Aesthetic Archives - Page 2 of 4

Lily’s Beautifying the World

December 1, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Junior Lily Jones and PVS Art Teacher Mr. Wendt-West

PVS Art Teacher Mr. Wendt-West announced that the SunLine Transit’s 8^th Annual Student Art Contest recently announced their finalists for this year, which includes our very own Lily Jones representing Palm Valley School!

Says Mr. Wendt-West, “This is truly a great honor and achievement as this is the 2nd year in a row that Lily has been selected as a finalist in the Sunline Annual Art Contest! Incredible!”

He continues, “There were many amazing submissions this year from throughout the Coachella Valley and we want to congratulate Lily Jones for the artwork she submitted. Please join us in recognizing the participation and creative talents of Lily sharing her artwork with the broader community.”

On Tuesday November 21st there was an event at Sunline for the unveiling of the winners. Sunline Board members, community members, and sponsors presented the awards to the finalists. The winning student artwork was on display. Below is Lily’s award-winning graphic work.

What’s Your Favorite Color?

November 28, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By 8th-Grader Jackie Doyle Padgett

We have a new addition to the Blog Staff: Jackie Padgett. Jackie breaks out with great enthusiasm for her favorite color: Orange. According to Jackie, the vibrant color of citrus fruit just doesn’t get enough representation and not nearly good enough press. She’s here to change your mind.

Knowing someone’s favorite color is probably one of the most asked questions when you meet someone–after asking their name of course. It’s used to start a lot of small talk. Well, my favorite color is orange. It’s one of those colors people either love or hate (According to Color Matters).

You may have seen results of the Statistics class surveys (posted outside of MS E-3, aka Mr. Gil’s room). Statistics class members went around the school asking people’s opinions on things. One Statistics group asked people What‘s your favorite color? On the posted findings, I noticed that no one said “Orange.” Orange didn’t even make it on the graph. This inspired me to change people’s minds about the disliked color orange. It deserves some spotlight, and, who knows, maybe after these facts, it will be your new favorite color.

HISTORY OF ORANGE

Surprisingly, orange didn’t really have a name until the 16th century (MyModernMet). It was mostly called yellow-red, but when orange trees were brought to Europe, people saw the vibrant fruit and named the color after it. Orange was used a lot by painters in 1809 after the first fully orange color was produced around 10 years prior (Pigments through the Ages). Van Gogh used shades of orange in a lot of his paintings to contrast the blues, purples, and blacks (Van Gogh Museum). Monet also incorporated lots of oranges in his work–mainly in sunsets and flowers.

THE MEANING OF ORANGE

With basic art knowledge, you should know that orange is a mix of red and yellow. Red is used in many things like stoplights/signs which are meant to capture your attention. Wearing red tends to give people confidence. Yellow tends to help people’s memory (SpringerOpen), and, apparently, wearing yellow makes people try to engage in a conversation. It makes people feel more active/talkative (SensationalColor). That’s why when you wake up, you might feel a lot more energetic after going outside and seeing the sun. Orange is said to project confidence and energy but also optimism. When you wear orange, it might make you more outgoing and adventurous because it’s such a bright color.

ADVERTISING

Thus, many famous companies use orange for advertising:

Snapple
Reeses
Nickelodeon
Dunkin
Amazon

They do this because the right color combo draws attention. This is similar to when on the highway some people will turn their billboards upside down to make you look. The companies who use orange are mostly toy stores, gift shops, and food places. Orange can symbolize cheap but good quality. So, if you’re shopping on Amazon and see that little orange arrow, it sparks a little voice in your head that pulls you in if you’re looking for good deals (even though they might not be). Also, children are more likely to pick up or play with things that are orange (TreeFrog.). They’re drawn to it. See Nickelodeon; it could’ve been any color, but Nickelodeon executives chose orange.

Orange will forever be my favorite color. I expect to see it on the next-color related chart (Statistics Class, I’m looking at you.). If you have any fun facts about your favorite color, feel free to share it in the comments below!

Ignite me~

May 16, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

We end the year with Post-of-the-Blogger’s-Choice. One day, in American Lit, we were talking candles and churches and candles lit in churches, and Jess had a recollection of being a child in church witnessing the extinguishing of candles. And, she remembers being overcome by sadness at the sight. On the spot, she penned this beautiful poem. She shares it with us.
Blog Advisor Zachik

By Junior Jessica Billimore

Once again they put out the candles,

And with that they rob me of my hope,

They steal the fire from my eyes,

Yet I’m still blinded by the forspoken lies,

My heart you cannot mend, I ask is this the end?

And with that my dreams disappear,

I am in dismay for what can I say?

My thoughts are dark,

So bring light to my life,

Now I’m alone,

This loss I can’t condone,

Yearning for a love I secretly loathe,

Burning is my soul,

Until next time my life will be dull,

So set me on fire,

For the light makes me a liar,

So I ask you to ignite me forevermore.

My Three-Michelin-Star Dining Experience

March 29, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

The Blog Staff wanted to explore FOOD FROM AROUND THE WORLD. We’ve examined the best fast-food chicken-sandwich, the best street food, wagyu, fish, and the mercury found in fish (thank you, Levi). Indy takes us inside a Michelin-Star restaurant–the world famous Le Bernardin.

By Junior Epicurist Indy Behr

The Background

Le Bernardin is a seafood restaurant that was founded in 1972 in Paris, France, by Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze, and they received their first Michelin star four years later, and then two more stars four years after this. In 1994, Le Bernardin relocated to New York. Eight years after the move, Gilbert Le Coze died, and his widow continued operating the restaurant. After this, Gilbert Le Coze’s former student Eric Ripert became a co-owner of Le Bernardin. Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert continue to co-own the restaurant today.

My Visit

I am very much a foodie, but until February 20, 2023, I had never been to a restaurant with a Michelin star. On that day, I visited Le Bernardin in New York City, which has three stars, the most a restaurant can get. Normally, getting reservations for this restaurant is very difficult, as it is relatively small despite its popularity. As a result, because we only decided to go a week before our visit, the only reservations my family could get were for a Wednesday night at 8:45 p.m. Though it was almost midnight before we returned to our hotel, it was all worth it. My whole family got the eight-course tasting menu, and I am going to go course by course and review each one. In the end, I will give each course a rating out of 10.

The Courses

The first course is called Tuna-Urchin, and it entails a tuna tartare, essentially minced raw tuna, on a small wafer. The tuna is topped with a small amount of sea urchin flesh. I have had many tuna tartares, and this was unquestionably the best take on it I have ever had. It was minced to the perfect size and seasoned very well. I had never had sea urchin before, and it was actually pretty good. It has a pretty strong flavor, but there was not too much of it, so it did not overpower it at all. This course was an 8/10.

The second course was the Scallop-Caviar. This had a slightly warm tartare made with scallops. The dice was much larger than with the tuna. It had a very rich texture and was sweet, and our waiter explained scallops are the only seafood that caramelize due to its sugar content. It had a scoop of Osetra caviar on top, which is one of the best forms of caviar money can buy. I have had caviar before, but never such a fancy type. These two parts of the course worked very well together, and the caviar was definitely what sealed the deal for me. I rate it an 8.5/10.

After this, we had the Lobster course. It was small pieces of lobster with a salad made of grapes and fennel. Fennel is a vegetable with a similar texture to a carrot but with a flavor kind of like licorice. The lobster was very good, but, honestly, I think the grapes were a little too ambitious. The big bold berry overpowered the lobster. The fennel, however, worked really well with the lobster. I am giving this course a 7/10.

The fourth course, the Langoustine course, was absolutely my favorite course. The langoustine was like lobster but so much more tender. It just melted in your mouth. It had an egg-white-based wild mushroom sauce and aged balsamic vinegar, and both of these sauces were great and complemented the langoustine. This was a 10/10… at least.

The fifth course was the Dover Sole, which had a very traditional buttery almond topping, and it has a sherry wine emulsion. Dover sole is really tender, and it’s one of my favorite fish dishes. The sauce went with it really well, and I enjoyed the crunch from the almonds. I rate this course 8/10.

The sixth and last entree course was the Halibut. It had really nice baby root vegetables. The tiny carrots were definitely my favorite of the vegetables. However, the best part of this course was the bourguignon sauce. If you have ever had beef bourguignon, it is the same as this. The beefy red wine flavor actually goes shockingly well with the very meaty and flaky halibut. Thanks to this sauce, this was a solid 9/10.

The first dessert course was Pistachio. It was a pistachio praline, and, to be honest, I was not a fan. I do not really like pistachio flavor that much, so I am biased, to be fair. However, the sauce was also not my favorite. I liked every other course, but I would have been fine with only one dessert course. This was a 3/10.

Lastly, we got a pear sorbet. The sorbet had a very nice presentation with a perfectly round scoop. It had delicious chunks of pear sprinkled throughout that really added a nice textural component. This was an incredible way to close out the meal. I only wish this was our only dessert course. 10/10

Overall, I really enjoyed Le Bernardin. It’s a big investment, but if you have the chance, next time you’re in New York, I recommend you visit.

Treats From The Philippines

March 28, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Upper-School Blogger Alyna Rei

I have never been to the Philippines before let alone out of the United States. But traveling there has always been on my bucket list. Along with traveling comes food and bakery goods. Note: I eat Filipino food on a daily basis. And, sometimes, it is cooked by my grandma–who is from the Philippines. But, Filipino baked goods overall are totally different from the day-to-day food served here in the U.S. I am writing this with an American perspective.

Puto

Before you yell at me for saying a bad word, Puto is a treat. It tastes like plain pancakes. Puto is basically a steamed rice cake. For me, I have always eaten Puto shaped in a muffin form, which is the most common shape for Puto.

Kutsinta (koo-chin-ta)

When I go to any Filipino store, I always search for their Kutsinta. Kutsinta is another steamed rice cake, but it’s a lot sweeter and gummier than Puto. Kutsinta tastes like brown sugar with a tapioca consistency.

Along with Puto, Kutsinta has the familiar “muffin” shape. Photo source: pinoycookingrecipes.com

Pandesal (pan-de-sal)

Pandesal is another one of my favorite Filipino treats. To other people, Pandesal looks just like regular bread rolls. But, I prefer Pandesal over any type of bread. Pandesal is more doughy and floury than other types of bread. If I do have Pandesal, then I typically have it with breakfast before school. You can even have Pandesal with other things: such as butter, peanut butter (I like the crunchy peanut butter with Pandesal), beef, and even on the side with your meal. There are also a lot of flavors to get. My favorite is the pandan. Pandan tastes like coconut with a hint of vanilla, which confuses me since the color is green.

The outside of Pandesal is crispy while the inside is soft and fluffy. Photo source: seriouseats.com

This is pandan-flavored Pandesal. I pair this up with butter to get a sweet and salty taste. Photo source: sugarampsprinkle.com

Mamon (ma-moan)

Mamon is Filipino sponge cake. Like Pandesal, there are many flavors: such as butter, ube, mocha, cheese, etc. My favorite is butter mamon since it’s common and easier to get. When I’m in a rush for school, I usually take mamon with me since it’s easy to eat. Mamon tastes sweet but airy.

*Red Ribbon* is my favorite brand of mamon. Photo source: TripAdvisor in Las Vegas

If you do wish to try these bakery goods, I would recommend actually going to a Filipino store as that is the closest you can get to the taste from the Philippines. The only stores I am familiar with are “Seafood City” and “ Island Pacific Market.” Mind you these stores are not in the Coachella Valley. The nearest Seafood City would be in Rancho Cucamonga, and the nearest Island Pacific Market is San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles. Out of all of these sweet treat options, I would recommend you try Pandesal. It may appear just like bread, but it tastes so much different.

Why I Hate The Color Yellow

January 18, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

By Junior Levi Kassinove

Middle-School Blogger Penny proposed we write about the color yellow. The Blog Staff accepted her challenge and came up with some surprising associations. Levi’s reaction went more in the direction of . . . yellow journalism.

CONTENT WARNING: I will trash on your favorite color if your favorite color is yellow.

Before I get into all of my reasons for hating the color yellow, let me just back up my opinion with cold, hard science. According to apartmenttherapy.com, yellow is the favorite color of a wee 5% of the people. Perhaps this means that I’m preaching to the choir. I imagine, however, 95% of people who don’t love yellow don’t completely detest yellow like I do. So, here are my top three reasons for hating the color yellow.

It’s the Symbol of Death and Decay

Head over to the cemetery and dig up your favorite grave. Open up the casket, and you’ll find a yellow corpse. Not a red corpse, not a green corpse, but a pale yellow corpse. When one has jaundice, one’s skin turns yellow. When one does not brush one’s teeth, one’s teeth turn yellow. When the yellow sun attacks people during the daytime, it can give them skin cancer, or worse, a farmer’s tan. Yellow is also the color of vomit. In general, yellow just radiates disease and rot. Some negative symbols with the color yellow include but are not limited to the radioactive symbol, wet floor signs, and general cautionary signs.

Yellow is a Negative Motif in Literature

In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, there is a yellow book that Lord Henry gives to Dorian, which, upon reading, throws Dorian down a spiral of self-hatred and guiltless crimes. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the monster that Victor creates is described as having yellow skin and yellow eyes. In a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, titled The Yellow Wallpaper, a woman suffering a temporary psychosis hallucinates a woman being trapped behind snaking bars as she stares at her room’s yellow wallpaper. Finally, in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, yellow is the color of Raskolnikov’s apartment walls, representing his impoverished state. No, I am not just listing off books from my English class.

It’s just straight up the worst color

When you see someone walking down the street, are they wearing yellow? 99% of the time, the answer is no. They are wearing jeans and a white t-shirt because they don’t want to look like they’re cosplaying as Morty Smith. Compare that to colors like blue and beige–the colors that look good in the world, and you’ll see that yellow has no place amongst these aesthetic giants. The sun is pretty, you say? Have you ever looked at it for more than three seconds? I didn’t think so. Yellow is a symbol of prosperity? It’s also what color your walls turn into when you smoke too often. I wouldn’t exactly call that a sign of prosperity.

Morty from the show *Rick and Morty* (usatoday.com)

From cancer-causing rays of sun to depictions of alcoholics in literature (Dostoevsky’s Marmeladov), yellow connotes the worst of the worst. It invokes a visceral reaction from me and many of my peers and teachers. Louisa said yellow makes her think of “thrown-up hot dogs.” Mr. Satterfield eloquently commented, “Yellow is the color of lukewarm indecision and treachery achieved by laziness.” Indy concluded that the color “reminds me of urine.”

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?

So Long Yellow

January 10, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

A Poem, by Middle-Schooler Penny Andreas, addressing the theme of Yellow

Lemon

Sponge

The sun

Birds

Pineapple

Homer Simpson

All yellow

Now that it’s gone

I see purple

Some shades of gray

Sometimes pink

Never yellow

Gray lemons

Purple sponges

The sun that is somehow gray and pink

Gray birds

Purple pineapple

Purple mutant Homer Simpson

Goodbye yellow

My world

The rainbow

Seems empty without it

Even the streets lined

With yellow markings

They’ve disappeared from my sight

So long yellow

What Is Yellow To You?

January 10, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Upper-Schooler Alyna Rei

Starting off the new year and a new semester, the blog staff has opted to free itself from the dictatorial constraints of Ms. Zachik and choose its own themes. We begin the year with “Yellow” to kick off the new term.

Everyone has an opinion on the color yellow. Some people say they like it, some people say they are repulsed by it. Some are in the middle. What comes to mind when you hear the word yellow? Sunflowers? Happiness? Rubber ducks? Vomit?

For me, personally, the first thing that comes to my mind with the color yellow depends on the yellow. If it’s a lighter, almost blinding shade of yellow, I think of heat because of the desert or a warning sign just like what Christina Lam said. If the shade is softer and warmer, I think of a nice calming sunset. This shade brings me ease and has a more “home-like” feel.

I put this question to different people and was able to get a variety of answers.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word yellow?

Ms. Castellano (Teacher): “When I was younger I never thought about dreams and colors. At some point I had a dream about a yellow feather. It was the first time I remembered dreaming in color. Since then, yellow represents that flight feather I dreamed of long ago.”

Ms. Maguire (Teacher): “When I hear yellow I think of sunshine, warmth, and cheerfulness. I imagine sunflowers, daffodils, palo verde trees, daisies, and all the other yellow flowers that bring an undeniable burst of brightness into the world. I have a sunny yellow Le Creuset dutch oven that I adore; I just got a new tea kettle that is a rich golden hue, and I have kitchen towels in various shades of yellow. Yellow is great for everything except clothing; it makes me look green.”

Ms. Carter (Teacher): “The first thing that comes to my mind is a sign in my classroom that is yellow that says “Bienvenue a la classe de français.”

Mr. Satterfield (Teacher): “Yellow is a calm color in an uncalm world. Yellow is warm, but not hot. Yellow is comfortable. Sleepy, even. Bumblebees are yellow. Sunflowers. The Sun. Yellow is the color of the sky at sunrise or sunset when there are no clouds. Yellow is lemonade on a hot day, or the flames in a fireplace on a cold one. Yellow is the banana you eat and the snow you don’t. Yellow can’t be rushed, and you wouldn’t want to, anyway.”

Mr. Gil (Teacher): “Yellow” is a song by Coldplay. Everyone knows the yellow brick road even if you have not seen The Wizard of Oz. Looking down I thought of yellow shoes that I would never wear. Looking at the walls of my classroom, I see the dark yellow paint that one of my students really hates. Over by the clock there is a UC Berkeley flag that has a shade of yellow named California Gold. When I don’t have anything else to look at, I think about how yellow is not my favorite color. Keep up the good work with the blogs, I like reading them.”

Maya Karpaty (Senior): “When I think of yellow I think about bananas. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they aren’t but I always seem to come back to get one when I’m hungry. I also was going to say something basic like “the sun,” but there’s a big debate that the six year old in me says I should color the sun at the corner of my paper orange. I don’t know. Also bees.”

Landon Elder (Junior): “When I hear the word yellow, the first thing I think of is a Rubber Duck. I think of a Rubber Duck when I think yellow because I like Rubber Ducks. They are squishy, cute, and I love ducks. . . . Rubber Ducks are great.”

Christina Lam (Junior): “The first thing that comes to mind when I hear yellow is nuclear waste. Yellow has been used in warning signs and to cause alertness. It’s used for its blinding hue in warning pavers which are the yellow bumpy things on sidewalks for people who can’t see well. Yellow has been associated with illness within history. It also just seems like the color anxiety would be.”

Cole Robinson (Junior): “When I think of the color yellow, it reminds me of any good times in my life. It is associated with most happy moments for me, although it escapes me on why. It could be because of how the many hues of yellow fill me with a sense of warmth and comfort.”

Abby Assefa (Sophomore): “When I hear yellow, I think of sunflowers and happiness. I feel that when you look at yellow it is an overall bright and positive color. Sunflowers also exude happiness because of their yellow color. Although yellow is not my favorite color, I always get a nice feeling when I see a yellow thing.”

Seeing the different responses shows me how we interpret this bright color. You can really see how much thought goes into people’s heads with the one simple question, What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word yellow? Even Fyodor Dostoevsky, Oscar Wilde, and Mary Shelley have something to say about yellow, right, Mr. Griffin?

An Ode to Levi’s Hoodie

November 29, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

I asked PVS bloggers to find a captivating photo. Indy was captivated by Levi’s new hoodie. In these 60-degree days, an alpaca hoodie is surprisingly appealing.

By Junior Indy Behr

Levi stays cozy in his alpaca fiber-based hoodie in blog class, risking a potential dress-code violation. Note: No alpacas were harmed in the making of Levi’s sweater hoodie.

When I was assigned to write about a photograph I considered long and hard what sort of a piece I should author inspired by this prompt. It did not take me long to find what I wanted to discuss. Recently, a hoodie has come into my classmate Levi’s possession. To put it nicely, it is all he has talked about over the last few days. It is certainly not inexpensive, so I wanted to see why he said it was so worth it, and why he thinks it’s so special. Inspired by Pablo Neruda, I am creating my very own An Ode to Levi’s Hoodie.

An interesting story that inspired me to write this article is an incident wherein Ms. Zachik inquired to Levi whether his hoodie was made of cashmere. Levi was borderline offended at even the insinuation that his hoodie was made with cashmere, and he quickly interjected that it in fact was made of alpaca fiber. Several of us in blog class described Levi as pretentious, and his recent article regarding beef that costs $200 dollars per pound did not help him defend himself against these accusations. Levi’s blog colleague Luke went so far as to give him the nickname, “Princess Levi.”

The hoodie is Paka Apparel’s appropriately named The Hoodie. It is made up primarily of royal alpaca fiber, recycled nylon, and pima cotton. It is handwoven in the southeastern Peruvian city of Cusco. Paka Apparel describes The Hoodie as casual but also functional. It is very lightweight, coming in at less than 10 oz. It is said to be appropriate for climates both cold and warm. Though it is not cashmere–which is obtained from goats rather than alpacas, Paka claims it is just as soft. I have felt this hoodie, and I can confirm it is amazingly soft.

I was shocked to see how positive the reviews for this hoodie were. Reviewer Julia B. said, “It’s comfier and cozier than I ever could have thought.” Levi echoed this sentiment. Though some reviewers expressed their disappointment regarding the fact that The Hoodie does not have a pocket, Levi told me that the quality more than makes up for the lack of such a pocket.

This hoodie may be $139, but Levi does not even question its worth, and he wouldn’t let us question it either. When asked what his favorite part of The Hoodie is, Levi told me he appreciates that he can wake up everyday to dress himself in the fur of a Peruvian alpaca. He has said that his self-confidence is boosted when he sees “pitiful” students wandering donning “makeshift polyester hoodies with their logos and capitalistic designs.” In a sophisticated manner, Levi explained he values the cusqueña alpacas who do not provide their fur for profit, and he is of the belief that the alpacas “are honored” to provide their fur for such a noble cause as his hoodie.

All in all, I can very much understand why Levi treasures this hoodie so very much. Evidently, its price point is understandable once one factors in the quality ingredients that it is composed of, as well as the fact that it is handcrafted by experts in the Urubamba Valley who oversee the stunning views of the surrounding Andes mountain range (just look at Paka’s website, really). I think it is safe to say that Levi has successfully made me want to purchase The Hoodie.

You can find The Hoodie at pakaapparel.com.

Note: This hoodie is not considered dress code. Levi has been dress-coded and will only wear his alpaca during free-dress days.