By: Jannely Gomez Pacheco and Yalecxy Hernandez Lopez
Category Archives: Clubs and Activities
What is Highland Live and who runs it?
By: Siri David
Highland Live is a new advisory that was brought to Highland this year. The advisors are Ms. Summerville and Mr. Gullickson. I am a member and have done a lot of different things for the advisory. My whole friend group is a part of it, and there are around 25 of us in the advisory. Every person has a different job, for example, some people run the cameras, some people interview students at Highland, and some people run the games. There are a lot of different things you can do to help.
Our whole goal is to get people to participate in more activities during advisory. Every Tuesday we go live on Youtube and every advisory in the school watches it. We have games like Name That Tune, Family Feud, and Hungry Hippos. Students from advisories can sign up and then will come down on Tuesday to play the games. We also want to keep people informed of things happening within the school, so oftentimes important games for sports teams and club meetings are shared. We also interview the captains or members of the team/club and ask them to share important dates and information about them to hopefully draw more students in.
Another section we have during the live show is the weather. The weather is run by Will, Charlie, and Arthur who call themselves the “Weather Boys”. They share the forecast throughout the week and what to expect. This is a very loved section as it is pretty funny.
Another popular section is the trivia section. We have done normal trivia as well as Family Feud. Myself and others have helped in running this section many times. It is very popular because the questions are often based on what is happening in the community or the world. For example, this past week we did questions about Thanksgiving because it is coming up. We try to mix things up every week with different games and different people, hoping to keep things interesting.
Highland Live is a fun and exciting new addition to life at Highland, and a lot of effort is put into running it by the students but especially by the advisors. Ms. Summerville and Mr. Gullickson work hard to run this and make things successful. If you have the opportunity to partake in Highland Live please sign up. It is so fun, and the more the merrier!
Fiesta Latina!
By: Chloe Rocha
On April 17th, Union Latina hosted their yearly Fiesta Latina showcase. Fiesta Latina consists of many culturally significant dances performed by the Spanish Immersion classes, grades 10-12. Fiesta Latina does not only have dances however, they also host many other activities such as crowd involvement, singers, and food trucks.
This year there were a total of 8 dances and 4 singers for both the day and night show. All of these performances were done and choreographed by students who attend Highland Park Senior High.
During the day show Jose started off Fiesta Latina with a singing act, but later in the night show he was joined by Sr. Luis. The first 3 dances were performed by Sra. Kellner’s Sophomore classes, and then was followed by a beautiful singing performance done by Amy, who is the secretary of Union Latina.
The next 3 dances were performed by Sra. Nelsons Junior classes. Which was then followed by the president of Union Latina, Kenia, singing a song as well. In between the dances, there was a crowd involvement activity that consisted of trivia questions for students and parents to answer.
After the trivia questions, there were 2 more dances that were performed by Sra. Romero’s senior classes. Each dance that was performed were all different styles of dance.
Being involved with Fiesta Latina is something that is very fun and memorable. In my opinion, Fiesta Latina is always the highlight of the school year for me. I think that it helps bring together the classes and students as one. It is always a lot of fun to learn the dances and dancing with a partner. So far, I have been in 2 of the performances, and hopefully next year we will be able to have another performance as well. The Spanish immersion teachers dedicate a lot of time and effort to help make Fiesta Latina fun and enjoyable for everyone involved. I can’t wait to celebrate another year with my class.
The process of being in Fiesta Latina
By: Nereida Dominguez Remedios
Fiesta Latina took place on April 17, 2025; there was an in school performance that took place at 2:00 and there was also another performance that happened at 5:30 where families could go too.
During clubs, the president of Union Latina (ULA) Kenia Saravia, who is the organizer of Fiesta Latina, gave us the opportunity to be a part of the backstage like being an MC or singing a song.
The Spanish immersion classes all choreographed a dance to be presented at Fiesta Latina so there was a big variety of different dances. I personally enjoyed seeing the senior dance since it was their last year. They were able to make the dances long and with more energy to make it more memorable.
My experience being in Fiesta Latina for the first time went really well; it was also my first time being an MC and speaking on stage to a crowd of over one-hundred students and family. The dance my class chose to do was salsa, and it was a unanimous vote to use the song “LA MuDANZA” by Bad Bunny.
It was also my first time being an MC. when I volunteered to be a MC I was given a script where it told me when I had to get out on stage and when I had to say it. I was really nervous to speak in front of a lot of people, but the board members did reassure me, and I really appreciated that they did that since it made me a lot less nervous.
Even though I liked dancing salsa for my first time being in Fiesta Latina, I would have enjoyed doing a dance that had more energy since a lot of the other class’s dances did have more energy with different styles that haven’t been done in the past.
The day of Fiesta Latina all Spanish immersion students from grade 10-12 had an excused absence to practice all morning for the performance at 2:00. The practice started with the sophomore classes going first; each class did 3 practices on the stage then the next class went. All the students went to the first lunch and then we did a full outfit run where all the MCs were speaking their lines, and the singers sang their songs, and all the dances were danced, so the Spanish teachers could correct any mistakes. Overall, I enjoyed doing Fiesta Latina.
