. . . on Spring Break. We’ll return the week of April 25. Safe and restful travels.
We’re Off . . .
Everything That Happened at the Oscars
By Lilah Nick
By now you have probably heard about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock over a joke involving Jada Pinkett Smith looking like G.I. Jane. You’ve probably also heard that Will Smith went on to win Best Actor for King Richard. I have watched the video of The Slap at least 20 times. It’s all my family and friends could talk about the next day. Despite this crazy interaction between Smith and Rock, so many other things happened at this year’s Oscars–from outlandish outfits to the first deaf man to win Best Supporting Actor.
Best of the Red Carpet
Let’s start with the beginning of the night, the Red Carpet. So many beautiful gowns and tuxedos were worn–but also some really bad ones that make you question, “Who’s idea was that?” We’ll start with the best of the night.
Lena Waithe
Lena Waithe wore a neutral tone suit. It was my favorite suit presented on the Red Carpet. It looks so good on her. It’s classy, looks amazing, and isn’t just a plain black tux.
Lily James
Lily James, who you may know from playing Pamela Anderson in the new show Pam and Tommy, wore one of my favorite dresses on the red carpet. It’s so beautiful, elegant, and looks incredible on her. I love all the embroidery and the added train in the back.
The Worst
Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart, nominated for best actress for her performance in Diana, was wearing Chanel. I totally get that her outfit was much more than a fashion statement, but it definitely could have been . . . better. I don’t think she should have worn shorts for a red carpet event. The jacket would have been classier with a pair of pants. Her hair is also not my favorite. I just don’t like it. The deep side part is not in right now. It’s not 2012 anymore.
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer, one of the hosts of the Oscars, was wearing Oscar de la Renta. Whoever decided she was going to wear this seriously did her dirty. I hate the bow; it’s so unnecessary, and it could be so much better for being The Oscars. This looks like something that’s sold at Macy’s for six year olds. Her dress also received a lot of backlash on Twitter. People were calling it “Hideous,” “God awful,” “so ugly,” and “unnecessary.”
Firsts
- Ariana Debose won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and was the first openly queer woman of color to win.
- Troy Kotsur won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and was the first deaf man to win an Oscar.
- CODA was the first movie from a streaming platform to have debuted at Sundance to win an Oscar.
The Jokes
After The Slap, everyone stopped making the kind of jokes that might have made things less awkward. Everyone was waiting for someone to get on stage and make a joke to release the tension in the room. Amy Schumer finally came back out and relieved that tension, but it was about an hour after the incident. She came out and said, “There’s like… a different vibe in here,” and there was a roar of laughter.
There was absolutely no way that everyone would have forgotten about The Slap. But, more jokes to ease the tension would have made watching the rest of the Oscars more comfortable.
On that note, there were a few jokes that worked. These from co-host Amy Schumer:
“I’m Amy Schumer or as they know me in Hollywood, ‘Melissa McCarthy said no.'”
Independent
“After years of Hollywood ignoring women’s stories, we finally got a movie about the Williams sisters’… dad.”
Independent
Top 5 College Majors You Should Reconsider
It’s the end of the year. Graduating high-school seniors are signing up for next fall’s college courses, which means they’ve already made some decisions about what discipline they’re going to major in. This is a list of the majors that I think** you shouldn’t go into. Let me explain my reasoning.
The undergraduate majors in this list aren’t necessarily the most useless ones, just the ones I personally dislike. If I offend anyone, hopefully it’s not someone I know personally. Also, this list is not in any particular order.
*Levi’s Disclaimer: Do not take my advice seriously. Go into anything you want.
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies
It’s the study of leisure. This is the major for people who want to create summer camps, become a recreational therapist, and design parks. That’s fine, but my question is: Why? Why would you want to spend your time in college learning about recreation, which is something we all take part in regardless of the presence of government-provided recreational services. You could learn about something that actually advances the world. Creating a park designed for maximum leisure isn’t going to stop wars. It’s not going to advance our scientific knowledge. So, it just seems like a waste of time and potential to me.
Computer Science
Too many CS students only sign up for the money that comes with computer-science-related jobs. Says Michigan Computer-Science Professor Igor Markov, “Based on my recent teaching experience, there are definitely many students signing up for CS majors who aren’t prepared enough and have difficulty getting through foundational material” (Forbes). I say, it’s a fine major, but it’s too popular. We don’t need a million people trying to be computer scientists.
Junior High/Middle School Education
The people who have the patience to teach kids in middle school are a godsend, but it’s not something that I’d do for a million dollars.
Astronomy
I love looking at the stars, and I’d love to have a nice telescope for astrophotography, but learning about space is something that doesn’t interest me at all. I feel that the secrets of the universe are more easily discovered at the quantum scale rather than astronomical. Also, you won’t become the next Stephen Hawking. Realistically, you’re gonna end up recording data for the rest of your life. You aren’t smart enough to become a theoretical physicist surrounded by giant chalkboards with equations written everywhere.
Pre-law/Criminal Justice
Too many movies depict lawyers as the most arrogant and pretentious people in the room. They’re right. I participated in Mock Trial once, and some of the “attorneys” were infuriatingly rude. There was one girl who kept cutting me off in the middle of my testimony! She would ask, “Did you see Jamie and Eric arguing at Jamie’s mother’s funeral?” and I would respond, “Yes, but-” and she would cut me off right there. Now, that might just be my anecdotal experience, but according to law gazette.co.uk, the general public views lawyers as “arrogant, disinterested or unapproachable.” And, on top of being viewed as an arrogant lawyer, you may end up defending people that strike against your moral compass. Criminal defense lawyers often have to defend clients against charges of pedophilia, murderer, rape, and other unsavory acts. So, unless you want to be viewed as a narcissist while also having to defend the worst people of society (if you choose to be a criminal defense lawyer), getting into law is a bad idea.
While these are my least favorite majors, most of them are still useful to the world. But, I ask: How do lawyers deal with the guilt? And, thank you middle-school teachers. Also, I used to love running around the playground and sliding down slides; so, I guess I have Leisure Studies majors to thank for that. If any of these majors are right for you, it’s not my place to say it isn’t. But, I hope I convinced you to re-think that career in law.
*Our Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by Levi Kassinove are solely his own and not necessarily those of thebirdonfire.org.
Student Led Conferences: Good Educational Practice or … What’s the point?
By Lilah Nick
Quarter 3 ended on March 11th, and the school year is quickly coming to a close. Thus, Student Led Conferences (SLCs) arrived on April 4th. SLCs are conferences with students, advisors, and parents. The purpose of them is for students to talk about all of their classes with their parents and advisors and then come up with ways for them to improve. But are they really necessary?
Most teachers and parents will argue that SLCs are good because you work together as a team, there is communication and transparency, and it allows the student to be in charge of the conversation. For certain families, there isn’t much communication about grades, so SLCs might be a good idea for them.
Personally, I don’t really like the SLCs. I have never liked them. You get a script, fill in the blanks, and talk to your parents and advisor about it. I’ve always found that most people fake their way through the scripts and put minimal effort into them. For example, there’s the value question. The script asks, “Which of the PVS values am I exhibiting regularly? How?” In my personal experience and that of my friends, we all fake this question the most. I’ll usually just select the value “Inquiry and Exploration.” I say I exhibit the value regularly in that I “ask questions” and I’m “interested” in my classes. It’s one of the easiest answers that we can just slap on the page.
My parents are always looking at My Backpack and checking my grades. If I have a low grade, they’ll ask for me to get it up. I don’t find SLCs necessary for me, but for other students whose parents don’t check their grades, it might be.
Let’s ask around: How do you feel about SLCs?
“It’s half an hour of my life wasted.”
Sienna Price, 8th Grade
“I hate SLCs. There is no point to me when I can just talk to my parents on my own.”
Alyna Llapitan, Sophomore
“My mom doesn’t check my grades. So, if that report card comes back with anything other than what I promised, it’s game over.”
Jessica Denyer, Senior
”I always think it’s good when parents, teachers, and students work together as a team.”
Ms. Zachik, Teacher
For better or for worse, Quarter 4 has no SLC. In fact, we have only 27 school days remaining in the 2021-22 year. But, get ready; SLCs return in only six months . . . .
Palm Valley’s Red Carpet Premiere
By Ani Madanyan
Palm Valley is hosting another SCHOOL DANCE! ASB Introduces…. Palm Valley’s Red Carpet Premiere. It’s going to be THIS SATURDAY, April 9th from 7-9 p.m. in the Lower School courtyard. As a member of ASB, I can proudly say that there will be a celebrity DJ and two mystery teacher bartenders. There’s going to be a gorgeous red carpet so that everyone feels as if they were to attend an actual Red Carpet premiere. There’s also a photo booth, boujee finger foods, and more that I cannot yet reveal. This is YOUR moment to be your own celebrity, so go for it. Tickets are $30 for a single person, but if you want a couple’s discount, it’s $25 each. Everyone received a special letter saying “you’re invited” so that must say something about how fancy it is…
The Story Behind Daylight Savings
Daylight Savings Time (DST) is a period that lasts from Spring to Autumn, which begins when clocks are turned forward one hour. This offset lasts until Autumn, which is when clocks are turned back one hour. On that day in the Spring when we turn clocks forward, one hour in the day disappears. To balance it out, we gain one hour in the Autumn. Unsurprisingly, many people are unhappy about losing an hour in the day. But who is to blame? And, what are the pros and cons of the time shift?
It was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin who sarcastically said that waking up earlier would save candle use and money (Daylight Saving Time). It was then proposed by an entomologist in 1895 who wanted to have more daylight hours to devote to collecting insects (Daylight). His name was George Hudson. Nowadays, only a minority of the world practices Daylight Savings. Asia and Africa generally don’t, along with places of high latitudes and places near the equator (Wikipedia). The real reason for Daylight Savings is to follow the daylight shift that happens naturally as the seasons change. In the Summer, daylight lasts longer. So it makes sense to add an extra hour to the day by moving the clocks forward. If you normally wake up at 8 am, and the clocks are turned forward to 9 am, then you’d have to wake up at (your old) 7 am to wake up at 8 am. Now you have an extra hour of daylight. The same logic is applied for turning the clocks backward in the Winter, since daylight is shorter during Winter. You gain an hour in a day that’s growing shorter. It’s a little confusing, but the point is that Daylight Savings aligns our days with the changing sunrise and sunset. This is why places near the equator and places on completely opposite sides of the equator don’t use Daylight Savings. The places near the equator experience a negligible difference in the sunrise and sunset times as the seasons change. While the places on opposite sides of the equator, at high latitudes, experience such a drastic change in daylight hours that changing clocks one hour wouldn’t be enough.
Daylight Savings has more downsides than upsides, according to many people. A common myth is that it was implemented for farmers so that they can have more time to water their corn or whatever farmers do. Point is, farmers hate Daylight Savings Time. They say that Daylight Savings Time disrupts cows’ readiness to be milked (Agriculture Myth). The actual reason why Daylight Savings Time (DST) was created was to conserve energy during WWI; however, multiple studies have shown that DST actually doesn’t save any energy (California Energy Commission Study). And, health experts argue that DST disrupts your circadian rhythm, which is otherwise in tune with Standard Time (uofmhealth.org). Despite this, Congress has been interested in permanently changing clocks to DST. As a matter of fact, the U.S. Senate on March 15 passed legislation that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent starting in 2023.
I think it’s clear that Daylight Savings is an outdated concept that should be abolished. It doesn’t save energy, and it has public health risks. And, when we switch between time standards, it’s such a pain to change mechanical clocks.
The Festivals are Coming…
By Luke Sonderman
Finally, after a three-year hiatus, Coachella Music and Arts Festival is returning to the Coachella Valley from April 15-24. The lineup has been released, and the wristbands are being sent out. So let’s talk about what this year’s Coachella will look like.
Lineup:
This year’s headliners are Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Kanye West (who has pulled out–his replacement just announced; get ready for Swedish House Mafia x The Weeknd). Personally, I don’t like any of the headliners, but I know that they are very popular right now and a lot of people are hyped to see Harry Styles perform songs from his new album that is coming out in May.
I am looking forward to seeing the Skeggs, Wallows, Surf Curse, Phoebe Bridgers (to see what the hype is all about), and Current Joys.
Tickets:
Right now Coachella tickets are EXPENSIVE!!! Although they are advertised as $450 for a General Admission ticket, after taxes and fees, the total ends up at around $620. I decided to also buy a shuttle pass (which is a shuttle that drives back and forth from different locations across the desert to the festival), and it ended up costing me around $110 after taxes and fees.
Masks and Vaccinations:
Originally, Coachella was going to require either proof of vaccination or a negative test result to enter the festival, but recently they changed that rule due to newer California Covid-19 regulations. Since I am going on the second weekend, I will probably wear a mask since there is so much dust at the polo grounds after the Weekend One-ers stomp through the grass, but you aren’t required to wear masks.
Stagecoach Festival:
Every year I enjoy going to Stagecoach Festival, which occurs the week after Coachella. Stagecoach is a much more laid-back festival with lots of country and classic rock. The tickets are cheaper than Coachella, but there are less stages set up. If it is your first time going to a music festival, I recommend going to Stagecoach.
Stagecoach Lineup:
This year’s stagecoach headliners are Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Combs. I am not the craziest country fan, but I am super excited to see the underliner, The Black Crowes–if I end up going to Stagecoach this year.
If you live in the Coachella Valley and have never been to one of the famous festivals at the Polo Grounds, you are living under a rock. Go have some fun at Coachella or Stagecoach. You can still get tickets. Maybe you’ll see me there!
Remembering Taylor Hawkins
By Luke Sonderman
On March 25, 2022, one of the greatest musicians of all time died on tour in South America. Taylor Hawkins, who was most well known for being the drummer of the Foo Fighters, was far more than just a drummer.
Taylor Hawkins had many musical inspirations: Genesis, Neil Peart (the drummer for Rush), and Steward Copeland (the drummer for the Police) to name a few (ultimateclassicrock.com). Still, Taylor Hawkins’s favorite band was Queen with drummer Roger Taylor (ultimateclassicrock.com). When hearing of Taylor Hawkins’s death, Roger Taylor said it felt like “losing a younger favorite brother” (cbs58.com).
Taylor Hawkins began his professional music career touring as the drummer for Alanis Morissette. At only 23 years old, Taylor began to get lots of attention as a drummer without taking away Morissette’s spotlight (pitchfork.com). In 1997, Dave Grohl, frontman of the Foo Fighters, approached Taylor Hawkins about being the band’s touring drummer after their last drummer quit. The world was shocked when Taylor joined this new, small rock group after touring with such an iconic artist, but Taylor joining the Foo Fighters started what is now one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
Dave Grohl, being the famous drummer of Nirvana, recorded the drums for the albums Foo Fighters and The Colour and the Shape. After joining the band, Taylor Hawkins recorded the drums and toured for every album since.
Aside from the Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins worked on many side projects–such as his solo band, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders. Along with his solo career, Hawkins also played in a cover band, Chevy Metal, which ended up writing originals and renaming themselves Birds of Satan. He also appeared on a few albums by Coheed and Cambria.
My personal favorite songs that Taylor Hawkins appeared on are…
Arlandria
DOA
Dear Rosemary
Bridges Burning
Congregation
The Sky Is A Neighborhood
Many influential artists have commented on Taylor Hawkins tragic death.
Perry Farell from Jane’s Addiction said, “Taylor Hawkins died yesterday. He was my best friend. Beloved in my home by my wife, my children, even my dogs. Whenever Taylor came over, we would make music in the den. [Our dog] Cloud would always go and sit right by him. He was one of the most passionate drummers I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. When I think of him, I sum it up with one word: Velocity. He had the gift to maintain a confident, striking and stroking velocity on drums” (americansongwriter.com).
Paul McCartney from the Beatles commented, “Taylor’s sudden death came as a shock to me and the people who knew and loved him” (loudwire.com).
Geddy Lee from Rush said, “He was such an incredibly positive source of music, energy and love, and a true artist to his very core….there are simply no words to adequately express just how much he will be missed by all – including . . . the entire Rush family” (nme.com).
Tommi Iommi from Black Sabbath stated, “I woke up this morning to hear the awful news of Taylor Hawkins’s death. What a terrible loss to us all. He was such a lovely guy and such a brilliant player” (washingtonpost.com).
Axl Rose of Guns N Roses said, “Shocked n’ saddened to hear of the passing. [He was] a really great guy, drummer n’ family man” (washingtonpost.com).
Travis Barker of Blink-182 said, “I don’t have the words. Sad to write this or to never see you again. I’ll never forget Laguna Beach days when I was a trash man playing in a punk-rock band and you were playing with Alanis. You’d come watch me play in dive bars and be like, ‘Kid, you’re a star.’ And I thought you were crazy, but you gave me so much hope and determination” (ew.com).
Inside View of Basketball at PVS
By Sienna Price, Palm Valley Middle-School News Reporter
For Palm Valley, the season of basketball is over. The middle-school basketball teams both A and B placed very well. The middle-school basketball B team won the championship 42-29 over Sacred Heart. The team consisted of Shayan Habibipour, Walker Craven, Tal Maruvada, Dante Vega, Sherwin Hemmati, and Matteo Lam.
The A team came second in the championship after a close game against Sacred Heart. The team included Donavan Knott, Deshawn Tunmore, Nicholas Chavez, Evan Wang, Benjamin Langlois, Desmond Milner, and Timothy Reed. I interviewed the players to get their inside views about the team, the season, and their basketball experience.
What is your position on the court?
“Point guard, Shooting guard, Center.” -Sherwin Hemmati
“I would usually play Shooting Guard.” -Shayan Habibipour
“I play both forwards.” -Walker Craven
“My position on the court is mainly power forward, but I can play center or point guard if needed. I also direct our defensive strategies by telling everyone where to go on defense.” -Deshawn Tunmore
“pg/sg.” -Matteo lam
“Guard.” -Donovan Knott
“Small Forward.” -Timothy Reed
“ I play perimeter defense, usually on the other team’s shooter. On offense I switch from the point guard to the forward depending on who is on the court.” -Tal Maruvada
“The positions I play are center, and power forward.” -Evan Wang
“Center.” -Ben Langlois
What was your favorite game?
“My favorite game . . . was against the Sacred Heart Second team. I loved this game because it was one of my highest scoring games, and we all played well as a team.” -Deshawn Tunmore
“My favorite game . . . was our first game against DCA at home where in just four minutes I scored four points for the A team. “ -Evan Wang
Who in the team has improved the most in your eyes?
“Tal. I have seen Tal gaining confidence and improving a lot of skills in attacking the basket and on defense.” -Matteo Lam
“The player that has improved the most is Shayan.” -Walker Craven
“Someone on the team that has improved the most is Sherwin. His shot is more consistent and his defense has gotten a lot better.” -Deshawn Tunmore
“I feel like I have.” -Donovan Knott
How do you think you have improved this season?
“I’ve gotten better at dribbling and making more shots.” -Ben Langlois
“My shooting is a lot better. . . . [I]n the first game we had, I missed six free throws out of six; now I can make some free throws. I also feel like I can run a lot longer.” -Evan Wang
“I have improved in shot selection and shooting.” -Tal Maruvada
What was the hardest game you played?
“The hardest game we played was probably the game against DCA the second time we played them because they studied how we played and played up to it and eventually beat us. . . . they played amazingly.” -Shayan Habibipour
“The hardest game we . . . played this season was against the Sacred Heart first team. I fouled out of that game and we lost by six points.” -Deshawn Tunmore
“Championship.” -Ben Langlois
Meet the 2022 Varsity Golf Team
By Luke Sonderman, Golfer Blogger
This year Palm Valley attempts to defend its championship status that they have held for the past three years!
Golf Season to Date:
The Palm Valley Golf Team won their first triple match against Desert Chapel and Mesa Grande. We also won our second match against Joshua Springs. In our third match, we won again against Desert Chapel, but lost to Redlands. At yesterday’s match, we were down a player because Sophie is traveling back to her home in China, but we still won against Joshua Springs once again.
The Palm Valley Varsity Golf Team, led by Coach Harvey, has six golfers: Jesse Denyer (co-captain), Sophie Zhong (co-captain), Jerry Wang, Jane White, Hambik Mandanyan, and myself (Luke Sonderman).
Co-Captain Jesse Denyer is a strong leader for the team. Aside from her shared love for Mission Hills’ boujee water with Jane White, Jesse always hits bombs with her irons during practice and sets an amazing example for the rest of the team.
Sophie Zhong is also one of the 2022 co-captains of the Palm Valley Golf Team for a good reason. Sophie never fails to hit the target when it comes to her shots. Sophie puts the ball where she wants it and leaves everything she has on the course.
Jerry Wang is one of the stars on the Palm Valley team as he pulls power behind his driver. Jerry never golfs without style as he is always wearing flashy Ray-Bans or designer sunglasses. If you ever go out to one of Palm Valley’s golf games and see a Robert Downey Jr. look alike, don’t be alarmed. It is just Jerry.
Jane may be a pro fencer, but she is also one of the key members of the Palm Valley Golf Team. Although she sometimes forgets she is playing golf and ends up fencing Hambik with golf clubs, Jane always comes in clutch and hits the ball right where she needs to.
Hambik Mandanyan is a Palm Valley Golf veteran and moral booster on the team. Hambik never fails to make everyone on the golf team have a good laugh on and off the course. Sometimes if you’re lucky, you may see Hambik doing a cartwheel after making par!
Although I may not look or play like a golfer, at all, I would consider myself a fair golfer. At Palm Valley golf practices, you may find me hitting rockets and duds with my clubs, or sitting on the driving range grass eating Panda Express with Co-Captain Jesse Denyer.
Although many of last year’s team members graduated, Palm Valley’s Varsity Golf Team is still in it to win it and defend their championship for the fourth year in a row!
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