| ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 3 | |||
| MONDAY | NOVEMBER 28 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 29 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Girls Hockey vs. Visitation | WSP Ice Arena | |
| WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 30 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 3:45pm / 4:00pm | 2:10pm / 5:15pm | Nordic Ski Meet | Elm Creek Reserve |
| THURSDAY | DECEMBER 1 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| FRIDAY | DECEMBER 2 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 5:30pm / 7:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. St. Croix Prep | HOME | |
| SATURDAY | DECEMBER 3 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 9:00am | 6:30am / 3:00pm | Wrestling Invitational | Fridley High School |
| 1:00pm / 3:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Rochester Lourdes | HOME |
Monthly Archives: November 2022
‘Juno’ review
By: Emilia Moberg
*Warning: Spoilers and mentions of abortion*
‘Juno’ is a 2007 film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. It centers around 16-year-old Juno, played by Elliot Page, as she navigates being pregnant and adoption, on top of normal teen experiences and struggles.
The film begins with Juno taking multiple pregnancy tests, which all come back positive. She decides to get an abortion. However, before entering the abortion clinic, Juno runs into her classmate, Su-Chin, who is protesting against abortion outside the building. The girls discuss a school assignment, and just before Juno enters the clinic, Su-Chin tells her that “her baby probably has fingernails!” Once inside, all Juno can focus on is the other patient’s fingernails. This deters her from getting the abortion and she decides to put the baby up for adoption.
I find this scene really important to understanding the meaning behind the film. Many critics have tried to claim the film as “anti-abortion” because of this scene, however writer Diablo Cody has firmly stated that she is pro-choice and that anti-abortion was not the message she was trying to convey through her writing. I agree with this and believe that Cody was trying to illustrate the juxtaposition of naivety and confidence that comes with young age. Juno did not choose to go through with the pregnancy because she thought abortion was morally wrong. It’s more plausible that she was unnerved by the thought of a baby having fingernails, as a 16-year-old might logically be. Juno felt empowered to get the abortion initially, but changed her mind over a small detail that may or may not be true. The movie does an excellent job of creating scenes that feel stylized, yet realistic to the teen experience, and bring the watcher into the Juno’s life.
Despite critics, the majority of reactions to the film were overwhelmingly positive. It received an Oscar for Best Writing of an Original Screenplay, as well as 89 other film awards and 100 nominations. ‘Juno’ timelessly captures the essence of being a teenager and the complexities that come with it.
Takis vs. Hot Cheetos
By: Manny Ochoa-Reeve
If you ask any students at the school you will most likely see that everyone likes some sort of spicy chips. The two main competitors are Hot Cheetos and Takis. Hot Cheetos are a puffy, crunchy, spicy chip. Takis are Mexican rolled tortilla chips with spicy lime powder. Personally, I love both.
If I had to pick between hot Cheetos and Takis I would definitely choose Hot Cheetos. I really like Hot Cheetos because of the texture you get through the crunchiness. I also really like the thick powder of Takis that packs a lot of flavor. For me, both are really good but Cheetos takes the win.
Something really cool about Cheetos is there’s lots of different flavor options. Around the world there are lots of different Cheetos flavors, for example: ketchup, pizza, extra hot, peanut, and a lot more. Takis have a couple flavor options like fajitas and guacamole but that’s about it. Cheetos have lots of different flavors so that it doesn’t get boring.
I asked two students here at Highland if they like Hot Cheetos or Takis better and they had different answers.
The first student said Hot Cheetos are better because Takis get bland and Hot Cheetos have more powder on them. T
he second student said they like Takis better because of the spicy, limey flavor.
If you ask everybody which one’s better, then you’ll see there will be different responses because the two chips are very different.
One of the biggest parts of evaluating these chips is the spice. I feel like Takis give you the spice right away, as soon as you take your first bite. Hot Cheetos are the opposite: they get spicier over time and as you eat them. This definitely depends on your spice tolerance.
