the bird on fire

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!

Sara Habibipour CSF Seymour Award Finalist

May 4, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Abigail Horwitt

The CSF Seymour Award is one of the highest scholastic honors given to high school seniors in the state of California. The Seymour Memorial Award was created to honor both Charles F. Seymour and his wife, Marian H. Seymour, who together brought up what is now the California Scholarship Federation (csf-cjsf.org). The Seymour is awarded to high school students in California. Seymour Award Finalists are required to be CSF Sealbearers (those graduating with honors). Sealbearers are CSF members who meet CSF grade qualification in at least four of their high-school semesters. They demonstrate the CSF motto, “Scholars for Service.” A Seymour finalist is selected on the basis of character, leadership, and service. Sara sent in an application for the Seymour Award back in February and was chosen as one of the ten finalists in the Southern California state region. Her application consisted of a personal statement, resume, and two letters of recommendation. Then, on April 2, she participated in a four-hour group interview with all of the other finalists. As a finalist, Sara won $2,000 dollars and a gold medal! If you see Sara in the courtyard, congratulate her on this massive accomplishment!

Our CSF hosts story slams, poetry readings, and open mics. Sara comes ready to emcee in goofy glasses, a Lakers jersey, a couple dance moves, and get-in-the-mood music.
excerpt from Ms. Zachik’s Advisor Letter

The Tea Club Revival

May 4, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Levi Kassinove, Tea Club Founding Member

Two years ago, the former 8th grader Remi Benomar had the idea of starting a middle-school Tea Club. He pitched the idea to me during a Wednesday assembly meeting in the MPR. We talked at length about our visions for the Tea Club and how it would evolve in the future; we dreamt up Tea Club meetings where we would have tastings and discussions of flavor notes. It would be a place where people come together and have peaceful conversations. It wouldn’t just be about the tea, but rather the community. Immediately after hearing his idea, I knew we had something great.

Mr. Killeen (now the Tea Club advisor) loved the idea and, fortunately, so did the middle school. We had the former Science room completely filled on the first meeting. Around 30 kids were showing up for these weekly tea parties at lunch. Overnight, it became one of the most popular clubs in middle school. We had multiple varieties of tea, including spiced chai, hibiscus, and green tea. Members were to pick their tea at their leisure and add honey if they so desired. Some brought their own mugs, such as Indy Behr, and others used the mugs generously provided by Mr. Killeen, who also provided the tea. The club was a thriving community, but, unfortunately, it had some issues. For instance, moderation was extremely difficult with our large member count. Dozens of kids were in a single room, each with a cup of near boiling water. Spills and burns were inevitable especially with the shaky plastic tables we had. When Covid hit, the Tea Club disappeared into the shadows and was largely forgotten, save for a few of us who drank tea over Google Meets in its memory. By the time we were allowed to come back to school, the Tea Club was gone.

Nowadays, a handful of middle schoolers still meet every week behind the gym to drink tea. But it’s known as an informal gathering rather than an official Tea Club meeting. So I’m revamping it. It’ll be the same aesthetic meeting place (behind the gym, mountains in the background), same core idea, but our methods will be slightly different. For instance, instead of having a fixed set of regular teas, we will have one type of tea available per week. The tea will change every week–a tea of the week, if you will. This way, the general discussion will be geared more towards the specific tea rather than normal lunch talk. The previous tea club was more club than tea, and now we want to put more emphasis on the tea. We will have fewer members, but in turn we will have higher quality teas. We will introduce members to the world of teas, from normal green, to matcha, to hibiscus, to oolong, and even to blends carefully curated by tea enthusiasts. It will be a place where people can discuss flavor notes and ultimately bond over tea, just like Remi’s vision all those years ago. This time, it’s without the chaos of a large group. It’ll have a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, unlike the rowdy type that seems to be an inherent part of middle-school groups. It’ll be a tight-knit family of 16 high school students that come together every Tuesday to enjoy tea. Our debut was yesterday, Tuesday, May 4, at lunch behind the gym. The next meeting is next Tuesday the 11th. If you want to make friends and explore the wondrous world of tea, you can stilll sign up for the club. But, there are only 16 slots!

Sign up at this poster at Mr. Winter’s door. (Poster by Cole Robinson)

The Most Poisonous Garden on Earth

May 3, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent & Budding Botanist

A castor bean plant sounds harmless, even like it’s meant to be eaten. But, be careful; eating it could be catastrophic. There are lots of dangerous plants on earth. Here’s a garden full of them.

The Poison Garden in Alnwick Castle, located in the English county of Northumberland, was founded in 2006. Interesting point–this is also the place where Harry Potter and Downton Abbey were filmed. Originally, the garden was the Duchess Jane Percy’s idea, to make a garden filled with deadly plants. According to RENATURED: ANIMALS, PEOPLE AND THOSE IN BETWEEN, Duchess Percy said, “I wanted to create a garden that was beautiful yet pleasurable, educational yet not stuffy.” She succeeded. The garden is definitely not stuffy, but it is scary. This garden has over one hundred poisonous plants: such as the Strychnine tree, deadly nightshade, Castor beans, etc. Entering and breathing this garden could actually kill you. Many people faint upon entering this garden.

Here is what the interior of the garden looks like.

Photo Credit: Garden Collage

Let’s look at something that sounds harmless: the castor beans. According to ScienceDirect, “Ricinus communis (castor beans) is classified as the most poisonous plant on earth for humans. The toxicity of raw castor beans is due to the presence of ricin.” Yes, ricinus communis is raw castor beans, and they are highly poisonous. According to MedicineNet, “Ricin is a toxic protein found naturally in castor beans from the castor bean plant. It can be deadly, but it depends on the dose and route of exposure.” So, it is safe to have and use castor oil, but it can cause some issues if taken internally.

Picture of Castor Beans: source finegardening.com

Another dangerous plant is the Strychnine tree. According to Centers for Disease and Prevention, “Strychnine is a strong poison; only a small amount is needed to produce severe effects in people. Strychnine poisoning can cause extremely serious adverse health effects, including death.” So no, I would not recommend having strychnine at home. This plant is extremely dangerous.

Another poisonous plant found in the garden is deadly nightshade. According to all that’s interesting, “Ingesting just two to four berries can kill a human child. Ten to twenty berries can kill an adult. Even chewing on just one leaf can lead to a dirt nap. Milder symptoms of deadly nightshade poisoning include delirium and hallucinations, which appear quickly once ingested.” Owning this plant if you have kids would be ludicrous. I would say that even if you are an adult, don’t have this plant in your garden.

Deadly Nightshade: source woodlandtrust.org

I’ve asked my friends if they would go into this garden, and for how much cash:

“I will go for 10 million dollars, and I’ll make sure I bring a good quality gas mask with me.”
Sherwin Hemmati, 8th Grade

“I won’t go at all no matter the money because that can cause me death and my life is worth more than money.”
Michael Pete, 8th Grade

“I’m going in for 10k and I’m bringing a gas mask and dodging all the plants.”
Zander Eaton, 7th Grade

Now, The Poison Garden may not seem like the best place to go for a vacation, but if I ever go to England, I want to visit the Alnwick Castle and its fascinating garden. The reason why is because I’d enjoy reading about the poisonous plants and their history, but I’d definitely bring a gas mask.

Comedy Tonight at PVS

May 3, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

Comedy tonight was a theater show where students at PVS performed multiple plays that aimed to bring a smile to whomever was watching. The PVS theater classes prepared for over a month for this show. The show played Wednesday, April 6th, Thursday the 7th, and Friday the 8th. Some plays or songs that were part of the show included the beginning scene of the Wizard of Oz, Pure Imagination, Good Morning Baltimore, The Gold Rush, The Cat in the Hat and so much more!

I have interviewed students who acted in the play compilation.

I asked them what role they played and if they enjoyed it.

“In Comedy Tonight I was one of the MC speakers, and I was also the Pawn Shop Man/Frankie in Gold Rush, written by Oliver, Tal and Zander. I did really enjoy both of these parts, especially Frankie in Gold Rush.”
Sherwin Hemmati

“I was part of the opening quartet, Jeff in Gold Rush, Tin Man in Wizard of Oz and solo singing ‘My Favorite Things.’ I really enjoyed all of them.”
Tal Maruvada

“I was part of the sonnets and of the MC. I didn’t really like doing the sonnets, but I liked doing the MC.”
Michael Pete

The Production Team’s Perspective:

As part of the Production Team, I was helping in lights and was stage manager. I’d say this was a really successful play because we got laughs from the audience, everyone remembered their lines, and the production team made few errors.

Fellow Production Team member Kayliee Augustine-Sails agrees:

“I’m part of the lights, and I think it went well. The actors did their job.”

I have also interviewed members of the audience:

“My favorite part of the play was Good Morning Baltimore. But everything else was good, too.”
Timothy Reed

“I liked Comedy Tonight, but it took a long time to finish. My favorite play was Gold Rush.”
Donavan Knott

*Gold Rush* actors in this scene include, from left to right, Oliver Martinez, Zander Eaton, Tal Maruvada, and Sherwin Hemmati.

