism.
I want everyone in the world to be happy.
I want peace.

Anonymous
I want a paradise by my design. I want to ride a canoe down a winding
river teeming with bears and wolves and snakes and fish.
I want to ride that river until I reach a mountain. And I want that
mountain to scream a challenge to the world. I want that mountain to
loom over the world and blot out the sky. I want that mountain to
challenge ME. I want to meet that challenge and rise above the
mountain. I want to feel the spirit of adventure coursing through my
veins. I want to stand above the trees and the birds and the mountain.
I want it to be me against the mountain, and the mountain has it coming.

Anonymous
I want a day with no worries.
I want a day where I can just lie down and look at the sun and smile.
I want a day where I can relax and enjoy the outdoors.
I want a day to enjoy the world around me.
I want a day of peace and quiet.

Anonymous
I want to see things that aren’t real.
I want all of them to be revealed.
I want to see an iron dragon and giant serpent foul or fair.
I want to see a broken wagon, filled with gold that fills the air.
I want to see a castle great and two clashing armies filled with hate.
I want to see a dying man and save him with my life-filled hand.
I want a sea with oceans green filled with every one of my life-long dreams.

Christian Sadler
I have heard a quote–
“If you want to succeed
as much as you want to breathe,
you’ll be successful”–
I want to succeed
like I want to breathe.
But, now that I check,
I am losing air.

Anonymous
What does he want, everyone asks?
Maybe he just wants to be appreciated?
Maybe he wants to be understood?
Maybe that one cup of coffee is the only thing that makes him get out of bed.
Regardless, he goes on for no reason.
Regardless, he wants to reach his end goal.
He wants to say that he survived it all.

Cameron Cronin
I want a new car.
I want it sleek and stylish.
I want to ride it. I want to drive it until the end.
I want it clean and neat. I want to drive it everywhere I go, such
as Las Vegas, Universal, or even the Rocky Mountains.
I want it bad, the car.

Twark Main
I cannot think of what I want.
I cannot think of what I will flaunt.
I cannot think of what I’d choose.
I must find a compelling muse.
I do not want a car.
I do not want a bar.
Some may say I’d want a dog.
I respond–I’d rather a frog.

Sylvia Sheng

I want a cup of coffee
to keep me awake when
I have to stay up late for homework,
to make my eyes open when
I’m in the middle of the lesson.

Anthony Vincent
I want to travel.
I want to explore and unravel new spaces.
I want to stay in new places.
I want to meet new people and become familiar with their faces.
I want to understand new culture.
I want to see a vulture.
I want to travel.

Haley
What do I want?
I want a bad tattoo.

I want it so obvious, until my parents find it.
“Wipe” it all off me.

John
What does John want?
John wants to be home all day,
happy and content with peanut butter and Ritz crackers,
be with my dad and dogs,
but if John has to go to school,
I guess John wants to have awesome grades and
go to the Citadel to make my dad proud.
I kinda just want him to be proud.

Henry’s Award-Winning Speech!

April 20, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–an original speech by Henry Huang

Henry composed this speech on the given topic “Liberty and Justice for All: What Does It Mean to You?” and delivered through FOUR levels of the 2016 Lions Club Speech Competition. He began with the Palm Springs Lions Club-level competition, and the PS Lions supported him through the next three levels–all the way up to the District Level in Big Bear, California. Henry won $500 in the process and the devotion of his fans. Said Cathy Brant, Palm Springs Lion, “His speech brought tears to my eyes.”

In 1752, Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod. This invention protects a building from being destroyed by lightning. However, what is more important is Franklin, as well as other Founding Fathers, built a lightning rod called “liberty and justice for all” so that the new nation would always be protected from the lightning of tyranny and dictatorship.

Here, I want to share some ideas that I have about this universally acknowledged truth as a foreigner, as an outsider.

I know there are many people who will doubt the self-evident words: “Liberty and justice for all.” There are so many tragedies happening today. Fear, anger, nervousness could destroy all the faith we have in those words: “Liberty and justice for all.” However, I view these words as a guidance, something like a polar star. The idea of “Liberty and justice for all” will always give us faith and power to face whatever is in front of us.

