The Spectrum Newspaper April 2023

Friday | April 28 | 2023

Students Unplug on Catalina Island

Editor & Copy Editor

Maren Anderson’s Marine Biology classes from frst and second semester had the opportunity to explore Catalina Island in California. Molly Seidel ‘24 describes her time on the island, saying, “I really enjoyed all of the diverse experiences that we were offered like an astronomy hike and different kinds of snorkeling such as in the night and chumming the water and also daytime hikes and sunrise hikes.”

One of the activities the students did was snorkeling during the day and at night. Pictured, Steve Kaback Lilly and Audrey Anderson ‘23 dressed to go snorkeling. Audrey says, “[The] biggest challenge was defnitely the cold water when snorkeling. The wetsuits helped some, but the initial shock of the cold water was defnitely something else. But you eventually get used to it.”

Julie Lythcott-Haims Strikes Chord

Speaker visits all campuses, imparts stories

“N othing lights me up more than being with young people…

This is what I’m ultimately about - [being] with young people trying to figure themselves

early adulthood, interactions with students as well as reflections from parenthood to promote the message that there is no one true “right path.”

Originally, LythcottHaims went to Harvard Law School with the intention of helping people. After graduating, she began a career in corporate law but eventually realized she lost this goal amidst pressure to prove herself and her ability to

deep sadness, that’s often when we’re finally able to head our own voice, like, ‘I am so miserable I can’t do this anymore.’ ”

She eventually found her place as the Freshman Dean at her undergraduate alma mater, Stanford University, where she met countless students pressured into career paths by their parents that ultimately brought them unhappiness.

“I think [Lythcott-

While on the island, there was no cell service. The students were forced to unplug and enjoy the nature that surrounded them. Audrey Anderson states, “I didn’t really notice. My phone was usually hidden in my backpack so I never really thought about it.” Colin Lee ‘24 also says, “It was good. It felt like a detox, kind of like a cleansing.”

Community Safety

garding their needs, but in doing this, she started to see some of the overparenting behaviors reflected in her interactions with her own kids.

“My job is to teach so they can do for themselves because one day I won’t be here, that’s good parenting. So I became a whole lot more compassionate once I realized I’m complicit in the problem I’m critiquing.” she

Message quells rumors

Mackenzie Higgins | Co-Editor-in-Chief

At 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 21, Upper School students and families received a message from Upper School Director, Joe Ruggiero, and Director of Transportation, Safety and Security, Gene Paulauskas, regarding a recent rumored threat to the community.

Students and parents had brought concerns to the administration of a student threatening violence who possibly had access to frearms, but after an investigation, administrators concluded that there was no genuine threat to the school’s safety.

out is my passion,” says Julie Lythcott-Haims, this year’s Classes of ‘55 Residency Speaker.

Lythcott-Haims began her three day visit with a presentation to the Upper School community in the Juliet Nelson Auditorium wherein she replayed lessons from her most recent book, “Your Turn: How to be an Adult.” She combined tales from childhood and

Throughout every season, Boys Tennis has had one rival: the weather.

achieve success. Unfulfilled, Lythcott-Haims debated pivoting her career path to circle back to her desire to help people.

Haims’ speech] did strike a chord with me,” says Matthew Sun ‘24 . “There were many relatable aspects of the speech and I think that I speak on behalf of many people [that there’s] many [expectations] and pressures put onto us by our parents.”

Disheartened by the stories from students, Lythcott-Haims encouraged them to communicate with their parents re-

Taking advantage of the rich resources and experiences Minneapolis has to offer can make learning experiences so much more impactful.

says.

“I related to the idea about the tension between what other people want you to do and what you want to do,” Taara Verma ‘24 says. “What she had to say about reflecting on her own projections of what she wanted for her kids and being able to recognize that, I thought that was powerful.”

Ruggiero explains that the decision to notify the community of events and concerns like this “depends on the actual situational context.” He continues, “In this particular case, there was a lot of rumor and conversation that was going on, both among parents and among students about this issue. Much of the informa-

Most high school students take up sports or clubs as extracurriculars, but Piper Crow ‘24 and Sawyer Guider ‘25 both enjoy flying planes as a hobby.

tion was incorrect and also was causing a lot of stress and anxiety for obvious reasons because of the nature of what was being said.”

“I think what happens is that it’s like a game of telephone,” Ruggiero adds. “Someone will say something and then someone will hear part of it or think they understand something someone was saying, [and] then tell three friends. Then the parents hear what’s going on and it snowballs into something that it never actually was. We sent something out because we wanted to try to stop [the rumors] as much as possible.”

Ruggiero, alongside the Upper School grade deans and Head of School, Anne Stavney, decided “it was much better for us to actually send out some communication to try to let people know that everything was okay and [the issue] had been investigated.”

Ruggiero notes that it’s important for students to speak with administrators when they hear about potential safety issues because the only way they can be addressed is if the administration is aware.

Zoey Ueland & Mackenzie Higgins | Co-Editors-in-Chief

“My job is to teach so they can do for themselves because one day I won’t be here, that’s good parenting. So I became a whole lot more compassionate once I realized I’m complicit in the problem I’m critiquing.”- Lythcott-Haims

“It’s a privilege to say I might quit this and do something else that might make me less money but also when we are miserable, that’s when our voice speaks loudest to us. At some point, when we are suffering in some bodily sense or some

Kate Rekas & Sofia Perlman | Opinions

Lilly Anderson

Lilly Anderson

Kate Rekas

Cleo Kilpatrick

The Blake School 511 Kenwood Pkwy

Issue VIII April 28, 2023

Editors-In-Chief:

Mackenzie Higgins | Zoey Ueland

Managing Editors:

Amelia Bush | Evan Vezmar

Photo Editor: Cleo Kilpatrick

Copy Editor: Sofa Perlman

Arts & Culture Editor: Eva Stegic

Student Life Editor: Ali Hecker

Food Editor: Jason Rotenberg

Sports Editor: Yoni Zacks

Opinions Editor: Kate Rekas

Business Manager: Sam Tomzcik

Editor Emeriti: Oscar Walsh

Allyson Jay | Charlotte Opp |

Rowan Wallin

Faculty Adviser: Anna Reid

STAFF WRITERS:

Shruti Balachander, Rhea

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

STAFF ARTISTS:

Julia Everett, Katie Lattin, Melody Lee, Julia Zhang

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Tyler Vandersall

COLUMNIST: Uma Bhardwaj

BECOME A STAFF MEMBER:

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

JOIN SPECTRUM:

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

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

MISSION STATEMENT:

The primary purpose of the Blake School Spectrum is to report news and to explain its meaning and signifcance to our readers and the community. We hope to inform, entertain and provide a school forum for the unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions.

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

Dicus Plans New Adventures, Kaback Reminisces

Left: Dicus speaks to Will Mairs ‘23 in AP Spanish, one of the courses he taught for many years.

Right: Kaback helps Kade Gajdusek ‘23 with work for AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism. Kaback also teaches 11th grade Physics: Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism. See a full feature on these teachers in the May issue of Spectrum!

Two teachers announce departures

Sofia Perlman | Copy Editor

For 31 years, Jon Dicus has brought energy and passion to his classes at Blake. He says, “The

students are interested, they’re engaged... Also the colleagues here. They’re all really passionate.”

He plans to spend his time traveling and being outdoors before he decides how he wants to pursue his other interests.

Dicus states, “While

I’m still relatively young and still have my body able to do some of the physical things that I like to do– biking, skiing, hiking, backpacking– I decided that I want to chase some of those ideas and dreams… before thinking about another area

of work or dedication.”

After 18 years of teaching at Blake, Steve Kaback will be leaving after this year. Kaback will go on to work at Honeywell, teaching engineers about the physics behind what they are building. The products

created will be used both by everyday consumers as well as for industrial purposes. Kaback states, “I’ll miss everything [about Blake]. No question the thing I’ll miss most of all is the students and the fun classroom culture we have.”

Trump Indictment Sparks Discussion, Interest

Impacts discussed in multiple settings

Yoni Zacks | Sports Editor

OnMar. 30 2023, former president Donald John Trump was indicted on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records - charges that stem from an incident wherein he convinced his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to pay Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an affair. Trump falsely mentioned the payment as a business expense, a crime in New York.

On Friday, April 7 at the Political Roundtable Club’s weekly meeting, students voluntarily discussed the events.

“A former president has never been indicted before so we really don’t know how our members

will react. Some will think the indictment is politically motivated and others will think that the indictment should not be politicized”, club leader Liam Coley ‘25 said. He added, “It is a big story when a former president is indicted in court, but I don’t feel this will have a large impact on our club. We will continue to discuss the story as it develops.”

During their meeting Alex Zhang ‘25 questioned, “How did we even get here? How did we even get to this point? It’s been a wild three years… What specific events led us to this point?” Coley added, “It doesn’t matter if it’s politically motivated. Did he commit the crime or not, that’s what we have to answer.”

Political Roundtable was not the only place where the

indictment was discussed. Kevin Flynn’s A.P. Government and Politics class also talked about it. “More people had heard about the Trump indictment than anything else the whole term,” Flynn says During class, “We talked about the facts as we knew them and I opened a little bit about the historical significance…

In one of my sections, the students wanted to discuss the political strategy of the indictment… we’ll track it moving forward.”

“I’ve had students say to me privately they don’t feel they can share their thoughts in a lot of their classes when it comes to the political realm,” Flynn says. “I sort of leave that

up to them. If they want to, I’m going to defend their right to do that, but I’m not going to force them and put them on the spot. The students I have are juniors and seniors, so a lot of them have that confidence to do it if they want to.”

The former president is set to go on trial in December 2023.

continued from page 1

Impassioned about the helicopter parent problem, Lythcott-Haims sought to convey her message to a broader audience.

