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The Palm Valley School Student Blog

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Why Coachella Valley is the Perfect Vacation Spot

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By Locals Ani Madanyan and Oliver Martinez

Ani moved to Palm Springs two years ago. She considers herself a local now. But, she started out as a tourist. She’s been coming to the Coachella Valley since she was little. Hence, she knows good touristy spots. Beyond the hotel rooms and swimming in the shallow, heated pools, she knows we all love an adventure. Blogger Oliver embraces more the comforts of home, but he’s got recommendations of places to take desert visitors.

Ani  Recommends The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is a fast journey into the mountains that will take you out of the desert heat. Mount San Jacinto, which towers above Palm Springs, is 10,000 feet above sea level (planetware.com). The Tramway has the world’s largest rotating aerial tram cars. It’s definitely exciting to go from the scorching hot pool to snow on a mountain within one half-hour tram ride. The views are spectacular, even a little scary. The Tram, built in Chino Canyon, has been around a while. Its inaugural ride was way back in September 1963. 

Photo Source: visitgreaterpalmsprings.com

Oliver Recommends staying at home. He says it’s a great place to go.

But, if you must get out, go visit the windmills. The windmills are a great part of Palm Springs, and you can’t miss them. According to planetware.com, the Banning Pass is one of the windiest places on earth. It is harsh, but picturesque. The windmills make for dramatic photos as sunset.

Photo Credit: www.windworks.org 

Ani also recommends local hiking.

Hike to a waterfall! How fun is that? I personally love to go on hikes because I know that there is a pot of gold at the end of it (the pot of gold is the waterfall). The Indian Canyons, which are at the south end of Palm Springs, are the perfect place to go hiking. 

Palm Canyon is a fifteen-mile-long canyon full of waterfalls and the famous palm trees–the indigenous Washingtonia. There’s also the Andreas Canyon. You can drive directly into the canyon and grab a table by the water. “It’s a great place for picnicking,” says Ms. Zachik. The canyons are also known for having lovely birds all around. People often go bird watching. It’s also a beautiful place to see animals such as deer, snakes, and all other sorts of animals. “The hawks up there are really cool,” Ms. Zachik adds.

Lastly, we have Tahquitz Canyon. This Indian Canyons is located all the way up Ramon Road when you drive toward the mountain. At the end of the designated hike, there is a 60-foot-tall waterfall. There are guides, theaters showing documentaries about the canyon, and artifact displays. Adult admission costs $12.50 per person, while an entrance fee of $6 applies for each child. Kids 5 and younger and active military members can visit for free (planetware.com).

Oliver’s final recommendation is The Living Desert. 

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens has plenty of animals from all over the world! There are giraffes, mountain lions, zebras, cheetahs, wild dogs, and a lot more! There are also lights at certain times of the year, and it makes the whole place look even more beautiful. “Glow in the Park” occurs from March 27 to April 29, 6:30-10:00 p.m. The Living Desert is a great place for families with a lot of attractions for everyone. You can even get married there. 

Photo Credit: www.thelivingdesert.org 

What are you waiting for? Invite friends and family to the Coachella Valley! Tell them to bring bathing suits because even though it’s March, it’s always pool time!

Isabella Goetschel Prepares for Poetry Out Loud State Competition

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By Lilah Nick

On February 7th, Senior Isabella Goetschel found out that she won the Riverside county-level competition for the Poetry Out Loud, the national poetry recitation competition. You might remember; Isabella was our school winner. She advanced to county competition, won, and this means she will move on to the state-level competition. If Izzy wins at State, she will be awarded $200 and will move onto nationals. (The competition is virtual again this year; otherwise, Isabella would also win a trip to D.C. for two.) I asked Izzy what she was doing to prepare for the competition. 

