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Thursday, May 3, 2012 Volume 30 Issue 8

inside the RP

Stopping the racial divide (P. 8) - C-Spread Security changes at front door (P. 3) - News Our growing over-sensitivity (P. 4) - Opinion Assassins back at HHS (P. 7) - Variety Seniors finishing with 4.0s (P. 11) - Feature Club sports making an impact (P. 13) - Sports

Photo by Ursula Arhart

Nathan Levin, sophomore, jams to an original song at The Den. Levin is the lead guitarist in Denim Matriarch who has performed at both events so far at The Den.

Rockin’ out in The Den Katie Cera Variety Editor

A new sound system, coat of paint, and decorative lights transformed a building’s basement located on the frontage road of Highway 7 in St. Louis Park.

This space, now known as The Den, is being used as a music venue. The building is owned by Knollwood Christian Church located across the street. The church has been using this space as their teen center, but it is only used twice a week even though it was used as a music venue in the 1990s.

On Wednesdays there is a youth group that meets in the space, and on Thursdays it is used by a group for troubled teens called Tree House. “It is a really cool space so it is a shame it was only being used twice a week,” said Jon Lindquist, sophomore.

Lindquist, whose father Brian Lindquist is the senior pastor at Knollwood Christian Church, and friends redecorated the space after talking with Knollwood’s youth minister, Tim Thorman.

“The management is really relaxed,” said Max Ostenso, junior, who helped start The Den with Lindquist.

The Den has three different areas: one with the stage, another

with an arcade area and basketball hoop, and lastly a seating area.

The large space has been beneficial to The Den. “There is a lot of room to hang around,” Lindquist said. “You don’t have to be constantly blasted with music... Parents like how they can chill on couches away from the kids.”

Even though the space is owned by a church, it doesn’t impact The Den. “If you go there it is not really churchy it is more about music,” Ostenso said. “You know that it isn’t really about church.”

The Den held their first event on Feb. 17. It consisted of performances by three HHS student bands: Denim Matriarch, Germany, Germany and Filthy Flamingos. “It has a really good vibe since it was created by a group of people who wanted that space,” said Maddy Fox, junior. Fox sang with Germany, Germany at the Feb. 17 event and helped paint The Den. The Den’s second big event was Earth Jam on April 20. Earth Jam was put on by HHS’ Earth Club and was held at The Depot last year. “It is refreshing to have somewhere new to go,” Fox said.

“The Depot is somewhere I have been going since eighth grade.”

“We had a lot of comments saying that the sound we had - THE DEN continued on page 6

Photos by Ursula Arhart

Top: The lineup for the Feb. 17 event is posted on a board behind the stage.

Middle: Cayle Wendorf, senior, plays the drums for Germany, Germany at the Feb. 17 event.

Bottom: “No. 76” is painted behind the stage, representing The Den’s address at 7600 Highway 7.

2 news

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RP Thursday, May 3, 2012

Mr. Bell conducts a sophomore band class during third block. They were preparing for their final band concert that occurred on April 26.

Photo by Joe Greene

HHS finds benefits in music education

By Joe Greene Staff Reporter

As music education at HHS continues to grow, both in what is offered and in the number of students who participate, recent studies show that there are broader benefits to studying music than learning music theory, composition, and performance.

Researchers have endeavored to find a connection between music education and success in other academic areas.

Conclusions find that studying music can have a positive impact on a student’s academic success.

“The research has shown that, on average, students in music programs have higher english and math scores than students who do not participate in music,” said Mr. William Bell, HHS Director of Bands. “Additionally, students in school music programs score higher on standardized tests and have significantly higher graduation rates.”

“I believe strongly that the research speaks for itself.

I am amazed on a daily basis that more schools do not require instrumental music at an early age as a way of engaging all parts of the brain,” said Mr. Mark Czech, Music Technology and guitar teacher.

“There’s no question in my mind that a required instrumental music curriculum K-12 would lead to higher scores on MCAs, ACTs, SATs, and AP tests,” Czech said.

According to the College Board, students that took

the SAT with coursework or experience in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test, and 43 points higher on the math portion than those students with no coursework or experiences in the arts.

Students with coursework in music appreciation scored 62 points higher on the verbal portion and 41 points higher on the math portion.

A 2005 Stanford University study found a positive connection between musical training and how the brain processes language. These findings could help students with difficulties processing what they hear, as well as those students with dyslexia and other reading problems improve their reading ability.

According to Michael DeBakey of Baylor College of Music, “Studying music encourages self-discipline and diligence, traits that carry over into intellectual pursuits and that lead to effective study and work habits.”

Mr. Andrew Bast, orchestra director, is careful to point out, “I think it’s dangerous to assume the study of one subject area has a direct connection to another.

I’d never say that if you study music, you would automatically be better at say, calculus.”

However, Bast did feel that a break in the day with music could provide “a different way of thinking” and this could help students succeed in academic classes.

Many music students agree. “Band class helps me

focus more. It helps me concentrate in my other classes,” said Meg Jenny, sophomore.

“A break from rigorous work helps me think better,” said Alex Tuthill Prius, sophomore and orchestra student.

“Band teaches you patience and the ability to analyze,” said Sam Ruff, sophomore.

“This helps with other classes.”

“Music requires students to think critically about how to interpret and communicate what they see in front of them through their instruments,” said Mr. Kyle Miller, Associate Director of Bands.

“These skills translate well to

core classes where students are asked to interpret what they see, read or experience,” Miller said.

Choir instructor, Mr. Timothy Berry not only sees choir as a way to teach composition, reading, and mathematical analysis but also a way to teach crucial skills such as teamwork and discipline.

“Everyone in choir is responsible for adding to our success. Teamwork is essential to being successful, and most students stay. They learn the asset of seeing something all the way through,” Berry said.

Bell believes that working together toward a common goal

and interacting on a daily basis with other band students has a positive effect on students.

According to Bell, the single most important thing a student gains from being in band is “learning that what they do really matters and impacts others – either for good or bad.”

“It only takes one student playing a wrong note to negatively impact the quality of the entire ensemble, and one student behaving badly to create a negative perception of the entire group,” Bell said.

Whether music education accelerates achievement in other subject areas, the music

staff sees the study of music as a valuable lifetime experience.

“Music provides experiences beyond what a regular classroom can offer,” Czech said. “I believe that Hopkins offers one of the most comprehensive programs in the state.”

“I would like our students to leave our program with an appreciation for music that continues throughout their lives,” Miller said.

“There is one thing of which I am sure: the study of music makes you a better musician,” Bast said. “This is worthwhile all on it’s own.”

Mr. Berry instructs his third block Women’s Chorus class. They are preparing for their upcomiong concert on Tuesday, May 29.

Photo by Joe Greene

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news 3

Thursday, May 3, 2012

District enhances front door security Upon entering the HHS building, students are now required to present their school I.D. during school hours. “The new security system is to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” said Ms. Anne Campbell, assistant principal.

Top: Students line up in a single file line awaiting their I.D. check.

Visitors to the building use their drivers licenses in order to have a identification sticker printed.

Bottom left: This is the controller that Ms. Maureen Stevens uses for the electronic locks. There is one that controls each door.

Bottom right: Stevens attended Winona State University. She was transferred to HHS at the beginning of the school year from Eisenhower. Her other responsibilities include creating the announcements for the video monitors.

Photo by Mike Newcomer

Photo by Mike Newcomer

Photo by Mike Newcomer

Photo by Mike Newcomer

Hopeful seniors find college path through AVID encouragement Taylor Lee Staff Reporter Each year, around 15,000 total students attend Normandale Community College.

However, without AVID, Paige Beals, senior, would not be one of those students.

AVID, stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. It is available across the country, and its primary goal is to prepare students for a four year degree.

At Hopkins, AVID is offered to seventh and eighth graders, depending on which junior high, all the way to senior year. Typically, students who join AVID have decent grades, but struggle with organization

skills and college preparation.

“AVID really helped me take the steps to apply to college and direct me in which way I wanted to go. That’s something I don’t think I would have been able to do on my own,” Beals said.

Beals plans to go to Normandale for general credits and then would like to attend St. Kate’s, in hopes of becoming an American Sign Language interpreter.

“I think Normandale liked that I have taken AVID, it shows that I am prepared,” Beals said. Beals is the first member of her family to go to college, and she isn’t the only one in that position.

“No one in my family has

stuck with college,” said Amanda Young, senior, “I plan on being the first one to actually finish.”

Young plans to attend the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) next year as a pre-vet major.

“Without AVID, I wouldn’t have had as big of a drive to go to college, I might have taken a year off or gone to community college, but I wouldn’t have had the motivation [to go to college],” Young said.

Alec Cash, senior, will also be attending UMC next year.

He plans to study software engineering. “AVID walked me through the application process.

Without it there is no way I

would have applied,” Cash said.

This was Cash’s first year in AVID, yet it was still beneficial. “Last year I took Honors Chemistry and AP World, my GPA really fell after junior year.

AVID helped me with my organization skills and put me back on track,” Cash said. “I would probably still be at the job I have now, making pizzas for a living [without AVID].”

One thing that AVID does is encourage students to take AP classes.

“I took AP World last year and AP Environmental Science this year,” Young said.

“I never planned on taking those kinds of classes, but my [AVID] teachers really encour-

aged me to do so,” Cash said.

“It’s frustrating at times because I wanted to take easier classes or take a senior release, but my teachers wouldn’t let me do that. I am thankful for it, though, they gave me a lot of motivation when it comes to school work,” Young said.

Teachers try to help students remain motivated all year.

“I joined the AVID team because I felt it was a good way for me to impact how students perform in other classes and not just my own,” said Mr. Matthew Kappel, Science, “[AVID] gets students to challenge themselves in ways they wouldn’t have in the past.”

60.3 percent of the class

of 2012 has applied to college, whereas 100 percent of AVID seniors have applied to college.

“The knowledge is what AVID provides,” said Ms. Shannon Bailey, AVID coordinator, “At no point during public school should a decision be made that a student can’t apply to college.”

“I think it is the best for them to have plans for college.

It opens doors for them instead of closing them,” Kappel said.

“I’m nervous for college because I won’t have binder checks or anyone to push me, but I hope when I stop working or stop taking good notes, I’ll remember that I need to do those things in order to be successful,” Young said.

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RPThursday, May 3, 2012

Our over-sensitivity has gone too far I love Ozzie Guillen.

For those who don’t know, Guillen was the manager of the Chicago White Sox baseball team and is in his first season as Ryan the Miami Marlins’ manager.

Levi The great thing about Ozzie is that he says crazy stuff that is almost always entertaining to listen to. Almost always.

Earlier this month, Guillen said, “I love Fidel Castro…I respect Fidel Castro. You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that (expletive) is still here.”

This statement earned Guillen a five-game suspension from the team and a lot of ill will from the Cuban-American community that makes up a fair portion of the Marlins fan base. Some fans even called for Guillen to be fired.

Now, obviously it was stupid for Guillen to say what he said and even more stupid to say it in Miami. But even so, did it warrant punishment from his employer? Do Guillen’s views on Castro have any impact on his skills as a baseball manager?

I know that for many Cuban-Americans, the topic of Castro cuts deep and rightfully so. The only comparison I could draw would be to think of how I would feel if Twins manager Ron Gardenhire made similar comments about admiring Adolf Hitler.

Would I be offended? Of course. But I would hope that I would be able to see that his comments, no matter how offensive, would have no impact on his ability to manage a baseball game.

Now, I can’t say for certain that I wouldn’t be calling for Gardy to be put out of a job, but I believe that it’s a slippery slope when you begin punishing people for what they say.

But, what’s the big deal? A millionaire manager said something stupid and got suspended.

Who cares?

Guillen being suspended isn’t a big deal. But his suspension is a symptom of a much larger problem that threatens to truly harm us.

Somewhere along the line, many Americans have come to believe that they have the right to not hear, read, or see anything with which they

don’t agree.

And that’s dangerous.

Because if we believe we shouldn’t have to see or hear anything we don’t like, we will naturally seek to cut ourselves off from any opposing viewpoints, something that has become incredibly easy.

Even news, a supposedly bias-free statement of current events, can now be seen through the filters we want to place over it thanks to blogs and cable news.

And that’s dangerous.

Because the more we choose to wrap ourselves in cocoons of affirmation of our own beliefs and nothing else, the more divided we become and the more difficult it becomes to even engage in discussions with people who don’t share our views.

And that’s the most dangerous thing of all.

Because only discussion can lead to compromise and only compromise can lead to progress. A society that refuses to talk about important issues and reach compromises is doomed to remain stagnant, at best, and perhaps go backwards.

We need look no further than Congress to see

this in action. Our political parties have become so diametrically opposed that they refuse to talk with each other about the many pressing issues that our country faces. And without discussion, there are no compromises and nothing gets done.

Ray Bradbury knew about the dangers that over-sensitivity present to a society. His 1953 book, “Fahrenheit 451,” depicts a dystopia devoid of books and dissenting ideas born not out of government-sponsored censorship but because everyday citizens refuse to offend anyone or risk being offended themselves.

This is the path we are on if we don’t get over our phobia of discussion.

It is up to us to rid ourselves of this insane notion that we don’t need to see or hear anything we don’t like, and that, in fact, it is imperative that we do. Because it is only through discussion and compromise that we can hope to find solutions for the problems we face.

Ryan Benjamin Levi is the Editor-in-Chief for the Royal Page

Letter to the Editor Unpredictable, appreciated Minnesota weather loved The recent article about the 2 students beginning their family as teenagers compels us to respond. While we commend these two students and their families for the goals they have set, the direction they are taking and the support they are getting from their friends and families, this is not the reality for most students who become pregnant as teenagers.

The writer of the article pointed out some statistics about teen mothers.

75% of all unmarried teen mothers go on welfare within 5 years of the birth of their first child, fewer than 2% of all women who have a baby before the age of 18 will graduate from college before the age of 30.

From TEENWISE MINNESOTA we can add; less than half of teens who give birth before the age of 17 ever graduate from high school, teenage mothers, age 19 and younger are more likely to be single parents than women who delay childbearing until the age of 20 or 21, the children of teenage mothers are more likely to have lower cognitive attainment, exhibit behavior problems, have chronic medical conditions, rely on publicly provided health care, be incarcerated later in life, drop out of high school, give birth as a teenager and be unemployed as a young adult.

Of note in these statistics is that they are all about teen moms, the parent who ultimately bears the greatest responsibility when a teenager has a child.

In addition, our personal experience has shown us that being a good parent

is not an easy thing. And being a good single parent is even harder. Babies are cute, cuddly and beautiful. They also cry, get sick, keep you awake at night, can not stay by themselves, require you to meet every single one of their needs and could care less about your needs.

Teenagers are also cute and adorable (we would not work with them every day if we didn’t believe this!), but they cry, get sick, keep you awake at night, are demanding and are not often in tune with the needs of those around them.

All this is quite normal because that’s how a teenager’s brain works. So putting that brain in charge of raising a child has proven not to be very effective!

We know that the reasons teenagers get pregnant are varied, complicated, and not always the choice they would make for their lives. When it happens to someone at Hopkins High School our goal is always to support both parents in whatever ways we can in order for them to finish high school with diploma in hand.

We hope that teenagers will be thoughtful about making a decision to be sexually active knowing that it is a decision that can result in creating a life and changing lives forever.

Bobbi Pointer, RN, Licensed School Nurse Jane Kleinman, Health Teacher Marit Lee-Dohse, Health Teacher Kirsten Slinde, Health Teacher

Unpredictability is something that I find very refreshing, so I leave it to Minnesota weather to fulfill that for me.

Nothing is more unpredictable than Madeline Minnesota weather, and that is one of Rauma the many great things about the land of Paul Bunyan, Prince, and two stints of Randy Moss’ athleticism.

In Minnesota, we let sports teams, like the Vikings, perform the streaks of predictability for us: losing.

With unpredictability, though, comes surprise.

Sometimes when you head outside, expecting sun, but you see frost on your car, it is a downer. Or when you wake up early to shovel, but you only see puddles forming and lakes melting, a sense of relief is felt.

I feel more strongly, however, that the same weather everyday would be worse.

Too much of the same thing or a good thing, for that matter, can be taken for granted. Plus, the monotony of it can get pretty boring.

Take, for example, a snowfall in Los Angeles or Tampa where the weather is ultimately identical each day.

Aside from the snow-lined Hollywood sign and frozen palm trees, there would be a lot of chaotic, tanned people running amuck.

Warm weather during the summer is nice, don’t get me wrong, but it is fun to shake it up three other times per year.

The difference between each of our four seasons is very drastic. More so than any other state I’ve heard of or been to.

Where else can you find the same temperate forest canopy containing red, orange, and yellow leaves during autumn maintain a shimmery, white cover during winter?

Wisconsin is pretty close in running, but then again, Wisconsinites live there, and immediately, all positivity is lost.

However, eating Wisconsin-made cheese while sitting in the wonderful Minnesota weather is quite alright.

Here, though, we’ve got all the weapons ready to fight the weather stowed right in our garages.

Whether it’s an umbrella, snow boots, a snowblower and shovel, or a garden hose, we are prepared.

We have had winters where we’ve swapped the snow blowers and hats for the lawn mower and sunglasses, like this year, for instance.

Or we’ve experienced summers where we trade our flippy-floppies for rain galoshes.

Speaking of water, take all the dihydrogen oxide Minnesota has laying around.

More than 10,000 holes full of it.

It can be skated on, swam through, and even fished in to grill up a nice, big bass.

The warm Minnesota summers give these lakes a new meaning and purpose: relief from the humidity we all know very well.

With all those lakes, Minnesota has more shoreline than California.

Who wouldn’t like that?

If we’re not snowmobiling, we’re jet-skiing, and if we’re not doing those things, we are cross-country skiing or swimming in the lake.

Needless to say, possibilities in Minnesota weather are endless.

Give the weather a break, no matter how frustrating those possibilities can be.

Just like our infamous mosquitoes on a hot day at the lake, Mother Nature can get a little crazy, too.

Madeline Jane Rauma is the News Editor for the Royal page

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RP Thursday, May 3, 2012

Offering cultural breadth courses improves racial gap For as long as I could remember I noticed that most of my classmates, in fact, most people I Mona ever came across avoided race Omar conversations. We often forgot that just because an issue isn’t discussed doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s solved.

Like most of my peers, the first day of high school was a very nerve racking day; and like all my peers, it didn’t take much to notice the bold racial divisions.

Immediately, the first ethnic group I noticed was positioned at the center of the mall, a pool of Caucasian students with an exception of a handful of students from other ethnic groups. As my eyes continued to roam, I spotted majority of the African-American students to my left and finally, as I made my way up there resided a great number of Hispanics and Somalis by the upstairs railing.

That’s what I noticed my first day as a sophomore, and as a senior, the belief that we can only converse by race hasn’t changed. And every lunch period and passing time I walk by the only thing that I notice is a divided social structure that

doesn’t correlate with any science, reason or logic.

It’s very easy to avoid discussing the racial divisions taking place at our school, but it’s even more foolish when we are deliberately participating in a social structure that was designed to not make sense.

Before continuing, I want you all to accept and acknowledge that our school is racially divided.

It’s evident in all parts of the school-the mall, lunchroom, gym, and even classrooms.

We’ve all walked through the halls of HHS, and we’ve all noticed the lack of racial integration; so my question is, why do we ignore it? Not only ignored by students, but by our faculty members as well.

It would make our conversations with each other a lot smoother, and it would make us better at being integrated if we could recognize that we have all walks of life attending HHS; and instead of finding similarities through only race, we should also embrace our demographic diversity.

Plus, as a senior, I would be disappointed to visit HHS in 20 years and see the same racial divisions from 2012.

Minnesota Nice? Yeah right There goes another passive aggressive, hipster riding his bike around Uptown, wearing one of those trendy Minnesota Nice tshirts.

Elijah What the heck does MinFhima nesota nice even mean?

I was born in Minnesota, raised in Minnesota, and will most likely die in Minnesota, and I’m the farthest thing away from being “nice”.

Being kind, amiable, or “nice” definitely has its cons. For over half my life I was that kid who was “too nice”.

I would always let people borrow my things, I’d lend money to my siblings, I would agree with people just to make sure there were no arguments.

I was the nice guy, and I always finished last.

Finishing last ain’t all that bad though. You cross the finish line while the sun is setting. Plus, you feel good about yourself because you went at your own pace and in your own lane.

However, I would rather be rewarded and step on a few toes, than do right to feel good about myself internally.

A friend of mine moved to Minnesota from Australia recently. She had such a hard time fitting in with Minnesotans that she decided to move back to Australia.

She compared Minnesota to high school; cliquey and fake.

Outsiders call Minnesota “cliquey and fake” and Minnesotans call themselves “nice”? Something is not kosher here.

The term “Minnesota Nice” is referring to people who will stab you in the back, or avert confrontation.

So basically we take pride in being phony? To me it sounds like a term that should be acquainted with Los Angeles, not Minnesnowta.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that Minnesota is more “real” than L.A. By “real” I mean Minnesota is saturated with more down to earth people, making an honest living. Although, we still have places like “Murderapolis.”

Minneapolis has its fair share of violent crime and has gone through some rough periods in the last decade. How degrading is that to our already tainted reputation?

You go from hipsters reading The Onion and drinking tea, to thugs gangbanging, in a matter of a few miles.

I don’t mind that at all, it gives my state a little more “street cred.” In fact, I love Minnesota in every aspect, from the hipsters to the gang bangers.

It’s all gravy to me.

Flaunting the phrase “Minnesota nice” doesn’t show people that you are “nice”. It actually comes off as arrogant.

It shows how oblivious Minnesotans are of their own reputation.

But I enjoy making fun of myself, so I will continue to wear my “Minnesota Nice” t-shirt, and remind foreigners of just how “nice” I am.

Matter of fact, I am going to wear my Minnesota Nice t-shirt today, just to make my fellow phony Minnesotans aroused by my state pride.

I will spend the rest of my days living in Minnesota; avoiding all confrontation, back stabbing my friends, and attempting to swim in all 10,000 lakes.

Whatever I got to do to fit in with those pseudo Minnesotans.

Elijah Moses Fhima is a Staff Reporter for the Royal page

Therefore, I want to offer a suggestion to any faculty and board members who happen to come across this article.

The first thing that makes it difficult to be racially unified is simple: we don’t know enough about race. Yes, we have classes such as Social Studies and English that discuss race, but the reality is that it takes more than a brief racial discussion to fix our problem. There is only one class offered, Diversity Seminar, that primarily discusses race so I would encourage to develop cultural breadth courses as graduation requirements in order to create a well unified and integrated school.

The importance of these culture breadth courses is that it teaches students that many races and cultures have contributed significantly to the building and growth of the United States.

Implementing cultural breadth courses teach students that America is a melting pot of people from different ethnic backgrounds, and if we learn and feel comfortable discussing race then it could have the potential to close the gap of racial division that’s evident in our school.

The District has recently implemented a fi-

T

nancial literacy course into graduation requirements for upcoming freshmen, but I could argue that being culturally aware is as important if not more.

Every week I hear about a racial controversy from another student, and I can’t help but wonder how many could be avoided with a little education.

Requiring students to take cultural courses will not only be beneficial to the school by minimizing racial conflicts, but it will also benefit students by creating a well unified school body.

I know its not an easy task to racially unify our school, but I do know that we are taking the right steps to make that happen if we took the problem seriously.

If we could shift a little bit closer toward viewing race conversations the same way we view a conversation about our weekend highlights, it would go a long way towards unifying our school.

Mona Abdulle Omar is the Opinion Editor of the Royal Page

:

op Signs of Senioritis 10

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Acute Loss of Hygiene Development of illiteracy ....

(Sorry I was napping) A dark splotchy rash on the lower back When everything you’re going to need for the day fits in your pocket My grades When you’re at Perkins more than math class Assassins > Homework

Do you really expect me to finish this list?

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New habitat for the HHS music scene THE DEN continued from page 1

Photos by Ursula Arhart

Top: Denim Matriarch performs with relaxed vibes for their audience. Bottom left: Nick Kolasa-Lenarz, sophomore, plays keyboard for Denim Matriarch. Bottom right: Max Ostenso, junior, performs with Filthy Flamingos.

at The Den was one of our best we had.

I attribute that to the acoustics of The Den. [It] has soft surfaces so it doesn’t echo as much,” said Billy Lewis, junior.

Lewis plays the bass in Clear Recognition who were one of the five bands that played at Earth Jam. Acoustics, price, and management are major things that differentiates The Den from The Depot along with their locations and differences in space.

“With The Depot you have to pay all this money to go there,” Ostenso said. Lindquist and Ostenso work with Thorman to reserve the space, and the church is currently letting them use it without charge for their events.

“I like that it is run by high school students. They know how to deal with other high school musicians,” Lewis said.

“It is not that The Depot is bad,” Lindquist said. “We wanted to have another venue for kids to go, especially under 18. The Den is a lot more open and there is a lot more space for people.”

Even though there have been two major events at The Den so far, only HHS student bands have performed there.

“We are trying to get bands from other schools. It just hasn’t worked out yet,” Ostenso said. “We want a place people can go and chill there and listen to music.”

“It is going to now turn into more of a serious place to play,” Lindquist said.

A closer look at quick, cheap food options for teens’ appetites Best value: The Crunchbox The Crunch box is a $5 meal deal consisting of 3 chicken strips, potato wedges, a biscut and a medium drink.

$5

Best value: Cheesy Double Beef Burrito This is an 8 oz burrito with 2.5 oz of ground beef, cheese sauce, seasoned rice, and red sauce.

89¢

Best value: 14 in Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza There is no limit on the amount of $5 fourteen inch pizzas you order and Little Caesar’s claims to have no wait.

Best value: Sweet Deals Menu The customer picks from a value menu of regular sized entrés: 3 things for $4, 4 for $5, or 5 for $6 (each item $.66, $.75, and $.85 respectively.)

Best value: The Five Dollar Footlong $5 footlongs include Black Forrest Ham, BLT, Cold Cut Combo, Meatball Marinara, Spicy Itallian and Veggie Delite.

$5 66¢

$5

Sonja Muus Web Czar

With many financial pressures high school students must face, spending a lot of money eating out is not top priority. The Royal Page investigated the cheapest deals on food in the HHS area and compiled the results.

In a poll of 100 people on April 26, 2012, The Royal Page asked students about their prefrences between the three $5 deals: KFC’s Crunchbox, Little Caesar’s Pizza, and Subway’s Footlong. 21 percent said they would prefer the Crunchbox, 54 percent prefer the footlong, and 25 percent prefer the pizza from Little Caesar’s.

Best value:Wings and Steak Dinner On Tuesdays Mainstreet offers 40 cent wings and on Fridays they serve $8 steak dinners.

Best value: Burgers and Fries Burgers at Tony’s Diner start at $1.65 and their fries start at $1.25 Best value: Spagetti and Tater Tot Hotdish On Wednesdays, Big 10 has all you can eat spaghetti for $6.99 and on Thursday they serve tater tots hot dish for $5.99

40¢ $1.25

$6

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Students aiming to outsmart assassins Lauren Reuteler Staff Reporter Up early for school on a rainy morning, Shelbie Generous, senior, thinking her killer wouldn’t have the effort to be out so early, decided to walk to her bus stop. It wasn’t until she noticed her killer drive up behind her that she needed to surrender.

“I wasn’t going to run, he was in his truck and I was on my feet. Instead, I gave him my spoon and let him kill me,” Generous said.

However, the game isn’t over for Generous; she is now a cop. As a cop, she can kill any player who has been put on the wanted list due to lack of kills. Cops can’t be killed but, she can be tagged by an assassin on the wanted list, meaning she can no longer kill that player.

“You have to be a good creep, know everything about your person. Like, where they live, where they work, what time they come home. Pretty much their entire life,” said Corbin Gyswyt, senior, and second year player.

Assassins is a game where players receive a target, and they must “assassinate” their target before their as-

sassin gets them. Players are allowed to “tag” only the target they are after, and whoever is after them with an approved weapon. Nerf guns, water guns, marshmallow guns, water balloons, and spoons are all approved weapons.

However, rubberbands, BB guns, airsoft guns and paintball guns are disallowed within the game.

If players tag their target, they are then assigned to whoever their target was previously assigned to. Although, if they tag whoever is after them, in a defensive kill, whoever had their killer is now assigned to tag them. There is a continued list of rules, boundaries and standings that can be found at www. hopkinsassassins2012.blogspot.com.

Dedicated players always keep weapons on themselves in the case of a surprise attack. “I’m always carrying a spoon and a mini-water gun in my purse,” said Quinn Anderson, senior, and second year player.

The objective of the game is to eliminate all other assassins and to be the last one standing. Over 150 students at HHS play assassins, and the last to kill wins $500.

Behind the scenes, Sid Gopinath, junior, who came in second place last

year, is the man in charge. As the organizer, Gopinath’s job is to assign targets, create ID cards that show each assassins target with a name and a picture, and manage disputes.

“I set every player into a huge Excel table and organize it that way,” Gopinath said.

Usually the winner of the previous year is in charge of the next year’s game.

However, this year was different.

“I knew Sid wanted to run it since he had already offered to help me, so I decided to let him take complete charge and play instead,” said Ryan Hazuka, senior and winner of last year’s game.

“You have to just go for it and don’t be scared to play, because otherwise it won’t be fun,” said Natasha Ackerman, senior, and second year player.

The game can be very nerve wracking and keeps students on their toes.

“I’m always watching my back thinking someone is gonna pop up and kill me,” Gyswyt said.

Other students love the thrill of the game. “I like knowing that someone is always following me,” Anderson said.

Many students form alliances and create decoys. “Decoys work well, you just can’t tell people where you are, like

Photo by Lauren Reuteler

Danielle Burton, senior, and Simon Zucker, junior, duel it out for practice.

making sure your locater on Twitter and Facebook is turned off,” Gyswyt said.

While some players dedicate their entire last term of school to the game, others just play the game when they need too.

“Last year I laid low, flew under the radar and let the people come to me. I

don’t think I made one offensive kill,” said Simon Zucker, junior. Zucker got fifth place last year and won $25.

With someone always watching, players have to be sure to keep their eyes open and make smart decisions.

“Have a gun on you at all times, don’t trust anyone and don’t be stupid,” Gopinath said.

Fighting bullying on the big screen Ursula Arhart Back Page Editor Over 13 million kids will be bullied in America this year according to the Bully Project, a mission created and produced by the filmmakers of “Bully.”

The Bully Project was created in order to advocate against bullying, advocate for standing up to bullying and bring light to the danger that goes on in schools across the nation. The film “Bully” follows the stories of young children and teenagers that have faced bullying or parents’ stories that have lost a child who committed suicide due to bullying.

The main writer and director of this film, Lee Hirsch, did not take the topic lightly. Filming real footage of the bullying that happened to the movie’s characters, the documentary is heavy and personal. “Bully is a deeply personal film for me: I was bullied throughout middle school and much of my childhood,” Hirsch said on The Bully Project website.

“I feel like intense bullying doesn’t happen here [at HHS],” said Simon Zucker, junior.

“I’ve never seen someone shoved into a locker or anything,” said Abbey Derechin, sophomore.

The film stresses the fact that bullying often goes unnoticed or unreported, leaving the victims helpless. According to the Bully Project website, about two million American students will be absent this year because they feel unsafe at school.

The reality of the subject shines clear in Hirsch’s footage of children being bullied on the

bus, at recess, in gym and in the school hallway.

According to the film, one of the biggest issues is the adult attitude of “kids will be kids,” and this problem comes up numerously in the different stories.

One of the main stories in the documentary focuses on a child named Alex, a middle-school student who gets bullied nearly everyday on the bus and throughout school. “I didn’t connect [to Alex] because I’ve never ridden the bus,” Zucker said.

Children get teased and beaten on the bus, but the driver fails to cease the fighting. Alex’s assistant principal talks to students who are bullied regularly, but she doesn’t take action against the bullying. Even other children sit idly by as they witness fellow classmates being bullied to no end.

The film references how bullying is a huge issue in schools, but the progress shown is disappointing to parents. Alex’s parents and others have meetings and phone calls with authority and the public, but only other parents and children are acting out.

Several Jewish youth programs, including BBYO and NCSY, scheduled times to view the film and lead in discussion. “I just wanted to go hug everyone,” Derechin said.

The film encourages action against bullying and for students to get involved. “I feel like I’m going to try to be more friendly [to victims of bullying],” Zucker said.

“I already try not to gossip, so I’ll continue to do the same,” Derechin said.

Stopping theDivide

S

Student A arrives at school in the morning and walks over to the “stairs” to greet his friends. Student B walks in and heads to the far edge of the “mall” to his friend group.

The majority of students could already make assumptions about the race of both students.

Race means different things to different people, though. “Sometimes people make assumptions about race that aren’t true; race is just what we look like,” said Ms. Jennifer Heimlich, Social Studies and HHS Equity Coordinator. “It’s a social construct; we made it up.”

“Racism is more insidious and below the surface,” Heimlich said.

“It implies action and a difference in power and privilege. If we don’t acknowledge and understand race, it leads to racism.”

According to Heimlich, racial issues at Hopkins can at times stem from this lack of knowledge instead of prejudice. She described how students’ reactions to a recent MN Spokesman-Recorder article highlighted the lack of interaction or understanding between White and Black students.

Through the article, many students, parents, and current and former staff members brought to light claims that HHS deals with segregation, racist acts, double standards, and unfair accusations on a daily basis. “[The article] made me really sad, especially the title, because I love our school, I love the students here, and I feel like many of us work hard every day to strive for equity. But, racism does exist here, and our Black students know it better than our White students,” Heimlich said.

“White students are often surprised; they don’t feel racism, so they are surprised to hear it is happening,” she said. “As long as they are surprised to hear about [racism], we are not there yet.”

Along with coordinating equity programs, Heimlich also teaches a class titled Diversity Seminar. The class examines many aspects of social and cultural differences, and race plays a large part in discussions and projects. There has traditionally been an equal distribution of White and Black students in the class, along with students of other backgrounds.

“I basically get along with everyone. Racism does happen here, but it happens everywhere, and it will happen forever. You can’t get rid of it, but you can make it better,” said Romar Daniel, senior and a Black student in Heimlich’s fourth block Diversity Seminar class.

Daniel attended Minnehaha Academy for several years before coming to HHS, and argued that, comparably, Minnehaha is far worse off as far as racial issues go. He believes HHS is improving its racial awareness and diverse environment.

“I’ve been to worse schools,” he said. “At Minnehaha Academy it

HHS student demographics For 2010-2011...

For 2007-2008...

White

was a predominantly White school. Kids called me the N-word to my face, and I never really fit in or felt comfortable.”

Overall, he has been happy with his experience since coming into the District.

“Racism happens at all schools, it just so happens [the MN Spokesman-Recorder article] focused on Hopkins. I don’t know why Hopkins was put on the spot, there are schools far worse off.

It’s very diverse here, and I’m happy it is, because most people here embrace that diversity,” Daniel said.

Vanessa Sonsteng, junior, a White student also taking the Diversity Seminar, is currently in her first year in the Hopkins School District after moving from Florida. “For starters, Hopkins is the most diverse school I have ever been to,” Sonsteng said.

“This is the nicest high school I have ever seen, and while it may be called ‘ghetto’ by some students from other schools in the area, I think the education system is amazing,” Sonsteng said. “I have never first-hand witnessed outright racism against Black students here, but I guess I would believe it can happen.”

However, Sonsteng has experienced tension between races here.

“I have seen and experienced racism from Black people against White people. I have walked by Black girls and seen them look at me and say ‘Oh, stupid White girl’ and things like that. I don’t think Black girls are dumb at all, but some think I am I guess,” she said.

Overall, Sonsteng sees good relationships between races at HHS. “I think everyone seems to be pretty good friends. My friend group is very diverse, and I haven’t seen other groups have problems.

I guess I do have ‘White privilege,’ though, so I may not notice some things that other people might.”

White privilege refers to the advantages in society that White people have become accustomed to in this country. These privileges are often unacknowledged by White individuals because they have become so ingrained in daily life.

Mr. Terrall Lewis, HHS Equity and Integration Specialist, compared the school to a snake currently shedding its skin. Over the last 20 years, HHS has gone from two percent students of color to 2030 percent students of color, with most of that growth happening in the last ten years.

“With any transition period, there is going to be some pain or discomfort,” Lewis said. “When a snake sheds its skin, it goes through a period of incredible vulnerability.”

HHS recently had its vulnerability exposed through the article making serious accusations about its racial environment. However, there may be a silver lining, according to Lewis.

“Now we have the opportunity to model how to handle this transition for other schools. So far, I think we have been doing okay, and with some revitalization and a new, inspired vision, the possibilities are endless,” he said.

Black

To realize these possibilities, Lewis asserted that change is needed. “Our clients, which are the students at this school, have changed, but our infrastructure hasn’t. That’s not a knock or a dig, it’s just an honest assessment of the evolution of this school,” he said.

According to Lewis, students these days are much more adept at freely discussing race and culture than their teachers are. Still, Lewis said, “I think we have some of the most highly qualified and sincere educators here that I have had the honor of working with.”

Principal Patty Johnson admitted that there is somewhat of a divide between White and Black students at HHS, but she sees positive signs as well. “I see students in classrooms participating with each other on a very relaxed level,” she said. “But I see kids segregate much more in the hallways and lunchroom.”

She said that she believes students may naturally segregate in these large group settings. According to the MN Spokesman-Recorder article, the major problems are not taking place in these student groups, though. It alleges that the worst of the racial issues lie between Black students and non-Black staff members Mr. Jarrin Williams, Language Arts, is the only Black teacher of a core subject class. He taught at HHS from 2001-2005, when he moved out of state and taught in schools near St. Louis and the Quad Cities. He returned to teaching here in 2009 and found the school a much more diverse place.

With a more diverse student population, he knew a different approach would be required of all staff.

“If the demographic changes, but we have the same mentality we did in 2005, how can we expect to be successful?” Williams asked.

“If we don’t change, we are doing the kids a disservice. I ask myself every day ‘How can I change?’ and I always have to consider exactly who is sitting in front of me in the classroom if I want to help them be successful.”

According to a 2010 New York Times article citing data from tests provided by the National Assessment for Educational Progress, 12 percent of Black fourth grade males are proficient in reading, compared to 38 percent of White males. The same study showed that 12 percent of Black eighth grade males were proficient in mathematics, compared to 44 percent of White males.

Williams brought up this achievement gap and his concern that staff members may not know what to do in certain situations when presented with students of different races who are at different levels in their education.

“All of us are here because we genuinely want our students to succeed, and I truly believe that, but I feel like there are some people who may struggle and who are not really considering their approach to teaching everyone in the classroom. There are certain students who I think, inadvertently and unfortunately, are left behind,” he said.

Hispanic Asian American Indian

69% 20% 6% 5% <1% 77% 14% 4% 4% <1%

In 1980, about 2 and 16% of His enrolled in c

“

We are a school of different colors and cultures but we are not that bonded as we should or could be.

-Tyrone Reynolds, senior

Williams himself acknowledges his own struggles connecting with students of color. “The group of students I struggle with the most are in fact students of color, and I feel like it’s because they don’t necessarily feel I can relate. Not all kids, but there are some students of color who feel they can’t relate to me because I dress preppy or because I speak a certain way, I speak ‘White’ to them.

Then I have to convey to them how language is power, and there is a time and place to speak a certain way.”

Things like language and the objective perception of certain words or actions play a huge role in the positive or negative interactions between students and staff of different races.

“I think Hopkins has good intentions,” Principal Johnson said.

“Hopkins staff do care. It’s just that sometimes intentions don’t match up with perceptions or impacts.”

To create an equilibrium where intentions and perceptions align, Johnson wants to create an environment where all individuals feel they have an independent voice.

“I want every student that walks through our doors to feel respected, challenged, motivated, inspired, cared about, and also accountable for their words and actions,” she said. “To get there, we as a staff need to be fair to all students in all situations. Fair means hearing out both sides of situations and being open to a discussion about consequences, whatever they may be, because I honestly care about each student and have high expectations for all students here.”

Johnson brought up a recent discussion she had with a student who was angry about the way a certain situation was handled. “We took the time to dissect that frustration, and when I heard her out and and explained some behind the scenes stuff she did not know about before the incident, it really changed what she thought,” Johnson said.

Tyrone Reynolds, senior, said that as a Black student he has felt respected by most teachers, but some have been hard to build relationships with. “There are some teachers and staff who couldn’t care less for students of color; you can look at their face and tell this is only a place to get a paycheck from. How are us students of color, or students period, supposed to react to that attitude and authority?”

Reynolds asked.

“I don’t think it’s that we don’t get along when it comes down to White students and students of color, it’s that we just don’t know how to interact with each other because the school allows us to be so separate and distant. When it comes down to actually engaging with each other it’s awkward and new. We are a school of different colors and cultures but we are not that bonded as we should or could be.”

While Reynolds sees flaws in race relations at HHS, he feels strongly that HHS is a good place to be.

“This is a great school if anybody asks me. Yeah we have things to work on, but if you really open up and speak, you will be able to feel and receive what the school has to offer. I graduate this year and I’m proud to call myself a Royal,” he said.

HHS staff and administration, like Johnson, are working to enable the staff to be more culturally competent as our community continues to diversify.

“We are working with staff to develop a professional learning community here, and with parents we are working with the District to set up listening sessions to share concerns. For students, we are setting up after-school forums to discuss any issues and I am having sit down lunches with students who want to talk one-on-one,” Johnson said.

Reynolds also brought up many teachers and staff including Johnson who have helped him personally with changes he would like to see. “[Staff members at HHS] have helped me push a lot of the things I wanted to see happen, like the 4Ever Beautiful girls empowerment group, which is a great place for all girls of Hopkins to come and get their voice heard, and also the student forum which

”

hopefully will be put in place soon,” he said.

With students like Reynolds and programs like 4Ever Beautiful and the student forum, Johnson believes steps are being taken in the right direction. Students, staff, and administration are, according to her, making efforts every day to create an equal opportunity school.

“It doesn’t matter to me how many people feel that there is a problem here. I care about every single student as individuals, and if one individual doesn’t feel safe, advocated for, or that they have a good relationship with people in the building, then it is a problem,” Johnson said.

“We are all on this continuum of learning about race and each other as people. I do believe that everyone here at Hopkins tries their best to learn, and that all staff walk in the building every day because we care about the kids.”

Jason Showers is the Sports Editor for the Royal Page

Beyond HHS

28% of White, 20% of Black,

spanic 18 to 24 year olds were colleges and universities.

In 2008, about 44% of White, 32% of Black, and 26% of Hispanic 18 to 24 year olds were enrolled in colleges and universities.

Information from the National Center for Education Statistic’s 2010 report, Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups

10feature The Royal Page 2011-2012

Editors in Chief

Caroline Womack Staff Reporter

Managing Editor

In a recent volunteer project, approximately 48 of the 115 HHS students in National Honor Society (NHS) were working with Habitat for Humanity to restore homes and repair broken pieces of houses.

Students were split into three groups, each working at separate work sites. Two of these sites were working to restore homes so that homeowners can continue to live in their homes. “We won’t know exactly what we are working on until we arrive,” said Ms. Dawn Hansen, Reading, and NHS advisor.

This portion of Habitat is known as “A Brush With Kindness”. “There were about 120 houses on the waiting list last I heard, and houses do not get worked on if there are not volunteers,” said Tess Stender, senior, and NHS president.

“The third site we will be at is at Habitat’s ReStore, a place where parts and items of houses are fixed up to either re-use or sell, and the money goes back to Habitat,” Stender said.

Along with the students were four adults at each site including parents, friends, and teachers who helped supervise the event.

Working for Habitat for Humanity was also tied into the theme NHS put in place for their volunteer work this year. The students have formed their charity choices around the theme of food, clothing, and shelter.

“It’s also one final way for us all to work together for a good cause. It will be a fun way to wrap up the year. NHS kids are great. Really great,” Stender said.

NHS has continuously been supporting this theme as they worked with the ICA foodshelf, held a food drive in the fall, worked side by side with the Linus Project in the winter to make fleece blankets, and finally they contributed six and a half hours to Habitat for Humanity.

The NHS program is supervised by Hansen. “She always says she is just there to ‘make sure the ship doesn’t sink.’ She is the true facilitator and our guide in everything. NHS would be nothing without her,” Stender said.

NHS also appoints a president, treasurer, and other officers that worked with other students on site.

“I let the officers run the show,” Hansen said. The student officers were in charge of a lot of the event, helping organize and piece together details, however a lot of the ability to do so came from good training.

Having previously coached several sports at North Junior High, Hansen tried to instill similar values into NHS students as she did when coaching athletes, using “encouragement, relationship building, leadership, troubleshooting, and just allowing students to grow and develop,” Hansen said.

“This year’s group has exhibited phenomenal teamwork and leadership. Officers especially learned how to delegate tasks to involve more members,” Hansen said.

News Editor

Madeline Rauma

Opinion Editor Mona Omar

Feature Editors Maddy Braverman Lucy Orenstein

Variety Editor Katie Cera

Sports Editors Jason Showers Sarah Ungerman

Back Page Editors Ursula Arhart Hannah Vaughn

Photo Editor

Mike Newcomer

Business Manager Tarina Gartner

Web Czars Jack Deutsch Sonja Muus

Staff Reporters

Rachel Alter Charlie Bank Sam Bloomfield Nick Dale Eli Fhima Lily Goldfarb Joe Greene Zach Gunby Thomas Heegaard Joe Hillestad Sam Jacobwith Zoe Korengold Taylor Lee Meaghan McConnell Naimo Mohamud Zach Mekler Harry Orenstein Joel Ratner Caroline Ravits Lauren Reuteler Ian Vaughan Caroline Womack

Adviser

Mr. Kocur The editorial represtents 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.

page theROYAL

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NHS builds homes and gives back

Marlee Gotlieb Ryan Levi

Madeline Rauma

RPThursday, May 3, 2012

Top: A site of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, this is one of the houses they renovate. According to Habitat for Humanity’s website, Habitat for Humanity is “a state-wide resource development and support organization that serves, advocates for, and advances the work of Minnesota’s Habitat for Humanity affiliates to build simple, decent, affordable housing in partnership with people in need.”

Middle: Olivia Chase, senior, sandpapers down a wall to help restore a home in Mpls. Chase went with Tess Stender, senior, to help out at Habitat for Humanity early on a Saturday morning in March before the rest of NHS. Bottom: Dani Swaiman, senior, scrapes off lead paint from the outside of a house. This is important to do because lead paint is toxic.

YBRegalia your

Photos provided by Tess Stender

Hopkins High School Yearbook

98

books still available

Have you bought yearbook yet?

We have already sold most of them, and we can’t order more. Last year’s book sold out completely.

Books will be distributed May 30 Order yours today: www.jostensyearbooks.com or in S200 during any lunch.

feature11

RP Thursday, May 3, 2012

the

Eight seniors a cut above the rest Maddy Braverman Feature Editor For many seniors, fourth quarter is a period of “senior slide,” or a lack of interest in school studies. Out of approximately 650 senior students at HHS, there are only eight students that have acquired a cumulative 4.0 GPA by their last quarter of high school. For these eight students, it could cost them to slide too far down.

“I would be really upset if, after all the hard work I did, I didn’t graduate with a 4.0 at this point,” said Olivia Chase, senior.

Tess Stender, senior, feels differently. “If I lost my 4.0 right now, I wouldn’t be all that upset. As long as I worked hard for the grade I got, I would feel fine about it,” Stender said.

A misconception that follows students with 4.0s is that they slide through high school by taking easy classes. John Mundahl, senior, took seven AP classes over the course of his high school career.

“I barely kept my 4.0 in AP Chemistry this year,” Mundahl said. “There was a point in the class where no one had an A. There were five of us with 4.0s in that class, and we all thought we would lose it.”

For Stender, AP Language and Composition was the hardest class to maintain her 4.0 in. “AP Composition was a lot of work, and junior year was hard. In my opinion, junior year felt like a competition against my classmates,” Stender said. “but in reality, no one else put pressure on me but myself.”

Chase could only have fit one more AP class in her schedule, and it would have been an AP History junior year. “It would have been really hard

during winter, because I was at the [hockey] rink for hours after school. I was up until one or two most nights of my junior year anyways,” Chase said.

Another common misconception is that a 4.0 will automatically get a student accepted into any college. “I was waitlisted at Washington University and Tulane University. Schools don’t want to only see good grades, they want to see an all around balance, and I think I was missing some of the volunteering,” Mundahl said.

“I know some people with 4.0s that got denied at Ivy leagues they really wanted to get into,”

Stender said.

Not only did these eight students have 4.0 GPAs, but they are often very involved inside and outside of school.

“These students need to balance school life, social life, involvement life, and family, and they still managed to get straight A’s in every class,” said Mr. Dan Sterud, Guidance Counselor. “It’s a pretty cool accomplishment.”

Rachel Sadowsky, senior, was captain of the varsity tennis team, is an NHS officer, and volunteers at the library once a week. For Sadowsky, working hard was always an expectation in her

family. “My sister finished high school with a 4.0, and so she was kind of my inspiration, and I strived to do the same as her.”

“It’s who I am,” Sadowsky said. “It’s hard for me to not turn in a homework assignment and I can’t just not study for tests. It’s how I’ve been taught,” Sadowsky said.

Stender is not only a 4.0 student but also President of Spanish Club, President of National Honor Society, and captain of the lacrosse team.

“I learned to manage time well and to not stress, which is really hard,” Stender said. “It’s not about being perfect, it’s about working hard.”

Photo by Nick Dale

Stender’s advice for students: “If you think you’re capable, you should challenge yourself as much as possible in high school, it will be way more beneficial in the future.”

Becoming a full-time teacher at HHS Lucy Orenstein Feature Editor The students in first block psychology were surprised when they didn’t see Mr. Erik Swenson, Social Studies, at the front of the room. Instead, Mr. Zachary MacLean was standing at the podium.

“After one class with Mr. MacLean, I knew he would be a good student teacher,” said Mollie Kozberg, senior. “He is very thorough, and I like how he explains things in different ways.”

MacLean graduated in 2008 from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota with a masters in education a major in psychology, and minored in reconciliation studies.

HHS was a top choice for MacLean to teach at for many reasons. “I definitely sought out working at Hopkins because of its good reputation and I wanted to work at a school that is diverse,” MacLean said.

MacLean began student teaching at HHS this past January. “I taught two U.S. history classes third term and now I’m teaching a psychology

class first and second block,” MacLean said.

Swenson was more than happy to have MacLean be his student teacher. “He really knows his stuff and enjoys it and does a great job,” Swenson said.

Swenson prefers not to be in the room while MacLean is teaching. “I don’t like to loom around in the room. Occasionally I will stand in the back, but I want him to have the experience of teaching in a real classroom setting,” Swenson said.

Although MacLean is not a full-time teacher, he has felt nothing but respect from his students.

“All of my students have treated me with respect.

I’m so happy I chose Hopkins,” MacLean said.

“I would love to teach here [HHS] next year but I don’t know if there will be a position open for me,” MacLean said. His advice for future student teachers is, “Keep an open mind and teach anywhere.”

MacLean was most excited about finally being able to use everything he learned in college. “This is my first teaching experience and it’s so great to put it all into practice,” MacLean said.

There are things that school didn’t prepare him

for. “Having eighty students is hard,” MacLean said. “Every student needs a different thing so I have to always stay organized.”

Building relationships with his students has helped MacLean. “I really like to get to know my students. I try to incorporate a question of the day and do discussions to help know their personalities better,” MacLean said.

After MacLean’s fifteen weeks of student teaching he will go on to being a full-time teacher.

Mr. Matt Williamson, Science, made that transition earlier this year, as he was a student teacher first semester and now teaches biology.

Williamson graduated from St. Johns in 2011.

“I went into college knowing I wanted to be a teacher. I thought it would be a good fit and my mom is a teacher so I had a good idea of what it was like to work in a school,” Williamson said.

During his sophomore year, he majored in environmental studies and minored in biology secondary education. “In my college classes we often used Hopkins as a case study and so during the application process I decided to submit an application to student teach at Hopkins,” Williamson

said.

“I liked Hopkins because I had heard of its great reputation and Tom Nelson [science] took me on as a student teacher right away,” Williamson said.

However, HHS was not where Williamson first started his student teaching. During this past summer he taught at Wolf Ridge for six weeks.

The rest of his ten weeks was completed first semester with Mr. Sammler in honors biology.

“He [Sammler] directed me with content but I tried to come up with a lot of my own activities and lessons,” Williamson said.

This semester Mr. Williamson is now a full time teacher and teaches two classes. “All of my students are great and I think the students like that I’m young and we can have fun together and joke around,” Williamson said.

Williamson has enjoyed student teaching, but he is so happy to be a full-time teacher at HHS. “I love being a teacher because you are always interacting with people. Whether it’s the staff or the students. I couldn’t imagine having an office job,” Williamson said.

12 feature

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RPThursday, May 3, 2012

Concert Choir sings their way to Fla.

Rachel Alter Staff Reporter While many students view spring break as a time to relax from school at home, the HHS Concert Choir set out on the 2012 choir tour, and achieved great success. “[This year was successful] because expectations were communicated, the kids worked hard, and my students are good kids. I am pretty lucky to teach the kids that I do,” said Mr. Philip Brown, Choir.

This year was different than other years, because Kantori, Bel Canto, and Orchestra did not attend. Not enough people signed up from these groups to send them on the trip.

The trip provided students with a way to bond outside of the everyday school atmosphere. “It was really great to spend so much time with choir people. It’s going to be so hard to have over half of us graduate in less than a month,” said Lisa Persson, junior.

Since the choir spends a large amount of time together throughout the year, there is a great support system within the choir.

“After our contest on Friday, Geoff thought that Midori did amazing, so we decided to buy Midori flowers. Each of us gave a rose to a Midori member, and I do not think that I have seen Midori in so much awe,” said Alex Guggenberger, junior.

“It was really thoughtful. It helps us keep the competitiveness [between Geoff and Midori] to a minimum,” said Sally Abrams, senior.

Along with singing at Festival Disney, Universal City Walk, Orlando Fest, Seminole High School, and Foundation Academy, the students

attended many tourist attractions, swam at the beach, and made their own fun.

“We planned a little basketball game: the Tenors vs. the Basses,” Guggenberger said.

Before the choir left for Florida, the students did not have a clear picture of the set-up of the festival.

“Mr. Brown had told us the scores of past concert choirs and ensembles, but we didn’t really understand the context or the magnitude of the competition until we were there,” Persson said.

While on the trip, the choir also did concerts with various middle and high school choirs.

“One of the more interesting performances we watched was a high school show choir. It was interesting to see what other kids our age in different parts of the country are doing, and how much dedication they have to what they do. Seeing them also helps us get a sense of where we’re at, and allows us to be proud of our work,” Persson said.

Although the choir students work hard each class, their performance scores came as a surprise.

“Our ensembles won third, second, and first consecutively, so everyone was already standing up and cheering for ourselves. We were all happy for the success...although I knew that we performed as best as we could and that was what mattered,” Persson said.

The location of the choir tour was chosen with temperature in mind. Brown, along with Concert Choir, wanted to spend their spring break in the Florida sun.

“Also, in Florida, there were good performance opportunities, well-known judges, and expert feedback for the kids, and all the other groups that attended,” Brown said.

Photo provided by Claire Huber

Students in Concert Choir visit the Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World Resort. Students also visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando.

Success at the tour was not the focus of the students or Brown. “We still would have had a good time even if we didn’t place first, because [the tour] allows the kids to create camaraderie, and memories that they will remember for years,”

Brown said.

“The trip was really fulfilling and it was a great reward considering how hard we have worked this year in Concert Choir.

Everyone had a lot of fun,” Persson said.

DI teams have state as their destination Meaghan McConnell Staff Reporter Destination ImagiNation (DI) is a program that helps students of all ages have a chance to use their creativeness for competition and make good friends. “It’s always great seeing all the different ideas that people come up with, many of which I never would have even thought to do,” said Kelsey Boos, junior and DI member.

“It’s a fun program that provides great skills for students thinking on your feet, being creative, working as a team, and more,” said Autumn Boos, mother of Kelsey and leader of the HHS DI team.

“I love DI. It’s fun spending the day with my team, and it’s a really great group of girls who love to laugh a lot. We always go out there and try our best but still try to have fun doing it,” Kelsey said.

The junior teams chosen from HHS are made up of five students per team. However, there can be up to seven students per team. HHS has two teams that include Kailen Polley, Kelsey Specht, Graham Giesting, and Natalie Polinsky, juniors.

The HHS teams placed first and fourth in state on Sat., April 14, 2012. “I was so excited to be going to the state competition,” Specht said.

She is on the DI team that placed fourth in state.

In order to prepare for competition, there are many activities that occur. “My mother gives us some example stories and we make short skits about them. We also try to practice a lot of human props/scenery to incorporate into our skits,” Kelsey said.

HHS competed against other schools in the State competition. “This year we did improv so we had no props. It was different not having to lug around tons of big heavy props and having to spend tons of time setting them up,” Kelsey said.

Kelsey explained that there were eight other Minn. schools competing against HHS for the secondary improv challenge at state.

The DI students may hold the State title, but Ms. Boos plays an equally important role.

She frequently volunteers at many HHS events.

“My older daughter introduced us to DI because a group of sixth grade Gatewood kids wanted to participate after hearing that a Hopkins team had gone to Globals,” Ms. Boos said.

The excitement continues to mount as the Global competition grows nearer. “It’s fun to see how good they are at improv now after being so afraid of it the first year,” Ms. Boos said. “The team continues to grow in creativity and teamwork.”

Photo provided by Caroline Womack

Destination ImagiNation (DI) team, Damage Control, waits at regionals at Maple Grove High School to find out if their team will go to state.

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RPThursday, May 3, 2012

Club sports increasing in popularity, finding success Sam Bloomfield Staff Reporter HHS has had a long history of success in varsity high school sports, but students are beginning to succeed in the world of club sports as well.

There are over 25 high school sports for boys and girls here, and students fill over 2,700 uniforms. Both basketball programs have won multiple state championships, and HHS teams compete in the toughest conference in the state.

While there is a storied history of athletics, the impact of club sports is just beginning to be felt.

“Many of the club teams have won state and even national awards, and are highly successful,” said Mr. Dan Johnson, activities director.

Unlike high school sports, club sports do not operate under the authority of the Minnesota State High School League. The MSHSL programs have start and end dates for seasons, rules on when, how, and where games can be played, and standards for off-season coaching and training. Club sports do not have to abide by any of these rules.

“The clubs provide programs that the MSHSL doesn’t,” Johnson said. “They provide programs that are of interest to another group of students, and they don’t get hung up on the timelines that the MSHSL programs do.”

One of many HHS club teams is the trap club, known as the “Clay Crushers.” The club was started in 2006 by Mr. Mark Czech, Music and head coach.

Hopkins was the first school district sanctioned trap team in Minnesota. Since then, trap programs have grown to include over 1500 stu-

dent athletes across the state.

“This sport allows everyone to participate. On competition days, everyone’s score counts towards the team total,” Czech said. “In large schools like HHS, club sports are an invaluable resource for helping to build student community and unity.”

The Clay Crushers participate in a 10 week season, during which they shoot once a week. The first three weeks are practice, the fourth week is a reserve round, and the remaining six weeks are for competition. “[During competition] you stand at a station for five shots, shoot at an orange flying disc, and then move to the next station,” said Jake Myers, sophomore. “There’s not another sport out there where you can do something like that.”

The Clay Crushers have won multiple awards in their short career. They were back to back state title champions in 2009 and 2010 in the Scholastic Clay Target Program State Shoot. Many individuals have also earned honors since the program started.

Another popular club sport is Ultimate Frisbee. The “Hopkins Hurt” finished tied for third place last year at the High School Western Championships.

“We compete on a national stage,” said Aaron Raskin, junior, “so the competition is always very heated and intense.”

Many of the players start playing from a young age, according to Raskin. In addition, they have year round practices and workouts to stay sharp and focused.

They are off to another good start this year, with victories in all of their first three tournaments, and a top 5 ranking nationally.

Photo provided by Mark Czech

Photo provided by Jason Finkelstein

Top: Quinn Rohweder, sophomore, fires at a clay target. He is a member of the HHS club trap shooting team, the Clay Crushers.

Bottom: Jason Finkelstein, senior, pulls the disc down the field. He is a member of the Hopkins Hurt, the school’s club ultimate frisbee team.

Lacrosse used to be a club sport as well, until five years ago when they made the switch to a varsity high school sport.

The individuals operating club lacrosse programs around the metro area felt that the program deserved a stronger status within the schools, so they brought the programs to the MSHSL. “The lacrosse change was made and it has been positive for the most part for all involved,” Johnson said.

HHS students have participated in many other club sports such as bowling, rugby, slow pitch softball, rowing, and sailing.

“The reality is, these are Hopkins students,” Johnson said. “Whether they are playing on a MSHSL program or a club program, they are all Hopkins Royals and we want them to take part and enjoy their time while they are students here.”

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RP Thursday, May 3, 2012

Barrios sets the bar high, ushers in new era Nick Dale Staff Reporter

Photo by Mike Newcomer

Manfred Barrios, sophomore, returns volley to his opponent. Barrios will be a key factor on the highly ranked boys tennis team this spring.

The boys varsity tennis team earned a spot on the Star Tribune’s “Top 10 Teams to Watch” for the 2012 season. Manfred Barrios, sophomore, is one of the main reasons why.

Before making varsity as a seventh grader, Barrios spent countless hours practicing and perfecting his game. “I’ve been playing tennis since I was four years old,” Barrios said. “We have a couple of tennis courts by my house, and I used to hit with my dad almost every day.”

His sophomore year proved to be his breakout season. Barrios played number three singles, going 15-0, never dropping a set. “He has the ability to finish points,” said Clay Thompson, senior captain of the varsity tennis team. “He knows when to hit hard and knows how to win.”

This year, Barrios will be playing number one singles as the sixth ranked player in the state. “His ability to have fun and his hunger to win have brought him the success he has had,” Thompson said.

Barrios’ success also results from a grueling training regimen. “I practice a lot. During the

summer, at least four hours a day,” Barrios said. “I do a lot of work with my coaches on and off the court, and I also hit with my dad frequently.”

He has started off the year 5-1, losing his only set to Myles Tang, junior from Breck High School, who is the third ranked player in the state.

Barrios’ teammate, Niles Plautz, sophomore, is a foreign exchange student from Germany who will be playing number two singles for the team.

Plautz, who has only been playing tennis for three years, is expected to be a very promising player for this season.

“I love watching [both Barrios and Plautz],” Thompson said. “They have two very different styles of play, making it interesting. It is very easy to see they both have a passion to play.”

Last season, the team had the “Erickson and Fields Era”, as graduating seniors Ryan Erickson and Michael Fields held the top two seeds on the team.

This year, a new door has opened for the Barrios and Plautz era. These are two dominant players that could lead the team to state.

With the expectations set high, Barrios will set his goals to match. “I want to make state for both team and individual,” he said. “There is good potential for both.”

Basketball, boys cross-country benefit from sponsorhips Zach Mekler Staff Reporter The number of high school athletic programs earning brand name sponsorship deals is on the rise and HHS teams are no exception.

But does it change the way players and teams perform on game day?

Almost every team at HHS is in some way tied to a brand. The football team dons Nike uniforms, and the volleyball program elected for the girls to wear Mizuno shoes.

They had to pay for these brand names, though.

Sponsorships are a different deal. The girls and boys basketball teams are both sponsored by Nike, so the players receive multiple pairs of top of the line shoes with the iconic swoosh at barely any cost.

The boys cross-country team, sponsored by Brooks Running, will receive free warm-up suits for the top ten competitors on the team, while the rest of the athletes can purchase gear like spikes, training shoes, and shirts with a significant discount.

There is no doubt that, in recent years, sponsorship at the high school level has become a much bigger deal.

“It’s got to do mostly with branding for the companies,” said Mr. Ken Novak, Social Studies and varsity boys basketball coach.

For most athletes playing for sponsored programs, the brand name apparel and equipment has become second nature.

“Sponsorship for basketball has become a big deal; Nike pretty much owns the sport right now,” said Nick Jorgensen, senior and former boys basketball starter.

However, athletes and coaches disagree on the actual effect of sponsorship on players and teams.

According to Siyani Chambers, senior, it clearly affects how individuals perform. “You want to prove you’re good enough to be sponsored; it makes you play at a higher degree,” he said.

On the other hand, girls standout Sydney Coffey, senior, felt differently.

“I don’t believe it changes anything. For me, I don’t ever think about it,” Coffey said.

“I think there’s a prestige thing that goes with it,” Novak said. “It’s prestige that sets us apart but I don’t think it makes us play better.”

From the standpoint of Reed Fischer, junior and one of next year’s cross-country captains, it is important to stay grounded.

“It’s sweet knowing you’ve earned sponsorship, especially for the first time in our team’s history, but at a certain point it just comes down to talent

and training,” Fischer said.

While the effect of sponsorship on individuals is a personal thing, it does have a nice aesthetic effect. “It doesn’t change anything about the team’s level of play, but we do look better because we match,” Coffey said.

High school teams are often limited financially, so finding a sponsor or a partner can help a team and its players make the sport more affordable.

“It’s a big deal, mostly because the District and kids are able to save money,” Novak said.

Along with the economic benefits, sponsorship deals also provide the newest or most stylish brands for their athletes, and in doing so, “[the athletes] feel better of themselves, so that could maybe translate into better on field play,” according to Mr. John DenHartog, head varsity football coach.

Athletes often place importance, on and off the court, upon which brand they are sponsored by. While many athletes would jump at the chance for any sponsorship, there are the elite few brand names that are coveted beyond the rest.

“Some people say brand doesn’t matter, but deep down in your mind, the brand matters,” Chambers said.

“Is Nike helping us do well? No. We get Nike because we’re doing well,” Novak said.

Photo by Jack Deutsch

Top: Nick Jorgenson, senior, models some of the gear the basketball team has recieved through their sponsorship by Nike.

Bottom: The boys cross country team has recently gained sponsorship by Brooks running.

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Nybo leads team in fourth varsity season Harry Orenstein Staff Reporter During the 2011 softball season, the team recorded 185 innings pitched. Morgan Nybo, senior, pitched 175 of them.

As a freshman, Nybo made the varsity softball team and was selected as the team MVP. In 2009, Nybo became a regular starter at the age of 15, and pitched 128 innings.

The next season, she had one of the top earned run averages (ERA) in the state, and continued to improve. “Morgan added pitches to her repertoire, and has taken on the role of a leader,” said Jenny Grahek, senior.

In 2011, she excelled as a right-handed pitcher, facing 751 batters, striking out 178, and maintaining an ERA of 2.32. She also received all-conference, all-section, and all-state honors.

Nybo also led the team to third place in the state tournament last year, beating highly ranked teams like Shakopee and North St. Paul. The softball team hasn’t gone that far since 1998 when they placed second in the state tournament.

As an experienced senior with a vast array of pitches at the ready this year, Nybo is looking to dominate games.

“Morgan throws a fastball, a rise, a drop, a curve, and a changeup. It’s crucial to keep control, change speeds, and keep the batters off balance,

and Morgan does an outstanding job of that,” said Mark Peterson, softball pitching coach.

One of the reasons why she excels is because she hones and perfects her skills in the off-season.

“I go to different gyms whenever they are open. I also go to a warehouse called Strike Three Pitching where they had mounds and turf, so it is nice to pitch there,” Nybo said.

Softball is in Nybos blood. She first started playing softball in kindergarten, and has a family history surrounding the bat, ball, and glove.

“My grandpa was a huge baseball fanatic and loved sports so my parents decided to start us [Morgan and sister Haley, an HHS graduate and decorated softball star who now plays for Drake University] in softball,” Nybo said. “Once I started playing, my sister and I were both competitive and that pushed us both to continue playing and drew us into the game, because we wanted to be better than each other.”

Along with her family ties to the game, Nybo is also carrying on a long tradition of great pitchers. “Morgan has done an excellent job and did her part of carrying on the tradition,” said varsity head coach, Ms. Anne Campbell, Assistant Principal.

According to Campbell, Nybo is a fierce competitor. Nybo gives the team a chance to win games, and is a key reason why the team has had success. “She wants to be the best possible pitcher,” Campbell said.

Spotlight Athletes

“The underhand pitch is a complex motion,” Peterson said in regards to the softball pitching style. It is widely regarded as a much more difficult motion than the overhand pitch of baseball.

Bucking the norm, pitching came easily to Nybo.

“I decided on pitching because it came naturally. Everyone always tries pitching when they are younger and it’s something I decided I would stick with,” she said.

Nybo also has a coachable demeanor that makes her shine. “Morgan is always willing to do whatever the coaches tell her to do in practice. She wants to get better so she will work hard,” Grahek said.

This season is the first varsity season in which Nybo will not have her sister behind the plate catching every pitch.

“Not having my sister, Hayley, catching anymore has changed the game. She would take charge of the field and tell me exactly what to do and how to change my delivery and pitches,” Nybo said.

Earlier this year, she was selected as one of the top ten metro players to watch. The team has strong potential with Nybo leading the way.

“Our 2012 team is still trying to figure out who they are. They just need to take care of one another. If they keep working hard, good things will happen,” Campbell said.

Lockett, Woodstra play in Italy Sam Jacobwith Staff Reporter

Name: Abby Whritenour

Name: Clay Thompson

Grade: 12

Grade: 12

Sport: Softball

Sport: Tennis

Athletic Idol:

Athletic Idol:

Danny Valencia

Donald Young

Favorite Memory:

Favorite Memory:

“Getting third place at state last year

“Last year, being recognized as

was awesome. It was also fun stay-

captain was amazing. It felt good

ing at the hotel with the team.”

to recieve the honor.”

Photo by Mike Newcomer

Morgan Nybo, senior, delivers a pitch. She has been a varsity player since her freshman year and has consistently dominated from the mound.

Most high school sports teams don’t have the opportunity to travel out of the state, let alone out of the country.

That’s where club teams come into play.

While many schools can’t afford to send their sports teams out of state, clubs can use their money how and where they want. Athletes pay to join these off-season clubs to polish their skills and earn attention from college scouts.

Recently, two HHS student athletes had the opportunity to play competitive club volleyball in Italy.

Taylor Lockett and Becca Woodstra, seniors, both play for the Minnesota volleyball club Northern Lights. The program was founded in 1993 and has dedicated itself to helping good volleyball players become great volleyball players.

In the club, Lockett plays for the 18-1 team and Woodstra plays for the 18-Black team. Both girls had to go through a rigorous tryout process as spots on these teams are highly competitive.

Lights has been sending girls to Italy for spring break for the past 10 years, according to Lockett.

It’s a tradition that both her and Woodstra were thrilled to be a part of.

When the girls arrived in Italy they didn’t begin playing immediately; it took time for them to acclimate to the new time zone and weather.

“We didn’t start playing until the sixth day we had been there. We spent most of our time sightseeing,” Lockett said.

When the competition began, the team played against other countries from around the world.

Lockett’s team faced clubs from Sweden, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Brazil, England, and Italy.

Woodstra’s team played teams hailing from Italy, Sweden, Austria, and Russia.

The style of play was not quite what the girls were used to. European volleyball differs slightly from the American version of the game.

“They play differently there so it made me change my game and become more versatile. Also, the ball was much heavier than we were used to so it caused us to change our hitting while we were there and do different things with the ball. Some of the girls are much bigger as well, so we had to strategize on how to beat their size and strength,” Woodstra said.

Lockett agreed that there were noticeable changes in the European style of play.

She added, “The balls were heavier but I personally liked them better. On the other hand, we weren’t allowed to have as many subs as we were used to so we had to change our lineup for the tournament. I also feel like the competition level was a lot higher there than it is here.”

Overall, both girls thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience.

“It was an amazing amazing experience and I’m really lucky that Northern Lights gives us these opportunities,” Woodstra said. “Not many people can say they have seen the Coliseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, Venice canals, Florence city streets, and shopped in Milan.”

Walking on shoeshine HHS students compete in national Van’s competition

A

s we all know, HHS is filled with students dripping with swagger from head to... shoes.

Even with Sperry’s back in style, the popularity of the Toms One-For-One program, and the Nike craze, some students are creating their own unique footwear designs.

For the first time, HHS has entered the Vans Custom Culture competition, where the grand prize could be $50,000.

Ms. Jennifer Heimlich, Social Studies, stumbled across the competition while on the Vans website and registered HHS. Four pairs of white Vans of all different styles, waiting to be designed, were shipped to the school.

“We had an internal competition, where we had the templates on a table at lunch, and people could enter by designing on a template. Ms. Rood and I then chose the winners from that pool of templates,” Heimlich said.

The winners of the school-wide contest were Lindsay Clay, sophomore, Erica Crouser, junior, Amy Mathews, senior, and Joey Ravits, senior.

“Most shoes have the same design on both shoes, and I thought it would be visually intriguing to have my design go from one shoe to another,” Clay said. Clay’s shoes depict a mermaid lounging on the open water.

“I would wear my shoes. They say ‘step off bro’ on the heels, which was a funny touch,” Crouser said.

According to the Vans Custom Culture website, Vans is continually dedicated to promoting creative self expression among students. “Vans Custom Culture art program inspires high school students across the United States to embrace their creativity and draw attention to the importance of art as an integral part of our school’s focus in the face of shrinking budgets,” says the Vans Custom Culture website.

Four judges decided on the top 50 finalists on April 20.

Unfortunately, HHS didn’t make it into the top 50 schools.

“Overall, I think it was a really cool opportunity for the school and a fun way to show artistic talents,” Clay said.

Another student with flair for designing footwear is Marra Clay, junior. Marra Clay, who isn’t related to Lindsay Clay,

“I’d want Banksy artwork with a cool forest design.”

-Vinni Twinn, junior

Photos courtesy of Cole Feagler, junior.

What would your design be?

turns shoes into art.“I had some plain white shoes from a play I was in, and I decided to do something fun with them. When I wore them to school, my friend loved them, so I made her a pair for her birthday,” Marra said. Marra continued to decorate shoes for her friends.

Pairs of Marra’s decorated shoes have gone global, as pairs have been sent to Virginia and England. “Every pair is completely personalized. I add personal touches for my friends,” Marra said.“In high school, everyone is wearing Uggs, Converse, and Moccasins. Turning shoes into art can be a unique way to express your interests,” Marra said.

Story by Lily Goldfarb, staff reporter for the Royal Page Ursula Arhart and Hannah Vaughn are the backpage editors for the Royal Page.

“I’d have a beach scene with water, waves and sun.”

-Emily Smith, junior

“I would want fresh out-of-the oven brownies.”

- Noa Parker, sophomore

“I’d want an arctic scene with a penguin.”

-Mercy Roberts, junior

“Mine would have the Minneapolis skyline.”

-Marlee Krietzman, senior

Photos by Ursula Arhart, backpage editor for the Royal Page.