“I give speeches on it but I think there’s a book length piece of content to offer. How am I going to be the person to write a book worth reading?” she says. In pursuit of gaining confidence as a writer, Lythcott-Haims went to California College of the Arts to get her Master’s of Fine Arts in writing.

“I love the ways in

which we can all open up to possibility within ourselves and the world by becoming better educated,” she says.

She wrote “How to Raise an Adult”, now a New York Times bestseller, “out of a deep respect for young people having the right to craft their own journey.” At the same time, she was writing poetry.

“In my poetry classes, deeply painful experiences were emerging, like the N-word being written on my locker in senior year of high school. It was the

poetry which was bubbling up out of the depths of me, that was showing me [I have] stuff on [my] mind,” she says. Her MFA culminated with the writing of her thesis, her memoir “Real American.” Speaking to Amanda Minoff’s Memoir class, Lythcott-Haims went over the challenging experience of deciding what stories and people to share in her writing.

“I was really grateful that she was able to make it,” says Minoff. “I find it helpful to bring in different voices and perspectives and I appreciated how a lot of the themes she touched on resonated with some of the bigger discussions we’ve been having in Memoir. I think it’s helpful to hear some of those ideas from a different person who has her own story and her own viewpoints.”

Lythcott-Haims visited Beth Daniel’s fifth grade class to speak about some of the topics she touched

American.”

“[Lythcott-Haims] spoke about her experience growing up as a biracial young girl after sharing the story of Ruby Bridges,” said Daniel via email. “[Her] visit to my class was very impactful on my students.”

In a written reflection on Lythcott-Haims’ visit, one of Daniel’s students, Rowan, shared, “Her speech really moved me and the rest of my grade and I am amazed on how she could do exactly what she wanted to when she grew up despite all the obstacles she had to face growing up.”

Another 5th grader, Vaughn, added, “It really opened my eyes on how African Americans were treated and in some cases, still being treated like that today.”

“Seeing young people embrace their own identities made me embrace mine. Similarly, working with my own kids

and seeing them blossom on their chosen path is a continual reminder that growth is available to us all,” Lythcott-Haims adds. “You know I’ve really had three different careers… I’ve been a lawyer and I’ve been a higher education administrator and now I’m an author and speaker, I was also recently elected to the City Council in my town.”

“I thought it was a really good speech and it gave a really great message. She was mainly talking about college, but you can interpret it in other ways and find a way for it to fit into your life even if you’re not going to college soon,” Maggie Souvignier ‘26 remarks.

In addition to her visits with students, LythcottHaims also presented to parents on How to Raise Successful Kids Without Overparenting as well as hosted Breakfast at Blake: What it Means to Be Black in White Spaces.

Co-Editors-in-Chief Mackenzie Higgins ‘24 and Zoey Ueland ‘24 interviewed Lythcott-Haims after her speech on April 11.

Yoni Zacks

Evan Vezmar Evan Vezmar

Yoni Zacks

The Political Roundtable Club, which meets on Fridays during FLEX, discussed Trump’s indictment. on in “Real

Students

Sonia Lerner | Staff Writer

AP test season is just around the corner, which one would think means an increase in stress among students. However, the tides seem to be turning with students’ attitudes toward AP tests, as many students are now expressing a lack of stress towards preparation for these exams.

Josh Berger ‘24 describes how he isn’t

Cantemus Performs at Groveland

Ali Hecker | Student Life Editor

On April 21, members of Cantemus, the treble choir at the Upper School, performed a 30 minute long set of songs at the Groveland Gallery during lunch. Groveland Gallery is located just a fve minute walk away from Northrop, in a restored 1890’s mansion. Groveland Gallery has been open since 1973 and exhibits and sells contemporary and representational paintings and drawings by Midwestern artists. The gallery features new exhibitions every six weeks. The beautiful gallery made the performance all the more enjoyable. Cantemus beaustifully sung songs by artists such as Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. The group ended with a performance of “Happy Birthday” to honor choir director, Natalia Romero, who’s birthday it was. The performance was amazing and the audience of parents were highly impressed.

Experience Lack of Stress Toward AP Exams

very stressed about preparing for his three AP tests this year. He says that his perspective towards them has shifted since his first AP test last year, saying, “In sophomore year, [I took] my first AP test and I cared so much about it…But I’ve learned from teachers and students that it’s not really worth as much and I should stress less about it.” He continues, saying that he’s more concerned about “how [he] do[es] in the class than what [he] get[s] on the AP test.”

Sophomores

Neva Bakshi ‘25 and Eva Redmond ‘25 both

changed their perspectives as well, saying that they’re “not super stressed right now.” Redmond goes on to add that, in terms of applying to college, “the school has overall been

of stress, saying that classes themselves are satisfactory preparation for the upcoming exams.

very supportive of the fact that it’s your grades that matter, your essays, your extracurriculars, [and] not so much one test score.”

Berger adds another reason for his lack

“I don’t think teachers teach to prepare us for the AP exams, I think they teach us just to teach us, and I think that in itself prepares us for the AP test,” he says. Fuller agrees, noting that in “APUSH, [she] feel[s] like [she’s] been getting a lot of support when it comes to preparing.”

More than that, though, Fuller mentions that other things have been occupying her time. She comments, “there’s a lot of other school stuff that I’m really stressed about, so I feel like [preparing for AP tests is] in the back of my mind.”

Even if students do put time and effort into studying and preparing for AP tests, when freshman year of college comes around, students may benefit from introductory classes. Berger discusses his take on this: “[When] I go to college, I don’t necessarily want to test out of Chemistry 101, because

that shift of mind going from high school to college, like you need to understand what’s expected of you and I think that it’s definitely not in my best interest to skip a class like Chemistry [101] in college. And even if I do skip it, I’m just going to replace it with more chemistry [classes].”

Berger gives a final piece of advice to prospective AP test takers: “I feel like the common advice is just don’t stress about it, and that’s a little bit cliché but it’s true, because it really won’t matter…A lot of schools…won’t look at your AP test scores.”

Leadership Applications Offer Opportunities to Demonstrate Skills

Students indicate interest in leadership roles

Mirah Lukis | Contributing

Withspring on its way, student leadership applications follow. The leadership application form was open for around four weeks before it closed on April 5th. In this form, students were asked to indicate any leadership positions they were interested in by answering a variety of questions regarding prior leadership experience, valuable experiences with student leaders, and traits they believe a leader should exhibit. Interest in varying leadership positions differed greatly depending on the student. Christian Xiong

‘26 mentions that, “[he] did consider [applying] for [yearbook] for the extra credit.”

Liam Coley ‘25 who indicated his interest in Student Inter-action Committee, stated that, “I feel that the SIAC events could be better and I feel that there is room for improvement in the organization itself.”

Upper School Assistant Director Sarah War-

ren believes, “Some students are natural…leaders and either they want to be up in front of people…or they really appreciate serving people.”

Eleanor Loew ‘24 mentioned the reasons for why she was interested in admissions, Health Information Project, and Community Judiciary Board: “I am very passionate about all of the roles. Admissions is something I’ve

always done because my mom works in the admissions office … and I’m very passionate about HIP because I think that’s one of the biggest things that we haven’t had in the Blake curriculum so I’m really excited to see how they add to it and make the overall health information more expansive.” She continues, “CJB is really nice because students get a voice in the disciplinary process and are able to stand up for each other.”

Both faculty and students agree that for many upperclassmen, college applications are a driving factor in applying to be a leader. Warren mentions, “There are definitely students who [apply for a leadership position] because there’s a resume process [students] were all told [they] have to do.” Loew agrees, “I’m pretty

sure lots of people do [apply for a leadership position] to look good on college apps but,” she continues, “I know there are also a lot of people who are really passionate about the things they apply for and enjoy them,” she says.

Many students have expressed their general approval of the leadership application itself but even so, staff still strive to make the process the

best it can be for students.

Warren says, [Ben]. Cady, and [Maggie] Bowman have been “trying to figure out how [they] empower leaders–students, to do more…so [students] really feel some ownership of something and it’s not just ‘I think we should do X!’ and then the adults make it happen. Because that’s not how it works in the real world … some of that is changing our systems.”

Students prepared for their new roles as leaders in the community before the start of school.

On Leadership Day (August 2022), students gathered in the courtyard to discuss what it means to be a leader.

“It’s your grades that matter, your essays, your extracurriculars, [and] not so much one test score.” - Bakshi

Students prepare differently for exams in May

Writer

Tyneeta Canonge

Tyneeta Canonge

Eva Stegic

Eva Stegic

SUPER STAR LANA DEL REY RELEASES MAJOR HIT

New album surprises fans and sheds new light on the singer

Rowan Wallin | Editor Emeritus

new album by Lana Del Rey came out on Mar. 24 titled “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd?” For those who have been living under a rock, or, rather, under Ocean Blvd, Del Rey (aka Lizzy Grant) hasn’t released a real album since “Chemtrails over the Country Club” in 2021 (sorry, but “Blue

Banisters” does not constitute a “real” album).

ADel Rey is known for her lyrical themes and motifs which force listeners to travel back in time to 1950s America. She often sings about blue jeans, alcohol, the national anthem, red, white, and blue, and motorcycling out in the free, vast country. But in her latest album, Del Rey still pivots around these themes, such as, “This is the experience of being an American wh*re,” while reminding listeners that the year is

2023 by saying, “Pass me my vape; I’m feeling sick; I need to take a puff.”

Del Rey, who initially struggled hard to break into the music scene in the 2000s, has delivered us a mature album with DYKTTATUOB. Del Rey, who rose to stardom in 2012 upon her release of her first album “Born to Die,” is also recently engaged to Evan Winiker, another singer. With this knowledge, fans now have some sort of idea of who Del Rey, who keeps her relationships very private, sings about in her love songs. The album focuses on multiple themes in Del

Recap of Spring Break reading: two beautiful books, engaging, artistic covers

Uma Bhardwaj | Columnist

“BrownGirls” by Daphne Palasi Andreades is the only book I have ever read that is narrated entirely by a collective “we” voice – the brown girls of Queens.

It tells the story of growing up as a woman of color: both the similar experiences that shape all these brown girls’ lives, as well as the multitude of paths and choices they make.

As the girls’ (and eventually, women’s) lives splinter from one another, the novel speaks on identity through honest, clever prose.

The cover’s collage-like images and mix of colors highlight this blend of voices, beautifully capturing the complexity of the novel. The audience can see the world these women live in on the cover.

John Green’s “The Anthropocene Reviewed” tackles one of the most universal questions to ever be written about: how should we feel about humanity? Are we actually all that great? John Green answers with a resounding “yes.”

He rates small components of our human-focused world, the “anthropocene,” on a familiar scale: from one to five stars. Through a series of essays, the book reflects on scratch n’ sniff stickers, Halley’s comet, and everything in between. The things humans have created, the things we’ve noticed.

The optimistic tone of the book will leave you feeling better about yourself, and your place in the world, and the cover is as winding and gorgeous as the book itself. This book’s cover matches the rest of Green’s work as well!

Rey’s life such as her disdain for her mother, her love of privacy and remoteness, and loss. Among the most popular songs on the album are the title track, “A&W,” “Let the Light In,” “Peppers,” and “Taco Truck x VB.”

The title track describes the Jergins Tunnel in Long Beach, CA, an abandoned tunnel which is now an artistic haven with its “mosaic ceilings.”

“A&W” is about Del Rey’s tragic past when she was sexually assaulted. She never told anyone in fear of being branded as a harlot.

“Let the Light In” is a

B S

A U

Q I A T

that you hate

love duet between Del Rey and Father John Misty about being resilient.

“Peppers,” another love song, contains a catchy chorus, “Hand on your knees, I’m Angelina Jolie.” Again, this song reminds listeners of its modernity. Del Rey sings, “My boyfriend tested positive for COVID. It don’t matter. We’ve been kissing, so whatever he has, I have. I can’t cry.”

Out of the sixteen songs, “Taco Truck x VB” is arguably the best on the entire album. The

song opens and describes Del Rey’s boyfriend who she met at a “Taco Truck.” Mid-song, the slow song becomes remixed with one of Del Rey’s most famous hits, “Venice B*tch” from her 2019 album “Norman F*****g Rockwell!”

This song, the last one on the album, ends beautifully, chanting, “Soundin’ off, bang, bang, kiss, kiss.”

Controversial retrospective exhibit allows art community to process Basquiat’s life’s work

Kate Rekas | Opinions Editor

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an artist in every sense of the word. It could be argued that he even lived in art, or at least was always surrounded by it. Basquiat, half Puerto Rican and half Haitian, was born in 1960, in a hub for the arts, Brooklyn, New York City.

He would spend the rest of his life there. For Basquiat, New York was truly a “concrete jungle where dreams are made of,” and it is on this concrete that Basquiat’s dreams began.

Basquiat’s artistic career began with street art. After his parents separated and his mother was periodically institutionalized for mental health struggles, Basquiat dropped out of highschool and became a relatively known graffiti artist. It was in the 80s that his

career flourished, and he went on to do shows with Andy Warhol.

Daisy Jones 6 Sparks Nostalgia

Popular new series loosely based on Fleetwood Mac

Zoey Ueland | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Sex, drugs, and rock & roll: Daisy Jones and the Six, Amazon Prime’s new limited series produced by Reese Witherspoon provides all three, and does it exceptionally well.

The show follows The Six, originally called the Dunne Brothers, as they travel from Pittsburgh to the gold paved streets of Los Angeles, where they go from playing weddings

to playing along the Sunset Strip, to eventually sold out stadium shows.

For me, the show provided exactly the entertainment I was looking for as the days slowly inched by in anticipation of Spring Break. Its plot does anything but inchDaisy (played by Riley Keough) quickly rockets to stardom alongside the band, their tumultuous relationship thickens and fizzles as each episode progresses. It’s a classic tale - kids with dreams of tour buses, rock and roll, and of grandeur making it - reminiscent of Almost Famous.

While music is a central component of the show, so is the love

triangle between Daisy Jones, co-lead Billy (Sam Clafflin), and Billy’s wife Camilla Dunne (Camillia Morrone). When Daisy and Billy first meet at Sunset Studio (where Fleetwood Mac infamously recorded Rumors), it’s enigmatic - their voices join in perfect harmony as do their eyes. Karen Sirko (Suki Waterhouse), lead pianist, opens her eyes wide as they sing, almost in disbelief. Yet, tension underlies their relationship. For Billy, the constant choice between what’s right and what’s tempting forms a melody and harmony that together sparks artistry.

me.”

“Before you talk let me stop what you’re saying I know, I know, I know

QR code to listen to Lana’s album

Rekas

One of Basquiat’s paintings is on display in Montreal.

Eva Stegic

Flavorful Fun Inside each Box It’s Snack Time!

Sweet, salty, and soggy

Cleo Kilpatrick | Photo Editor

This Magically Delicious cereal is sweet and savory. Lucky Charms have a very balanced mix between the marshmallow charms and cereal. The soft marshmallows add sweetness that will make you want to have a couple marshmallows in each spoonful. The crunchy cereal adds a balanced sweet and salty favor in each spoonful. To have the most satisfying bite of Lucky Charms, I need an appropriate ratio of cereal to marshmallows on my spoon. I also appreciate how even the last couple bites of this cereal will still be crunchy even after sitting in milk for a while. From my experience, this cereal doesn’t get too soggy, and each part keeps its favor. This allows you to taste the magic in each bite!

Best snacks for you this spring

Max Yousha | Staff Writer

This Yabba Dabba delicious cereal isn’t so Yabba Dabba delicious when you add milk. I was very disappointed when I made my bowl of Fruity Pebbles. This cereal quickly became soggy after adding the milk and the milk abstracted the fruity flavor of the cereal. Each bite was sad and soupy. When it comes to cereal, I crave a crunchy flavorful blast on my taste buds. I think this cereal is great to snack on dry and on the go for a sugar pick-me-up. Fruity Pebbles on their own are very crunchy, light, and flaky. After one bite you will be wanting more and more, so if you are looking for a good snacking cereal I recommend Fruity Pebbles, just don’t add the milk!

If you have never had cereal before, try Honey Nut Cheerios to jump-start your palate. It’s an instant classic. You can never go wrong with a bowl of these round bundles of joy. I love this cereal because it’s simple and not too sweet. I especially like the crunch of Honey Nut Cheerios. When you take your frst bite after pouring the milk into the bowl, the cereal’s favor is a magnet to your tongue that creates a party in your mouth. Each bite you get the same burst of favors, which is something you can never go wrong with in a cereal. This trait of the cereal lasts until your fnal bite. After one bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, I’m always craving the next!

After a long day of school, before sports practices or other extracurricular activities, having a snack can be vital to making it through the afternoon. Whether it’s right after school, late at night studying, or anytime in between, the fuel is necessary to keep a stu dent going. Snacks have great energy, protein, and nutrients that are essential for anyone, especially growing high school students. Choosing these snacks is extremely important, as it can become a habit, and one good snack is better than snack ing on junk food throughout the after noon. The top two things that I value in my afternoon snacks are nu trition and taste.

First, taste, if the snack doesn’t taste good, it won’t satisfy my mood or hunger. Especially after a long day at school, and a likely mediocre lunch. Some things that make a

snack tasty are sweetness or saltiness. On either side of that spectrum, a snack can be very good.

Some good salty snacks include Gardetto’s and pretzels. Some tasty sweet snacks include candy bars, cookies, and trail mix. The other thing I look for in my snacks is nutrition. The key to good nutrition is protein, because protein is proven to keep you full for a longer period of time. It keeps me nourished until dinner or a later time. Other nutrients that are important are fats and carbs. A few tasty nutritious foods I enjoy after school are yogurt, bananas, and other fruits. These are quick and easy for times’ sake, and they give a good amount of energy and nutrients. Along with that, they are tasty!

Overall, it is extremely important to take the time to eat an afternoon or evening snack while studying, doing an extracurricular activity, or just sitting at home. When choosing a snack, make sure to take nutrition and taste into consideration.

Breakfast Sparks Controversy Between Sweet, Savory Options

Both sides have delicious dishes

Eva Stegic | Arts & Cultures Editor

When you go out for breakfast, you have to make the ultimate decision: sweet or savory. If you’re cool (like me) you obviously choose the savory breakfast, or if you’re like my brother, you will probably choose the sweetest pancakes possible.

At my house, when we make breakfast as a family, we usually make a full English breakfast, which includes sausage, English bacon, beans, toast, eggs, roasted tomatoes, and fried mushrooms. I really enjoy this breakfast, especially the beans on toast, but for someone like my brother, it’s not as appealing. Cooper Stegic ‘25 enjoys breakfast items such as peanut butter toast, cinnamon rolls, and banana bread.

Another popular savory breakfast is the

breakfast sandwich or a breakfast burrito, which we also make at home all the time. These breakfast sandwiches are usually pretty tame, consisting of fried eggs, bacon, cheese, mayo, hot sauce, and for me, pepperoncini peppers. The combination of these ingredients

leads to a flavor explosion in your mouth that can’t be topped. They also are extremely filling for the first meal of the day, which means that you will have energy for the entire morning.

Price Glover ‘24 agrees, saying that he “prefers a savory break-

fast.” According to Glover, sweet breakfast items get too much “hype.” He really detests donuts, saying, “donuts are too sweet for the morning. I don’t see the appeal.” Although, on the other hand, donuts are an extremely popular breakfast item among the student body. Arlo Cornell ‘23 sort of agrees, saying that he thinks “[donuts] pair well together [with breakfast],” but he would rather have a savory breakfast to start out the day.

Chicken and Waffles are also the perfect pairing of both sweet and savory. Cornell continues, saying he “doesn’t like one without the other,” which is insightful reasoning; why can’t we enjoy both? Cornell makes an important distinction, saying that you should “start off [the morning] savory, [and then] end the evening with sweet.”

This remark is poignant, especially because breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Eva Stegic

The sweet pancakes (top) and the sweet and savory chicken and waffes (bottom) are both solid options for a nutritious breakfast.

Eva Stegic

The English breakfast dominates the Stegic house in the morning.

Cleo Kilpatrick

Cleo Kilpatrick

Cleo Kilpatrick

Max Yousha

Track and Field Braves Cold

First two outdoor meets of season show success

Zoey Ueland | Co-Editor-in-Chief

On Monday, April 17, the track & field team competed in their first outdoor meet of the season, hosted by the International School of Minnesota.

While Minnesota’s weather has fluctuated throughout the early spring, the condition of the track was fairly good, lacking snow or rain that would make it slippery for runners. However, temperatures ranged from 30-40 degrees, proving chilly and therefore tough

on the runners’ muscles. The low temperatures also hindered success of turnout; cheering was additionally subdued. Despite significant obstacles, results displayed widespread success. In the 4x100 and 4x400 boys’ varsity relays, Blake teams came in second.

The girls’ varsity 4x100 team took first, as well as the girls’ 4x800 relay team composed of Cleo Kilpatrick ‘24, Hanna Hack ‘25, Ainsley Pflaum ‘25 , and Callie Arthur ‘27 Saleya Scott ‘25 championed the girls’ varsity long jump as did Kilpatrick with the girls’ 800 Meters. Close behind Kilpatrick was Zoe Goodman ‘25 and Molly Anderson ‘25 , who took second and third respec-

Mystery Athlete: Ultimate Frisbee

tively. In both the men’s and women’s combined scoring Blake took third in an exciting beginning to their season.

Bears returned to the track on April 24 at Providence Academy for the Providence-Tri. Similar to the last meet, “It was pretty cold,” Hack says.

Despite low temperatures, the team saw similar success. The girls’ 4x800 relay team of Kilpatrick, Hack, Goodman, and Arthur took second.

With a time of 10:16.13, “we are hopefully going to qualify for Hamline,” Hack says. The aforementioned Hamline Elite Meet hosts the top 12 runners in each event at Hamline University on April 28.

Can you guess this team captain?

Jason Rotenberg | Food Editor

April’s mystery athlete is a captain for the girls Ultimate Frisbee team. She has been playing ultimate since her freshman year. The athlete describes themselves as a “leader whether I am a captain, or not.” Last year the athlete was “nominated for all conference team,” a team which they made due to their “communication skills on and off the field.” “I try to teach players if they are lost or confused,” she says.

Teammate Kelly Deng ‘25 describes this month’s athlete as “very supportive and helpful. She makes sure that everyone knows what they are doing, and if not, she helps them, so she’s a good teammate.” Deng also says that this month’s athlete “has good spirit during the game[s], and she makes sure to encourage the sideline cheers, and being supportive of our teammates on the field.” Deng furthers, “she is very well organized, she always has a plan.”

Teammate Grace

Flikke ‘24 describes this month’s athlete as “super fun to play with, and always very helpful.” Flikke explains she is “very friendly and nice to everyone… she also brings lots of knowledge about the sport.”

Flikke believes her to be “a really great leader, she is always really good at communicating with the other players, the coaches, and making sure that things are getting done…she is really nice to everyone.”

“On the field, her throws are really nice,

they are always right to the perfect spot and very flat… off the field she is always super positive, and friendly to everyone,” Flikke says.

Sophia Peterson ‘25 adds on, this month’s athlete is “supportive, helpful, and instructive. She has very high energy… if you need to learn how to throw or with all the new players, she’s taught them really well, and she’s really nice about it if you do something wrong.” Can you guess the athlete? Find out at blakespectrum.org!

Spring Sports Season Shorter than Counterparts, Extra Challenging

Multi-sport athletes share experiences

Faith Zhao | Staff Writer

The average season length of spring and fall sports seasons are around 7-10 weeks, however, the winter sports season is double the length. This season length disparity is mainly due to the Minnesota weather: snow covering the playing field, the low temperature, or the closed golf courses. The weather makes the 16 weeks of the spring season turn into 10-13 weeks, with tournaments being postponed, canceled, or rescheduled, and no available practice grounds. Nick Rathmann, Director of Athletics, argues, “I think spring feels very short not just because of the week number,

but because they have so many weather related cancellations that there’s just not as much action as there is say fall or the winter.”

Liam Brink ‘26, part of both the hockey and baseball team states that “Whenever I come from my winter sport to a spring sport, It feels like a really weird transition. Because the winter season was so long, we were able to take more time to do things and spread out games. Although, in my spring sport, we have two games or more a week and a lot more of a crammed schedule. The spring sport feels a bit rushed for me.”

Cole Eckes ‘26, a team member of the and golf and alpine ski team says that, “I appreciate the way

practices are structured for both of my spring and winter sports, and they are structured to fit the length of the season. I feel like I am getting similar practice time in both sports, despite the difference in length of season.”

Extending the season earlier in the winter with more indoor practices seem possible, however, Rathmann says, “Obviously teams try to find indoor facilities, [but] my hunch is that they are not very effective, they are not like the real thing, so we are not being as efficient as we can.” Not only that, but he notes

that finances and the competition between schools of the limited indoor facilities also play a big role in indoor practices, having planned the indoor golf practice facility in No-

18 weeks, with 26 games in the season, while baseball and softball plays for 13 with 20 games. Despite the differences in season length and game number, Rathmann points

vember. Regarding the amount of tournaments, Rathmann says “Each sport is different, and it’s the coaches that propose how many matches/games they play.”

Even if the coaches propose 30 matches in a tennis season, realistically, due to the weather, the tennis team “[is] probably going to play closer to 13 rescheduled smartly.” Basketball (a winter sport) plays for

out that, “Baseball wouldn’t want to play more, because they need pitchers and anytime someone pitches their arm is sore and they can’t pitch again [for] three or four days until they recover. There is a good reason within all of [the amount of games].”

Eckes brings a new perspective, saying, “the winter season officially starts

early on the calendar in late November or December, but the time period in which we are actually skiing is relatively short. In both cases (winter and spring), tournaments and races have the potential to be held back. Sometimes in skiing we have had a race planned for December but there is simply not enough snow or the snow is poor quality.” Brink mentions, “Longer seasons tend to have more space for rest days or games per week. The longer season can also be more open to more tournaments that are away from home, such as a tournament in Duluth. I have played more hockey tournaments that were away than I have in baseball.”

The full version of this article can be found on blakespectrum.org

Photo illustration by Yoni Zacks

Cleo Kilpatrick

Will Eckes ‘24 in the middle of running the 800-meter relay. Eckes placed third.

“The shorter nature of the ski season or the time we have on snow motivates me to work harder because I know the season will go by quicker.”- Eckes

Tennis Challenged by Weather, Delays Start of Season by a Week

Rain, snow create logistical challenges for team

Amelia Bush | Managing Editor

Throughout every season, Boys’ Tennis has had one rival: the weather. Rain and snow prevent the use of outdoor courts, leaving coaches and captains fighting to find indoor practice space amidst the many other teams desperate for courts. The

tennis team has finished tryouts and are kicking off their season. Through tryouts, the team was separated with players trying out early in the morning and returners practicing after school.

Captain Kai Chen ‘24 states that “Tryouts were at Eden Prairie Crosstown [Lifetime Fitness] and after school practices were at Eden Prairie, the Flagship one.”

Some returning members played at both tryouts and the team practices to play against those trying

out. Not every returning member attends tryouts, however, because there isn’t enough court space.

New varsity player Graham Everett ‘26 comments, “We had to be there at 6:15 a.m. and we had to wake up at like 5:30 a.m.”

“It kind of sucks. The snow hasn’t melted,” Chen says. Their first match against Providence had to be postponed because of the weather.

The season as a whole is shaping up to be a good one. On April

Baseball Relocates Indoors

Over spring break , the baseball team , along with every other team , was forced to change their plans for their earliest practices The team had to relocate to Nevers Larkin Baseball , an indoor practice facility in Edina due to the snow and the temperature outside

Right: Will Nelson ' 24 describes "Oftentimes [a] coach [is] behind that 'L screen' , but in this case the players were throwing to each other , me and Michael Rekas [' 23 ] The thrower will stand closer so the ball won't be moving as quickly as it would in a game setting , but rather it forces the hitter to react quicker which is a super important aspect with hitting [This is] a common method which , as a team , we do every day ”

Below: "I'm hitting of a pitching machine which is basically a machine with two or three wheels that rotate super quickly to mimick an actual pitch from a game You’re able to use it in a bunch of diferent ways but the primary use is for people to work on their hitting , ” says Nelson

Bottom right: London Shiely ' 23 practices catching while Eli Charney ' 25 uses a radar gun behind Shiely Radar guns are used to measure the speed of a baseball at all levels , from Little League up to Major League Baseball

12, the team had a successful win against Matohmedi. Everett states that “I think we’re looking good this year. Our team on a broad scale is pretty young still. I’m one of four freshmen, we still have a middle schooler on there.” He continues saying, “A lot of the freshmen on the team I am already kind of friends with so that’s kind of a good intro to the team. I feel like I’ve already started bonding with a lot of people on the team.”

Top: Chen tosses his serve up at the match against Orono on April 21. Bottom: Everett and Calvin Bredesen ‘24 rally. Chen and the team are hoping to build off of their frst match, a win.

Evan Vezmar

Tyler Vandersall

Tyler Vandersall

Michael Hackett

Allyson Jay

Museums Around the Metro: Mia: Minneapolis Institute of Art

Eva Stegic | Arts & Culture Editor

Right: Pierre Bonnard’s painting titled “Dining room in the Country” is currently on view in Mia. Not only is the painting absolutely beautiful, but it is extremely large as well, which means that the viewer can easily see the color and brush strokes Bonnard used to express himself.

Minneapolis Institute of Art, more commonly known as Mia, is (arguably) the best arts & history museum in Minnesota. From a plethora of art, spanning multiple continents, to ancient artifacts and an exhibition room that houses multiple shows a year, the Mia has so many different artists to see and experience. Personally, I have been going to Mia my entire life, as I am extremely interested in art. This museum has been an integral part of my life, and one of my earliest memories is visiting the museum with my middle school class and seeing the giant Chihuly glass sculpture right as you enter the museum. Even now I take multiple class trips every year to the Mia to gain knowledge and insight into the art world.

For my Advanced Painting class, we were tasked with going to Mia and choosing a pattern that we saw in any piece of art there and making our own painting in response to the pattern. This experi-

ence was one of the best moments I have had in my painting class, because it brought both my love for painting at school and of the Mia together. Even going for a short class period one day immediately brought me so much inspiration. Being able to go to Mia for class is always my favorite activity.

Over the summer, I spent every Saturday I had free at Mia with my mom walking around and soaking in the museum. We started on the second floor, experiencing the South East Asian art. Having spent so much time at the museum over the summer, I learned just how vast the collection of South East Asian art is. I spent hundreds of hours in the museum, drawing each ink scroll to gain a better understanding of ancient painting techniques. This led me down a rabbit hole of reproducing masterpieces using the ancient techniques, gaining knowledge that I now use in the art I make everyday.

Mia is almost constantly

exchanging these paintings as well, meaning that each time you visit, there will most likely be new art that you haven’t seen before.

My favorite kind of art is French Impressionism, and lucky for me, Mia has a relatively large collection that you can visit. Even though it is tucked away in the back corner of the museum, the room consists of paintings from well known artists such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Vincent van Gogh, and Pierre Bonnard. Bonnard is my favorite painter, and the painting that Mia has on display by him is absolutely breathtaking. The painting on display is called “Dining Room in the Country,” and it is one of multiple that Bonnard painted depicting his wife at their house in the French countryside. Not only is the painting absolutely beautiful, but it is extremely large as well, which means the viewer can easily see the color and brush strokes Bonnard used to express himself.

Not only does Mia

have a multitude of different international artists, but they often have art from local artists as well. Over the summer there was an exhibit of my favorite artists from here in Minnesota, Alec Soth. Soth is a photographer who went to Breck, often photographing people on their own, creating a sense of loneliness and longing. He is also well known for his landscape photographs of the American Midwest. The exhibit at Mia showcased his talents extremely well. All in all, Mia is an extremely amazing place that the Twin Cities offers, and the fact that it is so close to school makes it even better. Not only are they showcasing art from around the world, but there are most definitely niches that each person can experience and love on their own. The museum is always changing its exhibitions and the art that goes along with it, so each trip is new and exciting. I love Mia and I can’t wait to visit it again soon, as you know, I probably will.

Eva Stegic

Top left: A painting by Claude Monet hung in the Mia. Currently, the museum has three of Monet’s paintings on view. These are just some of Mia’s many French Impressionism paintings.

Eva Stegic

The Value of In-Person Arts

The Walker Art Center

Kate McDonald | Contributing Writer

Lastsemester, I took a class called Art Now: 21st Century art, which visual arts teacher Bill Colburn described as “the class where we try to figure out what is going on at the Walker.”

The Walker Art Center is a contemporary art museum located just up the street that includes a number of indoor galleries and a sculpture garden. The Walker features both art in traditional styles that have an inventive flair or contemporary styles, as well as art that stretches the boundaries of what art can be. Recently, they have been taking steps to feature artists of varying backgrounds and identities. They have made a particular effort to add more art from BIPOC identifying artists and women. This can be seen both in their permanent collections and rotating shows. For example, a piece by Angela Two Stars, a local Dakota artist, called Okiciyapi was installed in the sculpture garden in 2021. Similarly, works by Ta-coumba T. Aiken, another local artist, are on display in the galleries and the sculpture garden.

During my time in the

art history class, I visited the Walker at least once a week. We saw every show available in the fall and cataloged all of the art in the sculpture garden. It was through this experience that I truly appreciated the benefit of immersive and experiential learning. Because of our access to the museum, we were able to learn so much more about the art world, including museum and gallery curation, as well as the art itself. While we learned about art, both through slideshows and in-person visits, I found the in-person visits to be more valuable. Seeing art in person is so much more impactful, personal and engaging than any slideshow. We were able to see texture and detail in a way it cannot be captured digitally and we were able to make more individual choices about what art we wanted to study because we had direct access to so much of it. The Upper School is located in a city full of culture and history. Taking advantage of the rich resources and experiences Minneapolis has to offer can make learning experiences so much more impactful.

The Science Museum

Ahan Devgun | Staff Writer

Within the lush atmosphere of the Science Museum, home to many exhibits of our youth, there are still many things to enjoy that may incite nostalgia as well as inspire curiosity. Its richly popular exhibits lead there to be over a million visitors each year to the museum, and with its education and fun exhibits, there is a litany of experiences to enjoy.

At the time of this writing, there are currently four temporary exhibits: “Exquisite Creatures,” “Community Curators,” “Science Superheroes,” and “Artist at Pine Needles.” Exquisite Creatures is an exhibit present from February 25 through September 4th, which presents animal specimens that are arranged such that they create intricate patterns in a wide variety of textures

and colors. The exhibit includes crystals, lizards, beetles, ammonites, and much more. The museum notes that the exhibit is inspired by the term “biophilia” which is the innate instinct to connect with the rest of the natural world.

The second temporary exhibit is Community Curators. It is held in the lobby of the Science Museum, and invites numerous community artists, educators and organizers to select items from the museum’s vast collections alongside their own work. Each curator then holds conversations about the objects and specifically how they relate to their own cultural community. Another amazing temporary exhibit is Artist at Pine Needle Gallery: a gallery describing the place where art and science intersect. The final temporary exhib-

it is Science Superheroes, where one can meet different scientists in various fields and learn about their work. Some of these superheroes include Dr. Alex Hastings who discovered a 2500 pound snake from prehistoric South America and Dr. Catherine Early who attempts to understand prehistoric birds through X-ray technology.

One of the most popular exhibits that is a personal favorite of mine is the Light Gallery, which plays with distortions and fun effects that someone can experiment in for hours.

Ultimately, the Science museum places an importance on the idea of “fun” throughout its numerous exhibits and is amazing for those that are passionate about science or even those that simply wish to have some fun with great variety of things to do there.

Stegic

Cleo Kilpatrick

The Walker’s exhibition featuring Allen Ruppersburg’s piece “Intellectual Property” focuses on common, every day vocabulary seen in American culture.

Sofa Perlman

Tic Tac Toe Crossword Puzzle

spring edition

Across Down

3. National stroke awareness month

4. Popular hat mentioned in Spectrum’s last issue

5. 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

6. Day dedicated to jokes

8. MN state flower

1. Begins in a cocoon

2. May’s flower

4. Animal that loves pollen

5. What second semester seniors do

7. Allergy season

WORD SEARCH

Amelia Bush

Classical Music Pop Music

Evan Vezmar | Managing Editor

The genre of classical music holds many connotations, and for some reason, they are not always positive. I have heard on countless occasions how classical mu-

sic is boring, often too long and disengaging, and is only for nerds. While classical music is an acquired taste that often appeals to individuals that play an instrument or are involved in music, the genre’s wide and diverse range is an excellent way to learn more about the history of music and to discover a brand new interest.

Classical music is a superior genre to modern pop music not only due to its complexity, but also its influence. Classical music structurally has more chord, melody, and harmony variations than pop

Practically every pop song has some influence from classical music. The main takeaway from modern music: it’s less original than classical music. “Pachabel’s Canon,” composed in 1680, is a widely known piece but it may be more familiar in Maroon 5’s 2019 “Memories.” The piano in the song is a copy of “Pachabel’s Canon,” with slight rhythm changes. Even John Williams, creator of the Harry Potter, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and Jaws scores, took more than an inspiration from Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” in his “Star Wars Suite.”

This is not to say that pop music is terrible. I likely listen more to modern songs than classical music on a daily basis, and classical music has its flaws. “Classical music gets a bad rep as being boring because it’s slower, it takes longer for an idea to get across.” Lukkasson says. An-

and Rachmaninoff. Look into Florence Price, Edmond Dédé, and Clara Schumann, and as you research more contemporary music, listen to George Gershwin, Scott Joplin, and Margaret Bonds. There is a world of music over 500 years old that can be discovered simply on your phone. All it takes is a click to move past the uni-

Kaining Zhang | Staff Writer

Out of all the songs on the Billboard Hot 100, at least half of them are some form of pop music.

Personally, I think this statistic is deserved, because pop is my favorite genre. Pop stands for popular, and nowadays, it’s the most common form of music, like the name suggests. These songs are appealing because of their upbeatness, and they are

we do now.

Grounds for modern sound, complex, meaningful , unique Trending sounds mix uplifting beats, sad lyrics

These days, it’s super easy to make a track or implement cooler sounds with a few clicks that they simply did not have access to in the past.

There are various reasons why people enjoy listening to pop music. Shoumili Tarafder ‘26 says she listens to it because “everyone else does,” while Hana Sowelam ‘26 says, “I hear it on the radio all the time, and it makes me feel more connected to my mom.” They both enjoy listening to The Weeknd, who is currently the top artist on Spotify and writes and sings many pop songs.

counts as pop.

Many pop artists have the ability to pull off absolutely heart wrenching songs that make me want to sit in the corner and cry. One example of this is “Astronomy” by Conan Gray. Despite the quick, catchy beat, Gray sings about two people who were always close, starting to drift apart because, like everyone else, they change. He insists, “It’s astronomy, we’re two worlds apart.”

music, and that wide range of possibilities opens the genre to all people with varying musical tastes. Pop music has become so repetitive and manufactured that every song has the same chord progression that fails to grasp my attention in the same meaningful way a more complicated piece of music can. Now, that is not to paint a snobby image of classical music: complexity does not always mean better, but when you hear a layered, harmonic, and emotional piece like Chopin’s “Nocturne No.” 1 in B Flat Minor, it is hard to compare it to the banal 4 guitar chords of Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.” Orchestra and Band director Brian Lukkasson expresses, “people don’t have as much patience with classical music… People just treat it like it’s study music to have on in the background… so their brain never fully engages with it.”

other concern is that most classical music is written by old, white men. While those concerns are valid, they change when you look away from the more commonly known composers. Music is viewed in an inherently Eurocentric way where many of the pieces followed similar styles and motifs. The Baroque Era (music made in the 1600s) and the Romantic Era (music from the 19th century) are time periods that only reflect how music changed in Europe. However, these vague terms do not encompass the jazz revolution, indigenous music, and eclectic styles of music that may not fall into pop or the constraints of “proper” classical music. There is music from all over the world waiting to be discovered if you just look past the symphonies and concertos of Tchaikovsky

formity of Coldplay songs (good as though they may be) and there are pieces of all styles, instruments - not just guitar, drums, and voice - and for all emotions. Who would’ve thought that music could accurately express in your mind what a bumblebee buzzing looks like (Flight of the Bumblebee, RimskyKorsakov) or what a boat in the sea sounds like (Une Barque sur l’Océan, Ravel)? While my experience playing piano for many years may grant me a bias towards classical music, music is for everyone; it would be a shame if we locked ourselves out of a rich history of art that influenced almost every piece of music we have today. It’s amazing to close my eyes after school or to read a book while the beautiful notes wash over me. There is a certain beauty in listening to a piece that is more than six minutes long. Don’t let the long name and run time, and age of the piece deter you. Just start the music and let yourself settle into the bliss of artistry at work.

really easy to vibe to and sing along with. The lyrics are written to be repetitive and engaging, and the melody and beat is catchy.

Popular music started out as a category for any kind of music that was, well, popular, and this dates back to even the 19th century. Over the years, pop music has evolved to be some combination of what

Something I admire about pop is how every lyric has some sort of meaning, and how easy it is to get immersed in a song. Some of my favorite artists of all time are Taylor Swift and Conan Gray because of their variety. Both have the ability to write uplifting songs that you hear everywhere - like “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. This is a song that Swift wrote as a response to the public’s perception of her and the negative comments she gets, the second line of every chorus being, “haters gonna hate, hate,

However, many people are starting to believe that pop music is declining because current artists are prioritizing profit over entertainment. Tarafder and Sowelam agree, saying that one especially big influence on pop music nowadays is TikTok. Tiktok has many influencers who do a variety of different things from making food to dancing and lip syncing to songs to make money and gain fame, and many of these entertainers are beginning to write their own songs for the sole purpose of increasing their popularity and follower count. Unfortunately, since this is getting increasingly popular, this kind of music made by online influencers is falling under the category of pop.

While this may be true, it is essential to keep in mind that pop isn’t the only genre declining. People only notice these changes in

is popular at a given time. Pop is constantly changing - current pop music is very different from the pop music back in the 1960s, when rock and roll was taking over. Take the Beatles for example. They were very popular in the 60s, and back then, they were considered a pop/rock band.

hate, hate, hate.” I love this song because it just makes me happy, and is a simple song, but despite that, Swift still manages to put her feelings and opinions about celebrity culture into it.

Another major difference is that back then, the music industry did not have the technology that

Pop music doesn’t only have to be uplifting. As long as a song is rhythmic with a distinguishable melody, it still

pop music because of its immense popularity, but in reality, this is happening across all genres, not only pop. Despite these trends, there is still exceptional pop music being released, and we should focus on the good music coming out.

CJ Alexander

“It’s astronomy, we’re two worlds apart.”

Evan Vezmar

Six Thoughts About Prom: “A Night in Hollywood”

Prom a success despite lighting mishaps

Ali Hecker | Student Life Editor

Venue: On Saturday, April 15, juniors and seniors joined together at the American Swedish Institute for prom. The venue, located near downtown Minneapolis, made for the perfect change of scenery from the typical “school gym” dance experience. The dance took place in a large room with tables and chairs for sitting with friends. The dance floor was quite small in proportion to the rest of the room, which helped en-

courage dancing.

Lighting: At the beginning of the night, the room was well lit with string lights strung across the ceiling. As the night progressed, the lights dimmed and hints of purple and green illuminated the dance floor, inviting students to dance. A couple times later in the night, the overhead lights turned on, repelling students from the dance floor. Eventually, the lights were turned off again, but the frequent changes in lighting created an

awkward interruption to the evening.

Music: Despite the DJ’s efforts, it wasn’t until the last hour of the dance that the crowd got going on

enjoy and dance to a song they liked. However, I found that the DJ playing entire songs rather than switching after the first or second chorus of a song caused some students to get tired of a song and leave the dance floor to wait for the next one.

Cleo Kilpatrick

Food: Alongside dancing and music, delicious treats were served. The chocolate strawberries were delicious and the selection of cupcakes were scrumptious. The refreshments table also included sodas and charcuterie platters

for snacking. This addition of snacks and drinks was the perfect alternative to the dance floor.

Theme: The theme, “A Night in Hollywood” was supported by a red carpet at the top of the stairs. Aside from the carpet, there weren’t many decorations that aligned with the theme. I felt that a theme was not necessary for prom, where students often dress for their own styles and tastes anyway.

Overall vibe: The venue helped to create a more formal feel, elevating prom from just a regular school dance to an elegant event. All in all, prom was a fun night to remember.

Health Information Project Necessary, Finding Footing

Freshmen, recognize value, suggest improvements

Kaining Zhang | Staff Writer

I think HIP is a good thing for schools to implement because normal health classes can get a lit-

tle boring, and HIP lessons are more interactive. Plus, it comes with sweets! Even though the peer health educators aren’t medical professionals, they are clearly well educated on every lesson they teach. It’s also helpful for students to go over the topics, as there is no health class in ninth grade. However, freshmen have mixed opinions about HIP. According to Emily Alexander ‘26, “everything we learned in HIP, we learned in Eighth grade.” Raiden Chen ‘26 agrees, saying, “I think that HIP could be useful if it wasn’t just a review of health… and more about how this applies to high school.”

Another reason why HIP isn’t very popular among students is because since it isn’t an actual class, we have to find time from another block to do it, and this usually ends up being during a study hall or Wednesday advisory block. While there are negative feelings towards HIP, it’s good to keep in mind that it is the school’s first year with HIP, and things are bumpy because it’s new for everyone. Jen Vance agrees, saying, “with any brand new program, there are growing pains.” It can only get better from here. During the pandemic, teachers noticed that students needed more support, espe-

Routines Prove Invaluable

Rituals are useful in preparing for school

Sam Tomczik | Staff Writer

My morning routine, though not remarkable, is an integral part of my day. Each day, I wake up an hour and a half before I have to arrive at the school; subtracting my 10-minute commute leaves a glorious 80 opportunistic minutes to start my day productively. The most pivotal moments of my morning include: preparing a satisfactory breakfast, reviewing relevant notes and school work from the night before, and an enjoyable 10-minute social media scroll. For years I’ve strongly believed that the above rituals helped prepare me for the day to come. However, after hearing of my friends’ more condensed routines, I began to wonder whether

my morning rituals were worth waking up early for.

So, to test whether or not my morning routine was beneficial, I decided to eliminate it for a day and see how I felt. The results were profound. Instead of my usual hour and a half, I

cially around mental health and social relationships.

the dance floor. I did appreciate the variety of music played, with artists ranging Ice Spice to Taylor Swift. The variety in artists and genre allowed everyone to HIP, or Health Information Project, aims to educate freshmen about physical and mental health. However, it isn’t a normal health class - every lesson is taught by juniors and seniors! This approach is meant to create an environment that is different from traditional adult taught health classes.

Erin Adams, one of the counselors, says, “the thing that was so appealing to us in many ways is just connecting younger students with older students… The older students who are currently part of the program were so excited to be able to offer that guidance and information.” Having an older student, someone who’s been through similar experiences and someone a younger student can relate to more, teach a lesson, makes the lesson feel more “valid,” because it’s reassuring to know we aren’t the only ones.

Like

Alexander

and

Chen say, the information we learn from HIP seems repetitive. Adams addresses this, saying “Our Middle School Wellness program is

to apply that information as you get older and more about how those topics and these life experiences change as you get older.”

woke up a mere 20 minutes before I had to leave for school. After barely having time to change, brush my teeth, and wash my face, I realized that Block 1 would be starting in 15 minutes. I quickly left my house and start-

ed half asleep at school. Upon my arrival at school, I hastily grabbed a bagel and coffee from Cafe Blake. However, the latter choice did nothing, as I felt drowsy for the entirety of my math class. This drowsiness was the most prevalent issue that I encountered during my experiment.

Despite getting an additional hour of sleep, I felt illequipped and illprepared to go through my day adequately. An unexpected sideeffect of this experiment was that I felt that school took up a considerably more significant portion of my day, likely because I didn’t have any time beforehand to talk with my parents or engage in non-academic activities. By that night, I was elated to set my alarm to 6:15 so I could savor my moments before school and properly prepare for my day.

really strong, and so a lot of the basic information that is in HIP is a lot of information [Nineth graders] already have from middle school… Our hope is to focus more on discussions about how

Counselors and peer health educators have their hopes up for the future of HIP; changes will definitely be implemented. Just remember - Be smart, be healthy, be HIP!

Student-Athletes Find Balance

Chasing athletic dreams alongside academics

Steven Cao | Staff Writer

Competing in college athletics is a goal many athletes are shooting for. However, getting recruited for various athletics, especially at the high Division One (D1) level, at PAC12 and BIG-10 schools, is becoming more and more competitive. Many young athletes who are serious about competing at the D1 level in the future, may be offered scholarships or choose to join an athletics based school, such as IMG academy in Florida. These schools excel in athletics, however have many controversies about the quality of their education. Personally I believe that competing in school sports, especially in college is a great way of continuing your passion or even developing your game to the pro level as well as getting an education at a good school.

Kai Chen ‘24, is ranked as a three star recruit on tennisrecruiting.net, which rates players from

the traditional one star to five star. He also has a very coveted Blue Chip rating, which is designated for the best junior players in the United States. Chen believes, “If you are primarily aiming at an academically rigorous college and plan to prioritize academics, then academies such as IMG don’t do well. However if D1 and scholarships is your goal, then it is worth the investment as it shapes your life around that sport.” Chen has participated in many prospect days and is looking at good Division Three, liberal arts institutions such as Amherst and Bowdoin which would allow him to continue his passion for tennis. Chen believes that, “Recruiting is a double edged sword. It increases your odds by mak-

ing you a viable candidate for a verbal or written commitment prior to college application times. At the same time, it makes junior year incredibly stressful, as you are expected to perform athletically and maintain grades while visiting colleges. Even if athletes are not as academically qualified, most have put in the same if not more work than normal applicants with training and academics.”

Comparatively to many schools, our community has high academic standards which often take priority over athletics. Personally, my time management skills have improved more because I have to create time to do more training for my sport by making sure I finish my school work efficiently.

Allyson

Jay

Kate Rekas

Boys varsity tennis practices their skills on a sunny afternoon. Chen serves to his teammate across the net.

Kate Rekas

Students take to the dance floor at prom, encouraging others to join in. The music ranged from 2000s pop hits to current rap hits.

Work Solo, Learn More?

Group projects generates unwanted stress

Mackenzie Higgins | Co-Editor-In-Chief

Idon’t think there has ever been a time in my high school career where I have willingly participated in a group project.

That’s not to say that when I am placed in a group project, I don’t cooperate and collaborate with my group, but rather, when presented with the choice of working in a group or working individually, I will always choose myself.

When in a group setting, I often take on a greater share of the work to make up for any imbalance in the pace of work and level of motivation amongst the group. In all group projects, I’ll put in the work necessary to ensure that it earns a high grade, even if that means going beyond what should be reasonably expected of a single group member.

Beyond differing motivations and work ethics, simply scheduling a time to work on a group project is a nightmare. Earlier this year, I had an AP

Gov project that was assigned the week before Thanksgiving Break and due shortly after. I watched other groups struggle to figure out the logistics of when they could all work on the project. They had to factor in their busy schedules and additional holiday travel, while I had the ease of know-

Constant Toxic Competition

knowledge the value and importance of collaborating and compromising with others, sometimes it’s nice to not have to convince anyone of your ideas. When I work by myself, I have complete supervision over the direction of the project. I can do what interests me the most, and having interest in the work you are doing is always crucial in turning out a quality product.

Cons of academic comparison far outweigh pros

Gabi Marmet | Staff Writer

ing that my own schedule was the only thing to worry about and I could pick up the project whenever it was most convenient for me.

While I can ac-

Some might argue that doing a project by yourself results in more work than opting into a group, but all the coordination, communication, and distribution required of a group makes up for any discrepancies. It might seem daunting, but next time you have the opportunity to work individually, I encourage you to choose yourself.

Academic competition has long been a strong aspect of our school’s environment, partially because of the reputation for academic excellence that has become a pillar of the community’s identity. Although there is academic competition at countless other schools, because we fall under the college-prep category, it is arguably ingrained in our school culture. Because it is such a norm, many students are oblivious to their own competitiveness. As students grow older, leaving middle school and beginning their preparations for college, this competitiveness only increases. Although there are few positive impacts of the academic competition, which can include increased levels of motivation and rising effort levels, holistically, it only harms students and creates a toxic environment.

Throughout my years at the high school, I have witnessed and experienced countless moments of tension and rivalry between

students who strive to be the best. Academic competition creates a very toxic environment, leading students to feel stressed and overwhelmed by self imposed pressures. Students often feel the need to prove their academic abilities and compete with others, often asking others about their grades on tests and emphasizing their own. Some students may even prove their skills because they feel insecure of not being good enough.

just so focused on being better than everyone else that you become unhappy.”

This high level of academic competition leads students to fight to be the top of the class, not only striving for an A or a B, but the highest possible grade they can get. Especially during my time in high school, I have listened to countless students complain about getting only a few points off on large tests, even though they still have an A.

In order to combat academic competition,

“Class Of ” Adds Pressure

Anna Tao | Staff Writer

is ruminating in all the minds of high school students from the moment they step into the Upper School’s hallways. As the year progresses, so does the ever looming shadow of academic futures. The stress and worry about the choice and acceptance of colleges is not uncommon especially since there is an expectation that a portion of each graduating class will attend certain prestigious colleges. There is no escape from these pressures, as college sweatshirts fll the hallways, conversations about college do the same. Even a scroll on Instagram will remind students of the looming college admissions process. Each year, an Instagram account is created, dedicated to each graduating class. This year, it is found under the handle of @blakeclassof2023. To be featured on the account, students submit the college they are going to attend, their planned major, and a senior portrait to go alongside. The post is then rapidly curated and posted publicly for the account’s 855 followers to see, including current students, high schoolers outside of Blake, faculty members, alumni, and parents.

Tess Dayhoff ‘25 has experienced many years of competition and says, “Obviously some competition is healthy and it’s good, but Blake is such a rigorous environment that I feel like it has a little bit too much; where you are

Katie Lattin

Thoughts on CURRENT CULTURE

Political cartoon by Melody Lee College

TheSpectrum Staff thanks Julie LythcottHaims for spreading a message that the school desperately needed to hear. Her words deeply resonated with students at all different stages of the college search process and provided reassurance at a time when many of us are feeling pressure and stress regarding our futures. In our school environment specifically, college is always in the minds and conversations of students, lower and upperclassmen alike. Students here certainly strive to be their best, but there is a distinct difference between being motivated and competing. Students fight for leadership positions, clash over how many APs they’re taking, and compare scores on homework, assessments, and ACTs all just to receive acceptance from a small number of schools and prove themselves as the best in their class.

Too often stu-

dents push themselves past their limits in pursuit of a brand-name university and the approval of others. This competitive culture can create an almost suffocating environment where students feel discouraged if they deviate from the “right track.”

The Spectrum Staff defines the “right track” as a life path of attending a top college in pursuit of moving on to a high-profile job. Even students who aren’t pressured by their parents to attend a top school still often feel a self-applied pressure as a result of school culture.

Unfortunately, the college counseling office doesn’t seem to alleviate much pressure. By the time students start to meet with their counselors, most likely, they’ve already internalized the “right track” myth, and any attempts made by counselors to undo this delusion won’t take. Additionally, there seems to be a discrepancy between the public messaging of the college counseling office and the personal interactions students have with their counselors.

While the college counseling office might

students must attempt to collaborate with their peers rather than competing. Other ways to avoid the toxic competition is to only focus on yourself, one can be supportive of those around them, without comparing themselves to anybody else. Although taking rigorous classes and taking school seriously is important, it’s still important have fun and register for the classes that you have a genuine interest in.

tout Frank Sachs’ motto: “College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won,” they also tell students what schools want to see, which often inadvertently pushes students to take harder classes. They even provide a ranking system that sorts students into different categories of academic rigor based on the number of honors and AP classes they’ve taken. Once students are presented with this information, it becomes harder to say “no” to more rigor even if it’s not what students truly want.

We want to reinforce Lythcott-Haims’ messaging. The “right track” does not exist. Everyone has their own trajectory, and what works for someone else, won’t always work for you. It’s okay to sign up for a class and then decide to drop it when it becomes too much. You also don’t have to have your whole life plan figured out. There is still time to experiment and explore different passions. As much as you can, try to disregard the rankings and the allure of a brand-name school. Pick the path that makes the most sense for you.

Alum sponsored speaker Lythcott-Haims well received

Zoey Ueland

Students gather at a table in Rebekah Johnson’s physics class to work on group circuit building projects. Groups of three or four students work on the project for two weeks.

Girl Up, People Serving People partner to provide blankets

Cleo Kilpatrick | Photo Editor

On Friday, April 21, Girl Up hosted their blanket tying fundraiser. For this event, members of Girl Up and the community came together, tied blankets, and watched “Hidden Figures,” while enjoying snacks.

The movie is about three African American women at NASA, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, mathematicians who served a vital role in the early years of the U.S.

space program.

Co-chair Michelle Elliot ‘25 explained the main goal of the event was, “to have a good time and see how [the] media can really teach us different ways and inspire us as Girl Up members to just be leaders in our own capacity.”

Along with the goal of creating community, the club was tying blankets for People Serving People, a homeless shelter in Minneapolis.

As a committee Girl Up aims to “keep this theme of empowerment of

women, inside the Blake community and outside the Blake community through fund raising mainly. And supporting partner organizations,” Elliot explains. Another important part Elliot pointed out was that anyone can be a part of Girl Up. You don’t have to identify as a girl to be a part of the event or club.

