Tag Archives: Editorial

Editorials/Student Voice, Movies/TV/Theaters

The ‘Barbie’ movie

September 17, 2025 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By Kate Tabor

The ‘Barbie’ movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, is surrounded by a lot of controversy. For some reason, the exact point the movie was trying to make, went over so many people’s heads.

The movie itself is about the female experience, to put it simply. The societal expectations, the unfair standards women are held to, and the hardships that we as women all face and are not given enough credit for.

Most of the criticism about this woman is centered around the idea that Barbie is a doll with big boobs, and that’s it. She’s something to look at, something for young girls to be inspired by. What’s funny about that idea is the fact that when young girls actually are inspired by Barbie, or any other female icon, they’re criticized for it and beaten down.

What Greta Gerwig has done with the ‘Barbie Movie’ has made so many women and girls feel seen. She actually took Barbie, the women that so many women and young girls look up to, and had her experience what real women and girls experience. She captured exactly what it feels like to be a woman.

Not only that, but she turned it around in order for Barbie, what a lot see as just a pretty doll, and had her be inspired by a real human woman. What I’m trying to get across here, is that no matter who you are, as a woman in this society, you’re going to feel put down by society and its expectations of you. You could be the most beautiful and biggest female icon in the world, and still feel like you’re not enough.

This, of course, is not the only point that stands out in the movie, and most certainly is not the main point Greta was trying to get at, but it’s a very good one.

No matter how beautiful and great and special you are as a woman, which every woman is, there are always men, and sometimes women, who will try to tear you down. All you need to remember is that every single woman feels the exact same way as you.

Editorials/Student Voice

Separating art from artist: When do we cross the line?

June 4, 2025 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Hermekay Dehaney

American rapper Kanye West and socialite Kim Kardashian pose together at the red carpet of the Met Gala in 2019 by: Cosmopolitan UK via Wikimedia Commons

Separating art from the artist has become a controversial and recurrent topic over the past decade; its main belief is focusing on the work itself of that artist rather than the artist’s reputation and controversies at hand. Usually, when this topic gets brought up, it surrounds a celebrity getting “canceled” over various allegations and actions, which sometimes include severe repercussions such as criminal offenses.

These fallouts usually lead to a moral dilemma of people asking, “When should we separate, or is it okay to separate art from the artist?”

I believe that when the topic around a celebrity is about separating them from their art, then you know what they did was bad. Consider R. Kelly, a famous R&B singer whose crimes landed him in jail for 30 years, with the help of the documentary ‘Surviving R. Kelly’. Despite his sentencing, his music was still played on social media, at parties, and even sometimes at weddings. I would say nowadays people are starting to distance themselves from him, but there are a few outliers.

On the other hand, Kanye West is more of a complex case. He is considered one of the top artists of this generation with multiple platinum albums including, ‘The College Dropout’. and ‘Graduation’. In recent years, his crazy erratic behavior in public and online, especially his antisemitic views, have landed him in this topic.

Although people online do blame his mental health issues which potentially contributing to his sometimes outlandish behavior, there are others that don’t see his mental health as being the sole reason for his behavior. As someone once put it, “That’s an explanation, not an excuse“. So, even though I do believe it’s a factor, that doesn’t fully explain his weird behavior.

People have tried to draw a line on what is acceptable and unacceptable, but it’s not that easy. When someone as influential as Kanye uses their platform to spew hate and misinformation, especially to his impressionable younger fan base, that becomes dangerous.

The art that the artist puts out is sometimes a reflection of themselves. Their beliefs and values are sometimes mentioned in the lyrics, making it impossible to separate the two. Continuing to support such artists, even if you don’t agree with their actions, is still indirectly supporting them. They’re still making money from streams and maintaining cultural relevance despite their actions.

This topic is very subjective of when the line is crossed which leaves a gray area. Obviously, humans are not perfect, so when the opinion of canceling every artist who missteps comes about, that’s unreasonable. Some artists have committed serious and harmful acts that impact others while some have made non serious controversies. What one person sees as totally “cancellable” others may not.

I saw a comment which stated, “Art is based on context. I don’t think the artist needs to be a moral example to appreciate their work. But as always, we have to remain conscious and educated. We can pretend art lives separate from reality,” and to add onto that, this topic is not very limited, it’s not a one-size-fits-all discussion, but the truth is that It gets to a point where if you’re asking the question, the answer is most likely no.

Editorials/Student Voice

The importance of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’

May 28, 2025 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Kate Tabor

The movie ‘Little Women’ by Greta Gerwig has been my favorite movie since it came out in 2019. At the time, I would’ve been 11. I’m not sure exactly what it was that made me originally fall in love with the film, but I do know why I continue to love it.

I’m not really sure how many times I’ve seen the movie, but enough times to be able to recite almost every scene. In case you aren’t familiar with the story of ‘Little Women’ The story follows four sisters in the years after the Civil War, and goes back and forth between them then, and their childhood.

In a way, I believe the story encapsulates the spectrum of what it means to be a woman. Each sister has their own passions, and their own way of going about them.

Jo, the “main character” has dreams of being a writer in New York, and hates everything “feminine.” She goes about the notion that women don’t need a man, or love, in order to be fulfilled, and she claims she doesn’t want love. She goes on to marry Professor Friedrich Bhaer, who she met and has grown close with in New York. The reason I find this very interesting isn’t because I think what she believes is any less true, or takes away from her point, but rather it amplifies it. It shows that yes, women are their own people, with their own dreams and passions and brains, which Jo argues herself in the movie, but yet you can still yearn for love while being all that and more.

Oftentimes, without even meaning to, women and girls give up pieces of themselves for the men that they love, or the men who claim to love them, and though we live in our modern society, this still happens, though in smaller and unnoticed ways.

However, this all begs the question, is it wrong for women to yearn for traditional love? Of course not. Meg, the eldest sister, had a dream to marry a wealthy man and to live a life of comfort. She wanted to be a mother, and a wife, by the standards of back then. She wanted to embody that traditional mold of a woman. I find there’s nothing wrong with that, and it even strengthens Jo’s original point, too. At the end of the day, a woman should be able to choose her passion, whatever that may be.

Amy, the youngest sister, and my favorite, has dreams of being a successful painter. She’s oftentimes underlooked. She strives for greatness, and won’t settle for average. Maybe she’s my favorite becaus she reminds me the most of me, but I think it’s also because she has big dreams, and isnt afraid to chase them. She knows what she wants, and won’t settle for less, and I really admire that about her. Especially for those times, it wasnt common for women to be supported in pursuing their own passion in a work environment.

I could say much more about this movie, and go into even greater depth, but to summarize this all, Greta Gerwig showed the side of women that often gets overlooked, especially in the media. She shows the real side, a side that doesn’t revolve around men, but doesn’t neglect the idea of love. So, if you haven’t before, go watch her version of ‘Little Women’.

Books/Art, Editorials/Student Voice, Movies/TV/Theaters

Reasons why books are better than their movie adaptations

May 15, 2025 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Fletcher Pike

If you’ve ever watched a movie adaptation of a book, like ‘The Hunger Games’ or ‘Divergent’, you might wonder about the differences or similarities between the book and its movie adaptation. In this article, I will list several reasons as to why books are better than their movie counterparts.

For one, reading a book allows your mind to create your own interpretation of the story. Your brain creates your own version of the characters using descriptive words within the book that seems to make it more personal and creative. However, most movies might not correlate to your personal interpretation of what you thought characters or places looked like. This can lead to some dissatisfaction as some things might not seem as familiar to you.

Another reason is that movie adaptations usually leave out details from the book. As reading a book can usually take longer than watching a movie, the movies might leave out some interesting details or information about the plot or characters. The average film is only about 2 hours long, but books can have hundreds or even thousands of pages of descriptive words and details that can take several hours to read.

Another reason is that books help build your vocabulary. When you read a book, your brain is actively progressing in grammar and spelling. Reading several books makes you an overall smarter person as you are continuing to build your reading level and vocabulary.

Some might think that movies are more interesting than books, but books allow you to immerse yourself further into your own interpretation of the story.

Overall, I think that books are much better than movies as they provide a creative outlet for the endless stories that books contain.

Editorials/Student Voice

The impact of having a sister

May 2, 2025 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Kate Tabor

Having a sister isn’t always easy. Having multiple sisters can be even worse. As the youngest to two older sisters, I can vouch for this. Even so, I have to admit that I would be lost without them.

Even though sisters can easily annoy one another, I think that a sister bond can be one of the strongest relationships a girl can have. Now, of course it has its flaws, such as stealing clothing, and passive aggressive insults being thrown at one another at the dinner table, but those things are easily overcome. One moment, two sisters could be screaming at each other till their throats are sore, and five minutes later they’re best friends again.

I think that’s what makes a sister bond so special; the knowledge that even though we can get frustrated with each other, we’re always gonna come back to each other and be friends. Some may say that not talking about an argument may not be the healthiest thing, which in some cases I agree, but I think in most sister fights it’s okay, and those feelings can be trusted to be acknowledged and validated through future actions.

As for heart to heart moments between sisters, I find those happen in the moments that matter the most. I can’t count how many times my mother has told my sister to get in here and help comfort her, which oftentimes leads to an awkward pat on the back that lacks what’s really important. That’s not to say that sisters can’t be vulnerable with each other though, I just think that those are rare moments where you and your sister can truly see each other, and that’s when you really need each other.

In a lot of ways, having a sister is like having your best friend also be your enemy, but in the best way possible. You can trust each other to call each other out when needed, but also to have each other’s backs and stick by their side when they need it most.

And even though I hate to admit it, my sister is my best friend. Though right now, I’m extremely annoyed by her.

Editorials/Student Voice

The reductionist’s approach to climate change will be our downfall

April 17, 2025 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Maya Vossen-Nelson

To fight climate change, the world is shifting away from gas only cars and turning to electric vehicles. The alternatives to gas only cars are hybrid cars, which use a combination of electricity and gas to fuel the car, and electric cars, or EVs, that run on only electricity. Electric vehicles are essential to limiting the effects of climate change, but the shift to electric vehicles must be done smartly. Right now, the reductionist’s approach is creating climate crisis solutions that lack the very instrument that they are trying to achieve: sustainability.

In practice, reductionist thinking analyzes complex problems by breaking them down into more simple parts. The solutions that arise from this thinking lack complexity and they negate how change to an isolated part affects the system as a whole.

Reductionist solutions often show up in politics as a quick solution to a large problem, and yet are dysfunctional. In 2022, California announced that by 2035, all new passenger cars, trucks and SUVs sold within the state will be zero-emission vehicles. This absolutism policy fails to address how the world’s current production of EVs cannot support such a rapid shift while upholding ethical and climate obligations.

EVs and hybrid cars use rechargeable lithium ion batteries to power the vehicle in place of gas. Lithium and cobalt are metals that make battery subunits that are essential components to the efficiency and operation of these lithium ion batteries.

Unfortunately, the acquisition of lithium and cobalt used in the production of electric vehicles is not sustainable or humane. Nearly 70% of cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo where workers rights and laws are nearly non-existent. The relaxed worker regulations enable child labor in dangerous mines and without safety equipment. The children who are forced to mine with their hands are constantly poisoned by cobalt and many are killed from mining accidents. Mining cobalt also produces hazardous tails and slags that can leach into the environment causing further negative impacts on nearby communities. These issues will increase over time without intervention especially given that according to the Washington Post, cobalt mining is expected to increase 2,000% by 2040.

Without lithium ion battery recycling there is not enough mineable lithium to supply all electric vehicles, phones, and other products. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Earth has 88 million tons of lithium but only ¼ is available to mine. That number may change as technology advances. There could be 2.8 billion EVs produced from 22 million tons of lithium and there are 1.4 billion cars on the road as of January 2023. The growing population and growing amount of other products that rely on lithium and cobalt needs to be considered.

With the extensive use of lithium ion batteries and the attached humanitarian issues with cobalt mining in the Congo, the world cannot stop producing gas-only cars until there are plans in place to prioritize resource diversification to rely less heavily on lithium ion batteries. A more holistic approach must be part of the discussion surrounding the electrification of the automotive industry for EVs to make a sustained impact on the course of climate change.

Editorials/Student Voice, School Life

Is social media hurting or helping students?

March 18, 2025 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Teagan Mack

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.

Editorials/Student Voice

Would you pay 5 million dollars to immigrate?

March 5, 2025 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Evie Beaumaster

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.

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Editorials/Student Voice

Public education in America is severely underfunded and under appreciated

February 12, 2025 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Evie Beaumaster

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.

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Editorials/Student Voice, Entertainment

The problems in Hollywood

January 28, 2025 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Gabriella Bell

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.