For my last blog post, I thought I’d review some of the books I’ve read this past month. I’ve recently been reading books that deviate from my usual picks, so here are my opinions on them! 

The Stranger – Albert Camus

The Stranger was quite an unusual, yet thought-provoking, read. I’ve been putting it off for so long, but I finally got to reading it. It was a rather short read (~150 pages) so I was able to finish it quickly. I will admit, I didn’t know much about Albert Camus before reading this book. All I knew was his famous poem “Invincible Summer”. However, The Stranger caught my attention immediately with its blunt opening line:

Mother died today. Or maybe it was yesterday, I don’t know.

There are two reasons why this makes a fantastic opening: 1) It makes the audience question how a man could possibly be detached from the death of his own mother 2) Although the audience doesn’t know it yet, this line is a keen reflection of the main character’s mental state

The story follows a man who spontaneously murders someone on the beach without obvious remorse. The narrator’s apathy and detached nature alienate him from his own actions. His disregard for harming another, and his detachment from love, raises the question about the purpose, or lack thereof, of life.

I enjoyed the book more after reflecting on it than I did while reading it. I could only recognize certain concepts after contemplation. It seemed absurd when I read it, but I saw its value after having time for reflection.

Misery – Stephen King

Another book I read recently is Misery. It’s been my goal for a long time to read a Stephen King book because he’s so popular and I don’t want to miss out (I haven’t watched any of his movies, either). I picked up The Shining around Halloween, which was my introduction to King. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t a fan of The Shining. The concept was intriguing, but it was drawn out. Misery was slightly better, in my opinion. Perhaps it’s because this book is less “horror” and more “thriller”. 

Misery is about a famous author who gets into a car accident during a severe storm and is “rescued” by a superfan named Annie Wilkes, who proceeds to hold him hostage in her house. Annie is a vastly different emblem of horror compared to the hotel in The Shining. Unlike a supernatural hotel, crazy fangirls are real. Although Annie takes obsession to a whole new level, I admire how Stephen King twists mundane aspects of reality and amplifies their scary properties into something truly horrifying.

However, I feel like Misery dragged on a bit too much, just like The Shining. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy slow-paced books, but I think there are parts that could have definitely been condensed since this is supposed to be a horror/thriller. I’m concluding that Stephen King isn’t for me, although I’m willing to give him one last chance (if you like Stephen King, please give me recommendations, I promise I’m trying).

The Astonishing Color of After – Emily X.R. Pan

Someone recommended The Astonishing Color of After to me a while ago, but I never got the chance to pick it up (you can probably sense the theme here) until I saw it in Barnes and Noble and was in the right mood for it.

In a few adjectives, this book is heart-wrenching, raw, sorrowful, and captivating. The story follows Leigh, a biracial teenage girl whose mom dies by suicide. However, she is certain that her mother has turned into a bird. The book follows her trip to China to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time and discover more about her mother’s past.

This book was emotional, exploring how memories affect us and our relationships with the people we love. I appreciated how this book took its time, which allowed the descriptions and details to soak in. I’m also a sucker for books about kids who are passionate about art; I have no idea why but I’m assuming it’s because their focus on passion and discovery is really admirable. In this book, Leigh and her best friend are aspiring artists and even communicate their emotions by describing certain colors.

This book also had a great opening line:

My mother is a bird. This isn’t like some William Faulkner stream-of-consciousness metaphorical crap. My mother. Is literally. A bird.

Thank you, As I Lay Dying, for helping me understand this reference.

The One – John Marrs

The One has such a wild concept. In the book, a company has created a DNA-matching service allowing people to be genetically paired with their “soulmate”. Think Tinder, but erase all doubt with a simple DNA test.

The book follows multiple perspectives, each with its own twists and turns. Without spoiling anything, some examples include a cop matching with a serial killer, and a girl matching with someone who just died.

Toward the end, it emphasizes questions around the possibility of “true love” existing and the line where technology and ethics crash. It also highlights the human need to be remembered, to make an impact, and to leave a permanent legacy. There are secrets, twists, and betrayals that make the story gripping. Although the novel doesn’t flesh out the characters much, I approached it more for the cool concept. Before this, I hadn’t picked up a true mystery/thriller since the phase I had in 8th grade, so this was fun. 

This month, I’ve been reading a lot of books that I’ve put off and also books that I wouldn’t normally pick up. So far, nothing has stood out to me as a new favorite, but nonetheless, I hope that I’ll have a good reading year.

When I was a girl scout back in elementary school, our troop once did a scavenger hunt as a bonding activity. The game took place outdoors, and we split up into teams to win the final prize. I don’t remember much about what happened, but I do remember that one of the steps was to translate a slip of paper with a message written in morse code. 

