We invite you to read and respond to The Paly Voice’s ongoing staff blog, where we talk informally about the Voice, campus life, and other things on our minds. Enjoy — and click on the feedback link on the bottom if you want to participate by adding your own comment.

Fun in a can (Jan. 9, 2005)

I missed my blog yesterday, which was very disappointing but somewhat understandable since it was a wild Saturday night as I was out partying and having an awesome time.

Actually, I have a confession to make; I did nothing last night. I sat around with my friends thinking about how all of our plans fell through, and Palo Alto is the most lame and boring city ever. We had great hopes, and huge aspirations last night but NOTHING came out of either. We were going to try and go to this huge party in Atherton, but that didn’t work. We were going to try and stay at a house and just have fun there, but it turns out fun is not something that you can just have. When I grow up, (in a very long time), I’m going to invent "fun in a can," a brilliant invention that will make millions. It’s going to be this awesome invention that you just pop open, and out comes fun. Maybe it’s a girl or guy from a cake, or a lot of party favors flying everywhere. My favorite however is seeing someone trip. I have no idea what it is about it or why it is so funny, but if someone trips and they are ok, it’s the funniest thing ever. I’m sure half of the people reading this are thinking that I have gone crazy and there is nothing funny about that. And to that one person, I say you’re lying. I’m sure both of the people reading this have laughed whether or not they intended to when someone fell. It’s so bad, but it is so funny! For anyone else that feels the need to have a "fun in a can" handy on a Saturday night, I’m going to start a list of fun things to do in Palo Alto. I’m going to need a lot of help with this, because I’m not a fun person, and I don’t do fun things, so that’s where you come in. Go ahead and send feedback and contribute to this list or just nag about how annoying I am. Either way, give me a hand and let’s make an awesome fun filled list.

So here we go, the first fun thing to do in Palo Alto: watch Napoleon Dynamite.

– Mike Sorgenfrei

Site changes (Jan. 9, 2005)

I’m writing today about the improvements to the Paly Voice web site over the past semester, as well as future changes.
In late September/early October, you may have seen the front page disappear for a few days when the server ran out of space. The front page and the sports pages were soon fixed, but couldn’t be updated when the people with server access weren’t around. So, Eric and I took on a short project to set up a server computer and it was ready to be replaced the next Thursday. In the server room, the network administrator leaves the cables all jumbled in a locked off area and with restrictive settings, which resulted in a thirty-minute downtime while the engineering teacher and I worked to find the correct cables and settings to make the new computer live, but after that, the site has been very stable.

On another note, the site has improved in other ways as well. Previously, the section pages were always updated manually by hand using FTP, which resulted in various errors, broken links, and occasional serious errors such as the page getting deleted. In late November, I finally implemented a system which runs through the back end of Voice and allows editors and staff members to work on section pages "live." This makes the entire system run smoother with less inconsistency and is a lot easier to update.

There have also been a number of smaller updates that the rest of the tech team have implemented. Eric has recently added the ability to submit essays, which will be useful for potential contests as well as students who want to get their hard work published, and others have improved the feedback page to list items in more detail.

Some new upcoming updates to the site include the change to newer technologies such as XHTML, the newer version of HTML, and CSS, which involved rewriting the entire site’s HTML code, which made having different styles and updating the site much easier. Jim and Dominic, created a "photo essay" page
We have also entered into the Pacemaker and Webbies contests, so during the time of the contests, it will be time to seriously use the section page editor. All in all, the web site is now much more advanced than it was at the beginning of this year.

– Patrick Horn

Retribution (Jan. 7, 2005)

I read Katie’s blog this afternoon and since then, I have been trying to think of something witty to say about how she could never be blog queen, or how she taught me all that I know about blogs. I came up with NOTHING. She claims that she taught me; well even if that is true, which to my recollection isn’t, that proves my point that I am blog king. Just like in all of the great movies, Star Wars, The Godfather, etc., the apprentice always becomes far superior to the teacher and outdoes them in many ways. In that case, she is completely right, she has taught me everything.

I have to agree with her that the O.C. is a brilliant TV show that often at my house takes priority over homework, and anything else that tries to rival the O.C. I also have to agree with Katie that finals are not going to be fun at all, and it’s going to be miserable until they are over. Luckily, we have a three-day weekend to try and forget about the three days of punishment and torture we will go through. But until then, good luck studying and try not to forget this is the last weekend to have fun, so you better do just that.

– Mike Sorgenfrei

Give a little bit (Jan. 7, 2005)

As the holiday season is coming to a close, millions of Americans are resolving to lose that extra weight, get that promotion, or spend more time discovering themselves. I too made resolutions (as a soon to be second semester senior I have to give myself guidelines to prevent a most severe case of senioritis), several of them actually, and my main consideration was simply to be more compassionate.

Vague perhaps, but compassion is one of those intangibles that seems to slip away after all the holiday cheer dies down. Take for example, the recent holiday food drive. First of all, for all the students and teachers who donated with intentions other than “beating Foug,” I applaud you. Second of all, why “holiday?” It sounds corny, but hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Yes, the holidays are a time to give a little extra consideration to one’s fellow man, but doesn’t that imply that one gives some consideration during the rest of the year? I’m certainly not trying to add guilt to Paly’s generous efforts, but sometimes I wish students were a bit more conscientious (this goes for recycling too).

With that in mind, ask yourselves, what more could I do? If you’re one of the local superheroes who volunteers at a soup kitchen, community center, school, retirement center, or anywhere else (and you’re not looking for that 100 hour transcript boost), then by all means, continue. If your list is a bit shorter or you can stand to give more, consider this; Paly is collecting relief donations for Red Cross to send to tsunami victims next week (1/11-1/14). Check the bulletin for more details.

I realize this compassion stuff sounds a bit soft, but if you’re snickering at my good intentions, ask yourself, “why?” Paly students are fortunate, and there’s an increasing lack of good fortune outside our bubble, so why not spread it around?

– Kristen Barta

Mike is NOT Blog King (Jan. 6, 2005)

To start out, I would like to make one thing VERY clear, Mike is not the blog King! Kristie and I were the ones who had to perpetually tell Mike what the blog was, because either he didn’t know or didn’t remember! Now he is trying to make things appear as if he is the only person allowed to do blogs . . . I THINK NOT MIKE!!! Oh, and I am absolutely not a cheater! I have no idea where you got that from. Anywhom . . . On a much happier and nicer note, I was very excited that tonight, the O.C. returned! I love that show, it’s a guilty pleasure to watch. Especially when you know that you have an entire history chapter to read and math problems to finish. Finals are coming up and I think they are putting everyone into a tense mood. Life will be so much less stressful for everyone, once they are over.

– Katie Tseng

Cell Phone Story (Jan. 6, 2005)

Today in class my cell phone rang, it was on vibrate. The class was in the middle of a game. I pulled my phone out under the table to make sure it was not an important call. I didn’t recognize the number, so I hit end and slipped it back in my pocket. Some vibrates are a hum over voices and can be as distracting as a ring. Mine on the other hand is as silent as a whisper and my neighbor did not even realize it had gone off. This is not too atypical, but five minutes later when I got another call I pulled my phone out again. It was the same number, so I hit end again and slipped it into my pocket, curious as to why the person had kept calling me. As I went to return the phone to my pocket, hoping they would leave a message, the teacher caught me. She asked me to hand over my phone in the middle of the game, in front of the whole class. I did so without arguing, simply telling her that someone kept on calling my number.

I was not mad at the teacher. She caught me and if I were teaching, I probably would have done the same. However, ten minutes later another phone rang. It made me happy to know that I would not be the only one who was going to get my cell phone confiscated that day. But then something peculiar happened. The teacher got up, ran over to her desk where she picked up her own phone, a new phone that she was having trouble getting to be silent (she claimed). I quickly glanced over to a friend. Looks of disbelief came over our faces. I heard a shout of, “I think Adam should get his phone back now,” from the corner of the room. The teacher stopped the ringing and returned to game after the brief interruption.

