Category Archives: News

Psychology behind why people prefer cats or dogs

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.

ICE in airports

By: Janessa Castro Cruz

Photo by Mihaela Claudia Puscas on Pexels.com

Airports around the country are very busy, with long lines that stretch for hours and travelers missing flights. TSA workers are calling in sick or just quitting all together. In response to all that, on March 23, 2026, the Trump administration deployed ICE agents (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to U.S. airports. They stated that the agents will help and assist TSA agents (Transportation Security Administration) who are not currently getting paid because of the government shutdown.

The administration has plans to send the ICE agents to 14 different airports around the country, and that includes Chicago, Houston, New York, and Atlanta. They are assisting with simpler tasks like freeing up more TSA employees to perform security work. The agents are now guarding entrances and exits and also doing crowd control while also getting trained by TSA workers.

Even though many ICE agents have been maskless in the airports, the presence of them still have made many travelers uneasy due to their violent reputation. The enforcement has received mixed reactions, democratic leaders have warned travelers of ICE’s brutality, while some travelers have stated that the presence of ICE has been helpful. A New Jersey senator, Corey Booker, stated that the reason why Trump refuses to let dollars flow to TSA is because he wants to continue the reckless and chaotic actions of ICE.

Tom Homan said on March 29, 2026, that ICE agents could remain at U.S. airports to assist with those security operations even though TSA officials are set to receive their paychecks. He stated that it will depend on how many TSA agents come back to their job, and how many have actually quit or have no plans on coming back to their jobs. Homan added that he is working very closely with the TSA administration and ICE directors to decide what the airports need.

Spring break

By: Sema’Jae Tate

Photo by Cris Mu00e9nlu00e9s on Pexels.com

Hi Highland scholars!

Spring break is around the corner and I know it brings a lot of excitement and relief after working hard and it brings a sense of excitement and relief after weeks of hard work and routine. It’s a time to take a break from school, relax and recharge, whether that means traveling somewhere warm, spending time with friends and family or just enjoying some quiet days at home.

The longer days and warmer (hopefully) weather make everything feel more alive, giving people the chance to get outside and try new things. Some things you could do over spring break include going to city clubs and programs, working, and sports. Other people may travel. I myself plan on trying out for an AAU team and to visit family.

Spring break isn’t just about fun, it’s also a chance to reset, clear your mind and come back feeling refreshed and ready to finish the rest of the year strong. Personally, I’m looking forward to pushing myself to get all my work done on time, to finish the year strong.

No matter what you end up doing for spring break, hope you have an amazing time!

Spontaneous spring

By: Simon Pluger

Minnehaha Falls at Minnehaha Park. Before 29, December 2016, by James Kerr via Wikimedia Commons

The random nice day felt so good, and I know a lot of people were excited because it means it’s finally nice out. However, the next day, it went back to 30 degrees after having the 70 degree, almost summer day. People think this is odd, but it’s actually called a “fool’s spring” or “false spring.”

They call it this because it tempts us with a nice day and then reverts to winter, making us even more ready for spring to start. It feels like the Earth is teasing us, but there is a scientific reason for it: it happens when the atmosphere changes and arctic air moves south. Aside from that, it’s a sign that spring is coming, but that it will take time and temperatures will rise slowly, not rapidly.

Going back to last Saturday, March 21st, it was beautiful out with a nice  77 degrees, almost pushing 80. People were out and about enjoying the weather, walking their dogs, biking, and even picnicking at the park. I went to Minnehaha Falls to walk some trails. The snow was gone and the ice on the falls was melting; you could actually hear the cracking of the ice moving, even though there were so many people there.

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War in Iran and gas prices

By: Merob Geleto

The escalating conflict between Iran, the U.S., and Israel has now exploded into a full-on war, triggered by the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian military sites, air defenses, and government infrastructure on February 28, 2026. The Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed during the opening wave of strikes. There are still on-going military actions, 10 other Middle East countries have gotten involved with the conflict because Iran was targeting US military bases that were stationed in those countries. 

Iran and US tension has been going on for a long time now. This conflict even dates back to the 1950s. In the early 1950s, Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh nationalized the Iranian oil industry. Fearing that Iran may now lean towards the Soviet Union or the loss of oil would destabilize the West, the CIA and British intelligence orchestrated a coup. The US gave power to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who was a loyal ally to the US and the West. The Shah launched a series of aggressive reforms to modernize the country. This led to economic growth and increased women’s rights but it also involved the use of SAVAK (secret police) to eliminate dissent and rapid westernization. Many Iranians were against this new, pro-Western monarchy. 

The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran was caused by economic inequality despite the vast oil wealth, the SAVAK, and the religious backlash. Large-scale protests and strikes broke out across Iranian cities. When the Shah realized he had lost control of the country and the military, he fled into exile. Iran went from a pro-Western monarchy to a theocratic republic. Khomeini, who was exiled during the Shah’s era for saying that the Shah was destroying Iran’s Islamic identity, had come back and became the “Supreme Leader”. Strict Islamic codes were implemented like mandatory veiling for women, banning Western music, and alcohol. Iran was a key US ally and then became a fierce adversary which peaked during the Iran Hostage Crisis. This war was not all of a sudden but was a growing conflict since the Cold War. 

The ongoing conflict in Iran has caused global oil prices to rise, driving gasoline prices to their highest since 2023. The fighting threatens a crucial waterway for global energy shipments, the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of global oil supplies. Since the start of this, Brent crude prices jumped from $60-$70 per barrel to over $100. In the United States, the price of gasoline has risen almost 25%. This war will only worsen and so will our gas prices.

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People’s thoughts on Punch the monkey

By: Sofia Patricio Mateo and Evelyn Solano Ruiz

We went and asked some people what they thought about Punch the monkey. He was the monkey that was being bullied by other monkeys in Japan. Because he was abandoned by his mom he had a stuffed animal he was attached to. There was a video that people saw online where they learned about him.

Image of Punch-kun kissing his plush in Ichikawa Zoo by Daiei Onoguchi via Wikimedia Commons

The great Jesse Jackson 

By: Sema’Jae Tate

Image by: Brianmcmillen via Wikimedia Commons

Jesse Jackson was an African American male born in Greenville, South Carolina on October 8th, 1941. He went to a racially segregated school, Sterling High School and Jesse said growing up with the Jim Crow segregation law he was taught/told to go to the back of the bus and use a  separate water fountain. He had to accept it and it was rough.

Jesse Jackson was also bullied growing up because of his out- of-wedlock birth. He said “Being bullied growing up motivated me to succeed.” 

After he graduated high school in 1959, he rejected a contract from a minor professional baseball team so he could attend the University of Illinois on a football scholarship, but after his second  semester at the predominantly white college, Jesse Jackson transferred to North  Carolina A&T, a historically black university. He said the reason he transferred was  because “Racial prejudice prevented me from playing quarterback and limited my playing.”   

At A&T Jackson played quarterback and was elected student president. He became active in local civil rights protests against segregated libraries, theaters and restaurants. During that time, he graduated with a B.S. Degree in 1964.

He then attended the Chicago Theological Seminary on a scholarship. He left the seminary in 1966, three classes short of earning his master’s degree, to focus full-time on the civil rights movement.

He was ordained a minister in 1968 and was awarded a Master of Divinity degree by  Chicago Theological Seminary in 2000, based on his previously earned credits and  his subsequent work and life experience. 

In 1965, Jesse Jackson participated in the Selma to Montgomery march, where he met and worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He subsequently joined the SCLC and despite everything that was going on  Jesse still wanted to push harder to make a difference.

After King was assassinated, it was a tragedy, but things couldn’t just stop there so Jesse Jackson started his own organization People United to Save Humanity (PUSH),  focusing on economic empowerment and, later, political advocacy.

Jesse Jackson died on February 17, 2026.