VOLUME 35, ISSUE 6
72 years later
IN-DEPTH, p.6-7 logo by Zach Roy
Friday, March 31, 2017
www.hopkinsrp.org
BY THE
BUZZER
by Natalie DenHartog and Shayna Korsh Sports Reporters
D
own by three with less than a minute left in the state championship game, Paige Bueckers, freshman, launched a long three in an effort to tie the game, causing all Royal players, coaches and fans, to hold their breath for a few endless moments. The shot bounced off the back iron and, did not go in. The Royals girls basketball season, despite the amazing success, faced a heartbreaking end. “The loss was devastating because we had been looking forward to this game all season,” said Hannah Kleist, senior. “Even though we lost, it was still a good season, and Elk River played a great game.” The Royals finished their season second in the state with a final record of 31-1, their only loss being to the undefeated Elk River Elks in the state championship game. The championship game was an intense, back and forth game the team will surely remember. story continues on page 11
Left: DeAnna Winston, senior, defends Elk River player. Winston finished with four points in the 4A state championship game. Above Left: Lucy Swift, Asha Bozicevich, seniors, Kayhla Adams, freshman, and LeRa'e Maxey-Moore, junior, rooting for their teammates. Above: Paige Bueckers, freshman, goes up for challenging lay-up. Bueckers finished with 19 points in the 4A state championship game. photos by Bea Frank
Choirs hit high note in Chicago, win awards by Abby Doeden Print Editor-in-Chief
This past weekend, the HHS choir department took their annual trip to the Fame Events Concert Choir Cup and
Members of Midori sing at the Fall choir concert in October. Over their trip, Midori placed the highest of all other HHS choirs, winning the Grand Champion Award for the entire competition. photo by Bea Frank
the Worldstrides Heritage Festival. This year, the competitions were in Chicago, with a total of 22 choirs from all around the US competing, including Concert Choir, Bel Canto, Midori, Geoff, and Chamber Choir. “The trip was great, we had a fun performance, and the results were in our favor,” said David Sheldon, junior. At the Worldstrides Heritage Festival, the HHS choirs reclaimed their titles from previous years; each choir got a Gold rating, meaning a score of 90 or higher. Concert Choir, Midori, Geoff, and Chamber Choir all recieved first in their respective categories, while Bel Canto placed second to Midori. On Saturday night, the award ceremony for all choirs was held at Medieval Times.
This is one of the unique things about the Heritage Festival. Here, choirs were entertained with jousting competitions, and horse shows, all while eating food with only their hands, as if it they were in the medieval era. “After the show, all of the schools in the Heritage Festival competition stayed and they announced each placement in each category,” said Lauren Goodman, senior. “It was really exciting to hear how well we did against some good competition, and especially exciting when we heard that Midori won it all!” When the group wasn’t competing, they took some time for sightseeing around Chicago, including a visit to Shedd Aquarium, the Navy Pier, and a walk around the picturesque Bean.
“The day we arrived, we sang in a chapel that had these huge stained glass windows, and those were amazing. After that, we went to Navy Pier. It was really nice out, and the city looked great from the ferris wheel,” Sheldon said. For the HHS choir, going on tour has been a tradition since Mr. Philip Brown, Director of Choral Activities, started at Hopkins 11 years ago. “What I like about it is that you find out authentically where you’re at. There is no warm-fuzzy that comes with it. You really get a more honest assessment of where you’re at as a program, and you don’t always get that,” Brown said. “Overall it’s really good because if you can learn from it and grow from it, and it can make you better.”
To Brown, this trip was just as successful as other years, allowing the students to go on tour, and get stronger as a group. “We just sing the best we can, and hope for the best, and that motto has worked well for us in the past,” Brown said. For many on the tour, the purpose was not only to reclaim titles from years before, but to also become closer as a choir. “While I’m really sad to be ending my high school choir career, it is so nice to spend a lot of time with my friends doing what we love and hanging out all weekend,” Goodman said. “Choir was my favorite part of high school, so I’m glad I got to make these memories.” The HHS choirs can be seen next on May 25, during their final concert of the year.
2 news
RPFriday, March 31, 2017
p
Roomsurf is one of many resources for finding college roommates. Over 400,000 students have used Roomsurf since 2010.
Roommate Hunting:
photo by Jordyn Petty
As college acceptance letters begin rolling out, many HHS seniors are left with the task of finding a roommate for their first time in a new place by Sebastien Karo News Editor
Eliza Ratliff, senior, began looking for a college roommate very soon after she confirmed her enrollment to her school and realized the process was a lot more complicated than she thought. “After many weeks of searching, I finally found my roommate through a Facebook group for admitted freshmen. It was really stressful trying to find someone that I thought would match me based off of a Facebook post, but I’m hopeful that we will be a good match,” Ratliff
said. In the past, most colleges have assigned roommates for incoming freshmen. However, over 70 percent of universities now allow students to pick their own roommates now, according to collegechoice.net. Various resources are available for seniors to find college roommates, including Facebook groups, Roomsurf, Uloop, and Roomsync. Since 2010, over 400,000 students have used Roomsurf to find a roommate. “I’m in the process of finding a roommate right now and websites like Roomsurf and the Facebook groups have been really helpful to me in trying to
find the right roommate,” said Ellen Frank, senior. Mr. Xeev Xwm Vang, counselor, wants students to know that a college roommate doesn’t have to be a best friend, but someone that you can get along with and respect. “When finding a roommate, it is important to consider your own personality, your own values and your own interests. From there, it could be possible that you seek for these similar characteristics in others, however know that each person brings in their own worldview. If both individuals can accept one another for their own worldview, I am sure the relationship can be
Royal Briefs: Eight students advance to DECA nationals by Eli Destiche Staff Reporter On March 20 and 21, HHS students participated in the state competition for Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis. Students from around the state, who also participate in DECA competed, but only a few were able to move onto the DECA National competition. DECA is a competitive business and entrepreneur club for students in grades 9 through 12. It prepares students in marketing finance,
hospitality and management in high schools and colleges worldwide. “I want to study business in the future, so I feel like DECA will help me with that” Said Sam Schachtman, sophomore. HHS is a part of District 6 which contains seven other high schools including Chanhassen, St. Louis Park, Wayzata, Eden Prairie and Chaska. At HHS, there are 59 students that participate in DECA. Since the beginning of the school year, members have been meeting in preparation for districts. This year, 33 HHS students qualified for State. Eight students from Hop-
kins made it to DECA nationals this year but that number can change at any time. Students can opt out of participating in Nationals which would make room for the runner up. “I made it to Nationals for business growth,” said Ian Yunis, senior. “I decided not to go becaues I had already committed to attending a soccer tournament in Chicago with my team. I’m happy to had gotten the oppurtunity to be a part of the national competition.” DECA nationals will be in Anaheim, California from April 19 through the 22nd. This gives students a little under a month to prepare.
manageable,” Vang said. According to Vang, the best time to begin looking for a roommate depends on the college, so incoming freshmen should regularly check their college notifications to find out when important dates are happening. “Before looking for a roommate, students should consult with the college first to understand their policies before using up time that can be allocated for other priorities. Some colleges will match you with their own criteria by using an assessment while some will just pair any two students together,” Vang said. Most colleges, however, will allow you to select a peer if you know someone who is planning to attend that same college and is seeking to reside in the dorm as well.” Another thing to consider when looking for a roommate is how that person will affect a student physically, mentally, and emotionally. Roomates can have a major impact on eachother such as GPA, health, social life, and even happiness. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), for every grade point a student’s GPA increases, their roommate’s GPA will increase by at least .11 points on average. Also, if one roommate comes to college healthy and proactive, their roommate is 40 percent more likely to become healthier and more proactive. Although there can be many beneficial effects of your freshman roommate, there are also just as many negative effects. According to NBER, if a freshman drinks frequently in the year prior to college, their roommate’s GPA will, on average, decrease by .20 points. Also, if a student is paired with someone who binge drinks, that student will be 8.6 percent more likely to binge drink.
Websites such as Roomsurf, Roomsync, and Facebook are some of the resources for finding roommates. infographic by Sebastien Karo
This data is simply based off of statistics and does not ultimately dictate a student’s college experience because all colleges are unique and every freshman brings a different perspective. Caity Thie, senior, will be attending college over a 1,000 miles away from home and she has decided to room with three other girls in a larger dorm. Thie
knows that her roommates will have an effect on her, but she believes that she will stay true to herself and not let her roommates influence her too much. “My roommates are all from different states, so there will probably be a few differences between us, but I’m excited and ready to take on this adventure and meet new people,” Thie said.
A short take on upcoming events and activities at Hopkins High School
Buck Hill to implement Summer ski park by Jordyn Petty News Editor In June 2017, Buck Hill will be opening an artificial snow park allowing ski and snowboard enthusiasts to train 365 days a year. Although Buck Hill has tested the synthetic surface that will be used, Mitchell Melin, senior, doesn’t think the new surface will benefit Buck Hill. “I think [Buck Hill] will lose a lot of money on it. It’s a bad system,” Melin said. Melin went to Buck Hill to test the product along with coaches and ski racers. “You need to use a bad snowboard,” Melin said. “When
I went too fast, the base of my board started to melt.” Buck Hill cautioned their guests on the damage the artificial surface may cause to their equipment. In Oct. 2015, Buck Hill sent a team to Italy to test Neveplast’s synthetic surface at their factory. In the Spring of 2016, Buck Hill set up test areas within the ski park and invited the public to test the product and provide feedback. “There is the potential your skis or snowboard may be damaged while riding the artificial surface,” Buck Hill posted on their website. “Buck Hill will not be responsible for the repair or replacement of your equip-
ment due to any damage that may occur from riding or skiing on Neveplast artificial surface.” Neveplast, an italian company that specializes in artificial snow surfaces, created the synthetic surface that Buck Hill will be implementing. According to Neveplast, the synthetic surface has the same gliding surface as snow. Melin doesn’t believe the surface is like snow at all and cautions skiers and snowboarders using the synthetic surface to wear appropriate clothing for when they fall. “It’s a cool idea, but it ruined my snowboard and hurts a lot when you fall because it’s a rough plastic,” Melin said.
3 news
Students begin AP exam prep by Samantha Horowitz Staff Reporter In considering the benefits that come with AP exams, Mr. John Sammler, Science and Advanced Studies Coordinator, works tirelessly to ensure that students are registered and prepared on test day. “The main thing that most people think is money. If you do well on the test, it can save you money by getting you college credit,” Sammler said. “It gives you some flexibility with your money and also potentially your actual schedule in college, which is nice to have.” If you performed well in the class and understand the material, AP tests are also a good way to get practice with a highstakes exam in order to get a feeling of the overall experience, according to Sammler. The AP program offers comprehensive examinations in more than 30 subject areas. This year, AP exams will take place from Monday, May 1 to Friday, May 12. After registering, students will need to fill out
mandatory paperwork in April before taking the exam in a preadministration session in school. In preparation for AP tests, students have access to a wide variety of resources, including the teacher of the course. According to Sammler, the first point of contact should usually be the teacher of the course because they have the most expertise on the specific exam and the course. “Usually, a lot of the time, the teacher has sample exams that have been released by the College Board, and they know where they can get information from the College Board website,” Sammler said. Another good resource to know is that all previous freeresponse questions for every AP exam ever given are public, and are available online. “[The free response questions] are an amazing resource because after a while, the College Board runs out of topics to ask about, so they sometimes recycle some of these things, so you could use that as a study aid,” Sammler said.
Just this year, HHS has introduced Albert.io as a source for practicing AP-style questions. This new source allows students to practice with multiple choice and even offers freeresponse questions in certain subject areas, along with a score predictor. “I’ve also had students who go and get study books, those are fairly common, like Barron’s study book or something like that,” Sammler said. “Those are pretty good too because it gives you some sample exams and a nice, overall summary of key topics that you would need to know.” In preparation for the AP U.S. History exam, Sagit Nachmias, sophomore, has already made a plan for how she will review the material outside of class. AP U.S. History ends term three, before the AP exam. “I’m going to spend a little bit of time every day to go over the different units we learned in chronological order. I am also going to watch a lot of Adam Norris [YouTube] videos and Crash Courses, and there are
a lot of practice tests that are available,” Nachmias said. Nachmias believes that the hardest portion of the AP U.S. History exam to study for will be the multiple choice. “It covers such a wide time period, so I’m going to have to make sure to be really thorough in covering all of the subjects,” Nachmias said. In the past few years, the AP subjects that have tended to have the most test takers are Statistics, Calculus BC and U.S. History, each with easily over 100 registrations. AP European History and AP World History have also had pretty high test rates, depending on the year. “Those are our biggest ones that I tend to get nervous about, just because there are a lot of people and we have to find a place for all of them to test,” Sammler said. While a high score on an AP exam requires a lot of studying and preparation beforehand, it ultimately gives students the opportunity to save money later and have more flexibility in college.
RPFriday, March 31, 2017
AP exams will take place from Monday, May 1 to Friday, May 12. Preparation for these exams begins months before the actual test.
infographic by Samantha Horowitz
Schultz to take Supt. position at Edina Schools by Jordyn Petty News Editor
Schultz received the Supt. position at Edina Schools on March 9. Schultz has been the Hopkins Supt. since 2007. photo provided by Hopkins Schools
On Mar. 9, the Edina Public School District announced that Dr. John Schultz, Superintendent, has received the Superintendent position for the Edina Public Schools. After four hours of discussion, the board voted 5-2 in favor of Schultz. As reported by the Star Tribune, Schultz had applied for the position early on but withdrew his candidacy. Schultz re-entered the race just a week before the school board was set to announce their two finalists. Schultz was announced as a finalist on Friday Mar. 3. In an email interview, Schultz explained his desire to join the Edina School District. “I applied in Edina because I have always wanted to share
my leadership gifts and broaden my view of public education,” Schultz said. Schultz and the Edina School Board are currently negotiating the terms to his contract. Schultz is in the first year of a three-year contract with Hopkins Public Schools, making $199,672 for the 2016-2017 school year. For the 2017-2018 school year, Schultz would have made $203,666 and $207,739 for the 2018-2019 school year. The other finalist was Eric Schneider, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction for Minnetonka. David Goldstein, Edina’s board treasurer, commented on Schultz’s successfully running a district with financial and demographic challenges, according to the Star Tribune. 42 percent of students in the
Hopkins Public School system are students of color, compared to 23 percent of Edina’s student body. Before voting, board members also cited Schultz’s experience with integration in the Hopkins School District. They also discussed Schultz’s lack of energy during community meetings. The vote ultimately went in favor of Schultz. Although he’ll be moving onto a new district, Schultz says he values his time in Hopkins immensely. “My experience in Hopkins was dynamic and amazing! I had a great opportunity to work with very talented students in every building, a supportive School Board, amazing teachers and staff, and committed school leaders. My 11 years of leadership in Hopkins will be a highlight in my career,” Schultz said.
The Hopkins School Board is required to appoint a new Superintendent by the time Schultz leaves. “I’m more than happy to provide any service as far as the community is concerned. My commitment has always been to Hopkins,” said Dr. Nik Lightfoot, Assistant Superintendent and Director of Administrative Services. “I’m here for whatever service the community needs. It’s up to the board.” Schultz will begin his tenure as Edina Superintendent on July 1, leaving him four months to complete his time in Hopkins. “During my last months, I plan on remaining committed to a school district that I love. I plan on being the best Superintendent that I can be,” Schultz said.
or somehow change the lindbergh parking lot to a parent only pick up area. The Lindbergh parking lot was originally designed to be a pick up and drop off parking lot, but parents have increasingly began to pick up and drop off in the student lot. “Sometimes I notice parents in the main parking lot and they are going slower than any other car, it’s kind of like they’re trying to control traffic. I definitely feel like if there weren't parents the parking lot would run way more efficient.” Savitz said. 5,864 teen drivers aged 1519 were involved in fatal car crashes in 2016 and on average nine teens are killed by car ac-
cidents every day, according to Edgar Snyder Associates. New drivers are proven to be prone to getting in accidents so putting nearly 500 new drivers in the same area is going to generate problems. Asher Kahn, sophomore, has been in a minor car accident in the student parking lot and this is not the only accident of the year. “We hear about accidents all the time, it's because there is so many cars all trying to get to the same place at the same time.” Kahn said. “It’s crazy. I don't know the statistics, but there must be enough accidents every week that the school would be considering a new exit.”
Parking lot troubles cause HHS students to speak out for change by Eli Destiche Staff Reporter Driving in the HHS parking lot has always caused serious problems for students. Whether they're sophomores just getting their license or seniors that have been driving for as many as three years, driving in the school lot is a difficult task. The school parking lot has just one way to exit, which becomes extremely crowded at the end of the day. Students have felt the pressure to begin exiting out of the entrance because it's easier. Jacob Savitz, sophomore, has had multiple close calls in the HHS parking lot and has de-
cided that it was in his best interest to start leaving out of the entrance lane. “The exit is so dangerous, i’m surprised there aren’t more car accidents happening every day. It’s bumper to bumper the whole time, and people are trying to merge lanes, which never really works. The school should consider adding another exit” Savitz said. Students at HHS are concerned that if parents are in the school parking lot they won’t understand the pace, increasing the number of accidents we have. Student Government has been in talks about a way to get parents out of the main HHS
5,864 teen drivers aged 15-19 were involved in fatal car crashes in 2016.
parking lot and relocate that aspect of the parking lot to a different area of the school. In order to get the parents
photo by Andy Berris
out of the main student parking lot, the School Board would need to either add a new parking lot for parent pick up only,
RP
4 feature
Friday, March 31, 2017
Lowmanstone researches robotics at U of M tained to programming small robots, called Scribblers, using a software called Python. “That first year was mostly experimentation. But by the end of the summer I had constructed a basic program on the Scribbler, so it could drive itself around the room, and use its camera to avoid bumping into walls or chairs, for the most part,” Lowmanstone said. After the first year, summers at the University of Minnesota robotics lab became an annual occurrence for Lowmanstone. As the projects he worked on grew, so did his relationship with the other students and professors. “It was really cool being able to work with graduate students. They were fantastic at working with me. Whether I end up doing coding, or helping run demonstrations, anytime I get to work with them is great,” Low-
manstone said. Lowmanstone’s years of work culminated in the publication of a research paper on his work on the various University of Minnesota projects, of which he was a co-author. “About four months ago, I received an email from Elizabeth [University of Minnesota student], saying she had listed me as the second author of the paper she wrote about the project, which I totally did not expect. I’m very honored,” Lowmanstone said. Lowmanstone’s love of robots didn’t stop once his summer was complete. For the past three years, he has also been a member of the Technocrats, the robotics team at HHS, where he has been able to utilize the knowledge he has gained from summers at the University of Minnesota.
“I feel like YouTube gives people power to express themselves however they want. That fact that it’s free makes it even better.” -Ian Twogood, junior
“Before [YouTube] you
“I think Youtube is important because there’s something for everyone on Youtube. It’s another outlet for people to do what they love, and do it for a living.” -Nadir Raheem, junior
they can do whatever they want, and present it to a public that can access it with ease. “It gives the power of the
world. You have a voice finally. Before, you had to have an agent or something to be on TV. Now, all you have to do is put up a
video, and within seconds you could become viral and make millions of dollars,” Wilson said.
The idea for the business came from the seniors’ love for cars and advice from a family friend. “I was talking to [family friend] Lili Scarpa about what I was going to do for a summer job. She said she needed her car detailed,” Yunis said. After the suggestion, Yunis teamed up with Latz to start the business informally at the office of KNOCK Inc. They left a sign-up sheet for employees to schedule a time to have their car cleaned. I and N offer two different services at competitive prices and quality. The interior package includes the cleaning of the interior of the car as well as the wheels, tires, and all glass surfaces for $100. The second package includes the interior package plus cleaning of the exterior and the engine bay for $120. “Our main competitor is
Mermaid. They charge an excess of $200 for just interior and they spend less time on the car than we do,” Latz said. After the first summer, the boys saw the potential of their business and went forward with officializing their summer job. The formalizing of the business came with expenses including payment of contractors and advertisements. “We didn’t want to hire employees because then we would have to pay for health insurance and benefits,” Latz said. Instead, they enlisted contractors. The contractors get paid $30 per car, which they work on for two hours. Through word of mouth, six contractors from HHS and Minnetonka High School were added to the business. “I like working for Ian and Nate because they check up on us while we work and they pay us pretty good. I’ll probably
want to do it again this summer,” said Bryce Madsen, senior. Once the team of I and N was built, the next step was to advertise their services. The boys had a signature logo made for their company by KNOCK Inc. “We used word of mouth, paper flyers, and- for one month- a marketing professional to monitor our online presence to make our website show up second or third on Google,” Yunis said. The advertisements brought in three to four cars each week to clean. The most frequent customers of I and N attract are parents whose kids make messes in the backseat. Other than parents with messy kids, many customers want to maintain their luxury cars. “We don’t really care how gross the car is because we get money for it,” Yunis said.
by Hannah Goldfarb Staff Reporter
London Lowmanstone explains his robot to a child. After the explaination, Lowmanstone gave the controls to the Provided by London Lowmanstone young boy.
