the bird on fire

Palm Valley’s Embarrassing Stories

May 18, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Ani Madanyan

Have you ever told a joke and nobody laughed? Or been waved at and thought it was towards you, but it was for the person behind you? Embarrassment–I hate it. Let’s ask people what their most embarrassing stories are because as much as I hate it, they sure are funny.

As our first story-teller, we have Lilah Nick:

“In 5th grade, I was in a tap dance for a dance performance called Hot Chocolate. In the beginning of the dance we had to stand in one big line facing the audience, and I was in the front. This meant that I had to lead everyone out when we were placed on stage. On the first performance of it, I started walking out and told the girl behind me to follow, and she said, ‘Okay’ and started to follow behind me, and then she stopped before leaving the wings, and I didn’t realize. So, I was the only person standing on stage, and I turned around and saw no one there, and the whole audience started laughing, and I was so mad and embarrassed.”
Lilah Nick, Sophomore

Lilah decided to share two, so here’s the next one:

“In mock trial, I was super unprepared and was writing my cross examination questions right before the trial. It ended up going super well, and I was excited to do my closing because I thought it was super good. Once the defense finished, the judge asked, “Prosecution, are you ready for your rebuttal?” and I wanted to die right then. I had NO IDEA there was a rebuttal, and I was just sitting there wide eyed and so scared. I was so close to just saying, ‘Our other attorney will be giving that’ and throw Luke under the bus. I ended up doing it, but I messed up so much. It was just so bad, but I still got MVP for that round.”
Lilah

Next up, Sienna Price:

“When we were on holiday in Italy, like always my dad thinks he knows the directions to everywhere. So we were driving down the street and turned down this smaller alley, not knowing it was market day! Streets in Italy are small anyway, and with market stalls on either side of the road, it does not leave much road to drive. All the Italian market sellers started shouting and waving their hands at the car as my dad knocked down a few market stalls! It was one of the most embarrassing days in my life.”
Sienna Price, 8th Grade

Next Up Abby Assefa:

“Last year CSF held the Valentine’s Day Vignette, so my friends and I decided to do a little karaoke moment. We decided to perform L.O.V.E. song while spelling out love with our bodies. When we performed the song, we literally spelt love backwards and no one knew the words to the song. Right after we were done, a student that was in our group coughed into the microphone without wearing a mask. It was definitely a moment.”
Abby Assefa, Freshman

Do you have some fun embarrassing stories? Leave yours in the comments. I would love to see them!

A Little Bit About Jesse

May 18, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Luke Sonderman

Jesse Denyer, Class of 2022, has recently committed to University of Alabama after receiving an academic scholarship. There is a lot to Jesse (mostly good things), so let’s take a brief moment to talk a little bit about her.

Jesse not only loves to play and watch sports, but she also loves coaching them. Jesse has been playing basketball, volleyball, and golf throughout high school as well as assistant coaching Middle School Flag Football. If you ever get into an argument about sports with Jesse, my best advice would be to run for your life. YOU WILL NOT WIN!!!

With this love for football and the Dallas Cowboys, you may have a hard time reaching Jesse on Sundays because she is probably in her favorite jersey watching the Cowboys’ game. When I asked Jesse who her favorite football player is, she said,

“All my favorite players are only my favorite cuz they’re hot (yes, Joe Burrow, I’m talking to you). Seriously though my favorite player last year had to be Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs. He was basically the light on the slowly sinking ship that is the Cowboys. I mean 11 interceptions in one season… come on. If you’re gonna watch your team lose it might as well be entertaining. Plus he went to Bama, so bonus points.”
Jesse

Recently, I have turned Jesse into a baseball fan by making her go to a San Diego Padres game and join a Fantasy Baseball league with me. She has become a very big fan of the Padres, specifically of Manny Machado and Joe Musgrove, and even has a Manny Machado jersey. Now, if you try to talk baseball with Jesse, she will school you about how her Padres are better than your team (especially if you’re a Dodgers fan).

Jesse’s music taste is very broad to say the least. When I asked her who she likes to listen to, she said,

“I’ll listen to anything from Merle Haggard to Doja Cat. Peter Tosh to 50 Cent. Pink Floyd to Justin Timberlake. Linkin Park to Frank Ocean. You name it, and I probably jam to it. I do have a special spot for country, though (sorry, everyone). Anything going on in my life, there’s a country song for it. Some of my favorite memories have a country song attached to it. They just do it different.”
Jesse

If you have ever been to Stagecoach Festival, you weren’t alone. Jesse was right there beside you, singing her heart out, always in the front row trying to make eye contact with whoever is performing and maybe catch a souvenir guitar pic or set list.

I asked some of Jesse’s classmates, friends, and teachers to describe Jesse with one word. This is what they said:

Ms. Zachik – Saucy
Mrs. Coffey – Efficient
Mr. Griffin – Confident
Ms. Castellano – Witty
Mr. Winter – Aggressive
Hambik – Depraved
Sara – Fierce-minded
Jane – Upbeat
Harli – Resilient
Roman – Realistic
Isabella – Blunt
Joss – Funny
Lilah – Bossy

If I had to describe Jesse in one word, it would probably be fun as she always does something to stir the pot. In all honesty, Jesse is a very special person to me and to the many people who know her, so if you haven’t had a nice long talk about literally the most random subjects with Jesse… definitely start up a conversation with her before the end of the school year. She will quite literally talk about anything with you!

Let’s Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May 18, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Alyna Rei

In the month of May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, like most memorial months, began in Congress. House Joint Resolution 540, proposed by Rep. Frank Horton of New York in 1977, declared the first ten days of May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week (asianpacificheritage.gov). Senator Daniel Inouye presented Senate Joint Measure 72, a similar resolution, the same year (asianpacificheritage.gov). Because neither of these resolutions passed, Rep. Horton sponsored House Joint Resolution 1007 in June 1978 to “proclaim a week” during the first ten days in May as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week” (asianpacificheritage.gov). On October 5, President Jimmy Carter signed this joint resolution (asianpacificheritage.gov).

Presidents issued annual proclamations honoring Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week over the next decade, until Congress approved Public Law in 1990, extending the celebration to a month. It was President George H.W. Bush who signed the bill extending Asian American Heritage Week to a month (apsva.us). Then, in 1992, Congress established a law designating May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month each year.

The month of May is designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to honor the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

There are many activities that you can do to celebrate this special month. But here are three of my favorites to do with a group of people or even by yourself (verywellfamily.com).

Book Clubs–Learning about Asian culture is best when you read from Asian authors. A few favorites are Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, and way more.

Interactive maps--Interactive maps are a great icebreaker activity. The National Park Service hosts interactive opportunities to visit the “stories of ordinary and extraordinary Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders preserved in our nation’s parks, memorials, and historic sites” (nps.gov). And, teambuilders.com offers activities that highlight the different countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the ties we have to them.

Watching a movie–This one can be great for any family and for the people that want to learn about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. If you log onto your streaming sites, you’ll see several Asian-American/Pacific Islander movies and series recommended. Movies that I like are mostly Disney movies. These would include Turning Red, Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, Raya and The Last Dragon, and the short Bao.

Reptiles as Pets are Underrated

May 17, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Sienna Price, Animal Activist

When I ask people, “Do you have any pets?” they rarely answer with I have a reptile. However, I, Sienna Price, have a bearded dragon. I think a reptile is one of the best pets. The main reason I got my bearded dragon, Tuk Tuk, was because during lockdown I really wanted a friend and a distraction from what was happening.

Reptiles are interesting and make a very fun pet. Depending on the animal, reptiles can be relatively low maintenance. I would say bearded dragons are fairly low maintenance if you know what you’re doing. I researched A LOT before getting Tuk Tuk, and it still took some time after I got him to work things out. I got a bearded dragon because they are said to be the friendliest reptiles, but I think it’s like any animal. You can still get some that are not friendly. Luckily for me, Tuk has the biggest personality and is very friendly and sociable, but again I am glad I did research before getting him. I know if he’s stressed or if he’s hungry and even if he wants to come out of his enclosure. When Tuk Tuk scrapes his cage he wants to come out, and when he has ring markings on his stomach he’s stressed. The most popular reptiles as pets are leopard geckos, bearded dragons, blue tongued skinks, snakes and chameleons. Of course, there are many different types of species of snakes and chameleons, so make sure you understand the needs of the specific species.

Tuk Tuk in his holiday attire. You can get your own lizard Santa suit at PetCo.

Note, reptiles are not the easiest pets. You really need to know what you are doing. Everyone knows the basic needs of a dog without even owning one because dogs are so popular. If reptiles were more popular, I think their basic needs would be well known, too. They are also not the cheapest of pets to own–depending on the reptile you have. Tuk’s terrarium, which is forty gallons, cost around 200 dollars, and I would say forty gallons is the bare minimum for a bearded dragon. I have actually ordered Tuk Tuk a bigger terrarium that is one hundred and twenty gallons! It was a really good deal that I could not pass up. So, I think Tuk will be happy with my new purchase! Once you get your whole setup done, it does get cheaper again depending on the reptile. With Tuk, I order bugs to my house every two weeks, but I will feed him less as he gets older so it will get cheaper. And, note, many reptiles need heat lamps and a UVB light.

