By: Canaan Nonnemacher
A world out of sync
All posts by HPSH Plaid Line
History of rigging sports
By: Karl Salkowski
On January 15th, 2026, 10 to 15 Division 1 basketball players were charged with conspiring to rig games. Many of the best college players would throw games while an outside group bet hundreds of thousands of dollars against them. Using this strategy, these players were able to make millions of dollars over the course of the season.
The United States government has attempted to make fixing games harder through legislation, including the 2019 Macolin Convention against manipulation and the 2020 Rodchenkov Act against doping in sports. Sports betting is a lucrative market, as gambling revenue was more than 11 billion dollars last year, up over 13%.
Fixing professional sports is nothing new; major scandals have been happening for centuries. One of the first notable examples was the 1919 Black Sox scandal. 8 Major League Baseball players conspired together to lose the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in order to receive a payout from a gambling syndicate. This destroyed professional baseball’s integrity and changed the way the sport was run professionally. All 8 players involved were banned from the sport for life, and this event led to many of the stricter rules in baseball.More recently in professional tennis, close to 200 players were proved to have participated in match fixing. In 2023, many lower level professional players would purposely manipulate scores and retire from the game early for betting purposes. Many of these players received fines or lifetime bans from the sport following the investigation.
As sports betting is becoming more and more accessible, there becomes more of an incentive for players to rig games. For the most part, players with lower salaries are more susceptible, as the money is more impactful. This has caused fixing college games to become all too common in the last few years. Even with the strict punishments and the laws in place to prevent it, fixing sports games will only happen more and more often. Not only does rigging games harm the integrity of these sports, but also the betting market.
BIRD GAME 3 META ANALYSIS (JOYSTiCK Reviews Special)
By: Daniel Kendle
Hey, gang! I’m Ms. Smeegle, and I’m filling in for Mr. Whatshisname for this review. I hope you enjoy!
‘Bird Game 3’ is among 2025’s most popular games, hitting Steam shelves to a collective peak of 1.2 million players. The game is a match-based multiplayer experience where you take control of a bird as you fight for your team, steal eggs, and battle foes. It’s reminiscent of games like ‘Overwatch,’ ‘Marvel Rivals,’ and ‘Apex Legends,’ being a 5V5 first-person experience against other online players. The difference, of course, is that ‘Bird Game 3’ is the world’s first FPP: First-Person Pecker.
Obviously, the game hasn’t been out for super long, so it’s hard to definitively say which birds are best and which are worst. As of January 2026 – the time at which I’m writing this – we’re currently in the midst of Season 4, Regulation E. In this regulation, the following birds have been banned from ranked play:
- Phoenix (banned to Ubers)
- Wood Duck
- Emu
This narrows down the full list of usable birds to a solid 22: not the largest-ever roster for a Regulation, but a good one still. It’s also nice to have some birds from Season 1 and 2 finally become legal again, like Rooster and Titmouse.
After combing through various different websites, it seems the most popular bird online is Bald Eagle, with about 38% of registered teams having one. Makes sense; for being among the last S-tier birds not already banned in Ranked. It’s stat spread is great, with a ⅗ in HP, ⅘ in Offense and Defense, and ⅗ in Swiftness. Sure, it doesn’t spec into any of its highest stats completely, but opting instead for a more neutral playstyle is beneficial for a Carnivore-built bird. Its Bird Power, ‘Patriotism,’ is also pretty based, temporarily-maxing out its Special Move meter whenever an egg is stolen from their nest.
Besides Eagle, other notable birds include Opium Bird and Hummingbird, which’re hardly surprises. The latter in particular has been a mainstay pick for team comps since even Regulation B in Season 1, due to its stupidly-small hitboxes and Special Attack cooldowns. ‘Nectarite’ sucks, but the Bird Ability can be easily-circumvented through user “NBok43’s” recently-discovered Pollenport glitch. I imagine it’ll be patched soon, but for now its continued letting Hummingbird remain a meta threat.
Some nerfs to birds have also affected the player base, for better or worse. Birds with ‘Bug Boost’ for a Bird Power have had a severe drop in usage: its effect previously let Insectivore builds gain a temporary 1.5% Defensive boost upon eating 10 insects, but now, in addition to the requirement being 20 insects, the boost is only 1.2%. Oxpecker, Swift and Woodpecker users have become a rare sight only because of this. Another nerf is to Penguin, with its unique ‘Flipper Fodder’ Power now only letting it release 5 “Penguissiles” at a time as opposed to 7.
Overall, the changes made to ‘Bird Game 3’ in its newest Regulation have been net-positive for most. The Ranked meta has never been healthier, with more and more birds actually seeing competitive viability. With this most recent patch, I can only hope that the game continues to soar from he-
“Doctor, look! There! Her pulse is rising, I think she’s regaining consciousness!”
“We can’t lose her again this time. Hector: fetch front desk support. We’re gonna want to alert her family.“
Wh…wha? What’s going on?
“Ma’am? Ma’am, this is doctor Mackenzie of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. You’re going to be alright.”
Mayo Cli…w-why am I-!
