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Today, we’re going to talk about the beautiful game of frolf (frisbee golf) a.k.a disc golf. The correct name is disc golf, but let’s be honest – saying frolf is way more fun. Now, you may have a few questions like “why are we talking about this?” or “what’s gotten into this guy to write about disc golf?” But, if you make it to the end of this blog, I promise you will be ready to go sling some discs in no time. The best part is that this sport can be played by anyone, no matter your level of athleticism. Whether its your first time or your twentieth time, it’s always so much fun. Let’s start with what disc golf exactly is. According to discstore.com, a premier website for discs and other equipment, disc golf is “similar to traditional ball golf but instead of using clubs and a ball, players throw flying discs in varying weights and molds at a target.” The biggest difference are the holes themselves, because instead of an actual hole in the ground, you will throw the disc into the metal basket usually about 3-4’ high. Almost every park has a frolf course, so you probably have seen these.

Now, you’ve made it this far, and your mouth is probably watering just wanting to spring off your couch and find the nearest course. Hold tight though, as we want to dive a bit more into what this sport entails. Next, we have the discs themselves. One common misconception about disc golf is the belief that frisbees and discs are synonymous, and you could use a regular frisbee to play disc golf. Discs built specifically for frolf are usually smaller than your normal frisbee and have more density and angle edges. The way you frolf is completely up to you, but I would recommend for someone new to buy three different discs: a driver, a mid-range, and a putter as they are the most commonly used. Just like in typical golf, the driver is a long-range disc. These are designed to make those long throws where you just need to get some good distance in your first throw. Next, the mid-range disc is my favorite. You won’t be able to do as much when it comes to curving it like you would with a driver, but you can get some good distance behind it or use it for closer placement shots. The putter is just as you’d think from regular golf. These discs have a wider rim and are designed for close up throws while going for the basket. I suggest that once you learn how to use these three basic discs, you add more and more to your collection. If you are considering buying some discs, I recommend looking at your nearest Play It Again Sports. They have a great selection and are usually cheaper than any other place and have all the discs that I talked about above. I also advise to make sure you buy bright discs. If you don’t, it will be harder to find yours on a wooded hole, and you’ll be stuck wandering around for a couple minutes. At Play it Again, you can get all three of those discs for about $25, which is not bad compared to the price of equipment for other sports.

If you’re still with me, I hopefully have wooed you to actually give it a shot sometime this week, so you’re probably asking “where can I go to bask in the glory of such an amazing game?” Well, I’m here to tell you! If you’re in the Lynchburg area, there are quite a few courses for you to choose from. These courses vary in size, terrain, and difficulty. So, I will make my own list starting with the easiest and working my way to the most difficult.

1. Hydaway Outdoor Recreation Center

We are all probably familiar with Hydaway, the outdoor recreational facility up behind the mountain; but did you know they also have a course? This one is tucked away into the woods completely. If you decide to try this one out, you will go left and cross the open field to find the beginning of the course. This course is heavily wooded but is still a lot of fun to play because of the challenge it presents.

2. Liberty East Campus (East Campus Satellite Parking Lot)

This course is for the more experienced player. I recently just tried to play here and got whooped by this course. The course on Liberty’s main campus starts in the back-right corner of the East Campus Satellite lot. This course will send you through the mountain, and require you to throw uphill, extreme downhills, and difficult curves. Not to mention, the walk for this course is enough of a workout and will also tire you out.

3. Peaks View Park

Peaks View Park has in my opinion the easiest course in Lynchburg. With a course mostly out in the open, new players will enjoy getting their swing down on these short, clean holes. While there are a few wooded holes, they are still fairly easy to play through and are very forgiving. Make sure when you go you play the shorter hole – not the green one. The shorter ones with no color are closer to the tee and easier to play than the “pro tees.”

4. Sandusky Park

Sandusky Park is very similar to Peaks View Park. They are both well maintained and allow a lot of growing room for new players. Their holes are a good mix of open field ones and wooded ones. They have done a great job of maintaining this course and would be a great beginning place as well.

