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ROYAL

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

VOLUME 33, ISSUE 7

SEXT PECTATIONS Center-Spread

Read this discussion about the prevalence of underage sexting and its social and legal impacts in this issue’s C-spread, pages 6-7.

www.hopkinsrp.org

#BlackLivesMatter impacts Metro youth

by Callan Showers and Nate Pasko Print Editors-in-Chief At 11 a.m. last Friday, several students left school taking action in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The walk-out brought them to join a protest at MLK Park in Minneapolis.

Rose Soumare, sophomore, Bianca Williams, senior, and Sydney Baird-Holmes, junior, were three of the students leading the movement.

“There has been so much uprising recently, so especially with the black teen youth culture it’s important that we’re all educated, and we all know what’s going on,” Soumare said.

“It’s really important that we have this through the schools, especially here out in suburban white America.”

Baird-Holmes continued to explain that the participating students hope to show solidarity.

“A large part of it is just to show that we understand that the Black Lives Matter movement is important, that we support Baltimore and Freddie Gray, and that we also support the 36 people who are being prosecuted for the Mall of America protest,” Baird-

Kennedy Foster, Diamond Houston, and Eli-sha Jones, seniors, walk out to MLK Park in Minneapolis for a #BlackLivesMatter protest. The hashtag began after Trayvon Martin’s death three years ago, and this protest was centered around the recent uprisings in Baltimore, MD after the death of Freddie Gray, and in solidarity with the 36 people who are being prosecuted for the #BlackLivesMatter protest that occurred at the Mall of America in March. photo by Ruby Krietzman

Holmes said.

Williams stressed the reasoning behind participating in an activism event during the school day.

“We’re doing this during school because it’s important for

us to have a designated movement. It also gets the attention of teachers and admin to help them understand the movement. Also, everyone is together and can create a big impact dur-

ing school,” Williams said.

The protest at MLK Park was attended by at least 1000 students from metro-area elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as college students, neighbor-

Athletic lineage: living with sports stars

by Will Cohen Staff Reporter HHS is filled with athletes of all shapes and sizes, and many of these athletes are inspired and encouraged by their relatives to participate in athletics.

Some of the finest athletes at HHS were raised in families that include a professional athletics pedigree. There are both pros and cons to having athletically-accomplished relatives.

Angelica and Taya Wiggins, senior and sophomore, both know exactly what that feels like. Their brother, Andrew Wiggins, is the starting small forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“There’s a pretty good amount of pressure because of our brother that can contribute to my own athletic career,” Angelica said.

Andrew comes to Angelica’s basketball games and helps critique her game by tell her things he notices she could work on.

“He plays with me and that really makes me better,” Angelica said. “He’s really good at giv-

ing me useful advice that I can easily apply to games.”

Having a relative with such high stature as Andrew Wiggins can bring about unseen challenges for high school athletes.

“People see me and assume I’m some sort of terrific basket-

ball player who can jump three feet in the air, and that’s just not the case,” Angelica said. “I’m not like my brother, and it’s tough when people want me to be just like him.”

Bianca Williams, senior, also has a sibling who excels in his sport. Marcus Williams, Bi-

anca’s brother, played Division 1-AA football at North Dakota State University, winning two national championships. Marcus now plays for the New York Jets in the NFL.

hood organizers, and community members. Attendees chanted call and responses such as “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now.” “It’s very good to see all of the local schools come together rather than just random people around the world protesting separately,” said Jada Daniel, senior, who attended the protest.

The protest was organized, peaceful, and full of energy.

Event coordinators set out food for all participants, and a community outreach truck played music and organized the entertainment, which included both spoken-word pieces and original songs and dances.

“It’s very important that there was no violence and no drama,” said Kennedy Foster, senior, who also attended the protest.

Williams hopes that walking out and participating in the city-wide movement is respected by all.

“I hope that students here [at HHS] understand why we’re doing this and honestly support what we’re doing,” Williams said. “Sometimes, we get negative feedback. I hope they get a deeper understanding.”

SPORTS, page 10

Breaking records

The boys lacrosse team is already having one of their best seasons to date.

FEATURE, page 9

The Depot venue

This Hopkins coffee shop doubles as a unique venue for emerging artists.

NEWS, page 2

Civil Rights Tour

Select students who attended this tour gained informed experience.

SPECIAL WEB FEATURE

One-to-one technology: Chromebook to be announced

ATHLETIC LINEAGE cont. on page 11 The one-to-one technology steering committee has decided to go forward with Chromebooks as the personal device given to every HHS student next year.

This decision follows the committee’s initial exploration of seven different Chromebook models, which was reported by The Royal Page in early February and included beta testing by members of Student Government.

The committee’s proposal for one-to-one technology will be submitted to the Hopkins Board of Education tomorrow.

Stay tuned tomorrow as The Royal Page announces the specifics of the Chromebook decision.

Stay tuned with us Left: Bianca Williams, senior, smiles with her brother Marcus Williams after one of his games. Marcus played football for North Dakota State University.

Right: Andrew Wiggins drives to the basket during a 2014 game for the University of Kansas. Hailing from Canada, his two younger sisters now attend HHS. photos provided by Bianca Williams and Creative Commons

on

hopkinsrp.org

RPBRIEFS Seniors Participate in CPR Training On Monday, April 20, seniors were required to attend a CPR training class during extended advisory.

In April of 2012, Governer Mark Dayton signed a law that required all school districts to provide training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator instruction as part of the school curriculum. The previous version of the law encouraged schools to provide training, but the new version makes the training mandatory.

Minnesota joins 23 other states in the U.S. that make it a graduation requirement to participate in the CPR training.

Students Run Royal Den Playschool The Child Psychology II class began putting on its annual Royal Den Playschool on April 21, and it will last through June 3. In order for children to come to the playschool, they must be at least three years old and potty-trained.

Ms. Patty Ormson, FACS, is excited for the students to apply skills they learned in class to real-life situations.

“They’ve learned time management, patience, organization, and many more skills to help them work with the children,” Ormson said. “It’s going to be a really good experience for everyone.”

The Royal Den started in 2004 and the program has received a lot of support ever since.

“The parents love it,” Ormson said. “I still get emails from parents whose children attended two years ago telling me how much their children enjoyed it.”

Ashley Bates, junior, is looking forward to working with the children.

“I have siblings so I know a little bit about taking care of children,” Bates said. “But this is awesome because it’s something I can put on my resume.”

Midori and Geoff Auditions Held Last week, auditions for Midori and Geoff were held.

“When students audition for [the choirs], some things we look for are tone quality, balance and blend,” said Mr. Phillipp Brown, music.

The auditions are prepared group auditions to see which voices stand out and which students would best fit the choir.

“The students who tried out this year are all great individuals.

The groups look like they will be good and its pretty exciting as a director,” Brown said.

Brown states that he isn’t sure what the dynamic of the choirs will be next year.

“I have confidence they will be good,” Brown said. “Last year’s Midori group learned how to trust each other and grow musically.”

briefs by Ben Segelbaum, Bradley Kaplan, Judaisha Jackson, and Justice Feldman

RP Wednesday, May 6, 2015

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Historical tour inspires

by Addie Lennon News Editor Look up the African-American Civil Rights Movement on Wikipedia and it will describe a movement that took place in the U.S. from 1954-1968. According to Julie Uwineza, junior, the movement is not so easily put on a timeline.

“Even if [people] say the civil rights started this year and ended that year, we don’t think that’s how it is,” Uwineza said.

“It started way before, and it hasn’t stopped; it’s still going on.”

In order to learn more about this continuous movement, Uwineza, Maddy Buckner-McCurdy, Xavier Johnson and William Wicklander, juniors, spent their spring break on a historical tour across the country, accompanied by Mr. Michael Babine-Dinnen, Social Studies. The West Metro Education Program (WMEP) partners with Robbinsdale Area schools to offer the Civil Rights Research Tour (CRRT), which aims to educate AfricanAmericans about their history through experience. This program is offered to students who attend Brooklyn Center, Columbia Heights, Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Minneapolis, Richfield, Robbinsdale, St. Anthony/ New Brighton, St. Louis Park, and Wayzata public schools.

Babine-Dinnen explained that the tour was not solely historical, but can be applied to the west metro community.

“For me, it was a strong belief in racial consciousness, and bringing that to the west metro. I want to bring that to our school and increase black pride,”

CRRT encourages the exploration of students’ history through experience. Students wore shirts in support of the tour.

Babine-Dinnen said. “I wanted [students] to know what their families before them experienced and help create a stronger sense of identity so they could bring that here and be empowered to affect change.”

Students were recommended to attend the tour by teachers, or sought out applications on their own. On the tour, students visited sites such as the National Voters Rights Museum in Alabama, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Alabama, the King Center in Georgia, and a number of historically black colleges (Tuskegee University in Alabama, Spelman College and Morehouse College in Georgia). An experience that stood out to Buckner-McCurdy was an up-close look into life on a slave ship.

“The theme that we learned on this trip was that as the youth, we are the people to con-

The Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Memorial in Washington D.C. is visited annually by CRRT. This year, students posed in front of a famous MLK quote. photos provided by Maddy Buckner-McCurdy

tinue our history. That became clear through the slave experience, where we got to see what it was like to be on a slave ship,” Buckner-McCurdy said. “We need to be able to take that and educate others about what it was like, because it’s one thing to just read about it in your textbook, to experience it is completely different.”

Along with historical knowledge, Johnson believes he left the trip with a stronger sense of identity.

“After this trip, you no longer feel like you have to hide the real you for anybody. Once you know where you come from, you just feel proud and accomplished. The sky isn’t the limit for anyone,” Johnson said.

Schools explore later start times

by Haley DenHartog News Editor High school students everywhere are expected to wake up before the sun rises five days a week to get themselves to school on time and remain attentive for the next eight hours.

The average high school class begins at 7:59 a.m.; nine hours after the average teenager goes to bed, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

However, studies have shown that such early start times are potentially harmful to high schoolers’ academic performance and mental health.

In 1996, Edina High School (EHS) pushed its start time back to 8:25 a.m. as an attempt to align with teenagers’ normal sleeping patterns. Since the switch, EHS has noticed improved attendance, less tardiness, and fewer signs of depression in their students. “[Now] we see fewer attendance and discipline issues, and

students seem more engaged during class and in school activities,” said Dr. Bruce Locklear, EHS Principal.

EHS hopes to continue to see benefits derive from its decision to switch.

“Initially, there were concerns about potential impacts on after-school activities, but we have not had any issues coordinating with other schools and feel the academic benefits outweigh potential scheduling inconveniences,” Locklear said.

“We have nearly 20 years of success with the later start time and are not looking to change it.”

Last year, over 9,000 high school students from Minnesota, Colorado, and Wyoming were observed by the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities’ Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI). The study showed that students who began their school day later were more likely to show up to school, receive better grades and higher test

scores, and were less prone to substance abuse and depression.

After noting the results of the study, several other Minnesota schools, including Wayzata High School (WHS), began to consider pushing back their schedules as well.

When the idea to change schedules arose, a survey was conducted within the entire Wayzata School District asking parents, staff, and students for their feedback. WHS is currently still weighing potential benefits and drawbacks of a schedule change as they work through the decision-making process.

In addition to EHS and WHS, St. Paul Public Schools recently decided to conduct a pilot project next school year at Johnson High School, which will start at 8:30 a.m.

HHS has considered the research and statistics presented, but many factors play a role in scheduling matters.

“It’s the Hopkins School Board that sets the schedules,

and those are largely dictated by transportation and how complicated that can be, as well as fitting in extracurricular activities,” said Tyson Crockett, Dean of Students.

While HHS start times remain constant, talk of alteration continues to circulate the school district.

“In the future - I would just be giving my opinion about this because I am not on the school board nor do I have influence over them - but I would say knowing our school board and seeing them operate, I think they are a very progressive group of people and I would guess that they have read the same article and looked at what is going on with these other schools, and would certainly be involved in conversations about what that could potentially look like for HHS,” Crockett said.

Although change isn’t promising for HHS in the foreseeable future, it is not impossible as further research surfaces.

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RP Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Olympian visits TASC

Karyn Bye Dietz, former Olympic hockey player, speaks at Boost TASC. She visited HHS on Thursday April 23.

by Brian Yu Business Editor The cover of Wheaties, two olympic medals, and International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame are all achievements that recent Boost Tasc speaker Karyn Bye Dietz, has accomplished.

Boost Tasc was implemented this year as a way for students to hear from individuals who have succeeded in their respective fields. The speakers are a complement to the TASC student tutoring that also occurs each Thursday by appointment in the library.

Dietz was the speaker on Thursday April 23rd.

Dietz grew up in River Falls Wisconsin, where she played on the Boys Hockey Team with her brother. After a successful high school career, Dietz went on to play collegiate hockey at the University of New Hampshire.

Her olympic career began in 1998 at the Nagano Japan Olympic Games, where she received a gold medal. In 2002 Dietz won silver at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Following her career, she was the fifth woman to be inducted into the International

HAP Community Day took place in the Lindbergh Center on Tues. photo provided by Kara Vipond April 14.

HAP builds community

by Madeline Martodam Opinion Editor

Hopkins Alternative Program (HAP) is a small learning community at HHS that develops academic and personal skills within its students.

On Tuesday, April 14, HAP students participated in HAP Community Day to build relationships between the students and staff in the program.

“Our students took an initiative to bring this event to our program. It was inspired by a fall leadership conference that our students attended,” said Mr. Scott Neiman, HAP Coordinator.

The day began with a pancake and sausage breakfast followed by three hours of team-building activities in the Lindbergh Center. The activities provided students and staff an opportunity to get to know each other on a more personal level.

John Yang, senior, was one of the students who helped plan HAP Community Day. “Although HAP classes are small, I have experienced a lack of community within them. During this event people opened up and began to feel more comfortable. I was really happy with how the event turned out,” Yang said.

Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.

During boost TASC, Dietz shared several life lessons that she has learned through hockey.

“Hockey has taught me to accept people for who they are, if you took my Olympic team of twenty, we didn’t necessarily all have the same political or religious views, but if you can accept people for who they are it will make life a lot easier,” Dietz said.

“Only focus on the things you can control, for example when I go out to play hockey, I can’t control how the other team plays, the ice surface, or the ref, but what I

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photo provided by Paige Newman

can control is how I prepared.”

“You are going to make a lot of mistakes in your life, but you need to learn from them determine how you are going to make decisions in the future.”

“Be confident in life, when you shake someones hand do it with confidence, show that person that you have confidence in yourself because you know what you are doing. Presence says a lot.”

“I was so lucky to have the dream of making it to the Olympics, and I was so so lucky to have that dream come to,” Dietz said.

AP World travels beyond textbooks

by Justice Feldman Staff Reporter

Over spring break, AP World History students left their papers and pencils behind to explore the real world.

The students traveled to Spain and Morocco, where they spent a total of eight days touring different museums, visiting landmarks, and learning about different cultures.

“As soon as the plane landed and we walked out of the airport, I fell in love with the city of Spain. Besides hanging out with my fellow classmates, we went to different parts of Spain like Madrid and many other small cities,” said Olivia Polinsky, junior. “It’s different because the only hills and mountains you see are either the expressway or the landfill sites.”

On the trip, students learned about the influence of Islamic culture, specifically the ways in which it impacted Spain and Morocco.

“I think it’s so important for kids to travel. I want them to gain real-world experience,” said Ms. Jennifer Heimlich, Social Studies and AVID. Students got to experience historic and current religions such as Islam, Roman Catholicism.

“Students on the trip got to see the various cultures[Islamic culture] brought to this part of the world,” Heimlich said.

“The main purpose was for students to see the combination of Islamic culture and European culture.”

The group of students landed in Madrid, Spain, where they stayed for six days. They then traveled to Morocco, where they stayed until their return on April 4. During the trip, they toured places such as the Royal Palace of Madrid, Alhambra Palace and Gibraltar.

“My favorite part about the trip was when we toured the city of Madrid,” Polinsky said.

A total of 18 students went on the trip, followed by three chaperones.

Heimlich and Ms. Maggie Temple, Social Studies, both arranged the trip.

Some students turned down the trip because of the price tag.

“The trip was not cheap. It cost around $3,500, but students did a lot of fundraising,” Heimlich said.

Fundraising was offered to help pay for the trip. The fundraisers included selling coffee to a company that helps farmers around the world and partnering with basket weavers in Ghana to sell their baskets.

