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
Leena Hussein

Leena Hussein, Managing Editor

Leena Hussein (Class of 2023) joined The Voice her junior year and likes to dance, drink coffee, and watch Netflix.

All content by Leena Hussein
Students from Palo Alto High Schools choir program prepare for a dress rehersal of the Madrigal Feaste this evening in the Preforming Arts Center for the 20th annual Madrigal Feaste performance. Paly choirs will have their first performance at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Performing Arts Center. According to Spectrum Choir member Eloise Dumas, unlike the previous three years, which were affected by the pandemic, this year’s Feaste will allow students the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in their roles. “Last year, we were still kind of coming out of Covid and we hadnt done an in-person Madrigal Feaste in a while and so this year … were going to be fully warmed up,” Dumas said. “Were going to be even more confident in what were doing because we have that reference point of last year, and so Im excited to see what people do with that.” (Photo: Bijou Blue Photography)

Choirs to perform in 20th annual ‘Madrigal Feaste’

December 3, 2022
Boys Volleyball Head Coach Ed Yeh cuts a tree for Palo Alto High Schools annual Holiday Tree Lot this afternoon in the Paly Parking lot. The event will continue throughout this weekend and proceeds go directly to supporting the Paly athletic department. Tree buyers have the opportunity to donate ten percent of their purchase to a specific Paly sports team. According to Yeh, the support for the athletic department brings together a supportive community.” I think its nice for it [the tree lot] to be on campus,” Yeh said. “Money goes back in the program and then the volunteers are the parents and the kids, so itgives everybody a chance to be involved.”

Holiday Tree Lot sparks community spirit

December 2, 2022
The Palo Alto High School Vikings celebrate after their victory over the Seaside Spartans in the Central Coastal Section semifinal playoff game Friday night at Palo Alto High School. According to senior captain defensive lineman Vainga Mahe, the team looks forward to facing the Monterey Dores in the finals. Since day one of us being here, weve been aiming for a ring, Mahe said. Thats really just our mentality right now. Just getting past this final, getting past NorCal, going to states, getting a ring. [Photo: Leena Hussein]

Vikings head to CCS finals after dominant victory over Spartans

November 20, 2022
Volunteers hand out apple and pumpkin pie to students during lunch on Friday on the Quad. Charu Gupta, president of the Palo Alto High School Parent Teacher Student Association, said she was determined to organize the Turkey Feast despite some difficulties. “Theres a shortage of supplies out there, but we really, really wanted to make this happen for our students,” Gupta said. “This is one of the most fun events I know — students and staff [will] all remember this.” (Photo: Jonathan Chen)

Eighteenth annual Turkey Feast this Friday

November 17, 2022
Gavin Thomas (left), Jack Champlan (center), and Harvey Vostrejs (right) act out a scene from “Radium Girls” in Palo Alto High School’s Preforming Arts Center. Paly Theater is kicking off the first production of the season from Oct. 4 to Oct. 13, and Thomas said he is looking forward to putting on a drama based off of a real historical event. “This is a serious and dramatic show, which was a little new for everyone in the program,” Thomas said. “Its very dark and very real, and I think that really sets it apart from a lot of the shows that Paly Theatre has put on in the past.” (Photo: Paly Theater)

Preview: ‘Radium Girls’ opens tonight

November 4, 2022
Kyle Vetter and Zachary Barnes, members of the band Pascal’s Triangle, perform at the Associated Student Body’s Spook-Side lands event hosted during lunch Thursday at Centennial Plaza. The group was formed the weekend before the event when Vetter asked Barnes to perform. Barnes said the community generated from events like Spook-Side lands is gratifying to witness. “I think its so singular that Paly has opportunities to do this,” Barnes said. “I think most people are kind of separated and see everybody mix it up with like productive ways to spend your time its really awesome.”

