Ronald Acuña Jr. ,number 13, is a right fielder for the Atlanta Braves. He was born in La Guaria, Venezuela on 12/18/1997 now he is 26 years old, his height is 6 feet on the dot and his weight is 205. He was hitting very well in the 2023 season with a batting average of 0.337 which is the 2nd in the National League. He’s hit 41 home runs which is the 5th in the National League, and 106 RBI (Runs Batted In) which is the 8th tied in the National League. Also his OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) is 1.012, a good OPS for a MLB player is above 0.800 and he is .200 above the good OPS number. Also he stole 73 bases which only few people can steal more than 60 bases. He has been doing well in the postseason as well by hitting 2 home runs and 3 runs in.
Fun Fact about Ronald Acuña Jr.
He is the only player in MLB to at least hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases in a single season.
He became the fifth member of the 40-40 club in 2023.
He signed with the Atlanta Braves for 100 million dollars for 8 years in 2019.
Hello! I hope that you found my previous article about starting photography interesting. This article aims to help those with DSLRs (digital singular-lens reflex) Cameras learn their settings.
One of the first and most important things to learn about your camera is what mode you are in. This ranges from auto, portrait, landscape, food, sports, and manual. Most photographers use the mode manual, which allows full control over all the settings in a camera.
Here’s a list of what each letter stands for in the picture above:
A-Dep = Automatic Depth (of Field)
M = Manual
Av = Aperture Priority
Tv = Shutter Priority
P = Program
Green Box = Auto
No Flash
CA = Creative Auto
When starting out, try the Auto mode for the first couple of times. However, as you continue using your camera, you’re going to want to learn how to use manual mode.
Next, you will want to learn the settings of a camera. The first is shutter speed, which controls how long (or short) your camera’s lens is open. Shutter speed is measured in seconds, and can go down to 1/1000 of a second on most cameras. The smaller your shutter speed is, the less light will enter your camera (and the faster it will capture a movement); use a small shutter speed when taking pictures of movement, or in bright spaces. Slower shutter speeds such as 5 seconds are often used for light painting, or for night photography. You can adjust your shutter speed by using the shutter speed dial, this is different for each camera, so make sure to search it up. I know this is probably confusing, so I’ll insert some helpful articles/videos at the end!
Another important setting is the aperture, also known as the pupil in your camera lens. According to Photography Life, “Aperture can be defined as the opening in a lens through which light passes to enter the camera” (Photography Life). Controlling your aperture makes the opening in the lens bigger or smaller. It is expressed in f-stops. A small aperture makes the hole in the lens smaller, meaning less light will come through. However, a large aperture will make more light come in. In addition to lighting, this setting affects your depth of field (what is shown in your photo–focused or unfocused). Aperture is confusing to learn about, so I’ll link a video in this article.
Finally, you’ll need to know the setting ISO. To simplify this term, ISO is a setting that will brighten or darken your photo. An ISO of 100 will darken your photo, but an ISO of 500 will brighten it. However, when using a high ISO, it creates noise–or graininess. You can adjust your ISO by pressing the ISO button on the right-hand side of your camera.
Hopefully, this article was helpful! Below are some helpful articles and videos that explain the concepts better than me.
Gather all ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Begin by washing your potatoes thoroughly under warm water and rub with salt. Let them soak in a tub of warm water as you prepare the other ingredients. Set out your cream cheese now until it reaches room temperature. Wash your jalapenos, basil pesto, rosemary, and fresh dill thoroughly and place them aside. Begin by taking out a pot and filling it with water to boil. Take out your potatoes from the water put them on a baking sheet that is oiled up with either olive or avocado oil. Now cover the potatoes in oil and place them into the oven to bake. While that bakes for an 45 minutes to a hour, fry up your bacon till your desired crispiness. Slice your potatoes down the middle lengthwise. Scoop the potato flesh out into the bowl and set the skins aside for later. Salt your potatoes until desired saltiness and mash it together. Add rosemary, basil pesto and fresh dill, stir thoroughly and mash together. Now mix a little bit of the cream cheese and cheddar cheese into the potato mix. Oil up your potato skins and add the potato mix back into the skin before placing it on an oiled up tray. Preheat the oven back to 350 degrees and add ham and cheddar cheese onto the top of the potatoes and place them back into the oven for 30 minutes. It will crisp up shortly and be ready to eat! Top with basil pesto, fresh dill, or feta cheese. Enjoy!
