C: Welcome to the first issue of the Cecilia-run Churchill Observer! All summer long I have missed writing articles and it is so good to be back! It is so weird to be a senior and a J4 but I look forward to making my last year a good one. On another note, I guess I have to deal with Leah for another J. It is going to be a loooooooooooong year.
L: It’s okay Cecilia, I know you love me. Rest assured, we all know who the true leader of the Observer is (ie: me). As seniors taking multiple AP and advanced classes, the first week of school saw us lugging home so many textbooks, all weighing multiple pounds. Oof, my back hurts just thinking about it. So, Cecilia, I have a question for you: digital textbooks or paper textbooks?
C: Well, Leah, that’s quite a layered question. On one hand, e-books provide readers with the option to access resources wherever and whenever they want. Students practically have a supercomputer in their pocket at all times, making it easy to learn just about anything they want. In just a couple taps they can find any kind of textbook they desire and since the capacity of the internet is infinite, they can find the answer to all their questions. As for paper books…well…I guess they don’t need batteries!
L: I think paper textbooks have more redeeming qualities than you give them credit for, Cecilia! Sure, digital textbooks allow you to study anytime and anywhere without lugging around a big book, but their residence in electronic devices means that readers are also just a few clicks from distractions such as social media and games. Print textbooks eliminate those temptations while also facilitating better information recall and visualization. The slight inconvenience of the textbook’s relative lack of portability is far outweighed by its studying benefits.
C: Have you ever been reading an article and you wanted to find specific information so you used the shortcut CTRL + F? This is one of the most valuable features of a digital textbook because it’s so much easier to zero in on a specific topic that you’re trying to learn about. Instead of having to sift through hundreds of pages of a textbook searching for a specific phrase or word, you can just use the shortcut and immediately find whatever you need. You know what, the L in Leah stands for the L you just took.
L: Ever heard of an index? I know you don’t read, Cecilia, but at the end of every textbook there is a roadmap to the publication that provides the names, places and things included in the text in alphabetical order with their corresponding page numbers. It’s the old fashioned CTRL + F! Also, print textbooks can’t crash, freeze or get hacked, ensuring that students will always be able to read and won’t get behind on their studies. Textbooks ensure seamless learning with no reliance on Wi-Fi or accessibility to electronic devices.
C: Leah, I’m going to have to disrespectfully disagree. Along with being useful for students, e-books are environmentally and cost friendly. Instead of having to spend hundreds of dollars on paper textbooks that get lost, old and run down over time, schools can spend their money on books that will always stay in optimal condition. There is no cost for shipping or packaging and, best of all, no fee if the book gets lost!
L: Many students spend hours reading and sifting through textbooks of one kind or another. If this time is spent scrolling through a digital textbook instead of a printed one, eye problems caused by electronic devices are only exacerbated. The discomfort and strain caused by e-books is certainly worse than those caused by good old fashioned paper textbooks. And anyways, isn’t it so much more satisfying to get to turn the page or slam the book shut instead of simply scrolling or closing your computer?
C: Alright, Leah, maybe in your dreams you’ll be right. (L: Now look who’s the sore loser). Until then, we would like to thank all of the Observer staff for their hard work this month. It’s not easy to come back after a three month break from writing. The transition from beach sunsets to deadlines and layouts isn’t seamless but our team made it happen! Enjoy the first issue of the 2024-2025 Observer!