There are other courses in neighboring counties and cities like Elk Creek in Appomattox and Greenfield in Troutville that you should try if you want to branch outside of Lynchburg. If you have made it to the end, I applaud you for reading my ridiculous words on this fun game. For a casual, at your own pace sport, frolf allows you to try and do well while still messing around with your friends and enjoying the time. Frolf is much more fun than you would expect, and if you grab a couple friends to come with you, it allows for a guaranteed good time!

Sources

https://www.discstore.com/protips/what-is-disc-golf/

https://www.discgolfmarket.com/blogs/news/5-reasons-why-you-should-play-disc-golf

https://www.playitagainsports.com/locations/lynchburg-va

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk01uY4nvYwJy8f_GHCrvhSlqi9Ui3A:1588591416560&q=disc+golf+courses+lynchburg+va&sxsrf=ALeKk01uY4nvYwJy8f_GHCrvhSlqi9Ui3A:1588591416560&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwij3s6YjJrpAhXshHIEHclyD6UQuzEICQ&biw=1280&bih=648&dpr=1.5

Famous French designer Coco Chanel once said, “The best things in life are free.” With

that being said, one of the most exciting things you can do that will cost you absolutely nothing is hiking. My family is very active, so I have gone hiking ever since I could hold myself up. Then, once I was able to drive myself, I started to explore this hobby more and more. Though I would often go by myself to clear my mind, I do advise you to always bring someone with you. I have always seen activities such as hiking, biking, and running as good exercises that help you clear your mind. There’s something freeing about throwing on your favorite music and just enjoying God’s creation. It’s also nice just to unplug by soaking in every ray of sun, listening to songs from the birds, and the cool breeze on your skin.

I think another reason I love hiking so much is the incentive that there is an amazing view at the top and you don’t usually see it until you’re all the way up there. As you start your journey to the top, the tall green trees block your view of the other mountains. When you get near the top you can sometimes get a quick peek of the expansive view but not quite the full picture. Then you reach the very top, you take that last sigh of relief, step up, and see a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. This makes all of the sore calves and complaining from your friend all worth it.

Julie Corliss, Executive Editor at Harvard Medical School, said, “A number of small studies hint that spending time in green space — nature preserves, woodlands, and even urban parks — may ease people’s stress levels.” As we are spending more time at home, activities like this become even more prevalent. Hiking is also a great form of physical activity that all people can enjoy no matter their age or build. The American Hiking Society posted an article listing that hiking can help with heart disease, hypertension, obesity, anxiety, and much more. It’s perfect exercise because it fits right between walking and running on the difficulty spectrum.

If you’re anything like me, as I described the scenery, you had a certain hiking trail in mind. Because I am a Lynchburg local, I want to share some of my favorite hikes in this area. One hike I recommend is Devil’s Marble Yard. This one of the most interesting hikes I’ve been on, especially the last third of it. The hike has a slow incline with a small rock/dirt path, until the last section when you stumble upon the “devil’s marbles,” which you actually have to climb! These rocks range from 3 feet to almost 15 feet tall and is the most challenging part of the hike, but easily the most fun part! The drive there is around 40-60 minutes from Liberty, so be sure to give it a try.

I also want to recommend Sharp Top. The Outbound Collective, a hiking reviewing site, gives some really good details regarding this hike. It’s approximately one hour from Lynchburg with an elevation gain of 1,340 feet. Up and down the mountain is nearly 3 miles with 360 degree views at the top. This hike is one of the most popular trails for groups and dog friendly. The incline is pretty steady until the last section which becomes intermediately steep. The very top of the hike has one of the best views around the city, and plenty of space for your group to gather and take in the scenery.

Lynchburg and our surrounding area has countless trails, both flat and with an incline, that are worth checking out. In a time of learning how to distance and enjoy the outdoors, I encourage you to try these hikes out with your family and friends!

