Grey’s Anatomy

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Leann D.

Having the power to cure someone of a disease or illness has always been something of interest to me. Whether it’s listening to their problems or putting a Band-Aid on a cut, the role doctors and nurses play drew me to the TV series, Grey’s Anatomy. The series stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey and Patrick Dempsey as Dereck Sheperd along with many other important cast members. They begin the show as interns at Seattle Grace Hospital and compete to be the best surgeon. They start off watching, assisting, and observing all different medical tasks such as procedure, paper work, and surgeries completed by the best surgeons in the country.

Relationships that begin as rivalries turn into every lasting friendships, with some growing more than just friendly, such as Meredith and Dereck who met for an anonymous one night stand only to discover that they work at the same hospital where Dereck already has his foot in the door as the hospital’s top neurosurgeon. An awkward and puzzled Meredith does her best to ignore the last night events and act professional in her environment, trying her best not to slip up her first day as an intern. Not to forget Meredith has been surrounded by hospitals, surgeries, and medical talk due to the fact her mother was a doctor before her with the reputation as one of the best. Being surrounded her whole life Meredith has a pretty good idea how to win the game. I mean she already has the last name of a winner.

Grey’s Anatomy is full of love, lust, romance, gore, curiosity, and learning. A tad extreme it gives you a good idea what surgeons deal with on a day to day basis. The television series was well put together and keeps the viewers wanting more.

-Leann D.

Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck

Posted on October 17, 2017 by aprilauthor

OfMiceAndMen Lennie Small, a tiny name that symbolizes a big and tough man. His ultimate dream was to have innocent rabbits as loyal companions. But his obstination opposed the characteristic of a rabbit’s falter and agile. He consumed trouble instead of dinner, he didn’t want to, but that’s all he could afford.

George Milton wasn’t as big as Lennie, but he obtains the stupefying ability to brush the trouble off of his glistening teeth. Suppose he was the best hypocrite ever. Always reprimands Lennie for dumping a laundry of trouble on him, but never saddened him, for he would praise this act as a wonderful dissimulation of their trail and scent.

The versatile Slim whose solemn stipulation was only upon a lick of air can give the entire farm a nice and tender pat. The crude but righteous Carlson, hideous Crook who fades himself inside his self-abasement, and Candy, his bitter age really outrun his chocolate-like personality. You see the boss’s omnipotent son? Yes, that is Curley, he roars at people quietly but deadly. He is efficient but not smart, who knows how he married that abominable woman.

Curley’s wife was nameless because she doesn’t deserve one. She was seditious and the voluptuousness buried herself underground. Lennie will definitely be basting her in the face just like he did to her neck when they are both sent to the grinning hell for inspection.

Towards the end of the story, George, Lennie’s “legal guardian” shot him to redeem for his sins. Lennie never mean to suffocate the poor puppy, break Curley’s wrist or even kill Curley’s wife. He often trances to and fro between the angel and devil. They were the one who vexed him, you should blame them people. He can neither be responsible to the gallantry that the supreme angel offered him nor he can be responsible to the malice that the devil fed him. And George, the person that never flicked a finger against him, pushed Leenie’s soul into hell. He can never murder the devil, but the cherubic angel can’t be harmed.

Time is the medicine that heals the wound and that’s for both the smiling Lennie and the weeping George. Lennie finally gets his adorable rabbits, congratulations.

-April L.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Advantages vs. Disadvantages of Required Reading

Posted on October 17, 2017 by Kyle H.

As students, we’ve all experienced novels in English class that are required for us to read. Sometimes these books turn out to be good and other times, not so much. Personally, I have disliked most of the books I’ve been required to read for a number of reasons. However, I can see the benefits to required reading as it is done through the school system.

There are certainly some advantages to required reading material in school. One could be that the book causes students to branch out of their comfort zone, as far as books go, and help them pursue a new genre that they, normally, would not have read by themselves. This advantage holds true to me, since I am someone who has no trouble re-reading Harry Potter for the zillionth time. I find it interesting if we read a book in class that I would not have otherwise wanted to read.

Required reading can help to grow vocabulary, reading, and writing proficiency. If a student was to go to a library and pick out any book, they would most likely pick one they like or are comfortable with reading. In school, students do not have the luxury of choosing which books to read, and therefore are subject to harder vocabulary and sentence types in higher level books written by authors with insanely confusing diction. This relates to my English class experiences with A Tale of Two Cities which challenged my reading and writing proficiency greatly. Although these examples may make required reading seem great, students may also find themselves despising any book they are forced to read and make it harder for the student to get involved in the class or homework.

A solution to this problem would be to give students a list of different books they can read, all out of their comfort zone of genre and reading proficiency level, and give them the choice of which book they would like to read. This gives students the idea that they themselves are choosing what they want to read which may result in fewer students being uninterested or unfocused while keeping a challenging level of reading and vocabulary along with it.

-Kyle H.

What are your thoughts on required reading? Let us know in the comments below!

A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Megan V.

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I only do a series if the whole series is good or if the other books of the series are better than the first of the series. In this case, its the later.

In the first book, Feyre, strong and unbending, kills a wolf knowing that it’s a fae. She needed the food, and so did her family during a harsh winter. In return, Tamlin of the fae kidnaps her and brings her on the fae side of the wall that divided fae and human. Of course, she falls for Tamlin, and there are mysterious cute boys and sadistic evil queens in the distance.

In the second book, Feyre, without putting in too many spoilers, is having nightmares and depression after facing the evil queen in the first book, and cannot be happy even though she’s marrying Tamlin. She then gets kidnapped by this mysterious cute boy from the first book, named Rhysand, at her wedding and he takes her to his house and she helps fight the even eviler fae king, which continues into the third book.

Of course, this is myself trying not to do spoilers. Now, I have to show what I think about the series. For those who like evil fairies and magic will love this series.

For the first book, I felt that it was okay. I felt that Feyre was being treated like a princess, as she was told by everyone that she should stay behind and not move or else she would get hurt. She does get hurt by the end of the book, and it is quite nasty, but I feel that she grows from it. I would guess that readers should be at least fourteen to read it, which is typical.

Then we reach the second book, where Feyre is treated like a queen. There were a lot of events that led up to this, such as a book character that every girl wants for their husband, but this was the development of Feyre that I would want in any protagonist, and it has only been the second book. However, I would warn readers that the book is rated very older teen. Feyre going into depression is nasty, with her having bulimia and no one being there to help her, which is very depressing in itself, and there are other mature and…. er…. questionable scenes.

Finally, the third book. Not only is Feyre being treated like a queen, but she also has to bear the responsibilities of the crown and has to face her own nightmares. The rating is older teen, with the scenes not as numerous as the second book but still quite as questionable.

There are also many splendid and enjoyable characters besides Feyre: a member of one of the LGBT groups, a woman that makes everyone scared (to make you scared, she drinks blood from a bowl!), two goofy males that are supposedly the strongest of their kingdom, a man who is trying to choose between the duty to his lord and what he thinks is right, and a man that is trying to support everything and everyone, but needs an equal to support.

To sum up, I found this series to be the best I have read in quite a while, and I hope that more people could read it.

-Megan V., 12th grade

Sarah J. Maas’s books are available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Creative Writing: Happy Birthday

Posted on October 15, 2017 by Sabrina C.

“…to you.”

Another year, another candle, another wish. Annually it was the same, repeating over and over until it was all I knew. Celebrate this day, sing that song, take that picture, and hope for it all to change by the next time. But it never did, did it? The same room, the same cake, the same face, just different people coming and going to see the event. Sooner or later you start to realize all the faces blur together until it turns into nothing. Just a pair of hands with a stretched smile that deliver your age on a silver platter. They cheer for your vitality, but they don’t know how meaningless it is when you’re already dead. They don’t know how numb you’ve become to the wavering flame and blinding snapshots desperately trying to capture the moment that will continue to repeat. They don’t know because they won’t be there for all of them, only you will. Because only you know what it’s like to live the same year. With the same voice and the same face.
Immortality is a gift, they said. But they were wrong.

(I wrote this on my birthday and thought it would be interesting to start an idea for a story about immortality. I don’t know where or how the story would continue but it’s just a small free write to close out this summer.)

-Sabrina C., 12th Grade

White Chicks by Keenen Ivory Wayan

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Leann D.

Among all comical movies I think my favorite would have to be White Chicks starring the Wayan brothers. The story begins with Shawn and Marlon portraying characters Kevin and Marcus as under cover cops. The two are inseparable and the best of friends always having each others backs no matter what the situation maybe. As the plot continues the boys get themselves into a case believing their only job was to pick up two rich white girls from the airport names Brittany and Tiffany Wilson, also known as the Wilson sisters.

The sisters had always received what they wanted in exchanged for nothing. They are both snotty, bratty, conceited, and spoiled. On the way to the hotel from the airport, a small incident happens where the girls are unable to show up the events they planned for due to facial cuts and scratches, creating a huge and disastrous situation where both Kevin and Marcus can loose their jobs. With so much at stake they take matters into their own hands and devise a plan to pretend to be the Wilson sisters while continuing to be under cover cops on the low. Throughout there experience playing as different people they come to learn unexposed information, create new friendships, and become better police. The movie is funny, full of action, and great for a night with the girls.

The Copper Gauntlet by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Aliya A.

