The Splash Brothers

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Steph Curry and Klay Thompson revolutionized the game of basketball by hitting ridiculously long-distance threes consistently.  The second they step past half-court, they are an immediate threat to shoot and score.  Teams have to bring their defense up past the three-point line to ensure that doesn’t happen.  They are the first to have defenses be so frightened of such incredible shooting.  They were given the nickname “The Splash Brothers”.  When a basketball cleanly goes into a hoop, it makes a splash sound.  That is why they are the Splash Brothers because they splash threes consistently and continuously.

When they first began contending for championships, lots of people doubted them because they thought shooting alone couldn’t win championships.  The championship teams before Steph and Klay normally always either have a point guard with a great big man scoring and dunking, or two-way wing players.  For example, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the point guard and big man, or Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as two-way wing players.   But Steph and Klay completely changed that narrative.  

From 2015-2022, they proved that you can win championships with great shooting alone.  They also had a great playmaker in Draymond Green to find them open to shoot or set screens to get them open to shoot.  They dominate the NBA together, winning four championships in seven years.  

The Maybe Man Album Review

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The Maybe Man is the fifth album written by AJR. Let me just say that AJR is my favorite band and that I definitely recommend them. 

A bit of background information about AJR. AJR is an American indie pop band. The members are Adam, Ryan and Jack Met, a trio of brothers from New York. The trio actually write all of their own songs. They first gained popularity in 2015 with their single I’m Ready when an Australian singer liked the song. Sense then, they have released 5 albums:

  • Living Room
  • The Click
  • Neotheatre
  • OK Orchestra

and the reason I am writing this

  • The Maybe Man

Now, let’s review this amazing album.

Track One, The Maybe Man: This song is an overview of the entire album. The lyrics all directly relate to the following songs, which is super interesting because you have to match each lyric to the songs. The song is all about a man who wants to be something else. I like this song because it builds up the entire time until the end where the song gets really party-ish.

“I wish that my brain would triple in size- I’d nail ever joke, I’d win every fight- But I’d get too deep with that kind of mind- I don’t wanna know the point of life”

Track Two, Touchy Feely Fool: This was the song I was most excited about when I heard they were making a new album. It definitely lived up to what I wanted it to be. The lyrics are incredibly catchy and the beat will get stuck in your head all day long. This song is about a man who can’t get out of a toxic relationship. 

“I’m screwed- But, hey, what can you do?- I’m a touchy feely fool- I would give anything to not give a ****- About you (you)- Life is pretty cruel- For a touchy feely fool- I would give anything to not give a ****, but I do”

Track Three, Yes I’m A Mess: At first I loved this song, don’t get me wrong, I still like it, but I have heard it WAY too many times. These lyrics and beats get stuck in your head for days on end. It’s all about a dude who definitely needs a therapist, he’s running away and going kinda crazy. This song also has a really good music video.

 “Cheers to the front and cheers to the back- And cheers to the 2010s (literally the year I was born, guess they know their audience)- I could hate my guts when the sun comes up- But I like myself like this- I like myself like this”

Track Four, The Dumb Song: This is a pretty good song. I think that compared to the other songs on the album, this one is a bit covered up. Not a bad song, it’s message is unique. It’s all about how the singer (our Maybe Man) isn’t very smart so whatever happens isn’t his fault.

“You said with certainty- I may be the dumbest person that you’ve ever seen- You think you’re hurting me- Bet you won’t believe it, but you kinda set me free”

Track Five, Inertia: One of the most popular songs in the album, Inertia is one of my favorites. It’s a very… different song. AJR experiments with different voices and tunes. I know that this song is special, but once you like it, you LOVE it. It’s actually some of my friends’ favorite song. It’s all about different forms of inertia, but depending on your science class, It can really help you remember one of the forces exerted on planets by the Sun.

“I wanna be big like my plans-So why am I so tiny, and why am I so mad?-It’s inertia, guess this is just what I am- I’m stuck in this life, and I’m stuck in these pants”

Track Six, Turning Out Pt. iii: To be honest, this song is lower on my list of songs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good song. It’s just more emotional and slow. So far, AJR has written 3 Turning Out songs and I think this is the last one. It centers on our Maybe Man’s love life, but was actually written by Ryan Met.

“Love isnt big, kid-  It’s little and quiet- Let’s do today- I think you’ll turn out to like it”

Track Seven, Hole in the Bottom of My Brain: I was excited for this song for two reasons. One; I thought the title was super interesting and for some reason I imagined gunshots???? And two; It was the only non-explicit song on the album, which, added to my imagined gunshot wounds, made me super intrigued in this song. The song itself was super cool because it built up every lyric until the end. It’s kinda about things building up.

