page
the
ROYAL
Thursday, October 22, 2015 Volume 34 Issue 1
Caution: Students at Work
The workforce for students both before and after graduation is changing.
Coffee Craze
by Michael Korsh page 3
De-clawing the Dragon Lady by Andrew Zhou page 11
At What Cost? by Grace Dosdall page 14
What’s new at hopkinsrp.org?
RPThursday, October 22, 2015
the
2 news
Letter from the Editor By Addie Lennon Print Editor in Chief Dear readers, As you begin paging through the first issue of the 2015-16 Royal Page, you may notice a few changes. This year, we decided to focus our print edition on longer and more in-depth stories. We believe this format will allow us to produce content that will better tell the stories of those within our community. Throughout our paper, we will not only be featuring stories with written pieces, but also be experimenting with new visual components. Our web edition will continue to deliver consistent and up-to-date news briefs to keep you constantly informed.
Pink-out to support Breast Cancer Awareness month
Team Tailgate takes over
ProPEL Charity Basketball Game By Mike Ewing Staff Reporter
League of Women Voters promotes registration ‘Grease’ comes to HHS Nov. 12-14
Stay in place: the new face of soft lockdowns By Rosser Womack Staff Reporter On Wednesday, Sept. 30, during second block, the students and staff of HHS performed the first soft lockdown of the year. The purpose of the exercise is to search for any possibly dangerous or illegal substances that might be in the school parking lot. “We want to make sure that we keep drugs and alcohol off the campus, we want to keep weapons off the campus. It’s a safety issue,” said Trenton Lawson, Assistant Principal. The name was changed by the school board to ‘stay in place’ instead of ‘soft lockdown’ to better represent the procedure. Although
Regardless of this slightly new format, however, our end goal is the same. Our fantastic 201516 Royal Page team is still committed to accurate, well-researched, and ethical journalism. We still wish to reflect our community, and therefore greatly value your feedback. Please contact us on our social media accounts or speak with a Royal Page staff member if you ever feel that something within our community is being overlooked in our paper. We would love to hear from you. We hope you enjoy our first edition of the 2015-16 school year, and thank you for allowing us to share your stories.
On Nov. 10, at 7 p.m, ProPEL will be hosting a student vs. staff charity basketball game in the Lindbergh Center. It will cost students $1 per raffle entry to play in the game, $3 for general admission, and $5 to get into the game in addition to three raffle entries. Unlimited entries are encouraged. ProPEL will be using the profits from the game to make care kits for people in need. The kits will include a bar of soap, a washcloth,
the name changed, the procedure withstood. An announcement was made that the school needs to “Stay in Place” and students and staff were advised to stay in their classrooms until another announcement was made that the procedure was complete. During this time, members of the Minnetonka police force walked the HHS parking lots with specially trained dogs that sniff out illegal substances. Results of the search were then forwarded to school leaders. Owners of any cars that alerted the dogs were taken out of class and brought to a special holding room. Their cars were then searched under the justification of reasonable suspicion. Subsequent results or punishments relating to the students were reported to their parents. Many students were subjected to the process under false findings and were allowed to return to their classes. Administration has declined to disclose how many, or if any students were caught with prohibited items for privacy concerns. “We try our best to keep [the student information] as private as possible, we don’t want to embarrass students,” Lawson said.
a tooth brush, shampoo, and conditioner. The kits will be given to Resource Inc., a non-profit organization that assists people who are unemployed, recovering from chemical dependency, or suffering from mental illnesses. The game will include a special halftime performance by Deeply Royal and a dunk contest. For more information and updates, follow @ProPEL16 on Twitter.
Lawson stressed that the goal of the lockdown was to insure the safety of the school and students. He also felt that it was a good resource to identify and provide help for students who need it. “It’s not an ‘I gotcha’, it’s not a ‘Haha, we found something.’ It is about keeping our school safe.” Lawson said. “Every time we do a search my hope is that we don’t find a student with anything on them. We don’t want to be in a position where we have to punish kids, we want to be able to help them.”
Photo by Trianna Downing
A line of police cars waits outside HHS. The first soft lockdown of the year was performed on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
news 3
the
RPThursday, October 22, 2015
A look into the popularity of coffee at HHS by Michael Korsh Staff Reporter
A
s Abby Feitl, sophomore, walks into the Starbucks Coffee in Golden Valley, the barista already knows her name and her order: a grande iced Marble Mocha Macchiato. Like Feitl, many students arrive each morning with disposable and reusable Caribou and Starbucks Coffee cups filled to the brim with their favorite beverages. Teachers sip away at their travel mugs of coffee during class. Even the Royal Rock Café serves coffee with a variety of flavored syrups to choose from. “When I started drinking coffee, it was just because I liked the taste of it,” Feitl said. “Now, I drink coffee because it tastes good and it’s got caffeine in it.” As coffee habits evolve and become widely popularized at HHS, the nutritional and financial effects of coffee on high school students emerge. According to the National Coffee Association, 59 percent of American adults drink coffee every day, and 71 percent at least once a week. And coffee drinkers are not only adults: accord-
ing to the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey, 14.8 percent of high school students drink coffee. The national popularity of coffee greatly exists throughout HHS as well. A survey of over 750 HHS students reveals that 44.8 percent drink coffee. 22 percent of these coffee drinkers have daily habits, while 42 percent admit to having monthly habits. According to Dr. Donald Hensrud, an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, coffee may have potential health benefits including protecting against Parkinson's disease and type II diabetes, improving cognitive function and decreasing the risk of depression. Hensrud also states that while coffee may come with benefits, other beverages such as fruit juices contain nutrients that are important for the body. He also warns that adding cream and sugar to coffee adds fat and calories. Many of these cream and sugar-based drinks, however, are the most popular among students like Feitl. “I get either an iced grande Marble Mocha Macchiato, an iced grande nonfat Vanilla Latte, or a venti Mango Black Tea Lemonade,” Feitl said. Popular blended beverages such
survey of over 750 students during Advisory The best in the business: Areveals the most popular places to get coffee
3.3% Gas Station 0.9% Royal Rock Café 3.9% Other
44.5% Prefer Caribou Coffee
30% Prefer Starbucks Coffee
Source: Royal Page Survey of 752 students during Advisory on 9/28
17.5% Brew Coffee at Home
Inforgraphic by Michael Korsh
as the Caribou Cooler® and Starbucks’ Frappuccino® are also among these highly caloric and unhealthy coffee drinks. A “grande” (16 ounce) size Java Chip Frappuccino® contains 470 calories, as well as 66 grams of sugar, which is well over the recommended daily amount. Starbucks’ “blended crème” Frappuccino drinks contain no coffee at all, but still have plenty of sugar, fat, and calories. A grande Vanilla Bean Frappuccino® has 450 calories and 57 grams of sugar. Caffeine, the powerful stimulant found in coffee beverages, is also an added risk of frequent coffee consumption. Because students must be alert and well-prepared for class at as early as 7:47 a.m., caffeine is used to counteract students’ exhaustion. “I don’t rely on [coffee] but I appreciate the caffeine during the school week,” Feitl said. The Mayo Clinic warns the dangers of consuming coffee to help wake up in the morning, stating that it can create an unwelcome sleep cycle. They recommend that teens consume no more than 100 milligrams of caffeine per day. However, most coffee beverages contain much more than the recommended amount: a medium-sized “Coffee of the Day” from Caribou Coffee contains 305 milligrams of caffeine, more than three times the Mayo Clinic’s recommended limit. Katie Kennedy, store manager of Starbucks Coffee Highway 7 and Hopkins Crossroad, said they see rush periods of students during the school year. “Once school gets in session, and [with school] starting earlier, we get a little earlier of a rush, and we do get a bit of an afternoon rush as soon as school gets out,” Kennedy said. A coffee habit, along with its nutritional disadvantages, can also be costly habit. Buying a grande sized coffee, which costs $2.10, from Starbucks every day would total $350.70 for the school year. A Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, costing $3.95, would total about $660 for the school year. Kennedy acknowledges the profits made from students’ purchases of these drinks. “[High school students] are the ones getting the Frappuccinos and the fancy lattes, and a lot more food than normal, so in that sense it affects our business,” Kennedy said. Brewing coffee at home, like 17.5 percent of HHS coffee drinkers, is a more affordable option. A pound of Starbucks’ French Roast costs only $11.95, and makes about 45 cups of coffee. Instead of buying a $2.10 cup daily from Starbucks or a $2.09 cup from Caribou, making a cup of coffee at home every day saves just over $300 per school year. The Royal Rock Cafe also has a less costly option for students who cannot afford Starbucks or Caribou drinks: a medium coffee only costs $1.75. This saves a mere 0.9 percent of drinkers who prefer the Café almost $60 every school year. Despite many nutritional and financial drawbacks of frequenting large coffee chains, the franchises' accessibility and environment is what keeps customers like Feitl coming back for refills. “I appreciate the good customer service. The cost doesn’t matter to me that much, and I try to get nonfat milk or not always get very sugary drinks,” Feitl said. “I know what [Starbucks has], and I like a majority of their drinks.”
Photos licensed through Creative Commons
RPThursday, October 22, 2015
the
4news
Uncovering the recent graffiti at HHS and those who were affected by it the tradition of painting the rock outside of Lindbergh Center has been another example. Each year, members of the senior class paint the rock according to their class color, and other schools have been known to paint the rock their school colors before games. While Lawson believes the graffiti of the rock isn’t something that takes away from the perception of HHS, the recent Armstrong graffiti does. “Vandalism is destruction of property. There is a value to everything you vandalize. When you vandalize public places like schools and stores, what does that say to the community?” Lawson said. “We want this to be a model school, not a vandalized school.”
by Morgan Downing and Addie Lennon News Editor and Print Editor-in-Chief 72-year-old Terry Skelton and his wife spent five days of this past August cleaning up graffiti sprayed outside HHS. Using hydrochloric acid and high pressured water, Skelton attempted to erase the red spray paint that covered the sidewalk, bricks, and windows outside the school’s west wing. “It was hot, so it took us about ten hours, but we broke it down into segments over five days,” Skelton said. “I started on Sunday, [Aug. 30] because I figured there’d be no traffic. It was just me and my wife [cleaning up the graffiti].” Skelton and his wife have been the owners of Graffiti Control Services for the past six years. After Skelton retired from a previous job, he bought the company. HHS hired the couple after the school was graffitied. According to Minneapolis law, regardless of the party at fault for the graffiti, it is the responsibility of the property owner to clean it up. Initially, Trenton Lawson, Assistant Principal, was shocked to see the graffiti. “Since I’ve been here, there has never been vandalism as bad as this. Of course it was at the beginning of the year, and students were just coming in, so we were like ‘we gotta get this cleaned up before the students get here,’” Lawson said. “The fact that it was hate graffiti was really shocking to us.” Students from the Armstrong School District are believed to be guilty of the vandalism, as the phrases written included “Falcons Armstrong.” The graffiti also included obscene terms towards females, and a variety of profane words. “We contacted the principals at Armstrong [as well as] other schools but didn’t get any comments back,” Lawson said. “They support us. They don’t want schools vandalized, but they didn’t know what was going on or what happened.” When the Royal Page contacted Armstrong administration, they claimed no prior knowledge of the incident. Though HHS did not receive any information from Armstrong or other schools contacted, a police report was filed. The Minnetonka Police Department is currently investigating the case. While vandalism is generally seen as a lower priority issue by the public, Captain Shelley Petersen, who has worked with the Minnetonka Police Department for 24 years, treats all cases with
Above is an enhanced illustration of the graffiti that was outside of Lindbergh at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. The graffiti consisted of various references to Armstrong High School, as well as offensive terms and slurs. illustration by Morgan Downing
“If we didn’t do anything about ____” people damaging property, every“ one would do it. ____” -Captain Shelley Petersen, Minnetonka Police Department
the same attitude. “There isn’t [any case] that’s like ‘Oh, that’s nothing.’ If someone has their car keyed, you feel as passionate about it as that victim. You can’t ignore the stuff that you see early on; they all turn into something bigger,” Captain Petersen said. “If we didn’t do anything about the people damaging
property, everyone would do it.” No matter the case’s priority, Petersen believes the process of solving it stays the same. “[When finding a suspect,] it doesn’t matter what the case is, but it does matter upon [the evidence,] such as if it’s local or chargeable,” Captain Petersen said. “From there, is the evidence photo or DNA? Anything with blood or saliva automatically takes six to eight weeks minimum, sometimes it can take six to eight months.” The added aspect of bias can turn a vandalism case into a high priority. Congress has defined a biased crime as any “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.” Biased crimes can go as far as placing people in dangerous situations. Skelton recalls cleaning up hate graffiti in the past and feeling endangered. “I have had the Minneapolis police protect me in spots where people have been killed by shootings,” Skelton said. The recent vandalism at HHS does not fall under the definition of a biased crime, but rather an extreme example of school rivalries. In the past,
Sources: Vox Magazine, Graffiti Hurts, The Factsite
Infographic by Addie Lennon
news 5
the
RPThursday, October 22, 2015
Technology in the Classroom A look into how technology use has expanded in schools across the nation. of students and teachers will have access to a schoolissued computing device by 2016
The number of Chromebooks sold in 2014 for education were more
The Chromebooks are changing how HHS students interact in the classroom. While some continue to prefer to verbally communicate, others have chosen to communicate digitally using websites like Google Drive, Moodle forums, and Peardeck.
photo by Ruby Krietzman
Chromebook culture: By Abby Doeden Staff Reporter When Matt Tomlinson, sophomore, walks into his second block Algebra 2 class, he immediately pulls out his Acer Chromebook to complete the daily Peardeck warm-up. This year Hopkins has joined the many schools developing one-to-one programs with technology. The addition of Chromebooks into the curriculum now gives all students access to online resources. Currently, Minnetonka High School and Wayzata High School both have one-to-one programs in place using iPads. Eden Prairie School District also has several one-to-one programs using both tablets and computers. While the one-to-one program is new to HHS, both North and West Jr. High have had a program with iPads for the past three years. Tomlinson was a member of the North Jr. High Genius Team to help kids with their iPads. He believes that his experience on the Genius Team has given him a more positive outlook on school-issued technology. However, even with his experience on the iPads, Tomlinson says he likes the Chromebooks more than the iPads. “It’s just so much easier when wanting to write a paper. [Chromebooks] are easier to type on than the iPads,” Tomlinson said. According to us.acer.com, an individual Chromebook costs $299.99, while a Chromebook
A look into how much Chromebooks have changed the environment at HHS
“Our take on [the Chromebooks] is that from HHS is free. However, a replacement for a charger costs $15, a replacement case costs $30, things have gone much more smoothly than they a broken Chromebook costs $50, and $100 if the have at some other places that have tried to roll these out.” Unruh-Friesen said. “We’ve had stuChromebook is lost. Mr. John Unruh-Friesen, Digital Learning dents using Hopkins Apps for years here and we were leading up to it.” Coach and Social Studies, However, some problems was very excited when he have developed with the use heard of the Chromebooks of Chromebooks. There coming to HHS. have been cases of Gmail ¨Walking through the accounts not loading corhalls and seeing all of the rectly, numerous amounts of students and staff enblocked websites, and fees gaged in the Chromebooks that students have to pay makes me know all of when it comes to broken or the hard work was worth missing Chromebooks or it,” Unruh-Friesen said. chargers. “When something comes According to Futureup in class that isn’t in the source, Chromebooks not curriculum we can look it only took over 39 percent up and get answers right - Mr. John Unruh-Friesen, of the market last year, but away.” Social Studies and Digital are now the number one According to the Royal technology tool in schools, Page survey, many students Learning Coach overtaking Apple’s iPads. are finding the new reCole Polyak, junior, parsource to be convenient as well. 41 percent of students feel the Chromebooks ticipated in a test group for the Chromebooks last prove to be a useful classroom tool a majority of spring, and believes that the computers are a great the time. About 63.5 percent of students say they learning tool. “[The Chromebooks] really help with studyuse their Chromebooks every day in school. HHS has been preparing for the computers for ing by providing easy access to Moodle and all of years, and Unruh-Friesen believes that Chrome- the resources teachers put out there,” Polyak said. Polyak believes that while the Chromebooks books are a natural progression for the school.
“When something comes up in class that isn’t in the curriculum we can look it up and get answers right away.”
For more information about Hopkins Chromebooks, visit http://hhs-cb.blogspot.com/
bring a plethora of information, they also come with an extensive amount of distractions during school hours. “You have to take the good with the bad,” Polyak said. “When people get bored they will switch to something else on the Chromebook.” Mrs. Andrea Sebenaler, World Language, thinks her students are very responsible in class when it comes to the computers. The “Screens up, Screens down” policy establishes when a student is allowed to have their laptop screen open or closed while on their desks. “[Students] put them away and are respectful most of the time.” Sebenaler said. “The Chromebooks, in my opinion, are better than cell phones. They are easier to see if kids are playing around than phones are.” Sebenaler says that while the Chromebooks have been a helpful addition to her class, she has had to adjust to the new technology. “I am improving with using technology, but it’s hard because when I was young I didn’t have computers. I still had a typewriter in college. All of my knowledge in technology [has been learned in] schools. I have needed to learn it all as I’m going,” Sebenaler said. Unruh-Friesen believes the years of technology trainig at HHS has made this transition easier. “I think teachers had a lot of good starts on things. We have been helping them along the way, and provided a tech camp for anyone who needed it,” said Unruh-Friesen. For Polyak, Chromebooks provide many advantages to learning. “The most positive thing about the Chromebooks is the depth of information that is at your fingertips.” Polyak said.
6 feature
the
RPThursday, October 22, 2015
Dickerson’s rise to fame GSA celebrates Ally Week by Luci Miller Staff Reporter Jasmine Dickerson, senior, has been singing since she could talk. Better known by her stage name ‘Jazzy D,’ Dickerson performs often and enjoys every minute of her shows. “I never really learned to sing, I just grew up in that environment,” Dickerson said. Singing has given her many opportunities. She was able to audition for America’s Got Talent. In third grade, Dickerson went on a European tour with her mom, who is also a singer, and be in the show with her. More recently, she almost had the
chance to sing with Usher and Pepfest since her junior year. “I love [performing]. It’s a Chris Brown, and she got to meet great feelPrince. ing,” Dick“[Meeting erson said. “I Prince] was can feel [the a very excitaudience’s] ing moment,” support.” Dickerson said. Although Dickerson she wishes it also performed could come at an event Jasmine Dickerson, senior, sings at out sooner, for Target the 2015 fall Pepfest. Dickerson where she sang photo by Ruby Krietzman hopes to reAdele’s “Rolling in the Deep” in front of lease her album, called ‘Queen’, in 2016. 20,000 people. “It’s surreal,” Dickerson said. Dickerson says she loves singing for people because she “Just my name being out there feels that they are able to relate to in the music world. I feel like the lyrics. She has at the HHS I’m halfway there.”
by Trianna Downing Managing Editor This week, Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Club is celebrating Ally Week. GSA is committed to bringing awareness to students in and supporting the LGBTQ community at HHS. Co-President Amber Rose Johnson, junior, strives for the club to provide a safe environment for members of the LGBTQ community. “[GSA] is a place where all these people of the community get together and be supported, whether or not they feel they can be out at the whole school or out in a small group,” Johnson said.
To celebrate throughout the week, GSA set up a table during school lunches where students who read GSA’s ally statement received a rainbow ribbon. Students also had the option to sign an ally poster. “The response [from the students] has been great,” Johnson said. “Last year during Ally Week, we made 200 [rainbow ribbons], and we ran out in the first hour. This year we made 100 more.” In reply to any opposition they receive, GSA has a particular method in handling those situations. “They are entitled to their own opinion. But the moment they start expressing their opin-
ion by hurting others, that’s when [GSA] will mention it to an adult to stop them,” Johnson said. GSA is currently planning their first fundraiser, Drag Queen Bowling. The proceeds from the fundraiser will be going to GSA’s Qrom (Queer Prom) in the spring. “Qrom is open to anyone, but it’s specifically for students not from Hopkins or those who aren’t comfortable going to prom with their selected dates,” Johnson said. GSA meets Tuesday mornings at 7:10 am in room West 116. For more information, contact either Mr. Jarrin Williams, Language Arts, or Mr. David Williams, Language Arts.
feature 7
the
RP Thursday, October 22, 2015 The Royal Page 2015-2016
Print Editor in Chief Addie Lennon
Web Editor in Chief Claire Benton
Managing Editor Trianna Downing
News Editor
Morgan Downing
Opinion/Feature Editor Andrew Zhou
Sports Editors Noah Kaplan Jordan Zaroff
Photo Editor
Ruby Krietzman
Videographer Andrew Fern
Staff Reporters
Sydney Craven Abby Doeden Grace Dosdall Seth Eliason Mikey Ewing Joshua Freeman Ellie Fromstein Croix JoliCoeur Dylan Judge-Steuck Alex Kim Michael Korsh Luci Miller Matthew Molnar Kenndy Pierre-Toussaint Fatima Sall Adam Segal David Sheldon Campbell Teigen Max Weesner Rosser Womack
Leeke continues pursuing passion in neuroscience by Andrew Zhou Opinion/Feature Editor
Six years ago in a science booth at the Minnesota State Fair, Katie Leeke, senior, held a human brain in her bare hands. It was love at first sight. “I felt special,” Leeke said. “That was the moment where I thought, ‘Okay, I could get used to this.’” Leeke soon delved into neuroscience, the scientific study of the nervous system, including the brain. Since she was young, Leeke has been interested in both the scientific and medical fields. Those interests finally culminated when she attended a summer camp at the University of England in Portland, Maine over the past summer. “I wanted to make sure that [neuroscience] is what I want to do before I pursue it in college,” Leeke said. “Now, I’m tailoring
all of my college choices to majors in neuroscience as well as strong science programs.” Along with twelve other students selected through a detailed application process across the nation, Leeke spent three weeks intensively studying the neuroscience field under the guidance of several professors and student researchers. An average day entailed hours of lecture, labs, and textbook reading. “We would go into the classroom at 8:00 am after breakfast and sit in lecture. Then we got lunch at noon and went back [to lecture] around 1:00 pm,” Leeke said. “We’d come back and have at least 60 pages of reading. We covered 15 weeks’ worth of material in 15 days, so it was hard.” However, the camp included a more hands-on experience as well. The students participated in numerous labs where they were able to learn about neuroscience up close.
“I liked the cockroach [lab] where we would tear off [a cockroach’s body parts], and the cockroach would not die. By that point, we learned that they don’t have a central nervous system,” Leeke said. “We thought we had finally killed it. We all leaned in close, and the [cockroach] came back to life, so we jumped and ran.” But Leeke did not appreciate the camp solely for its academics. Leeke also gained numerous friends during her time in Maine, and she remains in contact with many of them. “My roommate was from Wisconsin. We were just great together,” Leeke said. The thirteen students were able to bond over dissecting sheep brains, pulling apart cockroaches, and pulling all-nighters in preparation for scientific presentations. “We read the textbook cover to cover,” Leeke said. “It was in-
Infographic by Sydney Craven
tense, but it was okay because I was interested in it.” Eventually, Leeke hopes to continue pursuing neuroscience in the surgical field, a lifelong aspiration stemming from a single visit to the Minnesota State Fair.
What’s new at hopkinsrp.org? “Absolute” Hirschuber
Adviser
Mr. Kocur The editorial represents the opinion of the newspaper staff. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the administration, the student body or the advisor. Signed viewpoints represent the view of the writer. The Royal Page operates as an open forum student publication, and student editors make editorial decisions regarding content. Advertising information available by mail, fax and phone. Annual Subscriptions are available for $20. The Royal Page encourages letters to the editor. Letters are not guaranteed publication, are subject to editing for content and length, must be signed and meet deadlines. Compliments and suggestions are also welcome.
She’s the First ‘expanding horizons’
Experiencing the Renaissance Festival
For now, however, she is settling for taking college-level science classes at HHS. “I’m really excited for Anatomy and Physiology. There are [lessons related to neuroscience], and I’m like, ‘Wow, I really recognize that; I studied that.’”
Teachers of HHS: Mr. Michael Gehlsen
RPThursday, October 22, 2015
GR
the
8in-depth
JOB DESCRIPTIONS: I work for my dad. He’s a general contractor. We put windows into houses and do repair work for houses. I’m a carpenter’s apprentice.
AD
UA TIO
FAVORITE THING ABOUT JOB: I really get to build a relationship with my father. We had a rough patch last year and this job has really helped improve our relationship. Also, I have learned things from this job that I can use for the rest of my life, whether it’s making a new room in a basement or fixing doors. I won’t have to hire someone when I’m older to do these things.
N Harris Johnson, Alumnus
CA UT
E NE X XT
I R T IGH
T
HARDEST THING ABOUT JOB: The hardest thing about my job is the learning curve. I’ve never been a handyman in my life so when my dad started teaching me things I got frustrated so easily, which made it hard to get in a groove. Now that I’ve gotten past most of the learning, I’m able to do things without his help.
ION
JOB DESCRIPTION: I’m an assistant ballet teacher for kindergarteners and first graders. FAVORITE THING ABOUT JOB: When it comes to recital time and they get in their costumes, it’s just the sweetest thing, and I get to stand backstage and watch them perform. Just seeing the happiness of them and their parents is the best thing for me.
Kim Krattley, Senior
FUNNIEST STORY: There was one girl who ran up to me, grabbed my hands, and said, “You wanna see something cool?” She put her hands on my knees, jumped up, and flipped off of me. I started freaking out because I didn’t want to drop her. She asked if I wanted her to do it again and I said, “No.”
Grant Cohen, Sophomore
JOB DESCRIPTION: I scare people at Cleaver’s Bloodshed at Valleyfair. FAVORITE THING ABOUT JOB: Getting to meet a lot of good people and making people drop to the floor out of fear. HARDEST THING ABOUT JOB: Dealing with 14-year-olds who think that they’re original. HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED THERE: It’s my second year working and I plan to continuing working for at least another two or three years.
Ben Vickery, Junior
FUNNIEST STORY: I could go into probably hours of stories. I remember last year I was working in the pit and I scared a girl who ran into the next room, fell to the floor, screamed, and peed herself.
:
JOB DESCRIPTION: I draw caricatures. I’ve been drawing my whole life, and I explored all different kinds of styles. I had a caricature artist at a birthday party of mine, and I was like, ‘maybe I can do that too.’ So I practiced and taught myself. All of a sudden I realized, ‘wow I’m actually starting to get better at this.’ I soon started doing parties, and built a website. FAVORITE THING ABOUT JOB: I get to make people feel good, and make people laugh. It’s just really fun to see their faces once they see the caricature. HARDEST THING ABOUT JOB: Sitting down for long periods of time. It can be hard on my back. LENGTH OF TIME WORKED: I plan to be a doctor. I’ll probably [make caricatures] throughout high school and into college.
the
RP Thursday, October 22, 2015
Students learn life skills in jobs, internships by Mike Ewing Staff Reporter Students spend about six and a half hours in school taking notes, doing quizzes and tests, and completing their classwork before they’re allowed to go home. However, for Mike Schmitz, senior, when the final bell rings, his work has only just begun. Schmitz spends his time after school at Lifetime Fitness in Eden Prairie, where he works as many as 20 to 25 hours a week. According to the U.S. Census, one in four high school students ages 16 and above work part time jobs. However, because of these jobs, some students are unable to make school their top priority. “I think working is very important. I learn all kinds of things that I could never learn at school,” Schmitz said. “While I think working is necessary, it also takes away a lot of my time for completing school work.” Asher Weisberg, senior, currently has an unpaid internship at Greenroom, a promotional company that puts on shows across the Twin Cities. Weisberg com-
STU Now hiring:
pletes a large variety of tasks in his internship. He believes his experience trumps most things he does within classes at the high school. “I think that the things I’m doing at my internship, and in my extracurricular life, are far more valuable than some of the things I’m working on [at HHS],” Weisberg said. While Weisberg believes that the work he does will be beneficial for him in the future, the late hours sometimes push him to the limits of Minnesota state laws. In Minnesota, high school students of ages 16 or 17 may not work after 11 p.m. on evenings or before five a.m on school days. With written permission from a parent or guardian, these hours may be expanded to 11:30 p.m. and 4:30 a.m, respectively. “For all-ages shows, I’m usually done by 11 p.m, but for the 18-plus shows, I’m there until 3 or 4 a.m.,” Weisberg said. “Even though that’s usually only once a weekend, I occasionally won’t get to bed until 3 a.m. on a school night, I’ve definitely been out all night before.” The ProPEL program at HHS is formalizing internships as a means of preparing students for the future. “PROPEL helps students prepare for jobs
later in life, because it gives them real world experience outside of the classroom,” said Kirsten Slinde, Health Science and ProPEL advisor. Slinde believes that in addition to realworld experience, students need a strong education before entering the workforce. “I think students have to be able to go through high school in order to succeed in PROPEL,” Slinde said. “I just got an email from a past student who couldn’t believe how helpful PROPEL was until she had started her career.” Mr. Jesse Theirl, Business Education and ProPEL advisor, believes that while school is designed to prepare students for college, PROPEL seeks to build the soft skills that employers will value in the workplace. “So many times in school, it’s pretty structured for you, like ‘here: do steps 1-10.’ When you get outside of this building, there [aren’t those] steps anymore; you have to figure things out,”Theirl said. Although Weisberg’s job requires an excessive amount of hours and is unpaid, he believes that in the end the job is worth the work. “I think that experience is the most important thing, which is what I’m getting,” Weisberg said.
DE NT WO S A RK T
This in-depth focuses on the issues the modern student faces as they either enter the workforce or prepare to in the future.
This editorial represents the personal views of Dylan Judge-Steuck by Dylan Judge-Steuck Staff Reporter
Jobs are an important part of becoming an adult. Whether flipping burgers or fixing cars, jobs are a great way to meet new people, learn a skill, and make cash. However, it’s not that easy for teen to get a job. Getting a job is a big step in the walk of life. Businesses no longer care about you as a human. All that matters: if you can be there when and how they need you; no room for underdogs or second guesses. Jobs also puts extra stress on teens who do things like sports, theatre, clubs, band, and
in-depth 9
other extracurricular activities. Seniors also spend a lot of their year planning for the future with applications, college visits, and open houses. Suddenly, they have to balance homework, friends, and classes. But what about when you walk into a restaurant and see someone your age working there? Or even worse: someone you know. It’s not that big of a deal at places where you just get your things and get out, such as Menards or Target, but at places like walgreens where you buy specific things. There’s nothing more awkward than going shopping for personal things and you have to
put that box of laxatives on t h e counter in front of Gary from science. When you walk into a restaurant, whether it be by yourself, with friends, or with family, the last thing you want to see is a familiar face from school going up to your booth and asking what you want to stuff your face with. And if someone doesn’t leave a good tip they just know
you’re getting a bad reputation on Monday. Nobody wants to be known as the bad tipper Monday at school. It’s extremely uncomfortable when a kid who you really don’t like and you just know they don’t like you try to act friendly at a restaurant. Just sitting there and hoping that you don’t end up getting spit in your food. It takes all the pleasures of eating out and throws them right out the window, especially if you have anxiety or just hate people in general. An overall awkward situation for both parties involved. Overall, jobs are very useful thing to have in our teen years, sometimes inconvenient, but useful. It can make a romantic dinner akward, or a fun family lunch stressful, but one day, you might find yourself in the position of serving that weird kid who never showers. Good luck and keep on working.
RPThursday, October 22, 2015
the
10 op/ed
It’s a mess out there: by Fatima Sall Staff Reporter
Hushed murmurs and the sound of feet shuffling echoed through the entrance of HHS. Returning students conversed with their peers while I took in the scenery of a brand new school. A word to describe my first day is “chaotic.” Coming from a small junior high, I had never been exposed to so many people. Students filled the mall, an area where most people met up to talk with their peers. School is by far the worst place to find students with manners. They will bump and push past you without the slightest “I’m sorry,” or “excuse me,” but hey, who really cares? However, I admired the di-
versity of the building; everyone seemed to enjoy each other’s company despite race or religion, and I was intrigued. I was removed from my thoughts by the loud bell for first block. “Crap,” I mumbled to myself. I was not prepared for what yet was to come. I made my way down the hallway, receiving blank stares from students who appeared to be juniors and seniors. Apparently, they owned the school and sophomores were just an accessory. A couple students noticed my frustration in finding my first block class, but yet again, no one seemed to show the least bit of empathy. “Okay, students, we have a new student to the class! Please,
photo by Ruby Krietzman
A first person perspective into being a new student walking the halls of HHS
introduce yourself,” my new teacher said. I couldn’t help but feel instant rage shoot through my body. I was in a class full of older students who didn’t know me, and I wanted to keep it that way. I stood from my chair in the back of the room and mumbled, “My name’s Fatou, but I prefer Fatima.” After my introduction, I analyzed the room and the students. Each person had different characteristics that were unexplainable, but seemed to make them unique. Lunch was by far the most difficult experience of the entire day. I was basically a fish out of water. I didn’t know my lunch pin, or where to get food, and most importantly who to sit with.
Various faces scattered the lunchroom, but I could not figure out who would match my personality best. I didn’t want to be a burden upon anyone, so I settled on sitting at a table by myself. Great way to seem cool, huh? After lunch, I walked to my last class ashamed and embarrassed by my first lunch experience. I tried to shake off the feelings, yet I still questioned why no one wanted to sit with me. My last block, Newspaper, was filled with a handful of juniors and seniors. To say the least, I was an antelope in a room full of tigers. I tried to play the cool kid and seem outgoing, but yet again I completely failed. “Okay class, to start off, tell us what kitchen utensil you
would use to describe your summer,” my teacher, Mr. Kocur, said. “Really? A kitchen utensil? Of all things...” I laughed to myself. “Uh. Is it Fa...tou?” “Yes, but I prefer-” I sighed. “Never mind.” “What utensil?” I tried to think of the coolest kitchen utensil invented, which obviously wasn’t the easiest thing to do. “Um. A butter knife?” I answered nonchalantly. What a cool idea. Goodbye to ever being popular. “Wow. pretty boring summer, huh?” “Yeah, I guess…” The rest of the class time was spent coming up with story pitches for the first issue of the
paper. Hearing students yell out potential ideas for the paper made me feel like I was in an actual conference room with legit writers. I enjoyed seeing everyone’s engagement in the conversation and silently watched until I was assigned a story. I decided on writing about my first day experience, which could possibly help other new students know they’re not alone. My advice? Don’t believe the hype. There aren’t students dancing on tables or bursting out into song. High school isn’t a musical. It is nothing like what’s depicted on television; it’s the complete opposite. But keep a positive mindset and surrond yourself with exraordinary individuals. Take it from me: it gets better.
op/ed11
the
RPThursday, October 22, 2015
This year, I am a National Merit Semifinalist, meaning that I have joined a prestigious group of students who hold the top 3 percent of PSAT scores across the nation. Administrators, local news reporters, and even my orthodontist have bestowed congratulations and awards upon me. Everything’s coming up roses. But since I’m Chinese, it doesn’t really come as a surprise to a number of students I know. “It’s not really fair since he’s Chinese,” they say, only half-jokingly. Yes, my parents are, indeed, from China. How perceptive. My mother immigrated to Minnesota from China shortly after getting married. Many years later, I was born in Eden Prairie, Minn., becoming the first in my family to be born in America. Now, if you ask people in America what a Chinese parent is like, you will likely hear about a single figure over and over again: the Dragon Lady. However, if you ask people in China what a Chinese parent is like, you will likely hear about somebody completely different: the Virtuous Woman. Truth be told, The Dragon Lady and The Virtuous Woman are simply two aspects of a single person. She is skinny and frail, and a plain comb sticks out of her hair, which is always kept in a meticulous bun. She wants her children to be doctors or engineers who earn high salaries and obediently eat their rice. She threatens, insults, and exhausts her children to ensure maximum intelligence and minimum defiance. Above all, she will do whatever it takes to bring honor upon her family. To many Americans, The Dragon Lady represents the worst kind of parent: the kind who will abuse and destroy her children just for bragging rights. To some of my friends, my mother fits that bill completely. But to the Chinese, The Virtuous Woman represents the most venerable kind of parent: the kind who will push her children to their full potential, even at the cost of her own reputation. See, Chinese parenting isn’t about being overly strict and harsh or whipping one’s offspring into obedience. It’s simply about being responsible. “We’re just doing our jobs,” my mother told me. “It’s tradition. Unlike in America, there’s only one path to success, so kids have to get good grades, go to college, and study for a practical job. We’re competitive; we don’t have as many options as Americans.” That attitude especially applies to immigrants like my mother, who arrive in this Land of Opportunity with no money, no connections, and no place to truly call home. All they have for themselves and their children is their work ethic. But it’s a work ethic that seems to pay off. According to a Pew Research Center survey, Asian Americans generally earn more money than Americans, a higher percentage of them possess college degrees, and they are generally happier with their lives. That same survey found that, as many Asian Americans can tell
you, Asian Americans value family, education, and hard work above all else. Thus, strict parents and genius kids. So the stereotype of The Dragon Lady is based in some sort of truth, I guess. But that doesn’t comfort me when that A on my test makes me “Chinese” or my attendance of a math class makes me “Double Chinese.” Suddenly, because of the color of my skin, success doesn’t make me successful. Hard work doesn’t make me hard working. It makes me “Chinese.” What does that even mean? If I fail this class and flunk that next math test, would I be a little more “white?” Is that what Americans have decided to associate themselves with? After all, the U.S. has a clear educational problem. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment, China absolutely trounces the U.S. year after year when it comes to student performance. However, a common (and fairly valid) criticism levelled at Chinese parenting is that it is the stuff of psychological nightmares, stunting emotional development and destroying individuality. Those criticisms were especially prevalent when Chinese mother Amy Chua, quintessential, fire-breathing Dragon Lady, released her memoir, entitled “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” in 2011. The book contained a series of delightful anecdotes, including a story where Chua threatened to burn her daughter’s stuffed animals due to a lack of piano practice. Indeed, when taken to the extreme, that kind of intense parenting is sure to cause some damage. Even my traditional Chinese parents, who think that my chances of getting into MIT are “pretty high,” didn’t approve. However, underneath the abuse, Chua was getting at something revolutionary. She understood a simple fact of life that many of us have long forgotten. “We should assume strength in our children, not weakness,” Chua said. My father, who manages engineers for a living in California and lives in a house worth a million dollars, has taken that to heart. “I’m not that rich,” he said to me as I walked laps around his private swimming
De-clawing, de-fanging the Dragon Lady Maybe Chinese parenting isn’t so scary after all by Andrew Zhou Opinion/Feature Editor
“Unlike in America, there’s only one path to success... We’re competitive; we ____” don’t have as many options as Americans. “ ____” -Yuan Pan, Andrew Zhou’s mother
pool. “But how well-off do you want to be?” “I don’t care too much,” I said. “I’d be more than happy living like you do.” “Oh, don’t worry. You’re going to be way more successful than me.” It’s a ridiculous thought. But it’s the same thought my father’s father believed and my mother’s mother strived for when the U.S. was just a speck on the other side of the globe. It was the thought that their children should have a future. So every stern glare my mother gives me is a hand-me-down. Every night my father has me spend studying until midnight is secondhand. It’s all part of the thought that children are born to step into the shoes of the Virtuous Woman. My parents know that I am what people will call “Chinese.” They know that I am better than “good enough.” They know that I am deserving of amazing things. And you know what? They’re right.
pho
to b y
And re
w Zh
ou
12op/ed
the
RP Thursday, October 22, 2015
Editorial: Students deserve access to building
The staff editorial represents the viewpoint of the Royal Page
With the beginning of a new school year, we on the Royal Page have noticed a significant change in the supervision of the entrances into the building. Before the start of the year, students involved in select choir groups were notified that the front doors would not be open in time for their 6:45 am practice. Only the distant doors of
the Lindbergh Center are open before 7 am., and those of us who try to make the two-minute dash into the building have been rerouted. We performed a simulation to time how long it takes to walk from parking spot 389 to the room of Mr. Don Habel, cience. Using the science entrance, we cruised inside the classroom door in a quick 43 seconds. Going through the front
Top 10 10 9
8
:
door, on the other hand, took 3 minutes and 47 seconds. We want to feel welcome in our school. When it’s below zero degrees out, pouring rain, or on those days we’re carrying more bags than we can manage, it would be nice to know our school facilitates an easy access to our classes. We understand that students cannot plan for everything. A significant portion of our stu-
Things to do before the doors open at 7:00
Complain about the doors not being open before 7:00 Drop a fire mixtape Actually read the student handbook Try to break down the doors
7 6 Geoff and Midori concert 5 Drag race 4 Visit hopkinsrp.org
3 Take a hike to the water tower 2 Practice showing student ID
1 Go home.
dent body drives for over 20 minutes to school every morning, and they cannot be held at fault for other drivers’ accidents, construction delays, or icy roads. Sometimes the coffee spills in the morning, or the alarm doesn’t go off. It shouldn’t be expected that the science doors can save us every time a delay occurs, but we would like to hope that we at least stand a chance of getting to class on time when circumstances slow us down. After all, isn’t that what administration wants? For us to be at school on time? When we asked Ms. Patty Awsumb, Principal, about the reasons behind the entrance restrictions, she stated it was for safety reasons. We understand the importance of keeping the school safe. In a post-Columbine time where school shootings are a fleeting headline soon to be forgotten by all but those involved, it is not just the principal who
fears this possibility of danger. We are in a building with 1,655 students. Every day, we see faces we have never seen before. How can we expect our paras to recognize whether every human entering really belongs in the building when we students couldn’t do the same? Being unable to easily access the school for extracurriculars, such as music and clubs, discourages students from participating. For the majority of these extracurriculars, the time needed to complete tasks for the groups and clubs each morning can be between 45 minutes to an hour. With the limited access, students must choose between parking in the front lot and make the circuitous walk through the Lindbergh entrance or parking in the Lindbergh lot and moving their car back to the front before school begins. When meetings run until 7:45 am, this puts students at risk for being either stuck in the Lindbergh lot without hav-
ing bought a daily pass or late for class because they chose to avoid a ticket and move their car around. Simply put, we don’t want to feel locked out of and into our school. We want to walk in the front entrance for extracurriculars, to feel trusted with our off-campus classes, to run through the science doors when we are behind schedule. The old system was not foolproof or guaranteed to prevent harm, but the new methods aren’t either. How can anyone be sure that an armed student or stranger will not enter through the Lindbergh entrance? Is the next step searching through cars or frisking students before they enter school at all? Either way, both systems cause concern. But at this point in the year, as students, we feel limited. Instead of a welcoming campus, it feels as if we’re restricted in a daily lockdown.
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down In this space, HHS students share the positives and negatives of Chromebooks. “I like the protective case.” -Grant Cohen, sophomore
“Everything I want to do is blocked, including Webkinz.” -Hannah Segelbaum, senior
“I use mine every day.” -Alissa Oestreich, junior
“I see no point for them. I haven’t charged mine yet this year.” -John Koch, senior Infographic by Andrew Zhou
RPThursday, October 22, 2015
the
13 op/ed
Me and my other half: pros and cons of twinhood by Trianna Downing Managing Editor
Having a twin has been one of the most beneficial aspects of my life. I can understand why Morgan gets frustrated with our situation. I, too, get annoyed when people treat us like trick monkeys. People ask the same questions. No, we don’t know who’s older. No, we don’t have twin telepathy. No, I wouldn’t feel Morgan’s pain if someone punched her in the face. I would, however, feel her rage. Sometimes we’re labeled as utterly adorable, and it’s utterly annoying. We’re adorable when we wear the same outfits, or when we take turns driving our Infinity. I hear cooing if we walk down the hall side by side. However, the good definitely outweighs the bad. For instance, imagine having a clone modeling an outfit for you because you’re too lazy to do so yourself, or your clone taking out the trash while you do the dishes. But I think school is where Morgan comes in handy the most. I admit high school has forced us to modify our studying methods. When we both signed up to take APUSH, we were shocked to find that we had different teachers. But we still studied for tests together, shared notes, and quizzed each other on the reading. Having Morgan around made it easier to make friends. Sophomore year, Morgan met people I didn’t know existed. Unknowingly, some of those people would walk up to me and make conversation as if I were her. After I corrected them, and they recovered from their embarrassment, we got to talking and soon her friends were mine. But there’s an emotional factor that makes our experience so much better. Because of our connection, communication is simple between the two of us. Sometimes all I need to do is talk, and all she needs to do is listen. Morgan knows I worry about the future and whether or not I can go through college without her being by my side. For the most part, I imagine being away from her in another state; being independent and exploring by myself. But a sliver of my heart longs to go to class with her and study together, always knowing the other’s okay. I know she and I are going to be just fine, because having a twin isn’t like having a sister or brother. I couldn’t explain it in depth without leaving you confused. Just know our relationship is so genuine and precious for someone to mess it up.
What’s the best part of having a twin?
“Always having a friend.”
Ellie Fishman, sophomore What’s the worst part of having a twin? “You have to share everything.” Gabe Fishman, sophomore
by Morgan Downing News Editor
I’m often told about how lucky I am to have a twin. I have someone I can share clothes with, someone who knows exactly how I’m feeling, and someone who looks exactly like me which is supposedly “adorable.” But here’s the reality. I have someone who has almost the same body shape as me which leads to her stealing my clothes at any given moment. This same someone knows exactly how I’m feeling and, therefore, will not leave me alone when I’m upset because she wants to know why. And as for being identical, I have someone who I am constantly being mistaken for at least three times a day. It still surprised me to hear that people believe school is where having a twin is the most convenient. I have someone to study with, a friend to sit with at lunch, and a “clone” that I can go to my classes for me. To be honest, it can be a constant struggle. It can get extremely tiring having to correct people when they call me Trianna because I’m not the twin they were looking for. Sometimes it can get a little scary. I was once chased by a girl who thought I was Trianna jokingly running away from her. While she could easily laugh off the mistake, I was busy trying to catch my breath and convince myself of the fact that I wasn’t being chased by a mad woman. Also, there’s never a day where I’m not asked about my sister. People will not hesitate to ask where Trianna is at any certain moment or how she’s doing. I’m sorry, but the whole “twin telepathy” thing is a complete lie. If you really want to know how Trianna is doing, you’ll have to ask her yourself. People also believe twins always do homework together. We are rarely in the same classes, so homework is usually done in separate rooms. Besides, try having someone edit your English papers when they’re always pointing out the lack of Oxford Commas. And for all that are wondering, no, we’re not looking at the same colleges. Even though I won’t have that support system to turn to, I know we’ll make it work, because we’re only a phone call or text message away from each other. I shouldn’t lie; having a twin has its many benefits. I always have a great conversation starter since people are always so interested in my status as a twin. Parties are less awkward if I don’t know anyone, because I have Trianna to socialize with. Most importantly, I have someone who is willing to listen to what I have to say. I wish I could say there’s an easy explanation for what it feels like being a twin, but I can’t. All I can say is that no matter what I do or where I am, I know there’s someone out there that will always be there for me because she’s a small part of me that I’ll never be able to let go of. However, if I could get rid of the fact that we look so much alike, that would be great.
What’s the best part of having a twin? “Twin telepathy.” Matthew Ribnick, junior What’s the worst part of having a twin? “Sharing.” Benji Ribnick, junior
RP Thursday, October 22, 2015
the
14 sports
HHS sports update No luck for the Irish
Once a Royal. . .
Entering the game, the Rosemount Irish were the fifthbest football team in the state of Minnesota, according to The Associated Press. On the other hand, the Royals came into the game with a record of 2-6. The Royals stunned the Irish, wining the game 28-21. The next section game will be held tomorrow at Osseo.
XC boys win conference race
photo by Jules Ameel
Tim Shannon, as a junior, delivers a pitch in a section game for the Royals. Shannon is now a pitcher at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Tim Shannon, former Hopkins athlete, recovers from UCL tear to star for the University of Minnesota By Alex Kim Staff Reporter
Tim Shannon, HHS alumn, has continued his baseball career into college. After tearing his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) at the last spring baseball practice for the Michigan Wolverines, Shannon had to undergo Tommy John surgery. “It was tough, but I’ve heard stories about pitchers in the pros that have had the same surgery come back and still be successful, so I felt pretty confident that I could do the same,” Shannon said. Brave and confident words from Shannon but that should come as no surprise since he has always dreamt big. A Twins fan growing up, Shannon looked up to the players on the mound as his role models. “As a kid, I used to model my game like the Twins’ star pitchers, Francisco LIriano and Johan Santana,” Shannon said. In his senior year of high school, Shannon received recognition for his pitching, being selected to first team all state, all section 6AAA, all Lake
Conference, and as a Mr. Baseball finalist. The 6’7”, 208 lb right-handed pitcher received an offer from the University of Michigan to play division one baseball for the Wolverines. He agreed almost right away. “I was a big Wolverine fan when I was a kid. When I was younger, I watched Michigan football with my family on Saturdays. I had some relatives with season tickets so I would also go to one or two games a year,” Shannon said. At Michigan, during the last fall baseball practice of the year, Shannon went through his pitching motion and heard a pop. He later found out that he had torn his UCL and fractured his elbow. Shannon had a busy offseason after that. While studying for his major in political science and focusing on rehabbing his elbow, the Wolverines coach that had recruited him was fired from Michigan. Shannon ultimately decided the best place for his future was at the University of Minnesota. “I was being talked to by other colleges to play baseball, but once the [U of M] contacted me, I was in,” Shannon said, “It helped a lot to know a lot of the guys on the team from high school. It
also helped knowing a lot of people throughout the campus and ultimately just being home.” Shannon is now a redshirt junior for the Gophers, with this past season being his first since his injury. His stats for those games were ten starts, two wins, and five losses. He also pitched 52.1 innings and struck out 26 batters. “I had a great experience coming back. One of my favorite experiences was when the team went down to the Twins’ spring practice and scrimmaged them. College baseball has been everything I had hoped it would be and more; it’s a dream come true,” Shannon said. Shannon believes playing professionally is a possibility. “I’m taking one thing at a time. I’m going to control the things I can and enjoy playing college baseball. It’s also important for me to get my degree,” Shannon said. “For this next season, I’m expected to be a leader on the mound and I expect myself to take more of a leadership role on the team,” Shannon said. “We have a lot of talented guys coming in and a lot of talent coming back so I’m really excited and we expect big things.”
The Lake Conference cross country meet was held at Gale Woods farm on October 14. The boys team finished in first place while the girls ended on the opposite side of the standings in fifth place. The boys team is now nationally ranked seventh.
Girls swim wins first dual meet in eight years On Oct. 13, the girls varsity swim team won their last home meet of the season, which also happened to be senior night, against Fridley and Totino Grace. This was the first dual meet the Royals team has won in eight years.
Two sophomores strive for Minnesota rugby team Over MEA break Sophia Haley, and Maddie Peterson, sophomores, traveled with their side ruby team the Minnesota Tundra to Kansas City for a tournament. Their team won the tornament and outscored their opponents 300-10 over the course of their ten games played.
sports 15
the
RPThursday, Oct. 22, 2015
Glover, junior, takes the puck up the ice for her club team, the Minnesota Whitecaps. In addition to playing in the elite hockey league, Glover also swam competitively from a young age.
This past summer, Kate Glover, junior, committed to Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. “It was pretty surreal at first. It still hasn’t really sunk in. It’s still two years away, but it’s still pretty exciting,” Glover said. Glover has made a habit of surrounding herself with top athletes. Members of Glover’s club team, the Minnesota Jr. Whitecaps, are committed to other Division I programs, such as Penn State, Ohio State, and the University of Minnesota. Hopkins hockey alum, Corbin Boyd, graduated in 2015 and currently plays at Mankato State. “[Boyd] went through the same process as I did, so whenever I had any questions about the recruiting process, I would always ask her,” Glover said. Although Glover is known for her hockey accomplishments, she was also an accomplished swimmer, until she quit during her sophomore year. Glover was placed on the Varsity girls swim team as a seventh grader and competed against older swimmers in the 500 meter freestyle, and often placed first in her races. “What I got out of swimming [and hockey], at the high levels, were the friendships and the team aspects of it,” Glover said. “Being around people all the time who had the same motivations and same
Glover commits
Junior defender for girls hockey team signs with Harvard a young athlete, he still feels that in order to play ambitions as me was the biggest thing.” Former HHS Head Hockey Coach, Vin at the Division I level, Glover will need to work Paolucci, believes Glover has talent as well as on other skills. “The thing about Division I hockey is that it’s drive. so much faster. Everything happens “[Glover is] a a lot quicker, so she’s got to work on very hard worker, the things her college coach wants.” committed to bePaolucci said. ing a good athlete, Entering an Ivy League program and a very intelhas an added academic pressure. ligent hockey playAccording to the Princeton Review er,” Paolucci said. students accepted to Harvard main“She has very good tain an average of a 4.3 GPA and at hands, very good least a 32 on their ACT along with eyes, she’s a great - Mr. Vin Paolucci rigorous courses. passer, and has a (Phy. Ed. & former This semester alone Glover is very good hockey hockey coach). enrolled in two Advanced PlaceI.Q. When you put ment classes, two honors classes, and one College that all together, you’ve got a pretty good player.” Although Paolucci saw potential in Glover as in the Schools language course.
“ ____”
Glover is a very hard worker, committed to being a good athlete, and a very intelligent hockey player.
“ ____”
by Ellie Fromstein Staff Reporter
photo provided by Kate Glover
photo provided by Kate Glover
During a game Glover hugs 2015 graduate, Corbin Boyd
“There’s a little bit of a sense of, I already have my college figured out,” Glover said. “But at the same time if I’m going to a place like Harvard, I definitely have to keep my grades up. School is always before hockey.”
RPThursday, October 22, 2015
the
16 sports
At what cost?:
Injuries are only part of the cost of playing sports in high school
By Grace Dosdall Staff Reporter
Matt Bowers, senior, walks into HHS everyday at 7:15 am ready for the day. He goes to each of his classes and works hard, the final bell rings at 2:35 pm. However, in addition to schoolwork and spending time with family and friends, Bowers stays on campus to participate in a high school sport. Like Bowers, over 1.1 million students across the country participate in high school sports. Though the amount of students who engage in high school sports is relatively high, the cost is not. In fact, playing a sport at HHS averages at about $250 per season. However, the cost of playing sports extends far beyond the price. Parents and students often fail to recognize the mental, emotional, and physical costs that also come with being involved in sports. Bowers has played football for the past eight years. He started in the fourth grade, and has watched and participated in the sport for as long as he can remember. However, on Sept. 11, during varsity’s game against the Edina Hornets, Bowers tore his Achilles Tendon. “I was back peddling and planted to go forward, and then I heard it pop,” Bowers said. “It was a non-contact injury.” Though the recovery process to healing will be long, Bowers looked at his injury with a different viewpoint. “[The injury] didn’t really affect my attitude at all,” Bowers said. “It just made me appreciate the sport more and made me realize how much I love football.” Starting next month, Bowers will undergo physical therapy to improve his injury. “The recovery process will take about six months. It’s going to take a lot of patience but I’m excited to get started,” Bowers said. When it comes to high school sports, the level of play does not stop the injuries. These injuries require hours of physical therapy. While in physical therapy, athletes are given a number of exercises to restore their full range of motion, regain muscle strength, endurance, skills, and confidence in their performance. Jasmyn Martin, junior, transferred from Bloomington Kennedy High School . Martin began playing for the varsity volleyball team that summer. She is now committed to the University of Minnesota and will begin playing for them in the fall of 2017. Martin is finishing a month-long recovery from a volleyball injury that caused her to strain her leg. “It was like a strange, freak accident injury. I was about to jump, and my leg just popped. I’m guessing it was from fatigue,” Martin said. According to the National Sleep Foundation, high school students need eight to ten hours of sleep a night in order to remain healthy. In their nationwide study, the Foundation discovered that only 15 percent of students received eight and a half or more hours of sleep a night on average. The amount of time dedicated to playing on a high school team can make it hard for students to balance education and athletics. The unequal stability can lead to fatigue, bad grades, stress, and add on to the pressure of being a high school student. However, for Hunter Staack, senior, the stress is minimal. He has been involved in three high school sports since his freshman year and has managed to balance his responsibilities as an athlete
photo by Ruby Krietzman
Senior. Matt Bowers, was injured during the fourth game of the season. Bowers has been playing football for eight years.
and a student with confidence “I’ve learned it’s about finding what works best for you,” Staack said. “For me, getting my homework done as soon as I get home from practice works best. That way, I can get a good night’s sleep, turn around, and do it again the next day,” Although certain aspects of high school sports can be draining for athletes, there are upsides to the participation. Staack believes that playing these sports lets him appreciate that little free time that he does possess. “Because of the year-long commitment, I have very little free time to spend with my friends and family,” Staack said. “So when I get time off and get to spend time with other people, it really helps me put everything into perspective and I can give them my full at-
Collegiate-Level preparation - Out of 433,344 high school sports players only 3.8% will compete in college.
NCAA
Peer pressure - 29.4% of high school sports players feel pressured by their peers to perform
Institute of Education Sciences
tention.” For Bowers, commitment to football teaches him the discipline he uses in school. “[football] helps you learn to be accountable,” Bowers said. ”You always have to show up to practice and learn the plays, and that transfers over to school. You have to do your homework and always know what’s going on in the classroom,” Despite the hardships that football brings, Bowers believes that the experience is what’s most important. “Being a Royal athlete has made me a better person and I wouldn’t give it up for the world,” Bowers said. “No matter what the cost.”
Physical fitness
- Children who play sports are 8x as likely to be active at age 24 as children who don’t play sports.
The Aspen Institute
Injuries - One-third of all injuries in children happen during sports activity Children's Hospital, Boston
Self-motivation - 15 percent higher classroom attendance rate than students who are not involved National Center for Education
Physical pressure - Teen athletes are injured in rates similar to those seen in professional athletes, feel pressure to play even while injured American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons