Category Archives: News

The benefits of planting trees

Trees provide many things for humans and are very important to the world. They produce oxygen from CO2 for us to breathe in, they provide shade, and they provide materials that we use every day, like wood.

Trees make life nicer. Studies have shown that spending more time around trees and other environmental spaces can affect a person’s mood and reduce the stress in our daily lives. Other research shows that children have less issues in school if they spend time outdoors and in green spaces and areas with trees. Hospital patients have also been shown to recover faster when the window in their room is facing trees.

Trees also have many environmental benefits. Planting more trees not only means more oxygen will be released into the world, but less CO2 emissions in the world. CO2 emissions released from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and gas, will be stopped by trees, which will transform it into oxygen. Trees are crucial and are one of the frontrunners in the battle against climate change. Trees improve our air quality which can prevent diseases and toxic gases that can be transferred through the air, such as carbon monoxide and sulfur.

Believe it or not, planting more trees can also have some economic benefits as well. Planting trees near businesses and buildings can reduce cooling costs, like the costs of AC units. Studies have shown that cities with well planted trees near buildings are cooler than cities without trees. Trees can help to combat the hot summer heat, and can reduce temperatures by 11°. Trees can also increase the retail value of houses or properties.

Planting trees can have a great effect on the world. Whether it’s just for your neighborhood or for your city, every little bit matters. Planting trees can provide economical, environmental, and health benefits, and, overall, can make the world a better place. 

Homicides in St. Paul

Image taken from: https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/another-shooting-brings-st-paul-homicides-to-28-for-the-year

In the city of St. Paul, there have been 28 homicides in only one year. This is the most homicides in a decade. The two shooters on Sunday evening, November 10th, brought the tally up by 2. During the month of September, there were only 9 shootings. 

The mayor of St. Paul has had enough and called a public meeting to discuss public safety.

Recently, there has been a shooting that happened the 2nd week of November, on Maryland Ave and Hazelwood St. A person was shot and it was reported at around 5pm. When the police came to the scene, one of the men was dead and the other one was injured badly, 

Another shooting happened in the Highland neighborhood, which is St. Paul’s 27th case. A man was shot in a car and the woman with him was injured as well. It happened on a Friday morning and is being investigated immediately.

There were 2 shootings that happened this past Wednesday, November 6th. The first one involved a senior football player from Henry Sibley. The second one was a gas station situation that involved a U.S Marshal.

The first guy, Da’Qwan Jones-Morris, was accidentally shot by his friend and one person said that it didn’t look like they were fighting. The police were questioning people but there were no arrests made.

The second one happened on 7th St and Kittson St when a U.S. Marshall shot an armed man who was trying to kill a car full of people. 

The Star Tribune recorded another recent shooting that just happened this past weekend as well, which is St. Paul’s 30th shooting. This happened on Rice St and Wayzata St at around 5pm. 

The city of St. Paul is planning on having a meeting to talk about the shootings and the violence. If this continues it may beat the 1992 record which saw 34 shootings.

‘Trail of Terror’

Well this is it, the spooky season. Now we’ve got to think about costumes and candy for the neighbors. But some of us like to go all out. Like haunted houses and mazes, and dressing up for this spooky time. Halloween is very festive, but my favorite thing to do is go to the “Trail Of Terror!”

On Friday, October 18th, I went there. If any of you don’t know, the “Trail Of Terror” is multiple different set ups of mazes. They have different people that dress up in scary costumes and makeup. The whole thing is near where the “Renaissance Festival” usually is.

During my visit I went through “The Maze Of Mayhem.” It has many people hidden throughout the maze. They jump out and scare! I think they did a wonderful job with this, but I feel that it was more suspense than anything and I think on my visit they were a bit understaffed but it was still fun. 

I also went through the mini versions of “The Maze Of Mayhem” which are the trailers. They were a bit disappointing, they didn’t have many people to scare you. 

The wait time gets longer and longer, about an hour after it opens. I arrived at 7:15pm and the line for “The Maze Of Mayhem” was not bad but after we left the maze it had almost twice as many people as it did when we were in line. 

I got in touch with the marketing team and asked them a few questions about “Trail Of Terror” so here it is: 

How many staff do you have return year after year?

About 70% of our staff returns each year and the rest are new people who want to get involved!

Are there emergency exits for the people that are too scared?

There are emergency exits for people who decide to leave the haunted houses before the end. In “The Maze of Mayhem,” there’s somewhere to exit around almost every turn.

Do they ever open an art contest for scary art, or other contests for new ideas?

Some years there are “Trail of Terror” mural competitions where people can submit murals and earn a free ticket.

What is the average age of people that go?

Teenagers and adults are the main demographics that we see, we don’t see young children here very often.

Do staff do their own makeup or is there a makeup team? 

