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Entertainment

“Are YOU Smarter Than a 9th Grader?”

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By: Daniel Kendle

Hello, hello all, welcome to the 1st-ever showing of “Are You Smarter Than a 9th Grader?”, where we look at your mental prowess measured in comparison to that lovely animal we can’t help but cringe at, children. Specifically, high school freshmen.

In this game we’ll ask you, the audience member, to grab a piece of paper and write down the numbers 1-20. This is because we are going to ask you 20 questions in total, each with 4 possible answers. There is only 1 correct answer to each, and all are true statements.

At the end, we’ll have you tally up your answers. If you get one right, you get 2 points, meaning you can theoretically get a maximum of 40. Then, you multiply your answer by 2 and see how well you did. I’ve included some labels showing your strength depending on how well you did.

And, just a quick side-note: this game is best played with friends! Grab that one pal of yours who just won’t leave you alone about your D+ in Pre-Calculus and show them that yes, you are the superior hominid.

With all that being said, let’s begin.

“ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 9TH GRADER?”

….

QUESTION ONE: “Which of the following is NOT one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world, as of 2023?”

  • A. The Taj Mahal
  • B. Machu Picchu
  • C. The Sydney Opera House
  • D. Christ the Redeemer

QUESTION TWO: “How many counties are there in Tennessee?”

  • A. 95
  • B. 87
  • C. 21
  • D. 25

QUESTION THREE: “Who won the award ‘Best Cinematography’ during the 2023 Oscars award ceremony?”

  • A. ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
  • B. ‘The Whale’
  • C. ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’
  • D. ‘All Quiet On The Western Front’

QUESTION FOUR: “What are the names of the 2 main characters in John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice And Men?’”

  • A. Joe and Farlock
  • B. Benn and Richter
  • C. George and Lennie
  • D. Gobo and Lockland

QUESTION FIVE: “Who wrote the book, ‘The Lost World?’”

  • A. Charles Dickens
  • B. Michael Crichton
  • C. Mark Twain
  • D. Maya Angelou

QUESTION SIX: “A juvenile bison is known as what?”

  • A. A kid
  • B. An infant
  • C. A sprout
  • D. A calf

QUESTION SEVEN: “In the game ‘Wingspan,’ you are tasked with collecting and playing birds on a preserve, as it’s a card game. What is a species of bird that does NOT appear in the game?”

  • A. Heath Hen
  • B. Horned Lark
  • C. Willet
  • D. Canada Goose

QUESTION EIGHT: “How long did World War 1 last?”

  • A. A year
  • B. 4 years
  • C. 8 years
  • D. 2 years

QUESTION NINE: “What day is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated?”

  • A. March 16
  • B. March 8
  • C. March 23
  • D. March 17

QUESTION TEN: “Which primary color combination is necessary for getting the secondary color orange?”

  • A. Red & Blue
  • B. Blue & Green
  • C. Yellow & Red
  • D. Green & Yellow

QUESTION ELEVEN: “What were the spikes on a Stegosaurus’ tail called?”

  • A. Thagomizers
  • B. Spikes
  • C. Ribblebacks
  • D. Spinal Needles

QUESTION TWELVE: “What is the only US state that can be spelled only using the middle letters on a standard keyboard (A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L)?

  • A. Hawaii
  • B. Alaska
  • C. Alabama
  • D. Kansas

QUESTION THIRTEEN: “What symbol on a QWERTY keyboard is known as ‘Caret?’”

  • A. *
  • B. %
  • C. ^
  • D. ~

QUESTION FOURTEEN: “What is the Minnesota State Muffin?”

  • A. Pumpkin Muffin
  • B. Banana Muffin
  • C. Strawberry Muffin
  • D. Blueberry Muffin

QUESTION FIFTEEN: “How many bones are in the human body?”

  • A. 318
  • B. 206
  • C. 79
  • D. 184

QUESTION SIXTEEN: “How many sides does a nonagon have?”

  • A. 9
  • B. 12
  • C. 13
  • D. 8

QUESTION SEVENTEEN: “Which video game won ‘Game of the Year’ at the Game Awards 2022?”

  • A. ‘God o fWar: Ragnarok’
  • B. ‘Stray’
  • C. ‘Elden Ring’
  • D. ‘Neon White’

QUESTION EIGHTEEN: “What is currently the largest living land mammal on Earth?

  • A. American Bison
  • B. African Elephant
  • C. Hippopotamus
  • D. Javan Rhinoceros

QUESTION NINETEEN: “Which of the following devices is used to spin thread and weave fabric?”

  • A. Steam Engine
  • B. Loom
  • C. Anvil
  • D. Printing Press

QUESTION TWENTY: “What are the 3 dimensions in ‘Minecraft’ called?

  1. The Overworld, the Underworld, and the Midworld
  2. The Beginning, the Between, and the End
  3. The Real World, the Slip, and the Waste
  4. The Overworld, the Nether, and the End

…..

Alrighty, that’s all of them! Now that you’ve either written down or remembered your results, let’s go over the correct answers.

  • Q1. C
  • Q2. A
  • Q3. D
  • Q4. C
  • Q5. B
  • Q6. D
  • Q7. A
  • Q8. B
  • Q9. D
  • Q10. C
  • Q11. A
  • Q12. B
  • Q13. C
  • Q14. D
  • Q15. B
  • Q16. A
  • Q17. C
  • Q18. B
  • Q19. B
  • Q20. D

So, like I said, once you tally up your answers – remember, you get 2 points for each correct answer – multiply your amount by 2 and look below to see what your mental prowess equates to.

0 – 20 Points: You’re probably some kind of non-human mammal. In that case, how are you reading this?

21 – 30 Points: You probably don’t concern yourself with random trivia. I suppose it’s admirable how you devote yourself to learning logical facts, but then again, where’s the flare in that?

31 – 40 Points: While you do tend to enjoy trivia, you don’t spend every waking moment of your day studying random facts. Pathetic.

41 – 50 Points: This is generally the standard base for most to be at. Congrats; you satisfy my standards for trivia.

51 – 60 Points: You are definitely smarter than a 9th grader. Then again, that’s practically a given for society at this point.

61 – 70 Points: Where’s your college diploma? Yeah, you’ve earned this title, congratulations! Now go use your intellect to solve world hunger, or something.

71 – 80 Points: Okay, you’re starting to scare me a bit.

And with that, the world’s FIRST game of “Are YOU Smarter Than a 9th Grader” has concluded. Thanks for playing, and I’ll see you next time. I’ve been your host, Mr. Whatsername, and I’ll actually be doing my Geometry homework now.

Books/Art

‘They Both Die in The End’ – Book review

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By: Biftu Osmon

‘They Both Die in the End’, written by Adam Silvera, is a novel about two teenage boys who receive an unexpected phone call informing them that they will die within the next 24 hours and that there’s no way of preventing it.

The novel mainly focuses on the daily rundown of the two main characters, Rufus, who’s an open-minded, spontaneous teenage boy, and Mateo, who’s the polar opposite, an introvert who prefers to keep to himself. These two characters are living completely different lives before they connect through an app meant for people who are inevitably going to die within the next twenty-four hours. It was created so people wouldn’t spend their last day alive alone.

Since they are fortunate to live close to one another, they decide to get together and spend the day bidding goodbye to their loved ones while also engaging in enjoyable activities. The book allows you to see every moment of Rufus and Mateo’s bonding and formation of their friendship because each chapter is an in-depth hour of their day. By the time the day was over, both of them had achieved something they had never imagined they would in their entire lives.

I would rate this book a 6/10. Although the ending was very obvious, because of the book title, I wish the author would have added a more interesting or more major plot twist. I began reading the book expecting it to be a 5 star book because the book had mostly only great ratings, and there was a lot of hype surrounding it all over social media. I still enjoyed the plot and idea the author had, and I would probably still recommend this book to a friend, because I still enjoyed it and I’m glad I read it.

Advice/How To, Sports

Running shoes

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By: Ellie Moore

As the sport of running is growing, the technology of the shoes is getting better and better. What was top of the line 10 years ago aren’t even sold anymore.

The first running shoe invented was in 1865, and the first running spikes weren’t invented until 25 years later in 1890.

Some of the best shoes to train in are the Brooks Ghost 15, Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39, Asics Gel-Kayano 29, Mizuno Wave Rider 26, or Saucony Triumph 20.

The shoes can get expensive, and they only last for 200-500 miles, which is about 3 months, so a lot of people buy the less expensive shoes that aren’t as good. The Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39 are only $92 but they are said to lead to a ton of injuries.

To race well, you need spikes. Nowadays, if you tried to run a race without spikes you wouldn’t be able to place well. Spikes are lightweight shoes that have spikes on the bottom to help you push into the ground.

Some of the best cross country spikes are the Nike Zoom Rival XC 5, Nike Zoom Rival Waffle 5, or the Nike ZoomX Dragonflies. These are all the most light and supportive shoes to race in.

Many distance runners use the same spikes for track as cross country, but if you do sprints or distance, you probably want a pair of sprint spikes.

The best sprint spikes are more supportive and have more spikes than distance spikes. The top of the line sprint spikes at the moment are the Nike Zoom Maxfly Spike, New Balance FuelCell PWR-X Spikes, and Saucony Spitfire 5 Spikes (which are great for beginners).

The best shoes for recovery are any kind of Hokas. They have a soft base and help you have less impact on the ground. If you’re going for an easy recovery run, the Hokas are the way to go.

The better shoe you have will determine how well you race and how well your workouts will go. It is worth the extra money to make sure you don’t get injured and have great workouts and races.

News, Travel/Food

The healthy cereal lawsuit

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By: Joseph Nelson

We all remember the sugar coated cereal we would eat before school started, or while watching our morning Saturday TV. But we all know that the “best way to start your morning” slogan that would appeal to kids and parents was completely fabricated right? Well, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) feel’s as though the marketing for these cereal should not have any saying of how it’s “healthy” or “good for you”. Now, I’ve loved cereal when I was a kid (when my mom would let me have them of course) but I feel like I knew this wasn’t healthy at all, so would this change much? The answer to that is yes!

With this new rule, the FDA will mandate that foods labeled as “healthy” must contain food groups like fruits, whole grain, dairy, and other added ingredients that must now fit a certain criteria in order to be approved as a “healthy” cereal. Now, what are the actual stats of this rule? Well, the rule will limit all cereal to no more than 2.5 grams of sugar per serving. This would restrict multiple food brands from being on the store shelf with what now would be false advertising.

To put it into perspective, Fruit Loops are 12 grams of sugar per serving, Lucky Charms are 10 grams, and Cocoa Puffs are also 10 grams. This means that these “healthy” foods are now 4x-5x over the maximum amount of sugar, per serving, that is allowed within these cereals.

Now, large cereal companies like General Mills and Kellogg’s, decried the proposed nutritional criteria and threatened legal action against what they say is a “violation of their first amendment rights”. The companies are going on to say that the healthy labeling requirements are an unconstitutional reach from the government power over the food industry. But the FDA says otherwise.

The FDA goes on to counter the claim of “lack of free speech” with a brief but thorough statement “cannot explain why consumers cannot make their own healthy decisions based on [nutrition labeling] data”. Rather, it seeks to limit the food companies’ ‘speech'” effectively saying that with this new proposal, the product’s ingredients will be completely transparent to the consumer and will give them a completely unbiased choice of whether or not they put that candy bar in their cart.

Now, how will this change for the consumer? Well, we know that the average day Fruit Loop consumer will probably still be filling the pockets of the big corporations. But the new single mom walking down the aisle, looking for a healthy cereal for her kid, will now see all these cereals around her and will be able to accurately choose the best healthy option for her and her kid.

That isn’t stopping me though, Cocoa Puffs will forever be my childhood favorite.

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Advice/How To

Things to do during spring break

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By: Jessica Garcia Saligan

Road trips

Something that is fun to do while you’re on spring break is going on a road trip anywhere with your family, friends, or by yourself. It’s a good way to get out and get to know new places, it’s also a fun way to bond more with your family and friends. You jam out to music, have deep talk, you get to think about things to yourself; there are so many things you can do while being on a road trip, just make sure to enjoy it and make special memories.

Cuyuna Trail

If you are a person that enjoys bike riding and nature, Cuyuna Trail is the best place to do all of those activities. You can go during the winter, spring and summer time. During the winter, the mountain’s trails get heavy snow and it works great with a fat tire bike, and in the summer, you can “glamp” in tents.

Something that I like about Cuyuna Trail is that if you want to start biking, or you already know how to, but aren’t prepared to go up the big trails, Cuyuna has beginner, intermediate and advanced trails. The trails are groomed and all vary in distance and difficulty, and if you don’t have a bike, at the entrance they have some bikes set up that you get to rent out for $40 dollars/4 hours. $65 dollars though, will get you a full day of bike riding. To make having adventure a lot easier, there is a cabin a few minutes away from the trails. Cuyuna Trail is the best way to enjoy the outdoors.

Union Rooftop

 Union Rooftop is the best way to spend your spring break if you are looking for an aesthetic place to eat out with friends, or with a loved one. Union Rooftop is a glass-enclosed rooftop space with a spacious bar and skyline views. They have amazing food and deserts options. It’s a great way to spend your evening with your loved ones.

Clubs and Activities, Entertainment

5 fictional podcast recommendations

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By: Bijou Kruszka

Podcasts are becoming more popular every single day. They allow anyone to become completely immersed in a world from the comfort of anywhere they can listen to audio. One of the best ways to experience stories is through fictional podcasts, but it can be hard to find a really good one. Here are my top 5 personal recommendations for fictional podcasts.

#1: ‘The Magnus Archives‘

First on this list, and arguably the most popular, is ‘The Magnus Archives’. ‘The Magnus Archives’ is a horror podcast which follows Jonathan Sims, an archivist at the Magnus Institute, as he transcribes their files into an audio format. Every episode brings a new short horror story, which eventually starts to thread together into a larger, mysterious narrative.

Pros: There is a lot to like with ‘The Magnus Archives’. Every story
in the series is very creative and effectively horrific. From the very beginning, every episode delivers something interesting and fresh. It is also genuinely scary, something that can be hit or miss in an audio medium. Once you get a decent amount of episodes in, the show also creates a lovable cast of characters in addition to the main narrator.

Cons: If you’re someone who needs plot fast, this show is not for you. It takes a considerable amount of episodes to reach any small thread of plot, and when each episode is 25 minutes, it feels significantly long to move past the beginning. Additionally, the beginning episodes are not skippable, as some are necessary for plot details later.

#2: ‘Welcome to Night Vale‘

Next, we have one of the original audio dramas, ‘Welcome to Night Vale’. ‘Welcome to Night Vale’ (WTNV for short) is a radio show detailing the odd happenings of the titular small, desert town. Each episode follows a similar format: news, with a small episodic story flowing through it; then the weather report (which isn’t the weather but fun indie music from smaller artists); and then a conclusion, with the wrap up of the episodic plot-line and a few wise words from Cecil Palmer, the radio host and main narrator.

Pros: WTNV is a fun ride all around. Its comedic writing is top-tier, and Cecil’s deadpan delivery only elevates it further. The setting is consistently bizarre and fun to be in. As the podcast progresses, the town feels more and more tangible, with a recurring cast of quirky characters. There are genuine heartfelt relationships built, especially between Cecil and out-of-town scientist Carlos. The diverse catalogue of music built by the weather segment is also enjoyable. There is also a huge backlog to listen to, as they’ve been uploading every two weeks since 2012.

Cons: WTNV doesn’t really have much of a plot. While there are recurring characters and some arcs that extend outside of episodes, no central plot stays for very long. It also doesn’t have much variety in terms of sound, as most episodes are simply Cecil talking. This makes it a great podcast to relax to, not so much to keep you on the edge of your seat. If you’re looking for a high stakes podcast centered around one ongoing conflict, WTNV is not for you.

#3: ‘The Penumbra Podcast‘

‘The Penumbra Podcast’ is technically two podcasts in one. It alternates between storylines every chapter, “Juno Steel” and “The Second Citadel”. “Juno Steel” focuses on the titular character, a private eye on futuristic Mars, as he entangles himself in space crime through a series of fun characters. “The Second Citadel” is set in medieval times, and focuses on a group of knights trying to protect their kingdom and navigate their personal relationships.

Pros: ‘The Penumbra Podcast’ is fantastic. Each storyline is treated with the utmost care and is incredibly interesting. Both stories are absolutely fantastic with fully developed casts of characters and wonderful writing. There’s also lots of splendid queer and disability representations through a diverse array of characters. “Juno Steel” does a lot of creative things with its sci-fi settings and its characters are all incredibly distinct and fun. “The Second Citadel” creates a lot of interesting conflicts with its world-building and the variety in plot-lines is fun to see. If you like diverse, well-built characters, Penumbra is certainly for you.

Cons: With the way the storylines alternate, it can be easy to get jumbled up. Sometimes, this organization can lead to confusion in listeners and cause them to lose details that become central to the plot later. It also is fairly long. Each chapter is at least two episodes, each about 45 minutes long. While the Penumbra has settings you want to stay in for that long, if you’re looking for more bite-sized pieces, it’s not quite right for you.

#4: ’36 Questions‘

’36 Questions’ is a story about Judith and Jase, a couple trying to rekindle their deteriorating marriage by answering the titular 36 questions, proven to make you fall in love with the other person. ’36 Questions’ is different from the other podcasts on this list in two ways: it’s a musical, and it’s only 3 episodes long.

Pros: If you want something short to start listening to audio dramas, ’36 Questions’ is up your alley. Telling a complete story in approximately 3 hours, this is incredibly short compared to everything else on this list. The music for this is also splendid. Jessie Shelton and Broadway legend Jonathan Groff are both fantastic singers, and all of the songs feel very cohesive and are enjoyable to listen to. The central conflict is very grounded and the characters are realistic and well-rounded.

Cons: While it’s a pro, it’s also a con: this podcast is short. The ending isn’t exactly satisfying, and listeners will want to stay in this story for longer than what they’re given. However, there isn’t a whole ton of room for the story to expand. The main two characters are the only two characters (unless you include Henry the duck, which unfortunately I am not) so there isn’t much variety in the story itself.

#5: ‘Wolf 359‘

‘Wolf 359’ is a sci-fi podcast following Doug Eiffel, an astronaut aboard the USS Hephaestus, as he records his experiences in space via audio logs. He witnesses everything from aliens to mutiny, and he always has some quips to accompany it.

Pros: ‘Wolf 359’ perfectly balances both comedy and
drama. While Doug always has a joke for every moment, it’s not
afraid to get very tense or heartfelt. The crew aboard the USS
Hephaestus is completely charming, and they are all very well-developed. The overarching conflict is interesting for sure, but the filler episodes are sometimes even better. Overall, with an enjoyable cast and fantastic writing, this show is one you don’t want to miss.

Cons: This one is not the simplest to follow in terms of overarching conflict, especially if you are not a sci-fi person. The show throws you into the void of space, both literally and figuratively, and for those unacclimated to the genre, this can be somewhat jarring. I wouldn’t recommend this one as a first for new audio drama listeners, as the show has a tendency to move on pretty quickly without explanation.

In the end, the world of fictional podcasts is very diverse and has a lot to offer. Should you listen to any of these and enjoy them, you might have a fun time at HPSH’s very own audiodrama club. We meet every Thursday after school in the choir room. We discuss fictional podcasts of all kinds, sharing new recommendations and listening to episodes together. We hope to see you there!

Getting To Know/History

Influential women in sports

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By: Isabelle Baidoo and Greta Johnson

Over the years, women in sports have been constantly underestimated. So, for women’s history month we wanted to talk about 2 influential women who were dominant in their respective sports. We chose Megan Rapinoe who plays soccer on the US Women’s National Team and Mikaela Shiffrin, who is a successful alpine racer.

Mikaela Shiffrin

At the age of 15, Mikaela started racing on the World Cup circuit. She was the youngest ski racer in American history to compete on the FIS circuit. This came after she had been skiing for most of her life, and had also attended Burke Mountain Academy, which is a ski racing academy in Vermont.

Just a few weeks after her 16th birthday, Mikeala won her first World Cup race. It was only her first season racing the circuit.

After 2 more seasons of competing in the World Cup she went to her first Olympics and ended up winning a gold medal in slalom making her the youngest slalom gold medal winner in American history.

After 13 seasons racing in the World Cup, Mikeala has 88 wins combined. That makes her the most decorated racer in the world at only 28. She’s been to 3 Olympics, has 3 Olympic medals, and is the most successful racer in American history.

Sadly, in February of 2020, Mikeala’s father Jeff unexpectedly passed. He suffered a severe head injury in the family’s home in Colorado. He was 65. This devastated the Shiffrin family.

“My family is heartbroken beyond comprehension about the unexpected passing of my kindhearted, loving, caring, patient, wonderful father. Our mountains, our ocean our sunrise, our heart, our soul, our everything. He taught us so many valuable lessons,” Shiffrin tweeted. “But above everything else, he taught us the golden rule: Be nice, think first. This is something I will carry with me forever. He was the firm foundation of our family and we miss him terribly.”

Soon after his death, Mikaela and her family started the Jeff Shiffren Athlete Resiliency Fund to help US Ski Team athletes through the COVID-19 pandemic, and honor Jeff Shiffren’s legacy of kindness.

After a couple hard seasons, and a very rough 2022 Olympic Games, Mikaela is back on top. This season she broke the record for the most ski racing wins ever which was previously held by Ingemar Stenmark for 34 years.

Mikaela is one of the most influential ski racers of our time; she broke barriers and overcame many setbacks and influenced a new generation of female skiers today.

Megan Rapinoe

Megan Rapinoe is a professional American soccer player. Since 2006, she has played winger and midfield for the United States Women’s National Team. Before she played nationally, she played for the Portland Pilots, during her college career, from 2005-2008. Rapinoe also currently plays for the OL Reign, a professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington.

Throughout her career she has numerous accomplishments in soccer. Rapinoe is a three time Olympic Champion. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games she won bronze, in the 2016 Rio games she took the team to 5th place, and finally, in 2012 of the London games she won gold.

Throughout her 197 national appearances, she has scored a total of 63 goals making her the 10th highest goal scorer on the Women’s National Team.

Rapinoe is also a strong activist for the LGBTQ community. She is the latest openly LGBTQ American to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in July 2022.

She was among 17 others to receive this honor, she was the first soccer player to get this award, and was one of only six female athletes.

She is an advocate for many LGBTQ organizations such as the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Athlete Ally.

She’s received awards for her contributions to the LGBTQ community as well. For example, in 2013, she was awarded the Board of Directors Award from the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. Then in 2020 she was one of ‘Time Magazine’s’ 100 Most Influential People.

Women in sports are frequently overlooked and pushed aside. Whether it be that they are underpaid, get less TV footage than male athletes, or receive less sponsorships than their male counterparts. These women are idols to many young girls, and they are extremely crucial to the future of the sports. Representation is important in sports because it shows the next generation of athletes that their dreams are possible.

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World

Tensions rise in Georgia, Putin looks to China, and ICC puts arrest warrant on Putin

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By: Aeden Evenson-McDermott

The country of Georgia is finding itself caught up with its former Soviet Republic and the present state of the world. With an overwhelming majority of Georgians wanting to get EU membership, and become a more reformed democratic institution, there has been pushback by some on the far-right. There most recently has been a push by the right-wing and conservatives to change the constitution to allow the government to become more authoritarian in certain measures. Many are fed up with the measures being proposed by various officials and individuals that they see as wanting to lower the country. Corruption is still a prevalent issue, and with Russia’s influence growing in the former Soviet Republic this is allowing for the restrictive measures to gain traction in Georgia.

Russia has used its influence as it has turned its attention to disrupting Georgia’s politics as a distraction from their invasion of Ukraine. It remains to be seen what comes of this, as thousands march for their rights to a hopeful future of EU membership and to stand against Russia.

As Eastern Europe finds itself in a world intertwined with the two most powerful autocrats (Putin and Xi JinPing), the West is grappling with defending democracy while not going too far to provoke our adversaries.

With the current standstill in the war on Ukraine, Russia is playing their cards towards a war of attrition. Ukrainian resilience is allowing for the further pushback of Russian forces which is leading to significant casualties, especially on the Russian side. Russia’s loss of manpower constantly has their efforts diminished and has Putin angered. He has persistently requested support from his few remaining allies and has especially sent requests for various military hardware to be delivered to his country. He has received kamikaze drones from Iran and has secretly, while somewhat silently, asked president Xi of China for military support and assistance.

The two autocrats would reconvene for their most recent summit for 2 and a half days with president Xi holding private meetings with Russian president Putin. The free world has been keeping a close watch on the moves that these two men would be making through their discussions from the 20th-22nd of March.

It really wasn’t a surprise that President Xi would travel to Moscow, especially with the tighter bond between the two countries’ alliances. Since Xi’s election in 2012 the two men have built a strong relationship and have held 40 one on one meetings.

When the somewhat crippling sanctions came in full force to Russia, back in February of 2022, China was a mainstay ally who refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and took a pretty neutral stance on the whole issue.

Through the buying of natural gas and oil, to the economic stability, and modern tech being provided to Russia, China is allowing for the state of Russia to be refurbished. The two leaders agree on the common consensus of being against the United States while treading water to remain intact with the world in terms of trading.

The ongoing war in Ukraine that continues to be further pushing Russia away has made Putin turn to hosting Xi for a variety of reasons. The main reason was that Putin strongly considered asking for lethal aid which China has remained silent on but has never given a definite no to.

The 12 point peace plan proposed by Xi has been deemed as a non starter by Ukraine, the U.S. and Western Allies. It mainly is because it would be keeping Crimea as Russian controlled territory even though it is Ukrainian land, calling for a cease fire between Russia and Ukraine (which would most likely allow for Russia to regroup and buildup manpower for a new offensive), and a plan that favors Russia in ending the war but doesn’t give all Ukrainian land back to the Ukrainians.

Most notably, in recent weeks, the ICC (International Criminal Court) has issued an arrest warrant for President Putin of Russia and for the Commissioner of Children’s Rights Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova. This comes at a time when Russia is continuing to lose and manpower is short. The arrest warrant is mainly for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russian controlled territory as well as many Ukrainians who were forced to be taken to Russia. Lvova-Belova, who is the Commissioner of Children’s Rights in Russia, has been in control of the handling of displaced children since the war started. She herself has “adopted” at least one kid from Ukraine and has been an advocate of having Russian families take in Ukrainian children.

Putin and Lvova-Belova have both been pro Russian and have the mindset of making the Ukrainian children lose their identity and therefore become Russian citizens. With the forced deportation and the illegal adoptions which have taken place, the ICC has issued arrest warrants for both of them under the Rome Statute. Although, in the near future, most likely nothing will happen for them to be arrested, it further isolates Russia and its leaders from traveling to much of the world, and especially to the West.

Travel/Food

Canjeero and shaax recipe

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By: Ajmal Abdirahman

Canjeero is a breakfast staple in Somalia. Both my mom and dad would eat it almost every morning when they lived in Somalia. It’s one of my favorites from Somali food. I grew up eating it almost everyday just like my parents. My mom would get up very early in the morning and make a big batch of Canjeero and alongside she would also make her signature Somali shaax!

Canjeero can be eaten in many different ways. Like with shaax (which is Somali tea), with sugar and sesame oil, with goat or camel liver (which is called “beer” in Somali), with oodkaac (which is a Somali dish of preserved jerky style beef cubes), or my favorite way, with honey!

Somali tea (Shaax), was first introduced to Somalia through ancient trade with the Indians and Arabs. It’s typical for Somalis to drink this throughout the day but mostly at breakfast or late at night. Tea is widely preferred in Somalia over coffee. If you add milk to your tea then it is called Shaax Bigaysi.

I asked my mother for her recipes; here they are!

Canjeero Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 cup of self rising flour
  • 1 cup of corn flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3-4 cups of water
  • 1 teaspoon of yeast
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar

Instructions on how to make Canjeero:

  1. First combine all the flours in one large bowl along with the salt, sugar, and yeast and whisk well
  2. Add the water slowly until you get the right consistency (thick and smooth)
  3. Then let the batter sit for an hour or overnight
  4. Enjoy!

Shaax Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Cold water (amount is how much tea you want to make)
  • 1⁄2 cup of sugar
  • Cardamom (add desired amount)
  • Cinnamon sticks (add desired amount)
  • Cloves (add desired amount)
  • Ginger (you can use powdered ginger but fresh is best, also add desired amount)
  • Black tea bags or black tea leaves (add desired amount)

Instructions on how to make Shaax:

  1. First grab a kettle and pour your cold water into it
  2. Either boil the water first or boil when all ingredients are added
  3. Add your sugar
  4. Then add all your spices, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and ginger, then let that all boil together
  5. When that all boils together nicely add your tea bags or tea leaves
  6. Boil for a couple of minutes until it gets to a dark brown color
  7. Strain the tea and pour it into your thermos or tea pot
  8. Enjoy!

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Travel/Food

Attractions to do in the Twin Cities

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By: Jessica Garcia Saligan

CanCan Wonderland

This attraction is an amusement built in a historical building.
CanCan Wonderland has many attractions for all ages. Kids and adults can play an 18 hole mini golf course made by 18 different artists. All 18 holes are different and provide different skills. CanCan also has a ping ball arcade and many other retro arcade games. They provide many necessities to have an amazing evening.

Here is a link to find CanCan Wonderland: https://goo.gl/maps/FMmT32SeT7U2

Mall Of America

The Mall Of America has many attractions to choose from! They have an escape room with 12 different room choices from prison escape to a mansion escape. This attraction involves a lot of critical thinking so if you’re good at, that I suggest that you try it out!

The mall also has an indoor theme park with many coasters for all ages from thrill rides like the rock bottom plunge, to zip lining and many kid coasters for the little ones. I recommend the park to younger kids because the thrill rides aren’t as thrilling compared to other places, but overall, it’s a great place to spend an evening out.

If you ever get hungry while shopping, the 3rd and 4th floor have so many restaurants and fast food places and so many varieties of food you can choose from.

One thing that MOA is known for, is the biggest Sea Life in Minnesota; it has more than 10,000 underwater creatures plus the 11 breathtaking exhibits that are filled with 1.3 million gallons of water.

The Mall of America is located at: 60 E Broadway, Bloomington, MN 55425

WhirlyBall

WhirlyBall is a fun place to go out with family and friends! There are so many activities to do such as WhirlyBall, a lot of people don’t know what it is or never heard of it. WhirlyBall is a team sport that is up to 2-4 people per team. You have a bumper car and a scoop with a ball. What you have to do is make sure the ball doesn’t hit the floor and score on the opposite team’s goal.

Some other activities they have are laser tag, arcades, bowling, escape rooms, and if you really enjoy WhirlyBall you can join a Whirly League. You get a lot of benefits if you’re on the team such as exclusive food and drinks, 50% off walk-in Whirly anytime all season. It’s $5 per person for 3 games per night, which will be $75 per week. You need to have 5 players on each team and must be 18 years old to play. They are also known for how many good food options they have.

You can find WhirlyBall at: 2405 East Old Shakopee  Road,
Bloomington MN 55425