Spectrum_October_2011 by Spectrum Newspaper

the

Spectrum

The Blake School v 511 Kenwood Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55403 v Issue 2 v October 27, 2011 v blakespectrum.org v your voice in print

student life........pg 2-3 Club Profile:

Occupy Wall Street goes national

Citizens and students speak out on the issues news......................pg 4 What the #%*@!#$& Study correlates

SWEARING and

Stress

opinions.............pg 5-7 The Importance of Banned Book Week

in-depth.............pg 8-9

An In Depth look at Fears and Phobias

a&e.................pg 10-11 Behind the Crew of The Government Inspector

sci/tech...........pg 12-13 Facebook is less private than you think

sports.............pg 14-15

Origin of the Bear

features...............pg 16

Artists at Blake

the first place, and we wouldn’t want to follow in their footsteps. We also understand that taxes in s every US History student the highest tax bracket are actulearns, the founders of this ally lower now than they have nation prefaced the Declaration been at ANY POINT SINCE 1916 of Independence (other than from with the thought 1988-1992). We that a government’s are grateful for role is to protect our assets and the citizen’s right to are willing to give life, liberty, and the back. We are the 1 pursuit of happipercent.” In terms ness (see graphic). of likes, Meyers’s They went on to comment had state that citizens far more than have the right to the original post. overthrow unfair However, there government that is a sense of tafails to uphold boo around the these rights, and it subject of monis under this ratioey. There has nal that the “Occupy been talk around Wall Street” (OWS) school that it is movement has garawkward to disnered its support. cuss or support photo credit: blogs.citypages.com This pro- “Occupy Minneapolis” Protestors in front of Wells Fargo Bank certain viewtest is against the points for fear tion, as evidenced by opposing Max Meyers ‘12 posted unfair distribution of financial cheers at sports games involving a comment in disagreement say- of offending others or getting wealth and social power among “Daddy’s Money,” the Blake stu- ing, “We are the 1 percent. We un- harassed for feeling a certain American citizens and a pro- dent population is much more derstand that giving 35% of our way. Max Frenkel said, “A lot of test of the strong political sway diverse than this assumption. income is reasonable because people came up to me the next that big business has over the On facebook there have of the opportunities we have day saying that they supported government. They call for gov- been posts on both my feelings, but did not feel ernment intervention and re- sides of the debate comfortable liking my status.” form in regulating the power from people associat This issue has escaof big banks. What started as a ing themselves with lated a national level; OWC We hold these truths to be selflocal New York protest has es- either the 1% or 99% is building momentum, evident, that all men are creatcalated into a national debate. and their justificagaining support from busied equal, that they are endowed G. William Domhoff, tion of their feelings. nesses such as Ben & Jerrys. by their Creator with certain professor of sociology and psy- Protests have broken out Others have unalienable Rights, that among chology at UC Santa Cruz, states posted in more than just Wall Street and on what these are Life, Liberty and the that in 2007, the top 1% of the they think the viewour Minneapolis now plays host pursuit of Happiness.--That to population controlled 42.7% point of the 1% to its own “Occupy” movement. secure these rights, Governments of financial wealth in America, and 99% should be. This issue may prove to are instituted among Men, dewhile the bottom 80% of the be a turning point in American One such deriving their just powers from the population controlled only 7% bate that got a lot of politics come the 2012 election. consent of the governed, --That of the financial wealth. Recent attention was in reSenior Michael McGrath said, whenever any Form of Governtrends suggests that this dis- sponse to Max Fren“The Occupy Wallstreet movement becomes destructive of parity has not changed much. kel’s ‘12 facebook ments are living proof of the these ends, it is the Right of the This gives the top status. It said, “We are democratic system. The people’s People to alter or to abolish it. 1% much more political pow- the 1 percent. We are voices are being represented. If -Declaration of Independence er because the government getting taxed heavily you disagree with these movis motivated by money and on our homes. We are ments, there is an incredible opthose with more money can forced to give 35% of portunity for failure if you were lobby harder for their own in- our well-deserved into conclude that you should terests than those without. come to others. We are ridiculed had and the lifestyle we lead. ignore what all the commotion This is why OWS by society, yet we lead it. We are We understand that the greedy, is about. Gain some knoledge calls for raised awareness the executive force in charge of money crazed people who ran about the situation so that you and government intervention combating environmental pollu- wall street are the reason we have the ability to have public or about the 1% and what they tion. We are working long hours are in this mess of a recession in private discussions on the topic.”

Bennett Winton Editor-in-Chief

call themselves, the “99%.” Many debates have arisen within the halls of Blake itself. Though those outside of our community might try to label Blake as a “1%” institu-

and must financially compensate for others’ lack of work ethic and mistakes. We are responsible for the construction and operation of charities. We are accused for everything. We are the 1 percent.”

Student Life

Fresh year for Margaret Graham

Staff Writer orum is Blake’s student government. They meet during second lunch every Wednesday in the small dining room. A total of nine people (including both students and faculty) are needed to start a meeting and vote on a proposal. Forum encourages other students to come to meetings to voice their opinions, anyone is welcome to sit in on Forum meetings. Forum has a lot on their agenda this year. Including, the safe driving pledge and a self- defense class

The Spectrum Newspaper October 27, 2011

FORUM

self defense lesson that will as physical self defense.” for the Blake community. be open to all members of Juliet Nelson ’12, Forum has big plans the leader of this for this year and event, explains, hopes to work “Given the awaretowards improvness take back ing the Blake the night raised c o m m u n i t y. about sexual vio David lence and with Graham, cothe class of 2012 chair of Forum thinking about comments, “We college it seems are delighted to like a good time be part of the to provide some Head of School information search this fall. on how to proIt gives us an tect yourself to opportunity to the community. have an impact photo credit: Margaret Graham “We are Students peruse boothes at the annual club fair, hosted by Forum. on the school. working on planning a “We also the community it will probably take place one night hope to bring the blood at the upper school cam- drive back this spring afpus and include situational ter a one-year absence. “Finally, we hope to awareness training as well

b u l C s e l i f Pro

N A H S

The National Arts Honor Society offers an array of activities to include both new and experienced artists Adelaide Winton

Students begin rehersals for fall play CAST: Kate Abram, Maddie Anderson, Ben Barry, Adam

Denoyer, Charlie Haakenson, Alisha Litman-Zelle, Max Makovetsky, Emily Moore, Jared Musel, Cole Norgaarden, Megan Olson, Dharani Persaud, Jackson Sabes, Jonah Sandy, Tate Spencer, George Vojta, Jamieson Werling, Keenon Werling, Amelia Williams.

LEAD STAGE MANAGER: Jordan O’Donnell ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Helen Kyle

THE BLAKE SCHOOL PRESENTS

“The Government Inspector” November 17-19 7:30pm The Macmillan Preforming Arts Center

Admission: $7

gain some sustainable funding so that we can use it to support activities and promote wider community spirit.” Forum is made up of four seniors, three juniors, two sophomores, as well as two freshmen. Additionally, there are five faculty members that serve on Forum and one administrator. John Flanagan’15 says, “In the very near future with Forum, I hope that we as a group will do whatever we can to lessen that stress, be it in a direct, academically focused way or with more fun and relaxing projects.” Look out for Forum’s new projects in the coming year and stop by their meeting if you’re interested in making a difference at Blake!

Contributing Writer

t The Blake School, NAHS recognizes those students who have shown an outstanding ability in art. NAHS stands for National Art Honors Society. The National Art Education Associations was created in 1978, in order to give high school students a chance to be involved in the art programs in their school. Luckily, for us at The Blake School, we have our own NAHS association, which allows students to be more involved with the arts. The society designs homecoming shirts and buttons each year, and plans Art crawls, which is an activity where students travel from gallery to gallery, observing art. Any student can attend these excursions, even if one does not attend the club.

If you are interested in joining NAHS, the group meets every Wednesday during tutorial in Bob Teslow’s room. The NAHS society at school is open to anyone who would like to join; there are no requirements to be a member. According to California Chaney ’12, “you don’t have to be an ‘artsy’ person to join. Anyone who is interested in art or who wants to know more about art in their community can join and be an active member.” Like in other clubs, active participants in NAHS can obtain points by attending meetings, going to Art crawls, putting a piece of art in the Martha Bennett Gallery for a student show, giving an assembly speech, or by making posters for upcoming events. If a students gains 10,000 NAHS points, one becomes an official of the association and is awarded

a colorful tassel to recognize of the achievement. Chaney is not only part of the NAHS, but is also a member of the Walker Art Center Teen Art Council (WACTAC), a group of 12 students from schools around Minneapolis and St. Paul. The group meets once a week to plan events to get teens involved in the arts and to stay connected with other artists. Because students get in for free at the Walker Art Museum, WACTAC plan’s events that are intended for teens to engage with the Walker. For this reason, many NAHS art crawls are WACTAC hosted events. For those gifted artists, there are many opportunities to be involved in the Minneapolis art world. If you are interested in being apart of NAHS, feel free to participate in the weekly meetings.

The Spectrum Newspaper October 27, 2011

Upcoming

EVENTS

Hungry for Healthy

Middle School Play Friday, November 4

SAT Saturday, November 5 College Financial Aid Night Monday, November 7 Upper School Play Thursday-Saturday, November 17-19 Thanksgiving Break Wednesday-Sunday, November 23-27 Upper School Choir Concert Thursday, November 3 Sno Ball Dance Saturday, November 5

Kristyn Siegert

Contributing Writer

lass is dismissed and ravenous kids flock to the dining room to eagerly fill their plates. Often times, you will hear groans because there is no pizza, and the main dish is herb-encrusted halibut. But, this is one of the main reasons Blake is not obese. There is always salad, options for sandwiches, vegetarian dishes, etc. Mystery meat never graces the plates of Blake students. Steve Kaback, in his speech about America’s obesity, highlighted the prob-

Top spots to chow down

Common Roots

lems with processed foods. And yes, even though Blake does serve, pizza, french fries, burgers, and chips, these foods are not served everyday. When they are, it is with locally grown beef, minimal oil, and whole grain crust. Many public and other private schools have extraneous amounts of processed foods and sugar. Sure they may have a salad bar, but when kids are given the opportunity to eat pizza or a spinach salad, usually the choice is pizza. Education also plays a hefty role in kid’s food choic-

Stand Iman Pakzad Staff Writer

ing symposium called Stand Up Speak Out. Prior to the main event, students, The Lowry faculty and parents alike were encourOysters, to burgers, to fish tacos, the Lowry offers a wide aged to sign the antibullying pledge and revariety of dishes. New to uptown, this restaurant’s has a vibrant atmosphere and presents a fresh take on your typical ceived buttons with the diner. While The Lowry may “mix and match” entrees, they words “Stand Up Speak Out” written on them. all provide a classic, hearty meal. During the school day, 250 studiner 2112 Hennepin Ave. Minneapolis dents and faculty signed the pledge and many more that night. GSA Galaxy and volunteer work booths were also present. Incorporating the quintessential 50s ‘Jetson’ cartoon image, After visitors heard the Galaxy Drive-In is more about the experience than the information from these groups, the main event began. food! Providing a menu of burgers, fries, and milkshakes, The night began with the real tastes are of 50s pop culture. comments made by Al Franken drive-in diner about bullying shortly followed 3712 Quebec Ave. S., St. Louis Park by several anonymous students’ encounters read aloud by members of the Justice League.

2558 Lyndale Ave. S, Minneapolis

es. Blake has educated its students that you are what you eat. The various food and obesity assemblies have progressed our school in making healthy choices. With education, kids may still choose to eat the pizza over the spinach salad, but at least they know the implications of that choice. Blake also highly emphasizes its athletics, which dramatically decreases the possibility of kids with obesity. Students at upper school are required to participate in an interscholastic sport for one full season in grades nine and ten as a graduation requirement.

Speak

The event also included musical and literary performances. Such as a bullying story told with an interpretive dance, by Alisha Litman-Zelle ‘13, and story told through poety, performed by Katie Emory’12. Additionally, both Sunshine

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Scale: $ = 5 dollars

Most students exceed this requirement, participating in three full seasons of sports. The athletic environment pushes kids to succeed in their sport or sports, and influences many to continue trying new ones. Blake is a shining leader in the fight against childhood obesity. Many schools do not support their students in healthy food choices. Blake serves as an example that proper education about nutritious diets and exercise propel students to be the absolute best they can be, both mentally and physically.

Speaking out about

n Tuesday October 11, at Serving locally grown, organic entrees, Common Roots val7 pm, students and faculty ues food that is in-season. Simple dishes infused with a little from schools all over Minnesota something extra grace the chalkboards in the cozy eatery. gathered in the Juliet Nelson Auditorium for the anti-bullycafe

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Blake’s emphasis on athletics and education around nutritious diets helps students understand the effects of their choices in the cafeteria.

Open Mic Night

Friday, October 28

Student Life

Crew and Blakers in Treble shared musical presentations. Among the many stories shared, were tales told by Senator Scott Dibble, who is attempting to establish an antibullying bill. He shared several powerful stories about his own bullying conflicts he faced personally, and through his son.

OUT

After about 90 minutes worth of powerful stories, it all ended with an inspirational sing along of “Lean on Me”. However, bullying and bully stories do not reside in Minnesota alone. The bully project is a collection of bullying stories from all over America. The page of the movie’s website displays two shocking statistics; 18 million kids will be bullied in the U.S. this year and 3 million students are absent each month because they feel unsafe at school. The entire purpose of both of these movements is to change these startling numbers and make schools develop into safer places. Whether or not you attended Stand Up Speak Out, we all need to do our part to end bullying. One way to begin the our fight against bullying is by watching The Bully Project listen to the powerful stories about how bullying hurts.

The Spectrum Newspaper

News

October 27, 2011

Aamera Siddiqui performs Swearing Increases Stress, Study Reports Jason Shu American as Curry Pie Contributing Writer at 20th Annual Diversity D Symposium

On October 24, Aamera Siddiqui, a former director of the Diversity Office, performed her onewoman play American as Cuury Pie at Blake’s 20th Annual Diversity Symposium. The Annual Diversity Symposium, started in 1992, provides a forum for speakers to Photo:Marisa Bernstein Aamera Siddiqui speaks in the Office of Equity and Com- discuss various aspects munity Engagement. of diversity.

o you swear when stressed out? Alleviating stress may seem like a legitimate reason to let curse words fly when you have so much homework. A new study, however, suggests that swearing may actually increase your stress levels. New research from the University of Bristol in England shows that swearing increases stress, not necessarily the other way around. Test subjects were exposed to two of the most offensive words in the English language and two neutral words.

Biss to Speak at One Book, One Blake

Stress levels were higher in the test subjects’ brains after seeing the explicit words than after see-

Swearing may increase stress.

ing the neutral words. “I think there are other words to express yourself,” says Health teacher Cristina Larson, Blake students might take swearing leniently, but if it increases stress levels, we might want to be more careful. What does this mean

The event is free and open to the public

Natcher Pruett Staff Writer

otes from No Man’s Land by Eula Biss is, in the words of Blake English department chair Charles Ellenbogen, “electrifying, and original, and wonderful.” The book, winner of the 2009 National Book Critics Circle Award in criticism, is featured as this

year’s selection for One Book, One Blake. On November 1st, Biss will speak at the Upper School. Book club discussions of Notes from No Man’s Land will begin at 6:00 pm and Biss will speak at 7:00 pm in the Cherne Forum. Biss’ publisher, Greywolf Press, will provide refreshments. The philosophy behind

One Book, One Blake is to bring a community together around a single piece of literature. This year, the event will be open to the public in addition to members of the Blake community. Eula Biss first came to the attention of Ellenbogen through English teacher Kate Sullivan, who was Biss’ roommate during graduate school. At her sugges-

Seniors Named Merit Semifinalists

Students Among Top 16,000 PSAT Scorers

Rachel Hertzberg Contributing Writer

very year, Blake students participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program. The program awards scholarships, and confers academic honors upon students. Today, around 1.5 million students enter yearly, though only about 50,000 become commended students, and 16,000 become semifinalists. This year, Blake had eleven seniors named semifinalists. This is a higher percentage within Blake than in any other school, according to Sara Kyle, Associate Director of College Counseling. Furthermore, this is Blake’s third year with the highest percentage of semifinalists in the state of Minnesota. There are “very tight parameters for the process” says Kyle. Juniors take the PSAT, and their scores determine whether

they will qualify as semifinalists. Semifinalists then must write an essay and provide their academic transcripts. A section committee is formed every year to decide who will become a National Merit Scholar Finalist. These finalists may be eligible for one of three types of scholarships: a smaller scholarship given by the National Merit Program, a scholarship given by a company that sponsors the program (to children of employees), or a scholarship given by a col-

lege. Blake students often win these scholarships. “Our students test well,” Kyle explains. “I know it sounds corny, [but Blake] provides a really rigorous education.” Sophomores who score well on their practice PSAT sometimes choose to get private tutoring, though most do not. Blake also receives material from the College Board, which includes recourses such as sample questions, for students looking to improve their scores.

Photo: eulabiss.net

Author Eula Biss will speak at Blake

tion, Ellenbogen read the book and found it wonderful. Notes from No Man’s Land also connects with Blake’s pluralism efforts. The book is made up of

for you? Next time you get a C on that test, do not go straight for the curse words. If you really want to express your anger, a more stress-free way would be to use euphemisms. Euphemisms are words that express an offensive or blunt idea more indirectly, such as “passed away” instead of “died.” These kinds of words were also tested along with the actual swear words in the study. Predictably, euphemisms stress people out less than the actual swear words. So next time you feel like saying something offensive, keep in mind that there might be other ways to show people what you mean.

thirteen essays that, through covering various topics, connect back to themes such as race and being American. The opening essay, “Time and Distance Overcome,” connects telephone poles with injustice, progress, innovation, violence, and the author’s own personal memories, all using clear, lyrical prose. Biss’ other works include essays and another collection of short stories entitled The Balloonists. All of Biss’ works will be for sale at the event.