Hot Cheetos and Takis both have a lot of similarities and differences. If you’re looking for something with more spice, and less texture, you should go for Takis. If you’re looking for something with more powder, and more texture, then Hot Cheetos are for you. Both taste really good, and I am always craving one or the other because of their differences and similarities.
A review on ‘Enola Holmes 2’
By: McKenzie Welch
*Warning: Contains some spoilers*
Many people have heard the name Sherlock Holmes, but have you heard of Enola?
Enola, alone spelled backwards, is a display of what it’s like to live in someone’s shadow, especially when you have the same aspirations. Enola Holmes wants to be a detective, just like her brother, but somehow she always finds herself twisted up in cases much bigger than either she or Sherlock could have ever imagined.
‘Enola Holmes 2’ follows Enola as she navigates through starting her own business, the idea of loving someone else, and a case that continuously involves her in dangerous situations.
Life is hard, but life as a woman in 1885 is harder. Enola is perpetually looked down upon, especially in a detective setting, for both her age and her gender. As she tries to get her business off of the ground, it seems as though the people around her are using all of their force to push her down deeper. It isn’t until she finds a pro bono case for a young girl named Bessie that Enola finds herself with some work to do.
A case of a missing woman turns into a murdersome, blackmail-filled catastrophe quicker than the blink of an eye. Sarah Chapman, who is fighting for the lives of many girls working in a match factory, is missing. But who else is involved?
It isn’t long before it’s clear that Sherlock and Enola’s cases are intertwined. Again. Whilst neither of them are quite happy about the scenario, they do make a good team, and the pair result in plenty of humor-filled moments.
Whilst I won’t spoil the ending of the movie, I will say that it’s quite unexpected. The layout of the film makes it so viewers are practically detectives themselves, working alongside Enola to solve the case.
This movie has both romantic and humorful moments, but the true genre is action. There are many escape scenes, fight scenes, and more that kept me completely enthralled. Despite the main focus being action, there are many important themes that present themselves throughout the film, like being yourself and standing up for what you believe in.
The film was also somewhat based on a true story, as there was a real Sarah Chapman who stood up for the girls who were working and dying in a match factory due to the cheaper phosphorus the factory’s owners had decided to start using. This gave representation for the women working in the factory, and displayed the mistreatment of women in the nineteenth century.
All in all, I gave ‘Enola Holmes 2’ a rating of 4.5/5 stars. I greatly enjoyed the fact that, despite being action, the movie contained moments that were tender and based around family and friendships, which are two things that I find extremely important. Also, I was intrigued by the movie and its happenings the entire time I was watching.
My only critique was that some of the plot twists were fairly easy to decipher as long as you were paying attention, which can make the movie slightly less entertaining, but it was nothing too extreme as to deter me from finishing the movie.
I believe that if you enjoy action movies with moments of romance, comedy, and friendly banter, you should give this movie a try.
You can watch ‘Enola Holmes 2’ on Netflix.
‘The 5th Wave’
By:Leticia bugg-Sam
Plot
‘The 5th Wave’ is an action movie that follows a girl trying to survive and find her remaining family. Four waves of increasingly deadly alien attacks have left most of earth in ruin. Cassie is on the run desperately trying to save her younger brother Sam.
The human race stands on the edge of extinction as the aliens attacks the planet, causing earthquakes, tsunamis, and disease. About half the population didn’t make it through these disasters.
Separated from her family, a teenager named Cassie Sullivan will do anything to reunite with her brother. While she was trying to reunite with her brother, during her journey, she runs into a guy named Evan Walker; a mysterious young man who may be her last hope. They forced each other to trust each other. During her journey, they fall in love with each other and together they fight for survival and against the fifth assault from the invaders.
Cassie Sullivan the Ohio high-schooler armed with an M4 carbine, meets Evan when she emerges from the woods and sees an abandoned gas station. She decides to raid the gas station for food. In the gas station she hears another person and she goes and checks, and the person she sees in there is a wounded man. That man is Evan.
