The Spectrum Newspaper May 2023

Student Body, Class Presidents Share Goals

Karn Kaura ‘24 was elected student body president for next year. He’s currently the junior class president and wanted to run because “there’s a lot of issues that exist in the school, particularly [with] diversity and equity, but also smaller issues with lunch and school schedule.” Kaura plans on asking “all the people who ran and won for Forum in all the grade levels to make a list of [plans] that they ran [on]. I think that gives me a baseline point in order to understand what people actually voted for and what people actually care about.” He also wants to “create an impact in the dayto-day lives of the students… there’s a lot of divisions that exist in this school and tackling these divisions is the way to go about increasing that school culture.”

Sam Hardy ‘24 was elected as the senior class president for the upcoming school year. Hardy says,“I’m excited for the year to come and I’m really excited to work with everyone else in Forum and make things happen. I think the past few years have been very productive on Forum especially, this last year has been productive.” One of his goals is “to shape the year in a way that people will miss Blake, will have a fun time during the year and it will be a memory for them that’s not just their friends but also Blake, the community that we’re in.” Hardy is very excited to help plan events like Defend the Den and the grade retreats to keep everyone connected to the community.

Cole Eckes ‘26 was voted the sophomore class president with the hope of bringing the student body more transparency regarding Forum. “I wanted to help the class out,” he says. “A lot of people say that Forum doesn’t really do a lot. Over the last year, I had not become aware of any action that had happened. I didn’t even know they had a column in the newspaper, so I wanted to build the transparency that Forum had been working on. I wanted to make the students more aware of what happens.” Eckes also wants to impact “how the students view their government, because it seems pretty negative right now. [I] want to make sure people know that [Forum] does have the power to get things done.”

Events

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8:50 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

@metoo_blake Documents Survivor Stories

rassment at school.”

OnMar. 3, an Instagram account under the handle @metoo_blake started publicly sharing the anonymous stories of sexual violence in the community. Referencing the MeToo movement popularized in 2017, the account intends to share the unsettling frequency and normalization of sexual violence on the smaller scale within the community. The account, run by an alumna, has recently garnered the attention of administration. Both the alumna and Anne Graybeal, Associate Head of School, set up a meeting with an aim to have “a conversation about different ideas and opportunities for Blake to continue to assess and enhance our practice of responding to certain cases of sexual ha-

The alumna explained her reasoning for action, “My goal during advocacy is just to try to protect other people from experiencing what I’ve experienced… I felt it important that I use the privilege that I have to advocate on behalf of survivors at Blake.”

The alumna expressed that although she’s been trying combat sexual violence within Blake beginning back in 2018, her dedication to sharing instances of sexual violence has increased since creating the Instagram account. She said, “I still hadn’t resolved the trauma I experienced [and] in a last ditch effort to try to get closure on the situation… I took the social media approach and then also ended up having these meetings with an administrator and a member of the Board of Trustees.” Since the owner of the account works completely outside of the

school, administrators have little agency over actions within posts.

The alumna believes that the current measures set by administration are rather generalized and do not completely include extensive support for survivors. She adds that some of the responsive measures stated within the Family Handbook are not accurate to her experience with sexual violence during her time at Blake. “I felt like the response that I got from Blake administrators was retraumatizing… It actively contributed to the physiological harm that I was experiencing at the time,” she said.

In an email, Director of Counseling Erin Adams said, “While our school policy references student support as a part of our response to reports of sexual assault, the specific aspects of support are not detailed since that can look different for everyone. Some students

need individual support to process a single event of harassment or assault or to recognize aspects of an unhealthy relationship. Other students need support or advocacy in determining how to share information with parents, the school or law enforcement.”

Zellie Olson ‘25 has been voted the junior class president for the third year in a row. She shared several goals for next year. “[I want to] continue with the Defend the Den, that was a huge success this year and I’m glad Breck felt included and very involved in the process. Some of the things I mentioned in my speech, like some more outdoor spaces to study and work in. We’re on an urban campus so it’s nice to take advantage of the space we have. In addition, I think more fun activities. For example fnals week having treats for people, and addressing the way students want to feel at school both with excessive coursework and stress and school spirit.” S U R V I V O R S T O R Y

The concept of using social media to influence the school’s policies involving sexual violence was an attempt for the owner to “exert some sort of influence on Blake administration to try to get them to change their policies,” and so through using social media she was able to gain a platform for the school to place policy reforms high on their lists. Graybeal too expressed her thoughts on the use of social media, as it offers a different forum for discussion. Graybeal said, “There is something really important and freeing in the spirit of posting anonymously… that’s

a sign that this [account] is good. There has to be a platform where people share their experiences.”

The alumna said, “I’m an alum, I haven’t been in the school for a long time, so I want current students to feel like they have a voice, and they know the school better than I do.”

“What I admire so much about this person is that as an alum, they are really invested in partnering with the school to ensure that we are continuing to grow and evolve and improve our practices,” Graybeal said. She continued, “I think it’s always easy for a person to walk away and say ‘I’m not a student there anymore, that’s not relevant anymore’ and I just think that it’s tremendously cool that somebody who graduated from this school a number of years ago wants Blake to be better and is taking numerous steps to make it work.”

Continued on page 2

Reporting by: Mackenzie Higgins, Cleo Kilpatrick, Evan Vezmar, & Yoni Zacks | Co-Editor-in-Chief, Photo Editor, Managing Editor, & Sports Editor

Mackenzie Higgins

Yoni Zacks

Evan Vezmar

Cleo Kilpatrick

The Blake School 511 Kenwood Pkwy

Issue X May 31, 2023

Editors-In-Chief:

Mackenzie Higgins | Zoey Ueland

Managing Editors:

Amelia Bush | Evan Vezmar

Photo Editor: Cleo Kilpatrick

Copy Editor: Sofa Perlman

Arts & Culture Editor: Eva Stegic

Student Life Editor: Ali Hecker

Food Editor: Jason Rotenberg

Sports Editor: Yoni Zacks

Opinions Editor: Kate Rekas

Business Manager: Sam Tomczik

Editor Emeriti: Oscar Walsh

Allyson Jay | Charlotte Opp |

Rowan Wallin

Faculty Adviser: Anna Reid

STAFF WRITERS:

Shruti Balachander, Rhea

Balachandran, Claire Cao, Steven Cao, Ahan Devgun, Ethan Klaiman, Sonia Lerner, Gabi Marmet, Anna Tao, Bennett Wieland, Max Yousha, Kaining Zhang, Faith Zhao

STAFF ARTISTS:

Julia Everett, Katie Lattin, Melody Lee, Julia Zhang

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Tyler Vandersall

COLUMNISTS:

Uma Bhardwaj, Ellie Werner

BECOME A STAFF MEMBER:

Contribute to the paper three times consecutively to be promoted to a staff writer!

JOIN SPECTRUM:

Spectrum meets in Room 351 during both lunches every Friday. Please come if you are interested in writing, drawing, designing, podcasting or taking pictures for the 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 to 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 signifcance 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:

Spectrum uses Associated Press (AP) Style as of the February 2020 issue.

Corrections: Sam Tomczik name misspelled on

Baroody, Molter Transition Departments: Continue to Draw Interdisciplinary Connections

Teachers return to their roots in new roles

Ahan Devgun | Staff Writer

Next year, Michelle Baroody will be moving from the Social Studies department to the English department, and Maggie Molter will be moving from the Math department to the Science department to teach physics.

graduate degree in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. She continues, “I was interested in checking out independent schools and there was a social studies job, and I looked at the classes in the department and I thought that this would align with a lot of the stuff that I studied and did.”

Baroody shares that when she taught classes at the University of Minnesota, she had a class called Reading History:

Baroody and Sophia Peterson ‘25 discuss a presentation on a banned book for U.S. History: Land, Property, and Wealth

As she enters a new department, Baroody recalls what caused her to join the Social Studies department in the first place. “[I] went to grad school at the [University of Minnesota], and I was interested in continuing to teach in the Twin Cities,” she says. Baroody majored in English and Philosophy at the undergraduate level and has a

Theory and Practice, where she instructed the process of reading and writing history. Baroody uses her background in literature when teaching social studies as she uses literature to frame historical discussions. For example, in the Land, Property, and Wealth class, she used the novel “Grapes of Wrath” to discuss “what was hap-

pening in the US during the 20th century.” She also notes that she asks her students to “do close readings in her classes that other teachers in social studies don’t push as much.”

Furthermore, Baroody prizes interdisciplinary work in her classes as she thinks fondly of the way that the ninth grade curriculum “blends [social studies and literature] together, and that’s where I sit in terms of my own discipline and study.” Baroody plans to carry the idea of thinking outside the box. She notes that she wants to read “nonfiction as literature and ask the questions of what makes literary texts literary, and what does it mean to use the methods that we use in English class to look at other kinds of materials.”

Baroody will teach her Film Analysis class, where she plans to collaborate with the filmmaking class and discuss aspects of film analysis while making film. She is also excited to teach Science and Speculative Fiction, which will challenge readers’ view of what is possible.

When discussing her shift, Molter notes that she “studied physics in college,” and that “science was always [my] first love but [I] also love teaching math.” She

originally fell in love with physics because of “how many things physics touches in society, like math and super applied things in technol-

allel language for physics to help students learn and understand the material.” Because physics is inherently tied to math Molter explains, “There

ogy.” She has had experience teaching physics, math, and even chemistry in the past, oftentimes teaching all at the same time.

Molter addresses how she incorporates physics elements into her current math classes, noting she tries to “bring the hands-on elements into the classroom,” and explains how “some of [her] favorite parts of teaching Algebra II is doing mathematical modeling and data analysis because that’s the more applied side of math which relates to physics.”

By knowing the language that is used in the math classroom, Molter will be able to “use par-

Minnesota Becomes Sanctuary State

State pledges protection for abortion, gender care

Kate Rekas | Opinions Editor

Recently around the United States there have been increasing restrictions on both abortion and LGBTQ+ health service accesibility. States such as Washington, California, New York, Vermont, and Hawaii, have joined Minnesota in becoming sanctuary states, meaning that these states have implemented laws preventing bans on gender affirming care and access to a safe abortion, no matter the term of the pregnancy. The bans on abortion and gender affirming health care make it so that healthcare providers, the patients themselves, and a minor patient’s guardian, can be arrested if they in any way help a patient to receive any

abortion or gender affirming healthcare. Of all the sanctuary states, Minnesota is the only state in the midwest, prompting surges of travelers from across the country to receive the healthcare they need. Governor Tim Walz has been instrumental in these protective legislations, and has also taken action to

ban conversion therapy.

After speaking with Spanish teacher and LGBTQ+ support and advocacy coordinator JJ Kahle about how these issues impact our community, it became apparent that our school is a sort of sanctuary within our sanctuary state, and is very committed to supporting students who identify as LGBTQ+.

Kahle has been at Blake since 1998, and was instrumental in the introduction of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance in 1999. The GSA is a group for LGBTQ+ students, allowing for community and shared experience. The GSA promoted a parent support group for parents of LGBTQ+ students, a GSA at the middle school, LGBTQ+ education and more conversation about ways to support LQBTQ+ students.

Kahle also spoke about Blake the school’s introduction of LGBTQ+ curriculum in the early 2000s, where first graders learned about different types of families, including those with two mothers or two fathers.

While our community seems to be a safe space within the sanctuary state, Kahle makes clear that there is still much more work to be done, saying, “We have to continue to be brave.”

is value in having a 15 minute mini-lesson in physics that relates to concepts you learn in math that you can recognize.”

Molter is most excited to teach “mechanics stuff of just like collecting data, carts on ramps, and forces,” and in the future, she would love to teach an elective like “astronomy... a climate change elective would [be] cool, and anything interdisciplinary that connects physics with chemistry, math, and even space.” Her goal is to “make students excited about the subject. I’m teaching by relating it to things they like and that they have in their life.”

continued from page 1

During their meeting, the alumna and Graybeal devised a plan to form a task force, made up of adults from the Middle and Upper School, that will work this summer on expanding the schools’ policies towards benefiting survivors for the 202324 school year. The task force plans to train or hire a professional in support of survivors and craft therapy vouchers.

Graybeal explained in an email that some topics they plan to explore include: expanding consent education, ensuring that students who report harassment or assault understand the reporting process, exploring a climate survey, offering multiple formats for conversations about consent, harassment and assault (e.g., plays, student-created PSAs), and continuing to build HIP to expand health education.

The alumna said, “[Graybeal] came up with ideas, so that was a sign in my mind that the school was going to be responsive to what I was advocating for… I think that it is very hopeful that there is a task force now.”

Katie Lattin

Yoni Zacks

Yoni Zacks

Molter teaches an Algebra II class about exponential growth through the financial system for a final project.

Ava Mittra | Contributing Writer

Auction win brings salt

Cleo Kilpatrick |

Rodriguez’s favorite memory at Blake was the opening night of “Twelfth Night” musical.

2. 3.

If Rodriguez could solve any world problem, it would be climate change.

Rodriguez’s last meal would be a double cheeseburger plain with bacon.

4. 5.

“We were in... Paris, for a few days and I stayed with my aunt and cousin who lived in a cottage in the rural area. There were roosters at the cottage who would caw at 6 a.m., which was really funny.”

Truman Morsman ’23 bought 12,000 salt shakers for no reason. He bet money on these vintage salt shakers from Northwest Air line which was bought by Delta in 2008. Morsman explains, “I found a re ally good deal where I could get a pal let’s worth for $2 and I took that deal. For $2 I got 12,000 salt shakers, which I am storing underneath my porch and in various points around the school.” The reason Morsman bought them is because they were cheap and he thought it

would be funny for their senior prank. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to be used in the senior prank because this year seniors had to receive approval for any prank ideas and administration didn’t want to approve the salt shakers for the prank. However, Morsman has been able to use the salt shakers in other funny instances like, Morsman says, “I have been using them for negative reinforcement, where whenever my friends do something I don’t want them to, I give them a salt shaker. At first it was a positive reinforcement thing, but then they stopped wanting them.” Morsman continues, “I am doing a take it or double it and give it to the next person and today I officially got up to 4,000 [salt shakers] from [Anne] Stavney who

then wanted me to go for [Joe] Ruggiero.”

Unfortunately, Morsman was outbid for the pepper shakers. He says, “There were three items, two were salt shaker pallets and one was a pepper shaker pallet and I got outbid on the pepper shaker pallet.”

Morsman continues, “They were significantly more, someone spent like 60 bucks on them. Which is a big step up from two

[bucks].” Overall Morsman is satisfied with his purchase of 12,000 mini salt shakers because it’s led to good laughs and jokes with his friends and people around the school.

Truman’s Salt Shakers: Why Does He Have Them? 5 Fun facts About Anika Rodriguez 1.

One life lesson Rodriguez has learned through her time at Blake is that staying committed and dedicated to the work you do is really beneficial in the long run even if it’s tiring in the moment.

Senior Speech Book Discontinued This Year

Long-time tradition axed

Zoey Ueland | Co-Editor-In-Chief

Voices in the Auditorium, a culmination of edited speeches put together by the Upper School Director of Speech and Communication Sandy Berkowitz, has been in print since the 1992-93 school year. However, beginning during the 2021-22 school year, the book has ceased to be published.

“[The books] are a representation of the speeches that were given during assembly in that year.” Berkowitz says.

Director of the Upper School Joe Ruggiero explains that the book was put out of print for a couple main reasons. In recent years. “We’ve been documenting them differently,” Ruggiero says. The

administration was also aware that, “[there were] seniors who did not really want their speech to be broadcast…we wanted to respect that.”

Ruggiero adds, “there were speeches that varied from what was submitted and … actually was delivered…we didn’t want to be in the business of editing and censoring, but at the same time, if a version of the speech that was given was not what was supposed to be given it wouldn’t have been true or valid in terms of what was actually in the book.”

Upon a meeting with the Alumni Board wherein Berkowitz brought various iterations of the book to members, “they really liked that,” she reflects. “I think it is a tradition that from my experience, that the students begin to understand by the end of the year and then can see it for the future.” Nico Va-

liente ‘23 says, “I’m pretty indifferent towards [the lack of publication] but I know that when I’m older I’m going to want a book of speeches to look back on.”

Despite storied intent, Lilly Anderson ‘23 says, “I think the [speeches] that were really memorable for me will stick with me and I don’t need a book showing them.”

However, for Berkowitz, “The seniors that I had in class who talked about [the change], I would say…and this is my characterization of them, unhappy that it wasn’t being done.”

While now sent out in video format to individual seniors via email, “I think that we would be open to revisiting [an alternative format] if it’s something that students [and] parents felt very strongly about…. it would have to address all the concerns that we’ve

had,” Ruggiero says. Beyond use for reflection and honoring memories, the books were utilized throughout Berkowitz’s senior seminar class as inspiration for seniors themselves. Berkowitz says, “They’ve heard 300 plus speeches by the time they get to theirs and so they really are excited. They’re like “oh, I remember this speech, let me go back and look at it.”

Classmates Celebrate Peers Chosen to Speak at Commencement

As the seniors get ready to walk the stage for graduation, there is one part that holds a sentimental meaning: graduation speeches. This year, Zach Weiner ‘23 , Senior Class President Sofia Perri ‘23 , and Student Body President Justin Krelitz ‘23 are the three student speakers who have been selected.

While Krelitz and Weiner both auditioned to speak, Perri is required to as part of Senior Class President. As for the selection process,

Krelitz says that “There were two rounds of selection. First you send in a written copy of your speech, they read it, and then they emailed you if you passed that round. And then you gave your speech to Mike Canfield , the Senior Class Dean, Ilah Raleigh , the Director of Visual and Performing Arts, and Sandy Berkowitz , Upper School Director of Speech and Communication.” Krelitz chose

to speak at graduation because he believes he “has a unique perspective on things and that people could benefit from just a different perspective.”

Weiner, however, described his motivations as,

“I kind of got gaslit… Mike Canfield asked me if I wanted to give a commencement speech and I was like ‘oh yeah thats awesome I like talking to people.’

I wrote him a draft and it turns out I was en-

tered into this competition with 23-25 people.

I didn’t know that. I won apparently and then I had to compete again with five people. I didn’t know that either… so I came back in the morning and saw five of my buddies.”

Krelitz explains that his speech centers around emotions, stating, “Life is about feeling, distance yourself from other things. We do so many other things, we think we want truth and achievement or whatever it may be and that’s going to substitute and make us happy, but we don’t actually go for happiness or were afraid to feel

sad. And I’m just like ‘all of your feelings are good.’” That’s where the richness of life is and that’s what we should embrace.” Perri says, “The main tenant

in my speech is gratefulness or just gratitude. It’s a thank you speech essentially… I really just want to thank our class for persevering despite what we’ve been through

Ali Hecker

and we’ve just created a really welcoming environment that I am so grateful I’ve gotten to experience… The people in my class are an amazing group.” Weiner describes his speech, saying, “It’s an elaboration of what Justin [Krelitz] said [in his senior speech] in my own words… and how Blake is super awesome to me and it’s special and how we should keep that up in the future. And even though we’re not at Blake, you can still be awesome like you guys are awesome to me.”

Ali Hecker

Cleo Kilpatrick

Voices of the Auditorium are available in the library.

Evan Vezmar

All graphics by Ellie Schifman

Photo Editor

Three students chosen to speak

Amelia Bush | Managing Editor

Truman Morsman ‘23 brings his saltshakers to school and distributes them to his classmates.

Anika Rodriguez

Submitted by

Anika Rodriguez ‘23 is pictured.

Art-A-Whirl Proves Successful Books That Play With Time

Annual festival features artists, fun activities

Evan Vezmar | Managing Editor

F or a moment while I walked from the car park to the Northrup King Building, there were only a few people on the sidewalks, strolling between art exhibits. Then, I was hit with an explosion of noise, color, and excitement. Everywhere I looked, crowds of people milled about, admiring beautiful art and enjoying a wonderful environment for creativity.

