Yearly Archives: 2022

Editorials/Student Voice, Travel/Food

What are GMOs and how do they affect us?

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By: Haroon Yonis

GMO is an acronym for “genetically modified organisms”, a term exclusively meant for foods that have been modified in some way, shape, or form genetically. GMOs were first introduced to the public in 1994, when a tomato was genetically modified so that it would become ripe quicker than its natural counterpart. Seeing this as a cost efficient way to “save” foods and crops, and as a result increase their profits, many companies began using GMOs.

Today, GMOs are used in practically every packaged food, whether it be cereal, fruits, or vegetables, GMOs are now so widespread that it is almost impossible to avoid the term on your favorite food/drink.

The main purpose of GMOs is that it makes it easier to deal with pesky things that would usually destroy an individual’s crops, such as the environment, insects/animals, and much more. You can liken GMOs to pesticides or herbicides, except much more effective on a larger scale. It is undeniable that GMOs have widened the farming industry and completely changed the way many grow their crops. 

But what do GMOs mean for the consumer, the individual actually consuming this product?

There is  an abundance of health related issues typically associated with GMOs, and this shouldn’t be surprising considering you’re modifying the crop from its original, natural state. Firstly, a chemical that is commonly found in GMOs, “glycophosphate ”, has been linked to a plethora of cancers, like prostrate, and other diseases. 

But, we must realize that GMOs are a relatively new thing in the food industry, and as the FDA continues to improve health regulations surrounding it, hopefully the chemicals used in these GMOs will no longer be harmful to the human body. Even WebMD states that the American Medical Association has stated that there have been no reports of GMOs negatively affecting the body.

Ultimately, it’s your choice whether or not you decide to consume GMOs, and as we continue to discover more about GMOs , keep in mind that even cigarettes were considered healthy at one point.

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National

Purple heroin and the dangers associated with it

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By: Abdihakim Mohamoud

Purple heroin is an illegal drug that is a combination of heroin, carfentanil, brorphine, and fentanyl. Purple heroin is especially dangerous because of the last two ingredients, brorphine and fentanyl, which can cause overdoses quickly.

The name purple heroin comes from the drug’s purple color, and it is a compact tablet which looks similar to fancy chocolate. After an unnamed person died in Van Buren County, Michigan, with a connection to the deadly drug, police in the region have been on high alert.

Someone who is overdosing on purple heroin can have a number of symptoms which are similar to other overdose situations. Confusion, difficulty staying alert, and blue nails or lips are some common symptoms of a purple heroin overdose.

Purple heroin is a psychoactive drug, meaning that it alters brain activity, and can change perception, mood, behavior, and consciousness. This drug acts as a depressant on the central nervous system, which is similar to other opioid drugs.

One of the main meeting points for the selling of the drugs are malls and colleges, and police are keeping a keen eye on these places. Raids are also being conducted to further stop the selling of this incredibly dangerous drug.

However, there are some drugs such as Narcan and Naloxone that can be used to reverse an overdose, and save one’s life. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, around 78% of drug overdose deaths involved at least one opioid in 2018, and 2,011 deaths in total.

“Parents should be very cautious if they come across any chemicals or anything suspicious looking. Reach out and contact our office and we will send someone out to look at it,” said Van Buren County Undersheriff Kevin Conklin.

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Getting To Know/History

The causes of World War l

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By: Ella Sutherland and Lauren Kottke

There were many causes to World War I that had both short term and long term effects on countries. The immediate cause of World War I was the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He was assassinated on June 28, 1914. He was killed by a Serbian terrorist group that wanted Bosnia to be free of Austria-Hungary. The group went by the name of the Black Hand. The society was formed in 1911 and led by Col. Dragutin Dimitrijević. The group was formed in Belgrade and they were known to fight for liberation through terrorist acts. In Serbia, they dominated the government by terrorizing officials. Over time, they became so big and powerful they challenged the government’s authority. Although this was the immediate cause, there were many other causes that pushed for World War I.

One other cause of World War I was nationalism. Nationalism is a country showing extreme pride for their country, and often putting their own country first in war. Nationalism fueled the war by pushing countries to want to win even more. All of the countries involved in World War I believed that they were the best and deserved to win. During the war to push nationalism on civilians, they used propaganda posters. They had sayings that would tell people it was their duty to fight for their country, and often they would target the fathers of a household because they were the ones expected to fight in the war.