I liked the movie. There was a lot of action, it went fast, and there was also some good suspense. Overall, I would give this movie 7/10.
‘The 5th Wave’ is based on the book by Rick Yancey, and you can watch it on Hulu.
How is it fair that teachers had to be in school during the digital learning day on Election day?
By: Grace Blumer-Lamotte
On Tuesday, November 8th, 2022, there was an election for the new governor of Minnesota. The results came in the same night, Governor Tim Walz was elected again for the governor of Minnesota.
On that Tuesday, all Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) had a digital learning day. According to the SPPS website, “A Digital Learning/E-learning Day is where students will be able to access work in Schoology during asynchronous time. During synchronous time, staff are available to assist and support students learning via Google Meet.”
The schedule for the day was a B day. Period 1 was from 8:30am-9am, period 2 was 9:05am-9:35am, period 3 was 9:40am-10:10am, period 4 was 10:15-10:45am. Teacher’s office hours were from 11am-12pm. During that time period, 8:30am-12pm, teachers and students were to be on the Google Meets.
Students were able to sit in the comfort of their own home, while teachers needed to be in the school that they work at.
From a student’s perspective, I think this is unfair for the teachers. They deserve a day off; they work very hard educating their students. I also think that they would feel more relaxed in the comfort of their own home.
I interviewed a teacher from a SPPS school, another student from SPPS, and a parent of a student at SPPS. I asked them these questions:
How did you think the digital learning day went?
Do you think it’s unfair that teachers had to go to school for the digital learning day? Explain?
I asked only the SPPS teacher this question:
Would you have felt more comfortable in your home compared to the school on the digital learning day?
I asked just the SPPS student and parent this question:
Do you feel that teachers would’ve felt more comfortable in their own home on digital learning day? Explain?
The SPPS teacher responded to the first question saying, “I think the digital learning day went pretty well. It was a bit hectic trying to get to all of my classes with only a 5 minute break, but I managed.”
They replied to the second question saying, “I don’t think it’s necessarily unfair that us, teachers, had to go to school for the day. I would’ve enjoyed showing my pets and kids to my students during the Google meet, which is a little upsetting I wasn’t able too, but it’s okay.”
They answered the third question saying, “I personally would’ve felt more comfortable and relaxed at my own house on that day. But again, it was not my choice to make. One thing I would like to mention is that it was difficult to get to my voting place, the one closest to my house, because I live fairly far away from the school.”
A student from SPPS responded to the first question saying, “I didn’t like the digital learning day personally just because I get work done better inside the school environment.”
They replied to the second question saying, “I would only think it’s unfair for the teachers to go to school that day if they didn’t vote already, or they didn’t have the chance because of the location.”
They answered the third question saying, “To a certain extent I do feel that the teachers would’ve felt more comfortable in their home on that day, but I think most of their materials are at school.”
A parent of students from SPPS responded to the first question saying, “For my 2 kids, I feel like the digital learning day went fine. I think my kids are more engaged with in-person learning. Ultimately I support the day of digital learning if it allows more adults to participate in the election.”
They replied to the second question saying, “Yes I think it’s unfair that the teachers had to go to the school, for two reasons. Number one, if students can learn remotely then educators have the ability to teach remotely. Number two, I think our country should make election day a national holiday to free up all workers to more easily vote.”
They answered the third question saying, “Yes, I feel that teachers would’ve felt more comfortable teaching from their own home because, teachers are professionals we should trust them to know what they need to do to educate our children.”
Highland Park MTB team
By: Toby Martin-Kohls
The Highland Park Mountain Bike team ended its season at the State Championships at Redhead Mountain Bike Park in Chisholm, MN on October 16. It was the most significant and final race of the five-race 2022 season. Highland had 8 high schoolers racing across four different categories. Karl Haaland and Toby Martin-Kohls were the lone Varsity riders for Highland, while Josh Thompson raced JV3. Liam Hefferan, August Johnson, and Benji Brunner raced JV2, and Theo Miller and Trevor Kristjanson raced Freshman. Minnesota has a high school league for mountain biking, the Minnesota Cycling Association, that is not affiliated with MSHSL.