After finding the paper, my other three team members immediately began searching the campsite for clues to decode the message. However, as I helped them look, the same thought kept repeating itself in the back of my mind. If I just knew morse code, I could save time and translate the message without searching for clues. 

But that’s exactly why the adults arranged this activity. Morse code is a seemingly dead method of communication that we primarily associate with sailors in the 1800’s. However, morse code has always intrigued me. Named after Samuel Morse, it encodes characters as a sequence of dots and dashes (also referred to as “dits” and “dahs”). Electrical telegraphs were important in the 1840’s to communicate in a quicker manner than physical transportation would allow. The electrical telegraph uses electrical pulses surrounded by periods of silence to transmit messages. 

Morse code originally focused on numerals, and one would have to look up the corresponding letters in a codebook. However, Alfred Vail later developed the code to include letters and symbols as well. Since each dash is the length of about 3 dots, the code can be sped up or slowed down and still be understood.

Although it may look like a random series of symbols, there was planning involved to make the code as efficient as possible. If you look at the sequences corresponding to each letter, the most frequent letters we use in the alphabet tend to have easier codes. For example, E is one dot, while Q is 2 dashes, a dot, and another dash (–.-). 

Even the famous SOS was chosen because it was easily recognizable: a simple 3 dots, 3 dashes, and 3 dots (…—…). Since SOS is 9 symbols long, it is easy to identify. Although many people believe that SOS came from the phrase “Save Our Souls”, that saying became popular after the code was widely used. Before SOS, the distress signal had been CQD. In fact, while the Titanic was sinking, they originally sent out CQD but later, desperately turned to the more modern SOS signal.

A big misconception is that morse code is only visual when in reality, it can be taught audibly. In fact, that’s how I ended up learning morse code. One day, during quarantine, I found a video about the history of morse code. With so much time on my hands, I decided that I was going to learn it. 

At first, I tried staring at the dots and hoped that, somehow, I would miraculously be able to memorize them all. But it was harder than I thought to memorize so many dots and dashes for each letter. Instead, I lied down and played an audio that went through all 26 letters (I know that sounds incredibly boring, but it was probably the most mental activity I had during the entirety of 2020). I tried to memorize the letters however I could, whether it was by forming tunes to each sequence or associating phrases with them. In the end, it paid off, because now I know Morse Code.

I don’t think anyone is even aware that I know morse code, which isn’t a surprise considering I’ve never really had the chance to use it. I would like to seem intellectual and claim to have learned morse code to challenge my mind or for a sense of accomplishment. Although that’s partially true, deep down, I think I learned morse code because I have this fantasy that one day I’ll be threatened by some nefarious plot and have to translate a message in morse code to defeat an international villain.

Unfortunately, the only time I’ve ever used morse code is to be one step ahead of TV show characters. There’ve been multiple shows and movies I’ve seen where the characters spend time trying to decode a message in morse code, and I can simply laugh while knowing the message the entire time. Morse code sometimes comes up in mystery shows, and there are scenes in popular shows like Stranger Things and The Office that included it. I might never be able to use morse code in a dire emergency, but it’s still fun to know it.

I wasn’t a scaredy-cat when I was young, but there were some things I was deathly afraid of, and most of them were pretty strange. For instance, I liked spiders and I wasn’t really afraid of the dark, but when I think about it, most of my strange fears came from stories people told me. Here are two weird and unconventional fears I had as a kid.

#1 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Don’t even judge me. The Johnny Depp Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie should be rated R because I was absolutely terrified of it. Let me explain why I feel this way before you think I’m being overdramatic. I haven’t read the book, so I’m purely focusing on the movie here. 

First of all, when they arrive at the factory, a boy literally drowns in a river of chocolate while his mother is hopelessly screaming for someone to save her only son. Then, a bunch of tiny men decide to stand at the edge of the river and start singing while this poor boy is drowning. Imagine dying in a swamp of chocolate while wearing a red and white striped shirt. Yes, this might seem more amusing than horrifying, but again, I was five years old. 

Then, there’s a poor girl who has a horribly strict soccer mom forcing her to be a top-tier athlete. Sure, she’s a brat who chews way too much gum, but then she gets turned into a gigantic blueberry and has to be rolled around. The tiny men return and sing while she’s exploding. Even at the end of the movie, she remains blue, which implies that this event will have permanent effects.

The next girl ends up getting attacked by squirrels with advanced intelligence and is dragged down a garbage chute. Plus, she’s not even wearing any protective clothing: just a dress and tights. I don’t think I need to repeat that the men enter and sing while she’s screaming for her dad to help her.

