Spectrum Newspaper December 2020 by Spectrum Newspaper

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the blakespectrum.org

“Your Voice in Print”

Wednesday | December 2 | 2020

The Blake School

Issue III

RTLP Katie Libert ‘23

Surina Arora ‘21

Andrew Chang ‘21

2.0

JT Sugalski ‘24

Allyson Jay ’23

Amaka Nwokocha ’21

Bailey Abraham ‘21

Shreya Mohan ‘22

Shagun Sinha ’23

Ameila Reyes ‘21

Committee created RTLP 2.0 based on previous surveys, focusing on balancing workload, Zoom fatigue, frequent class meetings Matt Carlson ‘21

Kalissa Fruetel ‘21

Emma Hausman ‘23

Morgan Ramsey ‘21

Rowan Heithoff ‘23

2019-2020 school year and finalized RTLP 2.0 this fall, just weeks before the shift to remote learning. In May and June, Ruggiero says, “what we did was gather all of the feedback that we got from the surveys that we sent out to parents, students and faculty and analyzed that and looked for patterns and priorities based on that information.” These surveys informed the committee’s objectives and potential schedules. Mateo says, “It was good discussions, but a lot of changing and adjusting to make sure that we were getting to our goals.” These goals included maintaining a sense of community, creating a manageable workload that didn’t require too many hours in front of the computer, and creating more regular class meetings. Mateo says, “Another priority was to maintain the spirit and the quality of the Blake program.” In regards to the 30 minute classes during RTLP last

spring, Ruggiero adds, “I think students felt like the amount of time was fine. Parents, on the other hand, felt really strongly that it wasn’t enough time… to have students be educated in the way that we expect Blake students to be educated, and we agree.” Ultimately, time posed the greatest challenge. Ruggiero describes the dilemma, “How do we have classes meet three times a week? How do we have the classes be long enough so that... it is actually meaningful but at the same time is short enough that people aren’t getting burnt out? And then how do we do all of that within the confines of a short period of time in the day so that people don’t have to be online until four or five in the evening?” The most substantial change made to RTLP 2.0 in the fall was having each block meet three times per week, whereas the version of RTLP 2.0 planned during the summer only had two meetings.

he revised Remote Teaching and Learning Plan (RTLP 2.0), which started on Monday, Nov. 30, has been developing since May and is designed to allow more frequent class meetings within a shorter school day than the HTLP plan used before Thanksgiving break. While many perspectives went into RTLP 2.0, it was designed by a core committee made up of Upper School Director Joe Ruggiero, Assistant Director Paul Menge, Librarian Kali Olson, Social Studies Chair Beth Calderone, Spanish teacher Eva Mateo, Latin teacher Alita Shenk, Library & Media Chair Lizz Buchanan, Chinese teacher Lina Jin, math teacher Jessica Williams, and English teacher Anna Reid. Teachers of a wide variety of disciplines were purposefully included so they could represent the needs of different departments. The committee began working on HTLP and a revised RTLP after the

Jill Rabinovitz talks about her life, hobbies, tips on reaching out to the counselors about mental health. Page 6

Emma Martinez Sutton | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Why it’s important to prioritize your mental health, even if it means taking a mental health day once in awhile. Page 11

Ellie Goddard ‘21 Laila Elbakkal ‘21 Jackson Haug ‘22 Photos taken by: Betsey Fries, Oscar Walsh, Solveig Bingham, Emma Martinez Sutton, Emily Rotenburg

Williams says, “We created a third class meeting, just recognizing how important the consistent class meetings are for student experience and even just for curriculum planning purposes... We balanced things out a little more so it followed a more predictable schedule, because I think that was a big stressor for students and faculty alike with HTLP.” An important aspect of the committee was that it included teachers from a wide range of disciplines who were able to represent the needs of different types of classes. In the case of math classes, Williams says, “I wanted to make sure each block followed a similar pattern... so we weren’t having to create different lesson plans for block 3 than for block 7.” For language teachers, the addition of another class meeting each week was a top priority. Mateo says, “I was a huge defender of that ... In my case as a language teacher, the

more we meet the students the better because they’re in contact with the language more often.” The committee also considered radically different schedules during the planning process. In one rejected plan, every class would meet daily for 35 minutes. Another had each block meeting only twice a week for 70 and 40 minutes respectively; Ruggiero shares that this schedule was nearly chosen, but the concern over fatigue in a 70 minute block and appeal of more frequent class meetings won out. Although RTLP 2.0 was finalized before the Upper School closure on Friday, Nov. 6 and immediate pivot to remote learning, HTLP was used until Thanksgiving break because there was not enough time to transition schedules. Ruggiero explains, “Because of how precipitous the decision was to go remote— we literally made the decision in the afternoon and the next day everyone was

Newly formed Blake Figure Skating team changed their group competition to an individual competition due to COVID-19. Page 16

gone—there was no time for faculty to make that transition and curriculum that teachers designed was specifically geared towards that schedule.” Knowing that HTLP was not designed for fully remote usage and meeting synchronously everyday, Ruggiero says teachers were encouraged to give students independent work time during class to step away from Zoom or reduce asynchronous work proportionally. RTLP 2.0 required input from students, faculty and parents alike as well as many stages of planning and debates. Mateo says, “We understand it’s impossible to please all the students, and the same thing with the teachers; we have a lot of different ideas about how things should be. But, we feel this was the [plan] that was going to support students in their work, in their health, and in their time to do their work and just be with their families.”

NEWS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 2

STAFF

Students Support Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19 Organizations assist to prevent closures Anna Johns & Shira Aronow | Staff Writers

The Blake School 511 Kenwood Pkwy Issue 3 December 2, 2020 Co-Editors-In-Chief: Emma Martinez Sutton | Jack Prince Managing Editors: Noor Naseer | Sara Richardson Creative Director: Sage Marmet Online Editor: Jack Prince Multimedia Editor: Will Rosenblum Photo Editor: Betsy Fries Front Page Editor: Sara Richardson News Editor: Emily Rotenberg Student Life Editor: Dylan Gainsley Arts & Culture Editor: Bernadette Whitely Food Editor: Jackie Weyerhaeuser Features Editors: Will Rosenblum | Nora Fox InDepth Editor: Emma Martinez Sutton Games Editors: Maggie Seidel | Christina Chekerdjieva Opinions Editors: Sage Marmet | Noor Naseer Perspectives Editors: Maggie Seidel | Christina Chekerdjieva

mall businesses are struggling during the pandemic, but Blake students supporting these local gems offer insight into how community members can help. Taara Verma ‘24, intern for Coimatan, describes the effort as, “An organization that is working to connect people to small businesses using our platform. We are trying to make the shopping experience easier for people to support the small businesses in their community and to just make them more accessible for people.” Verma explains, “Throughout the pandemic, a lot of business owners have been struggling to keep their doors open and to pay their employees.” “I live in Minneapolis, and there are a ton of small businesses specifically on my block… I have defi-

nitely seen [fewer] people going to those stores,” says Solveig Bingham ‘21. Bingham’s family friends own Great Harvest Bread Company, and she was surprised to hear that their business has instead increased over the past months because stores like Target suffered from shortages of staple foods like bread. However, not all businesses have received the same surge in revenue. Verma explains, “It’s really sad to see [some of these businesses], which have been here a really long time, are closing just because they can’t afford to keep paying their bills.” Bingham references community action taken in the summer, adding, “After the murder of George Floyd, I saw a booming in promotion for small businesses owned by BIPOC people and families… I really valued seeing people trying to support these small businesses.” Verma’s family personally took action, as she mentions, “We’ve had the privilege to be able to support [our favorite restaurants].” With re-

Ricketts reflects on time spent in Minnesota

Sports Editors: Jack Prince | Theo Liu Business Managers: Maggie Seidel | James Prince Adviser: Anna Reid

Will Rosenblum | Multimedia Editor

STAFF WRITERS: Shira Aronow, Anna Johns, Jenna Thrasher, Kendall Phillips, Amaka Nwokocha, Ben Lim, Emily Anderson, Nya Manneh, Kate Rekas, Shagun Sinha, Chad Woerner, Sophie Herron, Mackenzie Higgins, Christopher Chen, Molly Seidel, Mallika Malaviya, Zoey Ueland, Sofia Perlman, Keaton Rannow, Nina Bush, Amelia Bush, Winnie Ulland, Evan Vezmar, Lucy Wolfe, Cleo Kilpatrick, Allyson Jay

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Elena Gill

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 and on zoom during TASC on Fridays. Please come if you are interested in writing, drawing, designing, 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 anonymously in room 351. Please limit letters to 400 words. MISSION STATEMENT: The primary purpose of the Blake School Spectrum is to report news and to explain its meaning and significance to our readers and the community. We hope to inform, entertain and provide a school forum for the unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions. STYLE STATEMENT: Spectrum uses Associated Press (AP) Styles as of the February 2020 issue.

strictions tightening up again, Verma also mentions a number of wider actions being taken by non-governmental organizations, like the Neighbors United Funding Collaborative, that are continuing to provide businesses with support. Elle McCarty ‘21, president of Blake’s DECA chapter, a global organization educating students on entrepreneurship, explains ways for students to become involved. McCarty explains

that DECA is hosting online events this year for students to learn about topics, such as marketing in COVID-19. McCarty is also taking personal action and encourages others to do the same. She states, “I generally do go to smaller vendors and [purchase from] unique artists.” McCarty offers some advice, “The biggest obstacle for small businesses is exposure because oftentimes there will be really cool businesses making really cool products

and people just won’t know about it… Ask your friends if they know any cool little shops you can go to for Christmas gifts instead of Target.” Verma references the positive days ahead, mentioning, “I think that there is definitely a sense of optimism in ways that [small businesses] can cope with this… but there is a lingering fear for many of them that they are on the verge of closure and just breaking even.”

Study Abroad Experience Delayed due to Global Pandemic

Science, Technology, and Health Editor: Catherine Barry

STAFF ARTISTS: Melody Lee, Zoe Florida

Submitted by: Emily Anderson

Wuollet Bakery is one of the many local businesses Emily Anderson ‘22 shops at in her community as a way to show support and gratitude during these challenging times.

Submitted by: Bruno Ricketts

Overall, Ricketts enjoyed his time in Minnesota and had a positive experience during the first semester.

fter planning on coming to America over a year ago through an abroad program, Bruno Ricketts ‘23 was unable due to COVID-19 causing abroad programs to cancel. Fortunately, he was able to come here through a family friend Kade Gadjusek ‘23 with help from Blake. He wanted to come back to America to

“change my view on stuff and understand other places better and how it is to live somewhere else so it won’t surprise me when I go to college somewhere else.” Ricketts comes from Vienna, Austria, and he says that “Minneapolis and St. Paul feel a lot more [like] littler cities making up one big one...Vienna is more cramped. We have a streetcar and subway, for example, our family doesn’t own a car.” Visually Vienna is also very different, as the buildings are “very old, [built] in [the] Renaissance I think.” Ricketts plays soccer

too, even contributing to the boys’ most recent season and says that “soccer is the most popular sport by far, in Austria soccer is just the thing everyone wants to do.” Reflecting on his experience at Blake, he says that “more of a student-teacher relationship is being built and the assignments are way more open.” In regards to recent events, Bruno remarks that “looking back at this it’s going to be so crazy that I was here for COVID, for the election, and in Minneapolis where all those riots were.”

Nation’s First Permanent Memorial Honors Victims of Sexual Assault Mosaics bring healing to those victimized Sophie Herron | Staff Writer

n idea first pitched in 2015 has become a reality in Boom Island Park: the first memorial for survivors of sexual related violence. On Oct. 10 2020, a virtual opening ceremony for the memorial was dedicated to survivors of sexual violence, especially those, who face it the most, indigenous women and women of color. Sarah Super first suggested the memorial in 2015 after she was sexually assaulted; however, the city did not approve it until 2017. The memorial consists of three pillars decorated with five mosaic images,

telling the story of a woman coping with sexual assault, with circular seating in the middle. The circular seating represents how breaking the silence causes a ripple effect that can lead to change. The mosaic images show how, after a traumatic experience, such as sexual assault, people can feel broken and not know how to carry on their lives. But, it is possible to resemble oneself and continue living, and when people begin to share their stories, others will break the chain of silence. The last pillar has a blurb including lines such as, “As a community, we are choosing to break the silence that protects perpetrators and isolates survivors in their suffering.” Painted on the sides of the pillars are the phrases,

“We believe you,” “We stand with you,” and “You are not alone.” A movement with a similar message was the March for the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women on Feb. 14, 2020, which art teacher Bill Colburn attended. He described his experience making posters for the March where, much like the Boom Island Memorial, people were beginning to speak out against forced silence. He says, “The thing that I remember about that day was that many people, but primarily the women...were wearing...red face paint in the shape of a hand over their mouth...which is such a powerful symbol of being not allowed to speak... Knowing this is about sexual violence, I feel like that image was perfect.”

Sophie Herron

Lori Greene’s Mosaics, permanently located at Boom Island Park, honor victims and survivors of sexual assault.

STUDENT LIFE | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 3

Snowy Outdoor Activities Return for Winter Season, Bring Excitement New opportunities snowball as temperatures chill Molly Seidel | Staff Writer

ith the recent closure of the school and snowfall, it is imperative that students find ways to stay active in the cold to maintain physi-

cal and mental health. It is becoming increasingly chilly as the winter months approach, and it is hard to find fun things to do outside. In Minnesota, skiing, hockey and figure skating are very popular outdoor sports. Ava Philstrom ‘22 skates at Parade Ice Garden. She says, “During the fall to November, we’re training for Regionals, and through the summer it’s the most

competitive. We normally skate six days a week for two hours each day.” Philstrom prefers cold temperatures over warm weather, making winter sports appealing to her. In contrast, Aidan Schmidt ‘24 is a fan of the warm weather, but he skis competitively in the winter at Buck Hill or Hylands with Gilboa Ski Team. Schmidt likes doing a sport in the winter because, “It’s cold so you don’t get warm.”

Submitted by: Kelly Dayton

Maia Schifman ‘22 builds and poses with a snowman on one of the first snowfalls this year.

Maia Schifman ‘22, Kelly Dayton ‘22, and Karsten Farris ‘22 played pond hockey on a frozen lake.

Payton Smith ‘24 plays year-round hockey for Orono West Tonka. Smith likes playing a winter sport because, “In winter you aren’t really outdoors doing stuff, so playing hockey is my way of getting exercise.” Winter sports aren’t the only way to get outside and active. There are many different activities to keep you busy in the winter, but Smith prefers to “go outside and play in the snow with my dogs and

drink hot chocolate.” In the winter, Schmidt likes to build snow forts, have snowball fights, and ski recreationally. He also likes to play in the snow with his little sister. Figure skating, hockey and skiing look a bit different this year with COVID-19 restrictions. For Philstrom, she shares, “During the summer they were restricting how many people could be on the ice at a time including coaches. Now it’s more open but we

do have to wear masks when we are putting our skates on and when we are off the ice. When we are on the ice [masks are] optional. All the coaches have to wear a mask.” Smith’s hockey team has similar guidelines, she explains, “When we’re in the rink we have to be wearing a mask at all times, except for when we’re actually on the ice. We can’t practice with other teams like we used to do, so that’s the biggest difference.”

Advisories Strengthen Bonds Creatively Close the Computer, Read a Book! Despite schedule changes, time remains special, filled with activities Emily Rotenberg | News Editor

ith the new hybrid and online school models, many aspects of our school days have been changed to accommodate COVID-19 protocols, including advisory. Students meet with their advisories two days a week for around twenty minutes after senior speeches. This time is allotted for students to check in with their advisees and relax in between classes. Evie Doran ‘23 says, “I think advisory is one of the lone times for people to socialize and not be in class or in lunch with one another.” Before the completely online school model, students were required to join advisory via zoom even on their at-home days. For some students this was beneficial to maintain community within their prospective advisories, especially for fully remote students, but others felt differently. Doran says, “I think joining advisory on athome days is worth it be-

cause we get to check in and talk about the speeches and just kind of say hi to let everyone know we’re all doing okay.” However Annabelle Swigert ‘22 says,“When our advisory zooms in we don’t really stay on the call,” she adds, “I would log in after I get out of bed just to say hi and then we would all log off right after.”

In October, SIAC planned an advisory activity to compete in a pumpkin carving contest. Without tools, advisories got extremely creative, an example of this ingenuity is pictured above. Many students really enjoyed this activity and recommend that the school should continue planning activities and

Noor Naseer Yajcherthao advisory used scissors to carve their pumpkin that was submited to an advisory competition before Halloween.

Although previously most advisories were split up amongst color groups, many people have still found advisory to bring a sense of community. Swigert says, “I do think it’s nice to have a solid group of people you see every day, it makes it a little more comfortable and it builds a sense of community for sure.”

competitions to do during advisory time when we return back to school. Advisory seems to be the highlight of students’ weeks. Swigert says, “Obviously we miss having everyone be together, but we are able to get to know other members of our advisory better…It’s fun to make better friendships with people individually.”

Teacher recommendations provide entertainment while stuck indoors Amelia Bush | Staff Writter

ith online classes and the need to stay home, many people find themselves on their screens all day long. If you need time away from the computer and an end to boredom, try reading some of these teachers’ book recommendations below! Chris Robinson, Math Chair, recommends a book titled “The End of Average” by Tom Ross. If you are looking for a different style of read, Beth Calderone, Social Studies Chair, recommends “The Great Influenza” by John M. Barry, and “Minneapolis: An Urban Biography” by MPR reporter Tom Weber. Calderone says, “It’s easy to read, but emotionally challenging for us to look at our past in 2020 and think about the future we want for this city.” For more of an autobiography look, Maggie Bowman, social studies teacher, recommends “Homo Deus” by Yuval Noah Harari and the autobiography “Fredrick Douglas” by David Bright, which was also recommended by David Graham, social studies teacher. Kjirsten Walt Anderson, science teacher, recommends “Becoming” by Michelle Obama, which is a memoir about her life leading up to being a First Lady. For more of an exiting read, Lizz Buchanan, Library and Media Chair, recommends the “Binti Tril-

ogy” and the “Akata” series, both of which are written by the author Nnedi Okorafor. She also suggests “American Royals” by Katharine McGee. Additionally, there were a lot of different fiction books recommended as well. Bowman says, “If students haven’t, they really should just dive into the “Harry Potter” series...what better time than quarantine to start?”. For a more intense read, Anderson recommends “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens and The Island Beneath The Sea by Isabel Allende. Ashley Olson has several recommendations as well, including “All Systems Red” by Martha Wells, “You Should See Me in a Crown” by Leah Johnson, “Red, White, and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston, “Truly Devious” by Maureen Johnson, and “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel. Olson says “You probably think you don’t want to read [“Station Eleven”] about the world after a deadly pandemic. But once you start this book you will realize that yes, yes you absolutely do.” Although books are a great source of entertainment, they are not only option! Calderone also recommends listening to podcasts such as: “The Last Archive”, “Revisionist History”, “You’re Wrong About”, “Serial”, and “Invisibilia.”

ARTS & CULTURE | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 4

Martha Bennett Gallery Moves Online, Shows Parent Art Gallery adjusts to COVID-19, remote learning Zoey Ueland | Staff Writer

he Martha Bennett Gallery serves as a place to mix art with community and showcase budding artists separate from a regular class at school. Additionally, it celebrates people in the community while simultaneously providing a space for political expression. Sophia Wagner ‘21 described it as “an essential hub in the school.” Since The Martha Bennett Gallery is almost entirely student-run, it provides a unique experience to give students a

Martha Bennett Gallery Website

Robin Grant’s watercolor painting entitled “Pig,” is featured in the gallery’s online Parent Show. Grant is the parent of two lower school children. They began exploring art last year through an online art class and they have grown to love it.

room to showcase their work, and as stated on their website, “[b]ridges the cultural, intellectual, and aesthetic across

Blake.” Their current show is focused on parent art. Their December show will be all about alumni art, building community

Art, Music Aid Stress Relief

between alumni and current students. However, this sense of community has been hard to maintain throughout COVID-19. Reina Ackerberg ‘22 notes, “[the gallery] has changed a lot... one of our team members created a website for us, which was really cool. We’re doing all our shows online, and we have an Instagram [account]. It’s been a lot harder to bring people into our shows, but I think that we’re doing a pretty good job going through COVID-19, but everything is hard through COVID-19.” Meanwhile, they remain busy curating shows online and staying active on their Instagram account. Currently, the gallery is serving as the theater classroom.

Martha Bennett Gallery Website

Megan Rye’s colorful painting titled, “Dog Beach,” is featured in the gallery’s online Parent Show. Rye is the parent of one lower school child. She enjoys making visual art as an adult because she is able to interpret the world around her. To see the gallery’s current parent show, go to: https://sites. google.com/blakeschool.org/marthabennettgallery/currentshow?authuser=0

On line Fall Play Reinvents Theater

Students use creativity to cope Mackenzie Higgins | Staff Writer

s we are all experiencing stress, one of the best ways to cope can be with a form of art. A study from American Art Therapy shows that as little as 45 minutes of artistic activity notably reduces stress in the body. Sonia Baig ‘21, a photographer, believes that taking up a hobby outside of school can be extremely valuable. Baig explains, “What’s really important about art and finding those little hobbies ... is just that they are very self-directed and intrinsically motivated. No one’s making you do it; you just do it because you want to.” For Baig specifically, she finds the process of editing her photos therapeutic. “Editing is really fun. It allows me to have a creative outlet and it’s relaxing. I just put music on and my subconscious kicks in and I’m not thinking about exactly what I’m doing.” Owen Bednar ‘24, a digital artist, encourages

everyone to get involved with some creative endeavor. He is a strong believer that practicing art can help improve one’s mental health. Bednar describes, “The ability to think more creatively is super important in how we channel our inner emotions, ideas, and thoughts.” He continues, “Whether you’re good at [art] or not, you can just do it. It’s so important to engage that creative side of your brain.” Bednar believes that modern society doesn’t require us to think creatively as

Zoe Florida

much as it should. “Not everyone realizes the importance of art.” Students also find that music can help keep them attentive as well as ease stress. Molly Liston ‘22 likes to listen to lofi remixes of songs to help her focus. This is a common theme among students. Baig recommends Spotify’s Lofi Beats and Flow State playlists. When listening to these playlists, Baig notices, “Time just kind of flies and you’re in the zone and zero-ed in on what you are doing.”

The cast of “Choose Your Heist” includes, John Erlandson ‘21, Audrey Ronan ‘21, Amanda Ward ‘21, Riley Carroll ‘24, Declan O’Connell ‘23, Aarathi Dhavileswarapu ‘24, Truman Morsman ‘23, Taggert Smith ‘21, Oskar Alexander ‘23, Emma Brown ‘22, Nora Cornell ‘21, Anushka Srivastava ‘23, William Anderson ‘23, Sophie Herron ‘24, Josh Smith ‘23, Nora Cornell ‘21, and Sarah Costa ‘23.

Noor Naseer

Unititled photos by: Sonia Baig ‘21

The fall play, “Choose Your Heist,” provided audience members with a quick-moving plot, perfectly-timed jokes, and a unique interactive aspect. Each cast member had a distinctive, colorful Zoom background that matched their situation, which helped differentiate between scenes and locations. Additionally, the frequent polls prevented the play from feeling too reminiscent of remote learning. Overall, the cast and crew of “Choose Your Heist” did a superb job of shifting theater to an online format.

FOOD | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 5

SWITCH SWITCH UP UP YOUR YOUR TAKEOUT TAKEOUT Support Restaurants and Your Mental Health: Order Takeout Ordering from restaurants benefits health, economy Theo Liu | Sports Editor

ow more than ever, helping local restaurants by ordering takeout is essential for their survival. Since the pandemic

started, restaurants have been forced to stop inperson dining and now although most have reopened, it is at limited capacity. Additionally, many people refrain from eating inside restaurants for their safety, so the majority of restaurants are unable to even get 50% of the business in-restaurant that they would pre-COVID. The primary solution

to this is shifting to a more takeout-dominated business model. Being able to provide a quick and safe way to eat restaurant made meals is one of the things that helped Sonia Baig ‘21 get through quarantine. Baig says, “My parents are good cooks, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that over time, cooking three meals a day, it would get sorta dull and

repetitive, so being able to change things up by ordering takeout was really nice.” Baig and her family didn’t just order takeout from anywhere. Instead of ordering from powerhouse chains who could more easily withstand the effects of the pandemic, they were mindful to support smaller, local restaurants. She explains that she and her family

“try to order from different local restaurants each time we get takeout so that our money is going towards small, vulnerable businesses who may be struggling to weather the pandemic.” Specifically, Baig recommends Cafe Ena in South Minneapolis and Shuang Cheng in Dinkytown. Baig highlights some of the benefits driving to pick up takeout food

had on her mental health: “since I was home all the time and never really left the house, leaving to pick up food was always a good reason to get out of the house. It was really nice to leave my neighborhood, and just drive and listen to music. I found it very calming.” Ordering takeout is the perfect way to treat youself and support local businesses.

The Lowry Excites Greek Grill & Fry Co. Stuns, Delights Safe, flavorful classics satisfies craving Catherine Barry | Sci-Tech Editor

he Lowry offers online ordering curbside pick-up as well as delivery through services such as DoorDash, GrubHub or Bite Squad. I picked it up and tried the green and grain salad and the BLT-A sandwich. The green and grain salad consists of field greens, arugula, quinoa, wild rice, shaved brussels sprouts, tomato, avocado goat cheese and sunflower seeds with the option of adding protein such as grilled chicken, steak or salmon. The shaved brussels sprouts with the field greens added a pop that definitely spiced up the dish. The wild rice and quinoa added a nice

crunch and different textures which was a wonderful addition. The goat cheese was crumbled throughout and added a creamy texture. The sunflower seeds on top really tied it all together. The BLT-A sandwich came on sourdough bread and was a classic BLT with avocado. The bread was a little thick, but the rest of the sandwich made up for it. The saltiness of the bacon paired well with the sweetness of the avocado and the tomato to make for a great sandwich. With such a large menu, breakfast all day, and being a local restaurant, I would definitely recommend checking out The Lowry! The Lowry is located at 2112 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55405. You can find them online at thelowryuptown.com or call them at 612-341-2112.

Surprising exterior yields tasty results Noor Naseer | Managing Editor

n the outside, Greek Grill and Fry Co. may not seem like much, but trust me when I say that it is truly a blessing in disguise. Outside of the restaurant, there are two gas pumps which provide an extra level of convenience. Inside the restaurant there are booths and tables for seating along with a counter, behind which is the kitchen. The rest of the store is exactly what you would expect a gas station to look like, with everything from Advil to queso available. I ordered ahead and went to pick it up. My biggest complaint is that I don’t believe that the store

managers are as rigid as they should be with COVID-19 protocols. There were two people in the store who weren’t wearing masks, and no one working asked them to put one on. Now onto the food itself. The food came in styrofoam containers, which is not the most environmentally friendly. I ordered the chicken kebab platter with a side of rice and salad, and my mom ordered the Greek salad and we ordered a side of fries to share. The chicken kebab platter was delicious. The tzatziki sauce on the side truly made the dish. I definitely recommend ordering the rice because it’s a lot easier to eat the chicken with rice instead of with the pita that comes on the side. I would also make sure that you are really hungry when you order

Noor Naseer

Greek Grill and Fry Co.’s chicken kebab platter.

this because it is a ton of food. My side salad was also the Greek salad that my mom ordered and we agree that it was exactly what we were looking for. It was both light and packed with flavor. Lastly, the fries; I’m partial to McDonald’s fries, but I must say these are a close second. Aside from the few burnt ones

we received, they were delicious. Overall, I would recommend Greek Grill and Fry Co., just make sure that you sanitize and maintain your distance. Greek Grill and Fry Co. can be found at 8795 Columbine Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. You can find their menu at greekgrillandfry.com.

Nixta: Reheat Flavor Easy, delicious, Nixta offers lots of variety Cleo Kilpatrick | Staff Writer

Catherine Barry

The Lowry’s BLT-A with sweet potato fries (top) and their green and grain salad (bottom).

ixta is a Mexican takeout only restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis. Each week they come out with a different menu. There is one meal per week that is always glutenfree and you can request substitutions when ordering for vegetarians or vegans. You can order online and choose to either pick it up on Tuesday or Friday, but you must pick it up between 3-6pm on your chosen pick up date. After you pick it up all you have to do is reheat the meal and it is ready to eat! Nixta provides the reheating instructions. My family and I ordered carnitas with fresh corn tortillas. The tortillas are what Nixta is known

for. They are homemade with heirloom corn, limestone and water. The flavors in the tortilla went great with the carnitas. We also ordered chips and guacamole. Both are homemade. The guacamole isn’t spicy or too salty; it had the right amount of seasoning. The chips were big tortillas with just more crunch. These also tasted very fresh and went great with the guacamole and salsa. I would give Nixta 5 out of 5 stars. Their take-out process is very safe and efficient and their food is fresh and has great flavors! Next time you are craving Mexican food check out Nixta! Nixta is located at 1222 NE 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55413. It is open Tuesday and Friday from 3-6 PM. You can find them online at nixtampls.com.

Cleo Kilpatrick

Top: One of Nixta’s pre-made meals: carnitas, rice, beans, tortillas and lime.Bottom: chips, guacamole, and salsa verde.

FEATURES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 6

A Conversation With Your Counselors: Hobbies, Mental Health, Life

Melody Lee

hard thing because many people don’t want to identify with mental health issues, and even if they are struggling, don’t talk about it as openly as maybe they would as if it were a physical condition...They are brain based conditions, and it’s okay to seek help.” Outside of her job, Rabinovitz practices personal health and self-care by utilizing the resources around her. Naturally, she loves traveling and spending time with family and friends, and her pets are always a great source of

Rabinovitz recounts her journey of becoming a counselor, life’s changes ever since Nya Manneh | Staff Writer

hen it comes to her job, Counselor Jill Rabinovitz believes that the relationships she fosters with students, families, and coworkers are the most important part of her work. Rabinovitz has worked at Blake for 8 years and can gladly say that she enjoys every minute. Rabinovitz discovered her love for psychology after taking a class at SPA and later developed her skills in college. She says, “I think as a young person, I was very emotionally intuitive and liked helping others, and so it was natural for me to think about how to help people move into more comfortable places in our lives.” Rabinovitz understands that assessing mental health is imperative for all ages: “I think it’s very important that we take care of ourselves and learn how to do that at a young age.”

Nya Manneh

She recommends “reaching out to me or Ms. Adams as a starting point. For those who are looking for resources outside of school, we are more than happy to give those suggestions or to have conversations about what might be going on. Pediatricians are also great resources for people that are maybe within insurance coverage for that family, and just talking to your peers and talking to caring adults, whether it’s in school, at home, or with your family.” Knowing how important it is for people to get help as soon as possible, Rabinovitz says that “for me, I wish that I could connect with more students, because Ms. Adams and I introduce ourselves in Health Class in 10th grade, and it’s always hard for me when I meet a senior who was like, ‘I didn’t even know we had a school counselor!’ So I’m always thinking about ways that we can do more outreach and just reach more people.” She knows that one of the most important misconceptions about mental health is the stigma surrounding it. She emphasizes that “stigma is a really

Adams appreciates the importance of mental health through personal experiences Submitted by: Jill Rabinovitz

During quarantine Zoom calls, one might see Rabinovitz’s cockapoo named Maddy, who, she explains, “is adorable and looks a bit like a muppet.”

comfort for her and her family. She says that “my kids, Sig and Brooke. keep me busy when I am not working! After a long day I like to get outside and walk or workout and I enjoy cooking and baking.” Now that she spends all of her time at home, her work days look a little different: “My days are filled with Zoom meetings, but I love that I still have the opportunity to meet with students, my 11th grade advisees, and see my colleagues in meetings.” Overall, despite being stuck in quarantine again, Rabinovitz has learned to make the most of what she has, and she hopes to be able to help other students do the same.

Nya Manneh | Staff Writer

rin Adams, Director of Counseling and 19 year employee at Blake, likes to stay involved in the world around her, whether it be with students, her family, or the news. She loves meeting intelligent and honest students willing to seek support to better understand themselves and their environment. Adams imagined becoming a counselor ever since high school: “I was someone who always considered myself, or was considered to be a good listener in high school. I was kind of in that role, and very much enjoyed [it]. I also had some friends in childhood and high school who had really significant mental health challenges.” Because her own school lacked mental health resources, Adams knew that a career

Nya Manneh

in school counseling was something that she wanted to pursue. She explains, “In college, I ended up changing my major 5 different times,” before finally choosing psychology. Adams believes it’s critical to address mental health, especially at early ages. She says, “Even if you’re not someone who necessarily identifies as having a ‘mental health struggle,’…it doesn’t mean you don’t work to maintain it or address it or foster it.” She explains, “Very often people would have what’s sometimes referred to as functional depression or functional anxiety where you can be doing all sorts of great things, you can be doing well in school, you can be participating, you can have friends, you can be on sports teams, you can be externally successful and still feel and experience those symptoms of depression and anxiety.” With students at home now, Adams understands that they may feel especially lonely, and she hopes that they can find a way to feel the sense

of community and joy that they would get from actually being at school. Those are values that she also practices everyday for herself and her family. Her day to day routine is motivated by enjoying the little things. She enjoys running around Lake Harriet, hiking, and binge watching Netflix shows like “Ozark” and the latest season of “American Horror Story”, which she says “is totally bringing me back to my own high school years, minus the camp serial killer.”

Submitted by: Erin Adams

Adams has a 1.5 year old dog named Louie who “loves having [her] home during RTLP but steals stuff to get attention.”

With her now remote schedule, Adams fills her days with Zoom meetings. She says that “some students find Zoom meetings easier as they don’t have to make the sometimes scary decision to walk into the counselor’s office for the first time, or they get to meet from the comfort of their own home. Others don’t feel they have enough privacy for such meetings. But for the most part, I am still seeing a good number of students every day.” Having worked with students for so long, Adams understands the common struggles of everyday life and has found ways to help both herself and others de-stress and live a full life.

FEATURES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 7

Subm itted b y:

Haya Fine, Frede rick Lo ew, a nd

Aksel Reid

Students Make Big Impacts at Small

Businesses

Top: Haya Fine ’22 with two of her coworkers. All employees wear masks at all times, and employees are only allowed in a few at a time. Middle: Frederick Loew ‘22’s view outside of a Stanley’s food truck. The resturaunt has put more emphasis on food trucks as a safer alternative to in-person dining but maintaned both throughout the summer. Bottom: Aksel Reid ’21 works early in the morning before school starts. He mainly serves customers.

Christina Chekerdjieva | Perspectives Editor

Aksel Reid: Baker’s Wife

Haya Fine: Breadsmith

aya Fine ‘22 has never known a time as a Breadsmith counter staff before COVID-19. She began working at the Edina bakery this summer, where she worked nearly 30 hours every week. During the school year, she works four hours after school every Monday. However, she says she’s always felt safe. The team employs an impressive amount of safety checks for customers and employees, some of which include temperature checks, symptom checks, thorough sanitization, social distancing measures, plexiglass dividers, required face coverings, and protective gear for handling the baked goods. Fine describes the increased level of personal responsibility surrounding COVID-19, saying, “If you catch yourself touching your face or anything around you, you have to remember to immediately go wash your hands. This is especially important to remember because we are handling food.” The business, like many others, has faced some challenges. Antimaskers pose a threat to the health and safety of employees and other customers in the building, and Fine describes some of the instances that are frustrating to deal with, such as “customers who insist on wearing their masks below their noses or taking it off to speak to us, which defeats the whole purpose of the mask.”

he Baker’s Wife on S 28th Ave. in Minneapolis is a local bakery where Aksel Reid ‘21 has been working since before the pandemic. Reid works as an opener, so his shift happens before Zoom school even starts. This bakery has only one location that is known in the neighborhood for their incredible donuts and their top notch pastries. The initial challenges the bakery faced was the decrease in customers as concerns about safety were at an all-time high. Luckily, Reid has seen few instances where customers have not been respectful of the mask mandate and refused to wear masks within the store. The bakery distributes masks for anyone who has not come equipped with their own. They’ve

Since many of the employees graduated in 2020, this caused a momentary shortage of workers in the bakery during the summer. Despite these challenges, the business has been thriving and will continue to serve their artisanal breads during the new set of COVID-19 restrictions. They have reported more customers than ever, even with an earlier closing time. Most small businesses may not be able to flaunt the same level of success as Breadsmith.

also created a three to four customer limit in the store at one time to maximize social distancing measures. They’ve seen a change in the employees as the class of 2020 graduated, but fortunately there have been no layoffs to support the small business during this unprecedented time. Reid describes the amount of customers coming through right now, saying, “There has been a decrease in the amount of people coming in, but it is not the busy part of the year for the bakery anyways. The busiest time of the year is the summer.” The pandemic has luckily not created drastic changes for the business and they are staying open during the new set of restrictions.

Frederick Loew: Stanley’s

rederick Loew ‘22 started working at Stanley’s Northeast Bar Room on University Ave. this year as a host, a position he had experience in from a previous restaurant job. Stanley’s is a family owned restaurant that serves a variety of American food, the most popular menu items being burgers and tacos. The restaurant is a part of the greater hospitality group Craft and Crew, which also owns The Bar Draft House, Pub 819, and The Howe Daily Kitchen and Bar. To prioritize safety, capacity has been limited and this is reflected in the massive drop in customers. However, there has been an uptick in ordering

takeout, which has kept the restaurant afloat. The dine-in experience has significantly changed though. Masks do not need to be worn while seated and eating or drinking, but there is a zerotolerance policy towards walking around the restaurant without a mask. The space was rearranged to prioritize social distancing measures between tables. Employees like Loew must carefully sanitize the restaurant between each customer and on frequently touched surfaces. Loew described the variety of safety measures, saying, “They even changed the air filtration system to make it safer for when customers are not wearing masks.”

During the summer, the restaurant expanded to a food truck, which was another safe alternative to dining-in that Loew was involved in. However, due to the colder weather, the food truck is no longer serving. The restaurant industry has proved its adaptability time and time again as they create new measures to continue serving food while keeping the community safe. Governor Walz’s new restrictions have actually closed Stanley’s dine-in for the time being and only takeout is allowed. Several employees have been furloughed until the restaurant opens up again after these new safety measures.

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 8

Positive Playlist to Escape Reality Viral Tik Tok Trend, #MainChara Thousands of videos showcase carefree attitude

Channel your inner main character Payton Crosby | Contributing Writer

s a potential impending lockdown approaches, I think we are all looking for a momentary escape from the bleak reality we are living in. Here are my top five songs to allow yourself a momentary reprieve from the reality of today and to get Sara Richardson | out of that funk we have all been living in for so long. My personal recommenda- Managing Editor tion would be to listen to them while driving at night at full volume, maybe for ancing randomly in the an opportunity to leave the house, but any time of the day will suffice. This is a street: main character comprehensive list of songs to match any mood you may be in, but rest assured that energy. Sitting on a mounthey will transport you to a different reality even if for only a mere two minutes if tain staring at the clouds you listen to them long enough and loud enough. dramatically: main character energy. Waking up at 5 to watch the sunrise: Freakin’ Out on the Interstate a.m. main character energy. Briston Maroney Starting in May 2020, a TikTok trend took off where individuals would share a short video about being the main character or “romanticizing” their life. Some videos are more

Take a Walk

motivational and focus on accomplishing your goals; other videos are more relatable, where one shuts their computer and dances in the rain instead of doing homework because the main character would too. The idea of being the main character originates from the way that many movies, especially coming-of-age movies, portray protagonists as living eccentric, dramatic, and unique lives, filled with montages and more excitement than can fit in one day. Individuals videotape themselves on 5 a.m. adventure or some other crazy escapade with a sound

that reads aloud, “you have to start romanticizing your life; you have to start thinking of yourself as the main character. Because if you don’t, life will continue to pass you by, and all the little things that make it so beautiful continue to go unnoticed.” This sound has been used in 91,000 videos, and the hashtag main character has 4.9 billion views. Although these exact videos are not as popular anymore, people continue to comment “main character energy” or “I’m just living in your world” on videos in TikTok. But what does being the main

how

Passion Pit

Electric Love BØRNS

My Tears are Becoming a Sea M83

Backstage Pass

Smino, Monte Booker & The Drums

MAIN CHA

Romanticizing Life Can Increase Positivity When Balanced Students share differing opinions on viral social media trend Maggie Seidel | Co-Business Manager

ccording to Oxford Languages, Romanticism is defined as “a movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual.” Today, this aspect of “inspiration” proves to be the main modern-day use of Romanticism for students. Now more than ever, it is essential to find comfort in the oasis that dreaming and manifesting provide. Today, Romanticism serves as a tool to maintain positivity and embrace the unknown of the future,

however grim and daunting it may seem during a pandemic. Ella Deignan ‘22 says, “For me when I see it on my Tik Tok feed, it is really motivating.” Students typically interact with this type of content of social media platforms, specifically on Tik Tok. The habitual pattern of scrolling through videos is interrupted by an eye-catching compilation of dream-worthy moments. These images can drive viewers, such as Deignan, to pursue their aspirations. Alternatively, Billy Dunlap ‘21 recognizes, “There should be a balance. Only romanticizing your life creates a false reality for you.” Social media clips and images that can be described as “romanticizing your life” have inevitable drawbacks. The careful curation that is a collection of picturesque images and

videos can lead viewers to a sense of false reality. These videos and images can be harmful when perceived as an expectation for daily life. Julia Blum ‘22 shares, “I don’t think it is very healthy because you’re getting constant stimulus of what the perfect life is supposed to be...You don’t see the lulls in between [the fun parts of people’s lives], and therefore you don’t know how to accept your own lulls because you’re expected to have all these fun experiences. When in reality, that’s not what life is.” Deignan adds, “[These videos] can also be really unattainable... Especially when I see travel, it can feel really unattainable during quarantine.” In the midst of a global pandemic, travel is a less feasible pastime.

Consequently, inspiration for the future can only be primarily found in reminiscent memories, perhaps captured in scrapbooks of vacations and adventures. Lilly Anderson ‘23 highlights, “Everyone is stuck in their room. They live on the same schedule every single day. Thinking about the future gives [people] something to think about and talk about.” Dunlap agrees, “Once quarantine started, I started seeing those videos more and more. It has grown more during the pandemic.” This trend on social media has become increasingly popular during quarantine that began in March. Although, the notion of Romanticism is not new. Blum references her knowledge of this literary movement and its historical implications from English classes, “Madame Bovary

read all these novels romanticizing an extravagant life in the Neopolianic era. She made that her standard, so she was never satisfied with the life she had.” In the era of technology, Romanticism is readily available for the younger generation on social media. Certainly, this practice can spur positive feelings of nostalgia; however, it remains important to understand that life is filled with both memorable and trying experiences. Dunlap concludes, “The parts that are bad in your life build your character and make you unique.” The trend of “romanticizing your life” fails to acknowledge this insight, making this exercise only beneficial when these videos are perceived as a motivating portrait and not an entire story.

Defin

Tik Tok’s characte encoura users to life throu romantic rose-col glasses act like a star.

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 9

acter, Promotes Romanticizing Life Plan Staycation to Get Away at Home character mean? Well, this is up to one’s interpretation. But from the videos I have seen, it means not caring about what others think and doing what makes you happy. The mindset can help one control their personal story. One might believe that being the main character is just being famous or popular. However, the main characters are not Byrce Hall and Addison Rae, two leading TikTokers who prioritize their popularity and views. The main characters are the individuals who show the world their true selves. For example, the user “@brennanrose”

shared an old video of her singing “Hurricane” by Bridget Mendler. She was a little off-tune, but her unapologetic and bravery for singing as an awkward middle schooler generated 205,000 views on this video. Especially during 2020, when life seems like a constant cycle of bad news, something as silly as the main character movement can help individuals appreciate the small things that make life worth living. The trend is not about being narcissistic and forgetting about others, but exploration for connection and development.

Waking up at 5 a.m. to watch the sunrise: main character energy.

w to be the

During pandemic, turn your house into vacation Nora Fox | Features Editor

ith the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in Minnesota, most people are staying put to limit the spread of the virus. However, the virus shouldn’t stop you from treating your house like a resort, taking a much needed break from the burdens of daily life, and infusing your day with some main character energy. In order to have a proper staycation, you have to schedule time for yourself. This means disconnecting from the outside world and other distractions. Yes, this may even include disconnecting from your phone.

Make sure your schedule is clear so that you can prioritize yourself. Most importantly, you want your staycation to diverge from your daily routine. So choose an activity that you wouldn’t normally participate in. This will look different for different people as everyone’s routines vary. Your staycation doesn’t need to be elaborate. You could simply plan a movie night with friends or family. Make some popcorn and set up a cozy viewing area, complete with string lights, pillows, and blankets, to make things more exciting. Another simple idea is having an at-home spa day. Buy some face masks, Epsom salt, and candles and create a bathroom oasis. For a more interactive staycation, become a tourist in your own community.

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nition:

s main er trend ages o view ugh cized, lored and a movie

Explore a part of downtown Minneapolis that you haven’t before. Or check out a new coffee shop in your neighborhood. But make sure you wear your mask! Another engaging idea is bringing your vacation destination to you. Say that you were planning on going to France over winter break. Instead of sulking around, eat croissants, make DIY crepes for lunch, and assemble a charcuterie board for dinner. Do whatever makes you feel like you’re in France. Although COVID-19 has made it hard to travel to a vacation destination, staycations still provide a way to vacation at home. Hopefully these staycation ideas will help you unwind, relax, and seek some solace amidst the craziness of the virus.

Zoe Zoe Florida Florida

Submitted by: Sara Richardson

Trend Reveals Psychological Consequences of Social Media Gen Z suffers from self comparison Kate Rekas | Staff Writer

ven if you don’t use TikTok, you’ve most likely heard of the “main character trend,” where teens imagine themselves (sometimes with friends) as main characters of a movie and live life as if they’re starring in a movie. Though the trend is taken in different directions by everyone, many who participate in the “main character” mindset trend participate solely for humorous impact. Interestingly enough, this type of trend of changing yourself, surroundings, or mindset to fit something that is popular is all too common in this day and age. Transformation videos on TikTok are when users transform their looks and/or

living space to correspond to a certain aesthetic and have a huge presence on the app. While seemingly harmless at first glance, do these trends say something more about Gen Z’s psychology as a whole? Could these transformation and main character trends be harmful to teens’ self esteem or growth as individuals? Many of us are all too familiar with social media influencers and TikTok stars like Charli D’Amelio. These influencers do exactly what their title suggests: they influence followers and users on their platforms. This “influence” isn’t a new concept; the media has been influencing users since it existed, whether that be through TV, movies, radio, the internet, or the news. But what is so different about the influence of the media now? Media influence has become constant

and inescapable; it’s just a second, a notification, or a swipe away. Media and therefore its influence exist so much closer to people now and this presence can become overbearing for Gen Z teens especially, who are in their formative years and are most vulnerable to outside pressure. Research continues to show that the constant bombardment and intake of social media can be detrimental to one’s mental health, and these “main character” and transformation trends embody the effects of this ever present influence that Gen Z is subject to. I do not think that these trends are by any means harmful to any user, but the cause of their popularity is where the root of the problem lies. The main detriment that usually arises from constant exposure to social media is self comparison, especially

comparison to influencers on the app. It is these people’s jobs to paint an ideal and appealing image on social media so they can sell an image for more followers and sell products to their followers. Users often think that influencers are so popular and gain so many followers because the influencer has something that they and fellow users don’t. Most commonly, a user finds the biggest visible difference in their looks. Users often subconsciously find themselves unsatisfied with themselves and social media continues to point at their perceived flaws. Users want for something that an influencer has, whether it be their looks, house, talent, friends, fame etc., and this want is the “influence” social media influencers hold over their followers. In a way, the “main character” and transforma-

tion trends where teens try to become the focus of their life, as a movie would follow a main character, or change themselves or surroundings to emulate some aspect of an influencer’s image, is a reflection of the deep rooted insecurities of our generation. These insecurities and conformation to attain an image or something an influencer has are caused by the constant surrounding of the media bringing out our worst insecurities, and jealousies. It is so much easier for young people today to compare themselves to others because they are exposed to so much content of people who are seemingly perfect. Users don’t see influencers flaws, this lack of transparency creates a standard impossible to reach. This conformation occurring in so many ways is also detrimental to personal individualism and growth.

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 10

Searching for Balance Between Present Situation, Pre-COVID Era Will parts of current day carry over to post-pandemic life? Mallika Malaviya | Staff Writer

he onset of COVID-19 has flipped everyone’s world upside down and required many people to make major adjustments in their daily lives. Many of these changes aren’t short term and will continue to exist even after the pandemic is a distant memory. The biggest of these changes will be the continued avoidance of human interaction in every sphere of life. In order to avoid the same thing happening again, many people will live with a new internal fear of getting sick and

will be much more cautious about interactions. This shift to a more virtual world will be much safer, but may come at a cost by depriving people of the connections that they need. The shift begins with school and the workplace. Both schools and companies have developed resources to make it possible to successfully function from home. For many non-essential workers, working remotely is an ideal situation and

is more convenient for both workers and employers. On the other hand, this transition to home life will make it harder for students and workers

tail industry. The pandemic has revealed to many people the convenience of shopping online, and because people have realized its convenience, it is likely that fewer people will go into stores. Going into stores for groceries or essentials is an interEmma Martinez Sutton action that can easily to gain the social interac- be avoided with the vast tions and connections that amount of availability onthey previously had. line. This shift to online This tendency to avoid shopping can have a huge interactions will also have negative impact on small a huge impact on the re- businesses and stores who

rely on customers coming in, allowing for big businesses to prevail. Additionally, the use of telemedicine has increased drastically during the pandemic because it helps to avoid exposure. Because it is a much more efficient and convenient option, it is highly unlikely that the use of telemedicine will stop after this pandemic is over. All spheres of life have developed new and creative ways to cut down on interactions between people, and these new technologies that came out of necessity will be used for convenience in the future. Although this may help with sanitation and convenience, people may find themselves lacking when it comes to the day to day social interactions that most adults and children need.

STEM Classes Create Closer, Tighter Bond than Humanities Classes Labs, problem sets, worksheets all lead to unbreakable bond Nina Bush | Staff Writer

TEM courses go beyond the typical talkative nature in the first 5 minutes of class, producing strong bonds between students. The root of this is in the way that Blake structures its courses, as well as the problem solving nature of the material. Our math program is built around students collaborating in class to explore difficult or new techniques. This process of problem solving requires students to bounce ideas off of each other, as

well as to work through not knowing the answer. As a result of this, I have become significantly closer to people I share math and science classes with. The vulnerability of being wrong, as well as the frustration of the struggle creates a bond rooted in collaboration. Additionally, while working through a problem, the conversations that you have go beyond normal chit chat. They are mentally grueling. You not only learn about people’s personalities, but you learn how they think, and this in turn, can change the way you yourself see the problem, strengthening not only your bond, but also your problem solving skills. There is also some-

thing to be said about the late night FaceTime calls that also bond STEM students. Everyone is delirious together, and although ideas may be muddled and foggy, everyone is in it together, bonding students even more. The mistakes you make in a lab or math class define and shape your understanding of the material. One of my favorite memories from chemistry this year occurred when we were doing a lab that involved observing the atomic spectra of different ions of electrons. In order to do this, the lab must be fully dark, and you must turn on a Bunsen burner and put some of the ion in the flame to observe its

“The vulnerability of being wrong, as well as the frustration of the struggle, creates a bond rooted in collaboration.” unique spectra. I couldn’t see which gas valve was connected to the Bunsen burner, and I accidentally turned on the one that was not attached, filling the lab with gas.

We ended up almost lighting the entire school on fire because we almost started the flame starter but the overwhelming smell of gas stopped us and we got a teacher. In

the moment, it was not funny, but now looking back, that moment bonded all of us and we share the embarrassment and near death experience of that memory.

Amaka’s Position on Ariana Grande’s New Album “Positions”: Hit or Miss? Songs provide initial satisfaction, but fail to engage Amaka Nwokocha | Staff Writer

“t

hank u, next” was the fifth studio album from Ariana Grande. It broke streaming and charting records, and spawned three hit singles (“thank u, next,” “7 rings,” and “break up with your girlfriend, ‘cause i’m bored”). Fans have been waiting excitedly for the follow up to the smash hit album. Ariana Grande has a great ability to change up her style between albums, and I was incredibly excited to listen to her sixth and most anticipated album yet.

Zoe Florida

It showed a more mature side to Grande that “thank u, next” only hinted at. Nine out of the fourteen tracks are marked explicit, and some of them get dirty– far dirtier than the pop singer ever has. Upon the first listen through “Positions,” I immediately picked out my favorite elements, which included the blending of Ariana Grande’s sweet vocals and Doja Cat’s raspy voice in “motive” the whistle notes in “my hair,” and “nasty,” and the funky strings on “love language.” However, after a few days, the newness of the album as a whole faded completely. In less than a month, it feels like it’s aged by six months. This might be because of how similar many of the tracks sound.

Grande seems to have found herself in a box that she can’t break out of– the “filler track curse.” More than half of the songs are under three minutes long and have similar beats, which makes them fall into the background. She emulates much of the rap-vocals and trap style that she first experimented with on “thank u, next” and doesn’t change much of it, making some of the tracks (“six thirty” and “just like magic”) sound like knock-off “thank u, next” songs. The collaborations range from exciting (“motive” with Doja Cat) to forgettable (“safety net” with Ty Dolla $ign) to completely skippable (“off the table” with The Weeknd). Lead single “positions” fits in better in the context of the album,

but it also fades into the mush of three minute, vaguely pop, RNB tracks with trap beats that populate the album. Much of the album is forgettable, and many of the songs blend into each other (and not in a good way). Where it shines, it really shines, and where it doesn’t, it turns into a four minute sing-off with The Weeknd or into another trap influenced “thank u, next” reject track. This was a prime opportunity to showcase her prowess in the RNB sphere that she hinted at with “thank u, next,” but Ariana Grande dropped the ball. While there are some tracks worth listening to, most of them are skippable and unoriginal. Now comes the wait for Grande’s next album.

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 11

Mental Health Needs Rise COVID-19 pandemic, added stress necessitate focus on mental illness Bernadette Whitely | Arts & Culture Editor

s personal, professional, and global stressors continue to compile, it becomes more difficult to prioritize wellbeing as mental and emotional health are often pushed to the side. It is easy to convince yourself that poor mental health is not a good enough reason to take a break from school. However, research conducted by the World Health Organization, proves that mental health has a big impact on performance in school as they found that anxiety and depressive disorders cost more than a trillion dollars globally in lost productivity each year. From time to time, everyone needs what many have called a “mental health day,” which is a day meant to help reduce stress and burnout. It can provide a pause from schoolwork, technology, and other obligations. These days are crucial to maintaining overall health and well-being, both in and outside of school. It is important to remember that mental health is just as important to our overall well-being as your physical health. Just like any illness or bodily distress, your mind needs time to rest and recover. Furthermore, normalizing taking care of your mental health and reaching out for help is key. According to the Center Disease Control and Prevention, 7.1% of U.S. chil-

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espite the many hardships that 2020 has posed, this year has simultaneously offered new perspectives about human interaction, societal issues, and personal health. No community has been immune to the effects of COVID-19 which has truly demonstrated the interconnectedness of our globe. These significant challenges have renewed a sense of community for many, but they have also resulted in a void of necessary human interaction. This year has shown the importance of every moment and every action of each day. With school now being remote, an outset of time in isolation has resulted

dren (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety and 3.2% of children (around 1.9 million) have been diagnosed with depression. Unfortunately, youth depression rates are on the rise, according to Mental Health America. Depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses, have been shown to negatively affect performance in school and interfere with personal relationships. Since school takes a tremendous amount of brain energy and attention, taking care of your mind is extremely important. Taking a mental health day can help refresh your mind and relieve stress. During this stressful time, a day dedicated to mental health is extremely beneficial. A rigorous academic environment is overwhelming for anyone. However, dealing with mental illness makes this more difficult. So, if school is already hard, why are we making it more difficult for students? As someone who struggles with anxiety on a daily basis as well as depression, mental health days are not just helpful, but they are necessary. The feeling of being too stressed or anxious to finish homework, is far too familiar for many people, including myself. Mental illness is often invisible and therefore, it is nearly impossible to recognize if someone is struggling. Not only will this improve the general well-being of the Blake community, but it will also help dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness.

U.S. Mental Health Statistics

Pro-life versus pro-choice arguments distract from root causes of higher abortion rates Betsy Fries | Photography Editor

7.1% of U.S. children (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety

Betsy Fries

3.2% of U.S. children (around 1.9 million) have been diagnosed with depression

19.2% of U.S. adults recieved mental health treatment within the year 2019

Read full version at: www.blakespectrum.org

Reproductive Rights Battle Lingers

Reports from the CDC

here is no doubt in my mind that reproductive rights have been under attack for decades. It saddens me that this controversial subject has become as fueled by politics as it is today, and has become increasingly polarized. I could continue on about why I stand by women having the right to: legal and safe abortion, the right to contraception, freedom from coerced sterilization, access to high-quality reproductive healthcare, sexual education, and make free and informed decisions. Nevertheless, I find it would be a waste of breath–I cannot singlehandedly find a solution to the extremely polarized topic. My philosophy is simple: if you are against abortion, just don’t have one. However, deciding what someone else can and cannot do with their own bodies is not your job. If abortion is not acceptable within your religious beliefs, great, don’t have one, but do not actively stop others from making that decision for themeslves– just because you follow one belief does not mean everyone is required to. Furthermore, if you are not physically able to get pregnant, why should your voice, and opinion, matter

more than those whom it directly affects? For all of our sakes, I think that it is important to redefine the key differences between pro-life and prochoice arguments. Being pro-choice has never been about encouraging abortion, rather, it offers women to have the choice over their own bodies. Pro-life arguments value the lives of unborn, not yet fully alive fetuses, equally with the lives of women who are already alive on this planet, which, over time, has translated to being against all abortions and for the government to have the power to control women’s right to choose if they want to have a child. Abortions were made illegal in the 1860s, right around the time when slavery was abolished. From

that point on, many men did not have anyone to do their free labor. So, instead, they capitalized from having big families–with lots of kids–that could work on the farms for free. Abortion may not have been made illegal because it was murdering potential humans, it was made illegal so men did not lose their money. One can put the baby up for adoption, but if that baby doesn’t get adopted as an infant their chances of getting adopted significantly lowers. According to the Children’s Bureau it’s estimated in 2018 over 400,000 kids were in the foster care system. Our country’s foster care system constantly fails to meet the needs of

children, and much of the time does not set them up for success. Instead of emphasizing the importance of women putting their children up for adoption, the focus should shift to encouraging more people to adopt children who are already alive and are in the foster care system. If the end goal of a pro-life argument is to lower abortion rates, banning abortions is not the way to go: it will only increase the rate of illegal and extremely dangerous abortions. The pro-choice argument also supports lowering abortion rates, just in a way that also values the lives and choices of women that choose to abort and ensures their safety. Instead of focusing on why abortion rates are so high, we should be focusing on what causes them to happen and how we can work to fix the root of the problem: let’s not let it even Julia Zhang get to abortion. Let’s restructure sex education in schools to make it equitable and make teaching actual sexual health a priority. Let’s make birth control accessible and give women the right to choose what they want to do with their own bodies. Let’s improve our healthcare system, so women will not die in childbirth or from postpartum complications, such as extreme bleeding or postpartum depression. Let’s care about the children after they are born and work to better a system that does not properly support them. And, let’s care about the children who are already on this Earth: they are the future of our planet.

What Spectrum staff learns from challenges of COVID-19 in a yearning for increased human interaction. Eating meals alone, such as lunch, has been a change from the stimulating cafeteria environment at school. This year has demonstrated having important time spent with friends and family is, because eating lunch alone at home does not have the same restorative benefits as spending time with friends. This has inspired some to utilize technology to strengthen bonds between classmates, friends, and family. Even though many families will not partake in their typical holiday traditions, throughout the year many families have corresponded with each other with greater frequency through online platforms. The increase of time spent

alone and at home has revealed a need for planned activities and connection. In addition to family bonding, spending time with friends and loved ones has posed a greater challenge with the COVID-19 health regulations. As such, these added obstacles have required a greater effort to plan a safe way to interact with friends. In turn, this has deepened bonds between friends, as this concentrated effort reveals significant care for one another. Additionally, this year has underlined the importance of mental and physical health. The need to exercise and prioritize self-care has heightened because of these stressful circumstances. Not only has the general anxiety about

the virus resulted in a greater need for self-care, but also the added introspection about personal needs and goals during a period of extended isolation and self-reflection. Learning how to cope has been of paramount importance. Spending an entire day on Zoom is challenging, and therefore it is necessary to allot portions of the day for individual needs, such as exercising or taking a walk outside. Self-introspection has also led to an enhanced global awareness and understanding. This year has been notable for many reasons, including social justice topics rising to the forefront, a rise in social media news, and a contentious election. The conversations surrounding all of these noteworthy events during the year have become

more frequent and impactful. one. It revealed a prominent Families converse with multi- divide between groups. Namgenerations about current day ly, this has shed light on the issues, and that has led to differing values systems of deeper bonds groups of people: a care and discussions. for other people versus a There has care for oneself. been a general As this year conrevival in social cludes, we are confronted activism and with many challenges that engagement, need remedy. Our comJulia Zhang and there has munities are divided, our been an emphasis on self- communities face illness, and education surrounding these our communities need retopics. This has led many to form. As we enter a new openly recognize the prob- year, we must remember the lems of systems in the Unit- lessons of care for others ed States, mainly those that and care for safe human inperpetuate systemic racism teraction that we have been and perhaps the electoral col- given this year. The end of lege system. It has inspired this year is not simply the many to act, share, and en- conclusion of three hundred courage others to support our and sixty-five days. Rather, community, nation, and globe it is an offering to recognize in a meaningful way. our issues and unite as a Although, this sentiment global community for a bethas not rung true for every- ter future.

PERSPECTIVES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 12

GMOs Spark Debate Despite Positive Effects on Food Industry Food labels proudly promote non-GMO products, but not all are bad Sage Marmet | Creative Director

n an era of continual scientific advancement, we are constantly being faced with questions regarding the morality and ethicality of altering the very building blocks that comprise our lives. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, also known as CRISPR sequences, have the potential to revolutionize the food industry–and health as we know it–but, are we ready as a society ready to alter

the genomes of the very food that we consume? Scientists first discovered CRISPR sequences in bacteria that have DNA repair systems called CRISPR loci. When infected with a virus, CRISPR sequences copy that virus’ genome so that if the bacterium is infected by the same virus, or a similar virus, it can use the copied CRISPR sequence to signal the enzymes to slice apart the DNA, which disables the virus and stops the bacteria from being infected. This same process can be manipulated and used to the advantage of scientists. Instead of CRISPR sequences targeting viral DNA, they can be “programmed” to target and remove a specific gene

from any genome or copy and splice specific genes in order to turn someone who is heterozygous for a particular trait into a homozygote. This technique has already been applied in parts of the US food industry, and according to the US Food and Drug Administration, because CRISPR sequences do not involve the use of foreign DNA, it does not need to be as scrutinized by the FDA before hitting our markets. One example of this is yogurt: the bacteria used in yogurt production have been altered with CRISPR for at least a decade. Because of the FDA loophole, it is, first of all, hard to know which yogurts have not used CRISPR, and to what degree consumption

of altered food is safe for the consumer. However, CRISPR sequences may have the potential to completely transform our food industry as we know it, making food cheaper to produce, less harmful to the environment, much more accessible, and more weather and pest resistant. Still, there are still many questions regarding how altering the genomes of our food will remain ethical, how it will maintain biodiversity, how will it affect pollinators, who will have access to this food, if there are any side effects from consuming food that is genetically altered, if the food has a higher or lower Calorie count, and if people will have major reactions to their food.

In the late 1990s, the papaya ringspot virus almost wiped out the entire crop, until Cornell University scientists created the virus-resistant Rainbow papaya. The fruit is still enjoyed today because of genetic modification.

Using CRISPR sequences offers so much potential for our food industry, and if studied further to ensure consumer safety and minimize envi-

ronmental impacts of food production, is our society ready to take a big leap forward and modify the genomes that make up the food that we consume?

UNEXPLORED TERRITORY:

Morality of Genetic Engineering in Humans

Bernadette Whitely

Human Modification Creates Risks Engineering Provides Brighter Future Abundance of unknown factors, outcomes outweigh potential benefits Will Rosenblum | Features Editor

ach year, more than three billion dollars is spent on genetic research. As genetic modification technology advances that number continues to rise, and as this becomes a normalized topic, we may lose sight of the immense danger that it holds. This term, when applied to humans, is generally used to describe the modification of genes through the use of molecular engineering. These fall under two categories:

somatic genetic modification and germline genetic modification. Somatic genetic modification refers to the genetic modification of an existing person to hopefully cure a medical condition, and is generally accepted and legal. The other much more controversial and relevant type of genetic modification is germline modification, referring to the changing of the genes in eggs, sperm, and embryos. Germline genetic modification is illegal in more than 40 countries and continues to be an uncrossable line in the scientific community. Due to our limited technology, gene editing has the potential to apply unwanted effects, known as off-target effects, that even while the on-target

gene editing is accurate, there could be an unintended effect on many other genes. George Church, a genetics professor at Harvard Medical School argues in an article from Stat that “we need to better understand and manage the risks that could arise before moving forward with it.” Once gene editing is allowed for practical uses like avoiding disease or premature death, there is no effective way to limit its less necessary uses, like parents choosing their child’s desired traits. This will change the fundamental way future generations will understand our world. The possible dangers of allowing this as a widespread practice. outweigh the benefits.

New technology paves way for eliminating uncurable diseases, improves quality of life Grace Homan | Contributing Writer

n recent years, genetic engineering—alongside technology—has been steadily increasing. Today, millions of babies are born through IVF, in-vitro fertilization, and are screened for diseases. In the last two years, clinical trials have taken off in regards to gene therapies. Genetic engineering within plants and animals has proven to

be a success. According to a study at Pennsylvania State University, organisms who underwent modifications saw faster growth rates and longer life expectancies. As for humans, the positive outcomes of such therapies are abundant: they can eliminate hundreds of diseases, such as sickle cell disease, decrease pain and anxiety, and increase intelligence. As a result, scientists theorize that such technology would on net increase humans’ happiness and productivity. Though some argue that genetic modification may have ramifications due to the control it gives science over people, the law should certainly enforce and

ensure that such technology is used for the sole benefit of humans, meaning that the positive effects would outweigh the harms for an individual. There is undeniably overwhelming evidence that through such technology can eliminate some of the world’s most deadly diseases and save millions of lives— an opportunity undoubtedly worth consideration. The field of genetic modification contains some of the most potential for advancement than any other scientific field at the moment. Though more research is indeed needed, genetic modification likely foreshadows a more promising and prosperous future for generations of people to come.

GAMES & ADS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 13

CROSSWORD

Maia Schifman | Contributing Artist

Down 2. protein that carries oxygen in the blood 3. very abundant yellow flower 5. spice, hair color 7. continent next to Asia 8. type of Thanksgiving pie, not pumpkin 10. first name of the kid from Home Alone 11. _____ Moon, very rare, occurred on Halloween this year 12. animal that hides acorns 14. standard material to paint on other than paper 15. larva form of butterflies 19. winter sport that’s like running on skis 20. another name for bow-tie pasta 22. flying bison in Avatar

WUZZLES PUZZLES Mallika Malaviya & Sophia Vezmar | Staff Writer & Contributing Artist

ANSWERS Tally Ho No One to Blame Right Between the Eyes Jack in the Box Peppermint Twist Down Payment Leftovers Bedspread

NOVEMBER

Across 1. a United States president, also Jim's arch nemesis/best friend in “The Office” 4. Paul McCartney's band after The Beatles 6. measurement of light 9. country between Ghana and Benin 13. flying dinosaur (careful with spelling) 16. ______ equation used in algebra to find the zeros 17. plates that make earthquakes 18. very important skill in chemistry: dimensional _______ 20. capital of Kentucky 21. type of tree that's also a lake in Minneapolis 23. salty condiment made from brined cucumbers 24. very tiny, minuscule 25. capitalist country that broke off from China in 1949 26. ostrich-like animal that lives in South America 27. fruit high in vitamin C

TAG @ BLAKESPECTRUM with an image of your most beautiful lunch creations to be featured on our stories

Sage Marmet

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 14

President-elect Joe Biden’s New Environmental Action Plan Simplified Ambitious goals focus on three areas Jackie Weyerhaeuser | Food Editor

resident-elect Joe Biden’s climate plan can be summed up into three main focuses: environmental justice, clean energy, and new jobs. Biden has laid out how he hopes to achieve these goals and specific benchmarks the US must meet in order to stop climate change. One of these goals is “[achieving] a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050” according to his website. Biden plans to do this by rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement which Donald Trump withdrew the US from shortly after taking office and by introducing limits on pollution for gas and oil operations. The Paris Climate Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by seeking to keep the global temperature rise well be-

Melody Lee

low two degrees Celsius to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to one and a half degrees Celsius. The agreement also aims to increase the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change, including attempting to make finance flows consistent. Biden also plans on growing the clean energy market in order to reduce

emissions and create new jobs. Although Biden has been criticized for wanting to reduce US dependence on oil because it would hurt the economy and workers would become unemployed, Biden argues that “our response to climate change can create more than 10 million well-paying jobs in the United States that will grow a stronger,

more inclusive middle class enjoyed by communities across the country, not just in cities along the coasts.” Biden’s plan also recognizes how climate change has disproportionately affected people of color and low-income communities. His website describes how “low-income communities and communities of color don’t equally share

in the benefits of wellpaying job opportunities that result from our clean energy economy. For example, African Americans hold only about one percent of jobs in energy.” Biden’s website also states that, “as President, Biden will make sure these communities receive preference in competitive grant programs in the Clean Economy Revolution.”

Biden also aims to take action against fossil fuel companies and other large polluters who, as he says on his website, “put profit over people and knowingly harm our environment and poison on our communities and conceal information regarding potential environmental and health risks.” Many hope this plan will work and will make an impact in our world.

Amazon’s New Gaming Why is Weather so Incredibly Unpredictable? is a big factor These computer pro- ly exact, they are a much System Surprises Many Climate change, warming as well. grams are constantly pro- more accurate represenUnique features set it apart, excites streaming communities Christopher Chen | Staff Writer

mazon just recently announced a groundbreaking new software concept called Luna. Rather than having to spend more time trying to download content and games, Luna makes it possible for individuals to play games without downloading anything. As long as the individual has a consistent internet connection, the amount of fun is limitless. The company has confirmed that the software will contain more than 70 of the most popular games from the past few years. Amazon has gone one step further than any other gaming service by making Luna a public streaming service that allows users to use any devices to play online games at the same time. For instance, Luna is fully compatible with any connections between TV, smartphones, computers, and even tablets. However, with great gaming, comes a great

price. Amazon Prime members will still have to pay as much as a non-member, which can deter customers. It starts off with a $5.99 per month subscription, meaning around $72 per year. For those who would enjoy the full experience, it will cost a little more than $50 to receive their Amazon controller. The controller comes

The Luna is one of the first gaming services to offer an iOS streaming option.

with Alexa and Bluetooth and USB connectivity. It also directly connects to the cloud, reducing lag by 20 to 30 milliseconds. Erin Lee ‘22 says, “I had never heard of it before but it sounds interesting as it is very different from anything I have heard of before.” In the upcoming months, the software will become much more widely popular and it ultimately offers a glimpse into what the future of gaming and electronic entertainment will look like.

other factors cause inconsistent weather

Allyson Jay | Contributing Writer

he majority of people use weather applications and forecasts every day to follow the weather on their phones, but these forecasts almost always end up being incorrect. This causes everyone to question the accuracy and science of weather forecasting. Predicting the weather forecast is something that is very complicated and challenging to accomplish because the weather is constantly changing. Because it changes so rapidly, it makes predicting the weather close to impossible. One small change in the chaotic system of the atmosphere in one certain location can affect and create consequences from that small change anywhere else, making it very difficult to predict the weather several days in advance. Scientists describe this as the “butterfly effect.” Although the persistent shifts in the weather play a huge role in the inaccuracy of forecasts, global

Nana Vang ‘24 says, “I think with global warming in more recent years has had a large impact on the predictability of the weather. Because we experience extreme weather conditions that much more often, it is that

viding new predictions that follow the real time data they are receiving, since weather forecasting has to present the most up to date information and forecast possible. These continuous predictions from the com-

tation of meteorologists’ predictions compared to a decade ago, and technologies for these predictions are still improving. While supercomputers and other technologies increase forecast skill and accuracy, the progress me-

much harder to predict even with powerful technology.” Meteorologists use weather models, which are computer programs, to make the forecasts. The programs use sophisticated and intricate mathematical models of the atmosphere in order to provide the necessary predictions.

puter programs need to be interpreted before they can be broadcast, but by the time they are interpreted, they are most likely either out of date or a result of hurried human interpretation, making it one of the biggest sources of error in predicting weather forecasts. Even though modern day forecasts aren’t entire-

teorologists continue to make can only grow so much, since meteorologists will never be able to predict completely accurate forecasts. Evie Doran ‘23 adds, “They haven’t perfected meteorology yet, there is still a lot of room for error in terms of accuracy, so I don’t think a perfect forecast will ever exist.”

Melody Lee

SPORTS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 15

Shift From Hybrid to Remote Alters Fall, Winter Sport Seasons Winter seasons pushed back, fall seasons cut short Sara Richardson | Managing Editor

ue to the recent school shutdown and many students quarantined, student-athletes are unsure of what will happen with winter sports. The shutdown caused hybrid seasons and captains practice to be canceled. Blake hockey goalie Molly Haag ‘22 explains, “our team was participating in a bridge season, so they brought the 12 best teams in the state together, and we were scrimmaging. So our team only got to play one game of that.” Additionally, basketball open gyms and boys captains’ practice for hockey were all canceled. Despite the recent cancellations, some students are hoping for a season. When asked his opinion about having a season, hockey player Ryan Ressemann ‘21 said, “I think we should be able to play as long

Submitted by Robert Grace

Robert Grace ‘21 (far left) and Sam Hardy ‘24 (far right) pose for a photo prior to their game against Mound Westonka. SMB Wolfpack defeated the White Hawks at home 42-14 on Oct. 16.

as all of the precautions are taken. I think it will be a good thing to do it.” Similarly, basketball player Robert Grace ‘21 believes, “it’s going to be a lower risk if we have the season during online school. We aren’t going to be seeing a bunch of peo-

ple at school every day. So, I think we should be allowed to play.” Other students are more nervous and doubt that the winter season will happen. Basketball player Annabelle Swigert ‘22 shares, “I think it depends on what’s going on around the state. So I think if

we’re online for a reason, then I think that should probably translate into sports too.” Similarly, Haag shares a similar opinion: “All I care about is everyone being healthy and safe. Of course, I want to play, but if we can’t go to school, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for

us to have sports.” However, not having a season would be particularly devastating for seniors. Grace comments on how disappointed he will be if the season gets canceled: “Not only my senior season, but a lot of the players senior season, and we worked really

hard to have this season. It’s going to suck if we are unable to play. We still have goals to accomplish.” Although students are hoping to play for their final sections games and state games, the unpredictability is shown by football and volleyball coming to a sudden end. Volleyball player, Nikki Stabno ‘21 explains, “We were able to play one last game on Friday [Nov. 20] after our quarantine. I was bummed that our last game was without any practices and without half of the team, but it was fun to play. We had a lot of potential this year and could have done better, but I was also kinda expecting this.” Similarly, football player Elijah Short ‘21, shares the same disappointment not being able to finish his season: “It obviously hurts that it ended this way but it was for the best considering COVID-19 cases spiking and really now it’s just deciding do I want to keep playing these next four years or hang the cleats up.”

Alpine Ski Team Skeptical, Team Roster Cut With New Guidelines Alpine Ski Team Awaits MSHSL ruling to determine season Noor Naseer | Managing Editor

espite the early fall snow, the Alpine Ski team was unable to take advantage of this promising weather to hit the slopes. Even though the MSHSL has approved their season to begin on Nov. 30 and end on Feb. 27, the COVID Preparedness Team

has yet to make a decision on the feasibility of winter sports during remote learning. Tyler May ‘21 sheds light on the slow start to this season: “We were supposed to start captains’ practice [Nov. 9], but then the school got shut down, so that also got shut down. Right now there’s not really much we’re able to do because the kick off meeting we have every year was supposed to be a little bit ago, but it’s postponed until immediately after the [MSHSL] meets.”

Submitted by: Payton Crosby

The 2019-2020 team poses after their sections race. This year, their entire season is still up in the air due to COVID-19.

Kathryn Rekas

The Alpine Ski team sits in on their kickoff meeting on Zoom because they are unable to gather in person. Introduced in this meeting are some of the new guidelines in place this season. Some of these guidelines include having a mask on while not racing, no spectators, as well as limited number of races and racers this season. Although these guidelines put a damper on the season, the team is hopeful and is looking forward to make the most out of it.

Among others, one of the new restrictions MSHSL put in place because of COVID-19 is that the girls and boys team can each only have 12 members. This means that the team will be cut down from about 65 to approximately 25-30, with alternates. May speaks to this change saying, “So we had JV, varsity, and Csquad, [the] development team, is what we called it. But now we’re only allowed six varsity racers and six JV racers for [each] girls and guys, so we’re just going to do that with a couple alternates, which

will put us in the 25-30 range.” Will McDonald ‘21 speculates on what effects will result from this change sharing, “I think there also [came] a lot of competition with that high number of kids, just for time on the snow and on the gates, so I think... there are definitely some benefits and downsides. Like there’s going to be more focus on the varsity and JV teams this year I think, but I think that some of that fun team atmosphere that comes with having a big team [will] definitely [be lost].”

Other than this change and the presence of social distancing and masks when not skiing, the Alpine team is unsure what to expect this season. May expresses, “As of now, we’re just kind of laying dormant, kind of waiting for more information.” M c D o n a l d echoes this with, “I think we’ll have to figure out what happens and what athletics says about whether it can happen or not, but right now it’s kind of on hold, but the snow is coming down, so we could be on the slopes soon I guess.”

SPORTS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | 16

Figure Skating Team Takes Great Strides to Build Community After its creation last year, team draws skaters from all skill levels to compete Emma Martinez Sutton | Co-Editor-in-Chief

ast winter, figure skaters in the middle and upper schools were able to join a new Blake team that consists of some practices and an exhibition. This year the team will participate in virtual events due to COVID-19 restrictions. Since the team is so new and figure skating is often done individually outside of school, many students didn’t know that 15 students participate on the team until it was featured in a Bear Highlights video last month. Zoe Goodwin ‘24, who is a longtime figure skater and member of the team, says, “It was really fun seeing all the different skaters at Blake because, for a long time, I thought I was like the only one... I didn’t know that there was that many... It was like I can relate to all these people now.” Goodwin joined the team after learning of it in an email from the Athletic Office. She says, “Last year was the first year, so I was like ‘Oh this is kind of cool, I wonder what it’s gonna be’... We had the exhibition, so I was there at Blake for the whole day and we learned the routine and we went onto the ice after and just kept doing

Athletes pose as a team at the end of their routine from last year’s skating exhibition held at the Blake Ice Arena.

it.” The team is coached by Kelley Cochran Smith ‘98 who choreographed the exhibition program. Due to COVID-19, there will not be an in-person exhibition this year. Team member Ava Pihlstrom ‘22 says, “This year we were skating at Blake on Sundays until the rink shut down, and then there was this virtual competition that some of the skaters participated in—it was like a group competition. And then in February or March there’s an individual competition where you can submit a video doing your program and then it gets judged.” Pihlstrom continues, “I can’t skate in the group one because I tested out, but I’m doing the individual [where] you submit your whole routine program.” Although it doesn’t have the same structure as many athletic teams, the fig-

ure skating team provides connection and a sense of community among figure skaters. Goodwin says, “Since it’s a smaller group of people and we all know each other... We can talk about what’s happening at Blake while we’re tying our skates or getting ready and that can, I think, create a closer community.” Prior to the team’s creation last year, figure skaters practiced and competed solely outside of school and didn’t reap the benefits of a team experience. This was certainly a marked difference from Pihlstrom’s long experience: “I skate yearround, and it’s normally five or six days a week for one and half to two hours each day. I started skating when I was three.” Similarly, Goodwin says, “I’ve skated for 12 years... I’ve done individual skating and competing for my whole

life and I recently joined a synchronized skating team.” Synchronized skating is also

jumps. Goodwin shares that she’s drawn to the team as-

sign-up. Goodwin says, “If you figure skate and you’re not on the team I recom-

Submitted by: Ava Pihlstrom

The program has lots of promise with its young skaters; only two seniors were on last year’s team.

competitive and requires the completion of certain elements to gain points, but the routine is performed by a group and doesn’t involve

pect and sense of camaraderie versus individual skating. To participate on the Blake team, figure skaters can join through the Athletic Office

mend it because... it feels a lot better knowing there’s a lot of other people doing your sport and you’re not alone.”

Boys’ Hockey Chance for Success on Hold with New Restrictions Bears look to capitalize on momentum from last year’s successful season Winnie Ulland | Contributing Writer

resh off a third place finish in last year’s State Tournament, the Blake Boys’ Hockey team has been preparing for the 2020-2021 season for months. However, the ability to showcase their young talent has since been sidetracked. On Friday, Nov. 6, the upper school was shut

Players celebrate with starting goalie Aksel Reid after their 3-2 victory over Blaine High School at Hockey Day Minnesota 2020.

down, with plans to reopen at the earliest in mid-January, leaving questions up in the

air. What would happen to a sports seasons? The hockey team has been engaged in

captains practice for the past few months. Most players have been participating in clinics and off season teams to prepare for the high intensity of a hockey season in Minnesota. Ryan Ressemann says, “I’m looking forward to simply getting back to the sport I love and playing with the great group of boys we have.” On Wednesday, Nov. 18, Governor Tim Walz announced the partial reshutdown of Minnesota, effectively ending sports and pushing the season off until Dec. 18, putting the hockey team on standby. The head coach of the boys’ hockey team, Rob

McClanahan states, “The shutdown affects the Blake Boys’ Hockey program in the sense we are unable to build off the success from the past few years. With

a team full of new faces it would be great to be able to work to establish a consistent theme, consistent habits and help this young group build their camaraderie.”

Submitted by: Ryan Ressemann

The team won their Sections Finals game 4-3 with an overtime penalty shot to advance to the State Tournament.

On a typical December week, the Blake Ice Arena and basketball court would be packed with fans watching the teams compete. However, they currently sit empty as students returns online from Thanksgiving break. Before the recent shutdown, hockey and basketball teams were scheduled to begin practicing and competing within the coming weeks. Now, the venues await the return of players and fans until given the signal by Governor Walz and the administration. Oscar Walsh