So, my plea to teachers today is that we don’t come into class with our ringers on with evil intentions to disrupt your class and teaching. When our ringers are on and our cell phones ring, we have simply forgot. And I ask you to extend that same courtesy I extend to you when your cell phone rings, that courtesy that you simply forgot. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes. So, the next time a cell phone rings in class or a you catch a student looking at a call, give us a chance, a reminder, a warning before you confiscate our phones. Treat others the way you would want to be treated; or maybe next time I will ask for you to, “Please hand your phone over to me until the end of class.”

– Adam Heeger

Real World meets Voice (Jan. 6, 2005)

Today in class we tried creating a promo video that we could show to all of the English classes and brag about how fun and great Voice is. I’m really looking forward to going from class to class and showing this documentary on how awesome Voice is and how it is the best publication ever. However, I am a little worried that they are going to have no idea what the class actually is. They will see people having fun and writing groundbreaking stories about Paly and the Paly community, but they won’t be able to comprehend the deepness and awesomeness of Voice. Voice is not just a news publication; it is a way of life. Ask Laura Mitchell about it; her idea of having fun is going home, surfing voice.paly.net, and making a list of awesome things we could do to make our site that much better. This is great, as without Laura and the rest of our editorial staff, the web site would be a failure. Nevertheless, we can’t make a petty five-minute video about Voice to try and hook the underclassmen into joining Voice, we need a full episode and I’m thinking the Real World meets Voice. Then we could really show them how Voice is by far the best publication and the top school website (since we hold the pace maker and looking for our second one very soon).

– Mike Sorgenrei

Siblings (Jan. 5, 2005)

If you’re the only child in your family, be thankful! I have two
siblings and have to get up at the crack of dawn on a daily baisis to
get them ready. Ayaa! And to top it off, I can’t even leave for school on time until one of my parents gets home to take over my shift. So anyways, to make it a long story short, by the time my dad got home, I only had ten mins of first period left. Which was great, I really didn’t want to go to pysch today anyway. So all in all, it was a win win situation!

Other than that, the rest of the day was blur with the exception of
advisory and 5th period. In advisory, my friend got his laptop
smashed, and of course in a room full of people there are no
witnessess. And in 5th period, we got to see Rosencratz and Guildenstern the movie. Man, those two are morons(sort of like a few people I know,really feel bad for them).

Anyway, thought for the day: Do you know why you were born? And what your purpose is? If you can answer both of those with a logical answer, I’m impressed. No one in my class seemed able to, including the person who asked it!

– Dominic Littleton

Blog King (Jan. 5, 2005)

As many of you don’t know, there is currently a cut throat and very brutal competition going on at the Voice as to who gets crowned blog champion and gets to run the blog in February. The editors decide who wins and the person with the most blogs and the best blogs will be crowned blog king. Can we leave something this important in the hands of the editors? Don’t you think we need to call in some serious blog pros? I would say, turn to the people who read the blogs (but I think that both the people and the editors might vote for someone else).

So, all I can do to win is to write earth shattering blogs ten times everyday. But, the problem is not writing the blogs, or writing them often, the problem is the competition. Just today I found Katie Tseng snooping around in the computer lab and trying to pay off the editors to ensure that she gets the blog position. How am I supposed to compete with a cheater? I’m not only going for the blog here, I’m also trying to win the pacemaker! (Which is the single most stressful competition for web sites I have ever heard of)

However, real journalists do not have the luxury of crying on someone’s shoulder, so I’m going to go out and find some awesome story to write about, and on top of all that, be crowned blog king!

– Mike Sorgenfrei

Simple Decisions (Jan. 5, 2005)

I think the Paly Voice class is awesome. However, I do tend to wonder if twenty people are needed to make a simple decisions. I guess you could say that part of the fun of the Voice is actually being able to have a voice, but I think in our class there are too many people to make the small simple decisions. We waste so much time going around in circles and don’t make much progress. I mean, it is almost the second semester and our class still hasn’t agreed on what our sweatshirts will say.

