the bird on fire

The Palm Valley School Student Blog

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Predictions to Start Off the Year on a High Note:

by 1 Comment

The Return of the Dinosaurs and Self-Tying Shoes?!

When Sara asked the Blog staff what they predict will happen in 2021, Erik Bearman chose to talk about ideas in science-fiction media that may soon become reality. 

By Erik Bearman 

The story of the big bad Jurassic Park logosaurus - Graphéine
Bringing Back The Dinosaurs

A lot of us probably went through a dinosaur phase when we were younger. We dreamed about what it would be like to see them walk the Earth once again. Entire books and film franchises have explored this idea. But what if I told you that within the next decade you can have your own pet dinosaur?

Why we're creating a 'chickenosaurus' - CNN.com

Let’s be clear on one thing: I am NOT saying that you can have a pet triceratops. I am talking about owning a chicken that has been genetically altered to display dinosaur-like traits. Let me explain:

There are two kinds of dinosaurs: avian and non-avian. Non-avian dinosaurs are the ones that went extinct 66 million years ago. But the avian dinosaurs are still alive and are what you might call “birds.” As unassuming as your average chicken is, they are the closest living relative to the T-Rex. And, they still contain the genes that gave them their dinosaur-like traits millions of years ago. Paleontologists theorize that with modern gene-editing technology, we could reactivate those dormant genes and create a “Chickenosaurus.”  And, we’ve already had some moderate success: in 2015, researchers managed to reverse-engineer a chicken snout to make it resemble the snout of a non-avian dinosaur. Researcher Jack Horner even claimed, “From a quantitative point of view, we’re 50 percent there” (livescience.com).

Back to the Future Part II” Makes No Sense – Mother Jones
Nike Raffles 'Back to the Future' Self-Tying Shoes
Velcro Is Outdated!

Back to the Future II got a lot of things wrong about 2015. We may not have self-drying jackets, but we do have self-lacing shoes! Earlier this month, Nike launched the Air Jordans 11. These Jordans allow its wearers to “control the laces via Bluetooth using a Nike app that lets them customize the fit of the sneakers” (businessinsider.com). According to the Jordan Brand, these sneakers will be “the most personalized Jumpman shoes to date.”  Right now, these Air Jordans sell at $185 (sneakernews.com). But, I predict that self-lacing shoes will become cheaper as they become more commonplace. 

Re-watching 'Gattaca' now that we have CRISPR - Business Insider
“We are in the midst of a genetic revolution”–Unnatural Selection

Movies like Gattaca have depicted a dismal future that oppresses people and condemns them to a life of simple servitude due to their genetic structure. In Gattaca, genetically superior people–who were usually gifted because their parents had gone to a geneticist before their child’s birth–were always given prestigious opportunities in life including space travel. Meanwhile, genetically inferior people, called “in-valids” wouldn’t see the inside of a spaceship unless they were cleaning it. What makes such discrimination so concerning is that it isn’t based on ignorance or religion; it’s based off of actual science. This future isn’t too far off either.

From bioterror to bioerror: Who's afraid of biohacking? | Genetic Literacy Project

Unless you’re pursuing a career in genetics, you likely haven’t heard the name Josiah Zayner before. Josiah Zayner is the creator of The ODIN. The ODIN is a project dedicated to “Making Science and Genetic Engineering Accessible and Affordable” (www.the-odin.com). Using CRISPR technology, Zayner has created a tool so you can modify your own DNA at home with a complete set of instructions on how to do so! But, if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of modifying your own DNA, there are other alternatives you can do with the kits. A couple things you can do is modify bacteria to glow in the dark or make frogs grow bigger muscles. There are even online classes that you can do at your own pace. 

Now if you’re still concerned about one day being an “in-valid,” you don’t have to worry. Zayner’s goal is making these kits accessible to everybody–not just the upper class. So you’ll have the power to change yourself if you want to.

Sources

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-21/30-things-back-to-the-future-ii-got-right-or-wrong-about-october-21-2015

https://www.livescience.com/50801-chicken-with-dinosaur-snout-images.html

https://www.livescience.com/50886-scientific-progress-dino-chicken.html

Jurassic Park

Back To The Future II

Gattaca

www.the-odin.com

Unnatural Selection (Netflix documentary)

2021 Predictions Editor: Sara Habibipour

2021 Prophéties

by 1 Comment

2021. It’s finally here. Although off to an unusual start, Editor Sara wanted to ask the Bloggers what they predict for the rest of the year (for better or for worse). Blogger Elizabeth decided to look toward the Great Nostradamus for 2021 predictions.

By Elizabeth Shay

Nostradamus was a French physician and astrologer who is best known for his prophecies. These prophecies are expressed in verses called quatrains, and are outlined in his book, Les Prophéties, published in 1555. Nostradamus has written 6,338 prophecies, over 70% of which have supposedly been fulfilled (yearly-horoscope.org); some of his accurate predictions seem to include the French Revolution, Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, and even the 9/11 attacks–yikes! His prophecies cover the years until 3797, when he believes that the world is slated to end (history.com). 

Here are three of Nostradamus’s dreadful and saddeningly dark predictions for 2021, which hopefully do not come true:

  1. A Famine of Biblical Proportions (yearly-horoscope.org) 

According to Nostradamus, we can expect a massive famine in 2021, which is one of the signs of the end of the world in addition to earthquakes and plagues. The prophecy reads:

“After great trouble for humanity, a greater one is prepared,

The Great Mover renews the ages:

Rain, blood, milk, famine, steel and plague,

Is the heavens fire seen, a long spark running”

Nostradamus

To be fair, a great catastrophe is prophesied by Nostradamus to occur pretty much every single year, so it doesn’t hold much weight.

  1. A Devastating Earthquake Will Destroy California (yearly-horoscope.org)

In yet another tragedy that Nostradamus has visualized for the upcoming year, a great earthquake is set to hit “the Lands of the West,” which people assume to mean California. The actual prediction reads as follows:

“The sloping park, great calamity,

Through the Lands of the West and Lombardy [Italy]

The fire in the ship, plague, and captivity;

Mercury in Sagittarius, Saturn fading”

Nostradamus

According to astrologers, the dates when the planets mentioned will be in the described position in the sky is November 25, 2021.

Once again, this shouldn’t cause alarm because Nostradamus has made this prediction in 1988. And in 2015. And in 2020.

  1. A War Between Two Allied Countries (wisehoroscope.org)

Finally, Nostradamus describes a war between two allied countries in the near future, which will lead to the third world war. The quatrain states:

“In the city of God there will be a great thunder

Two brothers torn apart by Chaos while the fortress endures

The great leader will succumb

The third big war will begin when the big city is burning”

Nostradamus

This is definitely not encouraging to see, but based on this prophet’s track record, I don’t think that there is grounds for panic.

2020 has been a rough year to say the least, and these predictions definitely do not inspire much confidence for the new year. Fortunately, there is little proof for the validity of these predictions. Any seemingly accurate prophecies are likely a result of coincidences. 

What are some of your predictions for 2021? Hopefully they are more positive than these!

Sources:

https://www.yearly-horoscope.org/nostradamus-2021-predictions/

https://www.history.com/topics/paranormal/nostradamus

https://wisehoroscope.org/nostradamus-2021/

2021 Predictions Editor: Sara Habibipour

Top 10 Album Covers

by 1 Comment

For this next “Aesthetic” post, Blogger Jake Sonderman incorporated his passion for music and compiled a list of his 10 favorite album covers.

By Jake Sonderman

This is a list of my top 10 album covers of all time. I did not take into account the album’s popularity or musical content, only how much I like to look at the cover art. 

10. Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind

Piece of Mind - Wikipedia

Iron Maiden is the only major band that comes to my mind that has a character on every single album cover. Steve Harris, the bassist and founding member, says the character comes from a mask they used to call “the head,” and they’re British so it was like, “the ed,” and they started calling the mask Eddie. There is even a video game built around Eddie. 

9. The Who – Who’s next

Who's Next - The Who

A monolith and destruction for miles. This apocalyptic cover is simple. If you look closely, the guys are zipping up their shorts, and there are stains on the monolith. I’m not sure exactly what the message is, but man that is a cool cover. 