Sources

www.health.harvard.edu/blog/health-benefits-of-hiking-raise-your-heart-rate-and-your-mood-2016092810414

www.americanhiking.org/resources/health-benefits-of-hiking/

www.theoutbound.com/virginia/hiking/hike-the-sharp-top-trail

If you are anything like me, when summer hits and there is nothing to do, you start to get creative. I like to try things I have never tried because I have all the time in the world after classes, and who cares if I mess up? Oh well, try it again! So, recently I have been getting into cooking and baking. The reason I think I like it is because it is so rewarding – there is something to look forward to after all the hard work and messy kitchen! I tend to be a perfectionist in life and that trait really takes its spotlight when I cook. If the measurement is not exactly what it is supposed to be then I have to try it again. It is a blessing and a curse, although it is more of a curse because in the long run a couple more grains of sugar are not going to hurt (it might even help!).

Here’s a fun story time of when my sister, Kallie, and I made the best banana bread ever! So, Kallie came back from her friend’s house and could not stop talking about how good this banana bread was that she made and that we needed to make it. We realized that we had almost none of the ingredients to make it, so we headed to the store and got them. Now here’s the kicker – the store only had UNRIPE bananas and we figured that would be alright (spoiler alert: it wasn’t!). So, we get home and start mixing the ingredients and I was put up to the big task of mixing the dry ingredients. Who could mess that up? Me, that’s who. I read teaspoon as tablespoon – and it all went downhill from there because we continued to bake it as normal. The oven beeps, we take out the bread, cut it up, take a bite, and nearly throw up! Learning from our mistakes, we head back to the store, get a few RIPE bananas and repeat our process again (the right way). Fast forward to the bread coming out of the oven and oh my – the banana bread I’ve ever tasted! If you want to experience the same greatness I did, I’m here to share the recipe:

1 ¾ cup of plain flour                                                             2 eggs

¾ cup of sugar                                                                         ½ cup of oil

2 teaspoons of baking powder                                               1 cup of ripe bananas, mashed

½ teaspoon of baking soda                                                    ½ cup of ground nuts

½ teaspoon of salt                                                                   splash of vanilla extract

1. Beat eggs and oil until frothy.
2. Add mashed bananas and nuts.
3. Fold in sifted dry ingredients.
4. Bake in loaf pan at 325° for 50 min. – 1 hour. (depending on oven)

Try using your extra free time to cook new recipes and share with others! Food can be a good way to de-stress and bond with those around you. So, I encourage you to take a break from the ramen noodles and cheap heat-up meals and try something new. It may take a couple times to get it right, but believe me, it will be worth it in the end!

 

Written by: Caden Moore

Caden is an undeclared freshman with an interest in business marketing. He enjoys writing for the blog because it is a personal and honest way to connect with the student body!

I often find myself in a rut, unenthused by new music being released. This is not to say that new music coming out currently is not good, in fact I am sure that in a month or two I will be joining the masses enjoying these new songs, albums, and projects. But whenever I find myself in this space, I often latch onto a band and listen to them constantly. There is a certain comfort in being able to sing along to songs that you have known for years and have so many memories attached to. I am sure that I cannot be the only person who finds themselves in a similar position. As of late, the slightly angsty, but hopelessly optimistic songs of Relient K’s “Forget and Not Slow Down” has filled this role.

To many, Relient K is a memory of past days filled with youth group and carefree adolescence. Maybe that’s what keeps me coming back, but I am here to inform you that this album still stands up. The 2009 album was written after lead singer Matt Thiessen and his fiancé broke up. The album is a culmination of his thoughts through the process of losing love, and finding new love. The opening track, “Forget and Not Slow Down” is the see-saw of emotions that can be expected from such a traumatic experience. From pushing forward, to catching himself thinking of her, Matt’s back and forth emotions can be seen in lyrics like, “It’s time to decide, She’s out of my mind, ‘Cause it’ll be me unless I put some thoughts to rest and leave some faults behind, I’ll watch the glint in my eye, Shine off the spring in my step, And it could be blinding depending on the amount of you that I reflect”. Choosing to acknowledge mistakes, but not dwell on them is a theme throughout the album. Letting God work through the events in our lives is the best way to grow in faith. In an interview Matt said of the album, “[It’s] about staying positive and not letting the things that get us down get to us.”

The overlying storyline of the album follows the pain and confusion from the opening track, to a resolution of ending up in a healthy place. Recognition of fault, willing to move on, and knowing that it is a constant battle to leave a lost love behind. The second to last track “This is The End” powerfully states, “I took the fire escape and made it out alive, Yeah I still burn from time to time but I’ve a healing hand against my side”, then he sheepishly returns to this line in the album ending track “(If You Want It)”. But with a more realistic approach, what was so final is now up to her, “So think real slow, don’t forget that yes is yes and no is no. Melting prints of grass and snow, means I may forget the way to get back home”, Matt acknowledges that he is prone to loving her no matter the situation.

While this album is one that has stuck with me over the years, it’s been on constant repeat for the past few weeks. While the world outside seems to be slowing down, I have felt the urge to revisit music that I know word for word, and the comfort of associated memories and personal growth. In a culture that is often consumed with whatever is new, it’s important to slow down. Spend some time listening to an old favorite and try to listen to it on a deeper level than you ever have, you might be surprised what you hear.

Sources

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/relient-k/forget-and-not-slow-down

Back in February (which was only three months ago if you can believe it) Jojo Rabbit won the Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay, upsetting a few other critically acclaimed films in the process. It was an impressive feat for a film that was polarizing to critics due to its nature of tiptoeing the line between comedy and tragedy.

Throughout the film, viewers watch the events of WWII unfolding through the eyes of 10-year old Jojo Beltzer. As a result of that, some moments don’t pack as heavy of an emotional punch as they could in a film that isn’t being told by a boy with an imaginary Adolf Hitler as his best friend. Vox film critic Alissa Wilkinson puts it this way, “Sometimes the humor risks overshadowing what the movie is really about, probably because Jojo’s exposure to the horrors of the Third Reich is limited both by his age and his ability to grasp what’s happening around him, and the movie sticks to his perspective, which at times can feel a bit tonally weird, atrocities seeming lighter than they are.”

Despite this, the scene that stuck with me the most since watching the film is one of the heavier moments in the story. Jojo and his mother, Rosie Beltzer, come across five people who had been executed in the town square. They had anti-Nazi papers stapled to their bodies and it is assumed they had been killed for hiding or aiding Jewish people trying to avoid capture. Jojo asks his mother what they did, and she responds with, “what they could”.

That “what they could” quote has played over in my head hundreds of times. That moment in the film showed me the simplicity in service; something I’ve never thought of before. Service is, simply put, doing what you can to help somebody. Don’t get me wrong, there plenty of serving opportunities that are complicated, but the core purpose of serving is pretty simple. In the example above, people did what they could and risked their lives in service to others. This is a pretty extreme form of selfless service that a lot of people will never be able to do, but applying that same “do what you can” mentality to service in general could have a huge impact on people’s lives and communities they serve.

For some, as far as serving is concerned, it is easy to get into the mindset of things you can’t do. Thoughts like, “that takes a special type of person do to and I am not that type of person” run through your head. Eventually, you can get to the point where you aren’t making as big of an impact as you can through service, because you are focusing so much on those things you can’t do.

It is crucial to remember that any act of service, no matter how big or small it may seem, does make a difference, whether it is immediately noticeable or not, and ultimately brings glory to God. It is crucial that we are making sure we are doing what we can to serve, because we are called to a life of service that reflects Jesus. In Mark 10:43-45, Jesus says, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Don’t be discouraged by thinking of ways you can’t serve. A lot of things in life are out of your control. Focus on other ways you can serve to make a difference in people’s lives while showing God’s love. It can be as simple as going to the grocery store for an elderly neighbor or feeding the poor at your local food bank. Just do what you can.

Sources

https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/9/9/20856783/jojo-rabbit-review-hitler-taika-waititi

Oceanic performed a concert on the Student Activities IGTV this past Thursday. Check it out below!

PLOT: 1917 is a must see for those of you out there who just love history or war movies. Having recently been released on December 9, 2019, this movie definitely holds its own in both of those categories. But for those of you who are still not convinced, 1917 goes beyond the genre of a typical war movie and is an excellent story of courage, friendship, and sacrifice. It opens during World War I with two boys, Lance Corporals William Schofield and Tom Blake, in Northern France in the year, you guessed it, 1917. Blake and Schofield, otherwise known as Sco, are presented with orders to traverse miles of trenches, across deadly no-man’s-land, through German territory, and back to the front lines to deliver a message calling off the next wave of attack. The Germans withdrew their troops in an unprecedented move to make the British think that they had them on the run. With British telephone lines cut, there would be no way to communicate with the men on the frontlines that they would be charging into a German trap where they would be shelled with artillery until there were no men left. The fate of 1,600 men on the frontlines, one of whom was Blake’s older brother, rested in the hands of two boys trying to make it across uncharted territory on foot. To make matters worse, they had to arrive by morning when the attacks would start.

For those of you who have not yet seen the film, I will refrain from spoiling large parts of the action and storyline. But some moments stood out among the rest and need to be discussed. 1917 does an excellent job of showing what day to day trench warfare was like during World War I. It distinguishes what the men on the frontlines had to go through every day as they were constantly bombarded by shells and ammunition. Those on the front did not even know what day it was as contrasted to men only a few hundred yards back who were just sitting around, smoking, talking, and shooting the breeze in indescribable trenches as they awaited further orders. In one gory scene, Sco, who had recently sliced his hand on barbed wire, accidentally plunges it into the stomach of a dead soldier next to him when he falls into a crater. The conditions that they were forced to live in were something that I’m sure no movie can even come close to depicting. The film shows how to the men had to do anything that they could to take their minds off of the current situation, that they would constantly be telling each other excellent stories to make their minds wander and help them feel at ease. In what was quite possibly one of the most powerful scenes in the film for me, Sco has just escaped some pursuing German soldiers and gets carried away in some river rapids. In a suspenseful scene, he narrowly survives and in order to get out of the water, he needs to climb over countless dead bodies of men floating on the surface. In a scene that can hardly be described, he is shown scrambling as best he can to get out of the river. When he finally succeeds, his emotions from his journey catch up to him and he begins to weep. The horrors of war finally overtook him in a powerful moment of a man sitting alone on the shore desperately crying and releasing a flood of emotions as deep as the river that he just narrowly escaped from.

FILMING: One of my favorite things about this film is that it seems to be shot in one continuous take. While this is not true, it was shot in multiple long takes that were cut together to give the real effect of time. I love this method and think that it is perfect for this movie because it makes the viewer really feel like they are in the battlefield as opposed to just watching it on the screen. I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie because the pacing made all of the shots seem so realistic. Everything seemed to happen as it would have in real life. One thing that should be said about 1917 is that although it depicts real World War I trench warfare, the plot is still fiction. This is not to say that something like this did not happen because in fact it did. The Germans really did push back their lines in hopes to trap the British. But beyond the many facts that make this movie realistic, it would be wise to keep in mind that it is still based off of stories that have been told. The whole film was directed, co-written, and produced by Sam Mendes, the grandson of war hero Alfred Mendes who told the story to Sam. I am sure that there are hundreds of stories just like this one that never got told, but this one especially does an excellent job at depicting a day in the life of a soldier out at war. I am impressed at how quickly the movie was filmed and then released. Filming began April 1, 2019 and wrapped up in June of the same year. The movie was then later released in December of 2019, eight months after they began filming.

RECAP: The movie ends the way that it began, with Schofield resting under a tree and enjoying a brief moment of quiet away from the trenches. He pulls out a photo of his wife and child back home and it is a reminder that this is not just a great story, but these men were really out fighting for their country and all had hopes of returning home to be with their loved ones. 1917 does an excellent job of showing the horrors of war, but also, how life goes on for the men that were there. It didn’t matter if they had just lost their brother fighting beside them or if they had lost their own limb, the war still raged on and nobody was there to wait for you. It was a grueling time to be alive and we have the many men that died to thank in part for the lives that we get to enjoy today.

Set aside some time this week and watch 1917 with your family or friends! Engage in some discussion about it and see what you learned from the movie. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1917_(2019_film)

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/15/796609685/1917-is-a-mind-boggling-technological-achievement-but-not-a-great-film

https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/1917-movie-ending-explained.html

When people hear board games, they usually think it is spelled bored games because they relate it with something that is boring and outdated. Since technology has taken over our society, I feel like we have lost the art of good ole’ fashioned games that can be played without the internet. Not only can they be fun, but they can also help your health. According to Family Time Magazine, “A study by Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center confirmed that regular game-playing and puzzle-doing (as well as other thought-provoking activities) were shown promote mental stimulation that dramatically kept memory function (as well as language function, attention span and spatial ability) performing at a higher level. The risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease was shown to be reduced by 47 percent for people who did these activities the most often” (para. 7, 2015). Board games also provide a sense of community, “91% of those polled said playing games gives their family’s mood a positive boost. And 96% of families who play games together say that they feel close!” (The Board Game Family). Here are five board games that you should try with your friends and family!

The first game is one of my personal favorites because you are guaranteed to have a good laugh when you’re playing. What Do You Meme is a game that has you “competing with friends (or family if you’re brave) to match photo cards with caption cards, creating your own outrageously funny meme combinations” (Whatdoyoumeme.com). No matter what age you are, you are bound to get a kick out of the endless, hilarious combinations you can do. If you are feeling a little creative, you can even add in your own funny pictures to the mix to make it personalized.

The second game took our world by storm. Settlers of Catan is a worldwide favorite and a household essential. According to The New Yorker, “First published in Germany in 1995 as Die Siedler von Catan, the game has sold more than eighteen million copies worldwide” (Raphel, 2014). The goal for this game is to get 10 victory points through using your resources to build roads, settlements, cities, city expansions, and knights. This game can be a bit time consuming, but one that definitely worth your time!

The third game is a board game that does not even need a board. Fishbowl is a house-made game that is a combination of catch phrase, password, and charades. All you need to play is paper, pens, a container to hold the pieces of paper in (fishbowl), and a timer. When you receive your piece of paper, you write a person, place, or thing on it and then throw it into the fishbowl so no one can see it. There are three different rounds that you play as two teams. In the first round the goal is for your teammates to guess the word that you are describing using as many words as possible. In the second round your teammates have to guess the word that you are describing with only one word. In the third round your teammates have to guess the word that you are acting out without any words. Whoever has the most points from guessing the correct word at the end wins!

The fourth game is one of my favorite card games because it is so fast-paced and crazy! Dutch Blitz can be very confusing to start off, but it is rewarding when you win. The prime objective is, “To build as many cards in sequence -1 through 10- in the same respective colors in the center Dutch Piles, for points toward game, using as many cards from the Blitz Pile as possible. The first player to exhaust his or her Blitz Pile has “Blitzed” his or her opponents and ended the hand” (Dutchblitz.com). Even though this game is only for four people, you can buy the expansion pack which allows eight people to play at a time. Your brain will thank you when you play this game because it will get it working!

The fifth and final board game that everyone should play with their friends and family is Codenames. This game makes you feel like you are truly a spy on a secret mission because the whole point of the game is to be sly. Boardgamegeek states, “In Codenames, two teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Their teammates try to guess words of the right color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin” (“Codenames”). This game takes some brainpower and involves you thinking outside the box!

I hope you can take time out of your day to give these fun board games a try with your friends and family! Remember: Board games are not outdated… They are making a comeback!

Sources

https://www.theboardgamefamily.com/2013/11/families-playing-games-feel-closer/

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/178900/codenames

https://www.dutchblitz.com/

https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-man-who-built-catan

https://whatdoyoumeme.com/

When I was a kid, my mom would take me to the library once a week, usually after soccer practice or early on a Saturday morning. If you asked the 10-year-old me, I always had a love/hate relationship with the library and my trip there always depended on my mood. What kind of kid wants to go to the library after soccer practice when he’s sweaty and hungry or go at the crack of dawn on a Saturday? I usually couldn’t find enough books that I was thrilled and excited to read, but if I did, I didn’t always have time to finish all of them. As I got older, I began to read less and less. I slowly grew to dislike reading in its entirety because of all the time I had to spend reading when I was younger. But over the last few months, I have started to pick up books again, and it has been very exciting to become obsessed once again with reading.

I wish I had stuck with reading and figured out a way for it to fit into my life how I would’ve expected. I think there was a lot of growing opportunities I missed out on from dismissing reading books. So, now you ask, why is it so valuable to read books?

To start, books are a great source of entertainment. We all know those people who watch a movie that was recreated from a book and says, “the book was WAYYY better.” Well, turns out they were actually right. The Pew Research Center published an article about this and cited a study which consisted of 800 books and their movie adaptations and the ratings for each on Goodreads and IMDB. In the study, they found that in 74% of these book/movie adaptations that the book rated better by at least a whole point. In 22.1%, the book and movies were similarly rated, and in only 4% of the cases, the movie was rated better than the book. There could be many reasons for this, but one of the biggest reasons is the creative space a book gives compared to a movie. Movies are usually confined to a 2-hour time period. Meanwhile, a book can contain hundreds of pages narrating the story the exact way the author intended, but a movie has to try and take this exact fit and translate and condense the book to fit into the time and visual effects of a movie. Also, people can read a book and let their imagination create the scenes in their head. This makes it difficult for filmmakers as they are tasked with taking everyone’s imagination and trying to create the perfect scene to satisfy a million different people. so overall, books are proven to be better than the movie adaptations.

The other reason everyone should try and read books is the physical and mental benefits. Reading helps keep a person growing even when they don’t realize it. The first way reading helps is through mental stimulation. Reading is like mental exercising for the brain. It engages cognitive skills and development of the brain through very little actual work done on our end. Reading books has also been linked to helping reduce depression, anxiety, and stress. It lets people engage in a great story and give their mind a break from the stresses of the world around them. There are also plenty of academic benefits to trying to read some of a book every day, and the best part is that it doesn’t require us studying a bunch or spending a lot of boring time looking at only a textbook. Reading books can increase one’s vocabulary and improve one’s writing skills. As most of you know, both of these would be extremely beneficial to any college student. This one also just makes logical sense – the more you are exposing yourself to new vocabulary and writing styles, the more you will be able to use this new vocab and these new writing styles. The best part of reading books is that there are plenty of different mental, physical, and academic benefits, and they don’t require us to do much more than just enjoy a good book.

If it’s been awhile since you last read a book, and you don’t know where to begin. I would suggest first going to friends and asking them for recommendations. Just like music and movies, everyone will have their own preferences, and I have my own picky preferences. But if you are pretty open-minded, I would recommend The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. This is one of my all-time favorite books. It takes a look at how habits are at the core of everything we do and how habits play a part in our personal life, business, and society as a whole. I have read this book multiple times, and I think that anyone could benefit from reading it. No matter what book you choose to pick up next, I hope you get out there and try reading something you’ll enjoy!

Sources

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books

https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/why-reading-books-should-be-your-priority-according-to-science.html

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/09/26/who-doesnt-read-books-in-america/

We had another Student Concert this past Thursday performed by Scout Powell on IGTV. You can see her set below!