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
Celina Lee

Celina Lee, News Editor

All content by Celina Lee
Social studies teacher Daniel Shelton helps a student during World History class. Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, the Palo Alto Unified School District will integrate Ethnic Studies into 9th-grade curriculum. According to Social Studies Instructional Lead Mary Sano, the course helps foster acceptance and inclusion for ninth-graders because of the discussions about identity. “The data shows that if a school offers ethnic studies the first thing for ninth-graders is that they have more belonging as they go through high school,” Sano said. “Because if its done in a good way, kids feel more included in the conversation about who we are.” (Photo: Celina Lee)

Ethnic studies to become graduation requirement

Celina Lee and Sophia Yang
November 3, 2023
Community members watch apprehensively, awaiting the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education to pass joint resolutions condemning discrimination Friday morning. According to board member Shana Segal, the boards intention with passing the resolutions was to help demonstrate support for the school and wider community. We are committed to the education and well being of our students, Segal said. That is our primary purpose and we share the belief that it is education that leads to positive and constructive change. Im hopeful that our actions this morning will demonstrate our collective capacity for compassion, empathy, respect, and cooperation in pursuit of the safety and well being of our entire school district and community. (Photo: Kensie Pao)

Board unanimously passes joint resolutions

Celina Lee and Sophia Yang
October 30, 2023
Members of the Palo Alto community who attended the emotional school board meeting Tuesday night listen to comments during open forum. Many of the speakers urged the board to release a statement speaking out against antisemitism and Islamophobia in light of recent events. According to senior Anna Ghereghlou, students need support during this difficult situation. “Both sides need somebody to stand up for them, and thats what the students are doing, especially the students that are from those countries,” Ghereghlou said. (Photo: Celina Lee)

Board to hold special meeting denouncing hatred regarding Hamas attacks

Celina Lee and Nathan Jiang
October 27, 2023
Dressed in floral skirts and collared button-ups, Palo Alto High School seniors eagerly watch the Spirit Week rally during lunch today at the Earl Hansen Viking Stadium. According to senior Sophie Robinson, the spirit at the rallies is unmatchable. Those [rallies] are definitely the best, Robinson said. Theyre just so hype. The vibes are amazing. (Photo: Celina Lee)

Teachers bust moves, seniors lead in ‘Generations Day’ rally

Kristine Lin and Celina Lee
October 5, 2023
Seniors dressed for “Y2K” to cheer on their class during today’s lunchtime Spirit Week rally at the Earl Hansen Football Stadium. Palo Alto High School’s Associated Student Body hosted todays “Tug of War” activity, where grades competed to win Spirit Week points. The senior class defeated the sophomores in the second round and the juniors in the third round. Senior Sarah Bakhash said she was excited that her class won and students dressed-up. “I loved seeing everyone so spirited and I’m happy the seniors won,” Bakhash said. (Photo: Celina Lee)

Seniors pull ahead further in first Spirit Week rally

Celina Lee and Carissa Tsui
October 2, 2023
Math teacher to return to ‘Jeopardy!’

Math teacher to return to ‘Jeopardy!’

Sophia Yang and Celina Lee
October 2, 2023
A Palo Alto Fire Department truck parked outside Palo Alto High School at 2:15 p.m., after a fog machine triggered a fire alarm and school-wide evacuation. (Photo: Maxwell Zhang)

Breaking: Fog machine triggers school-wide evacuation

Celina Lee and Anna Feng
September 14, 2023
Review: Beyond kebab; Meyhouse’s unique Turkish flavors

Review: Beyond kebab; Meyhouse’s unique Turkish flavors

Sophia Yang and Celina Lee
September 14, 2023
Referring to a design of the proposed affordable housing units on 3265 El Camino Real, developer Jason Matlof details his efforts to Palo Alto High School Journalism Incubator students during class on Aug. 29 at the Media Arts Center. According to Matlof, his housing proposal will bring improvements to the Palo Alto community. “Community benefits mean a lot of different things,” Matlof said. “But basically, the developer can do some good for the community by bringing in affordable housing.” (Photo: Celina Lee)

