NHHS Student Thoughts

Artist Reflects on Inner Passion for Art

By Alivia Renna

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time” (Thomas Merton).

I was in preschool, when I picked up my very first pencil, my first crayon, my first marker. “Stay in the lines", they would say, as if those lines were my limits and I couldn’t escape outside of the box they’ve created for me.

It wasn’t until later that I understood not only the concept of art, but the value that it adds to this world. Lately, I have been able to take a step back to think about the power it truly holds and the most powerful thing that I’ve realized is that much like myself, art does not like to stay inside the lines.

There are endless forms of art: Painting, literature, music, theater, fashion. It’s all so different, yet it all acts as the very same tool, or a shield, or maybe even a weapon to help us humans survive the bitterness of the world that we live in. It’s a coping mechanism, a strategy, an escape, but most of all, it's a power. Some people think of art as only a hobby, or something to pass time when you're bored, but it is so much more than that. There is more to the arts than some paint and a brush, it's more than just a script or scene in a play. Underneath all of that, there’s emotion and passion that allows us to express ourselves and the way we see the world around us. How boring would our lives be without expression? One of the most powerful ways that art can come in handy to us, is when we are at our very lowest points. It is within human nature that we feel pain, sorrow, discomfort, stress and so many more complex emotions. Art is a way we can express those feelings, it's a way we can understand what we're feeling, which can help us all understand ourselves. And when we understand ourselves, we can better understand each other.

Researchers at Drexel University measured the stress levels of people before and after they created some type of artwork. At the end of the experiment, it was found that just 45 minutes of creating any type of artwork can lower your stress level significantly. It wasn't until many school years passed by, and my childhood passed by when I found this to be true.

As I’ve grown older, life has changed like the seasons. Hings became harder, more of me was required in order to grow into the person who I have still yet to become. And what I've found is that sometimes people aren't a constant resource, and sometimes the very people who you thought would help you fly are the ones who clipped off your wings in the first place. When that happens, art is always the one thing that is there. The one thing that still remains standing. paper isn’t gonna talk back to you when you tell it how you feel, and the Paint isn't gonna judge you when your tears fall onto the canvas, leaving a stain in the middle of the picture. That’s one of the most important things we can ask; for something to be there for us no matter what we look like, no matter what we say or do, and no matter what we're going through. And art does that precisely.

When we create something, it has its own way of speaking, and sometimes artwork can speak better than us. We live in a big world with people of all kinds, and language is a tool that we carry with us, to communicate. Sometimes this tool doesn't work, and other times, it’s hard for others to understand what we're trying to say... and that's when the art comes through.

Art is a universal form of communication. It's the language that allows us to talk to anyone around the world. There is no right or wrong way that you can speak this language, because it's the only language that all of us can understand.

So one day take a step out of the box, color outside of the lines you were stuck in. Go capture that image, go spill your thoughts on paper, try sketching your vision of that dress. Because when you’re at your worst, your creativity is at its peak. When no ones there, art is always ready to listen. And when others can't understand what you're trying to say, art will speak for you. It’s a power that we all have inside of us, if only we can be bold enough to find it."

Popularity of Technology Leaves School Libraries Unappreciated

By Alison Palmieri

“A room without books is like a body without a soul” - Marcus Tullius Cicero

I grew up in school surrounded by books. And this love of reading grew in my elementary school library. Once a week, my class would walk in single file down to the library. And for an hour we were open to any of the large number of books. There were so many stories. Books about the ABC’s, books about whales, books about magical lands and dragons. It seemed that, at the time, anything I wanted to read, my school library had. When we would do projects in class, our teachers would bring us down to the library and were allowed to check out books to help us with our topic. We learned everything with those books. I distinctly remember the excitement of going to that library. Even in elementary school, the library always kept me reading.

School libraries are a crucial part of our education. But now things are changing. In North Haven, we all have access to Chromebooks, meaning information is simply a Google search away. So in this new era of technology in education, why should we save our school libraries?

The answer is simple. School libraries provide a safe haven for students to learn, grow, and create. Libraries offer a broad range of resources, from multiple genres of books, to magazines, to computers. These resources often go underappreciated, but if used, can significantly improve reading skills and understanding. They also promote multiple programs, helping students gain important real-world skills such as researching, managing digital activity, and communication. I had the pleasure of interviewing the North Haven High School Librarian, Mr. Giordano, to get his thoughts and opinions on the topic. He said, “One thing libraries provide is information, and then, you know, physical space for students to interact and collaborate.” He added, “By taking away the library, you’re taking away one of the biggest sources of information.” Libraries give students access to a wide range of information, fostering a community of more educated and well-read students.

There have been many studies of the effectiveness of school libraries that show just how important they are for quality education and development. Interestingly, libraries have been scientifically proven to improve test scores. Data from more than 34 statewide studies suggest that students tend to earn better standardized test scores in schools that have strong library programs. Libraries can have this impact because they give all children access to not only informative and cultivating books, but foster a real love for reading, which then improves reading skills, and further, test scores.

Despite the positive effects libraries have, school libraries are still experiencing many struggles compared to years past. According to weareteachers.com, the number of full-time school librarians decreased by 19 percent between the 1999–2000 and 2015–2016 school years. This change was attributed mainly to school technology initiatives that seem to make librarians obsolete, resulting in a lack of interest. In this new era of technology, many students rely solely on computers and phones for information as opposed to using the library. Simply put, it has been proven that libraries do not have the same type of interest that they had several years ago. Libraries around the country are also facing other challenges, such as poor staffing practices, poor funding, and lack of a library policy.

Mr. Anthony Giordano remarked on how our library is adapting to better fit the changing education. He explained, “We’re kind of in a transformation period, where we’re going to try to open up the space, and not be so much of a book warehouse, and try to focus our collection of books down to what students really want to read.” He added, “Libraries always have and always will have to adapt.”

School libraries are an underappreciated resource for educational growth and exploration. Our library is home to so many different stories, programs, and types of information. A whole world of learning is available to you. And while yes, school libraries are changing in the era of technology, they will remain an influential and substantial part of education. Why? Because the knowledge and history in a library is eternal. As Giordano stated, “Libraries are such a protector of our freedoms and democracy and the expansion of knowledge. Without them we’d be getting into dangerous places where people would move towards ignorance and aggression.”

NHHS Library Mission Statement

As a result of education in the library media program, students in grades Kindergarten through twelfth will:

Be independent, competent and confident users of technology.

Communicate information and ideas.

Locate, use, synthesize and evaluate information effectively, efficiently and economically.

Develop a love of reading and literature.

Practice ethical behavior with regard to information and information technology.

Become lifelong learners.

What We Know About the Science Behind Horror Movies

Exactly what triggers viewer response and why?

By Alison Palmieri

Many people love a good scary movie. Especially during the Halloween season, some folks enjoy settling in with popcorn by their side, to watch a film that absolutely terrifies them. Horror films have the ability to leave us breathless, with heart pounding, gripping our seats out of sheer terror. Directors and actors go to great lengths often with special effects and lots of screaming/cringing to emote reactions and toy with emotions of viewers. If you are wondering how they do it, the answer lies in science and skill that directors have learned to perfect over the years.

One of the key reasons why horror movies are so effective is because they signal a threat to our wellbeing, leading us to question what is real and what is fiction. This triggers our psychological “fight or flight” response, which, scientifically, is a sympathetic nervous system responding to a perceived threat. This response is involuntary, and leads to an increase in adrenaline. This results in our physical state changing, including an increased heart rate, sweating, and increased respiration. These actions release many chemicals into your brain, which, in a real danger, would help you survive. However, when watching a movie, these multitude of chemicals are being released as you sit comfortably on your couch. These chemicals include dopamine, which carries pleasurable feelings, and almost resembles endorphins.

In the back of your mind, you know that you are watching a movie, and the terrifying events are not occurring in real life. While you are sitting, you know deep down that the threat is not real to you, and so many sit back and enjoy the rush of feel - good chemicals and physical changes.

Directors also use cinematic techniques to highlight these physical changes. One of the most famous techniques is jump scares. In this technique, the director adds something shocking and sudden to a scene, almost always something the viewer is not expecting. This can include the killer popping up from behind a doorway, weilding a knife, or the large monster suddenly appearing largely on the screen. These sudden scares quickly boost our heart rate and “flight or fight response” to extreme measures, as we are forced to very quickly adapt to the change. Another example is using lighting to change our perceptions on the scene, which can also be known as underexposure. This can be where something can be seen lurking in the darkness, but we are not able to quite make out what the figure is, or, on a cloudy night, where the main character is unable to see in front of them and instead has to make their way through the dark. The darkness challenges our brain and perception of the movie greatly. As humans, our brain craves to have a strong understanding of the objects around us. When a known danger is concealed by darkness, it leads us to question all surroundings, further adding to our fear response.

With an understanding of the science behind horror, directors are able to incorporate techniques such as these to leave us terrified. And yet, we still crave for more. Movies such as “The Conjuring” and “Sinister” are widely incorporated into the movie culture. Many love the thrill, the ups and downs, of horror movies. We are able to experience these dramatic emotions and changes from the comfort of our own home, as we know, deep down, the terror is not real.

“Horror has been with us from the very beginnings of recorded culture,” says Darryl Jones, a doctor of philosophy and a professor of supernatural and horror fiction at Trinity College. People crave the fear, terror, and excitement that horror movies provide.