Notice how whenever you’re writing an essay, you suddenly think of a fancy word to write even though it isn’t in your everyday vocabulary? Yeah, that’s no surprise. When we’re reading, our brains pick up on different words and ways to write that it later stores until it’s time to use those skills. Books expose us to many different types of dialogue, tone, pacing, and techniques without us realizing. As you read, you tend to notice what makes your chest ache and what makes you cringe. This can also link to what authors we prefer and which ones we tend to stay away from. It’s the same with the way we often speak similarly to the peers around us. That’s also why people from different cultures speak a certain way as well. Anyway, the bottom line is, the more you prioritize reading into your daily life, the more your brain understands how to use proper grammar skills. Something to think about while you’re reading is how to read like a writer. I’ve previously mentioned that when you read, your brain picks up on what works without you realizing it. However, instead of just reading to enjoy a story, you should also try to understand why something works. Whenever it’s time to unwind for the day and pick up a good book, pay attention to the diction the author is using. The more you do this, the quicker your brain learns how to write like a true writer and create unique stories for others to enjoy. So pick up a book and start reading.
The Map Trap is a short book written by Andrew Clements. The story focuses on a boy named Alton Ziegler. Alton is a socially-awkward sixth-grader who loves to draw maps. He has a large collection of maps that he has created over the years. He keeps a stash of some of the maps hidden from others, because they contain personal opinions that could offend some of his classmates and teachers. One day, Alton decides to show some of the secret maps to a classmate named Quint, in an attempt to impress him. Soon after leaving school, however, Alton realizes that he forgot his maps. He tries to recover them but they have been stolen. Alton now needs to track down the perpetrator before the maps are revealed to the entire school.
I really enjoyed reading this book for a number of reasons. One thing I enjoyed was the fast and entertaining plot that is filled with surprising twists and turns. It was difficult to put this book down from the moment I began reading it. Another thing I really liked about this story was Alton himself. I enjoyed watching his character develop and grow to become more mature as an individual. I also really liked how realistic this book felt. It seems like it could have actually happened in real life. Overall, this book is very enjoyable with an engaging plot and interesting characters. It seems to be targeted toward younger audiences, but I would still recommend it to readers of all ages.
At the start of the school year, you’re breezing by the school year and performing well in school, but now, as it nears its end, you find that you have no motivation to do anything, your grades are dropping, you’re getting less sleep, and you’re just done with all of the school stuff. That’s called burnout, and research from the article Student Burnout Statistics: Causes, Prevalence, and Impact, states that 30% to 40% of students experience burnout. Burnouts are normal and inevitable for students in high school, especially those with rigorous classes, but there are ways to prevent them from happening.
The best way to tackle burnout is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Burnout happens when a person experiences too much stress to the point of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. For students, this can be caused by the pile of work or activities that they need to complete. To prevent this, you need to stop procrastinating. Don’t get me wrong–as a student, I procrastinate all the time, but sometimes it has its consequences. When you procrastinate, you push that work aside to do later, and you do this over and over again with different assignments. Next thing you know, it’s the night before all your assignments are due, and you’re racing against the clock to ensure that you maintain your grade in your class. The huge pile of homework that is pushed aside causes burnout because the more work a person has, the more stressed they will be, causing mental exhaustion.
To prevent procrastination, great time management is essential to ensure that all your assignments are completed on time. You can do this by creating planners, schedules, or to-do lists that can aid you in organizing your work into sections so that you can prioritize assignments and complete them. If these don’t work, you can even use psychological tactics to your advantage. You can use the reward system and reward yourself each time you complete a task, reinforcing that behavior of doing the task, or you can do the complete opposite and have consequences for not doing your tasks, such as having your car keys taken away. By doing these, it ensures that you can complete the tasks and prevent them from piling up.
Finding the study technique that works for you the best ensures that you can learn information and understand it, so you can keep up with your classes. If you are just breezing through classes and not putting much effort into learning, taking tests, or doing assignments, it might become too difficult because there’s little to no understanding of the classes. There are multiple study techniques out there, such as the Pomodoro technique, flashcards, and my personal favorite, the Recall Method, which can aid you in understanding the material.
Last but not least, you need to take care of yourself! When a person is burned out, they feel sad and unmotivated to do anything, and this can affect their mental health significantly. You can take care of yourself by making sure you eat, drink, and get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is so essential to the performance of a performance, so make sure to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
Hello, everybody, it’s me again, and since the month of this post’s writing is March, which is Women’s History Month, I’ll be writing about two women whom I believe are worthy of admiration and respect.
Annie Oakley, Legendary Sharpshooter
Nicknamed “Little Sure Shot” by close friend Lakota leader Sitting Bull, Annie Oakley, born Phoebe Ann Moses, was a world-renowned champion markswoman with humble beginnings. She began her career as a professional shooter at age fifteen and performed before dignitaries and royalty, a notable example being Queen Victoria of England.
I first discovered Annie Oakley a few years ago through the Historical American Biographies series, with Oakley’s biography titled Annie Oakley: Legendary Sharpshooter and written by Jean Flynn. I thoroughly enjoyed this biography, and it increased my love of historical fiction literature.
I believe Oakley deserves to be remembered this Woman’s History Month not only because of her extraordinary shooting ability but also for her humility, charity to the poor, particularly to young children, and quiet confidence.
Perhaps the most famous person with deafness and blindness of all time, Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, at Ivy Green. Although born healthy, Keller contracted an unknown illness, commonly thought to be rubella or scarlet fever, that rendered her deaf and blind.
Through the help of teacher and long-time friend and companion Anne Sullivan, Helen was able to learn the alphabet, both manual and in raised print for blind readers. She also became very successful at reading and writing and even eventually learned to speak.
Throughout her life, Helen Keller achieved many feats, such as being friends with a good number of the famous people of her time, Alexander Graham Bell and Mark Twain among the group. She was also an excellent writer who penned several published works, including her own autobiography, titled The Story of My Life. But, by far, what people should arguably know the most about Keller is her tireless advocacy for those with vision loss.
Read more about Helen Keller at the following websites:
Alphonse Mucha was a painter, graphic artist, and illustrator from the Czech Republic. Living from 1860 to 1939, Mucha was known for his works during the Art Nouveau period. He worked on many forms of art, such as paintings, architecture, furniture, jewelry, and theatrical sets. During the second portion of his career, he worked on a series of 20 canvases, The Slav Epic, to represent Slavic people and their history.
He became famous in Paris after creating works that consisted of clean, flowing line art, and drapery that further developed the elegant style. Mucha was inspired by nature, which was a common theme during the Art Nouveau era. Women were also a common subject for him, as he celebrated femininity and beauty. The flowing lines, combined with his decorative style and soft, graceful colors, made him popular all across Europe. Alphonse Mucha wanted art to be accessible to the common person, hence his art appearing in ads; his works blurred the line between fine and commercial art. Especially after creating posters for Sarah Bernhardt, an actress, Mucha challenged the idea of posters being low-status.
Contrasting his delicate works in Paris, The Slav Epic was historical and political. Alphonse Mucha returned to his homeland to create this series of paintings. It told the story of Slavic people, inspiring unity and national pride. Additionally, it focused more on collective identity, rather than individual beauty. The paintings were dimensionally large and were meant to be impactful and rich. This series was developed around the time of World War I, in which several Slavic groups were fighting for independence from empires. Although The Slav Epic was not as decorative as his art from the Art Nouveau period, Mucha’s artistic style can still be seen: he uses light and soft, glowing colors, as well as symbolic figures mixed with historical events. Alphonse Mucha considered this series of canvases his most important work.
San Fransico is a hub of good food, with many diverse cuisines. This article focuses on the best SWEET eats in San Francisco! First, it’s essential to start any day with a cup of coffee or a good breakfast.