Student Youtubers
London Lowmanstone, senior, has been interested in robotics all his life. Since second grade, his life goal has been to create robots that save people in natural disaster situations. So, in seventh grade, seeing the passion Lowmanstone had for robots at a young age, his parents took him to The Works Museum for a robotics demonstration by University of Minnesota graduate students. After the demonstration, Lowmanstone was immediately impressed. Encouraged by his parents, he decided to approach the group responsible for the show. During his eighth grade summer, Lowmanstone went to work at the University of Minnesota. His projects mainly per-
Uploading videos as a creative outlet
by Logan Barham Staff Reporter Imagine achieving fame of magnificent proportions, without ever needing to leave the couch. This is what YouTube has brought to the world, free access to millions of viewers for content creators, more commonly known as “YouTubers.” These YouTubers can earn advertising revenue from their videos by allowing advertisers to run commercials before and during their clips. For example, PewDiePie, a popular YouTuber with more than 50 million subscribers, has earned upwards of 4,000,000 dollars in ad revenue since beginning to upload videos in 2006. “I feel like YouTube gives people the power to express
themselves how they want. The fact it’s free makes it even better,” said Ian Twogood, junior. Twogood, also known by his channel name, DaOwlCat, made his first video in 2015. His content consists mainly of film reviews. The videos are short and humorous, filled with obscure jokes, geared toward an audience well versed in internet humor. “I just really like talking about movies. I saw YouTube as an outlet for that,” Twogood said. Twogood isn’t the only YouTuber at HHS, however. Nadir Raheem, junior, has recently started making his own videos under the username YoItsNadir. Raheem has deleted and resurrected his channel multiple times, trying to get his content
and style just right. There have been three iterations of the YoItsNadir channel to date. “[My channel is] kind of comedy… I’m not, like, telling jokes the whole time, but I think the reason people watch it is that I’m funny,” Raheem said. Another HHS YouTuber is Nikki Wilson, junior, who began posting videos in 2013. She publishes makeup tutorials, video blogs (commonly known as vlogs), challenges, and an occasional cooking video. “Lately I’ve been really into travel vlogs. I don’t travel often, but I’m going to China soon, so I’ll do a vlog then,” Wilson said. One of the greatest assets Youtube offers creators is artistic freedom unlike any other platform. The website provides people a medium through which
had to have an agent or something to be on TV. Now all you have to do is put up a video and within seconds you could become viral and make millions of dollars.” -Nikki Wilson, junior
Latz and Yunis create portable car detailng business
Logo used in advertisement for I & N Detailing.
by Izzy Goldfarb Feature Editor
Ian Yunis and Nate Latz, seniors, spent their 2015 summer with spray bottles and rags in hand. Last summer they put their tools down and took su-
Provided by Ian Yunis
pervisor positions in their business. For the past two years, Yunis and Latz have been building their business of portable car detailing.
RP
feature 5
Friday, March 31, 2017
Caring beyond the class room walls
Annual recognition spotlights nine HHS students making an impact in their communities by Hannah Goldfarb Staff Reporter
Seven years ago, Andy Pelerine, junior, saw an advertisement in the newspaper for Loaves and Fishes, a mobile Minneapolis food shelf. Immediately, Pelerine became interested and began volunteering there. Last week, he received recognition from the city of Hopkins for his volunteer work . Pelerine was given the Caring Youth award for astounding community service, awarded to students grades seven through twelve who are making a measurable impact on those around them. This year, nine HHS students were recognized: Jessica Melnik, Dante Remnick, sophomores, Korinna Bakey, Emma Buttress, Andy Pelerine, Evan Pelerine, juniors, Yusuf Yusuf, LaDajia Davis, Jane Kyllo, seniors. They join more than 80 HHS alumni who have garnered the award in its 11 year history. In order to receive the Caring Youth award, the recipient must meet certain criteria. They need to live in the Hopkins, Minnetonka or Golden Valley Area, attend school in Hopkins or Minnetonka, and volunteer. However, the type of volunteering can vary widely, from starting a club with an emphasis on helping others, to volunteer-
HHS students pose with Mr. Doug Bullinger, principal, as they receive the Caring Youth Award.
ing at a local hospital. As long as you are serving your community out of your own volition, it isn’t important how. For Pelerine, the goal in volunteering was simple, to influence positive change in his community. He never considered the possibility that he would receive
an award for doing something as simple as helping those in need. “Volunteering at Loaves and Fishes has definitely given me a sense of accomplishment, and it’s always nice to see the kids faces when you hand them a sandwich. But, I was surprised
[when I got the award], I didn’t even know it existed, so it was cool when I got it,” Pelerine said. Other recipients were equally surprised when they received the news they had been identified as students deserving of the Caring Youth Award. “I didn’t know it was going
Photo provided by HHS Twitter
to happen, but in the mail, when they sent me [a letter] that I won an award it made sense. But I didn’t know it was going to happen,” said Jessica Melnik, sophomore, who started a club, Girls United, in seventh grade. Melnik’s club began as a group of her friends meeting
once a month to talk about pressing social issues faced by girls her age, and evolved into a collaboration conversation about female leadership with 4th through 6th graders. Introduced to the spirit of volunteerism early in life, she quickly discovered how rewarding it was, and decided volunteering was something she wanted to continue well into the future. “I think that I’ve started to really enjoy volunteering, and I think that that will just increase as I get older. Having started to experience it now will definitely benefit me in the future.” Melnik said. Kyllo too believes that the volunteering she does now will continue to have an impact not only on herself, but others as well. Kyllo has interned at the Hopkins Education Fund since her sophomore year, and received the Caring Youth Award for her work there. “I have three younger siblings in the Hopkins district, so Hopkins will be a big part of my family until 2024 when my youngest brother graduates. I want them to have as good of an experience as I have had at HHS,” Kyllo said. Pelerine, Melnik, and Kyllo, along with the six other HHS students who received the award, were acknowledged Thurs. March 9 at the Minnetonka Community Center.
6 in-depth
the
RP
Friday, March 31, 2017
r e t a l s r 72 yea photos licensed through Creative Commons
History faced its worst of hate in the 1940s during the Holocaust, a time in which Jews, gypsies, the LGBTQ+ community, and the disabled were victims of hateful sentiments gone to an extreme. Have we learned our lesson? by Michael Korsh, Samantha Horowitz, and Lily Smith Managing Editor and Staff Reporters
“Nazis rule.” Someone had broken into the dorm room of Avi Shaver, HHS alumnus, at the University of Minnesota on Feb. 8 and scrawled that message on his whiteboard, along with a graphic illustration of a swastika and a concentration camp. That night, Shaver was hit with a harsh reality: anti-Semitism is appearing more and more on high school and college campuses nationwide. He never thought it would happen to him on such a personal level. “I was expecting to find it, hear about it, perhaps experience it in a large group setting but never as a personal attack,” Shaver said. The Jewish community isn’t alone in its recent experiences with hate crimes and intolerance. With the current political climate, hateful sentiments have transformed into actions— 1,094 bias-related incidents were reported by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in the mere month after the 2016 presidential election. In such a hateful environment, Abdi Isse,
sophomore, feels the immense social pressure placed on him because of his religion. “Honestly, I don’t feel very safe here at the moment for many different reasons. I feel harassed and I don’t feel comfortable being a Muslim in this school,” Isse said. Beginning in January, Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) in Minnesota and nationwide have been the target of a series of bomb threats. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), since January, over 161 bomb threats have been called against Jewish Community Centers in the United States, including the Sabes JCC in St. Louis Park on Jan. 18. As a parent of a young child on the campus on the day of the bomb threat in St. Louis Park, Laurence White, Chief Counsel for the Sabes JCC, felt a similar emotion as many of the other parents did. “It’s jarring and extraordinarily upsetting,” White said. “At the same time, as a security professional who has advised the Sabes JCC for many years, I know it’s a contingency the staff has trained and prepared for, which was a ma-
jor contributing factor in the success of our response.” Abigail Yousha, junior, along with other Jewish students at HHS, felt a direct hit from such a local incident. “My reaction when I first heard about the bomb threats to the JCCs in Minnesota and across the country was surprise and shock,” Yousha said. “Although I fully understand the extent of anti-Semitism in this country, I was surprised about the reality of threats to the Jewish community across the US.” Because Yousha attended the Minneapolis Jewish Day School for eight years, she feels a strong personal connection to the attacks. “The building and the Jewish community itself is close to me, and there’s a huge likelihood that I could be in the JCC during a bomb threat. These threats directly impact my community and a place where I have spent 12 years,” Yousha said. The ADL, whose mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people, and to secure justice and fair treatment to all,” has been
photo illustrations by Bea Frank, Abby Doeden, and Michael Korsh
in-depth 7
the
RP Friday, March 31, 2017
solving hate combatting anti-Semitism for 104 years. Jacob Warsaw, Regional Operations Coordinator for the ADL, explained why they believe anti-Semitism is on the rise. “Statistically, hate crimes have targeted Jews more than any other religious minority group consistently for years. However, since the election season, we have seen a dramatic rise in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic attacks,” Warsaw said. “We believe that this is partially the result of a presidential election charged by sensitive subjects ranging from immigration from South America as well as refugees fleeing violence in Syria.” Sam Clague, senior, attributes the rise in hate to ignorance and a lack of understanding. Despite these occurrences, he’s confident in HHS’ accommodations to the LGBTQ+ community. “There have been incidences where some school students don’t really understand these issue and take out that ignorance on the students, but that’s pretty rare, so I’d say [our environment is] pretty good,” Clague said. Ariel Shaver, junior, was saddened upon hearing about the anti-Semitic acts inflicted on her brother. “It’s hurtful that someone would target someone I know, and also that people would act that way at all and would make decisions like that to hurt other people purposefully,” Ariel said. With anti-Semitic threats still prevalent in Minnesota and across the nation, legislators and communities are beginning to take action. The day after the bomb threat, White convened his leadership team to conduct a review of the evacuation. The team identified many successes, including the evacuation of more than 500 people from the ages of 3 months to 100 years old. “At the same time, we also focused on examining areas in which we could improve our preparedness, response, and recovery effort. We’ve identified 15 core areas we want to improve upon, which the team is now working on,” White said. On March 23, Michael Kaydar, a 19-year-old Jew and dual American-Israeli citizen, was arrested in Israel for perpetrating more than 100 of the bomb threats. Although much of the Jewish community is relieved that Kaydar has been caught, they’re also troubled by these anti-Semitic acts coming within the community, Sen. Amy Klobuchar met with local leaders at the St. Paul JCC on Mar. 19 to discuss security measures. Klobuchar is currently co-sponsoring the Faith-Based Community Center Protection Act, and supports a federal bill that would allot $20 million in increased funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program. To address the rise of anti-Semitism on campuses across the nation, Ariel believes that schools need to face the issue head-on. “They need to talk about it and educate students about what it means historically, and what it means to be tolerant of others and accepting of all religions,” Ariel said. While Avi faces anti-Semitism in the greater world, he is comforted by the environment that HHS creates for Jewish students like his sister. “HHS was a wonderful environment for being Jewish,” Avi said. “Being allowed to openly express my faith opened up the dialogue which is really the most important component of going to a public school; meeting people of different cultures and learning from them.” Isse, however, believes that HHS’ commitment to diversity is extremely limited, and that it’s on students to create a more accepting environment. “It’s not a very great environment; they don’t represent anybody but black and white,” Isse said. But as students exit the haven of HHS, Avi urges them to stand up for their beliefs, regardless of the intolerance they may receive. “In the greater world, one should fight hate, intolerance, and bigotry by continuing to take pride in whatever makes you, you. Do not cower in fear, and say, ‘I won’t act like this anymore.’ Do the opposite: stand strong and be proud of who you are,” Avi said.
“We should see everyone as a living, breathing person and instead of trying to push away those people, trying to understand what makes them different.” -Sam Clague, senior LGBTQ+ community
of Minnesota hate crimes in 2015 were motivated by sexual orientation
28% Source: FBI
“I don’t think there’s a solution, besides the fact that students themselves could be more inclusive.” -Abdi Isse, sophomore Muslim community
197%
increase in the number of anti-Muslim hate groups in 2015
Source: SPLC
“After Trump being elected, I was scared of feeling unwelcome, but HHS has made sure I’m in a comfortable environment for learning.”
-Asia Abedi, sophomore Hispanic community
10th Source: SPLC
state with most amount of bias-related incidents in the month following the election
photos by Mimi Gewirtz, Eli Destiche, and Gabe Herman
8 op/ed
the
RP Friday, March 31, 2017
STAFF EDITORIAL To test, or not to test? For sake of the school, students should refrain from opting out of the MCA Recently, bill SF 1475 was introduced to the Minnesota House of Representatives. A response to high MCA opt-out rates throughout the state, SF 1475 hopes to tie the number of students who participate in state testing to the amount of funding school districts receive. Although a vote has not been held yet, SF 1475 brings much needed attention to an issue that affects not only HHS students, but the entire state: opting out of the MCAs. During the 2015-2016 school year, 32 percent of students at HHS opted out of the grade 11 Mathematics MCA. HHS was ranked sixth in the state for most opt-outs, best-
ed only by four Minneapolis schools and Rochester Century High School. Admittedly, some of us on The Royal Page opted out of the MCAs our sophomore and junior years. We opted out primarily because the MCAs were right before the week we had AP exams, the most stressful time of year for juniors. We also believed the MCAs had no direct impact on students' individual success. However, by opting-out, we failed to examine the broader implications of our actions. When the number of HHS students taking the MCAs are low, our state-provided funding is affected proportionately.
Many students don’t realize this correlation, and assume that their opting out won’t have any personal consequences. We agree— standardized tests such as the MCAs don’t accurately display student’s abilities and growth, and relying on them creates an unnecessary expectations for us as students. But while that may be true for students on a personal level, the bigger picture is quite different. The fact that funding is allocated for test participation and performance is reason enough for students to take the MCAs. Only after speaking with many frustrated teachers did we realized the negative impact
POINT:
Chemical policy affirms reasonable expectation for student-athletes by Gabe Herman Staff Reporter When a Minnesota high school athlete gets suspended from competition due to the use of drugs, alcohol, and any other chemicals, they will be suspended by their high school’s Athletic Department, and during the suspension, they must go to practice and be at all the team’s events. That’s a Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) rule. All high schools are required to follow this suspension policy, and failure to do so could risk their status in the League. The reality for student athletes is that consequences follow their actions. If you are an athlete, you are still a part of the team. “Student-athletes are required to participate in the practices and attend the games during the period of suspension because, first and foremost, they are still a member of the team. By MSHSL rules, a student must be with the team (during practice) to be suspended from the team (competition) and must be eligible to be suspended.” said Dan Johnson, Activities Director. Some students think it is a bizarre rule that they have to be with the team during the course of their suspension. I would have to disagree with those students. Some bel i e v e they
could be spending their time working on school work, or spending time with their families, but the reality is that most of them won’t, and if anything, they might turn to their chemical use again for whatever reason they do this. Second-time offenders are suspended for a longer period of time or more games. A third offense results in a mandatory chemical assessment, no matter what. Each student that receives a chemical suspension has their own person-
games.” Johnson said. Students that are caught using chemicals all have very different backgrounds and reasoning for why they've chosen to use any sort of chemicals. It is really not too much to ask that you go to practice with the team while suspended, if anything you can make yourself better at your sport while also learning to stay away from chemicals. You are still part of the team, and they might need you to
HHS potentially faces in the coming years due to poor MCA turnout. We could lose funding for programs and opportunities that make our school unique: arts programs, advanced classes such as AP and CiS, and electives that allow us to discover and explore our academic interests. Therefore, we’ve come to a conclusion. Sometimes in life, students must suffer through things we don't want to in order to benefit the greater good. The MCA is one of those things. Because the state government may, in fact, base district funding on participation in the test, we feel it is our responsibility as students to take the test.
Funding is obviously very important to all schools, and HHS is no exception. Although sleeping in two hours later for two days at the end of the school year sounds extremely appealing, to opt-out of these impactful tests isn’t worth it after all. Regardless of whether or not SF 1475 passes the legislature, we as a student body need to do our part and participate in the MCAs.
EDITORIAL BOARD VOTE: AGREE DISAGREE
6 5
COUNTERPOINT:
Policy unfairly detracts from athletic development and improvement by Eli Destiche Staff Reporter If a HHS student gets caught smoking, drinking or doing any other form of drug, they receive a suspension from participating in competition, but still have to go to all practices and attend all competitions. If a HHS student is suspended, he or she loses their captainship opportunity and ability to letter. If a student wants to continue to play for their
The very definition of practice is to perform an activity or exercise a skill repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency. If a student isn’t allowed to perform what they have been training for, what’s the point of even practicing? Instead of practicing for a competition that they can’t even participate in, students should be entered into some sort of program to warn what could happen to them in the future if they continue to use drugs, which could last until
POINT/COUNTERPOINT
from participating in competition, then they should also be suspended from attending practice with the team, attending any team meetings and being present at team events. “I’ve been suspended from my sport twice for vaping and I really feel that if they are that worried they would get me some help with my problems, instead of punishing me by attending all practices over the course of my suspension,” said a student who wised to remain anonymous This policy is unfair to students because it takes a small mistake and blows it way out of proportion. Students shouldn’t be forced to put their body through tough work when they can’t even show off what they prepared for.
Should HHS revise their athletic policy for
chemical violations? al circumstances. Some are casual users while others have used chemicals habitually. There are some that are predisposed to chemical addiction, while others may have experimented and moved on from the chemical use. “We try to work with students that need additional time to sort out their chemical use or for families to do a chemical assessment, etc. “ All of that being said, if their goal is to return to participation, they need to continue to be a part of the team and that means attending practices and
help them out with things in practice, and your coach is going to want you to keep up your conditioning; this is opportunity to step up and be a leader and seek change.
" The reality for student athletes is that consequences follow their actions." - Gabe Herman
team, they must show that by coming to practice and supporting their team at competitions until the suspension is finished, according to MSHSL guidelines. “If their goal is to return to participation, they need to continue to be a part of the team and that means attending practices and games.” said Dan Johnson, Activities Director. Some students view practices as a punishment. Other students enjoy practice just as much as the real competition. Practice is strenuous and puts a lot of stress on students and it takes up time after school that could be spent studying for tests and completing projects.
their suspension is over. “We try to work with students that need additional time to sort out their chemical use or for families to do a chemical assessment, etc.” Johnson said. Some students enjoy participating in practice and think of it as more of a bonus than a negative. So, if that is the case, why should those students be permitted to practice and participate in team events even if they have broken the MSHSL's rule? Participating in practice is a time for students to bond with their team and that shouldn't be taken away if they break the rule. If students are going to be suspended
" [The policy is] unfair to students because it takes a small mistake and blows it way out of proportion." - Eli Destiche
the
RP
op/ed 9
Friday, March 31, 2017
More than just a number
College admissions should value self over statistics by Samantha Horowitz Staff Reporter As a junior beginning the college planning process, I often find myself trying to juggle everything college related that is thrown my way, such as standardized tests, college tours, college fairs, and simply the question of where it is exactly that I want to go to college. On top of all that, colleges nowadays have long lists of requirements that often appear overwhelming to say the least. Academic GPA, standardized test scores, class rank, recommendations, essays, and rigor of secondary school record are just a few of the many factors that colleges look at when selecting incoming students. But students who are not as strong numerically may be in luck. Colleges now more than ever are taking into account other elements such as extracurricular activities, particular talent/ability, and character/ personal qualities. They are focusing less on the numbers and more on the “individual.” For students like myself who are often crunching the numbers, anxiously trying to figure out the likelihood of getting into a certain “dream school,” the new application process may seem more appealing. This new process is not only more beneficial to students, but also to colleges. In order to improve the environment and student body, colleges should look for wellrounded students who are looking to get more out of the expe-
rience than just a diploma, not just quintessential students who score well on paper. By accepting students who are genuinely interested in the school, colleges will be able to foster healthier relationships between students and bring about a more positive experience in general. While numbers are important in order to make the application process more competitive, it should not be the end-all. Take it from someone who has taken both the ACT and the SAT. Standardized tests are most definitely not easy. They require a lot of practice, focus, and in most cases, money. While a high test score seems appealing, I would rather focus my time and energy elsewhere such as volunteering or joining a new extracurricular activity. Juniors and seniors already have so much on their plates, and having to take these tests over and over again is discouraging and time-consuming. Colleges should certainly not overlook a student’s performance in high school, though. An academic GPA can reveal a lot about a student in a short period of time, including work ethic, test performance, and rigor of classes. While colleges should take into account a student’s high school transcript, it shouldn’t be the ultimate deciding factor. In the end, colleges should make it a priority to find committed students who will be engaged in and out of the classroom and who will contribute to the community.
Places Not To Go 10 : Top During Spring Break
10
Nimrod, Minnesota
9
North Korea
8
The weight room with Coach Burns
7
Edina High School
The Royal Page 2016-2017
Print Editor-inChief Abby Doeden
Web Editor-in Chief Noah Kaplan
Managing Editor Michael Korsh
News Editors Sebastien Karo Jordyn Petty
Feature Editor Izzy Goldfarb
Sports Editor Andy Weisman
Photo Editor
6
Locked inside HHS
5
A Chinese labor camp (looking at you, AP World)
Bea Frank
Video Editor Zach Roy
4
Anywhere in Iowa
3
Rose's parents house from "Get Out"
2
La fiesta de Profe Sebenaler en su patio
1
The HHS Staff pool party
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Social Editor Sophia Koritz
Staff Reporters
Imran Baksh Evie Barczak Logan Barham Andy Berris Alex Condon Natalie DenHartog Eli Destiche Luis Felemovicius Mimi Gewirtz Hannah Goldfarb Mario Hadley Gabe Herman Samantha Horowitz Shayna Korsh Ayanna Maddox Kyle Miller Jacob Ratner Adam Segal Lily Smith Ryan St. Clair Stephanie Winter
Adviser
Jeff Kocur
HHS students share their thoughts about life at HHS. “When I was at home, I fell down a flight of stairs and survived with no breaks or bruises.” -Samit Patel, sophomore “We took the L in the southwest championship game.” -Austin Lehman, junior “I killed Lilli Appelman in Assassins.” -Connor Sedoff, junior “I have a C in MUSH and that upsets me. I know I can do better.” -Angela Perez, sophomore “I now officially have a bae.” -Sydney Urban, sophomore “I had to come in to school super early to review Spanish.” -Eva Paavola, sophomore
"Jesper Hoffman and I were named captains for puck. I was extremely excited when I received the news.” -Johnny Kahner, junior “The four-step process in my AP Statistics class.” -Amanda Natoli, senior “I’m going to Mexico soon. Gotta get this tan.” -Katie Blad, sophomore “I have got to serve a couple detentions. That's an L.” -Joe Swenson, senior "I got a 20 out of 20 on my AP Biology cellular respiration quiz." -Katherine Salcedo, sophomore "My wheel broke off when I crashed into a ditch." -Makenzie Merritt, senior
The editorial represents the opinion of the newspaper staff. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the administration, the student body or the advisor. Signed viewpoints represent the view of the writer. The Royal Page operates as an open forum student publication, and student editors make editorial decisions regarding content. Advertising information available by mail, fax and phone. Annual Subscriptions are available for $20. The Royal Page encourages letters to the editor. Letters are not guaranteed publication, are subject to editing for content and length, must be signed and meet deadlines. Compliments and suggestions are also welcome.