Heimlich thought the trip was very beneficial for students.

“It was a great trip, and students really enjoyed being in a new atmosphere and learning about different cultures,” Heimlich said.

CIS Spanish five and six students also have the opportunity to travel to Spain this summer.

Editorial

The staff editorial represents the viewpoint of the Royal Page

Twitter trend shows importance of quality teachers If you could tell your favorite teacher one thing they need to know about your life, what would it be?

Ms. Kyle Schwartz, a third-grade teacher at Doull Elementary School in Denver, Co., decided that she needed her class to answer that exact question for her. 92 percent of Doull students qualify for free-and-reduced lunch, and Schwartz, new to the school, felt she could not provide the right support for her students without first understanding the reality of their young lives. As a first step, Schwartz gave each student a brightly-colored card and asked that they write down something about themselves that she needed to know.

The responses she received were, in many cases, heartbreaking. Ranging from not having pencils at home with which to do homework, to missing a parent who was deported back to a home country, to not having a friend to play with at recess, to not having parents around on a regular basis, these students told the truth about their living situations with straightforward honesty befitting of their age.

Once Schwartz posted some of her responses on Twitter, the story quickly went viral, spawning the hashtag #Iwish-

RPWednesday, May 6, 2015 Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down the

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myteacherknew. Schwartz was praised for caring about and investing in her students’ lives, and many other teachers across the country quickly followed suit, using Twitter to post some of their own results.

Teachers like Schwartz are huge assets to their schools and communities, chiefly due to their personal investment in the well-being of each student.

The #Iwishmyteacherknew phenomenon is a comparatively small example of a greater truth, something that all of us at The Royal Page strongly believe: a good teacher can make all the difference in the world.

A teacher who is actively interested in the lives of their students, whether by using methods like a Twitter account to connect with students in a casual forum or simply by asking how life is going, greatly enhances their students’ probability for success in the classroom and later in life.

In their book That Used To Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back, Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum discuss the impact of teachers on the future economic productivity and societal advancement of America. The authors interviewed Michael Johnston, a former

Top 10 :

principal and current Colorado state senator who helped found an organization dedicated to training and recruiting leaders for urban schools.

“What we now know is that the single most important variable determining the success of any student is the effectiveness of the teacher in the classroom. That impact is so significant that when you talk about curriculum, professional development, or even class size, those changes are literally rounding errors compared to the impact of a great teacher,” Johnston said in his interview. “If you take our lowest-performing quartile of students and put them in the classroom of a highly effective teacher, we know that in three years you have nearly closed the achievement gap… [but] if you take the lowest quartile and put them in the classroom of our least-effective teachers and principals, you will blow that achievement gap open so wide you’ll never close it.”

The reason we at The Royal Page are shining the spotlight on teachers in this editorial is not because teachers are the problem with our education system or because we believe HHS is lacking in this area. It is, in fact, the opposite: our teachers are the solution. If

we want our school and community to continue producing happy, efficient, and successful members of the working world, we must recognize the massively vital role teachers hold in this equation and continue to advocate for their well-being.

Teaching is a difficult job, and nobody goes into it for the money. Therefore, Friedman and Mandelbaum argue that increased recognition and celebration of top teachers is more important than a $50 gift card at the end of the school year.

The authors believe that teachers who feel admired and supported by their students and the school community have a greater incentive to continue honing their art than if they are thrown a small, shallow bone at the end of the year for a job well done.

We at The Royal Page tend to agree. Our teachers are immensely important to our future success. Therefore, we ourselves must play a role in their engagement in the classroom. More interested and appreciative students mean a more invested teacher, which translates into a much higher probability for our professional achievement. Both today and in the future, please heed this message: help your teacher help you.

“I made Geoff and am excited because we have a great group of guys.”

- Erik Davis, junior “I found a dead moth in my salad at school.”

- Stephanie Chavez, senior “I had my career personal record in the triple jump.”

- Kendra Kreienbrink, sophomore “I was going to do a performance with Chris Brown but it got cancelled.”

- Jasmine Dickerson, junior “We went to DECA Nationals and placed top 20.”

- Nathan Schmid, senior “I broke my foot last week running and will be out at least 6 weeks.”

- Hunter Staack, junior infographic by Madeline Martodam

Things to do before you graduate

a cone past the 10 Sneak mall cops

9 Paint the rock 8 Freestyle on the PA system

7 Discover the tunnels to NJH

a book for class without 6 Read using SparkNotes 5 Park in Patty J’s spot

a picture with Alexis from 4 Take the cafeteria

3 Go out to lunch for “first time” one-on-one with 2 Play Coach Novak, Jr.

1 Join The Royal Page

Stigma against mental health

by Danielle Fogelson Feature Editor There is no quick and easy fix to a fundamental flaw that exists in the way society perceives a group of its peers. However, when this flaw shames 43.7 million Americans, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), it must be eradicated.

It is time for the stigma against mental illness to end.

Take a moment to look at the person in front of you, behind you, to your right, to your left and to the corner. It is likely that one of the people you just looked at has a diagnosable mental disorder, as one in five youths ages 13 to 18 have a mental illness, according to NAMI’s website.

Unfortunately, NAMI also reports that only 50 percent of youths with a mental disorder receive treatment. The Association for Psychological Science (APS) released a report in 2014 that identifies stigma as a leading reason for people not obtaining mental health care.

“The prejudice and discrimination of mental illness is as disabling as the illness itself. It undermines people attaining their personal goals and dissuades them from pursuing effective treatments,” said Patrick W. Corrigan, psychological scientist and lead author of APS’s report.

Because it is society that creates the stigma, it is society’s job to ensure that more people are

receiving necessary mental health care and ensure that those people do not feel any shame for it.

It is important to remember that the effects of mental illnesses range on a large scale. Some mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or extreme depression, require extensive care, while others, such as anxiety disorders, can be treated with a mix of therapy and medication. However, all mental illnesses, regardless of the intensity of their effects, are legitimate diagnoses.

People with mental illnesses shouldn’t fear that their diagnosis is any less legitimate than that of diabetes or heart disease simply because it derives from the brain. Additionally, a person will a mental illness should never feel that his or her worth is determined by a diagnosis.

Mental illness does not define a person; it is a only a sliver of his or her being. However, that does not mean that it can be ignored. The reality is that a majority of the population is affected by mental illness to some extent, whether it be by association or themselves, and it cannot be a topic people shy away from.

To begin tackling the issue of stigma against mental health, there must be discussion. The discrimination will not end if the topic of mental illness is considered taboo.

In an article for the Huffington Post, Melissa Thompson, CEO and founder of TalkSession, an online network of mental health professionals, provides three daily

methods for eliminating stigma: realizing the numbers, integrating mental wellness into daily life, and practicing empathy.

We must realize that mental illness affects millions of Americans and is a medical condition requiring treatment. We must focus on keeping our own minds healthy, whether by “mediation, medication, or meditation.” Lastly, we must listen, show we care, and inspire change.

I admit that I often fail to speak up when I witness the stigma against mental illness occurring around me. I didn’t interject a couple of weeks ago when my friends said they don’t believe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is real, even though I’ve read articles and seen pictures of brain scans that prove otherwise. I didn’t say anything when I heard a classmate use the word “bipolar” as a casual adjective, but I wish I had.

When you hear someone making an inaccurate or offensive comment about mental illness, speak up. If you hear someone say that a person with depression just needs to “toughen up,” tell them that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain that often requires therapy and medication, not “toughening up.”

We have the power as a student body to be an accepting community. Even if we can’t change the way the entire society thinks, we can surely eradicate the stigma against mental illness within our school.

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RPWednesday, May 6, 2015

ATTITUDES The bright side The birds and the bees, the deed, “it” - there are countless euphemisms for sex.

By definition, a euphemism substitutes a comfortable expression for one considered too harsh, taboo, offensive, or embarrassing.

Two Saint Louis Park High School (SLPHS) teens would argue that acceptance, rather than substitution, is the most productive path to comfort.

“Everyone has sex, so why can’t everyone talk about it?

Talking about sex openly shows teens that it’s not weird and dirty to be having sex. It allows them to grow and learn about themselves without being ashamed,” said Shoshi Fischman, SLPHS senior.

In Sept. 2014, Fischman and Brita Hunegs, SLPHS senior, co-founded the Sexual Health Education Club

(SHEC). One of the core philosophies of the club is a movement called sex positivity.

“I would describe sex positivity as the acceptance that sex is part of human nature and that there shouldn’t be embarrassment around the discussion of it,” Hunegs said.

Fischman and Hunegs both believe progression towards sex positivity is integral to changing deeply-rooted stereotypes and gender roles in sex.

“In the U.S., women particularly are shamed for having or wanting sex, and by embracing the sex positive mindset it allows everyone to be comfortable with their own desires,” Fischman said.

Hunegs addressed an additional reason sex positivity is necessary in society today.

“If there is a stigma around talking about the safe ways to

do it, people will be ashamed to ask questions and to get answers, which will lead to an increase in disease, unplanned pregnancy, and other complications that go along with unsafe sex,” Hunegs said.

At SLPHS, the SHEC can be found on every other Thursday morning playing STINGO (Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) bingo), or discussing current events such as the release of 50 Shades of Grey in theaters.

Fischman explained how they hoped the club would aid the greater community. “[SHEC] has taught me that peer-to-peer education is a lot more beneficial because students like to hear from someone they can relate to. Teaching sex positivity early on is so important.

It allows students to grow up learning that it’s ok to want and ok to have sex,” Fischman said.

Editor’s Note: Thank you for following The Royal Page as we featured three facets of the pervasive and damaging nature of rape in our society: the culture that allows it, the numbers that prove it, and, now, the solutions that can mitigate it. We hope you are now eager to join the cause of eradicating rape from our schools, cities, and world.

-Callan Showers and Nate Pasko, Print Editors-in-Chief

College crisis

Source: http://www.wgac.colostate.edu/

Sex positivity is a movement that embraces all forms of sex and sexual identities while promoting safety and consent. Two Saint Louis Park High School seniors formed a Sexual Health Education Club that teaches this ideology. infographic by Callan Showers

Making rape a human issue A game plan to prevent violence Mr. Douglas Dart, Language Arts, decided to engage his students in a discussion about rape culture following last spring’s attack at the University of California - Santa Barbara.

“There was a Twitter hashtag following that incident that talked about how not all men are [misogynistic], but then there was a larger response that talked about ‘yes all women’ [have been marginilzaed],” Dart said. “Looking at the posts and seeing the kinds of things women endure from men on a daily basis was what made it important enough to bring to my Modern Nonfiction class. I think it was a good opportunity for some of the men in the class to see what women have to put up with, and it was helpful for some of the women to know they’re not alone in the difficulties that they face.”

Dart also discussed rape culture earlier this year with his Honors Humanities class.

“In Humanities class this year, I taught one of the stories in The Canterbury Tales - The Wife of Bath’s Tale - that deals with a rape. We used that as a context for talking about rape culture, and we looked at a number of different sources to examine how the culture operates and persists, as well as some of the attitudes that operate inside it.”

Dart relayed a story he saw on a Reddit thread

about a woman who set her rapist on fire. Many readers took the victim-blaming that typically goes against women and turned it onto the man, with comments like “He must have been asking for it by wearing flammable clothes” and “I heard he had been drinking, which makes you easier to burn.”

“When you see the victim-blaming in that context, it makes it sound so incredibly stupid, which it really is. That kind of humor becomes very powerful, because it puts the message where it really belongs, in terms of: how do we prevent rape? Just don’t do it,” Dart said.

From Dart’s perspective, rape culture cannot be eradicated without concentrated efforts of young men to reject behaviors or actions that contribute to the perpetuation of the culture.

“The power of peer pressure is massive. If even 10 or 15 percent of teenage males were courageous enough to stand up to the misogyny they hear, I think it would disappear really fast, because there are things that we used to do all the time, like smoking in public, that almost never happen anymore due to peer pressure,” Dart said.

Dart thinks all it takes is for men to hold each other accountable.

“It’s not up to the women in that arena - it’s up to the men,” Dart said.

“I think misogynistic talk, or any venue in which men are doing piggish things like groping, catcalling, or trying to get a girl drunk, can be called out by others for the poison and ugliness that it is and can disappear relatively quickly.”

A Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) program entitled “Coaching for Change” is now available for coaches online.

The website states that the goal of the program is to “create a heightened awareness of your team culture and the social norms that are shaping student athlete’s attitudes and behaviors related to teen dating violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment.” With this increased awareness, coaches can positively impact athletes’ lives.

The course is also featured

on the website of national organization Coach for America, an organization formed by former National Football League player and sexual assault advocate Joe Ehrmann, that seeks to empower athletes and coaches. With his wife Paula, Ehrmann created the Building Men and Women for Others organization, which addresses issues of masculinity and femininity.

Ms. Jody Redman, MSHSL Associate Director and Developer of Coaching for Change, was not available for comment to The Royal Page.

College fraternities have often been named a breeding ground for rape and sexual assault, with CNN reporting that fraternity men are three times more likely to rape.

However, one fraternity at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMN), is working to do just the opposite.

Since the fall of 2014, UMN Phi Beta Sigma Vice President George Darvehn has been leading the initiative to educate both his fraternity brothers and the wider community about the topic of hypermasculinity.

Hypermasculinity explains the way that the societal construct of masculinity strips young boys of qualities like sensitivity, vulnerability, and empathy and reinforces qualities like strength, apathy, and violence.

At a UMN screening of a film about hypermasculinity ‘The Mask You Live In,’ Darvehn explained, “I felt like the majority of my life I had to prove myself - that I was worthy; that I was a man.”

As of May 1, 2014, 76 colleges were under open Title IX (the federal law that prohibits sexual discrimination in education) sexual violence investigations. Schools from A to Z Arizona State University to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine - were among the ones being investigated.

As more federal intervention is taken, more rape victims have reported their attacks, as reported in the Boston Globe. USAToday noted that calls to the toll-free National Sexual Assault Hotline have been up 10 percent in the first three months of this year. The hotline number is 1-800-656-HOPE.

Becoming an activist

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer tells the story of 80 unpunished rapes at the university of Montana in three years.

Slutwalk is a global movement of protest marches against victimblaming. The fourth Slutwalk Minneapolis took place in October.

The Mask You Live In is a documentary showcasing modern masculinity and how it may groom men and boys to marginalize women and view them as sexual conquests.

- Mr. Douglas Dart, Language Arts

“As a male, I have a privilege that I don’t necessarily have to act the same way that other people do. So, I got to kind of see [in Humanities class], from a woman’s perspective, how much I take for granted.”

- Jonathan Lovagnini, senior Cover art found on Amazon.com

Photo by Alan Wilfahrt for Slutwalk Minneapolis

Cover art found on themaskyoulivein.org

SEXT PECT The Legal Matter

Reasons Why

Total sample includes 655 U.S teens ages 13-18

66% of teen girls and 60% of teen boys say

they sent pictures to be “fun or flirtatious”— their most common reason for sending sexy content.

23% of teen girls and 24% of teen boys say

they were pressured by friends to send or post sexual content.

21% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say they have sent such content to someone they wanted to date or hook up with.

All infographics were made on PiktoChart. Other sources include: The Pew Internet & American Life Project and the Cox Communications Teen Online & Wireless Safety Survey.

Although the legal repercussions are severe if participants are caught and prosecuted, underage sexting usually occurs without legal consequences. The social repercussions, however, almost always follow.

No students were willing to talk to the Royal Page on record, therefore the following student chose to remain anonymous.

“I’m a person who is very comfortable with my body, so it’s not like I regret [peers] seeing me or having those pictures.

It’s more that I regret losing my dignity and self-respect and allowing someone who has such shallow values and such negative treatment of others to get their way,” the student said.

The student admits peer pressure was one of the factors in sending pictures.

“I didn’t do it out of the blue, obviously.

Yes, guys asked, and at first I said no. But if you’re talking to them, and they are being nice, it isn’t a mean pressuring thing. It was more using niceness to make you want to do things for them,” the student said.

Sending pictures has been called a ‘social norm’ around HHS. Students sext for numerous reasons, one being the attention received.

“For me, I just like the attention I get from those guys. I know that I don’t have to deal with being uncomfortable around them,” the student said. “But sometimes after you send pictures, you realize that the only reason a guy is being nice to you and

Teens in Minnesota who engage in sexting can be prosecuted and punished for serious crimes. Without specific state legislation, sexting is usually prosecuted under child pornography laws.

On a federal level, the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act of 2003 makes it illegal to produce, distribute, receive, or possess with intent to distribute any obscene visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Although students may be aware of some of the legal consequences surrounding underage sexting, some forget the severity of the consequences.

“I don’t think [people who sext] think about [the legal consequences] at all,” said Noah Baker, junior. “I think that, with everything nowadays, they think that if they snap a pic and send it through Snapchat, it’s gone in seven seconds and they don’t have to think about it ever again, but that’s not necessarily the case.”

If an individual were to be convicted of a crime related to child pornography, he or she would be required to register as a sex offender under Minnesota Law. These crimes have become a commonality across the nation. Recently, 12 students at Three Rivers High School in Michigan were implicated in a sexting scandal involving a classmate and prosecuted for child pornography. The officers involved in the investigation said the pictures were first sent consensually and meant for just one person.

The pictures ended up being spread around the entire school, which involved more people in the crime.

Teens in Colorado are also under a similar investigation involving the spread of nudes. A minor sent a semi-nude picture to her boyfriend, a person she trusted, and shortly after another student got a hold of his phone and spread the images.

One reason students claim to send nudes is because they say they trust the person on the other side, but recently, this has been put into question.

“If you’re okay sending it, then you’re okay with people seeing it. It’s a possibility,” Lee said.

Social

The Repercussions

talking to you is to get what they want out of you. Once they get what they want, it’s like they don’t care anymore about anything.”

After a picture of another student who wishes to remain anonymous had been distributed to many people, the student was shamed by her peers.

“A lot of my best friends turned on me and decided to take the side of [the person that distributed the picture], so I lost a lot of really close friends. Then [my friends] decided to go behind my back and call me a bitch. It was a huge loss of support throughout that time when I needed my friends,” the student said.

This crime of sending provocative pictures around has affected many students in

a negative way.

“It’s just frustrating to have to deal with [the consequences] all the time. It’s totally a violation of privacy because you can’t walk around the halls without thinking ‘Who has seen me shirtless,’ and it’s terrible to think that,” the student said.

Although her peers have stopped talking about it, the student still feels hurt by the situation and is constantly reminded of her actions.

“After a while it all blows over, but it still affects that one person. Everyone else moves on, but the one person never stops dealing with it and they can’t voice it with anyone,” the student said. “That’s what I’m dealing with, because everyone is over it but I’m not.”

By Alex Felemovicius, Claire Benton and Hillary Donovan C-Spread Editor, Front Page Editor, and Sports Editor of the Royal Page. Infographics made by Isabella Weisman.

TATIONS This center spread is a discussion about the prevalence of underage sexting in HHS and beyond.

Students discuss its social impact, along with the legal consequences that follow.

The

Among a generation of Snapchat, texting, and Photo Vault lies the common crime of sexting.

“Sexting” is the sending of nude or sexual photos by electronic means or devices. Sexting is illegal if the person depicted is under 18, yet many photos go around unnoticed.

“I would think there are hundreds of nudes on people’s phones, on a locked app,” said Rachel Lee, senior.

This issue is not unique to one area, state, or high school. Nor is underage sexting removed from the Hopkins District borders.

“I think it started in seventh or eighth grade [for people in my grade] I think mostly when people got phones and had access to things like that,” said Annika Carlander, sophomore.

Mr. Xeev Vang, school counselor, has noticed this phenomenon in the high school. Although no student has confronted him about it this year, he did talk to students about in previous years. “[Students sexting] has occurred for sure. Earlier this year, we had a workshop about the different apps out there that teens are using and how they are impacting situations such as [underage sexting],” Vang said.

The Royal Page interviewed many additional students who would not go on the record. All had noticed sexting among high school students. Many referenced knowing people who do it, and several admitted to having seen nude photos of someone under 18. A

Crime Itself

few had even sent them.

“It’s unfortunate how many people have seen [nudes], how many people have taken part in it,” said Noah Baker, junior.

Many people become involved in sexting through the distribution of photos: the person who received a photo then sends it to additional people, who may in turn spread it even further.

“People will send [nudes] to group chats,” Carlander said. “I know a bunch of guys in my grade who have a group chat where they send nudes that they get into it.”

If a student was unwantedly implicated in sexting, the counselors at HHS are prepared to help them.

“Our main goal would be to comfort the student, to provide as much support as possible, even if it is us contacting their parent about it. Then, of course, the counselor will connect with the student, making sure they are still comfortable in the school,” Vang said.

“We always want to make sure that the students feel safe and comfortable.”

The crime of underage sexting begins with the minor who sends the photo. Which, according to a study by the Internet Watch Foundation, is more than three times likely to be a female.

“I think it’s done to show off. Like, ‘I'm cute, come get me,’” said Sam Greenwald, senior.

Conversely, the article “Cyberbullying and Sexting: Technology Abuses of the 21st Century” affirms that males are more likely to receive those sexts.

Baker and Greenwald think that getting sexts has turned into a competition of sorts for males.

“With some of the guys around here, it’s ‘How many girls did you hook up with?’ ‘How many numbers do you have?’ or ‘How many pictures do you have?’ and I guess that’s kind of the cool thing, maybe? Competition, definitely,” Baker said.

Greenwald noticed a similar trend in spreading nude photos.

“Part of spreading [nudes] is part of the conquest - ‘Look who I got to send me a nude,’” Greenwald said. “Also, it’s not explicitly trying to shame women, but in the society we have - very patriarchal - women are these objects that we can just show their pictures all over.”

Sexting may be becoming ingrained in U.S. culture. Jennifer Lawrence’s leaked nudes and Kim Kardashian’s rising to fame from a sex tape are primary examples.

Many students interviewed said they don’t see sexting as a major issue.

“You shouldn’t be forced into doing something, but if you’re fine with it, then do it; it’s not that big of a deal,” Carlander said.

Baker, however, sees how sexting can come back to haunt students.

“It’s an in the moment deal. It’s a, ‘I really like this girl,’ ‘I really like this boy,’ ‘I don’t want to make them feel like they don’t trust me or I don’t trust them,’ and then they just [send] it. Then they think it’s over with, but that’s not the case,” Baker said.

The Royal Page 2014-2015

Editors in Chief Nate Pasko Callan Showers

Front Page Editor Claire Benton

Design Editor in Chief Alex Felemovicius

News Editors

Haley DenHartog Addie Lennon

Opinion Editor

Madeline Martodam

Feature Editors Danielle Fogelson Madison Petty

Sports Editors Hillary Donovan Ben Segelbaum

Backpage Editor Tobie Soumekh

RPWednesday, May 6, 2015 Technocrats place third at last tournament the

8 feature

by Brit Stein Staff Reporter The HHS Robotics Team 2239, otherwise known as the Technocrats, placed third amongst 60 teams in the Minnesota North Star Regional Competition. The competition was held on the campus of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities during the first weekend of April.

“Coming in third place is a huge accomplishment. It was especially great because last year we did poorly. The win made our team that much closer, and it was exciting to see our robot in action,” said Chrisna Minh, senior and team captain.

The Technocrats’ primary mission is to build a robot. In order to build the robot, students team up with engineers and staff from Medtronic who serve as their mentors. Mr. Tim

Amlie, Technology Education and advisor for the Technocrats, explains that Medtronic has been a sponsor of HHS robotics for over seven years and a great support system.

“The interesting thing is that the CEOs or the division managers at Medtronic see this mentorship as great leadership training for their staff,” Amlie said. “The majority of the engineers are under thirty and just out of college, so their communication and computer skills are really helpful to the team.”

Josh Freeman, sophomore, explained that all the materials required to build the robot are provided from For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST).

Founded in 1998, FIRST strives to inspire students to become leaders in science and technology, as well as teach life skills of self-confidence, com-

munication, and leadership.

The Technocrats receive their primary materials from FIRST, such as the brain of the robot.

“We’re not given a design.

We brainstorm and come up with an original design of our own,” Freeman said.

In addition to coming up with an original design, robotics students gain experience is a variety of manners.

“The students get a handson look at what really goes on in robotics; everything from the designing, the troubleshooting, the programming, and the promotion of the robot,” Amlie said.

