On May 29, Highland Park had their Senior Send-Off. Senior Send-Off is an ongoing tradition at Highland Park Senior High.
Senior Send-Off starts when all the senior students go to have breakfast with their classmates for the last time before they graduate. Then they have the opportunity to see, and get signatures, from their teachers and underclass friends for one of the last time. During second period then, they call down people by floors to go to the gym. After you get to the gym is when you find the grade you are in and find your friends and wait till the presentation starts.
Once this year’s Senior Send-Off started Sra. Nelson came to the middle of the gym and told all the classes what will happen for the next hour..
The first thing that happened was the student council president came to the middle of the gym to give a last speech to the seniors. After that, we watched the teachers’ farewell video and after that, we also watched the sibling farewell video (the sibling farewell video is were the siblings of the seniors have the opportunity to make a goodbye video to their older sibling). When the two videos ended, we watched the last video that showed all the memories that the seniors created over the last four years. When that video ended, Sra. Nelson told the seniors how they would exit the school to go to their senior picnic.
The last thing that happened, and my favorite part, was where all the teachers went into two lines and the seniors would come down and say goodbye to all their favorite teachers and underclassmen.
When I saw all my favorite seniors leave I got very emotional but I was able to say goodbye to them before they left.
Even though it was my last time seeing all my senior friends, I was excited to see what they will do in the future.
Jimmy John’s, the popular sandwich franchise, was founded in January 1983 in Charleston, Illinois, by Jimmy John Liautaud. Jimmy John’s is an American multinational sandwich franchise.
After college Jimmy took a twenty five thousand dollar loan from his father to start a business with the promise that if his business did fail he would enlist in the United States Army. Jimmy decided on starting a hot dog cart but he later came to the realization that a hot dog cart might be too expensive for his budget and decided against the hot dog stand.
Later on Jimmy came across a sandwich shop and considered starting one himself. He knew that there’d be more ingredients so he’d have to be careful with his budget. He started to bake his own bread and purchased premium meats from a nearby neighborhood market to limit spending.
When their first restaurant opened in Charleston, the menu consisted of four different sandwiches. Over ten years later, Jimmy John’s first franchise opened in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. About three years after opening their first franchise Jimmy John’s had created their first drive through restaurant in Saint George, Utah. They then began being considered as a fast food restaurant with their drive through, quick service, and fast delivery.
The first four sandwiches The Pepe, Totally Tuna, Turkey Tom, and Vito’s are still on the menu today and are still very popular items. When Jimmy John’s first opened they had smoked ham and provolone, turkey, homemade tuna salad and capicola & salami. From there, the restaurant has been gaining more and more ingredients for customer satisfaction.
Today, the menu has 18 sandwiches and even consists of unwichs. An unwich is for those who crave less bread and carbs so the bread is replaced by lettuce leaving all unwichs with twelve grams of carbs or under.
Summer is right around the corner and you might be starting to think of fun summer activities! Summer always promises fun and relaxation. With more time on their hands people often wonder what they can do with their time. Here are some activities that are free (and few you have to pay for) and available around the Highland area from the city of Saint Paul Parks and Rec department!
There are many free fitness classes that are available from the city of Saint Paul!
At parks around Highland there is Zumba every Saturday at 9:30 am, and there is also yoga Friday nights and Saturday mornings.
Hidden Falls has dance classes that are available on Saturday nights.
Mattocks Park has yoga Tuesdays at 6 pm and Wednesdays at 9 am.
Summit overlook has Monday night yoga as well as Tuesday night yoga.
Saint Paul hosts movies in the parks free at several different parks. The movies this summer include: ‘Clueless’, ‘Men in Black’, ‘Toy Story’, ‘Cool Runnings’, ‘Jumanji’ and ‘Bad Boys’. There are food trucks available and these events are pet friendly!
There are also many fun activities that you can do around the Highland area for a bit of a cost. On July 18-20th the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival takes place and many musical artists will be there such as: Hozier, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, Green Day, Sublime and more!
Saint Paul also has aquatic centers that are open during the summer. For a pass over the summer it is $138. These are valid for the Highland pool, the Como pool and Great River water park. While this is a more costly option it is definitely worth the investment.
The Highland Park area and the city of Saint Paul have many activities for the summer and there are so many opportunities to spend time doing fun activities with friends!
Vincent van Gogh Self-portrait, Chokwesculpture, Temple lion, Japanese porcelain, Detail from the Venus (Botticelli) by: User:Husky and h3m3ls, Mischa de Muynck and Niels via Wikimedia Commons
Art has been around since the beginning of humanity, being a way for people to express themselves and their feelings through creating artwork. Throughout many centuries of changing trends, there have been prominent art styles featured throughout the years. In this article, I will cover the different art styles throughout different eras.
Prehistoric Art
The earliest days of art can be traced back to around 100,000 B.C.E, with examples including cave paintings, clay sculptures, and rock carvings. Most of these artworks, especially the cave paintings, depicted some kind of story, using both humans and animals in the artwork. Most of these artworks were symbolic and represented the civilization’s culture.
This zoomorphic cave paintingis located Tanzoumaitak in Tassili n’ajjer park in Djanet in Algeria by: IssamBarhoumi via Wikimedia Commons
Ancient Era
After around 4000 B.C.E, art began to evolve when more advanced civilizations like Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia, and civilizations in Asia developed more cultural, symbolic items that they incorporated into art. Though the style of art can vary among these different cultures, most of them were made to tell a story of some kind. Some examples of this can be murals, sculptures, and art created on everyday objects such as bowls or weapons.
Ancient Egyptian art collection in Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek by: Jakub Hałun via Wikimedia Commons
An ancient bowl from the Bactrian civilisation, Central Asia, 3rd-2nd millennium B.C. From the private collection of Khosrow Mahboubian, London, UK by: Boubi via Wikimedia Commons
Medieval Era
The Medieval era, or “The Dark Ages” was a time that spanned from 400-1400 C.E. Art was dominantly focused on Biblical or other religious stories that varied throughout different cultures. Though the art in this distinct period featured bright colors, most of the content being depicted could sometimes be gruesome or unsettling. Most art in Medieval times included flat imagery, rather than using depth.
Some other forms of art in this era include illuminated manuscripts, stained glass windows, and paintings.
Stained glass painting depicting St. Nicolas, possibly from Träkumla (Sweden). Now in the Swedish history museum, Stockholm. Medieval by: Gabriel Hildebrand via Wikimedia Commons
Mystic wedding of Catherine of Siena by Master of Margaret of York in a manuscript made for Louis of Bruges by: Master of Margaret of York via Wikimedia Commons
Renaissance Era
The Renaissance period (about 1400-1600 C.E.) was an important period in time in European civilizations. Originating in Italy, this was the time that artists began to adapt depth and new imagery into their artworks. The common Biblical or religious themes in art—which was found mostly in the Medieval era—shifted into a focus on the human form or other topics. The Renaissance era was a rebirth following the Medieval era, with revived ideas in economics, education, politics, and art. The art in this period was revived from Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman civilizations. Some important artists from this time were Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Sandro Botticelli.
Art was found in various forms within this time, but was most prominent in paintings, sculptures, and architecture. It was also found in music and literature.
The Early Modern period (about 1600-1800 C.E.) was a time where advancements in technology, transport, and manufacturing were very prominent and art began to adapt alongside these changes. Artists no longer had to only focus on art that told a story, and were able to use art to paint whatever they wished. Artists began to open up more to different art styles, which had a more abstract approach. Take ‘The Scream’ by Edvard Munch for example, it’s unique art style included loose brushstrokes and vivid colors, which was not usually found in art before its time. Art came in numerous forms throughout this period, but once again typically found in paintings or drawings.
Girl with a Pearl Earring by: Johannes Vermeer via Wikimedia Commons
Today, art comes in many forms that are unique to their artists. Art is still a very prominent part in society today, and continues to be created by millions of artists around the world. Art has adapted into many different styles or even styles that I showed previously.
I hope you found this article interesting as I covered the basics of art styles from different eras and that it might have inspired you to create your own.
‘Ma’, directed by Tate Taylor and starring Octavia Spencer, is a psychological thriller that blends teenage rebellion with creeping dread in a small-town setting. At first glance, the movie seems like a typical teen drama: new girl in town trying to fit in, high school parties, and awkward crushes. But it quickly takes a sharp left turn into something much darker and more disturbing.
The story follows Maggie, a seemingly sweet and well-behaved girl who’s just moved to a small town with her single mom. She’s adjusting to a new school, new friends, and the usual teenage awkwardness. Maggie is introduced to a group of classmates who are more outgoing and party-oriented. At first, she turns down an invite to hang out, choosing to stick with her mom instead. But when her plans fall through, she decides to give it a shot and go out with them just once.
That one night quickly snowballs into something much bigger when the group crosses paths with Sue Ann, a middle-aged woman who at first seems like any other local. They meet her outside a liquor store and, after some hesitation, she agrees to buy them alcohol. What starts off as a random favor turns into an open invitation to party at her house, in the basement, to be exact. She gives them rules: stay in the basement, don’t go upstairs, and one person stays sober. At first, the teens think they’ve hit the jackpot. A cool adult who’s not only letting them drink but giving them a place to do it safely? What could go wrong?
Well, a lot, as it turns out.
One of the strongest parts of ‘Ma’ is Octavia Spencer’s performance. She’s known for playing warm, empathetic characters, so seeing her take on such a twisted and unpredictable role adds an extra layer of tension. She plays Ma with such complexity you can sense there’s pain and trauma behind her actions, but that doesn’t make her any less terrifying. She shifts between friendly and frightening so fast that you never really feel safe when she’s on screen.
Visually, the movie does a great job of creating contrast. The bright, energetic scenes of teens partying clash with the dark, confined space of Ma’s basement. The further the teens fall into Ma’s world, the more unsettling everything becomes. The film uses silence and music effectively to build suspense, and there are moments that genuinely make your skin crawl not from jump scares, but from the slow, psychological unraveling of the situation.
Personally, I found ‘Ma’ to be a unique take on the thriller genre. It’s not your typical horror movie, it’s more about mood and tension than blood and gore. It plays with your expectations, especially with how it sets up Ma as a kind, slightly awkward woman and then peels back the layers to reveal something much darker. It also makes you think about how people carry emotional scars and how dangerous it can be when those scars are left untreated.
I do agree it kinda has it’s more cheesy parts though the movie is slow and the gore/scary stuff doesn’t happen to the very very end which gets kind of annoying if your a frequent horror movie watcher.
If you’re looking for a thriller with a strong lead performance, unexpected turns, and a creepy atmosphere that sticks with you after the credits roll, ‘Ma’ is definitely worth watching. Just be warned you may never look at a friendly stranger the same way again. I rate it a 3/5
You can watch on Netflix!
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