Category Archives: News

Editorials/Student Voice, Local

What’s on your ballot in 2024 and why it’s important

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By: Charlie St. Dennis

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

If you’ve at all been watching the news over the past few months, you might be aware that there’s a presidential election coming up in November. The two major parties, Democrats and Republicans, have nominated President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, respectively. Even though that’s getting a lot of attention, rightfully so, the ballot is going to be full of elections this year. Here is your guide to what you will be voting for.

US Senate

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (DFL) has represented Minnesota in the Senate since 2007, and is expected to be the DFL’s nominee for a third term in the Senate. Currently, 7 Republicans have filed to be on the ballot for the August primary, where they will ultimately decide their nominee. The DFL is expected to endorse Sen. Klobuchar at their State Convention in Duluth later this spring. The MN GOP has declined to endorse thus far.

US Representative

If you live in St. Paul or Minneapolis, you either live in District 4 or District 5. District 4 contains all of Ramsey County and a portion of Washington County. This means it contains all of Saint Paul and its Eastern surrounding suburbs, like Woodbury, Stillwater, West St. Paul, and more. District 4 has been represented by Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL) since 2001, and in her 23 year tenure, she has yet to face a formidable primary challenge. That remains unwavered this year. The DFL is expected to endorse her at the CD4 Convention later this month. May Lor Xiong, an educator, is the Republican poised to win the nomination. She ran in 2022 and lost with roughly 32% of the vote.

If you live in Minneapolis and it’s surrounding suburbs, however, you are likely in CD5. The district has been represented by Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has held the seat since 2019. Rep. Omar is currently facing a formidable primary challenge from Former Councilmember Don Samuels, who resides in North Minneapolis. Samuels has painted himself to be a more “pragmatic” alternative to Omar, who has proven to be one of the most progressive members of Congress. This race will likely be close, but Rep. Omar is expected to secure endorsements of many elected officials and potentially the DFL party, which will be decided on May 11th. Samuels previously ran a well-funded campaign against Omar in 2022, but was defeated in the primary.

State Legislature

This year, every state house seat will be up for election. State house seats are up every two years, and many Twin Cities Metro candidates are not facing formidable primary or general election challengers. The state legislature makes decisions that directly affect you, more so than the federal government. While these races may not seem exciting, they determine your rights.

Ballot Measures

In St. Paul, voters will vote on a childcare ballot measure. Voters would be voting on an increased property tax. The money from the increased tax would fully cover childcare for newborns to 5-year-olds from low-income families who fall 185 percent below the poverty line. That makes up the majority of the children in our city.

School Board (Minneapolis Only)

Since St. Paul voted on 4 school board seats last year, this year we have off. Minneapolis, on the other hand, will be voting for 4 seats. The seats are currently occupied by Kim Ellison, Ira Jourdain, Sharon El-Amin, and Adriana Cerrillo. Cerrillo and Ellison are running for re-election unopposed, Ira Jourdain is stepping down to run for State House, and El-Amin faces a challenger in Janie Gholston. Minneapolis Federation of Teachers President Greta Callahan is running against Lara Bergman for Jourdain’s seat. The Minneapolis DFL will reconvene their convention in May to endorse in that race.

Important Dates

It is important to note that regardless of the endorsement process, the voters will ultimately be selecting each party’s respective nominee. The statewide primary will be Tuesday, August 13th. Those nominees will engage in a 3-month general election campaign cycle, which will come down to Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 5th.

All elections are important, not just the ones getting attention. All 16, 17, and 18 year olds are able to pre register with the Secretary of State’s Office. Once you are 18, you can vote in all of these elections. Check your voter status at: www.mnvotes.org

Advice/How To, Science/Nature

Benefits of composting

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By: Trump Vang

In our world today, trash is a substantial part of our lives. Just in the United States alone, according to Trashcansunlimited.com, there is 146.1 million tons of waste in landfills, which is equivalent to the weight of 24 Great Pyramids of Giza. It’s an enormous problem in our lives, as it continues to pollute and spread into our environments and systems.

There are a few ways that trash can be mitigated. You’ve most definitely heard of recycling before, which is the process of converting waste and garbage into new materials and objects. One other common method is composting.

What is Composting?

If you didn’t know, composting is the process of recycling organic matter into a nutrient-rich soil or mulch through decomposition. You may see it in your school or at a local dump but its ability to turn food waste into compost is unmatched and integral in diminishing waste.

What Can I Compost?

Just like recycling, you can compost at home too! Though it’s important to know what you can compost. Put simply, try to only compost fruit and vegetable scraps. This can be anything from fresh, cooked, or moldy. Alongside this, it also accounts for leaves, coffee grounds, and grass cuttings.

There are other things that you can compost, but it’s often not recommended to do so. These items include meat and dairy products, which can spoil and attract pests, as well as lawn trimmings which may contain pesticides.

How Can I Compost?

You can either place your compost at a drop off center, or you can compost yourself in a compost bin. To compost, there are four different things that you need to create, and you need a proper combination of these elements to create a good compost: nitrogen, carbon, air, and water.

To achieve these individual elements you need specific things: Greens for Nitrogen, Browns for Carbon, and Oxygen and Water. Often greens, such as grass clippings and food scraps have proper nitrogen for the mix. Browns such as dead leaves, twigs and paper can be added to achieve a proper amount of carbon. For those last two elements, it’s integral to keep proper aeration and moisture within the environment.

Placing all of the materials in a compost bin, you would always want 3 parts brown to 2 parts green to get a proper combination. Make sure to place your compost bin within a dry area for the best growth.

It can often take 2 weeks to a few months for the compost to be ready. When ready, you can use compost for your garden and properly give your plants a nutritious start in their soils.

Going out of your way to compost your waste can go a long way in the big scheme of things. If everyone just decided to limit their trash going into landfills, we all could have a healthier lifestyle on Earth, saving the planet one piece of trash at a time.

Science/Nature

The Earth’s Twin: Venus

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By Trump Vang

Venus is the second planet from the Sun, neighboring both Mercury and the Earth in its orbit. For the second planet in the solar system, Venus is quite the large terrestrial planet in our system. Its size and mass are roughly the same as the Earth’s and many call the planet the “Earth’s Twin” due to these physical aspects. Though looking deeper, it’s easy to see the differences between the two celestial bodies.

As of today, and even in ancient times, Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky, after the moon. In the past, many astronomers and scientists believed that Venus was a good candidate for life, though their assumptions were wrong. If you didn’t know, Venus has a thick atmosphere that obscures its surface and conditions. With their limited technology at the time, Venus’s atmosphere was able to conceal the planet’s secrets, and make astronomers believe that it could be like the Earth.

All of these thoughts changed when a space probe was first sent to the planet though. In 1970, Russia rocketed a space probe, by the name, Venera 7, to Venus to gather more data on the secretive planet. Despite many people’s beliefs, photos were captured, showing a yellow and orange wasteland covering the planet, disproving any hopes for life. The probe would only last 23 minutes before it was ultimately destroyed by these harsh conditions.

Upon first view, Venus is a yellow planet, covered by a thick atmosphere. Many may think that the planet is a paradise, though the reality is much harsher than most people’s imaginations. Below the thick atmosphere is a hellish landscape and environment. Temperatures can reach, on average, 867 degrees Fahrenheit, or 464 degrees Celsius; it’s enough to melt lead. Moreover, the atmospheric pressure on Venus is 90 times greater than the Earth’s. These conditions on Venus make it much harder to imagine that life actually lives on its surface. With the oppressive heat and pressure, it is impossible for components for life to exist.

Looking at the history of Venus, the planet had possibilities in hosting life itself. Just like the Earth, it had the proper conditions for sustaining life: Good Temperature, Size & Mass, and Organic Material. As the sun grew in its infancy, it became much wilder and much hotter in the process. Since Venus is 30% closer to the Sun than the Earth, its temperatures are higher than on the Earth. Through this and some greenhouse gasses on Venus, the planet exploded in temperature, leaving it to what it is today.

As of today, the planet is still the same with its temperatures and its deathly environment. Though further research has suggested that life may still exist on the planet, just not on its surface. The possibility of life expands, when Venus’s atmosphere is brought into the conversation. There is a specific area within Venus’s atmosphere that provides a warm and prosperous environment for life to flourish within, though no confirmed life has actually been stated to have been found there.

The future looks bright for Venus exploration, especially as many missions have been planned to go there, NASA plans to send two space probes there in the next decade, and ESA is planning to send another one to the planet.

On the surface, Venus is Earth’s Twin in many aspects, though looking deeper both of the planets are highly different in their own ways. Venus is a hellish landscape with high temperatures, while the Earth is a place of flourishing life and comfortable temperatures. As we continue to learn more about the planet and its conditions, we can learn more about its possibilities for life and the future of our own planet.

For more information, please visit:

Advice/How To, Science/Nature

Effects of de-icing methods

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By: Mira Kaufman

As this year’s winter slowly becomes a frozen land, there will be a great need for de-icing methods. Stores across the midwest are selling salt, sand, and underpayment installed heaters which make every day activities a lot safer but are they worth the effects on our earth?

Salt, one of the most popular de-icing methods, is used to melt ice, creating grip and friction on pavements. To use ice, a person, machine, or a special truck will sprinkle road salt onto roads and sidewalks, which will allow patches of ice to melt. A very efficient way of making cities safer in the winter.

According to the EPA, road salt can greatly damage environments by contaminating drinking water, kill wildlife, increase erosion in soil, and cause damage to properties. Road salt is the most common substance for de-icing roads and sidewalks and is made of sodium chloride. The EPA also claims that “Nearly half a million tons is used annually in Massachusetts alone for winter road maintenance.”

In cities, salt must also be spread by trucks and machines that run on gas and oils. With these trucks constantly running, pollutants get added to the air at a much more consistent rate than many other vehicles. These trucks, and the damage caused by ice, can lead to high prices for families, communities, and cities too. These costs can come from damage caused by the chemicals in salt, but also can be found in the higher price of maintenance. According to Bridge Stone Tire, the damage of salt is estimated to cost highway and automobile industries $3.5 to $7 billion per year in the U.S. This price has continued to increase every year.

Stones and sand are also popular de-icing methods but they cause issues of their own. While sand appears harmless because it looks as though it fits into the environment, it is known to clog runoff drains and pipes. The sand used for de-icing may also be non-native to the area, causing a change in the environment and plants that can rely on the soil with its new properties.

Many newer built homes and buildings apply heaters under their pavement to not allow ice or snow to stick. This method of de-icing is the safest for humans, animals, and cars, and can be very environmentally friendly too. While the underground heaters do in fact take a decent amount of energy to use, if the energy is coming from home solar powers, or environmentally friendly city energy sources, then this is a great way to make winters safe while staying friendly to the environment. Unfortunately, this method is quite expensive because the heaters must be installed under the pavement which makes it a luxury, and not an option for many homes and buildings.

Events

Big events in Minnesota you will not want to miss in February/March 2024

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By: Brennan McMahon

Image created with Wonder

There are a lot of events this February/March, and here are the ones you will not want to miss. This list includes: sports, a convention, anda festival.

Hockey Expo: This event takes place on March 8-9 in the St. Paul RiverCentre. The event is where hockey players and fans come together to enjoy the sport. There is gear for purchase and free games you can play. Some pros and content creators will be there that you can talk to, watch them compete in competitions, and film content.

‘Dancing With the Stars’: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ is a TV show that will be hosted in Prior Lake on February 9th. This is a TV show where couples do a dance each week and the one that is voted the worst by a combination of audience votes and judge votes are eliminated until there is one winner. The amount of money you earn is based on how many rounds you make through it.

Hockey state tournament: This tournament lasts from March 7-9. Hockey teams that made it past sections will compete at the Xcel Energy center. These teams will compete for the state champion title. There are many different schools that will compete. Last year Edina won against Minnetonka with a score of 3-1.

Events, Getting To Know/History

Leap years

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By: M. Ahmadad

It’s 2024, meaning we get to have an extra day in February this year. February 29th only occurs once every 4 years, making it the leap day. This rare day has different types of traditions and superstitions surrounding it, so here are some beliefs and practices about the day that you may have heard of.

February 29th is sometimes called Ladies’ Privilege, which comes from an Irish legend about women having to deal with men being too slow to propose. So, Saint Bridget made a negotiation with Saint Patrick that once every 4 years, women would be allowed to propose to a man on the 29th. If he rejected, he’d have to financially compensate her.

Febuary 29th is considered to be an incredibly unlucky day in European superstitions, the Scots believed that those born on the 29th were doomed to be sickly and go through suffering, and Germans believed that leap years in general were entirely void of luck. In Greece, it’s also believed that the 29th is cursed, and those who got married during leap years would certainly divorce.

My own birthday is on Febuary 29th, but I don’t think I myself am a particularly unlucky person. I mean, I can remember a few weird things, like the odd increase in evil clown attacks in 2016, causing the president of the WCA (World Clown Association) to be upset because people were giving the nice clowns a bad reputation. In 2020, COVID was hitting the population and there were mandated quarantine and distancing, and now currently in 2024 there’s an approaching threat of a government shutdown.

But, to be fair, major events happen in many years so there’s no real proof these things are because of a leap year curse of sorts. I hope those reading this have a healthy and safe rest of 2024 and years to come.

Events, Getting To Know/History

Holiday traditions

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By: Addison Strack & Sophie Johnson

Now that we are approaching the holidays, everyone is in the holiday spirit, and they are preparing themselves for the happiest time of the year. We celebrate Christmas, but there are other holidays that are also being celebrated at this time. It is important to recognize and learn about different holidays and their traditions, so that you can understand how and why people celebrate the holidays they do. In this article we will be covering some different winter holidays, and their traditions.

The first holiday we will be covering is Christmas. This is a holiday we celebrate, and it is our favorite holiday of the year. One of the most important aspects of Christmas is the Christmas tree. Every year in December, Christmas tree farms are filled with people who are in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Once the best tree is found and taken home, people will decorate it with string lights, ornaments, and a star.

Another huge tradition that is practiced on Christmas is gift giving. People buy gifts for loved ones to be opened on Christmas Day, to show how much they appreciate them. Gifts slowly fill underneath the Christmas tree creating more and more excitement for Christmas Day.

A third tradition that many young children participate in is leaving out cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve. Young kids are filled with anticipation and excitement waiting for Santa to leave them gifts, and of course they need to return his favor, by giving him some fuel to finish his long journey around the world. These are only three traditions that many people participate in on Christmas, and there are so many more.

New Years is another holiday that brings a lot of excitement to the winter season. This holiday is celebrated worldwide and marks the start of a new calendar year. Traditionally, the celebration starts on December 31st and continues into the morning of January 1st.

Many people write New Year’s resolutions which are goals that they want to attain or achievements they want to make within the coming year. New years is the start of a new beginning for lots of people and it’s almost a reset or a refresh where people can start up new things or start over on things they need to try again.

One of the main New Year’s traditions in America is the countdown to midnight and then the New York Times Square ball drop. This period of counting down is also a way of saying goodbye to the past year and remembering the memories that happened. It is also a way of preparing for what is to come in the future.

Many different cultures celebrate this holiday differently while doing traditional things that will provide them with good luck and good fortune for the new year. Some of these include lucky grapes in Spain, smashing plates in Denmark and eating black eyed peas in the Southern US for good luck.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated from December 7 to December 15 this year. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting a menorah, which is a nine candle holder. On each day of Hanukkah a candle is lit.

Religious rituals are also a way that people celebrate Hanukkah, for example many people will do daily readings of Scripture. 

A third tradition is gift giving. Many families will exchange a gift each night of Hanukkah, and these gifts are often smaller thoughtful gifts. 

Throughout the winter season, there are many holidays and traditions that families and individuals can look forward to all over the world. These three holidays are only a few examples of what a lot of people celebrate during this time. These holidays all include fun, giving and thoughtful routines that have been developed for centuries and will continue to be practiced for many generations to come.

Science/Nature

Top 10 most endangered animals

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By: Cleo Newton

Image created with Wonder

According to an article by UUF.UK, the top 10 most endangered animals include the following:

Number 1: The Javan Rhino.

This rhino used to be found throughout South-East Asia. There are only around 75 of these rhinos left. Because they are so low in numbers, they are one of the rarest rhino species. Reasons for their decline include: habitat loss, and hunting.

Number 2: The Amur Leopard

There are about 100 Amur Leopards left in the wild. Because they are only found in a small region in the far east of Russia and north-eastern China, they have been critically endangered since 1996. Some threats that Amur Leopards face include: habitat loss, prey scarcity, and fragmentation (meaning they are spread far apart geographically).

Number 3: the Sunda Island Tiger

Also known as the Sumatran Tiger, they are the smallest tiger species: they weigh up to 140kg. These tigers are only found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. There are only about 600 of these tigers left in the wild. Some things contributing to their population decline include: habitat loss, and the expansion of the human population.

Number 4: the Mountain Gorilla

These gorillas live in a landscape belonging to Virunga. The area they live in has a history of being politically unstable. Because there are already over 500,000 people living near the mountain the gorillas live on, it would be more harmful if more humans were to move there. They have a population of just over 1000 in the wild. The Mountain Gorillas have been doing better thanks to the conservation efforts and other help from through the International Gorilla Conservation Programme.

Number 5: the Tapanuli Orangutan

The Tapanuli Orangutan are the most endangered great ape species, with only 800 living in the wild. They live in a tropical environment. Unfortunately, the Tapanuli Orangutan have suffered from losing over 40% of their forests in the province of North Sumatra from: mining, agriculture, hydroelectric and geothermal development.

Number 6: the Yangtze Finless Porpoise

Back in 2018, there were still around 1000 of these porpoises in the wild. But because there haven’t been any sightings of these porpoises in a while, China moved them up to “first level protected” in 2021. Things that have impacted their population number include: water pollution and overfishing.

Number 7: the Black Rhino

Most Black Rhinos live in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Their biggest threat is poaching; they are killed for their horn. Poachers kill them then take their horn for illegal horn trade. Over the last 10 years, almost 10,000 rhinos have been killed.

Number 8: the African Forest Elephant   

Like the Black Rhinos, the biggest factor contributing the their population decline is poaching. Some other factors include: habitat loss and agriculture. Today, these elephants only take up about 25% of their original habitat space. People don’t actually know how many of these elephants are left, but they think that over the last 31 years, their population might have declined by about 86%.

Number 9: the Sumatran Orangutan

There are less than 14,000 Sumatran Orangutans left in the wild. They are critically endangered and deal with threats like: agriculture, logging and plantations. These apes have lost about 60% of their habitat between the years 1985 and 2007.

Number 10: the Hawksbill Turtle

Their population has decreased by at least 80% in the last 30 years due to: nesting habitat loss, illegal trade of their shells, accidental capture in fishing gear, plastic pollution, and climate change. People think there are about 20,000-23,000 of these turtles left in the wild

Animals play a very important role in the environment; they help keep a balance in the ecosystem. Remember, it is important to respect these animals because as they are important to the environment, they are also important to us. Hurting them may also negatively impact humans.

Events

Winter holidays

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By: Brennan McMahon

Image created with Wonder

Hanukkah: Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is usually celebrated in December. Hanukkah is the celebration of the redecoration of the second temple of Jerusalem by lighting candles on every day of the festival. Jewish people light one candle for each of the 8 days of Hanukkah. For more information about Hanukkah, please visit: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanukkah

Christmas: Christmas is a Christian holiday that happens on December 25 every year. This holiday is in celebration of Jesus being born. Christians celebrate Christmas by setting up trees, giving presents, and going to church. Christmas music is super popular. In December you can go onto any radio station and find some sort of Christmas music. For more information about Christmas, please visit: https://www.rd.com/article/christmas-on-the-25th/

New Years: This is the celebration of the next year starting and the previous one ending. There is a huge party in New York City. A lot of people stay up until midnight to celebrate with family and friends. People write New Year’s resolutions which are things you want to do better the next year. For more information about New Years, please visit: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/new-years

Kwanzaa: Kwanzaa is an African American holiday founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga, that is a nonreligious holiday that focuses on history, family and culture. Each day people light a candle to symbolize the meaning of the day. For more information about Kwanzaa, please visit: https://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/

St. Nicholas Day: St. Nicholas Day is a day to celebrate St. Nicholas who was a bishop in present day Greece. He loved to help the poor by giving them money. He is the inspiration for what we now call Santa. People celebrate St. Nick’s Day by leaving their shoes out and then the next day wake up to find them filled with little presents. St. Nick’s Day is celebrated on the 6 of December. Another way to celebrate St Nick’s Day is little acts of kindness because he was always kind to everyone he met. For more information about St. Nicholas Day, please visit: https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/advent/about-st-nicholas.html

Las Posadas: This is a Christmas festival celebrated in Mexico and other Hispanic communities. It starts on December 16 and lasts 9 nights. The children celebrate by having piñatas filled with candy. The children go to every inn in town looking for a place to stay and when they find one with room for them they break the piñata and celebrate. For more information about Los Posadas, please visit: https://mexicratecandy.com/blogs/blog/las-posadas-and-other-mexican-holiday-traditions-you-should-know

Events, Getting To Know/History

Why is Hannakkah popular?

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By: Mira Kaufman

“Dre-del, dre-del, dre-del, I made you out of clay” is a song known by many. The lit menorah and latkes are loved across the world. People know these things as the celebration of Hannakkah but why is Hannakkah the only Jewish Holiday you may know?

Hannakkah is a Jewish holiday, celebrating the miracle of light! It takes place in early winter but dates vary because it follows the Hebrew calendar. In smaller communities all around the world Hannakkah is celebrated but why do we hear of this Jewish holiday more than anything else?

In Judaism Hanukkah is not a major Holiday; in fact it is not even written in the Torah (Jewish Holy Script). Hanukkah celebrates the story of the Makkabes taking place in the 160s BCE. The Makkabes had fought two battles and returned to their temple to reclaim it from the Greeks. When they got there they found the eternal light out (a never ending flame) and found only a singular jar of oil left to light the fire. A messenger was then sent to buy more oil and on the 8th day when he came back, the singular jar of oil was still burning, thus creating the miracle of light. Today Jews celebrate this story through lighting menorahs, symbolizing the eight days of lasting oil.

The holiday is well known by society because Christmas falls at around the same time every year. In every location aside from Israel, Jews make up a very small population of where they live and over time have acculturated into some of the traditions of the religions around them. For example, Jew’s gained the tradition of giving presents on Hanukkah from the celebration of Christmas.

Due to both Christmas and Hanukkah falling around the same time every year, stores started supplying decorations for not just Christmas but Hanukkah too. This was because there was money to be made, which opened people’s eyes to more cultures on the store shelves. Target, for example, sells both Christmas and Hanukkah decorations in the same area allowing customers to look at every sale as they shop.

Hannakkah is also known and loved for its traditional foods. Gelt (Yiddish for money) is a classic win in a Dreidel game. The only difference for the traditional meaning of gelt is that it’s chocolate money, not real. Sufganiyot are also very popular! They are jelly filled donuts eaten for dessert. While these are both popular foods, the most well known would have to be latkes. Latkes were originally a Polish dish before being taken on by the Jews, and are known in America as potato pancakes. A common thread you may have noticed is that two of these three foods are fried, which quite in fact has a purpose. To symbolize the miracle of oil, many Jews fry foods on Hanukkah to celebrate!