– Katie Tseng

Upcoming contests (Jan. 4, 2005)

Today for all of class we basically sat there and listened to the
teacher and the editors talk to us about the upcoming contest that
Voice will be participating in. I personaly think it will be
alright, and once Jim and I get our Photo Essay up and running, our
site will look even better. All that’s really left to do is get
it integrated into the Voice website system. So, that’s pretty much my day . . . well that and the sudden realization that this is basically the last week left before finals and that I’m screwed in a few classes.

– Dominic Littleton

The next few weeks (Jan. 4, 2005)

These next few weeks of school are some of the worst weeks in the entire school year! Students come back from partying for two weeks straight and having a great time getting gifts from Christmas or Hanukah, to getting books and long study guides for finals which are in two weeks. Why can’t we take finals before break? All colleges take finals before break so they can have a great time during break and start the semester off to a fresh clean start when they return from vacation.

But no! We get to have a wonderful time on break and then come back and suffer for two weeks with nothing to look forward to except a few weekends. Isn’t high school about preparing for college? Shouldn’t we have a schedule that somewhat resembles theirs’? Why can’t we have it before break? Is it because we have to start school earlier to be able to fit it all in before the break? If so, then FINE! That means that we should get out that much earlier. It’s too stressful to try to change gears this rapidly from picking pina coladas and other extravagant drinks to picking up textbooks again. It would be so much easier just to come back to a normal week of school, rather than coming back to school in fear of the next two weeks and the three terrible days of finals!

– Mike Sorgenfrei

The Big Game (Nov. 18, 2004)

This Saturday I’ll be at Memorial Stadium, Berkeley to watch the 107th Big Game between the Stanford and Cal football teams. This past weekend I was on University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto, and two members of the Stanford team passed me (quarterback Trent Edwards and wide receiver Evan Moore). They were huge! It was because of their immense size that I refrained from saying something that I now regret holding back, "Good luck on Saturday, you’re gonna need it!" I’m pretty sure I’m going to wear a Stanford shirt, just to see what happens…

– Nathan Lui

Exponential Traffic Growth (Nov. 16 2004)

In recent months, and especially in the last several days due to the Halo 2 story, we have been experiencing rapid growth in the amount of hits our site receives. So far this month, the Voice has had roughly two thirds the amount of visits it had during the entire month of October. At this rate, the Voice could quite possibly attract over 20,000 visitors this month. The somewhat scary part is that we don’t have any conclusive evidence as to why this growth is occuring. We do know that the Halo 2 story has brought us a tremendous amount of traffic and feedback, and a number of links on other sites. However, the traffic spike began long before that story was uploaded onto the site.

– Max Whitnack

Sweatshirts (Nov. 10 2004)

Our staff just demonstrated its amazing ability to waste time. We spent our entire class period save about seven minutes discussing what our sweatshirts would have written on them, and in what colors they will be made in. Sometimes it seems as though one of our editors should sit in the back of the room with some tranquilizer darts, waiting for people to run their mouths off.

Taylor’s Halo 2 story was a huge success. I was able to tell before our class even started, when a friend told me about the story at brunch.

– Max Whitnack

Diversification and Halo 2 (Nov. 9 2004)

Today our advisor announced a plan to possibly create a "hip-hop-zine" and a journalism club in hopes of attracting future journalists and to diversify the staffs of the Voice, Campanile, and Verde publications. This descision was motivated by the actions of another journalism teacher from Berkley, who resigned because his class contained exclusively white students. I think it’s a good idea, but I question how effective it will be in recruiting freshman into the journalism program. We will just have to wait and see.

Taylor’s Halo 2 story looks very promising. She collected some excellent pictures and her story will be a big help in pulling in more viewers.

– Max Whitnack

Read The Voice’s previous Blogs at:

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=1955

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=1390

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=1515

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=1593

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=1787