The Spectrum Newspaper October 2024

blakespectrum.org

the SPECTRUM

Wednesday | October 30 | 2024

RETURN TO GLORY

U.S. Bank Stadium

As the temperature turns colder, the intensity of the boys’ soccer season cranks up to maximum. The Bears made the state tournament for the first time since 2019 by dominating three straight opponents, not allowing a single goal in any of their section games.

The team left no doubt about their status as the #1 seed in the section following their first game against Minneapolis Camden, according to head coach Tamba Johnson. “We’re the #1 seed for a reason, we played like it,” Johnson said. The result was an 9-0 victory, with Joe Melloh ‘25, Charlie Silvestri ‘25, Oliver Brown ‘27 (twice), Landon Bell ‘26 (twice), Maxwell Friedell ‘28,

“It’s a really good idea that helps people practice their religion...without having the stress of school,” said Kamu Domiguez ‘27 on new religious holidays being off.

Francesco Guala ‘25, and Bergen Levine ‘27 scoring in a game that was never close. All three goalies, Roland Bentley ‘25, Sam Morris ‘29, and John Heinmiller ‘27, played a part in the victory, as each of them played in the victory. Kristian Baker ‘25 was confident after the victory, saying “one [win] down, five to go.”

The team followed that game up with a 2-0 win against DeLaSalle on the backs of Silvestri and Bell’s goals and a Bentley full-game shutout before preparing for their final game against Benilde. DeLaSalle ended the Bears’ season last year in the section championship by a familiar 2-0 score. That was the second year DeLaSalle beat the team in the

section playoffs. Angel ValdiviaCortes ‘25, who was on the team the last two seasons, said “they finished the careers of some of my favorite teammates, like Ben Fox ‘24. So just finally beating them, getting over that hump. It was just an amazing feeling.”

As students enjoyed their long weekend, the team set their sights on state, but one obstacle stood in their way: The Benilde-St. Margaret’s Red Knights. The Bears spent most of the game on the attack, culminating in a bycicle kick assist by Bell to Melloh that silenced the Red Knights crowd. Bentley held off a Benilde attack in the final minute to seal the win and send the Bears back to state. “We’re not surprised by the result,

Girls’ Tennis wins state championship for second year in a row; their seventh title in 10 years.

but it really was just an amazing feeling. Couldn’t have done it with a better group. You know, everything, all the struggles… all the hard practices all day to that moment, I wouldn’t change anything about it,” Valdivia-Cortes said.

The team had a few days off before their state quarterfinal against the Cloquet/Esko/Carlton Lumberjacks in White Bear Lake. The Lumberjacks traveled two hours for a state doubleheader, with their girls’ team falling to Orono in penalty kicks, delaying the Bears’ match by 45 minutes. Once the game started, the Bears immediately put the pressure on, culminating in goals by Melloh and Silvestri in the first half.

After the break, the team came out strong, with an early goal by Agustin Catoggio ‘25 to give the Bears a 3-0 lead. The Lumberjacks cut it down to two with a goal off of a free kick, but Catoggio put another one in the back of the net for another three-goal lead. The Lumberjacks would score one more, but some great saves by Bentley and consistent ball control from the whole team led to a 4-2 victory and a date against TotinoGrace at U.S. Bank Stadium on Oct. 30. “No matter who we play, we’ve got the best defense in the state,” Catoggio said. The Bears take on TotinoGrace on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 2:30 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium. Students can sign up via email.

Diane’s Place by pastry chef Diane Moua intricately ties together both Hmong culture and high quality pastry skills.

Quarterfinal vs Camden

Semifinal vs DeLaSalle

Final vs Benilde St. Margaret 1 | 0

After defeating Cloquet, Bears face off against Totino-Grace in the state semifinals at

Steven Cao

Yoni Zacks | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Silvestri, Brown, Bell, and Greg Perepelistyn ‘27 celebrate after Bell scored the game-winning goal against DeLaSalle at home in the Section semifinals on the night of Oct. 15.

Eric Liu To Speak on Election Day

Author to give school speech, meet with class

Lilah

Johnson | Sports Editor

On Nov. 5, this year’s Steiner Speaker, Eric Liu, will visit the Upper School. Liu is a writer, lawyer, and the founder and CEO of Citizen College. Much of his life’s work is driven by the fact that he is a secondgeneration American.

Liu’s visit falls on election day, which was an intentional decision.

Social studies department chair Beth Calderone stated, “We wanted some sort of speaker who would help us think more broadly about the election, not just from a narrow, partisan perspective but also sort of a larger perspective around citizenship and democracy.”

In his promo video for the school community, Liu stated, “elections are a time period of heightened enthusiasm for the power that we have to make, but at the same time, citizenship doesn’t just start or end with voting, and so I’m excited to meet with you to keep building on your broadening understanding of what it means to live like a citizen in this moment in our country.”

Sophomores are already familiar with some of Liu’s work. Every student taking Citizenship & the Nation this semester read his book “You Are More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Hap-

pen” over the summer as preparation for the course. Calderone shared, “We thought, what an amazing opportunity for our 10th graders to actually have an opportunity to hear from the author of their summer reading book as well.”

Calderone and Associate Head of School Anne Rubin were introduced to Liu at a conference at the Stanford Divinity School. “Eric was there,” Calderon stated, “We heard him speak, and it was a small enough space that we were able to interact with him.”

The Steiner Speaker is chosen by a comittee of faculty and students every other fall. Calderone says, “The Steiner lecture… has a long tradition of bringing in speakers who are going to expand our thinking and open our minds to new perspectives, and we think [Liu] will do that as well.”

Liu will be meeting with one of N’Jai An Patters ’ Citizenship and the Nation classes on the morning of his visit before transitioning to speak with the whole

Upper School. He will also meet with members of the Parents’ Association and students from the Election Squad.

In his video, he said, “I cannot wait to spend time at the Upper School on election day to witness students participating in the Minnesota mock election hosted by your student election squad.”

On Nov. 4, he is giving a presentation and book signing at the Hopkins campus, starting at 6:30. This is open to all members of the school community.

Madhav Kumar ‘27 , who read Liu’s book this past summer said, “It was a decent book. I really think he showed multiple ways on how people can excercise their political power.” However, Kumar doesn’t think the book is only positives. “I think the book is very left-wing biased. It wasn’t very enjoyable in that sense because he’s just implying left wing views,” claimed Kumar. Overall, Kumar had mixed feelings about Liu’s book.

School Community Reacts to New No-School Days

Religious

holidays give students more days off

Rayan Nasir | Sports Editor

Starting in the 2025-26 school year, students will receive Yom Kippur and Eid Al-Fitr off from school. As the school’s diversity is increasing, change was needed.

Yom Kippur, known as the Day of Atonement, is one of the most important days in Judaism. Yom Kippur is

Eid Al-Fitr is a significant Islamic holiday. It marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, prayer, and reflection. On this day, participants pray a special prayer called Salat Al-Eid, get together with family and friends, and reflect over the past 30 days. It is a day of bonding with your family and friends while remembering God and your effort throughout the past month. Through this, it can be easily seen how this day can be very challenging to balance with the pres -

a day of fasting, and prayer, centered on seeking forgiveness for sins. On this day, participants commence a 25 hour fast. It begins at sunset and ends after nightfall the following day.

sure of school. This day can be extremely stressful for students that may be worrying about an assignment due when they want to simply focus on their religion. Through this, it can

be seen why it is important for students to have these days off from school. However, giving students these two days off did require some change in schedule.

Now, as Sarah Warren explains, “Next year the plan is to start classes on Monday, rather than Tuesday.” This change was made to maintain the overall number of class days in the school year. However, this is a minor change in the aspect of the change in students’ life.

Sulayman Syed ‘26 said “I celebrate Eid so I think it’s very good there doing this and it means a lot to me and I’m sure students who also celebrate other religious holidays appreciate this.”

On top of this, Zac Carter ‘26 said “I am glad that Blake is giving Jewish students time to celebrate Yom Kippur, but I am curious why we still have school on Rosh Hashanah.” While this change in schedule impacts student’s practicing these holidays, it also impacts students not practicing these holidays.

Kamu Dominguez ‘27 , discussed the importance of having these holidays off. When asked about his thoughts on the change, Dominguez said “It’s a really good idea that helps people practice their religion which is important to a lot of people without having the stress of school.”

Voting Culture Unpopular Among Student Body

Steven Cao | Managing Editor

As the elections occur on Nov. 5, millions of people across the country fill the voting booths to cast their votes. It is one of the Community shows lack of care for 2024

most important days of the year as the nation chooses the president for the next four years. This election presents a unique opportunity for Upper Schoolers. For some seniors, this is their first chance to participate by casting a real ballot. For juniors, they can register to vote. However, for some students in the Upper School commu-

Andrew Jetton

nity, the culture towards voting and the election sway towards indifference. “I personally don’t really care…the stuff mentioned in the speeches mentioned by political candidates don’t really appeal to younger voters” said Sulayman Syed ‘26 Syed is not registered to vote. Aidan Atmore ‘26 agreed, stating, “I think a lot of [Upper School

students] don’t care for politics.” For many students, this low care comes from the belief that the issues don’t impact them. As high schoolers, things such as taxes and immigration policy don’t directly affect day-to-day lives. For Aaron Ellis ‘26 “I don’t really care at all who wins the election.”

Christian Hovard ‘25

is one of the many seniors who are registered and eligible to vote in this election. Hovard will be casting a ballot. “I think that people want to vote, but it’s really bad that everyone is always asking one another, I think that’s casting a lot of social pressure on one’s personal decision.” Hovard said.

