The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

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New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Joanna Ho speaks to Palo Alto High School students about her young adult book The Silence that Binds Us during PRIME on Wednesday in the library. According to Ho, who graduated from Paly in 2000, she included many of her high school and cultural experiences in her book. With a Taiwanese Chinese background, writing some stories that are coming from one particular perspective of somebody who went to Paly, who actually lived in Palo Alto, theres lots of different layers in my experience, Ho said. (Photo: Kristine Lin)
Author visit reminds students of cultural importance
Kristine Lin, News Editor • May 26, 2023
Joanna Ho is not staying silent. Not with the reported rate of anti-Asian hate crimes surging by over 300% over the past years, according to the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism. In her recent young adult book, “The Silence that Binds Us,” the Palo Alto High School alum and New York Times bestselling and award-winning author stresses the importance of addressing anti-Asian racism, as well as mental health and suicide. The powerful and heart-wrenching story centers around protagonist Maybelline Chen and her Taiwanese Chinese family as they navigate through the aftermath of loss and hardships in American society.
Freshman Motoko Iwata puts up a poster for her What is Your Story? project in hopes of receiving more student stories to be compiled into a book. According to Iwata, the biggest challenge she faced was finding enough entrants. I just want as many submissions as possible, so thats really the main goal right now, Iwata said. From that, well be able to make a book which is ultimately the goal. (Photo: Kristine Lin)
'What is Your Story?' project seeks to publish book
Kristine Lin, News Editor • May 25, 2023
"How can stories remain more permanent, not temporary?" freshman Motoko Iwata wondered. "What are students' stories, and how can we share them with each other?" Inspired by her love for liberal arts and English, Iwata thought, "What is YOUR Story?" and her idea was born.
Verde Magazine, Palo Alto High School’s news and features magazine, won first place in the newsmagazine category of the National Scholastic Press Association’s Best of Show award, announced April 2023 at the organization’s national convention in San Francisco, earning a trophy. The Best of Show competition recognizes 10 publications across the nation, in five categories, with the first-place winner in each category taking the top honor. “The Best of Show competition has a rich tradition of honoring outstanding student media represented at the National High School Journalism Convention,” according to a statement on the NSPA website. (Photo: Daniel Garepis-Holland)
Journalism program earns top spots in contests
Anna Feng and Ketan Altekar-Okazaki May 25, 2023
In an impressive showcase, Palo Alto High School's journalism program emerged with many awards from this year’s contest season, bringing a new wave of motivation and energy into the school's publications. 
Projectors, like this one in Advanced Placement Literature teacher Mimi Parks classroom, make up the majority of the technological education resources at Palo Alto High School. The Palo Alto Unified School Districts new initiative, called classroom tech refresh, is a project since June 2021 to replace current systems in all classrooms with new Apple TV monitors and sound systems. According to Advanced Placement Psychology teacher Christopher Farina, the initiative will enhance instruction in classrooms. I like them a lot. The smart boards you had to hire hardwire into and that just meant theres like cables kind of floating around everywhere. The Apple TV is being able to cast wirelessly is really nice, which means that youre untethered, and that is really convenient, Farina said. It also means that you can connect an iPad to that if you want to be able to use a different kind of device and that is also gonna be pretty easy. (Photo: Avi Srinivasan)
Apple TVs to replace current projectors
Avi Srinivasan and Christopher Choi May 25, 2023
As part of the Palo Alto Unified School District’s initiative to enhance visual educational quality in instructional settings, Apple TVs will replace the current technological system of projector tools and SmartBoards in all PAUSD classrooms with an anticipated rollout starting this summer.
Palo Alto High School math teacher Daniel Nguyen speaks during the Palo Alto Unified School District board meeting open forum Tuesday night. In response to recent incidents in the district, including one that Nguyen said caused a teacher an “unimaginable, catastrophic loss,” district staff spoke out in favor of an upgraded, standardized protocol in handling student discipline.
Breaking: Investigation to begin as JLS incident sparks concern
Anna Feng and Christopher Choi May 24, 2023
In light of a recent incident at Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School, Palo Alto Unified School District staff are calling for upgraded response protocols for student discipline concerns. 
Senior Cameron Phillips splashes on a makeshift Slip N Slide set up during lunch yesterday on Palo Alto High Schools Quad. This watery fun was part of Field Day, a carnival-themed event hosted by the Associated Student Body, and also offered free desserts and game booths. According to senior Phela Durosinmi, Field Day was an enjoyable way to spend a sunny day. Its fun, because I just finished my last final, and theyre giving out free ice cream — everybody likes ice cream — and they let us have a slip n slide, while last year they closed it down, Durosinmi said. (Photo: Daniel Garepis-Holland)
Students enjoy Field Day games and food
Karrie Huang and Daniel Garepis-Holland May 22, 2023
Playing carnival games and eating sweet treats, Palo Alto High School students took the opportunity to close the year on a high note during Friday's extended lunch on the Quad as part of the Associated Student Body's Field Day, one of many events designed to mark the end of the school year and celebrate the graduating seniors.