The Second Mrs. Giaconda, by E.L. Konigsberg, is a historical novel featuring Leonardo da Vinci and the background of his famous painting, the Mona Lisa. The story is told from the perspective of Leonardo’s apprentice, Salai. Before meeting Leonardo, Salai was a liar and a thief. Leonardo catches Salai in the act of stealing, but does not punish him. Leonardo realizes that Salai and his family are living in poverty. Moved by compassion, Leonardo takes in Salai as an apprentice.
Soon after Salai is made an apprentice, it becomes apparent that Leonardo favors him over his other apprentices. A bond develops between the master and the apprentice that becomes stronger through the many hardships that they endure together. After a surprising turn of events, this relationship ultimately leads to the painting of the Mona Lisa.
This is a short novel, but I enjoyed it very much. Even though the story is fictional, it seems realistic. It gives a sense of what life was like during the Renaissance. I think that this book conveys the emotions of the characters very well. I was especially impressed by the development of the character of Leonardo da Vinci, but I enjoyed the other characters as well.
Overall, I found this book to be very compelling. The plot twists are intriguing, and surprisingly complex for such a short book. The story also teaches good lessons, such as the dangers of wealth and materialism. This book is very entertaining, and I would recommend it to anyone.
You may have heard of the term “biodiversity” before, but what is it and why is it so important? The book, Adventures in Biodiversity by Alexandre Antonelli gives new insight to these questions. Antonelli is a highly experienced and respected plant scientist. He has devoted his career to studying the evolutionary science of tropical plants and habitats. Throughout his book, he applies his knowledge to educate about the loss of biodiversity, and the dangers that come with it. It includes many details about the study of habitats and biology.
Personally, I am interested in biology. This book has furthered my passion for it: I have learned so much! I especially enjoyed reading about the author’s trips to rainforests and endangered ecosystems. I never knew how interconnected and complex nature truly is. Did you know that more than 500 species of flowers rely on bats to pollinate them? I didn’t either!
This book has also educated me on the dangers of endangered species and habitats. Everything needs biodiversity to thrive. All species, from cocoa plants to horseshoe crabs, play a major role in our everyday lives. Although we rely on the unique variety of species to thrive, humans are the leading cause for loss of biodiversity. We destroy rainforests, kill species for their fur, and steal habitats for our own. This decline of biodiversity has rapidly accelerated throughout the years. For example, the Amazon rainforest has already lost 20% of its area due to deforestation. It is projected to lose 7% more by 2027. The book goes into much more detail; there are many specifics on the causes, types, and consequences of the loss of biodiversity. I highly recommend everyone read this book and spread this knowledge to others.
I read this book as classwork for my English 1 class, and it was actually a really interesting book. It changed my outlook on life, and I really love the perspective of Holden. The book is written in first-person, from Holden’s point of view, and it shows the thought process of a teenager in internal conflict with himself.
The book is about a young boy named Holden who was born into a rich family. He went to Pencey Prep, a boarding school, due to his behavior and actions. His family was successful, and he wondered why he was not the same as them. This school journey ultimately leads him to the decision of leaving his school and wandering the streets of New York City. There, he talks about how he feels about life and what he needs.
Holden also talks with the people around him. For example, when he gets a taxi, he asks the cab driver about “what happens to the ducks in the Central Park lagoon.” I do not want to spoil the book too much because it is very interesting, and you will definitely not expect where Holden ends up.
The depression and mental illnesses Holden faces lead him to try to change his life for the better. He tries to protect other people’s childhood and innocence. He transforms eventually and in the end, he shifts his perspective in life and tries to redeem himself.
Overall, I would rate the book a 9/10, especially since I read it when I had just turned 14. I would mainly recommend this book to teenagers and high schoolers since the perspective is of a highschooler. It was a blast seeing Holden come of age and evolve throughout his thoughts and actions.
Albert X., 10th Grade
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.
The Giver, a novel by Lois Lowry, features Jonas, a boy living in a dystopian society. Jonas is chosen to become the Receiver of Memory, a highly-regarded position, and sets out to learn about society’s forgotten past. While acquiring these memories from The Giver, Jonas learns what it means to be “released” and decides to escape from this corrupted societal hierarchy instead of letting one of his loved ones die.
Jonas’s Age
Book: Jonas is twelve when he is assigned as the Receiver of Memory.
Movie: Jonas is sixteen when he receives his assignment.
Jonas’s Eyes
Book: Jonas has blue eyes, which sets him apart from the other children and is a key indicator that he has the potential to be the next Receiver of memory.
Movie: Jonas’s eyes are a brown color.
Fiona’s Assignment
Book: Fiona is a Caretaker of the Old and takes care of the elderly before they are released.
Movie: Fiona is a Nurterer who looks after newborns and children.
Asher’s Assignment
Book: Asher is assigned as the Assistant Recreational Director.
Movie: Asher becomes a pilot.
The Chief Elder
Book: The Chief Elder is a rather minor and unimportant character who does not play much of a role in the book.
Movie: The Chief Elder closely monitors Jonas, The Giver, and the surrounding communities to ensure “peace.”
The Giver by Lois Lowry and the movie adaptation is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. The book can also be downloaded for free from Libby.
Taking AP Seminar this year has helped me learn and investigate more deeply into a specific topic that I enjoyed. This class is unique from other classes I have taken because it allows you to collaborate with other people to research a topic that interests the whole group.
This class has also helped me develop skills for independent research such as developing the skills to create a research question and being able to narrow down the question into something that is more researchable.
Not only does this apply to real-world applications such as what is happening around the world currently, it also teaches you truly how to research, which oftentimes requires collaboration.
For those of you who get nervous while presenting, this class is for you too! Because this class is a research class, you first do the research, and then you present your topic.
The first 4 months of the class are focused on writing your Individual Research Report (IRR) and a Team Multimedia Presentation (TMP). In these months, your group gets to choose a topic, spend time drafting an arguable research question, and then put that research into a slideshow. The IRR is written simultaneously while you are researching in which you put the different perspectives you researched into conversation with one another.
The second part of the seminar course is where you receive a packet of around 5 stories or articles revolving around a theme. This part is the independent portion and you get to draft your research question based off of the theme. Then, you write a report of your findings and make a 6-8 minute presentation on it by yourself.
This AP course, I believe, is essential for real life as well. In college, we’ll have to be able to research topics we don’t understand, and with this ability we learn in high school, we can better thrive in college.
“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe is a poem about a young man and woman’s love story. The story follows a love that provokes even the angels to strip the man of the woman as she passes away in the poem. The poem surrounds the themes of love and how both deep love and death cause great grief and sorrow.
I particularly love how Poe develops the poem and creates it into a short story. While reading, it barely feels like a real poem, and rather a simple story about a couple in love and their tragic ending. I also love the way that Poe describes the couple’s love as he conveys their love as almost ethereal and something only seen once in a lifetime. The reader is truly immersed in their love especially with how Poe emphasizes how they had a “love that was more than love.”
I did not dislike anything in particular, except for Poe’s eccentric habit of writing about a young, beautiful woman’s death. I find Edgar Allan Poe an extremely odd man who often wrote about darker themes. Despite how much I enjoy his poems, they may appear a bit strange or may carry hints of weird recurring themes.
I truly enjoy this poem and recommend that anyone reads it. “Annabel Lee” is a short poem that is easy and fun to read that makes you wonder more about the couple’s story. Please give it a try as well as Edgar Allan Poe’s other works like Tell Tale Heart, a short novel, or even “The Bells,” another poem.
Kaiya T.
Books by Edgar Allan Poe are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. They are also available to download for free from Libby.
In my English class, we read one of the most famous stories that Charles Dickens has ever written. This story is called A Christmas Carol. A Christmas Carol is about a very greedy and selfish person named Ebenezer Scrooge. In the story, Scrooge goes on a journey through time to get taught important lessons that would hopefully change him for the better. While reading this story, I had fun reading about Scrooge’s character development and the hidden meanings in the text.
Early in the story, we learn that Scrooge had a business partner who died named Jacob Marley. Later, Scrooge is visited by Marley’s ghost who warns Scrooge that if he doesn’t change for the better, he will be miserable after death. Marley also tells him that the only way that he can be saved is if he follows the teachings of three different spirits that will visit him. The first spirit that visits Scrooge is named the Ghost of Christmas Past, who reminds Scrooge of things that have happened in his past. The next spirit is named the Ghost of Christmas Present, who shows Scrooge visions of people who are celebrating Christmas with others. The final spirit that visits Scrooge is named the Ghost of Christmas Future. The Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge things that will happen in the future if he doesn’t change for the better. After he gets visited by all three spirits he wakes up on Christmas day to change his fate.
As I read through this story it is easy to see Ebenezer Scrooge’s character development. It made the reading experience more fun as Scrooge changed from a horrible and greedy person at the start of the book to a generous person. I also enjoyed finding the hidden meanings inside the text Charles Dickens wrote. In many pages, there is a hidden meaning in the text that teaches Scrooge a lesson, which is fun to find.
Overall, A Christmas Carol is a fun book to read. My favorite part about it was seeing the character development of Scrooge. At the beginning of the story, he demonstrates how he’s a selfish and greedy person who only cares about money. Then, he turned into the complete opposite person. I highly recommend this story to others since it is a fun book to read while in the Christmas spirit.
-Matthew R.
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol–along with every variation–is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 