All posts by HPSH Plaid Line

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘The Departed’: Rat and mouse

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By: Hayden Fitzsimons

Scorsese’s 2006 film, ‘The Departed’, was a hit when it came out and maintained its popularity to this day for a very good reason.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, an intelligent police academy reject, and Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, an academy graduate who quickly climbed the ranks to sergeant. Billy becomes an undercover cop in crime boss Costello’s, played by Jack Nicholson, Irish mafia. However, Sullivan is doing the exact inverse as he acts as a rat for Costello, within the Massachusetts State Police. From here, their paths repeatedly cross and both spiral deeper and deeper into an ever-increasingly unstable rivalry.

Scorsese is able to lead his cast through a winding story headed by Jack Nicholson’s incredible performance as a purely evil and steely villain. Matt Damon and DiCaprio deserve just as much praise as they both perform excellently in two extremely tense roles.

As the film continues, an initially somewhat regular plot grows complex as both main characters continually are put in situations where they seemingly have no way out, yet always come out on top. This sort of plot allows the entertainment value of the film to increase and increase seemingly without end, at least until the film itself ends.

The film from the very beginning demands the viewer’s attention, as it is very hard to not be glued to the screen throughout the entirety of the film. In a constantly changing plot, the viewer is able to find some stability in ‘The Departed’s’ characters. All of the important figures remain as they were in the beginning, as the only real differences in how they act are simply their increasing suspicion and panic as their worlds’ walls inch closer and closer.

‘The Departed’ seems predictable enough, however the viewer often has enough time to predict what happens next. In a lesser film, the viewer would be able to discern the next story beat, yet in  ‘The Departed’ it’s almost as if it plays too fast for your brain, and you yourself are dragged along by the enigmatic trio.

When it comes to predictability, if you were able to see the ending’s multiple shocking turns coming, I’d have to say that you’d be a genius. If there is ever a movie that manages to take the film trope of two or more characters’ individual lives eventually entangling, it’s ‘The Departed’.

Fashion/Make-Up

Diversity in the modeling world

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By: Nora Doyle

Throughout time, modeling has been one of the biggest parts of pop culture. We look up to models. They define how we want to see ourselves. In our eyes, they’re perfect.

But how diverse is the modeling world? How often are different body types, skin colors, or disabilities portrayed in the modeling world?

Race seems to be a very important issue in the modeling industry. Many brands tend to only use predominately white models in their shows and ads. According to Cultursmag.com, some brands became aware of the problem that they created and have tried to fix it by doing an “all black” show, or catalog, but it only seemed to make the issue worse.

Chanel Iman, a model who is three-fourths African American, and one-fourth Korean, believes diversity is a major issue in her industry. She says these “all black shows” only segregates models of color more. “It doesn’t help us; it just puts us into a category,” she states.

Race isn’t the only issue in the modeling industry. When it comes to portraying different body types in their shows and ads, many brands fail to do so. According to the ‘Lexington Line’, society has always had a specific body type for runway models. The ideal models were slim, small waist, curves, long legs, and perfect skin. For example: Kendall Jenner. She has been considered an ideal model.

Recently though, the ‘Lexington Line’ said that there is no standard body type anymore. In 2017, brands like Gucci, Dior, and Christian Siriano had announced that they are no longer casting size zero models.

Modeling has been widened to big, small, tall, men, women, and everyone in between, and they are starting to be more included in the modeling world.

Books/Art

Review of the ‘Berserk’ manga: “Golden Age Arc”

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By: Jalalaisa Geleto

‘Berserk’ is one of the greatest things I have ever read. I’m only halfway through the entire story, but I finished the most iconic and famous ‘Berserk’ arc, the “Golden Age Arc,” last week.

The “Golden Age” is the arc that is most adapted to  other media forms although the story arcs that happen after are much better. This arc is the first real arc in the manga, and it sets you on a reading binge.

I’ll divide my review into three parts: art, story, and characters.

The art in ‘Berserk’ is out of this world. Each manga panel would take me a day to complete, but the author, Miura, made thousands of these. The art in the series has the scale and detail of a renaissance painting but it doesn’t break the flow of the story necessarily. The way he draws things makes you marvel at them but It won’t make you stop for a couple of minutes and stop the flow of reading. His art is completely done with pen and pencil, you can see every mark he makes and it makes his drawings even prettier.