The last boy ends up getting shrunk, but then we see Willy Wonka’s perspective. His dad was a dentist who never let him eat chocolate. I don’t know why, but as a kid, I really thought this was the most tragic thing a person could possibly endure. This was the final straw. I was absolutely horrified that his dad wouldn’t let him eat chocolate, even on Halloween. 

#2 The Closet in the Closet

This one requires some context. In my house, we have two of what my family calls “the-closet-in-the-closet”. One is in my brother’s room and the other is in the guest room. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Inside the closet is another closet. However, they aren’t normal walk-in closets, they sort of look like unfinished basements. The floors are wooden and they are super cold. My brother keeps all of his old school supplies in his. 

For some reason, when I was younger, I didn’t like sleeping in my own room. Usually, I’d go to the guest room. My dad would sometimes tell me a story, and then I’d go to sleep there. One day, I had a lot of pent-up energy, and before going to bed, my brother walked into the guest room in the dark and told me a secret. He said that there was a man named “Injun Joe” who lived in the guest room closet-in-the-closet, and he was there right now. I suddenly froze with fear, and he continued with a serious look on his face. He told me that if I was too loud at nighttime, Injun Joe would come out to get me.

I was terrified, but I also wasn’t sure whether or not to believe him. Just then, my grandma walked in and told me to go to sleep. So, I asked her if there was really a man living in the closet-in-the-closet named “Injun Joe”. But here’s the thing you should know. My maternal grandmother is deaf. Meaning, she cannot hear. So when I asked her whether or not there was a man living inside, she looked me dead in the eye and probably thought I was asking for food or something, because she responded yes. For the next couple of years, I was terrified. I ended up migrating back to my room and I stayed away from that closet at all costs.

Flash forward to sixth grade, and I’m sitting in Language Arts class while our teacher instructs a kid to read the next chapter of Tom Sawyer out loud. And bam, he gets to the line “it’s Injun Joe,” and I had to have misheard. I thought it was my mind tricking me, but again, he said “Injun Joe” and I was shocked. How did this book know about the man living in my closet? Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks that my brother had been around my age when he first told me about Injun Joe. And then I realized I had seen a copy of Tom Sawyer on his bookshelf, and it all made sense.

The bottom line is, if I ever become a parent, I will never show my kids Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I’m not messing around with closets. If anyone else has anything they were irrationally afraid of as a kid, let me know.

Upon first glancing at the title,  “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird”, I assumed the poem would take the format of a single individual providing some set of instructions to an audience. However, the speaker of the poem is not obvious nor clearly stated. The difficulty in this poem for me lies within the format. There are 13 sections, some from a first-person point of view and others taking a more descriptive and distant stance, bearing a unique voice. However, all thirteen sections related the blackbird to some idea or concept. Overall, the poem was not instructional like I assumed, but rather geared toward highlighting the distinctive quality of blackbirds.

The first section was fairly easy to comprehend. Stevens contrasts white snow with the distinctiveness of a blackbird in color and movement. Yet, SectionII already elicited confusion, as the poem shifted to an abstract perspective.  Although the syntax is almost rhythmic and straightforward in nature, it deals with abstract ideas. The speaker compares the blackbird to his own mind, similar to section IV where the blackbird is no longer a physical being, but an entity that is one with man and woman. Among sections I to IV, there is an alternation between the classic, natural description of a blackbird and a metaphysical interpretation. These first five sections jump around so much, that it’s almost difficult to keep up with the poem’s train of thought. In V, there is no strict perception of a blackbird, which creates confusion in the audience, as even the speaker himself is confused, directly stating “I don’t know” in regards to what he finds most beautiful.

At this point, I had to ask myself: is there one speaker? Or are there multiple? After, all, there is a shift when the poem moves from the perspective of  “I’ to that of the “thin men” to “he”, and finally back to “the blackbird”. The poem has a very unique structure, being split into 13 sections–although these sections don’t necessarily follow a linear progression. Rather than

ways of “looking” at a blackbird, these sections seem to outline methods of interpretation as the blackbird is consistently referred to as some small part of a grander scheme.

Although there is no clear rhyme scheme, words repeat themselves frequently within sections, such as “know” in VIII, glass, snow, and, of course, the blackbird. However, they often appear randomly and surprised me. In section VI, stevens seems to shift, creating achilling, tough, and fleeting emotion. He describes glass (which is usually perceived as delicate and fragile) as being “barbaric”. This was confusing since it isn’t a description of beauty but rather one of fear. Barbaric can mean cruel but also uncivilized, and this barbaric ice is said to reflect the blackbird’s shadow. What seemed to be happening in my mind is that the blackbird might be a symbol of beauty, but its shadow is not. I didn’t understand why Stevens would jump between feelings of wonderment to feelings of fear when portraying the nature of the blackbird. Then, I was taken aback by the shift in VII, which was written as though the audience was the “thin men of Haddam” since the section asks them a direct question. The tone shifts, shedding its poetic nature to bear accusations.