In the 28th year of Art-A-Whirl, 1200 artists from Minneapolis showcased their art across nearly a hundred locations. The festival was split into sections but it was no more than a 10-minute walk from one side to another portion of the exhilarating and lively celebration of art. Featuring ce -

ramics, drawings, photography, woodworking, clothes, and so much more, Art-A-Whirl had everything to offer. When I wasn’t watching a live band perform on a stage, I walked through endless rooms of beautiful creations, each piece reflecting one person’s unique interpretation of Minneapolis and the world. The festival ran from May 19 to May 21, and the energetic crowd, even in the afternoon sun, was en -

gaging and exhilarating. It’s a shame that the festival only runs for 3 days as there were so many exhibits that I wasn’t able to see. There were plenty of food trucks and restaurants dotted around the area to try, ranging from brownies and ice cream to tacos and dumplings. Art-A-Whirl is a brilliant, eclectic collage of fun, art, and music and it’s an event everyone should look forward to come next May.

Unique story-telling, cycles, death as a narrator

Uma Bhardwaj | Columnist

Theschool year is ending, and if you’re anything like me, you’re realizing that everything is fleeting, and time is but a human creation attempting to slow our inevitable descent into death! But no, really. Time keeps moving forward– unless you like to read. So here are some

books that distinctly don’t have the linear timelines our world seems so obsessed with. Books whose clocks go backwards, or sideways, or up. Enjoy.

“Genuine Fraud” by E. Lockhart. This book starts at the end of the story (with chapter 18) and works backwards, until we get back to when everything started, adding together puzzle pieces until a truly shocking picture emerges. Following a morally gray protagonist with a mysterious past, “Genuine Fraud” is

breathtaking and enthralling as we learn what, exactly, the main character is running from.

“The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak. Narrated by potentially the most omniscient of narrators, Death, “The Book Thief” tells the story of a girl in Nazi Germany, and all of her encounters with Death. The book spoils its own ending, so to speak, very early on. There’s none of the suspense, or element of surprise often found in novels, instead leaving readers to focus on the beautiful characters and heartbreakingly pure storytelling.

“Life after Life” by Kate Atkinson. Another WWII era historical fiction novel, but this time instead of just encountering Death, the main character actually does die. And then dies again, and again, and again. By developing her character through multiple timelines Atkinson is able to dive deeply into the ways we all make decisions, and the ripple effect that those decisions have, not just on our lives, but the world around us.

Band & Orchestra Concert Review Edina Art Fair Stirs Excitement

Spring concert with unique twist

Sonia Lerner | Staff Writer

Ifthere’s one thing you should know about the spring band and orchestra concert, it’s that it was the most innovative, enjoyable, would-pay-to-watch school concert that I’ve ever been to. Violinist Ani Bhardwaj

‘26 said that it was “the most passion and energy [they’ve] ever seen at a school orchestra [and band] concert.”

The night began with Ursa Major, the student run orchestra group, who performed a selection of beautifully intricate pieces. Then, the Chamber Orchestra took the stage and quite literally gave me goosebumps (multiple times). Upper School orchestra and band director Brian Lukkasson began by introducing the orchestra’s themes of Brazilian music, film scores, and collaboration and community (in partnership with the choir). In terms of their performance, the orchestra did not disappoint. They played beautiful Brazilian compositions, and in one piece, violinists and violists played their instruments as if they were guitars, inspired by the piece being originally written for the guitar. The concert also

featured the song “Test Drive” from “How to Train Your Dragon” arranged by junior Usman Mallick ‘24, who said, “I loved doing it, I love orchestra, and that’s the entire reason why I did it … it was rewarding, I wanted to do it.” Finally, they ended with “5 Hebrew Love Songs,” which they performed with A Capella, the Upper School a capella choir. Emma Hausman ‘23, who took a frontline role in teaching the A Capella choir the Hebrew lyrics, said that they’ve “been pushing to do a song in Hebrew … since [their] freshman year, so [they were] really excited that [they] got to do it, especially [during their] senior year.”

You might be thinking, “Wow, this concert sounds

like it couldn’t get any better,” but you’d be mistaken; Jazz Express and Concert Band had yet to showcase their pieces. Aidan Tao ‘23, co-leader of Jazz Express, commented that “getting people to have that interest and have that passion for Jazz Express … has been the most difficult part [of the process], but also the most rewarding.” They performed an exceptional set of fusion pieces, combining rock, pop, funk, disco, and more, my personal favorite being Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You.” Some of the members even fashioned sunglasses during the set, adding an elevated feeling of jazz and funk to the music.

Read full version online at www.blakespectrum.org

Do you appreciate artwork and not have anything to do the weekend of June 2? If so, go to the Edina Art Fair located at the intersection of 50th and France! This annual fair started in 1966 and has around 250,000-300,000 visitors each year. The theme of the year is “The Art of Connection,” illustrating the ways in which art can bring people together. The Edina Art Fair in the past was rated on one of the top 50 fairs in the United States and has gotten many other awards throughout the years. It will take place this summer on Friday June 2 from 10am7pm, Saturday June 3 from 10am-7pm, and lastly Sunday June 4 from 10am-5pm.

Zellie Olson ‘25, has gone to the fair multiple times and always enjoys her time there.

Whether she is shopping for jewelry, paintings, or merely walking around, Olson admires the creativity that everyone places into their art. Olson talks about the vibe of the fair, “It’s very welcoming, you get to know how they made their art, how they got there, they really let you open themselves to their art journey.” Olson continues, “you feel like you get to see their art journey then and there instead of just seeing the final project.”

The Edina Art Fair is a great way to begin the summer, with amazing art and food. There are not only forms of art but lots of opportunities to participate in crafts. There is a community art project where people paint panels on canvases which will be shown on Sunday. Some

other forms of entertainment that’s offered include dance performances, music, and magic shows.

The featured artist of the 2023 year is Suyao Tian. She is a gallerist of Viewpoint Gallery in the Twin Cities and works at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. At Viewpoint, she curates, paints, and runs the gallery. She originally went to college in China and arrived in the US in 2011 where she started to work on designing art. Some of her artwork, specifically her paintings, are part of many exhibitions across the country.

The fair is an amazing opportunity to go out and take time to appreciate artwork and the creativity from community artists. Olson explains, “What inspires me most is probably how the community can come together and how when it feels like sometimes there’s not enough appreciation for artists and what they put into their work. It feels great to see an entire community show up to buy from them and to support their creativity.”

Frequent attendees comment on fun, diversity of event

Gabi Marmet | Staff Writer

Other books by E. Lockhart include “We Were Liars” and its prequel “Family of Liars.”

In one section of the festival, a band invited people to sing on the microphone while they accompanied on instruments.

The choir and orchestra prepare to play together in the MPAC. At the 2022 fair, co-editor-in-chief Zoey Ueland ‘24 went with Kiana Poul ‘24 to look for new room decor and jewelry.

Sonia Lerner

Submitted by Zoey Ueland

Evan Vezmar

Amelia Bush

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream!

Cleo Kilpatrick | Photo Editor

Phish Food is a classic Ben and Jerry’s favor, a creamy marshmallow swirl, caramel drizzle, and little cartoon fudge fshies you can’t go wrong with. This ice cream has a small sweetness with the marshmallows, but is balanced well with the fudge fsh. Also, having small cartoon fsh in your ice cream will put a smile on your face. The fudge fsh and chocolate ice cream don’t confict. They add a variety of favors that blend well. The fudge fsh are my favorite part. In every bite I look forward to fnding a fsh on my spoon. This favor comes in dairy and vegan ice cream. Both options are delicious. For the vegan one, even though different milk is used, the favors and other ingredients are still vibrant in each bite. Personally Phish Food is my favorite, all the ingredients compliment each other very nicely and taste delicious.

Vegan ice cream is not for everyone, but if you are looking for a dairy alternative, Ben and Jerry’s Vegan Tonight Dough is an excellent choice. This favor has chocolate and caramel ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter cookie dough, and chocolate crunchy cookie swirl. All of these ingredients hide the fact that this is vegan ice cream. Although it may not be as creamy, the favors of the ingredients stand out more. Each bite, you get a different favor of cookie dough. It’s like a surprise in your mouth each time! This ice cream is made with almond milk instead of dairy milk. This change in ingredients affects the texture of the ice cream rather than the taste. The texture is more grainy than fuffy but still melts in your mouth with every spoonful.

Cherry Garcia, another classic and refreshing favor from Ben and Jerry’s. This ice cream has cherry ice cream with cherries and fudge fakes. The added cherries add a nice tart favor to the sweetness of the cherry ice cream. The fudge fakes also balance the overload of cherry favor. I am not a big fan of cherries, but I can tolerate the favor of this ice cream. If it didn’t have the fudge fakes, I don’t think I would like it, but all of the ingredients together makes the ice cream very refreshing, especially on a hot summer day. I have only tried the regular version of this ice cream, not the vegan version, but the regular version is very creamy and fuffy. Compared to vegan ice cream favors I have tried, the dairy ice cream is the creamiest and has a sweeter favor. I am a chocolate lover so Cherry Garcia is not on the top of my list, but it is still good with it’s simple favors that have a sweet and tartness to them.

World Renowned Masterpiece Has Many Good Minnesota Options

Pizza restaurant comparison

Max Yousha | Staff Writer

Pizza, a delicious food from Italy, is a staple in American food culture.

In Minnesota, there are a variety of pizza restaurants, some rare, some common. Blaze Pizza, a chain founded in Florida, with the majority of their restaurants being in California, only has a few locations in Minnesota.

Punch Pizza, a favorite among Minnesotans and founded in Minnesota, has

nine locations within the state.

I tried Blaze in St. Louis Park and Punch in Wayzata. When comparing different pizzas, four main factors stand out: the toppings, the cheese, the sauce, and the crust/ dough. A good topping comes from good taste, texture, and how well it fits into the pizza. Good cheese and sauce combos are determined by the ratio of cheese to sauce, the consistency, as well as the taste of both. Depending on personal choice, a good crust could be thicker or thinner, but a big factor in

a great crust is how good it tastes alone.

When comparing Blaze and Punch, these factors all stood out to me for one side or the other. Cheese, sausage, pepperoni, and olive pizzas were tried and compared from both places.

To start, the toppings were close; both restaurants had fantastic toppings that fit in phenomenally with their respective pizzas. The edge here goes to Blaze, as Blaze’s sausage, pepperoni, and olives not only tasted better, but also fit in a bit better with the cheese. Punch’s toppings,

Salad Bar on Fire This Spring

A review of what the salad bar offers

Zoey Ueland | Co-Editor-in-Chief

In a list of lunch options, ranging from the main hot lunch, to the improved power bowl station, the sandwich bar, off-campus Kowalski’s, Chipotle, Pancheros runs, or even the “vendies,” the salad bar may not be among top choices. However, throughout my three years at the Upper School, it has remained one of my favorites as I enter the packed floors of the lunchroom each day.

Seemingly recently updated, the two options for greens provide various bases for salad each day. A staunch hater of spinach, my choice falls between arugula and romaine. As for toppings, I regularly choose tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, olives, and snap peas. I ap-

preciate their other options, banana peppers, various cheeses, and dried fruit, but don’t regularly choose them. Though I am a fan of many types of salads, by mid-day I am drained and in need of protein to keep me sustained throughout the remainder of the school day. While various types of chicken are regularly available in the silver boxes, as a vegetarian, protein in the salad bar is hard to come by. I would happily incorporate tofu into my salads each day. Chickpeas, another

source of protein used to be readily available, but were removed.

As for dressing, I’m fairly picky. The balsamic vinaigrette, though occasionally strange in texture, is perfectly tart, tangy, and sweet. Yet, aside from the vinaigrette, the other dressings aren’t to my liking.

Other auditions to the salad bar, including the premade salad, provide another light lunch alternative. Recent favorites include pesto pasta, soba noodle salad, and their Mediterranean mix.

although delicious, were falling off a bit and the blend wasn’t quite there. When comparing cheese and sauce combos, Punch easily takes the win here. Punch has a unique sauce that consists of just crushed tomatoes rather than a full sauce spread. This pairs really well with the light mozzarella on top. Blaze also has a really good combo and a fantastic sauce, but the ratio is a bit off, and the cheese is really filling. The crusts were also in a close competition. Blaze’s crust is perfectly crispy and brown, while

Blaze offers a plethora of delicious toppings to choose from.

Punch’s is perfectly fluffy and easy to eat. The edge here goes to Punch because Punch’s crust on its own is delicious.

Overall, Punch narrowly

defeated Blaze, but don’t underrate Blaze Pizza, as it is still a very delicious pizza with amazing sauce and toppings and a nice, crispy crust.

How To Make Chicken Schnitzel

*From Dinner Done Between Carpools Cookbook

Yoni Zacks | Sports Editor

- 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken

- 1 to 1 1/4 cup

homestyle bread crumbs

- 1/2 cup oil

- 1/2 cup sesame seeds

- 3/4 cup salt

- A dash of black pepper

Cooking Instructions

First, pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Also, prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Next, combine the bread crumbs (or panko crumbs), oil, sesame seeds, salt, pepper (if wanted), and garlic in a bowl or Ziploc bag (A Ziploc bag is better because the ingredients are better mixed). Following this, bread the chicken by dipping it in the bowl/bag and coating it with oil. Then, place the chicken onto the baking pans, making sure there is room in between each piece. Coat it with non-stick cooking spray and cover the entire pan with foil. While it’s covered, bake it for 10 minutes. Then, uncover chicken and cook for 10-16 minutes. Make sure the chicken is cooked and that the inside juices are not pink, but clear. This is an important step that will lower the risk of food poisoning. Finally, enjoy your chicken!

Yoni Zacks

The salad bar is flled with delicious toppings to build your salad. Zoey Ueland

Yoni Zacks

Cleo Kilpatrick

Cleo Kilpatrick

Cleo Kilpatrick

Trap Shooting Team Shares Goals, Aims for Improvement

Coach focuses on safety, fun, responsibility

Hamza Banatwala | Contributing Writer

Trap shooting is seen as a competitve sport including the use of firearms to shoot clay targets, commonly known as clay pigeons. The targets are launched from a machine that is referenced as the “trap,” and are ejected randomly and sporadically flying at different angles and times resembling the flight of a bird.

The goal of a contestant is to shoot as many clay targets as they can within the limiteed time whilst employing fast

reflexes, accuracy and much more.

Orla Judalena ‘25, a member of the trap shooting team shares, “There are several memorable moments. I was ranked 7th or 17th state-wise last year for the female trap shooting rankings (within our group size). Second, I became a trap shooting captain this year and also got a varsity letter, which I was very proud of. Lastly, getting a high score is still very memorable, and I’m sure that lots of people can relate to achieving such a goal.”

Judalena shares her achievements and proudest moments as a trap shooter. She encourages others to be inspired by the opportunity that comes with the competitve sport.

Judalena says, “My advice to those interested in trap shooting is that if you want a fun sport that doesn’t take a lot of your time, [to] do trap shooting. We only meet one day per week (Wednesday) for an hour or two to shoot, but you can improve your skills and

spend time doing something fun. Also, it’s a great feeling when you get a new score, so try it out!” Judalena is aware that trap shooting should be a sport that is approachable and encourages others to join in. Lastly, she shows the time management and

Softball Rebuilds, Fosters Unity

Highlights include rivalry victory

Evan Vezmar | Managing Editor

“We’re in a building year”, explains CJ Eckhardt , the co-head coach of the softball team. However, Eckhardt had nothing but praise for her team, citing an incredible team connection. “Everybody is super supportive, everybody is so kind to each other. They’re really responsive, excited to learn and grow. It’s one of the best team dynamics that I’ve been a part of.”

Julia Rasmussen ‘23 agrees, saying “All the people in general are really good people… I think the team dynamic’s really positive.” The softball team is combined with Eagle Ridge Academy so “that definitely makes a different dynamic than a typical Blake sports team. But I think it’s kind of nice to not just be with Blake people all the time,” explains Rasmussen. Rasmussen also mentions the great relationship the team has with the coaches. Rasmussen describes, “CJ’s a very good coach. It’s nice because we have 4 coaches and so they all work super well. If CJ’s gone… one of them easily steps up.”

Eckhardt expresses that losing games has been challenging, but “helping [the team] stay steady, continue to build momentum even in those losses is really hard. Sometimes we are just

learning lessons to try to build and be better.” Eckhardt shared a story of the team’s double header against Breck in early May and emphasizes, “They were really really tough games. The first game we lost 9-6 and the second game we won 10-0. And just the level of energy and enthusiasm

they had in both games despite the first loss was so much fun. Afterwards, they were singing and laughing and building community. It was really really fun to watch.”

Rasmussen adds, “Our goals for the season are to just keep having fun. I think that’s ultimately the most important.”

the essence of the sport. “Trap shooting requires time and competitive effort, where people work together individually and as a team to hit as many targets as possible; whoever gets the most targets is the highest ranked. Because of this, the competitive nature and urge to improve or be the best give trap shooting the value of being a welldeemed sport or activity.”

Jon Van Bergen , the coach, explains that “Our goals are pretty simple. 1: Teach and instill safety and respect of a firearm. With a sport like ours this can not be understated. There is no room for error and athletes need to understand that owning and operating a firearm comes with an incredible responsibil-

ity. 2: See improvement in an individual’s average score. We try to get every athlete’s scores to improve throughout the season. That looks different for every person on the team. 3: Have fun.”

Van Bergen continues, “This is a sport that can continue for a lifetime so we hope that members of the team find joy to the point that they will continue joining leagues after they leave Blake. A few have continued to shoot in college and many join recreational leagues at their local gun clubs. This will continue to grow and keep the sport strong.”

Van Bergen’s goals for the team are quite clear and important in the world and the grand scheme of things.

Mystery Athlete: Golf Captain

Mentor

builds bonds, teammates reminisce

Tarun Gopalakrishnan | Staff Writer

The mystery athlete is one of the captains of the boys’ varsity golf team. His teammates believe is an exceptional leader and has a great sense of humor. The boys’ golf team is off to a great start with help from this mystery athlete. The athlete says, “being captain of the team has helped me learn leadership skills.”

Teammate and fellow captain Jack Griffin ‘23 noted, “He has been a great player for us because he has a great mix of competitiveness and charisma. He can be serious when we need him in matches, but also the ability to joke around and have fun with the team. Having been around him on the course for the last three years, I have seen his ability up close to make fast bonds with new guys, as well as make sure his own game is in order.”

Griffin acknowledges that, as a captain, the athlete knows the importance of bringing the team together and creating a strong bond. “He has done a great job at building solid relationships with a lot of the younger and newer players. In a game where confidence means everything, it’s good to know as a younger kid that you have a solid

captain that can be there for you any time.”

Not only is this athlete a golf player but he is also a fan, as he says, “I like to think of Rory McIlroy as my idol. I try to model my swing and mental game after him.”

This athlete expressed his passion and love for the sport as he hopes to continue playing in college as the athlete explained, “I’ll maybe play club golf, and if I get a little bit better I might try and walk on.”

Ian Friederichs ‘25 claims, “[The athlete] has been incredibly supportive and kind, and as a result, he has improved my golf skills

and helped me become a better person. I have also gained much knowledge from him on and off the golf course.”

Friederichs also states, “When [the athlete] graduates, I will miss playing matches with him. It has been a lot of fun playing together in matches because we make fun of each other when we hit a bad shot, help each other on the course, and laugh a lot.”

Several teammates agree that the athlete has been a great piece for the golf team for many years and the team will definitely miss him.

Can you guess the mystery athlete? Find out on blakespectrum.org!

Photo illustration by Yoni Zacks

Eva Stegic

photographer after a foul ball.

Alex Won ‘24 and Liam Coley ‘25 at a practice. Currently, the Bears are ranked sixth in their conference.

Submitted by Coley

Team celebrates seniors, prepares for sections

Synchronized swimming made a splash at their exhibition on May 11. The event was well-attended and featured solo, duet, trio, and team routines. Swimmers had coordinating costumes, hair, and makeup and performed to a wide range of songs.

The team co-ops with

Providence Academy and Minnetonka High School, who both had graduating seniors that were celebrated during the exhibition as well. The exhibition also acted as a dress rehearsal for their upcoming competitions. The team competed at Section Figures on May 13, Section Routines on May 20, and State on May 25 and 26. According to Hannah Barisonzi ‘26 “Section figures are elements, for example in ballet, you have a pirouette. It’s like a section you can use for

choreography in a routine, it shows skill. Figures you’re judged on the

pirouette, but in routines you’re judged on the choreography as a whole.”

Synchronized Swimming Stars at Showcase Boys’ Ultimate On The Road to State

Below: Jason Rotenberg ‘24 throws the disc Rotenberg unfortunately tore his meniscus at a tournament in White Bear Lake and will miss the rest of the season The team ended the regular season with four wins and three losses They are currently preparing for the state tournament after competing in the conference playofs. They will be participating in the State Tournament from June 3-4 in Blaine Right: Jonah Yousha ‘24, one of the three captains, leads the team against Armstrong in a close 14-9 defeat Bottom Right: A popular tradition, where the entire team runs towards a photographer while eating cookies after every win

Left: Barisonzi prepares to dive in for her solo performance to “Breathe Underwater.”

Above: Maggie Nicol ‘24 Ava Gilbert ‘24, and their teammates from Providence Academy and Minnetonka High School strike a pose before beginning their routine to “War.”

Michael Hackett

Mackenzie Higgins | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Mackenzie Higgins

Mackenzie Higgins

Submitted by Jonah Yousha

Submitted by Jonah Yousha

Submitted by Jason Rotenberg

Reporting by Faith Zhao | Staff Writer

Outgoing Seniors’ Advice for younger students

“Do the activities and challenges you are interested in... If you do something for more reason than because it will look good, you will have a much easier time doing it.”

“Keep in mind that high school is only four years of your life. Make the most of it, but don’t forget that you have your whole life ahead of you.”

“Care less about what other people think.”

What is one event of high school you would like to relive?

“Football games.”

Faith Zhao

“If you have thing that ally care even if it’s a month, it the best and do that you of so whatever it doesn’t something

are planning out to lege… that will look will also make you feel

-

Theo

Fetchmeyer

“[High ally

“The first assembly as a ninth grader.”

“The last week of school before summer is always a great time.”

time the love that your okay. It’s when with your

Seniors’ Last Thoughts what think.”

have somethat you recare about, it’s just [for] try to do best you can something are proud whatever it is, have to be something that you

to do in colgood and it feel good.”

Fetchmeyer ‘23

“There’s this stereotype that in order for you to be successful you need to go to a top-ranked college and if you don’t do that you’re

not as good as everyone else. Be okay with fguring out what you want... I feel like a lot of people are like ‘I’m just applying to all of these colleges out of spite of what other people are going to think of me’ [instead of] ‘I actually want to go there.’”

What do you wish you had known sooner?

is

to a lot of different people to

“[High school] goes by really fast so spend as much

time as possible with people that you love and sometimes if that means sacrificing your school work, it’s okay. Talk to everyone. so much more fun when you’re friendly with nearly everyone in your grade.”

Unattached quotes from anonymous survey

Submitted by Jackie Wethington

“Being good at something doesn’t mean it needs to be the thing that defines you.”

“Everyone

a human being with a story. Obviously I heard that, and I knew that. But it just took talking

really see it.”

Submitted by Catherine Hardy

- Jackie Wethington ‘23

- Catherine Hardy ‘23

Seniors anticipate prank, share reactions to rules

Yoni Zacks | Sports Editor

The senior prank. No one knows what it is beforehand, but everyone has an opinion about it. That includes our current se niors. Some times, though, it can create such a divide that no one knows what’s go ing on.

‘23 asked, “What senior prank?”

Declan O’Connell ‘23 mentioned, “no one in our grade knows what we’re

doing yet… half our grade wants to trash the school and the other half want to follow the guidelines.”

William Anderson ‘23 argues, “I [Mike] Canfield made some reasonable requests, but for some seniors part of the se nior prank is being unreasonable. So, we’ll see what happens.” He furthers, “I would hope that as a grade, we can stay sponsible but still

have fun.”

Some seniors were more animated in their opinions. Ryoya Yamada ‘23 shared, “It’s all over the place. There’s like 10 ideas we’re probably never gonna do. There’s not really much to do because of the administration ... They’re strict guidelines, but they’re very vague. It’s definitely more of an opinion guideline on if Canfield likes it or not.”

Emma Hausman ‘23 agrees that the rules are vague, claiming, “I don’t

even know what rules there are, I don’t know if anyone knows what the rules are… all I know is Blake doesn’t want a repeat of previous years, but I don’t know what those guidelines are.” Hausman comments on their understanding of what the administration is asking, stating, “don’t severely damage the school and don’t bring in live animals, I hope that people have that capability. I think that the lack of unification of the senior prank means that the likelihood that nothing will happen is likelier than anything bad happening.”

What defines a prank? Past pranks provide examples of harmful, funny days

Kate Rekas | Opinions Editor

Zach Weiner ‘23 and Jalen Wilson ‘23 have a lightsaber battle in Steve Kaback’s block 1 Physics class. This act joined a capella singing, a senior getting carried out in a stretcher, and two students

The classic prank implemented by students was used last year by the Class of ‘22. For sale signs were scattered throughout the lawn of the school.

Oxford Languages

What is a prank?

Dictionary defines prank as “a practical joke or mischievous act.” Unfortunately, this definition provides little help, humor is relative, and the administration did not share the same sense of humor as the Class of ‘22. Because of this disconnect last year, the administration has decided to regulate this year’s prank. But is it really a prank then? Each year the senior prank exists in one form or another, some years are considered better than others, but it all depends on who you ask.

Last year, there was not just one act that made up the controversial senior prank, but a mismatched series of inconveniences, and incidents of destruction spread around the school. Students were greeted in the morning with a harmless parking lot full of cars parked horizontally or diagonally across two to three parking spaces, leaving little room for non-seniors to

park. However, upon en tering the building, there was more done to the in side of the school. Rail ings were covered in a lubricating material, silly string sprayed everywhere, glitter dumped in rooms and other messy “jokes” literally littered the school. The mess

and destruction after this day left a palpable sense of agitation and frustration among faculty and staff, arguably not the best way for seniors bid farewell to their teach ers.

Ivy Besikof ‘23 reflects on last year’s events, saying, “I don’t think making a mess is a prank, I would not consider last year a prank.” She hopes that this year’s class will do “something funny, that’s clever, that wouldn’t harm anyone or any property. Something that would be remembered.”

Mike Canfield, senior grade dean, speaks to his idea of a prank, saying “I think for the school, a prank, the purpose would be a group of people, a class, for example, do something that ultimately creates cohesion, identity, that they’re remembered for that’s also funny, that approaches a line maybe but doesn’t go over it.”

listed Blake for sale on Craigslist and just put a for sale by owner sign in front of the school,” reflects Librarian Lizz Buchanan who has seen the good and the bad of the senior pranks in her 14 years of working as a librarian. “There was one year where they made a huge pile of library furniture which was pretty destructive. The year that they filled the study rooms with balloons was

cute but they never came to clean it up, it was like a ball pit, so like there’s no follow-through,” Buchanan continues. The topic of follow-through and things being cleaned up afterwards remains a very large part of why the prank is being regulated so much. “It’s ok if they want to do something, as long as they clean Jim Arnold, the current Anatomy teacher. The theme to notice is that pranks that harm people or the school environment, such as piles of chairs, are

Can pranks be regulated and still fun?

Kate Rekas | Opinions Editor

Is it still a prank if it’s regulated? Many argue that no, a major aspect of executing a prank is mastering the element of surprise. While most senior classes do choose to execute the prank on their last day at the high school, the actual prank itself carries the surprise, and has always been a mystery to both students and staff, so there is some element of surprise left (even if senior grade dean, Mike Canfield, knows the details)!

there was a prank to end all pranks and it should’ve, they flooded the school. It was a chaotic insane experience that was completely out of hand,” says college counselor Jim Mahoney Read full article on blakespectrum.org

Following the destructive nature of Class of ‘22’s senior prank, the administration set rules for this year’s senior class. All prank plans were to be reported to and approved by the Class of ‘23’s grade dean, with a list of who will be carrying out each prank. Seniors have been made aware that those who do something not previously reported will not walk at graduation. Many seniors believe it is unfortunate that the previous prank made the administration feel as though they had to regulate this year’s class, as they believe it will damper some spirit of fun and surprise. The senior class had a grade meeting the week before their final week of school where Canfield explained the administration’s reasoning for regulating the prank, emphasizing to students that they hope “[the prank] would be something that everyone can appreciate, and and at theber it. There’s class culture and school culture around these things. Ob viously my hope for this class and what I think this class deserves is a lot of admi ration and good feeling. It’s no small feat for student leaders to help a group execute on a goal, it’s a leadership question.”

Only time will tell what this year’s “prank” will be; hopefully it is both fun for the senior class, funny, surprising, and creates minor inconveniences, but avoids any major destruction of property.

A culture change surrounding the prank is clearly necessary; last year wasn’t a prank, it was just destructive. So while it’s not ideal to have rules, it makes sense to plan ahead to make the most of the senior class’s last day.

Submitted by Mackenzie Higgins

Submitted by Nina Bush

*This senior’s opinion was written before the 2023 prank*

*This senior’s opinion was written before the 2023 prank*

mimicking Scott Hollander and Mike Bazzett within the school. This year’s prank was based on funny acts.

Mackenzie Higgins

The 2021 prank consisted of decorating the senior lounge with ballons and cut-outs of the seniors. As well, they stood at the front entrance handing out condoms to the underclassman.

May 12 was the one-year anniversary of Lora McManus-Graham’s infamous My-Space assembly. The My-Space VR project was meant to create belonging, yet came across as an attempt to be as uniquely racist as possible, with racial segregation, dismissal of historical racism in America, and falsification of diversity. The Office of Equity & Community Engagement (OECE) didn’t listen or change last year, but maybe they will in the fall.

Still, the OECE doesn’t seem to have changed. The 2022-2023 school year welcomed even more backlash, most notably in Aidan Tao ‘23’s senior speech criticizing the MySpace assembly’s use of the Black National anthem as a form of performative activism. The morning of his speech, Sandy Berkowitz sent out an email through the grade conferences detailing the upcoming senior speeches with discussion questions about each speech. Tao’s first question, related to equity work in the community. McManusGraham received this email. Despite this, she contacted Bill Colburn one day later, requesting to use the Bennett Gallery for a one-day installation of the My-Space VR project. On February 10, Colburn asked the members of the gallery’s curatorial team, a student-led group, whether we would accept her proposition.

I very outspokenly pushed against this idea. My thinking is that the gallery is a student-led group and that correlating students with a highly controversial, performative, and racist project makes students a bigger part of the problem than we need to be. The timing was strange and indicated a disregard towards Aidan’s criticisms. My advocacy helped prevent the project from being installed in the gallery, preventing further harm to the student body. It was the group that listened to me, not McManus-Graham.

I have tried to ask McManus-Graham more about the project for a research paper, yet I have been politely denied. I also asked Tao whether he was ever contacted by the OECE following his speech, the office had not reached out to him. It is not the students’ job to create equity at Blake when we have an office made to do so. Yet, the OECE should listen to student concerns as a way to formulate plans as to how to create equity.

Audience Etiquette Lacks Respectful Listening

Phones distract, take attention from speakers

Mirah Lukis | Staff Writer

In assembly, there’s always at least one kid who is scrolling through social media and at least one teacher who is ready to snatch up their phone. But does this phone policing bring about more annoyance than helpfulness?

Personally, I believe that

both negative and positive impacts can be created by teachers’ policing of phones.

On the positive side, being present, respectful, and not on our phones while we are in the JNA together listening to speakers creates a sense of community. Latin teacher Alita Shenk agrees, saying, “[Assembly] is something we do as a community and people should treat other members of the community with respect.” Some-

times, being a respectful audience member does not necessarily involve actively listening, merely sitting up and maintaining eye contact. As someone on stage, seeing someone in the audience who is on their phone or slouching over doesn’t give the best impression and could potentially lead to increased nervousness or feeling insignificant. This readily contributes to weakening the community, which is the exact opposite of what

assembly is meant to accomplish. Ninth grade dean, Jen Vance adds, “Sometimes [students] don’t realize how rude [they] are and the impression it makes on other people like when [they] have [their] phone out and somebody’s giving a speech.” Even as someone who has not been up on stage much in the Juliet Neilson Auditorium (JNA), I can imagine how seeing those in the audience actively on their phones or whispering to their friends could heighten my levels of nervousness. Therefore, since assembly gives us the opportunity to come together as a school, it’s important to take advantage of the time it grants and be, at the very least, respectful to those speaking.

Simultaneously, constant phone policing can become distracting or annoying to students. Jocelyn

Kate

Jim ‘26 mentions, “Sometimes [phone policing] is

Life lessons from the Star Tribune

Experiment

Spectrum visited the Star Tribune two weeks ago and took a tour of the building with Eder Campuzano, an education reporter that has written on a range of important topics, from the protests in Portland, Oregon over George Floyd’s murder to Minnesota’s new education commissioner, Willie Jett. The Star Tribune is the third largest news daily print in the country, and Spectrum took many relevant lessons from the everchanging world of news to apply to our own lives. As the school year comes to a close, Spectrum offers some wisdom that we took from our field trip at the Star Tribune and our experiences throughout the year.

Be flexible

The news is an ever-changing scene and we realized the importance of staying on our toes and working off of changes in our plans if a story didn’t turn out the way we expected or an interview went in a different direction. While this is vital in reporting, flexibility is just as paramount in our day-to-day lives. Life rarely goes exactly to plan, so being able to change ideas and create new experiences from unexpected sources can allow you to thrive from unplanned pivots.

School is a time to try new things, and there shouldn’t be pressure on learning experiences. Learning should be viewed in a positive, helpful, and constructive way to further your education, rather than using life experiences as a way to boost your resumé.

Be comfortable with disappointment

Just as in news, situations in our lives often do not end up in the way we want them to, and unintended consequences can be disappointing. It’s important to understand and consider disappointment but not to dwell on it. It’s not worth it to be upset, as new opportunities can arise from disappointment. Also, the skill of coping and adapting to new circumstances is integral for success in the future.

Enjoy the journey

Searching for a news story can often lead reporters down wildly unexpected paths. Mindsets and opinions can be challenged, and this is a good thing. High school is a time for exploration, and everyone should open their minds to new questions, ideas, and values as you discover your passions and strengths. Listen to others, and you can learn so much from them. Share your stories and learn how to create a community that supports and gets better from each other.

a bit more distracting than the phones themselves.” I have been subject to those around me being policed by the watchful eyes of the teachers, and sometimes it does feel as if they should just be left to their own devices if they weren’t willing to pay attention to the speakers in the first place. Additionally, the act of passing a phone down the row to a teacher or constantly hearing a teacher’s whispered threats ends up being distracting and annoying for the students in the area.

Overall, phone policing makes sense, but in practice is tiresome and distracting for both teachers and students. High school is the time to develop self control skills, so just put down your phone and at least pretend to pay attention even if you’re really zoning out. Who knows, you might even get more out of a senior speech than your explore page.

College: Navigating Pressure

Reassurance on stressful college process

Jason Rotenberg | Food Editor

We have all been there: somehow, some way you start talking about college, and the person you are conversing with asks where you are looking. If you haven’t been there, then trust me, you will be very soon. If you have started looking, and you have a sense of what you like and don’t like, you may feel confident in this situation knowing you have a plan. If you haven’t, this question can lead you to panic because you start to feel behind. Feeling both ways is completely normal, and this article will attempt to answer the question of when you should really start the “college process.”

To start off, there really isn’t a concrete answer of when you have

to start. There are benefits of both starting early and starting late, but starting early is preferable. Starting early allows you to keep your options open and start thinking about where you want to go. Students may start as early as sophomore year, visiting colleges and making a preliminary list of where they want to apply. The benefit of doing this is being able to see the school in person for the first time, or putting the idea of college more prominently in the student’s head. Remember, it’s better late than never.

The earlier you start the better. This doesn’t mean that all your time is devoted to college searching, but rather that you set aside some time to research schools, set up visits, brainstorm possible personal essay ideas, etc. Starting early also takes a lot of stress away at the end of junior year and the beginning of senior year if you already have a plan

on where you want to apply, and a head start on your essays. The process will look different for everyone. During your junior year, the process will be broken down and seem less daunting.

I think students sometimes get lost in the excitement of the college process, trying to do the right thing to ensure college application success. There is no harm of starting to look at colleges and starting your essays early. Starting early does not mean that you should neglect your school work, however. After all, school and extracurriculars are what get you into college in the first place. So, next time you are in the situation where someone asks you about college, don’t worry where you are in the process. You are going to be completely fine at whatever stage you are at. Also know that wherever you are in the process, you are in control of what comes next.

Students wait for assembly speakers while checking notifications and watching videos.

Rekas

Kate Rekas

What are we Teaching in American Schools? Certainly not the Truth

PDA Disturbs Hallway Peace

Theintegrity of American history is at risk.

America’s K-12 education system is shaded by partisan politics and polarization that infringes on the authenticity of education, specifically history education. Misinformation and flawed teachings about the origins of America today fill our classroom, indoctrinating younger generations with myths and stereotypes rather than the truth. History is constantly evolving, and structures of the education system surrounding history are not proportional to this evolution.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis rejected a new College Board course in AP African American studies, claiming it was “indoctrinating.” Seven states do not mention slavery

in their state standards, and eight states do not mention the civil rights movement. In addition, there are no national social studies standards to mandate what topics or historical figures students must learn about, creating gaps in state standards for social studies. Essentially, these historical events are much “darker” and more serious in content. They reveal America’s dark history of institutionalized racism, white supremacy, discrimination, wars, and violence. By removing the painful parts of history, the authenticity of history education in K-12 is not upheld; instead, students are presented with a version of history confirming myths and stereotypes.

Mackenzie McIlmail, an AP United States History teacher at The Blake School, “wants to expose my students to more diverse perspectives. Students need more complexity in their social studies,” she said in an interview. By creating mandates and incentives to restrict social studies subjects, America’s political leaders are limiting the development of critical thinking skills in American students. These students miss out on important historical movements that secured the foundations of our society today, as these bills limit

their exposure to a singular perspective of history rather than multiple.

Political leaders are worried about what’s being taught in schools, but the more threatening present danger is what’s not being taught in schools. A concrete standard for social studies must be created, like math and sciences. These standards should include a universal history infusing multiple perspectives to give American students one authentic and raw version of American history. Black authors and the voices of marginalized groups should be highlighted in the classroom to offer fresh and diverse perspectives of history to deepen the complexity of students’ educations and nurture their critical thinking skills. We must maintain the authenticity of American history that has paved the way for our nation today. Students can handle the discomfort and are only getting more robust with the exposure. History bridges the gap between the past, present, and future, and without knowing the wrongdoings of the past, it will inevitably be repeated in the future. As McIlmail expressed in an interview, “If history is not uncomfortable, then it’s not history.”

Originally published in MinnPost

Change in school culture necessary

Sam Tomczik | Staff Writer

Though I’m not the “anti-cupid,” I can’t help but lose my appetite when I look across the lunch room and see a couple sitting on each other’s laps. No matter how hard Café Blake is serving on a given day, public displays of affection mitigate my enjoyment. Tragically, this plague extends past the lunchroom, infiltrating the sanctity of public spaces such as the library, quiet room, and grade lounges. Students tend to agree as well. Whenever Eva Redmond ‘25 encounters PDA at school, she “feel[s] pretty grossed out. I did not agree to watch [that].” Not only is PDA generally disgusting, but according to Redmond, it should be stigmatized, “it’s a big distraction, it’s the same way that you don’t let people come to school naked.”

Even though students’ definitions of PDA vary, most agree that inschool contact should be

minimal. Sophia Perepelitsyn ‘23 finds that “any sort of touching is very weird and is too much for school. Like hugging.”

Conversely, Sarah Costa ‘23 says, “A little hug, that’s fine.” However, according to Costa, PDA goes too far “if you would be embarrassed to do that in front of your grandma.”

Many lovebirds

as Costa says, “slapping people’s [butts]. I’ve never done it, but I’ve seen it.”

have pushed beyond conventional displays of affection. Recently, Tess Dayhoff ‘25 has been particularly disturbed by “people popping each other’s pimples.” Redmond recalls a specifically troubling sight, “I enter[ed] the library and saw someone picking someone else’s hair and pulling out all the dead skin.” However, the most disturbing display of affection comes from,

Furthermore, students are often baffled by PDA. Although Perepelitsyn is in an in-school relationship, she says, “it’s very easy to avoid doing PDA in school.” Though the Blake Family Handbook does specify that “Intense displays of affection are inappropriate in school,” Redmond still advocates for a change in Blake’s culture. “[Change] should come with a shift in social norms rather than change from the school,” Redmond claims. Perepelitsyn encourages all students to “have basic human decency. [PDA] is going to make everyone around you uncomfortable, and if it doesn’t make you uncomfortable, then that’s concerning.”

Senior Portraits: Expensive Waste or Timeless Keepsake

Complex photo tradition examined

Every spring, many high school juniors set off to begin the process of scheduling their senior photos. For some, senior photos (sometimes called senior portraits) are nothing more than the photo that goes in the yearbook next to their ‘dot dot.’ However, especially in recent years, senior

photos have become increasingly popular. It’s not uncommon that a photographer will be completely booked up within an hour of opening their scheduling to the public. But why are senior photos such a big deal?

Personally, I’ve been looking forward to my senior photoshoot since I was in middle school. Even before I got to high school, I was following the Instagram accounts of several different senior photographers that I had seen promoted by seniors from my school. Social media, Instagram in

particular, is one of the most popular ways photographers advertise their services.

Maddie Newhouse ‘24 explains, “I just saw a lot of this year’s senior’s repost-

ing other people so I just followed some people on Instagram and I picked the person that I thought looked the best.”

I’ve always seen senior

photos as a way to capture the passions and personality of a high schooler on the verge of adulthood. Usually, senior photos are taken the summer before senior year, documenting a moment in a student’s life right before so much change is about to take place. For parents, these photos are a keepsake - one that can be placed in family photo albums and distributed to friends and distant family.

It is important to recognize that being able to hire a photographer to take your senior photos is a privilege

that many students don’t have access to. Senior photos can be extremely pricey, packages often ranging anywhere from four hundred to over a thousand dollars. While ideally, everyone would be able to find a photographer that fits all of their needs while also fitting into their budget, the high costs make it so that this is often not the case. In my case, I decided that my senior photos were an investment and felt it was worth the price for photos I would love and can look back on.

Playing the Game of College Admissions: Can you Win?

Unique, passionate students have best chances

Steven Cao | Staff Writer

Ali Hecker | Student Life Editor College.

The thing that perhaps most high school students are worried about. Many students, especially upperclassmen, have taken many steps in order to set themselves up for the best chances to attend prestigious colleges, but how much can students really control their chances, especially with schools with a 10% or less acceptance rate?

During the selection process, colleges look

at the applicants gradepoint-average. If they pass the GPA cutoff, the schools then look at the applicant’s extracurriculars and essay in order to decide if they are fit for the school. So, what are the things students can control to get into their dream colleges other than just grades? One thing that students can control right away is what round of admissions they choose to enter for a school. Most students typically choose between the early decision and regular decision rounds. The acceptance rate when applying early is quite higher than regular, which means that it is easier to get in if you apply for that round. How-

ever, the drawback for applying early decision is that if you get accepted, you have to attend that school. This means that students who have a very particular school that they want to attend and meet or exceed the typical grades and extracurricular requirements may choose to apply early

in order to have the best chance of attending that particular school. In addition to applying early decision, there are still many more ways to improve your chances during your school years.

College counselor

Jim Mahoney encourages high school students

to find the passions they want to put their full effort into. He recommends, “For the first couple years of high school, [take] new classes and [be] open to new experiences as well as getting the most out of the relationships with friends and with teachers.”

Mahoney continues saying,

“Colleges look for students who can thrive within their community, one thing that [students] can control is pursuing areas of interest that actually interest them and finding rigor, depth, and challenge in the things they love.” There are tons of different applicants with the same stats in terms of grades and extracurriculars, it is key that students pursue their passions and create uniqueness compared to the other applicants, which would set you apart from other applicants with similar grades and such. However, you, the student cannot fully control who the colleges choose, and unfortunately rejection to favorite schools happen.

“HAVE BASIC H UMAN DECENCY. [P DA ] IS GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE AROUND YOU UNCOMFORTABLE.”

- PERE P ELITSYN

Melody Lee

Political leaders are worried about what’s being taught in schools, but the more threatening present danger is what’s not being taught in schools

Avory Lee |

Contributing Writer

Jon Dicus Steve Kaback

Dicus discovered passion for education through travel experiences

Sofia Perlman | Copy Editor

For 31 years, Jon Dicus has brought energy and passion to his classes at the Upper School. Through his travels and experiences, Dicus found a passion for the Spanish language as well as working with young people before he ever became a teacher. After studying French for many years, Dicus began learning Spanish in college in order to do anthropology research in Costa Rica. He says, “I had a fantastic experience [in Costa Rica]. Although I had enjoyed French, something clicked with Spanish and I came back for my senior year and I took more Spanish.” After graduating college, Dicus worked as a Spanish camp counselor at Concordia Language Villages in Bemidji for six years where his interest in education grew. Before he began teaching at Blake, Dicus went on an eight month backpacking trip through Mexico and Central America. His Spanish speaking skills greatly improved over the course of his travels. “Those experiences kind of showed me that I like working with young people, and education could be a field that I could go into. Up until then I didn’t really know quite what I wanted to do,” Dicus explains.

Dicus has taught every Spanish class except for Spanish 1 as well as Latin American Studies and Human Geography. He has enjoyed teaching partly due to the character of the students. He says, “The students are interested, they’re engaged, they’re willing to do the work.” Dicus also emphasizes his appreciation for his colleagues, noting, “They’re all really passionate and they’re all really interesting people and I’ve met a lot of great friends teaching here.”

The school has given Dicus the freedom to personalize his classes, as well as many valuable opportunities. “There’s a fair amount of autonomy for teachers to [add to the curriculum]. Blake has given me a lot of professional development opportunities. Funds to travel, go to conferences, present at conferences, and I’ve done all of that.” Dicus was also able to create his own study abroad program for students where they traveled to Central Mexico’s monarch butterfly hibernation sanctuaries. He also initiated a bike trip to Northern Argentina with 16 students.

Eva Mateo, Spanish teacher and longtime colleague of Dicus, will greatly miss Dicus’ presence after his retirement, she says, “He can always find a way to connect with people. Working with him is great because he’s always willing to support you. He always works to make things better for the department, and I think he does the same thing with the students.”

Dicus assists Megan O’Connell ‘26 with a game for his Spanish 2 students where they have to match answers to slips of paper posted outside of his room.

Dicus plans on taking time to travel and spend time outdoors before he decides on how he wants to continue his career.

Wellknown among students and faculty for his enthusiasm and bright personality for the last 18 years, Steve Kaback will conclude his time at the Upper School at the end of this year.

Kaback explains his journey to physics, saying, “I was at first interested in humanities questions, I was interested in cause and effect. I wanted to understand the era that I was in high school. Why were we seeing the political, economic, and social stories that I was experiencing?”

Kaback was drawn to physics through his desire to understand the world, stating, “I realized in college that the human story wasn’t sufficient enough for me to really understand what was going on. I wanted to understand the human species and know how everything came about, what the physical story was. Guess what had the answer to that? Physics.”

Reflecting on his journey, Kaback notes, “It was very much a philosophical pathway into the discipline… to me it’s really about these rules that mother nature has laid out and using those rules to kind of extrapolate to understand the world that we’re occupying and how that influences human beings too.”

Kaback began teaching “by accident.” While studying physics research, he became connected with a professor who worked in physics as well as education. Kaback mentions, “It was not intentional. It was that curvy path that your life takes and the people that you meet and when you find someone who’s doing something that’s interesting and compelling to you, then sometimes you get caught up in that… All of the sudden I was a teacher.”

The professor he worked with began teaching at Blake, and then he hired Kaback.

Kaback has taught Precalculus, Astronomy, Regular and Honors Physics, AP Physics 1, and AP Physics C. He believes that the best part of teaching is the students, stating, “It’s so great to spend my day working with really bright, interested, motivated, curious about the world young bodies. I think that is forever inspirational… It’s just great to see people get excited to discover this stuff. It helps me discover new stuff.”

Jeff Trinh, physics teacher and good friend of Kaback, notes, “He contributes [to the community] in so many ways. He’s got an energy about him and a gravity about him. People just love going to him and getting help and chatting… He’s always around. He’s got passion, he cares.”

After leaving the Upper School, Kaback will be working as a curriculum writer at Honeywell, a company that creates cutting-edge technology. He will continue to teach, working with physicists to help engineers and production managers bring products to the public.

Sofa Perlman

Kaback began teaching physics “by accident,” will continue teaching at new Honeywell position

Sofia Perlman | Copy Editor

Mackenzie Higgins

Mackenzie Higgins

Mackenzie Higgins Kaback helps Erik Norberg ‘24 with his project for Physics: Electricity and Magnetism.

Staff members share need for less transactional relationships

Amelia Bush | Managing Editor

How many names of the faculty and staff at school do you know? Would you feel comfortable going to them with any issues you have? What if those issues are about their jobs?

But what does it mean to be a member of the staff or faculty at the Upper School? Jim Mahoney, English teacher and college counselor, clarifies, “Staff is admin, technically. Basically you have a different performance evaluation standard, versus faculty who are being assessed as teachers…it’s also different pay scale and a different calendar.” Sarah Warren, Assistant Director of the Upper School, agrees, adding, “Our building and grounds people are staff, but I think they are catagorized differently than

CREATING CONNECTIONS

administrative staff is. So, faculty is clearly people whose full time job is teaching students, but staff can subdivide in a couple different ways.”

Nat Gilsdorf and Justin Karels are two staff members whose jobs are all about assisting students, but beyond their work, Gilsdorf says, “We need more of that casual human to human type relationship.”

Karels’ outlook on how the students interact with staff as a whole is “variable.” Gilsdorf agrees saying, “It would be crass of me to put everybody in one camp. I think there is a part that I don’t like that feels very transactional in terms of that relationship.”

On an individual level however, Gilsdorf continues, “Specifically in the role that Justin [Karels] and I are in, most of our interactions with students are ‘you need something from me’ and it’s hard to develop a relationship with somebody. Obviously Justin and I wouldn’t be here if we didn’t like helping people, but I would be lying if I didn’t say there was a part of me that misses the

closeness [of relationships].” Karels agrees saying, “I consider myself more of a background type of dude. It’s not every day where I am in positions where I get to have regular conversations with students, which would be great. It’s amazing when that happens.”

Although part of Karels’ job is to interact with members of the school community, he comments, “I think that a lot of students don’t know that I exist, and that is fine.” Karels continues, “I don’t have many ways to introduce myself in a

especially because most haven’t talked to Karels before. To this, Karels says, “I’m not going to judge you. I don’t care. These things are covered.” He adds, “I’m a cool human being, I like to think anyway, so I can talk about some stuff. I have some stories. I’m not just this technical dude. The thing that I don’t want to perpetuate is that typical IT guy. Because they suck. I don’t like those guys. They don’t know how to talk to people, they’re not nice […] they don’t look ap-

“I’d

just a little bit of messiness to be honest with you,” he says. “We have to pick up a lot of plates and cups and you know disposable paper products, which for me is okay, but it’s a little disheartening for my team because they work really hard, I work hard, we work hard as a unit to provide lunch. We understand that you’re paying for it, it’s based on your tuition, but it doesn’t mean you can’t pick up after yourself,” he continues.

day, if you have a device that you can use for your education, and to help assist in that education, I want to make sure it works.”

classroom setting. Because why do you need to know who I am? I am not relevant to whatever you are learning in that classroom.” However, that doesn’t stop the fact that Karels “sometimes [feels] a little bit envious of other staff as they get to have more interactions with students.”

He continues, “But it’s not like I need to be social to thrive. I’m a very independent person.”

Additionally, because laptop problems can be embarrassing, students can be nervous to ask for help,

proachable.”

Taher Executive Chef, Brett Weber, shares, “The student body as a whole is very kind and thankful and lots of pleases and thank yous and lots of ‘oh man that was great’ and we love hearing that kind of stuff and it helps long weeks be rewarding.” However, Weber acknowledges there can be some room for improvement in regards to respect. “I would say [the student environment], for the majority [of the time], is pretty respectful. The negatives I’ve seen are

Similarly, Gilsdorf’s interactions with students are good, but he has noticed trends with how the student’s interact with each other. Gilsdorf comments “I worry that students aren’t seeing each other as human or seeing teachers as human.” He adds, “We need to focus less on excellence and more on ‘the school of kindness.’” The solution?

“We need more time to just see each other as humans,” says Gilsdorf.

Above all else, Karels cares about assisting students with their learning and wants them to succeed. He says, “At the end of the

However, Karels emphasizes that, “I wear my heavy metal shirts and I try not to be [un]approachable but if there are times where I have looked unapproachable, don’t let that be a deterrent. I’m not going to be a jerk.” Gilsdorf adds that “the best interactions with students are when they are telling me about what they are excited about… the same goes both ways.”

Similarly, if you have questions about food or you just want to talk, Weber says, “I’m open to anyone talking, whatever they want to know. If it’s like what’s in the food or if they want to talk about food or if they had a negative experience and they want to share it with me, my door is open to those sorts of things.”

He continues saying, “I’d love it if students want to come and chat. Food is my life… I don’t know everything but I know a little bit and I’m always happy to talk about it.”

“The best interactions with students are when they are telling me about what they are excited about.”

- Nat Gilsdorf

Amelia Bush

“I’m a cool human being, I like to think anyway, so I can talk about some stuff.”

- Justin Karels

love it if students want to come and chat. Food is my life and I’m always happy to talk about it.”

- Chef Brett Weber

Amelia Bush

Mackenzie Higgins

Senior Programs Underscore Love of Learning

Projects offer personalized learning, room for exploration

Mackenzie Higgins | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Tyler Girk ‘23 reflects through music

Despite the title, Tyler Girk has been working on his Senior Program since the start of high school.

“I’m making a mixtape out of songs I have going back three years,” he says. “The idea behind it is to make a chronicle of how my taste has evolved and to get songs that I’ve made and are basically finished into

the world.”

The final product will be similar to an album and feature all original songs as well as some collaborations with friends.

Girk explains that the songs will transition smoothly between each other, similar to a DJ mix, so he’s calling it a mixtape. He also creates remixes for fun, but he doesn’t officially release those.

Girk will spend the first week of his program finishing songs he’s already started and write new ones specifically for the project. “The second week is finalizing, mixing, and making transitions between every song, because I want it to be a gapless, continuous listen,” he explains. He’ll also spend the second week creating cover artwork and mastering the mixtape using a program called Ableton.

“It’s a short time constraint, so I’m going to try not to second guess anything and just get it done,” Girk adds.

Creating electronic music has been a passion

of Girk’s for seven years, “so having two weeks dedicated to [making music] is going to be super fun.”

He hopes to walk away from the two weeks, “feeling like I can do a ton of work like this in a short time restraint, which with going to music school, I think is going to be really valuable for me.”

Girk also encourages students to create their program around something their passionate about. “I think [students should] embrace the fact that it is a tradition and just put [their] interests in it, and I’ll think they’ll have a ton of fun doing it.”

Sofia Perri ‘23 explores Italian culture

Sofia Perri believes that Senior Programs “should be an experience that puts you out of your comfort zone and is something you end up remembering and reflecting on. [Something] more than just going through the motions.”

Previously published in Spectrum, April 2022

For her, this meant putting her Italian skills to the test while working and volunteering at a hospital in Southern Italy. “My friend’s mom [in Italy] is a psychiatrist and I’m going to be working with her,” Perri says. “[I’ll be] spending time with her in the

Julia Nowak ‘23 reinvents relationship with running

Julia Nowak technically started her Senior Program months ago, when she began training for the Newport Marathon in Oregon.

“Honestly, [my Senior program] extends pretty far out from the two weeks,” she says. “I’ve been training for officially four months with a program, but getting in shape for that, [it’s] been like eight months.” The training program consists of “less mileage throughout the week and then a really long run on the weekend. I base it off of minutes, so I’m not as focused on hitting a certain mileage rather than just

getting

the time in.”

During the two weeks of Senior Programs, Nowak’s training will taper and she’ll be doing less intense workouts. She’ll also be packing and preparing for travel and “trying out the weird running goos. They’re pretty gross by the way, I don’t recommend,” she exclaims.

Nowak has been running competitively since she was seven. “I’ve been wanting to run a marathon for a long time,” she adds.

“Sometimes when girls develop, like during puberty, they feel like they plateau because it’s harder to run

faster with more weight. So I definitely felt like I peaked in middle school which was really frustrating [and] it kind of made me hate the sport.”

“People think that if you had started as a sprinter and you become a distance runner then you could train past that developmental plateau,” Nowak says. “Since I was already a long distance runner, I [thought] maybe I would do well at a marathon.”

She hopes that with this Senior Program she can “focus on the good parts of running, why people actu-

hospital, understanding how healthcare works in another country with universal healthcare, and then applying my experiences, what I learned through conversations, through patient interactions, to how the U.S. does it differently and how we could maybe learn from European healthcare.”

Both of Perri’s parents are from Italy and they visit for a couple weeks every summer. She speaks Italian “but it’s not particularly great,” she says. “Having to be in a professional setting,

ally enjoy running and why it’s healthy for people, instead of the negative aspects that have come about throughout my adolescence.” She continues, “I also just thought that focusing on mileage, getting it in, and finishing a race rather than timing and pacing [would be helpful].”

Nowak is most looking forward to “getting it over with. I am so tired of running so much. I’m still excited, but it’s so monotonous. I really do just want to get it over with because it’s such high intensity. And just being able to say I’ve completed a marathon is honestly pretty dope.”

Ivy Besikof ‘23 fosters future passion

Ivy Besikof’s Senior Program will take her to new heights, literally, when she explores skyscrapers, high rises, and other real estate properties of New York City.

“I’m going to New York over Memorial day weekend for five days to study real estate developments, so I’m going to tour some development sites and talk to some developers hopefully,” she explains.

Besikof chose to visit New York not only because

working with people I look up to, doctors, as well as [patients where] it’s important that I communicate accurately with, that will definitely push my understanding of the language.”

Perri, who has been interested in medicine since she was young, will be studying biology and chemistry on a pre-medicine track in college. So, with her program, she wanted to go not only learn how to practice medicine, “but also learn how medicine as a whole is done differently in different countries, how social structures, political structures, and cultural

ideas influence the way we see medicine and how we practice medicine.”

“You don’t necessarily have to take [your Senior Program] in a preprofessional route, you could also just take it in something that you enjoy outside of school,” Perri says. She continues, “I think [Senior Programs] are an absolutely amazing opportunity for seniors to understand more about who they want to be in college and what they want to do with their lives, because it’s essentially two weeks of unrestricted freedom to explore something that interests you.”

she loves the city but also because “they have really cool developments,” she says. “My project is basically about how developers preserve the history while also making efforts in modernization in the city, and so I felt like New York would be an interesting place to look at since it’s such a history-rich city. There’s neighborhoods that are really historical but then there’s also new, big buildings coming up.”

Besikof will be studying

real estate in college and she knew she wanted her project to relate to a career, so she “came up with the idea to…look at residential developments.”

Before her visit, she’ll be “doing some research of buildings to visit, [and] prepping for interviews.”

Previously, Besikof has looked at development sites in Miami, however, she explains, she hasn’t “necessarily met with any New York city developers…I think that part, like talking with them, might

take me out of my comfort zone.”

“I just hope to gain a deeper understanding of the life and career of real estate developers in New York,” she says.

“There’s so many different things you can do for the project, but I think it’s cool to do something related to a career for the project and to kind of explore that before you go off to college,” Besikof says. “I think it’s just good to take advantage of the two weeks and do something that interests you.”

Courtesy of Tellurydemusic

Submitted by Nowak

Submitted by Besikof While her Senior Program presents a new experience, in years past, Besikof has observed real estate and met with developers in Miami.

Perri’s passion for the medical feld has led her to explore various opportunities while at Blake such as the West Virginia Global Program in 2022.

Girk’s project follows creation of numerous other albums. His selftitled EP debuted in Aug. 2020. Voyagers premiered in Aug. 2021.

Nowak has spent roughly the past eight months training for her upcoming marathon. Via use of a ftness watch, she tracks her milage as she runs around Minneapolis.