Another cause of World War I was imperialism. Imperialism is expanding the region of land with the power of the military. The main goal of imperialism was getting land and also resources. Those resources included coal, wood, and cotton. Imperialism caused countries to fight over land. As the countries invaded other regions of the world, they also invaded native peoples’ land. Many times this was called colonization. When they would invade they would also hurt the native people. They would make them practice their religion and change their overall way of living. This changed many countries for the future.

The third cause of World War I was alliances. An alliance is an agreement to help a country if they, or yours, are in danger. Many countries set up alliances in case of a war. When Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, it caused other countries to get involved. There were two alliance groups during World War I. The first was the central powers that included: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman power. The allies included: France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States. If it weren’t for the alliances, the war would have been much smaller. Many of the countries wouldn’t have a reason for getting involved in the war.

The last cause of the war was militarism. Militarism is upping supplies to compete with other countries. As the countries try to win more and more, they need to up their resources like weapons. It’s a chain effect because if one country ups their supplies, other countries will do the same. Countries spent great amounts of money for their military during the war. The allies spent $147 billion and the central powers spent $61 billion. Militarism also affected the economies at home because of the demand for supplies. Factories at home were at an all time demand and use. Because the men were off in war, it led to women entering the workforce.

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Events

Spring celebrations: India and Europe

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By: Ava Bleifuss

Spring is known for bringing in new life. It has the smell of fresh flowers and sounds of chirping birds. Spring can occur during different times of the year depending on the location of the country. There are many different ways that people celebrate spring. Two of the many festivals are Holi and May Day. 

Holi is a spring festival that is celebrated in India. In 2023, it will be celebrated on March 8. It is also known as the festival of color and is celebrated over two days. It is based on Hindu mythology, telling the story of Lord Vishnu and the triumph over the evil king.

Holi is a celebration of spring, family, and friendship. People gather in streets to splash colored powder on each other with colored water. Each color has its own meaning: red symbolizes love and fertility, yellow is the color for turmeric and is a natural remedy that is used in India, blue symbolizes the Hindu god Krishna, and green symbolizes new and fresh beginnings.

Families decorate their homes and share delicious treats with each other. Foods that are commonly eaten during Holi are: thandai, dahi bhalle, puran poli, malpua, rasmalai, badan phirni, coconut milk murukku, and bhang pakora. 

May Day is celebrated on May 1st, right before the beginning of summer. This holiday is a celebration of ancient origins. It started in Roman Britain where soldiers danced around decorated trees to celebrate the coming of spring while thanking their goddess, Flora. Flora is the goddess of flowering plants, and bringing in new life. She is often correlated with being the goddess of the budding of youth.

The Maypole dance is usually done during the celebration of May Day. There is a pole in the middle with colorful bright ribbons that people hold on to when they dance. When the dance is done correctly, the ribbons create a beautiful pattern around the pole. After they do the dance the other way, they undo the ribbons around the pole which symbolizes the longer days as summer approaches.

There are different ways to celebrate May Day. In Austria and Germany, the pole is painted with blue and white stripes and is put in the middle of a village. This is then followed by a procession. Another tradition is that people try to climb to the top of the Maypole. 

Spring connects the end of hibernation to the beginning of growth and summer. People around the world all celebrate this wonderful season in many different ways. Regardless of where people live, festivals and celebrations of spring are something that everyone has in common.

Editorials/Student Voice, School Life

Boat Dance

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By: Carla Tizcareno

The Boat Dance this weekend wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. Last weekend, Highland Park Senior High hosted a Boat Dance for any high school student that had the chance to buy a ticket for $20-25 during either lunch.

That Friday, it was pretty chilly, but most of the students were wearing shorts or summer dresses. A lot of people didn’t dress very interestingly. It was mostly jean jackets and khakis. There were a few people that showed up in gorgeous dresses and dress shirts like it was prom.

It was made clear that the boat departed at 7pm but it didn’t end up leaving until about 7:30. By 6:50, the lines were super long so it took a while to board the boat.

After departing, the karaoke in the back of the boat began. People grabbed their friends and sang songs by Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and even some Disney songs came up. The karaoke side definitely wasn’t as popular as the front of the boat, where there was a DJ and tons of lights. People were jumping along to the music and shaking the whole boat.

There were some students on the top level of the boat that were throwing chairs overboard. Other than the chairs being thrown, the top level and middle of the boat was pretty calm.