Then, Stevens surprised me once again. The shadow of the blackbird was painted with uncertainty, yet in section VIII, he keeps saying “know”, even following “know” with “noble” to emphasize this word. Now, he is shifting to a reassuring, confident tone, which made me think that perhaps one speaker can have multiple perspectives.

In section X, I was confused about the green light, a concept that was randomly brought up and vague. What exactly does it mean? Is it a symbol for something else, or is it literal? I initially interpreted it as the aurora lights, but perhaps it is a symbol for something else. Once again, glass is repeated in section XI, shifting back to fright and comparing glass and shadows once more. How come Stevens is repeating this again?  Sections VI and XI seem similar, but based on the title, I’d assume there would be 13 distinct ways of looking at a blackbird.

Section XII starts with “The river is moving”. I stopped and thought about what the connection between the movement of a blackbird and the movement of a river could be, believing that perhaps the river moving is the shadow of the blackbird gliding over the water. The ending creates the idea of something eternal, which is difficult to interpret because, in the rest of the poem, the blackbird is often fleeting. Yet in the last section, it says that “It was evening all afternoon. It was snowing And it was going to snow”, which makes the blackbird appear to be a constant.

Although the language inherently wasn’t confusing, the way phrases were organized made the poem difficult to interpret. This poem does not take the traditional linear format. I believe it is rather an amalgamation of thoughts about the blackbird that serves as a representation of other insights and emotions.

Whenever people say winter is their favorite season, they’re most frequently met with appalled looks and a deep concern for their mental well-being. At first glance, winter brings nothing but gloomy weather and extended darkness. It is hard to imagine why anyone would prefer shoveling snow in the freezing cold to eating ice cream on the beach. When I was younger, winter was always my least favorite season. However, as I grow older, I’m beginning to enjoy it more. Winter has its own special characteristics that can be appreciated, even if one doesn’t like cold weather.

In certain ways, I like winter for the same reasons that people like summer. It seems weird, but winter feels warmer to me than summer does. I know that sounds absolutely insane, but hear me out. In June, July, and August, I’m constantly turning on the air conditioning, opening windows, and sipping on iced drinks. Whenever I go outside, I’m constantly trying to cool off. On the other hand, during the winter months, I’m turning on the heat and drinking hot chocolate while bundling up in thick layers. I’m actively looking for ways to stay warm. Winter is much cozier than summer, and most of my time is spent indoors. Sure, summer has more opportunities for socializing, traveling, and playing sports, but it’s also fun to just sit in a coffee shop with a friend and order a warm drink.

The holiday season also makes up for all the freezing mornings I spend running to my car. Even though December is plagued with stress from finals, the testing is rewarded with winter break. Not many major holidays take place during the summertime, but there’s always a lot going on at the end of the year. Although the weather can be brutal, the silver lining is getting snow days and a break from school (although snow days don’t happen too often). Winter is also the middle of the school year, and thus, the center of our routines. We don’t have to adapt much to changing schedules since we already have a certain degree of stability and order. By January and February, we are familiar with our routines and already have goals in mind. We’ve set the tone for the school year, and we even have the power to set the tone for the upcoming new year.

Unlike summer, there’s no pressure to make winter the best period of our lives. During the summertime, I frequently feel more stressed than I normally would have. I feel as though I have to make the most out of the warm months. I have so many different ideas for places to go, hobbies to start, and people to visit that I end up disappointed even if I spend just one day relaxing on the couch. Thus, you can constantly see me on my phone while panicking about the fact that I’m on my phone. Since we live in the Midwest, there’s a lot of pressure during summer because we know the weather isn’t going to last, and sooner or later, we can’t ride our bikes outside or go swimming anymore. Summer months are full of pressure to savor our abundance of downtime, which can even cause stress when things don’t go as planned. Winter doesn’t really have this impending doom for me, and thus, I’m able to enjoy it more. I’m able to relax during winter without feeling guilty about it.

Finally, I must admit that the beginning of the new year is really refreshing. I don’t make firm resolutions, but I do have vague goals each year. I keep in mind the things that I hope to accomplish, and most importantly, the tone I want to set based on what I learned from the previous year. Even though I can make goals during any time of the year, it feels as though I have a clean slate when it’s January 1st. During January, I can abandon the things that didn’t go well for me previously and start fresh. Even simple things like buying a new calendar or brainstorming goals remind me to focus on the things I can change rather than the things I can’t.