Coffee Stops
Caffe Trieste – this historical coffee shop is located in North Beach, the Italian part of San Francisco. Caffe Trieste has great coffee blends that my parents always look forward to bringing home after visiting San Francisco.
Blackbird – this unique coffee shop doubles as a cafe and bookstore. Blackbird is an upscale coffee shop with delicious coffee and a great setup to study. I highly recommend checking this place out if you love cute coffee shops.
Motoring Coffee – I believe that this place is one of the coolest coffee shops to exist. Motoring Coffee is unique in that there are vintage cars inside the coffee shop (including a vintage red Porsche). Order a coffee and sip on it while you admire the trendy decor and wonderful cars.
Bakeries
Arsicault – If I had to say the best pastry shop that I’ve been to, I would 100% say Arsicault. This is one of those places where you wish you could bring the business back home with you. Arsicault was voted to have the best croissants in the United States. As a frequent customer when I visit San Francisco, I can fully testify that Arsicault has the best croissants and pastries I’ve ever had. If I had to recommend one item, I would recommend their Ham and Cheese Croissant. This croissant puts all others to shame, with its flaky, buttery layers and generous fillings of gourmet cheese and ham. As you can tell, I’m still dreaming about it. Anyways, Arsicault is amazing, get the Ham and Cheese Croissant as well as the Kouign-Amann if you go!
Note: this place is very popular, and they often sell out quickly
Butter & Crumble – recently, this place took social media by a storm. Butter & Crumble has excellent pastries. Here, you’ll find many options of cakes and sweet and savory pastries.
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory – This place is a great bakery to visit as a first-time tourist in San Francisco. The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory brings tourists through the process of making fortune cookies. Enjoy a historical lecture with a fun bakery twist!
Ice Cream
Humphrey Slocome – this ice cream shop is a classic place to visit. Humphrey Slocome prides itself on sourcing local ingredients to make high-quality ice cream. While their serving portions are a bit smaller, I love visiting Humphrey Slocome because of their creamy, rich ice cream.
Mitchells – this ice cream shop is family-owned and operated. I love this place because they have so many different and unique ice cream flavors, with most of them being Asian inspired. Mitchells is a great family business that sells delicious ice cream (with large portions, too).
Do you like the Dodgers? On the Dodgers team three Japanese players are dominating Major League Baseball and they led the Dodgers to win 2 World Series (2024, 2025). These three players are Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In this post, I’m going to write about Yoshinobu Yamamoto and why is he special.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is baseball player who is Japanese right-handed pitcher and 2025 World Series MVP. When he played in NPB which is Japan professional baseball league, he played for Orix Buffaloes. During his time in NPB, he led the Buffaloes to a Japan Series championship in 2022 and won the prestigious Eiji Sawamura Award three consecutive times from 2021 to 2023. The Sawamura Award is considered the Japanese equivalent of MLB’s Cy Young Award, given to the best pitcher each season. Because of his dominance in Japan, Yamamoto signed a historic contract with the Dodgers, becoming one of the most highly valued pitchers in baseball history.
Why is Yamamoto special? First, he is an undersized player. He is only 5’10 and that is much shorter than other players. For example, Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish are Japanese players, but they’re 6’4 and 6’5. Despite this physical disadvantage, Yamamoto can throw a fastball reaching 98 miles per hour. Second, his pitching form is unique. Rather than using an exaggerated leg kick, his motion moves quickly and directly toward the catcher, creating excellent balance and efficiency. Lastly, his training mechanics are very unique. When you watch his training on video, you will never see on the video that he is lifting weights. He’s working out his flexibility such as bridge and headstand. And when you watch his training, you will see that he’s throwing spear. You’ve probably never seen any pitcher throw a spear in practice.
His training philosophy is equally unusual. Instead of focusing heavily on weightlifting, Yamamoto emphasizes on flexibility and body control through exercises such as bridges and headstands. He even practices spear-throwing movements to develop proper arm mechanics and energy transfer. These methods help him generate power efficiently rather than relying purely on size or strength.
Yamamoto’s intelligence on the field further separates him from other pitchers. During games, he frequently studies hitters using an iPad in the dugout, analyzing swing tendencies and identifying which pitches have the highest probability of producing a miss. He also trains his upper and lower body separately to maximize mechanical efficiency. By increasing the speed and rhythm of his delivery, he disrupts hitters’ timing and compensates for his smaller frame. His preparation demonstrates how careful study and strategic thinking can overcome physical limitations.
In a sport where height and power often dominate scouting reports, Yoshinobu Yamamoto represents a different path to success. His career suggests that precision, intelligence, and preparation can rival physical size. Command, not height, defines true pitching dominance.
Reading Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion didn’t feel like reading a typical book. It felt more like stepping into someone else’s way of seeing the world. The collection of essays captures America in the 1960s, a time of cultural fracture, uncertainty, and quiet unraveling, but what makes the book powerful isn’t just its historical context. It’s the way Didion observes chaos without trying to neatly explain it.
What stood out to me immediately was Didion’s voice. She writes with a kind of emotional restraint that makes everything she describes feel sharper. Whether she’s writing about California counterculture, political unrest, or her own sense of unease, she never tells the reader how to feel. Instead, she presents moments, conversations, and details, and trusts us to sit with the discomfort. That refusal to offer easy conclusions is what makes the essays feel so relevant, even decades later.
The title essay, “Slouching Towards Bethlehem,” is especially unsettling. Didion immerses herself in a community where people are searching for meaning, rejecting structure, and living in extremes. What’s striking isn’t rebellion itself, but how hollow it sometimes feels. The essay captures a loss of shared values, where freedom exists without responsibility and idealism collapses into neglect. Reading it, I couldn’t help but think about how often chaos is romanticized, especially by younger generations looking for identity or belonging.
The book feels unexpectedly familiar. Even though the essays are set in the 1960s, the emotional landscape mirrors our own: disconnection, overstimulation, and a constant search for meaning in a world that doesn’t feel stable. Didion’s work reminds us that cultural breakdown isn’t new, and that uncertainty is something every generation believes it’s facing for the first time.
What I appreciated most about Slouching Towards Bethlehem is that it doesn’t try to fix anything. Didion isn’t offering solutions or moral lessons. She’s documenting what it feels like when systems stop making sense and people are left to navigate the aftermath. That honesty makes the book more powerful than if it tried to be optimistic or reassuring.
By the end, I realized that Slouching Towards Bethlehem isn’t just about the 1960s; it’s about what happens when people lose faith in structure but haven’t figured out what should replace it. Reading it made me more aware of how fragile order can be, and how important it is to question what we’re moving toward, even when we don’t fully understand where we are.
Marie Curie is one of the most well-known scientists in the world. She is seen as an icon in the world of modern science and her works proved to be tremendously impactful in the fields of chemistry and radiation. However, Marie endured a lot to get to become the person she is known as today.
Born Maria Salomea Skłodowska in Warsaw, Poland on November 7, 1867, Maria was the youngest of 5 siblings. Her parents were well renowned teachers, but a few years into her life her family experienced roadblocks. At the time Poland was under the Russian Empire, and Maria’s parents (as well as both the maternal and paternal sides of the family), were supportive of Polish independence. This caused Maria’s father to be forced into a low-income job, plunging them into poverty. A bad investment later on also affected them deeply, not helpful when Maria’s mother and oldest sister passed away a few years later.
Fast forward a couple of years and Maria had graduated from a boarding school and a secondary school, and then began attending the Flying University, a Polish patriotic school for those who wanted higher learning. Because she was a woman, Maria wasn’t allowed to attend higher level school, so both her and her sister Bronya attended the Flying University because it gave them more opportunities and allowed women to attend.
