Ask yourself whe n the last time you read a full book cover-to-cover was. And no, the books you are forced to read for school do not count. If the answer to

that question is over a year ago, let’s work together to get through this sad and awful predicament. It astounds me how a question as simple as, “what’s your favorite book?” can only be answered by “I don’t read.”

The benefi ts of reading are obvious and numerous. Studies have shown that students who read more have a better vocabulary and do better on standardized testing. Not doing so hot on those weekly vocab tests? Reading is proven to be able to help you and you won’t even realize it! Whatever you do in life, I guarantee you will be reading and why not be able to impress people with it?

The most obvious reason for

Xavier High SchoolOpinion4

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Books develop intelligence, imagination

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students to read is entertainment. Reading is fun. I know, right?! Who knew?! If you fi nd a book that really interests you, it is so easy to get lost in the other world of the book. I have put down books and thought that I was living in the 1920’s. I have put down books and thought that I had to hide from an over-controlling government. Sure, you can get swept away by a movie or a song. However, when you are

swept away by a book, it is even better because it is your own view, created solely by your imagination. Personally, I think it’s pretty cool that our minds can create a whole new world based on words on a page. If your mind doesn’t do this with a book, you are picking the wrong kind of book. If you seem to follow the pattern of picking the wrong book, ask the librarians at school. The library may seem like a

place made only for research papers and dust, but if you spend some time in there you will discover the school library has tons of great books and the librarians know what they are talking about! You can also easily fi nd great books online on websites like GoodReads. If you’re ever looking for a suggestion, I have more books in my room than I need so I would be happy to help you out (I swear I don’t only read romance novels).

I know that in this day and age, people are just generally busy. If you fi nd the right book, trust me, you will make time to read it. One time I read in the girl’s bathroom before school…Even just those 10 minutes before practice or bed you can get in a few pages! Reading is my favorite way to relax and take a break. Give it a try, I’m sure it will be benefi cial to you even if you don’t realize it.

Junior Morgan Noonan fi nds time to read during the day, despite a busy schedule. Cassie Busch Photo

Common courtesy at the storeThe holiday

season prides itself in off ering many bountiful meals with family, fellowship with people you haven’t seen in a while, and just too many

bad ballet puns. Another not-so-cheery thing that this season brings is the shopping for aforementioned bountiful meal. Going shopping over this past holiday season has set afl ame a fi re that has burned inside me for awhile now. When it comes to store etiquette, it seems that society has become lax. Now, my dear friends, do not just take this as a guide to holiday shopping, but rather as a rule of thumb for your day-to-day perusing at the market.

Number one: Please do not leave your cart perpendicular to the aisle,

causing disruption of traffi c. I have seen it one too many times. I know you want to browse the plethora of tomato sauces, but please, don’t leave your cart in the aisle so that it blocks other people from getting through. Push it to the side and let others proceed. I just want to get my whole-wheat linguini and get out.

Second: Don’t have a conversation with someone at the entrance to an aisle. I know you want to catch up and conveniently tell your whole life story, which, of course, takes several minutes, but tell it somewhere else. Find a little niche and continue said life story. People are there to shop, not to listen to what your dog ate last night.

Third: Take a shower. I don’t want to smell you. Unless you’re shopping for shampoo and/or soap, then maybe there is some leeway.

Finally: Please, oh please, do not talk on your cell phone when you

are checking out. I have seen some rude people, folks. They talk on their phones and when the checker asks them a question, they eyeball them and give them a look like, “Why are you disrupting my conversation?” You are checking out and it would go so much faster if you can get off of your phone and answer the questions, pay, and be on your way. Not too diffi cult.

Shopping etiquette will not be perfect overnight, but rather one step at a time. If you fi nd yourself doing these things, I hope you will remember what you have just read. If you don’t get anything else from this, just remember to be considerate of others. Public places are meant to be for the public, not for *insert name here* and everyone else to bend to their whims. Happy shopping!

Create your own Disney endingI know I’m

not the only one who wants my life to be just like a Disney movie. The message tied into those stories is that if you follow your dream, you

will eventually fi nd it. That seems like a fantastic message to me, but it is not very realistic. Most little girls’ dream is to become a princess when they get older, and that’s okay, because unfortunately we know that maturity will kick in, and they will move onto bigger and better things (although I know most of still act like princesses every once in a while.) So what happens when we mature past being little girls, and our new

dreams are even harder to reach? I know I have a practically

impossible dream to achieve, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up. I want to become an actress when I am older, and I am doing as much as I possibly can to make my dream a reality. I have participated in musicals, plays and Speech at Xavier, and I’ve been to modeling and acting conventions in New York and Chicago. It’s a great start to realizing what I want to do in life.

Usually when one of us has a dream of becoming famous by singing, acting, or being talented in some way, people push us down. They know that there is a slim chance of our name becoming famous. People tell us to quit dreaming and think about getting a real job. That’s why it’s important to always surround yourself with

people who will support you 100%. Do not get discouraged about your

dream, instead let it lead your life. There are many ways to start putting your talents to good use. For those of you that want the entertainment industry to be your destination, becoming a choir teacher, acting coach, or band instructor would allow you to use your talents everyday to help others become the best they could be. Find an outlet that makes you happy, but that still puts you on the right track to your biggest goal in life. It’s the fi rst step to having that magical Disney happy ending, while still keeping your dreams alive.

Morgan NoonanOpinion Writer

Bryan BanowetzOpinion Editor

Chloe Streif Opinion Writer

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