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
Maxwell Zhang

Maxwell Zhang, Editor-In-Chief

Maxwell Zhang (Class of 2024) joined The Voice his sophomore year and wishes to pursue management and STEM in college.

All content by Maxwell Zhang
Palo Alto High School students rehearse for Paly Theatre’s newest act, “Little Women: The Broadway Musical”. According to senior Eloise Dumas, the assistant director of the musical, despite the short rehearsal time of only four weeks, the cast and crew are feeling confident and ready to finish out their last two shows. “Since the rehearsal process was so short, we didn’t have a ton of time to run things multiple times, but now that it’s the last two shows,” Dumas said. “I think everyone’s feeling the most confident they’ve been throughout the entire process. I think everyone’s really going to give their all for closing weekend. Last weekend’s shows were super well received, so I think the cast and crew have been picking up on that energy and creating stronger shows each day.” (Photo: Kristine Lin)

‘Little Women: The Broadway Musical’: A compelling story of family and resilience

Ketan Altekar-Okazaki and Maxwell Zhang
September 29, 2023
The Palo Alto High School Vikings offense lines up against the Menlo-Atherton High School Bears during the last non-league match of the season Friday night at Menlo-Atherton High School. The Vikings suffered a 0-21 shut-out as the Bears displayed offensive and defensive mastery throughout the four quarters. According to Bear head coach Chris Saunders, this last match was a great opportunity to calibrate their strategy before the upcoming league matches. Right now, we have a bye week, Saunders said. You only have one of them in the season. So, its nice to relish the opportunity to take a step back and really evaluate whats worked and what hasnt for us. (Photo: Ketan Altekar-Okazaki)

Vikings suffer shutout against Bears

Maxwell Zhang and Ketan Altekar-Okazaki
September 25, 2023
The Palo Alto High School Vikings defense lines up against the Sacred Heart Preparatory Gators during a match that marked the renaming of the Viking stadium on Saturday night. The Vikings suffered a 14-28 defeat to the Gators after Sacred Heart overpowered the Vikings defense with running plays. According to Vikings head coach David DeGeronimo, the Vikings played well despite the loss. We wanted to keep things rolling, and we felt pretty good about it, DeGeronimo said. We thought we had a good game plan. We just made more mistakes than they did. (Photo: Ketan Altekar-Okazaki)

Vikings fall to Gators on day of stadium renaming

Maxwell Zhang and Ketan Altekar-Okazaki
September 12, 2023
Viking senior wide receiver Jason Auzenne outruns Leland High School’s defensive players on his way to a 90-yard touchdown return after receiving a kickoff during the first quarter of the Viking’s first away game at Leland High School on Friday night. The Vikings defeated the Chargers, 38-20, by demonstrating superiority in passing plays. According to Auzenne, as the underdogs of the upcoming game, the Vikings had to give their best effort to come out with the win. “We came in here with a different type of attitude, knowing that we had to win this game right here,” Auzenne said. (Photo: Divij Motwani)

Vikings triumph over Chargers with long pass plays

Maxwell Zhang and Divij Motwani
September 4, 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
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
The Palo Alto High School graduating class of 2023 tosses their hats at the end of the graduation ceremony on Thursday at the Viking Stadium. Senior Arielle Blumenfeld reminded the graduating class of the paths they have traversed throughout their journey at Paly. “Another thing we need to realize is not only are we leaving behind a multitude of memories, but also we will leave behind our legacies since our first day at Paly,” Blumenfeld said. “Each memory shared here, each English essay used as an example for future periods, and each trophy you worked so hard to win … has occurred throughout our time here.” (Photo: Jeremy Dukes)

Seniors bid farewell at graduation ceremony

Christopher Choi and Maxwell Zhang
June 9, 2023
Palo Alto High School coaches and senior athletes gather for a photo following committing to their college of choice for sports during Signing Day on Thursday at the Peery Family Center. According to senior Julian Galinda Macias, it was especially satisfying to see the accumulation of all his effort build up over the past years. “Seeing all my work pay off at the end was rewarding, especially because there were a lot of times that my work wouldnt show off in my results,” Macias said. “It was nice, just being able to, especially this last season, play at the level that I shouldnt be playing and have and create bonds with my teammates at Paly as well.” (Photo: Ketan Altekar-Okazaki)

Seniors commit to colleges on Signing Day

Ketan Altekar-Okazaki and Maxwell Zhang
May 31, 2023
Palo Alto High School student car enthusiasts junior Edward Wong (left) and junior Adrian Federici (right) park their cars in front of the Paly science building during lunch on Friday. This was the first car meet at Paly in 10 years, as the COVID pandemic prevented the car meet from being organized. According to auto teacher Mr. Knight, the car meets traditionally have been student-driven. “Its always been student-organized, so I usually leave it up to them,” Knight said. “Im just there to make sure that theyre doing the right things. For most of them, its been the students that wanted to host it.” (Photo: Maxwell Zhang)

First Paly car meet held in over a decade

Avi Srinivasan and Maxwell Zhang
May 22, 2023
The Palo Alto Police Department monitors Centennial Plaza at Palo Alto High School following a gun threat discovered on campus early this morning. (Photo: Maxwell Zhang)

