Monthly Archives: February 2018

Entertainment

Best-looking Marvel actors and actresses

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Movie theaters are being filled with, what seems like, a new Marvel movie every month, with Deadpool 2, The Avengers: Infinity War, and Ant-Man and The Wasp, being released this year.

In the world of comic book films, it’s crucial that the actors match the character; this can either make or break the entire film. However, we do have to admit how great of an advantage it is when the actors are major eye candy. Here is a list of the best-looking marvel actors:

1. Micheal B. Jordan

(image taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_B._Jordan)

With the recent release of Black Panther, Micheal B. Jordan is new to the Marvel scene, however, has undeniably caught our attention with his fierce character and devious smile. In addition to the abundance of shirtless fight scenes, you get to really see why Jordan ranks #1 on this list of Marvel eye candy.

2. Chris Hemsworth

(image taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Chris_Hemsworth)

One word. Four letters. THOR! Chris Hemsworth is definitely the full package; the accent, the body, the hair. We definitely can’t forget that he plays a God, which only makes him exceed the limit of attractiveness.

3. Ryan Reynolds

(image taken from: https://www.mumslounge.com.au/lifestyle/latest-news/get-excited-ryan-reynolds-is-now-on-instagram-and-facebook/)

In Ryan Reynolds role in Deadpool, it’s safe to say that no matter how funny, Wade Wilson definitely isn’t good looking at all – post-experiment of course! However, there is truly tons of eye candy under that burnt face of Wade Wilson. Reynolds was named People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2010, which is not a surprise. He has a great sense of humor and combined with his ability to effortlessly look jaw-dropping, Reynolds is at number three on this list of Marvel eye candy!

4. Hugh Jackman

(image taken from: http://marvel-movies.wikia.com/wiki/Hugh_Jackman)

Jackman has had our hearts since the dawn of time with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. When interviewed by Ryan Reynolds for ET, Jackman was asked: “Do you ever age?” Jackman proudly responded, “not since 2008.” It may be a shock to know that Jackman is actually 49 years old, and without a doubt, his looks only continue to get better with age. In the third and final film of the Wolverine series, Logan, Jackman flaunts his full-grown bushy beard. When it comes to Hugh Jackman, age is definitely just a number!

5. Scarlet Johannsson

(image taken from: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0424060/)

Without a doubt, Scarlet Johannsson is who women want to be, and who men want to be with. At just 33, Johannsson was listed number 1 on World’ds Top 10 Highest Paid Actresses, has a star on the Hollywood Hall of Fame, and has plenty more accomplishments. She continues to surprise audiences with her ability to play versatile roles, from her performance in Lost in Translation to her fierce role in Lucy. In an article with DailyMail, the actress admits that she has missed out on roles because she was considered “too sexy.” However, her sexiness definitely earns her a role on this list.

6. Chadwick Boseman

(Image taken from: http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/3931972/chadwick-boseman-reunites-with-black-panther-lexus-at-comic-con-14/)

We definitely can’t forget Chadwick Boseman! Coming in sixth place is the honorable Black Panther. We first saw Chadwick in the Avenger face-off Captain America: Civil War, which undoubtedly sent enthusiasm through the crowd. Chadwick is the king of everyone’s dreams. In a Rolling Stones article, Director Ryan Coogler described why he choose Boseman, saying, “His physicality, his reserved personality, the way he looks younger than he is, wise beyond his years.” Boseman is a rookie to the Marvel scene, however, it’s exciting to see what the future has in store for the King of Wakanda.

7. Lupita Nyongo

(image taken from: http://marvel-movies.wikia.com/wiki/Lupita_Nyong%27o)

In 2014, Nyongo triumphed #1 as People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful Women. She’s also the first Kenyan- Mexican actress to receive an Academy Award. In her recent role in Black Panther, Nyongo graced the audience with her gorgeous glow and humor, but also intense battle scene as she plays a strong black female character.