8.  Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill

Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill (1986, Vinyl) | Discogs
Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill Lyrics and Tracklist | Genius

Of course, when you first look at this album you only see the front side. This is a clean and pristine lookin’ tail of a plane, pretty cool on its own. Then you flip it over to the plane crashing on the back side. The front is cool, but the connection to the surprising, chaotic back makes this a top 10. 

7. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication

Californication (album) - Wikipedia

This album cover takes a bit of unpacking. For a while I thought the pool was lava because I never gave it more than a glance. The pool is really the sky during a sunset, and the sky is more obviously the water. The message is simply how backwards life in California is. 

6. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy

Creating Art from Failure: The 'Houses of the Holy' Album Cover | by David Deal | Festival Peak

Despite what many say, this is not a bunch of kids in blonde wigs. This mysterious album cover meant to mimic Arthur C. Clarke’s novel Childhood’s End was photographed multiple times with two blonde children, at sunrise and sunset. Truly genius.

5. Janelle Monáe: Dirty Computer

On 'Dirty Computer,' Janelle Monáe Reveals Herself, Sort Of | The ARTery

I couldn’t find a ton of backstory on this art, but I really like it. The color scheme is intoxicating, and every little detail pops out. It’s almost like when I look at it I have to back up and open my eyes more to really take it in. 

4. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (180 Gram Vinyl) - Amazon.com Music

This is arguably the most iconic album cover of all time, but that’s not why I chose it. For a long time people speculated where this album art, seen on millions of t-shirts, came from (before the internet). Bernard Sumner from Joy Division found this image in the Manchester Central Library. He was searching for inspiration, and found this image in the The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Astronomy. It was the “stacked plots” of the radio emissions of a rotating neutron star. 

3. Pink Floyd – Ummagumma

Ummagumma by Pink Floyd – top psychedelic album No. 22

This album was designed by popular English design company, Hipgnosis. They’ve designed album covers for more famous rock bands than any other design company, and this is my favorite art that they’ve done. The more I look at this cover the more I discover. If you look closely, in each “picture inside a picture” the bandmates have switched positions. This might be because the album is a combination of songs written by the individual band members. 

2. Motley Crue – Too Fast For Love

Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love - Amazon.com Music

In case you didn’t already figure it out, this is a very clever copy of the Rolling Stones’s album cover art for Sticky Fingers. This is truly the album cover for all of 80s rock: all leather, studs, and spikes. 

1. The Clash – London Calling 

The Clash - London Calling (1979, Vinyl) | Discogs

I’m not sure anybody but Evan would agree with me on this one, but this is truly a masterful album cover. So much so that people know this album cover better than the album cover it is imitating. This is a play on Elvis Presley’s name album from 1956, but instead of playing his guitar like Elvis’s cover, Paul Simonon is smashing his bass. Truly Punk. 

Aesthetics Editor: Elizabeth Shay

Celtic Costume or Soldier’s Skirt?

by 3 Comments

Blogger Evan Spry has explored his culture in several articles. With his newest post, he dives into a traditional Scottish aesthetic, focusing on perhaps the most famous symbol of the culture: the kilt.

By Evan Spry

Since the end of the 16th century, Scots have been embracing and promoting their traditional culture to everyone by brandishing their skirt-like kilts. Very few cultural traditions have been able to infiltrate popular culture like that of the kilt. The Scottish kilt is such a popular symbol of Scottish culture that I guarantee the first thing an average person thinks when they think of Scotland is the famous kilt. But why are these kilts so popular? Well, for one, they’re comfortable because of their ergonomic and breathable design. The other reason is that the second a man puts on a kilt he transforms into a handsome, Gaelic warrior.

This popular traditional aesthetic has not changed very much since its debut in the 16th century. In the beginning, kilts were worn as full-length garments by the Gaelic men of the Northern Scottish Highlands. Apparently, “The word ‘kilt’ is a derivation of the ancient Norse word, kjilt, which means pleated, and refers to clothing that is tucked up and around the body” (authenticireland.com). The men’s kilts back then were also a little more risque than the modern version is now, as they usually cut off way before the knee. Nowadays, the majority of kilts you’ll see worn will go below the knee. These kilts were made “using self-colored garments, which were white or dull brown, green or black as opposed to the multicolored plaids or tartan designs recognized today” (authenticireland.com). As more efficient kilt-making techniques were introduced around the 1800s, a new tartan pattern was developed. The tartan cloth was dyed and designed in criss-crossed lines.