Preparing for state-level Poetry Out Loud has been really interesting. I got to pick a new poem, which is really exciting for me because there are so many options and possibilities. I finally picked “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy as my third poem. For preparation, I’ve had some meetings with Mr. Sarkis [former Palm Valley Drama teacher]. He’s really helped me perfect each poem and, of course, none of it would have been possible without the help of Ms. Zachik who helped me register and get set up. It’s a lot less stressful this year because the competition is online, so I can record my poems. That definitely has its own set of challenges though. The rules for the videos are quite strict, and let’s just say I had a very unstable stack of boxes to get my phone to the required height. Overall though, it’s really fun to be able to perform, even if it’s on a recording in my room rather than in front of people.”

Isabella Goetschel
Photo Credit: Ms. Bernstein

Isabella must recite, from memory and with displayed and conveyed understanding, one poem that is pre-20th Century. She again is reciting “Epitaph” by Katherine Philips–the poem with which she won the Palm-Valley competition. She also must recite one poem that is 25 lines or fewer. She’ll bring John Berryman’s “Dream Song 14” to the competition to satisfy that requirement. Then, should she advance to the finals during state competition, she will need a third poem. That’s when Thomas Hardy’s “The Man He Killed” comes into play. We’ve reprinted the poem for you here.

The state competition poems and video entries are due to POL this Monday, March 7th. The judging takes place the following Tuesday and Wednesday. We should hear on the 11th who advances to the National Poetry Out Loud Competition. We will all be cheering for Izzy!

The Man He Killed

By Thomas Hardy

“Had he and I but met

By some old ancient inn,

We should have sat us down to wet

Right many a nipperkin!

“But ranged as infantry,

And staring face to face, 

I shot at him as he at me

And killed him in his place.

“I shot him dead becuase — 

Because he was my foe,

Just so: my foe of corse he was;

That’s clear enough; although

“He thought he’d ‘list, perhaps,

Off-hand like  —  just as I  — 

Was out of work — had sold his traps — 

No other reason why.

“Yes; quaint and curious war is!

You shoot a fellow down

You’d treat if me where any bar is 

  Or help to half-a-crown.”

Milk: Is it really a healthy drink?

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This week cereal critics Abby Horwitt and Sienna Price branch out and share their opinion on . . . milk. Is milk good for you? Is milk disgusting? And, how many people actually drink milk at PVS?

By Abigail Horwitt, Plain Milk Supporter, and Sienna Price, Plain Milk Attacker 

You’d think we could all agree on something as simple as milk. Surprisingly, many people have adamant opinions about what is milk, what we can call milk (Almond Milk, we’re looking at you), and how good milk tastes.

Abigail says this about Milk:

In my opinion, I love plain milk. I believe that a glass of milk has a great taste, and on top of that is really good for you. According to Healthline, milk has many benefits. It is packed with nutrients; it is a good source of protein, helps strengthen your bones, helps prevent weight gain (healthline). Milk is also an ingredient in many dishes. However, it should be noted: I do not believe in fat free milk. If you really want a good glass of milk, you need to have at least some sort of fat in it. 

Sienna Responds:

Personally, I think that plain milk is disgusting. The only reason I would drink milk is with cereal. Milk has a horrible taste and texture. Why would you want to drink a full glass?! I understand that some people believe that milk is actually good for you, but milk and other dairy products are the top source of saturated fat in the American diet; they contribute to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine). Studies have also linked dairy to an increased risk of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers (https://www.pcrm.org/).

We took the discussion of milk to the courtyards and classrooms of Palm Valley. Here is what people had to say about the milky creaminess of Oreo’s favorite companion:

“2% is better.” – Jerry Wang

“I have to drink milk with something. I don’t prefer milk just by itself.”– Alyna Rei

“I drink almond milk.”– Ms. Zachik 

“I hate milk. The smell of it is bad.”– Lilah Nick 

“Milk is just milk, so get chocolate and put it in the milk and then you get chocolate milk.”  – Kayliee Augustine-Sails

“Milk is a nutritious substance and is great for growing teens. It tastes pretty good, but if you have too much it might hurt your stomach.” – Emily Feffer 

“Yesterday, I immediately went home and drank a glass of milk.” – Christina Lam

“I like milk with my special K.” – Levi Kassinove 

“The richer the milk the better.”  – Ms. Castellano 

“You’re taking what is meant to be fed to a baby and drinking it yourself; the idea of it is kind of weird but it’s yummy.” – Tal Maruvada