The Technocrats are given six weeks to build a robot that meets the goals of the specific challenge selected for the regional competition. This year’s robot stands six feet tall and is controlled by a joystick. The judges give points to teams based on how well their robot

completes the challenge, which is presented in the form of a game.

This year’s challenge completed by the robotics team was called Recycle Rush. Points were awarded for building a robot that can stack tote crates and put recycling bins on those totes, as well as put swimming noodles into those recycling bins to act as the recycling.

“When the game starts, the robot goes into autonomous mode and functions on its own.

Then, a bell rings, and we can start controlling it and completing the task at hand. One team member drives and another assists,” Minh said.

The challenge is the same for all competing robotics teams. The challenge is decided

every year by FIRST. “I didn’t expect to see so many different styles of robots to complete the same challenge,” Minh said. “I expected the other team’s robots to be fairly similar to ours, but there was a wide range of styles from schools I’ve never even heard of.”

The Technocrats do not have any more competitions for the 2014-2015 school year. Amlie, however, already has some goals for next year.

“Every year there is a different competition or task to complete, but my big thing is that students always come out feeling accomplished,” Amlie said. “My goal is to make sure that students continue developing their interests, because the skills they learn are for their future.”

Photo Editor

Ruby Krietzman

Infographic Editor

Isabella Weisman

Business Editors

Jacob Ungerman Brian Yu

Web Editors in Chief Bradley Kaplan Ellie Maag

Staff Reporters Jack Bass Benji Bloom Will Cohen Justice Feldman Bea Frank Sophie Frank Josh Freeman Izzy Goldfarb Isabel Hall Judaisha Jackson Noah Kaplan Kyle Makey Jack Smith Brit Stein Jordan Zaroff

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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.

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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.

Above: Dean Bassett, junior, and his fellow teammates strategize during the regional competition. The Technocrats competed in the Minnesota North Star Regional Competition over spring break.

Top right: The Technocrats, HHS’ Robotics Team, pose for a picture after winning third place at the regional tournament. The tournament marked the end of their season.

Bottom right: Dan Pratt, junior, and Chris Halvorsen, mentor, work on the robot during the tournament.

Adjustments to their robot are made throughout the tournament. photos provided by Josh Freeman

Different kind of sportz club Royal of the Month Celine Bartels-Mills, senior

by Izzy Goldfarb Staff Reporter When Harry Jensen, senior, heads to his extracurricular activity, he doesn’t need to bring any special equipment; all he needs is his humor.

“It is a pretty profound experience to have people giving you positive feedback via laughing, so that feels good,” Jensen said.

The Comedy Sportz business was started in 1984 in Milwaukee, Wis. Since then, 19 schools in the Twin Cities have started clubs that imitate the business.

Jensen and Isaac Johnson, junior, were chosen as the 2015 Comedy Sportz captains. The captains and Michael Bruckmueller, coach and Pro Comedy Sportz Actlete, work to create a safe environment that teaches quick thinking, individuality, teamwork, communication, and confidence.

“I think improv has made me quicker because you have to

Harry Jensen, senior, Erik Muus, Kamal Baker, and Isaac Johnson, juniors, compete in a Comedy Sportz tournament. The tournament was against Chanhassan and Edina. photo provided by Isaac Johnson

adapt to what others are saying,” Jensen said.

The comedy club aims to teach skills that prepare the club members for the end of season tournament against two other clubs. The tournament consists of three stages. The teams interact in warm ups, perform four-minutes scenes based off random topics, and the time left is spent on puns.

Eight students from HHS competed against Chanhassen and Edina in the tournament this year.

“There’s a winner for the audience. It’s not very focused on the points - it’s incredibly subjective and there’s not much incentive to get more points,” Jensen said.

Full story on hopkinsrp.org

This month’s Royal of the Month, Celine Bartels-Mills, senior, was nominated by the administration due to her academic success and involvement in extracurricular activities.

“I feel so grateful that I was recognized as Royal of the Month,” Bartels-Mills said. “It’s always nice to get such positive feedback from the people who have helped me throughout my academic career.”

In addition to her challenging course load, Bartels-Mills participates in numerous extracurricular activities, such as DECA and Model United Nations. She also volunteers for several Minnesota-based organizations.

Bartels-Mills emphasizes the importance of balance and time management when juggling her various commitments.

“I think time management is key to balancing the different aspects of my life,” Bartels-Mills said. “I make sure that I give myself enough time to take care of my school work, thus giving me some free time to hang out with friends and do the things I love.”

feature9

the

RPWednesday, May 6, 2015

Depot offers unique venue for emerging artists

by Sophie Frank Staff Reporter Whether involved in a garage band or a school club, HHS students have access to a venue for their amateur event needs.

The Depot, the little train station-turned-coffee shop along Excelsior Blvd, was designed and opened by Hopkins area students in 1998 to create a chemical-free environment for teens, according to its website.

A group of seven high school students make up the Depot Youth Board and hold various responsibilities regarding the operation of the Depot.

Of the seven, five students are from HHS. The current Board Chair is Asher Weisberg, junior and member since ninth grade.

Among the duties of the Board is organizing events held at the venue.

“If you have an idea for something, want to throw your graduation party, want to play [music at the Depot], or something else, you can bring it up at a meeting, and we’ll figure it out for you,” said Rae Guntzel, sophomore and Depot board member.

The Depot has hosted events for HHS clubs such as Operation Smile, Earth Club, and the Thirst Project as well as various concerts and open mic nights for HHS student bands and solo artists.

Max Taylor, junior, organized his own album release event at the Depot to take place the evening of May 1.

“I’ve been working on [the album] for the past four or five months, and I produced every-

thing on it, front to back,” Taylor said. “I called [the programming coordinator at the Depot], and by the next morning we had the Facebook event and everything put up.”

This event will be a huge step up in Taylor’s music career. “[It will be] my first show that I’m organizing completely myself - the music, the lights, everything,” Taylor said.

The Depot gives a lot of freedom to high school performers that they could not get at other venues.

“The other venues have people whose job it is to run the lights, sound, and equipment.

The cool thing about the Depot is that we have lots of leverage, which is good and bad in certain situations,” Taylor said. “It’s stressful, but it’s great.”

The freedom extends to the members of the Board, too. Although the Board is supervised by an adult, the students have a significant amount of power in decision-making.

“Basically every decision is run by us, and we facilitate how that is carried out,” Weisberg said.

The Depot runs on grants and donations. The Board is responsible for organizing fundraisers, but they are also in charge of how funds are spent.

“We had our whole sound system redone a couple years ago and got to decide what sound board we wanted to get.

We’re also redoing our entire counter face, so we chose colors, and we had options presented to us for what kind of material we wanted,” Weisberg said. “A lot of the research is done by the

city because we’re city owned, but we have final say on everything.”

As a city-owned organization, the Depot receives a lot of funding from the local government. Because of this, the Youth Board must conduct a presentation for City Council once a year. “[Presenting to City Council] is terrifying because I hate public speaking, especially when it’s on TV,” Guntzel said. “But they give us grants, so we come in and say all the good things that happened that year - how many concerts we had, how much money we made, what events we held, that kind of stuff.”

Yet, according to Guntzel, the Council values the Depot for the youth initiative and positive values it represents, so convincing them to renew their grants is not an issue.

“We always talk about how [the Depot] is a safe environment,” Guntzel said. “The biggest thing is its stress on being drug-free - you cannot bring anything in or be under the influence there, so it’s just a really safe environment if you want to do something fun without drugs and stuff like that.”

Guntzel also recognizes the advantages the Depot represents for budding teenage musicians.

“If you are a high school band, you can get out there and do gigs without paying a lot of money or doing a lot of work,” Guntzel said.

Weisberg is interested in the music business and appreciates the opportunities his board membership has given him.

“For me, it’s a massive door into basic music industry stuff that no one else could get experience with. Granted it is a little bit different from the real world, per se, but booking a show, or getting a band to play, or self-promotion - it’s all very basic music industry skills that

you wouldn’t be exposed to otherwise,” Weisberg said. “I also have learned how to make coffee drinks, so if I wanted to go get a job at Caribou, I have that experience.”

For whatever kind of experience they seek, HHS students have an exclusive opportunity

through the Depot.

“I don’t think anyone in Minnesota has anything close to [the Depot]. There are bands at other schools, but we book those bands, so I think Hopkins is pretty much the only one,” Weisberg said. “The Depot is definitely its own entity.”

