The Palm Valley School Student Blog
hellloooo blog-following people!
if you’ve accompanied us along this nine-month journey, congrats, you deserve a pat on the back. i know the blog class (ms. z included) appreciate every follower and commenter. i hope you can withstand a three-month grace period. (vacay gives us a chance to let the creative juices flow). have a snack; eat a donut; go swimming; you deserve it.
thank you and until next year,
makena & blog class
By Makena Behnke
as you may or may not know, i’m a big fan of the show Gilmore Girls. i always come back to this show when i’m in a tv drought. i relate to a majority of this show, and i think everyone should watch it. since i’m a big fan, i obviously have some strong opinions about the characters’ choices. today we’re going to talk about Rory Gilmore’s (one of the main characters) boyfriends in order of worst to best. she only has three long-term boyfriends in this series, so this’ll be a short post. this post contains a fair amount of spoilers so come back when you’re finished watching. if you don’t care about spoilers, enjoy.
3. Dean Forester:
yes, he’s super cute & dreamy in the beginning, but near the middle/end, he turns sour. he was a good first boyfriend because he really loved her, but once Rory grew up and changed a bit, he didn’t know what to do and freaked. he’s always jealous and super possessive of Rory. newsflash buddy, 14 phone messages in 20 minutes is too much! also there was a whole “i love you” situation where he got mad then dumped her. terrible dude, really. he’s also a cheater! not on Rory, but on his wife. (that was Rory’s decision too, but Dean is the married one here). he also married his rebound while he was still in love with Rory, and that’s just wrong. he’s just a real jerk. he had some good qualities at first; he was sweet and caring, but that faded as soon as Rory figured out who she was and what she wanted out of life. just cuz Dean wanted the 50s housewife life who made dinner and perfect casseroles and cleaned all day doesn’t mean Rory had to conform to that and throw out her dreams. her constant back and forth with Dean throughout the show is really irritating, but it keeps the audience on their toes i guess.
2. Logan Huntzberger:
i really appreciate his sense of adventure and his rich-boy-rebelling attitude. he starts out kinda weird and rude then gradually improves into a pretty great boyfriend. he’s quite charming, but sometimes he comes off as an entitled rich boy who complains about his daddy. Rory and Logan are also genuine friends; their personalities really clicked. he really knows how to win Rory’s heart, and they really do make a cute couple. i’d be really happy if they ended up together; he’s a keeper for sure. i have to say, paying a coffee cart to follow Rory around because he did something wrong is a smart move. i don’t have a lot to say about him– i like him.
1. Jess Mariano:
i can’t really express my love for him. he’s just such a great boyfriend for Rory. in the beginning, he was definitely a risk seeing as he was the “bad boy” and he crashed her car, but i think this was the best relationship. they had similar taste in music, and they both loved books so much. and once they were together, he really loved her and treated her really well for a good portion of their relationship. also, their on-stage chemistry was probably the best because the actors actually dated in real life. the Jess relationship era was really a rollercoaster, but an enjoyable one with quippy comments and the perfect amount of attitude and band shirts. i have to say, he definitely needed to mature because during some points, he was just a teen boy who messed up his life, including the Rory portion of it. later on in the series, he reappears, fully mature and ready to be the best boyfriend he could possibly be. and then, he pops up again, ready to convince Rory to make some good life choices during her low period. he did get her tickets to see The Distillers, a good move on his part.