In the great battle scenes of ‘Berserk’ you can feel the speed, intensity, and ferocity of the battles. The line art really does convey the power behind many blows the characters give or take in the manga. The sheer ferocity of some of the character design is quite impressive.

Another thing about the art in this manga is the facial expressions of the characters. Although they can be insane and greatly exaggerated, the expressions are great and sometimes really funny.

The story of the “Golden Age” arc is great overall but it does start relatively slow. “Golden Age” is essentially a backstory for the main character and the main antagonist. Many criticized ‘Berserk’ because the prelude arc (which is two chapters long) spoils the fact that Griffith (Guts, the main character’s best friend) becomes the main villain. Miura does this though, to peak our interest and makes us want to find out more about our mysterious protagonist and antagonist.

The spoiling of it takes out the impact of what happens at the end of the “Golden Age” arc. The arc itself is extremely dark as is everything after it. I wouldn’t recommend ‘Berserk’ to anyone who has a low tolerance for, blood & gore, cursing, horror, and sexual violence.

The ‘Berserk’ story is quite straightforward during the “Golden Age” arc, and nothing of brilliance really happens until the end of the arc. The arc’s purpose is to build you up for the main story of ‘Berserk.’ It’s an arc that familiarizes you with the world. It makes you care for the characters then it finally shatters everything and puts you on an adventure with Guts.

The characters of the “Golden Age” arc is what makes it, not the plot. The plot doesn’t become the greatest of factors till the end of the arc. The characters are really likable and you enjoy all their screen times. Characters get the right amount of time in the story. You get to know and like the side characters without them bogging down the story and becoming annoying.

The main three characters – Guts, Casaka, and Griffith, are all well fleshed out and their actions reflect their character and personality. There aren’t any out of character moments with them; everything makes sense and there’s a reason for it.

Griffith, while a well fleshed out character, is still mysterious. We understand Griffith but we really don’t know much about him. I found this interesting and honestly, I don’t really need to know much of his past; it’s better off a mystery.

Overall, the “Golden Age” arc is a great beginning to an epic story. It has one of the greatest build ups and plot twists of all time. I believe it deserves to be called one of the greatest, if not the greatest, manga ever written. I’ll give the “Golden Age” arc an 8 out of 10.

Editorials/Student Voice, Entertainment

Trans representation in media

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By: Quentin Miller

Name a movie you know that includes a character that’s openly trans.

Now, unless you are trans yourself, I can almost guarantee that you couldn’t think of any. But if you did, was that character played by a cis actor? These are the two biggest problems with trans representation in the media.

Not only do trans people barely get the light of day, even when they do, they are often played by cis actors, which is blatantly offensive especially when the actor belongs to a gender the character is not.

To list some examples of this we have: Glenn Close in 2011, Jared Leto in 2013, Benedict Cumberbatch in 2016, and many more. And those are recent examples. The behavior of casting almost exclusively cis people for trans roles has been around for decades. 

Now why is this a problem?

Well if it isn’t already obvious, it isn’t real trans representation if it isn’t a real trans person. Just like a white man isn’t African American representation or a straight relationship isn’t LGBT+ representation.

This is especially bad when the joke of a character is just the fact that they’re trans, as it turns the trans community into this group that you’re allowed to point and laugh at, but there’s nothing funny about being trans. 

An example of good representation in media includes The Adjudicator, from the most recent ‘John Wick’ film. The actor playing them is non-binary, and so is the character. There’s never a big scene about it, it’s never played for jokes, and the character just exists as a trans person.

Obviously, we’ve come a far way from mocking anyone who even dared push social norms, but our media doesn’t reflect it in the slightest, wether it’s cis directors hiring cis actors to tell trans stories, or the millions of cis people explaining why that’s OK despite the fact it’s not their place to say.

It’s obvious that trans representation in the media is nothing but cheap sympathy points or laughs used by directors to profit off of, and demonize, the trans community.