Top: Lucius Jemison, junior, raps at the Rock the Smile benefit hosted at the Depot. Jemison, also known as Luxgod, has performed multiple shows at the Depot with other Hopkins artists.

Bottom left: Adam Reed, former HHS student, sings at the Rock the Smile benefit. Reed has uploaded many of his original raps to his Soundcloud channel.

Bottom right: Allie Ries, junior, performs at an emerging songwriters showcase hosted by Chris Koza, a local musician, at the Depot. Ries sang original songs at the show. photos by Ruby Krietzman

10 sports

the

RPWednesday, May 6, 2015

Homegrown HHS swimming is just the beginning tennis coach Alex Aune, senior, works through immobility, gives back to trains to swim for U.S. in 2020 Paralympics alma mater

by Judaisha Jackson Staff Reporter

by Jordan Zaroff Staff Reporter

One place has remained a constant in the life of 1996 graduate Ali King: the HHS tennis courts.

King has been playing tennis her whole life and does not only want to keep her skills to herself, but teach them to young kids who want to excel in the sport.

A star for the girls varsity team, King was an all-conference player from the years 1990-1996. King was the number one player for singles from 1990-96, along with being the captain of the girls varsity team.

In 1994, the girls varsity tennis team made a run to the state championship. King won her singles match, helping the team to the state title.

As many coaches do here at HHS, King looks up to soon-to-be MSHSL Hall of Fame coach Mr. Ken Novak Jr., Social Studies and boys and girls tennis coach.

While in high school, Novak was King’s tennis coach. 18 years later, they are coaching together. King hopes to teach her players very valuable lessons just like Novak does with all of his players.

“As a player-coach, Novak taught me how to compete, but also how to mentally approach a competition. As a coach now working with him,

I have learned how to better approach teaching the mental part of the competition, and he is great about focusing players onto the ultimate goal of getting better,” King said.

After leaving HHS, King attended Penn State, where she played both singles and doubles from 1996-2000.

King was named the captain of the girls team at Penn State in 1999, and finished her college career a captain as well.

King continued her passion for the game of tennis as she returned to HHS as the head coach for both the girls and boys tennis teams.

“My ultimate goal coaching is to help young players reach their goals and improve their games. If they walk away from the season having enjoyed themselves and having improved their games, then I have reached my goal,” King said.

As the Royals boys tennis team reaches the midpoint of their season, they stand at a fairly even 5-4 record. A very key win for the Royals thus far into the season was over the highly-ranked Breck Mustangs.

“I want my players to love the game of tennis. I also want my players to learn about competition and fight every game, and for them to understand how great the game is for the body and the mind.”

Most HHS athletes train for fun or for their upcoming collegiate careers. Alex Aune, senior, is training for something a little bigger than those: the Paralympic Games.

Paralympic swimming is an adaptation of the sport of swimming for athletes with disabilities.

“When I was about a year old, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor about the size of a golf ball,” Aune said. “It took the doctors almost all day to remove it.”

The surgery left Aune paralyzed from neck down.

“Over time it healed and I regained mobility in my body again,” Aune said. “My right arm is still immobile but every day I’m working to strengthen it.”

Aune attributes his positive attitude about his impairment to his faith.

“I used to be worried about what people would think of me, but I think this is all a part of God’s plan for me,” said Aune.

“I think this disability is God telling me to be an inspiration

Alex Aune, senior, swims the butterfly in preparation for the paralympics. Aune, who was once paralyzed, is training for the National Junior Disability Championships. photo provided by Alex Aune

to other people.”

Currently, Aune trains with the Courage Kenny swim club at the University of St. Thomas.

The team is training for the 2015 Great Lakes Regional Games. Here, Aune will receive his paralympic classification.

Amanda Hawkinson, the head coach of the Courage Kenny swim team, strongly believes Aune can become a paralympic swimmer.

“I have only worked with him for a short time, but I think he certainly has paralympic potential,” Hawkinson said. “In practice, Alex asks

a lot of questions on how to improve and work on certain things. He takes the difficult sets in stride, and is a great asset to our team.”

Aune will then move on to the National Junior Disability Championships. Here he will compete with other swimmers around the U.S. If Aune performs well, he will make the U.S. Paralympic Swimming team.

Because he is not able to move his right arm, Aune has had to overcome the challenge of competing in longer races and intense practices.

“At first I didn’t think I would be able to compete in longer races, and I was even scared to practice,” said Aune.

“If it weren’t for the encouragement of my family, friends and teammates, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

Grant Girod, senior, and a former teammate of Aune’s, believes Aune will make the U.S. team simply because of his work ethic.

"Every day during the season Alex approached me and asked if he needed to improve his form or technique," Girod said. "He devoted every practice to making himself better."

Aune’s ultimate goal is to compete in the 2020 Paralympic Games.

“I just want to show people that you can do whatever you set your mind to,” Aune said.

Outside of swimming, Aune also plans to excel in the classroom.

“I will be attending Concordia University and will major in teaching,” Aune said. “I want to motivate other people with disabilities, and help them realize that the sky's the limit for everyone.”

Boys lacrosse begins record-breaking season

by Noah Kaplan Staff Reporter As a result of their (2-12) 2014 campaign, the new-look 2015 boys lacrosse team is hoping to make big improvements.

The Royals have 10 players new to varsity this season, two of whom have never played lacrosse before. “[Our main focus] for this season is developing the new players that just joined,” said

Kamal Baker, junior.

Lacrosse has been a major trend over the past decade, especially in Minnesota. An article written last June on Buzzfeed. com using data from the National Federation of State High School Associations shows that growth in popularity of lacrosse over the previous four years in Minnesota has increased by 73 percent.

Succeeding in sports with an inexperienced team is a challenge, but Ely Harel, senior

captain, thinks the team can get wins.

“I am expecting to do very well [in] non-conference play, and hopefully we can win some conference games,” Harel said.

During the offseason, the team had a tough time finding open gym space to play lacrosse, but they were able to improve in the weight room.

“It’s hard to get good practice space during the winter season here in Minnesota, but

I’m really happy with the attendance and hard work the team was able to put in,” Harel said.

The Royals enjoy seeing some new faces not only on the field, but in the bleachers as well.

“We would love to get more fans to the game,” Harel said.

The Royals have started the season off hot, as they already have more win this year than they did all of last year. As of May 4, their record is 4-3.

Scottie Zaccagnini, junior, handles the ball around a Chaska player. The boys lacrosse team beat Chaska 14-6 on April 14.

photo by Ruby Krietzman

sports11

the

RPWednesday, May 6, 2015

Shrinking Team:

by Kyle Makey Staff Reporter This season, the girls track and field team looks to build off of the successful season they had last year.

However, they will have to do so with significantly less girls on the team. In the 2014 season, there were 110 girls on the team. After graduating 20 seniors, there are 96 athletes on the team this year.

The drop in participation hurts the team competitively because fewer girls mean fewer opportunities for members to

focus on their events because they have more obligations.

Terese Warden, senior captain, notices the drop in participation in both track and cross country and believes it is not good for the team.

“This has affected the team because we have to have so many girls, like myself, run many events,” said Warden.

Track and Field, contrary to popular belief, is not all about running the 100 meter dash. There are many events to compete in on the track team, not just running. Warden thinks that this misconception

Despite having the lowest number of athletes in years, the girls track team is working hard to place.

could be a cause for drop in participation.

“I think girls are just not joining because they don’t realize how there is a spot for everyone on the team,” Warden said.

This year’s track team also boasts a big senior class, meaning next year’s team will be even smaller.

“It will affect the girls even more next year because we have a lot of strong seniors,” said Warden.

Competitively, smaller numbers mean less people to compete in their best events and having to compete in a higher number of events, which is extra

stress added to the body. According to Warden, injuries do happen often in track and field.

“It hurts the team because we get worn out and if one crucial member gets injured, then there is a large hole in our lineup,” said Warden.

Warden’s message to people who are thinking about joining is quite simple.

“You can jump, throw, pole vault, hurdle, or run.”

Amanda Hammond, junior, runs in a relay. The girls finished third in the Midwest True Team Invitational Meet. photo by Ruby Krieztman

Collegiate season starts now for graduating athletes

by Bea Frank Staff Reporter 11 HHS athletes signed with colleges on Nov. 12, another 16 signed on Feb. 4, National Signing Day. An additional 11 signed on April 16.