There were two spots to buy snacks and drinks. There were candy bars, nachos and cheese, chips, and Pepsi products. Thank god the water was free because I wouldn’t have survived the night without it.

After a few hours of cold lake air, dancing, singing, and musty teenagers jumping around aimlessly we got back to shore. The DJ played some closing songs as we all got off the boat. People loved stopping at the middle of the sidewalk causing a lot of hold ups.

The parking situation was even worse. There were cars stopping randomly in the lot and in the street to pick up some other students. It took me 20 minutes to even get out of the parking lot. Everyone was pretty much gone by 11pm. Overall, the dance wasn’t all that great in my opinion, but a lot of the underclassmen really enjoyed it. I truly felt like the night was cut short. Was it worth $25? Meh, not really.

National

America’s fastest growing cities

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By: Caelyn Hippen

Cities all over the world are rapidly growing, and most populations live in urban areas. 80% of Americans live in urban areas, and 55% of the entire world’s population live in urban areas. This number is already large, but that percentage is expected to increase to 68% by 2050.

Big cities and urban areas are becoming more popular because big cities have bigger, and more, job opportunities overall. The more jobs offer a higher pay.

Another pro to a big city is that there are better schools and more opportunities for a better education. Better schools are more often found in big cities with better and more qualified teachers, and better opportunities for students.

There are 3 main factors to a city’s success and growth.

  1. Transportation and housing supply – the more available houses there are, the more people there will be that move in. Then, depending on the availability of parking, people will want easy access to transportation to get to work.
  2. Amenities – specifically natural resources. People want to live in a city that is industrial and modernized, but people also want a place to go to relax and enjoy the outdoors. An example of this is in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a huge city that has many different types of homes, restaurants, transportations, etc. But then, you see Vondel park. Vondelpark is a 120 acre park that has ponds, food, walking and biking trails, and a lot of flowers and trees. It is a great place to relax in such a big city.
  3. The 3rd and final factor is education – I talked about education before, but like I said, parents want the best for their children. Having good schools near their new home or their job is very important and could decide on what city people live in completely.

According to Worldpopulationreview.com, Phoenix, Arizona is the fastest growing city in the USA (as of 2020). In a one year period, the population in Phoenix grew by 25,000 people, compared to the other fast growing cities of the year, which only grew by 10,000 people.

Between 2012 and 2017, Seattle was the fastest growing city, with a population increase of 14.2%, followed by Austin, Fort Worth, and Miami.

For more information on the growing cities of America, please visit:

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘(500) Days of Summer’ movie review

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By: Eva Olson

‘(500) Days of Summer’ is a romance/comedy movie starring Zoe Deschanel as Summer and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom Hansen. This movie follows the story of Tom and his relationship with Summer over 500 days.

This movie was very interesting because it would go back and forth between different days of their relationship out of order. One minute of the movie could be a day after they broke up, then the next it could be pre-break up. This really kept me on my toes throughout the whole movie and made it extremely intriguing.

I enjoyed how the film wasn’t a typical romance/comedy movie and it had a kind of sad feel to it. It was cool to watch Tom’s journey in getting over Summer and realizing that some people aren’t meant to be.

I loved the soundtrack of this movie. I really liked how they met in the elevator because Summer was playing The Smiths. I also found the scene where Tom was dancing to “You Make My Dreams” by Daryl Hall & John Oates amusing, especially when the cameo of Harrison Ford as Han Solo showed up in the car window.

The characters were all very complex and layered. I could relate to almost every character through their personalities or their actions. I liked how each character had their flaws and wasn’t perfect; this made them feel more real.

I thought the costumes were all well done. They all fit the characters and suited their personalities very well. I really enjoyed the setting too, and the fact that it was in Los Angeles was interesting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. It was well done and I found the storyline very intriguing. I would give it a 5/5 star rating. You can watch this on Amazon Prime Video.

Tech/Games

Elon Musk’s quarrels with Big Tech

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By: Liibaan Yusuf

Early, April 2022, Elon Musk, tech mogul and pop culture superstar made a bold claim: he wanted to buy Twitter. But before we go into that you have to understand a few things.

Twitter is a public company, and public companies are different from the traditional idea of a brand or company. Instead of the original creator, or a mom and pop type business, public companies are owned by shareholders, each shareholder owning a certain percentage of the company, making it impossible for one person to own. Typically, the largest shareholders, usually those above 5%, come together as a board and are let in on company secrets adding their two cents in.