The second book in the Magisterium series picks up where the first left off. Summer vacation is almost finished, and Call is looking forward to going back to school, although his dad is dead set against it. About a couple of weeks before school starts, Call learns that Alistair knows something about him that he is prepared to take desperate measures to correct (the same secret that was revealed at the end of The Iron Trial).

Once he gets to school, Call realizes that his dad is up to something when it’s rumored that someone is trying to steal the Alkahest, a powerful copper gauntlet. Everyone thinks that the perpetrator is intending to harm the Makar and destroy the Magisterium. Call, though, knows better. He sets out to save his dad with Aaron, Tamara, Jasper, and Havoc, which turns out to have pretty unexpected results as they uncover secrets kept from even the mages.

There is quite a bit of character development, especially regarding Call. He has changed since the first book, although he still retains his characteristic personality. Call struggles with himself now more than he had in The Iron Trial, especially now that he can detect all the signs about who he really is, while at the same time kind of being in denial about it. However, he does carry himself differently and becomes more confident than the first book, and is more open than he used to be, although he doesn’t always go to his friends for help when he needs it.

-Aliya A.

The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Endless Love

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Leann D.

Endless Love is a tale about an intelligent and beautiful girl who just graduated high school. Always with her head in a book and no time to chit chat, Jade never really got out to live the high school experience or create any friendships. Constantly surrounded by her parents, mentors, and elders, Jade’s goal in life was to become a doctor. With plenty of schools and scholarships on her mind, there really was no time for fun. Until she meets what seems to be the light of her life, David. Coming from such a rich and well structured family, David is a bit out of the ordinary for Jade. David grew up with a father, low income, and a small house, but he is well put together. Sparks fly the second they meet eyes and the story goes from there. David brings the joy and happiness out of Jade that nobody had ever seen before. All are thrilled to hear Jade finally getting out and actually acting like a kid for once, except her father. Such a narrow-minded man does all that he can to keep the two apart. Although it seems to just fuel the teen love even more. Other than the intention of rebellion, Jade and David were really meant to be together. Throughout the movie their actions will display determination and that love could never be broken no matter what boundaries are created to separate them. True love never dies, as they all say.

One of Us Is Lying

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Anmol K.

One of the best books I have read, One of Us Is Lying by Karen M, McManus, kept me hooked till the end. The plot revolves around five high school students: the jock, the brainiac, the troublemaker, and the princess. Cooper, Bronwyn, Nate, and Addy all are in detention together for having cell phones in their backpacks when they were supposed to be left in their backpacks. Each one claims that the cellphone was planned by someone else because each kid claims to have left in their locker, but the teacher does not believe them. Figuring that it must be a prank, they go to detention. Along there with them is Simon, a fellow senior. He is there for the same reason, but does not fit into any of these said stereotypes. While the students are serving detention, Simon goes to fill a paper cup with water. All of the sudden, he collapses and is rushed to the hospital. There, he is proclaimed dead from a severe allergic reaction to peanuts. The whole community is shocked, and blame is placed upon the four other students who were in that room with him. Each claims to be innocent, but each also has secrets to hide. Did someone in that room do it, or was it a group of them, or was it someone else with their own motives? To find out, read this novel and be prepared for a great plot.

I absolutely enjoyed this book because of the plot and the characters. As a fan of thriller novels, I especially enjoyed the high school aspect of it. It helped make it more relatable and added to the suspense. Another great aspect of this book is the characters and what each of them brings to the plot. As the story went on, their secrets were revealed. Those various revelations helped to make the plot more twisted. The main question of who did the crime was on my mind the whole novel, and the answer was delivered in an interesting way. As clues were revealed, I started to figure out the answer, but it was close to the end. I would recommend it to any high school student looking for a thrilling read.

Rhianna

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Leann D.

The Goddess herself, Robyn Rhianna Fenty was born in the beautiful islands of Barbados in Saint Michael’s. She is currently 29 years old born, February 20th, 1988. She began her career recording demo tapes under record producer Evan Rogers in 2003. She then worked her way up and signed a contract with Def Jams Recording.

She is now worth millions and produces hundreds of beautiful songs. Her music gives females a sense of girl power and makes you want to get up and dance. The artist won a Grammy Award for her album Apologetic and is one of the best selling artists of all time. Her sales exceed 230 million records worldwide.

My favorite songs have to be “Too Good” that she featured in with Drake, “Disturbia”, “What’s My Name”, and “Stay”. She is a huge inspiration to me, that if you strive for greatness, there’s nothing left than to become perfection. I’m absolutely in love with rich Barbadian accent and her style. If I had the ability to spend one day with a famous music artist, without a doubt it would be Rhianna.

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Monthly Archives: October 2017