ARTS & CULTURE

Mini Reviews

ALBUM expérgo

NMIXX

What it is: expérgo is NMIXX's first EP which contains 6 tracks with pre-release single "Young, Dumb, Stupid", and the lead single "Love Me Like This". Debuting Feb. 22, 2022, NMIXX is a K-Pop girl group from JYP entertainment, one of the big 3 entertainment companies in Korea.

Liked: The first track, "Young, Dumb, Stupid", sampled a children's song with a hip hop and pop mix. It was a fresh try and the song is better than what I expected, being catchy as well. Personal favorite song from the album is the last track, "Home", because it best represents NMIXX's style that is continued from previous singles.

Disliked: The title track "Love Me Like This" is a departure from previous titles "O.O" and "Dice." It's missing the typica NMIXX sound and the change-up is disappointing.

— Jiyoon Choi

Why don't students read? Students blame social media and the lack of choices at school

OWEN DASZKO Staff Writer

When was the last time you read a book for fun?

Though there are no specific statistics about one's reading habits after high school, but more than a quarter of Americans haven't read a book in the last year, according to the Pew Research Center.

Freshman Josh Crocker, who has read more than 60 books since the start of the year, isn't among those numbers. He said that school takes the fun out of reading, and reading methods the the idea of what it means to read to many students.

“When you are reading for school,” Crocker said, “you are forced to read and it takes away the fun.”

He's part of the the newly formed Book of the Month club at Branham and said that reading shouldn’t be forced upon students.

He also shares his concern in a podcast made for his Introduction to Journalism class, titled "You should be reading instead of listening to this."

"What is the difference between those who enjoy reading and those who don’t? Is it because of time or its management? Is it because of reduced attention spans or other activities? Or can anybody read despite their difficulties? I believe so."

One of the culprits is a lack of choice.

Sophomore Elise Wellman, the Book of the Month president, said book assignments are not chosen by the students, leading to a loss of interest.

How to start enjoying books

Aurora

From the show "Daisy Jones & The Six"

What it is: The television adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid's novel, Daisy Jones & The Six, following the rise and fall of a '70s music inspired by Fleetwood Mac, released a studio album "Aurora," consisting of 11 songs with the cast of "Daisy Jones & The Six." It's a snapshot of the show's intoxicating aura and performance.

Liked: The album perfectly encompasses the messages transmitted throughout the show and novel, featuring a mix of rock, pop, and electronic influences. The lyrics are thoughtful and reflective, exploring love, loss, and self-discovery themes. Each song on the album is a charter in the band’s history with titles like “Please,”“Aurora” and “Let Me Down Easy” following the band’s artistic journey.

Disliked: The album lacks the cohesive sound and style the band presents in their earlier works. Some of the songs on the album can be repetitive or formulaic, with hooks and melodies that are too familiar.

— Anabelle Walker

TV You

Created by Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble and Penn Badgley

What it is: In the fourth season of Netflix's psychological thriller series "You", the audience follows Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg to London as he faces his dark history and contemplates the morality of his decisions.

Liked: Beyond an enticing new setting with fresh characters, the month-long gap between the first five episodes and then the second evoked a prolonged feeling of suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat and wondering what happened with Joe Goldberg this time.

Disliked: I was let down by the lack of incorporation of past characters and plot lines in this season. While we continue to follow the eerie life of Joe Goldberg, there is hardly any attention paid to the previous three seasons, making the season seem almost out of place and context.

— Carissa Takaki

“While it is very educational, for us as students this can eliminate the want to actually be involved in a book discussion and reduce the fun in reading,” Wellman said.

As people read books, they connect with the books they read and then soon enough, they are able to become a part of the story and imagine what the characters are going through in the book. However, reading for an assignment can negatively influences the imaginative connection to the book compared to reading for enjoyment. It is found that readers who read for enjoyment on a regular basis are more likely to become better readers of all types of texts, while students who read only for school will struggle finding enjoyment in texts they read.

Reading habits normally decline after students leave elementary school but have accelerated. The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that in 2020, among 9-year old students, 42% said that they read for fun every day, down from 53% in 2012. Among 13-year old students, nearly one-third — 29% — said that they hardly ever read, an increase from 8% in 1984.

We can't always find time to read for pleasure, but here are some ways experts suggest to do so. Set aside dedicated time for reading: This could be done in the morning, during lunch, or in the evening before bed. Research has shown that scheduling regular reading time can increase the likelihood of engaging in reading for pleasure Choose books that interest you: Selecting books that pique your interest can increase the likelihood of enjoying the reading experience.

The science of reading Reading leisurely influences a part of the brain called the somatosensory cortex, which responds to movement and pain, resulting in an increase of brain connectivity which helps people think creatively, learn new materials, remember, stay focused and relax.

A study in 2009 also found that 30 minutes of reading lowers blood pressure, heart rate and feelings of distress in students in the US just as effectively as yoga and humor.

Branham’s Book of the Month Club, which analyzes and discusses a book monthly provides a way for students to read without the worries that school

Create a comfortable reading environment: A comfortable and distraction-free environment can help facilitate reading for pleasure. This could include finding a cozy spot to read or creating a reading nook in your home.

Join a book club or reading group: Joining a book club or reading group can provide social support and accountability for reading for pleasure. There's a Book of the Month Club here that meets twice a month.

— Sources: National Literacy Trust, Libraries Unlimited puts on them. Wellman wanted to provide students with an opportunity to display their love for books through the club with a “welcoming environment” to “share love of books”.

“Reading is a way of building a community and helping a variety of students participate in its culture,” Wellman said. When reading for school, the students lose interest and change their mindset about reading and with BOTM club, Wellman hopes to re-energize this motivation to read.

Researchers say that when teachers set up mandatory reading assignments, students start viewing it as a chore and a grade.

In his podcast, Crocker talked to his mother, Dartmouth English teacher Shelley Crocker, whom he says helped him develop a love for reading. She said that students reading for an assignment doesn’t represent what reading is sup-

Gaming

PODCAST : To listen to freshman Josh Crocker's podcast, which will be submitted to NPR's Student Podcast Challenge, scan the QR code above.

posed to symbolize.

“Teachers push kids to read and record things about their reading, instead of reading for the love of it,” Crocker said.

To gauge interest in reading unlike for school assignments, BOTM at Branham aims to give more opportunities for students to express themselves relating to the book.

“It’s a way for many of us to have the freedom to share our own opinion and discuss topics we don’t often get the chance to at school,” Wellman said.

By creating a welcoming and free environment, the club tries to help students exit the stress of school and journey into a calm, relaxing, and enjoyable reading discussion.

Crocker said that getting into the habit is simple, and suggests that students read a little bit at a time.

“Just put down your phone and read a book maybe for 30 minutes and see what happens,” he said.