All posts by HPSH Plaid Line

Science/Nature

Current animals at risk for extinction

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By: Liv Miller

The earth is filled with millions of different beautiful species of animals. No matter where you are in the world, you are exposed to many different unique and amazing animals. There is one huge problem facing these animals today, extinction.

First let’s talk about extinction itself, what it is and how it happens. Extinction is the dying out, or extermination of a single species of animal. There can be many reasons or causes of this happening. Extinction can occur when species are negatively affected due to environmental forces. Some examples of these environmental forces are natural disasters, global change, or overexploitation of species for human use.

Another cause of extinction can be due to evolutionary changes, this includes poor reproduction, genetic inbreeding, or decline in population numbers.

No matter how or where it happens, extinction is a growing issue putting many different beloved species at risk.

The first species I found that was at risk of extinction was the loggerhead sea turtle. The reason why many species who mainly live near, or in water, like the loggerhead turtles are in danger, is because according to Biologicaldiversity.org a huge percentage of the world’s population live within at least 150 miles of the coast. This puts a lot of pressure on species trying to find space to live and reproduce among all of the people and crowds. This causes more problems that are contributing to the extinction of this animal. For example; destruction of their nesting habitat, harassment while nesting, over harvesting of its eggs, ect.

Another species I want to talk about is the Florida panther. A great population of this animal used to live across all of the southeastern parts of the United States, but now is confined to just a small area in Florida. The reason this animal is facing extinction is because of the destruction of their habitat. Urban expansion is a huge threat to wildlife, and is causing not just the Florida panther, but many other species to become extinct. According to Biologicaldiversity.org, large numbers of panthers died due to the growing network of roads connecting Florida’s growing human population spread throughout the state. As of 2011, there were only 100-120 panthers left.

These are just two of the close to a million species in which their population is declining and facing extinction. Many causes of this issue are unavoidable, but I do believe that there can be something done to save at least some of these beautiful animals.

Getting To Know/History

Spies in World War ll

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By: Ella Sutherland & Lauren Kottke

WWII was a brutal war that lasted 6 years, between the years 1939-1945. It was the largest and deadliest war. It was a global war with over 60 million people killed, and this includes many civilians.

Adolf Hitler was the man who started World War II. He was elected as Chancellor of Germany. It started when Germany invaded Poland. Britain and France then ended up declaring war on Germany. Germany didn’t like that, so Germany attacked Denmark and Norway, and soon after attacked Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Germany won pretty fast.

The countries that were fighting alongside Hitler, were Japan and Italy, and on the other side of that was Great Britain and France as well as many others.

On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered, ending the war in Europe, and on August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered, and World War II ended.

Obviously, many people were involved in the war. Have you ever wondered what spies did in World War II? We did, and we learned that spies influenced World War II in so many different ways. Some went undercover, some worked for both sides, and some even helped protect secret documents. These are three spies from World War ll that helped influence the war.

Spy #1 Josephine Baker

Josephine Baker was born and raised in St Louis. She left America when she was 19 in search of a greater life. In America she suffered the effects of the Jim Crow laws, which is a big reason why she left. At the time, Paris was a city full of people with big dreams, and Josephine was one of them.

After she landed a few small acting jobs in Paris, her career took off. People immediately fell in love with her charms and she was a hit.

What brought her into the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) was her fame. They recruited her because her fame was the perfect cover to be a spy. She could go to parties with important people and not be questioned. She specifically attended Italian and Japanese diplomatic parties in order to gather information on others joining the war.

Something she was known for was when she smuggled documents to general Charles de Gaulle and the French government with information about German troop movements. Over the years she made many impacts and helped the cause of the war.

Spy #2 Noon Inayat Khan

Noor Inayat Khan was born into royalty in India, but when the first war hit, she left Moscow for London and later on landed in Britain. From a young age she was passionate about doing courageous acts for other people’s good.

She joined the women’s auxiliary Air Force and immediately had a talent for operating the radios. She was later recruited by SOE (Special Operations Executive) and did training. After her training she went on to help maintain communications between London and France.

Spy #3 Virginia Hall

Virginia Hall was born into a wealthy family in Baltimore. But although she was rich, her life wasn’t easy. When she was younger she got into a hunting accident which resulted in her leg being amputated.

\As she grew up and the war became more apparent, Virginia’s ambitions to be a spy grew. She tried numerous times to become a spy, but was denied, until she had an encounter with an SOE agent. He ended up recruiting her and she was put as an undercover reporter.

She quickly began making connections and helped recruit more women spies into the field. Hall’s work is remembered as she helped bring liberation to parts of France.

As you can see, spies had a big impact on the war and had important roles. Many people overlooked women in the war before they learned that women made very good spies. We only named a few of the amazing spies that changed the course of the war. If you take anything away from this article, take away that spies saved so many lives and had such an important role in the war.

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Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Nappily Ever After’

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By: Samera Adams

‘Nappily Ever After’ is a Netflix movie. The movie consists of different sections. Each section identifies a part of the main character’s hair journey.

The movie starts with the main character, Violet, as a child playing by a pool. She is the only kid that’s not allowed in by her parents. Then one of the little boys in the pool asks her to jump in. Without hesitation she goes in for the dive, not knowing what would happen to her hair.

Her hair fizzed up. She was now getting teased by all of the other kids in the pool. Her mom then grabs her and shoves her in the car and never looks back.

Fast forward to the first section called “Straightened”. Violet is grown now. Her mother came over early in the morning because Violet found a ring box in her boyfriend’s pocket. They then proceed to do her hair to get ready for her “surprise” proposal.

On Violet’s way to work, right before her dinner, she gets sprayed with water by children playing. She then freaks out and runs to a nearby salon.

While getting her hair rinsed, instantly her hair falls out. They then figure out that the little girl who helps out gave her a relaxer instead of shampoo.

She was angry and they proceeded to put a weave in.

Dinner rolls around. Clint, her boyfriend, pulls out the box that they found earlier. She opens it. It is not a ring. It’s a dog chain. He got her a dog, not a ring.

They break out into an argument. Violet then realizes that he isn’t going to marry her because she doesn’t get out of her comfort zone. She’s “too perfect”.

Out of all the stress she shaves her hair.

She realizes that her straightened hair was society’s reflection on beauty.
The movie then goes on to Violet trying new things to her hair, appearance, attitude, etc.

This movie was meant to be a confidence booster. I didn’t reveal too much information about the movie, just in case, y’all would like to watch it.

It gets a 5-star rating because it shows that you are enough.

Travel/Food

The misconception surrounding saturated fats

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By: Yussuf Omar

Saturated fats are often portrayed as this evil we must all avoid, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The main thought is that saturated fats are bad for heart health, clogging arteries, and causing heart disease. This misconception stems from a study released in the 1970s called “The Seven Countries Study.” Unfortunately, this study is viewed like a gospel on fat and that’s where the issue stems from.

Important factors like sugar consumption, exercise levels, drug rates, stress, and diet weren’t taken into account at all; nations with data that contradicted the conclusion were also conveniently left out. The study had access to the data of 22 countries but didn’t include any of the populations that consumed loads of saturated fats with minimal cases of heart disease.

Governments decided to run with this study and shortly afterwards the hate campaign towards saturated fat started. Saturated fats were replaced with added sugar and salt, which when over consumed are much worse than anything saturated fats could do to you.

But lately studies showing the positive effects of saturated fats have come to light, highlighting how the brain is composed of 60% fat and how cells need lipids (fats) to build their cell walls. However, these crucial functions in our body can only continue to work with saturated fat, therefore the avoidance of it will only negatively affect your health.

But, like all things in life, it’s only good in moderation. Of course the overconsumption of it won’t be good for your health, but any food item over consumed isn’t good for your health.

The bad rap that saturated fats get is rooted in ignorance, and the only way we move forward from these archaic beliefs is to seek out knowledge and critically think for ourselves. You aren’t required to go out of your way to seek saturated fats, but the best thing to do is to quit demonizing the few you see around and work on moderation.

Science/Nature

Diabetes, What is it?

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By: Ava Bleifuss

Diabetes is a long lasting health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. How does your body turn food into energy? The food that you eat is broken down into glucose/sugar and released into your bloodstream for your body to use. When your blood sugar gets too high, there is a signal that goes to your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin is a lot like a key and in this case it lets the blood sugar into the body’s cells to use as energy. When someone has diabetes, this process does not work.

There are two types of diabetes that a person can have; the first kind is type 1 diabetes. Studies have shown that type 1 diabetes occurs by an autoimmune reaction, which is when the body attacks itself by mistake. That autoimmune reaction stops your pancreas from producing insulin. Without insulin blood sugar is not able to get into cells and it can cause many buildups in the bloodstream.

Type 1 diabetes can also be passed on from parents. If a parent has diabetes then it is possible the child also has the gene, and is more likely to develop it. Type 1 diabetes is less common than type 2 and is often diagnosed in the younger years of a person’s life. 

The second type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. Type 2 and type 1 diabetes often get mixed up because type 2 is just where your body doesn’t use insulin properly. People with type 2 diabetes, their bodies can not control the blood sugar enough to keep it at a normal level. This long term condition causes too much sugar circulating in a person’s bloodstream, and the cells do not respond normally to insulin.

Most people who have diabetes have type 2, and it develops over many years. Normally, it is diagnosed during adulthood, but children and teens are able to get type 2 diabetes. There is no said cure for this type, but it can be managed and controlled by losing weight, eating well, exercising, and drinking plenty of water. 

Managing diabetes can be difficult. People with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes have to take insulin shots or can use an insulin pump to manage their blood sugar levels. They have to check their blood sugar regularly to make sure it is in the appropriate range. If it is too low, people with diabetes will have to take in more glucose, and if it is too high, they will have to take in more insulin. Having a lot of stress can cause managing diabetes to be more challenging, but doing regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, and having relaxation exercises can help. 

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Science/Nature

The James Webb Space Telescope: A time machine

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By: Reed Morris

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is the flagship observatory for NASA’s next generation of space telescopes. The project has been in progress for years and has cost around 10 billion dollars to complete. Many people refer to it as “The new Hubble”; while this is partially true, Hubble and the JWST have very different missions, and operational capabilities.

The two most important differences between the two observatories are their mirror sizes, and the imaging equipment on board. The size of the mirrors are very important as the image quality and range capabilities of telescopes directly rely on the size of their mirrors. Hubble is equipped with a mirror 2.4 meters or 7.8’ in diameter, whereas the JWST has a mirror diameter of 6.5 meters or 21.3’, a massive leap forward for space telescope capabilities.

The other main difference between the two is their individual operation capabilities. Hubble has cameras that focus mostly on the visible light range with minimal ultraviolet and infrared capabilities. The JWST however has extreme infrared capabilities. This is where the time machine nickname comes from. Infrared imaging in space exploration is extremely important because of the way that the expansion of the universe affects light. The farther away an object is from an observer, the greater the expansion and stretching of the universe affect the wavelength of light. As space stretches, so does the wavelength of light, redshifting the waves from visible light onto the infrared spectrum. Having high infrared capabilities is necessary to image events that took place an incomprehensible amount of time in the past, over similarly incomprehensible distances.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a monumental step forward in astronomy. It will let us peer billions of years into the past to witness the formation of the first galaxies. It will also be used to search for exoplanets that could harbor life, and get beautiful images of the vast expanses of space. The galaxy formations that the JWST will be observing are events that took place possibly only 100 million years after the creation of the universe, the Big Bang. While Hubble was, and still is a hugely important tool for space exploration, the JWST ushers in a new era of deep space imaging, and is a launching pad for humanity’s better understanding of the creation of galaxies and the universe as a whole.

Science/Nature

Schizoaffective disorder and its links to poor diets

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By: Liibaan Yusuf

To begin, schizoaffective disorder is a mental disorder not always easily identifiable. However, the core symptoms are usually very noticeable though they can be mistaken for other mental illnesses. Unstable mood, irregular thought processes, and depression are usually the main callers for attention, however, schizoaffective disorder can sometimes be an afterthought diagnosis especially if the patient has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and any other mood disorder beforehand.

There are two main types of schizoaffective disorder. One is the bipolar type; where the patient shows episodes of mixed emotions and mania. The other is the depressive type; patients diagnosed with this have been known to be misdiagnosed with depression and/or bipolar disorder.

What do mental abnormalities have to do with your diet? Instead ask this, what does your diet do to influence mental abnormalities? Although schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are still being studied, and are thought to have no known causes, it’s widely assumed that they are genetic and worsened by outside factors. Researchers at the Seoul Women’s University conducted a study with shocking findings. Researchers found that diets lacking anti-inflammatory foods are likely to worsen issues and problems caused by schizoaffective disorder.

Doctors and specialists recommend an anti-inflammatory rich diet (think foods like dragonfruit) to work against schizoaffective disorder. Although it cannot be prevented entirely, nor worked against, it is merely a slow down effect. Foods rich in Omega-3’s such as seafood, nuts, and legumes should be a staple in the diets of patients as well. Studies show that those who struggle with schizoaffective disorder also are missing concerning amounts of vitamins D and B which are described as ‘therapeutic’ in reversing negative aspects of the disorder.

A study conducted in Bahrain had examined the links between schizophrenia, a close cousin to schizoaffective disorder, and its links to diet. The Bahraini researchers found that the gut plays a big part in this whole case. Since the gut is responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients, any issues with the intake of nutrients will have notable effects on the mind.

More specifically, two missing gut enzymes, Succinivibrio and Corynebacterium, are common bacteria found in all people throughout the world, although those with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are missing both. Scientists are still not sure what causes this and how and if it links with schizophrenia, but it is concerning nonetheless.

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World

China’s influence on African infrastructure and politics

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By: Toby Martin-Kohls

In an era such as now, geopolitics are becoming more and more important and in the spotlight. An easy example of current events is the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

China has, and does, use its money and resources to influence global politics.

What is global politics? The United Nations. The United Nations is an organization founded after WWII, and per their website: “The one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity.” Each of the 193 member states has a representative that has a vote in any resolutions that are brought forward.

Today, only 15 countries recognize the Republic of China, which is also known as Taiwan. Both countries claim that they are the rightful owner of all of China. Since there can only be one representative per member state, the U.N. held a vote in 1971 to decide which country would be given a representative. At the time, the U.S. officially recognized Taiwan, so for the vote, it was essentially the United States’ sphere of influence against the world.

Now we can relate this back to Africa. China ended up winning the resolution vote, but what we are looking at is which African countries voted for who in 1971. The Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Liberia, Niger, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Ivory Coast all voted with the United States for Taiwan to represent both the mainland and the island at the United Nations.

Fast forward to 2007 and the U.N. is holding a vote on whether to condemn human rights violations in North Korea. North Korea has few allies, but China is a big supporter because they share some of the same values. Again, like the previous vote mentioned earlier, this time it was China’s sphere of influence against the world.

The only African countries that voted to condemn North Korea were: Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea: Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Burundi, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, and Tanzania. The rest of the 43 African countries voted with China or abstained.

This is a product of China using its power to build infrastructure in low developed African countries.

China’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has grown rapidly since the 1960s and 70s. It has made the shift from an industrializing country to an industrialized country.

Africa, however, has some of the world’s fastest-growing economies. In April 2021, Nasdaq predicted Libya to be the fastest growing economy of 2021.

In Africa, there are around 10,000 Chinese-owned businesses and construction companies worth over $2 trillion. In 2017, Chinese companies obtained roughly half of all engineering, construction, and procurement contracts on the African continent.

China has used its resources to foster relationships with the countries of Africa and make them allies. Given the current events of Ukraine and Russia, these decisions could make a difference in the years to come. Hopefully, China does not decide to forcefully take over Taiwan. Based on the relationships they’ve fostered in Africa, they could have access to any number of resources outside the country.

Editorials/Student Voice, Travel/Food

The detrimental effects of the FDA’s leniency on dangerous substances and ingredients

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By: Haroon Yonis

The FDA is a federal organization that focuses on food safety and health. It regulates our foods/drugs and makes sure what we consume doesn’t harm us. 

As US citizens, we are right to assume this organization will do their best to prevent harm from coming to us through seemingly harmless foods. 

Yet, there are many controversies surrounding the FDA and its peculiar leniency in banning cancer causing agents; ingredients that have been banned in the EU, and practically every country in the world, yet the FDA continues to delay banning these harmful ingredients, many of which have been proven to cause cancer and many other terrible diseases.

A great example of this, is the group of food dyes commonly found in many household foods: Yellow 6, Yellow 5, and Red 40.

These food dyes have been scientifically proven to cause cancer. The specific cancer causing chemicals in these foods are: 4-aminobiphenyl, 4-aminoazobenzene, and benzidine.

Not only do these food dyes cause cancer, they also cause vomiting and an uncontrollable itch when they are given to certain individuals. Also, young adolescents are more susceptible to these conditions when consuming the dye.

These dyes wouldn’t be an issue if they weren’t prevalent in popular and household foods such as Froot Loops, Doritos, and Jello.

Millions eat these foods every year, and the FDA continues to claim the chemicals in these dyes are safe. Yellow 5, 6, and Red 40, have been banned in the United Kingdom, France, and many other countries. The dye is even illegal in countries such as Norway and Finland.

This is only a single example of the FDA’s failure at keeping US citizens safe. There are thousands of other chemicals that are still allowed in the US, despite the obvious risks and effects associated with them.

Now, the questions that arises are:

  • Why does the FDA continue to allow such foods to be sold in the market, when their sole purpose is to regulate these foods?
  • And: How can we as a country prevent these foods from reaching our children and communities?

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Books/Art

3 books you need to read

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By: Jessica Garcia Saligan

Why do I recommend these books?

Well, the reason why I recommend these books is because I’m a person that hates reading and these 3 books are books that caught my attention, and I think they will catch your attention also.

1st) ‘The Child Called “It”‘

The first book I recommend to read is ‘A Child Called “It”‘. It’s based on a true story. The book is about a kid living a normal live with his family; he had a beautiful family then all of the sudden it all went down hill. His mom wound act different when his father would go to work. She would mistreat him, she would make him starve, and his only escape was going to school where his mother wouldn’t do anything him.

During school hours, he would steal his classmate’s lunches while they were at recess. His teacher noticed that he would go to school everyday with the same clothes and even more bruises, so he made a report to the principal’s office and his principal called the police…you won’t believe what will happen next!

2nd) ‘Wonder’

‘Wonder’ is a book that is based on a real life incident. The book is about a boy that is 10 years old, who had facial anomaly. His name is August Pullman, and his whole life was a lie. He was always homeschooled because his parents were scared to put him in a public school for his facial anomaly, and they were scared for what others kid would think about him.

Ever since he was a kid he always wore an astronaut costume everywhere. At some point he convinced his parents to let him go to a real public school. He met this little boy that would stand up for him when his other classmates would just make fun of him.

3rd) Holes

The third book I recommend is called ‘Holes’. ‘Holes’ is a book that is about a boy that is cursed, by a curse, that was placed on his great-great- grandmother. His name is Stanley. Stanley gets bad luck by the curses in his family and he gets sent to an camp called Green Lake. Green Lake is a juvenile detention camp that is located in the middle of nowhere in Texas.

Stanley was put in the juvenile detention camp for a crime he did not commit. Stanley and the other juvenile kids are made to dig large holes everyday in the dry land, and they also barely get food and water. They get a gallon of water and every 3 hours the truck of water comes to fill up the gallon. Stanley has a hard time while he’s there because of the kid’s bullying him, until he finds a good friend that treats him very well.