Many factors that in-

fluence a person’s choice to vote. There are constant ads and campaigns encouraging people to make the choice to vote. However, even with these influences, a large part of the student community has little regard towards voting. This brings up a larger question; why do we not care for these national issues?

News in Brief: Kirstin Holm Joins CJB

The Community Judicial Board (CJB) is often known for its student engagement in leadership and decision making. However, just as big a part of CJB as the students are the teachers who serve on the

board: David Zalk, Mackenzie Mcllmail, and newest member Kirstin Holm. Holm is a science teacher starting her fourth year at Blake, teaching Honors and AP Chemistry. Being in the science department is a big reason why she joined this position, as Zalk and Mcilmail are both members of the

social studies department. On CJB, teachers and students are given an equal voice to decide the outcome and punishment of a student’s misconduct. Misconduct is something that is bound to be an issue in upcoming school years. Holm noted that “cheating” and “use of A.I” will possibly be an

issue. In order to handle this misconduct, Holm wants to “get to the bottom of why a student would choose to act this way.” Holm continued, stating, “[CJB] is about disciplinary action, but it’s also about student support.” Even when school is difficult, Holm urges students to do the work themselves.

Muslims on Eid al-Fitr lining up at the Mosque for Salat (prayer).

Submitted by Rayan Nasir

Andrew Jetton | Contributing Writer

Courtesy of Liu

WHAT

Spectrum staff asks people the simple question of “what do you want?” here are their answers Followed by teachers’ advice.

“I want success.”

Miguel Quintero ‘25

“I want to be a father eventually”

Amanuel Bekele responds to Quintero:

“so you need to be like a provider [in] order to be a dad. You have to pretty much give what your kids need: meals supplies clothes And if you don’t work and you don’t have you know MONEY there’s NO way...as a father myself, its a lot of responsibility. You’re not ready for that, you know?”

“I want to get into a good school.”

- Sawyer Guider ‘25

Dan Willms responds Guider’s statement with a thoughtful question, “what makes a school good?”

Women in Business Inspires

Club fosters passions

Are you a young woman in the community ea-

“I

Want Diet Coke.”

Mackenzie McIlmail, an avid Dr. Pepper fanatic, responds to Stiele with “Is this the best choice you could make for yourself? Do you want to reconsider your options?”

“Happiness”

“I want to never have to work again.”

- Oscar Peter ‘25

Kirstin Holm

“I think that working can give people purpose especially if you really like your job like me. I do really like my job.”

Jacqui Niederschulte responds to Peter, responds to Peter,

“I think it depends on your definition of work. [if ] you never wanna go to a job and do [your] tasks thats one thing, but if you never [want] to do anything that recquires effort, that’s different.”

YOU DO

With a smile, Taher staff member Kelly Ruff says,

“I want nothing.”

Rick Cawood ponders this response, “On some level, if [its about the] distinguishing between wants and needs, then that’s a really interesting philosophical question. If [it’s] talking about selfishness and greed versus what’s reasonable to expect , then thats another really interesting thing about self concept.”

ger to deepen your understanding of leadership in the business industry? Through connecting with powerful speakers and like-minded peers, the Women in Business Club strives to empower young women to “explore and develop their leadership and entrepreneurial skills,” says Esther Lee ‘27, one of the three leaders of the club.

Jacqueline Dunlap ‘27, Olivia Duplessis ‘27, and Lee currently lead Women

in Business with the support of Cory Tao, who monitors the meetings and provides additional support for the young leaders. The group has plans with a potential collaboration with SDLC during Women’s History month with a surprise guest speaker.

Women in Business has been a Blake club for several years, during which several women of different ages and backgrounds have come

together to pursue their interests in entrepreneurship. The club meets only once a month, providing a very low-commitment, low-stakes opportunity for students to connect and grow without adding too much pressure to members of the group. Amanda Nwachukwu ‘27 shared that she joined the group because “the leaders and club members were enthusiastic to invite new members to their next meet-

ing.” Nwachukwu highlighted her love for the community. Nwachukwu encourages other students to join this club because not only is it fun, but students will learn a lot about business dynamics. A common misconception about Women in Business is that it’s exclusive to girls only. The club opens its arms to anyone eager to learn about business or discovering an unknown passion.

- Michelle Jiang ‘25 - Olive Wilson‘27 - Kamu Dominguez ‘27

- Rowan Kalar ‘27

Bethany Winter’s book recommendations to Kalar:

Fall Recipes Promote Seasonal Cheer

Seasonal flavors return to kitchens

Evie Hjelm and Isabella Valdesolo

| Contributing Writers

As sweater weather comes into full swing and the leaves have started changing colors, it’s clear all that’s needed to provide the best possible fall experience is some cozy fall treats. However, it’s not always easy to come across extraordinary autumn dishes. Homemade pumpkin bars sport a Pinterest-worthy appearance and taste, acting as a necessity to be added to your bucket list this autumn season.

Pumpkin is iconically known as one of the primary seasonal flavors

in any delicious fall treat. It’s important to rely on a staple recipe of great ease to make, especially in the beginning of fall. This is why Homemade Pumpkin Bars, found in The Chocolate Addict’s Baking Book, serve the perfect balance between the taste and comfort that is vital in the autumn months. This book, written by Sabine Venier, features many innovative recipes and sweet treats. The flavorful and moist bars taste similar to a classic pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, with room to add mix-in ingredients like chocolate that will be sure to please all family and friends.

Fall cooking is a favorite for many; it can bring

people together and inspire festivity for the autumn season. Zoe Goodman ‘25 appreciates the popularity of pumpkin in fall, stating that her ideal recipe is pumpkin bread. Goodman says that it allows her to think about memories from the past of baking with her grandmother and other family members. This nostalgia can bring a heartfelt aspect to making these recipes.

Mason Theis ‘28 emphasizes this, stating that his favorite autumn treat being his Nana’s sugar cookies. They make him “feel warm and happy,” allowing him to “embrace the fall atmosphere.”

Although sweet treats are delectable, more savory meals can also be delicious

for autumn. Different taste profiles can bring more variety to meals. Science teacher Will Bohrnsen’s favorite fall dish is soup

and roast chicken with root vegetables. He says it makes him feel, “super comfy…It’s a food hug.”

Regardless of your baking

ability, be sure to try out the recipe included. Baking can be a fun and festive way to bring in the fall season.

New Episodes Begin Streaming

Variety of shows release

Lilah Johnson | Sports Editor

Fall

is the perfect time to cozy up and start watching a new show. There are many brand new shows, new seasons, and old shows being added to Netflix in October alone.

Due to the 2023 writers strike, the wait for new seasons of fan-favorite shows was extended. However, enough time has passed that many of those are being produced and released now. One of the most popular and anticipated releases is season four of Outer Lilah

Outer Banks on Netflix.

Banks. This season is being released in two parts of five episodes each, with part 1 having already been released on Oct. 10 and part two being released on Nov. 7. Another new season released this month is season 3 of Heartstopper, released on Oct. 3. There are eight new episodes, each about a half hour.

For those looking for a lighthearted reality show to watch, there is no shortage of options. Season seven of dating show Love Is Blind released its first batch of episodes on Oct. 2, and is still being released, with more new episodes Oct. 9, 16, 23, and 30. Popular baking competition The Great

British Baking Show is entering season 12, and began releasing a new episode every Friday through the end of November on Sept. 27. If you want some laughs, season four of Wipeout, an obstacle course competition show filled with uncoordinated contestants, was added to Netflix on Oct. 1.

Many music fans were able to attend Grammy award-winning singer Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour in Minneapolis back in March, but for those who weren’t or those hoping to relive their concert experience, a concert film hits Netflix Oct. 29. The film is a recording of the sold-out show at Intuit Dome in Los An-

geles. For fans who prefer sports over concerts, Starting five, a docuseries following five popular NBA players throughout the 2023-24 season from different teams was released Oct. 9, and is the perfect watch for fans getting ready for the 202425 season. Amongst these players is star Timberwolves player Anthony Edwards. Finally, all six seasons of popular teen drama Gossip Girl arrive to Netflix on Oct. 29, making it the perfect binge-worthy watch this fall.

There’s something for everyone to watch this fall, and as the weather continues to get colder, it’s the perfect time to find a new favorite.

Halloween Traditions Spark Fall Spirit, Nostalgia

Fall season brings old and new traditions

Charlee Jones | Staff Writer

The Halloween season is here and the community is excited for the festivities of the holiday. From dressing up in elaborate costumes to finding joy in the excitement of trick-ortreaters, Halloween always brings a fun spirit to the month of October.

One of the most common Halloween traditions is trick-or-treating, walking around your neighborhood and collecting candy from each house. This tradition has expanded over time to include some other more unconventional methods of candy collecting in different communities. Saleya Scott ‘25 shares one of her favorite trick-or-treat traditions, saying, “One of my family traditions and Halloween traditions that

decorations

we do every time is we go to church. We listen to a sermon and then we go to ‘trunk-or-treat,’ where we go to each trunk that the pastor set up and we say ‘trick or treat!’” After the trunk-or-treat, she says, “we

dress up and play a bunch of games.”

Another popular Halloween tradition is dressing up in a costume, a tradition that students are excited to participate in. Charley Bowles ‘26 states,

“I like coming to school dressed up on Halloween and seeing some of my friends also in their costumes.” Bowles also finds enjoyment in the Halloween atmosphere at school saying, “I like when SIAC puts up decorations, and the spider in the library.” Bowles noted that she enjoys the trick-or-treating tradition, but in a different manner. She states, “I really enjoy spending time with my mom passing out candy,” rather than going trick-or-treating herself.

As high school students, trick-or-treating becomes increasingly less common of a tradition, and instead many students opt to pass out candy to trickor-treaters instead. Staying home to greet trick-ortreaters gives students an opportunity to reflect on the fond memories from their childhood Halloweens and appreciate the excitement of younger kids. It also presents students with

the opportunity to be able to see the Halloween costumes of many around their neighborhood. Reagan Schoen ‘26 says that her favorite thing about Halloween is how she, “gets to see all the little kids when I’m handing out candy and see how excited they are. I think ‘aww I used to do that’ and so now it’s just cute and their costumes are so cute.”

Johnson ‘27 enjoys the newly released episodes of the first part of season 4 of

Lilah Johnson

Evie Chow

Cece Alter ‘26 and Lula Alter ‘27 spent many of their childhood Halloweens trick-or-treating and wearing costumes.

Halloween

such as caution tape and an inflatable spider can be spotted around the library during fall.

Evie Chow

Crumbl Cookies Provides Sweet Treat

Flavors of the week review

Lilah Johnson & Evie Chow | Sports Editor & Variety Editor

There’s probably a chance you’ve seen Crumbl Cookies as you scroll through social media.

The bakery was founded in 2017 and has only gained popularity since, mainly due to its wide variety of flavors. Crumbl serves five nationwide flavors every week, along with a chocolate chip cookie that’s a staple of the menu. They’ve also recently started incorporating non-cookie items onto the menu, such as a birthday cake for their birthday week menu. Something that makes Crumbl so unique is that their flavors aren’t always conventional.

Flavors like Dole Whip and Waffle rotate through their lineup, causing reviewers to come back week after week. We tried four of the Oct. 14-19 flavors: blueberry muffin, cookie dough, cornbread, and semi-sweet chocolate chip.

The first cookie we tried was the cookie dough, topped with a cookie dough buttercream and cookie dough pieces. Both the presentation and the taste were

on point- reminiscent of licking cookie dough off of the spatula in the mixing bowl. The little pieces of cookie dough on top added to the flavor profile, and the undertones in the buttercream helped to enhance the experience. This cookie was our overall favorite, with a rating of 9/10 because of its uniqueness and taste.

The second cookie we tried was the Semisweet Chocolate Chip, which came warmed, so the chocolate chips were melty when we tried it. This cookie tasted like a classic chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven, which is always a pleasant experience. The semi-sweet is a perfect option for anyone who typically thinks Crumbl cookies are too sweet. We would

rate this cookie a 7/10, because although delicious, Crumbl is known for its unique flavors, so the chocolate chip would not be our first option when it comes to which cookies to choose.

We were unsure about trying the Cornbread Cookie, which was served with buttercream frosting on top to look like butter and covered in a honey drizzle. We were pleasantly surprised by the flavor of the cookie, but the texture was slightly off putting. The honey drizzle sweetened the cookie and gave it a nice flavor, while the buttercream was more salty. Although the flavor was not akin to cornbread, the texture was. It was slightly grainy, but the buttercream frosting helped to offset this. We give this cookie a 5/10, be-

cause although it was better than expected, the flavor was nothing special and the texture was strange for a cookie.

The final cookie we tried was the Blueberry Muffin. The first thing we noticed about this cookie was that it was pretty dense and cakey texture-wise. However, with that being said, the flavor profile was on point to one of a blueberry muffin. The fresh and slightly sour blueberries provided a nice contrast to the sugary cookie, and the crumbly topping was like one of streusel. Because it felt more like bread or cake than a cookie but still had really good aspects to it, this cookie gets a 7/10. Ultimately, Crumbl Cookies proved to live up to the hype!

Chick-Fil-A & Others: Overrated? Greatest Halloween Can dies

Students share opinions on food options

Tarun Gopalakrishnan | News Editor

Among students, fast food is the most common location to gather and grab a meal.

Sai Buddi ‘25 notes that “[students] go to fast food restaurants especially because we’re high schoolers…it’s cheaper and it’s less like a sit down restaurant since you don’t have to stay there for long.” In addition to its convenience, eating at fast food restaurants is a great way to build team chemistry. “Most bonding can be done at those meals before a game or after a game or practice…you have a lot of time to talk to your teammates.”

Although going to fast

food restaurants is a common theme after school, many students have a variety of opinions on the quality of different restaurants. Remi Goetze ‘26 and Aidan Atmore ‘26 both claim to be “fast food experts” and they share many of the same opinions on which fast food restaurants are overrated. Goetze claims that “Chick-fil-A [is overrated] because they only have one good chicken item.”

Although many people love Chick-fil-A’s iconic sauce, Goetze disagrees, adding, “I’m not a sauce guy…for me the sauce can’t carry the food. The food itself has to be good, it can’t just be the sauce.”

Atmore added onto the Chick-fil-A hate. When asked about the restaurant, he simply just said “it’s trash.”

Buddi agreed with

Chick-fil-A being overrated but not for the same reason. He believes its popularity among students is what makes it overrated. “Everyone always goes there, it’s close to the middle school, it’s the number one spot, but there’s so many better options in the area,” said Buddi.

Many people believe that the price of various fast food restaurants also directly affects ratings and perspectives. “It does [the price]. I think it matters in a lot of people’s ratings,” said Goetze. Although disliked by many, Goetze notes that Five Guys’ prices are fairly high but the “burgers make up for [the price]... I average a $20 meal from there…but I know I’m getting the hamburger at the end of the day and I like it.”

Best treats to receieve

Camila Pardo | Managing Editor

Acommonsensation I’ve experienced since adolescence is biting into the best candy possible: Twix. The savory, tangy, delicious tart filling of the candy rope fails to resist you from taking another bite of the sweet but sour filling enveloped in a sweet, smooth licorice. The simplicity of a smooth milk chocolate combined with a crispy puffed rice that isn’t too thick, but not too thin.

The unmistakable combination of peanut butter and milk chocolate provides a unique pairing of salty and sweet; the perfect harmony of contrasting flavors. Halloween is the ultimate holiday for candy lovers, a night where sugar reigns supreme, and your haul is solely dependent on how long you can stay on your feet. The special day welcomes debates on the best candies, trading with friends, and feeling short changed when receiving subpar treats in your bag.

As an avid candy consumer, here’s my breakdown of the best candies and what makes them a joy to consume and receive.

Twix: As previously men-

tioned, Twix will forever be my number one option. It’s the perfect combination of crunchy, sweet, and caramel goodness. The fact that each bag has two bars makes it the ultimate win.

Twix has the perfect balance of chocolate and texture, making it stand out in the sea of soft, sugary options. Additionally, Twix is the only candy that provides the consumer with a choice: left or right. Personally, I’m more favorable to the left side. Whether it’s because I’m left handed, or the composition of the bar differs slightly, the reason for my gravitation is still a mystery. Twix has transcended my childhood years and has never failed to satisfy my taste buds when craving a crunchy sweet treat.

SweetTarts Ropes: Often flying under the radar, the chewy yet tangy texture of the rope offers something a bit different than the chocolate fare we typically expe-

rience on Halloween. They have a satisfying blend of sweet and sour without being too overwhelming. On Halloween, when your taste buds tire from the overload of chocolatey delights, the SweeTart Ropes offer a refreshing change of pace while keeping the sugar at an all time high in a fruitier way.

CRUNCH: CRUNCH chocolate bars offer the perfect combination of smooth chocolate and crispy rice that delivers both a creamy and satisfying crunch in every bite. CRUNCH bars strike a balance between texture and flavor, unlike some candies that often feel too sweet or one-dimensional. The crispy rice adds lightness that keeps the treat from being too heavy, yet its simple taste appeals to almost everyone. Halloween is all about variety, and the best candy bags have a mix of chocolatey, chewy, and

fruity treats.

Evie Chow

Cookie Dough

Chocolate Chip Blueberry Muffin

Crumbl’s weekly offerings feature a rotating collection of cookies, cakes, brownies, milk and miniture versions of each dessert.

Evie Chow

Popeyes, one of Chick-Fil-A’s competitors, offer chicken products at a lower price. Steven Cao

Twix, one of the sweet halloween treats. Steven Cao

Volleyball’s Strong Bonds Lead to Successful Season

Q&A with key members of the team who achieved best record since 2015

What position do you play?

“I’m the varsity libero…it’s like a goalie in soccer, so I wear a different color jersey [and] I play mainly defense.”

How would you describe your role on the team?

“For me, I’m a captain, and I’m also the libero, which is the main defense person, so I would say what I try to do a lot of is recognizing what the other team is doing, and I’ll tell the people on our team...I always try to have a very positive mindset and…one thing that’s important to me is shaking off the mistakes and just making sure that even though it’s important to win, it’s important that the girls on and even off the court are enjoying their time, and that they’re having fun.”

Why should people come watch your games?

“Something about our team is that we’re very energetic and loud, and I know a lot of people who came to a game this year for the first time, and have been really impressed. They hadn’t understood how fun the atmosphere was, I would say, and this might be biased, but I think that volleyball is one of the most fun sports to watch, because there’s always something happening.”

What position do you play?

“I am an outside hitter on the team, meaning I play all the way around the six rotations. In my opinion it's the best position because not only can you hit, but you can serve, pass, defend, and receive!”

What was the most memorable moment of the season, and why did it stand out to you?

“The most memorable moment of the season was winning our match against Minnehaha. In that moment, everyone from the bench rushed onto the court to celebrate and cheer. Not naming names, but two of us peed in excitement.”

In what ways other than skill have you grown as a team?

“This year, my team has grown to understand each other deeper, through listening to one another and spending more time together. We've learned the different ways that each of us functions, and as a result our communication has greatly improved.”

What position do you play?

“I’m an outside.”

Who would you say are the players who have had the biggest impact on the team this year?

Probably either Catherine Lin [‘25], she reached 1,000 assists this season. And for our hitters, I’d probably say our center, so Grace Trinacty [‘26] and Maren Farazi [‘26], they lead our team in kills right now, so I’d say they’re probably our strongest hitters.

In what ways other than skill have you grown as a team?

“Outside of on the court, I think because there’s a lot of people from different grades, I think that it creates the ability to converse or to make connections to people that aren’t just in our grade. So, we have seniors, and we have one middle schooler, and it’s kind of fun to see how all the different age groups and how they all connect, and I would say I’m pretty close with everyone on the team.”

Volleyball was defeated by Kimball in the second round of sections on Oct. 25. Read more coverage at blakespectrum.org

Athletes Sacrifice Free Time For Sports

Students describe daily difficulties

Olivia Besikof | Contributing Writer

Students spend so much time on schoolwork that it is often challenging to balance school and sports. Athletes all have different priorities.

Jax Newberry ‘27 does hockey, rowing, and circus arts. Newberry describes the balance of school and sports: “During the day, I feel the homework stacking up and I just know that I don’t have any time to do it at night.” They find it extremely difficult to complete every assignment on time with all of their sports.

“I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen my sister because she leaves before I wake up and then she goes to bed before I get home.” Newberry sacrifices time with family and homework for their sports.

Soccer player Livi Abboud-Young ‘27 plays for the varsity team and her club team. Abboud-Young

describes the difficulty of completing homework when she has games: “For high school soccer I definitely sometimes don’t do my homework because games go late and I’m so tired when I get back home.”

For her club team, she travels every other weekend to games: “During club season I have to miss most Fridays because my team has to fly out of state” Because of this, it’s hard for her to get caught up in her classes. AbboudYoung sacrifices completing her schoolwork for travel games and late night games.

Swimmer Dominic Bolletieri ‘25 swims all year round. He says, “There's not a lot of time when I’m in the middle of a sports season to just kinda mess around at home and watch YouTube videos, so I got to spend my home time getting work done.”

Bolletieri sacrifices his down time as an athlete, but he also says “I honestly think it’s made me a better student because I can get my stuff done with my home time much better.” Students’ sports and activities help to keep them on top of everything.

Sports Teach Valuable Life Lessons

Athletes learn patience, organization

Lara Ibrani | Contributing Writer

Inthe world of athletics, athletes are subjected to various challenges that extend further than the field or court they may play on.

Soccer player Emma Connor ‘25 says, “the intensity of the sport has really taught me how to channel my passion and energy into positive and constructive outlets.”

There are many positive effects that sports can have on an individual’s mental health, but with positives also come negatives. Connor provides an example of this: “I used to struggle with procrastination, but soccer helped me develop strong scheduling skills. When you're on a team, everyone relies on you to be present and prepared, and that kind of accountability has helped me become a lot more organized and efficient in

all areas of my life.” She goes on to say that having a team makes a significant difference in experiences, whether that be simply teasing each other, to improving together: “Having that support system not only makes the tough days easier, but it also keeps you motivated and accountable.”

Tennis player Svara Arimilli ‘26 says, “Tennis has taught me a lot about patience and understanding that things may have to get worse before

they get better in order to make improvement.”

Improvement is a process, not a single step, but hard work and perseverance will eventually help you achieve your goal. It is also important to focus more on the mental aspect of important lessons learned.

Soccer player Moises Huerta ‘27 says, “A way that I handle pressure could be taking deep breaths and only focusing on the game and nothing else.”

Charlie Dean | Puzzle Master

Newberry (second from right) rowing on the Mississippi River.

Submitted by Newberry

Huerta waits to take the field at the section finals game.

Steven Cao

Maddie Raih ‘26

Charlotte Hackett ‘26

The team huddles during their game against Breck on Sep. 4.

All photos submitted by Yu Yu and Farazi go for the ball during the game against Breck.

Klarissa Yu ‘26

Members of the team meet on the court on Sep. 4.

Girls’ Tennis Wins State Championship for Second Year In a Row

Young team not skipping a beat

Charlie Dean | Puzzlemaster

12 wins, 0 losses, and a State Championship. That was the girls’ tennis team’s record this year.

According to Nora Ibrani ‘26 , “this [was] more of a building year.”

After losing seven of their ten varsity spots last year due to either graduation or switching schools, the team environment was set to be very different, made up of a majority of sopho-

mores instead of seniors.

According to captain Fatemeh Vang ‘27 , “it was a little rough in the beginning,” and they had to “get used to that chemistry.” Ibrani said they had to “navigate having [so many younger players] on the team.”

But despite this change, the team ended the season with a State Championship, their seventh in the last ten years. Vang says that while the environment has “changed a little bit… [it] has changed for the better. I think because of this change we’re all growing and learn-

ing [more] from the season.” She added that the “team…has really evolved and I’m really proud of them…I think we’ve adjusted really well.”

Another advantage of having such a young team is the ability to build for a better team in the future. Ibrani says that “because we have a younger team, there’s some more room to develop…It’s good.” Because there’s only one senior among the 15 varsity athletes, the team can continue to build on their youth while maintaining their dynasty.

Splashing in Countless Victories

Girls’ Swim and Dive making noise underwater

Faith Zhao | Student Life Editor

GO.

GO. GO.

This year, on Thurs. Oct. 10, 2024, the “Girls Swim & Dive” team headed out to John Glenn Middle School in Maplewood to seize their win.

Like many other sports, although the swim team has lost many senior swimmers, the Bears are still striving forward against tough currents–swim times and a new environment.

The swim team has been consistently practicing for two to two and a half hours for six days of the week to lower their times by the second, often

getting home as late as 8 p.m.

With a fairly young team, team bonding has been essential to cultivating a successful environment with strong team spirit. BGSD has been going to apple orchards together, playing minigolf, and filming funny reels on the team’s Instagram, @bgsdspeedsters.

“Swimming is a sport where you can support each other even though it’s so individual,” said Kyra Sharma ‘25 , a senior captain who has been swimming for six to seven years. Even if a swimmer’s head is underwater, the team can often be heard screaming and cheering for each other on the ends of the lanes.

On Saturday Oct. 11, the Bears headed out to Oak Grove Middle School

for True Team Sections, a competition prizing the idea that “every team member’s performance counts towards the team’s score in competition”, according to their website.

In the Girls 200m Freestyle, Karin Lund ‘25 had a final time of 2:04.79, securing her spot for 2nd along with Thea Caswell ‘28 (2.11.04) and Lily Guerrera ‘29 (2.11.63), earning 5th and 6th place respectively, out of 24 people.

With every team member’s score counting towards points, the swim team placed 2nd overall with 927 points, staying on track with their goals and milestones. The girls swim team continues to work hard, falling back into their rhythm, for their next meet at HOME against Mound Westonka on October 23.

Girls’ Swim and Dive compete their senior night meet on Wednesday, Oct 23. at the school’s pool.

Battling Disappointment by Reflecting on Mistakes

An athlete’s perspective on challenges faced

Dillon Kaiser | Staff Writer

In any competitive environment, performance disappointment is inevitable, especially for athletes. Athletes can often face the pressure of both individual and team expectations, and when dealing with a poor performance they can have an especially challenging impact on every player including themselves.

However, Max Vezmar ‘26, a “Varsity Boys Soc-

cer” starter said, “I’ve had many disappointing performances, and the best way to cope with it is to figure out what I’ve done wrong and simply just let it go and move on.” Vezmar highlights the importance of reflection and learning from mistakes and setbacks.

A disappointing performance can often destroy someone’s confidence. Through finding the cause of the mistakes, athletes can improve their performance instead of feeling discouraged. An important aspect to take into consideration is to not linger

in the moment of failure. Vezmar says, “The advice I would give to young athletes is to be in the moment and don’t dwell on your errors.” Dwelling on mistakes can lead to a downward spiral of negativity, which can harm the player and the team as a whole. When one player is frustrated, their energy can infect the entire team, “Individual disappointment affects the whole team when the player dwells on it and creates a bigger problem than it is, such as losing confidence or lashing out at teammates” says Vezmar.

Confidence is extremely important, because characteristics like self-doubt can both lead to toxicity to the team and performance. Another aspect of overcoming performance difficulties is communication. “Communication is one of the most important aspects of a team sport,” Vezmar comments. The “Varsity Boys Soccer” team functions best when they are in sync, both physically and mentally. “It’s important to limit negative communication when playing on the field,” says Vezmar. Harsh criticism and frustra-

tion can easily escalate into negativity that drags the team down. Instead, players should focus on constructive criticism and encouragement to recover from mistakes and move forward together. Performance disappointment is a reality that every athlete faces, however it doesn’t necessarily have to be a point of failure. By reflecting on mistakes, setting new goals, and staying positive, athletes can turn disappointment into growth with a clear vision for success.

Submitted by Eva Gleason ‘26

Nasir

the school’s halls in crutches.

Steven Cao

Girls’ Tennis Team (white) lining up and meeting their opponent, Litchfield, in the Class A state tennis tournament championship at the InnerCity Tennis Center in Minneapolis.

N L T S O G A

Should We Love or Leave the Past?

Anna Tao | Staff Writer

As time passes in one’s life, the pervasive presence of nostalgia grows stronger when the roots of beloved memories begin to fade. There is an innate, human yearning to return to the simpler joys of youth; a yearning that evokes both fondness and melancholia. The older we get, the more we desire our youth and idealize the memories fortifying the past—an anecdote illuminated by the focus of this year’s senior speeches. For the Class of 2025, nostalgia has become an integral part of the wisdom that the senior class intends to impart to the student body, largely evidenced by the abundance of speeches revolving around the feeling. Thus far, speeches have consisted of benefits regarding reflection, such as returning to youthful glee and freedoms; however, excessive harping on nostalgia fosters the potential for obsessive desires from years previous. Is, then, nostalgia invasive or inspiring?

Unsurprisingly, nostalgia can be both a productive tool to improve one’s outlook on life and hold the potential to detract from present reality and toward childhood. Kamiyah Walton ‘26 states that nostalgia serves her in differing ways, firstly expressing: “I would say it motivates me to enjoy good moments in life”; however, Walton also states that nostalgia in excess can be harmful, “When it makes me sad [it’s] when I reminisce too much on my childhood.”

For Walton, nostalgia can inspire her to use nostalgia as a guide for her current actions and interpretation of the world surrounding her, yet over-abundant nostalgia can inhibit the momentum of the now, turning mood sour. Rhea Balachandran ‘26 corroborates Walton’s simultaneous feeling towards nostalgia, “It helps me to connect with other people

[but] when I feel like I want to be a kid again, I’m reminded I never will be.” Balachandran’s insightful statement is anything but incorrect: people stuck in the past are constantly reminded that an aged reality no longer exists externally; only within a jaded mind can recollections and reflections of the past be found. These memories will be inherently tainted with newfound experiences; old remembrances no longer feel new.

And yet, despite the potential for painful feelings of a lost childhood, Huang embraces reminiscence completely, going as far to say that the transformative nature of nostalgia does not feel inhibiting, “when I think about my childhood memories, it takes me to a completely different place, back in Wisconsin. I had a lot of fun in Wisconsin… so I wouldn’t say I’ve had negative experiences with it.” Huang utilizes these experiences to elicit thoughts of “good time[s] in your life because things definitely get a bit tougher when you get older.” Huang feels as if nostalgia has always felt reliable and comforting, even whisking him to Wisconsin. Huang’s past experiences continually inspire him—whether appreciating adaptation to moving at a young age, or simply reminiscing about past experiences, Huang finds nostalgia to be bountiful in totality.

Nostalgia (even in excess) serves to become a guiding force that aids the pathway of the future. Although one can become enveloped in a lost childhood, a moderate appreciation of our childhood can illustrate what we have loved since our earliest memories. Nostalgia has the potential to consult with our old selves, to ask if our actions feel true to the purest versions of ourselves.

“I feel like probably when you try to think about something happy or a good time in your life because things definitely get a bit tougher when you get older, so I think when you think of a good memory and try to feel good about old memories.”

-Kai Huang

‘25

Submitted by Isabella Valdesolo & Gabriella Marmet

Bowman, Pflaum, Sandell, and Vora photographed clockwise from the top left.

A G I

Trip Down Memory Lane

That familiar, sentimental feeling of nostalgia in the back of one’s mind is something we can all strongly relate to. Whether celebrating traditions or gathering with family and friends, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of happiness with a hint of sadness, recalling fond moments of the past. Presented below are members of the Blake community, reflecting on their past moments of nostalgia and how it makes them feel.

Maggie Bowman , Grade 12 Dean and Head Cross Country Coach, feels most nostalgic around running and racing because she has so many different memories of the sport with different groups at different periods in her life. Bowman appreciates her feelings of nostalgia, describing them as “almost always positive” as the emotions are not “associated with negative views or experiences” but rather brings her “back to a time that was fun or impactful.”

Ainsley Pflaum ‘25 has the most nostalgia when listening to music from different time periods because it “reminds me of different time periods in my life when I was younger” and gives her insight into the ways she has changed throughout numerous years.

Ella Sandell ‘28 enjoys the positive feeling of “remember[ing] past moments in time” and agrees that music plays a role in that. She personally enjoys Rip Tide by Vance Joy as it “has a really nostalgic vibe to it and always makes me feel really happy”.

For Rihaan Vora ‘28 , looking through his camera roll makes him “feel happy to have been able to experience these moments.” Wild Kratts is a show he often feels nostalgia towards when reflecting back on his childhood.

ALYSSA’S ADVICE ON FINDING NOSTALGIA

Alyssa Krig | Contributing Writer

Jax Newberry

Go to the playground:

The first time I really played again was with my Nordic team, playing games like Sandman. It reminded me of the years when I would go to the playground almost every day to go on the slides and monkey bars.

Watch old kids’ shows and movies:

Of course, I had to put this option first; it was my senior speech topic! But, old shows and movies are an excellent way to feel nostalgic.

I’m even watching “Phineas and Ferb” as I’m writing this!

Definition of Sentimentality

Izzie Miller | Contributing Writer

What is nostalgia? Why do we have it? Defined by Oxford Languages, nostalgia is “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with a happy personal associations.” This may be the dictionary definition, but what does nostalgia actually look like?

Read old picture books:

Every once in a while, I’ll read a couple of my childhood picture books that my parents used to read me before bed. It always brings up good memories and reminds me how comforting each story is.

Look at old pictures and videos:

This might be obvious, but it’s one of the best ways to feel nostalgic! After being adopted, for the first couple of years of my life, my mom would film my dayto-day activities, and a couple of times a year, I rewatched them with my sister.

“When I cling onto things from the past and let that control my actions in the present, sometimes I don’t think that’s necessarily productive. I like to then focus more on the present, I don’t like to just linger on how things were in the past.”

-Georgia Wilson ‘25

Listen to stories:

My family has staple stories of my childhood that I only know because of how many times I’ve heard them. It’s always nice to hear, even if the stories are about a time you don’t remember.

Play some video games:

Recently, I’ve gotten into Papa’s Freezeria again, which reminded me how much fun I had playing the game. It’s a great way to feel nostalgic.

Reconnect:

Over the past year, I’ve reconnected with some of my friends from when I was a kid, bringing back many memories. Reconnecting doesn’t have to mean hanging out with them a lot or becoming best friends again, but just reconnecting on social media is a great way to be in contact again.

Listen to music:

When I listened to “Can You Canoe?” by The Okee Dokee Brothers for the first time in years, I still remembered all of the words, as the song had been engraved in my mind. Songs are a really good way of feeling nostalgic since I know I and many others associate songs with moments in their lives. Hang out with your parents: As people grow up, they tend to spend more time with friends and less with their parents, and while that’s understandable, try to spend some time with your parents! Doing daily activities with my parents, such as going to the grocery store, reminds me of a time when I wanted to go everywhere with them.

Eat some good food:

According to my parents, the first time I tried an apple, I absolutely loved it and ate the whole thing except for the stem (yes, including the pit). Ever since apples have been one of my favorite foods.

Nostalgia often occurs when a person relates something back to a bittersweet moment from their past; this can include objects, places, sounds, smells, or even feelings. Studies have shown that nostalgia can have numerous positive impacts on a person’s mental health and overall wellbeing. It’s often evoked during times of grieving, especially after the loss of a loved one. Nostalgia can be a healthy way to process negative emotions regarding losses by providing a sense of familiarity.

Many people seek out opportunities for nostalgia without even realizing it. Going back to and visiting places or participating in activities one did as a child are prime examples of things someone may subconsciously do. This is because these activities often trigger fond memories associated with happiness and remembrance. For example, the smell and taste of baking and eating certain foods during childhood can allow families to reminisce on their fun moments.

Greg Jones ‘27 recalls a memory he often gets nostalgic about, stating, “when I was little we used to go to the aquarium all the time and there’s this one little spot cut out of the wall and had a little glass viewing of the aquarium. I would always go and sit there for as long as I could.” He describes what brings up these nostalgic feelings and brings him back to those days spent observing the aquarium. “Anytime I see fish,” Jones says.

Another common way people experience nostalgia is through music. Listening to songs played frequently at different times of one’s life can stimulate emotions and feelings associated with them. While nostalgia is an overall happy feeling, it can also contain hints of sadness. Looking back at memories can be upsetting as letting things go can be difficult. Nostalgia allows one to feel, which in doing so allows them to fully move on. Even little things that evoke nostalgia are helpful during times of major life change, which give people that comforting sense of familiarity. all, nostalgia is a powerful, complex emotion actively felt throughout a person’s lifetime.

Isabella Valdesolo | Contributing Writer

Gabriella Marmet

Rites of a Cross-Country Runner

A reflection on the painful wonders behind running, runner’s high

Evan Darmawan | Staff Writer

As the cross-country season comes to a close and the cold weather slowly falls down upon us as we prepare for the cold season, we are offered the opportunity to reflect on the ups and downs of the season. The cross country team has enjoyed an awesome season, and with that, the feeling of runner’s high after races, workouts, and longer runs.

The science behind this phenomenon is similar to what somebody would feel after completing something physically rigorous, as endorphins fill our system, giving us the floaty feeling of euphoria. Cross

country is a good example of this, as after a hard run, a lot of stress is put on the body, and running high helps ease the tension. The body’s response to this is to try and reduce the pain and/or the muscle tension accrued during a run by releasing endorphins or endocannabinoids.

To me, this cycle is something that I enjoy as before anything intense happens during cross country (especially races), a feeling of fright makes me feel tense. Still, when I have been running for a while and have found the groove that works for me, the sense of control and, depending on the weather, the wind swaying or rushing past never ceases to calm. On top of that, whenever I am running, I get the opportunity to admire the scenery, further adding to the

euphoric feeling after a hard run. This happened on Thursday, Oct. 3, when the cross-country team attended the Litchfield invite in Western Minnesota. There was a constant cool breeze and perfect conditions for running. Additionally, the course was very flat, and the majority of the team was able to hit very impressive personal records, myself included. I beat my previous record by two minutes for the 5k. The improvements and the feeling of success make cross country feel as invigorating as it does. I am currently trying to make the most of each practice by trying to find more fun spots to run to on light runs and push myself harder on herder runs so that when I look back, I’ll feel content about all that I have accomplished.

Staff Editoral: Editors Urge Civic Engagment

Political participation is a vitality to functionality of democracy

Whenit comes down to it, there is a straighforward truth. We, The Spectrum Staff, know you don’t want to hear us say it; we know you have heard it twenty times before but have a political awareness, and if you are 18, just vote. Within our country, every person needs to have some altruistic values. You have to care about other people to make society better, which in turn helps you. If you do not vote do not civically participate, you kill our democracy.

We as a staff have observed that people do not think that it matters, so we have come up with a list of ten topics that are directly affected by politics, both national and local, that matter to us. We hope that something in the following list compels you to be civically active:

1. Global Health

The spread of infectious diseases and outbreaks across the world is solvable and preventable. More action needs to be taken all around the world. Even simple things such as simple as washing your hands and getting vaccinated contribute to reducing the spread of global disease.

2. Affordable Housing

The fact that we are not able to provide all Minneapolis residents with proper housing is a disgrace and needs to change. Minneapolis currently plans to provide all residents with housing by 2040, but it is our duty to ensure that this goal is reached and is not pushed off like similarly ambitious goals frequently are.

3. Health Access

Public health is especially significant to young women because it directly impacts their access to healthcare, reproductive rights, and mental

health services. Policies related to public health shape their abilities to receive preventive care, contraception, and maternal health support, which are essential for their well-being. Moreover, a young woman is often at the forefront of advocating for health equity, recognizing that systemic barriers disproportionately affect women, particularly women of color, in accessing quality healthcare.

4. Homelessness

There should be more funding for easier access to food and necessities for the homeless. Shelters right now are unsafe and unwelcoming. Not only will fixing the issue provide better conditions for the homeless, but it will also make the streets safer.

5. Immigration

There shouldn’t be bans on countries whose citizens cannot immigrate to America. People from one country looking to immigrate to America should experience the same fairness as someone from another country.

6. Economic Policy

Families and businesses consistently react to the Federal Bank. The Fed’s choices are

reflected everywhere: mortgage rates, interest rates, inflation, etc. Learning the game of the economy not only hones critical thinking skills but also prepares students for their adult life.

7. Tokenization during Global Conflicts

With the events happening in the Middle East, students are often tokenized as the single voice others will trust based on their identity. Don’t force others to answer for situations that they have no control over, especially in situations where the conflict isn’t binary.

8. College Affordability

College prices continue to rise, leading to difficult decisions for many families and missed opportunities for many students. This is one of the most prevalent issues for young people because it is a change that will affect us most immediately. Caring about this issue now by doing research and providing information will lead to fewer student loans in the future and more opportunities for everyone.

9. Reproductive Rights

The legality of abortions will not change the fact that women will continue to attempt safe and unsafe abortions. There are millions of unplanned pregnancies each year; women should have the right to make decisions over their own bodies and decide whether or not they would like to keep the baby. You can talk to everyone and explain your opinions, vote for candidates who support abortion rights when you’re of age, and donate to organizations that help people have safer abortions.

10. Gun violence

Gun violence affects many people and their communities in our day-to-day lives. As students, we should not have to worry about our lives being taken away in a split second every waking moment. Prevention laws are solutions to strive for, in order to prevent people from harming themselves and the people around them.

Half-Empty

Talents developed during COVID, the regrets of skills left unlearned

What was the COVID-19 pandemic to you? To some, it was horrible, whereas, to people as fortunate as me, it was a time when I was able to connect and bond with my siblings after they had been sent home from college. Sorry, but our individual experiences are not what I am choosing to focus on here. The topic of this month’s column is talents developed during COVID. COVID tends to be a turning point in people’s lives, but the biggest problem that I have with the pandemic at this stage of my life is that I didn’t hone in on any specific talent. I know some slime connoisseurs and people capable of cooking meals that make me float to them like a cartoon character once they smell pie. To me, the pandemic is emblematic of sitting around and grinding Fortnite until my hands were able to crank 90s while I was asleep. I was an absolute legend when it came to Zone Wars, but my solo record may not be one to put on paper. Although I could lie and say that Fortnite zone wars helped me to improve my communication skills because I had to thoroughly communicate my frustrations, ultimately, its subpar effect on me has me on the verge of crashing out.

I find it incredibly annoying that I “wasted my time,” but I am even more annoyed that this topic is relatively quiet. I believe that asking people what talent they curated during COVID should be a question common enough to be featured in icebreakers. Ice cream flavors and favorite colors are their own thing, but who knows what this question could reveal. Maybe I’ll be able to find the next professional mountain biker or entrepreneur who poured their heart and soul into just for their current self to laugh at whatever makeshift item really wasn’t able to change the world.

Willow Overcash (Illustration), Ben Aviles (Photos)

Ethan Klaiman | Columnist

Riley Canfield ‘25 (left) sprinting to finish a grueling meet at 3AA sections for 21st place in a time of 17:15. Shamore Brinda ‘27 (right) pushing hard after falling down and having a lace untied and finishing 8th in a time of 16:20.

Question sheet from Oct. 25 Elect and Connect with only one student in attendence.

Ben Aviles

The Blake School 511 Kenwood Pkwy

III October 30, 2024

Co-Editors-in-Chief:

Gabriella Marmet | Yoni Zacks

Managing Editors:

Steven Cao | Camila Pardo

News Editor:

Tarun Gopalakrishnan

Student Life Editor: Faith Zhao

Variety Editor: Evie Chow

Sports Editors: Rayan Nasir, Lilah Johnson

Opinions Editor: Ben Aviles

Business Manager: Sam Tomczik

Adviser: Anna Reid

PUZZLE MASTER:

STAFF WRITERS:

Anna Tao, Charlee Jones, Dillon Kaiser, Eva Gleason, Izzie Miller, Caitlin Strauss, Evan Darmawan, Ben Passi

COLUMNIST:

BECOME A STAFF MEMBER:

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

JOIN SPECTRUM:

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Disagree with something that’s in the paper? Have an opinion you want to share? Like to draw editorial cartoons? Take a stand and speak out. E-mail letters or editorial cartoons to spectrum@blakeschool. org or deliver them to room 351. Please limit letters to 400 words.

MISSION STATEMENT:

The primary purpose of the Blake School Spectrum is to report news and to explain its meaning and 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) Style as of the February 2020 issue.

THE BEST HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

WithHalloween right around the corner, the spookiest costumes are flying off the shelves of every store. This costume-hungry rampage has only put more pressure on the average student, who is deciding which costume to wear during the spooky sensations of Halloween. Ian Jaehn ‘27, Connor Briand ‘27, and Jake Iwan ‘27 recently found themselves in this very predicament. They ventured out to the local Spirit Halloween to scrap together the best costumes they could with their limited selection. They created seven total costumes for me to rank, each one intricately put together with the intention of striking the maximum amount of fear on the public.

07.

Marshmallow Mask

In last place is the marshmallow mask worn by Jake Iwan ‘27 This costume is quite simply outdated and distasteful. Maybe this costume would have made the top three in 2016, but in this day and age it’s lucky to even be featured in the list.

06.

Jason Mask

In sixth place is the Jason mask along with a funny looking ax. This costume, again worn by Iwan, has simply too much going on. Its focus is quite frankly all over the place: portraying no real theme.

05. “I Love Bingo” Mask

In fifth place is the “I Love Bingo” mask worn by Connor Briand ‘27. This costume is not his best work. However, if your goal in a Halloween mask is to utterly disgust your peers then this mask is for you.

03.

Mr. Potatohead and Butcher

Coming in at a tie for third place, winning the bronze medal, there are two costumes creating a dynamic and fear-inducing duo: Jaehn dressed in a truly mesmerizing butcher costume, complete with a bloody knife, and Briand draped in his version of a murdererous Mr. Potatohead wielding an axe.

On their own, these costumes wouldn’t be much to look at. However, when paired toge -

ther these two outfits are really something. The costumes even got reactions form other patrons. Andrew Jetton ‘27 has been overheard claiming that these two costumes are, “Halloween at its finest.” If you and a friend are looking for a duo costume for Halloween activities then look no further, wear these two costumes to maximize your spooky potential on Halloween night.

Oliver Brown | Contributing Writer

by Axel Bisbee

02. Captain Riddler

01. Alien

The race for first place was a close one. Briand’s version of a Captain Riddler is very impressive and mysterious. However, Jaehn’s alien mask is clearly the spookiest of all, this is why it has been granted the title of Greatest Halloween Costume of 2024. Jaehn’s dedication to “selling” this costume really shows as he spookily pokes his head around the shelves of Spirit Halloween just as a real alien would.

Too Old to Trick or Treat?

Parties provide fun alternative

Ben Passi | Staff Writer

For most kids around the US, trick or treating is the highlight of Halloween and the October season. Trick-ortreating is also one of the most nostalgic and popular parts of the spooky season. However, I believe that we are too old for trick-or-treating once we reach high school. In reality, the idea and the market of trick-or-treating is aimed at young kids; dressing up, getting candy, and visiting all the houses with their bright decorations. At some point, which I believe is high school, seeing older kids going around ruins the fun, childish atmosphere of tricking and treating. This is not to say that Halloween is not for high schoolers, but rather the aspect of going from house to house collecting candy is not. There are plenty of other fun seasonal activities available to teens. As Will Venable ‘28 stated “When you’re in high school, I think It’s more fun to go to parties.” Parties are an extremely fun alternative. While these may not be quite the same as trick-ortreating they provide a more age-appropriate environment with more equally engaging activities.

Another reason why high school students shouldn’t trickor-treat is because, frankly, neighbors aren’t as inclined to give older kids candy. A lot of the fun for adults and homeowners comes from seeing little kids dressed up in fun costumes with their big cheesy smiles. Once you introduce teenagers to this mix, the homeowners are likely to be less awed by seeing a bunch of acne-spotted teenagers begging for candy. Due to this more and more each year I and many of my friends have seen houses with lights completely shut off, not giving out candy. By allowing high schoolers to participate in trick-or-treating the entire tradition is ruined for younger generations.

“Speak No Evil” Review: Spooks Aplenty

Film

causes screams in theater

Gabriella Marmet |

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Have you ever audibly screamed in a movie theater? Well after watching “Speak No Evil,” a psychological horror movie directed by James Watkins, I can confidently say I have. This movie is part of the Blumhouse Horror Movie Collection, including popular movies like “Insidious,” “Truth or Dare,” and “The First Purge.”

The movie depicts an American couple, Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben (Scoot McNairy), and

their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler), who befriend a Danish couple and their son on a trip to Italy. James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi star as Paddy and Ciara, the Danish couple, with Dan Hough playing their son Ant, who was born with no tongue. Soon after their return back home, the Dutch family invites them to their remote house for the weekend, where suspicious events continue to happen to the family: Louise is forced to eat meat as a vegetarian, the parents are very strict and rude to Ant, and the American family even finds their daughter asleep in the other couple’s bed one night. As more and more strange events occur, a major plot twist appears, revealing

the real intentions of the Dutch family.

While I was definitely attempting to get myself into the Halloween mood, “Speak No Evil” spooked me in a

different way than most horror movies; each scene was very realistic, demonstrating that a similar story could be occurring somewhere in the world today. The fantasy horror movies involving ghosts and demons scare me in the moment then escape my mind, but the psychological movies that have a possibility of truly existing are what

leave the biggest impact. Each interaction between the families displayed immense tension like no other, forcing me to sit at the edge of my chair to see what would later

I was fully immersed in the spine-chilling experience. happen.

One of my favorite aspects of “Speak No Evil” is the presence of the suspenseful and ominous music. As the moment would build-up, the intensifying, dissonant music evoked fear and terror inside of me, leading me to hold onto and squirm in my seat in desperation of the moment that came next. When there

was a moment of silence directly after the escalated scene, I knew something bad would happen, leading me to gasp or jump even harder when the moment finally occurred.

Watching this movie at the theaters was the perfect move; with the great acoustics and giant screen, I was fully immersed in the spine-chilling experience. As an avid horror movie fan, I completely recommend this movie to others who are seeking an adrenaline-filled film experience. But, as I do care about the emotional wellbeing of Blake members, I would say make sure you have what it takes and don’t be embarrassed to shriek out loud.

Charlie Dean

Ethan Klaiman

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Hmong Restaurant Savors Home

Diane’s Place embraces Hmong culture, comfort flavors

Ben Aviles | Opinions Editor

In 2023, Diane Moua leaped from everything she professionally knew and was renowned in the food industry. She recieved five James Beard semifinalist nominations and two finalist nominations for her pastries, but COVID changed the trajectory of her career, making her question, “Where do you go after you’ve worked at such a great restaurant like Spoon and Stable, Demi, and Bellecour? Where do you go?” She said during COVID, “I would just cook at home because I work so much that I miss comfort food. I didn’t see my parents a lot, so I cook[ed] a lot of my own food, and it just brings me so much joy.” These comfort foods from her parents were of Hmong heritage, so much of the food was “chicken with lemongrass and pork with mustard green,” according to Moua.

All of this culminated in the inception of her restaurant, Diane’s Place, a restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis open for breakfast and lunch, established in 2023. It is inspired by her Hmong parents living on a farm in Junction City, a village with a population of 415 people in the middle of central Wisconsin. Her early experiences of cooking was pressured by the short notice of guests arriving at her house and her dad saying, “‘You better find something,’... Opening the freezer, seeing what we have in the freezer, and putting something together. At that point, I knew I hated that. I hated having to figure out what to cook.”

Moua recalls being the first Asian family in Junction City and the racism that came with that, saying, “I had a really good friend when I was in elementary, and I remember the bus picked us up, and I got on the bus, and she said.. ‘what’d you have for dinner?’ I said, ‘chicken and rice?’ And she said, ‘Oh, did you have dogs and cat?’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’At that point, I didn’t realize that was a thing… but it didn’t click to me because I’ve never heard that Asians eat dogs and cats.” Despite the blatant racism of her childhood, she continued on. Even when faced with racism in the food industry, she says, “I didn’t let it affect me. If anything, like my dad always taught us, just prove them wrong.”

Many Hmong people tell her that the community does not have a dish as the community exists in the diaspora, but to this, she retorts, “We have pork and mustard green, we have chicken and herbs, and it’s like that is our dish. That’s what I crave. That’s home. That’s comfort to me… It doesn’t have to be like you have to braise this chicken for three hours or five hours… It’s what you grew up eating.”

The exterior of the restaurant is inviting to all and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and is located at 117 14th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413.

It is not just race struggles that she has had to persevere, but also her status as a single female. In the community, some ask her about her husband’s support, and it shocks them when she tells them, “I did it all by myself.” She hopes to teach that, “You can do this; it’s not a guy or girl thing; it’s being able to follow your dreams.” This restaurant has served as a self-reclamation, as “To me, this restaurant is going back to my roots. Not being embarrassed anymore of the food I eat.”

The food at Diane’s Place is a must-try for anyone and everyone able to move the three and a half miles from the Upper School to the restaurant. I ordered four dishes that Moua suggested: the Hmong Sausage, Chicken Noodle Soup, Spam and Nori Croissant, and the Sweet Pork Bowl. I started with the Sweet Pork Bowl. From the chewy but incredibly flavored pork belly and the brown sugar-marinated egg that hugged the tongue to the more bitter taste of the mustard greens, this dish was incredibly well-balanced in terms of flavor. Moua stated that when she was crafting this dish, “The sweet pork bowl was too sweet for me. So, I decided to pair it up with some pickled mustard green. And that cuts all the sweetness.” Many people, including me, would think that this move is one of a visionary, as it balances the dish to be absolutely delightful and diverse, but to her, she believes it’s simply “adding two components that you see at mom’s household, you know?” Simply put, this dish was the comfort food I had never known I was missing. It was by all means traditional, but nonetheless phenomenal as it set the tone for the meal being that of a childhood home.

After taking several enjoyable bites of the comforting Sweet Pork Bowl, I decided I must move on to the Spam and Nori Croissant. Moua grew up on WIC (a program like SNAP, but targeted at women and children), and as she describes, “We grew up eating it [Spam] because my parents worked a lot. We would come home, and we would just throw it in the microwave or sear it off. And I hated it as a teenager because we grew up eating it. As an adult, I hated it. But I went to Hawaii maybe four or five years ago, and Hawaii has a ton of Spam. Go gas station Spam. You go to a restaurant, and they have spam.” After this experience in Hawaii, she describes, “I… fell in love with it again. So when we opened up, I was like… we should have Spam on [the menu] because I grew up eating Spam.” Her upbringing and Junction City added the spam to this dish, but what added the croissant? It was her continuous experiences and expertise in the pastry industry, where she is renowned for being one of the best pastry chefs in the nation. As the Spectrum editorial staff can attest, her croissants are a delicacy and a work of magic. The croissant, spam, aioli, and an additional sunny-side-up egg combined for a truly unique, salty, juicy sandwich that I could not stop eating. After the meal was over and my stomach was stuffed, I kept sneaking bites of this sandwich because it was truly delectable. These conflicting senses of dining and background in the spam and croissant were able to work together harmoniously to bring a jubilant sensation to my mouth. This dish served as a microcosm of the uniqueness of her journey with pride and representation of both her childhood and how she has grown with pastries.

Once I tore myself away from the croissant, I set my sights on the Chicken Noodle Soup. This soup puts your mother’s chicken noodle soup to shame (including my own mother. Sorry, Mom). The rice noodles in the soup were absolutely fantastic and lent a gelatinous texture to the soup. The softboiled egg was an incredible touch, adding richness and depth to the dish. But, standing as the co-leads to this play were the chicken and the broth. The chicken was another level of juicy and tender. The broth was soft-spoken yet articulate as it whispered its delightful taste to me. It was not the complexities of taste that made this dish incredible, but rather the comfort and warm happiness that it brought me. When I am sick in the future, I no longer want any chicken noodle soup other than the soup from Diane’s Place.

Finally, the Hmong sausage. The sausage itself was stellar, and it was clearly discernible that she had put much time and effort into crafting the sausage. But, lurking off to the side was the most interesting part of this dish in a hot sauce. She was initially told to take the hot sauce off the menu as some of the customers were unable to tolerate the spice, but she decided instead to stick to the roots of her food, saying, “I’m not gonna dumb something down because you can’t have it. You go to any Hmong house right now, you go have dinner, they’re gonna have this hot sauce. This hot sauce for everything.” As she detailed, a compromise that she was willing to make was that she would “make a sauce that’s not spicy for people who can’t have spicy sauce because I know that everybody tolerates it differently. But I’m not gonna lower something down because of somebody’s tolerance. And you know what’s so funny? We give people the choice of sweet and sour or hot sauce. We go through more hot sauce than sweet and sour. Makes me really happy.” Both of the sauces were there on my plate, and both of them were excellent additions to the dish, but the hot sauce served as a symbol of culture that is uncompromisable. When I mistakenly added too much of the hot sauce to one bite, it did indeed make me feel like the roof of my mouth was on fire, but when used appropriately, it added great flavor to the dish. The hot sauce, in coordination with the sausage, sticky rice, and fried egg, culminated in this delicious mix of traditional and proud foods. Overall, Diane’s Place is the best Hmong restaurant that I have been to in the Twin Cities. It intricately ties together both her Hmong upbringing in Central Wisconsin and her pastry chef skills to create some incredibly unique and traditional delicious dishes that I implore you to try. This restaurant has clearly accomplished Moua’s goal of “Not being embarrassed anymore of the food I eat” and

has gone beyond creating fantastic and inspiring foods.

additionally

Ben Aviles

Ben Aviles

Ben Aviles

Ben Aviles

Ben Aviles

Handcrafted by Moua in coordination with chef Erik Sather, a well known butcher and former owner of Lowry Hill Meats, the Hmong sausage served by Moua is a excellent example of a traditional Hmong sausage using chili peppers and a traditional hot sauce.

The Asian Chicken Noodle Soup has components involving house made rice noodles, which are perfect along with tender chicken pieces and broth, which warms the stomach and soul.

Another look at the Hmong sausage. This is another great example of a dish that was featured at Moua’s household in her youth

A combination of her childhood and current pastry expertise, the Spam and Nori Croissant transcends the Moua experience and serves as a delicious combination of spam, croissant, a fried egg, and aioli.

TALKING ABOUT POLITICS

creates understanding

Ben Aviles | Opinions Editor Discussion

Ibelieve a vital function of schools is to be a place of idea exchange where I can speak with someone who disagrees with me, and we both gain from the conversation. To limit political expression and, thereby, the idea exchange is not only morally repugnant but also extremely dangerous. Where does hate and resentment come from? Lack of understanding, lack of sight, and lack of empathy. If I do not understand you, see you, or empathize with your experiences, I am susceptible to resenting you. It is hard to hate a person with values different from yours when they are your kin, your neighbors, and most importantly, when they are people you care about.

Think for a second about your perception of a person experiencing homelessness: What do they look like? How do they act? What kind of behaviors do they display? Do they have problems with drugs and or drinking? According to The Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration, only 33% of homeless people have substance problems. According to Deborah K. Padgett, an NYU professor, “epidemiological studies have consistently found that only about 25–30% of homeless persons have a severe mental illness.” I can admit that these numbers are high in comparison to the average population, but by no means do 25-33 % of homeless people represent the population as a whole, yet a large percentage of stereotypes regarding homeless people include these stereotypes to a sickening degree. Finally, when was the last time you truly spoke and interacted with a homeless person? See?

My point is that we default to stereotypes without proper representation and personal knowledge of people within a group. If you don’t know a Democrat, what are you going to think of them? What may be a possibility is that you think that they are Marxists attempting to ruin the country, as presidential candidate Donald Trump has stated several times. If you don’t know a Republican, what are you going to think of them?

What you may think is that they are “deplorable,” as Hillary Clinton stated, or you may think they are uneducated redneck gunslingers. In reality, neither of these stereotypes are anywhere near the truth.

Who in the Picture?

District 2: Rep. Angie Craig (DFL) and challenger Joe Teirab (GOP). District 2 includes West St. Paul, Mendota Heights, Eagan, Apple Valley, Shakopee, Prior Lake, Lakeville, and New Prague.

District 3: State Sen. Kelly Morrison (DFL) and former State Sen. and Judge Tad Jude (GOP). District 3 includes most of Edina, Wayzata, Plymouth, Minnetonka, Eden Prarie, Hopkins, Excelsior, Medina, Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, Osseo, Champlin, Anoka, Dayton, Rogers, Loretto, Hamel, Maple Plain, Long Lake, Orono, Crystal Bay, Mound, Minnetrista, St. Bonifacius, Greenwood, Shorewood, and Bloomington.

District 4: Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL), and May Lor Xiong. District 4 includes Saint Paul, New Brighton, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, Maplewood, and Woodbury.

District 5: Rep. Ilhan Omar (DFL) and journalist Dalia Al-Aqidi (GOP). District 5 includes Minneapolis, some of Edina, St. Louis Park, Golden Valley, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, Columbia Heights, Righfield, and Robbinsdale.

District 6: Rep. Tom Emmer and Nurse Anesthist Jeanne Hendricks. District 6 includes Blaine, Cneterville, Chanhassen, Chaska, Carver, Waconia, Maple Lake, Ostego, and Elk River.

ions at school. However, I am reasoning that by encouraging students to share their political views, many students are likely to feel uncomfortable and unable to express their opinions for fear that others may disagree.

Just like the homeless person thought experiment, if you don’t know somebody, you are much more susceptible to resenting them. At a point of extreme political division in the United States, we cannot afford this.

The only way to ensure you see other people with opposing views on issues is by interacting with them consistently, such that they are humanized instead of demonized by your views. To exemplify that this is possi ble, let me provide you with a personal example: I am friends with Ben Sznewajs ‘27, but we differ strongly in our political views. Despite this, we were able to sit down over lunch and dis cuss the eco nomic past and future of the Unit ed

States. At no point was there yelling or anything near that. I still disagree with his views, but now I understand his views on the subject and understand his personal values and ideas.

Yet again, the point of school is to be an idea ex change, for this conversation to be restricted, for it to be ostracized as a terrible

tion risks that we do not see people, and instead see only the stereotypes, growing to resent them.

How do Students Talk About Politics?

There are many aspects that go into creating an environment where people feel able to share their political opinions. For some, a structured classroom discussion leads to the best possible output of political discourse. Others may prefer to be in a lower stakes environment, surrounded by friends, such as the cafeteria or the senior and junior lounges. Luckily, different aspects of a school environment can foster both formal and informal discussions in which students are able to exchange their political ideas and opinions.

Classes such as AP Government and Citizenship & the Nation place a heavy emphasis on the exchanging of ideas and civic engagement. Social studies teacher N’Jai-An Patters says that “one of the values of the Social Studies department is civil discourse,” adding that “where there are these big things that happen, kids are paying attention and looking for spaces to talk about them.” Patters emphasizes the importance of discussion on these ideas, stating, “if we can just be curious about why people believe the things that they believe, it’s more enriching for everyone.”

To promote discussion about politics, the election squad created the recurring Elect & Connect event which meets to discuss current events going on in the political world. This offers just one of many organized opportunities to engage in civil discourse with one’s fellow classmates.

Minha Ali ‘27, one of Patters’ students, stated that “we have a civic engagement project twice a semester that pushes us out of our comfort zone.” This project, a commonality amongst 10th grade social studies classes, encourages students to attend or participate in their local government. Some examples of civic engagement for this project include school or county board meetings, court sessions, or rallies.

body. However, beyond these designated areas, when discussing with those outside of school, talking about politics in school often leads to conflict.

While there are many opportunities for students to share their voices, many prefer to simply talk about politics in a more informal setting. Patters noted that “more than half a dozen kids found me throughout the day” after the first presidential debate. Informal settings such as the hallways and lunchroom can be a comfortable place for many to share ideas with their peers.

Ultimately, it’s important to recognize that there are many differing opinions about where the best place to share ideas is, but being able to engage in civil discourse with one’s peers is an important part of both the curriculum and one’s day to day life.

While political views are essential to a functional society, discussing them in educational environments promotes a divided student body, which leads to a less effective education system. These discussions don’t need to happen in everyday school life because clubs and classes, such as social studies classrooms and Model UN, are designated spaces for them.

There is nothing inherently wrong with sharing your views in school. It’s extremely important to note that I am not arguing that it’s harmful to share opin-

Publicly sharing political beliefs can further promote division along party lines within schools. When students become divided because of their views on the government, it becomes nearly impossible to foster a strong community. Furthermore, there is no issue with not sharing political views outside of the classroom. Schools offer plenty of separate spaces, like clubs and specific classes, focused on political discussions. These spaces are important for sharing perspectives without creating division in the student

Political views in school promote an environment of peer pressure, making some students uncomfortable. Discomfort, while small amounts of it could be beneficial to learning, at a larger scale can make learning nearly impossible for students. Many people avoid discussing politics in the workplace or social settings, and the same is true for school. Some students feel extremely uncomfortable when tense political subjects arise.

As students often strive to fit in, many conform their views to those around them. As illustrated by physiologist Kendra Cherry, not

only does groupthink lead to direct pressure to conform but also self-censorship. Selfcensorship refers to the idea of not sharing one’s true beliefs for fear of not fitting in. Because of this, in a school environment, certain political views may never be voiced, and schools can unintentionally promote one political candidate, party, or idea.

As a school, from what I’ve experienced in and out of the classroom most of the ideologies and perspectives are predominantly leftleaning. While there is noth-

ing inherently wrong with this observation, as a result, I feel that there is a sort of unspoken barrier preventing other ideas from being shared, for fear of being taken the wrong way. Because of this, I believe talking about politics in a general school setting is not beneficial unless it is part of a directed discussion.

Discussing politics in school not only promotes

division and creates an uncomfortable environment for students, but it is unnecessary since there are already designated opportunities for these discussions. Moreover, discussing political views in school can promote peer pressure, leading to less diversity of thought.

Top to bottom. All photos obtained via campaign websites and Instagrams.

Evie Chow | Variety Editor