My Little Reading Corner

Where is your favorite place to read?

I’m not too picky about where I read, but if I had to choose, it would be my house’s playroom. The room has a nice couch and two large sunroofs. I like reading curled up in the corner of the couch in a seemingly awkward position that’s actually super comfortable. I also love reading on sunny days where tons of natural light can flood in or on rainy days with a nice lamp and the calming rhythm of rain hitting the roof.

I like half-sitting half-lying in the corner of the couch where there is maximum cushioning and coziness. I find that corners are extra comfortable because it feels like you’re being engulfed by the cushions on all sides. There are also convenient arm rests on either side of your body for when you get tired of holding your book up. Corners also provide lots of creativity for positioning! I like to either curl up my knees and rest my book on my legs or collapse against the side of the couch.

Another big reason why I like to read in the playroom is because of the two sunroofs. The natural light that the windows let in boosts my mood and makes me feel more productive (a scientific fact!) (Davis). The color of the pages, the freshness the light emanates, and something about the way I don’t need to turn on a light or lamp just makes me more happy. Ever since I was a kid, my parents drilled in the message “No reading in the dark, you’ll kill your eyes!”, and natural light brings the best atmosphere while meeting that requirement. 

Complete dead silence is unpleasant for me, so having background noise to listen to helps me become more immersed in what I’m reading, especially. Not only are sounds like rain calming, when the weather in the book and in reality matches, it allows me to really dive deep into the story and visualize the scene. Music that matches the mood of the scene also adds another level of depth to my experience reading. OSTs or other music associated with a certain series help bring a story to life. Research has shown that music can help create a “relaxed, happier, and even more productive” environment, which is definitely the case for me, and the tranquility music brings really elevates the reading experience (Bird 46).

Give me any somewhat comfy chair with a book and I’ll be satisfied, but reading in my little corner is simply the most elite. That particular couch is pretty much the only place I read in my house, so by now I directly associate the atmosphere of that room with reading. I also pretty much have the room to myself most of the time, so it’s become my own small territory. I’ve cried many a tear (and laughed until tears) reading at that couch, so it holds a lot of significance to me and my reading journey. Definitely the best place to read!

- Sabrina

Works Cited

Bird, Jenna. Listen Up! The Impact of Music on Students' Reading Comprehension. 2017. SUNY Brockport, MA thesis. soar.suny.edu/bitstream/handle/20.500.12648/4976/ehd_theses/771/fulltext%20%281%29.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y#:~:text=In%20relation%20to%20reading%20comprehension,Rashidi%20%26%20Faham%2C%202011. Accessed 29 Sept. 2022.

Davis, Carla. "Shining Light on What Natural Light Does For Your Body." NC State University, 24 Mar. 2014, sustainability.ncsu.edu/blog/changeyourstate/benefits-of-natural-light/. Accessed 29 Sept. 2022.

Humanizing the Witch: Madeline Miller’s Retelling of Circe. Written by Ruby Mitchell

This summer, I read Circe by Madeline Miller. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I started it; I didn’t know and frankly didn’t care much about Greek mythology, but this book did more than pleasantly surprise me. Immediately after I started Circe, I couldn't put it down. I was so immersed in the unique narration and captivating plotline spanning over hundreds of years. This novel is narrated by Circe, the immortal Greek nymph, daughter of the sun god Helios, who is famously written about in The Odyssey, where she takes Odysseus captive on her island and turns his men into pigs. Miller’s Circe adds depth and empathy to this immortal witch. 

At the start of the book, we get a glimpse into Circe's childhood. Circe is born to Helios, the sun god, and Perse, a nymph. Circe is treated as an outcast by everyone around her; she describes herself as having “a hawkish nose and yellow eyes''. Her voice is high pitched and squeaky, unlike the booming and beautiful voices of the gods around her. We find out later that this is because she has a human voice. All of these traits make her valueless to the people around her. Not only is she a Nymph, one of the lowest statuses in the world of the gods, she is also ugly compared to other nymphs and gods. Circe is constantly repeating how the only valuable trait a Nymph can have is beauty, and since Circe doesn’t have that, she is seen as obsolete to everyone around her. She is hidden by her father, who is embarrassed by her, and struggles to find anyone who is willing to marry her.

While spending time in the mortal world, Circe falls in love with a mortal man, Glaucos. This is probably the first time that someone gives her any attention or affection, but, being a mortal, he is destined to die and leave her alone again, forever. She is so desperate to keep the one person who has ever loved her alive, she turns him into a god. This is the first time that Circe is able to harness her powers as a witch. She successfully transforms Glaucos into the god of the sea, and he becomes much more powerful than she is. Circe still loves Glaucos, but with this newfound status, he stops paying any attention to her. She finds out that he plans on asking a different, more beautiful nymph, Scylla, to marry him. Circe gets jealous and tries to cast a spell to make Scylla as ugly on the outside as she is on the inside. This spell goes wrong, and Scylla becomes a flesh-hungry monster with six heads and twelve legs, who resides in the ocean. It is soon discovered that Circe caused, she confesses to being a witch, and is sentenced to an eternity trapped on a remote island, Aiaia.

Once Circe is banished to Aiaia, she spends all of her days working on her witchcraft and taking care of her animals. Once in a while, lost sailors come to her island in search of food and shelter. At first, Circe likes this company; she hasn’t been able to see anyone in years and enjoys the conversations she has with these men, but she soon finds that they don’t care about conversation, or even the food she prepares for them--they’re only there to rape her. This was a revelation to her because for the most part, mortals had treated her with kindness and respect. But here she is, being taken advantage of by a poor mortal fisherman, with no way to defend herself. She decides to fight back against these men, and she gives the next group of sailors a potion to turn them into pigs. In The Odyssey, Circe is seen as a who turns Oddyseus’s men into pigs, and keeps Oddyseus captive on her island, but in Miller’s retelling, she only does these bad things she does to keep herself safe.

From a glance, most of Circe’s actions point to her being a bad person. She is the witch who is responsible for creating Scylla, the man-eating monster in the ocean, turning men into pigs, and keeping Odysseus from his wife and son. Miller’s Circe does a fantastic job of taking a once hated character and humanizing her. Throughout the book, Circe feels terrible for what she did to Scylla and tries to turn her back to her original form multiple times. She never keeps Odysseus captive on her island, and it’s obvious throughout the book that he stays there willingly, but lies to his wife about it to save face, and she only turns men into pigs because they try to take advantage of her. Miller adds so much depth to Circe’s story, and instead of everything being black and white, good and evil, she depicts Circe’s story as gray. Circe isn’t the hero of her story; she does a lot of bad things and hurts a lot of people. She is depicted as imperfect, which in my opinion, is one of the best traits a main character can have. While you might not agree with what Circe does all of the time, you can empathize with it and understand it. Circe is immortal and a powerful witch, but in every other way that matters she is very human; she is imperfect and flawed, which is what makes her such a compelling character, who you want to spend more time with and see more of her world.

is it Ethical to Genetically Modify Animals?

        Genetic engineering is the modification of an organism’s characteristics by either directly

or indirectly modifying their genetic code. Genetic engineering has many applications,

especially when it comes to genetically engineered pets and livestock. However, is it moral to

exercise this amount of control over nature? I think it depends on whether or not the

technology is used responsibly, and whether the changes made to the animal are beneficial or

harmful.

When it is used responsibly, genetic engineering can be beneficial to animals. Normally on farms, bulls have to have their horns removed surgically, so they cannot harm humans or other animals. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, this procedure is very painful for the animals that undergo it. However, we can now create genetically engineered bulls that never grow horns in the first place. This way, the male calves do not have to experience this painful procedure. In this example, genetic engineering is beneficial, because it makes farms safer without harming the animals.

However, genetic engineering can also be harmful when used irresponsibly. Pugs are a popular dog breed known for their short bodies, flat, round faces, and protruding eyes. These characteristics that make them popular are a result of selective breeding, a form of genetic engineering where animals with the desired traits are bred together to increase the chances of their offspring having those traits. These characteristics unfortunately cause certain health problems to be more common in pugs. Their unnaturally flat faces put them at greater risk of ocular and respiratory illness, and the wrinkles in their skin increase their risk of dermatitis. In this case, selective breeding put these animals at greater risk of harm.

Genetic engineering is a morally neutral technology. Just like any other tool, it is how you use it that determines if it is moral. Many animals have been harmed by genetic engineering. However, it also has great potential to make the lives of animals and humans better.

-Will

Sources:

Gonchar, Michael. “Student Question | Is It Ethical to Genetically Engineer Animals?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Apr. 2016, https://archive.nytimes.com/learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/04/21/student-question-is-it-ethical-to-genetically-engineer-animals/?rref=collection%252Fcolumn%252Flearning-student-opinion. 

O’Neill, Dan G., et al. “Demography and Health of Pugs under Primary Veterinary Care in England.” Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, vol. 3, no. 1, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-016-0035-z. 

           “Genetic Engineering.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

            

            https://www.britannica.com/science/genetic-engineering.