10 sports RP Friday, March 31, 2017 After 10 years, Vikings say farewell to beloved AP by AJ Condon Sports Reporter Even though it was expected, it still came as a shock to me. The Minnesota Vikings made a big decision this offseason with their star player. On Feb. 28, I looked at my phone and saw an update about Adrian Peterson, now ex-running back for the Vikings, saying the Vikings will not exercise the 2017 option on his contract. When I saw this notification, I felt miserable for the rest of the day. Losing a player like this is always hard to process. But maybe it was needed. Maybe Peterson’s time is done. Maybe it’s time for him to retire. Peterson has only played in 20 games in the past three seasons out of 48 possible games. He has also always had a problem holding onto the ball whether it’s with catching the ball out of the backfield or fumbles. His problems on the field isn’t everything. In 2014, Peterson was suspended for the rest of the year after his first game of the season for abusive discipline
Adrian Peterson, ex-Minnesota Vikings running back, runs against the Green Bay Packers. Peterson is chased by A.J. Hawk and B.J. Raji in the background. Vikings beat the Packers 37-34, on Dec. 30, 2012. provided by Creative Commons photo by Joe Bielawa
on his 4-year-old child. Despite his struggles in his last three seasons, Peterson was still a huge asset to the team in his first seven years. After the Vikings selected Peterson with the seventh overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, he has played
in 123 games in his career with the Vikings. Over that time, he ran for 11,747 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and 97 touchdowns. He leads the league in yards and touchdowns in the past 10 years, according to
Sports Illustrated. Having Peterson on the Vikings made all the games so much more interesting to watch. I loved watching him be such a threat throughout the whole game. It was awesome to see him consistently break tack-
les and destroy defences. Something I definitely will miss is hearing Paul Allen’s voice yelling “He’s loose,” over and over again. Peterson has always been a big impact on this team and the loss will be detrimental. I feel Peterson was a huge part to the team's success even when he wasn’t touching the ball. He was so feared by other teams that they would place extra defenders in the middle of the field to try and stop him, which would allow the passing game to open up. With Peterson gone, defences don’t have to pay extra attention to the back field which will make the passing game even harder than it is. Peterson hit the market on March 9. Some possible teams he could’ve gone to were the following: Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans and sadly, the Green Bay Packers. With his past three seasons, Peterson’s value has gone down. Peterson is already 31 years old and turns 32 on March 21. Stats,
provided by ESPN, show that after the age of 27, runningbacks stats’ tend to drop. After one year it drops 15 percent, 25 percent after two and 40 percent after three years. A big reason Peterson has not signed yet is because of the price he is asking for. He wants at least $8 million for one year. With the signing of former Oakland Raiders running back, Latavius Murray, the Vikings will not be signing Peterson. I think Peterson could go to the Raiders. The Raiders have a very strong offensive line and that has been something holding Peterson back on the Vikings. I would like Peterson to go to a team where he can win a championship. Even if he won’t be with the Vikings anymore, he has still been such a dominant player that he deserves to win a Super Bowl. Hopefully, by the end of Peterson’s career, he can be holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy at least one time.
Track and field anticipates success in 2017 season by Evie Barczak Sports Reporter
Left to right: Sam Branson, Jack Henschel , Hunter Staack and Seth Eliason at state meet. Branson, Henschel and Staack graduated in 2016. photo by Mark Eliason
As temperatures reached into the 60s two weeks ago, anticipation for the upcoming spring season teams began. Among them, the track and field team. In the recent years, both HHS running teams have made a big name for themselves, especially the cross country team. However, the track team has also done big things; the boys made it to State in 2014 and the girls in 2011. Head coaches Mr. Nick Lovas and Ms. Andrea Yesnes have helped guide the team to these successes and hope for more to come this season. “I think that this year, more than any other year, I'm excited to see our development
and progress,” Coach Lovas said. “We have the make-up of a championship contender because our team medaled in the top 3 teams at State in 2013 and 2016.” Lovas is relying heavily on the team leadership to pave the way to success this season. “We have a nice balance of talent. Seth Eliason, Joe Swenson and Ben Leervig will lead us on the track as senior captains. All three are versatile enough to contribute in up to 6 events on the track. In the field, we'll be led by senior captain and defending Lake Conference Shot Put Champion, Riley Allen. Boye Mafe and Nate Johnson will also make significant contributions in the throws and jumps, respectively,” Lovas said. As for younger and new athletes, Lovas hopes they look to
their captains and returning upperclassmen for motivation to continue stepping up. Track and field events include sprints, long distance, long jump, high jump, hurdles, shot put, discus, triple jump, and relays. Cimeon Daniel, junior, participates in track and field and is very focused on being competitive. Daniel runs the 110m hurdles, and also competes in the triple jump and the long jump. “[This season], I hope to make it to State and make a personal record with a time of 14.8,” Daniel said. “I’d also like to earn some more scholarships.” Additionally, Daniel hopes to make it to State as a team before he graduates next year. Sally Reed, sophomore, may participate in track and field for
different reasons than Daniel, but is still competitive. Reed runs the 200m, 400m and the 4X200m relay. “I run track because I think it is super rewarding to see your improvement as a result of working hard,” Reed said. Although Reed isn’t quite as serious about track as other runners, she still holds high goals for herself. “This year, I want to beat my times from last year and improve my starts,” Reed said. “My favorite part is being with friends everyday and beating personal records.” Track and fields next meet will be Tues, April 4th, at Eastview High School for boys and HHS for girls.
Royals Player Profiles “My hopes for the season are that we make it to nationals and be able to achieve all of our teams goals.“ -Sam Resnick, senior, captain, boys ultimate frisbee
“We had a great 4 x 800m that went to state last year. Everyone is looking really good this season already, and I hope we can another good team together this year.” -Lavin Douglas, sophomore, track and field provided by Lavin Douglas
provided by Abigail Yousha
photo by Dan Crouser
provided by Sam Resnick
“I am really excited, we have a lot of new players. We set high goals for ourselves and we’re hoping to achieve them.” -Abigail Yousha, junior, girls ultimate frisbee
“I want to enjoy my senior season and make it back to state with my ladies. ” -Cassy Huiras, senior, softball
“This year we hope to improve our stick skills and continue to enhance our lacrosse IQ. Also, we want to win a couple of games against our tough schedule.” -Matt Gerstner, junior, boys lacrosse
“I hope we can create a large sense of team work and get a conference win this year.” -Abby Martin, junior, girls lacrosse
Provided by Abby Martin
provided by Matt Gerstner
sports 11 RP Friday, March 31, 2017 Spring break plans affected by spring sports events by Luis Felemovicius Sports Reporter With spring break falling on the seventh of April, athletes have no time for rest. Sports such as boys and girls lacrosse, boys tennis, baseball, softball, and track all have events during spring break. Baseball has the most games over break, including three non-conference games and one in-conference game. The baseball captains believe the preparation for these games are needed. “I think these practices are worth it. I know players would like to go on vacation and have fun, but it’s important that we don’t take that week off and train hard for the upcoming season,” said Morgan Holmes, senior baseball captain. “I think these reps help. The season is short and we only have a couple weeks before games start. I think it’s important to get the whole squad together as much
as possible.” Fellow captain Matt Shaw, senior has a similar viewpoint “Having practice is obviously not convenient for everybody, but I believe it is necessary to stay competitive in the Lake Conference,” Shaw added. “I expect everyone to come to practices and games over break.” Athletes have expressed their frustrations over these events. “I’m frustrated because I feel I don’t get the freedom of spring break,” said Will Stein, sophomore baseball player. “I also believe, that although the reps are helpful, the team would benefit from extra rest.” Athletes have also expressed the need for extra reps in practice. In a typical baseball practice, more reps means extra swings, ground balls, and game situations. “I definitely understand where people are coming from, but I believe these reps will be beneficial to the team,” said
Kyle Chiriboga, junior baseball player. Edina, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, and St. Louis Park all have normal spring break dates while Hopkins has the latest in the Lake Conference. The Hopkins athletic department has had to do their part in contacting parents about the schedule. “The conference makes the schedule, so that is out of our hands. When we initially receive the schedules, we try to contact parents as early as possible,” said Dan Johnson, Athletic Director. Although Hopkins has a late break and some athletes are upset, the athletic department and parents have had minimal conflicts over the time of this break. “Very few [parents] have come to me over the last 18 years of doing this, and I think our coaches do a good job in the fall and winter of saying that it’d be better not to make a lot of plans because we’re gonna be playing at this time,” Johnson
said. The athletic department believes spring break practices won’t be beneficial if a lot of people are absent from these events. “We’re never gonna be in a situation where we are saying that we’re having practice to keep kids here, but we do want to make the practices a relevant experience,” Johnson added. “We don’t want five kids to show up at an optional practice.” If the athlete isn’t present at practice or games, the player is not punished. “If I do talk to the parent, I will talk to the coach, but the conversation isn’t about punishing an individual for being on break. It’s about what the program and what the team is doing to improve in that period of time,” Johnson said. “If you choose to withdraw yourself from that, that’s a decision you’ll have to make.”
Morgan Holmes, senior, steps up to bat for the Royals. The Royals finished last season with a record of 7-12. provided by Morgan Holmes
Girls lacrosse look to forget the 2016 season and win in 2017 by Adam Segal Sports Reporter
Grace Wallace-Jackson, sophomore, craddles the ball up the field while Ruth Vogel, sophomore, plays defense. The Royals girls scrimmaged on 3/27/2016. photo by Jacob Ratner
Despite their rough season last year, the Royals girls lacrosse team remains optimistic about this year’s upcoming season. Last year, the Royals went 5-9, and lost seven seniors to graduation. Despite this, they have a very strong group of returning players. Two of these players, Sadie Skadron and Sammi Galinson, senior captains, were the second and third leading scorers last season. Standing in the Royals path are two very strong Lake Conference teams. The Eden Prairie Eagles who are the defending state champions and had an undefeated record. Also the Minnetonka Skippers were another solid team in the Lake Conference with a record of 5-3. Although the loss of last
year’s seniors will hurt the team, the team are looking at their returning players to fill the void both on and off the field. “We lost some key players last year but we still have a great group of girls returning and we are looking forward to a great season,” said Lilli Appelman, junior. The Royals are also looking to some of their younger talent to step up this season. “Our team is still young and we will look for some of our younger girls to step up so we can have the best season possible this season,” Appelman said. This season, the team is striving for balance instead of relying on a few standout players. “We have strong and talented group of girls returning this year and I think it will be a total team effort both on and off
the field. We have a group that is ready and willing to compete everyday especially at practice,” said Jon Smart, head coach. The Royals know that in order to be successful in such a hard conference they will have to go out and compete every night. With teams such as the Eagles, they know that success starts with practice. “The focus this year is getting better every day, and looking to improve our overall record and our skill development as the season goes on. It is a fun and hard working group, and the coaching staff is very excited to see how this group's progresses throughout the season.” Smart said. Captains practices started Mar. 27, and tryouts will be held the week of April 3.
Girls basketball season comes to an end after undefeated regular season by Shayna Korsh Sports Reporter The Elks hit some key shots early in the game, and made five of their first six three-pointers. They also had a well developed plan for defending the Royal’s fast paced-tempo and stand out players. The Royals did not hit some of the shots they normally do, and their leading scorers did not meet their average points per game. In the end, the Royals took a four-point loss, 64-60. Despite the final loss, the Royals had a truly incredible overall season. Their season opened with a win against the Osseo High School Orioles, and 25 wins later, the Royals became the first girls team in school history to win all of their regular season games. The team was led by Bueck-
ers and Raena Suggs, junior, who averaged 23.3 and 17.3 points per game, respectively. The primary focus for the Royals this season was defensive intensity. Angie Hammond, junior, and Dlayla Chakolis, sophomore, were major contributors to the team’s defensive success this season. Hammond and Chakolis averaged 5.5 and 4.8 rebounds per game, respectively. “I just try to be tough on the glass to get rebounds and box out. I also cut off people driving to the lane and position myself to draw a charge,” Chakolis said. With their undefeated regular season, the Royals were in a good position for success during the section playoffs. Their victories over Washburn, Minneapolis South, and ultimately Wayzata in the section finals secured them the number one
seed in the state championship tournament. The Royals first took on the Minnetonka Skippers in the state tournament and won by a score of 76-57. Bueckers led the Royals with 31 points, a season high. After their win over the Skippers, the Royals advanced to the class 4A semifinals, where they beat Eastview high school. Though it ended in a victory, the game was the closest the girls came to a loss all season, ending with a score of 64-59. Bueckers tied her season high of 31 points that she had set in the previous game. Even though it didn’t end the way the Royals wanted, the season was still unforgettable. Their loss in the championships has made them even hungrier for the title next season.
Dee- Dee Winston, senior, bends over to comfort Raena Suggs, junior, after loss against the Elk River Elks. The Royals lost in the 4A state finals to the Elks by a score of 64-59. photo by Bea Frank
RPFriday, March 31
the
12 backpage
BY BEA FRANK PHOTO EDITOR Enjoy this blast from the past as we take a look at what’s changed and what’s stayed the same at HHS in the past 40 years. The photos from 1972 were taken by Paul Tower, Hopkins Lindbergh alumnus, during his high school years here. These photos and many others can be found on his blog, paultower.wordpress.com.
Students gather with their friends and hang out on the mall balcony. LEFT BY PAUL TOWER RIGHT BY BEA FRANK
Female students hang out in a classroom in 1972 (top) and 2017 (bottom). TOP BY PAUL TOWER BOTTOM BY BEA FRANK
LEFT: The king and queen of the 1972 Sno-Daze are crowned. PHOTO BY PAUL TOWER
RIGHT: Nhan Le, senior, is crowned Homecoming Queen at the 2016 Pepfest.
PHOTO BY BEA FRANK
School lunches in 1972 (top) and 2017 (bottom). TOP BY PAUL TOWER BOTTOM BY BEA FRANK
Students hang out on the balcony above the mall in 2017 (left) and 1972 (right).
LEFT BY BEA FRANK RIGHT BY PAUL TOWER