November 30th 2018 by Royal Page

HOPKINS HIGH SCHOOL 2400 LINDBERGH DRIVE MINNETONKA, MN 55305

NOVEMBER 30, 2018 VOLUME 39, ISSUE 3 hopkinsrp.org

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A safe space? With all the sensationalized news about school safety, students consider how our own school is working to ensure a sense of security among the student body.

In-Depth pages 6 & 7

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Road to recovery

Photo by Isaac Richert

Mr. Scott Westermann, athletic trainer, tapes the feet of Jaide Pressley, junior, before a basketball practice.

The life of practice and competition for student athletes presents the impending risk of life-altering injuries. From concussions to ACL tears, many supporting components go into the recovery process. Luis Felemovicius Editor-In-Chief & Gianni Tejada Staff Reporter After being told he would never be able to play another high school basketball game again, Josh Fogel, senior, didn’t know what he was going to do with himself. Towards the end of his junior year, Fogel was playing a pickup basketball game with

his buddies when he rose up for a layup. He took an awkward fall and knew something was wrong. “I jumped into the air and when I came down on my right leg I heard a loud popping, almost like a knuckle but in my knee and it felt like a sharp pain,” Fogel said. “I got up and walked away but it felt really unstable and wobbly so I knew something was wrong.” Fogel was diagnosed with an

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear and was told he would be out for up to a year. According to the Boston Globe, an ACL tear is one of the most common injuries especially in basketball. It’s worth noting around 400,000 people tear their ACL every year in the United States. “The first thing that went through my mind when I heard the news was ‘would I ever be able to play basketball at a competitive level again?’,” Fogel said. “It felt as if something was stripped from me and I couldn’t do anything about it. I was helpless.” The next step in Fogel’s recovery was intense physical therapy multiple times a week. Fogel needed to regain the ability to walk which was not

just physically challenging, but mentally draining as well. “I immediately started doing physical therapy and strength building as well as stability work, just to be able to walk without support and pain medication,” Fogel said. According to the Southern California Orthopedic Institute, eight percent of ACL reconstructive surgeries lead to either a re-rupture of the ACL, or further harm due to knee instability. The thought of re-injury can be a huge mental block in the athlete’s recovery. “Learning to trust my leg again and not being constantly scared of re-injuring my knee was probably the biggest step in my recovery process,” Fogel said.

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INSIDE NEWS 2 FEATURE 4 IN-DEPTH 6 OPINION 8 SPORTS 10 VARIETY 12

HHS dives into immigration fishbowl Sam Leervig Managing Editor HHS is a community of students from different races, incomes, religions and backgrounds. This culture brings forth a vast set of beliefs the club HHS Responds is set on extracting and discussing amongst one another. On Thursday, Nov. 8, HHS Responds hosted a fishbowl that welcomed anyone to attend and have an open discussion on the topic of immigration. This has been a hot topic not only amongst state representatives, but students as well. “The point of these discussions is not to attack or debate one another,” said Debra Chepkemoi, senior. “We encourage students to share their side of a story in which not everyone else may be exposed to.” Students had to sit in an inner circle in order to speak, while students around that circle were all listening. Students could tap out each other from the inner circle in order to get

their time to speak. Students were encouraged to snap when they heard something they thought was well said, instead of the mainstream clapping. When students did sway off of open discussion to a more debate-esque style of dialogue, HHS Responds quickly pulled them back on track. Aside from moderating and providing questions to spark dialogue, HHS Responds also provided pizza and sambusas to the students attending, along with refreshments. Nafi Soumare, senior, along with Chepkemoi and Salma Said, senior, were the students in charge of the whole event. “We want to continue to have these discussions,” Said said. “We believe that they are super important and even though [the discussions] most likely won’t change anyone's opinion, they can show a new side of the story that someone else might have not accounted for.”

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Photo provided by HHS Responds Twitter

HHS Responds holds a discussion on immigration as part of the fishbowl discussion on Nov. 8.

Local trans youth make their voices heard as rights get questioned Lauren Schaffler Staff Reporter Matt Morgan, junior, is transgender, meaning he does not identify with the gender he was assigned at birth. “My transition was not that difficult because I knew for a long time who I was and the idea of telling my family and friends never worried me. Telling teachers my pronouns

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sometimes is hard, but I’ve never gotten frustrated with a teacher for saying my wrong pronouns,” Morgan said. When Morgan is referring to pronouns, the most common pronouns are he/him, she/her and they/them. In the primarily cisgender society, transgender and other non-gender conforming people are systematically oppressed. President Donald Trump

has declared that the word “sex” is strictly defined as male and female and the genitalia that someone is given at birth. Since Trump has been in office he has made no changes to his policy against the transgender community, angering many and making health risks for those wanting to make the surgical transition higher. “In the beginning of November there was a Trans Youth

Feature

Superintendent Dr. Rhoda MhiripiriReed presents her vision to convert Hopkins into a “World Class” community Dr. Reed and her group of student representatives hope to turn the Hopkins community into a coalition of world class scholars by 2031. On Thursday, Nov. 9, they first pitched this idea to neighborhood members.

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Anime club grabs more students as the school year continues on As of Nov. 12, seven students were a part of Anime Club. The club meets every Monday from 2:40-4 p.m. in room 148, where the club comes together to learn about Japanese culture through specialized drawing, anime.

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meeting at HHS and we talked about how Trump is not giving any protection to those that identify as transgender, making me feel insecure about who I am,” Morgan said. Over the past year the boom of those coming out as transgender has sparked 25 percent, along with surgical transitions being more in-demand. Yet this spark hasn't changed the government definition of gender.

“Trump is practically making excuses for systematic murder, because if we continue to not make facilities, such as bathrooms transgender people can utilize we are slowly killing the transgender community and that’s what Trump wants. It’s a huge disappointment,” said Lyim Baumgardt, senior. In regards to school, Morgan feels like he is, for the most part, treated respectfully.

“The only time I have been uncomfortable in school with my identity is when people obviously use the gender neutral bathrooms, when they are locked due to misuse of other students I feel disrespected,” Morgan said. Overall, HHS welcomes everybody and wants everyone, regardless of how they identify, to feel comfortable and to be accepted.

Opinion

Sports

No Net November After realizing just how much time is spent on their phones, two Royal Page staff members went a week without social media, chronicling the challenges and rewards of such an endeavor.

The girls basketball season starts off strong The Royals took two victories in the Pat Patterson Tournament on Nov. 23 and 24. Last year the Royals made it to the state championship, but ultimately lost against Eastview.

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NOVEMBER 30, 2018

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the royal page It is nice to see celebrities using their power for good; [Just Water] it is like saving the world, one bottle at a time. Lexi Riley, senior

Infographic by Eve Clarkson

Recyclable Just Water makes a splash at HHS Evan Natoli & Lexie Stoesz Staff Reporters

You’ve heard of celebrity merchandise, apps, and endorsements. But now, you can get another celebrity product: water. Just Water is a product funded and founded by Will and Jaden Smith, to combat pollution. It is 100 percent recyclable, spring water that comes in various natural infused flavors, such as apple-cinnamon, lemon and orange, as well as an unflavored option, all being organic. The all-natural bottle’s purpose is to reduce plastic and carbon dioxide emissions, by creating a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bottled water. Compared to a ‘regular’ plastic bottled water,

Just Water produces 50 percent less emissions, being made out of primarily plants. HHS offers a variety of drinks alternative to water, and all are relatively healthy compared to other sugary drinks. Just Water is another addition to this group, and with its minimal flavoring and innovative packaging, that it seems to be an effective product for HHS. Despite the new beverages benefits, some students believe washable water bottles simply make more sense. Sam Thomas, sophomore, shares this philosophy. “I think the water is just another way to encourage students to drink water, and I’m not sure if it’s actually making a large impact in the status of the environment,” said Thomas. “I bring a Nalgene water bottle, and it’s much cheaper and better for the environment than Just Water.” Ava Bur, sophomore, is an active member of Earth Club, which has been advertising the

new brand around HHS. Bur sees Just Water as a stepping stone toward HHS becoming a more environmentally progressive school. “I personally really love Just Water, not just because of the progress it promises HHS, but also because its bringing these issues into the lives of students that may not have been aware of them before,” Bur said. “All the flavors are certified organic and sugar free, and a healthier alternative to some other flavored beverages that students consume.” “Seeing Just Water in the Cafe and around school will not only encourage the switch to this product but also raise awareness for the cause. Frankly, I think that the environment is in a state of dire need right now. I consider the well-being of our planet to be the most important issue today; the decisions we make regarding the environment will inevitably affect future generations if we stay silent about it,” Bur said.

Noah Anderson, junior, proposed Just Water at a school board meeting, and was approved. “I’m a big fan of Jaden [Smith] because he is helping environment so much by promoting this product,” said Anderson. “It helps the environment while everyone is doing something they need to do to stay healthy: drink water.” Just Water comes from a spring, which is more environmentally conscious than filtered water, due to the process of reverse osmosis, which wastes a large portion of Earth’s water supply. Anderson proposed Just Water to the Hopkins district’s Food and Nutrition Board. The panel approved the product, its prices and the message it sent. “It [ Just Water] might make just a small dent, but that small dent is still a difference,” Anderson said. “Global warming isn’t a one person problem, it’s a community effort.”

Bus and car collide in parking lot

car was totalled. The student was sent to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries and is currently recovering.

Nov. 12 - A student driving to HHS was rear ended by a school bus making a right turn on to Cedar Lake Road. The bus had minimal damage on its left side and the student’s

Mundahl, senior, welcomed the change. “I got to sleep in for an hour, and that felt good for the moment, but it’s pretty depressing that it’s dark all the time and everyone feels down,” Mundahl said.

Nov. 4 - HHS students set their clocks back an hour for the annual Fall Back. Alex

Interactive flex spaces have been created at HHS to accommodate the learning and collaboration of students. With the new flex learning spaces students have been excitedly using and occupying the spaces, but with new spaces comes overuse along with misuse of the areas. Disruption of classes in session due

With the new brand of all-recyclable water bottles, HHS hopes to combat global warming, plastic pollution

Daylight savings

Photo provided by Just Water website

The trendy company Just Water is making being a earth conscious consumer more accessible than ever.

IN BRIEF

Flex space changes

to students being too loud has caused teachers to ask students to not occupy the spaces unless they have a new purple pass.

Choirs combine Sophomore Chorale was a select group of student boys and girls who tried out for the

after school program. This year the choir has combined withthe Chamber Choir for their practices and performances. The upcoming choir concert will be Dec. 18.

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NOVEMBER 30, 2018

There’s no doubt that we should be moving towards renewable resources, so we need diverse renewable resources, such as solar power.

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Jared Grossman, senior

HHS dives into immigration issues

District sees 2018-19 enrollment increase Alexis Horowitz Staff Reporter

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Questions given by HHS Responds were all unbiased to either side, such as “What are some of the biggest immigration challenges our country faces right now?” and “How are these challenges facing our nation [regarding immigration], reflected in the school atmosphere?” Even though hosted

unbiasedly, the participants in the conversation were largely in consensus, being unhappy with the current status of immigration laws and customs in the U.S. “I believe that immigration is a human right,” Chepkemoi said. “We can and must, as citizens, do better than we have been doing in the past.” A large amount of the students that were present were either immigrants themself or children of immigrants. A popular subject of conversation was the prejudice and unfair treatment that immigrants often face in the U.S. “It is so ironic that we are so fearful and against the idea of people bringing their own idea of America into

America,” said Charlie McAllister, junior. “We were built on immigrants and ideas brought from a foreign land.” However, Daniel Clarke, sophomore, and Jimmy Murphy, junior, had mixed emotions about how the fishbowl played out. “It did not go well at all,” said Daniel Clarke, sophomore. “A lot of the dialogue was just echoing what others said. It felt like at some points, Jimmy and myself were getting cornered. At the end of the day, nobody’s mind is going to change.” HHS Responds said they were willing to do another open discussion like this one on any other topics that students and the club deems relevant.

“We thought this went really well, especially because issues are so polarized nowadays,” Said said. “We love doing these spontaneous events and are willing to do them on stuff that affects the student body, as long as students keep their respect, these will continue.”

District moves towards green energy Max Lacey Staff Reporter Some districts across the Metro area, including Hopkins, are trying to combat the impacts of climate change. Solar energy is one of the proposed solutions. As technology has improved, it has also became cheaper and easier to use. What would have cost 7 dollars per watt, now only costs 2.50 dollars per watt. Lia Harel, senior, is one of the presidents of the Earth Club and is glad Hopkins is starting to implement solar energy. “Earth Club did not really play a part in the decision pro-

cess to add solar panels to Lindbergh,” Harel said. “We emailed someone about the idea last year but never received a response.” The implementation of solar arrays on the buildings are not just because the districts are environmentally conscious. The new set of solar panels will reduce the cost of electricity and will maximize savings due to incentives through a third party finance partner. The company that Hopkins and Wayzata are going through is the Kinect Energy Group. Kinect works in a variety of industries such as agriculture, commercial, industrial, educa-

tion, municipalities and utilities. They help give these industries access to reliable and secure delivery of electricity. The list of buildings being renovated in the Hopkins district include HHS, WJH, NJH, Harley Hopkins Family Center and Tanglen Elementary School. The reason for the choice of buildings is because of the age of the roofing and the availability for installation. The site for the solar array at the junior high schools will be located on the barrel roofs on the schools. Additionally the installment at the HHS will be spread out across different

sections of the building. The estimated kilowatt (kW) size for the district is estimated at 1,417.4kW, compared to the average size found in a Minn. home which is 15kW. “All throughout the news is talk of how humans are causing climate change and that technology like solar panels can save the Earth,” said Blake Kukowski, senior. “It’s cool to see something being done locally, like adding solar panels to buildings in the district.” These changes are going to be occurring next year with more information planned to be released in the coming months.

With the 2018-19 school year one term down, the monthly November school board reports have been released, and it showed a trend that hasn’t been seen since the 2007-08 school year, an increase of enrollment within the district. The Oct. 23 school board report included past enrollment trends. For example, in 2006-07, there were 7,898 students enrolled in schools within the Hopkins School District. That number since has dwindled down to 6,619 students. With that number being an increase from last year’s student enrollment, Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, superintendent, is optimistic about the future of the district for students. “The enrollment increase is significant for our district. We believe that the educational experiences we offer our students are high quality and truly necessary for preparing our students for a complex and volatile world,” MhiripiriReed said. Dr. Nik Lightfoot, assistant superintendent, has seen the enrollment at the highest and lowest points. Hopkins enrollment is currently about 1,000 students lower than the 2007-08 school year, and Lightfoot attributes it to because of the level of options students now have. “We are seeing an increase in student mobility. During the course of the school year and over the summer months, we do see a larger number of students moving out of the district, and into another school district or into other states. We also see more families considering charter options and open enrollment options for their pre-K and K

years,” Lightfoot said. Though these options sometimes hurt the district, open enrollment has played a big factor in maintaining students as well. Since 2002, more families have decided to open enroll into the district, compared to families enrolling out of the district. There are currently 1,650 students that are open enrolled into the district. “We have seen a slight increase in open enrollment and we have seen more resident students remain in the district,” Lightfoot said. Due to the enrollment increase, the district will also see an increase in revenue coming in. Mhiripiri-Reed sees this as a win-win situation for the district. “Enrollment generates revenue and revenue pays for the educational materials we need to support our students effectively. So, on both fronts, the more kids we have in Hopkins, the better,” Mhiripiri-Reed said. If the enrollment increase continues, the district might have to reopen the discussion of a grade realignment, but Lightfoot says we are not there yet. “Right now, our facilities are able to accommodate our space needs,” Lightfoot said. As the district is focusing on the 2031 vision, there hasn’t been any proposals about grade realignment yet. Lightfoot encourages students to speak up and contribute ideas to make the future even brighter. “If individuals are looking to contribute ideas and thoughts to how we might reimagine our services in ways that help us in our move from great to world class, we encourage them to reach out and become involved or contribute thoughts to our strategic work,” Lightfoot said.

Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed’s plans to renovate the Hopkins district Nafi Soumare Staff Reporter When Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri Reed, superintendent of Hopkins Public Schools, was appointed to her role, she wasted no time setting long-term goals. Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed is the first woman and person of color to lead the district, and this school year marks her second year in the position. According to Dr. Reed, a primary goal of hers is to guide the district into a community of World Class students, educa-

tors and administrators. What she means by World Class, can be hard to initially conceptualize. “When I say World Class, I mean establishing a level of effectiveness in how we serve students to compete with top schools all around the world,” Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed said. “We want to provide opportunities for students to self-actualize such that, upon graduation, they are prepared to compete with any high-achieving student around the country.”

Along with every plan-toaction, there is a subsequent deadline. According to Dr. Reed, the World Class vision should be fully integrated by 2031, or the year that current Hopkins kindergarteners will graduate from high school. During the spring of 2018, Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed organized a group made up of Hopkins NJH and HHS students called the Royal Reps, with the goal of increasing student interaction within the community, all with the intention of working

towards the World Class goal. Nik Smith, senior, is one of these Royal Reps. “We’ve been going into the community and serving people, asking them what they think of Hopkins currently, and what we need to do better. We’ve taken that data and sent it on to the adults, who are in charge of finding out what needs to be done,” Smith said. On Thurs, Nov. 9, Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed and members of her team presented this World Class vision to members of the

Hopkins community. Administrators, teachers, parents and even members of the community had the chance to hear about her plan to reach World Class, and was widely well received. For Dave Larson, this 201819 school year is his third year serving the Hopkins School Board. “After hearing her perspective, I agree with [Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed’s] vision. I think she’s the perfect person to lead us into her new idea for World Class,” Larson said.

Through presenting her World Class vision to members of the community, Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed felt it was important to impart her inspiration for Hopkins Public School’s transformation. “For an experience, I recently had the opportunity to help transform a turnaround school system from mediocre to good. The thing is, Hopkins is already great. To develop, we still need that next step, to turn Hopkins from just great to world class,” Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed said.

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

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the royal page I feel like Daylight Savings makes me feel often sleepy, but also calmer, because everything is dark so early; so I guess there are pros and cons.

Renee Rademacher, junior feature Anime club brings new culture, community to HHS Jackson Destiche Staff Reporter

very Monday from 2:40-4 p.m. the Anime Club meets in room S148 to indulge in some of their favorite anime shows and eat instant ramen. HHS promotes over 40 student led clubs. Some of them are more well known like Debate Club and Quiz Bowl. One that may not be as well known is Anime Club. The goal of the Anime Club is to bring students together

to learn about Japanese culture through this specialized drawing style. Anime is the Japanese term for animation. Anime has developed its own style and is now used to define hand drawn or computer animations originating or associated with Japan. In the last few years more and more Americans have been watching anime television and reading manga. It has become a mainstream form of entertainment as anime shows and movies are sprinkled throughout popular streaming services such

as Netflix or Hulu. Shows like Pokemon, Attack on Titan, Naruto and Sailor Moon have attracted a lot of viewers in the United States and have cemented anime as a notable form of entertainment in America. Kristine Revak, mathematics, is the clubs supervisor, but the club is almost entirely run by the student leaders Stella Wakefield, senior, president of the Anime Club, and Ann Rackliffe, junior, vice president. They want to offer anime as a new form of entertainment to

students at HHS. “This club is a good way for people outside of the anime culture to find out what anime is about and what types of anime there are,” Rackliffe said. “We are open for any people who want to come, not just specifically anime fans.” Rackliffe also believes that Anime Club is a place where anime watchers can find new types of anime that they haven’t experienced before and learn about them. “We watch one or two episodes of each show, as we want

people to experience what different types of animes there are,” Rackliffe said. “Hopefully people can build an interest in new types of anime.” As of Monday, Nov. 12, seven students were part of Anime Club and Wakefield has a plan to increase that number. “We are thinking about making more posters, and putting them up on doors where people will see them,” Wakefield said. “Another idea we have is to host a manga drawing contest, as well as to let people know that we provide food.”

Wakefield wants the Anime Club to have a range of different people and be an open space where people have the opportunity to experience anime together. “We have some really nerdy people, some less nerdy people, some people who just come and do homework,” Wakefield said. “Something we all have in common despite our differences is an interest in, and passion for, anime.”

Students march in support of “Our Future, Our Rights” Mia Sparrow Design Editor

n Sunday, Oct. 28, Hopkins students from Dems Club and Earth Club marched from the Minnesota US District Court to the inside rotunda of the state Capital alongside other environmental activists. In 2015, 21 youth plaintiffs from Oregon banded together to sue the United States Government for condoning activities that harm the environment and, therefore, harm their futures. In 2016, environmentalists of Minnesota opposed a crude oil pipeline, called Line 3, that is expected to be built across the state and within two Indian Reservations. Fast forward to 2018, and Minnesota youth successfully organized a march in St. Paul to show support for activists in both of these issues.

“The goals of the march were to show our solidarity with the Oregon plaintiffs and oppose the pipeline that the government approved to be built. We also hope to see a reduction in the use of fossil fuels at the state level,” said Angela Perez, senior, who took part in the march. MN Can’t Wait is an youthled movement encouraging Minnesota to take climate action and limit greenhouse gas pollution sooner rather than later. Lia Harel, senior, who is on the MN Can’t Wait board, helped in organizing the march and gave a speech outside of the courthouse. “We announced at the march that the youth are going to sue the Pollution Control Agency for the pipeline,” Harel said. Youth and adults marched with handmade posters, with several among these reading,

“See you in court” and “There is no planet B.” According to Perez, some signs were so large that there was no way that passing car could miss the march. Harel and the rest of the MN Can’t Wait youth board are presenting a “Youth Climate Inheritance Resolution” to the state legislature calling for zero greenhouse gas emissions within a decade. This resolution has been presented to many legislators and candidates for governor such as Tim Walz and Jeff Johnson. “Now is the time to stop making decisions based on what is politically possible and start making decisions based on what’s necessary. Now is the time for bipartisan action because it’s not a Republican or Democratic Future, it’s just our future,” Harel said in her speech.

photo provided by Angela Perez

HHS students, Lili Hoschka, Emily Kirk, Angela Perez, and Sagit Nachmias, seniors, as well as members of the Dems Club and Earth Club, march at the state Capital in protest of actions by the government that are harming the environment. They were joined by thousands of other Minnesota protestors.

IN BRIEF

Books for break

Student Cuba excursion

This coming summer, students in Spanish 4 are invited to go on a trip to Cuba. As U.S. citizens are only allowed to travel to Cuba in an educational group, and some other odd exceptions, this is a unique and possibly once in a lifetime experience. Students will get a chance to stay with a host family for five days, tour the city, partake in a community service project and soak up the culture.

photo by Isaac Richert

Students check-out books in preparation for Thanksgiving break, with the assistance of library staff and students. The theme of popular reads leaned towards love stories and romace novels.

Yankees approached, 10 students spent a minimum of 13 hours per day at the high school. With long hours invested in the show, students found it hard to keep up with schoolwork and adequate sleep. Rehearsals consisted of warm-ups, feedback, and full hair and makeup. At 4:30 p.m., they began to run the play and didn’t stop rehersal until around 9:00 p.m.

Art Club plans activity to assist, Play rehearsal engage community proves time When Ani Kruse and Anconsuming

Theatre may not be as easy as one may think. As Damn

nika Danielson, juniors, began Art Club in Oct., their hope was to create a space where

anyone can come to relax, make art, and even get in some much needed study time. Currently, the Art Club is working on watercolor paintings which they plan to bring to old folks’ homes. Danielson hopes that this act will bring joy to the residents. The plan is to sit and talk with the senior citizens, hear their stories, and make art together.

The Depot set to host HHS benefit event

The Depot in Hopkins is a well known venue for musical events, theme nights, etc. On Nov. 30, The Depot will host the “Show Me the Money” event. Show Me The Money is

a fundraising event which raises money for the Hopkins Band Society. There, many bands/individual performers get to show off their talents on stage.

Free yoga offered to students The Hopkins school district sees their attendees as people first and students second. Recently, Hopkins began making large efforts to ensure the wellbeings of their students. As one walks through the hallway, they will see a Wellness Center, flex learning spaces, informative posters, etc. A more recent addition is the free yoga classes being held once per month in the Wellness Center.

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NOVEMBER 30, 2018

I believe Tech Crew should be more appreciated because they do all of the hard work of setting up the stage before and during the show. They do a lot of the things that are behind the scenes, so it often goes unnoticed.

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Neel Varma, junior

As stress levels rise, students learn to cope Sophia De Santo Staff Reporter

eeling stressed? The feeling is mutual. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), during the school year the average student’s stress level can go as high as a 5.8 out of 10, while a healthy level of stress is three out of 10 on that scale. Tally Shaver, sophomore, has a lot to say about stress and how it impacts her. Shaver chose to take AP Biology, Honors Chemistry, AP US History, Precalculus and Honors Perspectives in American Lit. Most, if not all,

students would find this a very stressful schedule. “Out of 10 I would say my average stress level is around a six, depending on if I have tests or big assignments due and depending on how much time I have to do homework and if I procrastinate a lot, which I try not to do,” Shaver said. Along with a busy class schedule, Shaver participates in many extracurriculars. On a typical week she has 15 and a half hours of dance classes at Hopkins Dance Studio and around three hours a day of homework from all her classes. Combining these hours spent at dance, the hours it takes for her to do homework

and the few minutes in between eating dinner, being distracted and time spent doing things she

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up late or I won’t be able to hangout with my friends.” When Shaver is over-

Usually when I’m stressed I get kind of freaked out that I won’t be able to get things done Tally Shaver, sophomore

likes, Shaver can get stressed out quite frequently with all of these things going on in her life. “Usually when I’m stressed I get kind of freaked out that I won’t be able to get things done or my life is kind of spiraling out of control,” Shaver said. “I also worry that I’ll have to stay

whelmed, which she often is, with homework or other activities, she takes frequent breaks to listen to music or eat a snack and just takes a moment to calm down. She also recommends drinking water to prevent the inevitable headaches that come with stress.

“Students should identify healthy outlets for themselves and make conscious effort to do healthy things that make them feel good,” said Shanna Jadwin, counselor. “Some people enjoy exercising, writing/journaling or doing something creative.” One local resource available to all students is the program Change to Chill. Although Change to Chill week at HHS was in September, it’s encouraged that students practice these easy strategies throughout the entire school year. The program advises students to put their phones down in a different room. This may seem difficult in our modern world, but it is essential.

A study done by APA reported that 86 percent of people constantly check their social media, email, or text messages. These constant checkers tend to have higher stress levels, which can result in anxiety and other issues. The Change to Chill website also encourages teens to engage in mindfulness or meditation. At first thought this might seem boring, but if someone is feeling extra stressed out this can be a perfect way to calm down. One may search on Youtube or directly on the Change to Chill website for direct resources on how to engage in these practices.

Students turn to PSEO, CIS to earn college credits Nikki Bank Staff Reporter

any high school students are looking to gain credits and college experience while still in high school. Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) and College In The Schools (CIS) are two ways that it is achievable here at HHS. CIS is a program offered through the University of Minnesota. Many students participate in this for languages like Spanish, French and German. Shea Nelson, senior, has been taking Spanish since seventh grade and last year was her first year participating in the CIS program. “Being able to take a Spanish class for college credit is really great. I love that I am able to get a glimpse of what college classes are like, before taking Spanish 5 I had no clue of what a college class would be like,” Nelson said.

Timothy Owen, Spanish, teaches both the CIS Spanish 5 and 6 classes here at HHS. “I love teaching CIS classes because the curriculum is amazing and we are able to talk about really important topics like human rights, politics, art and the environment,” Owen said. The CIS curriculum directly aligns with what is taught at the University of Minnesota. “The course is exactly what is taught at the University of Minnesota and I think that is exciting because it gives students the opportunity to experience a college course,” Owen said. PSEO is a very popular option for many high school students in Minnesota as well. In 2014, more than 9,000 students took part in the program. Leah Stillman, senior, is taking part in PSEO this year at Concordia University. “I really like PSEO because in my opinion, it is not harder than the high school cur-

riculum, but helps you become more independent as you do have to be very self sufficient to be in PSEO, because there is not a lot of coddling or reminders,” Stillman said. “You really have to take charge and keep track of what you need to do.” PSEO is another way to gain both college experience and credit, but instead of doing so here at HHS students go to a college campus and have to apply to get in. “I decided to apply for PSEO because I wanted to be able to have a ton of college experience under my belt. I also thought it would be a great opportunity to bank up on credits in hopes they transfer over to whatever college I go to after high school,” Stillman said. “I would really recommend anyone to take part in PSEO.” Overall, PSEO and CIS are both great options for HHS students to take part in in order to learn more about the college experience and earn credits.

Photo by Isaac Richert

In addition to traveling to different colleges, like the University of Minnesota, Hennepin Tech, Concordia and Normandale, through the PSEO program, there are also many classes offered to students at HHS as a part of the CIS program including, Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Anatomy & Physiology.

Bueckers speaks on journey to Argentina, Youth Olympics Zoe Roemhildt & Lindsey Sperling Staff Reporters

aige Bueckers, junior, one of Hopkins’ star athletes, recently returned from Buenos Aires, Argentina; but this trip was no vacation. Rather than lounging on beaches or sight-seeing, her travel overseas was for the 2018 Youth Olympics, where Bueckers, twice gold medalist, won her third. Johann Rosen first conseptionialized The Youth Olympics in 1998 as a response to the increasing numbers of children

facing obesity. The first games were held in August of 2010, organized by the International Olympics committee. The games are hosted every four years, just like the regular Olympics. Young athletes ages 14-18 come from all around the world, with over 200 countries being represented, to compete against one another. “I met a lot of people from other countries as a result of travelling with USA Basketball. It was really cool to talk to them and get their perspectives on their lives from different countries. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences between myself and them,”

Bueckers said. “Just building relationships with people from other countries is awesome.” Bueckers was first introduced to basketball by her dad when she was five years old and has been playing ever since. “I had no idea that I would be a three-time gold medalist at 17 years old. I knew I loved basketball and I wanted to be great, but it never occured to me that I could have achieved what I have at such a young age,” Bueckers said. Bueckers has been part of the HHS basketball program since seventh grade, but has played for varsity since eighth grade. During her three years

on varsity, she has scored over 1,500 points for her school, reaching the 1,000 mark as a sophomore. Bueckers misses school every once in awhile for basketball, but she doesn’t let the sport interfere with her academics. “It’s hard to balance time for school, basketball and my social life. During the week it’s mostly grinding time. It’s usually school, practice, homework, eat, sleep, and repeat. During the weekends, though, I don’t have school so I can fit some time in to spend with friends and family,” Bueckers said. Her experiences with basketball have taught her that if

you work hard at something and try to be the best you can be, there is no telling where it can take you; although it takes a lot of practice and commitment. Bueckers won her first gold medal in the summer of 2017 at the FIBA World Cup, where the USA defeated countries throughout North and South America. This guaranteed their advancement to the 2018 Youth Olympics, where she earned her third gold medal. “To become successful is not easy. There are days you want to give up and quit; don’t. It’s those times where you need to push the most. If you have a passion for the game and want to be

the best, it takes work and sacrifice. The game will give back to you what you gave the game,” Bueckers said. Unsurprisingly, even with all of her accomplishments, Bueckers still has some goals that she would like to achieve, such as winning the state championship with her HHS basketball team. “My goals with basketball are to play professionally in the WNBA, play overseas, and to become a national level Olympian,” Bueckers said. “I also really want to advocate for women’s basketball and make it become more respected as a sport.”

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

the royal page

A safe

in-depth

Whether it be the tragic news of a mass shooting or a report of sexual assault, students look around their own community and wonder how safe they are once they walk through the doors of school. However, as administration and law enforcement attempt to maintain safety and punish violations of it, the matters aren’t so black and white. Background When we hear about safety in schools, it’s usually in the wake of a major tragedy at one. After a school shooting makes national headlines, there’s always a few days of debate on how we can make our schools safer. Arming teachers, installing metal detectors, and even bulletproof backpacks are all suggestions that are pitched after a brutal event. While mass acts of senseless violence in schools spark discussion of how to prevent a shooting, some experts say these conversations are far too narrow in focus. “Our energy and resources are better spent dealing with less sensational everyday problems like bullying, or mental health issues like depression,” said Professor Dewey Cornell, a psychologist at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education. This prompts the question: how safe is the everyday environment of our school, and is there more we could be doing to make students feel secure?

Feeling safe For many, the first day of school is a bittersweet experience. While there’s gloom surrounding the end of summer, seeing friends for the first time in months makes the day better. For one student, who wishes to remain anonymous, the first day of school was a very painful and emotionally taxing reminder. “I walked into class and saw them right there. I left, went to the counselor’s office. I had to wait in line for a really long time. Eventually I couldn’t do it and started crying,” said the student. In spring of 2018, they reported being sexually assaulted by a fellow student. “I was really scared when I reported my case. I didn’t know what I was getting into. I was aware that it was a thing, but I

had never heard of someone in my school reporting a case like this,” said the anonymous student. When they made a report last school year, their assailant was removed from their classes. On the first day of school this year, however, they entered one of their classes to find that their assailant was enrolled in the same class. “Later, I was called in to my counselor’s room, stating that I didn’t want to be in the same class. She did not remember what I was talking about. At least in her computer, there was no record of my report, which there should have been since I filed a report,” said the student. In February of 2018, Cat Saari, senior, reported that she had been sexually assaulted on campus in 2016 when she was in ninth grade. “I was diagnosed with PTSD due to the actions of my assailant and the aftermath.” Saari said. District code 413 defines our district’s policies on harassment and violence. It defines terms, describes the procedure for reporting harassment or violence, and outlines the investigation/discipline process. “If we are going to continue to address assault and harassment, we need to encourage people to come forward and feel safe in coming forward. It’s important to know that it [assault and harassment] is not right, and sometimes you are not going to see the things that are put in place when an investigation is completed,” said Mr. Doug Bullinger, principal. Mr. Nik Lightfoot, assistant superintendent, serves as the human rights officer for Hopkins Schools. “We recognize that it takes courage to report, and we take every complaint seriously,” Lightfoot said. The district policy states that after a report is made and an investigation occurs, the guardians of both the victim and perpetrator will receive a report as to the outcome of the

report, to the extent allowed by data privacy laws. “For an investigation, we work with the complainant and families to inform them about the outcome of the investigation,” said Trenton Lawson, assistant principal. While this is the stated policy, Saari had a very different experience. “I was never really updated or told what was going on with the investigation. I didn’t know how the investigation was going until my assailant was removed from one of my classes. As far as I know, that is the only action that was taken,” Saari said. The student who wishes to remain anonymous is unsure if there ever was an investigation. “We want people to keep coming forward. Through trusted adults, counselors, advisors, the anonymous tip line. There is a lot more to consequences and discipline than people see,” Bullinger said. There’s no comprehensive answer as to what schools can and can not provide disciplinary action for. Policies differ between states, between districts within those states, and even in one district often come down to judgement calls by administrators. District policy states that a violation has occurred whenever a student, teacher, or administrator harasses or inflicts violence on a student, teacher, or administrator. Districts also often investigate whether an incident is disrupting the school environment or affecting anyone’s ability to learn. “As a school district, we look for the connections between school impacts that are related to off campus conduct,” Lightfoot. “If the conduct denies or limits a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from school programming, the administration

will review the conduct and evaluate the District’s ability to respond.” The extent and severity of discipline is also something that varies greatly. Our policy lists potential consequences, saying, “Upon completion of an investigation, that determines a violation of this policy has occurred, the School District will take appropriate action. Such action may include, but is not limited to, warning, suspension, exclusion, expulsion, transfer, remediation, termination, or discharge.” According to a question and answer document published in Sept. 2017, under federal civil rights law Title IX, a school must “provide notice of the school’s grievance procedures, including how to file a complaint, to students, parents of elementary and secondary school students, and employees.” “Each school provides age-appropriate information to all students either through handbooks or personalized classroom

presentations,” Lightfoot said. While the school’s methods of providing information to students is in compliance with Title IX, some students feel that the information is not sufficiently dispersed to students and that not all staff members are trained to deal with cases that require a lot of sensitivity. “I reported harassment

the royal page

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

space?

in-depth

Story by Sam Buttress, Zoe Roemhildt, & Nafi Soumare Opinion Editor & Staff Reporters Design by Maya Kupritz & Mia Sparrow Editor-In-Chief & Design Editor

1 in 5 female highschool students report being physically and/ or sexually abused by a dating partner

Between 1992 and 2013, the student victimization rate declined

percent

US Department of Justice

last year. I wasn’t completely informed of the process of reporting harassment, but the staff member (who no longer works at HHS) who helped me seemed to be even less informed,” said Bella Feitl, senior. “She told me that I was probably receiving extra attention because it was prom season.” School is a safe place for many. For these students, it is hard to feel entirely secure. “I’m always nervous when I have a schedule change whether it be next semester or next year. I don’t trust that they are aware of it,” said the student who wishes to remain anonymous. “When I see [my assailant] in the hallway, I feel shame. It’s like nobody cares enough to do something about it.”

Working for safety In recent years, HHS administration has taken

deliberate strides to transform the HHS atmosphere into a universal safe space for students. Erin Massmann, senior, believes they have been successful in achieving this goal. “I feel like the student body at HHS is pretty welcoming and easy-going. I don’t ever have anxieties about our school not being safe, because I think our students are pretty good at

not acting poorly,” said Massmann. With the addition of a Tip Line on HHS’ website, they have made it easier than ever to report incidents which could cause a student to feel unsafe. While, in the past, students had to either make a face-toface meeting with a member of administration to voice their concerns, they can now do it from the comfort of their own homes.

Additionally, HHS has implemented a brand new Student Wellness Center active after school Mondays and Thursdays to grant students with the resources and support to promote mental health among students. The center offers students with access to a licensed school social worker, counselor, or psychologist. In the last two years, the administration and faculty have been supportive of a student walkout to end school gun violence and a sit-in to raise awareness of sexual assault. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentages of public schools recording incidents of crime and reporting incidents to police were lower in 2015-2016 than in every prior survey year. This may be due, in part, to strict new security measures implemented in schools across the country. While alarmed doors and the armed school police officer may seem like permanent fixtures to most HHS students, changes to the entrance and door policy at HHS has changed in the last year. To increase student safety, during school hours, it is required that all entrants scan their school ID badge to be let in. Additionally, there is now a para stationed at the front door, the most high-traffic entrance, during lunch hours to ensure that students are not leaving campus during lunch and also to ensure that the school is aware of all people in the building.

Changes for the future Even as we discuss the extent to which schools should investigate and discipline student

behavior, those limits may be changing at the national level. According to a report from the Associated Press, Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, has proposed large scale changes to the way schools process and handle sexual misconduct complaints. “There must be no tolerance for sexual harassment or assault in America’s schools,” said DeVos in an editorial article. “There should also be no tolerance for adjudicating these matters in a way that denies to any person access to the core principles that underpin our justice system, such as due process.” On Friday, Nov. 16, the United States Education Department released a plan containing the new regulations schools would have to implement under the Title IX law. Some changes include a new rule that would only require schools to investigate incidents which occur on campus or at a school-supervised event. It also supports the rights of the defendant, proposing the allowance of an accused student to cross-examine their accuser through a representative, and overall raising the burden of proof. While discussions of these regulations usually center around postsecondary institutions, they are the same rules that apply to public elementary and secondary schools. The proposal has had many critics. Catherine Lhamon, head of the Education Department’s civil rights division under Obama, who helped create existing rules, believes the changes would be devastating for school environments. “It promises schools that if they follow specific, very minimal steps, then they cannot be found liable for violating Title IX, and it sets an astonishingly low set of expectations,” Lhamon said. The proposal must go through a 60-day public commenting process before it can become official.

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

opinion

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the royal page Marijuana should be legalized in Minnesota because it is much safer than already legalized drugs like alcohol and cigarettes, but one of the most important reasons why it should be legalized is so it is more accessible and affordable for medical use.

Lydia Yisehak, sophomore

STAFF EDITORIAL Marijuana’s influence is creeping its way into the Midwest, with Michigan recently becoming the eleventh state in the country to fully legalize the drug. Marijuana remains legal solely for medical purposes in Minnesota, but the question grows increasingly relevant: will this change? Support of marijuana legalization has been growing in recent years with 62 percent of Americans in favor of legalization according to Pew Research Center. In Minnesota, you receive a petty misdemeanor that usually bears a fine and drug education program for possession under 42.5 grams. Any amount over this weight is considered a felony with corresponding fines

and jail time. If caught selling more than 50 kg. of marijuana, you can receive up to 30 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Upon the legalization of marijuana, anyone convicted or serving jail time for possession should have their records cleaned in favor of possible future opportunities, such as employment. In the legalized states, the law asserts that you have to be 21 years or older to use and possess marijuana. We support this age due to comparisons with alcohol. We believe that alcohol is worse for the body and developing brain, and yet alcohol is a societal norm while marijuana is criminalized. Built into the health curriculum at HHS, students are

taught about the brain damage related to the use of marijuana at different ages in one’s life. A brain image powerpoint shown in class, depicts the brain of a 16- year-old, with a two year history of daily abuse, showing clear differences from that of a non-user. An 18- year-old with a three year history of use three times a week will develop what appears to be a shriveling brain. Hopkins students are likewise taught about the numerous health effects of heavy alcohol use. Binge drinking, which is commonly done at parties and on college campuses, can lead to injuries or alcohol poisoning. Overuse or long term consumption can lead to nerve damage, liver disease, high blood pressure, stroke and other

heart-related issues. One important difference between the two substances is the inability to overdose and die from marijuana usage. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), no deaths directly from marijuana have ever been reported. Also, a study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that healthy marijuana users were not more likely to die earlier than healthy people who did not use cannabis. Many pro-marijuana arguments are based off the possibility of economic gain from the industry of commerce. Marijuana bought from dispensaries or issued for medical purposes is bought with a sales tax ranging from 10 percent to 37 percent

among a majority of the applicable states. In a report from the Colorado State University-Pueblos Institute of Cannabis Research, it was recently found that the legal cannabis industry of Colorado has contributed more than $58 million to the local economy, mostly through taxes and other fees. In 2017, The Oregon Department of Revenue announced it would pay out $85 million in marijuana taxes for schools, public health, police and local governments. Congressman Tim Walz, the newly elected governor of Minnesota, has expressed support in the legalization of marijuana. In a recent tweet from Au-

gust 10, 2018, Walz wrote “I support legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use by developing a system of taxation, guaranteeing that it is Minnesota grown, and expunging the records of Minnesotans convicted for marijuana crimes.” Senator Amy Klobuchar and Attorny General-elect Keith Ellison have likewise expressed favor towards recreational use, paving the way to a “green” future for Minnesota, and we think it’s a great idea.

EDITORIAL BOARD VOTE AGREE

DISAGREE

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A prescription for pill-shaming Eve Clarkson Copy Editor Don’t be that parent who doesn’t vaccinate your kid. While debates rage about vaccinations, it’s still the safest course to take. Please quit shaming those who take medication via their doctor for a mental illness. When you do this what you are really doing, whether intentionally or not, is discouraging people from getting help. These actions can range from saying that parents have failed because their child takes ADHD medication, unsolicited mentions of ‘alternative’ methods and telling people with depression to ‘take a walk’ so they don’t have to take antidepressants. Yes, small self care actions help, but they aren’t a cure. The fact of the matter is that it’s usually not that simple,

staff Maya Kupritz Luis Felemovicius Sam Leervig Olivia Cohen Ali Winter David Campbell Sam Buttress Mason Arneson Mia Sparrow Isaac Richert Eve Clarkson

Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Feature Editor Sports Editor Opinion Editor Variety Editor Multimedia Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor

Jeff Kocur Adviser

Staff Reporters Nikki Bank Josh Friedman Julia Fromstein Jake Lehman Lauren Schaffler Nafi Soumare Gianni Tejada Max Lacey

in the same way medication isn’t normally the only type of treatment needed, not to mention the best option for every single individual (but that’s between them and their doctor to decide). If someone has the courage to open up to you about their treatment, understand that it takes bravery in our society due to the stigma. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the stark contrast in how mental health is treated versus physical health. And due to the stigma perpetuated by the very people who make these remarks, there are significant obstacles one must face while seeking treatment. Needless to say, there are countless studies and stories and evidence that supports medication being used to treat a variety of mental illnesses. Medication isn’t always the

Evan Natoli Zoe Roemhildt Aric Anderson Abbie Ansel Amelia Carrizales Sophia DeSanto Jackson Destiche Caleb Hemstad Alexis Horowitz Riley Jouppi

best solution, but, if I haven’t made this clear, that is between a doctor and patient to figure out. However, I feel like the real issue lies in why people are so obsessed in somebody else’s medical decisions. Most of us on this planet are trying, and these comments usually stem from a place of ignorance. Even if prescriptions were as demonic as people make them out to be, these offhand remarks are in no way productive, necessary or accurate. For the record, I understand that this is not the only action needed to be taken. With that being said, though it may seem like a large pill to swallow, stopping this medshaming phenomenon is just one tiny, but crucial palliative in the medicine cabinet to stop the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Sarah Rothman Cole Segal Brooks Shragg Cale Sparrow Lexie Stoesz Etai Wert Cole Anderson Ben Borenstein Ashanti Boyd Paige Bueckers

Marley Comito Bennie Goldfarb Jacob Goodman Joseph Hurth Noah Levitt Mary Murphy Diego Sojos Lindsey Sperling Olivia Trudell Ati Hernke

Editorial Policy The Staff Editorial represents the opinion of the Editorial Board. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the administration, the student body, or the adviser. Viewpoints with a byline represent the view of the writer. The Royal Page operates as an open forum student publication, and student editors make editorial decisions regarding content.

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the royal page

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

Social media is so commonplace, it’s hard to imagine that it isn’t affecting our generation in some way, either for better or for worse.

Sam Buttress Opinion Editor In the recently released iOS 12, Apple introduced the Screen Time feature to their iPhones. This tool allows a user to see just how much time they spend on their phone. For some, including me, the information was sobering. One of the helpful things that Screen Time does is that it sends you a weekly analysis of your phone usage without you even asking for it. What I really want when I’m trying to enjoy the last few precious hours of a Sunday is for my phone to passively aggressively shame me by telling me just how obsessed I am with it. The report I received last Sunday was more unsettling than usual. It said that I had, on average, spent 6 and a half hours on my phone each day in the last week. It certainly didn’t help that statistic that I accidentally left my phone on when I fell asleep one night, but even without outliers it’s a staggeringly high amount of phone usage. Rather than take a note from our government’s playbook and immediately forget this shocking revelation, I chose to change. Also included in the new Screen Time feature is the ability to limit how much time you spend on each app. I turned off all games and social media on my phone, leav-

The Lake Conference. The toughest and most prestigious division in the entire state of Minnesota. Year in and year out, the Lake produces some of the most successful teams in the entire country, let alone the state. In boys hockey for instance, many believe that the Lake is the toughest conference in the entire nation. Just recently, in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, with the eighth pick, the Buffalo Sabres took center Casey Mittelstadt from Eden Prairie High School. Mittelstadt went on to play college hockey instead of the pros and played at the U of M for a year and then made the leap to the pros. This just shows how good this conference is. Recently, the MSHSL made a decision to allow St. Michael-Albertville High School and Buffalo High School to join the Lake Con-

opinion

Nick Kanitz, senior

NET NOVE BER

ing only important utilities that are actual integral parts of my day-to-day. I planned on setting these limitations for myself for the following week and reassessing from there. As well as only using my phone when necessary, I tried to limit all of my screen usage including television and computers.

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Boredom was by far my biggest problem I’m not going to lie: it wasn’t nearly as easy as I thought it would be. Boredom was by far my biggest problem. Whenever I had free time, I had to suppress the urge to pull out my phone and watch a YouTube video or check Twitter. I did get a lot of recreational

reading and writing accomplished, but my attention span has decreased so much that I was itching to bounce around from activity to activity as it is so easy to do on a smartphone. Despite this, I feel like the restrictions I placed on myself were positive. After a couple days without social media, I started to feel more independent and more in touch with the world. Without all the status updates and finsta posts updating me on my friends’ goings on, I had more to talk about with them in person. Overall, I would recommend anyone who is spending hours daily on their phone to at least try easing up for a while. I don’t think social media or technology in moderation is incredibly detrimental, but simply having constant access to entertainment and information can take away from some of the natural splendor of our world.

Riley Jouppi Staff Reporter

My Screen Time report last week said that I used my phone for about five hours a day. Which was an absurd amount of time. My most used apps were entertainment ones like Youtube and Spotify which I used daily and for long periods of time. So when Sam Buttress said he was doing this experience, I decided to join him. Because why not? Not being able to use my phone for a week, shouldn’t be that hard. But boy oh boy, was I wrong. I am just going to say it, I did not like that week very much. Now don’t just conclude that I can’t handle a week without social media or Youtube because that’s not the case. What made this so difficult was the fact I decided to not use Spotify. I decided to up the ante on myself to not use Spotify either, even though I totally could have used it. I thought it was going to be fine but I didn’t realize how much I rely on music to decom-

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ference. I personally believe this a colossal mistake. I’m not doubting the prestige of these high schools, but I am comparing it to the greatness of Minnetonka, Wayzata, Hopkins, Edina and Eden Prairie. STMA can maybe be close to the level of the Lake, but not Buffalo. That’s a joke. Honestly think to yourself, when was the last time Buffalo won their section, let alone state in any sport at all. Why are they joining the best conference in the state? However, none of these points are as important as the biggest reason of them all, the fact that STMA and Buffalo are so far away. I play baseball at HHS and I don’t want to make a 40 minute trip north to play teams that don’t belong in the Lake. STMA’s baseball team is actually pretty good but Buffalo is not good. Not at all. This doesn’t only affect me as a player, but also as a fan. I don’t want to drive a long way up north just to watch HHS

destroy STMA and Buffalo in basketball. I want to go watch us destroy any Lake Conference team that’s in a closer proximity. I will not be entertained when Kerwin Walton of HHS drops 50 on John Smith’s backup of Buffalo because Smith had to skip the game to help tend to the horses and run the farm. What I am trying to say is that Buffalo will be an absolute disgrace when they join the Lake Conference. STMA isn’t awful, but they do not match up to the level of the prominence that the Lake brings its students each and every day. Jake Gardiner, James Laurinaitis, Mittelstadt, Kris Humphries and Nick Leddy are just some of the famous athletes to come from the Lake. Can you name one athlete to come from Buffalo or STMA? I’m not trying to be mean, but normal people wouldn’t just put a college team in the NBA or a minor league baseball team in the show.

press from a day of school. Music is such a core part of who I am and how I deal with my emotions. I was stressed a lot that week since it was tech week for the play, which every theater member knows is the most stressful time of a production. Not having that outlet took a toll on me, emotionally.

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I didn’t realize how much I rely on music to decompress But even if my emotional baggage was a mess, my head was a lot clearer, especially as the week went on. I was able to reawaken my love of reading and do a lot of self care stuff that I wouldn’t have prioritized and done if I was on my phone. But nevertheless, I reached out for my phone countless times and I would have to keep my hand from wanting to grab it. It didn’t help also that I decided to keep my notifications on, just to make it harder.

I swear, every time I heard my phone ding I would immediately grab it and check it. But most of the time it was from Instagram or just my friends texting in our group chat which I didn’t answer since it wasn’t important. Although it was difficult during passing time and lunch watching my friends play on their phones while I wasn’t able to. I felt as if I was Rapunzel stuck in her tower, if the tower represented no phone and the prince was my phone. It’s probably an over exaggeration but you get the point. Phones are such a important part of our culture nowadays, whether we like it or not. So not having a phone for just even a week can have a toll. While it wasn’t the most pleasant experience, it did help me realize how much I am on my phone and how I want to make a change to my habits. I would totally challenge people to do this, but choose a week where you know you probably aren’t going to be under much stress.

Signs your substitute has no idea what they’re doing

They misspell the name of the school They ask you if they can go to the bathroom

You’re trying to study and they’re loudly reacting to sand-cutting videos

7 5

They keep the blinds down and keep peeking out They tell you to play dodgeball – in math class They don’t even know anything about Morpheus, the Dream Lord

It’s clearly just Bullinger with a fake mustache

They keep sharpening the eraser end of a pencil

They use a sharpie on the SmartBoard

They’re wearing a pilot outfit and keep announcing the cruising altitude

STMA, Buffalo, stay with your herd David Campbell Sports Editor

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

sports

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the royal page I feel like this is going to be the best season we’ve had in awhile and I’m excited for it to get going. Ethan Myers, senior

Boys basketball looks to return to state Gianni Tejada Sports Reporter The boys basketball season starts on the first of December and there are some big changes to the squad this year. The Royals regular season last year was nearly perfect, going 25-1 and winning all 25 of their games in a row after a 13 point loss at Cretin-Derham Hall in the season opener. However, the Royals ended last season losing to Wayzata in the section final for the second year in a row. After that heartbreaking season ending loss last year, the Royals look to bounce back and make Hopkins a state tournament staple again. The Royals lost a star shooting guard in Blaise Beauchamp, junior, after he transferred to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada. Along with that, big name seniors graduated last year such as Joe Hedstrom, who now attends the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Anthony Davis, who is playing basketball for Williston State College in North Dakota. There are fewer than ten

Photo By Gianni Tejada

Zeke Nnaji, senior, with his family when he announces his verbal commitment to the Univeristy of Arizona. Nnaji joins an already elite Arizona recruitment class.

players that will be seniors this year. Andy Stafford, Dane Zimmer and Zeke Nnaji are some big contributors to the team. Number 37 ranked Nnaji received offers from several D1 schools. His final five was UCLA, Kansas, Purdue, Arizona and Baylor. Nnaji made his decision on Nov. 23, and has decided

to attend the University of Arizona. Stafford spent his junior year at Minnetonka High School, and will be returning to HHS this year to finish his high school career. “I like being back at Hopkins. Nothing against Minnetonka, but Hopkins feels like home, the people, the staff and especially the basketball pro-

gram,” Stafford said. Stafford is looking forward to his future in basketball and is excited to make himself a better overall player. “I want to improve my IQ and skill throughout the season so I am prepared for the next level in college,” Stafford said. Stafford has committed to Southwest Minnesota State University.

Zimmer has been a great piece to the Royals roster for his time at HHS and looks to set a great example for the young guys on the team. “I want to make sure the young guys fit in with the system and help teach them the ways so they can do the same for the young kids when they’re seniors,” Zimmer said. Zimmer looks to contribute

as much as he can for his squad this year in their attempt to return to the State Tournament. “My personal goal is to make sure our team plays as well as we can and end up having a better year than last year,” Zimmer said. “A team goal would be to figure out how to use all our talent to play as a team and win it all.” Zimmer has decided to continue his basketball career at Minnesota State UniversityMoorhead. Stafford is looking to bring a state championship to Hopkins again. “I want to win state. We have so many threats on both sides, and it will be difficult for teams to match up with us as well. Definitely expecting to bring home another banner to the Hop,” Stafford said. Zimmer has a very similar philosophy. “I want to finish my time at Hopkins by winning a state title,” Zimmer said. The last time Hopkins went to the state title game was also when the won the title, two and half years ago.

Road to Recovery: the mental and physical sides of rehab Continued from pg. 1 Abbie Ansel, senior, used her ACL tear as a motivator. Ansel proved to herself that anything was possible. “After recovering from my second ACL tear, I proved to myself that I could do anything I set my mind to,” Ansel said. Ansel has had an injuryprone high school sports career as she broke her foot, tore her ACL twice, tore her meniscus multiple times and suffered a concussion. It became harder for Ansel to motivate herself as she spent most of her soccer seasons on the sideline.

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After recovering from my ACL tear, I proved that I could do anything I set my mind to Abbie Ansel, senior

The Boston Globe states that females are between two and six times more likely to tear their ACL than males while playing the same sport. “It became super hard because I had all this energy and I had nothing to spend it on,” Ansel said. “I went from being such an active person to someone that was not really able to do anything athletic for a long time.”

Ansel’s second ACL tear was a gruesome one. On top of the ACL, she destroyed each meniscus and broke her leg in the process. Over the years, parents have become more and more nervous about their children playing sports. This comes with good reason as high school athletes make up over two million injuries every year. According to Scott Wester-

mann, athletic trainer, the injury that requires the most physically demanding rehabilitation is an ACL tear due to the fact that it takes so long to regain strength on the injured leg. Westermann went on to compare how athletes at different levels take care of their bodies. “High school athletes don’t do what they need to do, college athletes are little bit better, and the pros really take care of their bodies, its their life,” Westermann said. “They eat and drink what they need to to be healthy.” When asked about the kind

of injuries he works on, Westermann claimed that he handles the more minor injuries and deals with rehab more than prevention. Though Westermann handles prevention less, it is still a very important part in playing a sport. An athlete’s best way to prevent an injury is by conditioning, staying in shape and just generally taking care of themselves. Since student athletes tend not to take care of themselves as much as they should, the possibility of a critical injury is much higher. Due to advances in the

medical field, severe injuries in high school sports are not always career-ending. The doctors that analyzed Fogel’s ACL tear told him that he may never play basketball competitively again. With hard work and dedication, Fogel was able to expedite the recovery process. “The doctors said I had no chance to be on a basketball court competitively again, but as time went on, my doctors told me to dive into it and give it my all,” Fogel said. “Eventually, I shaved months off my recovery and I plan to come back for my last high school basketball season.”

IN BRIEF Girls swim shows off

Dance ready to go

Football improves

Wrestling looks to win

The Loonies are back

Volleyball wraps up

The Hopkins Royals girls swim and dive team had a very successful section final outing and placed second out of eighth behind Wayzata. Apart from placing second, the Royals will have six representatives on the University of Minnesota campus at the state tournament.

As the dance team’s winter season is approaching, the girls are working extremely hard in practice to get ready for their first show Saturday, Nov. 17, at Lindbergh Center. Some people don’t understand how hard the dance team works everyday in practice, six days a week.

This past month, the Hopkins Royals football team finished their season with a record of four wins and five losses. The Royals dropped their final game to the eventual state champions Lakeville North Panthers. The Royals went 4-5 a year after going 1-8. The underclassmen will look to lead next year.

The wrestling team this year is looking to continue the success that they created last year. With stars such as RJ Chakolis, sophomore, and Demetrius Patton, junior, the Royals are prepared to take on any challenges that face them. Both will be looking to return to the state tournament.

The basketball season is coming up and with the basketball season comes the famous group, known as the Lindbergh Loonies. The Lindbergh Loonies are really excited for the upcoming basketball seasons. They are led by seniors Luis Felemovicius and Mario Hadley.

The volleyball season came to its end on Oct. 30 during their sections semi-finals game against Armstrong High School, ending with a record of 14-16. The team showed major improvements down the stretch of the season, which included beating two seeded BSM.

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the royal page

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

We have great players and very high potential to go far this year.

sports

Dane Zimmer, senior

Boys, girls hockey check for success Gabriel Herman Sports Reporter As the pavilion prepares for a grand re-opening, the Hopkins Royals boys and girls varsity hockey teams are preparing for the 2018-19 season. They seek similar goals and a common goal is improvement. The girls season is underway already with a big 6-3 win at St. Louis Park’s outdoor rink against Orono. The boys team looks to improve immensely this year and believes this is 100 percent obtainable. “I am excited because every senior is ready to go off this year, and we are gonna have the best season that we have had in years,” said Ethan Myers, senior. Senior leadership from the girls and boys teams are going to have a great impact on this season, and the years to come.

“It feels different to be a leader as a senior, and know that I have a lot more control over how the season goes, but at the same time it is exciting,” Myers said. Last season was a rough patch for both teams with the boys team going 0-4 in the Lake Conference, and 6-19 overall. Whereas the girls team went 1-7 in the Lake Conference, and 12-13 overall. As the girls team is combined with St. Louis Park High School’s team, the captains this year consist of Mary O’Neil, senior, and Mary Gleason, SLP senior. The captains of the boys team are Sam Haberman, senior, and Henry Sweeney, senior. Being a captain of any team in general is a big honor, and an extra workload for one. Living in the state of hockey, being a captain of your hockey team is one of the biggest roles to have

in Minnesota high school athletics. “Building and maintaining team chemistry is very important and as a captain I have to make sure we are going in the right direction on and off the ice,” Haberman said. O’Neil agrees. “I think my role has definitely changed this year as a captain and being one of just a few returning players it is up to me to help the younger players transition smoothly into high school hockey and feel included on the team,” O’Neil said. O’Neil and Haberman also shared with the Royal Page on how the game plan looks compared to past years with first year head coaches, Ryan St. Martin (girls) and David Bakken (boys).