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Editorials/Student Voice, Events

Women’s History Month

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By: Lauren Kottke & Ella Sutherland

Women’s history month is the month of March that is dedicated to women. It’s to honor the women that have been mistreated, pushed down, and suffered throughout history. It’s well known about the struggles that women have faced for hundreds of years. Up until the women’s suffrage movement, they couldn’t even vote. And before that, it wasn’t normalized for women to have a job or to be unmarried. Though much has changed, the world is still unsafe for women.

Women’s history month started in 1978. At first it was only a week-long celebration and was called “Women’s History Week’. It started in Santa Rosa California by the Education Task Force of Sonoma County Commission and the Status of Women. Women’s History Week was led by a teacher named Molly Murphy McGregor. During that week, Santa Rosa had presentations on women’s contributions to history, society and culture. After the Santa Rosa Women’s Week, it spread across the country. More and more states started to follow and celebrate Women’s Week.

Someone who helped start celebrating women was Gerda Lerner. She organized and chaired a 15-day conference on women’s history. Her conference had many different sponsors for the event. Women’s Action Alliance and the Smithsonian Institution were two of the many sponsors. This conference made more people push towards Women’s Month.

“Women’s history is a women’s right—an essential, indispensable heritage from which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision.”— Gerda Lerner

It wasn’t until 1980 that Women’s Week became a national celebration. In February of 1980, president Jimmy Carter declared March 2-8 as National Women’s History Week. After it was declared by the president, more issues started to be passed by the president. On August 4, 1981, president Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation that Women’s History Week would be celebrated with ceremonies and activities. People wanted there to be speakers, presentations, and parades.

Then, in 1987, congress passed a petition which made Women’s Week, Women’s Month. The petition was made by the National Women’s History Project. And after 1987 it became an annual celebration.

Now Women’s History Month is celebrated by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Other countries celebrate but at different times. For example, Canada celebrates Women’s Month during October. There is also International Women’s Day on March 8th.

Since Women’s History Month started, there have been things that have improved and some things that haven’t.

One of the things that have improved for women is the amount of women working in the government. This may not seem like a huge deal but it is. Women now have a say in laws that get passed, and are more likely to recognize women’s struggles.

Another way that things have improved for women is now many more countries are instigating laws to support the fight for gender equality. In the last 10 years, 131 countries have passed over 274 legal reforms in order to create more equality between genders. This is important for the futures of young girls and women.

One more way that things have improved for women is the percentage of young women and girls, that are attending school, has gone up hugely. As of today there are over 79 million more girls that are in school learning than there were in 1998.

There are still many issues that women face today like pay gaps, job security, gender based violence, and reproductive rights being taken away. We still have a long way to go before women can feel fully comfortable in the world we live in today, but from what we can tell we are making slow progress.

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Events

Ramadan

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By: Yumna Abajebel

I’m sure we’re all wondering what the holiday Ramadan really is about. In the religion of Islam Muslim, Ramadan marks the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

When the crescent moon is sighted in Saudi Arabia, it starts the long awaited month of fasting. Ramadan isn’t only about fasting, it’s a month about giving zakat (charity), making prayers, and forgiveness for the sake of Allah (God).

The real reason why we fast is to be grateful for what we have, and see what it’s like for people who are less fortunate. Usually, we don’t have food or drinks from sunrise to sunset. Before the sun rises we have to have a filling meal. Then towards sunset, you have to start preparing for dinner, which is called Iftar, and is at an exact time. You can eat anything you want, but have to stop right before sunrise.

Fasting is mandatory in Islam once you hit the age of puberty, exceptions being extend for people who are either ill, diabetic, traveling, pregnant, or women in their menstrual period.

Towards the end of the month, Laylat al-Qadr starts; it’s one of five odd-numbered nights which fall during the last 10 days. Those last days are the most spirited days of the month which is spent praying all you can and asking for forgiveness of all your past sins.

Then, on the 30th night, the new crescent moon has to be sighted for the completion of the thirty days of fasting. After the moon is sighted, it marks the beginning of Shawwal, the next lunar month.

Then sparks up the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. Eid is the celebration after Ramadan that lasts for 3 days. It’s spent wearing the best clothes you have, being with family, and eating all the food you can. Muslim people all around the world are the happiest during this time. They spend all year preparing and waiting for this holy month. We don’t have that many holidays in our religion, but Ramadan and Eid will forever make up for that.

Travel/Food

Malawax recipe

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By: Mushtaq Yonis

Malawax is a Somali traditional dish that’s regularly eaten for breakfast across the country and its diaspora. Malawax is a sweet pancake similar to a crepe. Some eat it with honey and drink shaax with it which is a Somali tea.

Malawax is one of the easiest foods to make in Somali culture, which is why it’s great to make before breakfast if you’re in a rush. Just make sure you have this mixture ready in-hand before you start.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons of melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
  • 1 1⁄2 cup plain flour
  • 2 egg
  • 2 cups milk

If you don’t have time in the morning to make this mixture, make sure you make it by blending the ingredients the night before and refrigerate it so it doesn’t go bad.

Instructions on how to make malawax:

  1. Brush a nonstick pan with butter or oil over medium heat
  2. Pour a little batter into the pan and swirl it around to cover it thinly
  3. Cook the malawax till they’re golden underneath, about a minute or two
  4. Make sure the malawax doesn’t stick to the pan by spreading a little oil or butter
  5. Flip the the malawax over and repeat

Then you are ready to enjoy the malawax! It’s best eaten when warm so make sure you eat it before it gets too cold. You can add honey or butter if you want extra taste!

Fashion/Make-Up

History of corsets

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By: Isabelle Baidoo & Greta Johnson

The corset is a tightly fastened bodysuit; designed to push up or flatten a woman’s breasts, or to hug her waist until her figure resembles an hourglass shape.

Corsets are dated all the way back to 1600 BCE, but did not gain prominence until the Middle Ages and Renaissance era. They were worn by European royalty and were a sign of wealth and power.

“At least 60% [of American women above the age of 15] are overweight or grievously lack symmetry in the vicinity of bosom, waist, or hips […] they must — assuming they are vain enough and rich enough to care — wear some sort of corset regardless of what the prevailing mode may be.”

-The Corset

Although these tight fitting garments were appealing to the eye, they had major side effects. Over time corsets cause core muscles to weaken which leads to back pain, poor posture, poor digestion, and overall physical weakness. When the waist is heavily compressed it reduces lung capacity and presses the intestines down.

In the Renaissance Era, women would often have broken ribs from how tightly strung their corsets were tied. The lack of oxygen to the lungs is what caused women in corsets to often faint due to low oxygen.

Corsets lost their popularity in the 50s when women began to be more athletic and welcomed into the workforce. The tight fitted corsets were slowly being dropped, and girdles, and more form fitting garments, were more popular.

“If women will continue this destructive habit, the race must inevitably deteriorate.”

-Benjamin Orange Flower, 1892

Even though the traditional corset went out of style a long time ago, variations of the piece have recently become popular in today’s fashion. With TV shows like ‘Bridgerton’ being well known, people started wearing corsets again; pairing them with jeans and short skirts for a more modern look.

Waist trainers are also a popular trend right now, with celebrities like Kim K promoting unrealistic body standards making women feel the need to wear a waist trainer to achieve the “hourglass” figure. The waist trainer has similar negative effects as the traditional corset did, restricting airflow and damaging the rib cage. It’s basically a modern day corset; meant for fashion and aesthetics but not function, health, and safety.

The corset has been a staple of fashion for centuries. Variations and different trends have gone in and out of style since the 1800s. modernizing for the 21st century, and coming back into style in different ways throughout the years.

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Travel/Food

Cocadas recipe

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By: Pablo Contreras-Galeana

This recipe is the easiest one that I have ever made, it’s very simple and it doesn’t require a whole bunch of steps like the other recipes that I have written about.

You can kind of guess what cocadas are because it’s sort of just in the name, but if some of you guys don’t know what cocadas are, here’s a very short and simple explanation on what they are:

Cocadas are just shredded coconut that has been made into a ball.

It’s really just that, it isn’t that special. It’s just balled coconut.

Even though this recipe was the easiest to make, I never really liked coconut before, I don’t know why, but the flavor of it just made me sick and disgusted, but now that I am older I actually like coconut slightly more. So, this recipe sort of helped me realize that I started to like coconut a little more.

Just to let you all know, this recipe is not mine, it’s by ‘Mi Cocina Rápida – Karen’, you can look her up on YouTube, or use the link that I will put at the end of the article.

Now let’s get into the recipe:

Cocadas

First, here is what you are going to need:

  1. 3 cups of shredded coconut
  2. 4 egg whites
  3. Half cup of sugar

Now that you have all of your ingredients, here are the instructions:

  1. First, you are going to separate the egg yolk form the egg whites
  1. Next, In a big bowl, you are going to place the egg whites and beat them for a couple of seconds
  1. Now, you are going to add the sugar and you are going to beat just enough until the sugar dissolves and the beat it until it’s a foamy texture
  1. Next, you are going to add the shredded coconut and you are going to mix everything perfectly until the coconut is completely covered with the egg white mixture
  1. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the coconut into balls and put them on a tray with a baking sheet
  1. Lastly, you are going to bake them for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and until you see that the cocadas are golden brown

Once they are done, just enjoy 🙂

To learn more about this recipe, and to find the original recipe, go to this link, but beware that the video is not in English, it’s in Spanish.

‘Mi Cocina Rápida- Karen’

Music/Concerts

Iayze (Jace!) – ‘Reverence’

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By: Charlie Boone

Iayze (or Jace!) is a rapper from Fort Worth, Texas that first gained prominence on Soundcloud in the burgeoning underground plugg scene. His sound uniquely blends orchestral samples and ambient soundscapes with hard-hitting 808s and glitchy percussion, creating a trance-like energy that feels more purposeful and well-realized than many of his contemporaries.

On his debut full length album, ‘Reverence’, released on March 7, 2023, it really feels like Iayze is trying to prove himself as a versatile artist. Expanding his sound into spacey R&B on songs like “Bed Side” and “Call on Me”, showing off his ability to sing and penchant for deep, entrancing atmospheres. He melds the atmospheric soundscapes with more aggressive rapping perfectly on the song “Laylow”, produced by another popular rapper from the same scene, DevStacks.

‘Reverence’ is a total of 29 tracks, and an hour long, which is usually the sign of a bloated project, but even though there are points that I wasn’t as engaged, Iayze shows a level of quality control while bouncing around styles that makes even moments that don’t personally appeal to the listener feel fresh and interesting nonetheless. While this makes it easier for different types of listeners to find something they enjoy, this does unfortunately affect both the replayability and cohesion of the project.

Iayze’s previous mixtapes have touched on lyrical themes of mental health, isolation, and heartbreak before, and for the most part, ‘Reverence’ sits in that familiar territory, with most songs feeling lyrically like small vignettes of an idea, juxtaposed with how fully realized and deep the production feels.

‘Reverence’ features a wide variety of producers that bring unique touches to Iayze’s sound, his long-time producer Cullen appears on a variety of tracks that do a great example of showcasing what was great about his previous projects, at a higher level of production value and performances. Songs like “Dee in a Cutlass” and “The Hills” both produced by Biinx, are great examples of what is trendy and happening right now in the underground SoundCloud scene.

In closing, while ‘Reverence’ isn’t as consistent (thematically or stylistically) as his previous work, it is by far Iayze’s most ambitious project, and to be able to make a 29 track album that doesn’t feel boring and stale by the end is truly a feat; especially as an underground artist without a large amount of industry backing.

If you’re looking for an exciting and diverse rap project, and you favor deep, atmospheric production, I highly recommend ‘Reverence’.

Advice/How To

Teen exercise

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By: Maya Breininger

When you think of teenagers, if you’re reminded of moody homebodies who prefer to spend their day inside, you wouldn’t be wrong. Many teens today find it a struggle to stay active considering their busy school schedules, their after school activities, and their yearning for sleep.

Although it seems as though teens will never have time to incorporate physical activity into their daily schedule, I have composed a list of alternative exercises that are easy to complete, and fun ways to get your blood pumping.

Firstly, it is imperative to understand – what is the importance of exercise in teens specifically? How does it affect them? Why is it important to incorporate it into the daily routine of a teen?

Well, encouraging healthy and active lifestyles at a young age promotes the same behavior as an adult. A busy schedule is something that will persist even in adulthood, so for teens to find the ability to incorporate exercise into their day will be a helpful life skill to have.

Another positive aspect of daily exercise for teenagers, is that 60 minutes of raised heart rates have been scientifically tested to improve moods and mental state, prevent serious conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetes.

Some ways to enforce these healthy habits with busy schedules can include joining an after school sport, such as hockey, swimming, skiing, soccer, gymnastics, dancing, basketball, or any high activity sport that gets your blood pumping. School sports are easy to apply to, they’re fun activities to engage in with your friends, and they’re fun clubs that can fit in within your schedule and improve chances of scholarships for college.

Along with the reasons I have already provided on why to be active as a teen, it also prevents bone loss, boosts energy levels, helps with your ability to fall asleep, helps manage stress, and fights anxiety and depression. As said, it is in a teenager’s best interest to get moving! Put down the electronics and head to your local gym! The results will be incredible!

Fashion/Make-Up

Fashion Week stays on New York

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By: Yumna Abajebel

The New York Fashion week took place once again on February 10-15th with chic and ionic looks.

Fashion week isn’t just runway shows, there are charity events, gala dinners, and launch parties. Over 125,000 people attend New York Fashion Week.

Fashion week isn’t a place where you can just buy a ticket and go, you have to either be invited or be a designer, stylist, etc.

New York first started fashion week 1993, then started in London, Milan, and Paris. Its first ever week was held in one location, the Plaza Hotel. 53 designers showcased their fashion that year.

There were high production shows all over Brooklyn and Manhattan this year, from NYC Public Library to the Guggenheim Museum. Most of the time big couture designers like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel don’t participate in NYC fashion week. They only participate in Milan, London, and Paris fashion week.

This year, celebrity runway moments kicked off with Alexander Wang launching his menswear 90s street wear during fashion week. Alexander Wang is known for being the first to host a summer show.

One of this year’s runway shows had a unique theme of “Goth Fairy Beauty” after the hit Netflix show ‘Wednesday’. From big luxury brands of Tom Ford, Tory Burch, to Micheal Kors, fashion week gives people an opportunity to express their passion for fashion and modeling. Fashion week gives everyone a chance to see what designers have to offer and what they have been working on.

Stylists and makeup artists get an opportunity to style and get models ready for the runway, which for them in their career is a big deal. It also gives people a chance to create their own brands or ideas from inspiration after looking at other designs.

Badminton, Scoreboard/Schedule, Tennis, Track & Field

Sports schedule for: Mar 27-Apr 1

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  ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: MARCH 27 – APRIL 1  
MONDAYMARCH 27 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:15pm Boys Tennis BeginsTennis Courts
TUESDAYMARCH 28
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:45pm / 5:30pm4:00pm | 6:15pmBadminton Triangular vs. Harding and North St. PaulHarding High School
WEDNESDAYMARCH 29
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
THURSDAYMARCH 30
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm3:15pm | 4:45pmBadminton vs. WashingtonWashington Technology Magnet
FRIDAYMARCH 31
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:00pm2:20pm / 8:00pmBoys/Girls Track and Field Griak Indoor ClassicUniversity of Minnesota
SATURDAYAPRIL 1
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
Getting To Know/History

The evolution of Bigfoot

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By: Nagad Omar

The Bigfoot legend first hit newspapers in 1958 when Andrew Gonzali wrote what was supposed to be a funny article on hikers in California finding unusually large footprint tracks in the snow.

Although it was not supposed to be taken seriously, the article startled the Pacific Northwest which gave Bigfoot his name: Bigfoot. Readers became very fascinated with the idea of Bigfoot; although, this isn’t the first time everyone has heard about the legend. Native American nations have records of Bigfoot 10 years before Gonzalis’ article. They gave him the name Sasquatch.

As the years passed, Bigfoot’s reputation grew and continued to change; he became known as an environmentalist and was used for commercials on keeping our forests clean in the 80s, but as sightings grew Bigfoot came back as this big scary creature.

As Americans continue to push into untouched forests the legend of Bigfoot grows.

One sighting of Bigfoot was when one night in the backroads of Oregon police got a call about a massive hairy creature running across the highway yelling in agony. At first police thought they were being pranked, but as over 20 calls came, police went out to investigate, but by the time they came the creature had already ran back into the forest.

Bigfoot has now come back to be the environmental justice staple he once was because of the lack of recent sightings. He sort’ve lost this scary, unknown demeanor he had 20 years ago. We haven’t had a real investigated Bigfoot sighting in almost 10 years, so it’s expected that the persona of Bigfoot will change.

So, as the legend of Bigfoot lives on, the speculations will continue, and maybe we’ll get some hardcore evidence. But as of right now, Bigfoot is just a fairytale myth.