Track star commits to West Point
Track star commits to West Point
Leena Hussein, Senior Staff Writer • May 23, 2023
Senior girls varsity lacrosse attacker Skylar Burnett runs past boys varsity players during the Bring Change to Mind Club’s annual Stick It To Stigma event after school Friday on the Palo Alto High School Lacrosse Field. The event consisted of a friendly game between the girl’s and boy’s lacrosse team to help further prompt mental health transparency in the athletic community. According to Bring Change to Mind Club president and junior Ella Bishop, promoting values like those in Stick It To Stigma are a central part of the club’s mission. ”We strive to build a safe community so all of our regular club members feel comfortable sharing and comfortable learning in a space, Bishop said. I think whats happening here is learning new skills, or learning more about mental health and stuff you didnt know about.” (Photo: Benjamin Grimes)
BC2M club hosts eighth annual 'Stick It To Stigma' event
Avi Srinivasan and Benjamin Grimes May 21, 2023
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Sophomore Evan Chien sprints a butterfly lap along the black lines spread out across the pool floor during training. (Photo: Ethan Chien)
Swimming in water and work
Evan Chien, Reporter • May 27, 2023
For hours on end, a black line is all you will get to see. Back and forth, until you memorize the amount of tiles there are. That’s the basis of swimming, but people don’t go to pools for the excitement of befriending the floor.
Sophomore Cormac White watches the baseball team take on Monterey from the dugout during the Mar. 1st home game. White made the Palo Alto High School varsity baseball team but is ineligible to play because of the California Interscholastic Federation Transfer Eligibility Guidelines. “Rules are rules, and I get it,” White said. “Obviously I’m really disappointed, but theres nothing I can do to change them.” (Photo: Shreyas Shashi)
Opinion: CIF should let transfer students play
Joseph Kessler and Shreyas Shashi March 14, 2023
Should high school students who change schools be barred from playing sports? The answer from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) seems to be, "It depends." CIF should simplify its transfer eligibility guidelines to allow more transfer students to play school sports.
MJ Sushi’s nondescript outdoor signage does not make the restaurant stand out at first glance. However, the food inside is worth a visit. (Photo: Joseph Kessler)
Review: MJ Sushi rolling its way to the top
Joseph Kessler and Shreyas Shashi May 5, 2023
MJ Sushi opened a branch of their popular restaurant in the Mayfield neighborhood of Palo Alto at 2305 El Camino Real, a well-chosen location for Stanford and Paly students as well as other local residents. 
Junior Zoe Hayward (left) and seniors Rebecca Helft (center) and Arielle Blumenfeld (right) rehearse a scene from Palo Alto High School theater programs latest show, Mamma Mia! The production is the first musical in four years hosted in the Performing Arts Center. According to lead actress Zoe Hayward, after two months of hard work and countless rehearsals, the Paly Theater is officially presenting its enactment of “Mamma Mia!”. “It was a pretty fast rehearsal process,” Hayward said. “We started right after winter break, and there were tons of rehearsals from then until now, so timing was definitely a challenge. But we definitely overcame it and worked together, and it came together in the end.” (Photo: Leena Hussein)
Don’t wait, take a chance on “Mamma Mia!”
Ketan Altekar-Okazaki and Maxwell Zhang March 14, 2023
The Palo Alto High School's rendition of "Mamma Mia!", a classic musical featuring songs from the popular Swedish pop group ABBA, will immerse all theatergoers in a captivating story about a young bride's quest to discover the identity of her long-lost father.
Students perform at the Palo Alto High School Pops concert in 2019 with the theme of ‘2000s party in the PAC.’ According to Choir junior Kyle Lehman, the Pops concert gives singers the freedom to sing songs they choose. “The Pops concert is unique because every student can do a solo song duet or a group song if they want to, and so we have a lot of people who are doing songs by themselves,” Lehman said. (Photo: Soumya Jhaveri)
Choirs to perform ‘style’ Pops concert
Jonathan Chen and Benjamin Grimes February 9, 2023
Featuring singers in self-made outfits, the Palo Alto High School choirs will perform the annual Pops concert to the theme of  ‘style’ on Thursday and Friday in the Performing Arts Center. 
Art in Unusual Places to take place next week
Art in Unusual Places to take place next week
Leena Hussein, Christopher Choi, and Evan Chien January 28, 2023
From stick domes to a chalk mural, Palo Alto High School’s Visual and Performing Arts students will showcase their exhibitions throughout the campus starting next week for the annual Art in Unusual Places celebration.