We have a team of one professional makeup artist and some volunteers that do makeup for the entertainers.

How long does the prep, dress/makeup take each day?

It can take anywhere between 1-2 hours for full hair, makeup, and costume preparation.           

What requirements do you need for the job?

You must be over 14, have the desire to act and be scary, and the ability to stay in character!

How long have you been hosting this?

This is our 26th year of “Trail of Terror!”

Who started this tradition? 

“Trail of Terror” is hosted by an events company, Mid America Festival, that also puts on the “MN Renaissance Festival.”

Were there any challenges in starting this?

The biggest part is transitioning from “Renaissance Festival” to “Trail of Terror.”  While they are in different areas of our grounds, there is a lot of work to be done with closing down the “Renaissance Festival” and beginning “Trail of Terror.”

Anything else you want to say?

We have other fun promotions going on this year as well.  

This is the last weekend that you can attend! So, have a great Halloween, don’t get too spooked. 

If you plan on going:

Location: 3525 145th St W, Shakopee, MN 55379   

Prices are Online Tickets: $18.95

Box Office Tickets: $23.95

Times: it opens at 7pm and closes at 12:30am.

ACT change

Each year, millions of high school students across the country will be in intense pressure to get a good score and do good on the ACT exam. The ACT exam is usually always mandatory to get into any college.

This new change could allow students to avoid doing worse on sections they had taken earlier.

As of right now, scores on the four required sections are averaged into a composite score. Also starting in September, students will get a new superscore that combines their highest scores on the subsections from each time they took the test.

Justin Trudeau blackface

Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, decided to wear brownface to a party held at a private school. Justin once taught at that private school in 2001.

Trudeau was gaining media attention from the global press for what he was wearing. Last year, he wore Indian garb when he went to India with his family.

TIME spoke to different people who attended the spring gala in 2001, especially the women in the photos with him. One of them refused to speak about the situation and the other two forgot about Trudeau and the picture.

Area 51 raid

People from all over the country walked, drove, and even flew to raid at a United States Air Force facility, within the testing and training range in Nevada, known as Area 51, on September 20, 2019.

The reason behind this raid started when a Facebook event page was created to raid Area 51 by Matty Roberts, on June 27, 2019. The reason for the raiding was to see if the phenomenon about extraterrestrial life is really real and potentially on earth.

10 days before the  official day of the raid, 2 Dutch tourists were caught and later arrested for trespassing. As a result of that, the two men were sentenced to a year in prison according to NPR.

Despite no one really seeing anything they expected and wanted to see, they can say this experience was all around worth it. 

Amazon Rainforest fire

The Amazon Rainforest has a big impact on the world that we live in today because of the trees and oxygen that it supplies. Tropical forests give a huge amount of water and energy into the earth..Water and energy controls one’s local climate and because of that, tropical forests like the Amazon Rainforest are a big deal.

The Amazon Rainforest provides a lot of greens, and stabilizes the plants and wildlife. There are a lot of different species of animal that live in the Amazon Rainforest. One of the animals inhabiting the Amazon Rainforest is a piranha. The piranha is the most dangerous aquatic inhabitant of the Amazon River. The piranha has a strong jaw and razor sharp teeth.

Despite the excessive and huge fires in the Amazon Rainforest, that’s currently happening, it’s not the worst year the forest has seen. Years in the 2000s such as 2005, experienced over 142,000 fires within a time span of 8 months.

The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has received a lot of criticism for doing many things involving his lack of care and concern for the fires including rejecting $20 million in foreign aid to help fight the fires. Jair Bolsonaro has also talked about his support of deforestation. His comments and actions have caused people like one tribal chief, of a indigenous group in Brazil, to call his actions as a form a genocide.

The fires that are still going in are burning down more than just trees but also homes and millions of species that live in this area. According to the European Space Agency, the fires burning currently can be seen from space, and since the fires are so widespread it looks like clouds.

4 ways to support Hurricane Dorian victims

As you all may know, Hurricane Dorian has severely affected the lives of those living in the Bahamas. You may be seeing it all over the news, and you may be wondering ”Is there anything I, a high school student in Minnesota, can do to help those in the Bahamas who have been struck by this tragedy?” Well, there are some ways you can help. Here are 4 ways you can support the victims of Hurricane Dorian.

The first and most effective way to help is to donate money to a variety of organizations that help hurricane relief. Several organizations are already working in the Bahamas. A couple organizations include: The Red Cross and Global Giving.

2. Donate Clothes

Donating Clothes is definitely a great way to help provide citizens with proper, wearable clothes. You can donate clothes to the Bahamas Red Cross and they will see to it that they get in the hands of those who need it most.

3. Provide Supplies and Resources

If you’re short on money, or can’t give out any clothes, you can also give resources and supplies to organizations that help relief from Hurricane Dorian. Miami-Dade county is collecting supplies to help Hurricane survivors, and are accepting a wide variety of donations, including tents, cots, hygiene kits, purified water, portable generators and more.

4. Give Canned Food

Non-perishable food products are definitely needed in the Bahamas as a solution to feed those who have been driven out of their homes without resources, and are living in temporary spaces. You can donate canned goods to: World Central Kitchen.

Every little donation helps, no matter where in the world you are. Together, we can support those less fortunate than us by giving whatever we can to help hurricane victims. No matter how little you give, it’s up to us to respond to the needs of Dorian victims.

Coral reefs

Image taken from: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/160321-coral-bleaching-great-barrier-reef-climate-change/

Coral reefs stretch over 280,000 km in tropical areas. The reefs act as a “home,” and also is known as a shelter for many different species. Many people call the coral reef the “rainforests of the sea.”

Coral reefs help out the environment as well as us humans. The reef protects our shores from the impact of waves and from storms. They also help humans in the form of food and/or medicine. They also provide economic wealth to communities from tourism.

The World Meteorological Organization says that the reefs have more than $30 billion (U.S. dollars) in global goods and services.

The past few years, the reefs have seen many global threats increase.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature produced the “Red List of Threatened Species,” which highlights the species that are extinct, critically endangered, or vulnerable.

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the most managed reefs in the world. In 2009, a report made by the Australian agency fears the future and that “catastrophic damage to the ecosystem may not be saved.”

The State of Coral Reefs Around the World says that 205 of the world’s coral reefs are destroyed and show no immediate prospect of recovery. Approximately 405 or 16% of the world’s reefs, were seriously damaged in 1998, and are either recovering well or have recovered. 60% of the earth’s coral reefs are threatened by just human activity. For more information about reef recovery statistics, please visit: globalissues.org

Some threats coral faces would be: bleaching (which is when the water temperatures increase), over fishing and over harvesting which disrupt the ecosystem of the reefs, boat anchors and divers can also scar the reef. Another thing is that invasive species, like the lionfish, can also caused a threat. Threats like lawn runoffs, sewage, cities, and farms all feed algae into the ocean, which can cause the reef to be overwhelmed according to  ocean.si.edu.

According to oceanservice.noaa.gov, there are 10 ways you can help protect the coral reefs:

1: Choose sustainable seafood.

2: Conserve water; the less water you use the less runoff and wastewater will find its way back to the ocean

3: Volunteer to help with local beach or a reef cleanup.

4: Corals are already a gift. Don’t give them as presents.

5: If you dive, don’t touch. Coral reefs are alive. Any stirred-up sediment can smother the corals.

6: Practice safe boating. Anchor in a sandy area away from coral and sea grasses so that the anchor chain doesn’t drag and damage nearby corals.

7: Don’t send chemicals into our waterways. Nutrients from excess fertilizer increases algae growth that blocks sunlight to corals.

8: Be a marine debris crusader. Besides picking up your own trash, carry away the trash that others have left behind.

9: Educate yourself about coral reefs and the creatures they support.

10: Long-lasting light bulbs are a bright idea. Light bulbs reduce greenhouse gases.

Coral reefs play a vital role in sustaining the health of our oceans and economy so it is in our best interest to protect them.

Eid

Eid al-fitr (festival of breaking fast) and Eid I’d al- fitr are the two festivals of Islam. Ei-al fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, and is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal. And on the day of Eid we perform the communal prayer.

Eid al-fitr doesn’t begin until the moon is first sighted, and technically that means across the world Eid al-fitr starts at different times and different days; depending on the location. The festival traditionally last for three days.

On Eid morning, Muslims cleanse their bodies and put on news clothes. Before leaving to perform morning prayer, Muslims wake up to cleanse their bodies with a ritual called ‘ghusl.’ Muslims often get new clothes to pray with and is obligatory that all Muslims do this. Some people wear the traditional prayer clothes and women decorate their hands with henna.

After getting dressed and ready, Muslims gather for prayers in a Mosque and/or outside locations. On that day, Muslims greet each other with, “Eid Mubarak,” which means “Have a blessed Eid.” It is a pretty common thing to say on Eid day to celebrate the ending of fast.

After the prayer, some Muslims go home, or visit close relatives and eat Eid lunch. Or they drink some tea or coffee, eat cookies, sweets, or go out to eat. Younger children get Eid money from older relatives; that varies from $5 or more.

My family, we usually celebrate by praying, going out to eat at a restaurant, and going to play at a amusement park. Many Muslims celebrate the holiday differently: some Muslims play at a park, some stay home, some eat at home, some eat at a restaurant, etc.

Some Muslim families sacrifice an animal and share the meat with the poor, and some exchange gifts.