Although it’s really hard to hate summer because of all the time off and the amazing weather, winter has its own sort of strange beauty to it and can be pretty enjoyable if you see it for what it is. The weather doesn’t need to be pleasant to still make the most out of every day, and I think the colder seasons have their own characteristics that can be appreciated.

Although I originally saw senior year as a sort of ending to my high school experience, after reflecting over this past semester, I realized that this wasn’t necessarily a period of stagnation. I still grew over this semester as a student, a friend, and as an individual. I learned how to be more organized with my time and have a balanced lifestyle between school and my personal life. Last year, I was taking more difficult classes and had to prepare for the SAT which often made things really stressful. However, this year, I’ve been finding more time for myself. I’ve enjoyed my classes more and appreciate the discussions I’ve had. I have also become more grateful for other people this year and for the opportunities I’v

e had since freshman year (and even since elementary school) that have shaped me as a person. Over my four years of high school, I always thought that being a senior would be full of anxiety and even dreaded it beccause, in a way, my “childhood” would come to an end and I’d have to leave a lot of people I loved and appreciated. But now, I’m genuinely excited for the next step of life, and I’m looking forward to growing as a person in college

I think progressing into senior year is especially different than transitioning into other grade levels because you become a sort of representative and leader for the school. I know teachers say this a lot and it’s become redunant, but it’s true that there aren’t any older students to look up to anymore, so we have to set the tone ourselves. To future seniors, I would say that it’s important for you to have strong habits for stress management but to also not slack off too much because you are still in the home stretch. Also, be nice to your parents and teachers because they have helped you along the way and have supported you on your journey to graduation. Also, for juniors right now, I’d recommend that they choose a fun yet

still slightly challenging class for senior year. Courses like AP Psychology (I took this junior year and it’s a really unique and interesting class), a new history class, or a cool elective would be great to end high school by doing something that interests you. Also, although it shouldn’t be the main priority when selecting your schedule, having classes with friends makes senior year a lot more enjoyable. Finally, try to start college applications in the summer. By no means do you need to have it finished, but even just a little head start like brainstorming ideas or working on your personal essay in advance can be a huge help so that you don’t feel behind. However, even if you procrastinate them, college apps don’t have to be stressful if you have a plan of how to finish them.

Over the last few months, I’ve been able to take more time for myself and thus value spending time not only on thingss that will help my future but also activities, events, and hobbies that I enjoy. By taking more time for my own interests, I have been happier and more positive overall. I have a more positive relationship with school and I am able to hang out and talk more with my friends. I now see things in a better perspective because instead of being hyper fixated on the past or anxious about the future (although these feelings are inevitable) I’ve been more focused on the present, which has grounded me.

Next semester, and hopefully in college, I’ll continue to maintain organization, and I hope to seize opportunities whenever they arrive. Since I’m going into my last semester of high school, I want to make sure to participate in the fun North traditions, join clubs, and attend events I will enjoy. Since I’ll be done with my college applications by that point, I will also have time to get out of the house more and make final memories before college (getting off the couch will also probably please my parents). I’m looking forward to the new year, and I hope to have a great final semester before college.

Ever since I was very little, I’ve always loved stories of all kinds, whether they be in books, movies, or TV shows. Although I might not have realized it, there were certain characters from children’s books/movies that I found especially interesting. Here are 3 characters from books and movies from my childhood that I was slightly obsessed with as a kid and why I found them interesting. 

1. Yzma – The Emperor’s New Groove

I see myself in Yzma. Is that concerning? Maybe. I feel like it could be alarming to most people since I seem fairly laid back whereas Yzma is a power-hungry maniac. However, when I first watched The Emperor’s New Groove in my friend’s basement, I immediately thought Yzma was so cool. First of all, her name itself is quite unique and memorable, but she also makes a very intriguing villain. In case you aren’t familiar with the movie, Yzma is Emperor Kuzco’s advisor and gets fired at the beginning of the movie. She then proceeds to try to poison him in order to gain control of the throne. Yzma is chaotic and extremely dramatic, which adds to her flair. As a kid, I was also obsessed with the color purple, and Yzma’s entire wardrobe and all of her accessories were purple. Most importantly, she has the mad-scientist-royalty thing going which are components of my favorite types of villains. Villains who are part of royalty are always so intriguing to me. Even some of the most famous plays such as Hamlet and Macbeth follow the moral corruption of individuals in positions of power. Like royalty, mad-scientists also make incredible villains like Dr.Jekyll/Mr.Hyde and Dr. Frankenstein. The idea of a scientist going mad with a hunger for knowledge is fascinating to explore. Although these two types of villains are present in famous works, the origins of my fascination with unordinary villains came from the Emperor’s New Groove, as weird as it is to say. With Yzma’s desire to be the new ruler and her arsenal of potions in her underground lab, she makes quite the villain.

