Hello there! As you can already see from the byline, my name is Joanna Malvas, but allow me to introduce myself more formally. I’m currently a rising senior here at Pine View, having spent my high school career working on the Torch staff in our musty, but beloved Portable 3 complex. You may have seen me around campus, perhaps rushing to my next class, or just being a bit too extra with my friends (I can be loud at times, so I’ve been told).
Another major fact about me is that I have been going to Pine View since the second grade. I have to say, I’ve learned quite a few things while being on this swampy, humid campus for the past ten years. As Pine View’s connotative definition leaves a bittersweet taste, with memories ranging from long cram sessions to fulfilling conversations with unlikely teachers and peers, truly, our campus culture is fortified by a unique sense of community. When explaining to my friends outside of school what Pine View is like, I can never truly capture the essence of our Python-marked identity. Our obscure traditions of dodgeball without dodging anything (you’re basically just trying to score a point through the basketball hoop) and commonly shared hardships evoked by procrastination, may be a few ways to describe Pine View. Our “Tradition of Excellence” is a phrase coined into our school’s description, as well as the phrase, “standing on the shoulders of giants.”
With all of this being said, I am so excited to kick off The Torch’s new podcast called “Torch Talks.” As the founder and editor of this podcast, I hope that it can shed some light on the individuals that define what it means to be a Pine View student. Oftentimes, I’ve found myself in admiration and amazement of the people around me, from both upperclassmen, as well underclassmen that I’ve encountered. As a Torch staffer, I’ve felt these emotions; I’ve written about a variety of people, from a student who literally conducted a quantum physics research project, to a teacher who had previously worked as a scuba diver for five years. Many people here have fostered a genuine zeal and substantial impact upon Pine View’s campus. Hence, I hope that this podcast can encapsulate a part of that zeal through the conversations it brings to the table.
In brief, I implore to any of you reading to soak in the stories that the students featured on these upcoming podcast episodes have to tell. Starting with Grace Kim, a senior in the graduating class of 2021, this first podcast episode highlights her experiences in Speech and Debate and her experience as a member of the USA Debate Development Team.
So, with that, enjoy our first episode!
Follow Torch Talks on Instagram and SoundCloud!