The Royal Page - April 2016

behind bars As anxiety disorders become more common among teens, so does the use and abuse of Xanax

Committee Discusses Schedule Change

by Morgan Downing

page 4

Noaman Expresses Self Through Wicca

by Izzy Goldfarb page 6

Prized In-State Recruit

by Noah Kaplan and Andy Weisman

page 14

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ROYAL

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 Volume 34 Issue 5

RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

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2 news

Envirothon to take on regional test

by Claire Benton and Sophia Koritz Web Editor in Chief and Staff Reporter Walking into the competition, there are no doors, only five stations set up outdoors, with questions waiting to be answered by nervous teams of high school students.

Questions range from identifying fur pelts, determining the age of trees, to listening to bird songs and determining the bird.

This is what two HHS Envirothon teams will be doing today when they travel to Spicer, Minn. to compete in the annual Regional Envirothon Competition. “[The teams] show up at each station where you’re given twenty to twenty-five questions and have a half hour [to complete the task]. The test involves active stuff: going into the water and doing water tests or going to trees and identifying them,” said Mr. John Sammler, Science and Envirothon adviser.

The Envirothon organization was established around 1979, originating with the early recognition of environmental issues worldwide. Their mission, according to the North American Envirothon, is to develop “dedicated citizens who have an understanding of natural resources and are willing and prepared to work towards achieving and maintaining a balance between the quality of life and the quality of the environment.”

At HHS, this mission is achieved through the Envirothon club.

“I did [Envirothon] in high school in Pennsylvania and I thought it was really fun. The first year we did it [at HHS] was 2007, and we placed sixth at regionals. Since 2008, we have placed top three at regionals. The past five years we have won regionals. We’ve had really good success,” Sammler said.

The typical Envirothon meeting begins with students finding out what they will be focusing on for the day. In the fall, Envirothon heads outdoors to learn how to identify different species of trees and other wildlife, whereas in the winter and spring, more time is spent indoors, studying environmental topics, reviewing for test questions, and preparing for a spoken presentation to be given at the final competition.

“It’s an hour and a half of fun each week. It’s a fun way to learn about the environment. Also, if [a students is] taking [Advanced Placement] Environmental Science, it’s a way to study for the test,” said Julia Heath, senior.

Envirothon is divided into two teams composed of five members each. Logan Remington, senior, is one of those members.

“It’s an after-school club that meets once a week to talk about all the environmental plans in Minnesota, whether it be wildlife, aquatics,

Envirothon members, left to right: Ann Curme, Josie Berman, Mia Menendez, Jamie Gilliam, seniors, and Mr. John Sammler, adviser, study for their upcoming Envirothon competition. The two teams representing HHS must place in the top three teams to continue on to state.

photo by Grace Dosdall

forestry, [soil, or the current topic of the year,]” Remington said. “We do competitions where we are quizzed on all five of those subjects, and we need to do an oral presentation on some [current] topic - this year’s topic is aquatic invasive species.”

Envirothon even has a presence at NJH, which provides the opportunity to younger students to gain knowledge on these five environmental topics early on. They will compete at the Junior Envirothon regionals on the same day as the high school teams. This is the first year that Hopkins has competed in the Junior Envirothon regionals.

“A parent of one of the students on the team contacted me and was wondering about [ Junior Envirothon.] If they could get a team put together, we could help get them ready, so now we have

five seventh graders,” Sammler said.

Beyond being just a club, Envirothon potentially provides students with experiences that change their views and actions towards the environment. Since joining Envirothon, Heath has noticed its impact outside of club meetings.

“I look at things differently since joining the club. I can identify types of ducks and trees. I’ve also really started to value endangered species,” Heath said.

Though the team consists of many students in AP Environmental Science, Envirothon is open to any student that is interested in joining.

“You don’t have to be good at science to join.

You learn a lot of the stuff in class, and there’s a lot of review,” Remington said.

Going into the competition, Sammler hopes to make it through regionals and possibly win state

for the second year in a row. He has noticed in recent meetings that it has been more stressful leading up to today compared to recent years. Of all the five competition sections, he is most concerned with the wildlife portion.

“At Hopkins we are weakest at wildlife because we are all cityfolk and don’t have too much experience hunting and can’t identify too many animals,” Sammler said.

However, no matter the outcome of the competition, Heath believes that simply being a part of the club is an award in and of itself.

“I love spending time with the other members of Envirothon, and it has provided me with an interesting choice of what I might want to study in college. I know that if we don’t win, my time with the other members will end in this sense,” Heath said.

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RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

Students prepare for AP tests as exams approach

by Sebastien Karo Staff Reporter

When Kendra Kreienbrink, junior, looked at her class schedule at the beginning of the school year, she came to the realization that her workload was going to be more than anticipated.

This is mainly due to the fact that Kreienbrink is taking four Advanced Placement (AP) classes: AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP European History, and AP Language and Composition. Kreienbrink knew that her junior year would be tougher than previous years, however she was slightly taken aback by the magnitude of how tough it is due to the amount of work each AP class is.

“My workload is worse than it should be because I find it difficult to manage my time well, but if I managed my time better, it wouldn’t be too bad,” Kreienbrink said.

Now, as national AP exams are approaching, Kreienbrink and many other students are beginning to prepare for their exams which can earn them college credits if they score a three, four, or five.

This year’s AP exams will occur throughout two weeks in May: May 2 through May 13.

Over 30 different AP subjects will be tested on, which vary from AP Comparative Government and Politics to AP Japanese Language and Culture.

According to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, 67,830 AP exams were taken by 40,877 Minnesota students last year. Of those 40,877 students, 66 percent of them had scores of three or higher, which most four-year colleges accept for credit.

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At HHS, 587 of 1,650 students took 928 AP exams last year, which is roughly 25 percent of the school. The score distribution of these students is very similar to the Minnesota average, with 16 percent scoring a one, 17 percent scoring a two, 27 percent scoring a three, 23 percent scoring a four, and 16 percent scoring a five.

Although the majority of Many students at HHS are studying for the AP tests that will be taken May 2 through May 13. 66 percent of Hopkins students who took the exams students receive qualifying score a three or higher. photo by Ruby Krietzman scores, preparing for these AP exams can put a lot of extra teachers.

“It is essential that all stuprovides structure for students agrees that clarification and unKreienbrink knows that in derstanding is one of the most to continue to be immersed in dents review course notes and weight on students’ shoulders, especially those who are already order to get a good score, she important concepts of prepara- the content and reviewing on assignments thoroughly before trying to balance other classes, has to find good studying habits. tion. an almost daily basis with the taking the exam. They should “I will likely go to the AP jobs, sports, and other extra-cur“A key aspect of studying class,” Sateren-Burrow said. spend many days, not just the review opportu- should be not just doing prac- “When the course ended at night before, reviewing notes ricular activinities in TASC, tice exams, but then trying to term three, students were left on from class to refresh them on ties. Mr. John pay attention to figure out why an answer is cor- their own to study and prepare. key themes from the course, Sammler, Sci- “A dedicated 15 the in-class re- rect or why other answers are Many students did not spend Sammler said. “Additionally, the ence and AP to 20 minutes view, and take incorrect,” Sammler said.

