Category Archives: Editorials/Student Voice

Editor’s Note: The Plaid Line publishes editorials that contain opinions that are those of the student authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the the Plaid Line, HPSH, or its staff.

Basketball, Editorials/Student Voice

Best scorers in NBA history and why

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By: Ro’Mel Bryant-Oliveraz

Photo by Emmanuel Newton on Pexels.com

Being the best scorer in NBA history isn’t just about total points or averages. It’s also about who is the biggest threat every time they touch the ball and can score in the most ways. NBA legends like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and even modern players like Luka Doncic all redefined scoring through skill, technique, and IQ.

Michael Jordan is always seen as the gold standard for many. As a pure scorer, he combined unmatched athleticism, an almost undefendable drive, and one of the best mid range shots. Opponents had to guard every part of the floor because Jordan could jump above defenders or fade away under pressure. He has the record of 10 scoring titles, heavily adding to his scoring reputation.

Kobe Bryant is also one of the best behind MJ, taking Jordan’s blueprint and adding his own pre planned footwork and bag of fakes. With a very fast release and the ability to spin into layups or pull-up jumpers, and ability to fake them, Kobe made every possession a calculated threat of scoring. He has the record of third most points scored in a game at 81 points.

LeBron James brings unmatched physical dominance and longevity. The all-time leading scorer has averaged around 25+ points for over 20 years. His size, speed, strength, and evolving shooting make him almost unstoppable in transition and the half court.

Kevin Durant is the ultimate scoring machine. At 7 feet with movement and handles like a small guard, and a pure shooting stroke, KD can score from anywhere at all; pull up threes, mid range, or over smaller defenders at the rim. His length makes his shot almost unblockable, while also refining his shooting to be one of the most pure, effortless, and automatic. He is a 4-time NBA scoring Champion, and a prominent member of the 50-40-90 club, meaning at least 50% from field, 40% from three, and 90% from the line.

Steph Curry changed the game with his unlimited shooting range and off ball movement. He forces defenses to guard 30 feet or more from the basket, creating space for himself and teammates, and being able to shoot impossible shots from impossible distances. He also has one of the best handles and body manipulation for a small guard. He holds the record of career made 3 pointers, and is the only player to record a 50-40-90 season while leading the league in scoring. He also has a 42.3% shooting from deep, which is unheard of, and more importantly the only player to have a Unanimous MVP.

Today, Luka Doncic uses top tier rhythm manipulation to make his movement slow yet unpredictable. Also being able to score from anywhere on the court from deep threes, mid range fade aways, or tough layups. Combine that with elite playmaking and willingness to take tough shots, makes him one of the most offensively best players. He has the highest scoring averages in NBA history, and second highest career playoff PPG behind Jordan.

Overall, the greatest scorers are those who force defenses to change strategy. Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, KD, Curry, and Luka, each proved scoring is about skill, versatility, achievements and mentality; not just points.

Editorials/Student Voice, Soccer

What to expect from World Cup 2026

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By: Ikraam Abdalla

Copyright-free version of the 2026 world cup logo, 3 March 2026 By: Wikidasher

You have probably heard of one of the most, if not, the most popular sporting event in the entire world, the FIFA World Cup. Hosted every 4 years, this huge battle happens amongst national teams to determine the world’s soccer champion. What’s special about this year is that the World Cup will be hosted in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

For the first time since 1998, 48 teams will be participating instead of just 32, bringing a new record of 104 matches to be played. 

This World Cup will have a lot of familiar faces such as England, France, Brazil, Spain and Argentina but also expect to see new countries that will be making their debut such as Uzbekistan, Jordan and Cabo Verde.

There will be a total 16 host cities, including Mexico City, Toronto, Vancouver, Atlanta, Houston, NYC and many more. The first game will be played on June 11, 2026 with Mexico vs South Africa held at Estadio Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The last game (the finals) will be played on July 19, 2026 at MetLife stadium in New Jersey. 

Despite the excitement from soccer fans around the world, there is a lot of fear regarding US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) being present. Unfortunately, the US government has deported more than 500,000 people from the USA in 2025. This has led to widespread fear across the country which is harmful to the well-being of people in the US but also people traveling to the US. FIFA has said they are committed to working with all the hosting cities to meet human rights goals and ensure that the tournament operations are respectful of people.

But this whole impact goes beyond the World Cup as it instills fear for people everywhere and naturally so.

Ultimately, the FIFA World Cup 2026 should unite countries all around the globe. Especially in this time, the World Cup should be a celebration amongst communities, free from danger and discrimination. FIFA should take action to protect its players and supporters as they are the ones who are joining together as one for the game of soccer.

