The Spectrum Newspaper February 2020 by Spectrum Newspaper

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the blakespectrum.org

“Your Voice in Print”

Friday | February 7 | 2020

Issue V

The Blake School

Six Students Return from First Semester Study Away Programs A closer look at Blake’s Abroad Programs Will Rosenblum | Opinions Editor

his semester, six students have returned

from study away opportunities from all across the country and the world. Previously, the highest number of participants in study away programs in a particular semester had been 14, right before the economic recession in 2007.

In recent years, a slightly lower average of ten kids studied away each year, in either single semester or whole year programs. The programs have varying primary focuses, some being language immersion, developing specialized in-

terests in arts and/or sciences, or experiencing and discovering more about the world outside of the Minnesota area. Dion Crushshon ‘88, Director of Global Programming, says that the main draws for most stu-

dents are to “grow in independence, responsibility, time management and extending themselves,” as well as “growing [their] own interests.” Because there is more freedom, many of the students in study away programs are able to expe-

rience a preview of living independently. Study away programs allow for students to find out more about who they are as well as aid them in growing into the person they want to see themselves as.

Henry Ericson

Max Hankins

Linnea Ava Pihlstrom Krig

Germany offers Zermatt provides Environmental familial connection diverse culture science inspires

Ian Acheson

Kalissa Fruetel

Lucy Wolfe

Mountains frame Classes explore Maine creates school experience New York history natural oasis

Anna Johns | Staff Writer

Keaton Rannow | Staff Writer

Kendall Phillips | Staff Writer

Nora Fox | Arts & Culture Editor

Emma Martinez Sutton | Editor-in-Chief

Betsy Fries | Photography Editor

ax Hankins ‘22 brought familiar faces with him on his study abroad: his family. The Hankins decided to take a leap by temporarily moving to Germany to explore their German heritage. According to Hankins, “[My mother] thought it would be a good idea for me and my sisters to go back to Germany and experience what she did when she was growing up as a child there.” Hankins got a glimpse of his mother’s childhood experience and also forged new memories of his own. While Hankins enjoyed the opportunity to develop his German speaking skills, he was also thrilled by the cultural components. The culture at his international school was quite different than he expected. Smaller classes led to deeper personal connections with everyone in his grade, even with those outside his friend group. “Seeing different ways of life and having to participate in these different traditions... is really important for you as a person.”

hile the rest of the sophomore class was settling in for another year at the Upper School, Ava Pihlstrom ‘22 spent her first semester abroad in Switzerland at the Swiss Semester program. Swiss Semester is a program available to incoming sophomores to study abroad in Zermatt, Switzerland, located in the Swiss Alps. While still being involved in academics, students participate in a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking and climbing in the fall and skiing in the winter. Apart from outdoor activities, students visited restaurants and explored the town. The experience is not without challenges, however, as students have to acclimate to a new home and new people. Ultimately, Pihlstrom found the experience a beneficial one, filled with new friendships, fresh experiences, and most importantly “a life-changing experience.”

lassroom learning, specifically in a lecture teaching style, can often lack the energy and excitement needed to entice and assist a student’s learning ability. Linnea Krig ‘21 was able to have a very interactive and hands-on classroom experience when she left Blake for the first semester to attend the Conserve School in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, Krig engaged in specialized learning about environmental science. While at the Conserve School, Krig did most of her learning outside, “using the land as [her] classroom,” and she calls this “experiential learning.” Aside from the benefits of “experiential learning,” Krig also states that “you kind of get to know who your teachers are more than just the subject they’re teaching” because the students and teachers at the Conserve School are together “24/7.” Krig explains that “there’s a lot to gain from getting away from regular school and jumping into something completely different. It’s just really fun and valuable.”

This sweet holiday and its traditions have a long history. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on Feb. 14 across the United States and in a few scattered locations around the world.

Talking about politics can be awkward and tense, but excited students and diligent teachers, in combination, create safe spaces where students can express their opinions.

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mmersed in the simple atmosphere of the natural world, Ian Acheson ‘21 enjoyed his semester-long break from his regular routine by studying at the High Mountain Institute in Lake County, Colorado. During his time at HMI, Acheson learned hands-on about the natural world around him. He climbed Colorado’s highest mountain on an 18 day backpacking trip and learned a variety of skills ranging from hiking to environmental ethics. Unlike Blake, most of Acheson’s classes were centered around nature. He took an environmental science course and a literature of the natural world course. Additionally, a cell phone free environment and small groups fostered a strong sense of community. Acheson has mixed feelings about being back. He’s really happy to see his friends and family; however, he misses being surrounded by nature both inside and outside of the classroom.

Tyler May

fter spending the first semester in New York City for CITYterm, Kalissa Fruetel ‘21 is now reacclimating to Blake’s class environment. While in New York, Fruetel stayed at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, traveling into New York City many times a week. During CITYterm, Fruetel benefited from experience and project-based learning in a brand new community, in classes focused on New York’s history and culture. As the semester went on, Fruetel was given the independence to explore where she wanted on school days that students were allowed to go into New York City from noon to 6 p.m. Fruetel chose CITYterm not only because she got to live in New York City, but also because it provided the perfect opportunity to explore her interest in architecture. She visited four of the five boroughs during her time in CITYterm and formed a strong community of students across the nation.

Body image is extremely relevant in sports, especially in today’s society. There is an intense pressure placed upon athletes to look a certain way and represent the “ideal picture of health.” Page 16

ife could not have been better for Lucy Wolfe ‘21 studying away for the semester. During her time at Maine Coast Semester in Wiscasset, Maine, she had the opportunity to grow her passions and interests, making new friends from all across the country. Wolfe learned many new things, ranging from the natural history of the Maine Coast to spending five days sea kayaking in Stonington Bay. With a total of thirtynine students in the entire program, she stayed in a non-heated cabin with six other girls called Binnacle. Wolfe and her cabin mates would take turns getting up around two in the morning to make a fire. While she is happy to be back home, the experience allowed her to reflect on what brings her joy in life. See more details on the returning students online at blakespectrum.org

Melody Lee

NEWS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 2

STAFF

Vending Machine Leaves School, Lacks Return

hings constantly go missing at Blake, from earrings to sports equipment, but one of the biggest mysteries of them all is the disappearance of the vending machine that once stood outside of the lunchroom. As one of the most popular vending machines in the school for some of its “healthier” food options, many students were stunned and saddened to find a rectangular void where the missing vending machine used to be. Suspicions spiraled about the machine’s disappearance, ranging from lack of use, maintenance or stocking problems, cost issues, and overuse by the students. One popular comment was that it was removed because it distracted people from lunch: students would buy food instead of eating the lunch provided by Taher. Meanwhile, another stated that the company running the machine went out of business, so the new company removed it. With rumors spreading about the location of this source of snacks, US-Lead Security Officer Brandon Krona, set the record straight. “The vending machine was taken out by the company who supplied it. We had two different venders that occupied our machines. One surprising

The Blake School 511 Kenwood Pkwy February , 2020

Editor-In-Chief: Emma Martinez Sutton Managing Editors: Jack Prince | Sara Richardson Creative Director: Sage Marmet Online Editor: Jack Prince Multimedia Editor: Will Rosenblum Photo Editor: Betsy Fries Front Page Editor: Sage Marmet News Editor: Dylan Gainsley Student Life Editor: Jack Richardson Arts & Culture Editor: Nora Fox Food Editor: Catherine Barry Features Editors: Betsy Fries | Maggie Seidel InDepth Editor: Sara Richardson Opinions Editors: Christina Chekerdjieva | Will Rosenblum Perspectives Editor: Emma Martinez Sutton Games Editor: Jack Prince Sports Editors: Gabe Ganz | Noor Naseer Business Manager: Kaitlyn Saldanha | Keaton Rannow | Maggie Seidel Adviser: Anna Reid

STAFF WRITERS: Shira Aronow, Anna Johns, Amaka Nwokocha, Ava Pihlstrom, Kendall Phillips, Kate Rekas, Emily Rotenberg, Shagun Sinha, Jenna Thrasher, Bernadette Whitely STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Elena Gill

email saying it was being taken away shocked our Admin team.” The machine’s removal could have some problematic consequences for the Blake community. While health teacher Cris Larson didn’t think that many of the items in the vending machine could be considered “health food” or even “healthy” foods, she said it “perhaps offered some healthier options when compared to traditional vending options as long as this wasn’t a person’s sole nutrition source.” Ben Aronow ‘21 said that “I probably used it weekly during freshman year and then rarely after that, so I don’t really care about it being taken out, but it seemed good to have, like, for people who just needed something in the morning or afternoon when there wasn’t lunch.” While the vending machine didn’t have completely healthy items, it stood between the ones full of junk food and the cafeteria. Even though the vending machine was supposedly taken out because it meant less people getting food from the cafeteria, it could also have distracted people from getting food from the less healthy vending machines. Moreover, Elizabeth Nguyen in

attendance, confirmed that “The small percentage that we receive from the vending machine companies is deposited into the dance account to subsidize the cost of prom.” Overall, the loss of the vending machine revoked a food resource at the school, but there are, of course, many other options to support students throughout the day. In addition, while the vending machine provided financial support for funding the junior and senior prom, it wasn’t the only method for funding. In the end, maybe losing the vending machine had its benefits, allowing people to experience the food that Taher creates every day. For students that strongly wish for the return of the “healthy” vending machine, they need only to go to members of the administration to plead their case. They would be happy to listen to what students have to say. Still, there may not be a need to, since our administrators have already been discussing the process of replacing it, and they have been given approval to get a new machine. So, with any luck, the new vending machine will be up and running very soon.

STAFF ARTISTS: Nadia Lee, Tyler May EDITORS EMERITI: Caroline Hardy, Drew Rosenblum, Daniel Lesov, Anderson Blum BECOME A STAFF MEMBER: Contribute to the paper three times consecutively to be promoted to a staff writer! JOIN SPECTRUM: Spectrum meets every Thursday in room 351 during both lunches. Please come if you are interested in writing, drawing, designing, or taking pictures for our newspaper.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Disagree with something that’s in the paper? Have an opinion you want to share? Like to draw editorial cartoons? Take a stand and speak out. E-mail letters or editorial cartoons to spectrum@blakeschool.org or deliver them anonymously in room 351. Please limit letters to 400 words. MISSION STATEMENT: The primary purpose of the Blake School Spectrum is to report news and to explain its meaning and significance to our readers and the community. We hope to inform, entertain and provide a school forum for the unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions. STYLE STATEMENT: This semester, Spectrum decided to change to Associated Press style. Historically, Spectrum has always adhered to MLA style. This February 2020 issue is the first issue of Spectrum in AP style.

Healthier, popular vending machine gone, but for reason

Nya Manneh | Staff Writer

Maggie Seidel

Model UN members at a conference last November.

Model UN Facilitates Learning, Discovery Program helps solve global problems Amanda Ward | Contributing Writer any citizens of the United States focus on domestic scandals such as political polarization and tweets.Vast numbers of major international problems affect all 7.5 billion people. Model UN is a way for high school students to learn about important, universal problems by simulating the intergovernmental organization responsible for maintaining international peace and security among nations. Forty students will travel to Georgetown University in February where 3000 students convene for four days to explore various problems and seek solutions through discussion, negotiation, and debate. Clara Lee Molina ‘21 will participate in a bilingual committee, utilizing her Spanish speaking skills as she discusses issues surrounding the Spanish Civil War. To prepare for this big event, students will be writing papers, doing research, and will participate in a mock trial with Breck students. Andrew Chang ‘21 said, “I believe that my participation in Model UN has allowed me to gain many useful future skills such as public speaking, debating, and collaborating with others.”

DECA Dominates, Even With Limited Business Curriculum Students progress to next level in DECA competition Chad Woerner | Contributing Writer

lake’s DECA chapter, a group under the larger national body Distributive Education Clubs of America, saw many of its members make a statement at the Districts Competition on Sunday, Jan. 12. It’s mission is to “encourage the development of business and leadership skills through academic conferences and competitions.” Blake’s director of finance Raj Mallawaaratchy leads the group, and DECA

offers a rigorous business education sparsely located in the Blake course choices. Alice Jin ‘20 says, “to come up with a theoretical business/ company and explore concepts in business, which is not taught in regular Blake classes.” Student competitors qualified across all four grades at the competition – among them Jin and Timo Hemphill ‘20. The class of 2021 led the way with Bella Orht ‘21, Amanda Ward ‘21, and Samrat Pradhan ‘21. Tanush Dhingra ‘23 was only one of two freshmen to qualify. Most events consist of either a business plan or a role play. Business plans are usually around ten pages long, and presented in front

of a judge. More impressively, podium placements in the qualifying round were taken in four different business sectors: Business Growth (Elle McCarty ‘21, third place), Human Resources Management (Morgan Swigert ‘20, third), Independent Business Plan (Hemphill, Swigert, and Vorbrich, second), lastly Hemphill took first in the Marketing Communication Series. Additionally, Mabel Chovan-Aziz ‘21 and Ford Ashmun ‘20 won second place in Market Decision Making. Members of DECA continue to work hard, seeking success in the approaching State Career Development Conference, taking place on

March 1 through 3.

Raj Mallawaaratchy

Deca particapants smiling at Thomas Jefferson High School after the award ceremony. Pictured front row: Elle McCarty ‘21, Nina Bush ‘22, Sage Marmet ‘22, Julia Rasmussen. ‘23. Pictured Back row: Josh Smith ‘23, Morgan Swigert ‘20, Timo Hemphill ‘20, Josh Vorbrich ‘20, Dylan Gainsley ‘22, Shef West ‘22, Mabel Chovan-Aziz ‘21, Ford Ashmun ‘20.

STUDENT LIFE | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 3

No Buenos Aires: Economic Crisis Senior Slide Not What it Appears Argentina is in an economic crisis Christina Chekerdjieva | Opinions Editor

raveling abroad in a foreign country is already intimidating- but what happens when you find yourself caught amidst an economic crisis during your family vacation? Henry Schmidt ‘23 found himself in this situation when traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina with his family this winter break. Argentina has a history of economic instability and political crisis. According to Bloomberg Business, since 1950, Argentina has spent 33% of its time in recession, which affirms the theory that history will always repeat itself. With such a highly educated public, rich culture, and a strong tourist industry, it seems as though Argentina should be thriving. So, what is causing this continuous crisis? Between 2003 to 2012, Argentina racked up almost $170 billion worth of debt, and the country struggles to choose whether to pri-

oritize social spending or spend the money on eliminating the debt. In short, Argentina spends more money than it has, and a lack of continuity in the central government contributes to its instability. Mounting debt contributes to the climb of inflation in the country as well. When Schmidt’s family attempted to withdraw local currency, the ATM would only allow them to withdraw a maximum of 2000 ARS per day, which is equivalent to $33 USD. Their American credit cards were “blacklisted,” meaning that all transactions were immediately rejected in a process that was created to prevent fraudulent activity. Most of us are unaware of the economic struggles that Argentina faces. The only news we hear of Argentina usually comes from our Spanish textbooks. The economic crisis takes an immense toll on the Argentinian people, whose futures can be daunting and unknown. Because of the unstable futures of many Argentinian people, it is common for families to have members working in the

Seniors attempt to maintain work ethic in last semester Noor Naseer | Sports Editor s defined by the Urban Dictionary, senior slide refers to “That magical part of your senior year in high school when things get a little easier and nothing you do matters.” Rohan Ajmani ‘20 speaks to this expectation saying, “I kind of thought in the second semester, there would just be an understanding between teachers and students that a lot of students would just stop caring about school.” However, for one reason or another, most students have found that the second semester of their senior year is not what they expected it to be. Ajmani points to the reality he is currently seeing, saying, “The thing is, for Blake kids I feel like senior sliding is just means instead of getting 97s on tests, they get 95s, so I think this whole culture of senior sliding is kind of overplayed because people still recognize the im-

Betsy Fries

Henry Schmidt ‘23 shares his experience traveling to Argentina.

United States that can help provide a stable income. While in Argentina, Schmidt’s family struck up conversation with a tour guide who has a daughter working in Florida for cruise company, which provides her with an opportunity to provide for herself and her family in ways she couldn’t do in Argentina. After hearing their conversation, Schmidt says, “I felt really bad for what he had to go through next in life.”

portance of getting good grades in second semester of senior year.” Sophie Hildreth ‘20 is an example of this still strong work ethic claiming, “I actually still have some motivation to try because I want to get good grades.” While these are instances of students continue to focus on their grades to reach their own personal standards, Sam Clark ‘20 shares her experience, shedding light on something that most students are unaware of: “What they don’t tell you is if you’re applying for any scholarships, you do them after you apply to your colleges, so we’re doing them right now, so

sliding is not an option for some people.” Moreover, Madeleine Meskan ‘20, shares that even though she also expected to experience the senior slide she says that “I actually have way more work than first semester, so it’s kind of been the opposite.” Meskan is holding out hope, though, claiming, “I feel like fourth quarter is when I’m really going to stop [trying.]” Although most students are still dealing with a heavy workload, some, like Sujan Arora ‘20, haven’t been very stressed in quite a while as he shares, “I’ve been senior sliding since sophomore year.”

Tyler May

Snowdazed and Confused: Students Have Little Hope for Fun Dance Dance sparks controversey once again Jackie Weyerhaeuser | Contributing Writer

f you talk to almost any student about school dances, you would hear that they have become increasingly less fun in recent years. The new rules and procedures implemented for Homecoming this year made some students feel like they were “under a microscope and couldn’t have fun” according to Isa Chenitz ‘20. Teachers standing in front of the DJ booth rather than on the side of the gym made many students feel uncomfortable and suffocated by the increased amount of supervision. Natalie Sabes ‘21 states that “I feel more

judged by the teachers than I do by other students at the dances.” Robert Grace ‘21 reiterates this point and states that: “People feel like they’re being watched and that they can’t really express themselves without being glared at by a teacher just eyeing them down.” Another point of contention around recent school dances has been the music. Grace states that “the music at recent dances has been terrible. I think it really kills the energy and the vibe that is trying to be created at a school dance.” This was exemplified by Homecoming this year when at times almost everyone in attendance was sitting on the bleachers. At prom last year, students held up a note drawn on their phone that said “skip” when the DJ played a song they didn’t

like. Chenitz states that “the music at homecoming this year was by far the worst I have [heard] yet. There are a plethora of songs that students enjoy that either do not have explicit words or derogatory messages or have clean versions. 80s punk rock, slow dance songs, and the cupid shuffle do not belong at a high school dance.” Gabby Monahan ‘20 reiterates, “[At Homecoming] it was all music that nobody really listens to anymore. Teachers kicked us off the stage when we tried to request songs and I don’t think that’s fair. We’re just trying to request songs and if we’re just trying to make it more fun through something so simple like the music, they shouldn’t shoo us off the stage.” The lack of good music and the increase in

teacher supervision has caused dances to become less enjoyable overall for students. Grade Dean Shawn Reid believes that students care more about

things that “can be not as serious or trivial” than they have in previous years in regards to dances. However, by looking at participation on

the dance floor and overall attendance at the past few dances compared to dances a few years ago, it’s clear that these issues are not trivial to students.

Noor Naseer

Sage Marmet ‘22 and Betsy Fries ‘22 share the theme of the upcoming Snowdaze dance at a morning assembly. The theme for this year’s dance is: Bling in the New Year..

UPCOMING EVENTS 2/8: Girls Hockey Section Game 2/8: Snow Daze Dance 2/8: SAT and ACT Testing 2/10: Admissions Event 2/13: Boys Hockey Senior Night

2/14: 2/14: 2/17: 2/18: 2/22:

WinterFest at Ice Arena No School and Valentine’s Day School Off For Preisdents’ Day Girls Varsity Basketball at Blake MS LearningWorks School Year Program

ARTS & CULTURE | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 4

Bennett Gallery Hosts First Solo Show with Josh Vorbrich’s Clothing Line Vorbrich expresses individuality through art Jack Prince | Online Editor

anuary’s Bennet Gallery Exhibit featured work unlike any other exhibit has before. Josh Vorbrich ‘20’s exhibit was the first solo show created by a student. The exhibit is based off of Vorbrich’s clothing line, Les Yeux. Les Yeux, when translated into English, means “The Eyes”. Adhering to its name, Les Yeux strives to use art to question the role of one’s eyes in their interpretation and expression. Vorbrich’s line is unique because all of his designs come directly from his creative and artistic mind. Vorbrich states, “Everything is basically made on the third floor of my house: the attic.” Besides taking a class and learning a few tips from a designer in downtown Minneapolis, Vorbrich is entirely selftaught. This unique and complex artistic approach is one that no other Blake student has attempted to bring to life. When talking about his featured pieces, Vorbrich states, “The gallery

wasn’t just a physical version of the website. There was a lot more depth than that. There were pieces I had made by hand such as dresses and coats.” In addition to these physical elements, the exhibit featured paintings and fashion illustrations. As the first student to have his own show, Vorbrich felt that he had to prove that his exhibit would be worth the risk and investment of the gallery’s curatorial team. When commenting on how he was able to secure his own exhibit in the gallery, Vorbrich said, “I showed up to [the meeting with the curatorial team] with blueprints of where I wanted everything to be and a whole portfolio of things.” With such an elaborate and organized approach to his work, it isn’t a surprise that Vorbrich’s pieces all have their own unique meaning. Besides the beauty of each piece, Vorbrich hopes that each person takes something meaningful away from his designs. He states, “I think clothing fashion is an art form and it should be used to express ideas just like art. My pieces had layers of depth behind them. I am happy people took time to read the pieces and engage with them to understand what I was trying to convey.”

Jack Prince

Josh Vorbrich

Lilian Anderson

Pictured above are designer items from Vorbrich’s solo show. Pieces ranged in style from clothing items to paintings and drawings. The open space in the gallery helps draw attention to each unique piece.

Lake Harriet Kite Festival Exceeds Expectations Musical Builds Community Array of activites provides options Catherine Barry | Food Features Editor

s I approached the lake, I was amazed to see kites of all shapes and sizes, scattered across the sky. Neonstriped fish, birds, and an array of other smaller kites fluttered in the wind. But the beautiful array of kites was only a backdrop for the main attraction: the art shanties. This year, the Lake

Harriet Kite Festival took place on Saturday, January 25 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. This free event is open to the public and attracted a wide audience. Although this festival has always been centered around kites, the art shanties were the most popular. They were bold, vibrant, and intriguing. My favorite was the Pollinator’s Shanty. Its wrap-around mural was created to showcase the need for survival of a Minnesota native garden pollinator. Many others like myself were drawn

in by the shanty’s colorful mural. The line, just to go inside, was ten to fifteen minutes long! Another memorable art shanty was the MinneSauna, the perfect way to warm-up on the frozen lake. Inside, there was a changing room, a Morrison wood-burning stove, and a cozy 5-person interior built out of reclaimed cedar. The -7 Degree Entry Danceteria shanty also caught my attention. Inside, it had a light up dance floor and music. In addition to vis-

iting the art shanties, I was able to explore a variety of local artists’ booths and try ice fishing. New to this year, I also had the opportunity to attempt flat-tire biking in the snow. An array of food trucks provided many food options including tacos, Ben & Jerry’s, and hot chocolate. I would definitely recommend this event for people who love and embrace the frigid Minnesota weather and are looking for a relaxed, family-friendly festival!

Art Shanty Projects began in 2004 as an expirement in turning traditional ice fishing houses into a less convential art studios and retreats on the lake. This event is now home to more than 20 shanties and over 150 artists and performers. Last year, 40,000 people visited the art shanties on Lake Harriet.

Students bond during spring musical rehearsals Sara Richardson | Managing Editor

he spring musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” has already been a challenging yet rewarding experience for the theater community. Stage manager, Mathew Krelitz ‘20, reveals the difficulty of putting on the musical: “[..] I would say there are more moving parts just in that they [characters] are singing and dancing.” Because of this more numbers need blocking, which adds another challenge. Actress, Maya Hardy ‘21, explains, “One of the things that is most difficult is probably adding singing and dancing at the same time, especially [in] one of our numbers called pandemonium [..] And it is a crazy dance number and the singing has all of these different aspects where you have to remember that along with the dance. So putting that together can be difficult

parts of creating a musical.” However, the long nights and difficult numbers have allowed the theater community to form a strong bond. Hardy explains how her experience acting in the musical at Blake differs from that of her old school: “I am excited because, for me, the past two years have been the same group of people. With those people, I obviously made some great friendships and connections, but I am excited to be able to experience that with another group of people.” Similarly, Tommy Pan ‘21 is excited to become closer with his fellow castmates. He says, “I wanted to get that experience. I just really like the theater community and I would just love to be a part of it.” Although musicals can be challenging to put on, the bonds formed and friendships made in the process make the long nights worth it.

FOOD FEATURES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 5

In the 21st Century, Valentine’s Day Immediately Turns from Holiday to Profit Day Advertisers use Valentine’s Day chocolates to entice customers

his sweet holiday and its traditions have a long history. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on Feb. 14 across the United States and in a few scattered locations around the world. It’s a day where people show their appreciation and affection for their loved ones, which is usually accompanied by flowers, cards, and chocolate. This famous day gets

Daayy TTrr ee’’ss D n n i i eeaa t t n n e e tt ll a a VV

Lucy Wolfe | Contributing Writer

its name from St. Valentine, whose life seems to be an unsolved mystery. The most popular belief is that he was a priest in Rome in the third century. Emperor Claudius II had banned marriage because he thought that married men made bad soldiers. St. Valentine believed this was unfair, so he arranged marriages in secret. When Claudius discovered that St. Valentine was arranging secret marriages, he threw him in jail and sentenced him to death. During his time in jail, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and when he was taken to

Sage Marmet

Chocolate Lovers’ Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Delicious cookies are worth effort and time

Students share their favorite treats and best traditions

Instructions: Dry Ingredients 1. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Wet Ingredients: 1. In a large bowl, using a hand-held or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy and creamed (about two minutes). Beat in the egg and vanilla on high speed. Use

“

Sage Marmet | Creative Director

“

I like to eat a lot of dark chocolate and those little candy conversation hearts [for Valentine’s Day]. In terms of traditions, my dad will always get my mom and I each a vase of roses.” - Grace Griffin ‘21

Rolling: 3 tbsp granulated sugar (optional) 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

by an American data and measurement firm, Valentine’s Day chocolate sales generate about $695 million in revenue each year and in general, American’s alone spend $11 billion on chocolate every year. Additionally, according to CNN News, chocolates share about 75% of the total amount of the United States Valentine’s Day candy sales each year. When it comes to telling the ones you love how much you appreciate them on Valentine’s Day, there’s a good chance you’ll be doing it with chocolate and helping to carry on the age old tradition.

What’s Your Valentine’s Day Tradition?

Anisa Thompson | Staff Writer ngredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder 1 tsp of baking soda 1/8 tsp salt 1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (I like dark best) 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 3/4 cup to 1 cup dark chocolate chips (can use milk chocolate, but dark chocolate gives a richer flavor)

be killed on the February 14, he sent a love letter to her signed “from your Valentine.” In more modern days, chocolate has taken on a huge role in Valentine’s Day and has been a symbol of love for centuries. The origin of eating chocolate on this day started with the Mayans. Traditional Mayan weddings included a ritual where the bride and groom would ceremonially drink chocolate, symbolizing their love and connection. Today, the chocolate industry has coined the tradition of love and chocolate and makes millions off of it each year. According to a study

I usually have a fun breakfast with my family that is all pink themed with a bunch of fun heart-shaped things. Also my favorite dessert to eat are those target cookies with the Valentine’s Day frosting and decorations.” - Jackson Haug ‘22

Chocolate Covered Strawberries with White Chocolate Drizzle Anisa Thompson

Anisa Thompson ‘22 altered the original cookie recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction to what she thought would taste the best.

a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary. 2. On low speed, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients 1/4 cup at a time. The dough will be thick and a bit crumbly. 3. Beat in the chocolate chips. 4. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight. 5. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 6. Remove dough from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for twenty minutes (the dough will be easier to scoop). 7. Very lightly dust your hands with confectioners’ sugar so the dough doesn’t stick to your

hands. 8. Scoop the dough into 1 tbsp-sized balls and roll them in your hand to get it warmed up. 9. Roll each ball lightly in the granulated sugar (optional) and more heavily in the confectioners’ sugar. 10. Place the dough three inches apart on the baking sheets. 11. Bake the cookies for eleven to twelve minutes. After nine minutes, remove the cookies from the oven and bang the baking sheet against the counter to encourage spreading. 12. Return the cookies to the oven for the remaining minutes. 13. Let the cookies cool for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely & enjoy!

Creative and festive twist on simple dessert Maggie Seidel | Features Editor

ngredients: 1 package Driscoll’s Strawberries 1 bag Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Flavored Melting Wafers (Any chocolate will do) 1 cup of White Chocolate Baking Morsels 1 tbsp ‘Rose Mix’ Sprinkles Directions: 1. Melt the dark or milk chocolate in a microwave. (I used Ghirardelli Melting Wafers and microwaved it for 30 seconds. Then I added ten seconds to the time and stirred until the chocolate was completely melted.) 2. Mix 1 cup of white chocolate chips in the microwave for one minute. Then keep adding on ten seconds to the

Maggie Seidel

Maggie Seidel ‘22 creates these festive white chocolate drizzled and chocolate covered strawberries from the original recipe by Driscoll’s berries.

time until the chocolate is completely melted. 3. Dip the strawberries, with the stem, into the melted dark chocolate. 4. Grab pan and line it with parchment paper. After it’s lined, place the chocolate covered

strawberries on the tray. 5. Drizzle the melted white chocolate on top of the strawberries 6. Sprinkle the decorations on top. 7. Place the tray into the refrigerator for 30 minutes & enjoy!

GAMES & ADS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 6

BLAKE THEMED CROSSWORD Noor Naseer | Sports Editor

ACROSS:

DOWN:

4. The day all campuses come together for community service 8. First name of this year’s first senior speaker 9. The K-5 campus in Wayzata 10. ‘I just came all the way from the ____ wing’ 12. Blake’s rival school’s mascot 13. Paws up, ____ out! 15. Student-led girls singing group 16. First name of this year’s Otis Environmental Speaker 18. Science class that every freshman takes

1. 511 ____ Parkway 2. ____ Nelson Auditorium 3. ‘Craig can I have a ____ pass’ 4. A nickname for students who have been at Blake Since Pre-K 5. Where Anne Rubin did her undergrad 6. Last name of the youngest teacher 7. Last name of JV Girls’ Basketball Coach 11. Name of the freshman commons 12. Last name of language department head 14. ____ Bennett Gallery 17. ____ the bear

MAZE

End

Start Melody Lee

Visit www. blakespectrum.org for crossword and maze answers

FEATURES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 7

Bernadette Whitely

‘New Year, New Me’ Motto Falls Flat Music Records Major Movements Students evaluate New Year’s resolutions Shira Aronow | Staff Writer

ew Year’s resolutions are a well-known concept, but in terms of their usefulness, some agree that, in the new decade,

sticking to one’s resolution, Arora comments, “So normally I do [set] New Year’s resolutions, but this year I didn’t… for me I usually give mine up by February. So I thought that this year, instead of making a New Year’s resolution, I’d just try to add stuff in my life throughout

but she states, “I think it gives people motivation to start the New Year [with], especially during the winter season when people can become really unmotivated. Having some sort of push to get you to do something can be really helpful for some people.” Mohan has a similar mind-

Popular songs feature trends this decade Emily Rotenberg | Staff Writer

hroughout the decade, a variety of genres and artists have made an appearance on the year-end top charts, highlighting hallmark moments and ideas. The online site, Billboard, posts many charts including top songs, artists, and albums of the year. In recent years the genres, as well as artists located on the top charts, have shifted making pop and rap the two most popular genres. Although rap has become more popular in more recent years, it doesn’t nec-

essarily mean the top songs of the decade are all under the rap genre. At the beginning of the decade in 2010, Kesha wrote a hit song called “TiK ToK.” It ended up with 610,000 digital downloads in the first week after being released. The song is in the pop category and, as of 2019, has sold 25 million copies across the globe. Although many of Kesha’s songs and albums have been featured under various categories on Billboard, she has never been the top artist within the last decade. Unlike Kesha, Taylor Swift was in the top ten artists for eight of the ten years in the decade. However, none of her songs

Shira Aronow

Shreya Mohan ‘22 remarks on New Year’s resolutions and their limited effectiveness.

they may be going out of style. “The idea of a new decade as opposed to a new year [may cause] people to be incentivized to make New Year’s resolutions,” Surina Arora ‘21 said. More specifically, she explained that one might realize that they are getting older or that time is passing by quickly because it is a new decade. This may motivate people to make changes in their lives and to their habits. In terms of actually

Surina Arora ‘21 reflects about the influence of a new decade in contrast to just a new year.

the course of the entire year so that I wouldn’t lose it halfway through.” Shreya Mohan ‘22 also adds that resolutions can be simply too hard to complete, especially in terms of fully changing old habits as soon as the New Year begins. For example, Mohan reflects, “I told myself that I was actually going to go to sleep at a reasonable time this year, but it’s not going well so far.” According to Arora, New Year’s resolutions are not the best fit for her,

set to Arora in that she believes, “[resolutions are] definitely useful because you kind of set your mind on a goal and then you try to accomplish it, but I have never followed mine.” As Mohan reflected on New Year’s resolutions, she states, “my take on resolutions is that I just do it because I probably should, but I don’t ever follow them… I didn’t really think about the fact that it’s a new decade, [but instead] just as a [way of] kind of moving on.”

were ever featured in the top ten chart. In 2011, the top song was “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele followed by “Somebody That I Used to Know,” “Thrift Shop,” “Happy,” and “Uptown Funk.” All of these songs became popular through many different radio stations, ultimately boosting their reputation immensely. In 2016, the top song was “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber. In 2017, the top song was “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran. Both of these songs are considered pop songs, but they are also considered love songs. In those two particular years, love songs were presented more prominently in the top charts. Lastly, the top songs in 2018 and 2019 were types of rap songs, featuring the artist Drake with his song “God’s Plan” and the song “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X. The latter became famous on the social media app Tik Tok which is completely unrelated to the song “TiK ToK.” Each decade had its own fads and trends, but ultimately music is changing. The variety of new artists and songs filling the pop charts is allowing the audience to step out of their comfort zone and listen to an array of music that suits them and their style.

Zoe Florida

Decade of Fashion Displays Cultural Changes, Focuses on Sustainability The runway places environmental issues at the forefront Jenna Thrasher | Staff Writer

ashion trends that shaped the decade provide reminiscent details about defining moments of these past years. The 2010s were a decade full of yoga pants, logos, tinyhandbags, sneakers, and a more sustainable approach to fashion. A much more casual look swept the decade, thanks to the rise of athleisure. As the society as a whole started to become

more fitness-focused, yoga pants were no longer just a staple for working out, but also for everyday life. Comfort became the new luxury. People were trading in suits for leggings and sweatshirts, looks that could take them from the gym to work. The most popular piece of athletic wear was arguably yoga pants. Leggings, made of flexible material, have been embraced by a variety of brands and people in the high fashion world, from Kim Kardashian West to luxury brand Chanel in their Spring-Summer 2019 Ready-to-Wear Show. Though athleticism was in the air, luxury products

Creative Commons

Chanel Couture exhibits the yoga pant trend and connection to the environment with the water effect.

also took a rise in popularity as well, specifically with the millennial generation. In 2015, Gucci appointed Alessandro Michele as their creative director, transforming the somewhat

dying brand into a relevant force of fashion. Instead of shying away from subtleness, he embraced the fun that comes with fashion, mixing classic pieces with a loud

logo. With this, the 2010s also became a decade of “logo-mania.” During the recession in the late 2000s, logos became somewhat taboo due to the ongoing financial crisis. However, with a more stable market nowadays, logos are still going strong. Luxury brand, Louis Vuitton, collaborated with streetwear brand, Supreme, tying together classic and traditional with skateboarding and pop culture. Aside from flashy collaborations and collections, a less frivolous wave fell over the fashion industry. With the climate crisis looming over everyone’s head, toward the end of the

decade, many designers and brands started paying closer attention to sustainability. Major luxury brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney, and Gucci committed to being more environmentally-friendly, while Forever 21 went into bankruptcy. Consumers were willing to spend more money on clothes that would last longer than inexpensive styles that they would throw away within a matter of months. Yoga pants and logos may come and go, but, out of all the trends of the decade, sustainability appears to be remaining as a prominent goal and focus in 2020.

enior speeches are glorified, dreaded, openly hated, and everything in between by students and administrators alike. However, it is undeniable that the positive impacts of this speech for the individual and the community deeply outweigh the drawbacks. The act of required public speaking pushes a student to be confident in their opinions, and in themselves. In a school where so much working and thinking happens, a senior speech is an opportunity for a senior to showcase what they have learned, and who they have become. The opportunity to share an in-depth opinion on a topic of choice with a group of over 500 people is extremely rare. The tradition is also excellent practice for future public speaking opportunities. Speeches create community. The act of assembly physically brings the school together, while speeches serve as the main attraction. Each presentation gives students and faculty alike a chance to reflect and debate on a common topic. This conversation continues to nurture the intellectual community that students engage with in classes. In a world where most news is consumed by choice, forced consumption of someone’s ideas, whether they talk about dogs or the state of Trump’s cabinet, helps the entire Blake community to grow in their empathy skills. Senior speeches carry deep traditions, which carries weight when considering their relevance today. This doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be changes made to speeches. As the way that we share information changes, the senior speech tradition must also modernize, and it has. In Senior Seminar, where seniors write and practice their speeches, they are now required to try giving their speeches with visual aids. The practice of manuscript speeches, where students read their speech word for word from the page, are slowly being discouraged in favor of notecards and a more fluid, Ted-Talk style speech. These changes have helped to increase the relatability of speeches, allowing for seniors to connect more directly with their audience. These changes have allowed the tradition of speeches to develop, while also paying homage to their origin. From their start in the 1920s as chapel speeches

he senior speech has outlived its effectiveness, becoming a meaningless gimmick that exists solely as tradition for the sake of tradition. They have outlasted their purpose and constrain assemblies, forcing important announcements to be on Bearhug. The best (and easiest way) to fix senior speeches is to make them optional. Students who still wish to give speeches absolutely should still be able to. Speeches have always been about telling stories, and they should continue to be about this. But here lies the biggest issue: if speeches are forced, the good will be diluted with those who give the speech 67 19 just to graduate. This weakens , n Pa the overall tradition of senior ’ O speeches, unintentionally ll a C demeaning the process. There are other benefits as well to making senior speeches optional. Requiring everyone in a class of over 120 students to give speeches to the entirety of the school is not only impractical, but makes important comCall O’ Pan, 1967 munication between students and administrat o r s impossible. Because three seniors have to give 5-7 minute speeches per assembly, this means that there is far less time for actual assembly announcements. This is evidenced in both the changes in assembly announcements (which are now more constrained in terms of time and how many people can give them) and the shift to BearHug. Because of this app, announcements theoretically can be put online for everyone to see at whatever time they want to see them. But herein lies the main issue: when students aren’t forced to listen to every announcement, they will at best just read the ones they are interested in, and at worst not even bother with the app. Having an ill-informed student body far outweighs the potential benefits to required senior speeches. To summarize, senior speeches should be optional. There are benefits to a student body who can listen to those who wish to give speeches, but making everyone give a speech dilutes the impassioned with the apathetic. This ultimately hurts the tradition of senior speeches. Because of the growing size of each grade at Blake, most assembly announcements have been moved to BearHug, creating a less informed student populace.

Drew Rosenblum | Editor Emeritus

Caroline Hardy | Editor Emerita

Tradition proves to be insufficient justification for continuing requirement

Growth of necessary public speaking skills holds importance

Senior Speeches Continue Without Purpose

Senior Speeches Honor Tradition

DID WE COME HERE TO MAKE A SPEECH? INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 8

Call O ’ Pan , 196 2

- David Graham ‘85

“I know that there are questions about whether we should keep doing it or not, and not everyone is always going to speak for 500 people, but having done that, you know that you survived and that you can do it, it may not be Top: Juniors and seniors would give speeches about a topic of their choice in the chapel of the Blake School your favorite thing to do, but you for Boys. can do it again. I still get nervous up there, but it’s like ‘oh, I can do this.’ It’s a pretty important skill.”

for juniors at the Blake School for Boys, nearly every person to graduate from Blake has undergone this experience. It is powerful to stand on the stage and understand that you are adding your name to a tradition spanning nearly 100 years. Through a world war, several U.S. wars, fifteen different presidents, and the invention of the computer and phone, senior speeches have had a place Blake. They can be repetitive, yes, and they take up time, yes. However, they promote empathy, grow confidence, nurture community, and have done so for nearly a century. With any luck, senior speeches will continue to remain constant for the generations of seniors to come.

Speeches occurred in what is now the Bovey Chapel. Students were expected to present for ten minutes.

Bernadette Whitely

Left: Junior Donald Heng ‘63 gives a chapel speech in front of students and faculty.

- Sandy Berkowitz

“In my heart of hearts, I believe that Middle: Daniel Weiser ‘13 prepares to give his communication is a good thing, and seniors speech on the stage of the JNA while other presenters watch. that more communication is a good thing. So, specifically, I think that Below: Junior Donald Heng ‘63 gives a Blake is unique in that they give speech in front of students and faculty. this opportunity to every senior to give this speech to figure out what they want to talk about, to find their voice. At many other schools, there isn’t a class, however. It seems to me that with the structure that Blake provides, it’s an incredible opportunity for students to demonstrate their voice, not find it necessarily, because you have it, but to demonstrate it, and to demonstrate it in a way that’s different.”

Reflections, 2013

Call O’ Pan, 1967

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 9

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 10

STUDENTS ENGAGE WITH POLITICS IN

2020 ELECTION Sarah Yousha

Sarah Yousha ‘20, Caroline Hardy ‘20, and Tobin Spiller ‘22 take a selfie with Mayor Pete Buttigieg at Smokey Row Coffee during a broadcast of NPR Morning Edition .

Amanda Lee Molina

Students on Monday, Feb. 3 watched the caucusgoers at Precinct 55 in Des Moines, Iowa. Caroline Hardy

Students Learn from Iowa

Students were able to support their candidate of choice.

Students have different experience campaigning for politicians

Students got the opportunity to attend rallies for Entrepreneur Andrew Yang, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Bernie Sanders. Meet and greets with Libertarian republican hopeful Bill Weld were also well attended. While some students began the trip with a clear preferred candidate, the vast majority engaged in political tourism as a way to learn more about each candidate and ask personal questions of them. Political tourism can be a contentious topic, but it is also a very good way to become engaged and learn more about the

Caroline Hardy | Editor Emerita

contingent of 67 students from all four grades along with 13 teacher chaperones returned from Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday, Feb 4. The group spent the three days prior canvassing, meeting candidates, and rallying for the various democratic and republication candidates vying for a victory in the Iowa Caucuses on Monday, Feb. 3. After canvassing and attending rallies for candi-

dates of their choice, students attended a caucus in a local precinct and then went to the victory rally of their choice. With less than nine months before an election that James Prince ‘23 deemed to be “the most consequential election of our lifetime,” the allure of meeting candidates, intimately seeing how the confusing caucus process works, and getting to experience to magnetic energy of rallies and town halls prompted the large amount of student interest in the trip. Canvassing in Iowa, which had already been experiencing an especially large ground game, led to mixed results based on neighborhood and avail-

ability of residents. Samrat Pradhan ‘21 canvassed for Senator Sanders, and explained that “I was knocking on doors, and it looked like everyone in Iowa was invested in the process.” However, Maggie Ankeny ‘20 explained that while canvassing for both Pete Buttigieg and Andrew Yang “people would yell at us and tell us that we were trespassing and be very upset with us for trying to speak up and volunteer for a campaign. It felt like we were disrupting their life and didn’t want us there and it almost made me feel like people canvassing so much... I think that it turns them away from the caucus.”

Students wore buttons, t-shirts, and stickers to show support.

democratic caucus process as a whole. Trip chaperone and science teacher Steve Kaback explains that “it’s probably a healthy thing to do to see our democracy in action and this is always the first stop on the most deliberate and important vote that a lot of people make in terms of the political system in our country.” Despite the confusion and chaos in the aftermath of the actual caucus, attending a caucus and then a victory rally made it, as Scott Klinefelter ’20 explains “feel more familiar, but also more accessible in a way. My group, when we went to the caucus, was in an elementary school gym. We were sitting on the

floor with 300 other people from all walks of life...It made it feel like politics and the early election is not far away… I realized how easy it is to be involved.” As students and faculty return to Minneapolis, they are bringing new respect and dedication to the democratic process as a whole. Klinefelter continues, “it made me feel more strongly that I wanted to vote and be apart of this, but it also made me realize that I want to make sure that I am doing more than just throwing in my ballot for the candidate I want. There’s a lot of ways you can make a difference…. and I got to see that really up close in Iowa.”

Students Voice Their Political Views in a Variety of Ways Engagement shown on social media, in voting Sage Marmet | News Editor

ith the elections drawing closer and closer, many students become more involved in politics relating to the upcoming elections and current events. 95% of students say that do consume news regularly, there is a large variety of news outlets that students obtain their informa-

tion. Students follow the news and current political climate through online, print, television, debates, newsletters, podcasts, radio, and social media. Because students acquire their news from countless channels, there is a wide range of political beliefs that make up the classrooms. Yet, as social media

Tyler May

and podcasts continue to gain traction in the news industry, there is a noticeable growth in people that obtain their news from Snapchat, Instagram, and a variety of podcasts. A newer, common form of news and activism has arisen, generally called “social media activism.” It is becoming more common

to post online about a specific issue to raise awareness, which stems from people wanting a way to feel like they are making a difference for a current issue. There lies a divide between people that actively participate in social media activism and people that oppose this kind of activism as they believe that it has no purpose. Annabelle Swigert ‘22 shares, “I’ve been thinking about this a lot, especially because people have been posting about this a lot about the fires in Australia. I think that, yes, it raises awareness about it, sometimes I’ll see something and click on it because I wasn’t aware that it was something that was going on, but also it is a way for people to feel better about themselves.” Many young people participate in social media activism and

contribute to the cause, but in most instances, it is more about raising awareness than actually making a distinct difference. Students often become aware of many current issues through social media. Swigert comments, “It also depends on what you’re posting about, but the main goal of it is to raise awareness, which is why a lot of people do it and get [the attention of others], but in it of itself, is it helping the cause? Probably not.” Although social media activism is becoming popular for younger generations, students are finding other ways to become involved in politics. For example, many students are either voting, becoming an election judge, or campaigning for a politician. Students are finding new ways to share their voices that aren’t necessarily through social media activism.

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 11

Who would you vote for?

Teachers Create a Politically Safe Space Students are opening up to other opinions in the classroom Noor Naseer | Sports Editor

Joe Walsh .4% Tom Steyer 0% William F. Weld .4% Elizabeth Warren 7.9% Andrew Yang 10.6% Donald Trump 7.5% Bernie Sanders 11% Not sure 20.7% Amy Klobuchar 13.7% Pete Buttigieg 15% Tulsi Gabbard 1.8% Michael R. Bloomberg 5.3% Joe Biden 5.7%

95%

Of students keep up with politics outside of the classroom

alking about politics can be awkward and tense, but the combination of excited students and diligent teachers creates political safe spaces. Social studies teacher David Graham ‘85 shares how he broaches the commonplace topic of politics in his AP Gov class: “We do talk about ideologies and where people are and whether being either on one side, Democrat, or the other side, Republican, is too limiting. It doesn’t get the nuance of what people actually believe.” Surina Arora ‘21, an AP Gov student, speaks to the class environment saying, “I think everyone’s pretty open with their opinions. Everyone can share what they believe, disagree [or] agree with whatever they want to.” Fellow student Natalie Anderson ‘20, echoes this saying, “In AP Gov I think Mr. Graham does a pretty good job of presenting all the sides and we look at different videos and stuff and we talk about what we’ve learned individually and bring all of our thoughts together.”

Jon Dicus, Spanish teacher, also brings in politics into both his AP and PostAP Spanish classes sharing, “In both my Spanish classes, it largely centers around just being aware of current events.” Although Dicus doesn’t currently teach a social studies class, he shares that one of his main goals is to push students to consider an opinion that is not their own by “asking students to defend or present on a point of view that may not be their own but I think it’s healthy for students to have to at least entertain the idea and defend a point of view that is new to them.” Healthy debates like these allow students to understand other points of view, so they are well-

both Graham and Dicus have dealt with tension in the classroom when discussing politics. This speaks to the current state of the nation, as political polarization is becoming more and more prevalent. Graham shares that “Yes, there is tension talking about [politics] sometimes and usually it comes up when you don’t expect it to come up. And often it’s people making assumptions about what other people believe.” Dicus encourages students to use facts to combat tension he sees: “I want [students] to be able to substantiate [claims] with facts, [...] I think students have a tendency to want to criticize or critique or outright slam other students or perspectives… [in-

talk about policy and issues enough, we talk more about horse race stuff, like who’s winning, who’s losing, what’s the strategy behind this or that thing, versus what’s actually going to make people’s lives better.” This is an unproductive way to discuss politics and does not root itself in the facts, rather these facts are overshadowed by personal opinions, beliefs, and desires. Blake is already dis-

“More and more actually, [a student] may be a Republican, but they’re willing to play a Democrat in a simulation ” - David Graham educated about all areas of an issue. Graham sees the change in students’ responses exercises in which they have to inhabit other perspectives saying, “More and more actually, [a student] may be a Republican, but they’re willing to play a Democrat in a simulation. They’ll say, “Yeah, I want to see the other side.’” Despite this openness,

stead] they have to actually be articulate and say what specifically they did or did not like about it.” Although discussions surrounding politics are becoming more and more common, it is clear that they need to happen more and there is still room for improvement in the quality of the conversations. According to Graham, “I think probably we don’t

cussing politics in a more healthy way and needs to continue to do so. This can present itself in a myriad of ways, including more exercises in which students research and defend viewpoints that may not be theirs and more assignments in which students have to research facts and keep up with current affairs in order to formulate ideas and drive discussions.

