All posts by HPSH Plaid Line

COVID-19, Tech/Games

How does social media affect the way people view COVID-19?

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By Ella Sutherland

Fear is a big component of COVID and social media. There is a lot of different, wrong, exaggerated, and misleading information on social media apps.

The main social media apps that became a source of that information were Twitter and TikTok. Both of the apps allow anyone to post anything on them, and a lot of the information is false. On TikTok you can make short videos, and it is mostly Gen Z. On Twitter you can make short messages called “tweets”.

Before COVID was super well known there were a lot of accusations about what COVID really was. When there was wrong information out there, it scared a lot of people, and the reason for that was that we didn’t have a lot of information from real scientists.

Social media also helped influence people in different ways on how to handle the coronavirus. Lots of people looked to popular influencers on how to handle the whole situation. Many influencers were not doing a good job of staying safe and even with them knowing that they have a big fan base that looks to them for guidance, they didn’t really seem to care. They were still going to parties and going out to eat at busy restaurants, while some of them still weren’t wearing masks.

When the COVID vaccine came out I’m guessing many of them got it, but they didn’t make that clear. However, there were a few influencers that were promoting the vaccine and making it crystal clear that they were all for it and had gotten it. Many celebrities were promoting and talking about the vaccines and masks a lot more than influencers were, which definitely increased the amount of people getting vaccines and wearing their masks. Many politicians also joined celebrities in spreading the word about masks and vaccines.

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Entertainment

Britney Spears conservatorship

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By: Musab Mohamud

In 2008, following Britney Spears’ series of public meltdowns she was placed in the care of her father through a conservatorship. Her father, Jamie, gained control of her estate, assets, and business deals. Jamie Spears ran nearly every aspect of his daughter’s life and personal assets through 2019. Britney hasn’t legally been her own person for twelve years.

Her fan base has long been concerned for her well-being. Many have participated in protests, social media movements, and have expressed their feelings about her conservatorship online. One fan illustrates fan concern through this quote, “I think it was so wrong for her father to take advantage of the conservatorship, for years she was able bodied and able minded enough to take care of herself and make her own decisions. I’m glad to finally see her free of him #freebritney.” 

Her family still exhibits concern for her, with her sister Jamie Lynn being quoted as saying, “If you deal with mental illness or care for someone dealing with mental illness, then you know how important it is to respect the situation with privacy for the person, and the family trying to protect their loved ones, no matter how it may appear to the public, and as the public we must learn to do the same.” In a rant about ‘People Magazine’ she expresses her love for her sister and shows her disdain for the tabloid that has profited off of her sister’s name for decades. 

Britney Spears lived her life in the spotlight for years as the “princess of pop”, being pestered by tabloids, paparazzi, and locked out of her own life by her father. She has emerged as a talented and strong woman. To this day, Britney seeks justice, she is not content with her freedom from conservatorship. Supported by her fans she seeks to have all parties involved in her decade long ordeal prosecuted.

Books/Art, Editorials/Student Voice

Teens and reading

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By: Marcus Lund

How long has it been since you’ve wanted to read a book? Not for English class, but for fun? For some kids, it’s been a while.

Firstly, let’s look at the numbers. According to an NAEP survey, 13 year olds who read 30 minutes or more every night, not for homework, dropped 4% from 2017 to 2019. The number officially dropped under 50%. For high schoolers, the numbers are even more daunting. Only 20% of kids report reading a newspaper, magazine, or a book daily, whereas 80% of them reported going on some sort of social media.

This is a problem. With declining numbers in daily reading, a predictable result is becoming more and more obvious: kids are getting worse at it. With reading lessening, so are reading scores. This is a nationwide phenomenon, and a disappointment to many parents. Experts say that reading, even if it’s a book like ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ or ‘Captain Underpants’, is incredibly vital to teenage brain development.

Why are teens reading less? The problem resides in something vital to teenage existence: our phones. Teens average 9 hours of entertainment media use, and pre-teens average 6. This time takes away from less passive entertainment, like reading. But I find it hard to blame the average teenager. I personally enjoy some forms of social media and talking to my friends more than I do reading a book, and this is a nationwide opinion that’s widely agreed upon.

Screens also affect the brain more negatively than reading, with frequent screen use resulting in poorer literacy skills and less ability to use expressive language. Conversely, teens who read more scored higher on cognitive tests.

Reading is good for you, which probably isn’t a surprise. What is a surprise is the amount that teens are skipping out on it. Personally, I know that I’m going to start reading more. Will you?

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Travel/Food

What is spice?

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By: Isaac Lund

Chances are, you’ve tried something spicy before. Be it a spicy potato chip or a ghost pepper, any spicy treat is bound to leave that delicious heat in your mouth. But, have you ever thought about what causes that pain so signature of all hot food? Do you know the science behind what makes something spicy?

Cuisines all over the world—India, Mexico, China, have used the art of implementing spice into food to captivate millions, no, billions of people around the globe. Those who first practiced this culinary technique were putting science to work, whether they knew it or not.

Capsaicin, an organic chemical produced within peppers, is the culprit behind the madness. Pepper plants produce this compound to turn away predators planning on eating their fruit, a deterrent that has completely backfired over the course of history. As soon as the pepper touches your tongue, Capsaicin molecules seek out pain receptors, called VR1s, in your taste buds, and latch on. Your brain is signaled, and the burning ensues. Although it may feel like you will end up shriveled and burnt, no physical damage is really dealt to your mouth and tongue.

While many like to boast about their “spice tolerance”, the heat becomes too much for everyone at a certain point. Oh no! Better get a cool glass of water! Not. Capsaicin, in the form it attacks you in, at least, is an oil. Water and oil don’t mix, and the spice will only be spread around your poor mouth. Grab a glass of milk or some ice cream instead: the oils and fats here will dissolve clingy capsaicin and carry it down your throat.

And anyways, tolerance is no excuse for having an aversion to spice. Although some scaredy-cats may argue that others have built a tolerance for spice through repetitive exposure, this is actually impossible; your VR1s will forever react to capsaicin in the exact same way. So, how do some handle the heat so well? They’ve simply come to enjoy the burn.

For more information, please visit:

  • sciencenewsforstudents.org
Science/Nature

How do humpback whales communicate with each other?

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By: Sarah VonBerge

Humpback whales are very independent creatures and normally only stay with their mothers for about a year, whereas a lot of other species of whales stay in groups, called pods.

At most, humpbacks normally travel in groups of 3, even though they don’t normally stay that way. They may help a couple other whales hunt or get somewhere, but they only stay with the other whales for a few days at most.

Most known for their shrieks, humpback whales also communicate via grunts and groans and are often called ‘inveterate composers’ because they make noises that can sound like music made by humans.

According to Victoriawhalewatching.com, humpback whales have multiple different kinds of communication techniques and each technique can mean something different. As stated before, they are sometimes called ‘inveterate composers’ because of their songs, which can last up to 30 minutes and travel 100 miles. The songs are believed to be mostly for mating purposes. These songs are mostly sung by the male humpbacks to attract females but also used to let other males whales know that that is their territory.

Although they sing, shriek, groan and more, they are most known for their physical communication. This communication involves spyhopping, lobtailing and breaching. Spyhopping is when a whale sticks most of its head out of the water and either leaves its eye right below the water or right above it for an extended amount of time. Although it is not completely known why they do this, it is suspected that they do it to watch their surroundings.

Another physical communication that they use is lobtailing. This is when a whale lifts its flippers or tail out of the water and slaps it on the water surface making a loud noise. This is known to show aggression but also warn other whales nearby that there is a danger.

Lastly, there’s breaching. Breaching is when a humpback whale lunges itself out of the water, exposing at least 40% of its body. Again, this is believed to be a warning to other whales but it is also suspected that they do this to show dominance.

Even though most physical whale communication is used to show aggression, it can also be used in nurturing ways. Humpback whales sometimes put their fins against each other to show affection and compassion.

Although humans’ understanding of whale communication is limited, it’s interesting to look into how they react to themselves, to their surroundings, and to each other. Whale communication is one of the most complicated and sophisticated forms of communication known.

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Books/Art

A poet’s language

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By: Parker Rowen           

Language is something that many people take for granted. Language has spent hundreds of years evolving, becoming a complex system for us to describe our world. Words have spent hundreds of years becoming more specific and accurate toward what we experience, with language a medium for these observations.

The communication of ideas is an essential part of human growth, without our peers we would not be able accomplish feats which once seemed impossible.

Language and its specificity create a new medium for an artist, that being poetry. Poetry exists to show the view of the world through an artist’s perspective. Poetry is a medium in which you use linguistic specificity in order to express an emotion, or world view to another. Language makes poetry special.

Paintings aren’t something everyone makes, drawing isn’t either, but everyone uses language to communicate, by default; other art forms create a disconnect in that sense. People can understand poetry much easier than paintings or drawings, because language is something everyone uses.

To be accessible isn’t the point of art, though. Some art can be challenging, others not so much. The use of language is interesting, because as specific as language is, and can be, there are words with double, or more than one meaning. This can give poetry some more challenge, adding to the layers in which an artist can give to their art. 

Poetry uses language, and its uniqueness to create something which expresses an artists’ vision in a relatable, and simplistic way. Using language techniques to create different environments is one way in which the poet expresses their world. Techniques like alliteration, visualization, and metaphors make the poetry feel natural, like things you would naturally come to through the use of these techniques within your own life.

Poetry creates a unique art form, which creates more relatabilty compared to others. Poetry has plenty of variations of phrases, making things more descriptive or accurate to the poet’s vision.

Movies/TV/Theaters

My musical artist recommendations

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By: Annika Getz

One of my biggest struggles as a music-lover is finding new music after over-listening to my favorite albums. Every few months I find myself searching for a new album or musician who fits the genre and general type of music which I like. Said genre being mainly indie, folk, or alternative music. If you too are looking for new music in this genre, read on to find my personal favorites, all of which helped me out of music-block.

Starting with a pretty well known singer-songwriter: Phoebe Bridgers. Bridgers is an indie-alternative artist, with two solo albums, ‘Stranger In The Alps‘ being her debut solo album, released in 2017. And ‘Punisher’, which was released in 2020. Bridgers also had a collaborative group titled ‘Boygenius’ with indie artists Julian Baker and Lucy Dacus. The group released an EP in 2018. Bridgers also formed a group with Conor Oberst in 2019, they released an indie rock album in the same year. Two songs which I think well demonstrate Bridgers’ style as an artist would be “Motion Sickness” from ‘Stranger In The Alps’, and “I Know The End” from ‘Punisher’.

This next artist, Penelope Scott, has three albums and one EP, all of which were self-produced. It’s a bit difficult to pin down a genre, as it varies amongst her albums, but for the most part, it can be labeled as alternative. Two of her albums, ‘Junkyard‘ (2020) and ‘The Junkyard 2‘ (2020), are compilation albums, both of which are more indie-acoustic. Her debut album, ‘Public Void’ (2020) contained all new music, and her most popular song, “Rät“. “Rät” went viral on TikTok, and at the time this article was written, had around 107 million streams on Spotify, where she has 3.3 million monthly views, which helped land her a spot on Billboard’s “Hot Rock and Alternative Songs Chart”. ‘Public Void‘ falls into a more Glitzy, electronic genre. Scott also performed for Rolling Stone several months ago. Scott’s most recent release is an EP titled ‘Hazards’ (2021) which is, like ‘Public Void’, more glitzy, and electronic. The two songs which showcase her music best in my opinion, are “Rät“, coming from ‘Public Void’, for a more electronic vibe, and “Sweet Hibiscus Tea”, from ‘The Junkyard 2‘, for a more acoustic one.

Sticking with alternative-indie artists, we have Peter McPoland, who has yet to release any albums or EPs, but has nine singles on Apple Music, and 16 million streams on Spotify. He also has several unreleased songs on his YouTube and TikTok pages. The song which I think best showcases his type of music, is “(Here’s to the) Prom Queen”.

This band doesn’t have a strict genre, possibly being classified as indie-folk, indie-rock, alternative, or folk-punk. The Mountain Goats were formed in 1991, and remain active to this day, with 20 studio albums, 4 compilation albums, and 25 EPs. All of their music released before 2002 has a very lo-fi recording style. Throughout the years, their musician line up has changed, with only John Danielle, (lead singer), Peter Hughes (bass guitarist), and Jon Wurster (drums player), as constants. Two songs of theirs which I think best demonstrate their music are “No Children”, from the 2002 album ‘Tallahassee’ (this is also arguably their most popular song), and “This Year“, from the 2005 album ‘The Sunset Tree‘.

One artist which I consider to be a staple of indie music (specifically indie-pop/bedroom pop) would be Cavetown, an English singer-songwriter with ten albums, and two EPs. His music career began on YouTube in 2013. His first studio album, ‘Everything Is Made of Clouds‘, was released in 2013, and was soon followed by the debut single titled “This Is Home” in 2015. His most popular song, with around 156 million streams on Spotify (where he has over 7 million monthly listeners), is titled “Devil Town“. More recently, he released his major label debut album, ‘Sleepyhead’. The two songs which I think represent his type of music well would be “Lemon Boy”, from the album ‘Lemon Boy‘, and “Banana Bread”, from the EP ‘Dear’.

chloe moriondo, is another indie/bedroom-pop/alternative artist, they have two albums and one EP released. Their first album, ‘Rabbit Hearted’, was self produced in 2018, and is more indie/bedroom pop. It was followed by the major label EP ‘Spirit Orb’ (also more pop styled) in 2020. Their second album ‘Blood Bunny’, was released in 2021, and produced by a major label, it has a more alternative-pop vibe to it. My two song picks for this artist are “GIRL ON TV” and “What If It Doesn’t End Well”, both of which are from ‘Blood Bunny’.

Yet another alternative/indie-pop artist is girl in red, a Norwegian singer-songwriter labeled by many as a queer icon, with a multitude of songs about WLW relationships. She has 3 albums, and 2 EPs, as well as a multitude of singles. Her first EP available on Apple Music was released in 2018, and is titled ‘Chapter 1’. It was followed in 2019 by the EP ‘Chapter 2’. Her debut studio album, ‘If I could Make It Go Quiet’, was released through AWAL in April of this year. Her songs “We Fell in Love in October”, and “I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend” were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in January 2021. The two songs I’d say demonstrate her as an artist are “Serotonin”, from ‘If I Could Make It Go Quiet’, and “We Fell In Love In October”, from ‘Chapter 1’.

This final artist could be described as either indie or folk. Joshua Bond, has one album and one EP, with another album (to be titled ‘Drink From The Creek’) which came out on October 30th. His EP ‘The Honeybees Need Swimming Lessons’ was released in 2020, and was followed shortly by the album ‘There’s Nothing in the Bushes’ in 2021. This album featured the song “The Absolute Best Feeling” which blew up on his TikTok account where it was originally released. With 16 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify, I think Bond to be pretty underrated, and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a folk artist with amazing acoustic guitar skills. The two songs I’d choose for Joshua Bond are “Oh, To Be a Kid Again!” and “The Absolute Best Feeling”, both of which are from ‘There’s Nothing in the Bushes’.

There are obviously plenty of other bands or artists with this style of music, but these are eight of my personal favorites, all of which are still active. There really aren’t any songs released by these artists that I haven’t liked upon listening to. As someone who listens to new music almost daily, these are all artists which I find myself returning to time upon time again.

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Entertainment

Trendy Halloween costumes this 2021

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By: Fatima Mohamud & Sumaya Noor

With Halloween right around the corner, there’s been a surge in Halloween costume searching. From ‘Squid Game’ to Britney Spears, and D.C. characters, 2021 has brought fresh ideas for this year’s spooky season.

The most popular demand for 2021 is the familiar ‘Squid Game’ uniforms, from the Korean drama show that took the world by storm this fall. Featuring insanely famous characters like Kang Sae-byeok and Seong Gi-hun, fans have scrambled for their numbered outfits. The iconic pink jumpsuit with shaped masks and green jumpsuit will be a game changer this Halloween season.

Following close by is Britney Spears, the popular pop singer that has been dominating celebrity news. “Free Britney”, the movement that’s been all over social media has caused her to spike in Halloween Costume searches. Costumes inspired by her will be from past and iconic music video looks. “Toxic” Britney’s outfit is in high demand, as well as “Baby One More Time”, “Oops! I did it again”, and “Slave 4 U”, all of which have been deemed classics in the Pop industry.

Another highly demanded cosplay is Harley Quinn from D.C. Comics. Featured as The Joker’s henchwoman and wife, she has also influenced google searches for Halloween costumes. Adorned with her crazy makeup, signature bat and colorful pigtails, Harley is selling out on popular websites such as Amazon. People are now also choosing to go out as couples, dressing as both Harley Quinn and The Joker. Either way, she’s a fun choice to dress up as, and there are plenty versions of her classic outfit to choose from.

Following close by is the iconic angel and devil duo. Often coordinated with red and black for the devil, and white, yellow and pale blue for the angel. This costume has been a hit for years and you’re bound to see others participating in this popular duo. Although the wings, horns, and trident can get expensive, many people are creative enough to make it themselves.

Many stores have been sold out of this big hit game ‘Among us’. A popular space influenced game talked much among kids has been all over news, stores, and even social media sites. Brands have made kids toys, such as Pop-it’s and figures. This idea makes a great costume for young ones, though the price may be high. The shape may also cause a problem if you want to be accurate. This costume is very fragile if you’re going for the correct size, it usually is inflatable and built with soft skin for breathing easier.

All over the world the big hit star Ariana Grande released the song “7 rings”. Fans around the world were obsessed and had a plan set for what their costume was going to look like. Grab your sparkly necklaces, hair accessories, and a silver dress, tie your hair up in a tall ponytail and you’re set for the best song related costume. Although this may not be appropriate for younger children, this is the perfect outfit to show up to a party with.

Pennywise, the iconic clown from the movie ‘IT’, had many fans intrigued for how people would spend their Halloween deciding what to dress up as. This movie was a great horror and really fit the ideal for scaring your friends or neighbors. Although this costume has many downsides, such as complexity and looking at yourself in the mirror to put on the make-up, this costume is sure to get your friends spooked for Halloween this year.

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School Life

How standardized testing affects mental health

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By: Mary Koch

Standardized tests are used in many different countries around the world to understand better what students know and what they have learned. It seems like a simple and effective way to see students’ knowledge on different topics, but they don’t always have the most accurate or helpful outcomes.

Tests give students anxiety which can worsen their performances. Many colleges and universities rely on testing when they’re going through applications. With so much riding on these tests, and so much pressure put on students, it shouldn’t be surprising that their work isn’t always their best.

Students who have more responsibilities outside of school, are in advanced classes, or have extracurricular activities have a lower chance of doing well, and many parents and guardians are very concerned with their students performing well. Extra stress from parents and being generally overworked gives students a general dislike for school and the education system.

Cortisol is a hormone the body produces when under stress. In a study done in Texas, students on average actually have 15% more cortisol the morning of a test than they do on a regular day.

Tests’ pressure on students has been proven to increase depression and anxiety. Scores have also caused low self esteem. When low scores are earned, disapproval from parents and guardians, and also themselves, is common, and students often feel like failures or like they’re not good enough.

With students who have a lot to do in and out of school, adding hours of study time a night isn’t good for their wellbeing. Even for students who have more time at home, or are taking easier classes, having to spend all your time studying and practicing for tests is unfair.

Standardized tests aren’t completely accurate. Different circumstances for students should be taken into consideration, so the students have a better chance of succeeding.

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Editorials/Student Voice, Football

Is Mike Zimmer the problem in Minnesota?

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By: Abby Altman

To put it simply, yes. The Vikings are sitting rather uncomfortably at 3-3, 6 weeks into the NFL season. The team is loaded both on offense and defense, and aside from a questionable kicker, should have no reason to not be above .500. 

Last season, the Vikings went a disappointing 7-9. Most of the blame for this record was placed on the shoulders of Kirk Cousins, which is proving itself false this season. 

Cousins has a 69% completion rate through 6 games this season, averaging 294 yards per game. His leadership has soared this year, looking more connected to everyone except his coaches. 

The Minnesota Vikings should not have 3 losses. Many key players are leading the team to impressive stats, that should be helping the team soar to potentially a 5-1 record. The wide receiver trio, Thielen, Jefferson, and Osborn, have combined for 1,200 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. On the rushing side of things, Cook and Mattison have filled in nicely for each other, with Cook having 366 yards in 4 games, and Mattison with 225 yards in the 2 games Cook did not play. 

On defense, things are looking much better than recent years. Notable stars this season have been Erik Kendricks, Harrison Smith, Danielle Hunter, and Everson Griffin. These starters have a combined 89 tackles and 10 sacks. 

Mike Zimmer is a defensive coach. He’s been defensive coordinator for the Bengals, Falcons, and Cowboys in his years in the NFL. He’s been head coach for the Vikings since 2014, with a fairly decent track record. Since Mike Zimmer’s reign began back in 2014, the Vikings have gone 67-50, which puts them at .572. 

Previous seasons, including one of the most successful seasons for the Vikings in recent years, have been partially led by former Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski is currently head coach for the Cleveland Browns, who are 4-3, with the Vikings being one of their wins. Stefanski had been replaced by Gary Kubiak at OC. Kubiak left at the end of last year, and his sone Clint is now OC. This is not helping to make better play calls. He and Zimmer have been major problems, especially against Cleveland and Detroit this year. 

If you watch this season carefully, you can tell that Zimmer doesn’t know how to properly run an offense. He is far too conservative when it comes to moving the ball, which has resulted many times in bringing out the punting or kicking squad, which doesn’t end well a lot of the time, but Minnesota kickers are another story. 

Mike Zimmer doesn’t manage his team correctly, and plays too conservatively. In the NFL, you need to play to win. Zimmer is just trying not to lose. Can he put more trust in his team for these next 10 games to put his team in position to make the playoffs? That remains to be seen, but as of right now, Mike Zimmer is the problem in Minnesota.