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Editorials/Student Voice, Science/Nature

Psychology behind why people prefer cats or dogs

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By: Ro’Mel Bryant-Oliveraz

Photo by Helena Jankoviu010dovu00e1 Kovu00e1u010dovu00e1 on Pexels.com

People usually pick a side, cats or dogs, but not everyone questions why they really feel that way. They might think they just prefer dogs because they are more energetic and loyal, or cats because they can just do their own thing while still being present. Of course, they may also choose which, based on lifestyle, maybe they need a cat because they want company without too much work, or a dog because they want to be outside more. Or maybe they just got one as a child and that became their favorite for life. But what does the psychology behind those choices say; what does that say about your preferences?

For dogs their life revolves around their owner. They want to be with their owner all the time, their food depends on the owner, their hygiene, and meaningful fun. If you prefer a dog you want something similar to a baby, someone you can always be around, and have fun with, for the most part. Dogs are simple minded, think about the immediate, and the main thing on their mind is you. They just want to have fun, eat good food, and be around you.

Cats on the other hand are much more independent. They depend on you for their food, and to clean up their areas. They don’t need fun stimulation like dogs; their stimulation is more about hunting exercises, which don’t require humans. They clean themselves well enough without needing humans. They mostly just prefer your company, but don’t need it. If having a dog is like a baby, having a cat is like having a younger sibling. When they play with human hands or anything, their reflexes are too fast to get hit by a human, they just let it happen for fun. That’s how cats usually interact with humans, it’s mostly for the human’s sake, they also want you to have fun; not just themselves. Cats even developed meowing for communication to humans; they don’t really for each other, except kittens.

Preferring a cat is like preferring an independent pet that you interact with out of mutual interest, mutual benefit. The cat sees you as someone who gives them food and is in charge of the space they live in, so they want to interact with you a little bit, but they are independent and can get most of their necessities alone.

Preferring a dog is like preferring a pet that constantly wants to be with you, it thinks everything that it would want would come from you, and that you are the best. Dogs think about the moment, like food, fun, and blind curiosity. They depend on you for responsible things like eating healthy food, hygiene, and a place to sleep. And they love that fact.

Editorials/Student Voice

Spring break

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By: Merob Geleto

Helenium “Fancy Fan” in Val-Dieu. 23 June 2020, by:
Horst J. Meuter via Wikimedia Commons

Spring break is a one to two week academic holiday for schools and universities during March or April. The purpose of spring break is so that students can get away from school responsibilities before finals. For Highland students, our spring break started on April 6. Our spring break lasted for only a week just like most schools. But is one week really enough time for a break that is supposed to replenish students?

The period between New Year’s and April (2 & 3 quarters) is usually the hardest time (academic wise) in the school year.  Most students are overwhelmed because of the amount of work that is being thrown at them so around March and April is when academic burnout becomes more of a reality. A single week isn’t enough to actually “reset” and overcome that burnout.

Many students use spring break to travel with family and friends but 7 days is very limiting especially for those who attend school far from home.  A two-week break provides better opportunities for vacations and hangouts.

Unlike most students, teachers have a lot of grading and work to catch up on. The more grading a teacher has to do, the less time spring break can be about replenishing themselves. With a two week break, teachers would have enough time to grade, plan, and relax.

Although many people argue that more time away from school leads to “brain drain”, the opposite is true. Students are more likely to be exhausted when they come back to school after a rushed, one week break. A well rested student coming back to school from a two week break would usually be more motivated to work on final exams then a student who had only one week. The benefits of a longer Spring Break and having quality rest is something all students and teachers should experience.

Editorials/Student Voice, Tech/Games

Pros and cons of AI

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By: Janessa Castro Cruz

Photo by igovar igovar on Pexels.com

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that makes computers and machines to simulate human learning, creativity, thinking, and problem solving. They understand and respond to human language and learn from new information and experience. AI is able to make detailed recommendations and act independently, replacing the need for human intelligence. Over the years, AI’s popularity has risen and some believe that AI shouldn’t be used and should be banned, and others believe it’s a great tool and should be more available. There are lots of pros and cons of AI.

PROS: Some benefits of AI is that you can work faster, as it can generate outputs faster than the human brain and body can process information. You could work smarter when using it, and the machine can make mistakes but it’s more often in humans. There have been research studies that show AI-assisted reviewing is more accurate than basic human reviewing.

CONS: AI could create a lot of deep-fakes, causing fraud, theft, scams, and more. It’s possible that AI can create fake representations of real people and events. The tool is now in the workforce and has caused people to lose their jobs also causing mass unemployment. The school system is now disrupted; students rely on AI to do their work for them, cheat on tests, and more meaning they aren’t learning anything. It also consumes a lot of water, making it harmful to our earth. Data centers powering AI are predicted to consume over 426 billion liters of water annually by 2030

I don’t think AI should be used, especially in the school system and in jobs. If it’s affecting students’ education and doing the work for them then they aren’t learning anything. It’s also causing people to lose their jobs and they shouldn’t allow that to happen. I believe that AI should only be used to brainstorm ideas and help with research and reviewing.

Editorials/Student Voice, School Life

Why ethnic studies is an important class

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By: Calvin Westin

SF Students hold signs in solidarity and support of the Third World Liberation Front 2016, the name of the court students on a hunger strike to defend the SF State College of Ethnic Studies, during an emergency press conference in the Quad Monday, May 9. (Melissa Minton) via Wikimedia Commons

Ethnic studies was created during the longest strike in United States history at San Francisco State College to include marginalized groups and to re-enroll a student who was suspended for political speech. The strike lasted 80+ days and brought many different people from different backgrounds together, for example: Black, Asian, Latinx students, the Black Panther Party, the Third World Liberation Front, and many more. This strike led to the spread of ethnic studies across the country. The strike reformed the curriculum where white culture was dominant and changed how American colleges showed diversity.

At Highland Park Senior High School, Critical Ethnic Studies is taking these ideas and making them real for us right now. Instead of just reading out of a textbook, we get to see the actual stories of people from our communities whether that’s local, statewide, or internationally. In a city where 50% of the population belongs to minority groups, it is important that the things we do in school are current and reflect our communities. We learn about indigenous people in Minnesota, the history of Rondo, and the struggles of Hmong and Somali families who moved here. It’s different from a regular history class because it focuses on the deeper parts of history. We learn about systematic racism but also how people have practiced resistance against it.

This class at Highland Park is helping us become better at thinking for ourselves instead of just memorizing things. For example, we look at the 1969 San Francisco college strike and connect it to things that are happening in our world today. It also makes you realize that speaking up is important and your voice matters and that you can be part of making a change. By focusing on marginalized groups, the class shows us that all history is worth learning. It is one of the only classes where you can see and compare yourself in the lessons and understand how you and your family fits into the history of the US. Critical Ethnic Studies is not just about learning the past but instead it’s giving us the opportunity to understand our own lives and respect the people who came before us.

Editorials/Student Voice, School Life, Tech/Games

The shift in the digital

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By: Weston Halgunseth

Photo by Katerina Holmes on Pexels.com

Introduction

A few months ago, in St. Paul, classrooms shifted from desks and whiteboards to beds and sleep. This change sparked a huge debate. While some students thrive in a digital space, others find themselves struggling with online learning. In my view, the overall effect of online learning on students is that it is mostly good but a lot of it gives a bit too much leeway.

The good of online learning

Online learning has some great benefits that help students feel better. You can sleep much more because you don’t have to wake up early to catch a bus or be in school on time. This helps you feel rested and gives you more energy to focus on your lessons, unlike what normally happens where you feel fatigued for the first 20-30 minutes of class. You usually have more time to finish your tasks so you don’t feel as much stress. You can learn at your own speed instead of trying to keep up with a fast teacher.

The bad side of online learning

Online learning has some good parts but it also has problems. It is hard to try your best when no one is watching you and it is easy to forget your assignments without the teachers reminding you. If you get stuck you have to wait for an email instead of getting help right away. It is also lonely because you don’t see your friends at lunch or in the halls making it so your social skill starts to go down. Because students feel alone and bored they don’t learn as well and their grades often go down. Even though computers are helpful, being in a real classroom is usually better for most people.

My own experience

Back in 2020, when COVID was a big thing, I was stuck at home for a year and in that time I experienced a lot of the things I talked about such as the lack of motivation, loneliness feeling, less stress, and grades dropping. In that year, I’ve noticed that my knowledge with most of the stuff I learned before the online classes was really rusty and foggy and it took me a bit to catch up to where I should be in math, science, etc. Like in math, when I got back, I was struggling bad and didn’t get a hang of it until I started getting help after school from friends.

I also noticed that online learning made it hard to keep my friends. A lot of my friends I had in 5th grade I lost when I came back because I hadn’t talked to them for a year or so, and overall online learning wasn’t the best experience for me. It ruined my ability to socialize, my knowledge went down and a lot more.

The verdict

The shift to online learning is a double edged sword. On the positive side the ability to sleep in and the freedom of more time to submit assignments greatly reduces my and many others stress allowing students to learn subjects at a pace that actually works for them.

However, these benefits are often ruined by the lack of motivation and hands-on help. Without socializing, students feel alone and lonely which can lead to a grade drop and people getting less educated because they aren’t truly engaged. Ultimately, while the flexibility is great online learning only works if we can find a way to bring back the social and strictness sides of a physical classroom.

Editorials/Student Voice

The wrong ice is melting

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By: Dahlia Man and Brayden Marsh

In elementary, I remember when I was introduced to the issue of climate change at school for the first time. This was one of those rare, significant issues that revealed to me how small I was in comparison to the size of the world. I remember the various educational materials used to educate us about climate change: things like the video of a glacier melting, a large number of polar bears being unable to find enough food, and how gases were creating a “greenhouse” of sorts to keep the earth warm. I understood what was explained to me and knew it was vital information even when I was a child. While it wasn’t a thought consistently I had with me every hour, I did carry it in my mind and considered the lesson it was teaching me. 

Climate change stayed an important topic within my next years of school. In middle school and high school, the subject found its way back to me every single year. My awareness of it had never disappeared. As I grew older, the issue didn’t just pop up in lessons at school, it also showed up on my social media feed and news articles. Each time I read/saw more, the more urgent it felt. I began to realize that it wasn’t just ice simply melting, it will affect our food systems, extreme weather change, ecosystem failure, etc. But as big as it was, I had never felt a firm grasp onto how extreme the matter truly was globally. It felt as if it was a distant problem, a concern I had no immediate solution to. 

Parallel to my time growing up, I had never felt a concern of worrying about immigration enforcement affecting my own family because I was in a household of US citizens, long before I had even been born. It never had truly felt like something that could have impacted me directly, even if I had parents who were born in a foreign country. It was another topic brought up in the news, but I felt as if it wasn’t a personal one. Or I had at least thought in my young ages. Every school day I left in the morning and returned home in the afternoon, never questioning whether my family would still be there. That familiar perception had made it so much easier for me not to be my concern. 

But as I grew older, this began to change drastically. Around me I would hear various stories of families being ripped apart from each other or stories of living in fear. Something that had felt so far, suddenly felt so real and present. I was concerned about the Earth becoming warmer over time, to abruptly worrying if my parents would be waiting at home for me just as they do everyday. This time, it was a different fear. It felt immediate – it was heavy. When I came across a social media post with the words; “The Wrong ICE is Melting”, I felt moved. It stuck with me for days. The double entendre felt so raw, as it addressed not just one issue, but two. It connected climate change and immigration enforcement in a way I hadn’t thought of before. I understand now as I’ve grown, that it is important to care about all issues and matters even if it does not affect me. 

We believe the importance of keeping our planet cold is absolutely vital, because it doesn’t just affect us humans, it affects every single part of our Earth. With rising temperatures, we have rising sea levels. This can cause major displacement within our people and even disrupt ecosystems that animals highly depend on. Even beyond this, weather events will become severely extreme, with critical droughts, harsh hurricanes, drastic wildfires, etc. And these aren’t even dire ideas, these are issues some may already face. This is what makes it so crucial for our communities, individuals, and government to take action into fixing our planet before it becomes irreversible. 

All together, it is also foremost that we all reconsider how we as a country have treated people within our own borders. It is almost “safe” to say that Immigration and Customs Enforcement instill fear and precariousness instead of actual safety within our communities. With more humane approaches, everything will properly be resolved with dignity and respect. This will help protect families and ensure everyone is treated with integrity. Just like climate change, they are both long-term issues that focus on what we can do for our planet and our future. It builds a strong bond within the people and the vision to the world we want to create. 

Basketball, Editorials/Student Voice

March Madness in the NIL era

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By: Fred Gallatin

March Madness, college basketball’s premier tournament, is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. The adrenaline, stakes, and emotion of the 68-team tournament make it a cultural event every spring.

Cinderella stories, miraculous buzzer beaters, and high-intensity showdowns attract millions of people to the tournament each year, regardless of whether or not their favorite team is competing.

The most popular way to get involved with the tournament is by filling out brackets. Across America, nearly 40 million brackets were filled out on online platforms. Competitions among friends, family, and steep odds attract people year in and year out.

If each one of the 63 games were decided by coin flip, the odds of filling out a perfect bracket are around 1 in 9.2 quintillion. Although not every game is a coinflip, this feat has yet to be accomplished once over the forty-year existence of the tournament.

In addition to filling out brackets, Americans engage with the tournament through a large amount of sports betting. Vegas estimated that during the tournament, Americans will wager $3.3 billion on everything from player totals to game spreads. This makes March Madness second to only the Super Bowl in volume of bets placed during a sporting event.

March Madness would not be the same without Cinderella stories. These upsets and shocking moments create the iconic entertainment and excitement that doesn’t exist in other tournaments. The unofficial prerequisite for earning the title of a Cinderella is reaching the Elite 8 as an underdog, which requires three wins in the tournament.

Due to the format of the tournament, these teams are nearly exclusively from smaller conferences around the country. For example, 2022 North Carolina (8-seed to the National Championship) is not considered to be a Cinderella due to UNC’s perennial college basketball dominance.

Prime examples of Cinderella runs include: 2022 Saint Peter’s (15-seed to Elite 8), 2018 Loyola-Chicago (11-seed to Final Four), and 2023 FAU (9-seed to Final Four).

Unfortunately, thanks to NIL, these archetypes are fading in the modern college basketball world. NIL, or Name-Image-Likeness, allows players to be directly compensated for their talent, giving larger, richer schools a huge advantage.

Even when a mid-major (small conference) team overcomes the massive talent gap and finds success in the tournament, their valuable assets are bought away by high-major conferences like the Big 10, Big East, and SEC.

The best example of this comes when looking at Florida Atlantic’s (FAU) miracle Final Four run in 2023. As a 9-seed, the Owls entered the tournament with low expectations. However, the team fought their way through four tournament games before a loss to San Diego State ended their incredible run.

In the following year, the Owls lost their head coach and four star players to larger schools with more available assets.

HC Dusty May – Hired by Michigan, 60-13 since arrival, 2026 Big 10 Champion

G Alijah Martin – Transferred to Florida, 2025 National Champion

C Vladislav Goldin – Followed Coach May to Michigan, all-conference honors

G Johnell Davis – Transferred to Arkansas, All-American

G Nick Boyd – Transferred to San Diego State and then Wisconsin

This deliberate deconstruction sparked conversations about maintaining equality and forcing the prioritization of recruitment and team chemistry over monetary bribes.

By looking at the seed aggregates, or sums, of each Sweet 16 since 2015, a disparity is clearly shown. A lower number suggests that favorites dominated the bracket, whereas a higher number suggests a chaotic and upset-heavy tournament.

Sweet 16 Seed Aggregates: 2015-2026:

64, 72, 68, 83, 49, 94, 74, 78, 53, 53, 47

This pattern is expected to continue trending towards total inequality unless something is done about the talent and resource disparities of college basketball. Otherwise, the most vital parts of March Madness will vanish into irrelevance. Cinderella stories, shocking upsets, and, eventually, the passion of fans will slowly disappear.

Editorials/Student Voice

Why being bilingual is important 

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By: Alexsia Williams

Multilingual information board in Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. July 2023 by: Mudroslov via Wikimedia Commons

As someone who has been learning Spanish for over 10 plus years, I’m extremely grateful that I was given the opportunity to learn a language that is very versatile in many aspects, and fun to learn. Although neither of my parents speak the language, my grandfather is from Panama and Spanish is his first language. Given that, my parents placed me into a Spanish immersion program in kindergarten, which is something I’ve been continuing doing all the way up until now in high school.

Being bilingual and having the opportunity to learn Spanish for so long has been very beneficial for me because not only am I getting the opportunity to be able to learn the language but I also get the opportunity to be immersed in the various different cultures that speak Spanish. Whenever I go out with my parents, and are at a restaurant where we encounter workers who may not speak English, my parents immediately grab me to start speaking/translating for them. Sometimes it’s out of nowhere, but either way I genuinely do enjoy being able to lend a helping hand and communicate.  

My mom has always told me that being bilingual will always come in clutch, especially when I apply for jobs and start working. What she said was completely true because ever since I started working at my current job, I’ve had to use my Spanish on more than several occasions. 

Studies have shown that bilingual employees have 5-20% higher salaries compared to employees who only speak one language, and they have a 45% higher chance of promotions within their first five years in the workforce.

Not only does being bilingual provide career advantages and better job opportunities, but it also enhances cognitive abilities  meaning that bilingual individuals showcase better focus, and mental flexibility because of the fact that they have to navigate two language systems which strengthens the brain’s executive function.

There are many reasons why being bilingual is important and I think it’s critical that everyone gets the chance to learn another language.