By: Ajmal Abdirahman & Mushtaq Yonis

On March 3rd, Highland Park Senior High hosted the second annual African Night! African Night showcased a variety of different cultures, dances, poems, clothing, and food. Students who are a part of Highland’s African Student Association (ASA) put in a lot of time and effort to make it an enjoyable and fun filled night. The turnout was huge with lots of people coming from all over St. Paul!

The opening act was by Ayane Kabeto. She sang and danced for the audience. She beautifully sang “Blame It on the Boogie”, by The Jackson 5, and started the show off with a bang!

Followed by Ayane’s wonderful singing was a showcase of Oromo dances. The amazing dancers were, Fadela Yussuf, Nuhamin Melese, Zubeyda Kedir, Saba Getahun, Liya Lantyderu, Nardos Ashenafi, Samera Adam and Beti Negash. Oromos are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, which numbers around 40 million people.

Fun fact! The Oromo language is one of the youngest languages in the world to become a written language. Before that, the Oromos had a rich oral literature tradition including songs, proverbs, poems, and stories.

After that amazing performance…It was followed by a traditional Somali dance called Dhaanto. The dancers who showed off their dance skills were, Hana Elmi, Salmaan Mohamud, Nasro Osman, Subeir Said, Lena Ahmed, Sahil Ali, Sohail Ali and Iman Abdi. The performers did an amazing job showcasing their culture!

Dhaanto is a style of traditional Somali music and folk dance. The Dhaanto was inspired by the camel and mimics the actions of the camel. Fun fact, the world’s largest population of camels is found in Somalia.

Next was the lively Tanzanian duo. The two dancers were Jamila Dauda and Maaka Nyembo. They showed us a few Tanzanian dances with some really nice songs. The duo showed us our first taste of West Africa! They danced to the songs “Inama” by Diamond Platnumz Ft Fally Ipupa and “Kelebe” by Rayvanny Ft Inoss’B.

Tanzania is a country in East Africa. Tanzania is known for its vast wilderness areas. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful aspects of East Africa. It is renowned for its exotic wildlife and rich cultural heritage. Here is a picture of the duo!

Then the crowd got to enjoy some Ethiopian and Eritrean dances. The dancers were Liya Lantyderu, Sonya Hussein, Ayane Jarso, Samera Adam, De’ Shaun Booker and Mahlet Dagne. Some of the dances they performed were, Gurage, Wyleta and Tirgey.

There’s a lot to love about Ethiopia, including its coffee and culture! And also Eritrea, for its delicious food, beautiful culture and its amazing architecture from Eritrea’s capital city Asmara.

Next was a beautiful spoken poem by Iman Abdi. Her poem was beautifully written. Black beauty was the theme of her poem. She spoke clearly and confidently and did so well!

After the poem, we got another taste of West Africa! The dancers were Qamar Amode, De’Shaun Andrea-Booker and Jamila Dauda. The songs they danced to were from Nigeria and Ghana. They were very vibrant and enthusiastic!

Nigeria is the most populous country in the whole of Africa with around 210 million people. Nigeria is one of the most diverse countries in the world with more than 500 spoken languages.

Ghana is also a very diverse country with over 70 ethnic groups residing in Ghana. Ghana is known for its dynamic culture and its food!

Next, the crowd got to enjoy an intermission with a video. The video was made by Asia Mohamed and Asma Sedik.

We talked to Asma Sedik about her experience as one of the video makers:

“The process of making the video was a bit stressful since we had to film it during school. It was hard to find times that would work for everyone and we often would have to miss class to film. But otherwise it was so much fun filming and we had a blast with our friends. Editing was also fun but also stressful because we didn’t have access to a professional camera or editing software, but we made due with what we had and learned a lot. Overall, a great experience!”

Back to more dancing, the crowd got to enjoy more Somali dances with Somali Part 2. The dancers were Zubeyda Kedir, Qamar Amode, Lena Ahmed, Sohail Ali, Sahaam Ahmed, Subeir Said, Muna Mohamed and Salmaan Mohamud. They did a performance of Shirib dance. The Shirib dance is very common in the southern region of Somalia.

A break from all the dancing; next up was a game show. The crowd was asked questions about Africa and if answered correctly they were given candy!

Then we got to enjoy a solo Congolese dance! By Jamila Dauda. She danced to the songs, “Call Me Baby” by CDG, “Moto” by Fabregas and “Ntaba Mood” by Ntaba2. She did a wonderful job!

There is a lot to be admired about the country of Congo with its rich natural resources and the world’s second-largest rainforest, in addition to, its unique culture and its delicious dishes.

Then we got to enjoy more Oromo dancing with Oromo Part 2! The dancers were Samera Adam, Muna Mohamed, Eddie Reynosa, Obama Ahmed, Sahil Ali and Zubeyda Kedir. They performed dances such as, Wollo, Wallega, Shagoyee and Sodoo!

Muna Mohamed, the president of ASA shared her African night experience:

“We would practice almost 4 times a week and spend a lot of time together, working on perfecting our dances and making sure we were showcasing our cultures in a positive light.”

The final thing was the Fashion show where many students participated and showcased their cultural clothing! We saw many different flags and ended the African Night with everyone singing to “Last Last” by Burna Boy! Overall, the night was a huge success and was filled with so much fun.

Ms. Baheriy was the advisor for the African Student Association, (ASA), we spoke to her about how it went this year:

“It was amazing, I’m so proud of all the students who participated, they put in a lot of work and it definitely paid off. Students started planning and practicing for dances in the early fall, and it was exciting to see it all come together last Friday!”

For more information please visit:

• “5 Facts about Ghana Every Global Citizen Should Know” http://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/facts-about-ghana-for-global-citizens/
• “5 Fascinating Facts about the Oromo” http://www.recruitment-empire.co.uk/5-fascinating-facts-about-the-oromo-language-and-culture/
• “7 Interesting Facts about Nigeria” http://www.enjoytravel.com/us/travel-news/interesting-facts/interesting-facts-about-nigeria
• “Ethiopia Facts: Culture, Religion, Food & More” facts.net/ethiopia-facts/
• “Tanzania | Culture, History, & People” http://www.britannica.com/place/Tanzania
• “Shirib – Traditional Dance” http://www.somalispot.com/threads/shirib-traditional-dance.34388/

By: Truman Vang

What is FFA week? For those who don’t know, FFA week is a holiday that happens on the last week of February annually. During this year, the event occured from February 18th to the 25th. This is the time where local FFA chapters help celebrate their pride with the National FFA Organization. Often, students will hold events for the community to indulge in. Whether it be having an Ag Olympics, or doing some community service, FFA members are always at work during this week.

FFA stands for Future Farmers of America, or rather being known as the National FFA Organization. The organization puts students through an immersive experience to learn about agriculture and develop leadership, communication and critical thinking skills. First founded in 1928, the organization has been pushing these values ever since.

Within its youth, FFA decided to create a day for itself, known as the “National FFA Day.” Through its existence, members celebrated their chapters and the organization as a whole. Eventually, in 1947, the day became the week we know it as today.

Its placement within the year also followed George Washington’s Birthday, after the organization had purchased land from him that he owned. In 1948, FFA week officially started, giving us the holiday we know today.

Through its many years of existence, FFA members have pushed themselves to have wonderful FFA weeks throughout. Our own Highland Park FFA Chapter has been doing many things for this week. For instance, through the past few weeks, members have held an appreciation breakfast for hard working teachers and staff alike. Along with this, we’ve been providing prizes to anyone that’s been able to properly answer trivia questions, as well as being able to find our scavenger hunt emblems.

FFA week stands as a certain period of time that we can celebrate FFA for what it is, whilst promoting it to new students. It’s also a time within the year, just to have fun whilst celebrating something we’re a part of.

By: Erin Moore

*Warning: This article contains spoilers*

This past weekend, Highland Park’s theater department put on its second fall play, ‘The Children’s Hour’. 

From December 8th to December 10th at seven pm—and an additional Saturday matinee—the cast and crew performed for audiences of around fifty people each night. 

‘The Children’s Hour’ by Lillian Hellman is a play set in the 1930s. It follows two school teachers, Martha Dobie and Karen Wright as their once bright and energetic school becomes empty and quiet following the accusation by one of their students that the two had been lovers. Upon the spread of the accusation, parents pulls their students out of the school and Martha and Karen become shunned by the general public.

When they trace the accusation to the home of the ever-privileged Tilfords, Mrs. Tilford and her granddaughter Mary refuse to take back what they said, so Karen and Martha respond by taking legal action. When they lose the case, it feels as if there’s nothing left they can do. Then, when Martha admits that she does love Karen and her feelings aren’t reciprocated, she ends her life. 

This play is a beautiful representation of how rumors can destroy—and in some cases, end—lives. It also is an important display of how harmful homophobia can be. As Karen says, “What happens between people, happens, and after a while it doesn’t much matter how it started. But there it is. I’m here. You’re there. We’re in a room we’ve been in so many times before. Nothing seems changed. My hands look just the same, my face is just the same, even my dress is old. I’m nothing too much: I’m just like everybody else, the way I always was. I can have the things that other people have. I can have you, and children, and I can take care of them, and I can go to the market, and read a book, and people will talk to me—Only I can’t. I can’t. And I don’t know why.” 

It’s terribly sad that this play still holds truth and importance ninety years after it was written. This play was nominated for a Pulitzer prize, but lost because some of the judges refused to watch it. 

On a significantly less down-putting note, the performances went amazingly and were so fun to be a part of. As a member of the cast, I can confidently say that this was one of the best groups of people I’ve been able to be in a production with. 

Persephone Pond, a fellow student in the play, said, “This was my first show at Highland and it’s always going to be my favorite. The cast was so talented and kind and this show always felt so welcoming.” 

A member of the tech crew stated, “The cast and crew were really fun to hang out with and I met cool people.”

On the topic of cast, if you’re wondering how to audition for future productions, you can find information all over the school and on the hptheatrearts Instagram page.

When auditioning for ‘The Children’s Hour,’ I found a QR code in the school and it brought me to a Google form asking about experience, skills, and preferences. Then, at the end of the form, there was a link to sign up for an audition slot. 

In my audition, the director (Nancy Michael) had my group read for different characters in selected scenes from both ‘The Children’s Hour’ and ‘Clue’ (which was performed two weeks prior). Then, a little under a week later, the cast list was posted in the “Thespian Society” Schoology group and near the auditorium. 

The rehearsal schedule was soon also posted in the Schoology group, detailing when we would practice and who was called each day. In rehearsals, we worked on lines, blocking, and general character development.

Then, a week before the performances, we began what is known as “tech week.” This week is when lighting, sound, costumes, sets, props, and every other aspect not added earlier in rehearsal, joins with what has already been worked on. For ‘The Children’s Hour,’ tech week typically ran two hours later than usual. 

Now that the fall plays are over, rehearsals have already begun for the winter one acts (“Speed Date,” “Clowns With Guns,” “The Bifrost Incident,” “Call Me S(a)tan,” and “Put a Ring on It”). The audition process was fairly similar to that of ‘The Children’s Hour,’ and took place the week before tech week. One acts will perform the weekend of January 19th if you’re interested in attending their performances. 

In the end, ‘The Children’s Hour’ had very smooth and successful performances, and I’m grateful to have been a part of it. To keep theatre alive at HPSH, be sure to donate and attend performances when you can. 

By: Maya Breininger

Do your hobbies include the culinary arts? Do they revolve around cooking, or baking? If so, feel free to read up on a new student-led culinary arts club, one that was started by a student with a passion for cooking.

The club was created from scratch, and was made possible from the people who made donations and volunteered their time to help.

The process of making a club from scratch is not an easy one. Although it seems like a fun and happy concept, in retrospect, the actual physical labor and financial struggle is prominent for those in charge. Covering all of the ingredients and materials necessary for the club, ended up being a total of around 200 dollars. It was an expense that the club president was happy to pay, but the financial struggle to get the club started was, well, a struggle.

The first club meeting was held on Thursday, November 3rd, from 3:10 to 4:40. The club opened with a slideshow, and an explanation of the club and materials. Then, the recipe was introduced, and teams were formed.

By working together and trusting each other through the process, the club was successful in making our first recipe; pumpkin muffins with cheese cream frosting. It was an easy recipe with instructions that the club could understand, and was a fun activity to do with friends after school.

Although it was a wonderful first time experience, and many people tried their hardest to adhere to the rules, there were a few bumps and hiccups along the way that could be easily fixed with proper procedure.

Firstly, an organized clean up group that takes time to spiffy up the club room will be essential for the next meeting. Last time may have been a good start, but we will need to stay consistent with our cleaning regimen if we want to continue the club.

Secondly, although the idea of putting students into groups was a good starting idea, next time the club will need to have more organized steps and directions so that members do not get lost or confused. For example, when making muffins, there should be one group at the dry ingredients station, and one group at the wet ingredients station so that it doesn’t get chaotic.

Once these things are accurately worked on, and we are able to improve the stability and consistency of the club, I’m sure that it will be able to go off without a hitch!

Welcoming a new club into Highland Park was an exciting experience, and I’m excited to expand my culinary knowledge with other students.