1.  Violet Baudelaire – A Series of Unfortunate Events

Almost every one of my friends loved Hermione Granger when we read the Harry Potter series. It’s hard not to. She’s one of the first female book characters in children’s books who is intelligent, courageous, and independent. She often carries Harry and Ron with her unique intelligence and stellar abilities. However, when I first read the Harry Potter series, for some reason,I was a Ron person (No, I will not hear any Ron slander). The book series that was my “Harry Potter” was A Series of Unfortunate Events. I was extremely bored one weekend and saw a thin book on my shelf that I didn’t recognize. It belonged to my brother, who gave me almost all of his childhood books when he became too old to read them. I read the first book in the series, and it was the most peculiar thing I had read before. The series follows 3 orphans who try to escape an evil Count who wants to steal their inheritance. The author often speaks directly to the reader in an engaging and humorous tone, but he also actively discourages the reader from continuing on.

I read the series when I was around 11 years old and I strongly believed that Violet Baudelaire (the oldest sibling) was extremely underrated and deserved Hermione-level status. She’s extremely knowledgeable in physics despite only being 14 years old and she’s able to care for both of her younger siblings. Not to mention, Violet used to live in a rich mansion, joined a secret organization, and created numerous spontaneous inventions to evade villains under high pressure using her engineering skills. As a kid, I found her really inspiring becauseof her unique intelligence and inquisitive nature.

1. Rodrick Heffley – Diary of a Wimpy Kid

This one is hard to admit, but here it goes. I read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series when I was young after buying one of the books at my school’s book fair. My fatal flaw is that I read the first book and thought I related to Greg, although I now realize he might be an egomaniac. I used to despise Rodrick because he reminded me of my older brother. Rodrick frequently torments Greg and is pretty much the epitome of older brothers in general. However, as I got slightly older and watched the movies with my brother, I realized that Rodrick is actually somewhat entertaining and relatable. He is the most stereotypical depiction of a teenager I’ve ever seen. I mean, he plays the drums in a rock band in his parent’s basement and throws parties when his parents aren’t home. In the entire movie (and even in the books) he’s mainly doing his own thing. Sure, he’s fairly mean to Greg, but this could be due to Greg being an unreliable narrator (or maybe I’m reading too much into this because it’s literally Diary of a Wimpy Kid).

Perhaps I’m overanalyzing some of my favorite childhood characters by comparing Yzma to Macbeth and describing the unreliable narration of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but I think it’s interesting to analyze why I liked certain characters as a child. Although I usually have a sort of unusual taste when it comes to favorite characters, I think it’s interesting to reflect on how certain characters we enjoyed in our childhood may have changed over the years or still hold true.

Sorry to be yet another person who goes “social media is bad :(”, but that’s exactly what I’m about to do. Even though hatred for technology is already rampant (especially when it comes to teens using it), I hope I can bring another perspective. I want to focus on how technology, specifically phones, can change our relationship with books. 

I’ve loved reading since I was old enough to do so. I’m incredibly thankful that my mom encouraged me to read a lot as a child because it grew my creativity and imagination. Growing up, I was always reading something at any given time, and I read books of all kinds. Recently, after some reflection, I realized that there is a clear division between my behavior as a reader before entering high school and after. Especially during my freshman and sophomore years, I lost part of the “obsession” I had with reading.

I’ve tried to change my habits during my junior and senior years back to what they were. Although I still read the same number of books per year, it’s mainly due to being a faster reader. When I was younger, I was always reading something or the other. Now, I’ll read a book, take a break, and pick up another book a while later.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always read books and still continue to read outside of school. However, I find myself reading only when I have an hour to spare or time on the weekends. Even if it’s consistent, it isn’t as obsessive. In middle school, I would read whenever I got the chance. I mean whenever. If I was sitting in the lobby of the dentist’s office, I had a book in my lap. If I was waiting for 2 minutes for my mom to pick me up from summer camp, I was reading. Basically, I read even if I only had seconds to spare. Today, I still use up those seconds, but it’s with my phone. The idea of bringing a book to read in the dentist’s office is actually ridiculous to me now. Why bring a book when I can scroll on my phone mindlessly? It’s cheap entertainment, but it’s quick and effective. I realized I not only gravitate toward my phone, but in some ways, I directly replaced my novels with technology. I’ve substituted one hand-held form of entertainment with another. However, the diff

erence is that books are calming and intellectually stimulating whereas my phone makes me feel worse and, frankly, bored. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way, so why do people choose cell phones over books for entertainment even if they find social media less interesting than a story? I believe we feel like they shouldn’t be. Based on how our culture views each, we go on our phones even when it’s the more boring option since we have the association that books = boring and phones = fun.

