Volunteering From Home for Teens: Letter Writing

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Vaidehi B.

Here, I’ve included organizations for teenagers to volunteer from home with- this time, letter writing. Enjoy!

1. Letters Against Isolation

Letters Against Isolation aims to ease loneliness among self-isolating seniors through letters! Volunteers write creative, fun letters or cards, and then mail the cards and letters to addresses they are given. Even though you may have to make a small investment to buy envelopes and stamps, it’s an easy, self-paced way to volunteer! You can find them at https://www.lettersagainstisolation.com/

Volunteering | South Florida Water Management District

2. Cards for a Cause

Cards for a Cause aims to ease sadness and loneliness among children hospitalized for a serious or terminal illness through card-writing. There are instructions for writing cards on their website, along with an email address to mail pictures of you working on the cards, so they can verify your hours. When finished, you mail the cards in one package to a given address, from which they are distributed out to individual children. Because the cards are mailed en masse to a single address, your investment for stamps and envelopes will be minimal, making this a great and easy way to volunteer! You can find them at https://cardsforacause.org/make-cards/

3. Soldiers’ Angels

Soldiers’ Angels is a massive volunteer organization, with many different virtual and in-person opportunities, so take a look at their other campaigns! They currently have two letter and card writing campaigns. However, to participate in their variety of opportunities, they do require a $1 per month donation. You can find them at https://soldiersangels.org/

-Vaidehi B.

Book Review: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Oliver H.

The Metamorphosis is a short story by Franz Kafka. A young man named Gregor wakes up one morning and realizes that he has turned into a “monstrous vermin.” His family is shocked to see him in this state. Before long, they become angry with Gregor and treat him cruelly. I was surprised that Gregor would be treated so harshly throughout the story, despite his unfortunate predicament.

This book is a short read, but very memorable. Kafka offers an interesting perspective on human nature. We see that people are capable of cruel treatment toward others who are different in some way. At first it seems humorous to imagine someone turning into a bug. However, reading the story I began to feel sorry for Gregor. He seems quite miserable in his new state, and he is terribly mistreated and neglected as a result of his metamorphosis. This story is a reminder that we ought to treat others with kindness, even though they are different.

-Oliver H.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Book Review: The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Lam T.

At age twelve, Josh and his twin brother, Jordan, are teenage basketball phenomenons, radiant beasts, kings on the court. But when Jordan meets the new girl in school, everything unravels for Josh as the brothers’ bond comes undone and circumstances get progressively worse and worse for him than he could’ve ever imagined.

As Josh begins to lose his brother, he loses himself in his loneliness and jealousy, and what he does in a couple seconds changes their relationship dramatically. It worsens to the point where the bridge between the two is completely burned to ash.

Soon, pieces that have never made sense to Josh are suddenly fitting together to create the truth. Secrets are revealed to Josh and Jordan, and they present the dangerous possibility of changing their lives forever. As these possibilities transform into realities, they seem to suck all the light out of Josh and Jordan’s lives, leaving them darkened, deflated, and empty. Eventually, the brothers realize that they still have and need each other.

As ties are cut and secrets are revealed, Josh travels shakily through it all. There are moments when he walks proudly, straight ahead; stumbles forward with his head down; and even loses his footing and falls flat on his face. But even if it takes him a while to get back up and dust himself off, he always manages to continue marching ahead to whatever awaits him.

During the novel, I was really surprised by Josh’s incredible development throughout the story. In the beginning, he desires fame and glory. But later on, when he is presented with his father’s championship ring, which he has long wished to possess, he decides to share it with Jordan. His growth was gradual but eventually noticeable—readers watch and listen to him through his own eyes as he grows wiser and comes to realize that there are things in life more important than winning.

Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover tells the amusing, unfortunate, heartwarming, and heartbreaking story of Josh Bell and a sequence of unlucky events— entirely through free verse. It deeply moved me in a way that books usually don’t. If you have the time, please give this book a try—I promise you won’t regret it.

-Lam T.

Game Review – Detroit: Become Human

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Nicole R.

