Louisa Richardson Archives - Page 2 of 2

Maya Karpaty: An Interview with a Senior

May 9, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Our seniors are graduating. It happens every year. We take this week to sit down and discuss senior memories, profiles, hopes, futures, and words of wisdom.

By Middle-School Blogger Louisa Richardson

This week I had the privilege of sitting down with one of Palm Valley’s very own–Maya Karpaty. I interviewed her about her upcoming graduation and life after high school. The interview mainly focused on her personal life, but the interview did include some pieces of advice for our new high schoolers and some advice for the high school.

In the fall, Maya is going to the University of Puget Sound. She received admission offers from many other schools, including scholarships to places like UC Santa Cruz and the University of Puget Sound. Puget Sound is located in northwestern Washington, specifically in Tacoma. Maya is excited to try Washington, but she isn’t sure she wants to move there when she is all done with college.

Maya is a double major in songwriting and literature, but she says that she values songwriting a little bit more. Maya says that her dream is to travel the world touring with her guitar. Maya sings about relationships and universal truths. Her inspiration is Phoebe Bridgers. You can find Maya’s music on Maya’s soundcloud.

Maya Karpaty says Ms. Schapiro, Ms. Bassanelli, and her parents have been a very big help in getting her to where she is today. Although Maya is currently dead set on attending Puget Sound, her views on college have changed since she was a kid. Maya says, “When I was little, I was totally oblivious to college, and the way that people had their dream schools.” She continues, “This mindset was a big help later because I didn’t have one school I wanted to go to or one major path.”

Speaking of dream schools, Maya’s favorite thing about Palm Valley is how the teachers care less about grades and more about the individual students. She states, “I got here in junior year, from a public school. The school [there] was great, but the teachers didn’t have as good of a support system as they do here; in comparison to my last school the teachers show support and I can also get to know my teachers; it feels more . . . that they are on your side rather than just throwing papers at you.” However, as great of a school as Palm Valley is, she does have some ways it can improve! She says, “Make things more fun for students because we’re still kids and we need school to be more than just constant work.”

All in all, Maya Karpaty is a great person. She was extremely kind and very honest in her interview. She seems to know what she is doing when it comes to college. She encourages us all to not stress about what we’re doing in the future. She says focus on ourselves and our good health. In short, Maya is a great influence on our youth here at PVS and an impressive graduate.

The Void

May 3, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

What if your home town suddenly was “erased”? Louisa takes us into the void.

A Fictional Imagining By Middle-School Blogger Louisa Richardson

When I drove home from Nebraska that day, I didn’t think it would have been any different than the usual commute home for Christmas. I was thinking about Aunty Sharon, about the last time I saw her. As I drove, it struck me – the population of Red-ton County was getting smaller and smaller. I realized there were no cars at all, no people either. I started to worry, until I saw the familiar blinking blue light on in the Red-ton County Library. It was reassuring, . . . until it grew brighter, and brighter. And then it was gone.

I had closed my eyes because of the brightness of the blue light, and when I opened my eyes, I saw nothing, and everything all at once.

I stepped out of the car and walked into the bright blinding lights; it was all white, and void-like. I immediately picked up my cell to call my parents, but when I looked through my contacts, there was no one there. Aunty Sharon, my sister, my two brothers, my parents, no one living in Red-ton County was on my list of contacts. It was as though they had all disappeared into this sort of void–with my entire home town. I turned around to look for an exit, but there was nothing there. The closer I got to the space through which I entered this void, the further that space drifted away.

This was the moment that I started to freak out. Everything was gone. At first I was confused, then I got angry. The void grew into a sort of white room, with blinding white paint that you couldn’t touch because every time you started near the walls they got further and further away. The white void went on forever; it seemed to be endless. I tried searching for an escape. Time passed; time elapsed; my hair grew out until it touched my hips. Eventually I gave up. I sat, and hugged my knees close, rocking back and forth. That’s when the chanting started. “Gone far away” was all I heard, the same three words over and over again. The voices were what made me regain the strength to get out of there. I hadn’t eaten, drunk, or slept. I still don’t know how I managed to survive. I got up and started running towards anything, anything other than the blinding white light that seemed to be everywhere, surrounding me. I finally found a door after running in the same direction until the void just couldn’t grow anymore. I don’t know if it appeared or if it had always been there, or if it was even real. I didn’t go through it immediately. I paused. I hesitated. I didn’t know if I would find a giant black void, or more white. I waited, until the voices began to morph into the words “Go.” I finally opened the door. I walked out.

