The Riverview Theater: History, hospitality, and Hitchcock

By: Julia Sikorski Roehsner

Image taken from: http://www.rive rviewtheater.com/about/tour

The Riverview Theater is not your typical movie theater. Based in Minneapolis’ Longfellow neighborhood, Riverview Theater was established in December of 1948. Since then, though all projection and sound equipment has been updated, the building itself still reflects those mid-1900s.

Unlike many movie theaters, the Riverview has just one screen. Among its distinctive architectural features are an open-spaced lobby with couches, a copper drinking fountain, marble countertop tables, and a proscenium.

Concessions include popcorn, soft drinks, and candy. Popcorn is made fresh daily with real melted butter. All prices are extremely reasonable.

Not able to fit a movie into your schedule, or planning a fun stay-at-home night? The Riverview welcomes patrons to stop in whenever the theater is open to buy concession items to go, with popcorn one dollar off usual prices.

Though the theater was forced to close down in the middle of March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic–not reopening its doors until late May of 2021–the owner, Loren Williams, offered popcorn, slushies, and candy to go throughout the lockdown and placed inspirational quotes from movies and actors on the marquee.

Riverview Theater is constantly showing new movies that cater to all ages, both recently released movies and second-runs. Favorites of the past include ‘Everything, Everywhere, All at Once,’ ‘Thor: Love and Thunder,’ ‘Encanto,’ and ‘Frozen II.’

One of their biggest coming attractions is a Hitchcock Film Festival, beginning September 30th and ending October 6th. Classic thrillers will be shown multiple days throughout the week at varying times. Tickets are on sale now for just $7, discounted to $5 for seniors and students, as well as attendees of any Tuesday showings.

Image taken from :http://www.rivervi ewtheater.com/sh ow/show/2962

Included in the Fest are ‘Psycho,’ ‘The Birds,’ and ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much.’ It is an occasion you won’t want to miss.

The Riverview Theater isn’t just a movie theater; it’s a beloved and heavily supported part of the community. New customers are always appreciated and welcome.

The theater is within just fifteen minutes driving distance from Highland Park Senior High.

For more information, please visit:

Its the end of the world as we know it

(Yes like the R.E.M. song)

By: Reed Morris

All around the world, we are facing disastrous natural phenomena. The magnitude of these events seem as though they are straight out of Hollywood movies. Here is a compilation, and explanation, of some of the most major events from the late summer of 2022.

To kick off the month of August, a major flood in Kentucky had a rising death toll, passing 37 on August 2nd. In the wake of the flood, lay 12,000 powerless homes, empty schools, and millions of dollars worth of damage to local infrastructure. There was a frantic mass exodus which saw excessive looting.

Because of these factors the state was put under curfew and was essentially locked down for a short amount of time. Intervention by the federal government was eventually deemed necessary, and Biden sent federal support to Kentucky to assist localized teams of rescuers and national guardsmen in the evacuation process. 

Another case of these extremely strange and sometimes deadly weather phenomena is the case of coasts, East vs West.

Recently, at least, the US has seen an increase in extreme weather. This year was the first time we truly realized how intensely different weather can be from one side of the country to the other.

In August and September of 2022, the west coast of the United States was under extreme stress from the absurd heat that it was experiencing.

Temperatures in LA flew into the triple digits. People were asked to turn off their lights and stop using electricity to try to keep the power grid alive. With everyone living in intense heat, the power grid was struggling immensely to support the AC units needed to keep the entire population cool.

Now, we move to the east coast. For almost a month straight, during August, there was torrential rain, hail, and flooding. A direct example of this is what happened to Kentucky, as mentioned before.

We usually think of our country as better than most, but when it comes to the wrath of the sky and earth, everyone is equally powerless.

The largest of these recent natural disasters struck the Middle Eastern country of Pakistan.

While American students begrudgingly returned from their summer vacations and turned back to a life at school, children and families in Pakistan were struck by a much worse predicament.

An excess of water struck Pakistan seemingly out of nowhere. With the countries fluid infrastructure not being modern, it was quickly overrun by the extreme load. Dams lost function, levees broke, and the agricultural artery of Pakistan was its ultimate demise.

Where this really becomes truly shocking is the number of real people that have been displaced by the disaster. Over 30 million Pakistani residents have been forced to move, and over 600,000 have been forced into relief camps. One third of the country’s population is in a dire situation. This is terrifying, but it’s just the beginning.

Deadly weather phenomena are something we as a species must learn to overcome. The only issue is, we don’t know how to. Natural disasters are like our planets version of a check mate. There is nothing we can do to stop it when it happens, we can only plan to make it more difficult for our opponent to get us into that position.

This is where I must bring up global warming. We are simply not doing enough to avoid the horrendous fallout our species has laid unto ourselves. I am not going to pretend to be an atmospheric fluid dynamic professor, or a well spoken well researched activist. I’m just someone who has noticed a problem and feels that not enough people are addressing it.

At the end of the day, there’s not much we can do as individuals. The only chance we have is by operating together. Writing legislation and finding new ways to do what needs to be done without killing this planet that has so graciously allowed us to thrive.

For more information, please visit:

Barbacoa Tacos

By: Gabe Kleiber

Barbacoa Tacos

Marinade ingredients:
Juice from 3 oranges and 2 Limes 1/4 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
a lot of freshly ground black pepper several pinches of kosher salt
2 Tbsp of Mexican oregano
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp of Cumin
1/3 Cup of White Vinegar

Barbacoa ingredients:
1 large tomato, cut into chunks
1/4 large onion, quartered
3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (canned) 1 cup water
1 cup beef broth
1 lime, juiced
more salt and pepper

For the tacos: Corn tortillas, cilantro, chopped diced onion, your favorite salsa, and limes for squeezing.

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a 2-gallon Ziploc bag. Add the beef and let it marinate overnight in the fridge.

2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a blender, or small food processor, add fresh tomato, quartered onion, chipotle chiles, water, beef broth, and lime juice. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

3. Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, remove the roast from the marinade and shake off excess liquid. Sear the roast for a few minutes on each side until a deep brown crust forms. Remove from heat.

4. Add the barbacoa puree on top of the beef roast and place in the preheated oven. Roast for approximately three hours, or until the beef is very tender and shreds easily.

5. Shred the beef.

6. Make tacos! Serve the beef in corn tortillas with all the toppings, including fresh-squeezed lime.

It is pleasantly spicy, but the meat still retains a lot of the marinade flavor. Because of this, the onions aren’t as present flavor wise, but still provide a great crunch; a very different texture compared to the rest of the dish.

The cilantro adds color and freshness, which I enjoy. I like lime on it too, but use it conservatively because it can overpower some of the more subtle flavors in the dish.

No complaints with anything to do with the food itself. It isn’t very time consuming, but there is a lot of waiting time in between cooking.

Overall, I would recommend making this recipe and give it a 7.9/10.

Note: Though this recipe has been modified, and made my own, you can find the original recipe here:

NEW STUDENT SHARES HER EXPERIENCE AT HIGHLAND PARK SENIOR HIGH AS A NEW FRESHMAN !!

By: Jhari Boayla

As a freshman sometimes I feel like things can be tough and people are also going to be a lot more tough on you, especially since it’s your first year attending and experiencing high school. And it’s understandable that that’s how your parents and your teachers are because it’s showing how much they care about you and how much they want you to succeed in the future.

When I first came to Highland with all the students and everything, I felt like it was completely different; there were more students and different faces. I also felt like it was much more different for me because it was more different than middle school. There was more space around the building and I felt like and it would be very confusing for me to find places. I would have to walk around the building a few times just to find where I needed to get to.

One thing that I really didn’t like about orientation was that they weren’t really any help to me because when I got to school the first day, I still didn’t know where I was going. We we rushed through the building and didn’t really get the chance to find where our classes would be.

One thing that I like about the high school though, is that it is different, not a bad or good different, but different than in the middle. I was very scared at first to be coming into high school because I was very scared of growing up and I felt like I was growing up too fast.

I also thought that I wouldn’t like meeting some new people and I was very scared that people weren’t going to like me, especially the older kids.

But, other than that, so far everything has been going okay and well.

‘The Edge of the Unknown with Jimmy Chin’: Is the risk worth the reward?

By: Mia David

On September 5th, 2022, National Geographic released the documentary series ‘The Edge of the Unknown.’ It was filmed and produced by photographer, filmmaker, and mountain athlete Jimmy Chin.

The series consists of 10 episodes that each follow athletes doing extreme sports. From snowboarders and skiers to rock climbers and kayakers, Jimmy Chin tells the stories of athletes risking their lives for their sport.

The athletes tell stories of times they were forced to question whether risking their life is worth the reward.

Angel Collinson is one of the best skiers in the world, male or female, and in episode 2, she makes her way up to Alaska to ski down some of the most unique and challenging terrains in the world. While making her way down the line, Angel stumbles and falls 1000 ft down to the bottom of the mountain.

Angel is shaken to her core. It was a rude awakening that forced her to reflect on her career; the hours she spent on the slopes and the childhood she had lost to the sport.

After that, it was simple for her. She walked away from skiing ultimately, much to the shock of her family and friends. She didn’t feel the risk and sacrifice were worth the title she earned and the rewards she got.

Not everybody feels this way after facing the extreme danger of the Alaskan mountains. In episode 5, Travis Rice says, “There are so many little mini breakthroughs. I, to this day, continue to chase that feeling that gives me a sense of living.”

Travis gets caught in a deadly avalanche and somehow makes it out with no serious injuries. Although Travis almost lost his life that day, he is quick to get back on the slopes with the support of those around him.

In Travis’ case, it raises the question of whether or not someone should give up something that could take their life if that means losing the one thing that makes them feel alive.

One last example is Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbuic, who kayak in rivers in Central Africa with their mentor and friend Henri Coetzee. Throughout the journey, they face the threat of crocodiles and hippos. One day, on the river, Henri’s kayak is flipped, and a crocodile drags him under the water; Ben and Chris have to quickly paddle away because there is no hope for saving him.

These athletes continue to experience different life-threatening events and have to pause and reflect on their choices. For some, it’s simply lowering the stakes or walking away; for others, they jump right back into the game.

For those who don’t spend their days climbing mountains, it’s hard to understand how you could get back to the sport after a terrible accident. Chin describes it like this, “In the adventure world, there is a certain understanding that we choose to do what we do and we do it intentionally.”

Chin has an episode discussing his life-threatening adventure where he should have died but miraculously made it out alive. However, like others, he can’t resist the thrill and adventure he finds in the mountains. He says in episode 8, “It’s really impossible to describe the insatiable calling of the big mountains.”

For people like Travis, Ben, Chris, and other athletes in the series, the call to adventure is unlike anything else. Whether it’s mountains, rivers, or the ocean, it’s impossible not to return to the one place you feel alive.

This idea of the risk worth the reward could be debated for a long time. We can pull in different aspects like the level of risk, family and loved ones, and the health of individual people. We must also consider the love, passion, and freedom said person feels towards these sports.

You can watch this series on Disney+.

Who was the late Queen of England and what was the impact of her sudden death

By: Domingo Basso

The late Queen of England: Queen Elizabeth II, who was born on April 21, 1926, in Mayfair London, died September 8, 2022, at the age of 96. According to ‘The New York Times’ she died peacefully but the cause of her death was not specified due to the Royal Palace not disclosing that information. Despite that being true, a royal biographer claimed that the Queen was suffering from a bone condition and Lady Colin Campbell, a royal expert who has written about Princess Diana, went as far as to claim that the Queen had died from bone cancer. 

After the Queen passed away, her son, who was commonly known as “The Prince of Wales” became King Charles III, and now has the throne. Before becoming King, he already established over 20 charities and supported many different causes regarding the environment, rural communities, the construction, the arts, healthcare, and education.

But, now let’s move on to how the world is dealing with the loss of a figure as important as her Majesty. Sources such as ‘The Washington Post’ say that very soon after her death became known to the public, there were a quarter of a million people in line to see and pay their respects to the Queen once it became possible to do so. (that’s 250,000 people!) So many people wanted to pay their respects to her that there was a queue that grew so long that the queue time would reach up to 24 hours at a point. In fact, the queue grew so large that there had to be a line to get in the line to pay respects.

 The state funeral for the Queen happened at Westminster Abbey on Monday, the 19th of September, at 11am, and the funeral service was live-streamed on YouTube so that more people could be able to mourn her passing. To end the funeral service, there was 2 minutes of silence followed by the national anthem, to bring it to a close. 

So, the death of Queen Elizabeth II impacted a LOT of people around the world, and especially the citizens of the United Kingdom due to her rule having lasted decades. Her impact was massive due to how the UK runs to this day. So, we can only hope for the best for the citizens of the United Kingdom with the loss of somebody very important to all of them. And we can also hope that their newest ruler, the King, may be able to live up to the name of his late predecessor.

For more information visit: 

After ten years, My Chemical Romance returns to St. Paul

By: Ann McMullen

Photo by self

After nearly a decade, My Chemical Romance returned to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on September 15th.

The band unexpectedly broke up in 2013, and their fanbase continued to grow during their years of inactivity, leading to an overwhelmingly positive response to their reunion announcement on Halloween of 2019. However, like most things announced around then, their reunion tour was postponed multiple times due to COVID-19, with the Minnesota date winding up to be almost three years after it was initially announced.

Even with all of that being said, I can confidently say that the concert was worth the wait.

Almost all 20,000 seats were full. The majority of the crowd (including myself) consisted of teenagers who were too young to even have seen MCR at their peak.

Before the main act came out, two other artists opened for them. The first of these was The Homeless Gospel Choir, a solo project of musician Derek Zanetti. With the accompaniment of a touring band, Zanetti sang a short but powerful setlist consisting of his greatest and newest songs.

Post-hardcore band Thursday was the second opener for MCR. Unlike the previous act, Thursday tended to stick to their older songs. Frontman Geoff Rickly not only had a great stage presence, but also continuously referenced MCR and how the two bands got started together back in the early 2000s, hyping the crowd up for the main act even more.

At 9:30, My Chemical Romance finally came onstage, opening with the only song released after their initial breakup: “The Foundations of Decay”. After this, the band dove into a well-balanced combination of hits and fan favorites.

My personal favorite parts of the show were all the deep cuts they played. There were three songs from their first album on the setlist, and even a few non-album tracks, but a large portion of the audience was still able to sing all of them word for word.

They catered to more casual fans as well, though. Another highlight of the show was when they played their biggest hit song, “Welcome to the Black Parade”. To my surprise, this song was played midway through the set, but was definitely one of my favorite parts. Even though it was played a bit lower than the album version, the vocals and instrumentals sounded just as great as they did fifteen years ago.

All four members looked to be genuinely enjoying themselves, too. Lead singer Gerard Way was dressed down in a floral shirt, and the other members also dressed casually despite going absolutely crazy with their instruments onstage. The audience, however, consisted of lots of dyed hair, jewelry, black clothes, and most of all, eyeliner.

I was in no way disappointed by the show MCR put on, and based on the amount of energy in the crowd, I think diehard and casual fans alike would agree with me.

A review of the ‘Vinyl’ trilogy

By: McKenzie Welch

Image taken from: goodreads.com

Many well known titles come from the dystopian genre, such as ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Divergent’. ‘Vinyl’, ‘Radio’, and ‘Siren’ by Sophia Elaine Hanson are a part of a self-published set of additions to this prevalent sector of novels. The ‘Vinyl’ series features action, adventure, romance, found family, and a critique on something that exists in the society that we live in today.

The ‘Vinyl’ trilogy takes place in a self-created world, featuring countries such as Revinia and Tovaire.

Hanson adds a creative twist to music, making it so that song is practically intertwined with the words on the pages of the novel. Essentially, the people of Revinia have earpieces, dubbed “singers”, that play music throughout all hours of the day and night. These monotonous pieces are meant to implement control over the citizens of the country.

Ronja Zipse, our main character, is a citizen who struggles greatly with her singer, mainly because she works so hard to resist the music playing in her head. The description of the world makes it seem very drab, as there is no individuality; everyone thinks the way that the conductor has decided is best.

Of course, most dystopian novels are not complete without a rebellion, and the Anthem (the name of the rebellion in the book) is a prevailing aspect throughout all three novels. The Belly, where the rebellious members of the Anthem live, is a place where people can forge friendships, find family, and make a life for themselves right underneath the people whose lives are continuously being stolen away by repetitive music notes.

I cannot connect to any type of media, whether it be shows, movies, or novels, if I am not connected to the characters. The main characters were well fleshed out in this trilogy. These characters were named Ronja, Roark, Henry, Evie, Iris, and Terra, and they all had their own traits, relationships, and backgrounds that made them who they were.

Because the characters were all so different, it was easy for me to find a character who I could see myself within, which I generally believe makes a book more interesting to read. That character for me was Iris, who was shy, sensitive, but also stronger than you would ever know just by looking at her. The characters also gave representation for the LGBTQ+ community, as there were multiple same-sex relationships between both background characters and main characters.

All in all, even if I could not directly connect to a character, I still found myself sympathetic towards them, which shows that Hanson created loveable characters that made the novel itself more enjoyable.

Overall, I ended up rating the book 3.5/5 stars. My reasoning for this is that, although I enjoyed the plot and the characters immensely, in my opinion, there were still areas that lacked. For example, there were relationships between characters that felt as though they were either underdeveloped or as though they were created out of convenience. I personally feel as though the relationships would not have been so lackluster if characters had been paired with others outside of their own circle of friends.

Also, there was the beginnings of a love triangle that never matured into anything more. If you’re going to add a trope into a book, be sure that it actually evolves into what it’s supposed to be.

Finally, the writing style was, at times, not captivating to me. Although there were some typos and mistakes, it was not bad by any means, especially when you take into consideration the fact that this book was self-published, but there were moments throughout my reading where I wasn’t able to keep my mind solely focused on the words on the page.

However, there were other times where the writing descriptions were extremely vivid and kept me enthralled in the story.

So, in the end, I believe that there are things to critique throughout the novels, but, if you like representative dystopian novels that implement new twists on things often perceived as mundane, I would recommend the ‘Vinyl’ series to you.

Apple reveals new iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods

By: Brogan Frey

On Wednesday, September 7th, 2022, Apple announced its new line of iPhones, the iPhone 14. There are 4 different versions of this new model, the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 14 Plus, and the iPhone Pro Max, each including new features not yet seen before.

Both the regular 14 and the Pro will give you the pick out of 5 different colors. Midnight, starlight, blue, purple, and red.

All of the phones are water resistant, and all have a “ceramic shield” that Apple says is tougher than any smartphone glass. Basically, your phone will come with a screen protector as a part of the screen. 

And yet again, like Apple usually does, the phones are bigger as well as better with this new line. The iPhone 14 and the 14 Pro are 6.1 inches in length, and the Pro Max and the 14 Plus are both 6.7, making these 2 the biggest phones that Apple has released to date.

Something else that was expected with these new phones is the extended battery life. On the iPhone 14 Plus, the battery can last for up to 26 hours, and it will last up to 20 hours on the regular iPhone 14. All the phones can wirelessly charge, and there is also something that Apple has recently introduced that will speed up wireless charging, called the MagSafe charger. 

A new feature introduced with these phones is something that Apple is calling an “e-SIM” card. This e-SIM card would replace the physical card normally seen in most cell phones. This card is a digital version of the regular SIM card, allowing users to store multiple e-SIM cards, cellular plans, and phone numbers on the same phone.

The iPhone 14 costs $799, the Plus is $899, the Pro is $999, and the Pro Max is $1099. 

Along with the new iPhones, Apple announced three new Apple Watches, and a new set of AirPods. 

The new Apple Watches consist of the Series 8, the SE, and the Ultra. The most advanced of the three is the Ultra model, which is designed to help users track endurance training, scuba diving adventures, and triathlons.

The battery on this model lasts about 36 hours on a single charge, and is more water resistant than the previous model. It also includes an enhanced compass that can work at night, in the ocean, and in many other conditions.

The watches vary in price from around $249 for the SE, $399 for the Series 8, and $799 for the Ultra.

All the watches are available to order now, with the SE and the Series 8 available in stores on September 16th, and the Ultra model available on September 23rd. 

And finally, the last release of this year’s Apple drop, the new AirPods Pro 2. These AirPods have 6 hours of listening time with a single charge, which is better than the original version, which could only play for 5 hours on a single charge.

Another feature is a sound to help you locate the case or each individual earbud if you lose them. They now come with improved noise canceling technology, which can cancel out double the noise of the original version.

The AirPods Pro 2 cost $249 and are available to order. 

For more information, please visit:

Player profile: Jacob Lutkauskus

By: Dylan Moore

At the beginning of the school year, some students feel they don’t have much to look forward to. Summer is ending, and the freedom that it brings seems to go with it.

One thing I can always look forward to is school football. This year, the football team seems special. Behind this seemingly special team is many players, including Jacob Lutkauskus. Last week, I got myself an exclusive interview with the wide receiver. Here’s what we talked about. 

Me: How do you feel you contribute to the team this season compared to other seasons?

JL: Since I’m older I have more of a leadership role. I’m in more of a position to be more involved in the locker room, and on the field. Now that I’m a full time starter I do a lot more all around. 

Me: Do you think the team has improved since last year?

JL: We are more disciplined. There’s no time to mess around in practice. There’s a culture where everyone sticks to the game plan and does what they’re told. No one on the team is really a “Me first” kinda guy. Like our motto says “Together we win.”

Me: Who do you think are the key players on the team?

JL:  Monaire Vaughn, he’s obviously very important. Melvin Mensah is our running back. He had a huge kick return touchdown against Kennedy. Benny Waud pretty much plays everywhere. Ishmael Powell had a big game against Johnson; he had 3 touchdowns. 

Me: Given your first 3 games, how do you feel about your team’s ability to win big games this season?

JL: I definitely think we have a big chance. We have a very strong work ethic, and are a lot better than previous seasons. We really feel this is our year; we have a lot of seniors. 

Me: How was your season opener?

JL: It went very well, we beat them by a lot. 32-0 is always a good way to start off the season

Me: How do you expect the Musket Game to go?

JL: We’re definitely gonna beat Central. It might be close; we’re close in skill. We are almost identical in the rankings, but I think we’ll win. We usually do. 

As you can see by this interview, Jacob is extremely confident in his and his team’s abilities this season. I for one am very excited to see what they will do this year. GO SCOTS!!!

Update: As predicted, the Scots won the Musket Game and it was close. Jacob had a huge catch late in the 4th to help secure the 17-14 comeback victory.