We conclude our Fall check-in with the Palm Valley School Class of ’25 with a collage compilation of seniors Kyle Knight, Kiera Nash, Preston Pillard, Riley Jorgensen, and Bianca Torres.
Fall Check-In: Palm Valley Class of ’25 Highlights
Seniors on the Move
PVS seniors have had a busy few months. They’ve been applying to colleges, voting, putting on dances and Nest events, eating crumbl cookies. Let’s check in with Enzo Lomsky, Anais Lee, and Alex Ratner, and see what they’ve been up to.
What’s Going on with our Senior Class?
Good stuff!
The seniors in Advisory made collages summing up fall events and feelings. Last post, you saw Zach happily eating crumbl cookies, Lily making future plans for a life in Rome, and Mirabelle taking time for fun and friends. Now, let’s take a peek at how seniors Kristina Panagiotaros, Abby Assefa, and Cindy Wang assess the first quarter of their last year of high school at Palm Valley.
Seniors Say . . .
We asked members of our Class of ’25 to sum up how their senior year is going so far. They created collages. We’ll start with seniors Zachary Kazmouz, Mirabelle Lee, and Lily Jones.
Stay tuned for more updates from our PVS Senior Class of ’25.
Don’t Forget
A compilation of “Forget-me-nots” by 8th-Grader Jackie Padgett
I find it very difficult to remember things, especially things from when I was younger, so I decided I wanted to do a “Don’t forget” or “Remember you said this” type of blog. I was also interested in what people of different ages wanted to remember. So, I asked two questions of two kids from every grade:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
Starting us off is…
6th-Grader Calum Webster with an indecisive response:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“My dog, I think.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
“I don’t know, umm, I don’t know… oh, uh, I’m good at basketball, wait, no, actually sure.”
6th-Grader Grace Ghaly has a confident reply:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“I never wanna forget my friends.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
“My attitude.”
7th-Grader Sam West quickly mutters out a reply while getting ready for his soccer game:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
”When I ate that breakfast burrito from the gas station it kinda hurt if you know what I mean.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
”That I hold the record for the fastest unrecorded time of solving the Rubik’s Cube. Joking.”
7th-Grader Lorelei Behr says something very thoughtful:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“I don’t want to ever forget about my friends, even when they move away.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
“I don’t want people to forget the things we laughed and cried about together.”
8th-Grader Hudson Fossey replies with a simple answer:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“The time I built a trailer for a gokart with my cousin and then having him shoot a bow and arrow off of it.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
“I don’t really care if people forget about me.”
8th-Grader Ava Kerber shares a silly, but real, response:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“Umm, when I was born.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
“Umm, that I was alive and a human on this planet.”
9th-Grader Zander Eaton replies with a math-focused answer:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“My times tables.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
”That I remembered my times tables.”
9th-Grader Louisa Richardson gives an imaginative reply:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“I don’t want to forget my imagination. I love that I have a sense of, um, creativity.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
“Ugh. I guess I hope people don’t forget that I care about them.”
10th-Grader Rory O’Kane shares a sports-related answer:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“Sports.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
”Sports.”
10th-Grader Melina Brodeur gets some help with her response from Louisa Richardson:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“What got me to where I am.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
Louisa inserted, ”Your sparkle!”
11th-Grader Alex Ratner:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“My friends and family.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
”My gaming abilities.”
11th-Grader Kristina Panagiotaros:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“My friends.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
”Me altogether.”
12th-Grader Sawyer Falzone says:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“My I.D. and glasses.”
2. What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
”That I’m not a horrible person.”
12th-Grader Landon Elder a quick but significant response:
- What is something you don’t want to forget?
“My lovely experiences.”
- What is something you don’t want people to forget about you?
”That I existed.”
I was actually surprised to get a few serious answers. I really thought most of them would be jokes. Since the way I chose people was completely at random (and whomever I saw first), if I didn’t get to you, leave a comment of something you don’t want to forget.
“Survey Says”: Overrated Edition
By Freshman Louisa Richardson
If I have learned anything as a “professional” surveyor, it is that the kids at Palm Valley have strong opinions. Most opinions are very original and unique, often controversial as well. What better way to get the kids talking than to ask them, “What, in your opinion, is overrated?”
*Disclaimer: Yes, I know that Taylor Swift is overrated; this is NOT original, and since everyone had that as an answer, it will not be included in the following responses.
8th-grader Tony Ratner states, “TikTok is overrated. No one really thinks it’s good; it’s just an addiction.”
Freshman Rylie Conway says, “6th grade girls are too loud, specifically in Sephora’s. If they were a bird, it would be an angry seagull.”
6th-grader Morgan Richardson says, “Bacon is too hard to cook just right and is therefore overrated; I’d rather have a sausage.”
Freshman Brooklyn Hatrak states, “Mr. Satterfield deserves the same hype as Mr. Killeen; he is really underrated.”
Ms. Melissa Patino (the kind woman at the front desk in the high school–our Administrative Assistant) says, “Crocs are overrated; they were never stylish to begin with. I doubt anyone has ever liked them; they just liked the little fidgets.”
When I asked Freshman Pip Watson what’s overrated, he answered, “Drake’s music videos.”
Freshman Zander Eaton says Kanye West is overrated “because everyone glazes him, and he hasn’t made a good album since 2014.”
Junior Rachel De La O states (in a sarcastic tone), “Women’s rights are overrated. I want to go back to the kitchen. All this education is confusing, but I know how to cook! Take me back.”
8th-grader Alex Kirov says, “Dinosaurs are overrated. I mean ‘rawr rawr’; stop writing movies that aren’t even correct, and cry about it.”
Freshman Leah Ferreira says “Human rights” are overrated. “I don’t know why; I just want to go to sleep and never wake up.” I think she was having an existential crisis. Note: I talk to Leah quite a bit, no need for concern; she is okay.
Though this article turned out to be a bit more depressing than I had hoped, I can confidently say that I agree with ALMOST all of these opinions (especially the dinosaur one). Do you have any overrated opinions?
Fashion Trends Louisa Says We Should Bring Back
By Louisa Richardson, Freshman
I have always loved fashion. It might not show in the way that I dress, but I have always been fascinated by the clothing of others–especially women’s clothing of nearly a century ago.
These are some fashion trends that I think we need to bring back.
Bias-Cut Gowns
The bias-cut gowns were sort of an old Hollywood trend throughout the 1900s. A bias cut often drapes in the front and sometimes in the back. These gowns must include a neckline cut at a 45-degree angle. These have always been the most beautiful gowns–effortless, timeless, possibly formal, possibly not. Bias-cut gowns give that old Hollywood look that I love so much. They seem to be the one thing I simply need in life–other than corsets that is. Everytime I see these dresses, I always think about how good a wedding dress they would make.
1940s Swimwear
Swimwear pre-WWII was cute, colorful, and modest (for those of you who like that). It also wasn’t too restricting, but rather comfortable. I personally prefer those little swim shorts to our current stringy bottoms that we have in 2024. Not only that, but the ruffles, polkadots, and buttons are so much cuter than the all-exciting color BEIGE that everything seems to be right now. Though beige may be timeless, it is also colorless and boring. I would rather have some incredibly gaudy fashion trend be in style than have this gross beige color.
Photo Credit: Rare Vintage
Long Dresses from the 70s
I love specifically the single-colored ball gowns. This bit is more of a rant, but I have literally searched the entire internet for a single-colored long dress, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to find any that are flowy, long, and somewhat cheap (by that I mean less than a typical prom dress).
We should also bring back disco dancing dresses.
Corsets
One of the many reasons why I hate Bridgerton is that it is the furthest thing from historically accurate. When watching the opening scene alone, there is already a huge misconception of a popular item from the turn of the century (and centuries before): corsets. We see a young woman being squeezed into a corset with a matron saying, “We need to get you down to the width of an orange and a half.” Corsets are often thought of as being restricting, unbreathable, and organ crushing. Back then, the hourglass figure may have been in, but you can CHOOSE how tight your corset goes. If it is really that tight and unbreathable you can JUST LOOSEN IT! Second, the corsets you see in movies and TV shows are on very rich, wealthy people who wore those whalebone corsets. They were pretty expensive, and, because of that, the more middle class or working-class people wore quilted corsets. Essentially, it was just a stiff undergarment, which (although sewn to be tight) was breathable and stretchy (according to The history of corsets). If you ask anyone in the theater or drag biz, they will tell you that wearing a corset is only as miserable as you make it. So, I really think that we should bring corsets back, as they are merely wired bras that enhance that hourglass figure that most people get plastic surgery to achieve. Even our own local actor Jackie Padgett states, “They are pretty comfortable, but I don’t tie it to the tightest capacity. . . . I always look forward to doing old plays because I get to wear a corset for free!”