Breaking: School issues all-clear after gun threat shelter-in-place

Brennen Ho, Maxwell Zhang, and Anna Feng
April 25, 2023
WATCH ME. Senior Ben Fry steps off the stage after presenting his look to the judges during brunch on Monday the Quad. The Associated Student Body is hosting Spring Spirit, a second rendition of the fall Spirit Week following scale-backs resulting from unsportsmanlike behavior last semester. According to ASB Vice President Mike Song, today’s dress-up theme is part of a larger picture for Spring Spirit. We wanted to switch things up from the traditional spirit week themes, and it also ties into having Spring Spirit this year, Song said. We already have event traditions like Quadchella, but we wanted to incorporate it into a more comprehensive event. (Photo: Maxwell Zhang)

Best Dressed event commences Spring Spirit

Maxwell Zhang and Ketan Altekar-Okazaki
April 17, 2023
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
Students gather in front of the library to hear about summer opportunities at last years job fair. This years fair will be at Palo Alto High School on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Small Gym. According to the Early Childhood Development teacher Hilary McDaniel, the ultimate goal of the job fair is to drive students toward their dreams in their post-high school life by introducing summer employment opportunities to district students and families. “Its a really its one of the few events right where all PAUSD families from kindergarten, all the way through 12th grade can really come together and combine their interests and needs, McDaniel said. Its fun when youre in the Small Gym, and everyones having conversations and finding out information, and theyre really excited about all the opportunities.” (Photo: Anna Feng)

Preview: Paly to host job fair in Small Gym

Maxwell Zhang and Ketan Altekar-Okazaki
March 5, 2023
Viking junior Alaap Nair throws the ball at a Bellarmine College Preparatory player to regain possession Thursday night at the Central Coast Section semifinals. The Palo Alto High School Vikings lost to the Bellarmine College Preparatory Bells, 40-56, in a game summarized by Bell dominance. According to Bell head coach Alex Sarrett, the team always has to work towards the next game so that they can improve themselves constantly. “We’re never a finished product,” Sarrett said. “Our fundamentals are always going to be our fundamentals, our non-negotiables will remain the same, and we will emphasize those and double down on them.” (Photo: Annelise Balentine)

Boys’ basketball falls to Bellarmine in CCS semifinals

Maxwell Zhang, Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, and Nathan Jiang
February 25, 2023
Viking senior striker Dinu Deshpande contests a Bruin defender for a cross during the Vikings Senior Night match on Friday. The Vikings narrowly beat the Santa Clara Bruins, 1-0, and will play the Los Altos Eagles for the league champion title on Wednesday. According to Viking senior center back Jonas Pao, the Vikings fought hard for this victory, despite the Vikings loss at the previous encounter. “I think the mentality was right,” Pao said. “I know theres a lot of distraction with the fans, but really the defense really kept inside of their own minds. They really made sure that nothing got them to guide them away. Theyre focused, and then we just did the job.”

Boys’ soccer edges out Santa Clara in Senior Night match

Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, Maxwell Zhang, and Evan Chien
February 13, 2023
Viking senior striker Nadav Sternheim fights for the ball at midfield during the varsity soccer match on Wednesday against the Gunn High School Titans. Despite the Titans dominating in possession throughout the game, the Vikings capitalized on a few key mistakes by the Titans and scored in crucial moments. According to Titan head coach Vava Marques, the players from both teams were excited about this match due to the prominent cross-town rivalry. We were looking forward to this game, Marques said. They [Paly] even have their own trophy for this matchup. I think the overall atmosphere was awesome. (Photo: Daniel Garepis-Holland)

Boys’ soccer edges out Gunn in close game

Maxwell Zhang, Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, and Kasmira Lada
January 28, 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
Vikings defeat Pirates in first football CCS playoff match

Vikings defeat Pirates in first football CCS playoff match

Ketan Altekar-Okazaki and Maxwell Zhang
November 13, 2022
Viking senior free safety Rocky Leitch tackles an opposing Milpitas High School Trojan at The Palo Alto High School Vikings’ last league and playoff-qualifying game. The Vikings won, 40-23, and secured their spot in the upcoming Central Coast Section tournament. According to Viking head coach David DeGeronimo, the victory was a thrilling finish to the season. “We wanted to make the playoffs and we’ve accomplished that,” DeGeronimo said. “This season has been a success in my mind — the players are happy.” (Photo: Annalise Balentine)

Vikings qualify for playoffs by defeating Trojans

Maxwell Zhang, Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, and Avi Srinivasan
October 29, 2022
Vikings to play Milpitas Trojans in final qualifying match

Vikings to play Milpitas Trojans in final qualifying match

Maxwell Zhang, Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, and Carissa Tsui
October 28, 2022
In defeating Spartans, Vikings narrowly avoid playoff elimination

In defeating Spartans, Vikings narrowly avoid playoff elimination

Ketan Altekar-Okazaki and Maxwell Zhang
October 22, 2022
Junior quarterback Declan Packer searches for someone to receive his pass. (Photo: Leena Hussein)