Coordinator, much time reviewing and went College Board posts the quespractice exams. wants stu- of review a day This year, AP European into the exam in May having tions and answers to every free Then, based off History and AP World His- not looked at European History response section for every AP dents to know would help a of that I will de- tory switched from terms one, since March.” that even 20 exam on their website.” cide what I need two, and three to terms two, minutes of great deal and For Kreienbrink, the key to For AP classes that end to do at home,” three, and four, which allows before the national exams, stu- her success will be managing her studying a day makes a differK r e i e n b r i n k students to be immersed in the dents must find time to study time. can be very ence in the long said. beneficial.

“To me, the most important class leading up to their exam. on their own and take practice Mrs. Anne Sateren-Burrow believes the exams to get a feel of the test. factor is to manage your time “The time run.”

Sateren-Burrow, change in class terms will ben- Sammler believes these students well. If you do that, you will commitment Social Studies, efit her students. does not need - Mr. John Samshould begin studying many have a lot less weight on your wants to stress to be all- mler, Science and shoulders,” Kreienbrink said. “[The schedule change] weeks before the exams. the importance consuming. A AP Coordinator of participating dedicated 15 during the into 20 minutes of review a day would help a class review and asking quesgreat deal and makes a differ- tions.

“Students need to actively ence in the long run,” Sammler said. “Commit to doing this as review old material and ideally best you can and use your time dedicate some time every week efficiently in class and at school, to study,” Sateren-Burrow said. so that you have some time at “I can provide lots of resources home freed up to review for and study plans, but ultimately it is up to the student to have your AP exams.”

HHS has provided vari- an understanding of what they ous resources that students can need to clarify from their learnutilize to prepare for the AP ing and then to take action to exams. These resources include understand it.”

Sammler, being an AP AP preparation books, practice exams, TASC review, and AP teacher and AP coordinator, infographic by Sebastien Karo

RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

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4news

Committee discusses schedule change New schedule in 2017-18 could change how the secondary program is delivered

by Morgan Downing News Editor With approximately 1.6 million dollars being cut from the Hopkins Distirct budget this year, and more predicted for the 2016-17 school year, many tactics have been discussed regarding how the district can save money while still supplying its students with the education they need.

A committee is currently evaluating options for a schedule beginning in the 2017-2018

school year which could cost less.

“There is somebody at the high school that is reviewing all the variables, the options, and scheduling,” said Dr. John Schultz, Superintendent. “There are multiple schedules that we could change to, and what we are trying to do is figure out the best way to still manage the program that we offer to students within the budget that we have.”

A 2016 survey completed for the district indicated 60 percent

of parents “support” or “strongly support” moving to a six period day, but that is only one of the many options being explored.

Those parents cited that the four blocks a day cause classes to be too long and adding more blocks create more in-depth learning as reasons for their response.

However, some students disagree and believe that changing the block schedule could affect the way they learn in their classes.

“Personally, I enjoy the four blocks a day,” said Isaac Daitzchman, sophomore. “I need more time [to learn] because I am a slow learner, so it’s nice having an hour and a half to have the work explained so I can retain it easier. If we were to add more blocks to the day classes would be too fast for the lesson.”

Though Julia Heath, senior, will not be affected by the schedule change because she will have graduated, she agrees that despite the four

block schedule’s flaws, a change would only bring more stress to students that already struggle to keep up with the homework given in their four classes.

“The four block schedule can result in really long blocks which sometimes don’t include a lot of time for interaction, but adding more blocks could mean more homework for students who already have a lot to do,” Heath said.

Mr. David Williams, Language Arts, is a part of the com-

mittee exploring options to run a schedule that is more efficient.

Williams and other members of the commitee will be making recommendations to Superintendent Schultz this summer.

“We have to find a way to save money because there is a budget cut,” Williams said. “We need to figure out what our values are, as a school, because once we do, the decision will not be as hard [to make].”

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Better turnout for boys’ basketball than girls’

by Bea Frank and Noah Kahn Feature Editor and Staff Reporter

When Sam Olson, junior, woke up on March 16, she started the morning by checking her social media. After liking a few photos on Instagram and watching 2 a.m. timestamped Snapchat stories posted by her night-owl friends, Olson pulled up Twitter.

Instead of seeing the usual tweets of “who’s up?” and puppy retweets, she found an argument between many of her classmates that had begun the night before, which continued well into the day.

The debate was about the attendance differences between the girls and boys basketball games. The boys enjoyed a fan section at their game large enough for the Lindbergh Loonies to lead cheers, but the girls team were not so fortunate. Because of this, students took to Twitter to express their concerns, showing support for each side of the issue.

“I’ve been ranting about the poor attendance at girls’ games for awhile,” Olson said. “I got so mad, because the amount of ignorance that I had to view on my Twitter feed was crazy.”

Although much of the debate remained respectful, numerous insults were thrown back and forth.

“I saw [a student] who had been trying to defend herself, and some guys were sending her memes and messages saying ‘you hoe,’” Olson said.

“Why are you trying to disrespect a girl who is just standing up for herself ?”

Some students claimed that the reason more people went to the boys’ game was because of a difference in abilities and excitement. Instead of it being an issue of gender, they believed the boys’ games just had a different style of play, as one stu-

Students in the Hopkins fan section at one of the Hopkins boy’s basketball games prepare for a free throw shot. The attendance at the boys state tournament was markedly higher than the attendance at the girls state tournament a week later.

Photo by Ruby Krietzman

dent Tweeted.

“I think [the girls’ basketball team] plays a pretty interesting game,” said Vinnie Shahid, senior. “[The girls games] are just as exciting.”

Of course, not everyone agreed that this was the reason behind the attendance issue or that the playing styles were all that different.

“I’ve been to almost every girls’ basketball game, and they are all really exciting and intense,” said Shannon Adam, senior. “I don’t think that the comment is sexist, but the way people go about drawing attention to boys’ basketball and not to girls’ is.”

The difference in student attendance has been clearly observed, both at school and at the games. According to the attendance office, 674 students were excused from school on the day of the boys’ game, but only 300 on the day of the girls’. These numbers also include students being excused for LMPM, cheerleading and the team itself and students excused for illness, appointments and such. On an average full day of school, fewer tan 90 kids

are absent.

“Not going to the girls’ game may not be a conscious decision, but it’s still unfair because [the school] again provided the bus and tickets,” Adam said. “Even on the Hopkins Twitter account, the boys’ stuff is more hyped up. It’s just unequal; if you’re going to provide so much praise for one team, do it for the other.”

However, not everyone who was excused from school on the days of the games actually went. As inevitably expected, some students use it as an opportunity to just skip class.

“I feel like at 10 a.m., stu-

dents aren’t trying to go to a game; they just want to skip school. Even with the boys game, a lot of people just skipped and didn’t go,” said Jossy Nyangweso, junior.

Of course, the lack of attendance at the girls’ game could simply have been an issue of cost. Basketball games aren’t cheap and many students have to pay for themselves, so they may have just opted to go to the boys game since it came first. A ticket, parking, and some food at a game easily can add up to at least 30 dollars, which may be a large sum for students to spend at one event.

It was also suggested that because both of the Hopkins basketball teams, boys and girls, go to state most years, the preceding games aren’t as enticing for students.

“Our teams go pretty regularly, so it’s less exciting. Our students have been like, ‘We do that every year; we go every year,’ so I think there is some complacency,” said Dan Johnson, District Director of Activities.

Johnson did also note that there has been a significantly smaller attendance at girls games in the past three years when compared to the boys.

Despite the reason students had for attending or not attending games, the Twitter argument incited the broader discussion of sexism because students of all genders were involved.

“Seeing as many of [the students taking part in the Twitter debate] are men, they’re not allowed to tell a woman what’s sexist and what’s not,” Olson said. “As much as they think this is not a sexist issue, all of the girls who are arguing that it is are correct because they’re the ones actually experiencing it.”

6 feature The Royal Page 2015-2016

Print Editor in Chief

the

RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

Noaman expresses self through Wicca

Addie Lennon

Web Editor in Chief Claire Benton

Managing Editor Trianna Downing

Photo Editor

Ruby Krietzman

News Editor

Morgan Downing

Feature Editors Bea Frank Izzy Goldfarb

Opinion Editor Andrew Zhou

Sports Editor Noah Kaplan

Backpage Editor Abby Doeden

Associate Editor Grace Dosdall

Sports Bloggers Alex Kim Max Weesner

Staff Reporters

Evelyn Barczak Noah Fogel Carmen Garrigos Dylan Judge-Steuck Noah Kahn Sebastien Karo Sophia Koritz Kyle Miller Dennis Plotkin Alex Shwartz Max Taylor Edgar Vega Espinosa Andy Weisman

Adviser Mr. Kocur 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.

by Izzy Goldfarb Feature Editor Jessica Noaman, junior, can be found burning sage and holding stones which contain magical attributes. Noaman is a believer in all things Wiccan.

“Wicca is a spiritual religion which takes benevolent witchcraft and paganism and mixes them together,” Noaman said.

Many think that Wiccan witches use magic for evil.

However, Noaman sees this claim to be untrue as Wiccans are advised to use magic for good purposes. Wiccans use the lighter aspects of magic which can be used to help people.

Before converting to Wiccanism, Noaman attended Amos and Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School for nine years. Throughout her Jewish centered education, she questioned her faith.

“During my younger years, I totally believed in Judaism because it was what I was surrounded with in a closed environment,” Noaman said.

After realizing that she could explore her faith, Noaman experimented with various religions to see which fit best for her values. Noaman experienced no connection with Abrahamic religions which include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Noaman landed on Wicca.

“I chose Wicca because it seems the most realistic to me.

It’s not about praising one person, more about praising yourself,” said Noaman.

As a Wiccan, Noaman uses candles and herbs including sage and lavender to increase her connection with the spiritual world and to cure maladies.

“Wiccan pushes you to be a good person not by saying that “God” is going to get mad at you, but by a karma system.

Jessica Noaman, junior, sets up her Wiccan shrine which includes a scarf, books, candels, and other miscillanious items. Noaman explained the meaning behind each object. photo by Ruby Krietzman

“You can go out and curse other people with witchcraft but it will come back to you,” Noaman said.

Like most other religions, Wicca celebrates holidays, most importantly, Hallows Eve. Hallows Eve is seen as a special night for Wiccans due to the night’s easily breakable barrier of spiritual realm. Wiccans believe that an increase in ability to cross over the spiritual line during that next year will pursue after celebration of Hallows Eve. “Throughout history, witchcraft has been seen as this awful horrible thing which is unfortunate for Wiccans because we do not affiliate with anything negative or satanic,” Noaman said.

Rather than becoming angry, Noaman chooses to teach people who question her faith.

She believes that once people fully understand her religion, they become more accepting.

Infographic by Izzy Goldfarb

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Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Students work to create brand names

by Dennis Plotkin and Matt Molnar Staff Reporters Their freshman year, Josiah Velner and Nick Campbell, seniors, envisioned creating pocket tee shirts. Along with Eric Whisler, senior, the two have worked on creating their own clothing company.

Earlier this year, the clothing company was dubbed Frustrated Class.

“We had been wanting to make clothes for awhile, we just haven’t really known where to get the resources,” Campbell said.

“We did some reasearch and found a screen printing place in the Minneapolis area. [Once] we made our first design and a lot of people liked it we decided to print it and sell them.”

Frustrated Class has released two pieces with many more in the works. Campbell, Velner, and Whisler choose their pieces based on their ideologies and opinions on what they find to be aesthetically appealing or attractive.

“We just dropped off a design to get printed and we are planning on selling them as soon as we get them back,” Campbell said.

“As soon as we get the money from selling the shirts, we make new ones.”

The three work with different companies to create the shirts while making the designs on their own.

“To me style is wearing what you like made by brands that you actually like. The story behind them, their designs, and the people

who make the clothes while looking good at the same time without trying excessively,” Velner said.

Lucius Jemison, senior, also started his own apparel company, Idyll Apparel, this year with other HHS students and alumnus.

“Idyll Apparel started when I had a song called ‘Fuego’ and I jokingly said to Francisco and Gabby Bolatto that we should make Fuego visors. So we made the first black Fuego hats which were pretty successful. Then we dropped the pink hats with the pink and black hoodies,” Jemison said.

Jemison and the other founders like Francisco Gonzalez, alumnus, are continuing to design merchandise for the company.

“We really liked doing it so we thought why not make a brand,” Jemison said. “We wanted it to be bigger than just Fuego [merchandise] so we went to get sushi at Wakame and thought of Idyll.

Since then we haven’t released anything [except for] the Fuego [merchandise] but we have many designs for the spring and summer.”

Despite the age gap in the founders and their variety of plans for post graduation, Idyll Apparel does not plan on stopping their business anytime soon.

“We are going to continue to make clothes that we enjoy wearing and see where it takes us. It is something I really enjoy,” Gonzalez said.

Although both companies share a common goal and vision of where they will go in the future, they differ in a large way when it

comes to pricing.

“Pricing is based on what it costs to make the clothing plus the labor and a solid profit margin while still keeping [prices] competitive. [Pricing is also based on] delivering a unique and quality piece of clothing,” Gonzalez said.

While Idyll attempts to have a larger profit margin, Frustrated Class is more focused on releasing new clothes on a more frequent basis. “[We make] just enough to make a small profit, mostly so we can print new shirts,” Campbell said.

Both companies are hoping to continue their success in the future.

“It’s open-ended, we are just seeing how it goes and how people receive it and we will go from there,” Campbell said.

Frustrated Class released a new design on April 15th while Idyll is still working on some new designs.

“Idyll Spring/Summer ‘16 is coming. Keep an eye out and check out our instagram [idyllapparel],” Gonzalez said.

Although Campbell, Velner, and Whisler are all attending different post-secondary schools, Campbell and Velner will continue to study design. Velner will study fashion design at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, while Campbell will study fashion, design, and business marketing at Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Left: Idyll Apparel models their black Fuego hat. Idyll Apparel has created multiple “lookbooks” for their clothes, featuring hats and sweatshirts they’ve designed. Right: A Frustrated Class co-creator poses wearing their newest t-shirt design.

Photos provided by Idyll Apparel and Frustrated Class

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unprescribed abuse

prescribed use

Last February, before competing in a rowing competition, Lola Heimlich, senior, began hyperventilating, shaking, sweating, pacing, and crying.

“I was about to race, and racing itself is kind of stressful, but usually it doesn’t bring my anxiety up too much,” Heimlich said. “But I got a thought in my mind, I think it was that my leg was kind of sore, and then all of a sudden that started to take up my entire mind.”

Heimlich was having a panic attack, and these feelings were not entirely new to her. For most of her life, Heilmich has shown signs of anxiety.

“I was diagnosed with anxiety last July, but symptoms of it have been around my whole life. Aggression, competition, irritability, getting overwhelmed easily. Those things have always been prevalent. It started to get worse at the end of last school year so I went and got diagnosed,” Heimlich said.

Anxiety disorders affect one in eight children under the age of eighteen according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).

Alhough treatment is available, research shows that children with anxiety are also more prone to engage in substance abuse.

Xanax, a benzodiazepine, or “benzo,” is one of many prescribed drugs that treat serious anxiety and panic disorders. It depresses a person’s abnormal central nervous system, therefore calming them down. Although commonly abused for its sedating and relaxing effects, Xanax is meant to be a return to normalcy for those with anxiety disorders.

However, Xanax is also more likely to be abused than other forms of anxiety medications. Kaitlyn Arneson is a current staff member at MN Teen Challenge’s outreach program Know the Truth, and was a prescribed abuser of Xanax as a teenager.

“My [Xanax] abuse started when I was prescribed to it,” Arneson said. “I didn’t fear getting caught with my pills because I needed them, but I knew that if I got caught with something like alcohol it would be obvious that I didn’t need it. It was really easy to abuse because I had access and I felt safe [tak-

ing it].”

Although Heimlich has only been prescribed Prozac and Celexa, two other anxiety medications, and has never abused prescription pills, she has discussed the possibility of being prescribed Xanax with her psychiatrist.

“A psychiatrist that I talked to about Xanax told me that it kind of shuts you down. Though it calms your anxious feelings and inclinations, it also kind of stops a lot of your functions, which isn’t something I or any psychiatrist wants,” Heimlich said.

Medications like Prozac and Celexa differ from Xanax in that they change a person’s brain chemistry over time, while Xanax affects an individual immediately. As teens learn about the fast-acting nature of Xanax, its abuse is on the rise. “[MN Teen Challenge] didn’t used to talk about Xanax two years ago and now we talk about it in every presentation we get. It’s increased and become more high profile,” Arneson said. “It’s talked about in music and pop culture, and that’s making an impact.”

Chesne Kaufman, senior, though never addicted, abused the benzodiazepine a couple of times, but quickly stopped when she feared what the drug had caused her to do.

“The first time I used I started off with half of one [bar] but after about an hour I wasn’t feeling anything. I later took the second half, and by the end, I was falling over and didn’t know what was going on,” Kaufman said.

Kaufman is one of many teens who have abused Xanax.

DrugAbuse.com states that from a 2014 Monitoring the Future survey, 13.9 percent of teenagers admitted to using prescription drugs, including benzodiazepines for non-medical purposes.

With unprescribed abuse of prescription drugs such as Xanax on the rise, accessibility is a major factor that allows teens to conveniently experiment with such risky substances

behind bars

As an common a and abuse

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without thinking twice about the unpredictable side effects that they may produce. Whether an adolescent is attempting to mask their feelings or simply just craving a new high, Xanax is a typically available, fairly inexpensive way of doing so.

“I know people that take probably four or five [Xanax] bars a day. They don’t want to have to deal with withdrawal because once you start using it you have to take more than you took the previous time to get to that level [of high] that you were at the first time. That’s when the addiction really starts,” Kaufman, said.

In 2014, 55 Minnesotans died from overdosing on benzodiazepines. Though experts have not been able to discover a specific source as to why people abuse medication, a common belief is that since the medication is prescribed, the patient is allowed to use it how and when they want to. However, excessive use of prescribed medication can come with a cost.

becoming a problem

s

RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

1 in 6 people will experience an anxiety condition at some point in their lives

“Experiencing [Xanax] once or twice made me realize I didn’t like it, and I didn’t like the way it made me feel.”

2. Normalcy Xanax is a short-acting prescription drug that is primarily used to treat severe anxiety disorders

3. Occasional Abuse When abused, Xanax can lead to short-term effects like lack of focus, exhaustion, or amnesia

- Chesne Kaufman, senior

by Addie Lennon, Morgan Downing, and Max Taylor Print Editor in Chief, News Editor, and Staff Reporter

4. Long-Term Abuse

Chronic use of Xanax is associated with psychotic experiences, aggression, and cognitive deficits

aftermath

illustrations by Jessica Noaman

nxiety disorders become more among teens, so does the use of the benzodiazepine Xanax.

Arneson didn’t believe that Xanax caused her any major problems because it helped her more than it harmed her.

“At the time, [when I abused], I didn’t feel like I experienced symptoms because I had really bad anxiety, and so I had more of a tolerance than someone that didn’t have [anxiety],” Arneson said.

While Arneson’s experience with Xanax was not severe, many medication abusers’ use cause their bodies to create a dependency for the drug. The National Institute of Health states that drug dependency consists of four stages.

In the first stage, an abuser will use the drug in a social setting. During stage two, an abuser will start to use their desired drug on a regular basis which leads to an eventual stage three where the abuser is so preoccupied with their drug that it’s the most important part of their everyday life. The final stage, stage four, results in drug dependency, when the abuser is unable to live without the drug because their body has created a

physical, mental, and emotional attachment to it. “[Teens] aren’t realizing the dangers of the drug. They may look at the internet or see their friends using these pills and wonder if they could help themselves,” said Ms. Marit Lee-Dohse, Health Science.

“However, you need to take in consideration the appropriate dosage for your body and the fact that Xanax doesn’t help everyone. You’re setting yourself up for addiction [by using it unprescribed].”

Though Kaufman was never addicted to Xanax, many of her friends were addicted, and she observed the dangerous effects the drugs had on them. “[Xanax] changes a person’s emotions and the chemistry in their brain. A person who used to be your best friend can turn into someone you don’t know in the next week or month, or how long it takes for them to become addicted. Everybody I’ve known that takes it is a completely different person and they’re just not the same person they knew before,” Kaufman said.

Kaufman’s friends had expe-

infographic by Morgan Downing

rienced one of the many shortterm side effects of Xanax. According to DrugAbuse.com, these include unusual changes in mood, drowsiness, dizziness, and depression. Long-term effects include psychotic experience, aggressive behavior, and delirious states. However, longterm effects may cause a user to tolerate Xanax more, making them more prone to an overdose.

“It’s scary because the amount of benzo that is needed to get a person high is the same amount that is needed to kill you,” Lee-Dohse said. “Eventually a person will keep taking more benzos because they’re more tolerant, but then they’re hurting themselves.”

Despite regretting her abuse of Xanax, Kaufman does not regret her experience because of the lesson she learned.

“Experiencing it once or twice made me realize I didn’t like it, and I didn’t like the way it made me feel,” Kaufman said.

“It’s never anything positive when abusing it so if you have never done Xanax, don’t, and if you are, stop. You will regret it.”

RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

Top 10 :

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Things we want from next year’s principal

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down HHS students and staff share their thoughts about Prom

10 School-mandated nap time 9 The trust of Young Metro 8 Bring our troops home 7 Bring our omelettes back 6 Cute sports game cut-outs 5 Teacher swimsuit calendar Preaching my testament 4 #RTH Freestyle Friday over the 3 loudspeaker 2 Latent psychic abilities 1 Awsumbness Editorial: The Pledge of Allegiance “The after-parties will be bumpin’.” - Jaden Cain, senior

“I’m a shy person, so hanging out with a lot of people is a little difficult for me.” - Lilli Appelman, sophomore

“We get all glammed up, put on dresses, and do our hair. Not the everyday routine.” - Sierra Bagstad, senior

“The fact that we can’t have a limo.” - Cole Kerber, senior

infographic by Andrew Zhou

by Grace Dosdall Associate Editor

I am a Christian. I am a church-every-Sunday, daily Bible-reading, avid devotioner, Christian.

Therefore, my Christianity is important to me. It shapes me as a person, and guides me in the decisions that I make

The staff editorial represents the viewpoint of the Royal Page

In the 1940’s, it was decided by the Supreme Court in the case of Minersville School District v. Gobitis that children in U.S. public schools could be forced to stand, salute the American flag, and acknowledge the existence of a single God despite their religious or personal beliefs.

Some history books would call this a violation of the Constitution.

Today, we call it the Pledge of Allegiance.

The court decision was overruled a mere three years later, but the fact remains that this pledge is still widely used and recited regularly across the nation. Why is this so? Is this long-standing

tradition still necessary today?

We at the Royal Page find the Pledge of Allegiance to be a relic of the past.

The earliest version of the pledge was released in 1892 for three reasons: to bolster American patriotism, to celebrate the day Columbus “discovered” America, and to sell flags to public schools.

That’s right; the Pledge of Allegiance was originally a cynical cash grab that used Columbus, the conqueror of America, to sell a mass-produced product that promoted “patriotism.” It was the epitome of capitalism.

The Pledge of Allegiance is not a rousing, uniting anthem

for our nation. It is a series of phrases that we have learned to speak without believing, droning monotonously while holding our hands to our hearts in a gesture that means nothing to us.

It may as well be a jingle for a gum commercial.

However, under state law, all public and charter schools in Minnesota must recite this pledge at least once a week. For a state so proud of its diversity and freedom of expression, this law is shockingly outdated, especially when it pressures students to repeat the words “under God” on a weekly basis.

But in the meantime, the option remains; if a school

board chooses to do so, they may waive the requirement to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

This is an option we must take.

If HHS is worried about being unpatriotic, they shouldn’t be.

HHS can continue its patriotism to our great nation by continuing to sing the National Anthem at all of our sporting events. They can continue to have the Army come and recruit students. They can get rid of this borderline mind-washing technique and focus on more meaningful gestures.

It’s true; our country is indivisible. It stands for liberty, for loyalty, for justice for all.

But the Pledge of Allegiance does not prove this. It never has.

daily.

I’ve never done drugs of any kind, and I believe that sex is special and should be reserved for the right person.

Because of these values and beliefs, I’ve been called a “Jesus Freak.”

But I don’t see it that way.

I’ve always thought of Christianity as a continuum, and everyone falls somewhere on it.

The Christianity Continuum, just like a political scale, has a place for everybody. You have the extremists, the nonextremists, those in the middle, and those who don’t believe in a God at all.

All of these positions have pros and cons. The extremists, however, seem to be perceived as worse than the others and if you show off your Christianity you tend to be pushed into this group of extremists or “Jesus Freaks.”

Because of this societal viewpoint of Christians, I can tell that others get nervous talking to me about drinking or smoking like they fear I will go tell the nearest adult about their “ungodly” acts or attempt to drag them to church and make them go to confession.

Let me be clear. Abstaining from drinking, smoking, and having sex are my values. That doesn’t mean I judge people that don’t have the same values as me. If that was the case, I wouldn’t have any friends.

Nobody has the same values.

It is perceived that anyone with a religious background is self-righteous. Even I believe it sometimes.

But I don’t think I am better than others simply because I don’t want to participate in the same things that they do. I don’t think I’m perfect.

If I were to tell you about myself and who I am without mentioning my faith, I would say I’m compassionate, empathetic, outgoing, happy, loving, and imperfect.

I’ve cheated on tests, I swear more than I should, I gossip, I tell secrets I’m not supposed to, and I keep secrets I probably shouldn’t. I lose my temper quickly, I’m quick to judge sometimes, and I am a terrible loser.

I have flaws. I’m not perfect.

But I’m still a Christian.

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RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

Remembering the forgotten:

by Andrew Zhou Opinion Editor It was slightly past midnight when I found out that my grandfather had died.

“Yeye passed away a few hours ago,” my mother told me. “Organ failure.”

From then on, a picture of him sat on a drawer by the front door, flanked by a pair of candlesticks and covered by a carving of two ebony hands grasped in prayer. He was smiling.

And yet, whenever I pass by that photo on the way to school, I feel nothing. All that my mind can conjure up are flashes and half-memories: the brush of his arm against my shoulder, the sound of his voice growling across a room, his trembling hands trying and failing to grasp a pair of chopsticks.

Respect the elderly and get off of their lawns

Because in the end, he was just another aged, wrinkled face that needed to be taken care of. His was just another face waiting to die.

But my grandfather was not the only one. In 2010, the U.S. Census reported that 13 percent of the U.S. population was comprised of people ages 65 and up. It is predicted that this percentage will rise above 20 percent by 2050.

This is an entire fifth of the population that we have forgotten.

Now, from a purely mathematical, logical perspective, we have not forgotten them without merit. In 2010, the employment rate among this age group was a mere 16.2 percent, and according to a 2014 study from the journal “Health Affairs,” about three times more money is spent on the elderly than on the average working-age adult when it comes to health care.

So for some, it’s easy to subconsciously view one’s grandparents as simply another mouth to feed, as just something to be taken care of out of obligation. How important can the elderly be when they’re already riddled with disease and the touch of death? How can they matter when they’re already losing their memories, flitting in and out of reality?

The answer is simple: because of this mindset, once you have lived your life to its fullest, you will be forgotten too.

The evidence is everywhere. Take a look at the television: the elderly are consistently portrayed as victims of illness, wise sages confined to wheelchairs, and lost causes to be force-fed mush for comedy. If they aren’t losing their minds, their burdened family members certainly are.

There are exceptions to the rule, of course, such as the still-vibrant actress Betty White. However, actors of her age are often popular simply because the idea of elderly people using dirty language and speaking their mind is a foreign concept to the general public.

Take the recent movie ‘Dirty Grandpa,’ based solely on a single idea: what if an old person swore a bunch and had sex?

All of this is just evidence that our world looks down at those who have lived long enough.

They are either objects of pity or objects of derision.

But it is essential to remember that every sin-

gle one of these people is more experienced, more wise than anybody else. If anybody deserves respect, it’s them.

These people were students, workers, brides, grooms, fathers, and mothers. These people have made sacrifices and conquered life, and yet, because of their age, are easily cast aside now that they can no longer directly contribute to the economy.

So out with the old and in with the new; off to the nursing home it is, where the elderly can be sequestered away from the families they raised.

In fact, according to The Family Caregiver Alliance, over eight million Americans rely on longterm care services like nursing homes, which have somewhat of a reputation for instances of abuse and neglect.

Now, it is completely unfair to label all nursing homes as smelly hovels for people unwanted by family. Each and every facility is completely unique. But I can still distinctly remember the only time that I have entered one of these such homes.

It was one of the upperend ones apparently, located in downtown Wayzata. The floors were carpeted, the employees friendly, the sunlight warm and bright as it streamed into each of the rooms. Dinner was being served, I remember. It seemed to be an event.

The woman my friends and I had come to visit spoke to us about many things. She talked about her children, her sweaters, how much she enjoyed sitting in the sun.

She had stories to tell and opinions to voice, and although her room was comfy, it seemed obvious that she had been waiting for somebody like us for a while. Somebody to listen, to not speak back to her using baby talk.

I tried picturing my grandmother in that room, surrounded by scrapbook photos and memoirs of a life long gone. After years of fighting and battling in order to survive, I imagined her life ending in a cozy little room, sitting still and waiting for somebody to visit.

How frail she looked.

We must remember that these people are people, and they deserve more respect than anyone else. It is time to give back to them what they gave to us, even if their end approaches.

Because that end is not yet here. Not quite.

“Because of this mindset, once you have lived your life to its fullest, you will be forgotten too.”

The sound of silence:

by Ruby Krietzman Photo Editor I am the President of the National Honor Society, photography editor of The Royal Page, captain of two varsity sports, and involved in various clubs. The majority of the people at HHS would describe me as enthusiastic and outgoing. I do not fit the stereotype of someone who is dealing with a mental disorder, but I have been struggling for about four years.

I started feeling down all the time when I was in ninth grade. I assumed I was restless and ready to move into the high school. My parents and my friends told me it was teenage angst.

When I came to HHS, I pushed away my sad feelings and tried to throw myself into as many clubs and activities as I possibly could to distract myself from what I was feeling.

This, however, left me feeling more empty than I ever had before.

It was not until the beginning of this year that I realized it was more than feeling stressed out and sad all the time; I have been struggling with depression.

Throughout this year, I have pushed my feelings aside. I felt like I needed to be a strong figure because I was a sports captain and activity leader. I felt like because I was the “go to” person for so many people, there was no time for me to be depressed.

I don’t want to feel like this anymore. I am done suppressing my feelings.

It’s time to stop turning a blind eye to mental illness. The glamorization of mental health issues cannot be promoted anymore.

It is not okay to say that someone is “struggling beautifully.” Depression is not beautiful, and

Because men deserve some social justice, too I am a man. With that sentence alone, I might be viewed as privileged. I could be antagonized because I have some unspoken privileges. But like everyone else in the world, I have been judged based on what I am.

These days, the media is scrutinized for the objectification and oversexualization of the female body. To be clear, I agree that women in pop culture and ads are oversexualized and objectified to an abusrd amount. I don’t want to watch soft porn for a shampoo commercial.

Discussing depression and mental illness in a world that won’t

it is not something to applaud. Depression is awful, and it needs to be taken seriously.

In the United States, for people between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Untreated depression is one of the leading causes of suicide. According to the National Comorbidity Survey: Adolescent Supplement, 11 percent of adolescents develop a depressive disorder by age 18.

If so many people are struggling with mental illness, why is it such a hard topic for people to talk about? People rarely have con-

Is it a man’s world?

by Dylan Judge-Steuck Staff Reporter

RP Wednesday, April 20, 2016

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However, there are also similar ads that portray unrealistic and uncommon depictions of men.

When the media teaches women to be super thin with long flowing hair and shimmering legs, they also teach men to have a chiseled jaw line with short, slick hair and muscles like a viking.

Those ads that show women in skimpy bikinis laughing and spraying water at each other while surrounding a buff stud with arms as big as his head and some sexy stubble on his chin teach women unhealthy concepts of what beauty and success are also teach men the same thing. To be happy and attractive to women is to have golden skin, the ability to throw cinders, and be ruggedly handsome. Not

versations about how they are mentally feeling and talk about mental disorders is hushed. Those with a mental illness are treated as if they are non-existent, which makes it even more difficult for those who are struggling.

One of the biggest reasons for this trend is social media which has made covering up feelings so easy. Someone can post a picture of him or herself smiling, and everyone can assume they are living a content life.

I am guilty of this. Many people have come up to me and told me that they envy my “happy” life, but what they don’t know is that I use my photos and social media to cover up the truth.

Social media makes people feel like they are alone because everyone showcases their best moments. No one wants to post a picture of a time they were sad because that makes them feel vulnerable and exposed.

For the longest time, I struggled to accept the fact that I was not alone. I felt isolated in a crowd of my peers, even though many people were feeling the same way I was.

I also struggled with the fact that having depression did not make me weak. I constantly put myself down because I saw myself as a strong woman, yet I could not get myself to feel happy.

I never saw depression as a disorder-I saw it as a character flaw. I realize now that it is not a flaw of character, it is a flaw of biology.

If you are struggling, reach out and talk to someone. Your happiness should not be put on hold, and you deserve to overcome whatever it is you are dealing with. I am simply one person with a story about living with depression, but so many others share the same story. These disorders are valid, and it is time we talked about them.

to mention the voice that can melt butter.

I’ve had these experiences in real life. I went to a gym to visit a friend of mine, and when I walked in, one of the other members went “Hey, your girlfriend’s here.” Now, compared to most people in gyms, I’m considered kind of little.

What does it mean to be a man? As society clashes with itself, with people of all sorts of different views and beliefs arguing and bickering over what the norm should be, the definition of being a “perfect man” becomes forever harder to fill. A man must be tough but gentle, instigative but not pushy, sensitive but not a wuss, brave but not cocky. Yes, these are generalizations, but they were set by society.

For example, eating disorders in this country and in the world have become an almost exclusively female problem with so many female models and celebs trying to match society’s ideas of “Beauty.” Essentially, guys need to be big and girls

need to be small.

According to Mirasol.com, an eating disorder website, at any given time, 20 million women will have an eating disorder at some point. At the same time, 10 million men will have an eating disorder as well. However men in our culture have been taught that this is almost an exclusively female problem and are scared to speak out due to fear of being ridiculed.

This is merely one example of something that could be considered privileged in women’s favor, rather than in the favor of men. With all the media trends showing constant feminist issues, which again are important and need coverage, the fact the men have to deal with their own unique issues in today’s world sometimes gets pushed to the wayside.

Read the full story at hopkinsrp.org

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RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

The move with merit

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Makenzie Merritt, junior, transfered from Waconia to HHS last fall in hopes for a new start on and off the field

by Evelyn Barczak Staff Reporter For Makenzie Merritt, junior, the diversity at HHS is something she doesn’t take for granted.

Merritt, still a current Waconia resident, openenrolled to HHS at the beginning of the 201516 school year. While most students are excluded from playing a varsity sport for one year after an open-enroll transfer, Merritt went through a long process in order to present her reasons for moving: racism and bullying.

“I wanted to go to Hopkins because it’s known for its diversity,” Merritt said.

According to K12.niche.com, 91 percent of Waconia High School’s 1,101 students are classified as white, while three percent are Hispanic and three percent are African American. The website also states that at Hopkins High School, 63 percent of 1,744 students are white, 18 percent are African American, eight percent are Hispanic, and five percent are Asian.

Even though she wanted to move schools, continuing to play softball remained an important part of her life.

“I played for Waconia - Makenzie teams my whole life, played varsity when I entered high junior school and have been playing on club teams since 8th grade,” Merritt said.

Since she wanted to continue playing varsity softball in high school, she had to present her reasons for moving schools in front of many people.

Mainly to the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) officials. She was required to sit in a room and talk with a lawyer, the head of MSHSL, the Waconia and Hopkins athletic directors, and her parents to talk about her experience.

While Dan Johnson, Athletic Director, is un-

able to talk about any students’ cases because of privacy rules, he was able to discuss open-enrollment and policies regarding it. He estimates that 1 in 21 students transfer, for whatever reason, in Minnesota schools per year.

The main rule is that a student who openenrolls must sit out of varsity sports for one year.

However, if the student has a valid reason for moving schools, they may appeal to the MSHSL in order to bypass the rule.

“Open-enrollment is very common in the state,” Johnson said. “However, off the top of my head, I would say that there have been less than 10 appeals [to play a varsity sport] in the last 17 years here at HHS.” Reasons that a student can appeal, listed in a MSHSL handbook, include academic, intolerable conditions (damaging psychological welfare), and negative financial conditions.

In any case, a student must start attending the new school before appealing to play a varsity sport.

The long process and tough decisions paid off for Merritt, who made the varsity Softball team in March.

“I like how the coaches break things down instead Merritt, of just jumping into drills,” Merritt said. “I also like how supportive and welcoming the [softball] girls are; it has helped a lot.”

On April 12, the Royals took on Waconia, where teammates showed encouragement and support for Merritt.

“We wanted to play hard for Mak,” said Brenna Falk, senior. “It was important to her, so we needed to focus and work hard for her.”

Although the Royals lost the game 0-7, they are looking forward to their game tonight, April 20, against the Champlin Park Rebels.

“I wanted to go to Hopkins because it’s known for its diversity,”

Makenzie Merritt, junior, looks back at her former home field that she left behind for a new start, after the Royals 0-7 loss to the Waconia Wildcats. photo by Evelyn Barczak

RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

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Gophers’ Pitino scores prized in-state recruit: Amir Coffey Amir Coffey, senior, will be taking his talents to the University of Minnesota next fall to be a member of the Golden Gophers basketball team

by Noah Kaplan and Andy Weisman Sports Editor, Staff Reporter As Amir Coffey, senior, and University of Minnesota commit, took the basketball up the court with only a couple seconds left in the AAAA State Championship game, he knew this was the perfect way to end his high school basketball career.

“It’s just a surreal feeling. It was my first state championship, and to do it as a senior is just really cool, and we got the win,” Coffey said.

Named Minnesota Mr. Basketball, Coffey was a key member of the Royals basketball team. He began playing Varsity his freshman year and continued to improve until Tuesday, Dec. 2, when the Royals hosted Burnsville. Coffey went up for a rebound and came down hard as he collided with Vinnie Shahid, senior.

As a result, Coffey suffered a couple of self healing fractures, a sprained MCL, and a torn ACL all in the same leg.

“Amir was hurt the whole year. To miss a year and then come back, he’s a kid that really worked hard to improve himself coming off the injury,” said Mr. Ken Novak, Head Coach.

Although Coffey missed a majority of the season his junior year, Minnesota Golden Gophers Men’s basketball Head Coach Richard Pitino wasn’t concerned.

“I mean obviously whenever injuries happen you have to look into it, but we felt comfortable that he would recover and that he would be healthy. I think that’s one of the reasons why maybe we were attractive to Amir because we stuck with him,” Pitino said. “It’s easier to do that when you’re local, but we knew he would come back healthy because of his commitment to the game and the task he was doing. We stayed loyal to him, and I’m happy we did.”

The leg injuries weren’t enough to stop Coffey from returning strongly. In his senior season, Coffey averaged 19.9 ppg. During State Coffey averaged 14.3 ppg including a 19 point outing in his final game as a Royal to help the Royals win the State Title.

“One of my favorite high school career moments was the game winner against Shakopee in the State semi-finals a few years back.

But what I’m most proud of is that we just won the State Title,” Coffey said.

A key to success for Coffey was his coaches. He said Novak especially has helped him prepare for the Division 1 level. “[Coach Novak] has done a pretty good job developing us as a team and as individuals,” Coffey said. “He does a lot of skill work with us in practice: shooting, dribbling, reading screens, and things that you will need at the next level.”

Novak believes that Coffey has been preparing for the D1 level since he was young. He also thinks his offense gives Amir the opportunity to play any position on the floor in the D1 level.

“Amir has been working at this for a long time; he’s spending time trying to get stronger; he’s been playing AAU; he’s been playing all year-round, and all of these things have helped him prepare for the next level,” Novak said. “We run a pretty sophisticated style of offense in the sense that all kids do a little of everything. One of Amir’s strength is his ability to play in the post and on the outside running the point. He played multiple positions for us and I think it will help him in the future.”

Coffey had many offers from perennial NCAA Tournament teams, including Arizona, Baylor, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Marquette, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, Texas, Wisconsin, and many others. After a lot of time and thought, on Sept. 21, 2015, Coffey committed to the University of Minnesota.

“Amir was a guy that we set out to recruit since day one,” Pitino said. “We’ve tried to develop a relationship with his whole family for a long time. Richard [Amir’s father], obviously being a former Gopher player, was someone we talked to a lot, and Shiba [Amir’s mother] is such a great mother and such a great influence on all of her kids.”

“Amir was a guy that we set out to recruit since day one,” - Richard Pitino, Minnesota Men’s basketball Head Coach Coffey believes that the relationship he formed with the Gophers staff and Pitino ultimately made him want to go to the U. “They [contacted] me when I was a freshman and Tubby Smith [Ex-Gopher basketball Head Coach] was there, and then Coach Pitino called me the first day after he accepted the job,” Coffey said.

“I knew they were pretty interested right away, and I don’t remember a day where I wasn’t talking to them. Also, my first visit [to the U] went great.”

For Pitino, getting a prized in-state commit is crucial.

“I think recruiting in-state is extremely important, especially in the Big Ten. There are so many schools that are state schools like Iowa and Wisconsin. It’s crucial whenever you have good players in the state that you’ve got to get them,” Pitino said. “In the 2016 class, we set our sights on two guys and they were Amir and Michael Hurt [Rochester John Marshall] and we got both of those guys.”

But, Pitino isn’t just excited about the fact that Coffey is an instate commit. “[Getting a tall guard] excites me. In our system our 3 and our 2 are very similar 3 runs the left side 2 runs the right but our 1,2,3 all work off of ball screens so he needs to have the ball in his hands to play off a ball screen and in our offense none of that really matters where you’re at as long as you’re not playing the 4 which Amir won’t do,” Pitino said. “I love the fact that he can see over the defense. In ‘pick and roll’ situations he’s a phenomenal passer as good as any passer out there. I am excited about some of the matchup problems that he is going to create because when [a player] is a 6’7” guard [they’re] a tough cover.”

Although, Coffey won’t be the only HHS alumnus suiting up at the Barn during the 2016-2017 season. He will join Stephan Sharp, 2014 HHS alumnus, started four games for the Gophers during his freshman season. Sharp posted double-digits scoring in three of the four games.

Coffey is excited to play with Sharp once again. This time in maroon and gold.

“It’s always fun to play alongside people you know, and I’ve known Steph a long time. It’s going to be fun to get out on the court with him and play,” Coffey said.

Coach Pitino is glad to have Steph on the team next year. Especially so he can take Coffey under his wing.

“Steph is a very good leader, and I want him to take more of a leadership role this year,” Pitino said. “Having him on the team will really allow Amir to get comfortable with the team and his teammates much faster as he already knows Steph and has played alongside him before.”

Before heading to campus next year, Coffey has a few things on his to-do list. Including bulking up and working on his jumpshot.

“He has to put on some weight. I think right now he’s at 180 and we would like him to put on 10 pounds,” Pitino said. “He also needs to work on a more consistent jump shot. It’s definitely improved every year, but it always needs a refreshment and more than anything it’s committing to defense. Every freshman really seems to struggle with that when they step on campus, and it will probably be no different for Amir. [He needs] an understanding of all that stuff, but we expect Amir to come to the U and make an impact right away.”

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RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

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Madeline’s Mushrooms: story by Addie Lennon and page by Abby Doeden Print Editor in Chief and Backpage Editor

On a dark October day, Madeline Nelson, senior, noticed a spot of bright red on the forest floor. It was something she had been looking for for many years- an Amanita muscaria.

“It’s your classic bright reddish-orange [mushroom] with white spots, a classic toadstool. I was really excited to find them. They’re also pretty poisonous, so I thought that was interesting,” Nelson said.

Nelson has been photographing mushrooms since she was around 11 or 12 years old. Her fascination began with a simple walk in the woods, but it has turned into a mushroom-themed college essay and years of mushroom-related Christmas presents. Though Nelson cites Amanita muscaria as her favorite, the entire fungi kingdom is fascinating to her.

“I think mushrooms kind of get a bad rap. A lot of people think that they look gross or taste gross or are kind of weird and creepy,” Nelson said. “But they’re a whole kingdom of life, fungi, and I think they’re really diverse, and they can be really interesting.”

In fact, fungi are estimated to outnumber plants by a ratio of six to one. According to the American Journal of Botany, as many as 5.1 billion different species of fungi exist.

“Each time you go out in the woods, you never know what you’re going to find,” Nelson said. “It’s almost like a treasure hunt. You almost always find some really weird-looking new variety.”

At the root of Nelson’s mushroom hobby is her love for both biology and the arts. She believes that this hobby represents her interests so well that she chose to write her college essay on it.

But overall, she thinks her interest in fungi stems from the comfort her 12-year-old self found in them.

“I was really quiet as a kid, and I felt like not a lot of people noticed me, and I think that’s the same with mushrooms,” Nelson said. “A lot of people don’t take them into consideration, but they’re actually really interesting if you look at them up close.”

RPWednesday, April 20, 2016

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Madeline Nelson, senior, began to photograph mushrooms, and since then the small hobby has now grown into a passion.

Madeline Nelson, senior, has been waiting many years to find this mushroom. The Amanita muscaria is a very rare mushroom to find in North America, and she finally found it on an October Day. “It’s your classic bright reddishorange [mushroom] with white spots. I was really excited to find them,” Nelson said. photos provided by Madeline Nelson