Resident spearheads affordable housing initiative for teachers

Celina Lee and Anna Feng
September 10, 2023
The Palo Alto High School Vikings clash with the Fremont High School Firebirds at the line of scrimmage during the first home match of the season Friday night. The Vikings defeated the Firebirds 28-10 in a dominant performance, showcasing excellence in both their defense and offense. According to junior wide receiver Jeremiah Fung, despite having a new roster, the team shows a lot of potential. We have a pretty solid roster,” Fung said. “It’s a small team but everyone is good, and I feel like we can go as far as we want to.” (Photo: Celina Lee)

Vikings defeat Firebirds in first home game of the season

Maxwell Zhang and Celina Lee
August 27, 2023
Math teacher Daniel Nguyen answers senior Shamsheer Singhs question during an AP Statistics class at Palo Alto High School. The Math Department recently changed the math grading scale for a standard A-? to be 90%, rather than the previous 88%. According to Nguyen, students are adapting to the new grading policy well. “Based on what I saw in my classes when I went over the new cutoffs on the first day to school, it seemed students were initially unhappy with the change but quickly took it in stride,” Nguyen said. (Photo: Celina Lee)

Students surprised by new math grading system

Celina Lee, News Editor
August 24, 2023
Palo Alto High School was announced as one of the top 10 schools for Innovation in the Worlds Best School Prizes awards by T4 Education. According to Principal Brent Kline, this is a great opportunity for Paly to display its stellar journalism program. Most of my role was just supporting staff members that were interested in applying and the students and ensuring that theres no roadblocks, Kline said. [We get to] showcase what goes on great at our school, and one of those is the is the media arts program. So I was excited to be able to share such great things to the world. (Photo: T4 Education)

On strength of media arts program, Paly places in top 10 for ‘innovation’ in global contest

Celina Lee and Maxwell Zhang
June 17, 2023
Playing the role of high school student Jim Wang, Asian American actor Ben Wang delivers an announcement in the newly released TV show American Born Chinese. According to Rosalie Chiang, an actress who plays Suzy Nakamura in the show, the increase in cultural representation in Hollywood has had a positive impact. “The Asian community in Hollywood is expanding, [and] the film industry is definitely going in the right direction,” Chiang said. (Photo: Disney Plus)

Students react to increase in Asian media

Celina Lee, Jonathan Chen, and Benjamin Grimes
May 26, 2023
Sophomore Jacob Kinsky drinks water from one of Palo Alto High Schools water fountains. Kinsky said he is not concerned about the quality of Palys water. “I get thirsty a lot and I like to drink water but I dont really know very much about lead poisoning and how that problem works, Kinsky said.  “I don’t really notice anything and I feel like the water is perfectly fine as is. According to previous testing from 2018, Palys lead levels have all been reported to be under five ppb.

[Photo] Bill aims to assure safety of school drinking water

May 16, 2023
The Palo Alto High School Girls and Boys Swim and Dive team are preparing for the California Interscholastic Federation state championships following their second Central Coast Section win in a row Saturday and Sunday at the Santa Clara Swim Club. According to sophomore Blake Wang, the supportive environment at CCS provides motivation in advancing and doing well. “I went to CCS last year as well, and it was a really competitive atmosphere,” Wang said. “There are faster swimmers to race compared to dual meets [swim meets between two teams]. CCS is all about the team, everyone cheers and hypes each other up before races [and] I also get to see many of my friends from club swimming there.” (Photo: Caleb Wong)

Swim and Dive advances to State Championships after CCS win

Celina Lee, Leena Hussein, and Payton Anderson
May 10, 2023
Newly opened restaurant at Town and Country Village, Palmettos Superfoods, boasts fully customizable açaí bowls and fruit smoothies. Palmettos offers a wide variety of delicious choices. According to CEO Charles Lee, Palmettos has been a hit among customers and students at Palo Alto High School. “I think everyones been liking it,” Lee said. “Its a great addition, especially because you guys [students at Paly] havent had that here.” (Photo: Celina Lee)