Viking football faces possible elimination against Spartans tonight

Maxwell Zhang, Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, and Carissa Tsui
October 21, 2022
Palo Alto senior running back Jack Newman pushes his way through Homestead defenders Friday during the Vikings homecoming loss to the Mustangs. According to Viking senior running back Jack Newman, the team needs to train harder to achieve their season goals. We need to get everyone back at practice, Newman said. We had a couple of missing guys at practice this week, so we have to get everyone healthy. Were looking to get some wins. (Photo: Annelise Balentine)

Vikings fall to Mustangs in intense homecoming match

Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, Maxwell Zhang, and Avi Srinivasan
October 1, 2022
Senior Lily Deandre, dressed as a senior citizen, slowly hobbles down the catwalk as she supports herself with a walker during the best-dressed competition Thursday brunch at the quad.

Generations Day “best-dressed” activity showcases spirit

Maxwell Zhang, Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, and Carissa Tsui
September 29, 2022
Volleyball comeback leads to victory against Gunn

Volleyball comeback leads to victory against Gunn

Maxwell Zhang, Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, and Daniel Garepis-Holland
September 20, 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

Ketan Altekar-Okazaki, Leena Hussein, and Maxwell Zhang
September 10, 2022
Arya Steakhouse opened on Aug. 9 in downtown Palo Alto. The chef prepares a wide variety of food ranging from more traditional dishes like Sambosa, an appetizer with a crunch pastry shell and potato filling, to burgers and steaks. (Photo: Maxwell Zhang)

Does expensive always mean delicious? A review of Arya Steakhouse

Maxwell Zhang and Ketan Altekar-Okazaki
September 10, 2022
Junior varsity field hockey coach Sonia Sethi explains the varsity practice routine to the junior varsity team. Sethi is one of two parent volunteers coaching the junior varsity team after Jennifer Crane, the new athletic director, was unable to find a replacement junior varsity coach. The varsity team lost a number of very strong senior players [this year], Sethi said. So theres an opportunity for... a lot more junior varsity players to come up to varsity. (Photo: Maxwell Zhang)

Parent volunteers keep junior varsity field hockey program afloat

Maxwell Zhang and Ketan Altekar-Okazaki
September 8, 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

Maxwell Zhang, Leena Hussein, and Ketan Altekar-Okazaki
September 4, 2022
Jennifer Crane, Palo Alto High Schools new athletic director, works in her co-taught contemporary world history class during sixth period. This will be the last two weeks of her tenure as a co-teacher for history before her full transition to athletic director. I think that past experience shows to me that prioritizing the fostering of character, hard work and perseverance is a building block to becoming a successful human being in whatever capacity you define that, Crane said. I think its something that I will continue to emphasize and to help guide me in this process... All those things take precedence over winning. (Photo: Maxwell Zhang)

New athletic director looks to stabilize program

Avi Srinivasan, Benjamin Grimes, and Maxwell Zhang
May 27, 2022
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Elective spotlight: Astrophysics

Maxwell Zhang, Payton Anderson, and Arthur Wu
May 26, 2022
Freshman badminton star places at NorCals

Freshman badminton star places at NorCals

Maxwell Zhang, Editor-In-Chief
May 25, 2022
Palo Alto High School math teacher Daniel Nguyen wins on his first appearance on Jeopardy! (Photo: Sony Pictures Television)

Breaking: Nguyen wins first ‘Jeopardy!’ game, offers campus shout-out

Maxwell Zhang, Editor-In-Chief
May 12, 2022
Math teacher to appear on Jeopardy!

Math teacher to appear on ‘Jeopardy!’

Jason Lin, Maxwell Zhang, and Madison Abbassi
May 2, 2022
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Preview: Career Speaker Series during PRIME

Maxwell Zhang, Editor-In-Chief
March 20, 2022
Junior pitcher Sam Papp warms up while the Mustangs prepare to step on the batters box on Friday before the Vikings 5-0 win Friday. Papp struck out four batters and limited the Mustangs to only a few base runs. I think our pitching was amazing, Senior third baseman Danny Peters said. Sam Papp did great job. He pitched the whole game perfectly. (Photo: Maxwell Zhang)

Viking defense, homers, beat Homestead

Arthur Wu and Maxwell Zhang
March 20, 2022
Freshman shooting guard Vienn Sheng dribbles past a Los Gatos defender during Palo Alto’s 55-31 loss Sunday at home. We were hoping to get more shots and to really shut down their best players, which were 15 and 12,” Sheng said. “We wanted to identify what every players’ strengths and weaknesses were, and we also wanted more ball movement and good transitions.” (Photo: Arthur Wu)

Wildcats stop Viking girls’ b-ball streak at 18

Payton Anderson, Arthur Wu, and Maxwell Zhang
February 14, 2022
Varsity girls basketball gears up for final pre-CCS games

Varsity girls’ basketball gears up for final pre-CCS games

Payton Anderson, Maxwell Zhang, and Arthur Wu
February 11, 2022
tbd

Girls’ soccer fails to defeat Santa Clara

Daniel Garepis-Holland and Maxwell Zhang
January 22, 2022
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