8. Danai Gurira

(image taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danai_Gurira)

Yes, another Black Panther actress! It’s clear that not only did these women dominate Marvel’s Black Panther, but also this list of Marvel’s eye candy. Danai is no stranger to our eyes, as she starred in The Walking Dead, and All Eyes On Me, however, we can confidently say we aren’t going to get tired of her anytime soon. Gurira does an amazing job, and truly embodies feminism, bravery, and strength in her role as Okoye in Black Panther. This is also shown in her personal life as she is an activist, and has founded a non-profit organization called Love Our Girls. Danai Gurira is truly the finest example of beauty shining inside and out.

Fun Fact: Danai Gurira earned her Bachelor of Arts of Psychology at Macalester College

9. Krysten Ritter

(image taken from: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/ CV4cIwI_U7f/ 20th+Annual+Webby+Awards+Arrivals/G-brgUhNFtg/Krysten+Ritter)

At number nine is Krysten Ritter; who plays Jessica Jones on Marvel Netflix series Jessica Jones. Krysten Ritter’s dark and awkward attributes give her a unique look that no one else could pull off. Ritter describes herself as “tall, gawky and really, really skinny,” which undoubtedly contributes to her early success in the modeling industry. Krysten has the perfect looks to play Jessica Jones, with her dark and strong features alone she amazes us, however, when combined with the awesomeness of her character and attitude, it can be confidently said that Krysten Ritter is definitely Marvel eye candy.

10. Robert Downey Jr.

(image taken from: http://marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com/ wiki/Robert_Downey,_Jr.)

In a TMZ article, Robert Downey Jr.’s looks were put under a microscope to determine whether they were a result of money well spent or good genes. Either way, it’s undeniable that the 50-year-old actor steals the show with his great looks. This is another case of looks getting better with age. Speaking of age, Downey Jr. recently announced that he’ll soon be retiring from Iron Man. Fortunately, this won’t have an effect on how sexy he is, however, some of you Iron Man fans might be disappointed.

Events, News

Ramadan

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image taken from: https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.timesofindia.com/life-style/events/ramadan-fasting-rules-and-facts/amp_articleshow/58878091.cms

By: Mariam Warsamee Ilham Ali

Ramadan begins at the start of the ninth month, of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon; there are actual moon-watching committees all around the world to make sure there aren’t any confusion on when the correct date is. Once the crescent moon is seen, the announcement of Ramadan is shared with all Muslims around the world through the news and radio.

Ramadan this year will be on May 17th.

Ramadan is the month where Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown. Ramadan is a holy month to Muslims; instead of going out to eat it is recommended that you eat at home with your family. Muslims are required to fast because it is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims must fast if they are mature and healthy for the full day. Muslims fast as an act to worship God, and as a chance to get closer to God. They also fast and to show sympathy to those in need, and they are required to give zakat (charity) to those who need it, if they are able.

The reason why Muslims fast is to achieve Taqwa. Taqwa is an Islamic term for being conscious and cognizant of Allah, of truth, of the rational reality, “piety, fear of God.” It is often found in the Holy Quran.

During Ramadan, Muslims try to achieve the highest degree of obedience by abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations while fasting from sunrise to sundown. This discipline is a spiritual and moral improvement. According to beliefnet.com, “ It is also by means of fasting that those who never have to hunger or thirst are (to some extent) made personally aware of the plight of the underprivileged, which thus evokes a degree of social consciousness.”

It is through fasting that people become aware of how much they have, and become conscious that not everyone in this world gets three meals a day. They learn to appreciate all that God gave them.

Movies/TV/Theaters

Black Panther review

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By: Sagal & Aniso

image taken from: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/black_panther_2018/

Black Panther is a really good movie. It is a Marvel movie, based off of the Captain America: Civil War movie. Most of the characters were introduced previously on the Captain America movie.

The majority of the characters were African American. The movie stood out because most of the cast was black, which made many people excited for its release.

The visuals of the movie were another reason why it was a major movie. The country Wakanda, where the movie takes place, is a beautiful country, and it’s special because Wakanda was never colonized. Wakanda has great natural resources like the healing plant they have. The people in the community have respect for each other and will fight for their country if necessary.