Playing sports at college level is a substantial commitment.

Because of this, many athletes are prescribed specific workouts by their college of choice to train for the collegiate season.

Among the 38 athletes from HHS is Kevion McDonald, senior. He will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Stout for football next year, and the football coaches have given him particular workouts. These are

significantly more difficult than the ones associated with high school football.

“It’s much harder than high school,” McDonald said. “Some of the agility workouts are the same, but not the strength and conditioning parts.”

These types of training regimens help prepare athletes for the next level of competition. “[The college workouts] put you ahead of the people that are coming in during summer camp, and it makes it easier to just do your best,” McDonald said.

Olivia Geiwitz, senior, will attend the University of North Dakota to play soccer at the Division One level. Geiwitz’s assigned workout consists heavily

of strengthening exercises, and she has to do it around three times a week.

“For college it’s a lot more intense, and a lot more weightlifting and interval training,” Geiwitz said. “These are more speed and strength workouts than just going out and playing in the field.”

Geiwitz feels that her workouts are preparing her for UND soccer.

"I’m sore a lot, so it’s definitely working," Geiwitz said.

Corbin Boyd, senior, committed to Minnesota State University, Mankato for hockey. She does her college workout four or five days during the week.

“They gave me really detailed

workouts and they have weight trainers, so the workouts are super good,” Boyd said. “They also gave me a bunch of bike workouts to do.”

Her workout is much more intense than her past training for high school hockey, and it designates specific days for specific exercises.

“I have two days of just arms and shoulders. Then, I’ll have a set of core so I’ll do abs and then there’s a day of just legs, so it’s all squats,” Boyd said.

Boyd is hopeful that her workouts will have prepared her for collegiate hockey.

“I don’t know what to expect, but I do know it’s going to be a big step up, so hopefully I’ll be ready,” Boyd said.

Typical off-season workout for Corbin Boyd, senior Bench Press Arm Curls

Stairs

Ab Excercises

Biking and Squats infographic by Sophie Frank

Athletic lineage: living with sport stars Sport Stars cont. from pg. 1 “It’s incredible to see him finally get what he has been working for his whole life. My brother is by far the hardest worker I know. Everything he got, he deserved,” Bianca said.

Bianca also believes that her brother’s success has made her more motivated to create success of her own. Bianca has been on the varsity basketball team for two years and has been one of the spotlighted dancers

GO FIGURE 5-7

Baseball team’s record as of 5/4

4:10

Joe Klecker’s school record breaking mile time

11

Runs batted in by Lauren Feagler as of 4/29

65

Goals scored by the girls lacrosse team this season as of 5/4 infographic by Isabella Weisman and Hillary Donovan

in Deeply Royal.

“I’ve literally witnessed the grind he’s gone through. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. He made it easy for me to understand how hard you need to work in order to get to where you want to be,” Bianca said.

Ishmael El-Amin, sophomore, has a family legacy filled with a rich history in basketball.

Khalid El-Amin, Ishmael’s father, won an NCAA national championship with the University of Connecticut Huskies in 1999.

“My dad won a bunch of awards and had a lot of overall success at University of Connecticut and basketball so it’s a lot to live up to,” said ElAmin.

Despite the attention that student-athletes receive from having famous athletes in the family, high school athletes feel the need to make a name for themselves, not just continue their parents legacy.

“I’m known as El-Amin’s kid, not Ishmael,” Ishmael said.

It can be hard to overcome

the exceptionally high expectations of athletes that made it to the big time.

“People expect me to always perform at all times just because of my dad,” Ishmael said. “That makes it hard, but it’s not bad pressure.”

Despite having a relative play in a professional sport, two students do not follow in their parent’s footsteps.

Hannah Senser, senior, and Tyron Powell, junior, both have fathers who played in the NFL.

RP Wednesday, May 6, 2015

ST. OLAF

COLLEGE

eS h t g

1st to your

class of

4.167 “This class has a group that takes initiative

Despite its higher ranking, Akinsanya is choosing a

who we bring in,” Vang said.

different direction at Northeastern University.

Class of 2015 students have also taken initia-

“I was very excited when I got the decisions

tive beyond the academic sphere, which Akinsanya

back that I did. When I heard where my friends

believes to be a contributing factor to the class’s

were going and where they were getting in I was like,

success.

‘Wow, we’re so smart.’ I was really proud of our grade,” Akinsanya said.

25 Other

Gap Year

“I think our class has a strong sense of community outside of Hopkins,” Akinsanya said. “I feel like that sentiment and that wanting to give and

scholarships based on diversity, disability, resilience

know that there is something more than yourself

in overcoming obstacles, athletics, and merit. Within

and something more outside of your little bubble,

the senior class, students have also received admission

that’s what defines our class as people who have

to 11 out of the top 20 ranked national universities

been able to get so far and reach so high.”

Technical College 10 Community College

Minnesota

Gannon Youakim, senior, observes that this

0

“I don’t know what it is - I can’t put my finger

year’s class has created a competitive environment that

While

holds high expectations and encourages hard work. As

HHS provides stu-

they’re either more motivated or having more luck or

a national merit scholar, Youakim has received a full

dents with an academically

a combination of both,” said Ms. Felicia Homberger,

ride scholarship to the school of his choice in addition

stimulating and competitive environ-

Language Arts.

to the full ride that he received from the University of

ment, getting into college is often based on

Minnesota- Morris, but Morris will only grant him

more than having a strong high school foundation.

nizes the motivation that this year’s graduating class

Out of State

5

on it - but there is something about this class that

Mr. Tyson Crockett, Academic Dean, recog-

Start/Continue a job or a career

20

15

The Class of 2015 has received numerous

according to US news and world report.

What are your plans for next year?

for what they want, and I have seen a lot of leader-

have been more students that visit the college reps

Yes

outside of school for the college admissions process?

advantage of the resources that HHS offers.

ship from a lot of students. This year alone there

No

help

sions process as they have taken

Rae Akinsanya, senior, did not expect to receive

Yes

Did you have professional

within the college admis-

admission to Northwestern University: but she did.

No

choice school?

schools HHS seniors applied to:

2015

the chances

GUSTAVUS

R O I EN Are you going

METRO AREA

MEASURING

GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF

ST. CLOUD STATE

ST. THOMAS

STATE

S S A CL

n i l l p o Average amount of comparisons

I O WA

MINNESOTA

M

w

NORMANDALE

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

most popular colleges HHS students applied to: MANKATO

10

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

COLLEGE

top

WISCONSIN

playing the GAME of

the

12 backpage

one scholarship.

Private

Public

“What I find is that my students are generally

“Last year we had no merit scholars, the year

qualified to go to the schools they’re applying to, but

this year’s college

“I think if there was one thing I would say about

before we had three, and this year we had eight, which

because the schools they’re applying to are so popular,

she takes pride in all

this class is that the group seems to be very motivated

is really crazy,” Youakim said. “It shows that we have a

they’re fighting a very uphill battle. That’s why I’ve

2015 has achieved.

by themselves, not necessarily by their parents or their

good environment for students to thrive and learn, but

been surprised by the success they’ve had this year

“When you consider everyone in the country

teachers or anybody else. They just want to be suc-

part of that is having a lot of competition. The com-

because I know the process is so out of the control

and the fact that some of our students are going to

cessful because that is their own desire,” Crockett said.

petition isn’t one where you are willing to tear down

of the students once they’ve achieved what they’ve

Ivies and top schools, it’s crazy that our little Hopkins

Mr. Xeev Xwm Vang, School Counselor, notes

your opponents to get ahead, it’s more of a compara-

achieved,” Homberger said.

community can be that great,” Akinsanya said. “It’s

has displayed.

that the students have been particularly motivated

tive competition that makes you better.”

E D EC I S I O N H T

Because Akinsanya understands the rarity of

acceptances, that the class of

really a pride inducing thing to see that at our school.”

By Tobie Soumekh, Backpage Editor, Isabella Weisman, Infographic Editor, and Danielle Fogelson, Feature Editor The Royal Page collected the statistical information presented from Naviance Family Connection, various school profiles, and a poll which surveyed 180 seniors. 54 responded to the poll.