There are a few differences between racing in the Minnesota Cycling Association and a typical MSHSL sport. There are still Varsity and Junior Varsity athletes, but there is no limit to how many can race in a category. For team scoring, high schools with a larger team are in Division 1, while smaller schools are in Division 2.
Also, unlike some MSHSL sports, there are many more categories for athletes to race under. Everyone who wants to race gets to race, regardless of ability. Because of this, the Minnesota Cycling Association has seven categories of races. Races are also separated by gender. 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, Freshman, JV2, JV3, and Varsity. Racers are put into the appropriate category by age and racing experience.
Mountain Biking is a great way to get outside and improve your fitness. The Highland Park team officially practices 2-3 times a week, starting at the beginning of July and ending in mid-October. The first races are usually in late August and run until mid-October. Like other Highland teams, we practice with the Saint Paul Composite Mountain Biking team (SPY MTB). However, we race as different teams.
Practices are usually around 2hrs long. On Tuesdays, the team meets at Hidden Falls for a road ride. On Thursdays, we meet at various trails around the Twin Cities
There is no obligation to race, many people join the team just to have fun biking the outdoors with a great community.
Below is an interview with Karl Haaland, who is a Junior, and races at the Varsity level.
Q: Why did you decide to join the Mountain Biking Team?
A: Because my dad had started coaching, and I wanted to try something new.
Q: What is your favorite part about being on the team?
A: Being able to bike with friends and be able to compete against others from all around the state.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering joining the team?
A: You should join it, you don’t have to race if you don’t want to but it is not stressful at all.
Q: What is your favorite trail in the Twin Cities?
A: Lebanon Hills in Eagan.
Q: If you had unlimited money what bike would you buy?
The Trek Supercaliber 9.9 XX1
UFC 281 recap: Better than 280?
By: Dylan Moore
(*NOTE: prelims not included*)
Following the card of the year that was UFC 280, I was one of many people that had to remind myself that not every card could be that exciting top to bottom. In saying that, I was one of many people who was shocked to see the fights of 281 (which we’re overall less high-profile) matching and even surpassing the far more anticipated 280 card.
Dan Hooker vs Claudio Puelles: In this fight, an up and comer in Claudio Puelles (13-3) looked to prove himself against Dan Hooker (22-12). Throughout his respected career, Dan Hooker has had electrifying fights in which his toughness and ability to go to war with a fighter of any caliber has been put on display. Coming into this fight, Dan had lost 3 of his last 4, losing against very difficult opposition like Islam Makachev and Michael Chandler, and was looking to bounce back. He did just that. Puelles was dominated from start to finish, looking to go to the ground all throughout the fight against a lethal opponent. In the second round, Dan Hooker showed why he is so respected with a KO/TKO stoppage.
Frankie Edgar vs Chris Gutierrez: The storyline behind this fight was a young contender looking to prove himself against a legend of the sport in his final fight. Frankie Edgar, a former champion and 15 year veteran of his sport, announced that this would be his last fight. Gutierrez looked to use the notoriety of a fighter like Edgar to make himself more known as a contender in the Bantamweight division. In the first round, Gutierrez scored a highlight reel KO, which knocked Edgar out cold. A sad way to go out for sure, but a very very impressive display from Chris Gutierrez, slightly overshadowed by his opponent’s retirement.
Michael Chandler vs Dustin Porier: 2 heavily respected and battle hardened lightweight contenders in Michael Chandler (23-8-0) and Dustin Porier (29-7-0, 1NC) duked it out. The first round of this fight was one of the best rounds of a fight seen in a long long time. It showed the versatility and toughness of both fighters. Following a second round that showed that they still had plenty of gas in the tank, Porier got in control of Chandler on the ground and didn’t look back. Porier submitted Chandler on the ground in round 3, and both fighters faces we’re bloodied up from this short-lived war of a fight. Me, along with many other fans, are very excited to see what comes next from both of these fighters.