Then, promptly I collapsed. Whatever happened next, I don’t remember. I drifted in and out of consciousness; people poked at my eyes, and injected me with medications I couldn’t pronounce. I finally woke up days later; I was out of it, but I remember the happiness I felt when I finally saw another living being. The doctor said that I was in a bad condition, dehydrated, suffering from weight loss. He said it looked like I had been stranded somewhere for years. I remember him muttering to the nurse, “I don’t get it, she seemed fine last week.” My brain began to scramble; I tried to think of my life before the void, my family. I could barely remember the memories I tried so hard to never forget. The doctor looked at me with concern. He later revealed that I had come in for a doctor’s appointment the week before, but I had no recollection of it. As far as I was concerned, I had been stuck in that void for more than a year and a half. That’s about the amount of time it takes to grow your pixie cut to your knees. But that’s not what the nurses said. I tried to explain it to all of them; they just never got it. They said that Red-ton didn’t exist. My neighbors said that I went away for a day, and they heard that I was in the hospital something like an hour later. It didn’t make sense. Did time pass differently here? Do I have any family? As soon as I was released, I searched for clues. I followed the road to Aunt Sharon’s house, and there was nothing there. I must have retraced my steps a thousand times. I tried to unscramble the days spent in the void. Nothing was working. I was so desperate, I called a therapist. She didn’t believe me either. A few months later, the nightmares started. I was back in the void; I had never escaped. I woke up screaming every night after that. No one seemed to believe me. I barely believed myself anymore.

After that the police came to my house and took me in for questioning. Apparently after every one of my neighbors reported me for “odd activity” it seemed the only reasonable option for the cops. Since there was so much evidence that I was crazy, they put me in some mental institution for the “intellectually disturbed.” Life went on for everyone but the victims of the void. They were gone. Towards “the end,” I had no memories of a life outside of the white nothingness. Eventually, I became engulfed in the memories of the void, unable to think of anything but the bright lights. Tortured in a trap of my own mindset.

The End

Is Our Uniform Dress Code Only Making Things Harder?

April 25, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Sophomores Zachary Kazmouz and Enzo Lomsky demonstrate PVS dress code.

By Middle-School Blogger Louisa Richardson

Our school’s current student dress code is something that many students have been debating about. People had such strong opinions about it that a few kids even made slideshows that included additional suggested clothing–with images–and evidence of over-the-top current pricing of our uniforms. They did a lot of research. I tried my best to help with that slideshow. I think that the uniform is ridiculous. It is great to try and make our school more professional. Professional-looking students make a great impression, but the teachers don’t enforce the dress code consistently. Kids are walking around wearing open-toed shoes, inappropriate jewelry, and shirts that are two sizes too big. That is not professional; it is messy. I think that if we want to change the dress code, then let’s really commit to it. Not only that, but only reprimanding a few kids out of dozens who aren’t wearing school uniforms is going to get more and more pushback! I figured it may be a good idea to go around and ask a few kids what they think, and the results were actually quite surprising.

Junior Indiana Behr stated:

“I love the dress code. It is perfect as is. I do not think there are any issues with it.”

So that would be the first vote that is for the school dress code as it is.

Junior Jess Billimore said:

“I personally don’t mind the dress code/uniform here at Palm Valley. Compared to uniforms I’ve had in the past, it isn’t bad at all. Plus, it saves me from choosing an outfit everyday. The only thing that does bug me is that we should be allowed to wear a plain crew neck or hoodie of school color! Teachers pick and choose when they care and want to enforce it.”

