High school is a stressful time. As is middle school. There’s a constant pressure to conform, to be just like everybody else. Pressure to like the books and music everyone else likes, pressure to be popular and “cool.” Pressure to blow hundreds of dollars on new clothes to keep up with a fashion that will be out of style in two weeks. All of this pressure builds up, making it hard to stay true to yourself, hard to even remember who you truly are. But try to break free from that pressure. Try to remember. And know that you are, above all, enough.
You are enough.
More;
a rockstar,
a superhero,
someone truly
one-of-a-kind.
You are unique.
So flaunt it and just
be yourself.
In this
cruel world,
it may be hard
at times
to stay true
to yourself.
But remember.
There is only
one you.
There will only ever be
one you.
Your eyes,
your smile,
your laugh,
who you are
as a person.
None of that
can ever be
replicated.
None of that
can ever be
taken
from you
because that is
uniquely you.
You are
beautiful.
You are
perfect.
You are
enough.
So remember.
Even if your day
is hard,
even if your life
is hard,
you are enough.
And that is enough.
So be yourself.
Because who else
would you want
to be?
This is a free verse poem I wrote for a speech class of mine, but I decided to share it with you. Maybe it’s a little cliche, but it’s something I truly believe in. I based my entire eighth grade commencement speech on this very concept: you are enough and you are beautiful, just the way you are. I, too, sometimes struggle with myself. I often get frustrated and angry and stressed. But reminders like this help me keep my thoughts in line, help me get back on track. Hopefully this little poem was your reminder today.
Noah Kahan’s Stick Season perfectly encapsulates what it’s like to be from New England or any small town in northern America. His lyrics are poignant and relatable, and his vocals are filled with intense emotion. Listening to Stick Season takes me back to when I lived in areas like Seattle and Boston, it brings a sense of nostalgia that feels so comforting. If you love indie folk you will absolutely love this album! My top three songs are: “Northern Attitude (feat. Hozier)”, “New Perspective”, and “Orange Juice”.
The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We- Mitski
When Mitski released the first couple of singles from this album, I knew it would be a favorite of mine. Mitski has been releasing music for over a decade and there has never been a decrease in the quality of her music. This is a perfect fall album in my opinion. It’s sad, emotional, and slow. It’s honestly just beautiful-sounding and feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket. My top three songs include: “Heaven”, “Buffalo Replaced” and “I Love Me After You”.
Baby I’m The Wolf – Ha Vay
Ha Vay’s debut album Baby I’m The Wolf has quickly become one of my favorite albums of all time since its release. Ever since she released the album in July, I’ve been obsessed. Ha Vay’s voice is magnetic and the overall production of her album creates a hypnotic fantasy world that is so beautiful to listen to. This album is definitely not like anything I’ve heard before which is why it is one of my favorites. My top three songs are: “Nature’s Bride”, “Angel! Wild! Superstar!” and “Baby I’m The Wolf”.
Jubilee- Japanese Breakfast
After reading Japanese Breakfast’s (AKA Michelle Zauner’s) memoir, I decided to check out her music and instantly fell in love. When listening to her music, she sings with a powerful emotion I don’t hear often. I love her debut album Psychopomp, but Jubilee is more polished and her songwriting has really elevated. If you like indie alternative, I would definitely check this album out. My top three songs include: ‘Savage Good Boy”, “In Hell”, and “Paprika”.
This novel, written by E. Lockhart, is a psychological and horror story about a young girl named Cadence Sinclair and the events that occurred during the traumatic summer on her family’s private island. The story reveals dark family secrets and ends with a surprising twist.
Cadence suffered a head injury during her summer and cannot remember anything from that trip, so we uncover the events simultaneously, making the novel even more thrilling. As she reconnects with old family members, she uncovers the truth about her accident. The novel delves deep into the themes of privilege, guilt, and the destructive nature of lies.
Cadence’s friends during the summer are Mirren, Johnny, and Gat. They form a close group known as the “Liars.” They spend the entire summer together on the Sinclair family’s island, sharing new adventures and secrets. These adventures soon culminate in a shocking revelation about the accident on the island two years ago.
If you enjoy gripping and emotionally charged novels that keep readers on the edge of their seats, this book is for you! The novel’s intricate plot, well-developed characters, and unexpected twists make it a compelling read. Additionally, it dives into the themes of family, memory, and the consequences of secrets, providing both an entertaining and thought-provoking experience.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.
When I was younger and first discovering the beauty of classical literature, I fell in love with the famous A Wrinkle in Time, written by Madeleine L’Engle in 1960. Her writing artfully connects the fantastical and harshly realistic, as Meg Murry and her little brother Charles Wallace face extraordinary beings and situations to save those dear to them.
Little did I know after reading this masterpiece, that I would find five more beautifully written books accompanying it. The Time Quintet is one of the best book series I have ever read by far.
The Time Quintet Consists of:
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wind in the Door
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Many Waters
An Acceptable Time
My favorite out of these books though, is definitely A Wind in The Door. The novel continues to follow Meg and the Murray family, as her parents conduct risky and ingenious experiments. The genius family is distraught as they’re faced with one thing they might not be able to fix: a hereditary disease. In order to secure Charles Wallace’s future, Meg must assemble with creatures beyond imagination to defeat “those who hate”. Throughout this journey to save her brother, Meg must not only deal with real monsters but also find the good in someone who seems to be anything but good.
If you loved A Wrinkle in Time, enjoy fantasy or Sci-Fi, or desire to read a beautiful, empathetic story and add it to your repertoire: I highly recommend A Wind in The Door by Madeleine L’Engle.
A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.
EPIC: The Musical is a concept musical loosely adapting the story of the Odyssey, the famous Greek epic. Currently, it has eight “sagas” released, each featuring 3-5 songs, and “the Cyclops Saga” is the second of these! Spoiler warning for the musical, of course.
Polyphemus
In the intro to the saga, Odysseus and his crew sail to the cave that they were told about by the lotus eaters and promptly find and kill a bunch of sheep. However, they are confronted by a massive cyclops who lives in the cave, and whose sheep they have just killed. Odysseus attempts to bargain with it, and his wiles come into play. He is sure to give his name as “nobody” instead of Odysseus, and attempts to persuade the Cyclops to accept wine as a trade for the sheep. The Cyclops drinks the wine but refuses to let them go. Polyphemus’ (the name of the Cyclops, thus the name of the song) voice is done very well to be menacing and intimidating – you can almost visualize this hulking deadly figure. There are many small vocal melodies in this song that I find get stuck in my head from time to time.
2. Survive
Odysseus and the crew begin to make a stand against the Cyclops, but are swiftly taken aback by it bringing out a club and beginning to beat some of the crew to death. If you aren’t watching the musical with animatics (which I highly recommend) then it might not be as easily apparent to you: one of the crewmates that’s killed is Polites. This death affects Odysseus greatly for the rest of the journey: Polites was his best friend, and this is just after Polites encourages him to “greet the world with open arms”. Now, after Odysseus has tried bargaining with the Cyclops…look at where that got him? This song does a great job of raising tension through the beats of the club: each hit is another dead, and their cries for Odysseus (“captain!”) are utterly heartbreaking.
3. Remember Them
Thanks to Odysseus getting the Cyclops to drink the lotus wine in “Polyphemus”, it passes out. He and his crew manage to stab it in the eye. When the Cyclops attempts to get help, it says that “nobody” had blinded him. This is thanks to Odysseus’ introducing himself as Nobody earlier on and, of course, does not get him any assistance. Notably, Athena tells Odysseus to kill the Cyclops instead of just blinding him, but he refuses and tries to stick by Polites’ “open arms” philosophy. However, before they fully take off, Odysseus makes the mistake of turning around and telling the Cyclops his real name. Odysseus’ pride has gotten the better of him: he wants the Cyclops to know who beat him. This song causes a ripple of change that affects countless future events. If only he had just listened to Athena…
4. My Goodbye
In this song, Athena, who has been acting as Odysseus’ patron until this point, declares her separation from Odysseus. The two have a back and forth argument, each cutting deeper and deeper into each other’s insecurities. You can just feel the pent-up energy in the lyrics and the voice delivery, plus reiteration of Athena’s theme fading into the distance at the end of the song puts into perspective how alone he is. Teagan Earley, the voice of Athena, really shines here, and it is my personal favorite song of this saga.
Recently, I began reading a multitude of books from the romantic and transcendentalist era for the English class at my school. While I initially came into the unit thinking that there would be nothing interesting about these 19th-century books written mostly by authors I’ve never heard of, save for Emerson and Poe, I was surprised by how interesting some of the other works were, including The Scarlet Letter, which the unit culminated in.
The Scarlet Letter gives the reader a vivid picture of early American society through the eyes of Hester Prynne, who is sentenced to wear a red “A” on her chest as a punishment for adultery after she had presumed her previous husband to be dead. The book begins with a visit from Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, at the jail where Hester is being held. Chillingworth tells Hester about his quest for revenge, as well as his knowledge of the identity of the man whom Hester had an affair with. He then forces Hester to promise not to reveal who he is.
Fast-forward a couple of years. Hester’s child, Pearl, has grown, and Chillingworth’s quest for revenge continues. Although I am not going to reveal who the person ultimately is for the sake of not spoiling the story, Chillingworth begins to masquerade as a friend of the man whom Hester had an affair with and begins to psychologically torture him into confessing and exposing himself to the rest of the community.
Although I won’t spoil the rest of the story, I found this book very interesting because Hawthorne skillfully weaved references to romantic and transcendentalist ideas into the story, while still keeping it engaging. Also, for anybody interested in getting this book, I would recommend the Norton critical edition, as it includes the story itself as well as explanations for some archaic references or vocabulary that we would have a harder time getting. I would recommend this book to anybody interested in reading classic American novels, or novels from the romantic era in general.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
The Matchlock Gun is a short story by Walter D. Edmonds. The story takes place during the French and Indian War, in New York State when it was still a British colony. Edward’s father, Captain Teunis Van Alstyne, is once again leaving home for military service. This time, he is going to Palatine Bridge to make sure that the Indians do not cross it and attack the town. Even though Teunis has often assured his wife, Gertrude, not to worry while he is away, she is still afraid of what might happen while he is away fighting the Indians.
When some of the nearby towns are attacked and burned, Gertrude’s worries become reality. She decides to teach her son Edward how to use their matchlock gun. This gun is a special type of musket that has power and weight comparable to that of a small cannon. It is so heavy that Edward needs to rest it on a table so that he can shoot out through the window. Gertrude assures Edward that if he is able to use the gun correctly and at the right time, then they should be safe from any Indians. Deep down, however, Gertrude does not know if they will be able to survive if they are attacked.
The foreword mentions that this book is actually based on a true story, which gave me a much different perspective on the setting and the characters. The story is quite dramatic. Even though this book is very short, I enjoyed it immensely. The story is very exciting, so I found it easy to read in one sitting. I was disappointed that the Indians were portrayed as ruthless killers, but I understand that this book was depicting events from the perspective of early American settlers in those days. Despite the harsh realities of that time, I was impressed by the strength and courage displayed by Edward and his family. I consider this book well-deserving of the Newbery Medal, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a short but action-packed read.
The Matchlock Gun by Walter D. Edmonds is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.
Sounder is a short novel by William H. Armstrong. This book won the Newbery Medal in 1970. The story is about a young boy living in the 19th-century South. The boy’s name is not given, but his father is described as a black sharecropper who is struggling to support his poor and hungry family. Along with his loyal dog, Sounder, the boy manages to survive despite the challenges of poverty and discrimination. From the boy’s perspective, this book explores themes such as finding strength to overcome trials and the importance of family. This book describes the harsh reality of racism and its harmful consequences. However, this book also celebrates an enduring spirit of hope and resilience as the boy is forced to deal with many hardships during his early life.
This book is simple yet powerful. It captures the emotions of characters who are dealing with severe difficulties. I appreciate that this book describes the Southern setting in a very realistic way, because I gained perspective on that society and culture. The relationship between the boy and his dog Sounder is very touching. I was impressed by the dog’s loyalty, and the story taught an important lesson about the value of good companionship during times of trial. The boy faces many challenges, including the imprisonment of his father and the struggles of daily survival. Through it all, he learns to become resilient and self-reliant.
A major theme of this book is the power of education. The boy’s greatest desire is to learn to read. Despite the tragic events of this story, there is hope that the boy will ultimately achieve his goal. This book inspired me to endure hardships and to pursue as much education as I can. Even though the human experience can be difficult and unfair, we can celebrate times of joy and express gratitude for family connections. Overall, I appreciated this book very much, and I would highly recommend it.
Sounder by William H. Armstrong is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Over the years, my family has visited many national parks. Below you’ll find a small list of my favorite parks (worst to best).
5) Arches National Park
I visited this park in the year 2021, during the summer. Arches is located in Utah, near the town of Moab. This national park is gorgeous and full of hikes that range in mileage and difficulty. I liked this park because the arches were huge in size–I’ve never seen arches that beautiful and colossal. Some other pros about this park are there are many scenic drives if you wish to not hike. One HUGE con to this park is that it gets insanely hot during the summer. One of my memories from this trip was hiking in 100 degree weather at sunset time. Despite the hot weather, you should make a visit to this gorgeous park. Though this national park is beautiful, there isn’t much to do besides hike to the arches. Moab, the surrounding town is nice but small, so plan your visit to be around 3 days.
My Hiking Recommendations:
Delicate Arch (most popular and my favorite!)