Editor: Hannah Hall
By Makena Behnke
today, i bring you a quick info drop on a country that i find interesting: Bahrain. i came across this country while inspecting different flags and found one that caught my eye: a white and red zig zag flag. i looked it up and found Bahrain. my “not being taught about many Middle Eastern countries” is the main source of my interest in learning about them (something i do in my free time). so, i present to you a summary of things i learned about Bahrain. this is going to be a jumble of a bunch of random information; stay with me.
first, a little bit of background info: Bahrain, or the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a main island off the coast of Saudi Arabia and near Qatar, but thirty of its surrounding islands are also classified as Bahrain. it’s connected to Saudi Arabia and its surrounding islands by the King Fahd Causeway. Bahrain’s name comes from the Arabic term al-bahrayn, which means “two seas.” Bahrain’s capital, Manama, while being littered with impressive skyscrapers and wicked cool architecture, also serves as a major port city. the Bahraini economy is fueled by large amounts of crude oil production. Bahrain was the first emirate where oil was discovered in 1932 and has evolved into one of the most diverse economies in the Middle East. it has a population of 1.493 million, and their currency is the Bahraini dinar.
a majority of their population is made up of well educated and wealthy people; it is categorized as one of the wealthiest Gulf states. Bahrain is ruled by a traditional monarchy with the king as the main leader. Bahrain’s crime rate is low, with petty theft and pickpockets being the dominant crimes. according to safearound.com, it is ranked as the 111th safest country, but some regions of Bahrain are still safer than many places in the U.S or Europe. (safearound.com is actually a great resource in case you’re curious about when the best times to trek through an unknown country are or if you should bring your $75K diamond earrings.)
Arabic is the official language of the nation. Farsi, English, and Urdu are also widely understood throughout the country. now, religion time: 70% of Bahrain is Shi’a Muslim, 15% is Sunni Muslim, and 15% is either Christian or Jewish. Bahrain has an abundance of date palms and has been a major site of resources since Sumerian times. summer in Bahrain is humid and hot, going up to high nineties, not ideal, but winter has its lows in the seventies.
Bahrain’s land is only about 3% arable. it uses its small amount of land for tomatoes, pomegranates, citrus, bananas, and dates. most of its food has to be imported. you’d think because of all the oil production marine life would be damaged, therefore affecting the fishing part of the economy–you’re right. oil leaks and spillages have greatly reduced the number of economically beneficial fish and other marine life. unprocessed petroleum serves as Bahrain’s main export, as well as aluminum goods to the United States and Japan.
medical care there is free, and they have the highest female literacy rate in the Middle East. their legal system stems from Islamic and English law. compared to its surrounding gulf states, Bahrain has a very diverse population, both religiously and ethnically. Bahrain is more Westernized, in terms of clothing and everyday life, compared to its neighboring states. coffee is very important in Bahraini culture and is mixed with saffron and cardamom. Bahraini food often includes fish, meat, and dates. some common dishes: shawarmah, roastiree-ed lamb or beef, and muhammar, sweet brown rice with sugar/dates. soccer (really it’s football) is a popular sport among the young and old. horse racing is also super popular.
there is so much more to this country that i haven’t mentioned. for some reason, i find this particular country incredibly interesting. hopefully, you impress your friends with your extensive knowledge of this country.
sources:
Editor: Luke Langlois
By Makena “I-Like-Philosophy” Behnke
as everyone knows, philosophy is super cool, but super broad, at least when you’re offered that topic to speak about [as Philosophy Editor James did to Makena]. where do you start? well, here’s some quick philosophical quotes and their philosophers–some little things to give us pause.
Plato- “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
Hippocrates- “Life is short, the art long.”
Isocrates- “It is more important to know where you are going than to get there quickly. Do not mistake activity for achievement.”
Lucretius- “So potent was religion in persuading to evil deeds.”
Origen of Alexandria- “You yourself are even another little world and have within you the sun and the moon and also the stars.”
Socrates- “I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.”
Ogyū Sorai- “Mathematicians boast of their achievements, but in reality they are absorbed in mental acrobatics and contribute nothing to society.”
Ptolemy- “As material fortune is associated with the properties of the body, so honor belongs to those of the soul.”
Homer- “Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are today. We will never be here again.”
Yang Chu- “Dead people are not concerned whether their bodies are buried in coffins, cremated, dumped in water or in a ditch; nor whether the body is dressed in fine clothes. What matters most is that before death strikes one lives life to the fullest.”