Half of Schools Fail Testing

Does Blake also teach to tests? opposed to a certain amount of

Beatrice Lim Staff Writer

recent Minnesota Department of Education report stated that over half of Minnesota schools did not make the cut for No Child Left Behind. Included in this list are many Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools. According to No Child Left Behind, these schools and more have failed to meet the law’s provisions and now face serious restructuring. The law mandates standardized testing to study how much improvement a school makes based on students’ scores. Schools that do not show “adequate yearly progress” face changes that could include funding losses or even school closures. “Is that a problem with all the schools or is that a problem with the measurement?” questions Dion Crushshon, Blake’s Dean of the Class of 2013. He continues, “I’ve always wondered about the measurement where it’s a certain bar that you’re supposed to meet as

progress.” Many believe that No Child Left Behind creates a cycle where schools cannot improve because they are too busy trying to meet its ambitious requirements. Currently, Minnesota is planning to file for a waiver. If they succeed, public schools will only have to meet the Obama administration’s more modest improvement requirements. For Blake, the consequences are not so dire. Unlike public school students, Blake students do not have to undergo mandatory state testing. However, while the standardized testing plights of public schools may seem distant, perhaps there exists just as much of an emphasis on improving test scores. As AP week nears, teachers switch their attention from classwork to test preparation. While standardized testing may not affect us to the same degree as public schools, we cannot claim to be fully immune from it.

The Spectrum Newspaper October 27, 2011

BANNED BOOKS WEEK

Opinions

Library supports reading banned books to avoid censorship Abby Smith Contributing Writer

rown bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was, and still is, a favorite storybook of mine. I’m sure many kids around the world will agree, but kids in Texas will not get to opportunity to read the beloved book by Bill Martin. In January 2010, the Texas board of education took the beloved book form all public school libraries only because the author was mistaken for another Bill Martin, who wrote an adult novel. Brown Bear isn’t alone. All over the states, books are being removed, officially and unofficially, from school libraries. Every thing from the Dictionary, to Harry Potter, to Fahrenheit 451 (a book about banning books!) As long as books have been around, they have been censored. Occult, profanity, sexual content, and even ‘just being a downer’ are just a few of the many reasons books are being

censored. Most of the culprits behind this restriction of reading are parents. The most common reason for a book being challenged is a parent deciding it is bad for not just their children, but for all the students. The warriors fighting against the censorship are librarians, teachers, and even students. Steven Pico, a 17-year-old student, led the Pico case, the most important banned-books case taken to the supreme course. He had claimed his first amendment rights had been violated and in the end, the court ruled in favor of Pico and the books he aimed to put back on his schools shelves. Many Schools and Library’s across the country are aiming to keep books on shelves. Our library participated in banned books week, a wide spread event dedicated to raising awareness of the censorship happening right in our backyard. No Censorship is hap-

d r a C t r o spectrum p e R ’ s Editor

pening at Blake Upper School. ““We have 30, 40 banned books. We don’t censor when we buy.” Lizz Buchanan, one of Blake’s librarians, said when asked about banned books. Anna Reid has a whole shelf of banned books in her room. The Blake community as a whole is dedicated to keeping our school free of censorship. Charles Ellenbogen, head of Blake’s English department, said “If we keep controversial ideas from our students, we deny them the opportunity to develop the kind of critical thinking skills that our country needs from its citizens.” WARNING: THIS COLUMN HAS BEEN RATED R AND MAY BE DANGEROUS FOR YOUR HEALTH.

You kept reading didn’t you. No worry; this column is not dangerous or rated R. During prohibition, when alcohol was illegal, it only increased the amount of people drinking it. Banning books is no

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different. If you tell some one not to read a book, they’re going to read it behind your back. Some of the ideas in books subjected to banning might be controversial, but it’s no help if for example, a child reads it and the parent (banner of book) doesn’t know. Wouldn’t it be both enlightening to real world questions and idea and educating to let them read the book, then explaining and discussing the ideas in the book? It’d make a great class discussion! The fight against censorship in schools has, is, and will be, a long battle. Lucky for us, people are starting to come around. In the case, Board of Education, Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982), the U.S. Supreme court stated, “Local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books …”

What are some of the banned books in the library now? Catch 22

by Joseph Heller

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

A Light in the Attic

by Shel Silverstein

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

GREEN VS. ECONOMY

The environment may not be the most important thing to protect after all Connor Slocum Contributing Writer

e all think that green initiatives and going green is very cool, right? But sometimes too much could be bad. Every year since the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the regulations have gotten stronger and stronger. Yes, you may think that green is good, and sustainable for our future, but jobs and economy, not so certain. Every time the EPA changes its regulation, companies have to change and adapt to meet the new requirements, but sometimes these changes begin to limit the effectives of some businesses and industries. For example, A new ‘clean air act’ proposed by the EPA would cost between $19 billion and $90 billion for energy companies, eliminate many jobs and lower company profits. Which is, in my opinion, not exactly what we need in our society today. Supporters argue that it would save billions in Health Care costs, by reducing the emissions in the air. As a result people and workers in these industries would be less susceptible to health hazards and have fewer hospital visits.

Yes, this bill comes with a great environmental help, but are heavy green initiatives really needed when we can get these energy resources right here from home instead of becoming dependent on foreign supplies? If we use local resources, we can help grow our economy. If we can add a green factor to this initiative then we can help maximize both economic and environmental benefits and bring back American Jobs. This topic is very controversial and there could be a heated debate be-

“

A new ‘clean air act’ proposed by the EPA would cost between $19 billion and $90 billion for energy companies, eliminate many jobs and lower company profits.

”

tween these two sides. Increase jobs for the economy, or save the environment for the future generations. With green taking a backlash against the core energy businesses of America, we have to leave some room in green initiatives for our sake of economic security.

The Spectrum Newspaper

Opinions

October 27, 2011

Boys Will Be Girls – A Wry Examination of Gender Boxes

Clare Flanagan Editorial Associate

n today’s media-saturated world, it is impossible not to be exposed to the unspoken boundaries that define gender. Most of the time, these ideas are used to sell products or

Harvard Sailing team is poking fun at society’s constructs, perhaps in an effort to chip them away.

lifestyles; often, they can be harmful and confining for those who don’t entirely conform. But sometimes, whether in commercials, sketches, or skits, they are put to clever use. Recently, a New York comedy outfit known as the Harvard Sailing Team (no affiliation with the university) posted a gender-bending YouTube video entitled “Boys Will Be Girls”, which was soon ac-

graphic credit: Bailey Dunning

companied by the similarly unconventional “Girls Will Be Boys.” Both provide snapshots of men and women hanging out in separate groups – a seemingly normal practice. However, the behavior of the men was warped to resemble what society terms as “womanly”—they agonized about dieting, intrusively questioned their significant oth-

ers, and became emotional and weepy. The tables were further turned as the women assumed the stereotypical gender roles of men, drinking beer, hooting at Bud Light commercials, and displaying emotional insensitivity as they complained about their girlfriends. Indeed, the effect was bizarre, for it’s not very often that men are pictured cry-

ing over their mother’s dead cat or proposing that they all split an ice cube for a snack. It was equally strange to witness women fantasizing about huge amounts of disgusting food (Epic Mealtime, anyone?) and complaining about their boyfriends’ “continuous stream of talking.” Needless to say, I found myself laughing pretty hard. Then again, some would argue that there’s nothing funny about gender boxes. Too often in today’s world, people – especially children and teens – are ostracized for not complying with society’s expectations of how males and females should behave. It shouldn’t matter if a boy chooses to wear pink, or if a girl wears her hair short and enjoys football. Unfortunately, to many bullies, homophobes, and narrow-minded naysayers, it does. Because of this, some might conclude that the Harvard Sailing Team videos not only make light of but also reinforce these harmful stereotypes. However, the videos portray gender boxes in such a ridiculous and

Incora Imparo

outlandish manner that they satirize rather than reaffirm. By making stereotypical gender roles so ridiculous, the Harvard Sailing team is poking fun at society’s constructs, perhaps in an effort to chip them away. And that makes their contribution to the dialogue on gender positive as well as hilarious. I might have chuckled at the incongruous sight of men raving about “HunCal FroYo” or women belching and acting boorish. However, this was not out of disdain for women and men stepping out of their gender boxes. Instead, it was due to the videos’ hyperbolic portrayal of stereotypes, as well as their sharp and intelligent wit. By portraying gender-based typecasts as absurd and ludicrous, the sketches push us to question their role in society, even while making us laugh. Harmful expectations concerning gender are a serious reality in today’s world, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be laughed at. After all, poking fun at a problem is often a key step in finding a solution.

Inder Majumdar Opinions Columnist

his one’s going to be short. There’s not much to say about this Gentleman and Scholar. So, how about it? Can you think of a single criticism that applies to Mr. Gulla? I certainly can’t. It seems weird though, doesn’t it? I, for one, thought that every single human commits error

done so to a greater extent. As he is still learning, he too is still a student. You’re likely wondering by now: What exactly is Inder getting at? At the end of this entry, we should keep in mind that the characteristics to be found in the next Head of School should show only one academic vulnerability.

at some point in time. Is it true that the reputation of John stands by an infallible reputation? His voice is a force of nature unto itself- subject to comparison with Morgan Freeman’s. His lexicon is immaculate and interlaced with a divergent profusion of recherché words. And, with all of his strengths, Mr. Gulla still claims: Incora Imparo. And here, we have someone that claims to be learning; yet we find his actions (and voice) to have no fault. Only you, Mr. Gulla, only you. Though hard to find, Mr. Gulla has always been known to engage students on a variety of topics (perhaps more diverse than his vocabulary.), from Voltaire’ Candide to the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. If anything, I only wish that he had

Society has always placed an all-too artificial difference between teacher and student. In fact, a substantial amount of students here are as intelligent (if not more intelligent-shh! I’m trying to avoid too much scandal…) as the teachers at Blake itself. When it comes to the bottom line, should we not wish for our next Head of School to constantly learn? It is only when someone claims to be fully “learned” that they show their stupidity. Shouldn’t we look down on those who simply state that claim that there is in fact a limit to knowledge, and they have apparently reached that “limit?” Or, as Cady from MeanGirls said: “The limit doesn’t exist!” If Cady can remember that, I’m sure we could (at the very least), too.

It is only when someone claims to be fully “learned” that they show their stupidity.

graphic credit: Karl Lovaas

The Spectrum Newspaper

Opinions

October 27, 2011

If we can’t clone Gulla Facebook: New privacy settings Isabel Redleaf Contributing Writer

ohn Gulla has been the head of school for the past fourteen years. Many of us have grown up hearing him urge us to read, time and time again. Many of us have been entranced by his Morgan Freeman like voice as he gives speeches at school gatherings. And for many of us it is hard to imagine a Blake without him. But it is our last year with Mr. Gulla, and the search for the next head of school is well underway. When asked what kinds of qualities students and faculty

Smith said, “Someone who will have a passion for Blake. School spirit is a must, and they must be an outgoing person who people want to connect with.” Perhaps the most prevalent quality that students want in their head of school is kindness. Out of the 83 people who responded to the question, nearly 2/3 of them said that the Head of School should be of a friendly nature and nice to everyone. Mr. Gulla has been a huge part of our community. Each year he welcomes us back

“The head of school should be a powerful and persuasive speaker. Someone who asserts authority without scaring the students and interacts with the students and creates genuine relationships with them.”- Alex Lovaas

wanted to see in the next head of school, the spread was massive. Many expressed the desire for the head of school to have a voice with the same hypnotic quality as Mr. Gulla’s. Others said they just wanted Mr. Gulla’s clone to be his replacement. But, other than those two trends, the answers that students gave to the question “what qualities do you value for the next head of school” were extremely varied. 10th grader Alex Lovaas said, “The head of school should be a powerful and persuasive speaker. Someone who asserts authority without scaring the students and interacts with the students and creates genuine relationships with them.” Many students echoed Alex’s comments, with nearly everyone touching upon the idea that they want the Head of School to connect with the students. 11th grader Danny

to school, reminding us to read. Each year he speaks at Legacy Day, encouraging us to come together as one big community. And each year he speaks at Commencement, once again, reminding us to read. We all love it when he waves to us in the hallway or asks how things are going. We all adore Mr. Gulla and there is no one that can truly replace him. He has left a unique footprint on Blake, and no other head of school will be able to fill his shoes. We cannot hope to replace Mr. Gulla, we can only hope to bring in someone equally as great. The new head of school will have to work hard to earn the kind of respect that we all give to Mr. Gulla but we cannot withhold that respect simply because they are not Mr. Gulla. We have to be open to embracing the change of a new head of school, and hope that they possess the qualities that we want in a leader.

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE There is more to leadership than being “nice”

Noah Abromovitz Staff Writer

eople have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people… That social norm is just something that has evolved over time”. Facebook CEO and entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg voiced these words in an interview with TechCrunch blog, confirm-

They enable us to pick and choose whom we are informing of our daily activities, and they connect us to people in almost surreal ways

ing the belief, long held by many that Zuckerberg’s considers the issue of privacy to be trivial. While these words have been a have caused quite a stir, it is important to put this issue into perspective. While Mr. Zuckerberg could do a better job with making these privacy settings more user-friendly, these measure do exist and can be taken to ensure one’s privacy and comfort. Simply because Zuckerberg believes a certain thing doesn’t necessarily mean that he is imposing his own moral code upon you. Greg Lim ’15 agrees with this sentiment saying, “I think that Facebook provides very good security. You just need to get used to it and check your settings after every update.” Surprisingly, the most prevalent complaint seems to center around the fact that people can’t seem to obtain a grasp on those settings. With every new Facebook update,

there comes a cavalcade of grievances about how, “the old layout was better” and “next time this happens I’m leaving Facebook”. These are overall a collection of low criticisms and empty threats, made obvious by the fact that the same types of things are said after each new update. On the other hand, what people fail to realize is that with every new re-design, the privacy settings are changed. graphic credit: Karl Lovaas This means that users must re-adapt to a whole new privacy interface to fits each user’s needs. In this respect the company troubles me, because they fail to realize that users need a certain modicum of constancy. It can be disconcerting to log on to an account with a whole new set of parameters. Fawaz Mohiuddin ’14 seems to agree with this belief saying, “I feel like if Facebook changes to much and becomes to complex for the average user, then people are going to start leaving it.” In an open letter from Mr. Zuckerberg to all Facebook users he stated, “We’ve worked hard to build controls that we think will be better for you, but we also understand that everyone’s needs are different… the best way for you to find the right settings is to read through all your options and customize them for yourself.” Caroline Hunsicker ’13 seems to confirm that Zuckerberg’s intentions are succeeding, describing the usefulness of the new capabilities saying, “The information on my profile isn’t relevant to everybody I am friends with, so I use the settings to separate different communities on my list of friends.” Overall, I would argue that the new interface is certainly advantageous to expand our social networking abilities. They enable us to pick and choose whom we are informing of our daily activities, and they connect us to people in almost surreal ways. But, Zuckerberg needs to better inform users of the site about usage of the privacy settings. They can sometimes be complicated, and we as users deserve friendlier and easier access to settings. I think these would be the first changes that won’t bring about a chorus of boos.

To learn more about the evolution of privacy on facebook check out this website: http://www.mattmckeon. com/facebook-privacy/

I guess it’s not surprising that students in Minnesota, the Land of Nice, would promulgate the idea that the premiere qualities of a future head of school are “nice” and “kind” and “of a friendly nature.” However, those are highly subjective qualities that do not speak to a person’s ability to run a school. I would argue that a person’s vision and leadership

are far more important qualities for the future of Blake. A good leader has a vision and is able to execute this vision with charisma and confidence. Mr. Gulla earned our love and respect through his vision for Blake, his fairness and his great speeches; not because he was Minnesota nice. -Karl Lovaas

8 The Spectrum Newspaper October 27, 2011

What makes a fear a phobia?

Life experiences, parents’ fears hold the key Alex Lovaas Contributing Writer Phobo, Greek for “fear” or “morbid fear.” The Mayo Clinic says, “a phobia is an overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger…a phobia is long-lasting, causes intense physical and psychological reactions.” Phobias are categorized into three groups: specific, social, and agoraphobias. Specific phobias are linked to environment or personal injuries. Social phobias are caused by severe self-consciousness, humiliation and criticism. Agoraphobia is the fear of a place with no easy way to escape and usually develops after experiencing one or more panic attacks. Now, the question is, are phobias just irrational mindsets that can be easily overcome through a simple change of mind? The mind thinks and the mind feels. The conscious, rational mind stores memories in the hippocampus. These memories have been processed and rationalized, like what you ate for breakfast or those last few Spanish verbs you learned last week. The unconscious mind stores memories that are unprocessed by the conscious mind and therefore have not been rationalized as ordinary or insignificant. Those subconscious memories are stored in the amygdala, which signals the heart to beat, the diaphragm to expand, and responds to triggers of danger. We have no control over what our minds chose to store in the amygdala, like phobias. For instance, the culture someone is raised in rubs off on him or her and stamps an impression on the amygdala’s emotional ware-

house. In Japan, taijin ky ofush, a social phobia of offending and harming others in social situations, is almost exclusively found there due to the cultural mindset of the people. In western cultures, competitiveness and the drive to achieve, sexual stereotypes, and technology all attribute to the rise of social phobias in teenagers. When a trend is repeatedly practiced around someone, he or she subconsciously records that pervasive fear as something to be afraid of and it can in turn develop into a phobia. Children living among parents with a phobia are more likely to develop the same fears due to being acquainted to that fear at a young age. This situation is called “vicarious acquisition.” Life experiences are also justified as contributers to the formation of a phobia. After a traumatic event, the mind sloppily links any related object or situation present during the event and stores it, unprocessed, in the amygdala to brew a phobia. Cultural surroundings and life experiences are etiologies of phobias. Nevertheless, some people are born with phobias. Not much is known about the genetics of phobias. Although, scientists like Kenneth Kendler, are conducting experiments to uncover the mysteries of phobias. Kendler studied 1,250 sets of twins, each twin living in the same environment as its pair. The result was that identical twins shared more similar phobias than the fraternal twins showing phobias have some genetic links. Some are born with phobias and some develop them, but either way it is never a conscious decision create a “morbid fear.”

David Steffen ‘14

Blaine Crawford ‘13

Fear: Losing an election Why: Because then I couldnít achieve my goals and make America a better place. I have a passion for making change

stock images found on Google images

Anna Cieslukowski ‘12

Fear: Mascot Costumes Why: People at mall of America Bubble Gump Shrimp and the shark at Underwater Adventure... there is a person inside of it!

Fear: Death Why: It’s the unknown—y everything else that you’r is the end

answers in order: c, h, i, b, g, e, b, a, j, f

you can get through re afraid of but death

In Depth

Jack Mortenson ‘15 Kaylee Riggi ‘12

Fear: Girls. Why: No further comment.

Fear: Getting eaten by a shark Why: It would painful and freaky What happened: Watching shark week on discovery channel

Lauren Meredith ‘14

Fear: Drowning/not being able to breathe Why: When I was in the Do minican Republic we were swimming in the ocean and a little boy drowned

Above: Jack Mortenson ‘15 is clearly terrified of seniors Cathryn Grothe (left) and Grace Nolan (right)

10 Behind-the-scenes of The Government Inspector

The Spectrum Newspaper

A&E

October 27, 2011

The fall play begins to take shape at the hands of the many important student-lead crews Peyton Crosby Contributing Writer

s the fall athletic season winds down, the Blake theatre program is starting up! Upper School Theatre Director Diane Landis and MPAC Technical Director Chris Johnson, the duo behind many fantastic theatrical performances at Blake, are already hard at work on this year’s fall play: The Government Inspector, a comedy adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher. Although any play under the direction of Landis and Johnson is bound to be wildly successful, their shows would be impossible without the multitude of helping hands behind the scenes. The actors and actresses are the ones who bring the characters to life, but it is the crew that makes everything from the lighting to the costumes possible. Landis organizes all the crews at the Upper School including Props, Lights, Sound, Set Construction, Costumes and Stage Management. She has weekly meetings with student crew heads to keep all the crews on task and moving forward throughout the seven-week rehearsal period. Johnson works specifically with the Set Construction crew and assists with managing

Bental ’15, Sebastian Moller ‘15, Kaeli Patchen ‘14 and Jordan O’Donnell ‘13. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun,” says O’Donnell. “You get to hang out with the actors and the tech people; we’re a big family and we put together a big, exciting production!” Patchen adds, “It requires a lot of organization, which is something I hope stage management will help me with. It’s really nice to appreciate all the things that go into the behind the scenes work.” Similar to the Stage Managers, the Assistant Director Photo credit Marisa Bernstein helps the Director Stage Managers Kaeli Patchen ‘14 (left) and Sebastian Moller ‘14 at an evening stay organized and efrehearsal. ficient during the reprofessional designers working the crews. hearsal process, even helping to on the production, Erik Paul- According to Johnson, direct actors. “I’ve loved working son as Light and Scenic Designer the stage managers are “the peo- with the cast and helping them and Lori Opsal as Costume De- ple that hold a production to- with various tasks,” says Helen signer. Each crew has assistance gether. They help keep us orga- Kyle ‘12, the Assistant Director from one of these professionals nized and on time, they fix things for The Government Inspector. to guide the work of the student in a pinch on stage, call light cues While the Stage Managcrews. and sound cues, call actors when ers focus more on the technical The crews, for both the they are late or missing, help and organizational aspects of fall play and spring musical, actors learn lines... they do so the production, “I do more acconsist of five main groups: Set, many things it’s hard to list them tivities with the cast, whether Props, Lighting, Sound, and Cos- all.” This fall the responsibility it’s characterization, a process tume. Directing these crews is lies on the shoulders of Kelly for the actors to create unique the Light and Sound crews once the rehearsals hit the MPAC stage two weeks before opening. There are also two other

the responsibility of both Johnson and the Stage Management, a few students who are in charge of everything involved with all of

and interesting characters that elaborate on what they know from the script, or helping the actors memorize lines.” The set crew is a very important part of a play’s success because the set conveys the setting and time period of the play and adds visual interest to an otherwise blank stage. The set crew is responsible for constructing the scenery as well as special effects needed in a production. Explains Johnson, “our information comes from our Scenic Designer. We take the plans and make their vision a reality on stage.” Lighting is another vital part of any performance Blake does. The light crew gets lights in position and focuses them for performances, “[contributing] to the process by setting shape, time, movement, mood, and environment,” says Johnson. Other jobs of the light crew include programming and running the light board during performances or running the follow spots. Even though all the crews are very different from each other, they are all united by one common goal: to help create an amazing and memorable exSee page 2 for more information on the fall play, including a cast list!

SHOT NAPCollects: SBlake

“

Faculty Sojourn

in the Martha Bennet Gallery

”

“In a wordless cultural exchange, due more to my

shyness than a language barrier, we looked at the merchandise together and we shared laughter over some of the items... Humanity shares universals that cross all cultures due to our common basic needs.”

Deana Jaeschke Clapp Social Studies Department Chair

“Blake Collects: Faculty Sojourn,” currently in the Martha Bennet Galley, is an exhibition composed of photographs that Blake faculty have taken while travelling in locations all around the world. “Our Students are very lucky to be receiving so many different global perspectives from their teachers,” says organizer Bill Colburn. By going to the gallery exhibit, students can have a similar experience in expanding their viewpoints as they discover the diverse destinations teachers have visited. -- Reporting by Staff Writer Raine Robichaud

Photo credit Deana Jaeschke Clapp

The above photo, featured in the exhibit, was taken by Social Studies Chair Deana Jaeschke Clapp at a market in Xiían, China.

The Spectrum Newspaper

A&E

October 27, 2011

Haley Holsather Staff Writer

Graphic Design: Now In Production

Opens Oct. 22nd at the Walker Art Center With changes that have occurred over the past decade, so has the role of the graphic designer. Observing the advent of modern self-publishing and all access tools, which make the creative goal more attainable than ever before, Graphic Design shows the trends of graphic arts and communications over the last decade with an exciting collection of work from typefaces to Google doodles. This exhibition is free for people under 18. www.walkerart.org

2011 British Arrows Awards

December 2nd-31st at the Walker Art Center The British Arrows honor the best in advertising, and the annual showcase is back with more creativity than ever. Each year promises a dazzling show that will make you laugh, cry, and stare in awe. The show is a cinematic experience and features over 150 superlative spots. This event, though spanning a month, is notoriously popular and screenings sell out quickly. Tickets for this event go on sale on October 26th. It is best to snag tickets early! www.walkerart.org

Minneapolis Indie Xpo

November 5th-6th at the Soap Factory art gallery Celebrating its second year, the Minneapolis Indie Xpo is a twoday show featuring local comic artists and independent publishers. If one has an interest in graphic and comic arts, this event is as informative as it is entertaining. The Xpo is taking place at the Soap Factory, a gallery on the Southeast Minneapolis riverfront. www.mplsindiexpo.com For directions, visit www.soapfactory.org

Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints

3 4

Graphic credit Haley Holsather

Art Attack At the Northrop King Building

November 4th -6th at the Northrop King Building Art Attack is an annual open stu-

dio event in the historic Northrop King Building in Northeast Minneapolis. Home to over 200 local artists working in a variety of disciplines, the amount of creativity under one roof is staggering, not to mention, live music is

commonplace. Visitors can tour studios and talk to artists one on one while enjoying the arts in all forms. Though the event is free, art is for sale throughout. For directions: www.northropkingbuilding.com

Opens October 30th at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts The Edo period of Japan (16001868) produced a style of art unique to the world and widely recognized today. Over three hundred beautiful prints will be on display at this exhibit along with modern works inspired by art of the Edo period. This event is ticketed, but members of the MIA have free admission. www.artsmia.org

The Blake Collects committee builds “Global Connections” in next Martha Bennett Gallery Sanjana Srivastava Staff Writer

rom February 13, 2011 to March 16, 2011, the Martha Bennett Gallery will be alive with original pieces and artifacts, from paintings to utilitarian objects, collected from around the world. The exhibit will be called “Blake Collects: Global Connections.” The theme comes from globalization and cultural awareness throughout the world and in our own community. “It’s important that we tie programs to our mission— global citizens,” says Blake Upper School print making and photography teacher and Blake Collects chair Robert Teslow on this year’s theme. “So the intent of the show then, is to illustrate connections that members of our community have either brought with them through their heritage, like artwork or objects that have been passed down

from one generation to another.” art.” former Blake parents Leslie The artwork will show The Blake Collects committee is Ackerberg and Prudence Morsome among the contributors actively looking for interested rison-O’Callahan. Morrison“as people who have immigrated families or individuals to share O’Callahan is the registrar for to this county—making those objects or artwork they own or this year, and the committee is global connections, or people have created that fit the theme looking for someone to help her that have experienced other for this year’s exhibit. “We are and eventually take over. Anothcultures, and have purposely, er very helpful show organizwith intent, brought back ober is Kate Hartfiel, a current This show will encourage jects or artwork that remind parent. students to become more aware Blake them of the understanding of “Blake Collects: Global of their family heritage and Connections” is the third inthis different culture.” Mr. Teslow hopes that recognize the whole experience stallment in a series of exhibthis exhibit will remind people its. of getting to know each other The first, “Blake Collects: Livof their history and raise curiosity. “We also want to celing with Art”, was inspired through art ebrate our diverse community. by Mr. Teslow’s class project I find that some students don’t in which “students to do an all global citizens and would like know a lot about their own heri- everyone to think about their inventory of artwork in their tage, or don’t really think about own connections,” said Mr. Tes- home, based on a definition of it, and I think this show will low. art that the family endorses. We encourage students to become Along with Mr. Tes- all see art differently, so to take more aware of their family heri- low, the committee consists of an inventory of art in your home, tage, and recognize the unique Miles Fitterman, a Blake alum, you’d have to define what art contributions that other families Christian Saunders, Pre K-12 is. Through that curricular prohave or bring to the show and chair, current Blake parents gram that I do with my students, the whole experience of get- Terry Barczak, Pam Meyers, I’ve been able to identify that ting to know each other through and Mary Houston-Cater, and artwork that has been part of a

family’s tradition and heritage is something that’s cherished, and if it’s shared with the rest of the community, we’ll get to know each other better, through art.” Continuing a successful show, the committee of parent volunteers decided to make the second installment “Blake Collects: Parents as Artists”, in which Blake parents submitted their own artwork. Even beyond “Global Connections”, some ideas for coming exhibits are “Blake Collects: Challenging Conversations” which, according to Mr. Teslow, will be “artwork that challenges personal, cultural, social, political beliefs,” and “Blake Collects: Emerging Artists”. Like their predecessors, Global Connections and the line of Blake Collects galleries promises to be an enriching, beautiful display of artwork in the Blake community.

The Spectrum Newspaper

Science/Technology

October 27, 2011

John’s Top Apps

School-issued Laptops: boon or burden? Students and teachers still divided on results John Augustine Contributing Writer

program are incredible, do the negative effects on student attentiveness and productivity outweigh the technological leap forward Blake has made? Students appreciate the

hould I take notes or should I play games during class? From reading online textbooks to reading posts on Facebook, from studying plants to defeating zombies, from thinking about homework to fantasizing about football, the immense change that the “One-toOne Laptop Program” has brought onto our school is selfevident. Ms. B u c h a n a nThe One-to-One Laptop program in a nutshell graphic credit: Kevin Hayes believes that efficient organization of notes “the one-to-one laptop proand other schoolwork that their gram has made us catch up laptops enable. The ability to with the times.” Although the easily access notes and assignpositive effects of the laptop

ments has made “making study guides and preparing for tests a lot easier,” according to Junior Kebu Johnson. Another attractive feature of the laptops is the myriad of school-installed programs. Applications such as Grapher, Evernote, and CeltX have opened a wide swath of opportunities “for teachers to use applications that they wouldn’t use normally,” said one student. Furthermore, these applications have improved collaboration, because everyone is able to use the same programs. Sophomore Rahim Omar says the laptops are a success because of the “resources that are available whenever you need them,” as well as the continuity between students’ technological resources. The laptop program has also given students the opportunity to be more productive with their time in study halls and free blocks. For instance, in Middle School, students who are expected to type assign-

ments could not begin working on their homework until they got home. With the arrival of the laptop program, “students can be more productive with their time,” says Ms. Buchanan. Though Facebook has been slowed down at Blake, students still cite it as a common distraction. Out of all of the students and teachers interviewed, every single one of them said that Facebook specifically is a major problem. Both Sophomore Marisa Bernstein and Ms. Buchanan say that because of the easy accessibility to games and social networking sites, “it’s hard to focus,” and “kids may not be fully engaged in class.” While students and teachers alike agree that many distractions in class are caused by the One-to-One laptop program, they also believe that new opportunities for collaboration and the ability to use unique programs make the program a huge success.

“Facebook Privacy” not as it seems Colleges can see more than we think Anthony Hu Contributing Writer

no denying Facebook is huge. This makes Facebook a perfect place for college admission officers to check up on in-

when recruiting new students. An admissions counselor said that in at least one case, they rejected a potential student

acebook is the largest social networking site in the world. There are over 800 million active Facebook users and more than half of them log onto their Facebook accounts on a daily basis. This means 1 out of every 13 people in the world has a Facebook account. photo credit: Danny Sullivan via flickr.com Every 20 Facebook gives users less control over what others based minutes, therecan see than many think on their social networking proare 1.8 milcoming students. According to a file. This gives students another lion status updates, 2.7 million survey of college admission ofreason to keep their social mephotos uploaded, and 10.2 milficers, over 80 percent said they dia profiles as clean as possible. lion comments made. There is consider social media presence

Whether you’re applying for a college, job, or a scholarship, having anything inappropriate or offensive on your profile can hurt your image. However, your social media presence can also work in your favor. By showing support for the school of choice, students can increase their odds of getting accepted. In the end, there is always one underlying question: How much of your profile can colleges really see? There is no straight answer to that question. No matter how high your privacy settings are, nothing is truly private on the Internet. There is always a way around your privacy settings. In short, anybody can get to your profile, whether through legal means or not. The best thing you can do is to remove any questionable posts or photos from your profile. If you have something you don’t want others to see, then don’t post it in the first place.

John Augustine Contributing Writer

Pandora, the free music streaming app, is a must have on anyone’s device. Users create “stations” based around a song or artist. Pandora will play music similar to that credit: Jay song or artist. graphic Williams via flickr. com Users click a “thumbs-up” or “thumbs-down” button if they like or dislike a song, enabling Pandora to customize stations according to users’ tastes. Free.

Unreal games have really outdone themselves on their latest title, Infinity Blade II. The graphics are crystal clear and technology behind the game is a first for the iOS. Players battle their way through enemies, pick up new weapon and armor upgrades, and fight against friends through GameCenter. $5.99.

Om Nom is back in the sequel to the wildly popular “Cut the Rope”--”Om Nom Experiments”. Scientists have received a little Om Nom on their front steps, and they need to conduct tests on it to see why it has such graphic credit: razorianfly.com an appetite for treats. Although the game is new and still has fewer levels than its predecessors, we expect the more creative level design to more than make up for it. $0.99 From that picture of your dog playing in the snow to the shot of the sun sinking beneath the waves you took on vacation, Camera + has you covered. With this remarkable photo editing

graphic credit: Mike Baird via flickr.com

Coastal scenery with Camera+ effects

app, users can easily capture, view, edit and share photos. The effects, crops and borders allow you to save memories in a creative and fun way. And it’s one of the most affordable camera apps available. $0.99

The Spectrum Newspaper

Science/Technology

October 27, 2011

Speed of light may have been broken

The

Spectrum

CERN researchers reach warp speed Kalpit Modi

Staff Writer

s it possible that a neutrino at European research institute CERN travelled faster than the speed of light? To answer this question, we first need to ask, “What is a neutrino?” Neutrinos are extremely small, electrically neutral subatomic particles that have the ability to travel very quickly without being affected by other objects and forces. According to Einstein’s theory of special relativity, the Speed of Light is the fundamental constant of nature. Therefore, there should be no object with mass that can travel at a speed faster than that of light. However, scientists at CERN “shot” neutrinos around 730km away to a lab in Gran Sasso, Italy and found that

the neutrinos arrived 60 billionths of a second (.00000006 seconds) earlier than expected. A likely explanation for the result of the experiment is that there were possible points of error in the experiment. As Karen Phillips stated, “[It] comes down to measurements and how [accu-

rate] your measuring instruments are.” When dealing in time intervals of nanoseconds and recording data from complicated instruments that could have glitches, it is very possible that the results were caused by some sort of system error that has not been taken into account. Janet Williams ex-

ATLAS, one of the experimental detectors at CERN.

photo credit: “Image Editor” via flickr.com

plained that “There is a rule in science that if there is anything extraordinary [discovered], it needs extraordinary proof.” But, if the findings at CERN were to be proved true, they would profoundly impact our knowledge and understanding of physics. Currently, scientists all over the world are checking the results of the CERN experiment, and Fermilab, home to the world’s second largest particle accelerator, is trying to repeat the experiment in order to see if the results can be reproduced. If CERN is proven to be correct, does that mean that Einstein’s theory of relativity will be disproved? Not likely. Einstein’s theory will just be corrected, so that it takes into account the results of the discovery.

Zombears: Blake’s homegrown gaming craze

Enterprising sophomore develops first-person shooter Iman Pakzad Staff Writer

Henry Warren, creator of “Zombears”

photo credit: Nicky Christenson

ince the inception of our school’s One-to-One Laptop Program, a few games have dominated the conversation—Marble Blast, Super Crate Box, and their ilk. But the latest gaming craze to hit the Northrop campus traces its beginnings to the skills and creativity of Henry Warren ‘14. His “Zombears”, which began as a personal project, has found a place in the hearts and minds of gamers throughout our halls and classrooms.

Players begin in a variety of environments—a woodland hunting ground, a bombedout wasteland reminiscent of post-Chernobyl Pripyat, or a quiet suburb. With a few guns and good ol’ fashioned moxie, they duke it out with an array of ever-fiercening, zombified Ursidae. “Zombears” is a “Firstperson shooter”--the player sees the action from the protagonist’s perspective. The game is designed to accommodate many different fighting styles, and it features a reward-based system whereby players earn points to spend on upgrades. Noah Smith ‘14 tells the Spectrum “[Zombears is] really fun and it’s like the new, legal Marble Blast—it’s taking over the school one freshman at a time!” Jackson Kelner ‘14 tends to agree—“I think it [Zombears] is a pretty neat concept that combines fun fps [first-personshooter] action with various [other] strategies”. Paimon Pakzad ‘12 offers his opinion— “Great graphics, easy to use controls, the movements of the bears could be smoother and it shouldn’t be so easy to just hide in the building and shoot bears. Overall a good game”. Even students without strong gaming skills come away from the game

with a positive impression. According to freshman Rachael Sit ‘15, “I’m really awful at [Zombears] so when a lot of bears show up I get freaked out and quit…but I get how it could be addicting if you were actually good at it!” But what does the game’s creator have to say about it? An interview with Henry Warren: What programs did you use to create the game? The programs I used were Unity, Photoshop, Audacity, Unitron and Blender. I made the game in Unity, and used the other programs to create the different elements of it. Why did you make the game? How did you come up with the idea for this game? Making video games has a been a hobby of mine since the laptop program began last year. I really just made it for fun. I thought it was awesome that my friends started to

play it too. I don’t really know where I got the idea for Zombears. I wanted the game to be different from the average zombie defense game, and the whole Blake bear mascot theme fit well with Zombears. What was the goal of this game? The goal of the game is to beat 20 waves of various enemies, primarily consisting of zombie-bears, though robots and other more difficult enemies do come at later levels. Have you beaten the game? I have released four levels thus far, and I have beaten all of them. I always beat my games before I release them, though I will admit, sometimes it does take me quite a few tries! “Zombears” offers an important lesson—you don’t need to have to be a programmer or games producer to make a great videogame.

The Blake School 511 Kenwood Pkwy. Minneapolis. MN October 27, 2011 Issue II

Editors-in-Chief

BAILEY DUNNING BENNETT WINTON Student Life

EMILY MOORE News

PATRICK DUNPHY Opinions

KARL LOVAAS In-Depth

LUCIA SANDBERG Business Managers

CHARLES VOJTA ALEX FELDMAN Features

EVE LIU Sci/Tech

NOLAN LINDQUIST Sports

LAINE HIGGINS A&E / Web Designer

JONAH SANDY Web Designers

KEVIN HAYES IMAN PAKZAD Copy Editor

JAKE BARCZAK Photographers

NICKY CHRISTENSON MARISA BERNSTEIN

Adiviser

ANNA REID

STAFF WRITERS

Inder Majumdar, Noah Abramovitz, Anna Ehrlich, Kalpit Modi, Natcher Pruett, Beatrice Lim, Raine Robichaud, Haley Holsather, Sanjana Srivastana, Clare Flanagan, Margaret Graham, Sully Whitely, Molly Apple

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.

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. Email letters or editorial cartoons to spectrum@ blakeschool.org or deliver them anonymously in room 351. Please limit letters to 400 words. JOIN SPECTRUM: Spectrum meets every Tues-

day in room 351 during both lunches. Come if you are interested in writing, drawing, designing or taking pictures for our newspaper.

A screenshot of “Zombears” in action.

photo credit: Nolan Lindquist

14 Sports

The Spectrum Newspaper October 27, 2011

Making Waves: Nothing but smooth sailing for Blake Sailing Team, Bill Colburn Anders Ekholm Contributing Writer

elieve it or not, sailing has a significant presence in the Blake community. The Blake High School Sailing Club has members from all grades, including students who have been on the team since 2007. The Blake team practices at Lake Minnetonka Sailing School in conjunction with Minnetonka High School, Breck, International School of Minnesota, and Orono High School sailing teams, providing a lot of competition to practice with! All of these sailing teams are lucky to be coached by Gordy Bowers, a local to Lake Minnetonka who coached at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, and earned 6 medals for the U.S. Sailing Team.

photo credit: Anders Ekholm

Anders Ekholm ‘13 and Abby Morical ‘12 lean outside the bow to steer their sailboat across the waves of Lake Minnetonka.

Though practice differs daily, a typical practice involves drills that help improve boat handling and boat speed, two things necessary in order to compete well in sailing races. The Blake team sails a fleet of

Cross Country’s Clark and Flanagan poised for state

25 420’s, two-person dinghies that are 4.2 meters long (420 centimeters, hence the name). These boats are graciously provided by the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School, and are used for everyday practice as well as re-

gattas that are sailed out of this venue. A regatta is a series of races sailed in the course of 2 days, usually over a weekend. Recently, various members of the Blake Community have participated in regattas all over the Midwest. In late September, Joe Anderson ‘13 and Anders Ekholm ‘13 traveled to the Chicago Yacht Club in Chicago, Illinois, to compete in a National Regatta Qualifier for a type of single-handed boat called a laser. Both did extremely well, Ekholm coming in 7th and Anderson placing 24th out of a tough competition consisting of 30 boats. This past weekend, Anderson, Ekholm, Abby Morical ‘12 and Annika Ekholm ’16 traveled to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin to compete in the Great Oaks National Qualifier in 420s. Though the Blake team did not

qualify, they recovered after a tough first day, finishing 5th and coming within 4 points of qualifying for the Great Oaks Regatta in New Orleans, LA. Johnny Hartfiel ’17 participated in many Conference Regattas taking place around the Metro Area, and helped win one of them! Another member of the Blake community who is an avid sailor is visual art teacher Bill Colburn, who spends his summers racing his MC, a flatbottomed sailboat, around the Midwest. Colburn recently won his fourth consecutive championship at the Inland Lakes Yachting Association’s championship regatta. Congratulations, Mr. Colburn! Everyone and anyone is welcome to come out and watch. Sailing is an interesting sport to spectate, especially if there is a lot of wind!

The C-Squad Elite paradox

photo credit: parent submitted

Top row: Owen Duncan ‘12, Emily Longely ‘12, Margaret Graham ‘14, Aliya Feroe ‘13, Jordan Chancellor ‘15, Allison McManus ‘12, Hudson Van Slooten ‘12, Matt McFarland ‘12, Ariel O’Neill ‘12. Front: Humphrey Pruett ‘15, Michael Mitchell ‘17, Carolyn Nye ‘15, Natalie Norberg ‘15, Michelle Meyer ‘12, Clare Flanagan ‘14.

Chris Hall Contributing Writer

randon Clark ‘12 and Clare Flanagan ‘14 placed extremely well at the Griak Invitational Cross Country race at the University of Minnesota on September 24th. Griak is an extremely competitive race with elite runners hailing from throughout the Midwest. Clark placed 6th with a swift 5k time of 16:06.24. He was the second Minnesotan runner and first Class A runner to finish. With this performance, he solidified his position as the top Class A runner in the state, poising him for a state title. Brandon’s finish was the best performance by a Blake runner at Griak. However he only held this distinction for 45 minutes.

Flanagan broke Clark’s Blake record with an outstanding 3rd place finish. Her 5k time was 18:31.6, even though the distance was 2k longer than standard female races. Flanagan was the first Minnesotan runner to finish. She is also in prime position to snag a state title. In addition to hard training, Flanagan attributes her successful race to a good warmup and running smartly. She has a lucky pair of socks and sports bra that she wears for every race. Clark says his warm-up and pre-race routine of eating a Clif Bar helped his race. He also considers training during the off-season as key to his success. Clark and Flanagan are very happy with these results, but are keeping their eyes on the road to state.

photo credit: blakeschool.org First Row: Sam Foster ‘13, Nicky Christensen 14, Austin Rae ‘14, Eli Makovetsky ‘15. Second row: Daniel Weiser ‘13, Jordan Potter ‘15, Grant Oie ‘14, Ashan Jayasuriya ‘13. Third row: Aaron Watchmaker ‘14, Charlie Levitt ‘15, Joey Kinning ‘15, John Campuzano ‘15, Grant Sprainer ‘14. Fourth Row: Jacob Chenitz ‘15, Andreas Loken ‘14, Dominic LeBlanc ‘15, Henry Warren ‘14, Charles Vojta ‘15. Back row: Coach Christensen, Joe Kyle ‘14, John Emory ‘14, Harald Eiken ‘13, Harry Mitchell ‘13, Sam McCallum ‘14.

Charles Vojta Contributing Writer

n theory, C-Squad is the worst. It’s the team for those who didn’t make the team. However, if you cast away stereotypes and judge a team by how fun it is and how little stress it has, you will see C-Squad is the better choice. Varsity soccer plays have to constantly worry about their performance in fear of getting moved down to JV. Not only does this add extra stress to their lives, but for borderline players who are less skilled, competing at a higher level of play can stifle the growth of their athletic abil-

ity and ruin their confidence in their skills. This is even worse for JV players. They have to worry about getting moved down while also trying to impress the varsity coach in hopes of being selected to play a game with varsity. With this added stress, performance is decreased, and borderline players are discouraged by seeing their friends called up to varsity, which could lead to a complete loss of interest in the sport. Due to its nature, CSquad can offer wide variety of fun excursions during practice such as celly practice, or wasting an entire practice trying to

take a team picture. It is because C-Squad lacks incentive that it motivates its players. By allowing players to have fun and taking away the pressure of cuts, C-Squad is able to foster an environment that promotes athletic growth and adds to the players love of the sport. C-Squad even beat the JV team three consecutive times. While C-Squad may not be the most skilled or competitive team, the environment leads to a larger love of the sport and increased confidence. According to Nicky Christensen ‘14, “C-Squad Elite rules! We are epic and sick!”

The Spectrum Newspaper October 27, 2011

BLAKE v. SPA: a century of wrecking the anatomy of St. Paul Academy

Sports

Alex Feldman Staff Writer

he best part of sports is not the hype, the fans, or even the recognition. It’s the rivalry, the competition between the “good team”, and the particularly dislikable team from the other part of town. Rivalries are not always pretty, but they are hard-fought games where previous win-loss records do not matter and expectations are setaside for a few hours. On October 7, the Blake football team took on the St. Paul Academy Spartans on the 100th anniversary of the original game played on November 3, 1911. Blake defeated the Spartans 49-8 in a game that was described by the St. Paul Pioneer Press as a “Pound[ing]”. Thursday night marked a triumph in a football season that has been fraught with tough losses and missed opportunities. But when the game began, nothing, not even the brown 1950’s throwback jerseys, mattered as much as winning the game. With a win, the Bears improved to 57-23-6 alltime against SPA. The record stands as such due to the dissolving of the original Minnesota Independent School league, which made scheduling games between Blake and SPA difficult. The rivalry with SPA started after Blake head of school Charles Bertram New-

photo credit: Cathy McLane

Above: from left, Current captains Connor Kline ‘12, John Dunn ‘12 and Jamie Carter ‘12 and honorary captains Howard McMillan III ‘76 and Tom Heffelfinger ‘66 watch the coin toss. Far left: the varsity team huddles up to get ready to play. Near left: the Blake team from 1911, including McMillan’s grandfather.

ton sent a letter to the head of SPA asking to start up a game for Blake’s JV team, which he described as “perfectly useless (I can’t imagine a much worse aggregation of players), the boys averaging about ninety to onehundred pounds.” It is rumored that during the inaugural game, the teams decided to let the winner choose their school colors, since both teams had similarly colored jerseys. Though Blake won the 1911 match 8-0, SPA ended up with the desired blue and yellow colors. Molly Dunning extrapolated that, “Blake allowed SPA to

keep their colors as consolation. After all, it would have been the gentlemanly thing to do since SPA, established in 1900, was also seven years Blake’s senior.” A century ago, SPA was regarded as “that other boys’ school across the river”. This aversion to Saint Paul Academy has been carried in the 21st century by players such as Jaime Carter ’12, who stated, “There are not too many teams I dislike more than Breck, but SPA comes pretty close”. Perennial dislike of SPA’s football team truly shows that every game matters. If you

lose, you won’t just hear about if for one year. You may hear about it for decades. When all is said and done, rivalries such as SPA are bigger than the players that participate because they bring out the best in everyone involved. This is obvious in the context of the night of October 7th. The Bears were finally able to maximize performance on both sides of the ball for the entire game. The hundredth anniversary game brought out the qualities in the bears that make rivalry games the best kind of athletic contests out there.

Origin of the Blake Bear comes out of hibernation

With the fall sports season drawing to a close, Blake’s teams are running full speed ahead into difficult sectional and state competition. Come out and support your friends and fellow classmates as they score, sprint, swim and serve their way to success. Let’s put 2011 in the books as the year with the most student attendance at sports games. Go Bears!

Girls Tennis MSHSL State Finals Reed-Sweat Family Tennis Center 10/28 @ 8:00 am << Abby Rickeman ‘13 photo credit: Abby Rickeman

Girls Swim & Dive

Section 2A Preliminaries St. Catherine’s University 11/9 @ 10:15 am & 6:00 pm

^^ Kristyn Siegert ‘13

photo credit: parent submitted

Boys Football

Due to a loss to Rockford on 10/25, the boys wrapped up their season with a 2-6 record. << Lucas Simmons ‘12

Girls Soccer

State Semifinals Hubert Humphrey Metrodome 10/31 @ 12:00 pm

<< Ali Leslie ‘13 & Nicole Kozlak ‘13 photo credit: Nicole Kozlak

Girls Volleyball

First Round Section Tournament Match

Park Center High School Gymnasium 10/27 @ 7:00 pm << Nefertiti Johnson ‘15

photo credit: linhoff.com

photo credit: Blake Archives

Survival of the fittest: the Blake bear mascot has evolved over the years from friendly teddy to ferocious grizzly and everything in between.

Greg Lim Contributing Writer

very time you go to a sporting event you hear a chorus of BEARS!!! Our mascot is a straight up beast! Bears can run up to 30 mph. When Lewis and Clark were exploring America, bears were at the top of the food chain in the wild. Not only that but, their 4” claws can disem-

bowel a man in one fell swoop. So why do we equate ourselves to such a vicious beast? The unknown origin of our ferocious mascot has been in hibernation for long enough. Paul Menge and I found the possible origin of our mascot in the school archives. The Blake bears date back to 1939, when the Northrop School changed its colors from gold and white to blue and white.

This came about because of field hockey competitions between Northrop students. There weren’t enough players to form a single official team, so they formed two small, unofficial teams named blue and white, in order to compete among themselves. They used a little teddy bear named Cyrus to announce the winner of the latest match in the main lobby. Cyrus would wear a blue or a

white ribbon, depending on which team won. Circumstantial evidence points to this soft, cuddly teddy bear as the original Blake School mascot. Today the Blake Bear represents “passion and fury,” according to John Blake ’12, a senior who dons the bear outfit during sporting events. Poor Cyrus, he never knew he would transform over the years into this menacing grizzly.

Girls Cross Country Section 4A Meet

Battle Creek Regional Park 10/27 Varsity @ 4:00 pm JV @ 5:00 pm << Clare Flanagan ‘14

photo credit: parent submitted

Boys Cross Country Section 4A Meet Battle Creek Regional Park 10/27 Varsity @ 4:30 pm JV @ 5:00 pm << Matt McFarland ‘12 photo credit: parent submitted

The Spectrum Newspaper

Features

October 27, 2011

THINGS ABOUT

Written by Zahara Kathawalla

1. Skating first inspired her to draw. When she was little she used to draw skaters.

dreams 4. She w g in Ne of livin y one York Cit day

Kira Leadholm ’15 and her artwork

GET ARTSY Taylor Chadwick Fragment - graphite on paper Taylor Chadwick has a very unique way of piecing together bits and pieces of memory, as captured through her work “fragment.” We all have an individual way of remembering things, but Taylor’s is especially unique. She remembers certain things, like snow flakes on her eyelashes, the colors of her birthdays, and the sounds of muted radio hits with striking Another of Taylor’s artworks clarity. It seems like this eclectic memory helps her get her creative juices running, as she tries to put them all together. Her artwork aimed to capture the feeling of “that first freeing breath you take after a long dive.” For medium, she chose soft graphite pencils on paper so she can create darker values. She also used a ruler for buildings so they look straight. She loves drawing as it calms her and she can block out everything that bothers her. By Janice Chung ‘15

es to 7. She lik e and watch Gle r. te Harry Pot

KIRA

ens 2. She list at to music th r reflects he e sh n e mood wh paints.

3. Her role models are Norman Rockwell and J.M.W turner.

s to spire ion A . 5 fash be a ner or desig ercial mm a co tist. ar

6. Durin g her free tim e she likes to sing, play the piano, and sket ch designs.

8. She ge ts inspired b y her artworks and the proble ms surroundin g her.

ays e alw h S . 9 to tries rate incorp nto g i feelin rks. o her w

Cole norgaarden - (See painting on blakespectrum.org) Liberation - acrylic and paper on canvas By Anna Ehrlich ‘14

There is a lot going on in junior, Cole Norgaarden’s ‘13 work, “Liberation”. This piece not only shows the energy and explosiveness of being liberated from your constraints, but also shows how a work of art can evolve during the process of creation. Cole initially started this piece with an idea of capturing plain white row houses, a very realistic painting. However, as it progressed, he was frustrated with this idea and decided to do something very different to contrast with what he’s drawn and turn it into an abstract painting. He also used the music he was listening to lead him freely to uncharted waters. He also made an unintended “accident” on part of his painting. “My favorite part of the painting”, he said, “is the fact that I left it in the garage to dry right after I made the giant teal splatter forgot to close the garage door. When I came back several hours later a layer of cotton had blown in and gotten stuck in the paint, which explains the presence of cottonseeds in the larger pools of color.” In many ways this piece truly represents liberation. Janhawi Kelkar

Student artist Janhawi Kelkar ’13 says she is most inspired by motion and imagination. Featured is a painting of a man getting his face painted at a Carnival in Brazil. Kelkar says she was especially drawn to this picture because of the asymmetry and bright colors. Also, both the hand and the face were cut off, which leaves more to the imagination and allows room for interpretation. This painting was also a challenge for Kelkar because of the Painting by Janhawi Kelkar ‘13 amount of detail, and though “[She] loves art, [she doesn’t] find it particularly relaxing… [she] finds it kind of stressful. There is always a lot to pay attention to.” Photos courtesy of Nicky Christenson ‘14