“Fat free is a scam #wholemilkforlife.” – Jesse Denyer

healthline.com

Coachella Valley Ghost Stories for the Dark

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Have you ever seen a ghost? There may be more paranormal presences in the Coachella Valley than you once thought. Ani Madanyan goes into detail on some stories of ghosts all around the valley and what she reveals is . . . chilling. – Editor Luke Sonderman

By Ani Madanyan

Palm Springs…It’s a perfect vacation spot. The pools, the sun, the heat, but what if I told you the desert is maybe a little haunted with … BOO! . . . Ghosts. They are my biggest fear. I’ve heard some local spooky stories. Let’s get into them.

Photo taken by Palm Springs Paranormal Investigation Team as seen in The Coachella Valley Independent.

This is a picture of the La Quinta Resort, the La Casa hideaway. The Palm Springs Paranormal Investigation Team checked out the spirits at the resort. The Coachella Valley Independent writes that the paranormal group had sightings of a “figure of a mysterious woman, cloaked in a white gown, gliding along the pathways of this local resort.” Also, The Coachella Valley Independent has hotel staffers describing “A mysterious tall man with a hat . . . wandering those same halls” (Coachella Valley).

This resort has been open since 1926, so it has lots of history. Donnie Thompson–ghost hunter, documentarian, and lead investigator of the paranormal team–went in for a checkup. Here’s a spooky video of a ghostly figure walking down the pathway that comes from the resort’s camera. The paranormal team wanted to release this video to the media, so here it is.

Donnie and his partner Gloria left this building alone because after interacting with the ghosts, they realized that they intended no harm. Phew!

Blog member and PVS student, Lilah Nick also has a local spooky story.

“I live in the mountains of Palm Springs, and, every so often, like once every two months, I hear a really loud scream that’ll go on for a few minutes coming from the mountains. I know it’s not a coyote because I hear them too. These screams have voice cracks. This is how I know they’re not coyotes; they have a sense of fear. It’s really weird, and the pitch changes a lot, but most of the time it sounds like a man screaming for help.”

Lilah Nick hasn’t done anything about this, besides hide under her blanket and sleep with one eye open…

Senior Jesse Denyer shares her experience with a ghost.

“One day I was home alone hanging out in my backyard, when I got a notification that my Amazon package was delivered. I went through the back sliding glass door, through the living room, and out the front door down to my gate to pick up the package. There was no wind that day, and I am 100% sure I left the door open, as I was going to turn around and come right back. I turn around, and the front door is closed. I assume it just closed by itself, but when I try to open it, it won’t budge almost like it was locked. My door has a deadbolt lock on it, and it’s also a little broken, so in order to lock it you have to jiggle it and put your whole body weight on it. There’s no way it could be locked. I just assumed it got stuck on the rug right next to the door. I walked around my driveway into my backyard and noticed that the sliding glass door was also closed AND LOCKED. Again I am completely home alone, and I know for a fact that I left it open. I took the screen off my kitchen window and crawled in to discover that my front door was deadbolt locked shut and my sliding glass door was also locked. I was so scared I didn’t know what to do with myself. I waited anxiously in my kitchen for my mom to come home. To this day I can’t explain.”

Susan Smith, former Tram employee, has the last ghost story for us.

“One of the old GM’s (general managers) roams the mountain top lodge and can be found at the bar having his favorite drink.” (She can’t remember what kind.) Nighttime Tram employees say this ghost is seen “wearing his infamous golfing hat.” That’s how they know it was him!

Chills. That’s all I have to say.

