Monthly Archives: November 2015

Clubs and Activities

HSPH 2015-2016 Dance Team

Highland Park Senior High has a wonderful dance team that looks for new members every year. I interviewed one of the new dancers on the HPSHS dance team to see what tryouts were like.

I interviewed Erin Matter, a freshman here at Highland Senior Park High School. Erin has been doing serious dance for the past two years at Roseville Dance Studio. I asked Erin a series of questions regarding dance.

How intense were the tryouts on a scale to 1-10?

“It was around 6 I would say, it wasn’t extremely intense, but you still had to put in a lot of effort if you want a spot on the team!”

What are you looking forward to this dance season?

“I’m really looking forward to competing against other teams, making new friends and learning new skills. You could tell straight off the the bat that the HPSHS’ dance community is like a family and that we all are excited to work as a team.”

What do you think your best skill is in dance?

“I always try to bring positivity, even if it’s just a small “You did great in practice today!”

I also interviewed the dance coach for the 2015-2016 dance year, Ms. Mendenhall, asking her a variety of questions regarding the dance team.

What specifics were you looking for while choosing the dancers?

“I was looking for dancers who had a positive attitude, because it’s really hard to teach someone how to have a positive outlook on situations.”

How many competitions will HSPH Dance Team be participating in?

“The HSPH Dance Team will be competing in four competitions.”

What style of dancer will the HSPH dancers be performing during competition?

“The dancers will be doing kickline and jazz.”

How many dancers are on the HSPH Dance Team?

“We have 27 girls on this years dance team”

What is the Goal for the 2015-2016 HSPH Dance Team?

“The goal would be for these girls to learn new skills, have fun and work as a team.”
Can’t wait to see what’s to come for the HSPH 2015-2016 Dance Team, good luck!!

Advice/How To

How to draw a bear

6 easy steps
To draw a bear you need
-Paper
-Pencil

1. Sketch the face
2. Draw the ears and the nose
3. Sketch the body
4. Fix the face of the bear
5. Draw the front and back legs
6. Shape the body of the bear the you want it to be

World

Syrian Refugee Crisis

Five years ago civil war erupted in Syria between government powers and the Syrian people who oppose president Bashar Al Assad. Rebel brigades were formed to fight to battle government forces, and today the fighting has only gotten worse, as other jihadist groups like the Islamic State have capitalized on the chaos to take over parts of Syria. So far, over 220,000 people have been killed in the conflict, and half of Syria’s population has been displaced.

More than four million people have fled Syria since the beginning of the conflict, most of them being women and children. This has been the largest refugee exodus in recent history. 7.6 million Syrians have been internally displaced, which brings the total number of people forced to flee their homes around 11 million. About 5 million of those people are children according to the United Nations.

A report released by the UN in March of 2015 detailed that 4 out of every 5 Syrians is now living in poverty. Numerous war crimes have also taken place by all of the parties involved in the conflict. The government and rebel forces are accused of civilian suffering which includes blocking off access to food, water and health services.

The Islamic State is also accused of terror in Syria. They are known for administering harsh punishment on those who don’t accept their rule, which includes attacks on civilians.

The brutality inflicted from the rise of these jihadist groups has caused other countries from around the world to get involved in an attempt to stop eliminate the crisis. In 2014 the United States led air strikes in an attempt to ultimately destroy the Islamic State.

Russia is Al Assad’s largest supporter, and has led continued support in supplying the Syrian government’s military efforts with weapons despite international criticism. In September 2015 Russia started to launch its own air strikes against the rebel forces.

Despite help from other foreign powers, the violence in Syria still continues, and other conflict is now arising in countries where refugees are fleeing to, as they face a lot of tension from the citizens of these countries, and it does not appear that there is going to be an end to this crisis anytime soon.

Movies/TV/Theaters

Restruarant review

Buffalo Wild Wings is a chicken restaurant that serves a different variety of chicken whether you want hot, mild, or even regular they have it. Buffalo Wild Wings, also know as Bdubs, is a place where you can go and watch the game and eat some chicken, French fries, salads, different sides, and different drinks.

The service at Buffalo Wild Wings is great but it depends on how smooth they transition from table to table. Buffalo Wild Wings is good place to dine if you just want to relax and eat some good food. It’s the type of restaurant where you can just sit down and enjoy some wings with some friends, and watch sports on the big screen TVs they have hanging on the wall.

The restaurant by itself is one of the most successful places you can go for wings. Their food quality is really good…at least that’s what the customers say.

When my fellow writer and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings, our opinion was that the food was very delicious.

When you order chicken wings, they will ask you whether you want traditional wings, or if you would like boneless. We would recommend the honey BBQ boneless wings and hot BBQ boneless wings because they are very well made, really crispy, and they have the right amount of flavor.
For some sides, we would recommend fries or mashed potatoes. You can also get your favorite drink, such as Moutain Dew, Pepsi, or Coke.

Based upon our experience, we think it’s a nice establishment, and a fine place to dine. We would rate it:

4.5 stars for its food and theme

3 stars for the service because we think they could be a little faster with the food

4 stars for the ambiance because they don’t need all those TVs. Though, it is good in a way because every TV has a different sport on it so the customers can dine and watch any game.

