By Chloe Schwalbe
From popular new releases to old favorites, what students choose to watch and read reveals their interests and how they spend their free time. Over the summer, students enjoyed their break from school by watching entertaining movies, TV shows, and reading books. However, to answer the question of what, exactly, these motion pictures and books were, students with various interests were interviewed about what kept them entertained over summer break.
Chloe Berg ‘29, known for her love of books, shared about what she read this summer. Berg first spoke of the lengthy, behind-the-scenes book called Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad. First published in 1986, this 510-page book covers an oral history from the first ten years of Saturday Night Live (SNL), with interviews from over 250 cast members, writers, and crew. Berg claimed, “It was really interesting to read, since they got interviews from so many people that had been on SNL. It deepened my love of comedy and understanding behind the work of the iconic show. The book gave me insight into the lives of all these comedic characters.” Berg also read The Women by Kristin Hannah, a historical fiction novel that follows Frances McGrath, a young combat nurse serving in the Vietnam War. Berg spoke of the novel, saying that she thought “it was a really great, unique story. I think Hannah is a really talented writer who balances literary prose with exciting plots.” Finally, Egan Powers ‘29 shared a book he read over the summer – Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing. This famous and acclaimed book covers a polar explorer named Ernest Shackleton. Powers said that it was a “fantastic book, a solid nine out of ten. It was well-paced, exciting, and kept me captivated the whole time.”
Olivia Prather ‘29 also described the multiple TV series and movies she watched over the summer, providing her honest opinions on each. Prather, a big Friends fan, had her annual summer rewatch of the entire series, saying she “always has it on the rotation no matter what.” Similar to the style of Friends, Prather wanted to watch another short sitcom she could play in the background, so she chose to watch The Big Bang Theory for the first time. Prather claimed that she “thought it was funny at first, but then I stopped watching because I got a little bored of it.” Prather also started watching Ted Lasso this summer with her dad. Since she had not seen the highly acclaimed sports comedy-drama series before, Prather and her dad watched the first three seasons and are now watching the new fourth season as it comes out weekly. When asked about her opinion of the show, Prather said she thinks “it is an amazing show. It is obviously really funny, but there are so many good stories, lessons, and character development rooted into it as well. I think everyone should watch it – it changes your perspective on a lot of different ideas, and it is very entertaining.”
Finally, as did tens of millions around the world in theaters this summer, Prather went with her family to see Christopher Nolan’s mythic action epic, The Odyssey. The film shattered multiple records over the summer, and sparked a range of opinions. Prather’s opinion was very interesting, as she shared that she “loved The Odyssey. I think it was a really great movie, and even though it was long, it didn’t feel too long. I was entertained the whole time, since I have always been interested in history and Greek mythology, and it was cool to see Christopher Nolan’s interpretation.” The only concerns Prather shared were over the fact that Nolan’s wife, Emma Thomas, got little credit for her part in making the movie happen, and that only a few women were working on set. However, overall, Prather shared positive remarks about the movie, saying that everyone should go see it.
Therefore, looking back on summer, it is clear that the books students read and the shows and movies they watched were enjoyable, educational, and great uses of their summer break free time. While everyone had different favorites, ultimately, these summer choices offered students entertainment and something to look forward to during their break. As the school year gets going, these summer favorites might be left behind, or they might become the shows and books students continue to talk about.