Later on, Maria worked as a tutor and governess for a few years, before moving to Paris and living with her sister, now married, and her husband. She secured a spot in the University of Paris, continuing her studies in the day and tutoring in the evenings, barely making money. She rigorously pushed herself, sometimes forgetting to eat, resulting in fatigue and fainting. Her hard work earned her a degree in physics, and she later earned another degree soon after.
A while after, she met Pierre Curie, a teacher at chemistry and physics universities, while she was investigating magnetic properties of steels. They both shared the same scientific interests, bringing them closer to one another, and soon enough they developed feelings for one another. Pierre proposed, but Maria, now going by Marie since she had moved to France, had wanted to go back to Poland, so she declined. She was under the impression that maybe the sexism had changed, but was still denied a place at Krakow University because she was a woman. A letter from Pierre convinced her back to Paris, and they got married soon after.
They continued research at a small place they used as a “lab”, shifting to focus on x-rays and uranium. During this time period Marie made many discoveries, such as discovering polonium and radium. Her and Pierre’s work, joint with physicist Henri Becquerel earned them each a Nobel Prize. However, at first Marie was yet again overlooked because she was a woman. She became the first woman ever to win a Nobel Prize, and later the first to get 2 Nobel Prizes and the first to get them for 2 different subjects (chemistry and radiation).
During World War 1, Marie helped millions with her cars that provided medical service to soldiers using x-rays. Sadly, in 1906 Pierre passed away due to an accident, leaving Marie devastated. She took on his previous spot as a professor, hoping to lead his legacy on. She went on to establish 2 institutes, and was acknowledged as a female professor at the University of Paris.
Through the time after her husband’s death, Curie was accused of being Jewish (due to xenophobia) and was also caught having an affair. She faced a lot of public anger but it died down, and she gained popularity after she grew in fame outside of Europe, getting invited to meet with the President of the United States at the time, Warren G. Harding. She visited other countries as well, visiting Poland for the last time she would see it in 1934.
On July 4, Marie Skłodowska-Curie died of aplastic anemia at the age of 66. The sickness was due to the one thing she was familiar with the most, radioactivity. Her constant exposure to it apparently caused damage to her bone marrow, and she couldn’t be treated as the effects and safety precautions were unknown at the time.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.… there was Star Wars! I will continue my Star Wars series reviews with the second prequel, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith! For background knowledge, Star Wars is a film saga of family/sci-fi movies created by the renowned George Lucas. I will be exploring the different aspects of Episode III below.
Plot & Story:
The film begins with a fantastic, awesome battle over the capital of the Republic, Coruscant. This is my favorite opening of any of the films. The music, the stakes, the atmosphere. Everything is perfect. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has been kidnapped by Count Dooku and Droid General Grievous. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi reach Grievous’ flagship and duel Count Dooku. Obi-Wan is knocked unconscious and Anakin disarms Dooku and has him at his mercy. The Chancellor urges Anakin to execute Dooku. Anakin is conflicted. It is not the Jedi way, he says, yet he complies, killing Dooku. In short, this is the character of Anakin Skywalker and the essence of Star Wars: the conflict between good and evil, love and duty, within us.
After Anakin safely lands the ship on the surface, he reunites with his wife, Padmé Amidala. She tells him she is pregnant. This is a sweet scene between them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last. Anakin begins having visions of his wife dying in childbirth, just like he did with his mother. He resolves to never let that happen again. He will save her, no matter what he has to do….
He asks for advice from Yoda, who tells him to let go of attachment. This is not what he wanted to hear. Simultaneously, the Jedi Council asks Anakin to spy on the Chancellor, who has become increasingly under suspicion as he has clung on to power far after his term has expired. The Chancellor detects this, telling Anakin that the Sith and the Jedi are equally moral. Anakin rejects this, exclaiming that the Jedi are selfless. The Chancellor recounts a Sith legend to Anakin. A legend that Darth Plagueis had the power to prevent those he cared about from dying. This is exactly what Anakin wanted to hear.