ASB to hold day two of Spook-Side Lands

October 26, 2022
Students, volunteers prepare floats for final rally

Students, volunteers prepare floats for final rally

September 29, 2022
Students from Palo Alto High School rush across the track and return to their side of the field after raiding the Gunn High School bleachers. Some students, including junior Ava Iribarren, are upset with the proposed scale backs to Spirit Week that Principal Brent Kline may officially announce tomorrow, including the potential cancellation of the Homecoming Dance and reduced number of rallies. “I don’t think it is fair to punish the entire student body for a couple of people’s decisions which led to everyone else following,” Iribarren said. “I wasn’t there, and a lot of my friends weren’t there, and I don’t think it is fair to punish everyone and even just won’t be fair to punish the people who were at the game.” (Photo: Annelise Balentine)

Students, staff conflicted over proposed consequences to Spirit Week

September 15, 2022
WATCH YOUR ANKLES. Junior quarterback Declan Packer looks for someone to throw to while avoiding Gunn defenders during the varsity football match between Palo Alto High School and Gunn Titans on Friday night. According to Packer, the Vikings improved since the game against Leland. Everyones been showing up to practice all week, Packer said. That really helps everyone get their assignments down and do their job on the field. (Photo: Annelise Balentine)

Rival game against Gunn ends in chaos

September 10, 2022
The Vikings set on the line of scrimmage in Fridays first home game of the season, against the Leland Chargers, who won 21-35. According to Head Coach David DeGeronimo, the Vikings loss can be attributed to the new team and coaching staff. Theres a lot of growing pains right now in terms of just having a new system, new coach, new style of football, DeGeronimo said. So we all just we got to get in our playbooks, I got to do a better job of coaching and preparing our guys. (Photo: Leena Hussein)

Vikings fall to Leland in first home game of the season

September 3, 2022
Joji, a Japanese rhythm and blues singer, will make his SMITHEREENS tour debut at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Stanford Frost Amphitheater . Many students from the Palo Alto Unified School District, including senior Caden Domingo, were encouraged to attend because of the close proximity of the opening venue. “Especially since I used to listen to his music a lot, I figured I should go because it is not often that mainstream artists hold concerts in Palo Alto,” Domingo said. (Photo Credit: Shorefire Media)

Students excited for Joji tour kickoff at Stanford

September 1, 2022
Players, coaches excited for beginning of football season

Players, coaches excited for beginning of football season

August 23, 2022
Football coach reunites with program

Football coach reunites with program

May 27, 2022
Closer look at candidates in race for Sheriff

Closer look at candidates in race for Sheriff

May 23, 2022
Newly-elected ASB Senators Mia Rose Tufifa, Charlie Chen, and Cindy Wang (from left to right). The newly appointed Senators are in charge of various roles, including managing student treasury, helping run the student activity board, representing the state student council, and fundraising. According to Wang, the senators are a way for students to be more involved with ASB decisions. It was really important to improve transparency between students and ASB,” Wang said. (Photo: Lauren Wong)

New ASB position: What is the senators’ role?

May 6, 2022
Journalism adviser wins top state award

Journalism adviser wins top state award

April 15, 2022
CODA: Almost pitch perfect

‘CODA’: Almost pitch perfect

March 27, 2022
The Viking community is shocked by the sudden passing of campus supervisor and soccer coach Ernesto Cruz. According to Christa Brown, administrative assistant to the principal, Cruz will be remembered for his enthusiastic and caring nature He cared deeply about people, Brown said. He wanted to know all that was going on and he never forgot names. He would do anything for anyone and always had a smile, (Photo: Karen Hickey)

School mourns loss of Ernesto Cruz, longtime campus supervisor, coach

March 23, 2022
A group of juniors at Palo Alto High School talk on the quad during lunch. Some students chose not to wear masks outdoors as the regulations in the Palo Alto Unified School District only required high school students to wear masks indoors at the start of the 2021-2022 school year. However, Superintendent Don Austin announced the mandate on indoor masking will be lifted beginning Friday next week. Junior Kylie Tzeng said she hopes students will continue to be cautious and take precautions regarding the spread of COVID-19. “I think its great that were starting to go back to normal,” Tzeng said. “But I also think people shouldnt forget that we are still in a pandemic. And while the cases are, like lowering and were getting better, that doesnt mean you can just like completely let down your guard.” (Photo: Daniel Garepis-Holland)

Students, staff react to PAUSD lifting mask mandate

March 7, 2022
Senior Julien Keyani (right) and junior Ian Lawlor-hills (left) collect donations for the Homeless Outreach Program’s donation drive at lunch Thursday Feb. 24 on the quad at Palo Alto High School. The Paly club works to spread awareness about the topic of homelessness throughout the Bay Area. Lawlor-hills, a member of the club, said he believes this topic isn’t talked about enough on school campus and the Bay Area community in general. “Issues of class and equality I feel are often ignored around the Bay Area,” Lawlor-Hills said. “A lot of affordable housing bills have been rejected and so we [the club] try to do anything we can do to help mitigate it [homelessness].”

