Books are a source of entertainment or even a place to escape from reality but it can be a hassle for some people to get into, especially from all the free time people have experienced from quarantine. Books were the perfect getaway.
From the beautiful age of social media, recommendations, book hauls, bookcase setups, and lifestyle videos around books have helped further the spark of love for books in people. Especially since “BookTok quickly established itself as a key player in the digital marketing trends of the literary community.”1
The book community in TikTok has paved the way for readers to find similar books to their current interests and this platform has completely changed the publishing industry. With “The hashtag #BookTok has 92.7 billion views on TikTok, with some creations garnering nearly 100 thousand likes.”2
This shows how much of an impact social media has to enhance the joy of reading.
One of the seniors, Sophia Arrendondo, who is an avid reader, shared with us her current read and her favorite book from the last 4 years. Her current read, "The Secret Garden," is one of the original literary merits written in 1911. Then her favorite book from the last 4 years is "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo." She also shared how discovering Tiktok’s community for book lovers has impacted her reading greatly. She says, “It inspired what type of books I started reading and I was introduced to a lot of authors, which led me to find one of my favorite books.”
Changing up the genres, our fellow senior who loves psychological thrillers, Ashley Acosta-Pereyra also shares her love for books through her favorite author, John Fowles. She says, “Booktook is just a great way to spread good books.”
Also, another of our seniors who is an ardent reader, Lucia Simonetti, shared that her current read is "Say You Swear" by Meagan Brandy. Although it is one less-known book in the industry, just the spark of love oozing from her passion makes someone want to read the book. As she shared her love, she pointed out another platform that has greatly impacted her love for reading, Youtube. Pointing more light on a specific booktuber, Steph Bohrer has created a platform for readers to find comfort books on a daily basis to read. Lucia says, “I love that her interest aligns with my own and even if they don’t, She has the best book recommendation.”
As the world dives deeper into the social media industry, we must admit that it has a tremendous impact on the lives of book lovers.
Book Lovers
Book Lovers
by : Gwyn Yutig
Video by Gwyn Yutig
Video by Camila Perez
US Cultural Exchange Programs allow students from other countries to experience American culture and share theirs with their American peers. These programs are promoted by the US Department of State, offering a chance for international students to improve their English, while helping make the community more open-minded and diverse. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says for Education USA, “International students bring their perspectives and experiences to our classrooms and campuses. That benefits all of our students”.
This year, four exchange students from different countries came to Comsewogue on a transformative journey to make an impact and connect with our people—Emilia from Sweden, Albert from Denmark, Mara from Austria, and Camila from Ecuador—all with different backgrounds and perspectives. Ms. Gonias, Intro to Teaching Teacher, says, "It is important to have a building... with different cultures, backgrounds, religions, colors. To make our community more inclusive and aware of the things that are going on in the world... to be prepared when they have careers in the future, jobs, and apply to colleges."
Being part of these programs requires a lot of effort. Before leaving their home country to hunt for new experiences, they had to undergo a long application and placement process alongside their US Sponsors. Emilia says, “Not everyone gets into the program, you need to have some kind of English level, then you do the application, then you need to get a visa…” Camila adds, “You have to take a lot of tests and physicals too.” Depending on the organization the student applies with, deadlines may vary. “My application process took almost two years,” Camila explains.
International Students Leave Their Mark at Comsewogue
By Camila Perez
First, the student and parents must complete and sign numerous forms and complete a profile with their information. This way, the organization can know about the student's personalities and strengths so they can match them up with a family they can feel comfortable in.
Once admitted into the program, the Local Coordinators take in for the placement process. Ronna Fisher is a Local Coordinator for the Council On International Educational Exchange (CIEE). She says, "One of the aspects is finding a family that wants to be volunteers and welcome an international student in their home, then, the other aspect is making sure there's a high school in their area that will accept the student."
At Comsewogue, Mr. Joe Coniglione is in charge of accepting international students at the High School. He says, “I think everybody has something to offer so the more experience and the more variety you get in your life the better off you are." He supports and encourages Cultural Exchange at the High School. “I hope we are doing a good job, I like the fact that we have members from our community that are willing to take people in.” He says.
When the students arrive, it is a blank canvas to paint on with memories they will carry with them forever. Emilia says, “I get to do things that I can’t do in my country.” Albert adds, “My experience has been great, I’ve learned so many new things and I’ve had a fantastic year so far.”
Even though there are some struggles like cultural shocks, adaptation, and learning something new every day, it is all part of what makes the experience great—overcoming problems and finding solutions for oneself. “My biggest challenge was coming here, knowing nobody, not knowing my host family,” Mara says. “The classes here shocked me. In Austria we have combined classes, so we spend the day with the same people every day in the same room. Here, everything switches.”
Whether a year or a semester, an exchange program requires a lot of bravery, but it shows its results. Personal growth, English proficiency, independence, new values, new friendships, and even a new family they will always be welcome in.
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EducationUSA. (n.d.). EducationUSA. https://educationusa.state.gov/
Your 5 Steps to U.S. Study. (2018, June 19). EducationUSA. https://educationusa.state.gov/your-5-steps-us-study
Local Coordinators. (n.d.). CIEE. https://www.ciee.org/partner/hosts/local-coordinators
High School Study Abroad Programs. (n.d.). CIEE. https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/high-school-study-abroad
Video by: Johnny Lunetta
Beauty standards have long been a topic of discussion in society today. People push themselves to meet the grueling, unrealistic beauty expectations set by the media. However, the damages of these beauty standards are overlooked, despite the fact they can be very harmful to individuals and society as a whole. In this article, we will explore the toxicity of beauty standards and why they need to be reevaluated in order to promote a more healthy and accepting society.
For many reasons, the first reason beauty standards are toxic is that they are often very unrealistic and unattainable. Firstly, they are often always very unrealistic and unattainable. This can lead to feelings of low self-esteem, as people are attacked with images of “perfect” bodies and face that they may never be able to achieve. In an interview with students at Comsewogue High School, Laurel Press says “It is especially very challenging in this generation to not compare yourself to others, especially when social media only makes beautiful look one way.” Beauty standards are particularly damaging to young teens, who may still be developing their sense of self.
Secondly, beauty standards can be very harmful to people’s mental and physical health. When we as a society feel like we don’t look like the perfect beauty standard, it may resort to extreme measures like starving ourselves or plastic surgery. An article from NEDA titled “Body Image and Eating Disorders” states that 40-60% of elementary school girls are concerned about their weight.”2 It is very sad that even kids feel pressure to look a certain way and struggle with self-image and body issues. These kinds of things can affect people their whole lives just because they want to be what society considers pretty. Constantly trying to conform to toxic beauty standards can be very emotionally and physically exhausting.
The truth behind beauty standards
The truth behind beauty standards
By: Johnny Lunetta
Thirdly, beauty standards can be exclusionary and discriminatory. They promote a very narrow definition of beauty that doesn’t take into account the diversity of each person. For example, an article from VOGUE titled “The Models of the Moment Get Real About Race, Privilege, and Power” says “Ask any of the young people that fill the runways, and they’ll tell you stories of being judged by their race, size, and background.”1 People with different races or body types are very rarely shown in the media and as a society, we are scared of difference. This leads to harmful stereotypes and prejudices. People with heavier bodies or physical differences are constantly overlooked because as a society we make them not pretty. In an interview with a student at Comsewogue High School, Alex Cross says “People tend to target others with bigger bodies, they think they are unattractive which is not true.”
Finally, new toxic terms stem from beauty standards. The term “pretty privilege” is when people who are perceived as attractive are given certain advantages in life. For example, these people may be more likely to be hired for certain jobs, receive better customer service, and be treated way nicer by society. This privilege is very overlooked but it can have a significant impact on people's lives, especially the ones who feel like they don’t fit into society's beauty standards.
The concept of pretty privilege highlights the ways we as a society only cares about the physical attractiveness of others. In an interview with a student at Comsewogue High School, Emilia Franti says “Yes, many influencers get so much attention for doing so little like wearing a bikini or eating a strawberry; it can also be shown to the wrong audience and group of people, they could target them on social media and use their pictures for wrong things because they are skinny and pretty.” Even pretty people are preyed upon and exploited just because of how they look.
In conclusion, beauty standards can distract us from more important things. When we place too much of our time and energy on our physical appearance, we neglect other aspects of our lives. Being constantly stressed about the way you look makes life unbearable and can cause you to miss out on new experiences just because you hate your appearance.
It’s important that we try and promote a more inclusive and accepting definition of beauty, and by doing so we can create a more positive and accepting society.
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1.Okwodu, J. The Models of the Moment Get Real About Race, Privilege, and Power, VOGUE (https://www.vogue.com/article/the-models-doc-episode-three-race-privilege-power) Accessed 22 July 2020
2.NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association). Body Image and Eating Disorders, (https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/body-image-eating-disorders) Accessed 2022
Is college worth it?
Is college worth it?
By Victoria Ines
As we all parade through the last weeks of high school, I’ve come to a sort of existential conclusion that planning for college is a huge part of the high school experience. We get ready for college and prepare applications and résumés for more schooling, where instead of going to a college we know we can afford we go to private universities where we’re not guaranteed a job nor are we guaranteed to stay out of debt.
Even though most students are paying more for college than ever before, that money is not necessarily going into a better experience or more qualified educators. Generally, I believe colleges have been getting worse in this regard, but that’s not only me; "The Atlantic" states that “Nearly 80 percent of faculty members were tenured or tenure-track in 1969. Now roughly three-quarters of faculty are nontenured.” Not to say non-tenured teachers are inherently bad, but it doesn’t help that they're paid as freelancers who get practically no benefits such as sick days or insurance.
Colleges used to have something called tenured professors in the words of "The College Post," “tenure is considered among most university instructors to be the ultimate goal in academia. It comes with a variety of benefits, protection against arbitrary termination, research opportunities, and greater academic freedom.” Not having the freedom of tenure limits these academics in improving in their field and limits their expression in the field, basically giving their students one unchanging view of the topic. Not having the time to improve on their own research to keep their field fresh, whether it be through their work or having the time to learn about others and their own studies, is problematic.
Making kids out of college teaching classes and not allowing them to access the opportunity of tenure – for example, an average non-tenured professor in New York makes about 68k a year compared to a tenured professor who makes 109k (about double the amount) while they also have the ability to retire with benefits – is not only unfair to them, it is unfair to their students. In New York State, 68k can’t provide for a decent apartment or affordable housing. Why should we as students go to a school that doesn’t promise their staff a safe environment to work in, while we as students are paying so much money to these colleges that have no promise to get us a job?
As the Burning Glass Institute recently reported, “the percentage of jobs requiring a college degree fell from 51% in 2017 to 44% percent in 2021.” And according to Gallup, the percentage of U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 who view a college education as ‘very important’ dropped from 74% to 41% in just six years.” These statistics show that college degrees may be becoming more irrelevant and less significant than in the past.
Even though college may not be as essential as some may believe, the truth of the matter is that college graduates still earn more in their first year in their field than non-college graduates. According to Forbes, “According to data published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the wage premium for early-career college graduates was 52%, or $17,680. The unemployment rate for college grads was also far lower in the first quarter of 2023 at 2.1% versus 6.9% for young workers without a college degree.”
In many cases as well though schooling may not be for everyone but it may earn you a happier life. According to the Pew Research Center. “People with bachelor’s degrees tend to be happier than those without one”. This is also in accordance with the suicide rates of those who were in college contrary to those who did not the CDC tells us “While 10.7% of people with a bachelor’s degree and 10% of people with a professional degree reported seriously considering suicide in the past 30 days (during a pandemic), the results were much
Video by Victoria Ines
worse for people with only high school levels of education. The study found that 30% of people without a high school diploma reported seriously considering suicide” This shows that this sort of higher education although doesn’t guarantee you a better education does guarantee you relief in your career giving those who experience it a better chance and a better opportunity in life.
In conclusion, college in its total capacity is really an unenthusiastic yes, whereas many of us don’t want to experience the debt and the massive cost mentality we have to ensure our careers. Unless you are going into a specific career where you don’t need college, a college degree is usually a good idea. It teaches you to network and expand your knowledge on the subject of your career while making new friendships.
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The death of an adjunct by Addam Harris, APRIL 8, 2019- https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/04/adjunct-professors-higher-education-thea-hunter/586168/
Tenured Faculty Continue Being Replaced by Adjuncts Across US, March 15, 2021-https://thecollegepost.com/tenured-faculty-replaced-adjuncts/
How Important Is a College Degree Compared to Experience? by Soren Kaplan February 03, 2023- https://hbr.org/2023/02/how-important-is-a-college-degree-compared-to-experience#:~:text=The%20Declining%20Value%20of%20College%20Degrees&text=The%20Burning%20Glass%20Institute%20recently,to%2044%25%20percent%20in%202021
Is A College Degree Worth It In 2023? Vinay Bhaskara, May 5,2023- https://www.forbes.com/sites/vinaybhaskara/2023/05/05/is-a-college-degree-worth-it-in-2023/?sh=65dc4c272707
08-14-20CDC: People without a college degree are more likely to consider suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic-
https://www.fastcompany.com/90540206/cdc-people-without-a-college-degree-are-more-likely-to-consider-suicide-during-the-covid-19-pandemic
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