Category Archives: Essays

Cold Season, Fact or Myth?

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Now that it is the cough and cold season, myths and misconceptions are constantly being spread about catching or dealing with a cold. Here, I am going to clear up some of these statements and help you differentiate between myths and facts of colds.

Facts about flu - Mayo Clinic Health System

“Going out in the cold or with wet hair will get you sick!” is a statement almost every person has heard over and again. But, in reality this overused statement is false. You are not more likely to get sick if you go out in the cold versus the heat. This is a common misconception since cold season is usually when it is colder. This is because when it is colder, people tend to meet others indoors, where colds can spread more easily.  Or they are closer to other people due to the cold, allowing viruses to spread through breathing and coughing quickly.

Another common statement heard around this time is “getting the flu vaccine will make you catch the flu!”. Again, this is another common misconception. This is a false fact that has been spread. It is not possible to get the flu directly from receiving the vaccine. Most people feel slight cold symptoms and soreness within a few days following the date of receiving the vaccine. But, this reaction is nowhere in comparison to the severity of the vaccine.

“Antibiotics will cure colds” is another “solution” many people hear in response to getting colds. But, this is not true. Antibiotics only fight bacteria, not the viruses that cause colds. Although in some cases colds lead to bacterial infections where antibiotics are useful, for general colds they are proven ineffective. On the other hand if you have a bacterial infection, antibiotics are very effective and the effects are significant.

Throughout time, ideas get spread although not always true. That is why it is always important to consult a doctor or trusted sources before acting rashly when you come down with a cold. Most importantly, trust tested and verified ways of treating specific colds when doing self-treatment.

-Lilly G.

Authors We Love: Elisabetta Dami

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Although the most acknowledgeable authors tend to be writers of adult novels or even young adult books, it doesn’t mean that children’s book authors should get any less credit. At around age seven or eight, I remember my mom and I would visit the Mission Viejo Library practically every week. I would always go to the children’s section and look for another book to read—specifically any book from the Geronimo Stilton series. Only now in my high school years would I finally reminisce on my past and realize who was behind all of the stories that established my love for reading.

An award-winning author with her worldwide Geronimo Stilton and Thea Stilton books, Elisabetta Dami was born in Milano, Italy. Her father was a writer himself before she was born, so by the age of 13, Dami was already working for him as a book editor. At 19 years old, she began writing stories of her own but only began publishing them later in her life. In her 20s, she went through a series of adventures by earning her pilot license, traveling all around the world, running marathons, and even immersing herself in indigenous cultures.

With a passion for seeing the world, volunteering for sick children, studying different cultures around her, and creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Dami incorporated her love for adventure into stories for children. This was essentially the birth of the Geronimo Stilton series. The first book was titled, Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye (2000), starring a shy mouse who owns a newspaper company, yet falls into the most dangerous situations and uses academic knowledge to find his way out.

As the popularity of the series grew, Dami continued writing more books that branched out to create a world of her own. Some of her best books include The Kingdom of Fantasy (2003), Cat and Mouse in a Haunted House (2000), and The Phantom of the Subway (2000). The author has written over 100 children’s books, published them in 49 different languages, and has sold 180 million copies globally. She continues writing at the age of 63 and helps kids all around the world develop a profound love for reading.

I used to be a huge fan of Elisabetta’s novels; as I look back on my childhood, I’m able to see how much of an impact her books had in my life. Although it’s relaxing to sit down with a nice book, I admit that my passion for reading has somewhat diminished. Perhaps it was easier to entertain children through the art of storytelling than in our modern age, or maybe it’s simply because I haven’t picked up an enticing book in a while. Nonetheless, it’s always nice to appreciate—and thank—the authors who hold a centerpiece of our childhood.

– Natisha P.

De-stressing without our phones

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As we continue into the school year, things are becoming more and more stressful, we start looking for new ways to take breaks. However, most often that becomes using our phones and going on social media. While this is okay to use, it is not something that should be our first and only resort. With so many other things to do nowadays, we should start spending less time on our phones to take breaks and more time doing other things such as reading.