Tech/Games

Mental effects of social media on teens

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By: Aisha Dirie

Even though social media is a fairly new thing, it has increased in popularity over the years with many marketing techniques. Social media has many benefits, like keeping in touch with relatives, having quick access to people’s profiles, etc.

But there are many long term effects of it too. Excessive social media usage can lead to mental disorders like anxiety and depression, it can harm relationships, etc. We’ll dig into some of these mental, and emotional affects of social media within teenagers. 

Social media has been proved to increase anxiety and depression within teens. According to the Mayo Clinic, using social media more than three times a day can predict poor mental health and well being in teens.

Social media can sometimes provide an escape, as well as change how you perceive others. It makes others lives seem perfect. FOMO (fear of missing out) is also common for teens while using social media excessively.

Social media also disrupts sleeping patterns, unhealthy sleeping habits can lead to poor performance in school, depression, anxiety, loss of interest in daily activities, poor hygiene, etc.

Over usage of social media can lead to feeling envious, imperfect, useless, etc. Excessive use of social media can lead to all these things that can eventually affect you in the long run.

Regulating or supervising social media at specific times during the day is the best way to fight these bad habits. Social media can affect the external feelings, but also internal feelings and functions we have. It can affect your brain’s decision making and logical thinking aspect as well.

All of these, with countless studies, have shown to disturb teens in an amount of ways physically, mentally, and emotionally. Little usage along with close supervision of social media can help promote responsible behavior and overall better mental health.

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Science/Nature

The future of commercial space travel 

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By: Grace Helmke

In May of 2020, SpaceX launched two Americans aboard Falcon 9, the first manned rocket to journey to the International Space Station (ISS) in over nine years. The flight took place aboard a commercial vehicle, representing the beginning of a movement towards accessible space travel. 

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), is working with several private companies to expand their production and create space crafts capable of carrying the average human into orbit.

SpaceX was the first to produce reusable rockets. They did this by establishing a model, which has now been running regular missions to the ISS since 2012.

The several companies manufacturing these shuttles maintain ownership of the vehicles they produce. NASA then provides their launch facilities, and sends the astronauts into space. By creating business with these companies and starting their Commercial Crew Program, NASA predicts that the economics of spaceflight will change, increasing competition between nations and driving down the cost of intergalactic travel. 

Other nations around the world are also becoming increasingly invested in the idea of a commercialized space flight future. Russia currently has in orbit a reusable vessel which has made several trips from earth to space on resupply missions to the ISS. China is in the earlier stages of the production of a space station capable of housing multitudes of astronauts for an extended period of time. Several test vehicles have been launched, but all have incinerated after multiple years in space. 

The fact that private companies in the United States, and around the world, are beginning their work in becoming commercial space companies means that spaceflight is no longer exclusive to government-funded projects. It is now becoming increasingly accessible. 

It is also foreseeable that as a result of these reduced prices and increased accessibility, that a hospitality industry might emerge in space and on other planets. Meaning, hotels and inflatable habitats will likely be created.

Bigelow Aerospace, a company in Nevada that specializes in space technology, has actually begun to produce these alternative housing solutions. The idea of this module, named B330, is that it is completely collapsible. It will arrive at the destination shriveled and compacked, and will inflate to accommodate visitors upon arrival. This balloon like home, surprisingly enough, would last a person’s lifetime.

With the continued advancement in technology, and newfound partnership between the government and private companies, a society where space travel is routine may not be so far away. 

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Books/Art

Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’:  Part one – Inferno

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By: Jalalaisa Geleto

‘The Divine Comedy’ is one of the greatest Christian arts ever made. The poem was started in 1308 and was completed in 1320. It was written by Dante Alighieri. It shows what the Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestants believe what the after life is.

‘The Divine Comedy’ is written in three parts. Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Heaven). Dante goes through the multiple levels of these realms to find his love in Heaven.

The first part of the story is Inferno. There are nine levels of Hell:

The first level is Limbo. This isn’t a heavenly place, but it isn’t the worst of Hell. This is where the unbaptized and virtuous pagans go to. In actual theology, there are many areas in limbo unlike in Dante’s where it’s just one realm.