The plaid pattern never gets cut off in a traditional kilt.

History of the Kilt

Unfortunately, the power of the kilt grew too strong for the British monarchy. The kilt-wearing Scots launched a rebellion in the Highlands. So the British Parliament imposed the Dress Act of 1746. This act, steered by King George II, made it illegal to wear the beloved Scottish kilt. By the time the Dress Act was repealed in 1782, it was already too late for many kilt-wearing Scots. As decades of harsh enforcement didn’t allow the traditional kilt, many got used to not wearing them at all. However, this was not the end of the kilt. Since King George banned them almost completely on the basis that they represented Scottish culture and allegiance, they became iconic symbols of national pride for the Scots. Soon, this love for kilts gave way to the creation of specific tartan patterns for specific Scottish clans. The image above is the design for my family’s tartan kilt, which represents the Johnston/Johnstone clan. And, since I’m at least one quarter Scottish, I have enough Gaelic blood to wear our family kilt. Although I do not own any Johnston clan kilts, I would love to in the future.

In conclusion, the traditional Scottish aesthetic of kilt-wearing will live on indefinitely as a symbol of national pride. I found it super interesting finding out about the traditional “aesthetic” that my ancestors showed off. I encourage you to find out what your ancestors wore as their “aesthetic” because I’m willing to bet it’s probably pretty weird.  

Source

https://www.authenticireland.com/scottish+kilts/

Aesthetic Editor: Elizabeth Shay

What to Expect in a Laboratory

by Leave a Comment

Elizabeth tasked the Blog Staff with writing about “Aesthetic.” Erik chose to write about a science aesthetic and what you might find in his future lab.

Workrite Uniform Company: Top 5 Lab Safety Tips - Workplace Material Handling & Safety

The Lab Uniform

Laboratory uniforms may vary depending on what research is being conducted and/or what substances are being handled. But the basics (pre-COVID) are safety goggles, medical gloves, and a white lab coat. All aspects of the uniform are made to protect the wearer as much as possible in case of lab accidents. The safety goggles prevent harmful substances from entering the eyes. Medical gloves help prevent researchers from being contaminated by bacteria (this is especially true for doctors dealing with infected patients). The lab coat itself is made of cotton so it can absorb substances before they reach the skin. 

How and Why to Balance Your Centrifuge | Vetlab Supplies Ltd

The Centrifuge

Centrifuges are used to separate particles from a solution of a sample. Separation varies depending on the sample’s shape, density, size, viscosity, and the centrifuge’s rotor speed. According to labmanager.com, while the sample(s) spin, “gravitational force will cause particles of higher density than the solvent to sink, and those less dense than the solvent to float to the top.”

COVID-19 helped this small syringe business boom. Then came the taxpayer-backed windfall.

The Syringes

One of the more simple tools of lab aesthetics are syringes. The concept of a syringe is very simple; it is a tool that can either withdraw or inject fluid into a body or sample. Syringes are fitted with a plunger that can either withdraw (with upward movement) or inject fluids (with downward movement). Syringes are often single-use because the needles often contain a little bit of the sample they were used on. If a blood sample is infected, and the blood comes in contact with the needle, anyone who sticks that needle in their arm can be infected with numerous blood diseases such as AIDs and HIV.

Borosilicate Griffin Beakers – Cambridge Environmental Products, Inc.

The Beakers

Beakers come in many shapes and sizes and are used to hold and measure various substances. Individually, glass beakers are fairly cheap; you can find them in stores such as Walmart and JCPenny for low prices.

Microscope - Wikipedia

The Microscope

As I’m sure you probably know, microscopes are used to enlarge images of small objects. Standard microscopes are used to analyse organic structures, but the strongest microscopes can be used at the cellular or even molecular level.