Carla Esparza vs Weili Zhang: In the co-main event, the women’s Strawweight title was on the line. Carla Esparza (20-7-0) fought Weili Zhang (23-3-0). While Zhang was seen as a scary contender with an outside shot to win the title, most had confidence in Esparza to keep this title. With that being said, Weili Zhang took it to Esparza and stripped her of her title via a submission early in round 2. This performance put Zhang on the map, giving her much deserved respect in the mainstream MMA world.
Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira: The dominance of Israel Adesanya in the Middleweight dividsion cannot be understated. He defeated all of the contenders in his division in such convincing fashion, his next opponent was the relatively unproven Alex Pereira (6-1 coming into the fight). The reason the champ fought such an unproven fighter was because these 2 had some history. The last time Adesanya lost in his actual weight class was back when he did kickboxing, and guess who he lost to? Pereira. Twice. Once Pereira took up MMA, he beat his opposition in convincing enough fashion that the UFC fast-tracked him to a title shot, to test the seemingly invincible Adesanya. Throughout the first 4 rounds, it was a back and fourth fight, with Adesanya seemingly having the upper hand. Towards the very end of the round, Adesanya had a huge knockdown, in which Pereira was saved by the bell. In the fifth round, Pereira used his control of positioning to his advantage, backing Israel down before landing a series of punches that lead to a stoppage, shockingly giving Pereiera the title and third victory over Adesanya. Their is a lot of controversy over the nature of the stoppage, many fans thinking it came too early.
Of the 5 events on the main 281 card, all of them lived up to expectations and then some, each fight bringing its own unique storyline and traits to the table. Full of controversies, battles, and shock victories of an all-time caliber, UFC 281 was a great card, and rivals 280 in the actual fights it produced, despite receiving far less media attention and hype then its predecessor.
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’: The television series and what we know so far
By: Julia Sikorski
*Warning: Minor spoilers
On May 14, 2022, Rick Riordan officially announced that a long-awaited television series adaptation was in the works for the beloved ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians.’ Produced by Disney, season one will cover the events of ‘The Lightning Thief.’
This will not be the first Riordan adaptation. Fox released two ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ movies in 2010 and 2013, but the changed plot lines and aged characters failed to satisfy fans. Since then, readers have clamored for a book-accurate adaptation to give the stories what they deserve.
For those unaware, ‘The Lightning Thief’ was originally written in 2005 by Rick Riordan as the first installment of the ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ books. The five-book series launched Riordan’s highly successful career.
‘The Lightning Thief’ follows twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, who has spent his whole life trying to be a “good” kid. Despite his efforts, however, something has always gone wrong. Shuffled from school to school, he has never lasted at any of them for more than a year. It doesn’t help that his stepfather, Gabe, is abusive towards Percy and his mom, Sally Jackson. Percy never knew his birth father.
When—yet again—Percy works himself in an unexplainable situation at his current boarding school, it seems to be the final domino in an invisible row. Sally tells Percy that it’s time he went to the one place he’ll be truly safe: summer camp. Percy finds this an odd decision. But Camp Half Blood is no ordinary summer camp.
Percy soon finds himself at the heart of events that can be traced back centuries…to Ancient Greece. The gods are still very much alive, and they are angry. With the help of both new friends and old, the responsibility for setting wrongs right falls on Percy’s shoulders. He just has to hope that he isn’t too late.
After several exciting updates, including an open casting call and reassuring confirmations that the writing was going well, Rick Riordan announced who our main hero would be played by. Walker Scobell—who played young Adam in ‘The Adam Project’— joined production on April 11, 2022. Scobell’s casting was followed by those of Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood).