The second circle of Hell is Lust. Those who are lustful and adulterers will suffer the many punishments for the different types of lustful sin they have committed. Famous historical figures in that circle are Cleopatra and Helena of Troy. Also, a lot of adulterous Italian politicians. This will be a theme throughout the entire story. Dante depicts all of his dead political opponents being in the many levels of Hell.

The third level Hell is for the sins of Gluttony. Those who over consume and spend so much on material things instead of God are sentenced to this level. Many politicians and upper class are sent to this level in Dante’s story.

The fourth level Hell is for the sin of Greed. These are for the bankers, greedy, and overly materialistic. One of their punishments is to forever bicker over money doomed to eternal mental anguish and anger.

The fifth level of Hell is for the sin of Wrath. Those who are forever angry and wrathful towards others are sentenced to this level of Hell. One of their many punishments is to forever fight in terrible battles with each other.

The sixth level of Hell is for the sin of Heresy. Any heretical Christians go to this level of Hell. Basically, if it doesn’t line up with what the original Church fathers said, and is against all of the holy text, it is heresy and you’re going to Hell.

The seventh level of Hell is for the sin of Violence. There are three different levels, or parts, to this level for the different types of violence you can commit. The first part is for violence against people and their property. The second part for people who commit violence for themselves (suicide). The third part is for blasphemers and sodomites.

The eighth level of Hell is for the sin of Fraud. This level is obviously occupied by the fraudulent. This level is divided in ten parts and Dante sees all sorts of punishment for the different types of fraudulent things one can do in life.

The ninth level of Hell is for the sin of Treachery. This level is occupied by the first treacherous being, Satan himself, according to Dante. Satan is both being tortured and touring others. This part of Hell is frozen because Satan is always flapping his massive wings. Everyone in this level is frozen except for three people: Brutus (friend who betrayed Caesar for the Republic), Cassius (another friend of Caesar for the same reasons), and the worst of them all, Judas (the man who betrayed Lord Christ). They are forever being chewed and eaten alive by Satan’s three heads. Doomed to be regenerated and eaten forever.

Getting To Know/History

A brief overview of philosophical ideologies

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By: Annika Getz

There’s a great many philosophical ideas and beliefs. Today I will be explaining some of them, specifically: nihilism, determinism, solipsism, and utilitarianism.

Nihilism can be placed in two branches of philosophy, depending on who you ask, metaphysical (which tries to define the meaning of existence) or ethical. It is the belief that life is meaningless, and therefore trying to do whatever is ethically right is pointless. Nihilists reject all moral and religious beliefs or principles, under the belief that it doesn’t matter anyways.

The word “nihilism” stems from the Latin word ​nihil​, which means “nothing.” The concept of nihilism came up in 19th century Russia. The word was used by Friedrich Nietzche. It has since then of course, expanded from Russia, and is now a fairly well-known concept.

Onto determinism. Determinism falls into the ethical branch of philosophy (though, like Nihilism, it could be argued that it belongs in the metaphysical branch). It is the belief that all choices and events are predetermined (though what it’s determined by has been argued, some say it’s previously existing events and causes, while others argue that it’s some all powerful being, such as God), therefore there is no such thing as free-will.

I unfortunately couldn’t find when and where the concept determinism was first posed, as many sources had conflicting information, some saying it was Ancient Greece, others saying it was closer to the 18th century.

Next is Solipsism. Solipsism is the belief that you are the only thing which truly exists, everything else is either a simulation, or a projection of your subconscious. Some even believe that they are in comas, and that everything that’s happening is a projection from their decaying brain. The problem with this theory is that it’s impossible to disprove, as everything that happens simple reaffirms your belief.

Solipsism stems from the philosopher René Descartes, who lived from 1596-1650. He didn’t actually use the word “solipsism” however. He introduced “methodological doubt” which sort of serves as a backdrop for solipsism.

Now onto utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is the belief that any action is acceptable as long as it benefits the majority. Simply speaking, we should all base all of our decisions based on what is best for everyone else. This seems somewhat harmless on the surface, however, there is an issue with it. One could justify murder, abuse, or any number of bad things, as long as more people benefit from it than are hurt.

One thought experiment regarding utilitarianism is as follows: “You are a doctor, you can save five people, but you must harvest the organs from one healthy, innocent person.” Utilitarians would believe that killing the one person is morally right, since you can save five people.

There are of course, many more philosophical ideologies, but it would take forever to go over all of them. So there you have it, 4 basic philosophical beliefs.

Travel/Food

Local coffee shops in the Twin Cities

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By: Lizzy Woxland and Anna Hisle

From modern, to artsy themed décor, the Twin Cities have an large variety of coffee shops for any occasion.

Wether you want a quick latte to go, or a great place to sit down and be productive, the Twin Cities coffee shops will have something for everyone.

Here are a few of our favorite coffee shops in the Twin Cities.

Quixotic- ​http://www.quixoticcoffee.com/
Quixotic is a very modern clean cafe containing a variety of different drinks. They also have an array of foods and pastries so we are sure there is something you’ll like. Quixotic has great seating and is the perfect place to get stuff done.

Lizzies favorite drink is their “Marco Polo”

J&S Bean Factory- ​https://juststevesbeanfactory.com/
J&S Bean Factory opened ​in​ 2001 and is an independently owned coffee shop and roastery. J&S has a very welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel very comfortable. Not only that, but when they are roasting the beans the whole place smells amazing. They also have amazing staff that are always in a positive mood.

Lizzie’s favorite drink from them is their iced vanilla lattes.

Amore Coffee- ​https://www.amorecoffee.com/home
Amore coffee is a coffee shop in West Saint Paul. Amore is a small business that has independent roasters, a conference room, live music, and fresh food and drinks.

Cafe Astoria- ​https://cafeastoria-stpaul.com/
Cafe Astoria is a locally owned coffee shop in Saint Paul. The coffee shop features specialty drinks, crepes, and salads. Starting as a pop-up, people enjoyed their food and drinks so much that they moved into a place on Grand Ave and officially opened Cafe Astoria.

Fresh Grounds Coffee- ​http://www.freshgroundscoffee.com/
Fresh Grounds Café is not only a successful neighborhood business, but it is also partnered with RS EDEN and is a training program for teens and young adults who experience barriers to employment. This place brings a very cosy vibe. Not only do they have amazing coffee, but they also have pastries, lunch items, smoothies, and ice cream. This place is an amazing place to meet up with friends to sit and chat.

Ginkgo Coffeehouse- ​https://ginkgocoffee.com/
Ginkgo Coffee house opened in 1993 with a few locations throughout Saint Paul. Ginkgo has bands from all over North America that travel and play in their coffeehouse. Not only do they have musicians come and play but they have open mics! This coffee shop also has a small play area for children along with boards games and a small library area.

Riverview Cafe- ​https://www.theriverview.com/
The Riverview Cafe is a wine bar and coffee shop in Minneapolis. Inside the Riverview, there is a children’s play area, seating, and live music. Their menu has food and drinks everyone will like!

Anna’s favorite is their bran muffins.

We hope you try and support some of our personal favorite locally owned coffee shops! Enjoy!

Editorials/Student Voice, National

What Trump will do after he leaves the White House

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By: Heidy Ramirez

Mr. Trump is really mad at aides and is isolating himself from everyone because they failed to make him president again as he wished.

It’s really sad how he asked to get the votes recounted from some counties, and Joe Biden still became president of the United States in 2021.

Back to Mr. Trump, he believed that no one was helping him, but the White House always tried their best. He just couldn’t accept that he lost on trying to become the president again.

Joe Biden won 306 electoral votes and Trump had 232, and Trump will never forget that. He became president because of the power. as he didn’t know what he was going to do, and that’s why Biden had to take over as president. 

A lot of people think that Mr. Trump is rotten to the core because of all the things he did as president. He should have shown that the President of the United States is a great leader of the people, not someone who cages kids, and rips them from the families that they love so much.

Also, what he is doing now is unpredictable, but everyone knew how it was going to end, him throwing a fit because he didn’t get his way at the end. Since the jump, Trump wasn’t honest because he said he was going to do things differently if he got elected, but he did not, so he lied to everyone that voted for him. He didn’t see a president’s job as any different from another job. He just wanted the power.

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