Summer was supposed to be a break from school. Relaxing in the heat, visiting the beach with friends, and traveling around the world were all on the schedule for Green Level students. Then Covid-19 struck. Everyone’s summer plans fell apart, and students were confined to their homes. After everybody adjusted to the shock, the world turned to arts and entertainment to keep them busy in solitude. This summer had plenty of hits to keep the Gators occupied. 

Nickelodeon’s Avatar franchise had a huge revival after both the original show and spin-off were added to Netflix. Many students, including junior Sapna Kamath, binged the shows throughout the summer. Other students, such as junior Laura Norman and sophomore Megan Miller watched Friends, a highly successful sitcom about six adults navigating life in Manhattan. Grey’s Anatomy was also a smash hit, along with the Umbrella Academy, which recently released a second season.

While Netflix excelled in shows, Disney+ held the throne for movies. Sophomore Megna Sunku watched 10 Things I Hate About You. The Avengers and Princess franchises thrived. That doesn’t mean Netflix didn’t have some hits. Sophomores Nithya Janapathi and Olivia Ocran loved Work It, a rom-com starring Sabrina Carpenter and Liza Koshy, and Cece Ford enjoyed classic novel-turned-movie Pride and Prejudice. 

The music industry also managed to get plenty of streams this summer. Sophomore Sarayu Buchireddegari was one of many students who fell in love with Taylor Swift’s surprise album, Folklore. Her eighth album took over the charts with its indie-folk sound. Two other incredibly popular artists were BTS, with their most recent release, Dynamite, topping charts, and SZA, who just released a music video yesterday. 

When screen times started rocketing, a lot of students took some time off their phones and turned to books. Junior Samantha Harms reread Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series. The books revolve around a twelve-year-old boy who discovers his father’s a greek god. Sophomore Dakshayani Nimma immersed herself in the apocalyptic world of The Maze Runner, took a trip back to the 1960s with The Outsiders, and was abducted by aliens in We Are the Ants.  Other popular books were the Harry Potter series and Leigh Bardugos Six of Crows Duology, (which, combined with Bardugo’s other series, Shadow and Bone, is scheduled for a Netflix adaptation coming soon.)

Although summer plans didn’t quite go as planned, streaming services, musicians, and writers picked up the slack. Green Level students found other ways to be entertained this year.