BY SYDNEY WESCHCKE

STAFF WRITER

A few hours before the ban on TikTok was to take place, a federal judge blocked the ban. The main reason for the ban was the “immediate danger” of TikTok being owned by a company located in Beijing, China. The Trump administration is concerned that the Chinese Government could be able to access millions of American’s information. The app was set to be removed from the app store on September 20; along with more restrictions going into place on November 12. 

TikTok was set to be partnered with Oracle and Walmart; this has not been finalized yet as of the end of September. Microsoft has also shared interest in purchasing or partnering with TikTok. This would lower the national security threat, due to both those companies being located in the U.S. 

One solution to this ongoing security threat problem would be to use synthetic data. This is a way to make your data accurate but still anonymous. It would change some information about the person. For example, it could change their birthday by a couple months or days. Also, it would completely keep any addresses or other private information safe. In this way, TikTok could still be partially owned by ByteDance, and there wouldn’t be a security threat. It would also be safe if a U.S. company owned or partnered with TikTok.

Sources

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/27/tech/tiktok-ban-judge/index.html

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/tiktoks-data-privacy-problem-has-an-easy-solution-synthetic-data-2020-10-02

https://www.tiktok.com/

BY LYNNE INOUYE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF IN TRAINING

In 2018, there were 11,371 people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota; a number that had risen 10 percent since 2015. Homelessness can become someone’s only option due to a large variety of reasons, including lack of affordable housing, past abuse, chronic health conditions, childhood trauma, and much more. It’s an ongoing cause for concern, and Minnesota winters can worsen already horrible conditions. With many shelters and support centers closing at night or filling up, it can leave thousands of people cold and without a meal.

This is where Allan Law comes in. For the past two decades, he’s spent every single night on the streets of Minneapolis, handing out sandwiches and other supplies to the homeless population. Even when battling prostate cancer, he was unwilling to take a week of rest, going as far as to sneak out of the hospital before he was meant to leave. He never sleeps in a bed or takes time off, working 18 hours a day on two hours of sleep a night. Law is dedicated to helping these people; he saw a need and decided to do something about it. His story is further explained in the documentary The Starfish Throwers, which shows three powerful examples of changing lives for the better.

If this cause interests you or you want to help, an event is being sponsored by the non-profit organization Girl Onward to make sandwiches to be handed out. With COVID-19, there’s been a decrease in volunteers, and it would greatly aid Law’s organization and the homeless people of Minneapolis. To sign up for this event, go to this link and RSVP: https://www.girlonward.com/events/pack-sandwiches-at-home-drop-off-for-homeless 

Keep in mind, all RSVPs are due by Friday, October 9th, to allow time for ordering supplies. This is also an event that will be done at your home, with set times to pick up and drop off sandwiches. Hope to see you there!

Sources: 

http://mnhomeless.org/minnesota-homeless-study/homelessness-in-minnesota.php

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/allan-law-feeds-the-homeless_n_5966246?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000026

Picture: 

https://www.godvine.com/read/one-man-helps-feed-the-homeless-every-single-night-743.html

BY CREIGHTON LEWIS

STAFF WRITER

The novel coronavirus has changed everything. It’s made us more reluctant to visit public places, has prevented us from going to school this year, and it’s even gotten people kicked out of their homes. 

When people rent a house or an apartment, they have to pay their landlord a specific amount in order to ensure they have a place to stay. To have money, you need to have a job, but because of the pandemic, people have been unable to work, threatening their residence as a result. Depending on the rent amount, how much money someone has in savings, and whether someone has family members they can call and have a place to stay with, this can mean a temporary setback, or a one-way kick to the street. At a time where public health officials agree it’s best to be social distancing, doing so in a homeless shelter is going to be nearly impossible. The structures simply weren’t made with pandemics in mind. People are packed closely together, coming from different places and situations- it’s literally an infection waiting to happen.

Many people don’t know this, but after someone is evicted, there’s a permanent x on their record as a tenant. Wherever they try to go, the landlord will see this x and determine whether they think an individual is responsible enough to pay all of their rent on time. It makes it more difficult for people who are already desperate to find housing a place to stay. 

Finally, moratoriums are defined as  “delays in the activity of a law.” When someone agrees to pay the rent each month, they have to sign a legal document, but the moratorium blocks this document due to the current circumstance of being unemployed. Hopefully, all states’ legislatures will  pass a moratorium that lasts as long as  possible and makes sure all citizens have the ability to breathe, rather than suffocate from the  growing amount of debt.

BY LAUREN PAULSON

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As more and more people are forced to stay in their houses in an effort to flatten the curve of people infected with Covid-19, there has been an increase in the amount of video, audio, and literary content released on the internet for free. Popular sports channels, podcasts, and online libraries are giving out free trials and free content in an effort to entertain people across the globe during this challenging time. The world of Broadway is no exception, and theatre-goers everywhere are taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: watching a Broadway musical in their homes for free. While all in-person Broadway shows have been cancelled through June (at the earliest), several big-name theatre companies and artists are releasing professional content weekly. Below are two of the most popular ways people are streaming shows.

1. The Shows Must Go On: Andrew Lloyd Webber, the famous playwright of hit musicals like The Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Jesus Christ Superstar, is releasing a film of one of his shows every weekend. Available for twenty-four hours starting on Fridays at 1:00 P.M., these musicals can be found at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvag/featured. The first featured performance (which aired on April 3rd) was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, followed by Jesus Christ Superstar a week later. Phantom of the Opera and its sequel, Love Never Dies, were available the past two weekends. Each week the website is updated with the news of which musical will be aired next, so be sure to keep informed so you can catch your favorite Webber show! If you missed one of your favorites, there are still clips of the most beloved songs from each of the musicals that have already been aired that can be found on youtube.
2. BroadwayHD: This website streaming service that usually requires a paid subscription if offering a free seven-day trial to fans who want to binge their favorite musicals, dramas, and documentaries. All you have to do is visit their website at https://www.broadwayhd.com/ and sign up for a free subscription for one week; this will unlock access to hundreds of classics like Carousel, Les Miserables, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and many more. At the end of your free trial, you will have to unsubscribe to ensure you are not automatically charged a fee for an added month of access.

Another professional theatre resource (not a part of Broadway) that you can use to stream top-level Shakespeare productions is the Globe Theatre in London. This company is releasing several of its productions on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/user/ShakespearesGlobe, with each one available for two weeks starting every other Monday. A 2009 version of Romeo and Juliet is currently accessible for free from the website. In the coming weeks productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Two Noble Kinsmen, Macbeth, and The Winter’s Tale will be available for free viewing and streaming as well.

In our modern age, there are many ways we are able to stay connected and continue to enjoy entertainment, even when we are stuck at home. With a lot of effort from the theatre world to find a way to produce free, accessible content, theatre-goers and thespians are grateful to be able to maintain some of the joys of normal life.

Sources:

https://broadwaydirect.com/andrew-lloyd-webber-offers-free-musicals-to-stream-on-youtube-during-covid-19/

https://www.broadwayhd.com/categories/shakespeare

https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/watch/

Image Source:

BY LYNNE INOUYE AND SYDNEY WESCHCKE

STAFF WRITERS

As Coronavirus cases steadily rise in America, a lot of us are becoming more and more stressed as we worry about jobs, family, or schooling. This, by itself, is perfectly understandable and valid. It’s only when this anxiety turns to blame, racism, and xenophobia that things become dangerous. In this article, we will be talking about how to spread kindness in these trying times instead of hate. 

First, many politicians and public figures have taken to calling COVID-19 the “Chinese Coronavirus” or the “Chinese virus.” This not only makes a scapegoat of China as a country but encourages racism against Asian Americans here. Though these people may treat it as a joke, it can encourage hate crimes and violent acts of racial discrimination. Over the last two weeks, there have already been reports of 1,100 Coronavirus-related attacks against this community. If you hear someone call it the “Chinese virus,” don’t hesitate to speak up and explain why this needs rethinking. There’s a reason we don’t name diseases after their place of origin much anymore; it has a long, negative history.

Next, you can just support the Asian-American community in general. The federal government hasn’t taken any strong action to protect these people, but some agencies have. The U.S Commission on Civil Rights raised concerns about it, and the Department of Education issued guidance to educators to protect their students at the risk of harassment. This is a good start, but a lot more can still be done. Be aware of the bigotry, and if you see someone being mistreated, defend them. 

I hope this article was informative! Stay safe and healthy, everyone.

Sources: 

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/how-to-respond-to-coronavirus-racism

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/17/us-government-should-better-combat-anti-asian-racism#

BY LYNNE INOUYE AND SYDNEY WESCHCKE

STAFF WRITERS 

Martin Luther King Jr. was born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew to become a renowned activist and was the first private citizen to be honored with a federal holiday after his assasination. It took some time, though, before the holiday came to be.

Four days after his assassination, John Coyers attempted to get Martin Luther King Jr. an offical holiday for his contributions to pushing African-American rights. However, after trying for years and years, Coyers still had no real progress on the matter. It wasn’t until the 1980s that support for the idea started to grow; the Congressional Black Caucus, or the CBC, got 6 million signatures supporting a holiday, and Stevie Wonder wrote a hit song called “Happy Birthday,” raising awareness for the cause. Public support grew until in 1983, the 20 year anniversary of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, the legislation was finally signed by President Ronald Reagon. 

However, this wasn’t quite the end of the ordeal. Despite the fact that it was official, Martin Luther King Jr. Day wasn’t celebrated as a federal holiday until 1986. Not all states recognized it, some believing that the holiday should instead celebrate the leaders of the confederacy.  This belief remains to this day, to an extent. Though all states have celebrated it as of 2000, a few choose to honor the confederate leaders, too. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day has faced a long fight in order to be implemented. Despite all the trials it faced, it remains an official holiday today – a way to honor a man who stood for freedom and equality. After reading this article, hopefully you will consider the significance of January 20th this year and reflect on the day’s long history. Thanks for reading!

Sources

https://www.history.com/news/martin-luther-king-jr-day-controversial-origins-of-the-holiday

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/biographical/

Picture: https://www.google.com/search?q=mlk+jr&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS856US856&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjX6vaEnLTnAhUZCc0KHQgvB8cQ_AUoAXoECBUQAw&biw=1707&bih=821#imgrc=dQFjmTA8Il0F-M