Who Would You Vote For in the 2020 Election? Students engage in debates and election with varying opinions

Why?

Nora Fox | Arts & Culture Editor

43%

Are planning to get involved with the election

37%

Say politics are discussed in the classroom

275 students responded to the survey

Shira Aronow

“

The candidate who I would want to vote for the most is [Amy] Klobuchar because I’m confident that she could beat Trump, and I wouldn’t be sacrificing my conservative economic views. She has a good balance.” - Joshua Enebo ‘21

Nora Fox

Noor Naseer

“

I would probably vote for [Bernie] Sanders. I think that his policy preference would align best with mine. He pushes for universal health care which I think would be really good. He has been involved in civil rights and equality since the 60s whereas no other candidate has. He seems to be the most committed to the change he actually wants to see.” - Ale Perri ‘21

“

Probably Amy Klobuchar. I like what she stands for. She’s more moderate and she’s more willinging to compromise on policies which means that we might get more done.”- Anika Hahn ‘21

“

I am a Democrat, and I am still conflicted about who I want to vote for. Originally, I liked Elizabeth Warren, but at this point, I’m not feeling as much drawn to her. I’m also considering Amy Klobuchar. Those are my two frontrunners, and the rest I can’t see myself voting for. So it will be one of those two.” - Latin teacher, Deirdre Diggins

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 12

Finding Comfort in Horoscopes Is your horoscope really about you? Lucy Wolfe | Contributing Writer

t’s hard to believe that every single person who was born on a given day shares the same set of traits and characteristics, but that certainly doesn’t make it any less fun. Most people don’t believe in horoscopes because of the lack of science behind them. For example, when I asked Dion Crushshon what he thinks, he said, “I don’t believe they are based in any truth.” But the future is

ambiguous and scary, and horoscopes give people something to look forward to, or an outlet to blame when they have a bad day. Lorna Kruesel ‘21 says, “It just makes my day, and it makes me happy. It’s fun to talk about it and bond about it with your friends.” The feeling of having a connection to the cosmos is also an added plus. Having a bond with the universe allows us to feel more in control of our fate and feel like we have a greater purpose. In 1948, psychologist Bertram Forer gave a personality test to each of his students telling them

that they would receive a unique outline of their character, and then the students would rate the outline for accuracy. The students were all given identical results, yet all rated the descriptions as excellent representations of themselves. Even though this theory has been proven through countless more tests, people still love horoscopes. Everyone gets overjoyed reading their horoscopes in the newspaper or on the popular app CoStar, not only because it’s fun to read things about yourself, but also because it is way easier to blame the cosmos for your bad hair day than the new shampoo you’re trying out.

VOICE OF THE STAFF

now days are famous for being what they sound like: a fun, stressfree day in the snow. However, as students age, the ubiquitous hope for a relaxing day off turns into stress about the workload that accompanies a snow day. Last year’s infamous polar vortex and the subsequent record “cold days” demonstrated the problematic qualities of snow days. After the first snow day, students were required to keep up with their schoolwork by checking Canvas and emails from their teachers. Most teachers, in order to keep their curric-

Online school system on snow days overworks students ulum on track, assigned the equivalent of class work and homework for each day missed. It is necessary for students to do some work on snow days, especially when the days off pile up like in the instance of the polar vortex. However, students should not be required to do the full workload missed when that entails learning and mastering new material. Students cannot be expected to teach themselves new concepts in the absence of a teacher when the materials they are given are designed to be taught by their teacher.

Assigning the equivalent of a day’s classwork and homework for each class can overload students and does not provide a system in which they can truly learn on their day off. Teachers must only assign what could reasonably be done during a class period and is manageable without the teacher. As the looming potential of snow days continues throughout the winter, teachers and administration should plan a more productive and gainful system, and hopefully one that will restore some of the fading joy of snow days.

Unlimited Opportunities in Store

The Oscars: Should Vs. Will Win

Why students claim Five Below is best store ever

Amaka weighs in on Academy Awards

Scott Klinefelter & Julia Lucas | Contributing Writers

f you’re searching for a store to satisfy your every need, with an unprecedented range of products at a generous price, look no further than your local Five Below. The bright colors, friendly workers, and “hip” graphic t-shirts create a pleasant, comfortable shopping environment and the fluorescent lighting illuminates a euphoria-inducing selection of items you thought only existed in your dreams. As you stroll through the aisles, you may gaze in wonder at products such as a can of “Mukk ‘N Cheese: a mix of slime & chunks!” featuring “smelly scents” boasting that it’s “Just too gross!” If this doesn’t get your heart absolutely racing, just wait. Five Below doesn’t just offer exclusive and unique items that, in

our opinion, are worth far more than five dollars, it is also filled with practical inventory. From Justin Timberlake’s memoir to multiple SAT prep workbooks, Five Below is a place where scholars, pranksters, style icons, fun uncles, and second-semester seniors can unite. Five Below isn’t just renowned for its incredible selection of items and exhilarating atmosphere. Five Below’s price point makes it a perfect budget-friendly option for shopping addicts. You’re probably thinking, “There’s no way the advanced technology at Five Below remains under the Five dollar limit!” Well, it doesn’t, because the incessant demand for high-tech offerings requires compromise. Enter Ten Below tech; a sector of the Five Below enterprise not adhering to Five Below’s strict five dollar requirement, for the purpose of promoting the type of space-age technology that retail giants like Target and Amazon are unable to offer. At Target, the lowest priced item in the clearance section, a birthday headband, will run

you $1.49. At Five Below, you can get a pair of holiday lounge pants for $1.25, less than the cheapest item at Target, where holiday lounge pants will run you a minimum of seven dollars. Clearly, Five Below has the customer’s best interest in mind, while Target promotes excessive spending. To guide your inevitable Five Below adventure, here is a selection of our recommendations: 1. The “Nugs Not Drugs” sign can help you set clear boundaries with your friends. 2. The “Fill Me In *with friends” journal provides fun, on-the-go friendship bonding. Perfect for your soon-to-be college freshman, if you’re hoping for a convenient way to learn your new friends’ celebrity crushes and whether they’re window seat or aisle seat people. So next time you’re looking for a product that falls on the wide spectrum between a water bottle and a “Bursterz: surprise toy in goo,” remember that you can always “let go and have fun” at Five Below.

Best Actor SHOULD WIN: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) WILL WIN: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) In this category, what should win will win.

Amaka Nwokocha | Staff Writer

Best Picture SHOULD WIN: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or Parasite WILL WIN: 1917 or Parasite As awards season enters the final stretch, the front-runners for Best Picture race are 1917 and Parasite. Parasite would be a historic win, seeing as no foreign language film has ever won the top prize at the Oscars. After thirteen other war movies have claimed the award in the past, isn’t it time for something new? 1917 doesn’t need this award, and Parasite and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood are simply better films.

Original Screenplay SHOULD WIN: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood WILL WIN: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Quentin Tarantino is a Best Original Screenplay regular, winning it in 1995 and 2013 with Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained respectively. After writing what I consider the best screenplay of 2019, I foresee him taking home another prize.

Betsy Fries

Director SHOULD WIN: Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite) WILL WIN: Sam Mendes (1917) Sam Mendes’ oneshot trick in 1917 was entertaining, but Bong Joon-Ho’s layered and nuanced work in Parasite was next-level and he deserves the award more than anyone on the list. However, with Sam Mendes winning the Golden Globe and Director’s Guild Award, the race us in his favor.

Adapted Screenplay

Best Actress SHOULD WIN: Charlize Theron (Bombshell) or Scarlett Johannson (Marriage Story) WILL WIN: Renée Zellweger (Judy) I genuinely believe that voting bodies are overlooking a couple of amazing performances in favor of rewarding a veteran actress. Renée Zellweger did a great job portraying Judy Garland, but Charlize Theron did a better job portraying Megyn Kelly. Even Scarlett Johannson deserves the award for her work in Marriage Story more than Zellweger.

SHOULD WIN: Little Women (Greta Gerwig) WILL WIN: Little Women (Greta Gerwig) Tied for my favorite screenplay of 2019 are Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, of course, and Little Women. Greta Gerwig somehow took an age-old American story that has been adapted countless times and made it fresh. With a Critic’s Choice award and several nominations (including BAFTA and Writer’s Guild Awards) under her belt, she has a real chance of getting the prize.

Creative Commons

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 13

Companies’ Convictions Cause Controversy Consumers sometimes fail to realize questionable views Lorna Kruesel | Staff Writer

hick-fil-A, a company whose owner, Samuel Truett Cathy, held extremely homophobic beliefs, is still able to bring in massive revenue each year. In 2010, Cathy donated a total of $1.9 million to numerous antisame-sex marriage foundations. One of those foundations was Exodus International, an organization that, “helps people who wish to limit their homosexual desires;” in essence, Exodus International was a group that used conversion therapy to shut down individual’s non-heterosexuality. However, how willing are individuals to give up their beloved waffle fries and chicken sandwiches? Another example of a controversial company that still draws in loads of customers is Coachella. One of the founders of Coachella is Philip Anschutz, a far-right businessman who has openly supported anti-transgender and anti-gun control organizations and political candidates. Nevertheless, thousands of people still go to the famous music festival and numerous artists choose to play at the show. This reminds me of the argument of separating art from the artist. Can you watch Woody

Allen films or listen to R. Kelly’s music, while being fully aware of the horrible things they have done? It is incredibly difficult to let go of something that you’ve been supporting for a long time, but it’s immensely important to do so. You don’t have to stop doing something all at once; you can slowly wean off of it. For example, if you go to Chick-fil-A at least once a week, try to just go once every two weeks, and try to find alternative companies that have delicious food but have better owners with more respectable opinions. But you can’t get too wrapped up with this concept. There is a plethora of things we support on the daily without even taking into consideration the beliefs of the owners. An example of this is fast fashion. It’s very difficult, and expensive, to solely purchase sustainable clothing, but if you ease into it, you’ll end up supporting a much more ethical clothing brand, while also not getting too wrapped up in it. The most important thing is to be aware of what you’re consuming. There are numerous factors that make purchasing things from a questionable company much easier than purchasing things from an ethical company, such as price. But don’t let that discourage you. It takes time to embrace change, but give it time, and you’ll get it done.

‘Hype House’ Lacks Hype, Creativity Hype House gives group of TikToK creators chance to collaborate Meara Sullivan | Contributing Writer

Using their newfound fame, two creators, Chase Hudson and Thomas Petrou, have creat-

not make any videos, it’s not going to work.” Similar spaces have

ocial media has become an overwhelming part of the lives of nearly every American teenager, with many glamorizing the lives of Instagram models, YouTube stars, and now, TikTok stars. In the past year, TikTok, formally know as Musical.ly, has become an extremely popular platform that allows users (TikTokers) to share no more than 60 second videos with their friends, the public, or just keep privately. Recently, certain TikTokers have been able to earn money by amassing millions of followers that dedicatedly watch their content, often comprised of dancing and comedy sketches. While many

have e x pressed that the app is simply ‘a joke’, it’s certainly not for the teens who have turned the platform into their fulltime jobs.

ed a space where numerous creators can come together and create content in a house dubbed The Hype House, comprised of nineteen members, with only four living in the house itself. The house is named after

Hype House LA instagram

the phrase The Hype, used when followers dub a creator as being

Zoe Florida

immensely popular. Founder Petrou explained his vision of the house to The New York Times stat-

ing, “ I f someone slips up constantly, they’ll not be a part of this team anymore.” Adding, “You can’t come and stay with us for a week and

come to life in the past, such as Jake Paul’s failed Team 10 meant to foster the same kind of environment, meant to be a safe-space where creators are able to express themselves, be creative, and collaborate. But, with the rules mentioned by Petrou, as well as the eventual downfall of Team 10, it is clear the house is more of a money-making machine than a place to inspire true creativity. While there is value in entertaining and making people laugh, it is also extremely important that more teenagers recognize the rarity of this career, as well as the fact, that like much of social media, TikTok is only a highlight reel put before the audience.

Megxit Brings Unfair Double Standard in Britain to Light British press targets Meghan Markle Caroline Hardy | Editor Emeritus

Megxit. The term was coined by The Sun, a British tabloid publication, promptly after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced on January 8 that they intend to step back as senior members of the Royal Family and raise their son, Archie, in both the United Kingdom and North America. The term itself exemplifies the exorbitant hatred, taunting, and double standards that Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle has faced since

marrying Prince Harry in 2018. Meghan and Prince Harry’s retreat from their roles as senior members in the Royal Family is unprecedented. Never before has someone tried to find a balance between their role in the Royal Family and pursue a somewhat independent lifestyle. The term #Megxit portrays Meghan as purposefully splintering relations between her husband and the Queen. She is demonized and assigned blame in a decision that does not necessarily have a positive of negative connotation. As a biracial American woman with a successful career in entertainment, Meghan’s 2018 entrance into “The Firm” provoked an opportunity for the in-

stitution that is the royal family to modernize and

House of Windsor. Instead, Meghan has

Zoe Florida

relax the stiff upper lip so proudly worn by the

faced near constant criticism of her actions. Van-

ity Fair recently reported that the term #Megxit is over two years old, having traced it to social media posts from their wedding with a campaign to push Meghan to exit her role in the royal family. In addition to this blatant dislike, the press worldwide has repeatedly portrayed Meghan as inadequate in comparison to her sister-in-law, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. One such comparison by the tabloid Daily Mail described Kate’s touching of her baby bump as “tender,” while asking if Meghan’s identical action was the result of “pride” or “vanity.” These double standards have been exacerbated by the frenzied media coverage speculating

of a rivalry between Kate and Meghan. Meghan has not hid the pressure and constant scrutiny that she has felt since entering the royal family. She and Prince Harry have never been private about their struggles with the press. Prince Harry has revealed that every time he sees a camera flash he is reminded of his mother’s struggle with the press. Princess Diana was famously hounded by the paparazzi, a toxic relationship that eventually contributed to her untimely death. So, maybe it was Meghan’s decision to put herself, her family, and her wellbeing first. And then I would say, good for her.

PERSPECTIVES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 14

Political Correctness and Cancel Culture Complicate Comedy Comedy shifts with American culture, politics Tyler Holmes | Contributing Writer

olitical correctness is a term that has taken on many different perspectives over the years. The core meaning of being “politically correct” is to speak, write, or express one’s ideas in a way that doesn’t disparage any

members or groups in society or exclude anyone from a narrative. Political correctness originated as a term to support and define what it means to speak professionally and politely, especially within the realm of politics. However, as society has moved forward, the phrase has been expanded to represent systematic failures in politics, news, and the new generation. Many people have

challenged the idea of political correctness because they feel that it inhibits free speech and prevents society from dealing with complex and controversial issues fully and effectively. During Donald Trump’s 2016 Presidential Campaign, the idea of political correctness rose to the forefront of the election with his unorthodox and at times polarizing rhetoric defining much of his campaign.

This controversy has also branched out into both entertainment and comedy. Top figures in the entertainment and comedy businesses have been called out, torn down, and blacklisted for certain jokes and/or remarks that have been deemed “too offensive,” “polarizing,” or as critics would point out, “not politically correct enough.” Similarly to politics, many feel that in come-

dy and entertainment part of the message has to be controversial, mean, polarizing, or insulting for the piece to truly achieve its goal. Another phenomenon that has overtaken both politics and pop culture is “cancel” or “call-out” culture. These terms have become so widely recognized that even former President Barack Obama criticized the development on Twitter. Cancel culture

refers to a culture, specifically on social media, where people, and more so public figures, are constantly publicly shamed or ridiculed for their mistakes and behavior that are seen as problematic. As political correctness and cancel culture grow in pop culture, comedians have had to reckon with the effects of their jokes and have had to adapt in order to survive in their careers.

COMEDY

in the age of politcal correctness and cancel culture Ben Soong

Comedy is Not More Constrained Today Jokes Should Not be Politically Correct Boundaries shift, not tighten Drew Rosenblum | Editor Emeritus

he role of comedy in society has stayed almost exactly the same for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Comedians have always said what couldn’t be said by others and transgressed boundaries no one else could. This is undoubtedly important: comedians play an integral role in speaking on issues that are too taboo for others to discuss. Today, many lament the fact that political correctness has tightened the window of acceptable discourse for comedians. However, this is purely a myth–rather, the borders of

said window have simply shifted. In 1972, George Carlin released his comedy album “Class Clown,” in which he gives his infamous monologue “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.” Of course, Carlin mentions and explains each of these seven words, and when performing this, was arrested for “disturbing the peace.” A few years later, a more developed version, called “Filthy Words,” was broadcast on the radio uncensored. The corporation that owned the radio station that broadcast the monologue was subsequently sued by the FCC, a case that eventually went to the Supreme Court (FCC v Pacifica Foundation). In this time period, many other comedians, such as Lenny

Bruce, were arrested for jokes deemed too offensive or outrageous. In 2019, when a comedian uses any of the seven words, and they are used quite frequently, nothing happens. The words, or at least some of them, are accepted as part of speech, and by extension comedy. Profanity is nowhere near as taboo as it used to be, and “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” certainly had an impact on public perception. To pretend that comedy has narrowed its boundaries on acceptable speech is historically ignorant. Transgressing boundaries has been a key component of comedy as long as comedy has existed, all that changes is the exact location of said boundaries.

Pop culture keeps comedians from pushing boundaries Sara Richardson | Managing Editor

omedy is subjective. Just like movies, not everyone is going to like a particular joke. But comedians should not limit their controversial jokes because someone, somewhere, is slightly offended by it. After the Golden Globes, the host, Ricky Gervais, was condemned for his controversial, not politically correct jokes. His jokes spanned from ISIS creating the new Netflix, Jeffrey Epstein, and a few vulgar jokes about the movie, “Cats.” The Merriam Webster

dictionary defines political correctness as “conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated.” In the past few years, more people condemn comedians for sharing jokes that aren’t deemed as politically correct. The sole goal of a comedian is to make people laugh, not to be worrying about whether what they say offends someone. Politicians and newscasters should certainly be politically correct, but comedians should be pushing the boundaries and calling a few people out. It is only starting a conversation with laughter. Rather than starting a conversation about why the par-

ticular joke is offensive, people are jumping to the extremes: boycotting comedy shows and sitcoms or blacklisting a comedian. Just like Ricky Gervias tweeted after criticism, “1. Simply pointing out whether someone is left or right-wing isn’t winning the argument. 2. If a joke is good enough, it can be enjoyed by anyone. 3. It’s not all about you. 4. Just because you’re offended, doesn’t mean you’re right.” In the end, comedians should continue pushing the boundaries. Comedy is a way to talk about issues that we’re too uncomfortable or afraid to approach. If we can’t joke about matters of sexuality, politics, pain, and even death, we lose a way of analyzing society.

Perspectives con- Award Season Showcases Divisive Comedy tinue online. Read award ceremony that takes an and writer, for his fifth Maggie Seidel | a preview of more Features Editor place at the Beverly Hills time hosting the Golden content that can Hilton in January. What Globes. very winter, dedicated changes, though, is the be found at Golden Globes viewwww.blakespectrum.org

ers tune into this annual

host. This year featured Ricky Gervais, a comedi-

Continued online at www.blakespectrum.org

Tyler May

SPORTS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 15

Wethington Continues USA Legacy Jasper’s USA women’s hockey wins gold Anderson Blum | Editor Emeritus

urrently with a record of 16-5-1 and having recently won two big games against Forest Lake and Maple Grove, there is a lot of excitement surrounding Blake Girls’ Hockey as the team approaches the postseason. Regarding

the team’s progress over the past few months, Addie Burton ‘20 says, “We had a few tough losses in the beginning of our season that provided a great learning opportunity for our team. Since then, we have taken tremendous strides in our game as a team and we are looking forward to a very strong ending of our season.” Midway through the season, Audrey Wething-

ton ‘20 was away from BGH for a few weeks as she played for Team USA in the U18 Women’s World Hockey Championship in Bratislava, Slovakia. Wethington won a gold medal with Team USA, as they beat Canada 2-1 in the championship in overtime. She shares, “It was a great experience that I am extremely thankful for. I had such a great team and a great group of

Submitted by: Audrey Wethington

Audrey Wethington ‘20 (right) poses with her teammates and gold medal after defeating Canada 2-1 in the championship. The Under-18 Women’s World Championship took place in Bratislava, Slovakia.

staff. I couldn’t be any prouder of our team and this will be a memory that will last a lifetime. The highlight of the tournament for me was singing the National Anthem after we won Gold. We were arm and arms with each other signing at the top of our lungs. I don’t think that I have ever felt prouder of a group of girls than I did at that moment.” BGH plays its final regular season game on Feb. 5 against Champlin Park/Coon Rapids. This will be followed by the section tournament. Grace Johnson ‘20 is excited about the team’s situation entering February, saying, “We have had a couple of huge wins recently which has been great momentum for us. Playoffs are right around the corner and we are all in.” Lily Delianedis ‘20 adds “Our recent success in the 2020 season is because we have been playing together as a team, and we need to continue doing this if we want to make state.”

Mystery

Athlete Mystery athlete looks forward to rest of the season Jasper Liu | Contributing Writer

his month’s mystery athlete is a member of the fencing team. This member of the team not only fences during the school year, but also in the offseason. This fencer currently has a 5-2 record in his Blake fencing season. He started fenc-

mystery athlete said, “I really enjoy the atmosphere of the team.” This fencer thanks his mom for starting his career in fencing: “My mom asked me if I wanted to fence, [I have] been fencing ever since.” When asked why he enjoys fencing he said, “I like the strategy and idea of sword fighting.” This mystery athlete has helped

This mystery athlete hopes to continue a successful fencing season.

ing when he was in fourth grade, and started his career for Blake as a seventh grader. The experience he has gained by starting fencing at such a young age has clearly paid off, as this fencer is currently ranked top eight in the state of Minnesota, regardless of weapon. When asked about the team, the

carry on the important Blake Fencing tradition of good sportsmanship. To guess who you think the mystery athlete of the month is, email jfliu21@ blakeschool.org. The first person to guess the athlete will win a special prize and be recognized on the Blake Spectrum page.

Hockey Day Minnesota Unites School, Engages Community

Andrew Leslie

The Boys’ Hockey team gathers for a picture on the newly-built ice rink the morning of their big day. The team held a mandatory practice at 6 a.m., where the news station KSTP was present, taking footage for their morning show.

Jack Richardson

Thomas Nelson ‘21 (left) and Anderson Blum ‘20 (right) showcase their new uniforms before their 3-2 victory against the Blaine Bengals.

Athletes Explain Commitment Process, Dedicated Work Recruitment process takes toll on students Ava Pihlstrom | Contributing Writer

he process of committing to a school is not as simple as one may think, and it ultimately requires a person to be dedicated to their sport and willing to take extra steps to achieve their goal of commitment. For soccer player Howard Henderson ‘20, the process was more centered toward

finding a school that fits for him, and one that will foster a supportive environment, which ended up being Macalester. Henderson shares, “after you take the extra steps needed just to become noticed by the coach, from there you need to start to figure out which coaches and schools fit you best as an individual. Whether that be the academics of the school, the location, the coach’s coaching style, the general personality of the coach, and the culture of the team.”

Once you are committed to a school, the college process doesn’t stop, it’s just altered. The pressure of school is reduced, however, there is still a level of academic success that needs to be upheld. Joe Mairs ‘20 who is committed to play tennis at Middlebury, explains that “it made me have to think about college a lot earlier than my classmates. I had to make some tough decisions about where I wanted to attend college in the summer before my senior year.” In contrast, for Ali Fine

‘20 the college process began in eighth grade, but since her commitment to play soccer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison she felt as if a “huge weight … was lifted off [her] shoulders,” but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have to try anymore. She states, “due to this, not only do you have to maintain and improve your skills in your specific sport but you also have to maintain their expected GPA.” In relation to team dynamics, the individual players and the team pros-

Ali Fine ‘20 is committed to University of WisconsinMadison.

Joe Mairs ‘20 is committed to Middleburry.

pers. Mairs explains that “it’s definitely a relief. It allows me to focus more on developing my game. I don’t need to play as many tournaments which allow for me to spend more time practicing and

improving things that take longer than a few practices to fix.” Similarly, for Henderson and Fine, they both feel more motivated at practice and during games because it gives them confidence and motivation.

Henry Ericson

SPORTS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 7, 2020 | 16

Girls’ Basketball Gives Back Boys’ Basketball Succeeds Team makes history, offseason work pays off Sonia Baig | Contributing Writer

On Jan. 24, the Girls’ Basketball team had their Teacher Appreciation Night and beat the Breck Mustangs 55-44. The girls invited teachers and read aloud thank you letters to them before the game.

Seventh grader Addison Mack ‘25 is part of the starting lineup. Here, she is at the free throw line, moments before putting Blake even further ahead of the Breck Mustangs. Also pictured is Morgan Ramsey ‘21.

hile most of us took some time off and relaxed over winter break, the Blake Boys’ Basketball team was hard at work gearing up for the rest of an already successful season. Currently holding a 10-3 record, the boys took down Orono 78 to 62 on Jan. 6 after losing by 20 points last year. Despite captain Robert Grace ‘21 cheering his teammates on from the bench due to an ankle

injury, the Bears made program history by beating Breck for the first time in seven years and are anticipating a successful rest of the season. According to Jasper Liu ‘21, who witnessed Grace get injured during a game against Benilde just three days earlier, “When Rob got hurt, the guy Rob was guarding was dribbling up the floor and hit him with a nasty right-toleft crossover-just one of the nastiest I’ve ever seen in my life. Rob’s ankle just disappeared and went straight into the floor. Just a devastating injury.” After being diagnosed with a heavily sprained ankle, Grace steadily recovered and rejoined his

Emma Martinez Sutton

Jasper Liu ‘21 and Robert Grace ‘21 in the junior lounge the Monday after their game against Orono.

teammates for a win against Saint Paul Academy on Jan. 21. Grace attributes the Bears’ recent success to several factors. “I think this year we’re just all older, more mature, and stronger, so I think that’s an advantage for us on the court. We’ve been playing together for four years as the same group,” Grace says. Only losing a couple players last year has allowed the Bears to grow closer as a team and take their game to the next level. Liu says, “We’ve been winning a lot more. I think it’s because a lot of us have been returning and we only lost a few people, so that’s been really helpful.” The Bears are looking to continue their recent success as they take on their goals for the end of the season. Grace says, “We hope to make the Section Finals and State. Winning State is going to be a stretch, but it may be in reach. I think we definitely have the talent to go pretty far.” Theo Liu ‘22 adds, “We hope to make a deep section run this year and maybe state if we get lucky and play well.”

Athletes Discuss, React to Body Image Expectations in Sports Athletes see the effects of body ideals Bernadette Whitely | Staff Writer

ody image is extremely relevant in sports, especially in today’s society. There is an intense pressure placed upon athletes to look a certain way and represent the “ideal” picture of health. Oftentimes, the way an athlete looks physically is equated with their level of fitness, skill, and overall health. This is an extremely harmful narrative because it reinforces the idea that strength and wellness has a specific body type and size. Yolanda Pauly ‘21, explains this pressure in

dance stating, “I think it is definitely present in sports in general. I think that each sport has its specific body image or ideal. It definitely is applied in dance. Especially for me, I think that the standard body for ballet specifically, is a tall, skinny, lean, white, girl. It is definitely very present in the dance community as we are constantly being judged based on our body shape and the shapes that we are making with our bodies.” As Pauly explained, dancers and other athletes are constantly being judged and evaluated based on the way their body looks, moves, and competes. Likewise, professional athletes are expected to look “perfect” and oftentimes, non-professional athletes

Submitted by: Yolanda Pauly

Pictured is Yolanda Pauly ‘21 doing an arabesque at Lundstrem Performing Arts where she is a teaching assistant.

take this pressure on as their own. When professional athletes dedicate their lives

and use their resources to compete and look “perfect,” it is not realistic for non-professionals to hold

themselves to the same standard. These pressures are emphasized in the media with the lack of representation and diversity in body types and sizes. Spencer Okoronkwo ‘22 shares, “I think that the media definitely plays into the pressure to look a certain way. With athletes often posting pictures on various platforms, I think that fans and supporters get the idea that they need to look like whoever they aspire to be. However, I think that the “perfect” body that professional athletes possess is unattainable for just a regular, nonprofessional athlete which leads to people being upset with the way they look.” When non-professional athletes expect themselves to look and perform like

professionals, it can cause comparison as well as unhealthy relationships with one’s body image. The media has the tendency to further feed this detrimental cycle but it can also represent athletes that come in all different shapes and sizes. Pauly, explains that, “There are some very famous athletes and they come in all shapes, sizes, identities and I think that is awesome. I think that the media actually does a pretty decent job of portraying how different everyone can be and still play a sport really well.” At the end of the day all you need to be is committed, determined and strong. Success does not come in one size, race, or identity.

Fencing Finds Numbers in Positive, Welcoming Atmosphere Team members share what makes fencing special Ben Lim | Contributing Writer

urrently, Blake Fencing has had one of it’s largest rosters in recent history, with a total of 50 people. One reason the team is so big is its inclusivity. Audrey Ronan ‘21 explains, “almost everyone started eigth grade

or freshman year, so it’s really inclusive that way.” Taggert Smith ‘21 echoes this saying, “It’s a new sport that anyone can pick up and be good at because if you’ve never thrown a football in you’re life, but you want to start playing highschool football that’s going to be hard for you. But, coming into fencing you can pick it up and, like me, be on varsity you’re first year because you enjoyed it.”

Another reason why the fencing team has grown is because it spreads by word of mouth. Ronan puts it best when she says, “it spreads by word of mouth really easily, so once a few extra people join, they tell their friends and all of a sudden you have ten new freshmen joining.” According to Hank Bernhardt ‘22 what makes fencing different from other sports is that it is a game of both mind and physicality. He says, “if

you cannot conquer both you will not be that good.” Captain Joe Jessop ‘20 relates the game to chess saying, “[fencing] is like physical chess, like you could be doing a certain action really well, but if your opponent has a different strategy that can counter that, then it’s effectively useless. So a big part of it is trying to figure out what works against your opponent.” See full version at blakespectrum.org

Betsy Fries

Fencers Ryan Thrasher ‘23 (left) and Theo Fechtmeyer ‘23 (right) are in the middle of a match at practice.