Before deciding on your next pet, I would strongly recommend considering a reptile. (As I just typed that sentence Tuk Tuk licked my leg.) Tuk Tuk brings me so much joy even if he is not the smartest sometimes. For example, yesterday he decided to jump off my bed. Don’t worry; my bed is really low to the ground, and he is okay. Thank you for reading, and, remember, next time, consider a reptile.

THE DESERT IS FINALLY GETTING A CHICK-FIL-A

May 11, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Luke Sonderman, Fast-Food Expert

Finally, after years of rumors, a Chick-fil-A is coming to the desert! On Monterey and Dinah Shore, Chick-fil-A signs have been put up in the new Monterey Crossing Shopping Center next to the Quick Quack Car Wash, Habit Burger Grill, Spectrum, and AT&T Store (desertsun.com).

For those of you who haven’t been to Chick-fil-A, I am very sorry for you. Chick-fil-A may just be the best food to ever enter my mouth. Chick-fil-A’s menu consists of spicy fried chicken, regular fried chicken, and grilled chicken sandwiches; fried and grilled chicken tenders and nuggets; a cold chicken wrap; and a chicken salad. They also have a breakfast menu which has breakfast sandwiches with biscuits instead of regular sandwiches.

In the past eight years, Chick-fil-A has been in the center of controversy for being a Christian-owned company that isn’t open on Sundays (yahoo.com/lifestyle). In July 2021, a Chick-fil-A spokesman made a comment to Yahoo News saying, “Chick-fil-A does not have a political or social agenda, and we welcome everyone in our restaurants. We are proud to be represented by more than 180,000 diverse Team Members nationwide, and we strive to be a positive influence in our local communities. We do this, in part, by contributing $25,000 to food banks in each community where we open a new restaurant and donating more than 10 million meals through our Shared Table program.” In recent years, the controversy has begun to die down as Chick-fil-A has stopped donating to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes who both have made homophobic and anti-same-sex marriage comments (marketwatch.com).

Personally, I believe that private companies are allowed to put their money where they want, and consumers can purchase their product without agreeing with the company’s personal beliefs. By eating at Chick-fil-A, I am not agreeing with their beliefs, whatever they might be, but I am eating there because I think the chicken is absolute fire.

So, for all the Raising Canes, KFC, Mickey Dee’s, and Dave’s Hot Chicken fans, head over to Chick-fil-A (it isn’t actually open yet), and eat some actual bomb chicken. It will change your life forever.

Oliver’s Ranking For Every Star Wars Movie

May 11, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

Due to the fact that this month we celebrated May-the-4th-Be-With-You Day (AKA Star Wars Day), I’m ranking every main-story Star Wars movie: ninth being the worst and first being the best. I’m leaving out some other movies that aren’t main series like The Clone Wars, Solo: A Star Wars Story, etc.

Spoiler Alert: In Oliver’s rationale as to his rankings, he drops in some details as to how the movies climax and resolve. But, in the words of Luke Sonderman, if you haven’t already seen a Star Wars movie, you’re probably not going to go out and see one now.

Number 9:

The Rise of Skywalker

This movie was terrible; it has a horrible ending for a great trilogy that Star Wars was. To me this movie seemed boring. The lightsaber skills were appalling; the main villain (Palpatine) being brought back also wasn’t good because it’s like they bring him back every single movie; and he miraculously survives everything when he should’ve been dead a long time ago. It was so bad even Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 52% (rottentomatoes.com).

Number 8:

The Last Jedi

Do I even need to explain? This movie was BAD. The movie felt awfully long; some scenes even seemed unnecessary. Luke Skywalker acting like a coward? Really? All the past Star Wars movies worked to make Luke look like a leader, a legend perhaps. But in this movie, tossing the lightsaber and… milking an alien? That just throws everything else to the bin. Also, Snoke being killed right away although the movie makes him look super powerful is just absurd. Pretty much nothing works in this movie. The only reason this is above The Rise of Skywalker is because it has a higher score in Rotten Tomatoes; it scored a 91% from official critics and 42% from the audience.

Number 7:

The Force Awakens

This movie is… well boring. Easily one of the least creative. For people who watched this movie before any other Star Wars film, it may seem wonderful. But it lazily recycles old ideas like blowing up a star base, being in a sand world, etc…. There was some good acting. The death of Han Solo was heartbreaking, and the mistakes were not as severe as in The Last Jedi or in The Rise of Skywalker, so this movie is just a meh, and takes the seventh spot.

Number 6:

Attack of the Clones

Attack of the Clones is the series Episode 2. It definitely has more romance than any other Star Wars film. We can see how Anakin starts taking a liking for the dark side. There is some character development, etc. This movie is definitely not the worst, but the other movies are better.

Number 5:

The Phantom Menace

The Phantom Menace is the first episode of Star Wars. In this movie we get introduced to Qui-Gon Jinn, who finds Anakin. This movie has some really good parts in it. Like the lightsaber duels, acting, and the racing scene. This movie has gotten a lot of criticism for being too “childish.” People say the characters are too exaggerated or the racing scene is a bit ridiculous. But, in my opinion, the movie is still good.

Number 4:

Return Of The Jedi

Here we see the true dedication of the hero. George Lucas develops this movie fantastically. After Vader saves Luke, you can see how there’s still an Anakin inside of Vader. Although Palpatine doesn’t die (Palpatine is revived in the movies that follow), this heroic act of Vader makes the movie so much better. Apart from that, the opening scene–with the plan to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt and how Han Solo gets unfrozen–was epic. This movie is an art piece and barely comes behind number three.

Number 3:

A New Hope

This movie is easily one of my favorites. It’s a must watch from the Star Wars series; the movie takes the hero on a journey, as Princess Leia requests Obi-Wan’s help. The acting is brilliant; the plot is exciting; the movie is fun, as we go from place to place trying to save Princess Leia, the actors fit perfectly to their roles; the effects are amazing, like the CGI of the Star of Death is great, and the design of the lightsabers are really awesome; everything about this movie works. Easily one of the best.

Number 2:

The Empire Strikes Back

Arguably one of the best films of all time, The Empire Strikes Back. This movie makes the hero work; Luke Skywalker loses his hand, and the lightsaber; he doesn’t beat Darth Vader, and the “I am your father” line from Darth Vader is an absolute classic. Also, the addition of Yoda to the cast is great. It makes the movie so much more mysterious and interesting as he pours his wisdom into Luke. This movie is a must watch, and every aspect of it works and makes it feel more and more exciting.

Number 1:

Revenge of the Sith

Although some may disagree, this movie is in my opinion the best Star Wars movie. It was sad how Annakin had turned to the dark side and become Darth Vader, and how he tried to kill everyone that he loved. The fighting scenes were absolutely amazing, as the lightsaber animations were on point, and the CGI was great throughout the movie. Obi-Wan trying to convince Anakin to come back to the Force was so heartbreaking with the classic line, “You were the chosen one. It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them!” In this quote Obi-Wan tells Anakin how disappointed he is in him for betraying the Jedi. This movie made almost everything work; it was brilliantly executed, and the acting was amazing.

Now, remember these are only opinions. Everyone can have their favorite movies. If you want to disagree, leave your opinion in the comments!

ERBs–What do students and teachers think about them?

May 11, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

We just finished with the ERBs. ERBs (Educational Records Bureau) was founded in 1927 (erblearn.org ). They are tests whose purpose is to check a student’s academic performance, grades three to eight are tested. The categories in this test are: mathematics, verbal reasoning, listening, word analysis, quantitative reasoning, writing mechanics, reading comprehension, and more. ERBs were gone for two years at PVS due to Covid, but they are now back. Thankfully (from a middle-school perspective), these tests are not graded and won’t go into Report Cards, but they do go into students’ permanent Cumulative Folders.

Now, let’s see what people think about the ERBs:

“I think all standardized tests are pointless.”
Mr. Hesson, Math Teacher

“ERBs are bad; they should just get good.”
Tal Maruvada, 8th Grade

“ERBs are dumb.”
Emerson Price, 8th Grade

“I don’t like ERBs.”
Chloe Elbaz, 8th Grade

“ERB’s are just time consuming, and they’re pointless,”
Sherwin Hemmati, 8th Grade

“They suck, but at least they don’t affect my grades.”
Kayliee Augustine-Sails, 8th Grade

“I don’t like them; they are stressful”
Gabie Rodriguez-Portugues, 8th Grade

Wow, there’s not a lot of popularity with the ERBs. Now, let’s look at a positive response.

“I’m jealous that I didn’t get to take them.”
Ms. McKee, Math Teacher

I think that it’s safe to say that the majority of the school doesn’t enjoy ERBs. Personally, I think ERBs are dreadful and useless, but some people may think differently. Leave your opinion on ERBs in the comments.