Philosophy Editor: James Zheng
By Makena Behnke
Makena responds to Editor AJ’s Theme of the Week: Video Games.
i am not a video gamer, and my video game knowledge does not extend much further than Mario Kart and Undertale (and my knowledge on that is very limited). Mario Kart is simple, fun, and it lets out my urge to game. i think we all have our favorite characters that are unspokenly ours every time we play; i switch between a handful of characters, but some people will only play as [insert character here]. this list of characters stems from a mix of Mario Kart 8 and normal Mario Kart. i present to you my top five and bottom five Mario Kart characters (not that i only play as these five, but they are my favorites.)
top five:
bottom five:
Video Games Editor: AJ Patencio
By Makena Behnke for Conspiracy Week
let’s face it, basically everyone is obsessed with conspiracy theories (Editor Hannah is), they’re all over the media and in various conversations. some conspiracy theories make lots of sense (like iPhones are listening to us), and some are just plain stupid, but they are still fun to think about and come up with on your own. so, i present to you some unlikely theories with no evidence. enjoy.
Conspiracy Editor: Hannah Hall
By Makena Behnke
i don’t always like to be on my phone or on the computer when i have spare time; it makes me feel good when i’m not sucked into social media or random websites. but, as a student, it’s hard to make time for things we want to do. i get it, but if you do happen to have time to spare and you’re not sure what to do without your phone, here are some suggestions:
Editor: AJ Patencio
By Blogger-Poet Makena Behnke
A Recollection/Reflection: February 4, 2019
i’m sitting on my bed in a hand-me-down shirt from my mom. it’s run thin from being worn too much, and it has an abstract sunset on it. it’s too soft to be real. there are holes from crickets chewing. the shirt is way older than i am. it’s stretched out from being pulled over the only two heads that’ve ever worn it. it’s from old navy or one of those stores. i’ve taken the shirt to europe almost every time. it’s too thin to provide any warmth except the bare minimum. one day it’ll run too thin and i’ll have to stop wearing it, but i’ll never throw it out.
Editor: Holden Hartle
By Makena Behnke
since milk has been a hot topic on the blog (and in blog class), i thought i would share my preferred form of milk beverage. almond milk has become very popular recently, and for a good reason. if you have some sort of dairy allergy or you just don’t like to drink it for whatever reason, “ta-da,” almond milk. i prefer to drink almond milk, but i personally don’t like store-bought almond milk. so, i make my own, and i think it’s a lot better.
things you’ll need:
1. first, you have your 1 cup of almonds, and you soak them for about 4-6 hours in the medium bowl. the water should cover the almonds (i use about 4 cups).
2. after soaking the almonds, you pour out the stale almond water and rinse the almonds to get the residue off. the almonds should be kind of tender right now, or at least not as hard as the dry ones were.
3. put them in a blender with another 4 cups of water, and blend them until there are no big almond pieces. i’m not sure how long it takes to blend, i just play it by ear.
4. pour the mixture into a cheese cloth/nut bag covering another bowl with a pour spout thingy (so it’s easier to pour into the bottle). once you’re done pouring it into the bowl, you squeeze the leftover pulp in the cheese cloth to get the most out of the almonds.
5. bam. you’re done. this makes about 3 cups. the almond milk keeps for about 2-3 days.
i like to use my almond milk in baking recipes, coffee, cereal, or you can just drink it straight because it has a natural sweetness to it. you could also add flavored syrups to the blender, but i prefer it plain. if you don’t strain it enough or if the bag breaks, there may be some almond pulp left in the bottom. it’s not going to kill you. enjoy.
my original recipe came from detoxinista.com. i didn’t make it up on my own.
Editor: Luke Langlois
By Makena Behnke, World Traveler Blogger
i’m quite a seasoned traveler, but i don’t mention it much because i don’t want to seem like that one kid that came back from vacation and never shut up about their summer trip. but here are many places that i think everyone should visit.
of course, you have the classic bucket-list places like,
here are some “less traveled” places,
so, there you go. happy travels.