“Liberty and justice for all” are not merely some words written on paper, repeated in the Pledge of Allegiance everyday. To me, “Liberty and justice for all” is a warranty, a warranty granted by the Founding Fathers so that people who live on this vast land in North America will never suffer the same pain and slavery of tyranny. The Founding Fathers ignited a torch, a torch of hope and freedom with these simple words. For centuries, people immigrated to the United States and believed this nation is “the promised land.” People move to the United States not only because of its vast natural resources and opportunities but also for the promise of freedom and the right to pursue happiness. That is the reason we have legends of immigrants in America like Kissinger, Albright, Schwarzenegger. That is also a part of the reason I have come to “the land of the free and the home of the brave” to further my education because with these powerful words, I believe that I can have the chance to be the person I want to be.

In the history of the United States, there are dark moments where this nation broke its promise to the world. The enslavement of African Americans, the trail of tears of Native Americans, the internment camps of Japanese Americans in World War II are some unavoidable blots on American history. However, the greatness of this nation is that it will look back to what it has done and do better and improve it. That is why this nation also gave birth to the Civil Rights movement and legislation so that such tragedy in history will never appear again.

Nowadays, there are events like injustice in the justice system, public figures spitting untruthful words about a specific ethnic group or a specific religion. It is a cause for concern. Yet, as President Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” So, please see those protesters expressing “all life matters”; please hear the public outcry against those outrageous speeches; please feel the power of these emotions that will never die. Love, respect, peace. You will see that those who holds malicious thoughts are few; those principles that the Founding Fathers brought forth have not vanished. The enlightened people of the United States still treasure and protect the most valuable assets of this great land: “Liberty and Justice for all.”

Liberty and Justice for all, to me, is also like a nourishing loaf of bread. There is nothing lavish, nothing luxurious in it. However, its simplicity and power do provide vital nutrients to the United States. Some other promises made by other countries are like macaroons: full of lavishness and luxury. Macaroons are sweet inside, but there is nothing left after sweetness. I hope, and I truly believe, this nourishing bread will keep feeding the democracy and prosperity of the United States.

What is racism?

April 15, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 9 Comments

–by Gaven Li

We live in an extremely sensitive world. If people don’t use words like “black” or “colored” properly, they will be easily considered “racist.” I’ve been living in the United States as a Chinese student for about seventeen months and have met or heard many things that are a little “racist” but not hard to get over. So what is racism? In my very own opinion, racism is not the jokes that my friends often make about my eyes (sometime they are actually funny), or the fact that it took some teachers a year to stop calling me “Michael,” who is another male Chinese student in my grade. I don’t think these things are racist. They won’t even hurt my feelings.

The real racism is when mainstream media keeps conveying wrong messages to the audience that China is still a poor, rural country with uneducated people, while they never show the amazing changes China has made in the past thirty years. The real racism is the stereotype of “the smart Asian” or “the calculator,” without realizing how hard Chinese students study and how competitive it is to get into a good college in China. The real racism is claiming that “Chinese immigrants are taking over our land and our jobs,” while forgetting how European immigrants took land and livelihood from Native Americans two hundred years ago. The real racism is making fun of the Chinese internet blockade while praising the “freedom of speech” which was written in the U.S. Constitution while Edward Snowden has been hiding all over the world for three years. The real racism is laughing at China’s government system without even knowing anything about it, while the U.S. election system is about to let Mr. Donald Trump become the next president. The real racism is indignantly criticizing the child labor issues in China, while ignoring which country held slaves for two centuries.

Growing up in China, we are taught that the United States of America is an amazing country with liberty and democracy—Hollywood, New York, the NBA…it sounds a wonderful place. When I first came here, however, the one question that I was asked so many times was, “Do you eat dogs?” This really shocked me. I don’t know if it’s because of TV, newspapers, or the internet; it seems like most Americans’ knowledge and understanding of China is from the 1970’s. Even though I know the United States is probably so perfect that the people don’t necessarily want to learn too much about other countries, what really upsets me is the fact that so many people accept the wrong, misguided images of China or Chinese people without thinking or researching. The comic-strip caricature of the evil Fu Manchu, for example, was perpetuated by the media and politicians. I can live with all the racist jokes, but it is the disrespect and unfair judgement to my motherland that hurts me the most.

