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How the state is failing to prepare students  Image c/o GVWire By Edith Cuevas Opinion Columnist California is paving the way for other states in many aspects, including green energy, having a strong economy, and human rights. The state of California is failing in one sphere, and that is ensuring that all California students have access to economic literacy courses in high school. Financial literacy is important because it empowers students to make informed decisions, and allows them to build safety nets for themselves.
California is one of the most diverse states in the country, and making financial literacy a requirement for high school graduation would ensure that there is equitable access to these courses, even in marginalized communities. I believe that this is a necessary change because it gives students the opportunity to learn about budgeting, saving, investing, understanding credit, and managing debt. This will eventually lead to a generation of students that are better equipped to make important financial decisions after their high school careers. Another benefit is the ability to navigate financial challenges by reducing the susceptibility of individuals to predatory lending or even scams. Individuals may also be able to be less likely to accumulate high levels of debt and even be less likely to declare bankruptcy. Here at Saint Mary’s, I have been working on an advocacy project with four other individuals from my public policy course. We are attempting to raise awareness on this core curriculum change as we believe that this issue has the potential to have a positive impact on many Californias through empowerment. During our project, we surveyed a group of about 30 students. Over 96% of students surveyed believe that financial literacy is important. About 70% of those interviewed did not have access to financial literacy courses. Only 30% of students did have access to financial literacy courses but it was only a requirement to graduate for 7% of those students. Financial literacy is important for students to understand things such as tax forms, interest rates, credit cards, loans, etc. Why should you care? Well, only less than 20% of students surveyed indicated that they do not struggle with filling out tax forms. The other 80% of students struggle with them and some do not understand how to file or fill out the proper forms. Nearly 70% of students surveyed did not feel prepared to manage personal finances upon graduating from high school. The consensus among those surveyed is that it is important for schools in California to offer financial literacy classes, with 85% of the responses noting that it is very important. Most importantly, there is overwhelming support for a core curriculum change across the state. 77% of those surveyed would support such a change. What can we do? Look out for any petitions supporting the cause, including one created by students here at Saint Mary’s, write to your local senators or assembly members, and look out for legislation supporting this matter during the upcoming November elections. Raising awareness and having conversations can make a bigger difference than you might think.
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 Image c/o Disney+ By Madison Sciba Editor-in-Chief ABC’s Emmy award winning show, Abbott Elementary, portrays the struggles of the teachers and staff at a financially struggling public school in Philadelphia. The mockumentary-style sitcom gives audiences a comedic view of what they could assume is what it is like to work at and/or go to a low income public school.
While I do believe that it is necessary to bring attention to the struggles of teachers, especially those at low income schools, I do not appreciate how Abbott Elementary seemingly sugar coats what it is actually like to work at one of these schools. While the show portrays the teachers having to deal with broken equipment, low budgets, and unsupportive administrators, it uses these as points of comedy rather than addressing the seriousness of the situation. In a time where our country is facing a detrimental teacher shortage, idealizing the battles of teachers is not helping. Abbott Elementary is centered around the kind of teachers who struggle the most in the teaching profession: those who do not have the necessary support from their administration, students’ parents, and community. All the teachers in Abbott, however, are portrayed as being dedicated educators who will do whatever it takes to be a good teacher to their students. That is, unfortunately, not the truth when it comes to the experiences of teachers at low income public schools. The teaching profession can break those who entered the field to change the lives of our children. They barely make a livable wage and yet they do one of the most difficult jobs in the world. We expect teachers to be the best no matter the circumstances and common misconceptions, like the one Abbott Elementary is portraying, is damaging. How else can we as a society change our perception and support of educators if our media is not showing the truth? Instead of making jokes about lacking funds or battling with the school district, why doesn’t Abbott Elementary show the parental neglect, the horrific conditions, and the real toll that teaching at a low income school can have on a teacher. Most teachers take what very little money they earn and put it back into their classrooms, buying the necessities that the schools and districts cannot provide them. For my whole life, my mom worked at a Title I elementary school in San Jose, CA. For those who don’t know, a Title I school is, “provides financial assistance to local educational agencies for children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.” (National Center for Educational Statistics). Growing up, I witnessed the struggle of someone who, although extremely dedicated to the field of education, lost their love and passion for the job. She and the other teachers would spend their own money on