Why You Should Stop Going to Starbucks and Visit Some Local Coffee Shops

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I know everyone loves Starbucks. There are so many locations. You can order ahead, and it’s just a good menu. But, I think it’s time we switch it up and start going to some local coffee shops. – Editor Abigail Horwitt

By Lilah Nick, Who Orders Tea in Coffee Shops

Koffi

Koffi is a locally owned coffee shop. The first Koffi store opened in 2002 in uptown North Palm Springs. They currently have four locations: three in Palm Springs and one in Rancho Mirage. It is a popular spot to stop in with a friend and get some coffee. Their menu consists of things like breakfast sandwiches, coffee, iced tea, their version of a frappuccino, bakery items, and small lunches. Koffi offers mobile orders. In person, I ordered an egg-and-cheese sandwich and a lavender crimson berry iced-tea fusion. It was so good, and I also liked how they cut their sandwiches in half. I frequent the South Palm Springs Koffi pictured below.

Photo Credit: Yelp

Gré Coffee House and Art Gallery 

Gré is located in downtown Palm Springs right across from the Sandwich Spot. The floor is covered with vinyl records along with wall displays of rare records as well. They also have a huge selection of vinyl that ranges from their $1 section to $100 for their rare records. On special occasions, they also have live music. 

They have coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fountain drinks, and frozen drinks, along with a few bakery items that change every so often. I tried their hot chocolate one time, and it was the best chocolate I’ve ever had. It wasn’t burning hot and it wasn’t watery; it was super chocolate-y. 

Photo Credit: Gré Coffee House and Art Gallery

Café La Jefa

Café La Jefa is a Latin-influenced coffee shop in uptown Palm Springs. The atmosphere there is really fun. There are many photo opportunities, and they have lots of comfy seating. They have coffee, tea, kombucha, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and pastries. Ani Madanyan says, “They have really good coffee. I really like their sitting area. Half the time the bakery items are sold out–they’re just that good. They also have shops in the store so you can shop while you wait.” They have clothing, crystals, hair accessories, necklaces, and art.

Photo Credit: Yelp

These are some popular coffee shop alternatives in the desert. They are super good, and I hope you visit these. There is coffee beyond Starbucks.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the Desert’s Killer

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The Coachella Music and Arts Festival is one of the most popular events in the United States. What people don’t know is that the festival has its faults. Environmentalist Sienna Price shows us the dangers of Coachella. – Editor Alyna Rei

Upon request that The Bird On Fire blog move closer to home for the next few weeks, instead of going to any exotic country, I have decided to show you the negative side to Coachella–which is one of the most visited music festivals in America. 

Coachella attracts around 100,000 attendees every day! (washingtonpost.com)  Can you imagine the waste it produces?! On average, there aree 107 tons of waste produced in a 15-day festival, and only 20% of it gets recycled (washingtonpost.com). 

As you all know, music festivals are loud. They can reach up to 110 decibels, which is equal to a jet plane taking off (washingtonpost.com).Noise pollution from the festival can massively alter animal behaviors and disrupt ecosystems. Some situations in the Coachella Valley could be birds having to call longer or plant growth being disturbed (curesblog.lmu.edu). 

It’s not just what happens in the Coachella festival. If 100,000 people attend each day, most of the people would drive there. That’s polluting even more. Granted–some people drive electric cars and not every single person will drive an individual car to the festival. This is something to think about.

Photo credit: spectrumnews1.com

I’m not trying to tell you not to go to Coachella. I do know that it is a great music festival. I am simply just trying to make you aware of the effects and environmental impacts. Say, you have just booked your tickets, what can you do to help?:

  • Reuse. Do not throw away a plastic bottle. Refill it, or simply bring a reusable water bottle.
  • Rideshare. If you know someone who is going,  ask to share the car instead of taking two.
  • Wear biodegradable glitter. You don’t think about what a little bit of non-biodegradable glitter does to the environment, and a little bit might not do that much. But, if 100,000 people wear glitter, think of that environmental impact. 
  • Clean up. Clean up around your campsite if you are camping. If  you see a piece of trash, pick it up. This is not even restricted to Coachella. Pick up around your community.

If you are considering going to Coachella, or if you already booked your ticket, I hope that you keep in mind the things that you could do to help the environment: pick up your trash; share your rides; take public transports! There are many ways you can help the environment.

Thanks for reading!