I have recently started my senior year and with a free period, I find myself often with nothing to do once I get all my homework done. When I am stuck at school, I think that the only thing I can really use is my phone but that is not the case. I often forget that we have other things we can do such as reading. I know that often we think that reading for school is enough, but it is important to take time to read things that interest us personally rather than just for class.

So as we start to learn again, make sure that we are all taking the time we need to not only get everything done, but do things to destress that isn’t just going on our phone every time we get bored or want to procrastinate. So the next time you need a break, try going for a book rather than a phone. 

-Danielle B.

Reading Slumps & Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

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I like to call myself an avid reader. I enjoy reading, I read all the time, and I find a lot of joy out of it! I know some people aren’t like that, but I personally really enjoy it. Sometimes, I find myself getting into a dreaded reading slump. 

A reading slump to me is a period of time where I don’t read because I can’t find any book appealing to me, or when I just can’t bring myself to pick up a book. If there are times I don’t have time to read—I don’t call those slumps. Just times where I don’t feel like reading, most likely because I can’t find a book to read. 

I really hate getting into these slumps. I want to read a book, but I just can’t. Recently, I’ve gotten myself out of a long slump—and I got out of it by reading outside my comfort zone. 

Over the course of quarantine, I didn’t read. I mostly read online—short stories, comics, but not a long novel or a published book. It really confused me, because I had a shelf filled with books I have yet to read, but I couldn’t bring myself to sit down and read. I attempted to sit down and try, but I just couldn’t get into the story. The genre of the book was Young Adult fiction—a genre I always found myself reading. Yet, I just couldn’t get into the story. I wondered why. 

It honestly really concerned me. I feared I lost my love for reading, and that I couldn’t find happiness in it anymore. That was until I found myself reading another genre—poetry and prose. 

Most of my life, I’ve found myself staying in one genre—young adult fiction or children’s fiction. It was the genre that made me the happiest, and one of the easiest genres to read. I never really dabbled in historical fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, or poetry. It wasn’t that I didn’t like reading it, it was just that I didn’t feel comfortable reading those genres. I tend to get confused or bored—and once I get confused and bored, I just never finish the book. 

That was until I discovered The Waves by Virginia Woolf. 

I became very intrigued very quickly—the way Woolf wrote her characters and her style in The Waves was confusing, but I found myself enjoying it! It felt like reading poetry, or really flowery prose. It was beautiful, moving, and I found myself getting teary-eyed throughout. I had never read a book like this before, and it surprised me when I found myself absolutely falling in love with it. 

The Waves is what made me start to branch out of young adult fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I still read a lot of young adult fiction—but now, I feel comfortable reading other genres. After The Waves, I decided to read more older books, which meant I had to try harder at understanding the language. I decided to read Russian classics—Dostoyevsky, Pushkin, Chekhov. It felt good to read those. 

I also started to read plays, like Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Coriolanus, Betrayal. When I found myself understanding the messages and getting really into it, I felt really good. Then, I started branching out into fantasy—Ender’s Game, American Gods, and The Gilded Wolves. 

That is what got me out of my reading slump! After The Waves, I ended up reading eleven books in two weeks. Yeah… it really shocked me how one book can get you out of a year long stump! And a book outside of my comfort zone, nonetheless. 

Reading out of your comfort zone can be daunting, but I promise it reaps so many benefits. You are able to talk to more people about the books you read, expose yourself to new themes and new styles of writing, and you never know—you may be able to expand your comfort zone to a wider range of books.

– Claire C.

Writing Tips!

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Photo by Judit Peter on Pexels.com

Creating things can be difficult.  Frequently, writers develop a lack of motivation or good ideas, known as writer’s block.  When in one of these moods it can feel impossible to begin writing, like your writing is no good, or that you will never finish on account of not finding the perfect synonym for “yesterday”.  