A culture plate (1887) | British Society for Immunology

The Petri Dish

Microbiologists are certainly familiar with the petri dish. Petri dishes are primarily used to grow and study cultures of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Being able to study these microorganisms allows scientists to better understand how they work and how these discoveries can help the world.

Lab Chemicals from Burrell Scientific

The Chemicals

The chemicals found in labs widely vary depending on the type of research being conducted. But, generally, chemicals are used to preserve samples and run tests.

Want to live for ever? Flush out your zombie cells | Ageing | The Guardian

The Test Subject(s)

Last but not least, every scientist’s favorite part of their career: experimenting on innocent creatures! Seriously though, when creating new medical drugs and therapy, scientists must test their work rigorously before their invention moves onto human trials. The best test subjects are ones that are in large abundance and able to reproduce quickly. The subjects must also be very similar to humans. Because of these qualities, mice often make the best test subjects. Mice share 97% of their DNA with humans, reach sexual maturity only two months after they’re born, and are capable of giving birth to as many as 80 offspring per year. Scientists are able to observe the long term effects of a treatment in a short amount of time, and thus make an accurate conclusion of what will happen to humans who take the treatment. 

So, to fit in with your future lab, don your lab coat and grab your beakers.

Sources Referenced:

*www.macbicnj.com › purpose-of-a-beaker 

*Google Images

*My mother who is a supervisor at Labcorp

*www.nationalgeograpic.org 

*Dictionary.com

Aesthetic Editor: Elizabeth Shay

The Academia Aesthetic

by 1 Comment

Social media, especially TikTok, has popularized the term “aesthetic” in recent years. There are hundreds of aesthetics, and in her post, Blogger Sara Habibipour addresses one of the most popular ones.

By Sara Habibipour

Perhaps one of the most famous trending aesthetics on TikTok and Instagram is the “Academia” aesthetic, characterized by “…classic literature, the pursuit of self-discovery, and a general passion for knowledge and learning” (Aesthetics.Fandom.Com). 

Some of the key motifs of this aesthetic are books, darkness, history, and old architecture. 

But wait…there’s more. 

There’s actually a never-ending list of sub-academia aesthetics. Anything you can think of, there’s probably an academia aesthetic for it. Theater Academia, Chaotic Academia, Fairy Academia…it all exists. Here’s a list of the most famous, and, in my opinion, the most pleasant-to-look-at academia aesthetics.

Dark Academia

The Dark Academia aesthetic is heavily centered around classic Greek and Gothic architecture. Imagine attending a prep school in Europe, spending late nights in a Gothic-style library while sipping a cup of coffee as you watch the rain pouring down outside; that would be a perfect example of the Dark Academia lifestyle. 

Dark Academia is heavily characterized by its distinct fashion as well, with a color palette mostly consisting of earth tones (browns, dark greens, grays, etc.). As far as the style, it’s very “preppy”; brown cardigans, vintage plaid skirts/pants, and leather satchels are the staples of the Dark Academia look.

 

Not “dark” enough for your taste? Well, there’s actually a subcategory of Dark Academia. And can you guess what it’s called? 

…Darkest Academia

Here’s a photo that pretty much sums up the Darkest Academia aesthetic.

Darkest Academia Aesthetic

Light Academia

For those of you who don’t particularly care for darker colors but still like the Academic style, maybe Light Academia is your aesthetic. 

Characterized by beige, cream, white, and light brown shades, the Light Academia fashion still is “preppy” but definitely distinct from its counterpart, Dark Academia. The architecture preferences are also less Gothic and more classic Greek, and there’s more of an emphasis on the arts and romance. 

Light Academia Aesthetic

Green and Blue Academia 

There are also more color-specific academia aesthetics. 

For example, there’s Green Academia which fosters things like reading books in nature surrounded by greenery and earthy-green colors. There’s Blue Academia which appreciates the beauty of the night sky and royal blue (a Ravenclaw aesthetic, if you will). 

Green Academia Aesthetic
Blue Academia Aesthetic

***

Out of all the aesthetics mentioned above, I would have to say that Dark Academia is my personal favorite. What do you think of these aesthetics? Let us know in the comments!