“There’s a hole in the bottom of my brain- When I spend money, the hole goes away- If I could finally get clothes that are fancily sewn- I could finally be ready for fame”

Track Eight, The DJ is Crying for Help: Not one of my favorite songs on the album, this song is more mainstream than the others. I don’t have much to say about this song. It’s just, bleh. It’s about our Maybe Man and how he has to grow up and doesn’t know what to do now.

“Hey now , hold up, we were fun as hell- I’m all grown up but you couldn’t tell- Now I don’t know what to do with myself- The DJ is cryin’ for help”

Track Nine, I Won’t: My least favorite song, I Won’t is more mainstream then the previous. I don’t know, this song has a pretty funny YouTube short. It’s about not wanting to do things, about not giving in to peer pressure and doing what YOU want.

“I don’t got a body like I see in the press- So I got to the precipice of pressing my chest- And now I look impressive with a couple of pecs- Just like my friends”

Track Ten, Steve’s Going to London: AWESOME SONG!!!! It’s so good. AJR originally wrote this song so they had at least one not super meaningful heavy song in the album. Honestly, that’s what this song is. It’s super lightweight compared to the rest of the songs. This song is super fun because when you listen to it, it’s like two different songs mushed into one. There actually is no real meaning to this song, so enjoy!

“ Well, you try to find some meaning in your life before you’re gone (ooh)- There’s a song that don’t mean anything at all (ooh)- And it sounds like”

Track Eleven, God is Really Real: Saddest. Song. Ever. They wrote this song when their dad got sick. He did unfortunately die, which is really awful. I love (can you love a song this sad?) this song. There’s really not much I can say about this song, except, bring tissues.

“I’ll sing it for you, dad- When you get out of bed- I’ll sing it for you when you’re out of bed”

Track Twelve, 2085: LAST SONG!!!!!!! This is the longest song written by AJR at 5 minutes and 31 seconds. It’s the end of the album, so it wraps up the entire album with a pretty little ribbon. Love the song, it’s all about the end of the Maybe Man’s life and his regrets and achievements.

“I wish I was me- Whoever that is- I could just be- And not give a ****- Hey I’ll be whatever makes you a fan- Cause I don’t know who the he** I am”

Overall, this is a beautiful album that I took way too much time writing about. I hope you enjoy The Maybe Man by AJR.

MUN 101: How to get started in Model United Nations

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Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations where delegates of different countries gather to attempt to solve real world issues. In Model United Nations (MUN), students act as the role of the delegates and model what it is like to be a real delegate and solving real world issues.

The quickest way to get into MUN is to join your school clubs or classes if available. Students are able to get more experience and learn faster that way. If there isn’t any of those choice, there is always the option to start your own! Ask your school’s teacher and counselors about those options.

MUN consists of a lot of parts. You need to complete research papers on your country, position papers, resolution papers, and opening speeches. Now, it may seem complicated, but there are so many different free resources out there for you. Websites like UN.ORG, AMUN.ORG, AllAmericanMUN.ORG are just some of the many resources out there. Many videos are available on YouTube with free tips and tricks on how to improve quickly and efficiently.

Basic needs for almost every conference is all of your research on your assigned country, your position paper, 6-10 resolutions on the topic which including reliable sourcing to back them up, opening speech, a few mods that you may want to bring up to discuss, a notepad, and writing utensil. As for MUN conferences (which are competitions) formal wear is usually if not always required. Delegates are usually required to wear suits and or any other type of formal wear.

Good luck on your MUN journey!

Book vs. TV Series: Percy Jackson

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Many Disney and Percy Jackson fans have long awaited the arrival of the TV series Percy Jackson. Having read the series, I immediately watched the first two episodes of the series that Disney launched. The series is chronologically ordered, starting with the first book The Lightning Thief. Episodes 1 & 2 are about Percy’s journey to Camp Half-Blood, the ‘death’ of his mother, and the beginning of his quest.

Overall, I thought that the first two episodes were decent; however, it wasn’t the best. One criticism I have is that some important scenes (and details) were left out. At the beginning of Episode 1, Mr. Brunner hands Percy his sword Riptide. However, in the book, Brunner throws Percy his sword and pretends it never happened. Though this is a tiny detail, I noticed that it was left out. On a larger note, one extremely important scene that was left out was the prophecy of someone dying. In the book, when Percy is on the bus, he looks out of the window and sees 3 women cutting a string–which foreshadows the death of his mother. While there are probably about 10 other scenes that were left out, I think that the show did a mediocre job of embodying the book.

Another small criticism that I have is that the characters from TV series look too young. While Percy is 12 in the book (and the other kid supporting characters are), the actors look way too young. If I did not have any previous knowledge of the TV series/book, I would assume that the characters were between the age of 8-9. Despite the actor’s youthful appearance, I would say Walker Scobell (Percy), is very talented. A final criticism I have is that some of the characters do not match the descriptions of the book. For example, Gabe, Annabeth, Clarisse, and Grover do not have the same characteristics as the characters in the book. Personally, I feel that it takes away from the story; but I’m sure the actors will do a phenomenal job for this series.

After watching the first two episodes of this series, my assessment is that while the series is decent, the book is much better. While I believe that you should watch the series, I would recommend reading the books first.

The Percy Jackson & the Olympians book series by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Heat Warnings!

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Now that it’s summer, we have to be more observant of the temperature outside as well as the heat warnings that the government sends out. It can be hazardous for everyone, especially for student-athletes who are participating in summer sports.

There are two types of heat strokes. One is exertional heat stroke and the other is classical heat stroke. Exertional heat stroke is one of the top 3 killers of athletes and soldiers in the U.S.

An exertional heat stroke is a sunstroke that is caused by intense exercise in the heat. In contrast, classical heat stroke is caused by prolonged exposure to hot weather and is most common in more vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, infants, and individuals with chronic illnesses.

The reason why extreme heat is so dangerous to your body is because it denatures your cells, causing them to leak their contents out into your blood. When the contents leak, it may cause liver/kidney damage and even failure of vital organs.

Some ways to identify exertional heat stroke are increased heart rate, confusion/disorientation, low blood pressure, and if your core body temperature measures above 40 degrees Celsius. Here is a little infographic below for more information:

The best method for cooling someone is to first remove any athletic or protective gear from the victim if any. Then, place them in an ice water tub while stirring the water and monitoring vitals continuously.

Besides cold water immersion, another way to cool an individual with exertional heat stroke is by dousing them in ice water and applying wet towels over their entire body, aiming to cool as much surface area as possible.

Stay safe and cool out there everyone!

Join the Teen Advisory Board!

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The Teen Advisory Board is a group that meets once a month and works with the Teen Services Librarian to develop programs and services for the community. TAB members have the opportunity to create their own programs and take on leadership roles.

Check out these pictures of some of the fun activities TAB worked on last year (scroll down).

Applications will be accepted June 15-July 31.

For more information, please contact the Teen Services Librarian at ohoward@cityofmissionviejo.org. 

The Joy Luck Club

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In 1989, Amy Tan published the story The Joy Luck Club, a novel describing the struggles and experiences of Chinese immigrants in the United States. In 1949, shortly after World War II, four women created a group to play mahjong, a Chinese tile-based game. The book centers around these four women and each of their American-born daughters.

The story dives into the cultural differences between each mother and child of different origins. They struggle to understand one another, affecting their relationship. The fourth mothers (Suyuan Woo, An-mei Hsu, Lindo Jong, and Ying-Ying St. Clair) realize that America is not what they expected and the American Dream is almost unattainable. Each mother has a different story with her daughter, but they are all interconnected. They reveal the misunderstandings and different values between each mother-daughter relationship.

Suyuan Woo wanted her daughter Jing-mei to be a genius as a child. She pushed Jing-mei to try activities she had no interest in. Suyuan hoped to instill strength in her daughter since she persevered through a war in China. She was internally strong and determined to combat any challenge she faced. However, without many opportunities in China, she could not achieve all her dreams. This led her to have high expectations for her daughter, which Jing-mei was unable to attain, causing a strain on their relationship. Although she feels pressured at first, after her mother’s death, she begins to find her identity after she visits her half-sisters in China. She understands her culture and heritage, allowing her to balance her American and Chinese identity to fulfill her mother’s wishes.

An-mei Hsu encountered many challenges in her childhood. She witnessed her mother’s manipulation and eventual suicide at an early age. Her entire family saw her as a failure, destroying her confidence. Her daughter, Rose, was in a traumatic marriage with her husband and was unable to find her voice. However, she listens to An-mei and fights for herself, creating a connection between them.

As a child, Lindo Jong was forced into marriage with a spoiled and disrespectful boy named Tyan-yu. She is treated as a servant but can escape, characterizing her childhood. She wants her daughter Waverly to be able to control her destiny. Waverly develops an ego and becomes overconfident, but still struggles with her relationship with her fiancé Rich. Through conversations and advice from her mother, Waverly can find herself and gain insight, allowing her to control her life.

Finally, Ying-Ying is faced with trauma through broken marriages as a child. She is scarred for life and warns Lena to be cautious, creating a sense of generational trauma. Once Ying-Ying marries Clifford St. Clair, she loses her identity and Chinese heritage through a name change. Her miscarriage afterward is her final straw, which sends her into a downward spiral and she becomes a “ghost” of herself. She is unable to communicate with her daughter (Lena) and husband, making her feel she has no voice. However, Lena learns to express herself and free herself from built-up internal pain, helping her confront her husband, Harold, and break away from the marriage.

Overall, The Joy Luck Club is a tremendous novel that explores the different experiences of four pairs of mothers and daughters. The struggle to communicate, balance their identities, and achieve their American Dream creates an intriguing experience for the reader and a further desire to read.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

“When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi Book Review

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“What is the meaning of life?”

When Breath Becomes Air: Kalanithi, Paul

When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir by Paul Kalanithi. Paul Kalanithi was a very successful person, had a loving wife, completed multiple degrees, and won multiple awards. He was a neurosurgeon, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the peak of his medical career. He decided to write this book in months preceding his death, when he was already terminal. He thought he can thus make an important contribution to the society. Readers are invited into his journey that intertwines the realms of medicine, mortality, and the search for meaning in life. His memoir serves not only as a personal testament but also as a guide for readers to contemplate their own lives and values. It challenges readers to reflect on their priorities and aspirations, urging everyone to live life with a purpose.

Through his introspective journey, Kalanthi explores literature and philosophy, seeking answers and understanding of life’s toughest questions. He faces mortality with courage. He is a doctor who transitions from treating patients to becoming one. He thus provides a unique perspective on illness and healing. He shares his experiences navigating the medical system from both sides of the hospital system. He sheds light on the medical school experience and the life of a medical professional. Additionally, central to Kalanithi’s narrative, is his relationship with his wife, Lucy. Their love, their journey together in the face of realities of illness and mortality, underscores the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Through this story, we are reminded of the power of human connections, life’s fragility, and the importance of embracing each moment. Reading this book is truly an exercise in empathy. It encourages us to contemplate the legacy we wish to leave behind. Kalanithi reminds us to live fully, love deeply, and seek meaning in every breath we take.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: A Burning by Megha Majumdar

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I read this book for English class this year, and it was a very intriguing book. The book is an adventure that involves three perspectives, Lovely, PT Sir, and Jivan. Lovely is an aspiring actor who finally finds some success after years of trying. PT Sir is a PE coach who finds success within a political party. Jivan is a woman who witnesses a terrorist attack and is framed for it. The perspectives of Lovely and Jivan are told in first person while PT Sir’s perspective is told in the third person.

The book shows corruption and internal conflict between the characters. Although they all have separate lives, they are somehow related through Jivan’s court case. Sacrifice is a big theme in the book. For example, Lovely becomes popular through her acting career,. She is left with the choice of either helping Jivan’s case or being successful in acting. She chose to ditch Jivan and become successful with acting, although it was a hard choice.

Another big theme is corruption, and this is shown through PT Sir’s actions when he gets power. Bimala Pal, the political party’s official instructs PT Sir to testify against innocent people in order for him to gain more power through the political party. PT Sir accepts and puts multiple innocent people in jail.

Overall, this book shows the reality of the court system in some countries. A lot of innocent people are put in jail for false accusations, and in this case, Jivan ends up unfortunately being put to death because of it. I would recommend this book to everyone as it is pretty fascinating to see the characters’ development. It takes place very recently, so the book incorporates technology like phones and Facebook.

-Albert X., 10th Grade

A Burning by Megha Majumdar is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

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Composed of multiple vignettes, The House on Mango Street features a young Mexican American girl named Esperanza who struggles with poverty, maintaining her culture, and fighting against the traditional roles of women in this society. As she grows up, Esperanza begins to truly come to terms with her identity, creating a sense of belonging, as she realizes that Mango Street will always be a part of her and her life.

The House on Mango Street is a beautiful story that travels through different moments in Esperanza’s life, using poetic and inspirational phrases to illustrate Esperanza’s struggles, feelings, and dreams of a future where she is truly free. With vivid imagery, descriptions, and symbols, Sandra Cisneros truly encapsulates the struggles of women of color and those struck with poverty, giving a voice to the stories of people who are often overlooked.

As Esperanza struggles to maintain her freedom against a harsh, traditional society, Sandra Cisneros also highlights the consequences and cruel reality that many women face in this society, becoming trapped in a constant cycle of abuse from their fathers or husbands. While also showcasing how writing has helped Esperanza tell stories that have never been heard before as well as escape from the circumstances forced upon her, Sandra Cisneros presents the lives of various women in this society and the confinements they find themselves in.

Overall, I would definitely recommend reading The House on Mango Street if you’re interested in learning more about Esperanza’s life and struggles or analyzing Sandra Cisneros’s poetic and symbolic writing style within the book.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.