Darth Sidious instructs the separatist leaders to flee to Mustafar as the walls close in on the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Obi-Wan travels to Utapau to fight Grievous as Yoda travels to Kashyyyk to aid the Wookiees.
Master Windu instructs Anakin to inform the Chancellor that Obi-Wan has killed Grievous. Anakin must discern whether Palpatine intends to return power to the Senate now that the war is coming to a close. Anakin confronts the Chancellor, and all the hints and tension throughout Episodes 1-3 come to a head. Palpatine tells Anakin that only through him can he save his wife from certain death. At last, the Sith lord is revealed, and the extent of his powers become clear. He has manipulated the war and inexplicably knows that Anakin has been dreaming about his wife’s death. It is left to audience interpretation if Palpatine was manipulating Anakin’s thoughts through the Force or simply had the power to know.
Anakin leaves and tells Windu that Palpatine will never give up power and is the Sith lord. He wants to join Windu, but Windu says no. Windu senses great conflict in Anakin. Windu duels Palpatine and wins, and has him at the end of his blade. The Jedi code forbids him from striking him down. Anakin, who followed Windu in secret, exclaims that Sidious must stand trial. Anakin wants to keep him alive to learn the secrets of Darth Plagueis and save his wife. However, Windu refuses. Then, Anakin strikes Windu’s hand and Sidious kills Windu with Force lightning. Anakin collapses, “What have I done?”
Anakin, in a corner, pledges himself to Sidious as long as he can save Padmé.
Order 66 and the march on the Jedi Temple occurs. Roughly 10,000 Jedi are gunned down and slaughtered. Anakin kills many, including children in cold blood. Anakin tells Padmé he is doing it for her, but saves her the details. He travels to Mustafar to kill the Separatist council and end the war.
Padmé follows him. Unknown to her, Obi-Wan is stowed away in her spaceship. Anakin explodes in anger and chokes her with the Force. She is left unconscious as Anakin prepares for a duel. He exclaims, “don’t make me kill you,” showing he still cares about Obi-Wan. However, violence is inevitable. The greatest sword fight in all of cinema ends with: “You were my brother Anakin! I loved you!” A charred Anakin Skywalker goes to metaphorical hell for his sins. Burned and maimed, he is put in the figurative coffin of the Darth Vader suit.
He asks his master, Palpatine/Sidious, if Padmé is alright. Mysteriously, Sidious claims Anakin killed her with his Force choke. Vader/Anakin breaks down, now a man who sacrificed his soul and lost everything.
Concurrently, Padmé gives birth to twins, Luke and Leia, visually contrasting the “death” of Anakin Skywalker and the birth of his children. Padmé dies, her last words being “There’s still good in him.”
The film ends the Star Wars saga with the following scenes: the funeral of Queen Amidala on Naboo, the start of construction of the Death Star, and the hiding of Luke and Leia on Tatooine and Alderaan.
Music Score:
The music in Episode III was written by the iconic composer John Williams, who composed many great scores in cinema like Jaws, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter to name a few. My favorite piece from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is “Battle of the Heroes.” It plays when Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) are dueling on Mustafar. With the trumpet solo in the beginning and the orchestra pumping the tempo, the audience can feel tension between the two characters. Especially when the choir joins, the audience understands that something huge and extremely significant will occur. This work of art allows the audience to feel like they themselves are dueling to the death. That every second counts. The changing of tempos and crescendos, or an increase in volume and intensity, as the piece goes on is exquisite as well.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Between Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, I love the third episode the most. The character development from Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader and how he betrays his master is why I love this film so much. There is depth and the music adds so much to the value of the movie. There is more to come, as I’ll be reviewing the other Star Wars episodes every month, so stay posted! I hope you enjoyed this blog and please watch the movie if you haven’t before!
![[ODDS and EVENS] Yoshinobu Yamamoto is Having Another Sensational Season for the Buffaloes ...](https://mvlteenvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/oddsandevens-yamamoto-jf-0914.jpg)
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 