Our favorite character is Shuri, the sister of T’Challa/Black Panther. In the movie, she is really funny and outgoing. She worked a lot in the laboratory creating really cool things like: suits, imaginary cars, and planes. She’s very intelligent and she really loves her brother. She loves working with the stuff she created, and also loves messing with her brother.

Shuri and her brother have a really strong bond. There was a scene where Shuri was fighting Eric, and she was losing, and Eric tried to kill her. T’Challa saw what was going on, and ran over and started to fight Eric. He does not like people messing with his sister, and he proved it in that scene.

Eric is the “enemy” in this movie. Eric challenges T’Challa (the current king) for the crown to be king. When Eric was little, T’Challa’s dad killed Eric’s dad and left Eric behind, fatherless. That’s where all the hatred and revenge comes from.

To find out who gets hurt, and who gets to be king, you should go watch the movie. We personally think this movie is great, and should have a sequel.

Basketball

NBA All-Star Weekend Festival

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By: Riley Lumpkin and Gabe Mattick

image taken from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fe/NBA_All-Star_2018.png

The National Basketball Association’s All-Star Weekend was held from February 16-18th. There were 6 main events: The NBA All-Star Game, the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest, the JBL Three-Point Contest, the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, the Mountain Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Game, and finally, the All-Star Celebrity Game presented by Ruffles.

All of these events were held in Los Angeles, California. The Rising Stars Game and the Celebrity Game were held on Friday night. The Dunk Contest and the Three-Point Contest were held on Saturday night. And the biggest event of the weekend, the NBA All-Star Game, was held on Sunday night. You can find rosters for the NBA All-Star Game here: http://www.nba.com/allstar/2018/roster#/ 

For the Rising Stars Game here: http://www.nba.com/allstar/2018/rising-stars-roster#/

And rosters for the Celebrity Game here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2759635-nba-celebrity-all-star-game-2018-rosters-tv-info-and-mvp-pick

The first event, the Rising Stars Game, was a blowout, with the two teams, World and the US facing off. The World Team beat the US Team 155-124. Bogdan Bogdanovic took home MVP honors with a respectable stat line. He posted 26 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 9-16 shooting from the field.

The All-Star Celebrity Game was the next game of the night. Popular rapper Quavo took home the MVP honors in this one. The rapper posted an impressive 19 points and led Team Clippers to a 75-66 victory over Team Lakers. He was playing against the likes of Justin Bieber and Jamie Foxx.

The Dunk Contest was on Saturday night, and featured great dunkers in the league like Donovan Mitchell, Victor Oladipo, Larry Nance Jr., and Dennis Smith Jr. Donovan Mitchell stole the stole and took home the Dunk Contest Trophy. His last dunk, a 50 (the highest score possible), was a throwback to a dunk done by Vince Carter, a 360 dunk.

In the Three-Point Contest, it included great Three-Point shooters like Klay Thompson and Paul George but ultimately it was Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker who took home the Three-Point crown. He posted the most ever points in a Three-Point Contest round with a score of 28.

The last event of All-Star Weekend was the All-Star Game. This game was between Team Lebron and Team Stephen. Team Lebron, which Lebron James was the captain of, was victorious over Team Stephen, 148-145. Lebron came away with the KIA MVP and posted an impressive stat line of 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists.

School Life

MeMe DaY!

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MeMe DaY!!
By Alivia Arredondo and Piper Gallivan

Last week was Spirit Week at Highland Park!

A meme is a humorous image, or video, that is copied and widely spread on the Internet. Often times, these memes have pieces of text on them that can be altered depending on the interpretation of the meme.

This year, students voted on having a Meme Day at school so Highland Park had its first Meme Day! The point of Meme Day was to dress up as/or imitate your favorite meme, or any meme found online, and come to school as that meme.

Here are some of our favorites that we saw throughout the day.

Ms. Becker took her own approach on a classic meme, taking a jab on a common issue teachers have with students.

Sophomores Abby Johnson, and friend, have simple outfits with their clout glasses, a recent trend.

Exchange students really loved getting into the Highland Park spirit with some of the most dedicated outfits we’ve seen all day. There was  Ugandan Knuckles: He knows da wae. And fidget spinners were brought into a new light with a whole outfit dedicated to them.

Juniors Nectaree Thao and friend take on their versions of some classics. Ruquiya is from an iconic scene in Mean Girls that has lived on for many years. Necteree was very creative with her glasses in recreating a meme from a few years ago.

A Sophomore took on the original meme of Kermit the frog sipping his tea. She was very creative in making her own Kermit the frog costume and really took it the next level by bringing her own tea (which she later spilled) and making her own sign to go with her meme costume.

Some students just chose just to dress in fun ways without recreating a specific meme like Sebastian Isett with a very unique jacket.

Meme Day hit or miss?

Overall, for Highland’s first ever Meme Day, we’d say it was a hit. It is true that not as many students participated in this, but those who did really made people smile and laugh. There were many students around the school who came dressed as their memes, such as those in the pictures we’ve shown you.

In the following years, if Meme Day is voted on for Spirit Week, it would probably generate more participants by the students and would probably be more successful!

 

 

Basketball

Highland Park Scots basketball

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Tray Garner
Mason Ferguson

Highland Park basketball

photo courtesy of Mustafa Aden

On February 21st, the Highland Park Scots took on Johnson High School in was a very competitive game. Both teams went back and fourth in scoring, but Johnson managed to go up by 15 points in the first half.

In the 2nd half, Johnson didn’t execute like they did in the first.

The Scots went on a 12-4 run and managed to catch back up, and tie the game, with less than 10 minutes left on the clock.

We had multiple chances to take the lead, but just couldn’t execute. Johnson played very hard until the end, and the final score was 77-68. They played better offense than us, which gave them the extra boost to beat our Highland Scots.

– 15 T.O.
– 4 players in foul trouble
– Free throws 4-15 (horrible)

On February 23rd, the Highland Park Scots took on Como. Last time we played Como we came out on top with a victory, and score, of 74-69. Highland played well that game.

The lack of communication on the defensive side cost us the game this time, and the turnovers on the offensive side also cost us the game.

Como played hard, and hustled to everything, but they also played at a steady pace. When Como took the lead they did what they had to do to stay out in front.

The Highland Scots played O.K., but it wasn’t enough to beat Como again. We played lazy and selfish instead of playing as a team.

– 20 T.O.
– 2 players fouled out with a few others in foul trouble
– Free throws 10/22 (If we made at least 5 more of those Free throws, we would have has a chance to win)

The Highland Park Scots are currently on a 4 game losing streak due to: selfish plays, poor ball movement, poor talking on defense, and nobody stepping up to be a leader on the floor.

We have 2 more game left: Minneapolis Southwest for our last season game, and our first sections game March 6th.

If we can go out and do what we have to do, like limit our turnovers, slow down, and play smart, we can win our last season game, and our first round sections game.

From the next game on, it’s either “Go Hard Or Go Home.”

News

Rose McGowan freaks out at trans activist at Barnes and Nobel appearance

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image taken from: http://metro.co.uk/2018/02/02/rose-mcgowan-gets-shouting-match-trans-woman-accuses-white-cis-feminism-7282736/

Rose McGowan is known for being the first person to come out with allegations of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein. She has done a few things for women across the nation, such as creating an environment where silence about sexual assault and harassment is not tolerated. However, on her book tour, she has done what is considered a questionable action.

At a Barnes and Nobel, promoting her new book, a trans activist confronted McGowan about her comments about trans women on RuPaul’s podcast, and how her brand of feminism is exclusionary to trans women. On RuPaul’s podcast, McGowan had said that trans women cannot understand growing up biologically female, going on to say that, “That’s not growing as a woman, that’s not living in this world as a woman and a lot of the stuff I hear trans [women] complaining about, yeah, welcome to the world.”

The attendee who spoke out about McGowans divisive comments had said that “Trans women are dying and you said that we, as trans women, are not like regular women. We get raped more often. We go through domestic violence more often. There was a trans woman killed here a few blocks [away]. I have been followed home.”

To this McGowan interrupted and said, “Hold on. So am I. We are the same. My point was, we are the same. There’s an entire show called ID Channel, a network, dedicated to women getting abused, murdered, sexualized, violated, and you’re a part of that, too, sister. It’s the same.“

The attendee raised the point that “[McGowan does] nothing for [trans women]. Trans women are in men’s prisons. And what have you done for them?” They had also called McGowan a “white cis feminist,” meaning her feminism is exclusionary to people of color and trans folk. To this, McGowan began to shout.

McGowan shouts “Don’t label me, sister. Don’t put your labels on me. Don’t you ******* do that. Do not put your labels on me. I don’t come from your planet. Leave me alone. I do not subscribe to your rules. I do not subscribe to your language.” McGowan then continues to say the attendee should be grateful for what McGowan does.

Aside from the fact that the amount of anger McGowan’s voice has, when she is shouting at the attendee, even when she has been removed, is frankly scary. What really highlights McGowan’s view of trans women comes when she says, “I don’t come from your planet.” This is an ideology that has been present with McGowan before. When she says, “I don’t come from your planet,” she is really saying that since she was born with the anatomy tied to being a “woman” that means the attendee was not really a woman since she wasn’t born with the anatomy McGowan has.

This is a common belief about trans people saying that you can only be a woman if you have a vagina, and you can only be a man if you have a penis. These ideologies only perpetuate that gender is directly connected to genitalia, which has been scientifically disproven, and that in order to be a woman or a man, one has to be exactly like the vision that the majority has of women and men.

Another shocking part from the video is when the other attendees did not reprimand McGowan for her transphobic outburst, but instead consoled her saying that the activist was in the wrong. They had all also clapped while McGowan screamed at the attendee.

Since the incident McGowan has cancelled all future appearances.

You can watch the actual video here: https://youtu.be/yuFepZ0hET4

Basketball

Flip Saunders Night in Minnesota

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image taken from: http://www.nba.com/article/2018/02/15/minnesota-timberwolves-give-flip-saunders-name-place-among-rafters

On Thursday, Feb 15, the Minnesota Timberwolves raised Flip Saunders name to the rafters of the Target Center. The ceremony began at 7:15PM with speeches from family and friends of Flip Saunders.

Flip Saunders was head coach of the Timberwolves during their best years as an organization. He coached the Wolves in the 03-04 season where they lost to the Lakers in a dramatic Western Conference finals. If it hadn’t been for some injuries, there is a possibility that Flip could have lead the Wolves to the NBA Championship.

Saunders took a team that had a great player, in Kevin Garnett, and a few other good players, like Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, into the Western Conference finals. The Wolves have not made the playoffs since that historic season. Flip Saunders left the Timberwolves a few seasons later. These years, after Flip left, were not good years for the Wolves. Sure, they had All-Star Kevin Love, but he was constantly injured and the talent around him was not very good.

Saunders returned to the Wolves and started his comeback by drafting Super-Star Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns has been the Wolves best offensive player in just his first three years. Saunders coached Towns to a Rookie-of-the-Year Award. At the start of Town’s second season, Saunders was diagnosed with cancer and died on October, 25, 2015. Flip’s legacy is now remembered in the players he coached, the people he affected, and now the banner that hangs in the rafters of the Target Center.

Entertainment, Movies/TV/Theaters, Tech/Games

Fornite’s popularity

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Released in the middle of September, 2017, Fortnite, a battle royal video that was created by, Epic Games, was a major hit in the gaming community. In just 3 months, Fortnite was one of the most downloaded games of the year, and as of February, 2018, has reached over 40 million players world wide.

Not only is Fortnite free-to-play, it is also a battle royal, and at the time of Fortnite’s early access, the most played battle royal game was, Player’s Unknown Battlegrounds. Fortnite has gained popularity because of its free access to players, and how the gameplay of the game works.