Because of cultural differences, Asian people usually don’t speak out for themselves or protest in public, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have feelings. I’m not pointing at anyone since most of my friends and teachers are nice to me and I really appreciate it. I’m just expressing how I feel about racism as portrayed in the media and internet. Indeed, Asians have small eyes, but they are big enough for us to see the unfairness and discrimination we are facing.

The most influential persons in history

April 8, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 10 Comments

–comments and summary by senior Blog Correspondent and future “Influential Person” Ashley Zhou

The other day when I was browsing the old bookshelf at home, a book caught my eyes: The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History by Michael Hart.
I have thought about this topic but was never able to come up with my own list of influential persons.
The first names that popped out of my head were Isaac Newton, newton Jesus Christ, and maybe Sherlock Holmes. So, I opened the book. I was curious to find out who is the most influential person. Muhammad. The book said, “Muhammad.”
Ummm. I have to admit that I was a little bit shocked because I didn’t know a whole bunch about Muhammad. So I continued reading and tried to find out more about him. In the preface, author Hart admitted that ranking Muhammad first might be controversial, but he felt that from a secular historian’s perspective, this was the correct choice because Muhammad is the only man to have been both a founder of a major world religion and a major military/political leader.
As I kept reading the book, I find that the list was clearly dominated by religious leaders (implying that they were the most influential group of people). Next, came innovaters and scientists, and then political figures. The highest ranked political/military figure does not come until #17 (Qin Shi Huang, the first Chinese emperor to unite China), followed by Caesar Augustus (nephew of Julius, creator of a peaceful Roman era) at #18. This view would be consistent with the idea that “the pen is mightier than the sword.” jesus-christ-munir-alawi
But, why are the religious leaders the most influential group in history? Or, what evidence did the author use to support his point?
Firstly, the influence of religion is much more profound and widespread across the world than that of military or politics or fashion, etc. People nowadays still keep their beliefs and religions as very important parts their lives. In history, those founders went through a harsh, austere, and long process of establishing those religions. Hart explains religions lead their people to fight battles, teach them about the theories or save them from their sufferings. Religion wasn’t only a redemption but also a main support in people’s lives. A kingdom may last a century or so, but it doesn’t expand beyond its borders. Religions spread worldwide and last for generations. That is why religions and religious leaders have such widespread influence across the world.
Inventors and scientists bring us steam engines, paper making, electricity, the basic knowledge of the universe, pasteurization, magneto, airplanes, radios, telephones, photography, X-Rays and many other technologies to better our standard of living. These changes are tangible and practical, and, more importantly, these inventions and discoveries are the foundation of the progress of human civilization. So that’s why inventors and scientists are ranked the second most influential group in history.
As I mentioned, the highest ranking political/military figure doesn’t come till #17 on Hart’s list. Hart explains that’s because the influence of an empire usually doesn’t last longer than one or two centuries. Even though those kings and emperors were great leaders and fighters, they weren’t as influential as religious and scientific leaders. And, of course, Hitler is a member of The 100. He’s #35 (#39 in the revised edition).
As we enter the 21st century, there are many other notable and notorious individuals who truly influenced our lives: Steve Jobs, Ronald Reagan, FDR, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah, even Benedict Cumberbatch. I am looking forward to the update of this book. In another 50 years, I hope I am on the list. Hehehe.

Who would be on your list of “The 100 Most Influential”? Mr. Sarkis? Kobe? Rihanna?

Tesla Unveils the Model 3

April 6, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–by Jordan King, Blog Auto Industry Correspondent, future driver who will probably get a Toyota Corolla because the Tesla 3 doesn’t come out until the end of 2017, and he can’t WAIT THAT LONG!

March 31st marked the beginning of a revolution: the electric-car revolution. Tesla unveiled the Model 3–the most mainstream electric car ever. Why is this so exciting? Well, first off, the Tesla 3 gets 215 miles of range for the cheapest model! All models (except the cheapest model) come with autopilot! What’s even more exciting is the price; the Model 3 is $35,000 at its cheapest, but after government incentives the price drops to $25,000. Also, just look at it!

teslamotors.com

teslamotors.com

Well… There are a few complications though. Firstly, if Tesla sells more than 200,000 units, there won’t be an incentive. Tesla already has over 270,000 pre-orders for a car that won’t ship for another eighteen months. Also the base model probably won’t have any of the features that people want. Autonomous features won’t be available unless you have a model for potentially $50,000 or more. Also the Model 3 isn’t expected to ship until the end of 2017. How can anyone wait that long? It’s madness! I’m betting, however, the Model 3 will disrupt the auto industry. It’s the first affordable electric car that gets over a hundred miles of range. Already, everybody wants one.

Right now, it may not seem realistic to drive an electric car every day, but soon it will. Tesla is doubling the amount of superchargers in the world. If you didn’t know already, the Tesla Supercharger fully charges a car in half an hour, and the charging time could be even less in the future. You’ll find Superchargers in malls, at grocery stores, at train stations, etc. So, hold onto your hats because this is going to be one heck of a ride.

Are you going to put a Tesla in your garage?

The Word According to Henry (and Samuel Johnson)

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

–by senior Blog Correspondent Henry Huang

Samuel Johnson, a genius of the English language, wrote the classic A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755. This widely-praised, linguistic-shifting, perhaps antiquated, dictionary has some very funny definitions. It is one of the earliest and most important English dictionaries. Here are some witty, amusing entries:

Oats. n.s. [aten, Saxon.] A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people. (Samuel Johnson was NOT a fan of the Scottish.)
Sonnet. n.s. [sonnet, French; sonnetto, Italian.] A short poem consisting of fourteen lines, of which the rhymes are adjusted by a particular rule. It is not very suitable to the English language, and has not been used by any man of eminence since Milton.
Lexicógrapher. n.s. [λεξικὸν and γράφω; lexicographe, French.] A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words.
Patron. n.s. [patron, Fr. patronus, Latin.] One who countenances, supports or protects. Commonly a wretch who supports with insolence, and is paid with flattery.

Reading these witticisms inspires me to write some of my own dictionary definitions:

A Dictionary of the English Language According to Henry:
Political Science: A study of politics, a study considered to be a modern-day dragon-killing skill

Life: A process from toothless to toothless.

Football (American): A sport that doesn’t necessarily need feet to play

Americans: A group of people who live in the United States. Sometimes a group considered annoying, loud, arrogant, and monolingual!

What contemporary English words would you like to RE-define?

A Christmas Day Without A Christmas Tree

March 30, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

–by Zhenzhou Hu

Back when senior Hugh was applying to colleges, he wrote this essay about a community-service project served with his host family, the Wessmans. Hugh used this essay as part of his college application. It worked. Hugh will be attending the University of San Diego next fall. He shares now his essay with The Bird on Fire.

“I guess I’m not going to see a beautiful Christmas tree tonight,” I whined on Christmas Eve as I wandered across the highway 20 miles north of the Mexican border. I had been looking forward to my first Christmas ever since I arrived in America. With child-like wonder, I envisioned a tinsel-topped tree, a traditional turkey dinner, and maybe even a visit from Santa Claus. It was not to be! My host family announced they were going to give away Christmas this year. They wanted to make Christmas about what they could do instead of what they could receive. To me, it didn’t sound like giving it away; it sounded like giving it up.

The plan was to build a house in a week for a needy Mexican family. And now, before we even arrived, we had car trouble. The tension pulley on the fan belt froze. Stranded! Hardly a car passed, and not a store was open. After all, everyone else was already at home enjoying their own beautiful Christmas tree.

Eventually, we made contact with another “Family Helping Families” group traveling toward us. We had never met before, but these people brought us hope and cheer. They backtracked several hours to find the needed parts. They brought water, shared granola bars, and helped find an open Pizza Hut. It wasn’t turkey, but pizza never tasted so good.

Next day, I awoke to a stocking stuffed with work gloves, measuring tape, and a hammer. These weren’t exactly the items on my wish list to Santa. After preparing some food, we drove to the train tracks. As soon as we dropped the tailgate, hungry villagers appeared out of nowhere. We sliced turkey, dished potatoes, and handed out oranges. At first it was awkward; I had never done anything like this before. I couldn’t understand them; they couldn’t understand me. One by one the Mexican children smiled; I smiled back. Later, I surprised myself by playing football in the desert.