Musk attempted to purchase Twitter, becoming the largest shareholder, by buying everyone else’s shares. It would cost him approximately 44 billion dollars putting each individual share at 55 dollars. Musk, a name commonly associated with billionaires, planned to purchase Twitter through a quick fire sell off of Tesla stock, as he is the biggest shareholder in his own company, Tesla. He sold 9.2 million shares equaling about 8.2 billion US dollars. A large sale of stock leads to a depreciation of the market, and $TSLA fell 12% the following day.

After almost a month of deliberation, Twitter had accepted Musk’s offer on the 25th of April. Musk has been very vocal about taking Twitter off the public market. After Musk’s generous offer, about 1.5 times Twitters’ actual market cap, investors and finance analysts say Musk isn’t looking to make money on Twitter. As an established businessman and billionaire, it seems as if Musk is doing this for fun? As of, Wednesday, May 18th, there has been many moments of speculation of whether the deal will be called off or if it will go through.

Travel/Food

Is organic actually healthier?

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By: Ashley Harris

Organic. Organic is defined by many as the healthiest option in the grocery store, but is it really as healthy as it may seem?

To start things off, you might be wondering what exactly organic is? Well, organic is when either produce, or certain ingredients, are farmed and produced without the use of unnecessary chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or any artificial chemicals.

Of course, when you read this, you might think “Huh, organic does seem healthier.” However, that isn’t always the case.

Organic is only supplemental in certain foods such as spinach, green peas, apples, peaches, and many more. The general rule is that if a fruit or vegetable has a thick layer of skin protecting it (such as avocados, bananas, and oranges) there is no need to spend the extra buck for organic.

However, vegetables such as leafy green are the most prone to absorb these toxic chemicals and get into your digestive tract. That is why leafy greens are especially important to buy organic.

This leads to my next point: Why is organic so much more expensive than conventional produce? On average, organic foods tend to cost over 50% more than their non-organic competitors. The reason for this is that farmers tend to have to use physical, mechanical, and biological controls instead of pesticides to assure a good harvest.

There are two main points to consider when deciding whether or not to buy organic. 1. Are you doing it for your health? Or 2. Are you doing it for the environment?

First, I will be addressing #1. If you indeed seek out organic options opposed to conventional produce simply for your health, then I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. According to research done by UCDavis health, organic foods and non-organic foods contain the exact same amount of nutrients and macros.

On the other hand, if you are motivated for the reason of #2 then I would absolutely reach for organic foods. According to Harvard, “Organic foods are clearly healthier for the planet, because they support an agricultural system that avoids synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and promotes a more biodiverse ecosystem, with attention to the health of waterways, soil, air, wildlife, farm workers, and the climate.”

So, if you are reaching out for organic foods simply for your health, don’t waste your money. However, if you are seeking out organic foods for the environment, then 100% keep seeking them out.

Baseball, Golf, Lacrosse, Scoreboard/Schedule, Softball, Track & Field

Sports schedule for: May 23-28

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 ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: MAY 23 – MAY 28
MONDAYMAY 23 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
9:00am Boys Varsity Golf MatchGoodrich Golf Course
4:30pm / 4:30pm Baseball vs. St. AnthonyHOME
TUESDAYMAY 24
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm2:15pm / 7:00pmTrack and Field Conference PrelimsHarding High School
4:00pm Softball vs. Holy AngelsLincoln Field
4:30pm JV Baseball vs. Como ParkHOME
5:30pm / 7:00pm Girls Lacrosse vs. St. Croix PrepSt. Croix Prep Academy
5:30pm / 7:00pm Boys Lacrosse vs. HopkinsCentral High School
WEDNESDAYMAY 25
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
9:00am Girls Varsity Golf MatchOneka Ridge GC
4:15pm / 4:15pm 4:15pm Baseball vs. Two RiversTwo Rivers High School
4:30pm Girls Lacrosse vs. CooperCentral High School
THURSDAYMAY 26
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm2:15pm / 7:45pmTrack and Field Conference FinalsHarding High School
4:30pm Softball SectionsTBD
FRIDAYMAY 27
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
5:45pm / 7:30pm Boys Lacrosse vs. RosemountRosemount High School
SATURDAYMAY 28
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION