On November 24, 2024, my family and I went to see the Broadway performance, Shrek the Musical, at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The hilarious musical is based on the first Shrek movie made in 2001 and starts off in the fictional fairy-tale medieval town of Duloc.
Summary of the Musical:
Lord Farquaad bans fairy tale characters from Duloc and sends them to Shrek the ogre’s swamp. Shrek is enraged by this, and with the help of a talking donkey, embarks on a trip to speak with Lord Farquaad. Farquaad needs to marry a princess in order to become the king of Duloc, and he makes a deal with Shrek. Shrek needs to save a princess named Fiona, who is in a castle guarded by a dragon, and bring her to Lord Farquaad for marriage in order for Shrek to have his swamp back. Shrek accepts and both him and Donkey travel together, where they slowly grow fond of each other.
They finally reach the castle and cross a bridge above lava. Shrek goes to find the princess, leaving the Donkey alone. Donkey is captured by the dragon, who falls in love with him. During this, Shrek finds Fiona and he fights off the dragon, saving her and Donkey.
Before reaching Duloc, they take shelter and the audience finds out that Princess Fiona has a curse that turns her into an ogre by night and she can only take her true beautiful form with a true love’s kiss. The next day, Shrek and Fiona become romantically interested in one another and by night she again demands shelter. Donkey discovers she is an ogre and describes herself as ugly. Shrek tries to confess his feelings to her, but overhears her talking about him.
He calls Farquaad to marry her, but misunderstands the situation that Fiona was indeed talking about herself and not Shrek. Shrek stops the wedding, kisses Fiona, and she takes her true form as an ogre. The musical ends with them married with children, and Farquaad eaten by the dragon, who marries the donkey.
Favorite Song:
The composition I liked best was “I Know it’s Today” by Leah Greenhaus, Marissa O’Donnell, and Sutton Foster. The style of the song is pop and I feel it is this because of the use of female singers, who sing with strong voices in unison, the piano, drums, flutes, who give the song the pop aspect. I liked this composition the best because of the passing of solos between the singers, the blend of the background vocals, and the catchy music. The music made me feel happy and calm and the music evoked the images of the Shrek movie. The song reminded me of when I was little on the couch watching it with my family. It gave me nostalgic emotions but also joyful emotions.
Overall, I 100% would recommend the musical to others and I had an amazing experience!
Stick Season is the third album from singer-songwriter Noah Kahan. This record is a unique blend of folk, alternative rock, pop, and country. However, it was his lyricism that impressed me. Here are some of the standout tracks:
Stick Season: The song that brought Noah Kahan’s music into the mainstream, largely due to Olivia Rodrigo’s cover. The lyrics describe a state of depression and sadness comparing it to the season of the sticks. This is a period of time when the trees have lost all their leaves, but the snow of winter has not covered them. The production has an alternative rock-sounding instrumental.
Northern Attitude: This is the second single on the record which also has another version featuring Hozier. In the lyrics, he sings about his unglamorous upbringing being the reason behind his coldness. This has a folk/alternative rock instrumental, with a shouting almost echoing chorus.
All My Love: This track is my personal favorite. The lyrics depict an old romance but that ended on good terms. As he sings “There ain’t a drop of bad blood, it’s all my love”. There is an upbeat guitar and the instrumental sounds similar to the rest of the album, with a folky/alternative rock sound.
Overall this is an incredible album that I think everyone can enjoy. I especially recommend it to fans of Hozier, Fleet Foxes, Zach Bryan, Kacey Musgraves, or The Lumineers. There is also another edition of the record which includes remixes with Gracie Abrams, Lizzy McAlpine, and Brandi Carlile.
A Long Walk to Water is a short but inspiring read based on a true story. Set in the country of Sudan during troubling times, the books jumps between the narratives of two different kids, Nya and Salva, both living in different times but still facing hardships at the young age of 11.
Nya, whose story was set in 2008, walked up to 8 hours a day to get water for her family. Making 2 trips to the faraway pond everyday for 7 months a year, after which her family would move to a camp. The camp did not require long walks for water, however living there also contained risks, one of which was coming face to face with the Dinkas, a rival tribe. All was going as usual, till her beloved sister Akeer fell sick, and the problem rooted back to the water.
Salva, a kid driven away from his family and everyone he knew because of war is forced to keep walking. In a group of refuges, consantly running from war, and getting further and further from his family. Facing lions and crocodiles, taking lead of a group of boys for a journey more than a year long, Salva eventually makes it to the United States. The book focuses more on Salva’s long and cruel journey and how he came out with a plan, determined to make a change.
The book ends on a hopeful tone, and demonstrates the power of determination and the power to make change resting in everyone. Overall, it was a short read that could be finished in one sitting but it gives hope and contains the inspirational message that anyone can contribute to a positive change in this world full of negatives.
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
During my winter break, I’ve had time to indulge in my hobbies, one of which is listening to music. I enjoy expanding the types of music I listen to and an artist who has piqued my interest as of late is Jesse Welles. Welles has started to gain popularity due to his bold statements and blunt messages he sends through his songs on all platforms including but not limited to, TikTok, Instagram, and Spotify. One of the most recent EP (standing for extended play) releases that have been released by Welles is “All Creatures Great and Small”. The EP centers around the environment’s condition, humans, and a variety of creatures. The first of these tracks is “Bugs”.
Bugs
Beginning, “Bugs” was first seen as a single and short Tik tok, Instagram, and Youtube prior to the release of “All Creatures Great and Small”. However, there is not a large difference between the single release and EP release. “Bugs” has a similar feel to a children’s song, it has a silly and “bouncy” feel.
The thing that stood out to me the most was the “Bzz” bridges, my reasoning for this standing out is that Welles tends to have a very serious tone in a large majority of his prior releases. This “Bzz” comes off as out of character for Welles especially since it is the first song of the EPs and contrasts strongly with his other messages/songs if you were to listen to his other work before listening to “Bugs”.
Trees
Up next on the tracklist is “Trees”. Welles’s message in this track is to show appreciation for trees which usually go dismissed. Lines such as “You tell me your favorite, I’ll tell you mine. I like the tall ones, short ones, ones with great big roots,” illustrates Welles’ appreciation for nature and its variety. This track has a slow relaxed feel while still being slightly witty similar to his previous work. This can be seen in the line “Tree’s probably smarter than me and you”. The overall message of this song is to show how useful trees are for everyone and everything whether we, the listener, realize it or not. The general feel and tone of the track are enjoyable and I find myself singing the song throughout the day.
Turtles
Third on the EP is “Turtles” which covers the variety of abilities turtles have. Although the majority of people may view turtles as just slow creatures who are in need of help, Welles paints turtles as independent and determined animals.
One of my favorite factors of this track is the lines “Turtles, ooh-oh-oh Turtle time” leading into a harmonica solo. I find this lead-up and solo to be very charming, and special, and serves as sort of a sparkle to the song to make it stand out giving it a quirk in a sense. This track is calm and informative about the struggles and strengths of the turtles’ everyday life.
Previously I viewed turtles mostly as sensitive and in danger but listening to this track has shown me that turtles are more than just their struggles. Not only are turtles more than their struggles, but they also need the same resources as us although they may physically look different turtles are just like everyone else as said by Welles “They need clean water and clean air, About the same things as we need up here.” I see that this track can help others be more open-minded to turtles and value them further than just struggling animals.
Squirrels
Fourth on the tracklist, and my personal favorite, is “Squirrels”.The overall composition of the song is incredibly enjoyable evoking an energetic and busy feeling with the quick pace of the guitar and chime of harmonica popping up throughout the song. This rhythm paired with the lyrics paints a picture of curiosity and adventure perfectly encapsulating the jumpy and fast life of a squirrel. Similar to the previous tracks “Squirrels” describes the intricate lives of squirrels, although we may only see the for short amounts of time they are just as equally busy, enthusiastic, and passionate as humans. We can see this theme of animals serving a purpose for themselves and the world, along with themes of appreciation and equality between humans and nature all throughout “All Creatures Great and Small”. Although squirrels may seemingly be lost as described by Welles Squirrels “You ain’t ever gonna find all them nuts. All froze up in the middle of the road. Can never decide which way to go.” They still continue to live on and find joy in their lives similar to humans finding happiness while passing through hardships. I find this song to be enchanting with its usage of different techniques while Welles backs up his vocals with his guitar to mimic a squirrel’s chattering of teeth. This extremely unique variety of sound makes this song stand out the most to me along with the announcement of squirrels besides the chattering. Not only did this song stand out to me, but it also got me to look more into the vast sounds squirrels make and why they do it.