Homeless Outreach club hosts donation drive

February 27, 2022
Football captain Chase to play for Div. l school

Football captain Chase to play for Div. l school

February 23, 2022
Black Student Union reflects on Black History Month

Black Student Union reflects on Black History Month

February 17, 2022
Palo Alto High School nurse Jennifer Kleckner waits for students to check into the health office during lunch on Jan. 20. With the return of students to campus, cases have severely increased due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. According to Kleckner, keeping schools open has been the primary goal for this year. My only big worry is when I see people indoors not keeping their masks over their noses or when there are large gaps, Kleckner said. (Photo: Leena Hussein)

District health staff reflect on Omicron surge

January 23, 2022
The Viking boys basketball team plays at one of its first home games of the season last semester against Overfelt high school. In lieu of the surge of Omicron cases starting this semester, Athletes are now forced to follow increased precautions, such as weekly Covid Testing, in order to slow the transmission of the virus. According to girls’ basketball coach Scott Peters, with COVID cases having risen before the first lockdown in 2020 at around this time, the athletic community must continue to be careful. “If we look at the past you know up till January 14th and 15th we’re going to have to keep dealing with the big surge, but hopefully it will get better,” Peters said.

Athletes, coaches react to Omicron threat to sports

January 9, 2022
Junior Ajin Jeong prepares her notes in the library for her upcoming history final next week. This semester’s finals mark the first finals back at Palo Alto High School since the beginning of the pandemic, and many students are finding the last homestretch of the year to be difficult. Jeong says it helps her study when she can motivate herself through small rewards. “I like to give myself rewards like snacks from Trader Joe’s or spending time with my friends during study breaks,” Jeong said. (Photo: Leena Hussein)

Students prepare for the return of in-person finals

December 10, 2021
Junior Museum and Zoo reopening sparks excitement

Junior Museum and Zoo reopening sparks excitement

November 15, 2021
Junior Arial Hong collects candy from a teacher’s classroom during Palo Alto High School’s Trick-or-Treat activity during lunch on Friday to promote Halloween spirit as well as the Mental Health Matters program. Many underclassmen have yet to experience spirit on Paly campus, including Halloween festivities. Freshman Clara Thestlemire said she appreciated the handout of stickers from the Wellness Center as well as being able to collect candy as an early Halloween treat. “Its been fun,” Thestelmire said. “The classes had a lot of candy, and we also just got [mental health] stickers and quotes, its really good to have these things happening on campus.”

ASB festivities reignite Halloween spirit

October 31, 2021
PRIME: Helpful, or just a headache?

PRIME: Helpful, or just a headache?

October 26, 2021
In preparation for the Homecoming dance, Associated Student Body President and junior Johannah Seah hangs lights around a tree on campus.

ASB to host outdoor Homecoming dance tonight

October 16, 2021
Viking senior quarterback Danny Peters runs past a Wildcat defender in Friday nights 0-49 homecoming game loss against Los Gatos. Peters said that the Vikings’ lack of teamwork was a major factor in their loss. “Everyone should have been thinking together as a team and I think thats just what should have happened,” Peters said. “And today, [it] was not — it was all individual stuff and we all got in our own heads and it just didnt work out.” (Photo: Jonathan Chen)

Vikings collapse in homecoming loss to Los Gatos

October 16, 2021
School spirit scrambled during Thursday lunch rally

School spirit scrambled during Thursday lunch rally

October 15, 2021
Senior Henry Miller orders a lunch meal from Kirks Steakburgers at Town & Country Village. Many restaurant owners enjoy the positive impact that students are bringing to their businesses now that they have returned to in-person school and shopping at the Village. Its also just nice to see the energy of people out and about again, it sort of feels a little more normal to have the kids back, said Rick Junker, owner of Kirks Steakburgers. Photo: Daniel Garepis-Holland.

Town & Country stores see an increase in business after Paly reopening

September 28, 2021
Something Wicked This Way Comes: Paly Theatre performs interactive outdoor show

‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’: Paly Theatre performs interactive outdoor show

September 24, 2021
Faulty smoke detector triggers evacuation

Faulty smoke detector triggers evacuation

September 23, 2021
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