snacks, supplies, and sometimes even appropriate clothing, for students who couldn’t afford to bring in their own. Cockroaches were such a common issue that they would just put a cup over the bug and wait until the next lunch or break to deal with it. Barely anything was fully functioning and getting anything new was a rarity. I started off my educational journey at this school. After one year my parents decided that I had to be sent to a different school. My mother, someone who taught at a low income school for almost fifteen years, knew that students at that school were being done a grave disservice. Lucky for me, my parents had the means of sending me to a local Catholic school for a better, healthier environment, however, my former classmates were not as lucky. To this day, that school is operating even worse off than before. The buildings are practically falling apart and the students at this school are getting a significantly worse educational experience than a student at the wealthier public elementary school just a mile up the street. What this society needs is not for these kinds of low income schools to be the center of jokes, but to be the catalyst for great changes to the educational system. There needs to be more awareness of the struggles of teachers at low income public schools and how that struggle directly affects the ability for those students to learn.  Image c/o Getty Images By Isabella Wynn Visiting Columnist In adjusting to losing an hour of sleep on March 10th, we may be enjoying more daylight, but our internal clocks are not having as good of a time. Daylight savings time (DST) has become something most people in the U.S. have grown accustomed to. With the exception of Arizona and Hawaii, the U.S. is a part of the 70 countries that observe DST. Most Californians may be aware that absolving daylight savings has been on the ballots for years. I am personally on the side that believes we should join Arizona and Hawaii in not participating in daylight savings, and I’ll tell you why.
You may be familiar with the term “Circadian Rhythm.” Our circadian rhythms become wildly affected when DST begins or ends. The National Institute of General Medicinal Sciences (NIGMS) states that “circadian rhythms are the physical, mental, and behavioral changes an organism experiences over a 24-hour cycle.” While our circadian rhythms can be affected by things like food intake, social environments, and temperature, light and dark have the biggest influence. Light and dark does not only refer to the daylight or lackthereof outside, our circadian rhythms can also be affected by things like the light from our technological devices or the use of blackout curtains. I’m no woman in STEM, but I generally understand our circadian rhythms and how important it is to try to keep them regularly controlled. With so many aspects of our daily lives that could disrupt our rhythm, adding DST into the mix can cause not only short term risks but long term risks. Our social jet lag and sleep deprivation caused by DST can “result in a continued misalignment in your body's internal clock” (Business Insider) which is linked to causing serious problems. Short-term problems such as an increase in car accidents and workplace injuries are accompanied by “24% more people [having] heart attacks than on other Mondays throughout the year” (Business Insider) when DST begins. DST is also linked to an increase in poor mental health and suicide. In terms of long-term risks, we already have a society that has become addicted to our technology and microplastics in our food and water; if we have the opportunity to eliminate something that causes problems, we should take it. The NIGMS stresses that “long-term sleep loss and continually shifting circadian rhythms can increase the risks of obesity, diabetes, mood disorders, heart and blood pressure problems, and cancer, and can also worsen existing health issues.” DST was first temporarily implemented during World War I in efforts to save energy. Nowadays, DST does the opposite. It has been found that DST causes us to consume more energy than we conserve. DST also increases the “demand for heat and air conditioning.” And perhaps part of the reason the government hasn’t put an emphasis on the importance of abolishing DST is that we are more likely to spend more money after work in the spring and summer due to extra daylight. Don’t get me wrong, I love the switch when daylight savings ends and we get more sunlight later in the day. However, I do not love the process of resetting my internal clock. In wanting to get up early and have a productive start to my day, I find myself hitting snooze for an hour. I used to think Arizona and Hawaii were strange for not joining the rest of the states in observing DST. However, in learning about these major risks and acknowledging how I am personally affected by it, I found myself on the side of agreeing with the abolishing of daylight savings. Hopefully in reading this, you may reconsider how you feel about DST. Even if it means I’ll be spending more money later in the day, I’d love to have more sunlight later in the day year round. And, more importantly, I’d love for my circadian rhythm to not be extra affected twice a year. Telling you which books are worth the read and which books aren’t.  Image c/o Tali Arbel/AP Photo By Madison Sciba Editor-in-Chief Like most avid book readers now-a-days, I get the majority of my book recommendations from BookTok. For those of you who are unaware of what BookTok is, it's a subcommunity of TikTok creators who make content based on books they recommend their followers read. This list was constructed based off of some articles describing BookTok as well as books advertised as BookTok picks by booksellers. I have read my share of BookTok recommendations so here are my yay or nays on some of the most popular ones. I also give my ratings for each book. I do not rate books lightly, and I am not afraid to give a one star rating to a bad book. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything.
1. If He Had Been with Me and If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin Yay, a thousand times yay. It is extremely rare that I drop whatever I am doing to go buy a sequel from Barnes and Nobles, but I just had to get my hands on If Only I Had Told Her. Both books were absolutely amazing and gripping, I could not put them down. I highly recommend them to anyone who needs a good cry or just wants a good read. I do have to warn you, however, both books will crush your heart, and you will be reading them with tears running down your face. I gave If He Had Been with Me a 4.8/5 and If Only I Had Told Her a 4.6/5. 2. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Yay, such a yay that I am already counting down the days until the next book. I sped through this series and already have the 5th one pre ordered. I recommend The Inheritance Games to anyone who will listen to me. A great book filled with twists and turns that you will never see coming. I cannot emphasize enough how good of a book The Inheritance Games is and how you will be running to Barnes and Noble to buy The Hawthorne Legacy as soon as you finish reading the first book. I gave The Inheritance Games a rating of 4.9/5. 3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Yay, a great intro to fantasy for those who are new to the genre. Fantasy can be difficult to read as the reader has to learn of a whole new world and magic rules. The Cruel Prince is a great book to ease non-fantasy readers into the genre. A classic enemies-to-lovers storyline helps to make this a fun read. If you are interested in trying out the fantasy genre or are a fantasy lover who just wants another magic-filled adventure, then I recommend giving this book a chance. I gave The Cruel Prince a rating of 4/5. 4. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter Yay, as a fan of rom coms it is hard to dislike a book in which the entire premise is a giant mix of rom com references. While this isn’t a life changing I have a new opinion on love kind of book, it was cute and I very much enjoyed the read. It has a very low spice level but a lot of flirting which can sometimes be even better than spicy scenes. I recommend this book for fans of movies like Pride and Prejudice, 10 Things I Hate About You, Clueless, and The Princess Bride. I gave Better Than the Movies a rating of 4/5. 5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Yay, but no surprise there. I was hesitant to label The Hunger Games as a BookTok book, but it appeared on all the lists I found online so I included it on this one. I was a huge fan of the Hunger Games books when they were at the height of their popularity circa 2013/2014. After rereading the trilogy recently in preparation for the new film, I found that there was so much that I missed when I first read the books in middle school. There is so much depth and meaning in The Hunger Games that I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a modern American classic. I highly recommend that anyone who has not read the books or hasn’t read them since 2013 to read The Hunger Games. I can promise that it will really make you think and ponder the realities of our world. I gave The Hunger Games a rating of 4.9/5. 6. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover Nay, please don’t believe people when they say this is a great book. I cannot emphasize this enough, but It Ends with Us is not a romance novel. Although advertised as one, this is a story about domestic violence and abuse. I went into reading it thinking that it was a romance novel. Instead of a happily ever after, I was left emotionally traumatized and threw the book against the wall. If this was not advertised as a romance novel and more as contemporary fiction then I probably would have gone in with a different mindset and different expectations. I went in with the romance mindset of a love story, happily ever after. If I had known it was not a romance novel then I would have entered the book with a more critical mindset and would probably have enjoyed it more. As a result of its incorrect marketing as a romance I gave It Ends With Us a rating of 2/5. 7. A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas Ehhh, while the books in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series get better as they go on, they are not nearly as good as other fantasy books that are viral on BookTok. While I mildly enjoyed the books, I do not think that they live up to all the hype that people are giving them. I find the main character annoying, and it is difficult to read 5 several hundred page books on a heroine that I sometimes wish I could slap and shout at her “stop being so dramatic!” Sure I enjoyed the books but I have still yet to read the most recent book (A Court of Silver Flames) even though it has been sitting on my shelf for the past 8 months. I gave the A Court of Thorns and Roses series a rating of 3.8/5. 8. Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros Yay, I have to admit, it really does live up to the hype. I went into Fourth Wing skeptical after my high hopes for A Court of Thorns and Roses was misplaced. The main character of Fourth Wing is actually quite relatable and this is a great example of a well executed enemies-to-lovers trope. The second novel, Iron Flame, was even better than the first. I stayed awake until 1 am trying to finish Iron Flame and ended up screaming when I read the final pages of the book. I simply cannot wait for the next book to come out, you will find me waiting in line at Barnes and Noble the day it is released. I gave Fourth Wing a rating of 4/5 and Iron Flame a rating of 4.6/5. 9. Beach Read by Emily Henry Yay, so much a yay that I would classify Beach Read as one of my favorite books of all time. Very rarely has one book caused me to immediately buy any book released by a specific author, but now anytime I see a book by Emily Henry, I buy it. I am super picky and critical when it comes to romance novels, and I was not disappointed by Beach Read. If there is any book that can make a pessimist like me believe in love then it is this book. Instead of the stereotypical insta-love seen in a lot of the romance genre, Beach Read follows the slow evolution of two people from classmates to strangers to friends to lovers. You will put down this book knowing that the two main characters will truly live happily ever after. I gave Beach Read a rating of 4.5/5. 10. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace Nay, I honestly just don’t get the hype surrounding this book. This book felt as though it was written by someone who has no idea: a. what it is like to be a college athlete, b. what it is like to be a college student, and c. anything about hockey. As a college athlete who is a big fan of hockey, I spent the majority of the book cringing and rolling my eyes. If all you care about when reading a romance novel is the spice level then you will love this book. If you want a book with some substance and plot, then I would suggest looking elsewhere. I gave Icebreaker a rating of 2.6/5. On Taylor Swift’s growing cult-like following.  Image c/o Terence Rushin/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management By Madison Sciba Editor-in-Chief Does anyone else feel like the topic of Taylor Swift is being shoved down their throat? TikTok, instagram, snapchat, even the local news, no matter where I look it's all about Taylor Swift. Everywhere I turn it's Taylor this, Taylor that. What is the deal?
Look, I am all for a person making the most of their success, but I am sick and tired of seeing Taylor Swift’s face and name everywhere. It's not as though I hate her music, I am just sick and tired of hearing about her. Who cares who her current boyfriend of the month is or what she is wearing to different events? What we should care about is how she has 14 times the carbon emissions as the average American as a result of her frequent private jetting around. Her fans don’t seem to care as in their eyes, “mother” can do no wrong. Even when her Eras tour tickets cost fans thousands of dollars per ticket, Taylor was innocent in everything. The 2023 Time Person of the year is reported to be worth around $1 billion and this is thanks to her almost cult-like following. A new album is released? Those so-called “swifties” go running to buy it on vinyl records, CD, and downloads. Anytime new merchandise is released “swifties” will spend hundreds of dollars on sweatshirts and other items that might not be worth their steep price tag. Recently, fans have reported that their $45 t-shirts (that they purchased from the official Era’s tour merchandise booths and sellers) were Look, I have nothing against Taylor Swift personally, but can we all agree that she is just a person. These swifties need to stop treating her like she is a goddess walking among us. Yes she is a talented singer/songwriter, but that doesn’t mean they need to worship her. Not everything she does is incredible and wonderful. Swifties, stop looking at her through the rose colored glasses and accept the fact that she is just a person, not really any different from you or me.  Image c/o Suzette Leg Anthony/ Shutterstock By Edith Cuevas Visiting Opinion Columnist The commute from the East Bay to San Francisco is one no one enjoys. Idling in hours of traffic, paying for expensive gas every week, and on top of that an expensive toll. Thanks to Senate Bill 1, $5.4 billion of our tax dollars are invested in infrastructure projects such as road repair, bridges, reducing traffic delays (freeway expansions), freeway repairs each year. Expanding the freeways is not going to aid congestion at all if that was true I-680 and Highway 4 would be clear commutes. Only $350 million of the funding from Senate Bill 1 goes to additional funding for public transit fleet improvements.
Public transit then becomes the solution. Instead of investing in expansions, we should be investing in the purchase of more trains and in the funding of more staff across all BART stations. We should make it more accessible by building more stations. Expanding the freeways is something we have tried to do, but has not worked, so it is time to move onto a solution that will work. In cities such as London, the underground is accessible all throughout the city, is relatively cheap and very safe to use. There is no excuse as to why California can’t do the same. Being the 4th largest economy in the world, the Bay Area has the highest GDP output of the entire state. Our infrastructure should reflect that. A better public transit system would also ease the amount of emissions being emitted into our atmosphere. The typical person in the United States emits about 16,000 tons of emissions into the atmosphere per year. Riding in an electric train would cut this average significantly. Another issue that must be addressed to attract more riders is the issue of safety. BART has been implementing a new policy that would bring in community ambassadors and officers to BART trains, and they should keep implementing this policy so that it is widespread to all stations. Of course, that would require more funding, which would be possible if we revert some of the infrastructure budget directly to public transit. Contra Costa County has been a big advocate for commuting on BART. The county offers a program called 511 Contra Costa for students attending a school within county borders (St. Mary’s included), residents, and anyone who works in the county to receive a free $20 clipper card or a free $20 bikelink card. The county also offers a reimbursement on e-bikes for residents, ranging from $150-500, depending on the city of residence. So no, we don’t need any more freeway expansions, what we need is a better public transit system that is accessible to all and is efficient and enticing for riders. Convenience is important for Californians; our public transit system must be able to keep up with this need. How influencer culture is leading to overconsumption and becoming a major issue in the US.  Image c/o Your Stuff Made By Madison Sciba Editor-in-Chief First it was Hydro Flask, then it was Yeti, then it was Stanley, and now it is Owala. What is the point of reusable water bottles when society is going through them so quickly?
Personally, I am going to the grave with my emotional support Hydro Flask that I have had since 2020. One of my friends cycles through using a Hydro Flask, two Stanleys, and an Owala. That is roughly $173 worth of reusable water bottles. She is just another example of how people are being easily influenced to purchase items to keep up with trends. The problem with these trends is that they are quickly leading to overconsumption. Perhaps you have seen the TikToks of people showing off their collections of Stanley tumblers, Drunk Elephant skin care products, Amazon “finds,” and Shein “hauls.” The whole point of influencers is to convince audiences to spend money on things they don't really need. Brands pay these TikTokers and Instagrammers to influence followers to buy their products. Mega Corporations and brands which are notorious for profiting off this influencer culture and promotion of overconsumption are Amazon and Shein. Organization, home, and cooking influencers will promote Amazon “finds,” some random gadgets that have a niche use. An easily influenced person, will run to Amazon and purchase an item that will probably be used once and will take up space for a while before it eventually gets thrown out. Fashion influencers will show off their Shein “hauls,” showing off the dozens of cheaply and arguably unethically made products that they received. They convince followers to go purchase the same items off the site because they are so affordable, ignoring the impact that fast fashion has on our environment and the ethics surrounding the production of fast fashion. People who are against this trend of overconsumption and influencers are being called de-influencers. These people will stitch and duet the videos of influencers and give reasons as to why the watcher does not need the product. They will tell the audience that they do not need a special plastic egg container off Amazon for their fridge, since the cardboard carton from the store works just as well. Companies trying to convince consumers to buy products they do not need is not a new occurrence. Advertisements have been around for over 100 years and celebrity endorsements going all the way back to Victorian England when Queen Victoria herself endorsed Cadbury chocolate. What has changed in recent years is the accessibility of consumers to companies. Instead of relying on people watching TV ads or reading the newspaper, the internet gives companies the opportunity to have advertisements in the consumer’s hand. With TikTok, you may follow someone because they make cute videos of their golden retriever. Next thing you know, all their videos are no longer centered around the lovable dog but are trying to convince you to spend your money on some expensive kind of dog food. Nowadays it seems as though every other video on my for you page contains some kind of ad or sponsorship. It's virtually impossible to go on TikTok or even the internet in general without someone trying to sell you a product. This is a dangerous trend as it has been made obvious that some people cannot help but be influenced. No one needs a $10 Touchland hand sanitizer, but people buy them because they see so many of their favorite influencers using it online. It is clear that the only way to prevent overconsumption is to stop being so influenced. Take some advice from de-influencers. Think before you buy, do you really need that? Will you actually use that? Is it worth the cost? Is it actually a good product or are influencers just talking about it because they are being paid? Don’t be an easily influenced consumer, make smart decisions, and don’t let strangers on the internet convince you how to spend your money. A personal take on the fate of The Office spinoff.  Image c/o Rotten Tomatoes By Lillian La Salle Associate Editor For the whole month of October, fans of The Office were left in limbo as creator Greg Daniels and other cast members hinted at a possible reboot of the beloved show. Luckily, these speculations were cleared up at the beginning of November by multiple sources such as USA Today, ScreenRant, and The Wrap which jumped at the chance to clear up any confusion amongst the die-hard fan base. Personally, I am so thankful these speculations were not true. At least not in the way I was thinking. Greg Daniels is apparently seeking to spin off the show instead of rebooting it with the original cast, “I can't imagine wanting to make it with any other cast. I've said before that if there was to be anything, it would probably be more like what "The Mandalorian" is to "Star Wars," rather than trying to get Princess Leia with a new actor” (USA Today). And thank god he couldn't imagine this new version because The Office had a good run.
Even his consideration of a spinoff is giving this sitcom a little too much importance in the grand scheme of new TV, with new concepts still on the back burner while other mediocre shows have been given the spotlight for far too long. Don't get me wrong, I loved The Office, but to give background, I would choose Parks and Recreation and Leslie Knope's shenanigans over a show that made me physically cringe from discomfort any day. Greg Daniels explained to ScreenRant the methodology of creating the new show, having it “exist in the same overall universe [allowing] for potential guest appearances from original characters” once the new cast members have gotten their foot in the door of the TV Show universe. This sounds like they are trying to live in the Marvel Meta-verse with all these new characters and trying to figure out how to make the same kind of show, without having it fall prey to the failure that is most reboots. It's just The Office, it's not that deep, and it’s had its time in the spotlight. Maybe another office sitcom could be funny, but with constant comparison to what once was, it will be a challenge to make it as successful as its many 2000s counterparts. While I have your attention, I am going to be controversial and say The Office was great, not fantastic, but great. It had good references that audiences could repeat to each other to form a community, but ultimately it is very overhyped, and I blame Jim and Pam. Jim and Pam are idolized for the best love story, but Jim routinely makes decisions without Pam, they lack proper communication skills, and it is evident towards the end when the other cameraman comes in that it is really taking a toll on their relationship. Maybe this is what makes them so appealing to others who see it as an achievable love story, but I would rather not have the airtime wasted on their will they want only to see that they did and had pretty lackluster lives. When people say they want a relationship like Jim and Pam’s, I'm taken aback. I need that Michael and Holly, Dwight and Angela energy. They would go to bat for each other no matter the situation, be it a that’s what she said joke or a new lease for a beet farm, these two couples are the standouts of the show. I now realize that was my biggest beef with The Office spinoff, seeing the audience get entranced by a vanilla, non-communicative couple who seem like they've settled in all areas of their life. Anyway, I will get off my soapbox, but a spinoff of a great show is not the way to go, especially for one as monumental as The Office.  Image c/o MANGO; ZARA; EVERLANE; ELOQUII; MACY'S; OLGA SIDELNIKOVA/GETTY IMAGES By Isabella Wynn Visiting Opinion Columnist Humans are running out of original, creative ideas. We see this in creative fields such as fashion, makeup, or movies. There have been a multitude of remakes or live actions rather than fresh film ideas. A third Willy Wonka movie is to be released soon following the Little Mermaid live action. Makeup was bold, sharp, and dark in the late 2010s and nowadays subtle pops of color and a clean, glossy look is in, reflecting trends from the 80s and iconic Marilyn Monroe looks.
Fashion trends have been consistently making comebacks. From the return of 80s fashion to Y2K red carpet looks, we appear to be running low on new, decent trends. In taking a look at this Fall's fashion trends, I came across the return of some old trends as well as some potentially new trends that I believe should not be trending in the first place. Olive Green Bomber Jacket: Flop This trend is unfortunately a flop for me. I adore the color green, especially an olive, however this style of jacket looks like something I could pick up at Forever 21. Forever 21 has its hits, but this is not one of them. I think a bomber jacket gives millennial fashion. It's not my thing. Gold Tube Hoop Earrings: Favorite I am honestly a little indifferent to this trend solely because I am on team silver jewelry. I feel as if gold jewelry looks tacky on me but it looks sexy and expensive on others. I do however love the chunky jewelry trend. I find myself in love with chunky rings and fun statement necklaces. Denim maxi skirts: Favorite Now my take on this may be a little controversial. I have heard a lot of talk about how ugly denim maxi skirts are but I have to disagree on this one. I am personally a fan of almost anything denim. If mom jeans could make such an influential comeback, denim skirts can make their own comeback. I think when styled right they can look so awesome. The denim blazer: Favorite Remember when I said I am a fan of almost anything denim? Enough said. Metallic: Flop Major flop here. Metallic clothing, shoes, and accessories, for everyday? No way. Halloween and EDM made a baby and this trend is what popped out. Metallic clothing often looks cheap and I am reminded of a Forever 21 metallic skater skirt I swear I've seen before. I may rock some metallic for a costume or a festival but I do not want to see metallic pants at the grocery store. Leather: Flop Now, let me explain: leather is awesome; but this specific trend with leather? Not so awesome. This trend consists of street style leather such as adidas maxi skirts or t-shirts. I cannot get behind casual leather, I hate it. Mary Janes: Favorite These shoes may have traumatized me as a kid going to Friday masses at my Catholic K-8th school, but I love the look of them nowadays. I think they are so adorable and can really elevate an outfit. Mary Janes have been forgiven. Red: Favorite This trend is boring to me but red will always be a classy, wearable color. Slingback, kickstand, and kitten heels: Favorite These dainty heels are a favorite of mine even though I hate how they look on me. I think people who have a fragile look to them can rock these. I think they are so sleek, I love them. Lace: Favorite The idea of this trend is also a bit boring to me but I do adore lace. It can be styled in a cute, frilly way or in a sexy way and I love that versatility. Lace will never go out of style. Fancy flats: Flop I am an avid flats hater. I personally don't think they look good on anyone. They remind me of millennial fashion and middle school before my mom let me wear heels. Perhaps they're comfortable but unfortunately I am an advocate of style over comfort. I would rather walk barefoot over legos than wear flats out. Denim on denim: Favorite I have been rocking and loving a denim on denim look for some time now. I am a huge fan of a Canadian Tuxedo and, like I've said before, a fan of denim in general. I think this trend is awesome. This fall, fashion trends seem to be all over the place. A lot of these trends, and more that I came across, do not make me think of fall. I never really know what is actually "trending" and it was fun to see what trends are resurfacing. Fashion is unique to everyone; it is fun to play with different styles and pieces. Wear what makes you happy and have a fun, fashionable fall St. Mary’s. Which Morticia was the best, from newspaper comics to Netflix series  Morticia Addams in "The Addams Family." (Image c/o Paramount) By Val Hill Visiting Opinion Columnist Over the years, there have been many versions of The Addams Family. Along with that brings different versions of Morticia Addams, who is considered to be one of the “mothers of goth.” So which Morticia is the best, and what separates her from any of the other versions?
But first we need to look at the many different variants of The Addams Family from over the years. The idea first started as a comic in 1938 by Charles Addams on page nine of The New Yorker. It was just a simple black and white single-panel that depicted a salesman trying to sell a vacuum cleaner to the spooky family. That panel was the spark that was needed to light the fire for the 1964 TV show, starring Carolyn Jones as Morticia and John Astin as Gomez. The TV show was only the tip of the iceberg, making room for cartoon shows, movies and a Netflix series. And with all these different Morticia’s, which actress did the best job at bringing her out of the coffin and onto our screens? I believe that the best portrayal of Morticia came from The Addams Family Values, made in 1991, starring Anjelica Huston. Her performance and added depth of the character made the movie so much better. The almost corpse-like color of her face and the way she moves in her long and slender black dress making her look as if she was floating across the set made her the best choice. The on scene chemistry between Huston and Raul Julia, the actor for Gomez, was immaculate. It was as if the two were an actual couple in real life, and the embodiment of the dynamic between Morticia and Gomez. Huston’s dedication to the role of Morticia was amazing, bringing the whole franchise to new heights. |
STAFFAndrew Martinez Cabrera '26, Archives
May 2025
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