College admissions are at the front of high schoolers’ minds throughout senior year. However, for some, it is not only 12th grade-- it’s all of high school. Students are put under pressure to meet their parents’, peers’, and teachers’ expectations as they set out for the next phase of their life. This stress, however, can worsen students’ mental health, as they are constantly being criticized and compared to the people around them.

Today, we live in the wake of one of the largest social movements in US history being largely unsuccessful in creating institutional change. We live approaching a climate catastrophe that has already decimated entire nations and threatens to expand exponentially. We live in “the richest country in the world,” where over sixty percent of working people live paycheck to paycheck, including half of those earning six figures.

When talking about what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. identifies as “the urgency of now,” it can be difficult for some to not slide into a narrative of catastrophizing. Deal or no deal, total collapse of society or why some people keep insisting on rocking the boat. The twenty-first century has been off to a rough start with the increase in global temperatures and fluctuations in weather patterns, the creeping influence of extremism, and the persistence of institutional racism.

The number of True Crime consumers has steadily risen over the past years. There are many ways to learn about True Crime, whether it be from books, shows, or podcasts.

Literature has always been a way for people to express their inner thoughts, new discoveries, and opinions on life. Through books, one can be transported into new worlds or learn about the world they already live in. For many, books are a comfort, as it allows them to feel more connected to humanity.