Entertainment, School Life

Scot-A-Palooza

On Sunday, November 1st, friends and family of Highland Park and Capitol Hill students gathered in The Shanty at O’Gara’s Bar and Grill to listen to some great music. Many groups performed including the Highland Park Senior High jazz band, the Highland Park Junior High jazz band, The Capitol Hill jazz band, a few string trios and even some bands that people from our own school created. There was a silent auction, gift card grab, and even a drawing to win four tickets to a Minnesota Vikings game!

There was a lot of Highland pride shown throughout the night from the musical acts. The Highland Park Senior High jazz band, lead by Joel Matuzak, played many songs including “Birdland” arranged by Michael Sweeney and “A Night In Tunisia” also arranged by Michael Sweeney. They played with a lot of energy and they were a real hit among the crowd. Some of our own Highland Park Senior High students preformed in their own bands like Escaping Evolution and Makeshift. The crowd really seemed to enjoy the different vibe these bands brought to the event.

This event was created to help raise money for the instrumental music program at our school. The money that was raised will go towards fixing instruments, buying new instruments, buying chairs and stands, and many other items.

Schools around the country have been cutting funding to art programs in schools and many have been struggling to keep the programs alive and running. Thankfully, here at Highland we have many active parents who want to support the program, and they make events like these possible. There are a few people that especially helped, such as Vineeta Sawkar, Katie Sterns, and of course our own instrumental music teacher Joel Matuzak.

I think this was a great way to raise money but also to enjoy the musical talent of many Highland students.

Local, School Life

Hmong New Year @ Highland

The jingling sound as they proudly walk around downtown St. Paul in their traditional clothes would bring nostalgia of the winter holiday season. However, the origins of the sound is not from sleigh bells, but from the clashing of the silver coins that mothers sew on the traditional Hmong clothes, with a black sweater over the crisp white collar shirts.

Every year in Minnesota, people of the Hmong community form a gathering at the RiverCentre, in Downtown Saint Paul, during a three day weekend, displaying their cultural heritage, selling food, whose smell would strike ourselves insane, playing simple games, and watching various performances. People standing in parallel rows would happily play a game of ball tossing with the person across, or casually walk around taking pictures after reuniting with old friends and family. Performances include both modern and traditional dances, and features several famous Hmong singers. Other programs would include both a man and women pageant, and dance group competitions. These are one of the few events during the year where we can experience the vibrant cultures of ethnic minorities.

The Highland Park Asian Culture Club (ACC) will also be hosting their own celebration to represent the Hmong population in our school. The performance will take place on November 25, 2015 in the auditorium during sixth period. “This year we are focusing on showing talents, because during the actual Hmong New Year celebrations, there’s always a compilation of multiple Hmong talents,” said Quincy Yangh. 

The program will feature a singing performance, instrumental dance, and two traditional dance routines. Folk music will be blasting from the speakers, as the dancer’s are hands actively gesturing to the beat of the music and hips will be constantly moving side to side rhythmically. All are unified in their traditional vibrant clothes. 

This year, they will also hold a fashion show of all the different traditional clothes of the Hmong culture. Be sure to beg your teachers to reserve a spot for this program because this will definitely be something phenomenal that you will not want to miss!

ACC was previously advised by Highland’s Chinese instructor, but this year the role has been transferred to AVID teacher, Ms.McGraw. Meetings are held once a week on Wednesdays after school from 2:15- 4:00. This year they are proud to announce that Quincy Yangh is the president of ACC. All are welcome to join, even if you are not of Asian descent, just as long you have some interest in learning more and experiencing the Asian culture.

To those who don’t know about the Asian Culture Club, no, Asian Culture Club does not just spend time during meetings eating ramen! Among some of the other activities organized by ACC includes the Chinese New Year celebration, Asian Night (performances held towards the end of the year), and fundraisers during Valentine’s Day and Homecoming. The majority of the time, spent during meetings, is reserved to prep for big events such as the upcoming Hmong New Year performance. Otherwise, time will be spent developing ideas to produce interactive activities to promote the significance of maintaining Asian Cultures. There are also special occasions where they will hold potlucks and game days to celebrate their successes and hard work. 

Interested or considering joining ACC? You are more than welcome to drop by after school on any Wednesday to be a participate in the fun!   

Advice/How To

The do’s and don’ts of taking your test!

The Do’s and Dont’s of driving

When you first go to take your driving test it is important to remember where your lights are and where you emergency brake is. They will ask you to turn on and off your lights and and left and right turn signal. They will also ask where your windshield wipers are and your defroster is.

Now the Dont’s

  1. Don’t hit a pedestrian
  2. Don’t roll through the stops
  3. Don’t turn into the wrong lane/incoming traffic  
  4. Don’t forget to check your mirrors
  5. Don’t go too fast or too slow

Now for the Do’s of taking your test!