In the end, the board members did an amazing job making this a fun experience for everyone and having everything organized for Fiesta Latina.
What is ULA planning
By: Nereida Dominguez Remedios
Union Latina is a club where it represents Latin culture and also does fun activities and has fun performances.
Currently Union Latina (ULA) is preparing one of the two events that they host every year called Fiesta Latina.
Fiesta Latina is where grades 10-12 Spanish immersion classes choreograph dances so they can be shown during the last period of the day for students at the high school and some classes from the middle school. They also perform after school for the families and friends of the students, so they can see all the hard work they have done and effort they put into the performance .
Fiesta Latina shows all the different Latin cultures/dances and fun activities that Union Latina does every Wednesday after school.
During clubs/after school the board members give time for students to practice the fun activities and dances that are going to be performed.
Even though Fiesta Latina is a month away, the Spanish teachers are already letting the students choreograph and practice the dances that they are going to perform at the show.
During my experience of practicing, it is stressful but it is also super fun knowing that I’m able to show my culture, and different cultures similar to mine, during practice. I’m also able to see my friends and classmates have fun dancing and see everyone laugh and talk to each other.
During the after school performance there will be food trucks serving the most delicious food, and the performance will be at 5:30. During this time you are able to get your food and be able to get to your seat to watch the performance.
Everyone is welcome to watch the amazing performance Union Latina (ULA) will be presenting!
Fiesta Latina is on: April 17, with performances during 4th period and after school at 5:30.
Highland’s 2025 Chinese New Year’s most significant performances
By: Jooney Freddieson and Aalovely Lor
Chinese New Year is one of the most important traditional holidays in Chinese culture.
It is typically between the end of January to mid February and in 2025, Chinese New Year was from January 29th to February 12th.
Every year, Highland Park Senior High School students and teachers celebrate Chinese New Year by performing dances as well as singing and showcasing a play.
( 舞獅 ) Lion’s Dance performed by Julian Falk & Liam Hefferan
The Lion’s Dance is not just a performance but it is a cultural tradition that traces all the way back to ancient China; evolving through each generation.
This dance is significant because when the lunar new year comes around the celebration is intended to ward off evil spirits.
The Lion’s Dance is not only filled with vibrant colors, but it is followed by loud noises, energetic music, and bright lights.
The lion represents a symbol of power, courage, good fortune, and protection in Chinese culture that chases away negative energy or “Nian”.
“Nian” is a mythical monster known to attack villages and leave negative energy in the beginning of the lunar new year, according to Kpbs.org. Which is why the Lion’s Dance is typically known to be performed at the beginning of the Chinese New Year event.
The monster is known to be scared of loud noises, bright lights, and bright colors, which is why the Lion’s Dance is a great tool to chase the monster away.
During the performance the dance was accompanied with loud drums played by two students, symbolizing the terrifying loud noises to scare away “Nian”.
The dancers mimic the lion by swaying, leaping, shaking, often in a playful manner. This adds an element of humor which entertains the audience.
It was cool to see how the music followed the lion’s movement as it got faster and slower.
Our favorite part of the dance was when the lion came close to the audience and interacted with them. The interaction between the lion and the audience created, and added, a more humorous atmosphere.
The Legend Of The White Snake was performed by Highland’s Chinese Immersion 11 class!
Their play gives us insight into the old Chinese folktale about an ancient white snake who transforms into a beautiful woman before quickly falling in love with a young man.
Despite getting married, he was still unaware of her true form until a monk told him he wasn’t married to a human being; he was married to a snake.
The young man gives his wife wine which transforms her into a big white snake, causing the man to die from shock.
Even though her husband had played that trick on her, she still revived him with her own potion. Once awakened, he realized she was still the person he always loved, someone who’d never do him wrong.
The significance of the Chinese Immersion 11 class reenacting this folktale is that the new year is the year of the snake.
They executed this play perfectly by bringing up beautifully painted sets and a perfect script in between the mix of humor and accuracy.
One highlight from the play was the humorous switch when she turned into the big white snake. The crowd was definitely excited to see the wife go backstage and switch out with the masked snake.
Our favorite part of the play was when the white snake was battling the monk and his two guards for her husband back after he’s been locked up. The music in the background played a comedic role in the fighting; intense but random.
Here is the amazing Chinese Immersion 11 class!
Recapping the robotics MinneTrials competition
By: Nathaniel de Sam Lazaro
On Saturday, December 7th, Highland Park’s robotics team, the Automatons, competed in the MinneTrials robotics competition.
MinneTrials is a competition hosted by team 2239, Technocrats, in Hopkins. The robots are built for a game separate from the one used in the main competition season, which occurs from January to April each year. These robots are constructed by first and second year members of the team, while third and fourth year students serve as mentors. This is designed to teach newer students the skills necessary to work on a robot once the older students have graduated.
The competition was hosted in the gym of L.H. Tanglen Elementary, which is located next to Hopkins High School. Ten teams competed, though two teams had multiple robots, so the total number of robots competing was twelve.
