Category Archives: Events

Events, News

The History of Cinco de mayo

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Cinco de mayo, or the fifth of May, is coming up and many people don’t know the history of this day; many actually confuse this date for Mexico’s independence day which is actually on September 16, many months away from when Cinco is celebrated.

Everything started during the French-Mexican War (1861-1867) when Benito Juárez was elected as Mexico’s new president. Throughout this war, Mexico was in deep debt and the new president had to stop all payments to the European governments, which created problems with France, Britain, and Spain. After Benito Juárez stopped sending them money, the European governments sent naval forces to Mexico. They demanded a repayment from the president. Britain and Spain made an agreement with Juárez, soon after their naval deployment, and they both withdrew their forces. France however, took the chance to try and overrun the Mexican territory. Not long after, 6,000 French troops were sent to Puebla de Los Angeles.

After hearing about the plan that the French government had, Juárez gathered 2,000 men to go fight in Puebla. They went and prepared for the French to come and start an assault.

On May 5th, 1862, The French attacked. The battled didn’t last long; over 500 French soldiers were killed and only fewer than 100 Mexican soldiers. The French retreated, and after that day, May 5th represented a huge victory for the Mexican government.

Cinco de Mayo is mostly only celebrated in Puebla, where the battle took place, but some other countries also take part in the celebration. For many Mexicans though, the fifth of May is like any other day. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is seen as a celebration of Mexican culture and its heritage. It’s celebrated with parades, parties, traditional Mexican foods, and huge festivals.

So, go out and see all of the cool and colorful festivals and parades with some loved ones and never forget the history of Cinco de Mayo.

Events, School Life

Prom 2017

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This year for prom, like previous years, the prom committee will be selling tickets for those who want to go. All tickets will be handled, and sold, in Ms. Becker’s room – 2214.

Each week, the price of the tickets will go up by $10, so we encourage you to buy your tickets as soon as possible to spend less. The first batch of tickets will have the starting price of $35, and can be purchased at the following times:

  • Wednesday, April 19, at 2:05 PM
  • Thursday, April 20, at 2:05 PM
  • Friday, April 21, at 7:00-7:15 AM, during 2nd lunch, and at 2:05 PM

Monday, April 24 – Friday, April 28, the price of tickets will be increased to $45. The tickets will be sold at:

  • Monday, April 24 – Thursday, April 27, at 2:05 PM
  • Friday, April 28, at at 7:00-7:15 AM, during 2nd lunch, and at 2:05 PM

The week that will be different is the week of prom. The tickets will be avalible for $55 on:

  • Monday, May 1, at 2:05 PM
  • Tuesday, May 2, at 7:00 – 7:15 AM, during 2nd lunch, and at 2:05 PM

Make sure to remember to buy your tickets as soon as possible! Not only will this help you, but it will help us, the prom committee, as well.

PROM RULES:
– Anyone age 21 and above may not attend prom.
– If you are bringing anyone that does not attend our school, then you will have to go to Ms. Becker to get a permission form. This form will have to be submitted by May 2.
– Unapproved guests will be turned away, even if they have a paid ticket.

*All attendees must have a photo ID to enter prom.

Events, News, School Life

American Red Cross blood drive

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The American Red Cross (ARC) is an organization which focuses on providing emergency and disaster relief to families. The ARC has services in 4 different areas: comfort and communication for military service and their families, collecting blood donations, educational programs, and international relief programs.

One of the most well known, and highly needed services, the Red Cross offers, is the process of collecting blood. According to the ARC, about every two seconds someone in the US needs blood, and the most needed type of blood is O negative. O negative is important because if there is no time to test for a person’s blood type, O negative will work with any blood. Many cancer patients will need a blood transfusion frequently – sometimes every day. The average blood transfusion is 3 pints, and every donor will give about 1 pint of blood, but the average car accident victim can use up to 100 pints of blood.  

The process of donating blood is a very safe process. The nurse drawing blood uses a sterile needle, which is only used once, then discarded. Blood donation has four steps to it.

  • The first step is registration
  • The second step includes having the doctors/nurses get a medical history and do a mini physical
  • Third, you donate
  • Fourth, afterwards you receive refreshments

The actual time it takes someone to donate their blood is 10-12 minutes, but the whole process can take up to an 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Highland Park Senior High hosted the Red Cross on March 17th. Highland had 50 people show up – giving a total of 41 pints. Many of the students at Highland were very anxious and scared. One student, Michaela Malone (11) said, “I’m very nervous to give blood because I’m afraid of needles.” Later she said, “I’m scared that I will faint, but I’m excited that I will be helping a person in need.”

As I talked to other students the word was the same, Lane Fry (11) mentioned, “I feel like I’m gonna die. I wanted to donate my blood because it’s St. Patrick’s Day, and I thought many people might need blood tonight. I also just wanted to do something good for myself.”

Many of Highland’s students also volunteered to help run the event. Highland students did most of the stuff that kept things running smoothly so the nurses could focus on collecting blood. I asked Jilly Wortman (11) what she did to help out. Jilly replied with, “I signed people in, gave information to donors, supplied water for people, and I also comforted people while they were donating blood.”

Will Pribula (12) was donating not only for the good of other people but for himself. As I asked him how he was feeling before the donation he said, “I’m really bored and kind of wanna get this over with. It’s not what I thought. I imagined that I would come donate blood and leave but instead I’ve been sitting for an hour, getting bored and the music selection is poor, but at least I’m getting out of class.” His reactions after we’re surprisingly different as he said, “It was very relaxing and I feel great about donating today.”

Neesha Moore (11) felt the same after the donation process as she told me “It was a blast! I encourage everyone to do it. It was a weird feeling of happiness, dizziness, and relaxation. I feel like I should be giggling, but that’s probably due to the amount of blood loss.”

Artículos en Español & Xov Xwm Hmoob, Editorials/Student Voice, Events, Local, News

Día sin inmigrantes

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“Día sin inmigrantes” fue el jueves 16 de febrero de 2016. Los Estados Unidos se unieron para protestar. Aquí en Minnesota, tuvimos una marcha que comenzó en el Consulado Mexicano (797 7th St E 55106) pasado centro de la ciudad, todo el camino a la capital. Durante la marcha hacia la capital hubo muchas paradas para ver a los bailarines aztecas. Cerca de 300 personas marchaban, y había más gente allí.

Muchos grandes restaurantes y tiendas estaban cerrados, tales como:

  • El Burrito Mercado
  • Boca Chica Restaurant & Taco House
  • El Nuevo Rodeo
  • La Loma Tamales
  • Las Mojarras
  • Panaderia San Miguel
  • Los Ocampo
  • Taqueria Los Paisanos
  • Los Gallos (las 15 localidades)
  • Salón de Belleza Avandaros

Estos eran sólo algunos de los lugares populares que estaban cerrados, pero había muchas más empresas que estaban cerradas. Mi papá cerró su negocio, J.P Auto Body pero no asistió a la protesta conmigo. En la capital, los bailarines aztecas continuaron actuando y gritando “Un pueblo unido, jamás será vencido”, “Si se puede” y muchas cosas más, Dirigido principalmente a Donald Trump.

Como alguien que tiene inmigrantes en su familia y en su grupo de amigos, esta protesta fue muy importante para mí. Ver el apoyo de no sólo mi carrera, pero muchos más fue increíble. Esperemos que esta protesta trajo a todos más cerca y que trajo más conciencia de cómo los inmigrantes afectan no sólo la economía, sino todo lo demás.

For those unable to read Spanish:

“Day Without Immigrants” was on Thursday, February 16th, 2017. The United States joined together to protest against President Trump and his immigration statements. Here in Minnesota, we had a march that started at the Mexican Consulate ( 797 7th St E 55106 ), went past downtown, all the way to The Capital. During the march towards the capital, there were many stops to watch the Aztec dancers. About 300 people were marching, and there were more people there.

Many big restaurants and stores were closed, such as:

  • El Burrito Mercado
  • Boca Chica Restaurant and Taco House
  • El Nuevo Rodeo
  • La Loma Tamales
  • Las Mojarras
  • Panaderia San Miguel
  • Los Ocampo
  • Taqueria Los Paisanos
  • Los Gallos (all 15 locations)  
  • Avandaros Beauty Salon

These were just some of the popular places that were closed, but there were many more businesses that were closed. My dad closed his business, J.P Auto Body, but did not attend the protest with me. While in the capital, the Aztec dancers continued to perform and to yell “Un pueblo unido, jamás será vencido” ( a nation united, will never be defeated), “Si se puede” (yes we can) and many more things, mainly directed at Donald Trump.

As someone that has immigrants in their family and in their friend group, this protest was very important to me. Seeing the support from not only my race, but many more was amazing. Hopefully, this protest brought everyone closer, and it brought more awareness to how immigrants affect not only the economy but everything else.

Events, Local, News, World

A Day Without Immigrants

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Thursday, February 16, 2017, was known as “A Day Without Immigrants.” Immigrants around the U.S. stayed home from work, and school, on Thursday, to demonstrate how important they are to America’s economy. In an act of solidarity, many businesses also closed for the day. The boycott was primarily directed at the Trump administration’s efforts to build a wall along the Mexican border, increase deportations, and ban travel from a number of Middle Eastern countries.

The protest affected many aspects of life, but A Day Without Immigrants mainly affected the restaurant industry. The restaurant industry was heavily impacted because it offers the most jobs to new immigrants in the U.S. It offers jobs such as cooks, servers, and dishwashers.

Since the end of 2007, the number of foreign-born employees in the U.S. has jumped by nearly 3.1 million to 25.9 million; they account for 56 percent of the increase in the U.S. workforce, according to the Labor Department. In the restaurant industry, there are 12 million immigrants employed, and in cities such as New York and Chicago, they account for more than 70% of the restaurant workforce. Another industry that felt the impact of the protests was construction.

A large portion of the protesters are having to deal with the consequences of President Trump, when a majority of them didn’t even have the right to vote, while other protesters didn’t even vote for him. There is no nation-wide number stating how many people stayed home from school or work, but many student absences were not excused, and some people who skipped work lost a day’s pay or perhaps even their jobs. Even with these consequences, organizers and participants argued the cause was worth it.

Here in St. Paul, the marches started in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood. A couple hundred people gathered at the corner of East Seventh and Hope streets near the offices of the Mexican Consulate in St. Paul. The march traveled down East Seventh street past the Asian grocery store, an Ethiopian church, an Italian pizzeria, and a Mediterranean grill. By noon, the streets of St. Paul had protester groups that were two or three blocks long. The march eventually made its way to the Capitol building. The total number of protesters in the Twin Cities reached nearly 200 people, of all types, who boycotted work and school. There was also a handful of restaurant chains the closed in solidarity to the protest.

Editorials/Student Voice, Events, News, World

Tuesday’s Cruz-Sanders Obamacare debate

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The Two Senators mid debate
image taken from: Masslive.com

Last Tuesday, February 7th, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) faced off in a debate about the future of healthcare in America. More specifically, the pair sparred about the Affordable Care Act (often known as Obamacare) and whether or not it should be replaced by a new healthcare bill or not. Cruz took a pretty hardline stance against Obamacare, claiming that while healthcare was desirable, the ACA failed to provide it effectively. Meanwhile, Sanders took a more moderate stance, agreeing that the policy was flawed, but he wants to improve it rather than repeal it entirely.

The debate was a town hall style, meaning that instead of the moderators asking questions, they were delivered by the crowd. However, the questions were almost certainly pre-approved, so in practice there isn’t a very large difference.

In addition, a fair number of questions seemed like clear plants for one side or the other. For example, Sanders was told by a small business owner that Obamacare was limiting the expansion of her business, while Cruz faced questions from a woman who said her life was saved by the policy. Both handled the questions well, though Sanders often came off as somewhat patronizing towards the audience.

Because of Sander’s position on the issue, the two initially found themselves in some agreement. For example, they both thought that insurance companies were too powerful, but they had radically different solutions. Cruz wanted to increase competition by allowing insurance sales across state borders (in addition to other measures), while Sanders felt more government input was necessary. However, Sanders was less able to defend his position, and instead faltered under questions about the actual effectiveness of government input. Meanwhile, Cruz seemed to argue his case much better, and was able to come off as far more credible.

After the senator’s initial agreement, the debate went somewhat downhill. While the issues were definitely still discussed, the debate devolved a lot, to the point where the two debaters spent almost two minutes arguing about the relative merits of Vermont and Texas as states. To be fair, the moderators were able to keep the debate on track, (even connecting the state argument into the issues) and it was certainly more productive than any of the presidential debates. The last major point of the debate was Sanders talking about his own healthcare plan, something that Cruz demonstrated was financially unfeasible.

By the end of the debate, it seemed clear that Cruz had won pretty decisively. While no polling is currently available on who the voters think won the debate, Cruz was far more put together and well spoken, while Sanders was more discombobulated and often knocked off balance by Cruz. Both Senators still made reasonable and well thought out points, however, so it’s hard to say it was a complete route. Anyway, who won is more of a moot point, as neither candidate is up for election anytime soon. The more important thing is the discussion that was had.

Editorials/Student Voice, Events, School Life

CU Day at the capitol

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On January 31st, I attended an all-day event called: Credit Union Day at the Capitol.

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This event saw all of the credit unions, in Minnesota, coming together to meet with different legislators, of Saint Paul, to talk about how their credit union is making an impact on their community. They also talked about how they are most important when assisting their community members with financial troubles.

As a student from Highland Park, I was invited by HIWAY Federal Credit Union to participate in this event so that I could learn more about how a credit union can make an impact on society.  They also wanted me to better understand the work that is involved with promoting a credit union.

img_4251The Minnesota credit union network contains more than 20 credit unions, all consisting of one important rule, which is to help their members learn more about savings and assist them with any concerns about their financial position. I met with two legislators: Dave Pinto and Dan Schoen. I talked to them about my involvement with HIWAY, and about having a branch inside Highland Park, which influenced many students to become a student member with HIWAY. This school year, we have had at least 8 students become members, and we still have people joining today.

img_2401Another thing I found very exciting is the CEO of HIWAY – Dave Boden, took me on a tour of the capitol building, for my first time visiting the place. He told me that the legislators of Saint Paul look upon the credit union network of Minnesota, and see how they want to help their members and educate them about the benefits and qualities of savings.

Just before the event, I also got to sit in on a press conference for a program called: “WINcentive savings” where they talked about how learning to save and being knowledgeable of your finances can make a difference in the future.

Working for a credit union, inside a high school, is a grand opportunity to promote HIWAY amongst students and teachers who are interested in learning more about this type of business and its purpose. It also provides the chance to be part of an outreach, to be involved with a different crowd that wants to start being well-educated on the qualities of a credit union, and to actually become a member of the credit union.

Events, News

Dia de los muertos (Day of the dead)

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Halloween is something most of us look forward to in the fall. From the costumes, to trick or treating until midnight, or binge watching your favorite horror films until 3am. It’s a holiday celebrated around the world and in many different ways too. El dia de los muertos happens to be one of those celebrations, and it also happens to be one of the biggest celebrations in honoring the dead.

Celebrated from November 1st to November 2nd, El dia de los muertos has become one of the oldest Mexican traditions celebrated. Originally dating back to the Aztec Empire traditions, it’s a two day lively celebration that honors the dead with large festivals, lively celebrations, parties, food and drinks. The days are meant to honor loved ones who’ve passed. These days are known as All Souls Day and All Saints Day.

It is belived that at midnight on Halloween the gates of heaven open and awaken the deceased children (angelitos) and allow them to spend the entire day with their families during this time. Then on November 2nd the spirits of the adults wake up from their eternal sleep and come down to enjoy the festivities prepared for them. You’d often see skulls, skeletons, marigolds, traditional food and drinks on the people’s graves or on their alters to honor the dead. These offerings are believed to please the dead and in return bring their families luck.

Entertainment, Events, Music/Concerts

Nerf Wars

As you all might know, Nerf Wars has started here at Highland. Every year students organize it and it lasts for about a month. Some of you might not know what it is, so what does Nerf Wars consist of and how does it work?

Nerf Wars are very fun to play with friends and family. It is an activity using Nerf guns or other toy weapons. Nerf Wars include outdoor battles and shoot-outs, it can take place anywhere, any area with a good amount of space are good candidates. With a large range of participants, outdoor areas are great for Nerf War battles. Nerf guns are relatively safe and cheap.

Here at Highland, there’re about 30 teams, each team including 5 players on each team, and all grades can participate. It is not a school planned activity, usually a group of seniors set it up and are known as the commissioners. Everything takes place outside of school and is not associated with any SPPS extra curricular activities. The commissioners set up a bracket, the rankings are based off of how many seniors are on the team, athleticism, how many licensed drivers, and car access.

Nerf Wars can be an entertaining event for people who are not playing as well. Teams and Highland Nerf Wars have set up twitter pages where you can interact with each other, read funny updates on teams wins and loses, and see photos people post about it.  Overall, Nerf Wars is an annual game that many enjoy participating in to end off the year with some fun.

Again, as previously mentioned, Nerf Wars are not a school sponsored event, and the school takes no responsibility for student conduct connected to Nerf Wars. Bring Nerf Wars to school at your own risk, as school discipline related to unacceptable behavior may apply.

Clubs and Activities, Events, School Life

Let’s talk about Benstock 2016

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Hmmmm……What can you do with that lucky $2 you surprisingly found in your back pocket, especially on a Friday night? Come to Benstock on Friday March 11, held in the auditorium from 7-9:30 pm! Tickets are only $2 for students, and $3 for adults. However, if you bring in a canned good, you will save $1 off the ticket price. 

At Benstock you can enjoy a series of performances featuring a variety of singing, dancing, not to mention it is a show of amazing talent.

Benstock has been a rewarding tradition for the past 17 years, and every year students have the chance to see their classmates show off their talent. In the past years, there have been performances by rock bands, breakdancers, spoken word artists and singers. 

Benstock is also Highland’s annual student charity event, hence another fantastic opportunity to share back with the community. The amount accumulated from ticket admissions will be used to donate to a charity of choice, still to be decided. All of the canned goods will also continue to be donated to the local food shelf Francis Basket. 

History

The original event began with a student’s desire for a trip to Australia. In 1999, student Ben Rosales organized a way to fund the trip by performing with his band on the school stage. Now where did the name Benstock originate from? His inspiration was developed from the music festival Woodstock. To personalize the name of the show, he decided to replace the ‘Wood’ prefix with his own name, thus the name Benstock was created.

The shows started mainly with performances from bands. Many of the past performers have grown successful musical careers. Eventually, the show expanded into a talent showcase encompassing a wider range of performances such as spoken word and both original and cover music.

It was not until 2007 that HPSH’s National Honor Society started to sponsor Benstock. This was also the same year Ms. Landreau became the adviser for NHS. The thing that makes Benstock special is that it is a production where everything is student led. Ms. Landreau and Ms. Hanson only stand back to support by the executive control.

 Spreading the Word

In the recent years, promotion through social media such as Twitter and Facebook event invitations have been considered to be effective on some level. This method of advertisement is more relevant for student to student promotion rather than the way publicity was handeld in the past. The effects of media usage to spread the word about Benstock was more centered around Highland students, and therefore, more Highland students attend the event now in comparison to previous years.

T-shirts were originally a major factor towards promoting Benstock, as executive members would travel around town selling the personally designed Benstock t-shirts, and advertise by posting flyers around the neighborhood. As a result, historically, there the audience was more diverse in that that there were not only students, but also people from the local community, including more teachers.

Risk Takers: First Time Performers

Other than the fact that Benstock is a student organized production that is both fun and entertaining, it is also an amazing opportunity to encourage students to try something new and become risk-takers. Every year there are several students who admit that Benstock was their first stage performance in front of anyone. Yet, every year, Ms. Landreau is astonished by the audience members themselves. “They are just the nicest crowd, with wonderful affirmation, and every year the crowd shows their love to the people on stage. I want people to feel safe.”

All students were welcome to audition for Benstock. This year, there are even three acts that include freshmen. Ms. Landreau hopes for Benstock to continue in the future years to come, and for more teachers to come and discover and be awed by the talents of students and encourage individual voices.

Here are some video clips of past Benstock Events : Benstock 2014  Benstock Intro 2009

People who will be featured in the performance include:

Raquel Loera
Ramona and Maeve
The Father
Maeve and Roland
Schyler Jackson Fish
Charlie, Alex, Thomas, Evan, and Fernanda
Owen Stanley
Olivia Mason and John Manning
Taji and Nehali
Kenji Callahan
Malik Griffin
Claudia Stensrud
Paige and Sydney
Leah and Maria
Pohla and Manning
Francisco, Zach, and Nathan
Sami and Sydney Linssen
Dean and Ricardo
Makeshift

People who have passed the auditions have worked hard and are proud of their talent, and therefore it is our obligation as awesome Highland classmates to come support the talent in our school.