Raising Canes Is Overrated and You’re Wrong

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Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is a fast-food restaurant chain that specializes in chicken fingers. They recently opened at 5601 Ramon Road, in Palm Springs, California. Is Cane’s worth the hype? Is Cane’s even good, other than the fact that it’s blowing up on social media? Luke Sonderman tells us about other fried chicken that is superior to Raising Cane’s. Is Cane’s chicken too bland? Too cold? Not worth it? Well, we’re about to find out thanks to Luke’s straightforward review. —  Editor Ani Madanyan

By Luke Sonderman, Chicken Connoisseur

Fried chicken is a very important piece of American cuisine. Recently, the newest fried chicken sensation has been the glorious fried-chicken sandwich which has spread to fried-chicken joints all over the world, even in our Coachella Valley. 

My favorite fried-chicken place in the Coachella Valley is Dave’s Hot Chicken on Jackson Street in Indio. Dave’s Hot Chicken serves massive chicken tenders and chicken sliders. While ordering, you get to pick your spiciness level from Lite Mild to Reaper (which is so spicy, it requires the consumer to agree to a waiver before ordering). 

Dave’s Hot Chicken hotness waiver

Number 2 on my list would have to be Popeye’s Louisiana Chicken on Varner Road in Palm Desert. I have been eating at this Popeye’s since before I can remember. Popeye’s not only serves tenders and delicious sandwiches but also bone-in chicken, unlike most other fried chicken places in the Coachella Valley. I usually order their spicy-fried-chicken sandwich or their spicy tenders. 

Before I trigger all of the die-hard Cane’s fans, let’s just hate on Kentucky Fried Chicken for a little bit. I have to admit, their bone-in chicken is pretty good. But their popcorn chicken, chicken tenders, and chicken sandwich??? I’d rather eat sand. Their chicken tenders and sandwich are completely dry and have way too much black pepper on them. 

Although we don’t have one in the Coachella Valley (for now), I have to give Chick-Fil-A some appreciation. Chick-Fil-A is by far my favorite fried-chicken joint and fast-food restaurant outside the Coachella Valley. They have the juiciest chicken in their sandwiches and their tenders along with the tastiest buttered buns with two pickle slices. Their waffle-weave fries are so waffley they’re out of this world. On top of that, their milkshakes are the best milkshakes out of every fast-food joint in the United States. They do something to the milkshakes, I don’t know what, but they are so good.

Finally, this one is for all the Raising Cane’s fans out there. YOU’RE WRONG. Raising Cane’s is not even close to the best fried-chicken joint out there. Yeah, their tenders aren’t too bad, but what’s all the hype about? Their menu is super basic, and everything is so plain. They completely copied Del Taco’s crinkle-cut fries, which aren’t even that good to begin with. I went to the newly opened Palm Springs location and waited over an hour in a super-slow drive through just to receive cold chicken, a missing piece of toast, and a lemonade full of melted ice. And, after being open only a month, there has already been a corpse found in front of Raising Cane’s (kesq.com). 

So, if you don’t want plain cold chicken, or if you don’t want to be found dead in the parking lot, you may not want to wait an hour in the drive-through at Raising Cane’s Chicken. Get some Dave’s Hot Chicken instead. 

Pick up your trash!

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Environmentalist Alyna Rei brings to our attention the harsh truth about littering. In this informative blog Alyna gives us insight into the big world of trash and how it affects the environment around us.  –  Editor Sienna Price

By Alyna Rei, Environmentalist

Littering is one of the many issues we have in the world that can easily be solved. The Coachella Valley is just one of the many cities in the world that is affected by littering. You don’t realize how much of an effect you have on the environment when you throw a cup out of the window, or if you drop food packaging on the ground. To decrease littering, we should educate the community as to how pervasive littering is and how it affects the planet. Here’s what I see when I drive to school in the morning.


What is littering? Why is it bad?

Littering is the improper disposing of products. Littering can happen intentionally or unintentionally, but both have environmental consequences (texasdisposal.com). 

The consequences can damage an animal’s life in their ecosystem. This can damage an animal’s ecosystems; when their shelter is full of trash it makes it harder for animals to settle in. On a more serious note, animals would mistake trash as food and digest the toxic material ending up killing some animals.  Littering can also cause water, soil, and air pollution. 