Lastly, here are a few words from our director Mr. Hilbert:

“I liked how we had different types of comedy. The acting was good; the singing was good. I’m really proud of all the actors.”
Mr. Hilbert

Comedy Tonight was an amazing experience, hopefully we see more people in future plays. Like . . . High School Musical! PVS’s next production, High School Musical, premieres next week, May 10th and plays through the 13th. Get your tickets now with Ms. Greer at the Middle-School Desk.

I Had Acne, Too, & I’m Here To Help

April 28, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Jessica Denyer, thebirdonfire.org Editor-in-Chief

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone in the entire world has had at least a pimple in life. Acne and general skin problems are recurring issues that billions of people deal with every day. I was one of them. I know how terrible it is to feel like you need to hide your face under pounds of makeup or try a new skin product every week. For those of you still suffering, I am here to help! Please, just listen!

Throughout most of middle-school and into my high-school years, I dealt with progressively worsening acne. It was really bad. No, like really bad. I have spent many nights crying into my serums just wishing that some day one of them would finally be the magic fix I needed. I know when I write these things, I’m really personal, but I know I’m not alone here, and I seriously want to help.

I tried Clearasil. I tried Cetaphil. I tried every drug store brand. I tried every expensive brand. I tried Microblading. I tried special facials. I tried prescription creams and pills. NOTHING. Around the end of freshman year it was really starting to take a toll on me. Mentally, I was exhausted, and it was making me depressed. I would turn down plans regularly, and people would even try to talk to me in regards to my acne. “Have you tried….?” “Do you wash your face?” “You’d be so pretty if you could just get the acne under control.” Yes, these are all real comments I would get on a regular basis. Not to be dramatic, but it was totally ruining my life. I was at my wits’ end, until I heard about a skin expert and acne specialist named Nicole and her company Meta Skin Studio which was located in downtown Palm Springs but has since moved to Borrego Springs.

Nicole Mandallaz, or as I simply know her, Nicole, has been in the esthetics industry for over 13 years and has worked on everyone from Hollywood celebrities to little old me. For her, skincare isn’t just about getting the check; it’s about helping people and making them feel as confident as possible in their own skin.

Now, of course, I was skeptical, but anyone that knows me knows that I am never one to give up. I went home and checked out her website, and it seemed promising. I booked an appointment with her, and when I got there she was so lovely, and I could tell right away she was going to help me. I remember my mom even leaned over to me and said, “I think this one might finally work!” She assessed my skin, but also went on to ask me about my diet and regular habits. She was very detailed and wanted to know everything about me. No one else had ever gone into such detail. I think the thing I liked most about Nicole was the fact that she didn’t make me feel disgusted about my skin. She made me feel comfortable and confident that she was going to get me looking right.

So besides her wonderful personality, what makes Nicole so special?

Nicole’s products contain ethically sourced, active plant extracts and botanicals that haven’t been diluted like most skincare companies, and they have research-backed results. Her products are all cruelty free, and her packaging is all completely environmentally friendly. I started on a special acne treatment of various products that she had hand picked for me, and she told me to try cutting out sugar, as my skin was inflamed, and sugar apparently contributes to that. After doing this for only two days, I couldn’t believe the immediate results I was having. My skin was less red; the acne itself had gone down, and the rest of my face was soft and smooth. I continued my treatment for six months, and by that time my acne was completely healed. Of course, I still get the occasional zit, who doesn’t? But, overall, my skin was perfect compared to how it once was. Now I use a different set of everyday products from her to keep my skin clear.

So, what is the point of me writing this? So that the good people of this school who may also be dealing with similar skin issues as I did can finally have some relief. Meta Skin Studio is a small business whose products really work, and I want as many people to know about it as possible both for the prosperity of your skin and her great business.

A message from Nicole:

“You can think you’re doing everything right from what you read on the internet, but treating acne takes many things internally and externally to help you get clear. It’s not going to be as easy as taking a couple pills or using a few creams, and everyone is unique. What I do is help give you tools to manage acne for the long run. The results are all you, I just help along the way.”

Nicole has relocated recently to her beautiful new spot in Borrego Springs. If that feels too far a drive, you can have an online meeting with her and send her photos of your skin. She can give you an assessment remotely.

If you want to learn more, reach out to Nicole at (760) 835-2004 or at www.metaskinstudio.com.