By: Musab Muhamud

‘Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief’ by Rick Riordan

This book by Rick Riordan is a fun and light read for anyone of all ages. It delves into Greek mythology and creates a magical world. It uses many themes such as family and nature to expand upon its characters while keeping the reading level low.

Percy is a young man who was raised by a single mother. He is shocked to learn that he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas. He is introduced to many friends on his journey throughout the story, and his friends are important later on in the story.

The book shows many highs and lows that most young readers could relate to. I think this book is a very well written and impactful book especially for its level. This book is a solid foundation for a series of books to follow, including completely different mythologies being used as well.

‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins

This novel uses darker themes to expand its world. The story is set in a dystopian world where a despotic regime bleeds its 12 surviving colonies dry of their already meager resources. The capitol lives in lavish conditions and forces 2 representatives from every colony to fight to the death for their entertainment.

Katniss Everdeen is forced into this cycle by her own bravery in becoming a placeholder for her sister who was drawn into the Hunger Games. Katniss continues to exhibit incredible bravery throughout the book. She survives by her lonesome for a great part of the fighting and she eventually creates alliances and forms multiple rivalries during the fighting. Katniss shows her ability to make the best of a bad situation by surviving life before and after her involvement in the games.

From being a borderline mother to her little sister, to her will to stay alive, Collins leaves you with a hunger to find out what happens in the next

By: Mary Koch

‘Uninvited’ is the first book in a 2 book series written by Sophie Jordan, and ‘Unleashed’ is the second one. I read the books the first time in 7th grade for English class, and they’ve been my favorite books since.

The first book follows Davy Hamilton after she tests positive for HTS, or the kill gene. People who test positive for HTS are supposed to have killing in their genes, so the government is putting extra control and rules around carriers. They have special classrooms in schools, curfews, and a social worker constantly checking up on them.

There’s also always the threat of getting an H tattoo on their necks which is meant to mark the more dangerous killers.

Before she got her test results, she was popular, nice, and she was going to Juilliard, but that ended when she was forced to change schools.

Eventually the government decides that carriers need to be quarantined, so they make camps, but some teenagers will be taken to schools to become trained killers. Davy, and her new friends Gill and Sean were taken to the schools where they had to escape.

The book is exciting, and the author made the characters relatable. They aren’t perfect people who randomly save the world. They all make mistakes, and they learn from each other.

The book also doesn’t get too boring with lots of serious talks from the government. At the end of a lot of the chapters, there are letters and updates that give more information about what’s going on in the world that Davy might not know about yet.

The story has a good pace, it’s not a quick read, and the characters take their time, but the story isn’t prolonged or over-filled.

If you’re looking for a new book to read, I recommend ‘Uninvited’, and the sequel, ‘Unleashed’.

By: Annika: Getz

*Note, this article may have material that could trigger individuals (violence against women), therefore, we present a trigger warning here.

Performance art is a style of art which was created and developed throughout the 20th century. The idea is that rather than a painting or a sculpture or something of that nature, the art is a live performance done by the artist.

Marina Abramović is a performance artist who did most of her work in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Most of her work puts her in very dangerous situations, and ends with her being cut, burned, starved, or some other form of harm being inflicted on her physical being.

Her career began with the ‘Rhythm’ pieces, ‘Rhythm 10’ (1973) involved her playing a Russian knife game, and cutting her fingers repeatedly. A year later ‘Rhythm 5’ followed, where she layed in the middle of a burning star, until she eventually lost consciousness, and had to be taken out of the performance. She remarked later about being angry with the results of the performance, saying “I was very angry because I understood there is a physical limit. When you lose consciousness you can’t be present, you can’t perform.” In the same year she performed ‘Rhythm 4’ and ‘Rhythm 2’ where she invoked her own unconsciousness in a way which would not interrupt the performance.

Still in 1974, Abramović performed her final piece in the ‘Rhythm’ series. ‘Rhythm 0’. In this performance, Abramović placed 72 objects on a table, and invited the audience to do whatever they’d like to with her and the objects. She left written instructions which read “There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired. I am the object. During this period I take full responsibility.” For six hours Abramović remained completely passive, not moving, or speaking.

