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.
Social media has a huge place in student’s lives today. Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat provide the opportunity to talk with friends, update people on their life, and stay up-to-date on the latest news. Whether reading posts or watching videos, social media is now an important part of the daily routine. Is it helping or hurting students, though?
On one hand, social media can be a really useful tool for learning and personal growth. Many students use YouTube to watch tutorials, watch educational videos, and even learn about new tips and tricks. Instagram and TikTok even have educational accounts that love teaching students new topics or skills. You can learn anything from historical data to math tricks. Students can also get involved in online study groups, connect with classmates, and be engaged in discussions that help with schoolwork.
Social media also allows people to stay in touch with friends even when they are occupied or cannot meet physically. These connections can provide emotional support, especially during periods of stress such as during exams or when there are deadlines for projects.
Social media, however, has its dark sides. One of the most common problems with social media is that it can negatively impact one’s mental health. Spending too much time viewing social media can lead to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Watching others who share their “perfect” lives can leave you feeling inadequate or not good enough.
Social media also exposes students to cyberbullying, where nasty comments and negative interactions can affect a person’s emotional well-being.
Of course, there is the issue of misinformation and fake news being shared, which can confuse students and affect their understanding of important topics.
So, is social media ultimately helping or hurting students? The answer is that it depends on how we use it. If we use social media to support our learning, stay connected with our friends in a positive manner, and engage in helpful discussions, it can be an excellent tool. But if we allow it to distract us from our studies, drain our energy, or damage our mental health, then it may do more harm than good. We have to find the balance and also notice how we are spending our time online. If we recognize that social media is causing more stress than it is good, then taking a break can be the best thing that we can do for our minds as well as our studies.
As I step off the shuttle bus into a bright February morning, it is like something I have never seen before. A vast starting line with giant ribbons hanging across a span of 75 meters. Beyond that, crowds of racers decked out in race suits, buffs, and shiny glasses. They are all getting ready to head off on the journey to Hayward.
I was one of the 12,000 skiers to cross the finish line on Main Street in Hayward, Wisconsin over the weekend of February 19 to 22nd for the 51st annual American Birkebeiner cross country ski race.
But, before getting to Hayward, there were nerves to calm and kilometers to ski. People stand around helping each other put on glitter and fill the space with excitement.
As it gets closer and closer to the race starting, people begin to take off their warmups and head over near the race start. We all get lined up, then, boom! We’re off! The crowd erupts and the skiers emerge from the startline on their journey to Hayward. There are so many people that poles are being stepped on and people are tripping and falling over.
Once we found our rhythm, we were left in the calm and beautiful forest with 28 kilometers ahead of us. The sound of the poles digging into the snow flows as we all move up and down the hills. The thing about the race course is it is not just flat, it’s constantly rolling, with steep ups and sharp turns on the downs.
The quiet breaks when I make it to the first water stop. The crowd lines the course handing out water, energy drinks, and snacks.
The American Birkiebiner weekend started in 1973 and has continued until today. It is a yearly event that many skiers look forward to each year. There are a number of different races such as The Prince Haakon 15k, Korte 29k, and Birkie 50-53k depending on if you’re doing classic or skate. Each race has an eye-catching finish through Main Street Hayward.
After 15 miles of treacherous climbs and scary descents the course opened up onto frozen Lake Hayward. The lake stretches far ahead as you make your way closer and closer to Main Street Hayward. Fans lined the course as I finally made my way out onto the infamous Main Street. Cow bells ring and the much awaited finish is finally here.
Once the race was finished I was greeted with chocolate milk and warm soup back at the tents. Friends reconnect as they all come into the finish line. No frowns around; all smiles and excitement.
After a day of fun at the Korte, I went to the Birkie race the following day. There were many spots to cheer, such as OO Trailhead, Boedecker rest stop, and Mosquito Brook rest stop, as well as the finish on Main Street Hayward. This was such a fun and exciting weekend, and I am already looking forward to next year.
5 million dollars is the cost that Donald Trump put on his “Gold card”, which is an immigration visa that will be available for purchase. Trump recently announced these at a press conference in the Oval Office.
There is already a similar visa in place called the EB-5 Visa which is available for people to invest in businesses in America. These visas cost $1,050,000 or $800,000 in investment for businesses here. While this visa is strictly for businesses, it is available for anyone to buy if they meet the criteria.
Trump’s “Gold Card” visa would replace the EB-5 Visa but it is an astronomically high cost for a business visa. There are very few people in other countries that have enough money for this visa. The “Gold Card” would also not be an effective route to citizenship. 5 million dollars is a lot of money just to live somewhere.
Other countries have tried similar visas, often called golden visas; they have existed in many European countries but they are sparking concern about who exactly is spending that money for a visa, with people saying that many times it is people using the visas for criminal purposes. Some of the European countries that have these visas are: Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal and Ireland. These countries started the “gold visas” as a way to make up economic shortfalls.
One of the negative effects of these visas was that richer immigrants came and bought out a lot of local housing and they drove up rental costs and home costs. Many of these countries have since stopped these programs due to the European Union’s warning about people fleeing from Russia as well as these visas being used for corruption, tax evasion, and money laundering. Many countries in the Middle East are considering these golden visas in addition to the US. These visas are raising concerns about how, and if, these will be used by criminals.
Trump has also voiced how the “Gold Card” would be extremely successful and he seems fully sold on the idea that wealthy people will flock here and spend money and pay taxes. When asked if Russian oligarchs would be able to come, Trump responded, with “Yeah possibly I know some oligarchs that are very nice people, it’s possible”. For people who may not know, an oligarchy is defined as a form of government where a very small number of people have power. There is a large number of oligarchs in Russia, so they might try to immigrate to America with this new visa. While he said that people coming here would be “vetted” he has not expressed any information about how this system would be happening, and he did not say how people would apply, and how these applications would be approved.
At the end of the day, the story that is being spread from the US government is that, if you are rich enough to pay millions to get to America, you are rich enough to stay. We must ask ourselves, is this the message we want to send to the world after our country was founded by poor immigrants. Because, after all, most people in America had a relative that came here at some point who was not rich enough to buy a ticket to a “better” life.
Volunteering is a really good way to give back to the community while also improving yourself. Whether it’s helping at an animal shelter, contributing or volunteering at a food bank, or cleaning up a local park, volunteering has many benefits that go beyond doing good deeds. It’s a rewarding experience that can help shape a person in more than one way.
One of the most significant benefits of volunteering is the good influence it has on mental health. According to research, helping others can increase happiness and reduce stress. Having a sense of purpose from meaningful work can boost one’s self-esteem and general well-being. Volunteering allows you to interact with people, which can help you overcome loneliness and develop a strong sense of belonging.
Another significant benefit is developing new and important skills. Volunteering can teach responsibility, teamwork, and communication skills that can help in school and in the future. It can also help people to gain more real-world experiences and adapt. Some examples could be volunteering at a hospital, which could give insight into medical fields.
Volunteering with children can help with patience and leadership skills, like I volunteer every Saturday and Wednesday at my church with the kids. Saturdays I do worship, where the kids join in following dances and singing to songs, it’s such a fun experience. Wednesdays I volunteer in the cafe during student groups for middle schoolers and high schoolers; this prepares me for future jobs with communication and teamwork skills.
Volunteering can introduce you to new people and expand your social skills. You get to work with people who have similar interests and goals, and you can also learn from them. This could lead to possible friendships and future opportunities. Most organizations can offer letters of recommendation or certificates, which could help you apply for college or future jobs.
Finally, volunteering can make a big impact on the world, and on the people you help. Even just small acts, like helping at community events, or tutoring younger students, can help in major ways. It helps to show that no matter your age, anyone can contribute to make a difference in someone else’s life, or even your own.
In the end, volunteering isn’t just about helping others, but also about personal growth. It helps people gain connections, and experiences, new life skills, and feel good about helping others. It doesn’t matter how or where you volunteer, because the benefits are endless.
With a new president there are many new laws and budgets that affect education for millions of people in the United States. Donald Trump is the new president of the United States and he has a lot to say about education and how much money is spent on it and how the government should be allowed to interfere with education.
In the fiscal year of 2025 the budget request for K-12 education will be 82.4 billion dollars. However, only 52 billion was approved in this past year. This budget comes from the US Department of Education and can be accessed on their public website. There are 95,852 public schools in the United States in 2025, and while that may seem like a lot of money for so few schools, that budget is shockingly low for how much money our public school system needs in America. The cost per student per year is about $17,280. Students are usually in school for 13 years and usually a year or two of preschool. This budget is very low for the 50 million students that attend public school in America.
Compared to the budgets of other things that get government funding, education is among the lowest. In comparison, the US military, as a whole, gets 15% of government spending. The highest category for government spending is Social Security, which gets 21%. Education is only the fourth highest spending category out of the 11 categories.
The quality of education is also an area of concern among Americans. The White House also recently released a presidential action that asked for the end of schools indoctrinating their children with “[R]adical, anti-American ideologies while deliberately blocking parental oversight”. The action then goes on to say that children are forced to assume different identities and “wonder if they were born in the wrong body”. This shows how the government we have in place doesn’t think of education first, it thinks of “radical” ideas that children may pick up in school. According to article 19 from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”. This article shows that children’s ideas and personal beliefs are a human right and it doesn’t matter if they are picked up at school.
The school system in America is currently being set up for failure and it is heading towards a dark place of censorship and terrible underfunding.
Recently, President Trump has vocalized his plans to dismantle the Department of Education. This would be a very bad thing if passed by congress. According to their website, The Department of Education oversees many things concerning the education system including, the federal role in education, annual performance reports, and promoting the quality of education. The education department is also responsible for making the budget for public schools. When President Trump was asked about this he said “We are ranked number one in cost per pupil, so we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, and we are ranked at the bottom of the list”. This is a really bad sign because other countries may spend less money on education but that could be because in other countries a lot of education is paid for privately. Trump also added that he “wanted the states to run schools”, meaning that the education budget would not be coming from the federal government but from the state government which would not actually have enough money to properly sustain the school system.
Public schools in the US are often shunned and called terrible, but maybe it’s not the people that are to blame; it’s the funding—- or the lack thereof. This overall will be a very bad thing for students because this education system will be effecting the whole world. Millions of people go through these public schools, and it will educate the future generations that will eventually lead this country.
Through the many years of the rising popularity of television and film, this led to positive feedback and attention put onto Hollywood celebrities, both actors and directors alike. While there were several good aspects that came along with the fame that certain actors gained from their roles in movies and shows, there was also a lot of negative exposure put onto actors, especially child actors. This oftentimes included instances of sexualization, (financial) exploitation, and unhealthy working conditions, among many other things.
On the topic of child actors, there are so many instances where they have been put on a pedestal and risen to fame, and continuously failed by so many corrupt aspects within Hollywood society. This often involves both the public, as well as their higher ups (directors, older actors, agents, etc.) This can be seen from as early as actress Judy Garland, who is commonly recognized for her role as Dorothy Gale in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939).
In Judy Garland’s experience in her role as Dorothy alone, she was exposed to extreme body shaming from the entertainment industry. Garland was forced into a strict diet as well as medications in order to keep her working longer hours, and to keep her weight down. This contributed to her long-term struggles with substance abuse and her mental health.
Another more recent actress subjected to similar experiences could be Nickelodeon star, Jeanette McCurdy. In her memoir, ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’, she openly discusses her struggles while involved within the industry, particularly regarding her mental health. She also touches on the financial exploitation she experienced at the hands of her mother especially, which ultimately limited the control she had over the income she was making while acting on Nickelodeon.
While these are only two examples of the problems with child actors in Hollywood, there are so many more actors who were, or are being, subjected to exploitation, sexualization, substance abuse, or body shaming. The experiences of these actors should only fuel the need to establish stricter and safer laws in order to help protect their rights more than what’s currently being done now. With more actors coming out with their own personal experiences of navigating the entertainment industry, I believe that this could further motivate stronger protections and better support systems for child actors in Hollywood.
As a sophomore at Highland all students are required to take critical ethnic studies. There is a semester project we do where we have to find a topic with local significance and share our knowledge about the topic and an action plan of how we’re going to get the information out into our community.
For my project, I wrote a poem about being multiracial and how society sets up these stereotypes that create insecurities and mental health issues for multiracial people all over the United States. This is a topic that is really important to me because I am multiracial and for the longest time this was something I was insecure about, so I wanted to bring more light to the topic.
Over the whole semester I have been researching the history of multiracial people. Multiracial people first came to be when European settlers would take Native women as companions, and once settlement increased, marriages and unions between European settlers and Natives became more common. For a long time multiracial marriages were illegal in the United States though. In 1967, the bill Loving V. Virginia was passed which allowed interracial marriage all over the nation.
Along with learning about history I also learned about the current issues that multiracial people struggle with. There are many stereotypes and issues set around multiracial people and these cause a lot of mental health issues. A lot of people imply the idea that multiracial people don’t belong anywhere since they aren’t 100% of a specific racial group. This leads multiracial people to struggle with their identity a lot. The mental illness that is related to this is called imposter syndrome. This is just one example of the effects from the negative ideas people create around multiracial people.
For my poem, I chose to write it about the current issues and not the history of the topic. I wanted to really show how multiracial people feel and the raw emotions that come with it. I also wanted to show how these ideas and ideas around putting people into “groups” start when we are so young. In my poem I don’t state that I am talking about multiracial people because I wanted people to have to think about it. I want them to think about who they think is affected in our society like this. After they read the poem there is context behind it that is shared. For example this article.
In the educational world today, much is made about artificial intelligence (AI) and how it could be used by students to cheat in their classes.
By using AI, students are able to create work with far less effort than if they did it themselves, creating a well warranted fear amongst teachers that their students may be using AI to cheat by passing off AI generated work as their own. Not only is this academically dishonest, it actively hinders the student’s education. This fear among educators has been exacerbated by the increasing difficulty of differentiating work made by AI from that made by students.
Personally, I have never used AI to cheat, though I will admit to having intrusive thoughts of doing so from time to time. This thought comes up whenever I am struggling with an assignment, telling me that I could perhaps earn the same grade more easily, without doing any work.
The reason I’ve never given in is not out of a fear of being caught or some compulsion to blindly follow rules, but because I know that by doing so, I would be hindering my own education. I wouldn’t be gaining the knowledge or skills that I would have if I were to do the assignment myself. This mentality is what has prevented me from giving in to this urge. But this made me realize that students who do use AI are doing so because they don’t value their own learning, only valuing the grade they earn in the class.
I was curious about what other people’s mentalities toward this were, so I asked some of my friends the following question: “If you could have AI do some or all of your assignments, knowing that there was no chance you would ever be caught, would you do so, and why?” Their responses intrigued me.
Some people told me that no, they wouldn’t use AI in any cases, because they wouldn’t learn without doing so. This is similar to my mentality, and everyone seemed to agree with this in at least some of their classes. Some friends of mine stated that they would do so for certain classes, since they thought that those classes’ material didn’t matter for their planned careers. In other words, they saw no value in these classes other than to pass them, moving them closer to graduating.
How does this happen, that these students don’t see any value in their learning except to pass a test, to get good grades, to get into college, and to start their career? They aren’t born this way. Young children have an endless amount of questions on their mind. They are naturally curious, ask deep questions, and annoy their parents by constantly asking “Why?”
By contrast, High School students only seem to see school as a transaction to get to where they want in life, and gain the information taught for the purposes of passing a test and getting an “A”. What happens that takes this natural curiosity out of our students between when they start elementary school and when they get to high school? What drives these students to use AI to pass their class, while they are missing out on learning and skills they would gain by doing their work on their own, missing out on the answers to the deep questions they asked when they were a child?
I think the answer is that our education system, and society as a whole, emphasizes grades above all else. If I could use AI and get the same grade, why not do so? Yes, I would be missing out on learning, but that doesn’t matter if all that I care about is my grade. In the above hypothetical, there are no consequences for using AI. One could get an A without doing any work on their own. In order to choose not to do so, a student would need to value learning, knowledge, and curiosity in and of themselves in order to get the most out of their education. Unfortunately, what is usually valued most by parents, educators, colleges, and society as a whole, is simply a letter on a piece of paper or computer screen. And in many cases, the allure of that letter grows to outweigh or even destroy any value one may have placed on what it is supposed to represent.
By: Angelina Nguyen, Gaohlee Thao and Christine Yang
Photo by Zu00fclfu00fc Demirud83dudcf8 on Pexels.com
Our goal for the article is to reach local residents of the East Side of Saint Paul and spread awareness about road issues (potholes) in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Spreading awareness about road issue(s), like potholes, can also bring awareness to different areas in Saint Paul so residents across Saint Paul can also drive safely no matter the status and conditions of that area. We also want to incorporate into our article how to help fund Saint Paul with their budgeting to help with road issues and help pothole victims along with other things.
We want to address the problem that Minnesota has with roadway inconveniences that lead to damaged vehicles, injured civilians, and chaos on the road – all caused by potholes. In 2023, Minnesota was rated as the worst state for having potholes because data showed by QuoteWizard, that Minnesota had the most pothole-related complaints of any state. KSTP, a local Minnesota news outlet, created a post relating to the overall issue of potholes in Saint Paul to help inform citizens about repair programs for roads, or reimbursement for cars/injured citizens.
The reason Minnesota roads end up with so many potholes is because it goes through the freeze-thaw cycle, which usually occurs during the winter season; that is how potholes are formed. The freeze-thaw cycle happens when the temperature fluctuates repeatedly below and above 32F. The freeze-thaw cycle hollows the road, and with the added pressure, when people are driving on the weakened roads, this is why potholes look like a dent in the road. Minneapolis and Duluth, or similar cities, face the worst cases of potholes due to the fact that these cities are heavily trafficked and have to deal with harsh climate conditions. These are two main factors that contribute to deteriorating the infrastructure.
Not only are potholes an inconvenience to traffic, but they are also a hassle for residents who may have to pay repair fees on their damaged cars, paying up to $1,000. This kind of fee can be covered by insurance companies or reimbursed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) by filing a complaint of negligence, but this might not be the case for some residents who are affected. They might not get either of the coverage and might have to pay from their own income. According to the U.S. Census of Saint Paul, the average income per year for a household is $35,000-$70,000, so taking some portion of this family income if they were to pay may not be possible.
Potholes have been a problem in Minnesota, but it doesn’t seem to be a huge concern, and it is not talked about enough. Considering what kind of damages and dangers are caused by potholes – that are frequent to Minnesota roads and occur yearly during the winter months, we think it is about time this topic is reviewed more and is talked about more, to help alleviate the traffic disruption. In the Saint Paul community, it is necessary to look out for other people in the community who might come into danger with potholes and will have to pay the aftermath prices, such as hospital bills or car repair fees. This will cost a lot for a low-income family who might not be eligible for car insurance coverage or reimbursement by MnDOT.
The East Side is one of the areas that struggles with poverty the most, which can be the reason why the roads are in a rougher condition than other areas of Saint Paul. That area, and others, probably are not at the same level of prioritization of road conditions compared to other areas of Saint Paul, or just cities in Minnesota in general, that don’t struggle with poverty as much. This leads to more frequent and severe potholes in those areas that are often overlooked while the “wealthier” areas are being cared for, or focused on, more. The East Side and other areas most likely wouldn’t be able to properly afford the costs of pothole recovery and/or fixing accidents that were a result of the poor road conditions. But even knowing that Saint Paul struggles with finances for road conditions, which leads to the cause of potholes or more road issues not being fixed, can help lead to more people trying to do something to fix the problem.
The average median household income in Saint Paul in 2019-2023 was $17,055, which can be a reflection of Saint Paul’s funding or budgeting. This ties back to institutional oppression because those in low-income areas will most likely have a difficult time finding access to affordable healthcare or insurance to cover possible damages to themselves or their vehicles caused by these harsh road conditions.
Poor road conditions also get in the way of people getting access to education, healthcare, and employment, as many people face delays or have difficulty getting from one place to the other on roads that are poorly maintained. This impacts low-income and minority groups more as they may not have many options for transportation. Also, the costs of car repairs as a result of potholes can be a significant burden for these families, taking money away from other necessities. Whereas areas with higher incomes would have an easier time with being able to afford and get access to the right resources or help that they would need from any damages.
Institutional oppression manifests in budget allocations, with marginalized communities often receiving less funding for road work, paving, and timely repairs. In turn, this neglect influences cycles of poverty, as deteriorating roads contribute to unsafe driving conditions, car damage, and hindrances to economic mobility. Furthermore, these potholes can lead to environmental problems, as the streets in these communities may not be fit to handle certain climates like flooding, stormwater, and other weather conditions that can make existing inequities worse. Potholes deepen disparities, impacting transportation, health, safety, and community resources.
Questions concerning the relationship between politics and the judiciary have been raised by the practice of judges “unretiring” after a political shift, especially after Donald Trump’s recent victory. In this context, “unretiring” refers to former judges who return to active duty, usually at the invitation or persuasion of the newly elected administration, after having reached the mandatory retirement age or leaving the bench for other reasons. Significant discussion over judicial independence and the wider ramifications for the legal system has been spurred by this practice.
In the US, judicial retirements are frequently viewed as a strategy to maintain impartiality and make sure that judges are not influenced by political pressures as they age. However, it can appear that the judiciary is becoming politicized when judges decide to return to the bench, especially following a presidential election that has significantly changed the political scene.
Four seats were included in a deal reached in November between Senate Republicans and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. In exchange for a Democratic commitment to fill the four circuit court vacancies for the Trump administration, Republicans agreed to confirm Mr. Biden’s district court nominees as soon as possible. However, Judge James Wynn has since changed his mind about accepting senior status, so the number has been lowered to three.
The return of retired judges raises questions about the possible decline in public trust in the judiciary’s impartiality and independence, particularly under a president with a strong ideological agenda. The rule of law’s foundational tenet of a neutral justice system may be compromised if such retirements and reappointments appear to be politically motivated.
It might also establish a worrying precedent for upcoming administrations, when political control over the judiciary might become even more pronounced. Instead of concentrating solely on legal knowledge and integrity, it might even promote a cycle in which judicial selections and reappointments become increasingly politically charged.
Finally, even though unretiring judges might be viewed as a practical reaction to political changes, the practice needs to be closely examined to preserve the harmony between judicial impartiality and political influence.
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