Monthly Archives: March 2016

School Life

HP Blood Drive

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The HP Blood Drive started on March 18, 2016 in the field house. The Blood Drive is where students ages 16 and older can donate blood to The Red Cross. The Red Cross needs a large amount of blood and high schools help to supply it. To be able to donate blood for them, you have to sign up and get a permission slip from your parents. Then you check in at the field house and do a couple of blood tests.

Before giving blood, you need to drink tons of water and get enough food. After donating blood, you may feel lightheaded, you may throw up, or even pass out. The blood testing can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. After this, the people who are in charge will give you snacks to replenish the blood lost.

I went down to the field house and asked a few students why they decided to donate their blood.

Axel (Junior) : Thought it’ll be cool, I’m always down with new experiences.

Nungkeo (Junior) : I wanted to save somebody’s life.

Kelly (Senior) : Wanted to help people, it’s my third time.

Alec (Senior) : Cause giving blood is good.

Fox (Junior) : Cause I felt like giving.

There were approximately 60 students who helped donated blood to The Red Cross. Helping out is always nice, by just doing this, you can save a person’s life or help those in need of blood. If you feel like giving blood then go for it, like those students we interviewed. You don’t need a reason to give blood for those who need it. Hopefully, The Red Cross collected enough blood from high schools.

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Advice/How To, Local, Travel/Food

Staycation on a budget

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Stuck at home with no pocket money this spring break? There’s an easy solution to your problem: a staycation on a budget. This entails adventuring in the Twin Cites with little to no money.

Right now you may be asking yourself, so what exactly is a staycation? Well to answer your question, a staycation is when you explore where you live as if you were someone visiting on a vacation.

Although the Twin Cities are always lively and buzzing, it can be hard to see them like so, especially in early spring. When winter comes to a close, so do most outdoor winter activities (i.e. ice skating, tubing, skiing, etc.) and because it’s wet and muddy out in early spring, it’s not ideal weather for outdoor activities in general.

However, if you’re willing to venture out into the wild and get a little muddy, here are some fun, inexpensive places to go outdoors this spring break.

  • Hidden Falls Regional Park- A more casual park that is great for picnicking and hanging out with friends in Saint Paul. There are bonfire pits, BBQ grills and also bike and hiking trails. This is free.
  • Fort Snelling- A national historical land mark located in Saint Paul. Fort Snelling is a great place to learn about military history, starting before the Civil War, and going up to World War II. The commission price ranges from $6-$10.
  • High Bridge Dog Park- A 7 acre off-leash dog park in Saint Paul. This park is ideal for both dog lovers and dog owners. This is free.
  • Minnehaha Park and Falls- A huge beautiful scenic park filled with paths, bridges, and waterfalls located in Minneapolis. There is also a great restaurant in the park. This is free.

If you’re more of an indoor explorer, here are some inexpensive indoor actives in the Twin Cities.

  • Minneapolis Institute of Arts- A large fine art museum in Minneapolis. The art covers over a 5,000 year time period. They are closed Mondays, open 10am to 5 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10am to 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and 11am to 5pm on Sundays. Entry is free, but special exhibits require tickets.
  • Walker Art Museum and Sculpture Garden- A large multidisciplinary contemporary art center in Minneapolis. There is also a sculpture garden across the street from the museum that is free. Within the sculpture garden there is a sculpture mini golf course, the price ranges from $9-$19, however, the tickets include free gallery admission. Museum admission fee ranges from $9-$14. The Walker is closed Monday, open daily 11am-5pm, except for on Thursdays when The Walker is open from 11am-9pm and admission is free.
  • Wabsha Caves Swing Dancing- Lively swing dancing and live music every Thursday night at the Wabasha Caves in Saint Paul. Doors open at 6pm and there are swing dancing lessons at 6:15pm. Live music goes from 7pm until 9pm. Entry fee is $8 and the required speakeasy password is “Gus sent me”. You must wear shoes on the dance floor, and try to dress up! On other days of the week there are tours going on (historical, gangster, and haunted) in the caves, however, these tend to be more pricey (around $20). There is also a great waffle and coffee joint outside of the caves.

These are just a few examples of places you could go and explore this spring break. You can also find events going on near you on websites such as http://www.citypages.com/calendar, http://www.minneapolis.org/visitor/calendar/, and www.visitsaintpaul.com/events-calendar/.

Good luck exploring the Twin Cities, and happy spring breakinging!

Entertainment, Movies/TV/Theaters

Jackie chans’s Project A

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This movie takes place in China about 1983 when China’s Royal Navy is trying to capture pirates.    

The theme of the movie is action. Playing the main character of Sergeant Dragon Ma is Jackie Chan. He is part of the Hong Kong Marine Police’s effort to suppress the pirates, who have been raiding ships for months. Members of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, and the MP, who have  strong interservice rivalries, get into a fight in a bar. Shortly after this, Captain Chi (Kwan Hoi-san) releases all of the sailors to their commanding officer, and two of the MP’s ships get blown up.

Over all this movie deserves a 3 out of 5 stars

Even though the movie is a couple years old, I recommend this movie to all people that like action, and who don’t mind watching some old movies. Although this movie is not in theaters, you can watch it on Netflix, Hulu, or any other movie streaming website service.

Sports, Track & Field

Track & field at Highland Park High

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The Highland Park spring sports are starting and I decided to interview some of the track and field athletes here at Highland.

What is your name/grade?
Asiah: 10th
Ben: 9th
Jillian: 10th

What is your biggest accomplishment in your sport?
Asiah: First place in relay.
Ben: Hasn’t done track yet.
Jillian: Nothing.

What is your biggest challenge?
Asiah: Having asthma.
Ben: Getting shape before season.
Jillian: High jump.

What do you do to manage this challenge?
Asiah: Taking inhaler before running.
Ben: Make sure homework is done before going to sport.
Jillian: Pushing myself.

How is your diet different from when you’re not participating in track, and how difficult is it to control it?
Asiah: Don’t diet. No diet change.
Ben: Healthy. No.
Jillian: No, they don’t make us diet.

Is it difficult to balance school work and sports?
Asiah: No.
Ben: It can be at times like during finals.
Jillian: Yeah.

Did you have any injuries that were serious?
Asiah: Concussion in soccer.
Ben: No.
Jillian: No not yet.

Do you have advice or words of encouragement for younger kids that want to play this sport?
Asiah: If you want to get far, drive for success and don’t give up.
Ben: Don’t be scared to tryout.
Jillian: Be open minded.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
Asiah: My teams are supportive and diverse.
Ben: Not really.
Jillian: No.

Entertainment, Movies/TV/Theaters

Five best restaurants in the Highland area

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If you’re a student looking for places to eat in the Highland area, don’t look any further, here are the five best restaurants around (in no particular order).

The Cleveland Wok is a high quality Chinese buffet featuring staple items like egg rolls and sweet and sour chicken. They have great service and the food is fairly priced. However, parking is hard in the street; you most likely will have to park in the back of the bank next to it. The Cleveland Wok deserves to be on this list because they have excellent value and service.

The Neighborhood Cafe is much more than a cafe. It provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with happy hour specials. It is on Selby and Snelling, but if you take the 84X after school, which is right next to the school buses, you can get there fast. The Neighborhood Cafe deserves to be on this list because of the big portions they serve for a good price. It also has a cozy environment and the staff is friendly.

Smashburger is a chain restaurant that serves not only burgers, but also chicken sandwiches, salads, and shakes. The burgers come in a large variety of options, along with the create your own option. One of the unique burgers they offer is the Buffalo & Blue Cheese burger, that has buffalo sauce and an egg bun. The atmosphere is very hipster-like and relaxed. It deserves to be on this list because of the wide variety Smashburger provides.

The Highland Grill is a little more pricey than the other options, but the food is definitely worth it. The Highland Grill provides a large array of American breakfasts and entrees. The atmosphere of the Highland Grill is very social; on warm nights you can usually find people relaxing just outside the restaurant socializing while enjoying their meal. It deserves to be on the list because of its beautiful decoration and chic style.

Which Wich, a restaurant that specializes in subs and sandwiches, is located on Ford Parkway right next to the Walgreens. For a sandwich shop, they have a lot of variety. From vegan options to seafood. The food is reasonably priced and uses high quality ingredients. The wait is usually not that long and you can either eat in or take out. It deserves to be on this list because of it’s creativity in sandwiches.

Local, News

Black Live Matter gets Como teacher fired?

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Recently there was an incident involving a St. Paul Public school, and the organization Black Lives Matter. What follows is the events connected to that incident.

Black Lives Matter is preparing to shut down Como Park Senior High School unless a teacher is fired for Facebook comments. Organizer Rashad Turner said the group met Friday, March 5, to plan its protest of Theo Olson, a special-education teacher at Como. In one post, Olson suggested Como is “enabling student misconduct” in a misguided attempt to keep students in school and out of the criminal justice system.

The screenshots/evidence on: http://www.twincities.com/2016/03/04/black-lives-matter-wants-to-shut-down-st-paul-school-over-teachers-facebook-posts/

show that Olson (the teacher) said, “Anyone care to explain to me the school-to-prison pipeline my colleagues and I have somehow created, or perpetuated, or not done enough to interrupt?” he wrote. “Because if you can’t prove it, and campaigns you’ve waged to deconstruct adult authority in my building by enabling student misconduct, you seriously owe us real teachers an apology. Actually, an apology won’t cut it.”

In Olson’s second post he talked about iPad and phone devices used for social media and gaming.“There have always been rules for ‘devices,’ and defined levels of misconduct. Since we now have no backup, no functional location to send kids who won’t quit gaming, setting up fights, selling drugs, whoring trains, or cyber bullying, we’re screwed, just designing our own classroom rules,” it continued.

Turner took Olson’s remarks as “sweeping generalizations about black students.” Turner said the teachers comments presented a perfect opportunity for the city’s Black Lives Matter chapter to turn its activism toward St. Paul Public Schools, which has far higher rates of suspensions for black and American Indian students than for their peers.

Olson went on to say that rather than putting students on a path to prison, he sees himself as “a link of the school to opportunity and freedom pipeline.” Olson offered to speak to Turner and explain his views but Turner had no desire to speak to Olson. Turner and his activists will meet with the school district leaders on the following Monday, March 7.

After meeting with the district leaders on Monday, Black Lives Matter St. Paul has called off plans to “shut down” Como Park Senior High, according to Superintendent Valeria Silva. Silva stated that their conversation was “productive and positive.” She also went on to say, “It is clear we share a common vision of high expectations and achievement for all students and ongoing commitment to racial equity,” finally to conclude she said “I am thankful that Mr. Turner has chosen to discontinue any immediate protests planned at Como Park Senior High School.” Turner choose to not comment on Monday, Olson who still will continue to teach at Como has also chosen to not comment on anything.

As of Thursday, March 17, Olson is on a paid administrative leave.

Editorials/Student Voice, School Life

Should St. Paul schools be uniform wearing schools?

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Should St. Paul schools be uniform wearing schools? If so why or why not?

Today I went and interviewed some of my fellow classmates during school about this topic, asking them different questions.

The first person I interviewed was Junior Bonfil.IMG_0280

My first question was, “Should students in St. Paul wear uniforms?”
He answered with “No, they shouldn’t.”

My second question I asked him was, “Why shouldn’t they have to wear uniforms?”
Junior said, “Because people don’t have to wear them and it’s like you’re not free when you wear them, it’s like you’re stuck following people.”

One of my other questions was, “How do you personally feel about this topic?”
He answered with, “Not good to have them, they don’t represent us the students.”

My last and final question was, “How do you think school uniforms affect other students?”
He answered with this particular answer, “Uncomfortable because it doesn’t bring the sparkle in us.”

The second person I interviewed was Zuani Marilyn Venture.IMG_0279

I asked her if students in St. Paul should wear uniforms and she said no.

My next question was, “Why shouldn’t they?”
She answered, “People should wear whatever they want.”

My third question was, “How do they feel about this topic personally?”
Zuani answered with one word “Disturbing.”

My last question was, “How would it affect students?”
She said, “They wouldn’t feel that they can express who they are. They would just look like everyone else.”

 

My opinion personally is that students should not have to wear uniforms because dressing how you want is apart of being unique and one of a kind. People need to be heard and seen how they want, and wearing uniforms would make them alike and as they say “an original is better than a copy.”

Getting To Know/History, School Life

Making college possible at HPSH

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Congratulations to the 195 Highland seniors who have completed their college applications so far this year! Good luck to you all!

Now that a majority of our college applications have been completed and reviewed for admission, it’s time for seniors (and possibly juniors) to start formulating a plan to afford the college of their dreams. One of he most obvious ways to ease the load of our financial aid packet is to apply for outside scholarships. Even though some institutions will already offer students scholarships and grants in their financial aid package, there is still much more of the gap that needs to be covered. Why wouldn’t you want to exchange your writing for free money?

College Possible is among the one of the college prep programs offered for Highland students of disadvantaged backgrounds. While the juniors are diligently practicing for the upcoming ACTs in April, seniors have just been finishing up their FAFSAs and several scholarship applications. Just last month, it was official that everyone in the cohort received admission to at least one college. Among College Possible students, 2 have already received full ride scholarships to their ideal college of interest. It was an honor for me to sit down and listen to their inspiring stories about the process towards achieving the scholarships and their outlooks of their future.

Our very own Highland, and College Possible student, Daniel Degollado, is one of the

46 students named as a 2016 Act Six scholar in the Midwest! The Act Six Scholarship is a program that selects students who displays leadership, academic potential, and community commitment through a three month competition among over 300 students. The full-ride scholarship is annually awarded to students who hope to attend one of the following colleges in the Midwest: Augsburg College, Bethel University, North Central University, University of Northwestern-St.Paul, and Taylor University.

Daniel first found out about Act Six from his senior College Possible coach, Keeley Norton. “I was interested in Augsburg College because first I visited there as a sophomore for the Spanish debate,” said Degollado. “It was very exciting to think that I could go to college for free so I decided to not just give it a try, but my best try.”

The first phase of the scholarship required the submission of four essays, letters of recommendation, a transcript, and financial information. With the help of his College Possible coach, he spent two and a half months diligently working on the application, and eventually found himself qualified to advance onto the next round.

For the second phase of Act Six, Degollado went to Cristo Rey High School to engage in discussions with the other 120 participants. “The only thing they asked of us was to be ourselves,” he said, “and to be honest, it was very easy to be myself.” With his spirited and entertaining personality Degollado finally found himself facing the final round of Act Six. He admitted that this was the most challenging phase in the process. Participants had to compete with each other in games, take part in more discussions about college, and have personal interviews with Augsburg’s staff.

“It was very tiring and we had to stay motivated and excited all the time. There was a part where they presented to us a video that we were going to discuss, and everybody was taking notes except for me. I felt very bad because of this. I thought I was going to lose points because we were being graded for everything we were doing. What I would do differently is to take notes. Other than that, I think I did pretty good.”

On February 24, after waiting for two weeks, he received his decision packet from Act Six, congratulating him as one of the new 2016 Act Six Scholar! “The first person I told was Keeley. She started screaming! I also called my mom and my brother and they were freaking out. My mom started crying of happiness.”

Click here to experience his life changing (and funny) moment.

Receiving this full ride scholarship had actually changed his initial plans after high school. “I was in a position where by the end of the year, if I wasn’t able to pay for college, I was going to go back to Mexico where college is sort of cheaper. But now, I’m for sure going to college.” The scholarship gave him a chance to pursue higher education in the US, and an amazing opportunity to be more productive in college, receiving recognition for his potential as an excellent student.

Degollado plans to attend Augsburg, his first choice college, to major in International Relations and dig deeper into his Latino heritage. “I want to study International Relations to understand more about my Latino culture in order to make changes and have more voice within our community. I want to be an example for those that think they are not capable of doing great things just because of the fact that they are Latino.”

Amaris Holguin, is another College Possible student who was admitted to the University of St.Thomas. Earlier this year, she had completed her application to the competitive UST Dease Scholarship, offered to underrepresented, first generation students, in urban high schools. More than 200 UST students have been awarded over the course of 10 years, each year with about 12-15 well-qualified students.

Holguin first met with UST undergraduate admission counselor, Teron L. Buford, after attending the REACH Summit Conference (Realizing Equity and Cultivating Hope) held on the UST campus over the past summer. From there, she was able to build a better connection with Teron, and got to know him personally as she continue to meet him at college fairs. Having told her about the Dease scholarship, Holguin immediately took advantage of the opportunity and set herself to complete the application. “I wanted to apply to all of the scholarships I can,” said Holguin,

“and hearing that it was for students I color, I definitely wanted to take that risk.”

Only those who were admitted to UST earlier this year were given the opportunity to submit an online application which required two essay prompts. In 400 words or less, applicants had to tell what receiving this scholarship would mean to the student and their family, as well as another 500 words describing the value of having diversity in a learning community and how they would promote and celebrate different cultures while a student at St. Thomas.

“In my essays, I explained about myself for who I am, where I grew up, and also having parents who grew up in poverty. At the time, there was nothing for me and my brother to feel ashamed of because my parents always tried to protect us from noticing our social barriers.” Holguin mentioned her concerns about how her family’s social class was going to be a major impact towards her financial ability to attend college, and having goods prospects for the future. Being a woman of color, and her decision to maintain both of her cultures was a major theme in her second essay.

During the morning of March 1st, Holguin was called down to the CCRC from Mr. McKinney’s third-hour anatomy class. Although she was simply sent down to talk with Ms. Esso, she couldn’t help but worry about whether she had done something wrong or was getting into trouble. As she walked through the door of the CCRC, she surprisingly found everyone including her College Possible coach (Keeley Norton), Ms. Esso, and Teron waiting for her in the room.

“I came here to bring scholarship opportunities for Keeley,” said Teron, “and this is for you.” He handed her an envelop. As soon as her had it in her hands, she slowly opened, quickly scanned through the first line of the letter and immediately burst into tears. Dear Amaris, On behalf of the Dease Scholarship committee, I am pleased to announce that you have been selected to receive a Dease Scholarship…..

“I just became so oblivious at the moment, and I remember crying the whole day. I cried as I walked along the halls to the principal’s office, and cried again there as Dr. Tucker congratulated me.” She even went to surprise her mom at work who also shed some tears. “Mom worked since she was 11, working for me and my brother to support the family. I was always so worried that she was going to continue struggling for us forever.”

Receiving acknowledgement for her hard work and effort invested towards this scholarship is something she appreciates about receiving the Dease scholarship. “But definitely seeing the look on my parents faces when they heard the news, it’s grateful to know that they no longer have to worry about supporting me and my brother for the rest of their life.”

Similarly to Degollado, she would like to acknowledge Keeley for the vast amount of help and support during the application process. Both admit that their success stories wouldn’t have been possible without her presence.

Her advice for juniors and seniors? “Take all of the chances you can get your hands on. Even with the slim chances, you would never know what would happen.”

College Possible is still recruiting sophomores for next year, so if you are a sophomore, or know one, please feel free to talk to the College Possible coaches in the CCRC! College Possible has made a life changing difference for these two winners, and I have no doubt in my mind that they will make a huge difference in our community in the future.

Advice/How To, School Life, Travel/Food

College visit tips and tricks

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College visits can be daunting and hard to prepare for. After a few visits, you start to figure out how to prepare for future visits. Here are a few tips and tricks that I have come up with after going on multiple visits.

  • Wear comfortable clothing – Since most tours include a campus tour, you will be moving around a lot. Wearing comfortable clothing will help you focus more on the actual tour and not worry about your aching feet or your warm sweater.
  • Stay hydrated – Most college visits can last a few hours. When you take the campus tour you will be taking lots of stairs and you will be walking around quite a lot. Staying hydrated is key to making sure you won’t be distracted by how thirsty you are.
  • Take notes – College visits almost always include an admissions presentation. There is always important information that you’ll need to know so it is a good idea to bring a small notepad with a pen or pencil. When you go back to compare the admission requirements, it will be easier with the notes you took during the presentation.
  • Talk to a current student – It is always important to talk to someone who is currently attending the college because they have first hand experiences. During some admission presentations, colleges will have a student panel and you can ask your burning questions.
  • Visit centers of student life – If you visit while school is in session, make sure to visit a dining hall or student union. This will give you an idea to what the student atmosphere is like and you might even be able to try some of the food because of course that’s very important.
  • Ask about campus safety – While on a campus tour, make sure to ask your guide about campus safety. Most colleges have on campus security and emergency call stations located around campus. It is very important that you feel safe while on campus.
  • Ask about financial aid – Some colleges have a large number as their sticker price but this should not be a deal breaker when you decide where you want to go. Many colleges have scholarships that you are automatically entered into when you apply. For example, colleges will give you a certain amount of money if you meet certain criteria like your GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Also, filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will help you understand how much the government is willing to give you in terms of student aid.
  • Visit residence halls – When on a campus tour, make sure you check out the residence halls. Colleges usually have many different types of rooms like a single, a double or suite style. Visiting halls will make it easier to choose the type of room you want when you apply for housing/residence.
Local, News

Minnesota caucus

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During one of the most important days of political campaigning for the upcoming presidential election, known as “Super Tuesday”, Minnesota voters proved once again that they are quite different politically than many other states. During caucus night we experienced lines from high schools and churches spread into the streets, and the amount of people coming out to caucus was shattered. This night was one of the biggest political days in recent history for Minnesota. In 2008, the number of Republican voters that attended the caucus was around 62,000. That record was shattered into a billion pieces as that number increased to 115,000, nearly doubling in size! With Democratic voters experiencing the same numbers it isn’t a surprise that voting lines were so long.

But let’s get to what was most important, the results. Minnesota voters proved that they are not big supporters of the front running candidates. On the Democratic side of things there were really only two possible candidates you could cast your vote for, Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton. After it was all said and done, there was no question about it, Bernie Sanders was able to take Minnesota with 63% of the votes, which was a huge win for his campaign. During Super Tuesday Sanders was also able to capture wins in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Vermont. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton was able to claim more victories as she won in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Currently Clinton is leading Sanders in the delegate count and the upcoming states like California will be vital if Sanders wants a chance at the Democratic nomination.

With a record Republican turnout this year, you would think that a large portion of that crowd would be new incoming voters who have had their eyes opened by Donald Trump, however that most certainly was not the case. Republican voters did not show Trump the amount of love that they have in many other states. Here, Marco Rubio took the crown with 36% of the votes, with Ted Cruz coming in second with 29%, and finally Trump third with 21%. Minnesota would be the only state that Rubio would claim on Super Tuesday, as Trump and Cruz would take the wins in all the others. Donald Trump is currently leading the Republicans with 460 delegates, while Cruz is in second with 370, and Rubio in third with 163. Just like the Democrats, the Republican party will rely on the upcoming states to really determine who will get that nomination.