The Royal Page - February 2017

the

page

ROYAL

Tuesday, February 28 , 2017

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 5

Broken?

IN-DEPTH, p.6-7 photos licensed through Creative Commons

www.hopkinsrp.org

School District considers grade reconfiguration

by Eli Destiche Staff Reporter

As Osseo, Shakopee, Edina and Stillwater near the end of a long grade reconfiguration process, the Hopkins School District is left with a tough decision to make.

Hopkins is the last district in Minnesota that isn’t transitioning, or already has, grades seven through nine in the junior highs and a tenth through twelfth high school.

“We’re one of the last schools to switch and I think that we should follow what every other school is doing to make sure we don’t fall behind,” said Isabel Anderson, sophomore.

On Monday, Feb. 6, the Hopkins School Board held a community discussion led by Karen Terhaar, Learning Director and John Schultz, Superintendent, that explored the decision to switch to a grade nine through twelve high school and a new middle school model.

The discussion was open to anyone that is a part of the Hopkins School District including teachers, parents and students. This meeting was an open forum for district members to voice their opinions and concerns on the grade reconfiguration.

The majority of the meeting was made up of district members stating their opposition to the grade change. The board members that were present, took in the complaints and opinions, but because it was a listening session, their bylaws

The Hopkins School District has been examining a new grade configuration for the High School and Junior Highs. A meeting was held on Feb. 6 for the Hopkins community to share their thoughts on the matter.

photo by Bea Frank

state that they are not permitted to respond to the complaints.

The discussion leaders wanted to make sure that the community understood that the Hopkins District was the last to change, but wanted to assure the group that it wasn’t the only reason for the change.

“A change wouldn’t be made because other districts are doing things one way or another way,” said Karen Terhaar, Teaching and Learning Director.

The main concern that was brought up at the discussion was the fact that sixth and ninth

grade students need the extra preparation and time before moving on to the larger schools.

A lot of the parents who voiced their concerns, were

worried about transporting their kids on the same bus as students as much as six years older than them.

“It would be detrimental to

“We’re one of the last schools to switch and I think that we should follow what every other school is doing to make sure we don’t fall behind,” - said Isabel Anderson, sophomore

the social and emotional needs of most students to move to the middle school model before they are truly ready,” said a Hopkins District Parent who wanted to remain anonymous.

In a district document prepared for the discussion, they cited some possible concerns as supplying all of grade nine with Google Chromebooks which cost around 200 dollars each.

In addition, they will have to supply grade six students with iPads, which costs anywhere between 250 to 300 dollars.

Another matter that was brought up at the meeting was the need for more staff at HHS because of the surge of new students. The ninth grade has about 500 students, which means HHS will need to bring the Junior High teachers up.

“I think it would make the building more chaotic during the construction because it would make it difficult to get to where you need to be and harder to learn your way around the school for new students. It would be a really stressful year,” said Abbie Ansel, Sophomore.

In addition, HHS will need to hire new counselors to make sure that they can maintain the current student to counselor ratio.

Schultz stated in an interview after the meeting, that the original reason for a grade reconfiguration was because the state was going to have universal early childhood education. This meant that the district would need to make space in all of the elementary schools to fit all the three and four year olds.

“We know our community likes to have neighborhood schools. The problem was, that there wasn’t any space in our elementary schools. Building on to our elementary schools would have been very expensive and they would have had to tax the citizens,” Schultz said.

However, the Governor backed off universal early childhood education, but the school board still liked the idea of configuring the grades.

Meet the 2016-17 Apollo and Athena award winners

by Andy Weisman Sports Editor Every year, two student athletes are chosen for the Apollo and Athena award. In order to receive this prestigious award, the head coaches from all of the Hopkins programs vote.

The winner of the Apollo award is Cory Tesch, senior, who competes in five different sports including: Adapted Hockey, Adapter Bowling, Bowling [club], Adapted Softball and Adapted Soccer.

Tesch has won six state championships. In hockey, he won in 2012-2013 and 20132014 and in softball, he won in 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 20132014 and 2014-2015.

“Winning all those state

championships was just a blast," Tesch said. "The first three seasons I was on the team we were undefeated the entire season, and it was just a good feeling.”

After all of his success, Tesch is appreciative of everything he has put into being an athlete.

“I have fought hard to get where I am today. Practice day in and day out. As of right now I am captain of four of the five sports I am currently in,” Tesch said. “To succeed is all that I look forward to because of my past success. After all the work I have put in, I am pretty sure I deserve this award.”

Tesch found out from his friend Atharv Kulkarni, junior, that he had won the award.

“I came home from school and I received a snapchat from

Cory Tesch and Renae Anderson, seniors, named Apollo and Athena. photos provided by Corey Tesch and Renae Anderson collage by Andy Weisman

Kulkarni. I thought that was pretty weird, because I don’t usually snap Kulkarni. I opened it, and I was like whoa I won the Apollo award. [There was some yelling involved],” Tesch said.

“Winning the Apollo award came as a shock. But if anything the award is an incentive to win state this year. Although it is going to be tough because it is a rebuild type of year for the team,” Additionally, the winner of the Athena award was Renae Anderson, senior, who races in cross country, nordic ski and track.

Anderson has had many great moments as an athlete at HHS including qualifying with her team for the girls nordic state this year. She also has

had some individual moments that she has cherished including winning the classic state meet last year.

“I think I deserved the award because I have been a top contender in state for all three of my sports as well as in the nation for skiing,” Anderson said.

And just like Tesch, Anderson also found out via a friend that she had won the Athena award.

“I was at home when I found out. Someone told me congratulations and I had no idea what they were talking about, but then they showed me the tweet,” Anderson said. “I was surprised because I knew there were a lot of other deserving girls. I was very excited to get it.”

the

2 news RPTuesday, February 28, 2017 St. Paul Women’s March rallies 100,000 participants

by Jordyn Petty News Editor On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump took his oath to be sworn into office while millions of protesters prepared to take to the streets the following day to project their disapproval.

Women’s marches took place in 600 cities throughout the United States the day after Inauguration Day. It was not only women that assembled but husbands, brothers and fathers also gathered to show their support for gender equality. According to data collected by the University of Denver and the University of Connecticut, an estimated 4.2 million took part in the protests.

“I would say that kind of march doesn't have much of an impact if no men came and if no white privileged women went,” said Katie Donovan, senior.

Donovan and Maggie Cleary, senior, were two of the many HHS students to get involved in the Women’s Marches.

“The march was unlike anything I had ever experienced,” Cleary said. “It was a strange but powerful feeling to not know anyone there, but know you all were standing together.”

637 protests were held worldwide, all the way from the US embassy in Mexico to Ant-

Over 100,000 protestors gather at the State Capitol in St. Paul. The next march will take place on March 8. photos provided by Katie Donovan

arctica.

Although news channels in the U.S. were focused on Washington D.C., the first major protest of the day was held in Sydney, Australia. Nearly 5,000 joined in on the march in downtown Sydney.

One of the many historic

marches took place at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.

“I took the green line there, and I think it took eight of those trains before I could even get on,” Donovan said. “It was so crowded.”

According to the Pioneer Press, it was estimated that

the event was the second largest protest in St. Paul’s history.

It was expected that the crowd at the capitol would be around 20,000 people. By the end of the day, St. Paul police officials estimated the crowd grew to 100,000. It would take two U.S. Bank Stadiums to seat all of the

people who attended the march in St. Paul.

Because of the unexpected large turnouts, the march turned into an in-place demonstration due to the lack of space to move.

The organizers of the Women’s Marches throughout America are planning a second event

because of the march’s mass popularity. The second event’s date has not been announced by the march’s leadership team.

“I realized that as a white woman I don’t have much to lose with what’s going on in our government,” Donovan said.

“I realize that a lot of women, especially minority women are hurt and will be hurt because of what’s going on especially if we just ignore and accept the changes.”

The second event has been titled “ A day without a Woman” and was announced to be a general strike. The strike will take place on March 8. This date was chosen because it is also International Women’s Day that day.

“We needed to come together and speak out against what’s going on together,” Donovan said. “The effort for equality didn’t stop after the marches.

There has to be a lot more effort to make a change.”

Although it is named the Women’s March, the leadership team has stated that they are also fighting for protection of minorities, education, environmental protection and healthcare.

“Just a few hours marching at the Capitol building could rewrite history,” Cleary said. “I can’t see a reason to not be apart of that.”

New educational software puts a twist on learning at HHS

by Sebastien Karo News Editor Covering 30 different AP topics from Chinese Language to Computer Science, along with all ACT and SAT subjects, Albert.io is gaining popularity fast in high schools across the nation.

Founded in July 2011 as Learnerator, Luke Liu created Albert.io to help students study and prepare for various AP courses. Their brochure states, “We started Albert.io because as students, we had more “ahha” moments working through real-world applications than from reading a book or watching videos.”

Mr. Brent Hering, Math, has recently brought this technology to HHS and students and teachers alike are beginning to take notice.

“Albert.io believes that students can learn by doing. Students have access to thousands of practice problems to prepare for their AP exam or the ACT exam,” Hering said. “Albert.io also indicates what percentage

of the students in the United States correctly answered the question, so that you can compare yourself to others across the US, so students can learn at anytime with online access.”

Nhan Le, senior, agrees that Albert.io is a great resource for AP courses as well as ACT prep.

“I think that Albert.io gives students a better chance to study and learn more challenging topics. Also, offering free ACT prep to all HHS students is very beneficial,” Le said. “My favorite thing about Albert.io is that it gives explanations for all answers, even the incorrect ones, and sometimes including a video explanation for the more challenging ones.”

Some students, however, don’t see Albert.io as a valuable resource, but rather a nuisance.

Kate Glover, senior, began using the program for her AP Statistics class and feels that it can be very confusing at times.

“I don’t really think Albert. io is very helpful. Many of the questions are confusing and

use terminology that we have not learned in class yet, which makes it more difficult,” Glover said. “I would rather do my work pencil to paper, because I learn better that way.”

Glover’s AP Statistics teacher, Mr. Greg Bartz, believes that although Albert.io may be confusing at first, it is a great resource for students when studying for AP exams.

“For AP Statistics it’s actually a great resource for students.

The questions are fabulous and very similar to what kids will see on the AP exam,” Bartz said. “There’s so many of them so it gives students a chance to practice the questions and gives instant feedback with explanations for every answer” Albert.io offers various features that helps students learn about the content and helps teachers learn about the student. Teachers can monitor student activity, pinpoint questions that students struggle with, and analyze class patterns to find out what the class needs more

help with.

“I have only started using Albert.io this term, but I would have to say my favorite aspect of it is that I can set up classes and see how many questions students are completing and see where students are struggling.

This allows me to pick topics that will benefit all the students which will really help when it comes time for the AP exam,” Bartz said.

Along with AP courses, Albert.io also offers ACT and SAT prep which allows HHS students to study for their important test for free, whenever they want.

“Many ACT prep courses/ books are expensive. The Albert.io ACT prep is free to ALL HHS students and is thus providing equal access to every student. I encourage all students to give Albert.io ACT prep a try. One suggestion is to do a smaller number of questions weekly, rather than trying to cram right before the actual ACT exam,” Hering said.

infographic

Albert.io covers over 30 different AP classes and all ACT and SAT subjects.

infographic by Andy Berris

RPTuesday, February 28, 2017

the

3 news

Highway 169 closure affects students’ and teachers’ routes to HHS

Photo taken at the on ramp at 169-S and Interlachen Road. 169 closed on Jan. 23 and will remain closed until Oct. 2017.

photo by Jordyn Petty

by Andy Berris Staff Reporter

As Minn. highway construction continues its seemingly never-ending work, the closure of one of the most traveled highways that runs right past HHS has caused a change in students’ and teachers’ routes to school.

Highway 169 closed on Jan. 23 and will remain closed until Oct. 2017.

“It makes my commute seven minutes longer,” said Abby Martin, junior. “It’s completely out of my way.”

Martin and Mr. Philip Brown, Music, are just two of many students and teachers that used to take Highway 169 to get to school.

“I’ve had to completely change my route,” Brown said.

“It definitely is longer.”

Although the closure of the major highway has added time to students’ and teachers’ routes, it has also made others shorter.

Isabelle Olson, senior, lives off of the first exit north of the closure. The closing of Highway 169 has allowed her to leave 15 minutes later everyday to get to school and shares the road with only about ten other cars.

“I’m at the end of the road.

There’s no cars when I get on,” Olson said. “When I get off, every car exits also.”

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has released their reasonings for a full closure, instead of closing certain lanes.

First, the full closure can get three years worth of construction done in one year because construction workers don’t need

to work only at certain times.

Second, they planned it so when construction was being done on 169, there is less construction on the alternate routes. Lastly, it reduces the risk to construction workers and motorists in the work zone.

Although the construction of Highway 169 seems to be making all other detour routes chaotic, MnDOT has carefully planned out the timing of the construction. Highways 494 & 100 are the detours provided by MnDOT. Both 494 & 100 were previously having construction done.

MnDOT decided to wait to close Highway 169 until all construction on Highways 494 & 100 was completed.

There were some things, however, that MnDOT could

not plan for. Many businesses around the closure are also being heavily affected by the closure of Highway 169.

Caribou Coffee, located at the Bren Rd exit, which is the furthest north exit before the closure, has experienced significant changes in the amount of customers since the closure.

“It may get to the point where we will have less people working,” said Eric Essendrup, Manager at Caribou Coffee.

Although Essendrup was not able to provide specific numbers, he was able to comment that Caribou Coffee was not making as much money as they normally would.

According to MnDOT, the bridge over Nine Mile Creek has been on a list of bridges needed to be done in Minn.

Current bridge conditions require replacement by 2020.

Along with the replacement of the bridge over Nine Mile Creek, MnDOT has released information that the construction will also include repairing noise walls, replacing concrete barriers, improving pedestrian accessibility and adding acceleration and deceleration lanes on Highway 169 at Cedar Lake Rd. The projects on Highway 169 will cost $64 million, according to MnDOT. During the process a total of six miles of pavement will be reconstructed on Highway 169 between Highways 55 & 62.

The closure begins at Bren Road E and continues to Interlachen Road diagram provided by MnDOT

HHS juniors participate in first annual ‘Unity Day’

by Samantha Horowitz Staff Reporter Looking around at the junior class crammed into the small gym, it seemed like a daunting task to try to unite a large part of the student body. For Keith Hawkins, speaker for Real Inspiration Incorporated, it was just another normal day of speaking to high school students.

Hawkins grew up in Los Angeles, Calif. and faced many challenges as a child. He was not expected to succeed with an abusive stepfather, a struggling single mother, a poor education, and a violent environment.

Despite these challenges, Hawkins turned his life around and used his struggles help other people. He is now a successful international speaker that speaks and conducts programs to over 400,000 students, educators, parents, leaders, and businesses each year. He has even spoken at the United Nations Global Summit on behalf of America’s youth.

“I think Keith’s message was very powerful among the students,” said Maddie Holicky, junior. “I really liked how he focused on how important it is to work hard in life in order to achieve our goals. He also had a really good message about how everyone is going through struggles, no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, or popularity, which really made the students feel much more close with each other.”

On Thursday, Feb. 2, and Friday, Feb. 3, Hawkins spoke in front of HHS students for the first time. Unity Day took place in the old gym and spanned over the first three blocks of each day. The event was organized by Mr. Doug Bullinger, principal, in an effort to bring the junior class together in a fun, stress-free manner.

The event also included a number of senior leaders to guide the

Keith Hawkins speaks to junior class during Unity Day. Sophomores will participated in a similar event on Feb. 21. photo provided by Emily Buss

juniors throughout the day, including Katie Gunderson, senior.

“I wanted to be a unity leader because I took this as a great opportunity to connect with the other grades in the high school, and to really get to know the people whom I didn’t already know,” Gunderson said.

In general, the junior class, along with the senior leaders, was actively engaged in Hawkins’s speech on the importance of uniting as a grade and respecting one another. Students listened attentively to Hawkins’s words and participated in collaborative activities. Some of the major themes in Hawkins’s speech included not comparing one another and highlighting the diversity of HHS. Abby Feitl, junior, found Hawkin’s words both relevant and effective to HHS. “Afterwards, everyone was talking about what some of the students had said about their class, and I felt more thankful for my

classmates.”

In order to improve the event for future students and promote unity throughout the school, Holicky says that HHS should make it possible to include the entire grade, because people should leave feeling unified with more than only half of the class. She also said that it would be much more efficient to let the students know the schedule of the day ahead of time.

HHS has already held an event for seniors, and will hold the Respect Retreat for sophomores on Feb. 21. This is the first time an event like this has ever taken place at HHS to this extent, and by the looks of it, it won’t be the last.

“I think Hopkins should hold more of these Unity Days because I really enjoyed the experience and I feel like the speaker really connected with all of the grades. Also I feel like these Unity Days will really help our school for the better,” Gunderson said.

RPTuesday, February 28, 2017

the

4 feature

HHS hosts fifth consecutive Sadie’s Dance

by Ayanna Maddox Staff Reporter Traditionally, boys are put in an awkward, nerve-racking position when asking a girl to a school dance. However, for the winter Sadie’s dance, the boys have the opportunity to take a back seat to the asking process, handing the sign-making and ticket-buying off to the girls.

The dance was named after Sadie Hawkins, who was not an actual person, but the product of cartoonist Al Capp.

Sadie was first introduced to the public on Nov. 15, 1937, starting the Sadie Hawkins phenomenon.

Based off the cartoon, the Sadies Hawkins dance nowadays is a semi-formal, girls-askguys dance, typically held during the winter months.

Across the nation, many

high schools host a formal Sadie Hawkins dance, including HHS. This year it was on Feb. 11. The dance attracted 547 students to the HHS “mall” to dance with friends.

“My first Sadie’s dance was awesome. It was a blast to bump and grind on the dance floor with all of my peers. I’m so happy I decided to go,” said Morgan Hawley, sophomore.

The first Sadie Hawkins dance held at HHS was in February, 2013. Prior to then, HHS had not hosted a “ladies choice” dance in years, only offering Prom and Homecoming.

Alex Lehman, 2013 HHS alumnus, saw other schools hosting a Sadie Hawkins dance, and wanted our school should do the same. In the fall of 2013, Lehman proposed his idea to Student Government and the school’s previous principal, Ms. Patty Johnson.

Student Government be-

gan planning Sadies about four weeks in advance to secure the DJ and Photobooth with the Student Government fund. The group is responsible for putting up decorations and also cleaning up afterwards.

“Sadie Hawkins represents Student Government in a really good way. I think it’s super fun to put on an event that students love,” said Aerin O’Malley, junior.

Sadie Hawkins is one of HHS’ most popular dances.

Student Government profited more than $1,500 after DJ and photobooth expenses.

“Each year Sadie Hawkins has the same winter wonderland theme because it is already an expensive event to put on, so we use the same decorations every year. Otherwise, we would have less photobooth options or a bad DJ,” said Sadie Skadron, senior.

Infographic depicting the expenses of Sadies.

Infographic by Hannah Goldfarb

GSA hosts Drag Queen BINGO

by Hannah Goldfarb Staff Reporter

Photo provided by Danny Dolan

HHS students take photos before the dance. After the photo session, the group went out for dinner at Dragon Jade.

Photo provided by Danny Dolan

Juniors create new clothing brand

Photo taken of PHVK model sporting the classic PHVK shirt.

by Izzy Goldfarb Feature Editor PHVK is the fourth clothing line to come out of Hopkins High School within the last three years. The first sketches

of the brand were produced last year during second block Middle Eastern Studies.

“We had a speaker scheduled that didn’t show up so I started to doodle. We sat there during the entire block thinking

Photo by Andy Pelerine

up ideas,” said Alex Bank, junior.

Bank teamed up with four of his friends, Max Arneson, Andy Pelerine, Sam Eklund, and Jack Belrose, juniors, to start the brand. The group plans on producing screen printed T-shirts

for 20 dollars embossed with various graphic art and embroidery designs.

Although the name PHVK can be seen as a curse word, the creators don’t want people to view that way.

“The name is meant to be a conversation starter because it is edgy and kind of rebellious,” Eklund said.

The team planed to publish a web store on Feb. 24 to sell their first batch of shirts. The website will include photos taken by Pelerine of the merchandise. They also plan on hosting an event at the depot with performers and shirts for sale.

“Its way more fun to wear something that’s yours. When you go to stores all the clothing is the same. Its nice to create something that is different,” Bank said.

On Friday, Feb. 9, HHS’ Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) hosted their annual Drag Queen BINGO event at the Eisenhower Community Center.

The unique event has been a long standing tradition within GSA, passed on from president to president. This year, Sam Clague, senior, inherited the responsibility of putting on the event.

“Events like this encourage self expression, and they’re a fun time, and we’re raising money for something worthwhile,” Clague said.

Drag Queen BINGO is put on as a fundraiser for another GSA event, which takes place later in the year, Queer Prom (Qrom).

However, BINGO has quickly become more than just a fundraiser.

After paying $5 for entry, HHS students were welcome to a night of BINGO, an egg and spoon race in high heels, a lip sync contest, and ultimately, a drag race.

For many, the highlight of the night rolls around when the GSA members race to transform HHS staff into drag queens. Mr. Adam McDonald, administrator, Mr. Kirk Shoger, science, and Mr. John Sammler, science were all dolled in full drag by the end of the night.

“While a lot of teachers were interested and supportive of the event, only three could make it.

They all did a great job and were really good sports about the whole thing.

We’re all looking forward to next year, and GSA is excited for the event to continue growing,” Ben Herstig, junior said.

GSA currently meets

Top: Students play BINGO at the Eisenhower Community Center.

Bottom: Mr. McDonald competes in drag race.

Photo provided by Eve Atwater

feature 5

the

RP Tuesday, February, 2017

HHS students spend semester in Israel

by Hannah Goldfarb Staff Reporter While many students dream of escaping HHS to explore the broader world, it’s rare that high school students are presented with the opportunity.

Libby Fern, junior, sought out her opportunity and is currently living in Jerusalem through a study abroad program called Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (TRY).

“I wanted to take the opportunity to do something different. I wanted to take the opportunity I had to see the world, travel, learn, and grow and TRY gave me that amazing opportunity,” Fern said.

Fern is not alone in seizing the opportunity to expand her horizons through travel in high school. Several HHS juniors have perused similar experiences to Fern, all traveling to Israel through Judaic affiliated programs.

Although there are other study abroad programs that students can participate in, traveling to countries other than Israel, the Guidance office was unable to provide the Royal Page with additional information or examples in which students did this.

The most popular programs for HHS students include AMHSI, as well as Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (TRY) and NftyEisendrath International Experience (Nfty-EIE). Each have

Sophie Sandler, junior, overlooks Israel with two peers on the trip.

Photo provided by Sophie Sandler

key similarities, such as a Jewish Studies course, which incorporates 4,000 years of history.

However, each program has distinctive features which set them apart from one another.

For example, TRY is based in Jerusalem, the Jewish epicenter of Israel, and has a greater stronger focus on religious practices.

“This [the religious element] was important to me because I wanted to try something that was unlike my life at home, and once I feel so connected to Judaism while in Israel, I wanted to be assured that religion would be during my trip,” said Fern, who is currently in Israel through the TRY program.

In contrast, NFTY-EIE is based at Kibbutz Tzuba, about 15 minutes away from Jerusalem, and is generally considered to be less religiously affiliated.

Similarly, Alexander Muss High School in Israel is based in Hod HaSharon, Israel, not Jerusalem.

AMHSI stresses religious practices less than TRY. “One of my family friends works for the Jewish National fund, and she’s always told me what a great program [AMHSI] is, which encouraged me to do travel through AMHSI over other options,” said Sophie Sandler, Junior, another HHS student who traveled abroad during second term.

Students work with coun-

selors to research programs and find the one best suited to them, and HHS counselors assist in planning their eight week visit with academics in mind.

“I act as a liaison with the programs, so I provide recommendations for them, I submit their transcripts, I collect their transcripts when they finish the program and make sure that their grades are entered here.” said Ms. Shanna Jadwin, counselor.

As a result, Jadwin got a unique opportunity to travel to Israel and visit the HHS students at Alexander Muss over second term this year. As one of ten educators invited, and the only teacher from the Midwest,

Jadwin felt especially thankful.

While there, she experienced what life was like for the HHS students. With this knowledge, she is now more capable to inform students curious about

the programs, and better advise them.

“It was wonderful to have the opportunity to see the school [AMHSI] and really have a much better understanding of what experience our students have there.” said Jadwin.

Despite all the assistance students traveling to Israel recive, it can still be difficult to adjust in the sweeping changes to everyday life they experience.

“Adjusting to life here has been a challenge, the lack of sleep, crazy schedule, time change problems, and culture shock were in full swing during week one. Since we have fallen into a semi-consistent routine, it is much easier now.” said Fern.

However, by the time HHS students’ travel comes to an end, they are sad to see it go.

“I’ve cried nine times today, I miss everyone a lot. You come out of it having a new family,” said Sandler.

Libby Fern, junior, rides a camel in the Negev Desert with a friend.

Photo provided by Libby Fern

RPTuesday, February 28, 2017

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6 in-depth

B

A

C

E

D

As HHS refocuses efforts towards the ACT, we join the national conversation about standardized testing.

by Michael Korsh Managing Editor

According to data from the Minnesota Department of Education, 67

percent of HHS students who are students in the class of 2016 were at 36

or above ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks in English. Although this percentage is the highest of all four subject areas, it is 15 percent 37

lower than the class of 2015.

37 In Mathematics, however, only 46 percent of students were able to

meet these standards. In Reading, 52 percent met the benchmarks, and in Science, a mere 43 percent met. Therefore, only 31 percent of HHS 38

students were at or above the College Readiness Benchmarks in 2016.

Source: Minnesota Department of Education

36. A. NO CHANGE B. HHS students enrolled C. HHS students D. students at Hopkins High School E. HHS students who are actively participating 37. If writer were to delete the underlined portion, it would primarily lose information that: A. reinforces HHS’ recent success on the ACT. B. gives a detailed description of a student who took the ACT. C. established credibility for the cited study.

D. persuades the reader to feel sympathy for poor test-takers.

E. reveals a decline in scores through comparative information.

38. A. NO CHANGE B. Overall, C. We can conclude, therefore, D. In conclusion, E. DELETE the underlined portion.

photo by Bea Frank

Meeting College Readiness Benchmarks

in-depth 7

the

RP Tuesday, February 28, 2017 The takers

hen Lilli W Appelman, junior, walked into her first ACT on Feb. 11, she was already aware of the impact those scores could have on her future.

“I feel like a lot was riding on the ACT because so many colleges use this as your borderpoint to get you into college,” Appelman said. “It’s basically how you get accepted, plus your grades.”

As dozens of HHS students took the ACT that day, they experienced the high-stakes environment of a highly controversial test that plays a significant role in college admissions firsthand. But the and experiences of the ACT extend far beyond its three-hour duration.

Sophie Sandler, junior, walked into the same building as Appelman that day. But after a semester abroad and multiple advanced classes, Sandler felt detached from the test material.

“I’m taking classes like AP Calculus and AP Statistics, which are above the standards on the ACT math section specifically, and I think that those classes could go back and review old material,” Sandler said.

Students at HHS make up a small fraction of the over two million students who take the ACT each year, and this standardized test has spurred nationwide controversy.

Monty Neill is the Executive Director of The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, or FairTest, a leading anti-standardized testing organization.

In a telephone interview, Neill stated his belief that the ACT fails to fully evaluate students’ academic abilities.

“In the tested subjects of the ACT, there’s a whole lot that they simply don’t measure: things like critical thinking, the

ability to do extended work, do research, write papers, things that are often necessary for college and for employment in the world,” Neill said. “What [schools] end up doing is neglecting important parts of those subjects and overemphasizing the subjects the ACT does measure.”

Appelman believes her time at HHS has taught her the basic concepts that the ACT tests: English, mathematics, reading, and science. Nevertheless, she, too, believes the test will put her at a stressful disadvantage when it comes to college.

“Personally, I’m not a good test-taker, and I get stressed out when I do take a test. If I take [the ACT] x amount of times and don’t do well, then I won’t be able to get into a school that I want to go to,” Appelman said.

Though educational needs have continually modernized since the test’s founding in 1959, Ed Colby, Senior Director of Public Relations for ACT, is confident that the ACT can pass the test of time.

“While the format and structure of the ACT test have not been changed, we regularly monitor high school curricula and college expectations to ensure that the ACT test continually reflects the skills and knowledge that are taught in schools and expected of incoming college freshmen,” Colby said via email.

After taking the ACT __ times, Sandler appreciates her scores’ reflections of her effort, but agrees with Appelman and Neill’s concerns. She’s thankful that her scores will not be the sole consideration for college admissions.

“As someone who has taken the ACT several times, it says a lot about how willing you are to try and get a good score. But I do think it doesn’t accurately display your knowledge, so it’s nice that if you aren’t a great test-taker there’s other options,”

Sandler said.

The makers

I

n addition to student and national controversy, HHS is

facing the facts.

According to data from the Minnesota Department of Education, the graduating class of 2016 at HHS had an average ACT composite score of 21.6, 1.9 points less than the previous year. These scores put HHS last in the Lake Conference by almost three points, and merely half a point above the state average.

Amidst these schoolwide statistics, Bullinger hopes to keep the emphasis on individual ACT scores.

“We aren’t going to use our average scores to apply to college— they may say something to the community about how prepared students are— but what matters more to me is if students are getting a 21, 22, or 23, those gateway scores to get into schools that they want,” Bullinger said. “Do I want a higher average? Absolutely. But before that, I want to make sure that everyone’s taking it and succeeding individually.”

Thus, HHS has begun to refocus curricular efforts towards success on the ACT in hopes to improve student performance.

According to Bullinger, in the fall of 2016, each department began to adopt plans to embed ACT-specific skills and strategies within the curriculum.

As the middle of the school year approached, administration and staff evaluated and shared their progress.

Colby acknowledges the benefit that the refocus could hold.

“District and school efforts to improve ACT scores that are focused on strengthening the curriculum and improving learning, rather than on things

such as test-taking skills and strategies, can provide a real benefit to students, not just in terms of their ACT scores, but also in terms of their readiness for success in college and career,” Colby said.

Many opponents of standardized testing, including Neill, disagree. He feels that such efforts will detract from genuine learning.

“The process of ‘teaching to the test’ is typically pretty boring. It disengages students, they’re less interested, and if they pick up on the kind of slanted, biased, narrow, visions of our society that you see often in these tests, that can further disengage many students,” Neill said.

Bullinger, too, understands concerns of ACT opponents such as Neill. But because of the test’s importance in college admissions, he feels that it’s essential for HHS to assist students.

“I don’t love the fact that it has bias, and I would like to find another assessment out there that didn’t. I would love it, frankly, if we could just say that grades and transcripts were enough, but that’s just the game of college admissions,” Bullinger said.

HHS’ cornerstone effort to increase student success on the ACT is the reinstatement of a mandatory and free ACT for all juniors on Apr. 19. Many students, including Appelman, are looking forward to taking advantage of the free ACT. “I think that’s a smart decision, because not a lot of people have $56 that they can just give up to take the ACT, which gives everyone a chance to take it,” Appelman said.

All of these measures, in turn, seek to improve students’ success on the ACT, and thus their post-secondary success as a whole. Bullinger said that if the ACT wasn’t as paramount to college admissions, HHS would not be making these changes.

“The ACT, particularly due to the fact that so many institutions use it, is a key to open doors. It’s more accessible for us, and more importantly, it’s more valuable in terms of predicting how students are going to do,” Bullinger said. “We care that students do well when they’re here; we care more about what they do when they leave here.”

The deciders eginning on Feb. 22, scores from the Feb. 11 ACT were released— scores that make a dramatic impact on the college admissions process. Many colleges are joining a greater nationwide movement to revise their admissions policies: the “test-optional” movement.

The most local member of the test-optional movement is Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minn. Bob Neuman, Senior Associate Director of Admissions, explained Gustavus’ reasoning for joining the movement.

“If you really look at predictive factors over a longer period of time than a four-hour test, the better thing to do is to put the weight on high school grades, your transcript, and rigor of your courses, and put standardized testing second,” Neuman said in a telephone interview.

“You’ll always be rewarded for strong test scores, but if students feel their standardized test results don’t reflect their strong grades, then they can opt to not have them considered a part of the admissions process.”

As Ben Herstig, junior, begins his college applications, he takes test-optional policies into much consideration.

“My top school is test-score optional, which is really nice, because I’m going to take the ACT, but I don’t think it should be required to get into college,”

B

Herstig said. “I think colleges should be test-score optional, and should focus more on achievements or the opportunities people have been given in school to prove themselves, rather than a three-hour timed test.”

The test-optional movement originated in 1984 at Bates College in Maine. After a 20-year Bates study published in 2005, the results have led to increasing support for these policies.

According to a list published by FairTest, over 925 colleges have imposed “test-optional,” “testflexible,” or similar policies.

The study found that the difference in GPA of Bates students between those who submitted standardized test scores versus those who did not was .05, and the difference in graduation rate was 0.1 percent.

But as college admissions officers weigh thousands of applications each year, they often find difficulty in measuring students’ abilities within the context of their school. For this reason, Colby deems it vital for colleges to continue including the ACT as a factor.

“ACT scores provide something that other factors cannot: a standardized measure of students’ academic readiness that colleges can use to compare students from different schools and states on a level basis. No other factor can provide that sort of standardized comparison,” Colby said.

Neill asserted that in addition to these results, test-optional policies increase opportunities for applicants with disabilities, from minority backgrounds, or other circumstances to be given consideration.

“The argument that somehow these tests are necessary in the admissions process is simply wrong,” Neill said. “It’s contradicted by the actual evidence.”

Use the following information to answer questions 7-9.

The Minnesota Department of Education collects ACT data from the graduating classes of schools throughout the state. The data from the class of 2016 of selected schools is shown in the table below.

School

Hopkins High School

Eden Prairie High School

Minnetonka High School

St. Louis Park High School

Edina High School

Wayzata High School

Average ACT Composite Score

Robbinsdale Armstrong High School

21.6

24.5

25.4

21.8

25.7

25.8

21.1

7. The Lake Conference consists of Hopkins, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Wayzata, and Edina High Schools. What was the mean composite score of the Lake Conference?

A. 25.4 B. 23.7 C. 22.8 D. 24.6 E. 22.7

Source: Minnesota Department of Education

RP Tuesday, February 28, 2017

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8 op/ed

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down HHS students share their thoughts about life at HHS.

“Having a Senior Release fourth block is a major thumbs up. I don’t have to deal with the crowded parking lot.”

-Nicole Lukas, senior "I lost to a really weak Southwest team last week. We will see them in playoffs, though." -Eric Plaunt, senior "I like the gym facilities here." -Ben Leervig, senior “HPAL is a lot of reading and the tests are really hard, not to mention that they’re 50 percent of our grade!” Katie Blad, sophomore "Diversity at HHS has helped me become aware of a lot of social problems." -Theo Lentsch, junior “Spanish 4 is super hard, you have to relearn everything from the past 3 years in such a short period of time.” Shea Nelson, sophomore

POINT: Reconfiguration allows for extensive student opportunities

by Michael Korsh Managing Editor As a freshman, I trudged through snow, puddles and mud, carrying my backpack back and forth from NJH to HHS. Almost 100 feet separated me from pursuing my passions and reaching my full potential— but I was willing to travel it.

Every day of the 2014-15 school year, I made the journey from my classes at NJH to take Honors Perspectives in American Literature and Honors Biology: Genetics at HHS. But if it weren’t for the misconfiguration of grades in the Hopkins School District, I wouldn’t have had to.

In Hopkins, the elementary schools host kindergarten through sixth grade, the junior highs seventh through ninth, and HHS tenth through twelfth. This structure, however, creates major educational flaws that now have the ability to be prevented.

To some, including ninth graders at the junior high level seems beneficial— it provides freshmen with a familiar environment to begin their high school career, allowing them extra time to adjust and prepare for the demanding environment at HHS. However, remaining in the junior highs in fact deprives freshmen of the numerous opportunities here at HHS. The first of these is rigor.

With 22 AP courses, multiple Honors level classes, as well as the

CiS program with the University of Minnesota, HHS students are able to challenge themselves academically, including the option of possible college credit. But by staying at the junior high level, the variety and rigor of courses is much more limited.

At HHS, freshmen could receive their Civics credits by taking AP Government and Politics, or begin to put themselves on a more advanced track by doubling up on certain courses.

Such was the case in my

from journalism to ceramics to business. If we exposed freshmen to these courses a year earlier, their potential in these areas would be limitless.

People’s hesitance to transition HHS into a 9-12 school would be understandable if this change was a completely revolutionary idea. But it’s not.

While freshmen students at St. Louis Park High School take AP Environmental Science and freshmen at Minnetonka High School take AP Human Geography, our freshmen stay in the sphere

“The best day of my life was when I touched out Tanner Salzer in the 50 freestyle and dropped two seconds in the 100 backstroke at sections.” -David Lorentz, junior "Staff members seem cranky these days." -James Klecker, sophomore “Hopkins Hears Your Voice is helping to spread awareness for women’s rights by selling t-shirts at the school store.”

-Yacob Yisehak, senior “Waiting for the ACT results is super nerve-racking and takes way too long.” -Jane Weesner, junior "There's only three months of school left and summer is just around the corner!” -Mikayla Stonebraker, junior "I miss HHS. And America. And Chipotle." -Libby Fern, junior

COUNTERPOINT: Unique 10-12 environment fosters diversity and student support

by Samantha Horowitz Staff Reporter Entering HHS as a sophomore, a weight of intimidation is placed on your shoulders as you enter the chaotic world of high school.

Most students around the country experience the pressurizing force of high school as a freshman. Looking back, it seems almost impossible to imagine walking into high school where the oldest students are on the brink of adulthood.

POINT/COUNTERPOINT

schools. If we hop on the bandwagon and make the shift to a 10-12 school, we are not only making it harder for students to adjust, but also imposing a system of educational uniformity.

On the topic of students, by becoming a 9-12 school, we are placing barriers in front of incoming freshmen by forcing them to adapt to a new environment much earlier on.

Entering high school is already a stressful shift in and of itself, and adding the extra bulk of a new learning environment earlier than

Should HHS reconfigure to grades freshman year.

As I sought more advanced Language Arts and Science courses, I had already exceeded the curriculum offered at NJH. In order to challenge myself, I literally had to go to another school.

Likewise, exposing sixth graders to classes at the junior highs prepares them earlier for similar opportunities.

FLEX classes allow for challenge, and students can begin exploring their interests a year in advance—- preparing them for the benefits they can reap as ninth graders.

Another barrier that Hopkins’ grade configuration creates is through students’ inability to fully pursue their passions. Each of the elective courses at HHS allows for students to explore areas that they take interest towards,

9-12? in the junior highs, held back from opportunities only 100 feet away.

Since HHS is one of the only schools in Minnesota that remains a 10-12 institution, realigning the grades is a shift to normality. And it’s a shift that we need to take.

For future HHS students, that may be the new reality. After this year, Hopkins will be the only district in the state with a 9-12 high school. The school board is looking into changing the structure so that grades 9-12 are located in the high school building, as opposed to grades 10-12.

Ultimately, the question we should be asking is whether or not this format would be the most beneficial to students.

The system already in place is just one aspect that makes HHS unique compared to other

necessary will add unneeded anxiety and pressure.

We can’t leave out the impact this change will have on sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

From the perspective of a junior at HHS, I directly experience the struggles and pressures of high school such as homework, standardized tests, sports, clubs, and friend groups. This is something that adults may not be able to understand when examining all of the factors.

I also experience the daily struggle of trying to get from class to class on time in the crowded hallways.

Adding the freshman class into the mix would make it much harder to students to reach their classes prepared and in a timely manner. Especially with a shorter passing time,

trying to navigate through the hallways of HHS with an increased number of students is impractical.

While physically expanding the school may be an option, it is probably not the best use of our money during this time. With class sizes expanding next year due to budget cuts, we should be investing our time and money on making classes reasonably sized in order for students to receive the best resources and attention to succeed.

With the reconfiguration of HHS comes the issue of moving the sixth grade into the junior high. This would be a complicated process and a huge time and financial commitment.

Moving to the junior high comes with new expectations and responsibilities that as a sixth grader, I know I would not have been able to juggle.

Most importantly, reconfiguring the high school would have an astounding impact on the dynamic of HHS. Walking into HHS every morning, there is a certain rhythm that is unlike any other.

I look around and observe a diverse community of upperclassmen all with a purpose.

Even though every other high school in the state is or will be a 9-12 school by next year, HHS should stand tall and embrace the 10-12 structure that makes our school so distinctive.

RP Tuesday, February 28, 2017

the

op/ed 9

ONLINE PREVIEW Check out our weekly variety content on hopkinsrp.org!

TUESDAY TASTE

MOVIE MONDAY

Ideal Diner

The Founder

by Gabe Herman Staff Reporter This weekend, I went out to see The Founder, a biographical film about the “true” story of the expansion of the fast food empire of McDonald’s, and how it became what it is now.

This film reveals the evolution of the true relationship between the McDonald brothers and Kroc. When Kroc first meets the brothers, he knows that the food establishment that they run could easily turn into something special, and he realized that the golden arches could be as well known of a symbol as the American flag.

In the plot, it also digs into the personal life of Kroc. It shows the struggles in his first marriage, and what he felt he should give to his first wife. We also notice a love interest he has within the rapidly growing Mc-

Donald’s company.

In fact, Kroc meets his love interest right here in Minneapolis, and you could observe from the excellent cinematography in this scene that there was possibly a future, and a connection between the two at first sight.

You will notice throughout the film the pattern of Kroc’s struggles, followed by hard work pushes that really brighten his mood.

Out of five stars, I would have to give this film a 3.5. The cinematography, and the actual

way the film was done was pretty decent, but there were some interesting camera shots that I believe the movie would have done well without.

The plot the movie delivers is really what boosts my rating to 3.5 stars. The story goes into detail on Ray Kroc’s journey of being a struggling milkshake salesman, and later taking the name away from two brothers who actually started McDonald’s, and putting them to shame by taking everything they had.

Rating: 3.5/5

by Shayna Korsh Staff Reporter Whether it is for girls swimming and diving in the fall, boys in the winter, girls synchronized swimming in the spring, or club and community groups such as Hopkins Hurricanes Swim Club, the Hopkins swimming pools are always in use.

The Hopkins School District has pools at NJH, WJH, and Eisenhower Elementary School. All high school swim meets, however, take place in the NJH pool. The other two are reserved for other teams’ practices.

As someone with friends and siblings on the HHS swim teams, my visits to the NJH pool are frequent. They are fun to watch, but a better facility would be ideal.

With its poor ventilation and lack of lighting, it is very uncomfortable for fans to watch the swim meets. Not to mention that the bleachers are old and don’t have leg space.

Another problem with the NJH pool is its broken scoreboard. The board frequently has delays and malfunctions during swim meets, causing the event to last longer.

The broken scoreboard is not the end of the humiliation, however. Last year, a diving meet had to be cancelled because both of the pool’s diving boards were broken.

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Abby Doeden

Web Editor-in Chief Noah Kaplan

Michael Korsh

News Editors Sebastien Karo Jordyn Petty

Feature Editor Izzy Goldfarb

by Luis Felemovicius Staff Reporter Right as you walk into Ideal Diner, you feel the person friendly atmosphere.

At first glance, it’s just a small diner. There are fourteen stools, one counter, and no bathroom. That’s the catch, you’re always up close to someone having a good conversation about last night’s game or current issues in the world.

Every time I go to Ideal, it’s always full with many familiar faces. The waitresses and cook always greet me personally by my name and you always feel as if you’re at home.

A great example is that right

as I sit down, they ask me if I want the usual. Which is the Breakfast Buddy. An egg sandwich with freshly made eggs, sausage, and cheese. I always get a side of hash browns because they know how to do them right, extra crispy.

The service is outstanding.

They always tend to everyone as fast as possible and are very friendly. The food is top quality and is always out in less than 15 minutes. All this for less than seven dollars.

Lastly, their slogan couldn’t be more true. “Where regular people feel special and special people feel regular.”

Rating: 9/10

Doug Bullinger 10 : Top Moments

10

Print Editor-inChief

Managing Editor

Diving into a new pool Renovation of the NJH pool would jumpstart success for athletes, audiences It is one thing for a swimming pool to be better than another. But it seems that all of the pools in the Lake Conference are better than ours.

At Edina’s Art Downey Aquatic Center, for example, there is both a diving/warmup pool and an eight-lane pool.

With a warm-up pool, swimmers can stay loose and focused in between their events.

All of the other teams in the Lake Conference have an eight lane pool. Because Hopkins only has a six lane pool, swim meets last longer and require more heats so that all of the swimmers can compete.

With a better facility, Hopkins would be able to host all of the Lake Conference teams at one time, rather than just dual meets. Swim meets also would gather a bigger audience.

All of the Lake Conference team have nice facilities. There seems to be a correlation between the best teams and the best facilities.

Teams that are able to practice in a quality facility perform better and advance further in the state tournament. Eden Prairie High School, who won the state championships in 2016, has been practicing in their newly renovated facility.

A new facility is not the only thing that the Royals would need to win a state championship, but it is a great start.

The Royal Page 2016-2017

Leaving Edina 10 years ago

Sports Editor Andy Weisman

Photo Editor Bea Frank

Video Editor Zach Roy

Social Editor Sophia Koritz

Staff Reporters

Imran Baksh Evie Barczak Logan Barham Andy Berris Alex Condon Natalie DenHartog Eli Destiche Luis Felemovicius Mimi Gewirtz Hannah Goldfarb Mario Hadley Gabe Herman Samantha Horowitz Shayna Korsh Ayanna Maddox Kyle Miller Jacob Ratner Adam Segal Lily Smith Ryan St. Clair Stephanie Winter

Adviser

Jeff Kocur

When we learned to pronounce his name When Luke Yourzak dressed as him When he let each grade level miss a day of class The classic single point Losing a thumb-war at Pepfest When he fit 11 Oreos into his mouth The double point Coming out of the mascot costume When he grew out his hair for No Shave November

The editorial represents the opinion of the newspaper staff. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the administration, the student body or the advisor. Signed viewpoints represent the view of the writer.

The Royal Page operates as an open forum student publication, and student editors make editorial decisions regarding content.

Advertising information available by mail, fax and phone.

Annual Subscriptions are available for $20.

The Royal Page encourages letters to the editor. Letters are not guaranteed publication, are subject to editing for content and length, must be signed and meet deadlines. Compliments and suggestions are also welcome.

10 sports

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RPTuesday, February 28, 2017

Home of the Royals: Pav undergoes construction

by Evelyn Barczak Sports Reporter

Just off of Excelsior Boulevard lives the Hopkins Pavilion, built in 1990 and home to multiple teams for the past 27 years.

This year, a total of 19 hockey teams practice at the Pavilion, including youth, junior varsity and varsity teams. Some of the youth teams also practice at Saint Louis Park, Minnetonka Ice Arena and Blake. Lacrosse and soccer teams also practice at the Pavilion year-round.

Because of recent federal regulation changes for cooling systems in ice arenas, the Pavilion is required to undergo construction and hopes to be able to use this as an opportunity to improve other things as well.

“Construction would begin March 2018 and would be completed for the 2018-19 hockey season. However, the remodels will affect the turf and dry floor users; soccer and lacrosse,” said Bill Winter, President of the Hopkins Hockey Association.

At the moment, there are concerns about where the teams that utilize the Pavilion in hockey’s off-season will practice during the remodel.

“It is unclear where teams

that use the Pavilion turf will temporarily go for their training during the renovation. Possibly to gyms, junior high structures, other community turf facilities,” Winter said.

According to hopinshockey. com, “In addition to upgrading to a more environmentally friendly arena, a remodel will provide the opportunity to obtain a nicer lobby, better viewing and seating, upgraded locker rooms, and other features more consistent with other arenas in the Lakes Conference.”

Although the Pavilion is considered the home of Hopkins hockey, the girls junior varsity and varsity teams play and practice elsewhere due to there only being a single sheet of ice at the Pavilion.

Currently, the Minnetonka Ice Arena is home to the Royals girls hockey team. The facility is recently updated and spacious, and there’s two sheets of ice.

Not only is the Minnetonka Ice Arena home to the Royals, it also houses the Lake Minnetonka Figure Skating Club, and Hopkins and Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association. In addition, high school hockey programs from both Min-

Photo of Hopkins Pavillion prior to construction. The home of the Royals hockey team is located off of Excelsior Blvd. photo by Evie Barczak

netonka and Hopkins School Districts utilize the facility. “[The ice arena] is a little warm but there’s lots of space with stadium seating. Our locker rooms are really nice and the lockers are high quality,” said Annika Patterson, junior.

However, hopes were high among the girls hockey team that the Pavilion remodel would produce a second sheet of ice for the girls to practice on.

“I definitely wish we played at the Pav. We all grew up playing there and there’s always a

better turnout on gameday,” Patterson said.

Boys’ captain Alex Hoffman, senior, also grew up playing at the Pavilion, and is excited to see it improve and continue to be a great place for kids to play.

“The Pav has such a homey

feel because there’s only one rink, it’s a little more personal. It could definitely use some renovations though, especially in the youth locker rooms,” Hoffman said.

Royals hoops talent prepares for future roles and improvement

by AJ Condon Sports Reporter The HHS boys basketball team is currently 14-5 and coming off back-to-back wins.

A big part of their success this season has been Blaise Beauchamp, freshman, who is currently averaging 13.3 points per game.

At the beginning of the season it didn’t seem like Beauchamp was a big part of the team, but he’s been getting more and more minutes which has been leading to more points. He is a great playmaker and is phenomenal from beyond the arc.

He has also been able to help the team with his ball

handling skills and his ability to bring the ball up.

“His biggest contribution to the team is how he spreads the floor with his ability to shoot.

We are also confident with him being the main ball handler and point guard,” Simon Wright, senior, said.

Beauchamp just came off a game vs. Washington Warriors where he scored 17 points and the game before that he scored 20 points against Minnetonka.

“The biggest improvement I made was gaining confidence in myself and getting stronger over the offseason,” Beauchamp said.

Go to hopkinsrp.org for more

by Natalie DenHartog Sports Reporter

Blaise Beauchamp, freshman and Paige Bueckers, eighth grader, shooting basketball.

photos by Bea Frank collage by Andy Weisman

Despite the long standing tradition of extremely successful girls basketball players from HHS, it is safe to say that Paige Bueckers, freshman, is unlike anyone else the Royals have ever seen.

Bueckers attributes the beginning of her basketball career to her father’s love for the game.

“I got into basketball because my dad loves basketball so we always watched it and it looked pleasing to my eye. So very often we went to the gym and I started playing basketball and it just flowed naturally to me,” Bueckers said.

Bueckers made her varsity debut last year as an eighthgrader. Though her stats were modest, at the end of the year she was picked to be on the State All-Tournament team, along with other stand-out players from the state tournament, but that was just the beginning.

“My biggest improvement was probably strength, even though I can get much stronger, and just being versatile and not always playing the point guard,” Bueckers said of the growth of her game from last season to this season.

Go to hopkinsrp.org for more

Dance seniors finish season strong: hopes for Royelles in the future are promising

by Lily Smith Sports Reporter It has been a successful last season for The Royelle seniors: Lauren Goodman, Abby Doeden, Megan Carlson, Lily Day, Amanda Natoli, and Taylor Rosenzweig. The Royelles took 5th at sections on February 4th in both kick and jazz.

All of the seniors are sad to see their final season come to an end but were able to reflect on the successes and fun times that they have had as a team these past years.

“I think this past season has been the most successful because our team felt very unified and everyone really seemed to believe in ourselves,” Carlson, captain, who has been on the team for five years, said.

The Royelles have dancers from 7th grade through 12th

Megan Carlson, Lily Day, Abby Doeden, Lauren Goodman, Amanda Natoli, Taylor Rosenzweig, seniors, pose for awards at senior night. provided by Abby Doeden

grade so all the seniors believe that they have learned valuable lessons about responsibility, confidence, and friendship while being on the team.

“I have gained a lot of responsibility from having to not only care about myself, but also an entire group of girls. I've also

learned incredible work ethic and to keep working for what I want even though it seems so impossible,” Goodman, captain, who has been on the team for five years, said.

The dance team has also taught a lot of leadership skills to the seniors. Being the oldest

on the team out of six grades takes a lot of responsibility and those have to be willing to be a good role model for the younger girls. It also takes a lot of work to be able to grow as a team and be confident in the dances.

“From dance team I have gained leadership and confidence. The team has a variation of different grades so as an upperclassman I really needed to step up and be a role model and leader to the younger girls.

I gained confidence as I saw myself improve and my teammates improve because I knew it meant we were making our coaches and each other proud,” Natoli, who has been on the team for three years, said.

However, the team isn’t only about the dancing. The seniors shared some of their favorite parts about being on the team

and some didn’t have to do with the dancing at all, just the sense of community and passion for the same sport.

“Becoming closer with teammates throughout the season through sleepovers and meals and just general bonding was my favorite part about being on the team,” Day, who has been on the team for three years, said.

There were also a lot of fun and exhilarating aspects of being on the team.

“My favorite part of the team was being able to go out on the floor and perform with my team. The feeling you get before, during, and after you dance is indescribable and the most amazing feeling in the world because you know that you were out there with your team giving it all you've got,”

Rosenzweig, captain, who has been on the team for six years, said.

The team helped all of the seniors feel proud and confident and re-enforced their love for dance.

“Every time I went out on that floor I felt so confident in myself and the people around me,” Doeden, captain, who has been on the team for five years, said.

The season truly wouldn’t have been the same without the six incredible seniors on the Royelles. Luckily, Doeden, Goodman, Rosenzweig, Natoli, and Carlson all plan on continuing their dance careers and look forward to their futures in dance.

sports 11

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RPTuesday, February 28, 2017

Boys basketball coaching creates winning environment for the Royals

by Kyle Miller Sports Reporter Coach Novak secured his 800th win on Jan. 6th when his Hopkins Royals boys basketball team beat Cristo Rey Jesuit by a score of 87-40. Novak is just one of the many great coaches on the Hopkins basketball staff.

Novak has amassed a total of 806 wins throughout his 27 year coaching span at HHS. He took over for his father, Ken Novak Sr., in 1989. He also doesn’t believe he is the typical coach who gets angry, yells a lot and gets in your face.

“We try to stay focused, we try to have an attention to detail but I try to consider myself more of a teacher than a coach, so we teach them the concepts of what we want to do and how we want to do it,” Novak said. “I don’t think I get in your face that much but we try to demand intensity and the best from our players”.

Back in 2011 Novak was named the ESPN Coach of the

Left to Right: Mr. Dale Stahl, Mr Brock Tesdahl, Mr. Demondi Johnson and Mr. Kerry Southerland. Photo was taken at the Royals vs Warriors game. photo by Bea Frank

Year for high school basketball.

He also was inducted in the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013. Additionally, under Novak’s coaching, the Royals have won seven State Titles. However, those aren’t the things that have kept him with Hopkins for so long.

“I love coaching high school kids. I really enjoy teaching and so being able to teach during the day and coach at night is great,” Novak said. “We’ve also had great kids come through

Hopkins, like Kris Humphries, Blake Hoffarber, Royce White and Siyani Chambers, kids who want to be good, and work at being good and Hopkins has been a great place to be throughout the years”.

Another coach that has been here for awhile is Dale Stahl, the Junior-Varsity head coach and assistant Varsity coach.

Stahl also had a son, Zach, come through the Hopkins basketball program while he has been a coach here. Stahl started off as a volunteer coach and that turned

into a profession.

“I got into coaching because I played in high school and college and I enjoyed the competition and missed it when my playing career ended. I started volunteering my time as a coach and that turned into coaching jobs at various schools in communities where I lived,” Stahl said.

Stahl has a couple of memories throughout his years here at Hopkins. A couple that stand out would be Hopkins’ most recent State Title, or the year when they won their third consecutive State Title. The one that stands out the most for him, though, is when they won the semifinal game on their way to their second consecutive championship in 2010.

“We were coming off an undefeated season and had graduated five senior starters and nobody thought we could contend again. My son Zach was a sophomore, and also sixth man on the team. We beat Henry Sibley in the semifinals in a double overtime game,” Stahl

said. “They were ranked higher than us and had a couple of 6’8” guys. I was very proud of how our team battled through and won that one,”.

Both of these coaches plan to be at Hopkins for a while because they love the kids and community that HHS is a part of.

A new coach who also adds to the Royals team is Brock Tesdahl. Tesdahl has been here for two years and also played at Bemidji State University.

“What I enjoy most coaching basketball for Hopkins is being a part of the rich tradition Hopkins has established throughout the years. Everywhere I've gone as a basketball player (Crosby-Ironton and Bemidji State University), I've experienced a lot of success.

Now transitioning into the coaching role, I want to have the same triumphs. It's important to note, learning under Hopkins Royals head coach Ken Novak Jr. and previous Royals head coach Ken Novak Sr. has been critical to my growth

as a basketball coach,” Tesdahl said. “I learned more in the past two years than I ever thought I would. They have both have taught me the importance of being a role model on and off the court and provide an atmosphere for the student-athlete to take full advantage of their basketball potential.”

Tesdahl is also very optimistic about the future of the Hopkins basketball program.

He believes that hard work and wanting to be better players need to be top objectives for future Royals wanting to be a part of the Hopkins program.

“The future looks bright for the Hopkins Royals program; however, hard work and the desire to get better need to be a primary objective for the upcoming Royal players. One of the things over the years that has helped Hopkins succeed is that in the past the best players and hardest workers have been leaders on and off the court,” Tesdahl said.

After bad conditions and injuries, alpine team finishes successful season

by Mario Hadley Sports Reporter The HHS Alpine team this season was riddled with bad luck and bad conditions, resulting in challenging season for the Royals.

“The weather was just nuts,” Jane Kleinman, coach of the HHS alpine team, said.

The conditions this winter have been far from ideal for skiing. Optimal skiing conditions are icy and as cold for Alpine skiing.

“The warm temperatures and rain created conditions where large ruts form and the snow outside the ruts gets really heavy. The ideal conditions are firm snow or ice,” Kleinman said.

Weather conditions were not the only problem for the Royals, injuries were a huge contributor to the hardship challenges of this past season.

“I have coached for 21 years and I have had more significant injuries this year than all of my years combined,” Kleinman said.

The Royals suffered four significant injuries sustained to the athletes and one to an assistant coach.

Four of the five injuries the royals acquired happened within one week which sparked much concern.

The most common injuries in Alpine are sprained thumbs and occasionally a mild concussion from a fall. All five of these injuries were much more significant injuries that put people in casts.

“I think having one injury is a fluke, but having so many so close was not a fluke, it made us question if we should be practicing and competing in these conditions,” Kleinman said Kleinman realized that all the injuries and the bad snow

conditions were no coincidence.

She knew something had to change. Kleinman pushed hard to cancel postpone a race when conditions were at their worst, but she did not get her way.

“Once we had our first January injury, we canceled practice when poor conditions continued and we tried to postpone the race that week.” Kleinman said.

Putting salt on the snow makes the snow set up and become firm. Hyland Hills, where the Royals practice and sometimes compete, would not allow teams to use salt until they got permission from the Three Rivers Park District.

“It was very unusual and it was very hard to figure out what to do about it,” Kleinman said.

The issues with the bad conditions were especially an issue for the alpine season because it is a very short and compressed

Alpine team poses for photo at sections race. The race was at Afton Alps. provided by Evie Barczak

season.

Looking forward Kleinman looks to educate her athletes about free skiing and snow conditions and is looking to grow as a coach from this experience.

“I think we will probably be more vigilant on all skiers inspecting the courses and having preparations on skiers,” Kleinman said. “Being more vigilant on free skiing, I think that is

something we will address more directly in the future” Kleinman does not expect weather like this in the near future, but she thinks in the future she can communicate more to help keep her athletes safer.

“I think, looking forward, one of the things we have to do is talk to Hyland earlier in the season to make sure there is a plan in place if warm weather makes the conditions unsafe,” Kleinman said.

The Royal’s definitely had many obstacles this season, but the boys team was very close to making it to state and Nick Kanitz, sophomore, qualified as an individual for state while others from both the boys and girls team were close.

“I think that the racers on both the boys and the girls teams did very well given some of the adverse weather and ski conditions,” Kleinman said.

Royals Player Profiles: “I think the team is going to be great. We have a great group. I hope we improve our intesity on and off the court.”

-Sam Diedrich, senior, boys tennis

“I think the team has been performing very well and continues to improve. We need to say focused by continuing to practice until the season.”

-Makenzie Meritt, senior, softball photo by Darla Mattson

provided by Makenzie Meritt

“I feel like our team has been growing each day.

We’re locked in at practice and our energy has been high. “ -Asha Bozicevich, senior, girls basketball

photo by Bea Frank

provided by Megan Carlosn

provided by Joe Swenson

“I feel the team performed really well this season, we accomplished things that we haven’t in awhile. I think we did a really good job of pulling together into a close team and because of that we were able to get a lot done during the season.”

-Megan Carlson, senior, dance team

provided by Tommy Auth

“The team is going to do great this year. We gained a lot of new people that want to come out for the team.

We also hope to improve on our performance at the True Team State Meet this year and bring home a team title.”

-Joe Swenson, senior, track and field “The team will be young this year but very talented. We have a new coaching staff and are looking forward to copeting in the toughest conerence in the state. We hope to improve and go to state.”

-Tommy Auth, junior, baseball

RP Friday, December 2

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What’s on the menu?

Pizza Luce

Punch Pizza

Overall, I would rate Pizza Lucé at a 4.5/5 because their service, morals, and delicious food never fails to satisfy your true italian food cravings.

I was tempted by their best selling pizza, The Classic, covered in italian meats, green peppers and black olives, but chose to go with an all time favorite: the Margherita pizza.

Davanni’s

Punch is most famous for their neapolitan style pizza which compared to other pizza places appears to be greasy but the liquid is actually olive oil, which is healthier. The pizza crust is so thin, light and moist that it is often eaten with a fork.

Punch Pizza is a great pizza option when you are running low on time. Even on a busy night during a dinner rush, if your pizza takes longer than 15 minutes, you may be given a free pizza coupon for your next visit.

by Evie Barzack

by Jordyn Petty and Andy Berris

Blaze Pizza

I would highly recommend Blaze Pizza to anyone who enjoys the build your own style method. While the restaurant does not offer single slices nor does it deliver, it does have a lot of gluten-free and vegan options both in the crust and ingredients.

One of my favorite elements about the restaurant is the comfortable and modern feel.

by Samantha Horowitz

This new and improved look to Davanni’s hasn’t changed the pizza, but it has changed people’s mind about Davanni’s.

Davanni’s used to be known for mainly take out and delivery.

“Since the new design, more and more people have been eating in instead of taking out,” Jacob Gonsior, Davanni’s employee said.

by Luis Felemovicius and Mario Hadley

Station Pizzeria

The rating I would give this restaurant is a 4.5 out of 5 for the great service food and convenience. Their to go system takes a while and how small the restaurant actually is only being able to sit 64 people.

The specialty pizza Station offers are the Don and the Barrio. The Don consists of: sausage, giardiniera, roasted shiitake mushrooms and shaved garlic. The Barrio consists of: tomato arbol sauce, grilled chicken, mozzarella, jalapeno, bacon and red onion.

by Jacob Ratner

page by Abby Doeden photos licensed through Creative Commons