“Ma’am, you were in a car crash with your wife and son 46 hours ago. They perished in the wreck, while you stayed in fatal condition. We need you to relax, please – Marjorie, hand me the anesthesia.”
They died? But I-I didn’t even see anyone else driving! I couldn’t have…have…
“No one could’ve. It was a freak accident: a couple of drunk teenagers T-boned your vehicle on Interstate 430. Your relatives wanted hospital personnel to tell you all this when you woke up.“
…
“I’m…I’m sorry for your loss.”
…Janus…
“…thank you. Ma’am, I need you to close your eyes again and count to 20. Everything is going to be okay.”
Sports schedule for: Feb 9-13
| ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE FEBRUARY 9 – FEBRUARY 14 | |||
| MONDAY | FEBRUARY 9 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 3:45pm | 2:10pm | 5:00pm | Nordic Ski JV Championships | Hyland Lake Park |
| 4:30pm | Adapted Hockey vs. Robbinsdale | Armstrong High School | |
| TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 10 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| JV: 4:30pm V: 6:00pm | Boys Basketball vs. Washington | HOME | |
| WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 11 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| Girls: 11:00am Boys: 12:15pm | Bus Leaves Tuesday at 3:45pm | Nordic Ski State Meet | Giants Ridge |
| JV: 4:30pm V: 6:00pm | Boys Basketball vs. Higher Ground Academy | HOME | |
| JV: 4:30pm V: 6:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. Fridley | Fridley High School | |
| THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 12 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| Boys: 10:00am Girls: 11:00am | 4:30pm | Nordic Ski State Meet | Giants Ridge |
| JV: 5:30pm V: 7:30pm | JV: 3:15pm V: 5:15pm | 9:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Irondale | Blaine Super Rink |
| FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 13 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| SATURDAY | FEBRUARY 14 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 9:00am | 6:30am | 3:00pm | Wrestling Team Sections | Harding High School |
| B: 10:00am JV: 10:00am V: 12:00pm | Boys Basketball vs. Mahtomedi | HOME | |
| 11:00am | 7:15am | 1:30pm | Gymnastics Sections | North St. Paul High School |
| JV: 12:00pm V: 2:00pm | 9:30am | 4:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. New Ulm | New Ulm Civic Center |
Mis-Match Photography #2
By: Alayanna Bouwens
Rusty Hook
Sunset in the Sky
Frozen Bark
Icy Moss
Purple Sky
Protein coffee review
By: Norah Hoglund
I am definitely the type of person who wakes up in the morning and isn’t hungry. I rarely eat food in the morning because right when I wake up it always sounds so unappetizing. Even so, it’s important that I consume protein in the morning to give me energy for the day. That’s why I tried this protein coffee.
The brand I tried is called Javvy. I got it at Target and they have a ton of different flavors to choose from. I tried the French vanilla and the mocha.
The brand stuck out to me because it has natural ingredients and uses stevia as a sweetener, which is a really good and healthy alternative to sugar. The coffee has no added sugar and it has 10g of protein per scoop.
Review
This coffee is super easy to make. I filled up a cup with half water and half whole milk, added a scoop of the coffee, and used a frother to mix it. If you don’t have a frother you can put it in a bottle and shake it up, it works just as well.
When I tried this coffee, I was actually very surprised at how good it tasted. It tasted pretty much like how you would expect a normal latte to taste. It is the perfect amount of sweetness, in my opinion, without having the weird flavor that sometimes accompanies an alternative sweetener to sugar. The coffee flavor is not particularly prominent, but I like that because I don’t like strong coffee flavors.
Overall, I think that this is a great product and I would definitely recommend it to anybody. I love lattes and this gives me that without the unnecessary sugar and with extra protein added. I now drink it every morning! I rate this product a 10/10.
Current events (international)
By: Treshawn Ross
English: Demonstrator during the 2025–2026 Iranian protests silhouetted against a street fire proudly waving the Lion and Sun flag of Iran. Date 9 January, 2026. Unknown author via Wikimedia Commons
Iran- Major protests against the Iranian regime started in late December of 2025. These protests were largely unviolent and orderly. Many of the protesters were demonstrating because of the insanely high inflation, and the collapse of the Rial which is the currency Iranians use.
The goal of the protests was to remove the Islamic Republic controlling Iran. As a result the Dictator of Iran, Ali Khamenei ordered an internet blackout in the country. This was done to prevent any media being released from the country, as he planned on violently cracking down on the protesters. The response of the government was to massacre scores of protesters and to arrest some of them to hold them for execution at a later date. The estimates say that 30,000 or more people were killed. Previously, President Trump promised to step in if the Iranian regime killed any protesters and in response to the reported massacres he sent an aircraft carrier and military personnel near Iran.
Russia/Ukraine– The Russia/Ukraine war has turned into a slow grind for territory, contrary to the 3 day operation that Russian dictator Putin anticipated. Most recently Putin has ordered drone attacks on civilian infrastructure and innocent people in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. These attacks killed at least 5 people and injured several others. Putin is ordering attacks on Ukraine’s energy and transport infrastructure in an attempt to cripple the country in the harsh winter months. The battle on the frontlines has been more successful for Russia as they have the manpower to slowly advance despite the casualties.
Israel/Gaza- Israel recovered the remains of the last hostage taken on October 7th, 2023. This allows for more peace talks to occur; the United Nations (U.N.) and many other aid groups push for a phase 2 of peace plans. Netanyahu’s office agreed with Hamas on the new peace deal as all of the demands were met. Hamas is under pressure to disarm to complete the deal which U.S. officials say is close to happening.
For more information, please visit:
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-ceasefire-phase-2-rafah-crossing-un-palestinians/
- https://www.csis.org/analysis/russias-grinding-war-ukraine#:~:text=Russian%20forces%20have%20suffered%20approximately,country%20faces%20a%20labor%20crunch
- https://www.interactivebrokers.com/campus/traders-insight/ibkr-investmentor/irans-economic-breakdown-how-a-currency-crash-threatens-the-regime/
- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2026/01/what-happened-at-the-protests-in-iran/
‘Memoir of a Snail’ movie review
By: Marina Yang
‘Memoir of a Snail’ is a film created in 2024, written and directed by Adam Elliot. This movie centers around the two siblings Grace Pudel (voiced by Sarah Snook) and Gilbert Pudel (at first voiced by Mason Litsos, and later on Kodi Smit-McPhee), with other side characters that each meets throughout their stories. This is an adult-film (rated R), it will show and talk about more graphic things such as cussing.
The movie starts off with the birth of the two siblings, and their lives staying together until separated by the cruel death of their only guardian, their father. They unfortunately cannot stay together as they are taken in by two different families. Each have separate issues from each other as Gilbert is somewhere in a desert and Grace is somewhere more urban. The movie mainly revolves around Grace’s perspective with her major champion, Pinky (voiced by Jacki Weaver). There are occasional switches to Gilbert’s perspective through his letters/narrating. Grace’s life journey is about her biggest problems, which are overcoming her fears, love and loneliness; all represented by a snail. Snails retrieve back into their shells as a defense/fear mechanism as she backs into her comfort zone, restricting herself from her goals at times.
The movie has a realistic take on people going through mental issues, and overall just struggles throughout life (as this is inspired off the writer’s own life experience). This make the movie more likable and relatable than some other films may be. Plus, its unique claymation style gives the film character, and definitely shows how long and detailed they worked on this movie. This movie can resonate with people in different ways through the characters traits, common interests, etc., attracting certain crowds.
This movie was nice, I’d say with a realistic reality to the movie without some kind of nice cover-up. Also, claymation/stop-motion movies are one of my favorite styles to see in movies. I’d give this movie a 4/5 as I wouldn’t say I completely relate entirely, but I could to a certain point in the movie. I could say I could name some people who may have similarities to this film in a way though. I’d definitely recommend checking out this movie once you’re free, though.
This movie is available to watch via subscriptions or buying on streaming services.
Sports schedule: Feb 2-7
| ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE FEBRUARY 2 – FEBRUARY 7 | |||
| MONDAY | FEBRUARY 2 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 4:00pm | Varsity Girls Basketball vs. Community of Peace Academy | HOME | |
| 7:00pm | 5:30pm | 8:45pm | Boys Swimming vs. Humboldt / Washington | Humboldt High School |
| TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 3 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 9:00am | Nordic Ski Section Championship | Battle Creek | |
| 4:30pm | Adapted Hockey vs. Brainerd | Humboldt High School | |
| WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 4 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 4:30pm | Adapted Hockey vs. Osseo | Maple Grove Junior High | |
| B: 5:00pm JV: 5:00pm V: 6:30pm | 3:30pm | 8:00pm | Boys Basketball vs. Harding | Harding High School |
| 5:00pm | 3:30pm | 7:00pm | Boys Conference Diving | Humboldt High School |
| JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm | JV: 3:20pm V: 5:00pm | 9:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Hopkins | Hopkins Pavilion |
| 5:00pm and 6:15pm | Wrestling Triangular vs. North Branch and North St. Paul | HOME | |
| 6:00pm | Gymnastics Twin Cities Meet | HOME | |
| THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 5 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| JV: 4:30pm V: 6:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. New Life Academy | HOME | |
| JV: 5:00pm V: 7:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Mound Westonka | Charles M Schulz Highland Arena | |
| FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 6 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 5:00pm | 2:30pm | 8:00pm | Girls Individual Wrestling Sections | South St. Paul High School |
| 6:30pm | Boys Swimming Conference Championships | St. Catherine University | |
| SATURDAY | FEBRUARY 7 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 9:00am | 6:30am | 3:00pm | Girls Individual Wrestling Sections | South St. Paul High School |
| B: 10:00am JV: 10:00am V: 11:30am | Boys Basketball vs. Central | HOME | |
| 7:30pm | Girls Hockey Sections vs. Woodbury | M Health Fairview Sports Center | |
Winter wonderland
By: Alayanna Bouwens
Polluted Winter
Snowy needles
Snowy stalk
Frozen Alder
Frost bitten rose hip
Plaid Line + PRIZM + Scottie News 