Jess, I couldn’t agree more; I am going to put this opinion as mixed.

Junior Levi Kassinove has a fun story:

“Last year, every free dress day, I would come to school in my pajamas. They banned that. So much for ‘free’ dress day.”

I am going to count this as having a problem with the dress code.

Fellow Eighth Grader Pip Watson responded with:

“With the current level of enforcement, I don’t see an issue. More flexibility towards outerwear during extreme weather conditions would be helpful. The dress code as a whole is a lot more flexible than when I was in sixth grade and especially more flexible than it was when I was in elementary school. I know others have had worse experiences than I have with the current dress code, but I haven’t had any issues.”

Thank you, Pip! I am counting you as “for” the dress code.

Junior Christina Lam states that:

“I think wearing a plain black jacket that’s not a school jacket should be ok because when it’s really cold the school jacket does not suffice.”

I enjoy the fact that you were specific. I am counting your vote as against the dress code.

A classmate shared their opinion about the dress code with us; they prefer to remain anonymous.

“Honestly I kinda do think it’s stupid; frankly I understand most of it, but I only have an issue with the pants. The school pants for girls that are provided are the worst; they never live up to their named size and are frankly very uncomfortable. It’s always too tight or too big in the wrong places; it’s never just right. As soon as the new dress code came out I tried on dozens of the school pants, but they never worked. It honestly looks like they took the boy’s pants and tightened it at the hips and just shrugged.”

I know quite a few other students that had the same problem. I’m counting this vote as against the dress code.

If we count up all the votes it is a narrower margin than I estimated. I was surprised by this because the people who were against the dress code were a pretty wide variety of ages, the same goes for the people who were against it. A lot of folks who were against the dress code have the same issues with it. That makes me think it’s a pretty simple issue to fix. All we need to do is supply warmer jackets and clothes that actually fit the girls as well as the boys. Alas, I don’t think we have a fix for Levi Kassinove’s pajama issue, but maybe he can find a loophole. Once these changes are made, I don’t think that it will be that difficult to enforce the dress code, as not so many kids will have issues with it.

Fireworks: Boom or Bust?

April 5, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

While we’re well past New Year’s and still months away from the 4th of July, Louisa says it’s never too early or too late to consider the wisdom of igniting the skies with fireworks.

An Op-Ed by 8th-Grader Louisa Richardson

I have a question, one that seems to be quite controversial: Are fireworks a good thing? Is a moment of “Ah!” worth the trauma they cause?

Personally, I think that fireworks should be illegal. They are bad for war veterans (MIlitary Vets), PTSD victims (Coping With PTSD), and animals (Humane Society). Here are several reasons why fireworks are bad in general.

My first reason as to why fireworks are bad is because of how difficult it is to find an article on why fireworks are a good thing. The first things that come up when you type in “fireworks” in your search bar include . . .

fireworks are bad

fireworks are stupid

fireworks are illegal

fireworks are bad for the environment

When you hit “Enter,” a bunch of injuries come up. Headlines read: “Don’t Blow It This Fourth Of July because Fireworks Are Illegal In City Limits!” If you click on an article such as “Don’t Blow It . . . ,” you often see accident stories and statistics involving fireworks, which brings me to my point, safety (cityofredlands.org). The city of Redlands cites “More than 16,000 fires and almost 9,000 emergency room visits are associated with fireworks nationally each year” (cityofredlands.org).

Fireworks are very dangerous; this may seem obvious as they are literal exploding sticks of fire, but apparently not obvious to everyone. One of the most obvious things that gets ignored when discussing fireworks is the danger to personal property. It would be wise, of course, to light fireworks away from one’s house. However, even one of my very intelligent blog colleagues, Levi Kassinove, has lit them in front of his house. Levi’s stories of fireworks include how his cousin almost killed his family with a held-upside-down firework that somehow lit nothing on fire, and how his neighbors once lit a tree on fire with a firework. People often don’t respect firework safety because it gives them a better view, or a better time! I understand the desire to have fun with fireworks, but that doesn’t mean abusing safety rules, and risking the safety of yourself and those around you, which usually leads to injuries or death.

Injuries and death due to fireworks are far more common than they should be. In the year 2021, in the weeks surrounding the Fourth of July, it was estimated by the United States CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION that there were 1,500 injuries due to fireworks and 1,100 due to sparklers (CPSC.gov). The simple answer to this problem would be to follow safety regulations, but people are very silly and sometimes unintelligent–not only that but accidents can still happen. Deaths due to fireworks can happen pretty much anywhere: nightclubs, Fourth of July celebrations, just at home, and even churches.

Another issue with fireworks is that they can be very frightening to certain groups. Fireworks often sound like gunshots to veterans, victims of shootings, and just people who have a phobia of guns. Many folks have been through horrible things, and is it really worth it to have them go through it all over again for something like one minute of happiness? The sound frightens some, but so does the smell. Fireworks smell like the aftermath of a bomb to some veterans (US Department of Veterans Affairs). We don’t want to remind people of awful episodes just because kids like the pretty light show.

I’m sure that we have all seen or experienced a dog flipping out because of fireworks nearby. One thing you may not know is that all animals fear fireworks. Animals aren’t used to having giant booming noises above their habitat, and this can make them really terrified. Dogs hide under couches of course, but not every animal has the luxury of a couch to filter the noise. There is a very simple fix to this problem.

Drone firework shows are becoming more and more frequent as a substitute for real fireworks. They aren’t bad for the environment; they aren’t bad for veterans, and they aren’t bad for animals.

In conclusion, just because I hate fireworks, doesn’t mean I want to rob others the happiness of a light show. I encourage all of these firework fanatics to sit back and enjoy a drone fireworks show some time. They can be even better than fireworks!

This is an example of a drone firework show in Shanghai (Drone Fireworks).

Tinalina: Girl from the Grass

March 22, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Eighth-Grader Louisa Richardson

Once Upon A Time…

. . . There lived a small fairy. She lived on the great lawn of Buckingham Palace. Her house was an old peanut shell which was practically a mansion compared to the Mushroom Apartments she and her family used to live in. This little fairy girl’s name was Tinalina. She was an ordinary little fairy girl who lived with her two brothers and one sister. However, she tragically lost her fairy father due to an incident involving one of the Palace Guard’s shoes.

Tina often thought about that day. She wondered if the humans knew that they existed. Her kind had always lived in harmony with the other animals big and small in the lawn. Tina had never really been outside of the gates surrounding the lawn; she heard rumors about tunnels leading to the outside world. However, many families at fairy school had lost a family member or friend due to shoes or, worse, a tire. Venturing out of the great lawn was always a consideration to Tina as a little hatchling, but there were those stories involving the horrors of the outside world. Because of this, Tinalina was always very cautious when venturing outside her peanut.

One day while walking to school, she saw something amazing–it was a tunnel leading to the sidewalks outside of the gates. The tunnels existed. She immediately ran to inspect it. Tinalina had never seen over the grass, so she wasn’t really sure who lived outside the gates. She imagined it was probably more grasshoppers and ladybugs. Curiosity grabbed a hold of her, and, before she knew it, she was climbing down into the tunnel, but as she tried to make her way down, she caught her wing on a little ledge. All of the sudden, she fell into the deep dark pit.

After falling to the very bottom of the tunnel, she looked around. All around her were beautiful crystals, and a small sign with an arrow stating, “Outside World This Way.” Tina was so small, she never really knew that there was more to the Outside World beyond the Buckingham Palace lawn. Tinalina’s curiosity got the better of her, and she ventured out in the direction of the sign. Once she reached beyond the sign, she noticed that the tunnel lost the crystals that lined the walls, and things started to get very dark and gloomy. Finally, she saw a light. She ran to the end of the tunnel. Outside was a huge shoe. It was bigger than any of the grasshoppers she’d seen before, even bigger than a pinecone! All she could do was stand perfectly still until the foot passed with a loud thud. Tina’s mouth hung open as she watched all the commotion and chaos outside the tunnel–huge children screaming, gigantic mothers chasing, and enormous couples pointing at the castle. Tina was in awe. She took a step into the new world and began to explore. She flew over the traveling cars and took a closer look at the palace. It was one of the most beautiful places she has ever seen. All of a sudden, she heard someone clear their throat. She felt someone pluck her out of the air, and before she could even think, she was aggressively thrown into a dark, moist, bag.

TO BE CONTINUED

Helpful and Handy Pet Hacks

March 2, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

When’s a good time to walk your dog? How can you tell when your dog is under the weather? How do you slip out of the house when your dog has separation anxiety? Ask Louisa.

By Professional Dog Walker Louisa Richardson

I have been walking and sitting for dogs since I was eleven years old. Throughout the years I have picked up knowledge from the puppies and dogs I have walked, as well as the (usually) kind owners. Some things I learned along the way myself.

My business is open in the late summer and winter so I can avoid the intense heat of summer and the many vacations of my clients. The summer is the absolute worst time of the year here for walking. However, you can prevent your pets from feeling the same way! One of the easiest things to do in order to keep your pup cool and comfortable is to place their bed on an elevated surface. This would mean placing your puppy’s bed on a small table or a footstool. The elevation helps air circulate around your sleeping dog. During the day, it is great to have a wet towel for them to relax on. Just lay it out on the floor. Don’t forget that you should not walk your dog when it is above 77 degrees (which can be 125 degrees Fahrenheit on the pavement) (figopetinsurance.com). This heat alone can burn someone’s skin right off; you can only imagine how the pups feel! Fun fact, dogs do not sweat; they pant to keep cool, so if it seems that your pet is hyperventilating, try one of these handy hot-weather hacks!

Just like us, dogs get sick, and the last thing you want when you get sick are people talking in your space. One of the most obvious ways to help this problem is to simply put your pet in a quiet room. In my experience, a good way to keep your pup from getting sick in the first place is to keep their head out of water. This situation can occur when dogs go swimming, are getting bathed, or getting hosed off. If your dog likes swimming or getting wet, this may prove difficult but do the best you can to keep heads out of water. You’re probably wondering why you should do this in the first place; the answer is to prevent ear infections. Ear infections are very common with dogs, and those ear infections can get worse and make the dog sick if left untreated. How do you know if your dog is sick at all? Well, their nose is a very big tell in this game; if the nose is dry, then your pup is likely under the weather.

Does your dog get anxious when you leave? Every dog is different, but you might try leaving something that smells like you with your puppy–maybe a bathrobe, a scarf, not your shoes (if you like your shoes). You can try freezing a washcloth, then it becomes a nice cooling chew toy that will keep your dog busy while you slip away.

So try these helpful tips to give your dog as much comfort as they bring you!

Louisa not only cares lovingly and professionally for our animal friends, she writes about them poetically.

A forever friend

With you to the very end

They’ll curl up and sit right next to you

They even love your friends too

All they need is love, food, and sleep

After that they rarely make a peep

They will always be there when you’re sad

I’ve never even seen a pet get mad

But, be warned of your giant frown

When you have to put them down.
Louisa Richardson

What’s the Level of Coffee Addiction at PVS?

January 26, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By PVS student-blogger Louisa Richardson

The Blog Staff continues to plumb the depths of PVS’s relationship to coffee. Is it as simple as love-hate? Louisa sheds some light on our coffee-drinking habits, tastes, and associations.

Coffee is not something I have ever been allowed to have; however, apparently it is quite the controversial subject here at Palm Valley. Some people think that it is a great source of energy. Whereas others (Pip Watson) think of it as a “legalized drug.” Since I don’t drink coffee, I don’t have much opinion about it. The students and teachers at PVS do. Here’s what they had to say about America’s favorite morning drink.

