Monthly Archives: August 2020

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

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Wait, Romeo and Juliet, that’s the one about love right?  Yes, my friend, that is the one about love, but also it explores so much more.  In the sixteenth century play, two rival clans, the Montagues, and the Capulets has a child, Romeo and Juliet, who fall helplessly in love with each other but are not permitted to be with each other and as a result of this, through an elaborate plan which backfires, ultimately each takes their own lives. 

On a surface level, it is a story about love. But deeper down is the story’s true motifs, rejection of stereotypes.  For example, when Romeo and Juliet come to the conclusion that they are from rival houses, this does not hinder their romance. They put their families’ differences behind them without even a thought. Juliet rebels against her father’s patriarchal control over her by refusing the arranged marriage he attempts to force upon her. Also, she is a renegade in the sense that she was ahead of her time in the ways of intellect. Juliet always thinks things through or has a plan. Her character beats the old fashioned notion of girls being simple creatures that act on a whim and can’t be logical into the ground.  Friar Lawrence breaks the mood by telling Romeo to buy illegal drugs. 

All around in this story, people are rejecting the stereotypes that others represent and rejecting the ones that they represent as well. Today, if we were collectively wise enough as a society to reject stereotypes, think of how much more in unison we would all be. Now, of all times, we should be looking past stereotypes. Over four hundred years ago Shakespeare wrote this revolutionary play about looking past stereotypes and some of us are too ignorant to get it through our skulls. Remember this, a stereotype is merely a figment of one’s imagination. The more you believe it, the more you put it in the forefront of your mind as you go through life, the more prevalent you make it. As the monster you thought was in your closet as a kid, the more you thought about it, the more real it seemed.  The more you see the stereotypes, the more of a monster you become.

In the words of Nelson Mandela, “It is in your hands to create a better world for all those who live in it”

Treat others how you would like to be treated.  Don’t be the monster in the closet that you were scared of as a kid. 

-Ainsley H

Romeo and Juliet, and collective works of William Shakespeare, is available for checkout form the Mission Viejo Library. 

Books Series to Read This School Year

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This year we might have a lot of time on our hands because we may be doing online classes. So here are a few book series that I think you will be able to enjoy.

My first choice would be Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, by Rick Riordan. This series is about Norse mythology, the main character is Magnus Chase who is killed and goes to Valhalla where he lives on a floor in a hotel with a bunch of unique and funny neighbors. Until he finds out about a quest for the Sword of Summer. In the first book which is The Sword of Summer, it is very entertaining and hilarious.

My second choice would be The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. This series is about four children named Peter, Lucy, Edmund, and Susan who are taken away from their parents because of a war. They are brought to an elder man’s house and they discover a wardrobe that teleports them to a different place. They meet many different creatures that they befriend and go on adventures. This series is definitely worth your time.

My third and final series that I recommend is A Series of Unfortunate Events. If you like happy endings and happiness I do not think you should read this. This series is about three children named Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire whose parents die in a fire. They are sent to live with a rude and selfish actor named Count Olaf. He is after the Baudelaire fortune and will stop at nothing to get it. In this series accompany the Baudelaire children barely escaping Count Olaf and his evil theater troupe. This series is one of my favorite book series, and if you end up reading it, hopefully, you will enjoy it as well.

In conclusion these are my top book series to read this school year.

-Veronica S.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Warzone

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Recently Activision released a new game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. This new Call of Duty has a new Battle Royale game mode called Warzone. This new game mode is very unique and has certain aspects that no other game has had in the past. For example, if you die in-game, you are sent to a prison called the Gulag. In the Gulag, you are put into a 1v1 situation, and if you win, you are redeployed. This new system not only helps us players get back into the fight, but it also allows for other players to learn the game much easier.

Recently I won my first solo Warzone game, and it was very difficult. Going against 149 other players per game us quite the challenge, so beating all of them was a good feeling. I ended my game with a total of 10 kills, and I was very happy to see that I leveled up by two levels.

Overall, I enjoyed my gaming experience with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Warzone. I do hope the game producers fix certain bugs and hacks, but besides that, the game was very enjoyable.

Veterans Online Game Review

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Veterans Online is a free-to-play, top-down multiplayer shooter that puts ten players in an intense five vs five situation. The game requires fast reflexes and even faster sharpshooting. The players are able to customize their load-outs, characters, taunts, and more. To do this, players must use the money they earn to buy said upgrades. These currencies can be made either from spending money in the game or completing certain challenges. Players also can buy certain weapons using the buy menu, which will use your currency that you earn mid-game to give you better weaponry.

The graphics of Veterans Online was very clean. When I launched the game, I was greeted with the sounds of battle and dramatic music. I spent some time customizing my character and giving him the hair and masks that I liked. I then went into the tutorials and watched all of the video walkthroughs. The one problem I had was the movement controls and sensitivity. The sensitivity for my game was way too high, and my movement keys were not the usual WASD and were assigned to other keys. Luckily, I was able to change both of these problems to my liking, and I was ready to play.

Sadly, I was not able to get into an online match. I sat in the lobby waiting to get in a game, but the highest number of players was 2/10. I wanted to play an online match and test my skill, but it never happened. I decided to go into a custom match by myself, to get the feel for the game and controls. The game is very well made. The maps are clean and big and would work for any five vs five game mode. The guns and recoil patterns are interesting and would be challenging to get used to. It was a shame that I could not get into an online game mode.

Overall, I enjoyed Veterans Online even though I was not able to play the online version. I enjoyed the base game, with different weaponry and skills. I believe that the reason I did not get into an online match was due to the low amount of players. I do believe that if the game had more players, it would draw more attention. I hope that the game does get more popular in the future because it is a good game. Overall, I would give Veterans Online a nine out of ten.

-Daniel C. 

Return to Fear Street: You May Now Kill The Bride by R. L. Stine

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Return to Fear Street: You May Now Kill The Bride is the perfect balance of mystery and horror. Two sisters separated by decades, will they all come to the same terrible fate or will the curse be lifted?

I am not an avid reader when it comes to thriller/horror mystery, but this was an exceptional case. The different pockets of time threw me off from time to time, but there was always a plot twist that would grab me back in. This book oddly shows extreme forms of family problems and toxic relationships, which sadly seems to apply more now than ever in a society.
As you venture further into the story, you realize how much sorrow and anger there is in the world, and how the stories between the sisters paint an ugly picture. This story made me think about if such a horrid tale happened in my family, it gave me chills and a reality check. The tragic truth is jealous and acrimony weaved throughout this tale is what some people experience every day. The poor decisions we make based on an unjust prejudice make me gag.
Aside from that, I highly recommend this book. It was a thrilling adventure that taught me a small lesson along the way. Reading some parts of the book aloud assisted my understanding of the character’s thoughts and emotions throughout the book.
There is no true main character because the baton is passed off between two similar girls almost a hundred years apart. However, the issues and emotions they faced were extremely related, and it relates to most of us today. Even though the extremity is not on the same level, we all have had our shares of lethal relationships and moments of inflamed passion, that lead to disastrous events.
Long story short, an electrifying drama that will keep you up late reading it.
-Coralie D.
You May Now Kill The Bride by R. L. Stine is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive. 

Subnautica Game Review

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Subnautica on Steam

I had never been a fan of survival games. Their grindy, repetitive gameplay, and often disappointing storylines had never captivated me in the same way that other games could. Then I found Subnautica. This game blows almost all other survival games out of the water (pun intended). There’s a deep story, interesting mechanics, and all sorts of cool flora and fauna.

Subnautica is a survival/crafting game set on an aquatic alien planet. The playable area is the inside of a volcanic crater, with the crater edges serving as boundaries. Within the crater is a plethora of explorable biomes, some safe and some deadly. As there is no provided map, you’ll need to learn how to find your way around with a compass and some landmarks.

The storyline is well-executed without feeling forced or choppy. The main thing I like about this game is that there’s not much hand-holding. There isn’t a concrete tutorial, and you can play the game for hours without completing any of the story elements.

Finally, one of the best things about this game is how it uses terror. I wasn’t expecting this game to be scary. It was absolutely chilling. Rather than using cheap jump scares or gore, this game gets you to scare yourself. When you’re in the middle of a pitch-black ocean and you hear a roar in the distance, or when you look down to see nothing but crushing depths, it’s terrifying. It’s really well done.

The only complaint with this game is performance. The game normally looks stunning, but there is often lag and rendering issues. These problems slightly break your immersion, but if you’re okay with some graphics glitches every now and then, it won’t be a problem.

Overall, this is a great game for anyone who doesn’t have thalassophobia (look that one up). Other than a few performance-related issues, there’s nothing I’d change about this game.

Rating: 9/10

-Josh M