Often, litter is burned in open air and releases toxic gasses and matter into the atmosphere. Trash would usually be burned in a barrel. Some cities burn their trash since it’s the easiest way to get rid of trash. These toxins can enter people’s bodies and affect their health (health.ny.gov).

As littering increases, chemicals and other particles increase in the air. These chemicals aren’t healthy for the environment and can cause lots of problems. For example, one of the many particles of trash released into the ground would be cigarettes. Cigarettes have arsenic and formaldehyde that can make their way into the water and into soil. This would impact both humans and animals negatively (texasdisposal.com).

Why you should pick up your trash

The truth is, picking up trash is not everyone’s favorite thing to do. It’s not usually a favorite pastime for people. People are disgusted about picking up other people’s trash and have the thought that since it’s not their trash, it’s not their problem. That in itself is the problem; people believe that someone else will pick it up. Sure, you didn’t drop the litter, but it’s still your environment, shouldn’t you take care of it?

Here are some reasons why you should pick up your trash if you still need convincing:

  • It will protect wildlife. Most animals can mistake trash as food or as shelter materials. In fact, most animals are victims of littering everyday. Usually, trash can get into waterways and into the ocean. Animals can die from consuming trash that ends up in their ecosystem (https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/litter).
  • It reduces the cost of cleanup. The United States spends a lot of money on just litter cleanup. We can reduce the costs by just picking up pieces of trash every day. Walk across the courtyard, and pick up trash.
  • Less spread of germs. Litter can contain many germs by just being on the street. With this, kids can pick these pieces up and then put their hands in their mouths. This would be a huge safety hazard for everyone. 
  • By picking up litter, you are showing pride in your community. You’re showing that you care about your environment and the Earth. 

Our school campus has been known to have pieces of trash lying around, and I always see teachers and staff picking up after students. This wouldn’t be a problem if students took the initiative to throw away their trash. Picking up litter can show that you care about the environment and the community. So, pick up your trash!!

Our Neighbors the Coyotes

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Have you ever taken a second out of your life to think about coyotes? Well, Oliver Martinez certainly has. This week, Oliver explains the history of coyotes, along with riveting tales of local encounters with them. – Levi Kassinove, Editor

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

In my three years of being in this school, I’ve heard many stories of students and even teachers seeing coyotes on campus. This made me wonder how coyotes even got to campus, or even how they got to the desert. 


Photo Source desertridgelifestyle.com

Where do coyotes originate?

The coyotes have been native to North America for 1 million years. Currently they are still found in North America, from Southern Panama, to Northern Mexico, through the United States and Canada. (nationalgeographic.com)

How coyotes got to the desert

Coyotes are native to the desert. They might migrate to the east, but they originate from western America. According to the National Park Service, Coyotes attempted migration from the west of the United States to other places, but they are still native to the west.  Coyotes can live just about anywhere, but they prefer open areas. This is why coyotes are found frequently in the deserts of California. (urbancoyoteresearch.com)

Coyote at The Living Desert

Experiences with Coyotes

I went and asked people about their experiences with coyotes. Tal, an eighth grader, told me his story. He woke up in the middle of the night to a coyote howling outside; he heard it making noises as if it were struggling. Creeped out, Tal went to sleep.

Another story comes from Ms. Zachik. Ms. Zachik was walking with her dog in a wash on a path, when she found herself having a staredown with a coyote. She quickly grabbed her dog and walked off and around the path to avoid the coyote.  

If you happen to see a coyote, Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Conservation Director at the Living Desert, says, “Most of the time when you see a coyote out in the wild if you make yourself big by waving or yelling they’ll run away. If they don’t run away you are probably near the den.” The most likely time you’ll see coyotes will be at dawn or dusk. (kesq.com)

Coyotes are interesting creatures. A reason to like coyotes is because they maintain a balance in the ecosystem by being the top carnivores. Says Dr. Danoff-Burg, “Coyotes . . . help control the rodent population and even eat insects, including cockroaches.” Coyotes help maintain healthy ecosystems.