Braided Hairstyles & Hats
Another thing we should bring back are braided hairstyles paired with floral, colorful, comically large hats. These hairstyles were worn throughout history (and even now) though I am specifically talking about the Gilded Age hairstyles (late 1800s). The way that people braided hair back then was very elaborate but also didn’t take up all of the head. Usually, it was worn up in a braided high bun (100 years of women’s hairstyles). This was often accompanied by a very colorful hat, predominantly a pastel color with a big flower (or assortment of flowers) (Hat exhibit). Color has faded quite a bit in both fashion, cars, and hats (according to trailblazer); it is just a trend of course, but with all this beige madness and brown color craziness, the world is far more bland. Hats will make the world a more colorful place! For men, we should bring back tall Frosty-the-Snowman hats!
1930s Nightgowns
We should also bring back nightgowns–I mean those gorgeous silky nightgowns for ladies that are sort of bowed and long. According to 100 years of nightgowns, nightgowns were originally considered useless and not necessary; then they became a sense of social class (only being for the rich). The nightgowns in the 30s abandoned the hideous style of no figure and boxiness and went for a little bit of a prettier option with some ruffles and decor. From the 30s to the 60s, the nightgowns always opted for the more elegant option but were still silky, soft, and comfortable. This is a trend I can get with.
Photo Credit: Ladies Home Journal
Gadgets and Gizmos Aplenty
The final fashion trend I think we should bring back are those nice little decorations all over a dress. Whether it’s buttons, the big bows on the back, or random bits of tulle, these small knick knacks made those dresses; they brought the multiple layers together, and they added color and pizzazz (two things we are seriously lacking). Though these gizmos may seem simple, they can put your outfit over the top in a classy-chic way.
Photo Credit: www.alamy.com
I highly recommend anyone with a lot of guts (and some extra cash) try and make these fashion moves come back–not just come back, but historically accurately come back. This is one of the best ways of honoring our ancestors.
The Best Cars of the Past
By Jack Edelstein
A common thing that people do to bond is think about the past. Whether it’s about sports or places, it is still comforting to think about a time we remember as nice. When I talk about nostalgic times, even though I was not born, I like to talk about cars. Here are the cars I like to bring up when the topic of nostalgia is brought up.
1965 Shelby AC Cobra 427 S/C
Powered by a 427 V8 iron block pushing 485 horsepower and 480 ft-lb of torque with a 4-speed manual (caranddriver.com), Shelby really put it all into this car. The car’s iconic blue body and white lines, exposed roll cage, open grill, and shiny loud side exhausts really sets it apart from other cars from its era, and, trust me, Shelby did not have easy competition. Cars that were also made in this era were the Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Mustang. This is definitely a nostalgic and memory bringing vehicle.
1974-1990 Lamborghini Countach
The Countach is a sought-after car by all car collectors. It is a staple of Italian car-making. Its distinct air vents poking out the top sides of the car, sharp retro edges, big wing, and pop-up headlights make it easily recognizable to any car person. You may also recognize the Countach from the movie The Wolf of Wall Street. Although there are multiple models, the most common Countach model, the 25th Anniversary, is pushed by a 5-liter Naturally Aspirated V12 revving to a stellar 7,000 rpm and making 455 horsepower and 370 ft-lbs of torque (supercars.net). The Countach is considered by many a sort of poster car of the 80s, and I can definitely see why.
1987-1992 Ferrari F40
The Ferrari F40 was made to celebrate the 40 years of Ferrari, hence the name, and was Enzo Ferrari’s last car before he died a year later, in 1988. The Ferrari F40 was made mostly of composite materials (carbon, Kevlar, and steel), meaning it was made of two or more materials with different properties intended to do a specific job–in this case making the car lighter (ferrari.com). This car was made to be a track car because of its very minimal interior appliances (there wasn’t even an A/C unit in the car until it came to the US), uncomfortable lightweight racing seats, and it doesn’t have door handles, just pull cords (exoticcartrader.com). Now, you’re thinking, “Well, Jack, what’s so special about this car? It doesn’t even have door handles!” What’s special about this car is that this car was not made for the ordinary. It was made for the bold and spectacular. It was made for those who wanted to experience the thrill of a Ferrari. Those who wanted to feel the raw 478 horsepower and 424 ft-lb torque twin-turbocharged V8 yelling at 7,000 rpm, and feel the smooth shifts of the 5-speed manual transmission. The F40 is the pinnacle of Ferrari engineering and holds its place at the top of Italian car-making, rightfully so.
Conclusion
Those are the three cars that I bring up when I talk about the past and cars. I will definitely write one of these blogs again. I really enjoyed learning new things about these cars, especially the F40. If there are any other cars that you like, let us know in the comments!
My Visit to the 2024 Rancho Mirage Writers Festival
By Senior Indiana Behr
A couple weeks ago, I attended the Rancho Mirage Writers Festival for the third time. I always love this event, and I met some very interesting people and saw some very cool programs, so I decided to write a blog article about it. Here are my top favorite sessions.
Day 1
On the first day, I started off with a session where Valerie Biden Owens, President Biden’s sister, was interviewed by Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes. This was a really interesting start to the festival, and it was very enlightening to see what Owen’s experience has been as the sibling of a politician who first ran for office (and won) 54 years ago. Apparently, she has been involved in every one of his campaigns as a senior staffer. She also told a very interesting story about seeing someone on the flight to Palm Springs wearing an “FJB” hat, which stands for F*** Joe Biden. She talked about how it’s difficult for her to reconcile that people don’t see her own brother as a person because of the power he holds, and she also told some funny stories about her childhood with the now-President.
I also saw a very interesting and funny session with famous author and filmmaker John Waters. One of my favorite movies, Hairspray (1988), was directed and written by Waters. It almost felt like a stand-up comedy routine, which is really rare for the often serious Rancho Mirage Writers Festival. Waters’ delivery was pretty vulgar and a little stomach churning at times, to the point where I can’t really repeat what he said on the blog, like when he talked about having sexual relations in a voting booth. He actually apologized for this talk being scheduled right before lunch…. Overall, it was one of the most entertaining sessions and was really hilarious.
Day 2
I started off this day by seeing the host of MSNBC’s The Beat, Ari Melber, interview former Trump administration staffer Cassidy Hutchinson. Hutchinson is notable for testifying against the former President and his associates to the “January 6 Select Committee” in 2022. I was familiar with her because of her testimony, but it was really interesting to hear more about the experiences of her time in the White House that weren’t disclosed during her Congressional testimony. I also have always liked Ari Melber’s interviews on MSNBC, so seeing one in real life was a fun opportunity.
I also saw a fascinating discussion between 2022’s Pulitzer Prize in History winner Ada Ferrer and Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs regarding Cuba and its historical relationship with the United States. This event had a really low turnout which was surprising to me since it was such a good topic. Cuba is the only country that the United States has a full trade embargo with, and many people on all sides of the political spectrum have noted that the embargo really does not do much other than harm ordinary Cubans who have already suffered under a repressive dictatorship. There are also further sanctions because Cuba, under the Trump administration, was recognized as a State Sponsor of Terrorism alongside the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Syria, and Iran. There is really no basis for this, especially compared to the other three, which Ferrer and Dr. Cobbs discussed. They also discussed how President Obama began a “thaw” of the icy US-Cuba relationship. Obama removed Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, normalized relations, and stepped towards the shuttering of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Nearly all of the thawing process was rolled back from the first day to the last week of the Trump administration, and President Biden has done little to return relations to Obama administration “thawing.”
I also saw a discussion with Donna Brazile. Brazile served as the acting Chair of the Democratic National Committee from July 2016 to February 2017. She took over after former Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned when leaked emails showed she was secretly favoring former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party’s 2016 nominating process, when party officials are required to remain neutral. Brazile took over in the interim, and also was simultaneously serving as a CNN contributor. Once again, DNC emails got leaked, and it was found that she used her position as a contributor to secretly give Clinton questions prior to a debate the news channel hosted. Overall, I kind of expected to be annoyed hearing from someone who had been involved in a shady situation, one who oversaw Clinton’s unexpected defeat. Nevertheless, she was astoundingly funny and had a lot of relevant things to say that I really appreciated.
Day 3
On the final day, I started off by seeing Cassidy Hutchinson again, but this time interviewed by conservative pundit Margaret Hoover. Hoover did a great job at making sure that this wasn’t just a rehashing of Hutchinson’s previous session. Instead, she chose to focus much more on her personal life and childhood. Hutchinson also discussed how she entered public service, and how she grapples with still having conservative leanings while feeling disconnected from the Republican Party, and even facing regular death threats and harassment from Republicans. She even told a very funny story about her finding teetotaler and then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who she served as an assistant to, intoxicated after he consumed multiple White Claw cans thinking it was simply sparkling water.
I also saw a very good talk between author Anand Giridharadas and journalist Ezra Klein. I have been a fan of Klein for several years, even back when he starred in YouTube videos for Vox, of which he is a co-founder. The Rancho Mirage Writers Festival features people from across the political spectrum, but Klein had a much more progressive perspective than many of the liberal speakers. He discussed why people are so much more polarized now than in much of American history. He also got into a rarely discussed subject of Presidential nominating conventions, saying they have been essentially symbolic over the last several decades. For example, Ronald Reagan actually won the popular vote during the 1968 Republican primaries, whereas, in that election, Richard Nixon was selected at the convention. I also got to speak with Klein, along with fellow PVS seniors Gil Maruvada and Landon Elder, which was fun.
Overall, I am really glad I got to go to the Writers Festival for the third consecutive year, and I got to learn a lot of new things and see some very interesting perspectives.
The Mere Concept of the Sports City Edition Jersey
By Sophomore Oliver Martinez
In one of my most recent posts, I talked about the best sports jerseys. And, in doing so, I mentioned City Edition jerseys and had them in my list. But what do “City Jerseys” even mean? And, what’s so special about them?
What is a sports City Edition jersey?
In the NBA, a City Edition jersey is a jersey made to express a feeling or remember something memorable about the city in which they are located. In other words, their purpose is “to represent the stories, history and heritage that make each franchise unique” (NBA) .
When were they introduced?
City Edition jerseys have been in production since 2017 when Nike took control of the NBA jerseys. So for the past seven years, every team has had its own City Edition jersey–updated yearly.
Examples of City Edition jerseys—
So, for example, look at this 2022 Atlanta Hawks City Edition jersey:
The meaning for this one is easy to figure out; the letters stand for Martin Luther King, Jr., and since Atlanta is the city where he was born, it makes sense this City Edition jersey commemorates him. It perfectly represents what a City Edition jersey should be. By having a jersey like this, the Hawks make tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and also to Atlanta.
However, there are other jerseys that make it hard to understand what the meaning is.
For example, look at this season’s Grizzlies City Edition jersey:
Can you guess what it’s supposed to represent?
Me neither. I had to look it up. According to NBA.com, “The Memphis Grizzlies 2023-24 City Edition uniform represents the joy growing up playing basketball.” I have no idea how nine lines that look like strips of bacon represent joy and basketball, but apparently that’s what it means.
What’s next for City Edition jerseys?
Typically, people enjoy the City Edition jerseys; however, this season people are really having mixed feelings about them.
I’d say a little over half of this season’s jerseys are terrible.
As an example of a bad jersey, look at this season’s Miami Heat City Edition jersey:
The problem I have with this is that “CULTURE” is bigger than “HEAT.” It doesn’t make any sense, the team is called Miami “Heat” not Miami “Culture.” It’s a shame because there is potential with the whole Heat/Culture thing. It’s also super plain and boring; it has the same color as their base jersey. It’s just generally a bad jersey.
One more example of a bad jersey this season is the Washington Wizards City Edition; just look at it:
This is single-handedly ruining NBA basketball for me. It’s an extremely ugly jersey. The gradient on the shoulder part is super ugly. Is that supposed to be rust color with turquoise? This jersey has managed to become one of the worst jerseys of all time. It does nothing right. The colors don’t go well at all, and the font is ugly as can be. I don’t even want to know what the meaning of it is.
Due to jerseys like this, I’ve heard some people say we should take a break from City Edition jerseys for a year so that Nike can reflect on the monstrosities they have created. But, one bad year of jerseys doesn’t mean they are terrible. I would say that to have a good City Edition jersey it has to first of all look good (obviously) but also have a deep meaning behind it that isn’t impossible to figure out.
A good example of a meaningful City Edition jersey came out in 2018-19. We had this Chinese New Year Warriors jersey:
This is a stunning jersey with great meaning, representing San Francisco and its Bay while also paying tribute to the Chinese New Year and the local population that celebrates it.
Major League Baseball City Connect Jerseys
The MLB also has these City Connect jerseys. Baseball isn’t really my thing, but I still appreciate their meaning and looks. According to MLB, “The MLB launched the Nike City Connect program during the 2021 season to celebrate the bond between teams and their home city. This year’s City Connect uniforms explore ‘the personality, values and customs that make each community and their residents unique.’”
A quick example of a City Connect jersey is this Washington Nationals jersey:
According to CBS, “Nationals managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner explained the meaning behind the uniforms, saying: ‘Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms represent hope and new beginnings, making them the perfect symbol of this Nationals team.’”
In conclusion, I think City Edition jerseys are a great staple of sports. They’re very memorable and help us celebrate and cherish different cultures from different areas in the US. They are something I look forward to every year.
Now do you understand the concept of City Edition and City Connect jerseys? Did I miss a sport that also does City Edition jerseys? If I did, let me know in the comments.
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