My brain’s most frequent writing issue is that I ramble.  My ideas come so fast, my fingers don’t have time to get them down on paper, and before I know it I’ve forgotten what I was writing and moved on to a completely different topic.  This leaves my writing sporadic, confusing, and without purpose.  

A tip to cope is letting go of your standards when you first start writing and entering a “brainstorming” mindset where your fingers can get down the most important parts of your ideas without having to worry about grammatical errors or better word choices.  This allows you to get more work done and gives you more material to work with during revision later.  You’ll also feel more satisfied with how much you were able to write and express yourself.  

This brainstorming mode can even take the form of a list or other grammatically incorrect forms.  Long run-on sentences branching out your ideas or even sketchy, bulleted outlines of stories all work to combat writer’s block, give you more motivation and satisfaction, and help you become a more confident and efficient writer.  You’ll be surprised how much more you’re able to get done!  Happy writing! 

-Giselle F. 

George and Lennie: Curley’s Context (Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck)

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What if George from John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men was charged with the murder of Lennie? What if Curley, the Boss’s stuck-up son was testifying? That too for the prosecution? I wrote my interpretation of Curley’s character and stance below – I hope you enjoy it!

I first met George and that monster-of-a-man Lennie the day they arrived at the bunkhouse. They struck me as strange from the beginnin’–they travelled together, and George wouldn’t let Lennie talk. My old man told me that Lennie barely said five words to him too. I knew they would be trouble, and what happened in the bunkhouse a few days later only made sure of that. 

Some of the guys had started to make fun of me after I asked them if they’d seen my wife, and I saw Lennie smilin’. I got mad! Usually, I can fight a big man and ever’body will hate on the big guy, and I honestly thought that Lennie wouldn’t have the pluck to fight back, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Lennie wouldn’t raise a finger until I made a proper job of his face, but when George yelled at him to get me, that big hulk grabbed my hand and crushed it in his. Slim convinced me to say that I got my hand stuck in a machine, but for some’un like Lennie to insult my dominance is unacceptable.

The day we found my wife’s body, I instantly knew who did it. I knew he was trouble, and I was still real mad about my hand, but I never could’ve imagined that the beast would take my wife’s life. I shoulda been the one to shoot that Lennie, and it woulda been completely fair if I had! However, Lennie’s death by George’s hands is a show of George’s cruelty.  

George and Lennie seemed to have the relationship of a dog and his master, with the dog completely dependent on his master but available at his master’s every wish or disposal. Lennie was a big guy, and he could’ve used that strength to his advantage loads of times, but he wouldn’t defend himself, or even talk without George’s permission. Workers never travel together, and Lennie’s actions make me think that the two were only travellin’ together because they were either runnin’ from something, or because they had foul intentions. Why, they could have been plannin’ murder all along.

As for the question of George’s sanity, I definitely think that he was in his right mind while shooting Lennie–he was not at all insane. Like I said before, if the two were runnin’ from something, George must’ve killed Lennie after the incident to spare himself a whole lotta trouble. It’s obvious that George sees Lennie as a burden, and shootin’ him under the excuse of Lennie being a killer was the perfect opportunity to lighten George’s shoulders.

-Ayati M.

Argument: The Careless Consultant (Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)

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Cover of Romeo and Juliet

There is a reason why people often say they have “escaped into their favorite story” or “jumped into the pages” of a book. This is because the literary world is a place where writers express their thoughts, feelings, opinions, and imaginations so readers can discover them. Every piece of literature will exemplify different beliefs or opinions, but there are some things that stay the same–one of these is the respect for a mentor. In one of the most influential American novels, Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is the father to young Scout and Jem Finch, but he is also a teacher, a guide, and role model to his children. A mentor exemplifies leadership, righteousness, and a trustworthy presence, but the character of Friar Laurence is in stark contrast as he let two young children who looked up to him die by their own hands. William Shakespeare, in his tragic play Romeo and Juliet employs the character of Friar Laurence as the person responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s suicides in order to portray the detriments of an irresponsible and wrongly focused mentor.

Friar Laurence’s failed counseling is seen in his infatuation with the bigger picture, the larger impact, the greater significance. In this mindset, he fails to recognize the minute details and comparatively smaller consequences. When the excited Romeo arrives at Friar Laurence’s cell to ask the friar to marry him and Juliet, Friar Laurence disapproves, but later changes his mind. He shows no interest in the happiness of Romeo and Juliet; instead, he expresses his desire to end the feud between the Montague and Capulet families. The friar’s focus on the larger impact causes him to fail to see the impact of this marriage on Romeo and Juliet themselves. 

A sketch entitled "Friar Laurence gathering herbs" from Mary Evans Picture Library
“Friar Laurence gathering herbs” from
Mary Evans Picture Library

The character of Friar Laurence also exemplifies the trait of irresponsibility. As a respected teacher of both Romeo and Juliet, the friar must understand his role as a mentor to both children and be able to teach them to make responsible decisions. However, Friar Laurence exemplifies the contrary when Juliet arrives at his cell, desperate. She is engrossed in her dilemma of avoiding marriage to two men; moreover, she is grieving the banishment of Romeo. Despite Juliet’s hysterical state, Friar Laurence asks Juliet how desperate she really is, and proceeds to give her an outrageous solution, after Juliet’s “approval.” It is absolutely ludicrous to ask Juliet, in her present condition, for such an opinion. The friar demonstrates reckless thinking and proceeds to give Juliet a potion that will send her into a death-like state for hours without even attempting to discuss or reason another solution with her.

Despite the trust Romeo and Juliet placed in him, Friar Laurence is to blame for the suicides of Romeo and Juliet. Through his irresponsible mindset and wrongly placed focus on the larger impact of Romeo and Juliet’s actions, Friar Laurence failed at his role as a mentor. Unlike Prince Escalus, a merciful leader who well carries his responsibilities, Friar Laurence neglected his responsibilities of demonstrating proper decision making and instead offered an outrageous solution to a young girl who was unable to collect herself at the time. Unlike Atticus Finch, who paid proper attention to how his actions would impact his children, Friar Laurence disregarded the consequences of his actions on Romeo and Juliet and was instead consumed by the idea of him being the one to restore peace in Verona. Compiled by the pen of William Shakespeare, Friar Laurence well portrays the horrible consequences of failed mentorship.

-Ayati M.

Romeo and Juliet is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: The Importance of Companionship

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This post assumes you have already read Of Mice and Men as it contains spoilers.

John Steinbeck’s social realism novella Of Mice and Men portrays the necessity for companionship in one’s life, especially migrant workers during the Great Depression. For instance, when Carlson kills Candy’s dog, the men feel anxious about how Candy will react while Candy feels helpless that he has lost his only companion which illustrates the need for friendship between individuals.

Typical migrant workers do not spend the day socializing, but rather traveling from place to place to earn money. They then spend it in foolish ways as they have no future which shows the significant need for fellowship in these particular individuals. Candy for instance had the companionship of his dog but was then pressured into allowing Carlson to kill it as it had no purpose due to old age. While his dog is being shot, Candy is “staring” at the ceiling and then “rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent” after the “shot sounded in the distance” (49). Candy feels depressed, hopeless, and wishes to mourn in private. With the death of his dog, he has no family or friends left and it can be difficult not having someone to confide in or provide for. Even the rest of the men in the room are anxious as George “rippled the edge of the deck nervously” (49). This reveals that they feel guilty as they know life can be harsh without a companion. For example, George and Lennie have each other to keep them sane and they have a future together. The “silence” (49) in the room shows the situation is uncomfortable between all of the men. Candy is now all alone and does not have anybody.

Having no one to turn to in life’s hardest moments can have a severe impact on one’s mental health. People’s purpose in life and their health are defined based on the companionships they form.

-Abby V.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded from Overdrive.

RENT, the Musical

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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: Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys

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In the historical fiction novel Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys, 15 year old Lina Vilkas, along with her mother Elena and younger brother Jonas (who is 10 years old) are arrested and abducted by the NKVD (Soviet Secret Police) in 1941 Lithuania. They are stuffed into a tiny train car with many others, but the direct link between them all is unknown. The train car has horrible conditions, and Lina’s father Kostas was taken too, but he and the other men are in a different train. The book narrates the story of Lina, Elena, and Jonas’s journey as prisoners of the NKVD. The entire time, Lina, Elena, and Jonas are trying to find word of where Lina’s father, Kostas, could be.

This book has multiple settings. It begins in Lithuania in 1941, and Lina, Elena, and Jonas are first taken to Siberia and then taken back down to a labor camp in Altai where they are forced to do hard tasks in horrid conditions and minimal food. After that, they are taken on a ship back to Siberia, where they work to build for the NKVD.

The most obvious, main conflict is that Lina, Jonas, Elena, and Kostas have been taken by the NKVD, and so have many others, with no clear connection (in the beginning). This is an external conflict; however, each character also experiences their own internal conflicts. The story is told from Lina’s point of view, and she has many flashbacks of her life in Lithuania. The author very cleverly implements the flashbacks so each time, they get closer and closer to the present until they suddenly fit together like a puzzle and explain what led up to Lina’s family being taken (which I will not spoil!). 

As a 15 year old girl, and a wonderful artist, Lina draws what she sees, especially people, as a means of recording and expressing herself. She is the narrator of the story, and as a teenage girl her descriptions and emotions are very interesting to readers. Lina’s internal conflicts are specific to the mindset of a teenage girl, and it ranges from missing her father to being protective over her younger brother.

I think that the most influential character in the book is Lina’s mother, Elena, who is the rock for her children. Without Elena, Jonas and Lina would lose hope and motivation very quickly, and may even be separated from each other. Elena wonderfully symbolizes the theme of motherly protection, and it’s a delightful theme to see in such a story. The way she handles everything with kindness, but at the same time stays strong and does not tolerate anything unfair against her children is amazing. Her importance is especially seen since the entire mood of the book is a reflection of her. Lina is the narrator, and she often uses her mother’s facial expressions or posture while describing conditions. This shows the influence and love Lina has for her mother.

My favorite character in the book is Elena, since she is very protective, emotionally strong, and kind to those around her. I really loved the way Elena’s disposition shapes the novel, since Elena has such an impact on her daughter, Lina, who is the narrator. 

Jonas is a 10 year old boy, and is shown at the beginning of the novel to be obedient, sincere, and innocent. Young boys are famously known for being playful and mischievous. The horridness that people suffered during the time of the novel is very starkly shown through Jonas, since he is a young boy stripped of his childhood and being captured and forced into the workcamps. His presence makes the conditions of the book much more sad.

There was one event in the novel that may seem small but was very significant. In the train car, one of the people trapped in the same car as Lina was a boy named Andrius. During the train ride he found an oval stone with quartz and other crystals inside. At first, Andrius kept it, but then gifted it to Lina, who gifted it to Jonas, and the stone cycles through characters like this. It is always given as a gift because the person who is giving it wants the other person to feel better. The stone symbolizes luck and lifts the spirits of the captured people as soon as it is found. If the stone had never been found, the characters’ morale would have hurtled at a downward slope. The stone gave short, simple happiness, and throughout the story happiness and hope is what keeps the characters going. 

I would personally give this book a 10/10. This book was very interesting, and I finished it very quickly. It had wonderful characters, character development, and suspense. It incorporated themes of motherly love, the importance of family, and youthfulness. I usually do not like historical fiction books, but this book was very amazing and informative. The best part was that it did not seem distant and simply informative; the characters seemed so relatable in age and their emotions were easy to empathize with, making the book very powerful. People who enjoy mystery, suspense, the theme of family, and history would love this book. I think that this book is especially powerful, and a person who just likes one of the previously mentioned qualities would definitely enjoy this book.

-Ayati M.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.