Day and Night

May 11, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

A Sonnet, by Elizabeth Etebar

The sun wakes you up

You drink milk from a cup

Time to go to school

I guess it is very cool

You have to work just a bunch

And now it’s time for lunch

You have to use your chromes

Everyone go to your homes

Time to eat dinner

And you’ll be a winner

It’s time to be clean

And shower up like a queen

The moon sings a lullaby and closes the door

You fall asleep and you snore

Geocaching–Modern-Day Treasure Hunting

May 10, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Lilah Nick

What is geocaching? Geocaching is sort of a “global treasure hunt” where people look for hidden “treasure” or stashes. Geocaching can also be considered as a series of hide and seek games. People online will provide clues to where their cache is for other seekers to find. The seekers use a GPS to find the hidden cache.

There are three main rules in geocaching:

Take something from the cache.
Leave something in the cache.
And write about it in the logbook, which is inside the box.

The caches are usually in some sort of box, but they are usually small, waterproof, and made of something like plastic, metal, or wood. You might find things like a camouflage Altoids container, an old can of nuts, or an emptied ammo box. Caches are usually hidden, but cannot be buried or intrusive.

Photo credit: NPR

When Geocaching launched in 2000, there were only 75 caches, and now there are over three million around the world. There are also millions of players finding caches. Some people play to see how many caches they can find or to see how many new places they can visit. Geocaching is a great way to get outside and find some hidden places you wouldn’t have seen otherwise. A common way to search for caches is to go on to the official geocaching website geocaching.com. Once you make an account, you’ll get access to a map that has the locations of all the caches around you.

My family and I mostly went letterboxing (the older version of geocaching), which is the same thing just using a series of clues instead of a GPS. I mostly went geocaching and letterboxing in Northern California. When I would go, we would sign the logbook with individualized stamps. I had an owl stamp, and my brother had a palm tree. We also made our own stamps.

Overall, geocaching is a really fun hobby to try out this summer.

“I’ve been geocaching! And it was a blast!”
Luke Sonderman, sophomore

“Geocaching is a really fun to explore your communities, and I often find really cool areas in nature that I didn’t know existed.”
Indy Behr, sophomore

I say, try it, it’s a great way to get out of the house.

Things to do in the UAE

May 10, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sienna Price, World Traveller

I have been to the UAE (The United Arab Emirates) two times now, and the first time (when I was ten) I did not love it. We stayed on the Palm Islands which are man made and a rip off with overpriced hotels. If you stay in the Palm, be expected to pay $40 for an average burger and $10 for a can of Coke. We went to the Aquaventure water park which was fun, but it only fills one of your days. The thing about the Palm is that it’s on an island connected by a bridge, so it’s hard to get anywhere off the island.

Over Spring Break, I travelled to the UAE again.This trip was a lot better despite the sixteen-hour flight time from LAX. We stayed in Ajman, which is an emirati around forty minutes drive from Dubai. The only downside to Ajman is that you need to rent a car to get around. You can get taxis, but it would cost a lot to get to the places you want to go. Most of the tourists in the UAE are European. There are a lot of British and Russian people. The common tourist goes places like the Burj Khalifa and the Souks. But this trip we thought of doing something a little different. The first couple days of my trip were full of sleeping and swimming. The jetlag was not fun with a twelve-hour time difference.

On the fourth day of our trip, my dad and I drove up to Ras Al-Khaimah. Ras Al-Khaimah is the emirati next to Ajman but Ras Al-Khaimah is mainly desert driving where you see lots of wild camels and tons of sand. But we drove to Ras Al-Khaimah to do the longest zipline in the world, Jebel Jais Flight. I thought it would be a good idea to do the longest zipline in the world with two hours sleep. Jais Flight is 2.83km long. I went down at 150 kmph for three minutes headfirst lying on my stomach down the side of a mountain 1,680 metres above the ground. First, I get altitude sickness; second, again, I had two hours sleep, so going down the side of that mountain… let’s just say my breakfast did not stay down! The zipline is definitely not for the fainthearted, but I would do it again, just maybe next time with more sleep under my belt.

We decided to do a Bedouin experience, where you get a taste of Arabian culture. It was fun. We rode camels, and I sand boarded down the dunes. One thing that was a little strange was that they were filming a Bollywood film, so I am now an extra in a Bollywood film that I don’t even know the name of! But it was cool to see the dancers and actors. Apparently the lead was famous, and everyone there wanted his picture. I googled him after and he has been in tons of Bollywood films.

Finally you can’t go to the UAE and not go to a water park, so we went to Wild Wadi at the Burj Al Arab. It’s not as big as the Aquaventure water park, but I prefer this one because it’s less crowded and you can get on a lot more slides.

Travel well, and do your homework on the plane.

Thank you!