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
Allison Ma

Allison Ma, Managing Editor, Director of Staff Development

Allison Ma (Class of 2026) joined The Paly Voice her sophomore year and enjoys running, baking and watching TV shows.

All content by Allison Ma
Palo Alto community members enjoy dinner provided by local restaurants on March 8 at the Lucie Stern Community Center as part of the city's Ifar dinner event. According to Shounak Dharap, vice president of the Palo Alto Unified School District board, events that gather the community allow for interactions that wouldn't occur normally. "They [community events] let us reach out and talk to other folks we might not normally interact with, or who we might interact with in very different ways," Dharap said. "It allows folks to see their elected representatives in a different light, in a way that is more community building and less just in their governance roles."

Palo Alto’s Ramadan Iftar dinner connects community

Allison Ma and Sophie Zhang
March 20, 2025
Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse), left, and Turner (Brandon Wilson), right, walk back to Nickel Academy after working in the city, pausing beneath a glass ceiling as they look up at a construction site in the historical drama "Nickel Boys," which received two Academy Award nominations. Directed by RaMell Ross, Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel comes to life, exposing the brutal realities of Nickel Academy and the resilience of those trapped within it.

‘Nickel Boys’: Exposing a broken system

Allison Ma, Managing Editor, Director of Staff Development
March 2, 2025
Former Mexican cartel leader Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón), left, embraces her wife, Jessi del Monte (Selena Gomez), right, after reconnecting by posing as her own fictional cousin following her faked death and transitioning to a woman in the Spanish-language French musical crime film "Emilia Pérez," which has received 13 Academy Award nominations.

‘Emilia Pérez’: Lost in its own ambitions

Allison Ma and Mayu Altekar-Okazaki
March 2, 2025
Podcast: 10 years later, alumni hearts still with the Paly MAC

Podcast: 10 years later, alumni hearts still with the Paly MAC

Allison Ma and Veronica Qiu
February 25, 2025
Two lion dancers unveil auspicious tapestry at the Lunar New Year Celebration at Palo Alto's Mitchell Park Community Center. According to Palo Alto resident Yi Chen, the event was both fun and enriching for his family. “This is my first time at a Lunar New Year event in Palo Alto,” Chen said. “I think this event is pretty great as it shows all ages what Asian culture is as well as its traditional art forms.”

Palo Alto celebrates Lunar New Year with performances

Allison Ma and Sophie Zhang
January 12, 2025
Alison Kamhi chats with a fellow parent on Friday at Escondido Elementary School’s International Night. According to Kamhi, she has connections to teachers in the district and wants them to feel heard. “I am very proud to be endorsed by the teachers' union so having kids in the district for many years has allowed me to also form those relationships with teachers,” Kamhi said. “I want to advocate very strongly to make sure that we’re able to retain the great teachers that we have.”

Board candidate Kamhi advocates safety and mental health

Allison Ma and Veronica Qiu
October 29, 2024
Junior social commissioner Jessica Wong and sophomore senator Aeshaan Singhal create casino-themed decorations during Leadership class. Palo Alto High School is hosting their "Casino Night" themed Homecoming dance at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Centennial Plaza. According to Wong, the theme for the upcoming dance perfectly accommodated the location. “We chose the casino theme because we thought it was a great option to incorporate indoor and outdoor sections of the dance.”

Preview: Rolling the dice — “Casino Night” to take over Homecoming

Allison Ma and Veronica Qiu
October 17, 2024
Junior Hadrien de Martel hops in a potato sack, racing the freshmen at the Spirit Week rally relay competition during lunch on Wednesday at Palo Alto High School's Earl Hansen Viking Stadium. According to freshman Maya Ratliff, dressing up for Spirit Week brightens up her day. "It just makes me a better person to see all these people dress up because I feel you're so cheerful and happy all the time and it's really positive," Ratliff said.

Good day for freshmen, but seniors still lead

Allison Ma and Veronica Qiu
October 17, 2024
Alexander Dade discusses the math concepts behind their practice problems with his students in class last week at Palo Alto High School. According to Dade, his goal for the school year is to support his students as he kicks off his first year as a teacher. "I want to try out new ideas while also providing quality math education and really just figuring out what it is that I want to do as a teacher," Dade said.

New beginnings: College tutor transitions to math teacher

Veronica Qiu and Allison Ma
September 25, 2024
Senior Jessica Bae plays the flute during the opening of first home the football game of the season Friday at Palo Alto High School. According to Bae, the band faced challenges in preparing for the game, including long hours of practice around the track. "We stand in 80-degree weather under the sun, but it’s all worth it for the big night,” Bae said.

Football game unites Paly, middle school pep bands

Allison Ma and Veronica Qiu
September 16, 2024
AP U.S. History teacher Katya Villalobos points at the essay-writing rubric on the screen as she walks her students through each section on Aug. 27 at Palo Alto High School. According to Villalobos, she wants to help students understand the narrative of what history truly means. “I want to add activities and assignments that get students to think about those big, larger questions about historical thinking and how they approach a question,” Villalobos said. “For APUSH, it's really about the three big things: causation, continuity and change. I want to give them the scaffolding so they feel like they can confidently answer those questions.”

New era begins: Villalobos takes over APUSH

Allison Ma, Managing Editor, Director of Staff Development
September 12, 2024
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Review: Tang Bar’s hot pot take-out — worth the drive

Allison Ma, Managing Editor, Director of Staff Development
August 26, 2024
Student pulls festive float along University Avenue in last year's May Fete Parade. This year, Palo Alto residents are expecting an even more vibrant display as the parade celebrates its centennial milestone. According to LeDrew, there are fun activities planned for people to look forward to. "We're gonna have some special things," LeDrew said. "I don't want to giveaway the surprise so folks can enjoy that, but it's gonna be a great fun day here in Palo Alto."

May Fete Parade century celebration

Allison Ma and Andrew Zhao
May 4, 2024
Combo Pizza — $20 Large, $15 Medium — Classic pepperoni pizza reinvented with mochi, topped with fresh garlic chives and Soy-Braised Beef, Korean style pizza with soy-braised beef, mozzarella cheese, corn, roasted garlic kimchi sauce and cilantro.

Review: Mochiko Mochi Pizza explores fusion flavors

Allison Ma and Veronica Qiu
April 24, 2024
Senior Ellie Roth prepares to receive the ball during the staff-versus-student volleyball game. The staff defeated the students, 31-23, in Palo Alto High School’s annual students-versus-staff volleyball game on Tuesday in the Peery Center. According to junior William Yao, the volleyball match added to a growing sense of Paly spirit and is a way of community bonding. "Spirit week is a good reminder to students to always have like faith and school spirit," Yao said. "I feel like this match was really helpful to a general student body." (Photo: Veronica Qiu)

Staff win in volleyball match against students

Veronica Qiu and Allison Ma
March 27, 2024
Traditional Ramadan decorations glow under the fairy lights in Palo Alto High School sophomore Nusaybah Mohsin's home. "We decorate our house with lights and small lanterns, and my sisters and I have a chalkboard countdown at the front entrance that we use to count down the days until Eid," Mohsin said. (Photo: Nusaybah Mohsin)

Embracing empathy: Ramadan’s impact on Paly community

Allison Ma, Managing Editor, Director of Staff Development
March 26, 2024
Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller) walks away, deep in thought, after a pivotal meeting with her lawyer Vincent (Swann Arlaud) in the legal drama “Anatomy of a Fall,” which has received five Academy Award nominations. Directed by Justine Triet, the film delves into the complex trial following Sandra’s husband’s mysterious death and its repercussions on a family torn by secrets. (Photo: NEON)

‘Anatomy of a Fall’: Exploring the depths of doubt

Allison Ma, Managing Editor, Director of Staff Development
March 6, 2024
On Feb. 10, a crowd gathers around to watch the Lunar New Year lion dance performance at Gamble Garden. Palo Alto resident Audrey Smith said she attended the event with her children to celebrate the holiday. “It brings awareness to Asian culture and it introduces it to a lot of kids,” Smith said. “Also, it introduces them to the Palo Alto community as a whole.”

Lunar New Year connects community at Gamble Garden

Allison Ma and Veronica Qiu
February 21, 2024
Members from Palo Alto High School's K-pop dance club, Palyce, performed a dynamic dance cover of "Ditto" by K-pop group NewJeans at Paly’s Got Talent. ASB Studios hosted its first live event, Paly's Got Talent, on Thursday in the Performing Arts Center. Junior Angela Rao, part of Palyce, had a fun time performing on stage. "We were into the dances that we saw on YouTube, related to K-pop, and we decided on this one to do because it seemed the most fun," Rao said. "It was really nice being onstage and I feel like we really did a good job."

Paly’s Got Talent: Students shine in diverse showcase

Allison Ma and Veronica Qiu
February 21, 2024
Students gather in groups in the Peery Center during Palo Alto High School's week-long Breaking Down the Walls. The event was designed to help students from different grades intermingle and foster unlikely unity. According to principal Brent Kline, primary organizer of the event, the main purpose was for students to meet new people and build community. "We're friendly for the most part in our campus, but I felt that we could do more to connect students," Kline said. " Through Breaking Down the Walls, students meet people they might not have necessarily met and also participate in activities to share stories in a fun and mainly light-hearted way." (Photo: Veronica Qiu)

‘Breaking Down the Walls’ elicits positive feedback

Allison Ma and Sophia Yang
February 9, 2024
Senior Jason Auzenne drives the ball towards the basket as therapist Ryan Fabie plays defense against him. At Wednesday's Winter Rally, seniors defeated staff 27-25, in the annual staff-student basketball game. According to Education Specialist Dan Gallucio, he was glad to have been a part of the staff team during the winter rally, where he saw many students' enthusiasm. “It unites the whole school a little bit and gets everyone hyped up for the winter," Gallucio said.

Seniors baffle staff with basketball buzzer-beater

Allison Ma and Veronica Qiu
February 1, 2024
Verbatim: Students target second semester for academic changes

Verbatim: Students target second semester for academic changes

Allison Ma, Managing Editor, Director of Staff Development
January 23, 2024
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