Autumn
Fifth on the track is “Autumn” which was released alongside “Bugs” as a single before its release on EP and similarly to “Bugs” does not have any major differences between its single and EP release. Generally, the feeling I got from this song was a comforting and warm home feeling matching perfectly with the title. A slow yet quick pace of the guitar also produces a feeling of progression and confidence. I can also sense a scene of close connection and familiarity with lines such as “I wish you could see what my eyes see. As the summer slips out of view. Time’s gonna take me, baby, just as I am. It’s autumn here, how about you?”. These lines remind me of wishful thinking that you couldspend a moment with someone dear to you when seeing a beautiful sight. This song also serves wonderfully as a representation of “The Road Back” similar to the way the hero’s journey usually flows. The journey painted by Welles is full of appreciation and new information.
For example, the references to past tracks such as “As the squirrels squirrel away what they can for each day. For the old man is getting along” and ”The bugs of the summer grow quiet with wonder” wrap up the lessons learned and new experiences made throughout the story told by Welles.
Whales
Concluding with the EP is “Whales”. Overall I find the choice of animal for concluding the song of the EP as a whale to be very fitting with the themes of open-mindedness and equality towards nature. Whales tend to symbolize peace and wisdom, and with further research, I have found that turtles also serve similar symbolism. These common characteristics and tiny details shared between tracks make the wrap-together of the EP between the closing song and the previous track all the more effective. With the messages of sensitivity towards whales’ purposes and environment, we can deduce that Welles truly wants the listener to take something away from the EP and see that it is not just music but a representation of everyone and everything’s struggles and that humans and nature are not as different as we think. Not only can we acknowledge each other’s similarities, we can also acknowledge the responsibilities we as humans have. Welles questions what will happen if we let nature go to ruins as seen with these lines “If the rivers turn to mud and blood. And cease to be, and naught to run. And the ocean loses all its air. And turns to plastic everywhere. To where will all the wisdom go?” This usage of rhetorical questions serves as a way for the listeners to think of their actions on a greater scale, not centered just on themselves but also on the beauty of nature although we might not completely understand it.
Conclusion
Ending the EP I would give the story/overall theme a 10/10. These themes match perfectly with his previous work and the pre-established messages he wishes to send with his art. The new direction of tune and delivery is new and almost breathtaking. I find it incredible how Welles impresses me with each new release and I can’t wait for more. In the meantime, I plan to listen to more releases and review them at a later date. Not only do I plan to listen to his online releases, but I also plan to see him live. Jesse Welles has certainly caught my attention and I recommend him to anyone open to new perspectives on the environment, the current changes within the world, and people who are fond of folk/punk music.
Since the holidays are around the corner, I thought making churro cookies would be a unique twist on traditional holiday cookies. Similar to snickerdoodles, these chewy cinnamon desserts make a perfect companion for a glass of milk or eggnog!
Ingredients
Cookies (12)
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Cinnamon sugar mix
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Buttercream
1/4 cup room temperature butter
1-2 (up to you) tbsp cinnamon
splash of heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Mix + Bake cookies (Don’t incorporate buttercream ingredients.)
Mix cinnamon sugar
preheat oven to 350 fahrenheit
cream butter & sugar until fluffy and light
scrape sides and beat in egg & vanilla
scrape sides and add flour, baking soda, & cinnamon.
Make dough balls, dip them in mixed cinnamon sugar, flatten, and arrange on pan.
Bake for 14-17 minutes, make sure they’re not glossy
Make frosting and frost!
8. Whip butter until smooth, add sugar, whipping cream, & cinnamon. Pipe and serve!
Okay just for an explanation, my English teacher last year made my class do this game where we wrote a short story in the span of 5 minutes. I liked the game so much I started doing it for fun. I’m starting with the suspense genre. My next suspense tool is phobias:
The Stranger’s sly smile greets me as I exit my room. “Today’s going to be a fun one, Ali.”