  1. Do be a confident driver
  2. Do remember not to hit polls
  3. Do remember  your left and right
  4. Do remember to be prepared with you driving information at the window
  5. Do ask questions at the end if you’re confused about anything

These are the Do’s and Don’ts of taking your test. It is important to remember the do’s and also the don’ts. If you fallow the do’s and you remember not to the don’ts then you are sure to pass you test on the first try!

Fashion/Make-Up

Eyeshadows to make your eyes pop

It can be hard sometimes to find eyeshadows that really make your eyes pop. Below is a list of eyeshadows, and eyeshadow palettes, to help guide you in choosing which eyeshadows look best. Makeup is all about trial and error, experimenting, and finding what makes you feel the best.

Blue eyes:

The best eyeshadow colors for blue eyes are cool tones with pink/purple undertones. Shimmery shadows on the upper lid and tear duct of the eye will also make blue eyes stand out. In addition, shimmery bronze shades can look very good on blue eyes if you want a darker smokier look. The best palettes for people with blue eyes are Naked 3 palette ($54 at Sephora, Ulta and urbandecay.com), Maybelline The Blushed Nudes palette ($9.99 at Ulta, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and maybelline.com),  and w7 In the Nude palette ($6.50 on Amazon).

Green eyes:

The best eyeshadow colors for green eyes are taupes, darker browns, warm shades, and your personal preference of purples. Really light eye makeup looks are easy to accomplish and work great with green eyes. To achieve this you can keep it fairly simple with an all over lid color that is close to your natural skin color, a transition color to enhance the crease and a small inner corner and brow bone highlight, and flirty lashes to tie the look together. The best palettes for green eyes are Naked 1 palette ($54, Ulta, Sephora, urbandecay.com), Pixi Mesmerizing mineral palette in Emerald Gold ($12 at target and pixi.com), and Wet N Wild Comfort Zone palette ($4.99 Ulta, Target, Walmart, walgreens, CVS, wetnwild.com)

Brown eyes:

The best eyeshadow colors for brown eyes are golds, warm shimmery shadows, neutral shades and specifically, burgundy. Brown eyes work the best for experimenting with vibrant and highly pigmented shades. Brown eyes look good in just about all colors since the base eye color is neutral.  The best palettes for brown eyes are Too Faced The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette ($49 at Sephora and Ulta), Naked 2 Palette ($54 at Sephora, Ulta, urbandecay.com) and Almay Intense I-Color Smoky-I Kit ($8 at Ulta, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, almay.com)

News

Black Friday shopping

The holiday season is fast approaching and that has many thinking about the annual black friday sales! This year may be a bit different though; some business are withdrawing their annual sales, and refusing to open. One store proposing this idea is REI, who urges customers to spend the day outside, rather than shopping. This topic has cultivated much controversy because some believe they are missing out on a great financial opportunity, and others support the idea of spending the day outside with family and friends.

Recently, some stores have opened early, on Thanksgiving night. These stores although received an increase in profit, have drawn negative attention and shame. The reasoning for this is because some believe that opening on Thanksgiving, a holiday, isn’t right. Even some employees of Macy’s have protested not to open on Thanksgiving night, for they feel they have rightfully earned the day off to spend with their loved ones. This even has some customers boycotting these companies by refusing to shop there if they decide to open on Thanksgiving day.

In the past, Best Buy, Walmart, and Toys R Us have opened earlier and earlier every year on Thanksgiving. This year, they may be opening earlier than 6 P.M., possibly before Thanksgiving dinner has been held in many American households. Regardless, the time these stores open is their own decision, even though it may negatively impact their sales, reputation, or satisfaction of their workers.

Editorials/Student Voice

All vegan/vegetarian lunch line

The thought of being a vegetarian can be frowned upon by many people, and as a result of this, many people might not take into consideration that there are plenty of students surrounding us that are vegetarian or vegan. Being a vegetarian/vegan can become very difficult during school hours and may result in students eating an unhealthy diet because there aren’t many options, or not eating at all.

Some days there aren’t any lunch lines at Highland Park that have products that don’t contain meat or animal products. I don’t understand why this is.

Everybody thinks being a vegetarian is so difficult, but you might think it is for the first week, only because you’re so accustomed to going to the McDonald’s drive thru and grabbing a cheeseburger. Yes, eating meat can be quick and easy, but it isn’t difficult to stop. So, why does everything have to be topped with bacon or chicken?

Having a vegan/vegetarian lunch line would make lunch much easier and convenient to students. They could easily serve soy milk with meatless patties with veggies on the side. It’s healthy and not as difficult as everyone tells themselves. Also, eating vegan saves up to 600 gallons of water a day.

Many people think about becoming vegetarian but don’t have easy access to it because everyone around them is eating meat, and that’s always been the easiest route to go. This could be a great alternative to those people that would like to try it out.

The more meat we eat in the cafeteria means the more meat they order for the next month, which results in more animals getting killed. We can prevent that from happening by simply eating a veggie burger, or pasta with no meat.

We already have many lunch lines where ONLY people that eat animal products can eat from, so how about we start a lunch line where EVERYONE is able and comfortable to be eating from.