All posts by HPSH Plaid Line

Movies/TV/Theaters

Who I would cast for the upcoming movie: ‘It Ends With Us’

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By: Mya Olson – Williams

As many book lovers know, an announcement was recently made about the cast list for the film adaption of Colleen Hoover’s popular novel, ‘It Ends With Us’. It’s caused lots of controversy and received much criticism. Casted as the main characters, Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid, are Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Although both are great actors, here’s who I would cast for the main roles, as well as the others.

Lily Bloom – Elle Fanning

Lily Bloom has an innocent, sweet, and delicate character. Elle Fanning shows that in her appearance and voice. Lily is a natural redhead and also quite young in the book. Elle is extremely close in age, just one year older. If the actress playing Lily was older, that could change people’s perception of the plot and character development. Elle also looks amazing with red hair, so much so that it looks very natural. Although Blake pulls off the new hair color, you can tell that it’s dyed.

Ryle Kincaid – Theo James

In the novel, Ryle comes off as this intimidating, powerful, and uptight guy. Theo James has a defined resting face that can almost give you chills. He has a soft and sweet smile, but also a straight face that makes me a little bit uneasy. That’s how I imagine Ryle to be, someone with deceiving looks. I bet Justin Baldoni can totally play his character, but he looks super sweet and gentle, somewhat unlike Ryle.

Atlas Corrigan – Dylan Minnette

Atlas Corrigan is the definition of a gentleman. He cares about his loved ones very much, and protects them with everything he can. Dylan usually plays sweet and innocent characters in movies and TV shows, which is why I think he’d fit Atlas’ character perfectly. He’s really good at wearing his heart on his sleeve while acting, and that’s one of the most important things needed from the actor who plays Atlas.

Allysa – Sarah Hyland

Allysa is your stereotypical fun, outgoing, gossip loving, supportive best friend. She’s always encouraging Lily to do what’s best for herself and have fun at the same time. I wanted to find an actress who resembles my vision of what Allysa looks like in my head, and she is exactly that. Sarah Hyland looks just like she’s fun and confident, like Allysa.

Marshal – Joel Courtney

Marshal is super funny and sweet. He’s the guy who makes you laugh when you need it after a rough chapter in the book. Joel Courtney is the exact same way in the movie ‘The Kissing Booth’. He plays a great friend and a fun, loving guy, which I think is absolutely perfect for Marshal’s character.

Although I’m sure everyone casted for this movie was chosen for a reason, these are who I imagine as a cast for the main characters. I can’t wait for the real cast list to come out, and see if the movie does justice to the book!

Science/Nature

An overview on 2022’s space launches

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By: Trump Vang

For astronomers world-wide, 2022 was a blastful year for its space launches. Within this year, there were a multitude of accomplishments and achievements reached.

Throughout 2022, 180 rockets were properly launched, with SpaceX leading most of them. There were 7 launch failures, but it’s clear to see the success within these launches, with the fact that 180 is the most ever within human history.

There were also a few highlights during the year, showing the potential of our technology within the environment of space.

Firstly, the mission of Artemis 1 launched on November 16th, 2022. Its mission was to prepare to create a safe environment for future crewed missions to the moon and Mars. These places, as of now, still hold many unknown dangers to us. At the end of this mission, it would successfully set up the premises for a human crew for another space launch.

Along with the Artemis mission, China was able to complete its very own space station, called the “Tiangong space station”. As of right now, this is the second fully crewed space station, creating new opportunities with the new build. Just like the other space station (ISS), this station strives for the same goals of experiments and research on life within space. With a whole new space station, the opportunities seem almost endless.

As space launches become more prominent in these upcoming years, it’s important to see what’s up next on the launch board.

With views of Mars becoming our next home, researchers have had their eyes on this planet. Recently, they’ve announced the production of a small robot by the name of Moxie. Its purpose is to generate breathable oxygen for the foreseeable future within Mars. This idea, although still floating, has been tested, giving an eventual launch date somewhere in the 2030’s.

Throughout the decades of space exploration, technology has developed way past what we had before. Looking at the first space launch ever, Sputnik 1, it’s clear to see the improvements within our goals and technology. As we continue, it will keep on improving, adding and developing our knowledge on the vastness of space. We are just a step in this process, but it’s necessary to further space exploration and its many future launches.

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Clubs and Activities, Travel/Food

Cookie season

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By: Tasha Cudinski

Friday, February 17th, was the start of Girl Scout cookie season! There are 10 flavors of cookies available for purchase this year!

  • Adventurefuls; caramel brownie cookies that were introduced last year. Thin mints; chocolate and mint wafer cookies.
  • Caramel deLites; coconut cookies covered in caramel and chocolate.
  • Peanut Butter Patties; a peanut butter cookie covered in chocolate.
  • Peanut Butter Sandwich; two oatmeal cookies stuck together with peanut butter.
  • Trefoils; shortbread cookies and the first types of cookies Girl Scouts ever sold.
  • Toast-Yay; cinnamon sugar flavored cookies. Lemonades; shortbread cookies with a sweet lemony icing on the bottom.
  • Caramel Chocolate chip; gluten free cookies with caramel and chocolate chips.
  • And new this year are, Raspberry Rally! They are wafer cookies with raspberry flavoring and a chocolate coating on the outside.

All flavors of Girl Scout cookies are 5$ a box, even the Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies, which were 6$ last year. You can buy Girl Scout cookies from door to door sales, from cookie booths, or online. If you know a Girl Scout who is selling cookies you can also ask them about buying cookies.

This year’s new cookie flavor, Raspberry Rally’s are only purchasable online this year, so if you want to buy a box of them, then head to girlscouts.org to buy cookies once cookie season starts.

If you are worried about potential allergen in Girl Scout cookies, or have other questions about the ingredients of Girl Scout cookies, you can go to GirlScoutsRV.org where you can find more details on the ingredients of Girlscout cookies.

The money from Girl Scout cookie sales goes to the troop you buy the cookies from, and funds all of their activities for the rest of the year until the next cookie season. This money is what allows Girl Scouts to do fun activities like horseback riding, arts and crafts, skiing, attending engineering workshops, and more. The money they get from cookie sales allows Girl Scouts to learn and experience more things without having to worry about the cost of things like equipment, or activities.

This year’s Girl Scout cookie season goes from February 17th to March 26th, so if you want to buy cookies make sure to keep an eye out for cookie booths, or head online to buy yourself a few boxes of cookies.

Fashion/Make-Up

Fast fashion

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By: Ajmal Abdirahman & Mushtaq Yonis

Are you aware of the manufacturers of the clothes you’re wearing right now? Do you recall where your clothing was made or how much you spent for them? Is fast fashion always the best option? Is it safe for the planet and our environment? Should we keep purchasing from fast fashion? Many people don’t think about these questions which is why these are some of the things you should consider asking yourself.

People should not purchase fast fashion because of overconsumption, child labor, and pollution.

The first reason why we should not purchase fast fashion is because of overconsumption. People usually tend to buy way too many clothes and items that aren’t necessary because things are cheap, affordable, and easy to access. Fast fashion allows people to buy cheap and trendy clothing that they’ll later end up discarding after a few wears.

Fast fashion falls into the idea that outfit repeating is lame and that if you want to stay trendy or relevant you have to achieve the latest looks as they happen.

Fast fashion causes pollution, slowly killing our planet everyday. Did you know, according to Good On You’s website, fast fashion is the second fastest polluter; oil is the first. Fast fashion’s impact on the planet is massive. It pollutes the world’s waters and creates carbon emissions which are very harmful to our planet. This includes the overuse of cheap toxic textile-dyes, making the fashion industry one of the largest polluters of clean water globally.

Many cheap textiles increase the impact of fast fashion. Fabrics like polyester, microfibers, and conventional cotton result in so many global warming disasters. Is it okay to continue this? To worsen the damage?

Child labor is sadly another reason why we shouldn’t purchase fast fashion. Factories like SHEIN (an online clothing store) that’s recently risen to popularity in the past 3 years, Zara and H&M, which are other major giants in the fast fashion field, often use low skilled child labor. They all, including many more, use that to their advantage so children in these factories can be exploited at a young age. As much as there is an environmental cost of fast fashion, there’s a human cost that comes along with it.

The risk of poor human environmental issues include poor labor conditions, and the people/kids who make the clothes get paid very little. In some countries, children working 16 hours a day 7 times a week only make enough money to buy a meal a day.

The fast fashion industry is widespread with low wages, long work hours, inhumane working conditions. Additionally, sexual abuse, and physical assaults also occur as reported about on Shared-impact.com.

Countries such as Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, are great examples of these horrendous fast fashion practices.

The reason why people like to purchase fast fashion is that it’s cheaper for people who may not be able to afford much. The affordable prices and instant satisfaction for consumers, leads to more profits for companies, and the standardization of stylish clothing.

Instead of relying constantly on fast fashion, you can try shopping second hand because thrift shopping is affordable, yet it doesn’t harm our environment as much making it an amazing alternative to fast fashion. There are many other alternatives to this, such as buying clothes from ethical and sustainable brands.

People should try not to purchase fast fashion because of the many downsides to it that include overconsumption, child labor, and pollution. If consumers continue to try to buy less and consume less, that will be the first step we can all take to prevent many disadvantages.

Remember, 10% of global carbon emissions dry up water sources and pollute rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year.

Fast fashion is affecting the whole planet and if we continue to purchase more and more items this will have a big impact on our environment. Fast fashion is unethical and hard on the environment. It is responsible for huge textile waste, water, air, soil pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Large amounts of resources are being removed and clothes sent to landfills due to fast fashion. If we don’t try to help our planet now who will?

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Advice/How To

Best way to spend a snow day

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By: Biftu Osman

Because Minnesotans are known for their cold weather, snow storms and unsafe weather conditions are not uncommon for us. For staff and students at schools, this means snow days could be a common event. Due to this, some people might find themselves questioning what to do out of boredom. I’ve chosen to compile a list of enjoyable and entertaining activities to do during a snow day to help minimize the boredom. 

First on my list is to play a board game/puzzle. Board games are a great and fun bonding activity to do with family or friends. It’s also an indoor pastime so you won’t even need to leave the comfort of your house. You can include a prize for the game’s winner to raise the stakes and make it more competitive. Some of my personal favorite board games include: Apples to Apples, Monopoly, and Candyland. 

Baking is the next activity you could do on my list. It is also a simple indoor activity that won’t take up too much of your time. You could make that new dish you’ve been wanting to try or even just celebrate the snow by making a winter-themed dish. My favorite baking challenge is coming up with new variations to a perfectly fine chocolate chip cookie recipe while also aiming to create the greatest recipe possible. One example would be to increase the amount of butter in the recipe to see whether it makes it more soft. 

My last activity for the best ways to spend a snow day is to shovel. This outdoor activity would be a considerate approach to support your parents and possibly your neighbors. It’s labor-intensive and a wonderful way to exercise, shoveling also has the added benefit of being beneficial.

Basketball

Siren vs Grantsburg…rivalry runs deep

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By: Mae Skold & Audrey Smith

February 3rd, an hour and a half northwest of the Twin Cities, two Wisconsin high schools faced off in a championship basketball game. Granstburg entered the Siren territory at 7pm out for blood with a plan involving nothing but victory. The varsity game was tight for the duration of the first half with both the opposing student sections on their toes. What had these fans so invested in, you may ask? Well let’s get into the riveting details of the game.

Within the first half of the game star player Ethan Rudd scored 4, 3-point shots, giving the Siren Dragons a lead. Ethan is the star of the team while being led by his own father, Jon Ruud, who has been coaching since the 90’s. The two of them are a dynamic duo and make the Siren Dragons the team that they are today.

Ethan’s points racking up for Siren made the student section hyped in anticipation of a possible win. By the time it was half time, the Siren Dragons had 27 points total as compared to Grantsburg with 19. This gave Siren hope of a win for the night.

Another player who really shone bright was Derek Skold, leading shooting guard on the court. With 14 shot blocks alone in this game he is the most successfully ranked player in his position in Burnett County. Derek and Ethan have actually both been going through with their Division I basketball journeys traveling around the Midwest touring schools. Their skill, height, academics, and more are all impressive traits to the various scouts that have been guiding them on their Division I journeys.

As the game continued throughout the first half, leading varsity players on the Grantsburg team began to lead their team to victory against their rivals. The score swapped, with Grantsburg in the lead, however this wouldn’t last long.

Number 43 on the Grantsburg basketball team, Darius Galindo, suffered an injury. This was a stressful moment for not only the Grantsburg community, but the Siren community as well. Many Sireners know Darius well, and this severe moment in the game left every individual in the Siren Dragons bleachers on edge.

With Varsity starter Darius out for the rest of the game, Siren began to catch up in the score very swiftly. Darius Galindo is considered a weapon and necessity for the Grantsburg team.

So, will the Grantsburg team make it to the final round? This information is unsure however, against Siren the team was still able to play well.

In the second half following the Siren lead and devastating injury, another Grantsburg player stepped into the light. Frankie Macdonald took it upon himself to fill Darius’s shoes and he managed to get Grantsburg up by 10 points using his speed and amazing rebound skills. This unexpected comeback had both student sections biting their nails in anticipation not knowing when to expect another come back.

Jon Ruud of the Siren dragons decided to call an essential timeout with only a minute remaining. The team took the time to focus on defending Frankie and build a strategy on how to take him down. In the last minute, Frankie ultimately couldn’t be stopped and scored 2 three pointers giving Grantsburg the champion title.

After the game we had a chat with Ethan Ruud of Siren to discuss the loss. He was foggy brained after working so hard, he almost didn’t know what he was saying. After a few minutes of stumbling over his own words he came to the conclusion that he could’ve done better as an individual but the team worked great together.

Though tears were shed, the Siren Dragons were proud to have made it this far.

Travel/Food

Teapot tips

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By: Violet Hirman

In the past, tea was a reason to get-together daily, and was a huge part of so many cultures. Today, it still is for some. But a lot of knowledge and practice has faded into the background, obscuring the countless medicinal and mood-boosting benefits of tea.

Studies have shown that the majority of Americans don’t own a teapot or kettle, and that those who do don’t use them daily. Caffeinated coffee has taken the country by storm and replaced tea as the staple energy drink. There are several replacements for coffee in the tea industry that offer a natural energizing alternative.

One word. Matcha.

Matcha can be found on its own for making smoothies and drinks, even baked into pastries. It’s also a common ingredient in generic green tea, which you can find cheap at any grocery store.

Now, most people don’t like it because of the bitter aftertaste, but it’s easily sweetened with a little bit of honey.

Some other teas containing caffeine are chai tea (my favorite), black tea (also known as English Breakfast tea), white tea, purple tea, and oolong tea.

Natural energy isn’t the only benefit of tea, however. Chamomile, for example, is great for a restful sleep, and you can drink a cup before bed to help with sleep quality. Peppermint tea is helpful in easing stomach aches and digestion, and the Echinacea flower can be made into tea to shield against colds and fevers.

Tea ingredients can—and often are—combined with others possessing similar qualities to make an herbal mix, which can help to amplify their uses and benefits. For example, an herbal tea mixture of sarsaparilla, burdock, stinging nettle, and dandelion can help to clear up acne from the inside out. Topical mixtures and compresses can also be made from these ingredients and applied externally for the same use.

Certain herbal mixtures shouldn’t be taken too often or for too long, and by no means should they replace the presence of any medicine provided by a doctor, but they have their benefits and can certainly be used to ease the nerves.

It’s possible to grow and harvest many ingredients in your backyard to make your own herbal teas. But keep in mind that it’s a delicate practice, and it’s greatly recommended to talk to a local botanist or herbologist to get helpful tips and advice.

The benefits of tea are endless, and their medicinal qualities are bountiful. Next time you see a kettle in a store, consider making a simple cup of tea.

Basketball, Scoreboard/Schedule, Wrestling

Sports schedule for: Feb 27-Mar 4

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  ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: FEBRUARY 27 – MARCH 4  
MONDAYFEBRUARY 27 
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
3:40pm / 5:00pm2:45pm | 6:00pmBoys Basketball vs. WashingtonWashington Technology
TUESDAYFEBRUARY 28
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
    
WEDNESDAYMARCH 1
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:15pm / 6:00pm 6:00pm Boys Basketball vs. HardingHOME
7:00pm Girls Basketball vs. DeLaSalleDeLaSalle High School
THURSDAYMARCH 2
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
4:30pm / 4:30pm 6:00pm Boys Basketball vs. MPLS SouthHOME
FRIDAYMARCH 3
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
8:00am Wrestling Individual State TournamentXcel Energy Center
SATURDAYMARCH 4
TIMEBUS TIMESEVENTLOCATION
8:00am Wrestling Individual State TournamentXcel Energy Center
Tech/Games

Roblox game reviews

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By: Sophie Johnson & Biftu Osman

Roblox is a video game platform with hundreds of mini games and millions of users daily. Since this is an interest of ours, we decided to play a few games and rate them.

The first game we will be reviewing is “Survive the Killer”. This is a thrilling game where one person is randomly chosen to be the killer. The rest of the players have a mission to hide from the killer, help to save other players, and make it out of the round alive.

This is one of our personal favorite games on the Roblox app. It has a gripping element that keeps players on their toes and it also has a horror element to it.

In this game, there is a timer at the top of the screen and once the timer gets down to one more minute, the exits open. At this point, the killer can see where all the players are and it is their last chance to kill any of the players who they haven’t found yet. It is a race to the finish and either you win or the killer wins.

We rate this game a 10/10 because it is very exciting and fun.

“Natural Disaster” is another game where players are put in a simulation where they have to survive a natural disaster. Some of the disasters include acid rain, tornados, floods, fires, and volcanoes. The game announces which of the disasters will happen and the disaster begins soon after.

Players have the task of surviving and have limited health. If the health declines all the way and reaches zero, the player will be eliminated from the round. The way to win is by surviving the whole round and escaping to safety from the natural disaster.

This game is exciting because the players don’t know which disaster will come when the round starts and they have to figure out different ways to survive based on the disaster.

We would rate this game an 8/10 because some of the rounds are easier than others and you don’t have to do much to win, and we wish it was a bit more challenging.

Another game we are reviewing is “Hungry Nora”. This game is based off of the characters in the show ‘Dora the Explorer’, just under different names. In this game, the player’s goal is to collect the money from the characters and return to the safe zone without the characters catching you.

This game is thrilling because as soon as you take the money from one of the characters, they start chasing after you.

We rate this game a 7/10 because it is a simple game and is easy to understand, but other than collecting money, there is not really another point.

“Flee the Facility” is a Roblox game that was largely influenced by a different video game: “Dead by Daylight”. It’s one of the platform’s most played games since its creation in 2017. The main goal is for survivors to escape a map while evading the Beast, who captures and freezes the survivors into Freeze Pods.

To escape, the Survivors must hack a specific set of computers to unlock the Exit Doors. If a survivor is kidnapped by the Beast, the other survivors in the game can free them from the pods before the timer runs out and they’re completely frozen.

Once a round ends, the players are rewarded with XP or experience points at the end of each round, which can be used to purchase crates which provide alternative skins for hammers and jewels.

We would rate this game a 10/10 because we really enjoyed how intense it was and liked how it kept us on our feet.

The next game we’re going to review is “Rainbow Friends”. This is a multiplayer horror game consisting of 5 chapters. The first chapter opens with a group of players going on a field trip to an amusement park. The bus veers off the path and crashes when an unidentified person flips the directional sign. The players are then hauled away and sent to a mysterious facility, where they must gather items every night while evading the monsters that dwell there.

The players who have made it through each of the five nights are brought back to a safe room and given a 30 second debrief period before the next chapter.

We would rate this game an 8/10 because it was enjoyable but we wish it was more difficult to make it through each night.

The last game we are going to review is “Adopt Me”. This is a role-playing game in which you can design a home and raise a family.

When the game was first released, you could start off as either a parent or a child and then build your family from there. Since then, the game has changed and improved, and its main focus is now the role of a pet owner who can trade pets with other players.

Since its debut in 2017, this game has consistently ranked among the most played on Roblox.

We would rate this game a 2/10 because it doesn’t cater to our interests in games, but we would understand why younger children enjoy playing it.

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Manifest’

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By: Jessica Garcia Saligan

Introduction

A good show to recommend if you like watching Drama and Supernatural shows is ‘Manifest’, there’s 4 seasons.

There’s a group of people that get on a plane and next thing you know, once they get off, passengers think it has been only a few hours but in reality it’s been 5 years.

Each season has around 10-16 episodes and each episode is 42 minutes long. ‘Manifest’ starts off with the airport offering people to give up their seats for an amount of money, the only thing is that they will arrive later.

The group of passengers and crew of the commercial airline get on a plane; 828. The flight starts off like a normal flight and all of a sudden a storm appears. At first it was only a little turbulence but that’s when a really big storm hit and made the plane start to shake and started going all over the place. The plane lost signal and couldn’t get anyone on the line.

After a little while they finally made a stop at this one airline and that’s when the whole plane was surrounded by cops, news, and and even the government. All the passengers were all confused on why the plane was surrounded and that’s when the governor tells them that they have been missing since April 7th, 2013, and when they returned, it’s November 4th, 2018. They had been missing for 5 years and were presumed dead.

A few of the passengers have a little voice in their head that tells them to do something where they are at, when they try to ignore it the voice gets louder and louder, and that makes them follow what the voice is telling them. But the voices are somehow connected with the investigation the passengers are doing.

Throughout the episodes, and the season, a few passengers try to figure out what happened to them, to see if it was set up by the government like an experiment.

If you want to find out more, you can watch the show on Netflix.