Some of the objects were ordinary, everyday objects. A hat, soap, cake, a rose. Some of the objects however, were less tame. A knife, scissors, a gun, a bullet. Abramović took the ultimate risk, knowing that if the audience wanted to kill her, they could. She said later that she was fully ready to die in the performance, and counted herself lucky for coming out alive.

For a little while, at first, the public remained calm, they put a rose in her hand, fed her the cake, kissed her cheek, etc. However, as the night went on, the audience became more aggressive.

They at one point used the scissors to cut off her clothing. They placed her on the table and stabbed the knife between her thighs. The artist recounts someone even cutting her near her neck and drinking her blood, then covering the wound with plaster from the table. She also remembers that at one point, the gun was put in her hand, and later even pointed at her head.

Abramović recounts the night as being almost six hours of pure horror. At the end of the six hours, when the performance was over, she began walking towards the audience, covered in blood and tears, and the people ran away from her. It was as though the public realized that it had been a real, living person who they’d been torturing for hours, and they couldn’t face her.

This remains to me, one of Abramović’s most important works. Showcasing the sadistic nature of people when given the chance to hurt others without repercussion. There were probably people there who went without the intention of hurting the artist, but once put in the environment, found themselves doing just that. I think the psychological aspects of the performance similarly mirror those of the Stanford Prison Experiment, an experiment done by the psychology students at Stanford in the 70s. Through a hyper-realistic prison simulation, with college students playing the parts of guards and prisoners, they found that perfectly normal people became cruel when put in positions of power where they were given the chance to do so.

I think it speaks to our human nature, that these people became so sadistic in such a short time. The issue was that they didn’t see Abramović as a human being during this time, and so they felt they could treat her however they wanted to. The moral of the story is really just to treat everyone with the basic human decency that we all deserve.

For more information please visit:

• https://www.theartstory.org/movement/performance-art/
• https://www.theartstory.org/artist/abramovic-marina/
• https://www.wikiart.org/en/marina-abramovic/rhythm-4
• https://www.wikiart.org/en/marina-abramovic/rhythm-10
• http://students.smcm.edu/anyancone/314/research2.html
• https://www.wikiart.org/en/marina-abramovic/rhythm-5
• https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/abramovic-rhythm-0-t14875
• https://www.moma.org/audio/playlist/243/3118
• https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/may/12/marina-abramovic-ready-to-die- serpentine-gallery-512-hours
• https://multimediaperformance13.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/2013/04/30/marina-abramovic-and-r hythm-0/

By: Parker Rowen           

Language is something that many people take for granted. Language has spent hundreds of years evolving, becoming a complex system for us to describe our world. Words have spent hundreds of years becoming more specific and accurate toward what we experience, with language a medium for these observations.

The communication of ideas is an essential part of human growth, without our peers we would not be able accomplish feats which once seemed impossible.

Language and its specificity create a new medium for an artist, that being poetry. Poetry exists to show the view of the world through an artist’s perspective. Poetry is a medium in which you use linguistic specificity in order to express an emotion, or world view to another. Language makes poetry special.

Paintings aren’t something everyone makes, drawing isn’t either, but everyone uses language to communicate, by default; other art forms create a disconnect in that sense. People can understand poetry much easier than paintings or drawings, because language is something everyone uses.

To be accessible isn’t the point of art, though. Some art can be challenging, others not so much. The use of language is interesting, because as specific as language is, and can be, there are words with double, or more than one meaning. This can give poetry some more challenge, adding to the layers in which an artist can give to their art. 

Poetry uses language, and its uniqueness to create something which expresses an artists’ vision in a relatable, and simplistic way. Using language techniques to create different environments is one way in which the poet expresses their world. Techniques like alliteration, visualization, and metaphors make the poetry feel natural, like things you would naturally come to through the use of these techniques within your own life.

Poetry creates a unique art form, which creates more relatabilty compared to others. Poetry has plenty of variations of phrases, making things more descriptive or accurate to the poet’s vision.

By: Parker Rowen

What is art? What makes something artistic? What makes someone an artist?

Art is about truth; it is about the truth of a representation of a vision of someone who has a passion, and inspiration. This comes from their emotions, be it love, hate, happiness, or depression. Art must come from a place of real emotions, or it will feel disingenuous, and oftentimes fails at conveying anything, or making anyone else feel emotions. 

If your art isn’t truthful, people will never relate to it. Oftentimes, art which comes from different sources, such as greed, or begrudging acceptance, fall flat. Art must show the good, and the bad, not necessarily at once, for that is the truth of the world, and that is what people relate to. Connecting your world to that of others is key in art; one might argue it is the goal of art. To properly communicate these ideals and feelings, you must have a vision, and medium to express said vision.

To have a vision, means to have an emotion, or message so grand it can’t stay contained within your mind, and must be made reality. Art comes from having a vision. This type of vision can only be expressed through an artist’s point of view. Your vision must be a real one, you can’t argue for something you don’t believe in. Your vision must come from your emotions, and aspirations, your goals, and what is important to you. 

A piece of art is composed of a message, or an emotion, which an artist is trying to convey. Art comes from your personal truth, to try to convey false emotions, makes the art disingenuous, and uninteresting.

The truth about art is that it is about making people relate, or understand your perspective, and the world in which you live. The truth about art is it is a medium for expressing truth, pain, happiness, and the world at large; to be an artist is to express the truth of the world, and it’s flaws, and to create a vision of which will connect your truth to the truth of others.

By: Mary Koch & Ella Sutherland

Reading is important. Although it may not be as fun as watching a movie or TV show, it’s much better for your mind and body.

Reading is an easy way to wind down, especially after a stressful day. Just reading for a few minutes everyday is proven to be more effective than an entire yoga session. Having something to take our minds off the day can be beneficial in getting a good night’s sleep. Unlike your phone or the TV, a book can help you relax before bed which is always important.

Reading helps to strengthen overall brain function and increase memory. Scientists found that it can lower beta-amyloid, which is a brain protein connected Alzheimer’s, by keeping the mind ready and active. When you read your brain is becoming more creative and more imaginative. If you need to remember something it is easier to do if you read it aloud.

Your brain needs to stay active, and reading is a good way to do that. You don’t need to be reading non fiction or a textbook either; it’s best if you read something that interests you, so you’ll pay attention and maybe learn something. Reading helps with memorization, vocabulary, and communication skills. Those are all important skills not only in school, but in life when you’re applying for jobs or trying to get promotions.

If you have trouble focusing on everyday tasks or hard ones, reading can improve your focus and concentration skills. When you read something that you are interested in it forces you to really think about what you are reading and therefore helps you focus more. If you continue reading everyday, or as much as you can, I believe that your concentration levels will increase by a lot.

Mental health and mental illness can even be affected by reading habits. It’s become so common that it has a name, bibliotherapy, and bibliotherapists will give books they think will help especially with things like grief, anxiety, and depression. Fiction books are often used because when people can relate to the characters it’s easier to connect with them and understand your own feelings. Depression can make people feel alone, and reading can give people an outlet, and it can make people feel like they have a safe place.

Reading can improve your writing skills as well. If you read different styles of writing you will be more open to trying different writing techniques. If you start reading and you pay more attention to the author’s writing style, then it will help you find your own writing style.

Reading can also help in medical recovery. It can alleviate stress while your body is trying to repair itself. For example heart attack patients have found reading poetry beneficial during their recovery.

Reading can help people empathize with each other by showing situations and how they make people feel. It also exposes people to more emotions they might not see or feel in everyday life which is something that not everyone has access to.

When asking other students how they felt about reading most responses were positive. One 9th grader said, “I think it helps people understand new topics and expand their imaginations.”

Another student said, “It can distract you from reality which is a nice change.”

Reading is a great resource for school too. Being able to find a book when you want to learn about something is a great skill, and you’ll likely learn more than you would by looking up answers on Google.

Next time you have some free time before you turn on the TV, try picking up a book. You might be surprised at how fun and interesting reading can be.

From more information, please visit:

• https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/reading-alzheimers-bay/ 

By: Parker Rowen

I recently read 5 dialogues from the Greek philosopher Plato. The dialogues of “Euthyphro”, “Apology”, “Crito”, “Meno”, and “Phaedo”, are some of his writings where he recites the teachings of Socrates’ through a series of conversations between Socrates and various other Athenian residents, in which Socrates establishes a very clear, and critical pattern of thinking. 

During your time in school you may have heard of, and participated in, a “Socratic Seminar” during which you were asked a question that you and the other students were directed to discuss and dissect what the question was asking, and what it meant. Socrates was the one to invent (or at least popularize) this style of thinking, hence the name “Socratic”.

This type of question and answer based discussion has become essential in our courts. If you have ever watched a show, or movie about lawyers or court cases, you have probably heard of the term “cross examination”, which is when the person on the stand is asked questions by a prosecutor in an attempt to pick apart their story and dismiss or disprove it. Socrates is the foundation for this. 

This leads into Socrates’ influence on the courts, and debates in general with the concept of “burden of proof”, which in law means that the accuser (in criminal cases the prosecutor, and in civil the plaintiff) must lay objective truths both parties agree upon, by providing evidence to establish such.

Socrates’ style of questioning and discussing has had a major impact on our courts, changing the way we argue and discuss evidence in a trial. Before Socrates, as you can see in “Apology”, there was not much room for disputing evidence. Before Socrates, one would approach the courts as an accuser, displaying their accusations to a jury. Then, the defendant would approach the court, and the same jury with their reasons as to why they are innocent.

Before Socrates, many did not have proper debate skills, and so couldn’t prove they were or weren’t being wrongfully accused, and often pleaded using their family or health as a means of defense. 

Socrates’ showed the people a better way to argue, and that the better defense is to break down what they are truly saying and dispute it with evidence through question and answer based responses. During Socrates’ trial, early in “Apology”, it was made very clear that Socrates was not a popular resident of Athens, one might even call him somewhat of an outcast, but despite this he was able to get 140 of the 500 present in the jury, along with 5 out of the 10 judges, to vote against giving him the death penalty, by breaking down his accusers accusations of “corrupting the youth”, and proving that it was a falsehood. 

Although it didn’t work out for Socrates, his teachings have helped shape our court systems, and many of these teachings have been used to help prove the innocence and guilt of so many. Through Socrates’ teachings, Plato was able to help establish a foundation for our justice system.

Recommended reading: Five Dialogs Second Edition (Hacket, 2002)

By: Mohamed Ahmed

Echiro Oda is the creator of the number one best selling manga in history. He is in the top 15 best selling authors of all time. That means Oda has only had his work outsold by fewer people than the number of your toes and fingers. He is also the best selling Japanese writer of all time.

What legendary series could make one man so prolific in history you might ask? The name of the series that has generated billions of dollars in revenue, has had over ten movies based on it, and managed to dominate the manga sales chart for over a entire decade is the franchise: ‘One Piece’. 

Echira Oda was born in the 1970s, January 5th, 1975, to be exact, in Kumamoto, Japan. Ever since he was only four years old he resolved to become a manga artist in order to avoid getting a real job. Little did he know that he was going to have a permanent impact on this world and that his name would forever be remembered. 

He was influenced by Akira Toriyama. The TV show, ‘Vicky the Viking’, sparked his interest in pirates, while Akira Toriyama the creator of the ‘Dragon Ball’ franchise, sparked his interest in anime.

He was only 17 when he submitted his work ‘WANTED’ and received an award. That’s how he was able to get a job at the weekly ‘Shonen Jump’, a manga magazine, as an assistant to an assistant for a couple of series.

When he was 19, he won an award, and even was in an article about the hottest up and coming young mangakas. From there he went on to outsell other series and climb vigorously to the top of the list outselling incredibly big names like ‘Death Note’, ‘Naruto’, and ‘bleach’.

‘One Piece’ was not dethroned for over ten years, until recently when ‘Demon Slayer’ took the top spot for one year, breaking the streak but not the legend.

He is currently still writing ‘One Piece’ to this day, and has managed to stay humble as well as stay out of a career ruining scandal, like many other mangakas, for two decades.