Double Arch
Broken Arch
4) Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park was one of the recent national parks that I traveled to. I believe I went to this park in June or July. Glacier is located in Montana and spreads to the border of Canada and the US. Since I visited this park in June (or July), there were MANY fires, so most of the lakes and mountains were too smokey to see. Glacier is known for its icy-blue lakes; I was able to see maybe one or two. But, because of the fires, the lakes appeared gray. Despite this, I enjoyed this national park when we saw a glimpse of the huge mountains. Also, I remember seeing black bears, grizzly bears, and other wildlife. Glacier has great hiking trails and scenic drives; one of the most popular things to do is to drive through the Road to the Sun–which goes through most of the park. Known as the Europe of the United States, Glacier is a beautiful park to visit.
Awesome Hikes/Things to do:
Avalanche Lake
Hidden Lake
Highline Trail
Road to the Sun
3) Olympic National Park
My third favorite park is Olympic National Park, located in Washington. This park is extra unique because it has three different: rainforest, forest, and the ocean. I enjoyed this park because there was a variety of places to visit. The fact that Olympic Park has different biomes was extremely interesting. Personally, the rainforest ecosystem was my favorite, because it was lush and had amazing trees. If you are looking for a unique park to visit, I would recommend Olympic. A perk to this area is that there are delicious cherries in the summer; you can’t go to Olympic without eating them!!
My Hiking Recommendations:
Mount Storm King
Hurricane Hill
Hall of Mosses Trail
Hole-in-the-Wall
2) Zion National Park
Coming in a close second is Zion National Park, also located in Utah. I’ve visited this park twice, once in the winter and once in the summer. There are so many good things to say about this park–I love it so much. In my opinion, Zion is the best park to drive through. When you enter the gates, you are greeted with cosmic mountains that are unlike any other mountains I’ve seen. Zion houses a myriad of hikes, each with its own treasure. One of the most popular (and dangerous) hikes is Angel’s Landing. Although my parents did not let me finish the hike, the end of Angels Landing provides a 360 view of Zion. However, this hike is extremely challenging (it is all uphill until the lookout), and at the end, there are drops on each side of the path. The narrowest part of Angel’s Landing measures 24 inches–keep in mind there is traffic from both sides. Even though I have visited this park twice, I would like to go again (and try Angels Landing).
My Hiking Recommendations:
Angels Landing
Scout Lookout
The Narrows
Weeping Rock
1) Grand Teton National Park
My all-time favorite national park is Grand Teton, found in Wyoming. I would say this is my favorite park because of the beautiful mountains, lakes, flowers, and wildlife. One of my memories of going to this park was seeing a mother grizzly bear with her three cubs. Besides the wildlife, this park has AMAZING hikes with waterfalls, huge trees, and great views. Known for its jagged (and snow-topped) mountain peaks, Grand Teton is filled with gorgeous sights to see. A memorable lake to visit is Jackson Lake, which reflects the mountains in the water. I went during the summer, and at Jackson Lake, I remember there were many wildflowers around the perimeter of the lake. That, along with the backdrop of the mountains and its reflections made this park my favorite of all time. Whenever you are looking for an adventurous place to go, I couldn’t recommend Grand Teton enough.
My recommendations:
Jackson Lake
Jenny Lake Trail
Cascade Lake Hike
TA Moulton Barn (you NEED to visit this landmark!!!)
American Born Chinese is a graphic novel written by Chinese-American cartoonist Gene Luen Yang in 2006. The novel focuses on an immigrant teenage boy named Jin Wang, who goes to a school in the United States where his classmates and teachers are all ignorant of his Chinese background.
In addition to Jin Wang, two, possibly three other main characters are included in the novel and towards the end of the novel are brought together for a specific purpose. These characters are the Monkey King, who struggles with his identity as a monkey and wants to be human, Danny, an American sitcom character whose life is ruined when his cousin, Chin-Kee, a sitcom character who is a racial stereotype of Asians, comes to visit him and tags along at school.
Gene Luen Yang’s humorous approach, artistic talent, and clever storytelling make the book very entertaining. The novel also comes a few important themes. A few underlying messages can be found in the novel, such as identity and transformation, stereotypes, and coming of age. Both Jin and the Monkey King experience changes in themselves – Jin becomes fed up with being Chinese American and starts to go by Danny, the Monkey King, after being kicked out of a dinner party in heaven, studies the many principles of kung fu in order to transform himself into a more human-like being.
In conclusion, this graphic novel is one worth checking out. With three seemingly unrelated stories about identity based around Chinese legends and stereotypes, Gene Luen Yang’s tale is bound to entertain anyone.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 