My stomach drops as he leads me back to the testing room. The Stranger holds the door for me, but I stop in the middle of the doorway, shocked. A white, pouch-like contraption stands in the middle of the room. It is held by multiple cords and pipes that jut out in various directions.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it.” The Stranger says, “Jervis worked on it all night. It looks just like my designs.”
Jervis is his assistant. He has a high-pitched, stuttering voice as if he wants to say everything all at once. His pale skin is bright in the hospital like lights as he limps up to me.
“S-so this is j-just like any other t-test,” Jervis says to me “We’ll p-put y-you in that rubbery bag th-thingy,” he has such a way with words, “And it will just weigh you and stuff. Then we’ll start the test.” He leads me to the opening of the bag and I step in, using my shaking hands to hold it open. Jervis closes it and a few seconds later, I hear a switch flip.
The first thing that happens is that all the air leaves my lungs. I let out a yell, but my scream dies in my throat as I suffocate.
Oh god, I think to myself, he’s pulling all the air out. I claw at the rubber quickly encasing me. This isn’t like the other tests. The sweat gathering on my body fills it. I slip and fall. Hard. I try to stand. Bam. I crash onto the floor. Again, I try to get up. Slowly but surely I manage to stand. Black dots cloud my vision. My lungs burn. I try to breathe in, but fail and make a choking noise. My whole body has a pulse. I suck in air but fail. I’m drowning. I’m going to die, I realize. Just as I start to feel my life fading, I hear The Stranger’s voice calmly say, “Shut it off, Jervis. Her vitals are getting low”
It opens and I collapse. I pant and lay there for a minute. “Only five seconds? I expected more from you. We’ll try again tomorrow, Ali dear,” The Stranger says. I hate it when he calls me dear.
Unfortunately my ten minutes ended here and so does Ali’s story.
Each year in December, the Mission Viejo Activities Committee organizes and hosts Santa’s Workshop, an interactive experience for Mission Viejo families to come and enjoy the magic of the holiday season. Several nights a week, the outdoor area outside the Mission Viejo Library and City Hall transforms into a winter wonderland. I remember going there with my family years ago to play, take pictures with Santa Claus, and spend time with friends.
This year, I was able to go again, but this time as a volunteer. It was exciting to see the thrill on the kids’ faces coming in to spend some time with Santa and his friends, to engage in activities, and play in fake snow. For teens looking for volunteer opportunities, spending time at Santa’s Workshop is a fun and festive way to gain those hours.
There are different tasks from which to choose when volunteering. Volunteers can choose to help with the activity table where kids make their own elf hats out of paper or color their own Christmas trees. Some volunteers sign up to be characters, such as a snowman or reindeer, who walk around taking pictures with attendees of all ages. Volunteers can also sign up to be a character walker guiding Frosty or Rudolph around and helping them interact with kids. My job was to be an elf, helping families lined up to take pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus. It was rewarding to be able to introduce kids to Santa and see their smiling, happy faces and also to help take pictures as needed.
Overall, helping with Santa’s Workshop was an enjoyable way to get volunteer hours and spend time celebrating the holiday season. I would strongly recommend it to high school students in the Mission Viejo area.
We all have our daily highs and lows at home, school, or anywhere, really. But for the enthusiastic and energetic five-year-old Yotsuba, every second of the day is a high!
Yotsuba&! Volume One
After moving to a new city with her earnest yet goofy-at-times adoptive father, Yotsuba approaches the mundane and normal every day with her curious cheerfulness and comedic naivete. She embarks on adventures (walks to the grocery store) with her fellow confederates (her new neighbors: three sisters of different ages who each have their own unique differences), and learns of everything from doorbells to rock-collecting to souvenirs to flower shops to fireworks to policemen to fairies to…
Yotsuba Koiwai and her father, Yousuke Koiwai
Even though most of us aren’t kids anymore, it’s always important to never let go of your inner child. For me, as I read through each of the current 15 volumes, each interaction and problem Yotsuba encounters give me a familiar yet nostalgic sense of child-like wonder. At times, I would catch myself laughing with her (or at her.. haha), nod to agree with her absurd ways of thinking, or sometimes hold back a tear or two at the end of chapters. I surely don’t consider myself a child anymore, but Yotsuba reminded me that we were all children once– children who don’t know a lot, children who are simple and don’t have a care in the world. We all grew up to be the teenagers we are today, but who knows when the line that goes from child to teen blended together, where it started or… ended?
Reading Yotsuba made me realize that we can’t control when we decide to grow up. Even though Yotsuba&! is a light-hearted comedy, a lingering feeling in the depths of my heart tugs every time I flip a page, because each page gone is one page closer to the budding Yotsuba eventually growing up as well.
Yotsuba Panel
… But, hey, who has time for those worries!? To a child, the world is their oyster, and to Yotsuba, they’ll stay a child forever! Meet friends everywhere in the city and watch as she changes your view on topics you’d consider to be a part of your daily life–and makes them fun and memorable at the same time. This manga taught me that even something as simple as drinking orange juice could be so much more interesting if you take the time to notice the world through the lense of a child. Every chapter in the volume is titled “Yotsuba & __”, reflecting the creative title of the manga. Yotsuba’s name also directly translates to “four leaves”, which is evident from her four-leaf-clover-shaped hairstyle (she brings you luck!).
So… what now? Well, to that I’d say: “What are you waiting for?”. Yotsuba and her friends are waiting for you to join them on their voyage of discoveries!
So to everyone out there wondering what to read for their next comfort book that will most definitely cheer them up, Yotsuba&! and I will leave you with Yotsuba’s motto phrase: ‘いつでも今日が、いちばん楽しい日’, or in other words, ‘enjoy everything‘!
Ann G.
Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.
Lady Bird is the perfect movie to cry to with a cup of tea and a candle at night
One of my favorite comfort movies, Lady Bird is about a girl in her senior year of high school. She struggles with the social class difference between her and her classmates, feeling ashamed of the house she lives in, and dreams of living in one of the bigger houses, opposite of the train track that divides the rich from middle class. She identifies with a different name, insisting that everyone refers to her as “Lady Bird”. She constantly argues with her mom, rejecting her religion, and neglecting her mom’s worries about going to college. I think this was one of the more accurate depictions of the high school experience of a (semi) religious girl that focuses on the relationship between mother and daughter. It humanizes both sides and although they were arguing constantly, they took solace in activities like touring open houses together.
Greta Gerwig, director, does such a great job depicting relationships between women and although this is not my favorite film from her collection, Lady Bird is a great introduction to her work. I would recommend if you liked the movies Perks of Being a Wallflower, Little Women, The Florida Project, Aftersun, 8th Grade, Mid 90s, and Little Miss Sunshine.
Maybe they aren’t the most popular team ever. Maybe they almost never win. So why have they been my favorite baseball team for my entire life? Maybe fans of other teams don’t understand. But today, I am going to tell you some of the reasons why.
1. The first reason why the Angels are my favorite team is that the energy at the stadium is always so positive. This is one benefit of not being a very high caliber team. Despite all the losses, however, they do win sometimes, but none of us fans are expecting it.
2. Another reason for why the Angels are my favorite team is that it brings my family and I closer together. We all like to go to the games and then talk about it afterward. And also, most of my family enjoys watching the Angels games from home. This is a great bonding time for us as well.
3. And the last reason that I will share with you all today is the fact that I like watching the players.
Hm. I haven’t shined the Angels in such a good light. Yes, the team doesn’t win often, but that doesn’t mean that the players aren’t talented. They have a lot of young talent such as Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, and Ben Joyce. They also have other talented player that aren’t rookies such as Mickey Moniak, Mike Trout, and Luis Rengifo. The Angles owner doesn’t like to spend a lot of money on coaches, so the only good coaches these young players have is their manager, and the veterans on the team. Still, however, what the Angels need to make a winning team are good starting pitchers. They have the young arms of Reid Detmers and Chase Silseth, but they lacked in consistency. However much the Angels lose, I still enjoy going to their games and getting excited when they do win.
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 