| MONDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 25TH | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| TUESDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 26TH | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| 7:00pm | Volleyball vs. South St. Paul | HOME | |
| 7:00pm | 5:00pm / 8:45pm | Football vs. Harding/Humboldt | at Harding High School |
| WEDNESDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 27TH | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| THURSDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 28TH | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| Girls – 3:30pm Boys – 4:15pm | Boys / Girls Cross Country Sections | at Valleywood Golf Course | |
| 7:00pm | Volleyball Section Semifinals | HOME | |
| FRIDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 29TH | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| SATURDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 30TH | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| 3:00pm | Football Section Semifinals | TBD |
All posts by HPSH Plaid Line
Origins of Halloween
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.
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Schools and food waste
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?
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The truth of art
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 of the year/how COVID affected the music industry
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.
Pros and cons of participating in extracurriculars
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.
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Drug and nicotine use among teens
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.
Sports schedule for: 10/18-10/22
| MONDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 18TH | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| 5:30pm | 4:30pm / 8:45pm | JV Football vs. North St. Paul | Polar Field |
| 5:30pm / 7:00pm | 4:30pm / 8:30pm | JV/Varsity Volleyball vs. Como Park | at Como Park High School |
| TUESDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 19TH | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| 4:00pm | Boys / Girls Cross Country Conference Championship | HOME | |
| WEDNESDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 20TH | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| 5:30pm / 5:30pm 7:00pm | C-Squad / JV / Varsity Volleyball vs. Central | HOME | |
| 7:00pm | 5:00pm / 8:45pm | Football vs. St. Croix Lutheran | at St. Croix Lutheran |
| THURSDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 21ST | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| FRIDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 22ND | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
| SATURDAY | DATE: OCTOBER 23RD | ||
| TIME | BUS DEPART/RETURN | EVENT | DETAILS |
‘The Platform’ movie review
By: Eva Olson
‘The Platform’ is a Spanish horror/thriller movie released in early November of 2019. This movie follows the main character, Goreng, and his journey in this vertical prison that has a moving platform that stops at each level to give people food. Because there is only one platform carrying food, not every level gets food. Every level has two people on it and every month you get sent to a random level. Throughout the movie, Goreng has to fight for survival and learn who he can and can’t trust, and he has to make some tough decisions that make him question his morals.
I thought the movie was very suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. I thought the pacing was perfect and helped create suspense. The plot was very interesting and I thought it was very original and not like a typical horror movie. I thought there were a lot of good plot twists that weren’t predictable and surprised me a lot. I liked how the movie didn’t rely on jump scares for suspense.
This movie was pretty gory and had some pretty gross scenes. There was a decent amount of blood and other kinds of gross things (think about how character may have to get food). There were multiple scenes where I felt the need to look away because it was too gross. Although it was kind of gory, it wasn’t constant and in every scene which I liked.
I thought all the characters were very interesting and I liked how everyone wasn’t specifically good or bad and they were conflicted at times. I also liked how the relationships between the characters would change constantly. I thought the acting was good and they did a great job casting each character.
I thought this movie was very good overall. I think I would’ve liked it better if the movie was originally in English so the dialogue would match up (it was dubbed in English) but the movie was still good. If you’re looking for a suspenseful thriller/horror movie then this is a good option.
I give it a 7.5/10 rating.
Video games: Fun pastime of destructive force?
By: Isaac Lund
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2017, 43% of U.S. adults said that they often play video games. According to this same study, 57% of Americans aged 18-29 owned a dedicated gaming console.
With video games and online media in general becoming an increasingly important factor in our lives with the onset of the pandemic, whether video games are productive or not is information we can’t pass up.
Video games definitely have their upsides, or else they wouldn’t be so popular among high schoolers and adults alike. Things like cooperative in-game goals and voice channels allow people to build social networks, a skill that is essential throughout the rest of life as well.
Video games also hone decision making speed with fast-paced success-or-failure choices placed in front of players on a constant repeat. This same system also helps players to improve hand eye coordination and reflexes.
Finally, video games can replace more harmful vices and are proven to reduce cravings for other unsavory addictive behaviors.
All things considered, video games aren’t without their flaws either. If gaming becomes an intense addiction, it can cause psychological issues and even add on to already-present mental health disorders.
Gaming without moderation can also reduce physical exercise and hygiene, and can isolate one from family and friends, especially if played alone.
Also, while gaming often provides a needed escape from the stress of life, it can distract from, and increase, procrastination towards things that need to be done, such as schoolwork.
Video games can be an amazing form of entertainment, both interactive and cooperative. But playing video games without emphasizing their social aspect, or playing enough to cause serious addiction, can lead to a destructive spiral difficult to escape.
Is it worth the risk? That’s up to you.
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