The next morning we arrived at a foundation waiting for walls. I made electrical boxes and screeded sand. Trowel in hand, I laid block with mortar. Interior walls appeared with the help of hammers and saws. Roof rafters were hoisted, lined up and set in place. An inexperienced army nailed plywood sheeting. Luckily, the roof held the army’s weight. Finally, we presented the home to a tearfully grateful family.
The building was simple in looks but not simple in meaning. The walls rose up not only block by block, but also with the sweat of our caring character. The building showed I learned several new skills in just five days and also represented an achievement of which I am proud. Recalling the image of the crude building, I see the scenes of my transitional experience in Mexico: the scratchy feeling of sand blowing into my eyes; the callouses earned while troweling a block wall; my host brother and his newfound Mexican friends communicating with their invented sign language; me, enjoying my first delicious street taco; and finally exchanging the overwhelming heat, dust, and poverty for the quiet and contemplative comfort of my own room that was still missing a Christmas tree. The person who left that room on Christmas Eve, however, was a boy. The person who returned was an adult.

The Difference between an American and a Chinese Education

March 30, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

–Zhenzhou Hu, former and forever “The Bird on Fire” blogger, ponders the differences between an American and Chinese education. He’s been educated under both systems. Here’s what he had to say.

When I first arrived at boarding school in China far away from home as a six-year-old, I did not cry like many other pupils. Instead of being fearful, I was curious about the new environment and eager to find something enticing. School would be an interesting place, and teachers would be angels who would impart knowledge and encourage exploration. However, I was mistaken. We were required to sit upright with hands still on the desk. “Why can’t we sit leisurely?” When I doubted why 1507.m00.i104.n047.p.c25.classroom-education-thin-line-concept-f 1+1 = 2, my math teacher confirmed, with an indisputable tone, “That’s truth. Just remember it.” I was once scolded by my teacher because my score held back the overall GPA of my class. As we entered upper grades, the academic workload became increasingly heavier and most of our spare time was occupied by being tutored. School was no longer the paradise I had expected, and teachers were not the angels I had hoped. Gradually, I felt like I was becoming a puppet–doing what the teachers expected me to do and believing all that the teachers said without questioning or experimenting. I even put away my interest in drawing to save time for the heavy academic burden. 1+1 must = 2! No room for argument.

In 2014, I came to the USA. The first classroom I walked into at Palm Valley School was so refreshing I will always remember it: small class, beautifully decorated classroom, seemingly random but actually well-organized seats, a group of vibrant students, a nice teacher, and a comfortable environment. My classmates were encouraged to express their various ideas, and the teacher gave us tremendous inspiration. The most impressive teacher to me was Ms. Mckee, my math teacher. When I asked puerile questions (like what was the difference between relative maximum and absolute maximum), she always answered, “Excellent question!” and then proceeded to explain it. If I had asked a question like that in China, the teacher would have given me a disparaging glance instead of encouragement. Ms. Mckee gave me the courage to ask questions instead of hiding behind them.
Although I was shy and dared not speak in the first place, I fell in love with this kind of education. Mr. Sarkis, my drama teacher, showed great patience in correcting my pronunciation, which greatly enhanced my performances. I bravely performed Shakespeare as Julius Caesar’s servant at the Fullerton College High School Drama Festival in front of native English speakers. I may not have won an award at this festival, but I won the feelings of success in a job well-done, confidence, and friendship. These prizes will last longer than any trophy.
Compared with my previous school in China, things are quite different at Palm Valley. I am no longer the timid boy who just arrived. I am once again the boy who was passionate, curious and energetic. As a result of my educational experiences in the United States, I want to return to China and teach math to middle school students. I am determined to find young boys and girls who want to know why 1+1=2. And, I will answer like Ms. Mckee, “Excellent question!”

The World According to Henry: Donald “Julius?” Trump

March 18, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

–Henry Huang

I don’t want to bring politics too much into this blog since there are better things in my life than politics–like art, classical music, soccer, and Ferraris. Still, I have to talk about current affairs. More specifically, I want to talk about Donald Trump.

I am not talking about the capability of Trump being the head of the Executive Branch. My point is, Mr. Trump may be our Julius Caesar. What happened after the death of Caesar? The death of Roman Democracy! Trump may kill the most important asset of this nation: Democracy.

Now, some people may compare Trump to Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister. They are both rich; both use the anger of the people to gain power. However, they are also different. Berlusconi is a playboy who held sexual parties in his house; I don’t think Trump will do that. Meanwhile, Berlusconi did not make any outrageous statement towards any group or religion. Trump, oh well, do I need to tell you what he said?

Now, the real issue, Why may Trump kill our democracy? First of all, he has a potential desire to ignore the Constitution. An obvious example of this is when Trump, last August, made the statement that he will deport all the Mexican illegal immigrants and their natural-born children. He indeed intended to violate the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The amendment grants citizenship to the natural born. When Trump claims to send them back, it is an obvious potential violation of the Constitution. Now, people may say that there are Supreme Court justices and members of Congress that can stop Trump. Nope, I am sorry, nope. As Martin Wolf of Financial Times writes, “It is rash to assume constitutional constraints would survive the presidency of someone elected because he neither understands nor believes in [those constitutional restraints].” If Trump has an ability to violate the 14th Amendment, he will also have the ability to violate the entire constitution!

People who voted for Donald Trump support his ideas. For example, polls suggest there are voters who support deporting Muslims: “In New Hampshire, 66 percent approved of it. Seventy-eight percent of Republican primary voters in Alabama and Arkansas gave it a thumbs-up” (Foreign Policy). When Trump gets elected, what he will control is not only regular government agencies; he will have the most powerful military in human history in his hand and the most effective law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the world. Yes, I am talking about the CIA, the FBI, and the IRS. Trump will have the capability to enforce his doctrine. The point is, there are 11 million people who are illegal immigrants in the United States. Deporting all of them is a dangerous move. Martin Wolf of Financial Times continues, “Rounding up and deporting 11 million people is an immense coercive enterprise. Would a president elected to achieve this be prevented and, if so, by whom? What are we to make of Mr Trump’s enthusiasm for the barbarities of torture? Would he find people willing to carry out his desires or not?” Trump has other behaviors that should raise public concern. According to an article from Variety, “Criticizing The New York Times for its coverage, Trump said, ‘We are going [to open] up libel laws, folks, and we are going to have people sue you like you have never been sued before.’” Trump will limit the freedom of speech.

unnamed I want to end this article with another quote from Financial Times: Chief Commentator Martin Wolf concludes, “Mr. Trump may still fail to win the Republican nomination. But, should he do so the Republican elite will have to ask themselves hard questions — not only how this happened, but how they should properly respond. Beyond that, the American people will have to decide what sort of human being they want to put in the White House. The implications for them and for the world of this choice will be profound. Above all, Mr. Trump may not prove unique. An American ‘Caesarism’ has now become flesh. It seems a worryingly real danger today.” The potential danger, the seeming ignorance, the outrageous narcism of this new Caesar may be the nails in the coffin for American democracy.

Oh, the Places We Do Go!

March 16, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

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Mr. Griffin explains the construction and design of Disney Concert Hall’s architecture.

Zach Jenkins (l-r), Bryan Johnson, Henry Huang, Mac Spears, Mr. Griffin, and Asher Mai polished off their French Dipped Sandwiches, replete with hot mustard and pickled eggs.

On our half day, Friday, March 4, Mr. Griffin led a team of PVS cultural enthusiasts to Los Angeles. After a brief side excursion to a Chinese bakery (led by a hungry Bryan Johnson), we started with an early dinner at L.A.’s iconic Philippe’s, where the French Dipped Sandwich originated back in 1918. Then, Mr. Griffin scheduled us into The Broad, L.A.’s New Contemporary Art Museum–the big white building downtown sporting the innovative honeycomb “veil-and-vault” architecture. The night finished breathtakingly at Disney Concert Hall with Gustavo Dudamel conducting Mahler’s Third Symphony. Time could have stopped for us right there, right then. Los Angeles Times critic Mark Swed said Dudamel “excelled in revealing the power of Mahler,” leading the L.A. Phil to play “with gut-wrenching strength.” Word is, Mr. Griffin and Ms. Zachik are creating a Culture Club next year adding more expeditions for the culturally adventurous.

PVS students scrambled over the Disney Concert Hall winding architecture, taking in the L.A. skyline.

David Kocen beside the oversized Table and Chairs installment at The Broad.

Jeff Koons Balloon Dog at The Broad