Since then, the cast has expanded to include Virginia Kull (Sally Jackson), Jason Mantzoukas (Mr. D), Megan Mullally (Mrs. Dobbs), Glynn Turman (Chiron), Timm Sharp (Gabe Ugliano), Olivea Morton (Nancy Bobofit), Dior Goodjohn (Clarisse LaRue), Charlie Bushnell (Luke Castellan), Jessica Parker Kennedy (Medusa), Suzanne Cryer (Echidna), Adam Copeland (Ares), and most recently, Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hermes).
Rick Riordan revealed on June 28, 2022, that the show will be of exceptional technical quality. As stated on his website, “[the show has] partnered with Industrial Light and Magic to build a new Volume stage […] one of the most advanced production stages in the world.” Viewers can likely look forward to fantastical visual effects, costumes, and sound design.
Overall, Riordan seems to be pleased with the shape that the television series is taking. He and his wife, Becky, are both producers, and Riordan has expressed that the production team as a whole is “A group that knows the books, understands the importance of making longtime (and brand new) readers happy, but also making a show that feels fresh and surprising in the best ways.”
Filming is currently taking place in Vancouver, Canada and is expected to run through mid-January, with an uncertain release date of early 2024. Season one will consist of eight episodes.
There are high hopes all around for this television series, and I look forward to seeing whether they will be met. Until ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ is released, you can watch Disney’s teaser for the show on YouTube, linked below.
For more information, please visit:
The 2022 US Midterm Elections: Expectations vs. Turnout
By Erin Moore
On Tuesday, November 8th, 2022, the US Midterm Elections took place. How did it go and how did those results compare to what was expected to occur? This article is here to explain just that.
Before I begin, I will note that all the information in this article was gathered from multiple sources from each side (the exact numbers used agreed upon by both Fox News and the New York Times), thus is verified information and holds no bias.
This year, the elections held were mainly for senators, representatives, and governors. Around 86% of the combined number of seats were up for election this year.
Prior to the election, the Senate had a 50-50 split between democrats and republicans. However, the Vice President breaks any voting ties within the Senate, and the current Vice President is democrat Kamala Harris. This number gave democrats a very narrow majority since the last elections were held for (some) Senate seats during the 2020 election.
The House of Representatives also had a narrow democratic majority, with 222 democratic-held seats and 213 republicans, meaning around 51% of the House of Representatives was democrats following the 2020 election.
Additionally, the president elected in the 2020 elections was a democrat (Joe Biden). This means that from 2020 following the election to 2022 prior to the election, the Senate had a slim democratic majority, the House of Representatives also had a slim democratic majority, and there was a democrat in office.
However, the 2022 midterms looked bad for democrats for two main reasons: party in power and redistricting.
The first is significantly more simple: whichever party holds office typically loses a large amount of their seats. Since the current president of the United States is a democrat, they were projected to lose several seats in these midterms simply because of the party Joe Biden is a part of.
The second, redistricting, is more complex. Redistricting typically takes place after a census, and it is exactly what it sounds like: the border lines for districts are changed, which typically benefits one of the two major parties.
The most recent redistricting affected both parties. New Mexico, Illinois, Nevada, and Oregon’s districts were drawn in a way that benefited democrats. However, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, and Florida’s districts were beneficiary for republicans.
When asked who redistricting would affect more in an interview with NPR, Michael Li, redistricting expert, said, “Republicans have an advantage that I think will play out.”
However, democrats greatly overperformed expectations in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
In the Senate, democrats won the majority with 50-49 seats. Georgia will hold a runoff election later, which will determine whether the seats are 50-50 with the vice president as the tiebreaker or 51-49. Either way, the democrats will hold their Senate majority for at least the next two years.
However, in the House, the republicans have taken control with 218 seats called by various sources and 210 for democrats, with 218 seats needed for control.
Of the thirty-six governor elections and thirty-four called races, each party has seventeen governors. In Minnesota, our governor will remain Tim Walz, another democrat.
All in all, the election did not go as expected, and is going fairly well for both parties, with democrats coming out a bit better currently. However, there are still races left to be called.
Want to learn more? Visit the following websites:
Plaid Line + PRIZM + Scottie News 