Sources: 

https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Dark_Academia

Image Sources: 

https://images.app.goo.gl/Lmk2frB8aZv845tZA

https://images.app.goo.gl/uuSi8MTu3S7sGEeH7

https://images.app.goo.gl/hhMVC5FLBJ6DrzBm7

https://images.app.goo.gl/sPHdKyRyea6Hm3wW9

Aesthetic Editor: Elizabeth Shay

Rats in the Kitchen??!!

by 1 Comment

Hannah is not grateful, actually, for rats in the kitchen. She is grateful for cooking. The kitchen is her happy place. Here, she shares one of her favorite recipes (that might, or might not, include rats).

by Hannah Hall

One thing I am grateful for is the ability to cook. I find myself in the kitchen almost all the time, not because I am hungry, but because it is my happy place. This is because whether I am making food for myself or others, it always brings a smile to somebody’s face. 

And, recently, since I have been hearing the word “ratatouille” thrown around a lot, thanks to the internet extravaganza that is Ratatouille: the TikTok Musical, I have been pondering about this iconic French stewed vegetable dish. This inspired me to dig up an old Cheesy Ratatouille Casserole recipe and share it with the blog. This ratatouille recipe, however, is seriously the farthest thing from traditional (as you can tell by the Americanized name). It is just a fun meal I got from a magazine when I was a youngin’.

Usually, I like to serve it with some rice, butter, n’ chicken, but if you’re feeling something else, try it on some dough as a flatbread, or instead with some pappardelle for a pasta dish! So together, let’s grab our utensils, and get to cooking!

Cheesy Ratatouille Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 1 small yellow onion (more or less)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 medium zucchinis
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 4 baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 eggplant
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½  tbsp balsamic vinegar (as much or as little as you like)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cans crushed tomatoes (~28oz)
  • **1 cup red beans (not kidney beans) OPTIONAL**
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp fennel seeds
  • ⅛ tsp ground coriander (you can replace this and the 4 spices above with 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning if you don’t wanna find all the spices)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • **1-2 cup your choice of mixed shredded cheeses (eg. parmesan/mozzarella/provolone/gruyere/asiago…etc)**
  • Fresh basil

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Finely chop onion and garlic. Roughly chop zucchini, pepper, eggplant, and mushrooms.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pot. Cook onion and garlic for 3 mins.
  4. Add salt, pepper, veggies, balsamic and extra oil. Cook for 7 minutes, or until golden colored. 
  5. Add tomatoes, beans, and spices. Cover and simmer for 30 mins. Stir occasionally. 
  6. Check if it is at the thickness you want, and, if it is, move on to step 7. 
  7. Transfer all of it into the casserole dish, and top with the cheese.
  8. Place in the oven uncovered for 30 mins or until the cheese is melted and browned. 
  9. Serve and top with fresh basil! 

As Gusteau says, “Anyone can cook!” (even if you don’t have a rat under your hat). Enjoy.

What-are-you-Grateful-For Editor: Evan Spry

Call of Duty: Keeping Me Sane

by Leave a Comment

As Jake contemplated his response to Editor Evan’s “What are you grateful for?” post, he thought up of his favorite quarantine pastime, Call of Duty.

By Jake Sonderman

Saying that a shooter game is how I relax might be a shock to some, but, I am sure many people can relate to why I think so. Playing these games is, in a way, thoughtless. Many look to TV, fitness, listening to music, and art to let their mind relax. I also do these things, but since quarantine started, I’ve been playing more video games. I get to talk to Evan and take my mind off college work, work-work, school work, and the many other kinds of work that burden all of us. 

“Correlation does not equal causation.”

While the first connotations that shooter games like Call of Duty bring to mind involve blood, gore, and violence, I have not at all found that to be the case, most of the time. I would equate games like Call of Duty to dodgeball more than actual violence; players spawn into a small map and try to beat the other team by knocking out the other players or capturing a point. When a player “dies,” they either respawn instantly or wait for the next round (much like dodgeball). I am very critical of the claim that shooter games have made society more violent, as shooter games were introduced at the same time period as things like the internet and social media, which without a doubt have affected how violent we are as a society. But, as Ms. Mckee would say: “Correlation does NOT equal causation.” 