Many times, Epic Games had to expand their technology towards Fortnite with the number of players worldwide. Epic Games would have game servers shut down from time to time because of the excessive number of players.

Epic Games, Producers and Publishers of Fortnite. Image taken from: https://socialhax.com/2016/08/22/epic-games-forums-user-data-hacked/

Fortnite is a genre of battle royal, where the player drops onto a generated map with nothing but a pickaxe. Once landed, the player’s objective is to find loot, such as weapons, health kits, shields, etc. and survive against 99 other players who also have the same objective; to be the last standing surviver.

Fortnite’s graphics are created to give the game a carton type vibe, and allow players to build using 3 resources: Wood, Stone and Metal. Players are allowed to build floors, stairs, ramps, walls, doorways, etc., using this mechanic. This allows players to better survive against others in combat, and gives the game a new mechanic that players can use.

Battle royal has become one of the more favored genres in gaming ever since the release of H1Z1 and Player’s Unknown Battle Grounds.

Fortnite Battle Royal. Image taken from: https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/daily-glixel-demons-souls-servers-prepare-to-die-w512726/mom-steps-in-to-defend-alleged-14-year-old-fortnite-cheater-w512731

Reviews for Fortnite have been mainly positive; for it’s free-to-play access and the mechanics of the game. Many gaming companies have taken a liking to Fortnite and many famous YouTubers have profited from Fortnite. Many companies have prospered because of Fortnite like: Twitch, PlayStation, Microsoft and Epic Games.

Epic Games was also affected, because of how many players downloaded Fortnite and played. Epic Games had to increase the amount of servers they had because of the increase of Fortnite players. This also affected another game that Epic Games had been developing over the past 2 years, which was Paragon.

Fortnite has been used by YouTubers, and streamers, to boost their incomes; mainly, YouTubers because of the new Terms of Service, of how certain graphical videos would earn no ads for that particular video. This meant that YouTubers couldn’t earn money from uploading videos of certain games, so many YouTubers became streamers; also known as monetization.

Twitch gained a positive value from Fortnite because of the amount of streamers who had come to stream Fortnite using Twitch. This allowed Twitch and the streamer to earn donations by the viewers who watched. Twitch gained an increase in streamers, once Fortnite gained popularity, before the end of 2017. This affected Twitch’s views, economy, software updates, and the streamers who used Twitch.

Image taken from: http://www.semireject.com/2017/09/28/fortnite-battle-royale-popular-twitch/
Adapted Floor Hockey, Alpine Skiing, Basketball, Boys Swimming/Diving, Cheerleading, Dance Line, Gymnastics, Hockey, Nordic Skiing, Wrestling

Sports schedule for: Feb 26-Mar 3

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For  a full calendar of events please refer to: http://www.stpaulcity.org

Winter Sports: Boys Swimming, Co-Ed Adapted Floor Hockey. Girls Basketball,
Girls Hockey, Co-Ed Nordic Ski, Wrestling, Gymnastics, Boys Hockey, Boys
Basketball, Alpine Ski

Activities the Week of February 26-March 3

***At present there are no scheduled events for the week of Mar. 5-10 other than possibility of boys and girls basketball advancing in the section playoffs – We will be transitioning from Winter activities to the Spring Sports Season***

Monday Feb. 26

Adapted CI Floor Hockey vs. Minneapolis Adapted  @ Humboldt 4:30pm

Tuesday Feb. 27:

Wednesday Feb. 28:

Adapted CI Floor Hockey vs. South Washington County @ East Ridge HS 4:30pm

Varsity Girls Basketball Section game TBD 7pm

Thursday, Mar.1:

Boys Basketball @ Minneapolis Southwest  C-Squad 4  JV 5:30  Varsity @ 7pm

Adapted PI Floor Hockey vs. Dakota United @ Humboldt 4:30pm

Friday Mar. 2:

Saturday Mar.3:

Boys Basketball Twin Cities Game TBD @ St. Paul Site

Go Scots!