Monthly Archives: February 2022

Editorials/Student Voice, Travel/Food

How food apartheid affects lower income communities

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By: Haroon Yonis

A food apartheid is when a community has no access to healthy food or grocery stores in their area. Food apartheid are an underlying issue in many of our communities. It differs from a normal food desert, in that it specifically relates to race. The lack of healthy, available food is a concern we must address. 

Many of these communities lack access to reliable transportation, so when these lower-income communities are affected by a food apartheid, they are virtually powerless. As a result of this, they tend to resort to lower quality frozen foods that are sold at their local convenience stores. The effects of eating such food, over a long period of time, is extremely detrimental to the human body. This causes health issues to be more prevalent in these areas, and can include obesity, heart disease, cancer, and a plethora of other health issues. 

Food apartheids do not occur coincidentally, as they are racially motivated. Many of these areas have a large minority population, and as result of past discrimination, tend to have a lower overall salary then their higher-income counterparts. Grocery stores notice these statistics, and single out these marginalized communities, purposely not building their stores in these areas. As a result, this causes a lack of healthy and accessible foods in those regions.

An unfortunate local case of a food apartheid, is the Frogtown community that many Minnesota residents are familiar with. Grocery stores are almost non-existent in this area, while there are a multitude of convenience stores in the region. 

According to the Minnesota Compass website, the median income in the Frogtown area is $38,103, with approximately 69.4% of the population being minorities. The percentage of residents who have vehicles is quite low too, which makes it harder for these individuals to have access to the grocery stores in areas such as Midway and Highland. 

Many families realize this, and begin feeding their children foods that are riddled with GMO’s, chemicals, and concerning ingredients. Even if they desired to eat healthier, this simply wouldn’t be possible due to the area having almost no grocery stores.

So, how do we improve the accessibility of healthier foods in these marginalized communities?

The first step to solving this crisis is by acknowledging that it exists. Afterwards, we can find which areas are being purposely targeted, and start improving the flow of healthier foods in those highlighted areas.

Eventually, we can start building grocery stores in these areas, so families who lack reliable transportation can easily make the walk or bus ride to these stores. But in order for this to be possible, we as a community must come together and make this a reality.

Books/Art

‘It Ends With Us’ book review

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By: Ella Sutherland & Lauren Kottke

Note: This book review details abuse in a relationship, so note this may be a trigger for some.

*Spoiler Alert* This review gives aways details about the end of the book.

‘It Ends With Us’ is a heartfelt story about a girl named Lily Bloom that grew up in a small town in Maine. She did not have a great life growing up because her dad was not a good person. Her dad abused her mother all throughout Lily’s life and she never could figure out why her mother stayed. When she grew up she ended up moving to Boston which had been her dream for so long.

One night she was on a rooftop after her dad’s funeral, where she gave a eulogy. While she was up there a man came up and he was very angry. They started talking and she learned that he was a doctor and he had lost a patient and that’s why he was angry. They had a strong connection and when they parted he took a photo of her.

They ended up meeting again when she opened a flower shop and his sister started working for Lily. They begin to get really close and started falling in love. Everything in their relationship is going good until Ryle burns his hand and gets angry and hits her. He promises he would never do it again.

A couple days later they go to a restaurant, and Atlas (her childhood love) is the chef. He notices that she is hurt and so is her hand, so he confronts her and she gets mad. He comes to her shop the next day and gives her his number in case of emergency.

Nothing bad happens for awhile and Ryle and Lily get married in Vegas. A few weeks later, Ryle finds the number Atlas gave her, gets really mad, and pushes her down the stairs. He again apologizes and says it won’t happen again.

Then Atlas comes out with an article about his restaurant called BIBS which stands for “Better in Boston”. On Lily’s fridge there is a magnet that says “Better in Boston”. Ryle puts it together that they were in love and gets so mad that he hits her and then tries to force himself on top of her. She then calls Atlas and he picks her up. In the end, she goes to the hospital and finds out she is pregnant, and she has the baby and tells Ryle that she wants a divorce.

Throughout the entire book Lily is reading her old letters that she wrote to Ellen Degeneres, who she had as a pretend friend. It goes more in depth about her past life. She didn’t have many real friends and one day she saw a boy that turned out to be Atlas. He was on her school bus and he got off at the same stop. She noticed that he took a weird route to walk home from the bus stop and saw that he went into the house that had been abandoned for a while.

After seeing him for many days and realizing that he was homeless, she left blankets and food at his doorstep. They started to become friends and would always hangout. They eventually developed more of a romantic relationship. He was Lily’s first kiss. He would go over to her house everyday after school before her parents came home from work.

One day they witnessed Lily’s dad tried to force himself on Lily’s mom and Lily saw and tried to call the police, but her mom stopped her. She was very angry at her mom for letting her dad get away with hurting her.

Lily and Atlas were getting closer and their dream they shared was to move to Boston when they were older. Atlas was leaving for the military, and on his last night he and Lily were making out in her room and Lily’s dad came in and beat up Atlas almost to the point of death. She never saw Atlas again until Boston.

Lily spent her childhood watching her father continually abuse her mother. She felt helpless in the situation because she had no power. All she wanted to do was protect her mom. But she mostly couldn’t understand why her mother would stay with such a horrible person. Her mom and dad stayed together for awhile until Lily’s dad passed away. Lily never really forgives her dad for what he did to her mom.

It is very unusual for Colleen to use real events in her books, except for ‘It Ends With Us’. The book revolves around Colleen’s own mother’s story. Her mother went through abuse and felt she was only doing justice by telling her mom’s story. In the book, the first time Lily was hit by Ryle is actually a true story. It is the exact same incident that happened to Colleen’s mom.

It was hard for Colleen to write a story so personal. Writing events that she witnessed. She took her time to depict the characters in the perfect way. She made characters that the readers fall in love with to show the heartbreak that victims go through. Colleen’s mom fell in love with her dad and went through heartbreak as he turned into a different person. This book shows how hard it is to leave someone you care so much about.

Ella give this book a 5/5 and Lauren gives it a 4.5/5

World

The Russian-Ukraine conflict, and its history, explained

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By: Toby Martin-Kohls

You may have heard in the media about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. You might have heard eye-catching headlines such as NBC New’s “Biden warns Americans to leave, says sending troops to evacuate to be a ‘world war’”. But what is this conflict even about?

In short, Russia has currently amassed 130,000 troops at various points along their shared border with Ukraine, complete with other war aids such as field hospitals. Putin has a list of demands for the West or more commonly referred to as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Negotiations are ongoing, but Russia has enough troops positioned to launch a full-scale invasion.

His demands include that NATO stop expanding, for NATO to remove troops out of Eastern Europe, and assurances that the US won’t protect Eastern European allies. He knows that these demands are far-fetched, but then he could claim he went the diplomatic way before an invasion.

To fully understand this conflict, you need to understand what NATO is and also take a step back into the past.

NATO was formed in 1949 by the US to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. Before Russia became the Russia that it is today, it was the USSR, or also known as the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was a socialist republic and tried to build a communist society.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in December 1991, former Soviet republics declared some forms of independence, and today they are recognized as sovereign states. These countries are now known as: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Since modern-day Ukraine was once part of the Soviet Union, there were, and still are, many deep cultural ties to the region. For example, the leader of the Soviet Union when it fell, Mikhail Gorbachev, had a Ukrainian mother and a Russian father. To people like him, and Vladimir Putin, Ukraine, and Russia share similar interests and objectives.

Putin became President of Russia in 2012, but he was a high-ranking government official for years prior. In a 2005 speech, Putin said, “The collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century,” and “As for the Russian people, it became a genuine tragedy. Tens of millions of our fellow countrymen found themselves beyond the fringes of Russian territory.”

In his mind, all the new territories from the old regime were essentially still Russian. When the West shows up to these former republics offering their ideological beliefs such as democracies and inviting them to join their military alliance (NATO), which again, was first started to provide security against the Soviet Union, he felt threatened, because of this belief that Ukraine is Russia.

Ukraine has been flirting with becoming more allied with the West, which has Putin on edge. After Russian annexed Crimea, a southern region of Ukraine, in 2014, Ukrainians elected a pro-West president. The current president, elected in 2019, is also a closer ally of NATO countries, and has talked about the country joining NATO. A Unian poll asked Ukrainians if they were in favor to join the European Union which 58% of respondents said yes. It also asked if they were in favor of Ukraine joining NATO, of which 64% said yes.

Further emphasizing his position, on his blog, Putin wrote, “…Of what is essentially the same historical and spiritual space, to my mind is our great common misfortune and tragedy…But these are also the result of deliberate efforts by those forces that have always sought to undermine our unity. The formula they apply has been known from time immemorial – divide and rule.”

He truly believes that Ukraine has aligned itself with the West to thwart Russia.

Perhaps his most effective argument is, “Just have a look at how Austria and Germany, the USA and Canada live next to each other. Close in ethnic composition, culture, in fact sharing one language, they remain sovereign states with their own interests, with their own foreign policy. But this does not prevent them from the closest integration or allied relations. They have very conditional, transparent borders. And when crossing them the citizens feel at home. They create families, study, work, do business. Incidentally, so do millions of those born in Ukraine who now live in Russia. We see them as our own close people.”

That does not excuse using force to take over a sovereign state. If Putin ends up invading Russia, this will give NATO a new purpose, albeit similar to why it was formed. Putin and his legacy all seem to rest on gaining land back that he deems as part of Russia.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Love Jacked’

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By: Samera Adam

‘Love Jacked’ is a Netflix movie that stars Amber West, as main character Maya, and Canadian actor Shamier Anderson.

*Spoiler alert*

The movie starts with Shamier, who plays Malcolm, stealing from his friend Tyrelle. He wants to give the money to the pregnant wife of a man who lost all his money in a game of pool to Tyrelle. This causes Tyrelle to then be on the hunt for Malcolm to get his money back.

The main character Maya, is an artist who takes a trip to Africa to get some inspiration for her art, against her father’s will. She still proceeds to go on her 3-week trip. On her trip, she gets engaged but returns single.

When Maya lands back in Los Angeles she takes a trip to a local diner where she meets Malcolm.

When Maya meets Malcolm she tells him all about her trip to South Africa and how she caught her fiancé cheating on her but couldn’t tell her dad because she would just prove that her father was right all along about her not being ready to be married after just a short time.

After Maya is done ranting, she leaves and Tyrelle pops up on Malcolm, so Malcolm jumps into Maya’s car to escape. They then come up with a plan of if Maya helps Malcolm escape Tyrelle, then he has to play the role of her fiancé, Mtumbie. After the honeymoon though, “Mtumbie” would die and Malcolm would just leave the city.

The family eventually meets “Mtumbie” and they all form bonds with him and end up loving him.

The wedding happens, so then it is time for the plan to come to an end.

Maya tells her family that he had an accident and she returns home where they host his funeral.

At his funeral, the real Mtumbie comes and proposes to Maya but everyone is confused. Then “Mtumbie” comes ‘‘back from the dead” and professes his love for Maya.

Maya then comes clean with everything and they take a family honeymoon trip to Africa.

This movie is for sure a 5/5 because it contains romance with Maya and Malcolm eventually falling in love. There is also comedy. After all, a Canadian man acts as a South African, while faking an accent throughout the whole thing.

Editorials/Student Voice, Tech/Games

Does watching violent media or playing video games cause aggresion?

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By: Abdihakim Mohamoud

Despite popular belief, violent media or video games have little to no correlation with aggressive behavior. Various sources have shown that the vast majority of young people do not show changes in anger levels when either viewing or playing violent video games. In fact, an article from Onlinelibrary.wiley.com revealed that these games carry several benefits, from increasing cognitive thinking to stimulating feelings of joy and happiness.

A study was conducted at ISU in which 275 college-aged men were tested by playing different violence levels in the same game. The men’s aggression levels were measured, and the results were overwhelming. The results were described as “15 minutes of violent and difficult gameplay on aggressive behavior may be small and indistinguishable from zero”, essentially proving there is little to no association.

While the thought of violent video games offering positive feelings and thoughts may sound absurd, it’s more than common.

According to an article from Liebertpub.com, evidence exists that these video games offer mood-boosting and stress-reducing effects. They are a pastime that allows a temporary feeling of joy and accomplishment when one completes a difficult task.

Regarding the counter argument, an article from APA.org stated that violent behavior is indeed linked with violent video games. A study also proved that the amount of time spent playing video games was correlated with lower academic grades in college.

So, while most violent media have little effect on aggressive behavior, it has been demonstrated that it has some effect on behavior and academics.

It is being proven time and time again that, contrary to many beliefs, and even some evidence pointing in the other direction, playing or consuming violent games or media does not affect aggression levels.

Article

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Football

Rams defeat the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI

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By: Abby Altman

On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Rams became the 2nd team in NFL history to become  Super Bowl champs in their home stadium. This rare feat has now been accomplished in consecutive years, last year being won by the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay.

The Rams took an early advantage in the game, stopping the Bengals on 4th and 1 in their first drive, gaining excellent field position at their own 49 yard line. The Rams capitalized with a 17 yard bullet from Matthew Stafford to Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone.

The Bengals responded with a field goal drive, propelled by Ja’marr Chase’s 30 yard catch at the 15. Evan McPherson’s kick was good from 29 yards, to close out the 1st quarter Rams 7, Bengals 3. 

The start of the 2nd quarter began with a Rams touchdown to Cooper Kupp. The extra point was fumbled by Rams placeholder John Hekker, and intercepted by the Bengals, holding the score 13-3. With 5 minutes left in the half, the Bengals charged downfield, capping off their drive with a touchdown pass to Tee Higgins, made by the Bengals RB Joe Mixon.

2 minutes into the Rams drive, Stafford attempted a short pass to Odell Beckham Jr., which resulted in an incomplete pass, and Beckham on the ground with a non contact ACL tear. He walked off the field with assistance, and was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game.

 The Rams were unable to score, ending their drive with an Interception in the endzone just before the 2 minute warning. The Bengals, unable to score, headed into the locker room with a score of Rams 13, Bengals 10.

The Bengals came out of halftime fired up. It took just 12 seconds for the Bengals to take their first lead of the game, on a 40 yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins. The Bengals almost immediately got the ball back, on an interception by Chidobe Awuzie, intended for WR Ben Skowronek, who was in the game replacing OBJ. The interception turned into a Bengals 38 yard field goal by McPherson, putting the Bengals up by 7 in the 3rd quarter.

The 4th quarter started with the Bengals up by 4. With 12 minutes left in the game, Joe Burrow was sacked, and went down with an apparent knee injury. Burrow limped off the field, but declined medical attention. Burrow said he wasn’t coming out of the Super Bowl.

The 4th quarter remained scoreless until there was just 1:25 left on the clock, when Stafford connected with Kupp for the touchdown, putting the Rams up by 3. With 45 seconds left in the game, on 4th and 1, Joe Burrow was sacked, ending the game Rams 23, Bengals 20.

Joe Burrow was sacked 7 times in this game, 5 more times than Stafford, putting a heavy emphasis on the lack of a Bengals offensive line.

Burrow went 22/33 on Sunday, with just 1 touchdown, and no interceptions. Ja’marr Chase had 5 receptions for 89 yards, but was not able to land any of them in the end zone.

Stafford went 26/40, with 3 touchdowns, along with 2 interceptions. Cooper Kupp had 8 receptions for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kupp was named Super Bowl LVI MVP.

News

Former Miss USA Chelsie Kryst died by suicide

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Former Miss USA, Cheslie Kryst, died by suicide on January 30, 2022. Kryst was a lawyer who helped to reform America’s justice system. She was also a fashion blogger, and a host on Extra. The New York Police Department has reported she jumped from the top of her apartment building in Manhattan.

Her family has put out a statement saying: “In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie, her great light inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved, she laughed and she shined.”

Kryst started her career as a teenager when she entered the Miss Northwestern Pageant, and in 2019 when she was crowned Miss North Carolina. She then competed in Miss USA and won, becoming the oldest contestant to ever win. Later that year, she represented the United States in the Miss Universe Pageant, where she finished in the top 10.

Kryst was an advocate for mental health and she shared that she talked with a counselor. “When I’m not talking to my counselor, I take time at the end of every single day to just decompress,” she said. “I unplugged. I shut my phone off. I don’t answer messages. I just sit and watch my favorite movie.”

In an interview with ‘The Hilltop’, she discussed the topic of mental health once again. She discussed her mental health. She shared three things she does for her self-care. One, “I try to set a regular schedule so my alarm rings every day at 6:45. Two, I try to set very clear boundaries, so even though I’m at home and I’ve got my computer, my phone with me, I’m done answering emails at 6 o’clock, I’m not responding to messages. It’s over.” Third, she said, “I have a regular workout schedule that keeps my body healthy and my mind sharp.”        

Kryst’s legacy will continue on, and inspire black girls after her. She was always one to turn down stereotypes, she shared that pageant girls aren’t supposed to be model-tall and slender, don bouffant hair, and have a killer walk. She was an advocate, she was involved in her community, and she was also vocal on black girl magic.

*If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis please call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, hours are 24/7

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Tech/Games

Tech superpowers at war

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By: Reed Morris

In early January of 2022, Microsoft kicked off the new year by purchasing the video game development company Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in cash. The acquisition marked a major turning point of the ongoing “Console War” in the gaming industry.

Microsoft, who owns Xbox, now also owns one of the biggest game development companies in the world. Along with purchasing the company, they also acquired all IPs (Intellectual Properties) associated with Activision Blizzard. This includes well known games such as the ‘Call of Duty’ franchise, ‘Overwatch’, ‘Candy Crush’, and a handful of other major titles.

Ever since the acquisition happened the public has been waiting for a response from Microsoft’s main competitor in the “Console War”, Sony. Sony is the company behind the very popular PlayStation gaming console which is the primary rival of Xbox.

As of the end of January 2022, Sony announced their acquisition of game development studio Bungie for $3.6 billion. The acquisition is a big deal, as Bungie is the studio behind legendary titles such as ‘Halo’, and ‘Destiny’.

The purchase of Bungie by Sony helped level the playing field, and also has brought more attention to the future of PlayStation. Both Microsoft and Sony are still in competition, but now they both own a major slice of the market they rely on for content.

This is not only a big step for Sony’s gaming branch, it’s also a major step for the company as a whole. With another company acquisition to add to their list, Sony is going to become that much more of a global tech superpower.

Where will they go from here?

There has been lots of speculation that the previous IP’s and any future game production out of these two studios will be exclusive to their new owner’s respective platforms. These rumblings however, have been shut down by both Sony and Microsoft. Sony said in a statement, “Bungie will remain a multiplatform studio with the option to self-publish its games.” Microsoft also followed up their acquisition with a similar statement regarding any Activision Blizzard properties.

While both Microsoft and Sony are willing to cooperate with one another, there is still competition regarding both platforms’ subscription models. While Xbox does have more subscribers to their service, Sony now has a means of reducing that gap and balancing the fight for gaming and corporate supremacy.

Music/Concerts

Why did One Direction break up

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By: Musab Mohamud

A question that still is widely asked by many fans across the globe: “Why did One Direction split up?”

The boy band consisted of recognizable faces such as Harry Styles, Zayn Malek, Louis Tomlinson, and others. The band started with a decision to combine their talents on the show British X-Factor. Shortly after the season’s conclusion the host of the show, Simon Cowell, offered them a record deal. The boys gladly took him up on his offer and began to record songs together.

The band quickly garnered international fame and fandom across the world. From appearing in Super Bowl ads, releasing platinum albums, and going on global tours, the young band seemed to be on top of the world. They released many songs headlined by the hit pop song “What Makes You Beautiful”.

They continued to trek the globe performing and publicizing their songs. However, while on a tour publicizing their album in 2014, the first blow struck the popular band. Zayn Malik, the beloved vocalist of the group had left the band.

Shortly after, in 2015, the band announced they were going on an indefinite hiatus.

Years later, with many members of the band releasing solo music, fans are left wondering what happened. One fan has many theories on why One Direction broke up. “I think Harry and Louis had a romantic split,” she says. Another fan goes in a different direction and says, “I think Zayn and Harry thought they were too big time”. 

The more realistic opinion is that all bands must come to an end eventually, and while they obviously all greatly liked each other it was time to leave their comfort zone. Another option is their record deal being too restrictive and not allowing the creative freedom that they desired.

The band gave many fans, young and old, great pleasure to this day and will not be forgotten any time soon.

Sports

2022 Winter Olympics

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By: Caelyn Hippen

What are the Olympics?

The Olympics are an international sports event that takes place every 4 years. This year, the Olympics are taking place in Beijing. There are almost 3,000 competitors from 91 different countries. The Olympics have been a tradition for nearly 100 years. Another interesting thing about the 2022 Winter Olympics is that, in an attempt to increase gender equality, mixed events have become a core part of this year’s games.

What is the history of the Olympics?

The Olympic Games are a 16 day festival that originated in Ancient Greece as many as 3,000 years ago. The Olympics were then revived in 1896. The first modern Olympics had 280 athletes from 12 nations, in 43 events. The games were named for their location at Olympia, as the games were started to honor the gods. The Winter Olympics were later added.

How many events are there?

The 2022 Winter Olympics is expected to set a record with 109 events in 15 sports. The sports for this year’s games are: alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled (the sport where 2 to 4 people slide down a track in a runner sled called a bobsled), cross-country skiing, curling (sport played on ice where athletes slide rocks made of granite closer to the target, known as the house), figure skating (watch Alysa Lui, she is team USA’s youngest athlete this year), freestyle skiing, hockey, luge, nordic combined, short track, skeleton, ski jumping, snowboarding, and speed skating.

What is the most popular sport in the Olympics?

This year, the most watched Olympic sport in the USA is figure skating. According to Google, skating overall has always been one of the most popular sports. In 2014, the most watched sports in the USA were figure skating and ice hockey. In 2018, ice skating overall was the most watched sport across the world. Figure skating has 5 events to watch – men’s individual, women’s individual, pairs, ice dancing, and the team event.

Are there new events this year?

The 2022 Winter Olympics will feature 7 new events. These events are: women’s monobob (this event is new this year for the women, in previous years this event has only been available for men), men and women’s big air skiing (sport where athletes ski down a ramp, fly into the air, and perform as many flips and spins as possible before reaching the ground), mixed team relay in short track speed skating, mixed team ski jumping, mixed team snowboard cross, and freestyle skiing mixed team aerials.