Palmetto Superfoods brings delicious açaí to Town and Country

Celina Lee and Leena Hussein
May 8, 2023
Palo Alto Unified School District Superintendent Don Austin speaks at a press conference on a range of education-related issues last Friday in the MAC. Among other topics, Austin clarified the reasoning behind his stance on ChatGPT from the previous weeks announcement. “We’re focusing on ChatGPT,” Austin said. “It’s one of thousands of AI programs that are out there right now. When it first got attention, there was already more coming up that will help students, and more coming up that would harm students and create safety issues.”

[Photo] Superintendent clarifies stance on ChatGPT: ‘Not going to hide from it’

May 5, 2023
Superintendent Don Austin speaks to student journalists in a press conference this morning in the Media Arts Center regarding the shelter-in-place Tuesday at Palo Alto High School. According to Austin, clearer communication by the district to staff and students is needed in case of similar future events, as some teachers were unsure of what defined a shelter-in-place protocol. “What is important to know in these situations is the kind of communication you should expect,” Austin said. “If theres a serious situation, youre gonna hear an announcement about it.”

[Photo] Superintendent responds to shelter-in-place incident

April 28, 2023
Junior and co-president and junior Bella Nguyen (right) hands a denim patch to junior Ellie Roth (left) during lunch on the Quad today as a part of this year’s Responsive Inclusive Safe Environment Club National Denim Day. According to Nguyen, the national day began through a movement to prevent victim blaming in sexual assault cases. “This day is supposed to hold power,” Nguyen said. “This day carries weight by spreading awareness and advocating against sexual assault by wearing denim and we encourage all students to do so.” (Photo: Celina Lee)

Denim Day sparks student solidarity

Celina Lee and Leena Hussein
April 26, 2023
Sophomore Briar Dorogusker (left) cheers on her sophomore team during the cup-stacking section of the relay race today during lunch at the Viking Stadium, one of several of this week’s Spring Spirit events. Dorogusker said she loved seeing the excitement during the events and being able to bond with her peers. “I really enjoyed the race and hearing the music and chatting with people,” Dorogusker said. “It was super fun because I talked to people who I had never talked to [before].” (Photo: Kristine Lin)

Freshmen lead in Spring Spirit rally

Celina Lee and Kristine Lin
April 20, 2023
Palo Alto High School students flaunt unconventional items carrying their school supplies today during brunch across the Quad for “Anything but a Backpack” Day. The Spring Spirit Week theme left students with room for creativity as suitcases, grills and garbage cans covered the campus. Best-dressed participant and sophomore Briar Dorogusker, who brought a Santa Claus suit and sack, said she is excited to continue dressing up for the remainder of the week with her class. “I think that we [sophomores] have been doing a great job.” Dorogusker said. “During Fall Spirit Week I was so proud of [our class] and from what Ive seen for the dress up days, we are having a great turn out. It seems like most sophomores have been doing something to reflect the theme.” (Photo: Celina Lee)

‘Anything but a Backpack’ Day showcases spirit

Leena Hussein and Celina Lee
April 18, 2023
Deborah Liu (right) speaks to students in the Palo Alto High School Media Arts Center and Julian Hong (left) helps facilitate the discussion. Liu is the CEO of Ancestry.com and has held various positions in large Silicon Valley companies such as Facebook over the course of her career. According to Liu, she had little idea what she wanted to do when she was a high schooler. it was really hard for me to to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, Liu said. This is an opportunity to show the next generation that anything is possible.

[Photo] Ancestry.com CEO shares inspirational advice

April 15, 2023
Muwekma Ohlone Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh speaks to students during sixth period in Palo Alto High Schools Performing Arts Center on her initiative to get federal re-recognition. According to Nijmeh, the tribes efforts thus far have not been well received by government officials. “Politicians are creating this system where we [the Muwekma and other tribes] are pitted against each other for economic development, Nijmeh said.

[Photo] Muwekma Ohlone leader promotes federal recognition

April 15, 2023
Junior Rori Escudero buys Girl Scout cookies from junior Anushka Junnakar during brunch, Friday, at Palo Alto High School. According to a New York Times article, prices for Girl Scout cookies are at an all time high. A box of core Girl Scout cookies flavors increased from $5 to $6 a box, with unauthorized platforms selling boxes online for more than 6 times the original price. However, Paly students are still excited to purchase their favorite cookie flavors. According to Junnakar, balancing cookie orders is difficult yet rewarding. “It’s a bit stressful during cookie season because I need to manage all of my online and in person orders,” Junnakar said. “I [also] need to estimate the right amount of each cookie to order from the warehouse. However, I think cookie season is fun because people are so happy when I deliver their cookies.” (Photo: Celina Lee)

Girl Scout cookies back with new flavor, price increases

Celina Lee and Leena Hussein
April 1, 2023
Palo Alto High School students pick up lunches from the Student Center cafeteria staff. According to Sophomore Sophia Ahn, the food is serviceable, but improvements could be made through a brand new system. “Considering they’re free, they’re alright,” Ahn remarks. “I think they could definitely be more nutritious and cut down on the fats and stuff, though.” (Photo: Daniel Garepis-Holland)

Could Los Gatos’ new lunch program expand?

Celina Lee and Evan Chien
March 6, 2023
Junior Annalise Belle Klenow (right), and Seniors Arielle Blumenfeld (center) and Rebecca Helft (left) rehearse a scene from Palo Alto High School’s theater program’s “Mamma Mia!”. According to Blumenfeld, a struggle in producing a musical with many students involved is getting to know everyone on a deeper level. “Because [“Mamma Mia!”] is so big, getting to know every single person and everyones styles and techniques is hard, although its definitely also the most rewarding part of it,” Blumenfeld said. “Being able to work with so many new people, and also developing those relationships [with everyone] because that needs to happen before opening night.” (Photo: Leena Hussein)

Preview: ‘Mamma Mia!’ takes the stage

Celina Lee and Leena Hussein
March 1, 2023
Students line up for the Associated Student Body’s distribution of Matchomatics questionnaire results during lunch on Monday at room 502. Palo Alto High School’s administration recently approved the previously banned questionnaire to return as a new Love Week tradition. Students who completed the questionnaire receive lists of their most compatible classmates. The matches are printed out, sorted by grade and distributed to students by ASB officers. According to sophomore Clara Fesslmeier, the event opens the opportunity for students to create new friendships. “I’m happy with my results,” Fesslmeier said. “It’s fun, and you can meet new people.” (Photo: Celina Lee)

ASB distributes Matchomatics results

Celina Lee and Kasmira Lada
February 15, 2023
Palo Alto High School Environmental Science teacher Nicole Loomis lectures to her Advanced Placement Environmental Science class Wednesday morning. Loomis is the creator and teacher of the new dual enrollment Environmental Science class which will be available for students to take beginning next school year. According to Loomis, she hopes students will consider taking this class if it meets their preferred standards as opposed to APES. “We really are encouraging all students to consider it [dual enrollment Environmental Science],” Loomis said. “The math requirement is a little bit less than APES, which I think has been a sticking point for some folks and it [dual enrollment] actually is approved by CSU and UC for a transfer program. If you wanted to major in environmental science, these courses would count if you were to go to UC or any of the CSUs.” (Photo: Leena Hussein)

New dual enrollment Environmental Science class to start next year

Leena Hussein and Celina Lee
February 10, 2023
ASB successfully revives Matchomatics

ASB successfully revives Matchomatics

Payton Anderson and Celina Lee
January 27, 2023
Depleted girls soccer team falls short against Santa Clara

Depleted girls’ soccer team falls short against Santa Clara

Maxwell Zhang, Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, and Celina Lee
January 22, 2023
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