By Madison Kane
editors@antonnews.com
During winter break, many teenagers find themselves bored with not much to do. Luckily, many students in our community can share their experiences from the past week.
From binge-watching Netflix, to movie marathons, and even reading, teens nearby found themselves occupied on their time off. Rachel Wishner, a Sophomore at Jericho High School, immersed herself in a variety of different entertainment sources. During her time in Costa Rica, she enjoyed herself by listening to happy and upbeat music such as “Die for You,” by The Weeknd.
“I listen to this music to keep me in a good mood, since I was stress free,” Wishner said.
While on her six-hour plane ride, Rachel watched many movies, including Matilda and Wonder. Even though she was just looking for movies to download, she thoroughly enjoyed watching Wonder due to the story of friendship only based on personality. “This movie allowed me to look back to the beginning of 10th grade. It really made me think about who my friends really are,” she said.
Movie-watching was definitely a popular hobby this vacation, as Daniella Silverman, sophomore at Syosset High School, too spent her free time doing this. Wedding Crashers was her film of choice. Daniella has seen this movie before, but enjoys watching it late at night with her family. She is particularly fond of the comedy and character relationships.
“I think it’s so funny, and I love the characters and actors,” she said.
Binging TV shows was also on Daniella’s agenda. The main show she watched over break was a fan favorite, Grey’s Anatomy. Although she has seen the medical drama a countless number of times, she always finds herself re-watching her favorite seasons as a comfort show.
(Public domain photo)
“I love the characters and the plot, and I feel as if the show gets better every time I watch,” Daniella said.
Reading Colleen Hoover books was another activity teens did this break. Both Rachel and Daniella buried themselves in her literature.
“I just ordered the book Reminders of Him, and I can’t wait to start reading,” Silverman said.
“I read It Ends With Us over the break. This book was a breath of fresh air since I have been drowning in textbooks,” Wishner added.
Likewise, Jessy Siegmann, sophomore at Jericho High School, did similarly to the two other girls. Early 2000s pop throwbacks have been playing nonstop in her AirPods.
“Early 2000s music is nostalgic and brings back memories from when I was younger,” Siegmann said.
(Photo courtesy Maurizio Pesce via Wikimedia Commons)
In addition to electronic entertainment, the students have found other hobbies to pass time. Cleaning out closets, exercising, and spending quality time with family highlight the main tasks that were done. Wishner said, “I am a very active person and thoroughly enjoy doing one thing after another, but over the break I enjoyed sitting at home watching Netflix with my family. These moments allowed me to calm down after very busy months at school.”
The days off also positively impacted mental health. Getting a break from school work, homework, and tests gave many the opportunity to focus on themselves and their other passions. Silverman said, “I had a lot more time to focus on myself and other things I’d rather be doing than school. The opportunity to get more sleep because of break also contributes to the improvement of my mental health.
Overall, winter break was spent well in the Syosset/Jericho community, and among teenagers, very much needed and well-deserved.
—Madison Kane is a sophomore at Jericho High School