Empty Bowls, Hunger Committee combat food insecurity

Kate Rekas |

Empty Bowls channels

their artistic talents to help those in need. Every Friday during Flex, they meet to whip out beautiful ceramic pieces that will be fired in the kiln and then cooperatively decorated.

They don’t just take a spin on the wheel for fun, but create pieces all year to be shown and sold in a gallery exhibit at the end of the school year. All profits made from the pottery sales will go to the non-profit

organization Every Meal, which provides meals to children on weekends and breaks when they aren’t receiving school lunches.

Club leader, Truman Morsman ‘23 says that he participates because he thinks that “food scarcity is a big problem and I think learning about it and trying to do something about it is easy and fulfilling.” Morsman is not only happy to be able to give back but, “really enjoy[s] making pottery.”

Last year, the club collaborated with the Hunger Committee to plan an

awareness raising event. The two clubs taught Lower School students about food scarcity and decorated bowls pre-made by Empty Bowls. The clubs are collaborating again on a similar project this year. Currently, the club has about 45 pieces to sell at the end of year show, but Morsman says they are aiming to “sell 60 pieces.”

Committees Collaborate to Maximize Impact

Crisis Nursery YAB supports Early Learning Center opening

Cleo Kilpatrick | Photo Editor

OnSunday, April 30, The Crisis Nursery Youth Advisory Board (YAB) will be volunteering at the opening of the Early Learning Center (ELC).

The ELC has been under construction for the past two years and will open its doors to Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First

grade students for the 2023-2024 school year. The opening of the ELC signals the consolidation of the two Lower School campuses, and the closing of Highcroft.

YAB “supports the greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery, which is a place where parents can drop off their kids for day-care, so that they’re out of an abusive home,” says Payton Smith ‘24, one of the co-chairs of YAB.

At this event, there will be fun activities like bean bag toss, face paint-

ing, and packing MATTER Packs. The MATTER Packs are similar to the ones many groups packed at Legacy Day earlier this year and will be donated to the Minneapolis Crisis Nursery.

“It’s a community event, bringing everyone together to celebrate the opening of the Early Learning Center,” says Smith.

While the event is aimed at families who have children that attend the ELC, students and community members of all ages are welcome.

Environmental Committee combines with Bennett Gallery

Kate Rekas | Opinions Editor

Money might not grow on trees but the Environmental Committee has gotten pretty close. The committee just recently collaborated with the Bennett Gallery’s Plantorama show to host a plant sale

where all proceeds were donated to Dream of Wild Health, a local organization dedicated to restoring health and wellbeing to Native American communities.

Grace Flikke ‘24 says that the Environmental Committee chose to send the plant sale proceeds to this organization because they wanted to support the “intersectionality of the environment with other issues.” Dream of Wild Health simultaneously supports the well being of indigenous communities and the environment.

The Environmental

Committee and the gallery team created an exhibit focused on the appreciation of plants and nature. To do this, the Environmental Committee researched different, interesting facts and benefits of plants, and posted them on the walls of the exhibit.

The plants on sale have been carefully propagated by Environmental Committee members since before winter break and most pots and plants have been donated for the event and carefully potted by committee members.

Opinions Editor

Hunter Simon ‘26 starts working on a tie blanket. By the end of the event, Girl Up finished five blankets that were donated to People Serving People.

Cleo Kilpatrick

Submitted by Morsman

Left: Bowls decorated by students during last year’s Lower School event.

Right: Alaena Bohrnsen ‘25 works on a piece for the May show and sale.

Above: Daphne Dresner ‘24 and Ellie Werner ‘24 speak about CAPI, which connects immigrants with resources, at the Service and Community Engagement Fair on April 12. Right: Construction wraps up at the ELC.

Mackenzie Higgins

Josh Smith ‘23 and Alexa Hatcher ‘23 check out the plants for sale during the Plantorama reception while Eva Stegic ‘23 shows her parents some of her art pieces.

Sam Tomczik

Cleo Kilpatrick

Submitted by Morsman

Cleo Kilpatrick Kate Rekas

Head in the Clouds: Two Students Share Unique Hobby

Claire Cao | Staff Writer

Mosthigh school students take up sports or clubs as extracurriculars, but Piper Crow ‘24 and Sawyer Guider ‘25 both enjoy flying planes as a hobby.

Crow, a leader of the Aviation and Aeronautic Club, has been flying since November, and Guider has been flying for nearly his whole life.

Guider explains, “[It’s] kind of been a lifelong passion. My dad has been a pilot since he was my age and he’s kind of taught me how to fly through my life.” He continues, “The first time my dad let me take the controls, I was like four or five and my grandpa was in the back of our plane. I pulled back the stick and [the] plane immediately shot upwards and everyone was screaming at me to let go.”

Crow has been passionate about aviation for a long time. “I’ve always loved traveling,” she says. “I just

[became] interested in space a few years back, so that really got me into aeronautics and kind of engineering. I wanted to become an astronaut, but that’s pretty hard to do, so I started to figure out flying and my love for planes and everything aerospace.”

Both Crow and Guider are working on getting their pilots licenses. “You start by getting in contact with a flight school and then you have to go through ground school,” Crow explains. “Through the flight school I’m in, they have you do a survey about your personality and they match you with one of their flight instructors. The [instructor] and student relationship is pretty important; they’re basically like a mentor and then you have to match learning styles.”

Guider adds that after you start working on the basics of flying, “you’ll start to get into more book work, which is just like aeronautical information and

what the laws and regulations are.”

The required amount of hours prior to getting a private pilot’s license is 40, but Crow explains “most people go up to 60 to get extra practice.”

Unfortunately, finding time to get hours in is often a struggle. Guider says, “[It is hard] finding time. For me, that’s my hardest thing, trying to balance school with being able to get into the air.” Crow says she’s able to find some time despite schoolwork, “Now I’m flying around twice a week. I think I have around 25 hours.”

Guider wants to continue flying in the future, he says, “I could follow my dad’s footsteps and become a contract pilot,” in which he’d “fly little jets or fly for Delta and commercial airlines.” He continues, “Or I could keep it as a hobby. There’s a lot of options for me which is nice.”

Crow plans on signing internships with flight lines as well as becoming a professional pilot. “Through the college I want to go to, they have a lot of connections with the airlines,” she says. “I really hope to become a Delta pilot. There’s also a big shortage of commercial pilots right now, so I think I would just fit well, especially just being able to serve people and being able to fly around.”

Submitted by Crow

Above: Crow receives guidance from her instructor (not pictured) as she did a bank turn to the right. “Usually, it’s just me and another fight instructor. Sometimes, I bring my mom, dad or boyfriend along. Most of the time I fy [Cessna] 172N which has two front seats and then two back seats,” she says. Below: Guider taxies a Cirrus SR-22 to the runway.

Submitted by Guider

Passion for aerospace, family connections inspire Piper Crow ‘24, Sawyer Guider ‘25 to take to the air

Submitted by Crow

Submitted by Guider

Guider flies a Cessna 172 in formation with another plane who captures the photo.

“I like motor sports, so I explain [flying] as kind of like driving a boat in three directions.”

- Crow

Crow stands next to a Cessna 172S, which she few over break while in Florida.

Sophia Skates into e Spotlit

Choreography competition celebrates artistry

Mackenzie Higgins | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Figure skaters perform technical skills paired with graceful footwork earning them praise throughout competition, but the artistry of the sport is often overlooked. “Skating culture and the skating community make it so that you have to focus on the technical elements or else you’re looked at and think that’s [what] has shaped [skating culture]” she says.

Not only is the media focused on technical skills, but “in competitions, the technical score holds significantly more weight in the grand scheme of things than the artistic score. Nobody can win just based off of artistry; you have to have incredibly strong jumps,” Perepelitsyn says.

While Perepelitsyn has been skating since she was four, she took an interest in choreog-

raphy “only about last year.” “I really love music,” she says. “I think a lot of [my interest in choreography] stems from the music. What can I do with my body to hit this note in the music? What can I do to convey this emotion that the music is presenting?”

Perepelitsyn finds inspiration from her experience with dance. “I danced for many, many years. I did a lot of ballet. I never choreographed, but I really loved contemporary and ballet styles. Dancing has 100% influenced [my choreography],” she says. While choreograover [artistry.]” While it is seemingly underscored less than in skating, “it’s still heavily emphasized,” says Perepelitsyn.

While she enjoys skating and doing technical moves, Perepelitsyn adds, “I always did prefer [the artistic side of skating],” and “recently, more than skating itself, more than the skill element of it, like jumping and spinning, I think I’ve been enjoying more choreography and more movement.”

Perepelitsyn was recently recognized as

one of six finalists in the American Ice Theatre’s Young Artist Showcase, “an online figure skating choreography competition.” To take part, she had to compile a five to seven minute long video of herself and other skaters performing her choreography to submit to a panel of judges. While she wasn’t planning on applying, “I had a few friends and coaches [that encouraged me to] do it for fun,” she says.

After being chosen, finalists then compete in a series of five challenges over the month of April. “Each of the challot in the contemporary skating movement, so I like to play around with movement and make slightly weirder shapes instead of the traditional beautiful lines and long arms and legs.”

Perepelitsyn wants to continue her skating and choreography as she moves on to college. She says, “The college I’m going to next year (University of California-San Diego) does have a skating program so I plan to continue skating as much as I can and choreograph as well.”

Submitted by Perepelitsyn

While large events prioritize tricks, “There are some events in smaller, local competitions where you can compete an artistic program or there is more emphasis on artistry, musicality, and choreography,” Perepelitsyn says. “I’m going to try to fnd as many opportunities as I can out West—I’m going out to California—so there’s many opportunities out there.”

Perepelitsyn teaches a client choreography at Parade Ice Garden in Minneapolis. Choreography transcends all parts of her skating career giving her the ability to teach lessons

JuliaZhang

Kate Rekas