Thinking about how easily my phone has replaced books was discouraging. I don’t necessarily need to sacrifice one for the other. I’m trying to find a balance, and I encourage others to do the same. I think some reasons why we turn to our phones instead of literature are not only due to modern technology but also to our shortening attention spans (yes, I’m talking about TikTok). Sometimes, I can barely even sit through a 20-second video, let alone a 500-page classic. Besides modern media actively shortening our attention spans, I was talking to my friend, and she mentioned that she too stopped reading so much in high school. In elementary school and middle school, people encouraged us to read quite often. Children enjoy stories and reading is important for intellectual growth and emotional maturity. Elementary and middle school English teachers always had “class libraries”. However, in high school, teachers don’t push the whole “reading is fun” message as strongly since we’re mature enough to make our own choices. The only “library” at Naperville North is in the Upper Learning Commons, but the shelves are short and it’s right above where everyone eats lunch, so it’s difficult to concentrate. To be honest, I didn’t even know I could check out those books until my junior year. Although that’s probably due to my own negligence, seeing the drastic change in reading encouragement paired with new technological privileges, it’s not surprising why many may fall out of their reading habits after middle school.

Overall, it’s important to find a balance between books and technology for those who enjoy reading. I’m glad that I still read frequently outside of class, and I hope to find a strong balance between technology and my hobbies as I enter college as well. 

Anyway, if anyone has any good book recommendations, let me know!

I watched The Office during quarantine, so it’s been a while since I’ve seen an episode. However, a clip popped up in my Youtube feed while I was taking a break from working on college applications, and I got a strange new idea for a blog post: 

Which AP Class would I recommend each Character from the Office take?

I’ve taken my fair share of AP classes here at North, and I think I can find a character that could thrive in each of them. I’ll go through various AP classes I’ve taken and explain my rationale behind why I think each character should take the class. I also want to make it clear that I won’t be basing anything on my personal experiences but solely based on the course’s content. (Also obviously AP Lit is the best class, so I didn’t include it because it would just be unfair to compare the others to it.)

AP Human Geography (Michael Scott)

Let’s start off with my first AP class, and how convenient, because I think Michael Scott (everyone’s #1 boss) should take this class. Although I can vividly imagine Michael Scott looking at a population pyramid and making an extremely offensive joke, I think he’d slowly learn. Taking this class would be a great way for him to finally open up his worldview and learn about other countries. In the show, we see him as a boss with a humorous demeanor, but underneath, it isn’t an understatement to say he’s ignorant. He’ll be much better at connecting with his employees once he learns more about religion, migration, and population trends. He’ll get all the jokes out of his system and maybe even grow to be more accepting. It would also help him get HR off his back.

AP Computer Science A (Nick)

I know what you’re thinking. “Who’s Nick?” Exactly. Nick is the IT guy who ends up quitting in season 6 with fury, exposing everyone’s secrets on his way out the door. Nick needs to be in an environment that values his knowledge and tech skills. Thus, AP Computer science A is perfect for him. Although he’s likely familiar with the course material, he’ll finally be surrounded by people who can appreciate his work.

AP Physics 1 (Jim)

Jim needs AP Physics 1. AP Physics 1 needs Jim. What better way for him to master his technical pranks against Dwight? He could learn how to use physics to create a Rube Goldberg machine that will annihilate Dwight. Even if he’s already familiar with basic concepts such as Newton’s laws, AP Physics 1 is a great way to understand the intricacies and mathematics behind forces and motion, torque, and velocity. He can use these concepts to his advantage if he ever decides to pull a prank on Dwight using office supplies. Once he’s acquired the knowledge to maneuver his pranks perfectly, he will be unstoppable and the best menace the office has ever seen. 

AP Biology (Dwight)

It serves well to follow Jim with Dwight. Dwight would excel in AP Biology and use these skills to his evolutionary advantage. I think his favorite units would be genetics, evolution, and ecology. He’d love learning about the survival of the fittest and could contribute lots of interesting theories to class. Dwight already has such a strong conceptual understanding of the topics, so he’d ace the FRQ portion. Who knows, he might even discover some new species or bacteria along the way.

AP Calc BC (Todd Packer)

Todd Packer would hate calculus, which is exactly why I’m putting him here.

AP Chemistry (David Wallace OR Jan)

I might be biased since I like Chemistry, but I think the subject is very sophisticated, just like David Wallace. For some reason, David Wallace gives me the same energy as an erlenmeyer flask: reliable, serious, and logical. Although Wallace eventually goes a little insane in the later seasons, there’s no denying that he’s motivated. He’d study for the tests, never miss AP Chem Lunch, and would always wear his safety goggles within a five foot radius of his lab bench. 

However, Jan also has the potential to thrive in AP Chemistry. Just imagine how many wonders her candle company “Serenity by Jan” could accomplish if she was able to produce an optimally-scented candle using chemical compounds. I can also imagine her naming a pink candle “phenolpthalein” that becomes a bestseller. The only downside to her taking AP Chemistry is that she’d definitely turn into an unrecognizable monster during the labs, but then again, doesn’t everybody?

AP Lang (Toby)

This class would be a judgement-free zone for Toby to finally complete his mystery novel. Plus, he would love the definition essay; it would be a great opportunity for him to express his thoughts about his divorce and recount his stay in Costa Rica. His classroom would also be on the furthest possible side of the school from the AP Human Geography room, so he’ll be safe from Michael and vice versa.

AP Psychology (Creed)

I think Creed could benefit from a bit of AP Psychology. He clearly knows too much, and frankly, they could probably show a documentary of him in class. He’d probably even be able to teach the class. However, he’d most likely be lurking somewhere in the back taking intense mental notes. 

Although they’re well past high school, I think that if characters from The Office were Naperville North students, these are the AP classes they’d take. I’m sure there are other classes I haven’t taken that might also be suitable matches, but I think these matches allow each character to learn something that would benefit them.

As the weather gets cold again, I start to experience a flurry of emotions I have trouble deciphering. On one hand, I love fall and winter, mostly because I like the cozy feeling I have during these seasons. Even though I think summer is objectively better, I just don’t click with it. As the weather is getting colder again, I’ve been thinking about Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons are four violin concertos each representing one of the seasons. I’m a violinist, so of course, I’m familiar with them. Since Vivaldi’s Four Seasons are extremely popular, I wanted to go in-depth with my thoughts on each of the concertos. Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with musical terms in case that’s not your thing. I will say though, I’m obviously not a Ph.D. in music or anything, so if you’re looking for some grand new perspective, I probably can’t give it to you. I just want to talk about why I think they’re good representations of the seasons.

Spring

I think it’s fair to say that Spring is the most popular one, and it’s the only one I’ve had a chance to play with an orchestra and soloist. The first movement begins with an extremely cheery opening, representing the arrival of spring. Spring is such a lively season to me, with blossoms returning to the trees and birds returning. We begin to see water, blossoms, flowers, and leaves.  Nature thrums around us. We shed our jackets and return to activities that we were once restricted to. The piece starts with this joy. Suddenly, a bit into the movement, the lower strings begin tremolo (fast repetition of a low note), representing thunder. The upper strings (violins) immediately have fast scales which represent lightning. The violinist’s solo is rapid and powerful, following a shift into a different key. Vivaldi demonstrates the immense force of Spring. When this passage is over, there is almost a recovery after the storm when the orchestra engages in a soothing melody. Spring is not only a pretty season but also a force of nature as April showers take over. I really appreciate how Vivaldi captures the true beauty of the season in all its power. 

Summer

The first movement begins very lazily and drags on. When I listen to it, I’m fully immersed and feel the heat waves passing by and draining my energy. This slow melody is promptly followed by an increase in tempo, which reminds me of a relieving, fresh breeze. Then, there’s a sultry solo that’s incredibly ominous, giving listeners a feeling of dread. In the 3rd movement, there is an abrupt change in style. The music is violent and passionate, depicting unexpeted thunderstorms. Overall, Vivaldi paints a unique perspective. He didn’t just make Summer cheery, he also represented its heat and the storms that come along with it.

Autumn

The beginning melody of autumn mimics that of spring, yet it’s slightly different. This almost symbolizes how the two seasons both represent change but in different ways. Autumn is more cheerful than I’d expected. Instead of thinking of the cold or dark when listening to it, I imagine red leaves and a changing atmosphere. Vivaldi continues to use key changes to his advantage. The 2nd movement is much slower and quieter. The 3rd movement finally returns to the jolly portrayal of fall. The rhythm feels like a dance of sorts and I’m transported to the past since this particular concerto feels like an old town to me. 

Winter

Winter is one of my favorites. The instruments start out extremely quiet and slowly build up, increasing anticipation. Their successive notes represent the biting cold of the winter that comes from frost and ice. The whole movement feels like someone is pushing along, creating a fast pace. The orchestra’s relationship with the soloist seems like a duet at times, which adds to this smooth, rapid characteristic. Vivaldi builds up tension. He didn’t just write some stereotypical, macabre piece for winter. He captured its full beauty.

I know I’m not saying anything revolutionary here, but Vivaldi gives a convincing case for each season. He’s able to not only use music to portray how we imagine the seasons but show the different sides to them. I think they’re great for anyone to listen to.