Teacher Mr. Satterfield’s opinions on coffee:

I think coffee, like most things, is healthy in moderation. There are people who have done great amounts of research on the subject who argue that coffee provides significant health benefits. There is also, I believe, a body of research (and common sense) that suggests too much coffee is unhealthy. Personally, I rarely drink coffee because I want the caffeine to work when I need it to, which is usually on a long drive. But most people I know well do drink it often, and only a few of them have what I would call a coffee problem.

Student Pip Watson’s one of two opinions on coffee:

While I cannot comment on the nutritional value of coffee, I do know it contains copious amounts of caffeine. Caffeine is an addictive, mind-altering drug which most people shrug off as something that provides energy.

Teacher Mr. Parsons comments on coffee:

Coffee is at the heart of many cultures, particularly in Europe, Africa, and the Americas, and it has been for centuries. Noteworthy individuals wrote poems and songs dedicated to the taste and effects of that little roasted bean. All around the world, coffee shops have sold this stimulating beverage to artists and their fans. These centers for creativity blossomed organically out of the thriving bean trade with South American and African nations. Famously Beethoven brewed his morning cup of Joe from exactly 60 beans, no more and no less. Many blame coffee for his often erratic and grumpy behavior. The downsides of coffee are not to be ignored. Drinking too much caffeine (the potent chemical that gives coffee its boost of energy) can make people irritable and can prevent a good night’s sleep. Folks can even become hooked on coffee; their entire mood depends on their next espresso. Let’s just hope it doesn’t arrive too latte (Dad joke intentional)!

Teacher Mr. Killeen’s thoughts:

On a scientific level, coffee has both benefits and issues when it comes to personal health. According to the Mayo Clinic, coffee may offer protection from Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, liver cancer, heart attack and stroke. However it can also lead to an increase in blood pressure which can also be problematic for people. Just like anything you consume, moderation and listening to the signs your body is sending you is important to maintaining good health.

Staff member Ms. Greer talks about coffee:

I think coffee, actually caffeine in general, is addictive but it is something I really enjoy. I love a cup of hot coffee in the morning or an iced coffee on a summer afternoon.

Student Olivia Puetz (or Olie) says:

I like coffee, but not black coffee because it tastes too bitter. I like sweet coffee like frappuccinos and lattes.

Student Brooklyn Hatrack believes:

I’ll be for real – coffee is disgusting. It’s so bitter and the taste never gets out of your mouth. It also doesn’t even energize you. Also, the breath of a coffee drinker is VERY distinct. It’s icky.

So, as you can see when asking the question “What are your opinions on coffee?” I found that a surprisingly large number of people do not think coffee is a good thing. This can only be proving my mother right. Despite Starbucks’ success, I am definitely starting to think that coffee may not be so great after all.

How Yellow is Perceived

January 12, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By 8th-grader Louisa Richardson, a new voice on thebirdonfire.org blogger staff

In our pursuit of the color yellow, Louisa reflects on how yellow has been perceived over time and literature and TV shows and house paint.

The color yellow has been and remains to be perceived in many different ways; for example, according to “The effect of colors on perception,” the color yellow is often associated with madness and mental disorders (Salesbook). However, yellow can also be perceived as a happy, warm, and comforting color. (See Mr. Satterfield’s reply in Alyna’s Yellow survey.)

In television shows like How I Met Your Mother, yellow is often used to portray someone or something good. In the show, the yellow umbrella is used to portray and signify the mother we’re waiting to meet.

The missing mother in *How I Met Your Mother* is, for many episodes, kept hidden beneath a yellow umbrella. Photo Source: NY post

But, because yellow is also sometimes used to show sickness, directors and writers often use different shades of yellow to convey positive and negative associations.

When painting our house, for example, using a light shade of yellow has always been something I have found comforting. The house I lived in for most of my life in Oregon was painted a light shade of yellow, and, considering the climate we lived in (which was usually dark and cloudy), neighbors told us they were comforted by that yellow.

Louisa’s comforting yellow house back in Oregon — Photo Source: www.redfin.com

However, when people use a very dark or vibrant color of yellow, it can sometimes look very old or sickening. Many people associate the shade with vomit.

So, my question for you is, how do you perceive yellow?