Zombies

If you didn’t know, a new Call of Duty came out recently set in the Cold War era, and I have to say I’m a fan. It has the much awaited arrival of the next zombies gamemode. If there is one thing more thoughtless and relaxing than normal Call of Duty, it is Call of Duty Zombies. It is a very cooperative game, and I have fun playing it with my aforementioned comrade, Evan Spry. Though I have to revive him many times a game, I couldn’t ask for a better partner. Sometimes Andrew, Co-Yearbook Editor, will join us (until his game crashes).

If it weren’t for this game, quarantine would have been much longer, I wouldn’t have stayed in touch with my friends, and the stress of senior year would have driven me pretty much insane. Sometimes, the small things like a game or a show can make a huge difference in your mood and well being. I am grateful for this small thing that has helped me stay calm, and I hope you all have something that has helped you through quarantine and will continue to keep you stay sane. 

What Are You Grateful for? Editor: Evan Spry

Get Your Yearbooks

by Leave a Comment

2021 Ember Staff Yearbook Editors Evan Spry and Sara Habibipour

Have you bought your yearbook yet? 

If not, you better hurry up and purchase it! The early-bird price of $55 lasts only until January 4. Don’t miss out on this great deal! 

You can purchase the yearbook using this link: https://www.balfour.com/student-info?smi=4409 

You can also shop for some cool accessories to add to your yearbook. We have name stamps!

Ads are also available for purchase. We offer quarter-page, half-page, and full-page ads. Price information can be found on the website link above. 

I’ll miss y’all next year

by 1 Comment

When Editor Evan asked the Blog class, “What are you grateful for?” Erik decided to write about the friends he has made during his time at Palm Valley. *If you’re not included in this story, it’s a matter of space, not affection. And, there will be no Blog nepotism (except for my “separated-at-birth sister”Hannah!).

By Erik Bearman

Nathan Bosworth

Nathan and I met during Freshman year and quickly became close friends. He was always honest and wasn’t afraid to express himself. He was confident and a fantastic drama student. I regret that he left this year, but my memories with him are something I will always look back on with joy. Miss you, Nathan!

Andrew Hall

Andrew was one of the guys I met in eighth grade, but we didn’t talk to each other much since we were in separate classes. We also didn’t know much about each other apart from the fun fact that Andrew, his sister Hannah, and I share the same birthdate: March 29th, 2003. Andrew and I really bonded when we went on a school trip to New Orleans during our Freshman year. We watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit in our down time with Mr. Brooks and laughed over how funny it was. Over the years, Andrew has always been someone I can joke with, and I’m grateful for him because he is someone I can count on to make me laugh.

 Hannah Hall

Similarly to Andrew, I met Hannah in 8th grade, but we didn’t really bond until we took that class trip to New Orleans. We joked a lot, and she offered to be on my team during a group bonding game. This was something which meant a lot to me because I didn’t ask her to do it; she did it out of the kindness of her heart. Throughout the remainder of our high school years, Hannah and I have continued to be good friends. I am grateful for her because she has always been someone I can joke with in class, and she was a big supporter of my Biology Facts even when I didn’t think anyone cared about them.

Josiah Llapitan

On my first day of high school, I was super nervous. Many of my friends had left after 8th grade. I feared I’d have few to talk to. At lunch, I sat down with a group of new students. One of these students was Josiah. He turned out to be super cool, and I’m still friends with him to this day. I’m grateful for Josiah because he was one of the people who made Spanish fun, and he always made me laugh at lunch.

Chelsea Xu

I first saw Chelsea in the 8th grade, but we never talked because we were in different classes. This continued until our Sophomore year. She reached out to me, and we began to talk. At first, it was fairly casual, but we quickly realized how strong our friendship was becoming. We bonded over memes and our shared torment during AP World History. She is very artistic, and I enjoy listening to her ideas and plans for college and the future. I’m grateful for Chelsea because she’s been there for me during rock-bottom, she accepts me for my weirdness, and she never treats me like I’m crazy when I’m talking about my career ideas.

What are you grateful for? Editor: Evan Spry