Detroit: Become Human is an exhilarating action-choice game with many different results and different scenarios. The plot of the game follows three different stories each following three different characters. The game is set in the futuristic world where androids, robots who look, talk and act human are created and are able to do different things that humans can also do.

We are first introduced to Connor. He is the android sent by Cyberlife. Connor was designed to investigate and deal with deviant androids. Deviant androids are androids that have deviated from their programming and programmed behavior. Then we meet Kara. Kara is a household android who is to take care of her buyer’s daughter, Alice. Her story goes through many troubles to keep her and Alice safe after she escapes Alice’s father, Todd’s, grasp. And then, we are finally introduced to Markus. He is a caretaker of Carl Manfred, a famous painter. But after a certain set of events, he must learn to survive himself and help the android race.

I had been wanting to play Detroit: Become Human for a while now, after watching many play-throughs on YouTube. Then I finally got it and I played it for the first time. I was so excited and my excitement never faded throughout playing the game. There are so many choices you can make in Detroit: Become Human and so many endings you can get from the choices you make. All the choices you make in the game can have an impact in the future of the game. I personally got an ending I didn’t exactly want but that’s what makes it fun. You get to play the game over and over and make different choices and different results.

I have seen some haters of the game, but I think they aren’t seeing the bigger picture. I will say that it is a bit unrealistic in some parts. For example, changing people’s opinions about a huge issue in the world in just three days is unrealistic and improbable. But some say that Kara’s story is completely useless and can be taken out of the game completely; but I disagree. Kara’s story is important because it is a perspective of an android who doesn’t exactly play a huge role like Conner and is a leader like Markus. Kara just wants to survive like other normal deviant androids. So we get to play and see through the perspective of a normal deviant android and what can happen to them.

This game does have very mature language and some mature scenes so just keep that in mind if you ever want to play this game. I’m only currently on my second play-through of the game and am hoping to get a better ending this time around and will probably play it over and over again until I complete the story entirely. I don’t play games very often, other than Lego games and Kingdom Hearts, but I really enjoy this game and love playing it.

-Nicole R.

Movie Review: Howl’s Moving Castle

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Kelsie W.

Howl’s Moving Castle is a Studio Ghibli classic, one based of a book of the same name. The gorgeous animations, lovable characters, and peaceful vibe of the movie make it one of my favorites. Howl’s Moving Castle follows a young woman, Sophie, who works as a hat-maker, content with a boring life. One day, a witch comes into her shop and curses her to look like an old lady. Sophie decides to seek out the feared witch Howl and his moving home, and gets caught up helping him resist fighting in the war sweeping the nation.

The movie’s director, Hayao Miyazaki, was influenced by his anger about the United State’s invasion of Iraq, and included many anti-war themes in the film. I also enjoyed the fact that the movie depicted old age in a positive light. Being seen as an old woman helped Sophie be stronger and bolder in standing up for herself. In many ways, Howl’s Moving Castle has many deeper meanings.

From the luscious green hills to the dark war scenes, Howl’s Moving Castle is truly a gorgeous animation. The characters are all very interesting as well, with Calcifer, the sarcastic fire demon, to Markl, the young apprentice with much to learn, and of course, Howl, who is much more than just a vain wizard.

-Kelsie W.

Becoming TV Show Review

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Mert A.

You probably are a fan of some famous athletes, singers, actors and actresses, as well as other celebrities. On this TV docu-series on Disney Plus, you can actually watch episodes about these celebrities and about their rise to stardom. You can learn about their childhood, the challenges that they faced while growing up, as well as their thoughts and feelings during those times.

Even though the show only has one season so far, which was released in September 2020, there may be more episodes to come later.

You can watch episodes dedicated to the pasts of Anthony Davis, Candace Parker, Rob Gronkowsi, Nick Kroll, Adam Devine, Colbie Caillat, Caleb McLaughlin, Ashley Tisdale, Nick Cannon, and Julianne Hough! There were ten episodes in the 2020 season (The first season), with one episode for each celebrity.

