All posts by HPSH Plaid Line

Getting To Know/History

The Arab Spring

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By: Biftu Osmon

The Arab Spring was a series of protests and revolutions that spread throughout Northern African countries as well as Middle Eastern countries.

It all began in Tunisia when an unemployed man selling goods was stopped by police because he didn’t have a license for selling things and instead of getting a fine, they stole his goods and didn’t return them.

He filed for harassment but they refused to listen to him. This drove him to protest by setting himself on fire. Less than a week later the whole country was protesting against the government because of the realization of how poorly the working class was treated.

This spread on social media quickly and inspired other nearby countries, whose government was corrupt, to protest against them as well. “The Arab Spring is kind of a perfect model for how people are going to use technology to act collectively in their own interest in the future. There’s never been a revolution that was coordinated by social media to the degree that the Arab Spring was.”

Tunisia and Syria are similar in terms of the Arab Spring in numerous ways. Both countries had corrupt governments which didn’t provide them basic human necessities, as well as not serving the citizens justice where it was needed, which was one of the main reasons why both countries began to protest.

Both countries also began their revolutions with peaceful protests and due to the circumstances of their situation, even citizens who steered clear of politics came to the streets to protest which was a sign of unity among the countries. The number of protests that sparked across the entirety of both countries was a shockingly large amount, showing what’s possible when citizens unite under one cause.

Although both Syria and Tunisia had several similarities in terms of the Arab spring, there were also a good amount of differences. One of the biggest differences is the fact that Syria’s peaceful protests escalated into a civil war but Tunisia’s protests didn’t. The government’s response to the protests were also different.

Syria’s government responded to the protests with weapons and violence even though the protests were all peaceful. Tunisia on the other hand had successful protests and the government responded in a more orderly fashion. “I believe democracy will succeed in Tunisia, but I also believe that it will succeed in the other Arab Spring countries.”

For more information, please visit:

Student Creative Writing

It’s the Thought That Counts

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By: Ren King and Violet Hirman

Note: This is a student generated work of short fiction

“It’s a gift.”

The familiar curve of a smile lines her cheeks, and I stiffen as she places the small wooden box in my hand. “From Don and me. To remind you to keep wishing.”

“Thank you, mom.” I would’ve gladly accepted a gift from my mom, but her deranged, middle aged lover, Don? He sickens me, and as my hands trace the detailed woodworking of the box, a glimpse of the desire to crush the box grips me.

“Don’t waste it, kiddo,” Don warns. Hate burns in my chest. He doesn’t even love my mom, just enjoys the attention. Something in his eyes makes my stomach turn again, a threat.

As soon as possible, I retreat to my room where I toss the box onto my bed and pull on my shoes. If I’m going to stay sane, I need air. Dinner was more tense than usual, the only sound being forks scratching plates. I’m almost out the door, but something tugs at me. At the last moment, I grab the box again and leave.

The sun has already tucked itself away behind the trees by the time my house disappears from view. I release a captured breath and let myself breathe freely.

The breeze is warm, running small fingers through my tangled hair, dancing between the trees and tracing my face. When the air stills, the sounds of frogs and crickets fill my ears. The lake on my right glitters underneath the moon, warping its reflection.

I sit on a ledge overhanging the lake’s shore, feet swinging lethargically. The box in my hands is heavy, solid. Its intricacy catches my attention—really catches my attention—for the first time, the grain swirling and dipping over the surface. I unclasp the latch and flip the lid up. Inside, the box is lined with velvety fabric, cushioning a single penny.

“I guess it’s the thought that counts,” I mutter. I twirl the coin between my fingers and glance at the moon. It’s full, so full it looks like it’s about to burst. And it’s close. The stars twinkle, gently earlier, but now with a harsh bitterness usually left to the sunshine.

My mother’s words return to me, the words about wishes.

“Worth a shot.”

With a wish in my head, I squeeze my eyes shut and hurl the penny into the lake. It lands with a tiny splash, skips twice, and disappears beneath the waves. Time slows, pulling at my consciousness. Everything sharpens, coming to razor-sharp focus. I feel the weight of my eyelashes as I blink, the hair brushing the back of my neck in the wind, the feel of my clothes on my body. And then it returns to normal. Like nothing happened at all.

A sort of excitement grows in my stomach, sweet and sick all at once. I take a slow, deep breath of air and jog the entire way home, anticipation squirming under my skin like a caged animal.

My hand pauses over the door handle, but I push my way inside nevertheless.

“I’m home!” I call. The house is dark. I couldn’t have been gone that long, could I? I bound upstairs, box in hand, and peek into my mom’s room. She’s alone, and asleep if her breathing is any tell. Is he gone? Did he leave? Did the penny work?

I retreat again to my room, hope struggling against the bonds of disbelief. Sleep is quick to find me and tuck me into its safe space inside my head. I dream of coins, moons, and water.

The following morning I nearly fall down the stairs like a kid on Christmas morning. But the person in the kitchen makes my heart drop to my toes. Don. He’s still here. Why?

“Mornin’ kiddo. I see you used your wish.” His voice drips with honey-sweet malice. I take a step back. My mom sits in the adjacent living room, rocking away and humming to herself under her breath.

“Mom, what was that? What was that penny?” I ask, panic rising. She doesn’t answer, only continues rocking.

“She can’t hear you,” gloats Don. “I suppose I should feel upset that you tried to get rid of me with my own gift, but I’m flattered. After all, it’s the thought that counts, right kiddo?”

Science/Nature, Travel/Food

According to science these 8 foods make you happy

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By: Jasmine Williams

I don’t think you would say diets make you happy, but they actually can, and play crucial roles in our happiness. Whether we know it or not, they affect how we feel. Here are the top eight food favorites that make you happy, according to ‘CNET’.

1. Dark chocolate
This is personally not my favorite, or really anyone’s, but it is more healthy for the body because it has half the sugar than any other chocolate. Here are three components that correlate with feelings of happiness in chocolate. Serotonin is a messenger that brings satisfaction, happiness, and optimism. Theobromine is not as strong, but can boost your mood like phenylethylalanine. Phenylethylalanine is another amino acid but it creates dopamine, which acts like an antidepressant.

2. Bananas
Bananas are not everyone’s favorite fruit but they can maintain your mood. Bananas are rich in B6, a vitamin that creates serotonin. One medium size banana has around 0.4 mg.

3. Coconut
Many people have not tried coconut, I’m one of them, but it’s scientifically proven that coconuts can boost your energy. It is known to have medium-chain triglycerides, which are a type of fat.

4. Coffee
A lot of people drink coffee. About 1 million people, and a 2016 meta-analysis says that coffee can lower the risk of depression.

5. Avocado
Avocado has nutrients including choline, a component that is used to maintain your nervous system and mood. Avocados are rich in vitamin B. Vitamin B has shown to lower stress levels.

6. Berries
A 2016 study showed that eating fruits and vegetables in general can improve mental health. But berries are plentiful in flavonoids (antioxidants). They can reduce depression symptoms.

7. Fermented food
Foods like kimchi, kombucha and yogurt, go through the fermentation process. They create probiotics that lead to a healthy gut. Important because 90% of serotonin comes from healthy guts.

8. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are full of vitamin D which has been known to have qualities of stimulants that can increase your mood. To get the full effect, let your mushrooms get some sunlight before cooking.

For more information, please visit:

● https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449495/

Travel/Food

‘Empanadas De Arroz Con Leche’ recipe

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By: Pablo Contreras

Empanadas is a dessert that I have only made once and there’re many different variations of empanadas; you can add in any filling that you want. For example, the first ever empanadas that I’ve ever made had yams as the filling, the second time that I made empanadas was with arroz con leche as the filling.

For those of you who don’t know what arroz con leche is, its English name is rice pudding.

Now, when I was little I absolutely hated rice pudding but when I made these empanadas I slightly (but not too much) liked the flavor. The rice pudding empanadas were definitely better than the yam empanadas.

There are many different variations of empanadas, I believe that the dough is made the same but the filling changes. You can add in meat like beef and chicken inside or cheese, but this recipe focuses on rice pudding empanadas.

Before we start, just to let you all know, this recipe is not mine, it belongs to La Cocinita De Lorena Marin. Now that that’s out of the way, here is how to make the empanadas.

Empanadas de arroz con leche

Here is what you are going to need to make the empanada dough:

  1. 2 cups of flour
  2. 1 teaspoon of Baking powder
  3. 1/4 cup of Butter (room temperature)
  4. 1egg
  5. Half a cup of water
  6. 2 tablespoons of sugar
  7. 1/4 of Water
  8. A pinch of salt

Here are the steps to make the dough:

  1. In a big bowl add in 2 cups of flour
  2. Then in the middle of the flour make a little hole in the middle and add the 2 tablespoons of sugar
  3. Next add in the 1 egg, the room temperature butter, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder and mix
  4. When it starts to be a dough texture, start to add in the 1/4 cup of water and mix
  5. On a flat surface you are going to start to knead the dough
  6. When it starts to get sticky, add in a little bit of flour (the dough needs to be smooth and not sticky)
  7. Once it’s done leave it in the same bowl and use plastic to cover the top and leave it to rest inside the fridge for 30 minutes

Now, while we wait for the dough here is what you are going to need to make the arroz con leche

  1. 1 cup of rice already rinsed and drained
  2. 2 cups of milk
  3. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  4. 2 mini cans of condensed milk
  5. A few drops of lime
  6. A stick of cinnamon
  1. First, in a pot put in both cups of milk, then place in two mini cans of condensed milk and mix
  2. Next add in the rice, leave the stove on medium-high and put in the cinnamon stick
  3. Now you are going to add in 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice inside and let it boil for a little bit and then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  4. Let this cook for 10-15 minutes
  5. Once the ten minutes are up, and if it’s dry, turn it off and take out the cinnamon stick and let the rice cool (if the rice is not dry leave it on for another 5 minutes until its dry)

Now while we wait for the rice to cool down, here is what to do next with the dough:

  1. Once the 30 minutes are up, you are going to use a rolling pin to roll the dough out
  2. Once it’s all flat use a circular cookie cutter to cut out the shape for the empanadas
  3. Now, once more roll out the small dough

Once the rice pudding is completely cooled down:

  1. Add a spoonful onto the empanada in the center
  2. Then fold the empanada in half to cover the filling and press the edges together
  3. Bake the empanadas for 15 minutes at 380
  4. Once the 15 minutes are up take the empanadas out and let them cool down
  5. To add more flavor, mix cinnamon with sugar on a plate and when the empanadas are no longer hot, mix the empanadas in the sugar and enjoy 🙂

To find the original recipe, and to learn more, here is the link to the recipe, and beware the video is in Spanish:

Tech/Games

Starting a revolution in a video game for six days

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By: Hoaseng Thao

In the video game, ARMA 3, there is a mod you can download called “Antistasi Plus” created by a Steam user named “Socrates”, which essentially makes you a guerilla fighter fighting against an occupant or invader, so I decided to download this mod and play it on single player to test it out. Here is the background story of my playthrough:

The year is 2035, a microstate nation located in the Mediterranean Sea known as Malden, is currently under the occupation of a military organization known as CSAT (Canton Protocol Strategic Alliance Treaty). It is up to me, a foreign fighter who definitely does not have any ties to any military organization who opposes CSAT, to fight alongside a resistance leader known as Commander Petros, who commands a resistance group, to liberate his nation from CSAT’s occupation. This is the tale of my journey of liberating the micronation of Malden.

Day 1

On a bright sunny day, on the island of Malden, I began my journey of liberating the island by first gaining the trust of the local population by dropping off a supply crate at the coastal town of Le Port. I made my way to the town of Le Port, where I had a standoff between a small force of CSAT soldiers alongside the local police force, and at the end of the standoff I had survived the overwhelming odds and I successfully dropped off the supplies at the town.

While I was at Le Port, I realized that there were two nearby factories that were occupied by the CSAT soldiers I had just faced, leaving them to be empty and for me to capture their resources. After completing my mission in Le Port, and successfully capturing two factories, I decided to rest for the day, so I can fight another day.

Day 2

I awoke from my slumber and headed out on a mission, a mission to capture a radio tower outpost on top of a mountain. I had originally planned to walk up the mountain but instead I drove up the mountain, successfully avoiding any obstacles and enemy patrols, and as I approached the outpost and saw its occupants standing around like the NPC (Non-Player Character) they are, I hurled over seven grenades at the NPC’s, killing all of them.

After clearing out the radio outpost, I successfully capture the outpost marking it as my own. As an hour passed by, I saw an in-game notification saying that there is an unknown signal on Malden and was nearby my location, so I decided to investigate the location of this unknown signal, but as I approached the location of the signal, I was ambushed by another guerilla force, who’s aim was to get rid of me and commander Petros.

The firefight I had with this other guerilla force, lasted for 13 minutes in which I was able to drive them away from me. After the battle I decided to take a rest from fighting, ending the day with a small victory.

Day 3

Day 3 was an important day, I was able to capture multiple towns and resource posts, making the resistance a lot of money as well as giving us more manpower. A third of the island was under our control; all we needed to do was to capture the lower sea ports and northern CSAT outposts before doing a full on assault on the Airport, located at the northern point of the island.

Day 4

The moon began to rise as the sun got its rest, and here I am on this island, wearing stolen night vision goggles I had captured from stolen supply crates. I began my campaign of conquering the southern outposts and resource plants in the dead of night, and CSAT, despite being a global superpower, regarded the island as useless and left the remaining CSAT units to fend for themselves. As the sun rose, most of the CSAT outposts in the south were either captured or destroyed.

Day 5

As I approached the CSAT base in the north, I devised a plan to utilize multiple mortars to overwhelm the occupants into surrendering but by some luck, a CSAT fighter jet appeared from the skies and began to bomb most of my men who armed the mortars.

Despite the presence of a fighter jet in the air, CSAT lost the base due to lack of reinforcements in the region. After capturing the base, I began to arm my men with mortars and the captured tanks we acquired from the base to storm the main airport, and within an hour, the airport was ours and the main island was free of CSAT soldiers.

Day 6

We had just pushed the remaining CSAT soldiers off the main island, and now we had to deal with the two remaining CSAT islands. The island in the north holds a sea port alongside an airport, while the other is located in the south which holds a small military base. The island in the north was heavily defended by multiple anti air missile launchers near the runway of the airport there, but there was a small mountain that made a blind spot for the missiles, so I began to use the captured attack helicopter, from the airport, and flew to the island, raining death from above and destroying the anti air missiles leading to the capture of this island.

Now there was one island left, the island in the south was heavily damaged and weakened due to an unexpected friendly NPC, firing every single round they had in their mortar, destroying everything in the base which led to its capture. With the island now ours, we successfully liberated the island and gave it back to the people of Malden.

After liberating the island, Commander Petros became the new prime minister of the island and he established relations with NATO to help maintain the peace in the area. I decided to leave the island in hopes of a new adventure.

If you want to play this mod, please buy the video game ARMA 3 by Bohemia Interactive on Steam and go into the steam workshop to download the mod.

Below are links to both the game and the mod:

● https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2912941775 ● https://store.steampowered.com/app/107410/Arma_3/

News

With tensions looming in Ireland and Northern Ireland, Biden aims to cool off the situation, and will also visit his Irish roots in Ireland

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By: Aeden Evenson-McDermott

As President Biden left for his planned trip to the Irish and UK regions, the White House called it “tremendous progress” referring to progress made since The Good Friday Agreement, which was signed 25 years ago, which aimed to end the violence occurring throughout the region.

The United States’s push to secure more economic stability for the Northern Irish was at the forefront but has coincided with the wounds of the past being reopened.

The Good Friday Agreement’s aim was to help with reunifying the predominantly Irish Catholics known as “Republicans” with those who wanted to remain a part of the U.K., mostly being Protestants, known as the “Unionists”. This period of high tensions was known as “The Troubles” and resulted in over 3,500 deaths.

When the actual Good Friday Agreement got signed on April 10, 1998, both sides stopped fighting and created shared power between the Republican and Unionists to make up Northern Ireland’s government. The U.K., as a part of the agreement would be limited to bolstering Northern Ireland’s military.

With the increased tensions now being focused on trade deals and reoccurring drawbacks from the post-Brexit era, the political issues for the British Unionists are mounting. The Northern Ireland Unionists are increasingly worried about how the deal leaves EU Measures in place, which allows for Northern Ireland to be closer to the Republic of Ireland, which is an EU member, while Northern Ireland is in the U.K. With the threat rising, a few issues have surfaced. A police car had Molotov cocktails thrown at it, a bomb plot, and a few suspected pipe bombs in Creggan cemetery.

President Biden’s visit to Northern Ireland was to help “keep the peace” during a time when the U.K. government is walking a tightrope in regard to Northern Ireland.

It remains to be seen whether or not Biden’s visit eases tensions or the tension remains.

With less than 24 hours spent in Northern Ireland, President Biden would head to Dublin, the capital of Ireland, and address the local Dublin parliament and attend a gala banquet before setting out to explore his ancestral roots.

He focused on the here and now with the imminent future rather than the stories of the past, but this would also be to point out the great accomplishments Ireland has made.

Through seeing distant family members and taking in the sights and sounds of Ireland, Ireland is becoming a steadfast ally in Europe and especially with the U.S. and this broadened the relations between the two governments.

Since the war in Ukraine started back in February of 2022, Ireland has taken in over 75,000 refugees and has also strongly condemned Russia for the invasion.

Ireland stands as a beacon of freedom of hope and has gained a foothold of liberal ideals while many other countries are struggling with the uptick of the far-right.

Through his adventures, President Biden would be enriched in Irish culture and customs, and would visit his ancestors’ home towns of Ballina and Mayo and would reflect on his family’s journey to America and living in Scranton, Pennsylvania. And as his Irish Catholic grandfather, Ambrose Finnegan always said to Joey growing up, “Keep the faith”.

Movies/TV/Theaters

The upcoming ‘Five Nights At Freddy’s’ movie

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By: Julia Yang

You may not have heard, but Blumhouse Productions is making a Five Nights at Freddy’s movie. A Five Nights at Freddy’s movie has been long awaited by its fans and community. Some people have waited 5-7 years for a movie to come out, and fans couldn’t believe it when Blumhouse said it was really happening.

It’s being directed by Emma Tammi and written by Seth Cuddeback and Scott Cawthon — the creator of the FNAF franchise.

Scott Cawthon has been retired from the Five Nights at Freddy’s community ever since June of 2021 because of controversy around his political beliefs. Scott stated that he would not be stepping back entirely, but would play a lesser role in the development of FNAF. Even so, Scott has come back one last time as the FNAF creator to help write and release this movie that his fans have wanted for so long to see.

For those who are interested in watching, the movie is going to be live-action and won’t hold back on any violence or gore. It will be very detailed and explicit with the darkness that is Five Nights at Freddy’s. This means that minors are heavily advised to skip this movie and leave it to another year or four.

There have already been many set leaks and behind the scene pictures and videos of the movie being made; fans seeing these pictures makes them all the more impatient. Here are a few:

Here is a list of the cast that we know of:

  • Kellen Goff as Michael Schmidt.
  • Bill Skarsgard as William Afton (The Purple Guy).
  • Scott Cawthon as The Phone Guy.
  • Frank Welker as The Pizzeria Manager.
  • Nathan Gamble as C.C Afton (Opening Scene).
  • Real Robots-Animatronics as Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, Golden Freddy (Fredbear (Opening Scene) and Spring-Bonnie (Opening Scene).

The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie releases on October 27th of 2023, so be ready, and be excited!

For more information, please visit:

Travel/Food

European hotel review

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By: Sophie Johnson

Over spring break, I stayed in three different hotels in Europe. The first one I stayed in was in Massa, Italy, called the Illy Hotel. This hotel had a very homey feel and I really enjoyed staying there. Not only was it just a block away from a beautiful beach, but it also had plenty of shops and attractions within walking distance including gift stores and gelato.

The rooms were equipped with two twin beds and a twin bunk bed fitting a total of four people. The views out the window were unreal with towering mountains, intricate buildings and delicious lemon trees outside. The meals at this hotel were good for the most part ranging from seafood salad to spaghetti. Overall, this hotel was a 9/10.

The next hotel I stayed in was called Hôtel Cannes MontFleury in France. This hotel was definitely bigger than the first one, but was not as enjoyable as the other two I stayed in.

The first night I was there, we were looking around for the pool. Not only was the pool empty, which was disappointing, but we found rats running around in the kitchen. Other than that, their breakfast bar had good food and I had two nights of relaxing sleep.

The group I was with didn’t get as much time to explore this neighborhood as we did at the other hotels, but there was a really good pizza place a few minutes away. I rate this hotel a 7/10.

The last place we stayed at was the Guitart Hotel just outside of Barcelona, Spain. I loved staying here so much. Once again, the beach was about a 10 minute walk away. I got to go swimming for the first time at this beach which was super fun too. They also had a nice pool and a game room which was cool.

Their all you can eat buffet was some of the best food I had on the whole vacation. For breakfast there were churros, eggs, sausage, fruit, everything you can imagine. For dinner, there were options of pasta, ribs, and so much more. They also had desserts including tiramisu, jello, ice cream, and pudding. The rooms were very comfortable at this hotel and they even had a walkout balcony. I rate this hotel was a 10/10.

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

Sports schedule for: Apr 24-29

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  ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: APRIL 24 – APRIL 29  
MONDAY APRIL 24  
TIME BUS TIMES EVENT LOCATION 
4:00pm  Tennis vs. Central Central High School 
4:30pm / 4:30pm  Baseball vs. Washington Varsity: HOME C: Arlington and Arkwright 
5:30pm / 5:30pm 4:45pm | 6:00pm Badminton vs. Harding HOME 
TUESDAY APRIL 25 
TIME BUS TIMES EVENT LOCATION 
3:30pm  Boys Golf vs. Como Park Highland National GC 
4:00pm / 5:00pm 2:30pm | 5:30pm Badminton Triangular Burnsville / Edina  Burnsville High School 
4:00pm 2:45pm | 6:00pm JV Softball vs. Como Park Como Park High School 
WEDNESDAY APRIL 26 
TIME BUS TIMES EVENT LOCATION 
1:30pm  Girls Golf 9-Hole Tournament Oneka Ridge Golf Course 
4:00pm  Tennis vs. Harding Harding High School 
4:00pm  Softball vs. Johnson Phalen Rec Center 
4:30pm / 4:30pm  Baseball vs. Johnson V: Arlington and Arkwright JV: HOME 
4:30pm  Boys Lacrosse B-Squad vs. Cretin-Derham Hall McMurray Fields 
5:30pm / 5:30pm  Badminton vs. Washington  HOME 
THURSDAY APRIL 27 
TIME BUS TIMES EVENT LOCATION 
3:30pm  Boys Golf vs. Central Highland National GC 
3:45pm 2:00pm | 7:00pm JV Track and Field Meet Woodbury High School 
3:50pm  JV Girls Golf Match Cedarholm Golf Course 
4:00pm  Softball vs. Central HOME 
4:30pm / 4:30pm  Baseball vs. Johnson V: HOME JV: Phalen Fields 
FRIDAY APRIL 28 
TIME BUS TIMES EVENT LOCATION 
4:00pm / 4:00pm  Tennis vs. Minnehaha Academy V: HOME JV: Minnehaha Academy 
5:00pm  Track and Field Hamline Elite Meet Hamline University 
5:30pm / 5:30pm 4:45pm | 6:00pm Badminton vs. Humboldt Humboldt High School 
6:30pm  Softball vs. DeLaSalle Jane Sage Cowles Stadium 
SATURDAY APRIL 29 
TIME BUS TIMES EVENT LOCATION 
10:00am 8:00am | 4:15pm Track and Field Invitational  Lakeville North High School 
10:00am / 12:00pm  Softball Doubleheader vs. Saint Agnes and MPLS Southwest HOME 
Advice/How To, Music/Concerts

Benefits of listening to music

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By: Mya Olson Williams

Most teens these days are listening to some sort of music. Especially during school days. But is it doing any good? Yes, it actually has a very positive effect.

According to John Hopkins Medicine, listening to music can reduce anxiety, pain, and blood pressure. Not only that, but it improves your mood, the quality of your sleep, and memory.

Music is so universal and there’s something for everyone. Because it’s so beneficial, you should find what you enjoy and listen when you can.

Along with the other benefits I mentioned, listening to music can start up your creativity. Especially when listening to new genres you maybe aren’t a fan of or haven’t heard before. Challenging yourself to listen to them causes the brain to try and understand the new sounds.

Music can also be great for recalling old memories. Maybe some familiar music from many years ago reminds you of an old friend, place, or time in your life.

Another few other great reasons to listen to music is because it reduces stress, and relieves symptoms of depression. If you struggle with one or maybe both, turning on a good and uplifting song could make you feel better in the moment. The music you’re listening to relieves this stress by triggering biochemical stress reducers in your brain.

Aside from mental health, music positively affects your physical health as well. It boosts your immune system, keeps your heart healthy, and eases pain.

Now, if you think your student, or child constantly has their headphones in, maybe it’s a good thing! Because of all of the amazing health benefits music has, we could all listen to it every once in a while. And I’m sure most of us do.

For more information, please visit: