All posts by HPSH Plaid Line

Editorials/Student Voice, News

How does the media impact the way we look at dictatorships?

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By: Grace Blumer-Lamotte

The media’s impact on dictatorships can be both positive and negative.

Dictatorship is “government by a dictator.”

According to the Open Society Foundation, “For years, policymakers and pundits alike have predicted that dictatorships will collapse under the power of the internet and social media.” This has a negative impact. The word collapsing normally is used in situations where things are not going well. The internet is uncontrolled and is typically not monitored. Many things are said on the internet that aren’t ever said in person.

Facebook is another social media platform that has impacted the elections. According to ‘The Atlanta,’ “The potential for Facebook to have an impact on an election was clear for at least half a decade.” Research from Rebecca Rosen’s 2012 story, “Did Facebook Give Democrats the Upper Hand?” showed that, “a small design change by Facebook could have electoral repercussions, especially with America’s electoral-college format in which a few hotly contested states have a disproportionate impact on the national outcome.” On Facebook there is a clear pro-liberal and pro-republican effect implied. This shows based on how many “campaign staffers, reporters, and academics viewed social media.”

The different layers all play a role in the media’s impact overall, the application layer especially. Given the ability to share information can impact the way people look at dictatorships.

According to the National Interest, “Most governments are resistant to change when compared to protest movements, which are nimble, experimental and led by younger voices. Dictatorships often lack ways to understand public opinion.”

I gathered opinions from students. I asked the question: “How has the media impacted your view on the elections in the past?”

A freshman said, “I don’t really keep up with politics. It is a very controversial topic that could end really bad fast.”

A senior said, “I normally follow the person I want to win. I keep up with what they’re saying and doing. I may not be able to vote but I can help persuade the adults in my life to vote.”

COVID-19, Editorials/Student Voice

A perspective on Highlands response to COVID-19

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By: Musab Mohamud

A growing concern among Highland Park students is that the reopening of schools may spike COVID. Conversely, many students are excited to return to friends, teachers, and sports. A quote taken from one student, who is conflicted about both, reads “It’s better for learning, but not peoples health.” Released from the confines of quarantine, students are more likely to contract COVID evidenced by the spike of cases that has been surging since July.

However, Highland Park’s response to COVID has been exceedingly positive with no outbreaks or school closures. This is in part due to the school’s insistence on a mask mandate and teachers giving gentle reminders to students.

Students are pleasantly surprised with their peers following mask rules and being courteous with sanitation.

Lunchrooms might however pose a problem with students being seated in close quarters with their masks down. However, with the implementation of contract tracing and scanning where students sit in the cafeteria, I believe, that Highland is being responsible for their students.

Many students fear that their sudden reintegration into a school environment will affect their grades negatively. A quote that shows this is: “I think Highland has had a fair response to COVID, my teachers should definitely assign less work though.” This sentiment is shared by many students whose grades continue to falter.

However, on the opposite side of the spectrum there are multiple students who I’ve interviewed who believe that seeing their teachers will help academically. A quote by one of those individuals goes: “I like it more because we can experience real life learning again, it’s more efficient.”

Overall, most students share the belief that Highland has shown competence in their dealings with reopening. Some may have apprehension and fear about going back, but the feeling is overwhelmingly positive.

Advice/How To

Mental benefits of pets

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By: Sarah VonBerge

It is still unknown how and why pets seem to help with mental health. Pets don’t only affect your mental health, but, depending on the kind, also affect your physical health. Pets have been shown to decrease stress, improve heart health, and also teach children emotional and social skills.

It is estimated that 68% of all US households have some sort of pet. Studies have shown that having a pet has decreased the stress causing hormone, called cortisol, lowers blood pressure, boosts mood, reduces loneliness, and increases feelings of support. Owning something like a fish or guinea pig would help mainly with your mental health whereas having a pet like a dog will also affect your physical health. NIH is looking into creating a wide scale survey to find how the bond with their animal helps the owner(s).

Animals serve as forms of comfort as well. Sometimes watching fish swim can bring up a feeling of calmness. Therapy animals are brought around a lot, especially therapy dogs. They are often brought into nursing homes and hospitals to help comfort people.

However, people need to make sure to figure out how to bring animals around others in hospitals and nursing homes safely. Even though animals can help reduce stress and boost moods, they also bring germs and we need to make sure that animals don’t spread deadly germs between animals and patients.

Dogs have also been used to aid in the classroom. Dogs have been shown to, again, reduce stress and depression but have also recently been shown to help focus those who are affected by ADHD. Researchers took 2 groups of children with ADHD to see how dogs affect them.

In the 12 week long experiment, one group read to puppets for 30 minutes once a week and one group read to dogs for 30 minutes once a week. At the end, it was shown that the group who read to the dogs improved at cooperation, volunteering, social skills and sharing more than the group who read to puppets.

Another study found that kids with autism became calmer when playing with guinea pigs. During the 10 minute supervised play time with the guinea pigs, their anxiety levels dropped and they became better at social interactions and were more engaged with their peers.

One reason animals can help humans is because they bring new responsibilities. Even if your mental health is causing you to neglect yourself, you can not neglect your animal, or they will get sick or even die. Being able to recognize animals’ signs of stress or fatigue will all reflect on being able to recognize other people’s emotions.

For more information, please visit:

  • newsinhealth.nih.gov
Cross Country, Football, Scoreboard/Schedule, Volleyball

Sports schedule for 10/25 – 10/30

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MONDAYDATE:  OCTOBER 25TH
TIMEBUS DEPART/RETURNEVENTDETAILS
    
TUESDAYDATE: OCTOBER 26TH
TIMEBUS DEPART/RETURNEVENTDETAILS
7:00pm Volleyball vs. South St. PaulHOME
7:00pm5:00pm / 8:45pmFootball vs. Harding/Humboldtat Harding High School
WEDNESDAYDATE: OCTOBER 27TH
TIMEBUS DEPART/RETURNEVENTDETAILS
    
THURSDAYDATE: OCTOBER 28TH
TIMEBUS DEPART/RETURNEVENTDETAILS
Girls – 3:30pm Boys – 4:15pm Boys / Girls Cross Country Sectionsat Valleywood Golf Course
7:00pm Volleyball Section SemifinalsHOME
FRIDAYDATE: OCTOBER 29TH
TIMEBUS DEPART/RETURNEVENTDETAILS
    
SATURDAYDATE:  OCTOBER 30TH
TIMEBUS DEPART/RETURNEVENTDETAILS
3:00pm Football Section SemifinalsTBD
Getting To Know/History

Origins of Halloween

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By: Annika Getz

Celebrations surrounding the dead or death can be found all over the world, and all throughout history. Pretty much every country has a holiday which is similar to America’s Halloween.

Halloween itself has a rich history, originally coming from the Celtic holiday, Samhain (pronounced saw-win, so-ween, or soo-when). Samhain was celebrated from October 31st to November 1st, and was thought to be the beginning of the new year. It served as an autumnal equinox, a winter solstice, a spring equinox, and a summer solstice. The veil between the land of the dead and the land of the living was thought to be thinner than ever, and therefore, souls could pass between worlds for the night. Divination was also thought to be at its most powerful, so many fortunes were told.

The Druids kicked off the celebration by lighting a bonfire, and dancing around it. This was meant to keep the evil spirits at bay. They also threw the bones of sacrificed cattle into the fire (this is where the word bonfire comes from, bone-fire). They then smeared ash on their face to disguise themselves from ill-intending spirits. This grew into wearing masks or costumes, which of course, evolved into Halloween costumes. That night, the Celts would leave their doors open, and leave out the favorite foods of their passed-away loved ones, in hopes that they would visit them in the night.

This celebration was changed after the Romans took control of Celtic land. It became Feralia, which commemorated the passing of the dead, and celebrated the Goddess Pomona. People put gifts on graves, where spirits were said to hover over for the day.

In the seventh century CE, Pope Gregory IV came up with the idea of All Saints’ Day, which was a part of the three day festival called Allhallowtide. This celebration began with All Hallows’ Eve, then had the Feast of All Saints’ day the next evening, and concluded with All Souls’ day (which originated in the 8th century CE, in a French monastery, then spread through Europe).

These traditions were brought to North America by the British (though it was initially rejected by the Puritans). Many traditions spread through the United States somewhere around 1845, after the Irish potato famine, which caused displacement of many Irish people.

The rest of our modern day Halloween traditions were soon incorporated into these traditions. Some examples include: Jack-o-lanterns came from an Irish folk tale, trick or treating originated in people going house to house, asking for soul-cakes, which were small cakes that had crosses cut into the top, and etc.

For more information, please visit:

Editorials/Student Voice, School Life

Schools and food waste

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By: Marcus Lund

School lunch sometimes sucks. It occasionally either tastes gross, the texture is just off, or there’s something else wrong with the meal. And let’s be real, nobody eats those green beans. So, inevitably, something gets thrown away.

According to a new study from the World Wildlife Foundation, U.S. schools waste 530,000 tons of food yearly, costing around $1.7 billion. This much food in weight is equivalent to 76,000 school buses. That’s a massive problem.

Additionally, the U.S. is much worse at controlling its school food-waste than other developed countries. According to a cafeteria audit from Penn State, food waste from countries like Sweden, Italy, and Spain ranged from an average of 23%-30% of the food served, whereas the U.S. ‘s ranged from 30%-50% of the food served. This means that out of the food that we receive, most students throw away at least a third.

So, how do we combat this problem?

People around the nation have been trying different methods. The Boulder Valley School District in Colorado is one of nine participants in a pilot program launched in 2019, where students go through different measures to decrease their waste. Signs around the cafeteria remind students not to take more than they can eat, and classes are held with farmers to connect students to the food that they throw away.

Food waste audits also create noticeable impacts on waste amounts, with one held by WWF decreasing food waste by 3%, which could lead to $52 million in cost cuts if implemented around the nation.

Before COVID, The Burlington School District in Vermont allowed cartons of milk and other untouched items to be placed on share tables. After school, much of that food is taken home by students or eaten as an after school snack.

Across the nation, many different methods have been used to lessen the amount of wasted food. How will Highland Park step up?

For more information, please visit:

Books/Art

The truth of art

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By: Parker Rowen

What is art? What makes something artistic? What makes someone an artist?

Art is about truth; it is about the truth of a representation of a vision of someone who has a passion, and inspiration. This comes from their emotions, be it love, hate, happiness, or depression. Art must come from a place of real emotions, or it will feel disingenuous, and oftentimes fails at conveying anything, or making anyone else feel emotions. 

If your art isn’t truthful, people will never relate to it. Oftentimes, art which comes from different sources, such as greed, or begrudging acceptance, fall flat. Art must show the good, and the bad, not necessarily at once, for that is the truth of the world, and that is what people relate to. Connecting your world to that of others is key in art; one might argue it is the goal of art. To properly communicate these ideals and feelings, you must have a vision, and medium to express said vision.

To have a vision, means to have an emotion, or message so grand it can’t stay contained within your mind, and must be made reality. Art comes from having a vision. This type of vision can only be expressed through an artist’s point of view. Your vision must be a real one, you can’t argue for something you don’t believe in. Your vision must come from your emotions, and aspirations, your goals, and what is important to you. 

A piece of art is composed of a message, or an emotion, which an artist is trying to convey. Art comes from your personal truth, to try to convey false emotions, makes the art disingenuous, and uninteresting.

The truth about art is that it is about making people relate, or understand your perspective, and the world in which you live. The truth about art is it is a medium for expressing truth, pain, happiness, and the world at large; to be an artist is to express the truth of the world, and it’s flaws, and to create a vision of which will connect your truth to the truth of others.

Music/Concerts

Music of the year/how COVID affected the music industry

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By: Liv Miller

It’s known that music is a big part of today’s pop culture. With more and more new artists emerging, the music industry just keeps getting bigger.

In 2020 many artists were confined to their homes due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This sadly meant no concerts or meet-and-greets with fans, but it gave artists the opportunity to work on their own music more than ever.

Fast forward to 2021 many artists have now released new singles and albums with the time that they were given in quarantine. ‘The New York Times’ did an interview where they asked artists what they had achieved during the lockdown. Aaron Dessner, a musician and producer answered, “Right as the quarantine started, I started writing so much music, and I had no idea what it was. There was no horizon line, there was a lot of uncertainty — so I just made a lot of music that I didn’t know what it was for.”

So far this year many artists have released music that did great on the charts. Artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, lil Nas X, Kanye West, and many more have released very successful albums so far this year.

One of those artists, Olivia Rodrigo has had her album ‘Sour’ break many records like “The most songs in the top 10 at one time” and “Most streams of a song in a week” for her first single “Drivers License.”

Olivia Rodrigo isn’t the only one breaking records in 2021. With his new album, ‘Certified Lover Boy,’ Drake has broken the 2021 record for “Most-streamed artist in a day on Apple Music.”

With some COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, artists are getting the opportunity to start performing again. Whether it be at festivals, award shows, or even rescheduled tours fans are happy to start seeing their favorite artists perform live again.

Advice/How To

Pros and cons of participating in extracurriculars

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By Fatima Mohamud and Sumaya Noor

What are extracurriculars?

Extracurriculars are activities outside of school that middle, high, and college students engage in for fun or academic reasons. There is a plentiful range of clubs and activities you can participate in such as: culture, music, math, science and robotics, sports, and media. These allow students to connect and entertain themselves while building new bonds, friendships, skills, and supporting the school community.

Why should you join an extracurricular?

Extracurricular activities and clubs are a great way to make new friends, explore your hobbies, and have new things to do. Many people have made lots of new relationships, acquaintances, and lifelong friends. Others learned new sports, favorite medias (books, TV, etc.), and new hobbies to share. It’s a great way to expand your social circle and begin a new chapter of your life.

How do extracurriculars benefit college and beyond?

When applying for college there’s a big list of what to go over and many things to include in order to look presentable. Certain extracurriculars can look nice on resumes and leave a good impression on employers. For other people it could be jobs or outside clubs. When writing your admission paper you’d want to include a sports team you might’ve been on, a photo of your club, or maybe even something you’ve made like a story. It’s important to indulge yourself in something you might want to spend time on and enjoy.

How can extracurriculars change your life?

After college, you’ve got to have some type of future, and many found theirs in school clubs. Activities like these may seem unimportant but these could give you the right ideas and the push you needed into getting a job and becoming your dream self. Clubs such as volunteering could make you seem dedicated, caring and reliable, others like art will have people view you as creative. It all matters on who you are and what you want to create or do with your life.

They’re also very significant to school life too, many people found skills, like finding motivation, they thought were not needed but found themselves reaching the spots that were missing.

Cons and disadvantages of extracurricular activities?

Though there are pros to extracurriculars, there are also cons. One of the disadvantages is that they may become stressful and add onto the current school workload. This can cause students to struggle balancing both their extracurriculars and regular classes.

Another disadvantage is that they can take away free or family time from students. Extracurriculars usually are an hour or two long, and adding that after school means students would only have so much time before having to go to bed.

Too many extracurriculars or physical activities can wear out students and cause them to be fatigued or lethargic during classes, meaning less focus and that could lead to worse performance

Another issue could be that students may feel unmotivated because they cannot perform well in their extracurriculars. The opposite could also become an issue to kids, where a student may stray away from their academics and focus too much on their extracurriculars. Either way is harmful to a student’s success and kids should always consider both the pros and cons of performing in after school activities.

How to decide if extracurriculars are for you?

Balancing the pros and cons of participating in extracurriculars is important. Students should always consider the effects of participation, both in the now and in the long term.

For more information, please visit:

News

Drug and nicotine use among teens

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By: Olivia Miller

Drug use among teens has been a growing issue for decades. It’s no secret that teenagers now more than ever, have easy access to these dangerous substances. From the years 2000-2017 the number of teenagers who overdosed on drugs nearly quadrupled. In 2019 almost 5000 teens died from a reported drug overdose, and surprisingly opioids make up for about 4/5ths of those deaths.

Cannabis is the most commonly used drug among teens. Even though there aren’t any reports of overdoses due to marijuana, there are serious side effects and long term damage that can occur from regular use. According to the CDC, (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) “[T]he teen brain is actively developing and often will not be fully developed until the mid 20s”. Marijuana use during this period may harm the developing teen brain. Some effects from continuous marijuana use during adolescence include: “difficulty thinking and problem solving, problems with memory and learning, impaired coordination, and difficulty maintaining attention”. Also, teens who smoke marijuana on a regular basis can have an increased risk of mental health issues.

Although marijuana is the most commonly used drug among teens, there is a new and increasingly popular issue among adolescents. Nicotine. Cigarette use has declined by 73% from 1990-2017. Although these numbers are exciting and something to celebrate, nicotine has taken a new form in E-cigarettes. The act commonly known as vaping has become very popular among teens. The CDC reports that a shocking 21% of high schoolers vape. What makes vaping so dangerous is that it has not been around long enough for doctors and experts to know the long term effects. It is also more difficult to identify exactly what chemicals you’re putting into your body when you vape. Even though you have to be 18 or even 21 in some states to purchase an E-cigarette, young teens still find a way to acquire them. This makes vaping even more dangerous because people who sell to teens can lace the devices with other very harmful drugs and they wouldn’t even know it.

Although vaping statistics have declined in the past few years, nicotine still finds ways to affect our youth in one way or another. As far as drugs, there’s something new every year and no matter what, teens always are eager to hop on the trend, no matter how dangerous. That is why teens need to be careful and watch what they put into their body’s because it can be more harmful than you think.