If you look up to them, know about them, or even just want to learn more about them, I recommend this show because you can learn about how they grew up, how they tackled the obstacles on the way and what they did to become great at what they do. You can see that they never gave up on their dreams, even when their paths weren’t as clear and when the odds were against them. You can hear stories from the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, mentors, teachers, and coaches of these 10 people!

I give this show an 8 out of 10 rating because it is very inspiring to learn about different people and their journeys and paths to success. The reason I took off 2 points is because I feel like the episodes were a little short. I know that these celebrities are very busy, but I would have loved to see some longer and more in depth episodes about each person, especially the athletes! Overall, it is a very entertaining, informative and encouraging TV show and I definitely recommend this show to anyone, especially those looking to become successful athletes, comedians, actors, or singers!

-Mert A.

Game Review: The Fabled Woods

Posted on October 8, 2021 by DanielCW

The Fabled Woods made by CyberPunch studios is a mystery thriller that takes place in the mysterious woods. The short story follows a man walking through the woods, as he uncovers the dark secrets of his family’s camping trips that they used to take. With beautiful graphics and scenery, smooth gameplay, and twists around every corner, The Fabled Woods is a great game for any mystery-loving gamer.

The graphics of The Fabled Woods were extremely nice, and they gave the game a calming and peaceful look. The player wakes up in the middle of the woods at sunrise, walking around trees and bushes as birds sing. The sounds of the game were also very natural, and they were very realistic. If The Fabled Woods was available on VR, I would truly believe that I was in the woods.

I really like the gameplay of The Fabled Woods. The game itself was not too confusing and was very easy to learn. If you want the best experience playing this game, you will need a good PC to run the max graphics smoothly. There were some confusing sections of the game, mainly when I did not know where to go. I did have to look up guides on the internet to figure out where to go.

Don’t let the peaceful look and gameplay of The Fabled Woods fool you, there is a dark underlying theme in the game. The player realizes that the character they are playing as is actually a psychopath. The man is a crazy murderer that ended up killing his entire family in the woods. Players uncover the truth through a game mechanic called “remembering.” This mechanic lets the players enter a stasis that allows them to see the past, giving players hints on where to go throughout the forest.

The Fabled Woods is a great mystery short story that has beautiful graphics and a great story. There were only a couple of problems I had with the game. First of all, the game was somewhat boring. Yes, the twists at the end made the gameplay were exciting, but most of the game was walking. 90% of the game is players walking around looking at things in the forest. I wish there was more stuff to do in the game. The other problem I had was the system requirements in order to play The Fabled Woods. As I said earlier, the required PC specs are high in order for the game to run well.

Overall, I really enjoyed playing this game. If you want a couple of hours of entertaining mystery gameplay, The Fabled Woods is the game for you. My final rating for the game would be a solid 7/10.

-Daniel CW.

RENT, the Musical

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Claire C.

A playbill from the Original Broadway Cast of *RENT.*

RENT, the musical by Jonathan Larson, is one of my favorite musicals of all time. I’ve listened to a lot of musicals—and at this point, I can’t really name them all. But RENT makes it near the top of my favorites, because of its music, plot, and beautifully fleshed out characters.

RENT tells the story of a group of starving artists living in Lower Manhattan’s East Village, from 1989 to 1990. During this period, the HIV/AIDS epidemic was wiping out thousands of people not only in the US, but all over the world. It was a devastating epidemic, and even today, around 35 million people have passed due to HIV/AIDS since 1981. This epidemic plays a huge role in the story of RENT, as different characters—Roger, Mimi, Angel, and Collins—are living with it, and one of them eventually passes away during the musical.

The main characters include Mark, a filmmaker; Roger, his roommate and a musician; Mimi, a dancer at the local club; Angel, a drag queen and performer; Tom Collins, a professor; Maureen, a performer and actress; and Joanne, a lawyer and Maureen’s partner. All of them struggle to achieve their dreams, and this musical shows the struggle and the cost of wanting to achieve those dreams. RENT shows the discrimination and the stigma that surrounded HIV/AIDS during this time. This same stigma caused the real life deaths of so many people around the world. A disease that could’ve been stopped and prevented sooner, wasn’t, all because of discrimination. And the cost? Countless human lives.

This is what Jonathan Larson set out to do when he wrote RENT. He lived in the same village the characters lived in, and he wanted to put out something that people could relate to. He based the experiences of the characters, especially the ones living with HIV/AIDS, on some of his own friends. Although, this was very controversial and experimental at the time. He wanted to write a rock musical, and those were rare—even never done before. It took him so many years and work to complete RENT and eventually have it produced and performed. The most heartbreaking thing about it all is that he passed away the night RENT was going to be debuted. He put in all his work, and never got to reap the fruits of his labor.

But even so, RENT continues to be one of the most beloved musicals in the world, and a classic. So many productions have been performed around the world, and its been translated into so many languages. It also became a movie in 2005. The reason why RENT became so popular and beloved was because it was so real. You could feel the pain these characters were facing, you could relate to their loss, and you could relate to the joys they experienced together. The message RENT is trying to tell us is that no day is promised. No day is promised, and we need to cherish our lives with the people we love, and that is such a beautiful statement.

No day but today!
Another Day, from RENT

-Claire C.

Book Review: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Posted on October 6, 2021 by Nicole R.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson follows a young boy named Jess Aarons who aspires to be the best and fastest runner in the whole fifth grade. One day, a new family is moving into the old Perkins home and Jess meets the young girl, around his age, who is moving in with her family to the country. Leslie Burke is a city girl. She is strange to others, they say she dresses weird and she isn’t like all the other girls. Leslie and Jess then become friends over time during school. They talk about things and enjoy each others’ company. They spend their days together hanging out and they even create their own secret and special place just for themselves. A place where they can just be themselves and have fun together called Terabithia.

Together they ruled Terabithia, letting their imaginations roam free in their kingdom. On one morning, an upsetting and horrible accident strikes for the two kids. But because of this event, Jess gains the courage and strength to move forward. It shows Jess that he could be more than he thought he could be and it gives him a new goal and reason for living.

This story was beautifully written. The characters had great chemistry with each other and worked well. All characters, including the side characters, were well written and enjoyable even if we didn’t get to interact with them as much. The ending was unexpected and abrupt which I thought brought more impact on the story; especially since the accident can easily happen just like that in real life. Warning! This book is better for more mature readers because of the topics it will go over. Overall, I enjoyed this story very much even though it was a quick read. Even in such a short story, it got me attached to the characters and impacted me hard. I really enjoyed it and would recommend to those who would be interested.

-Nicole R.

The Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Ways to Increase Productivity

Posted on October 6, 2021 by Vaidehi B.

As the school year continues in earnest, many of us may find ourselves struggling to keep up with workloads and stay productive, especially after online school for the last year and a half. So here are five tips to help you boost your productivity and keep accomplishing great things!

1. Write It Down

No, you will not ‘remember it.’ Write every task you have to do down somewhere, like a calendar or daily list, and check it often so you don’t forget anything!

2. Habits and Patience

Start creating productive daily habits for yourself. This way, you won’t have to consciously think about doing tasks- your brain will go on autopilot and get things done. For example, you could get into the habit of studying for two hours every day after school by setting a timer while studying for at least one month. Stay patient- habits take time to develop, but they’re great tools to keep you productive!

3. Take Care of Yourself

You can only be productive if your body is physically equipped to work. Eat well, hydrate all day, and get the recommended amount of sleep every night. This will do wonders for helping you feel more ready to tackle the day!

4. Inspire Yourself

Be cautious about what you choose to fill your mind with. Take some time off from your phone and hang out with your friends, read a book, or go for a walk. This will help recharge you and inspire you to get work done!

5. Reward Yourself

Don’t be too harsh on yourself! Make sure to give yourself a little reward, or mental pat on the back, after each successful day. This will help you keep your momentum going throughout the year!