The game consisted of 21 qualification matches, with alliances of two robots competing against each other. This meant that each robot competed in approximately every third match. Prior to the qualification matches, there were also two rounds of practice matches.
Our team won one of our two practice matches, but there was some confusion over the rules of the game.
Unfortunately, the rest of the competition was met with technical issues that had to do with our robot. In one match, the robot emergency stopped for thirty seconds. In another, we realized that the laptop we had planned to use to control the robot had not been charged.
In the end, we ended up losing all but one of our qualification matches, and were ranked tenth out of twelve.
After the qualification matches, the top four teams were able to pick another team to form playoff alliances. Unfortunately, we were not picked to compete in the playoffs.
While the competition did not go as we had hoped, we are glad to have learned from the experience. After the competition, our team had a meeting to discuss what happened and the general consensus seemed to be that the first and second year students were glad to have had this experience. This was our first year competing in the competition, and we are planning to return next year and hope for a better result.
Widji Leaders
By: Siri David
In the beginning of November some friends and I went to Crosby farm in Saint Paul. While we were there, we planted trees. The organization we do this with is called Widji Leaders. Widji is a YMCA summer camp that focuses on getting kids into the environment while, teaching them life skills. They lead backpacking all over the western part of the country and canoeing trips all over the Boundary Waters and Quetico. During the winter they want to keep kids outside and teach them how to help the environment.
We met at Crosby Farm at nine and worked until 12. We planted a total of 60 trees in the forest.
They shared a step-by-step process of how to plant them and how each step will help the trees grow. We covered the trees in a biodegradable plastic to protect them from animals who will eat the growing trees. On top of the plastic we would put mesh so that way birds wouldn’t land on the plastic and fall inside and get stuck.
We were also taught about the environment down by the Mississippi River. We learned about how the water affected soil and caused it to become a lot softer. That area of land also goes through a lot of harsh weather including flooding, rain storms, hail, and intense winters. This means that the trees that are growing have to go through a lot to survive, and not all of them do.
There are so many steps you can take to help better the environment in your community. There are so many organizations that do volunteer work where they clean up areas that have larger amounts of trash or areas that are just clearly struggling more within the environment. Along with that there are also places you can volunteer to help plant trees like I did. Doing these tasks might not seem like a big deal, but if you look at where our environment is heading you realize anything can help.
Upcoming play: ‘And Then There Were None’
By: Persephone Pond
Highland Park Theater Arts presents ‘And Then There Were None’ by Agatha Christie. Here’s a quick, spoiler-free review of the plot of this show, and all the information you’ll need to know.
‘And Then There Were None’ was originally written by Agatha Christie and was first published in 1939. Over the years, there have been many spin offs of movies, shows, and play adaptations. There are many adaptations of this novel, including different endings, some happy, some sad. Fun fact: the student cast of this show got to choose which ending they wanted to put on.
The plot of this famous murder mystery revolves around 10 strangers who each individually receive mysterious invitations to a solitary mansion on an island off the coast of Devon, Britain. As each individual guest is accused of a grizzly crime, and people begin to mysteriously die one by one, the remaining members of the group must discover who among them on this island is the killer and how to stop them.
Highland Park’s production stars a talented cast of students cast by theater director Nancy Micheal. The show is completely student run apart from directing, with students manning the lights, sound, set, props, ect.
Opening night is Thursday, November 14th at 7pm in the Highland Park Auditorium. Additional performances are Friday, November 15th at 7pm, and Saturday, November 16th at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are sold at the door, cash or card, and are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Concessions and merchandise are available for purchase and all proceeds go to funding future productions.
To learn more about future shows, you can follow @hptheatrearts on Instagram.
GALA (girls alliance association)
By: Kumari Mia Wijetunge
At Highland Park there are many clubs students can join, one for example is GALA (girls alliance association) a club that supports young women, promotes self confidence, and encourages empowerment. GALA provides a safe, positive environment where girls of Highland Park can connect, share experiences, and grow.
What is GALA?
GALA is not just a club but also a community. Made on the belief that young girls deserve to feel confident and valued, GALA was created to give girls room to explore topics of self growth, leadership, and personal development.
GALA meets regularly, every Thursday during advisory and with occasional meetings after school throughout the month. We do all kinds of activities like bake sales, tailgating, collaborations with the school store, and product drives. During our weekly meetings we will have small group discussions where we can talk about anything and grow closer as a community.
Why was GALA created?
Young women in high school often face all kinds of social pressures that can test our confidence and sense of self. Many girls struggle with insecurities about their appearance or social skills. GALA was designed to counter these pressures, helping members see their true selves and understand their worth .
Why should you join the GALA?
Students can join GALA for many reasons – to find support, make friends, gain confidence, or simply to be part of a positive community. Members are motivated by a shared journey of personal growth and helping each other succeed. By creating a safe space, GALA allows our members to come out of their shell and build lasting friendships.
Building the future
GALA’s leaders and members hope to leave a legacy of strength, self love, and support. As GALA grows we hope to inspire and bring the message of confidence building to a broader community within the school and the community.
Plaid Line + PRIZM + Scottie News 