The Royal Page

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ROYAL

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Domestic abuse strikes home

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VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1

C-Spread, pages 6-7

Follow the most popular hashtags from the summer, get input from HHS students and staff, and discover how news can move over social media.

www.hopkinsrp.org

Reason To Celebrate

Oct. is National Domestic Abuse Awareness Month

HHS junior will compete in international event

Sports, page 11

Upcoming technology

by Morgan Downing Staff Reporter Viewers were shocked as they watched a video that TMZ, an entertainment news outlet, had obtained of Ray Rice, former NFL player for the Baltimore Ravens, abusing his then-fiancee in an elevator. Major news outlets only highlighted the video, but Twitter conveyed the real story.

Days after the tape was leaked to the Internet, Janay Palmer, Rice’s wife and victim of the assault, released a statement on Instagram criticizing the media for ruining her husband’s life. In light of the video, Rice was cut from the Ravens and suspended from the NFL indefinitely, ridiculed on social media, and made the face of abuse in American popular culture.

In her statement, Palmer also informed the public that she and Rice would “continue to grow and show the world what real love is.”

In response to Palmer’s statement, female Twitter users created the Twitter hashtags #whyIstay and #whyIleft, explaining why they chose to stay or leave their abusive relationships.

For one student at HHS, this hit home particularly hard.

DOMESTIC ABUSE cont. on page 3

Heimlich to row Charles

All-student access to Internet may become available

photo by Claire Benton

Peter Williams and Tyler Lee, seniors, hug after their win against the Minnetonka Skippers. The Royals have had a standout season thus far, recently beating the Wayzata Trojans for the first time in 15 years. Their success gives HHS a reason to believe that the 2014 season will be a season to remember.

Van Hoven’s view from 3,000 feet

by Molly Abbott-Ladner Staff Reporter As a kid, Shane Van Hoven, senior, would beg his parents to take him to the airport, just to watch the planes take off and land from behind the fence.

Now, the only thing that has changed is the view from where he sits.

For as long as Van Hoven can remember, aviation fasci-

nated him.

“Before I could talk, I thought about how cool it would be to sit up there, all alone in an airplane, doing what I want to do, seeing what I want to see,” Van Hoven said.

The atmosphere of aviation lures him back to the airport each weekend. It’s a feeling of true passion that he does not experience in any other location.

“After you arrive at the air-

port and you breathe in that first breath of air filled with the smell of jet fuel, you know you are in the greatest place on earth,” said Van Hoven.

Van Hoven’s parents could tell that the thought of flight captivated him at an early age.

“Those early T-ball games where kids are daydreaming?

Shane never missed watching the airplanes fly over. He was even caught watching [planes]

Shane Van Hoven, senior, piloting a flight. Van Hoven has been flying planes since the summer of 2013 and piloted his first flight solo on Sept. 7, 2013.

in his most recent summer of baseball. He is a bit smarter about it now though- he only watches between pitches or from the dugout,” said Roger Van Hoven, Shane’s father.

Shane began flight training in the summer of 2013.

“To become a private pilot, a person needs to pass a written exam that tests your knowledge of aerodynamics, regulations, weather, physiology and navigation, 40 hours of flight time behind the controls of an airplane, and pass a flight test with an examiner to prove your skills,” said Kevin Bondy, Shane’s flight instructor.

During training, every hour of flight time required a half hour of time spent in the classroom.

“I learned in a two seat airplane. Single engine, very basic,” Shane said.

VAN HOVEN cont. on page 8

News, page 2

Summer at Oxford

Margo Strifert, junior, spent time studying at Oxford

Feature, page 8

Web story: APES field trip AP Environmental Science class waded into Minnehaha

See more photos on hopk insrp.org

photo provided by Shane Van Hoven

Remembering, honoring life of Sadie Miller, former HHS student

by Hillary Donovan Sports Editor On June 17, 2014, Sadie Miller left this world. She was taken by a drug overdose at the age of 17, but drugs did not define her.

She loved animals, music, hockey, art, being outside, exploring, and her family. She was a Girl Scout, a goalie, a cat lover, a sister, a best friend, and a daughter.

“Sadie was beautiful. Radiating from the inside out, she was a bright light. She was spunky, too. She had a great smile and beautiful eyes,” said Maddy Miller, Sadie’s older sister.

Sadie grew up playing hockey until November of 2013. She played for the HHS girls junior varsity hockey team for three years and played for the Ice Cougars during the off-season.

Brian Abraham, the former

coach of Sadie’s Ice Cougars team, met Sadie in the fall of 2009 and grew close with her over the four years they spent together, on and off the ice.

“Sadie will always hold a dear spot in my heart. While nobody can replace an actual father, I certainly considered her an extension of my family and loved her like a daughter.

She was loyal to those she loved including myself and she had an

infectious smile and sense of humor,” Abraham said.

Sadie was known for looking out for the underdog and the little guy. She consistently defended her teammates and coach.

“She could always see when people were struggling. Sadie would get penalties because she would go after someone that went after her defenders. One time, there was a coach that was

giving [Abraham] a hard time, and Sadie inserted her body between the two coaches at the end of the game and started yelling at the other team’s coach, telling him to leave her coach alone,” said Justina Miller, Sadie’s mother.

Sadie grew up in the Hopkins District and stayed at HHS until the fall of 2013, her junior year. She then transferred to the school of Environmental

Sciences in Eagan, Minn. that fall. After a semester in Eagan she transferred to SouthWest Metro High School in Chaska, Minn.

At the school of Environmental Sciences, Sadie took classes and learned to care for MILLER cont. on page 8

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RPWednesday, October 8, 2014

Expanding student access to technology

By Brit Stein News Editor Come the 2015-2016 school year, more students at the high school will have 24/7 access to an internet-enabled device that will be issued by the school than ever before.

“We will know all the specifics and have made concrete decisions by the end of January. We’re working on deciding what device will be provided and how many students will have that device next year,” said Ms. Terri Osland, Media Specialist and District Technology Integration Specialist.

Osland is part of a steering committee that for approximately two years has met to discuss the future of technology within HHS. The steering committee is investigating how technology can support teaching and learning within the building.

“The goal of any instructional technology program is to raise the achievement of all students. [The Hopkins School District] wants to give students new opportunities and pathways to create more. The tech-

nology initiative is all about how we are going to transform the classroom, and how technology supports that transformation to reduce barriers,” said Mr. Ivar Nelson, Director of Technology for the Hopkins School District.

There are multiple factors that the district is considering before making any final decisions over the new technology.

“The largest factor is equity.

We have to make sure there is equitable access to the resources that the technology is going to provide, and that all students will benefit from it,” Nelson said.

Another consideration is the instructional practices of teachers.

“It will be fun and exciting. Teachers will be able to do things differently in the classroom knowing that they have a present tool for every student,” Osland said.

According to the Hopkins Public School’s website, digital curriculum is an integral part of teaching. Through the use of digital technology, learning can easily be delivered to students through images, video, and media.

RP

BRIEFS

Eight named National Merit Semi-finalists Every junior has to take either the practice ACT or the Preliminary SAT (PSAT). If they score in the top three percent on the PSAT, they are recognized as a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

This year, eight HHS seniors were recognized as semifinalists of this award. They are Estelle Bayer, Matthew Carter, Samuel Greenwald, Simran Mishra, Bo Peng, Katherine Swenson, Benjamin Vaaler, and Gannon Youakim. Compared to previous years, this is an unusually high number.

One of the semifinalists, Bo Peng, senior, prepared for the test by taking a course and learning about the test format.

“The test has more to do with how you take the test than the actual knowledge of it,” Peng said.

In February, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) will notify the semifinalists if they have become finalists.

Late starts moved to Thursdays This year HHS has changed the late start day to being on Thursdays rather than Tuesdays like in previous years.

Late starts have been on Tuesdays for as long as the school has issued them. Likewise, early releases have always been on Thursdays. This year, however, HHS has changed the system and has eliminated early releases entirely, replacing them with full days off and moving late starts to Thursdays.

At first, not many people were aware of the changed schedule, but students quickly adjusted to it.

Zoe Kirshbaum, sophomore, said she was confused on why it changed but was not too worried about it.

“I like sleeping in, and it doesn’t really matter the day that gets to happen just as long as it happens.

I sort of miss the early releases though,” Kirshbaum said.

The next late start will be on Thursday, Nov. 20.

Briefs by Lauren Goodman

“Technology is there in order to support the classroom instruction. With the new technology, the district will help teachers develop techniques to access a library of resources and expand their lesson abilities which students interact with on a daily basis,” said Nelson.

According to the district website, the Hopkins Public Schools currently have approximately 5,000 total computers, with about 85 percent of those being Apple-based systems and 15 percent being Windowsbased computers. Hopkins also has approximately 3,000 iPads and 500 Chromebooks for students to use.

With this in mind, some students feel that more technology is unnecessary.

“Greater access to technology will change up the way I learn. I don’t really like to read a text on an iPad or a tablet, and I feel as if many students have a lot of trouble taking tests or reading off of a tablet. It’s not even worth it for our school to invest in them,” said Matt Molnar, junior.

Nelson explained that a shift towards more technology is a

new direction that the district is considering very carefully, looking to other schools for guidance.

“Other districts have decided to move away from textbooks to use electronic books and other online resources, transporting that textbooks savings into an online environment and a paperless classroom. We are looking into to positives and negatives of that program,” Nelson said.

Some students, such as Kayla Basdeo, junior, believe that enough of the curriculum is already online.

“All of my papers have to be turned it in on turnitin.com and I access Moodle almost every day. If I had my own [internet enabled] device, I would completely get off track checking Twitter,” Basdeo said.

Osland explained that the access to technology will level the playing field for HHS with other schools in the Lake Conference.

“A lot of schools in this area have done something like this.

For example, Wayzata has iPads for every student, and Eden Prairie provides Mac laptops for

their senior high students. Demographically, in terms of our area, schools that are like us are all doing something,” Osland said.

Both Hopkins North Junior High and Hopkins West Junior High provide one-to-one access to technology for every student through the use of iPads.

Through the iPads, students can read articles, view pictures, and watch videos from their personal school-issued devices.

“The junior high teachers did a fantastic jobs of really incorporating technology into the day to day classroom experience.

With this years’ freshman coming to the high school next year, I think that [the district] owes it to those students to continue that experience, letting them interact with technology on a day to day basis for the benefit of their learning. That is what [Hopkins] is trying to do,” Nelson said.

Most students at HHS use technology on a daily basis. Other districts have already decided to move away from textbooks to use online resources.

Photo by Isabel Hall

AP World History offers trip to Morocco and Spain

By Randy Marchione Staff Reporter The AP World History class at HHS often emphasizes that the world has a lot of opportunities. When Ms. Jennifer Heimlich, Social Studies and AVID teacher, announced that the class would be traveling to Spain and Morocco over spring break, her class was very excited to hear that this emphasis would be coming alive.

“To travel abroad anywhere expands people’s worldview,” Heimlich said. “ For AP World students in particular, we are giving them a chance to learn about the Islamic cultures of southern Spain and expand that knowledge of the Islamic culture by going to Morocco.”

The AP World students will be landing in Madrid, Spain, where they will then stay and travel for six days. Afterwards, they will go to Morocco for the final few days until they return on April 4th.

The AP World History class also took a trip to Rome and Florence, Italy, eight years ago.

“It was an awesome trip,” Heimlich said. “We saw lots of different Roman ruins and art.”

Heimlich expects the trip to Spain and Morocco to go just as successfully. A highlight of the trip will be learning about the impact of Islamic rule over the Spanish and Moroccan cultures.

“Spain was held under Islamic rule. We will get to see the various historic and current reli-

gions and cultures this brought.”

Heimlich said.

Matthew Maldonado, junior, did not hesitate to sign up for the trip.

“When am I ever going to have an opportunity like this?”

Maldonado said. “It’s a chance to see what’s in other parts of the world.”

Maldonado is also preparing himself for the different food and atmosphere in Spain and Morocco.

“I’m going to be taking it

easy a couple of days before the trip. I don’t want to be sore and tired when [the class] arrives.”

Some students are turning the trip down altogether due to the $3536 price tag, but others won’t let money get in the way of the class trip.

“Is making cuts and sacrifices [for the trip] worth it?”

Maldonado said. “I say ‘Heck yeah.’ It’s a trip to Spain!”

Opportunities for fundraising are offered, like selling coffee through a company

that helps small coffee farmers around the world, and partnering up with basket weavers in Ghana to sell their baskets. Parents and students are also providing volunteering ideas.

Maldonado thinks this trip is going to be worth it. “You can’t be like ‘Hey, I want to go travel the world today,’ and go.

This trip is an amazing chance for people who couldn’t usually go, to go.”

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RP Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Domestic Abuse strikes our community Continued from page 1

but it certainly can happen,” Richard said.

Richard also added that not all relationships have abusive elements.

Cassidy Dinkins, junior, has been in a relationship with her boyfriend for seven months.

“I think trust and honesty are the two main parts of a good relationship. If you don’t have trust in that person, then you shouldn’t be in a relationship. You have to be honest to give them a reason to trust you,” Dinkins said.

Dinkins feels that staying out of abusive relationships and being in healthy relationships is the best way to stay safe.

“If someone ever abused me, I would leave right away, because they would repeat [their actions] over and over,” Dinkins said.

Another senior at HHS, who will also remain anonymous, admitted to abusing his girlfriend while they were in a relationship.

“We started out fine. Then we started arguing and fighting

all the time and I was getting mad. The moment I took that first swing, I knew I had messed up. I shouldn’t have done it, but she had made me so upset that I didn’t know what to do,” he said.

Anonymous #2 believes that girls in abusive relationships only have one real option.

“Just get out [of the relationship]. It’s as simple as that,” he said.

According to Richard, people who think they may be in an abusive relationship should check for creepy or cute behaviors. Creepy behaviors could include obsessive phone calls or texts, while cute behaviors could include the need for constant interaction in between classes. Richard said some of these signs are an indication of someone having control over everywhere you go.

For the student who was abused, staying out of an abusive relationship is the best thing for her.

“Everyone has a boundary, and everybody has a limit. My

question to those girls who are staying [in abusive relationships] is, what’s your limit? What hit will you decide will be your last?

Because in the end, it’s not your partner hurting you but you hurting yourself,” Anonymous #1 said.

Information provided by A Safe Place, Love is Respect, and Safe Horizon organizations.

Impact of Domestic Violence

78% violence incidents are never reported. or ape er al, de. enc eri suici exu . xp o s buse t a mt oe mi icti ing wh com ns re v al dat ll wi aa tee n of sault eric otio % Am em 50 al as s in al or c een rb ysi ph of t al, ve 33% hysic p

She was in a relationship she believed would become more abusive unless she left. She wanted to remain anonymous for this story but she said that “the worst part [of the relationship] was seeing him be physical with other people. Watching him do something hurtful to other people really upset me and scared me a lot.”

She is not the only person to experience abuse in a relationship. According to DoSomething.org, two in ten girls between the ages 13 to 18 have been sexually or physically abused by their partner.

In the case of Anonymous #1, her partner started the abuse by pushing her around and eventually became more physically abusive as they spent more time with each other.

“I didn’t miss [the relationship] once I left. Once I saw the red flags, I was able to get out of it fast before anything else started to happen,” she said.

Ms. Liz Richard, the Ex-

ecutive Director of the Minn.

Coalition for Battered Women works with many women that have been in abusive relationships.

“When we talk about domestic violence, [we say] it’s a whole system of strategies or tactics if you’re in a relationship where one person maintains power or control,” said Richard.

Richard thinks that many abusive relationships continue because the victim believes that the amount of abuse is normal in a relationship.

In a recent survey conducted

by Stop The Violence, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending dating violence and domestic abuse, found that approximately 12 percent of teens ranging from ages 13 to 18 reported they did not recognize the abuse once it started.

“I’ve worked with those with a history of violence in a relationship, a pattern, where they have stayed together and have worked it out. It takes a lot of work and a lot of will to stop using violence. It’s not the norm,

79% of girls who are

victims of physical abuse in relationships

continue to date the abuser.

October is domestic violence awareness month.

It is represented by the color purple.

Infographic

by Isabella

Weisman

Nick Lovas named track and field coach of the year

By Isabel Hall Staff Reporter

Mr. Nick Lovas, boys head track and field coach and assistant boys cross country coach, was named the Minn. boys track and field coach of the year by the The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA).

“I was completely shocked and honored [to win this award] because there are so many other coaches involved than just the head coach. I was very happy for the assistant coaches because of all their contributions across all

six events,” Lovas said.

The coach of the year award is voted on by members of the USTFCCCA who are also college coaches. They voted on a girls coach and a boys coach, Lovas winning the boys’ title.

Lovas began his coaching career in 2007 as the jumps’ head coach. In 2009, he was promoted to head girls coach and four years later switched to be the boys head track and field coach.

“I have really enjoyed coaching both [boys and girls] teams.

The girls were emotional, so it was really fun to celebrate success [with them]. I will never

forget those seasons,” Lovas said.

Lovas has now been the boys head coach for two years.

“For the boys, we had a mission to make history this last season because we had never won a championship,” Lovas said.

The boys track and field team won the 2014 state meet with a score of 70 points, ahead of the competition by a full 13 points.

“With last season’s championship, I was extremely happy for Coach Mike Harris and Coach Jim Rovn because they have coached these boys

teams for decades without winning one. It was really fun to see that they could be a part of this school’s historic day,” Lovas said.

Lovas is glad to have a talented and diverse team, and is looking forward to seeing what is in store for the boys team next year.

“I’m excited to see the athletes who come out and make a difference,” Lovas said. “The fun thing about track is an athlete of any type can come out and be a part of a track team.

You don’t have to be a certain weight, height, or body type; in track and field you can come

out and make a difference right away.”

In future years, Lovas is excited to see how new students impact the team.

“I look forward to [meeting] the kids I don’t even know who are walking these halls and have never done track before. They are going to make our team better because the chemistry they bring to our camaraderie,” Lovas said.

Lovas’s track and field captains for the upcoming season are confident in him, including Austin Nash, senior captain. “[Lovas] knows what he is doing when it comes to track;

it impresses me immensely how he knows all about every event and coaches it himself,” Nash said. “Lovas doesn’t only get to know his athletes’ abilities- he gets to know them as a person.

He is funny, kind, and motivational for everyone.”

Lovas aspires to be a role model for students on and off the track.

“I find success as a coach in nurturing relationships with athletes. Having a good relationship with my athletes off the track, in the school, and in the community makes a big difference,” Lovas said.

Tailgating a continuing tradition: thrives at HHS

By Ellie Fromstein Staff Reporter

At HHS, there is a tradition of tailgating that usually takes place prior to the homecoming football game, where students roast hot dogs, drink pop, and prepare for the foot-

ball team to step out under the lights.

This year, the tradition of tailgating is being taken to a whole new level, thanks to students like Noah Harrington, senior. Harrington was brought to his first tailgate last year by Jake Fieldseth, 2014 HHS grad. Last

year’s experience with Fieldseth enticed Harrington to make tailgating a weekly production in any and every school’s parking lot.

Harrington and others, such as Blake Lambert, senior, and Willy Rohweder, junior, have tailgated before every football

Students at HHS participate in the pre-homecoming tailgate. Students tailgated in order to show support for the football team.

Photo by Zakiya Gill

game this year. Harrington’s commitment to popularize tailgating with HHS students even prompted him to make the long drive to Brooklyn Park for the game against Totino Grace High School. Students who have participated in the tailgate regularly plan each week’s tailgate in advance.

“At first, there was a group chat message between a few people. Then, after a successful tailgate at the first game, we made a Facebook group, and that’s where we plan everything,” Harrington said.

Rohweder was introduced to tailgating by his brother, who was a 2014 HHS grad.

Rohweder did not tailgate as a sophomore but wanted to at this year’s homecoming game.

His excitement and drive to have a successful tailgate was what brought Lambert and the white RV. For homecoming, students participating in the tailgate

parked in the high school bus lot at 3 p.m., and tailgated until the game started at 6. Students from both Hopkins and Minnetonka witnessed a giant white RV with a loud horn playing music pull into the parking lot.

The RV was surrounded by other countless cars, students driving around on motor bikes, and games of bean bag- toss.

Lambert and Rohweder both said they wanted to make this year’s homecoming tailgate the most memorable yet, and the RV was the answer. Lambert’s family uses the custom RV for dirt biking and snowmobile racing.

“I want [a big tailgate] to be a new thing to support our football team. [Students] all got there at 3 p.m. and tailgated until the game, and that’s why we beat Minnetonka,” Lambert said.

The effort to support the football team by students has been noticed by many players,

including Henry Brott, junior football player.

“When you have all that support [from the students who are tailgating], it creates a highenergy atmosphere. We are so much more confident. We can do special things with our community behind us.”

On Friday, Sept. 26, tailgaters took to the parking at Wayzata High School at 3 p.m. Simultaneously, the football team put on their pads and headed out on the field for the game. Hopkins ended regulation time with a tie, and went into overtime. The students who tailgated before the game sat in the front of the stands, cheering on the football team. Hopkins won the game 28-21, beating Wayzata for the first time since 1999.

According to Harrington, the support from the tailgaters could be just what the football team needs to bring home conference wins.

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RPWednesday, October 8, 2014

Sadie Miller: always one of us Heart to heart

By Callan Showers Editor in Chief As I walk through the school hallways, I recognize faces I have come to know well in my 13 years in the Hopkins District. Tanglen Elementary, North Junior High, and HHS have been my second homes.

For HHS students, especially those who attended Glen Lake Elementary and West Junior High, one familiar face is missing from the senior class.

Sadina Miller’s life was taken far too early this summer, on June 17, 2014. I need not say the milestones of life that she will miss, and the magnitude by which her loved ones will miss her.

Although she left HHS in the fall of 2013, Sadie made more than ten years of memo-

ries as a Hopkins student.

To be clear, the purpose of this piece is not to evoke the grief that so many of us felt after Sadie’s death this summer, and I hope those closest to Sadie understand that I am not attempting to bring myself closer to Sadie than I was - I never got to know her.

The purpose is the recognition that the Hopkins District was home for Sadie, too.

Eight years ago. We played on the playground at recess, and, occasionally, an unlucky classmate would scrape a knee.

Five years ago. We learned how to knit in FACS, we plunged headfirst into the land of flirting and first kisses.

Summer 2014. One of us overdosed on heroin.

This fact is stark, shocking, and sad. One of us, the students of District 270, is gone. Gone to the drug

that has taken 290 lives in Minn. from 1999 through 2013, according to preliminary figures from the Minnesota Department of Health.

As we remember Sadie’s life, it is our duty as her peers to acknowledge that there was not one moment in which she became a bad kid, a “druggie,” someone whose value is less than the rest of our peers. She was one of us, who was killed by an extremely dangerous drug.

Life is fragile. Throughout the years, I’ve grown desensitized to talk about underage drinking, casual sex, marijuana - because more people are talking about it, and more people are doing it. That never happened with heroin.

Heroin is something foreign, scary. Something that, before Sadie’s death, I entertained only as being for strung-out rock stars and far-gone homeless people.

Never did I think about the force with which it could overtake one of my former peers.

We need to recognize the fragility of life, and the fragility of every single choice we make. Sadie’s choices led her to the dark times of substance-abuse that we will all be impacted by at some point.

The disease of addiction was a manipulative, consuming monster in Sadie’s life. Her disease began with marijuana and adderal, 2 drugs that are viewed as innocuous or even helpful on many school campuses. Sadie’s life was not her addiction.

The last choices she made cannot be the way that we, the faces she saw every day in the halls, on the first day of Kindergarten, in the hockey rink, remember her.

Sadie will always be one of us.

This box is to commemorate Sadie’s unwritten stories. If you would like, please use this space to express how she impacted your life, what you loved about her, what you will always miss about her - anything you want to remember her by.

Air Force policy restricted freedoms

By Nate Pasko Editor in Chief

On Aug. 25, an atheist U.S. Air Force airman at Creech Air Force base in Nev. was denied reenlistment in the Air Force when he crossed off the phrase ‘so help me God’ in the oath of service on his re-enlistment form.

As recently as Oct. of 2013, the Air Force allowed potential or enlisted soldiers to omit this phrase. However, on Oct. 30, 2013, the Air Force quietly updated Instruction 36-2606, which details the active-duty oath of enlistment, to require usage of the clause. According to the Air Force, this change was enacted in an attempt for the Instruction to be more consistent with Title 10, U.S. Code 502, which states that reciting ‘so help me God’ in the oath is a statutory requirement. However, the details surrounding the decision to make the change have not been divulged.

The Air Force was the only branch of the U.S. military that

required the usage of a nonsecular clause in its enlistment/ re-enlistment oath.

Thankfully, due to the close media scrutiny and widespread outrage over this policy, an investigation by the Department of Defense General Counsel resulted in the reversal of the 2013 change to Instruction 36-2606, effective immediately beginning on Sept. 17. The re-enlistment papers of the atheist airman at Creech Air Force base will now be processed to completion.

Despite the knee-jerk damage control by the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense, the fact remains that a branch of our country’s military enforced a requirement that was a direct violation of Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which states that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

Members of the U.S. Air Force work to protect our Constitutional rights and freedoms every day, and it is grossly unjust

A message from the Desk of the Editors

that those rights were denied, even for slightly less than a year, by the very organization that employs them.

HHS students who plan to join the military after high school have strong opinions on this requirement and resulting Constitutional violation.

“An important part of the Constitution is that everybody can believe in what they want to believe, and since the Air Force was attempting to bring religion into the military, it was violating the rights of its soldiers as human beings and Americans,” said Elliot Cochran, senior, who plans to join the Marine Corps.

The only requirements for military service in America should be sound body, mind, and a strong sense of nationalism.

However, the Air Force added an extra requirement - religious belief.

Isaiah Kugmeh, senior, who plans to join the Navy after high school, believes that the U.S. military is far too sophisticated to allow this unconstitutional

policy.

“With all the changes the U.S. military has been making recently, including the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy adjustments, I don’t see why an adjustment away from this policy couldn’t be made far sooner.

Saying or not saying ‘so help me God’ should not prevent you from military service when you are very much capable in every other aspect,” Kugmeh said.

The members of our military are widely regarded as the best-trained and most capable soldiers in the world, and our military force as a whole is known for its forward-thinking and innovative nature. The Air Force limited its own effectiveness for nearly a full calendar year and soiled the reputation of our country’s excellent military force by closing their doors to an unknown number of capable soldiers who, despite their religious beliefs (or lack thereof ), would have been fantastic additions to America’s armed forces.

Technically, this is Issue 1 of the 2014-15 Royal Page. However, we prefer not to think of it like that anymore

.

This year, our print paper - what you are reading right now - is an extension of www.hopkinsrp.org, our online news source. We will have a continuous stream of news, features, sports, and student body

By Isabella Weisman Infographic Editor Like many of my fellow seniors, college has recently been the only thing on my mind. Where do I want to go?

Which schools require essays?

Will I get into the college of my dreams?

The process is stressful. However, there is actually something invaluable that comes out of it.

Contemplating essay topics and building a resumé has forced me to think about my perspective, beliefs, and values. I thought about how much I have traveled in the last two years and my experiences. Because of my experiences in other countries, I am more aware of the issues in the world, one of which is equality.

One specific experience I remembered that holds a special place in my heart was during my trip to Israel last summer. I visited an organization called Save A Child’s Heart (SACH).

SACH brings children to Israel from other countries that do not have adequate cardiology care available. SACH pays for heart surgeries if families cannot afford them and provides a home for the families during recovery. Having dealt with a heart trauma in my family, I felt an instant connection to these children when we visited their temporary home.

When I was thinking about my experience, I wondered what these children’s lives are like besides having a heart defect.

I discovered that they like to be active, just like me. The little girls like to play dolls, just like I did. They have friends and family, just like me.

But unlike me, they mostly come from the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Iraq and Morocco, but also Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

I knew I could relate to the children because of the heart traumas they went through, but I wasn’t sure I could completely connect with them because some of them were from countries that have put the Jewish population and country in danger.

I think it is human nature to automatically put your guard up when being faced

voices available for you, and we encourage you to take advantage of it.

We are very grateful for our experienced and talented staff. Royal Page reporters and editors are always willing to go the extra mile to find the best stories and quotes.

We recognize that the tools necessary to project the stories of our school are more available to us than ever before, and we are dedicated to utilizing these tools as well as possible.

with people who are against your beliefs, and this is what I was doing when I first met the children.

Depending on your political views, you may look at that list of countries and disagree with SACH’s decision to treat these kids. But my beliefs and the fact that the children and I are from opposite sides of the world was not a barrier at all.

Everything we had in common completely trumped anything I thought I knew about their homes.

My beliefs about the children’s lives came from information I heard on the news.

I believe everyone’s views are molded to a certain extent by the media’s portrayals of world issues.

We all hear the media discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Al Qaeda, and, most recently, ISIS. We choose to listen to and believe stereotypes portrayed by the media because we feel it is a reliable source.

But how can I believe everyone from these countries is involved with terror when I have gotten to know these precious, innocent children that I have so much in common with? These children like the same activities that my friends and I participate in. Their parents must share my value of family if they were willing to leave their homes and families to save their child.

Sometimes we need to put our political views aside and realize that not every person from supposedly dangerous countries is creating a crisis.

Only a small percentage of these countries’ populations are creating danger.

The majority are civilians that are innocent and directly affected by the actions of terrorist groups, wars, and many other factors. We actually share many of the same interests, beliefs, and values.

The children involved in SACH now have a bright future ahead of them, and shouldn’t be destined for a life filled with judgements because of stereotypes the media creates. From now on, I know I will think twice about listening to the media and forming stereotypes. I challenge you to do the same.

We guarantee that everything you read or view, both on the website and in print, will have been done to the best of our ability. We understand the obligation we have to tell your stories in an accurate manner, and we will fulfill this responsibility without fail.

Thank you for giving us this fantastic opportunity. We look forward to a great year.

-Callan Showers and Nate Pasko

#

Heard it through the

HASHTAG

“My best friend in high school’s mother died of ALS , so for me it was personal. Even though it had the potential to be a silly Facebook trend, the fact it raised awareness and a lot of money for ALS made it worth it.”

No

-Ms. Felicia Homberger, Langauge Arts

On Feb. 15, 2014, Ray Rice and then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, were both charged with assault after striking each other. Little did Rice know that seven months later, Thirty-Mile Zone (TMZ) would leak a video of the incident, taken from inside an elevator, which showed Rice knocking Palmer unconscious and dragging her out of the elevator. Rice and Palmer were both charged with assault, but Palmer’s charges were eventually dropped.

Based on the current domestic violence policy of the NFL, Rice was only supposed to be suspended for two weeks. After the video was leaked, though, the Baltimore Ravens chose to drop Rice from the team. As this news spread, people began tweeting with #RayRice in various contexts. The tweets include shaming Rice’s actions and supporting domestic violence. Two hashtags that evolved from the movement are #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft, which are posted by people who were involved in abusive relationships and want to tell their story.

It is believed that the NFL had the option to view the video prior to TMZ releasing it to the public and chose not to. Now, with more domestic violence cases surfacing involving other players including the Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson abusing his son, and the Carolina Panthers’ Greg Hardy and the San Francisco 49ers’ Ray McDonald abusing their significant others, Twitter trends include debates over how the policy should change and who is to blame for ignoring the Casino Hotel’s offer to show the NFL the video.

The Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Ice Bucket Challenge was the largest social media phenomenon of summer 2014.

Participants dumped ice water on their heads to raise awareness for the disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. ALS is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and the effects of ice water was set to resemble some aspects of ALS. This challenge was used to encourage donations for research and the ALS Association.

It went viral on social media from July to Aug. 2014. The Ice Bucket Challenge spread worldwide within just one week. On July 15, it was reported that 100 tweets mentioned the #ALSIceBucketChallege; just one week later that number rose to 32,000. Students, parents, teachers, politicians, and celebrities all participated in the challenge.

As of Aug. 23, 2014, the ALS Association has received $62.5 million in donations. At the same time last year, the ALS Association had raised only raised $2.4 million in donations. According to the ALS foundation, 1.2 million new people donated to the cause.

This was merely because of the trending phenomenon of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Did you do the Ice Bucket Challenge?

Yes

“Trying to hide [the video] wasn’t a good choice. The fact that a commissioner would try to hide such a bad thing says that he only cares about making money instead of the welfare of those in the NFL and their family.”

-Alex Holden, Senior

33 56

The polls were conducted during all lunchs on Oct. 1. 44 sophomores, 15 juniors, and 30 seniors were asked to answer the following questions. 37 were male and 52 were female. Polls by Molly Abbott Ladner.

On May 23, 2014, Elliot Rodger, a 22-year-old University of Calif.

Santa Barbara student, killed two female and four male students at the Isla Vista, Calif. campus.

The killings took place near the Alpha Phi sorority house - Rodger’s primary target as, what he believed to be, the “hottest” sorority at the school.

Rodger created his “War on Women” based off of his belief that women needed to be punished for “starving him of sex,” as he detailed in his writings, and for choosing who they had sex with. Rodger’s hatred of women was detailed in a YouTube video titled ‘Elliott Rodger’s Retribution’ and lengthy, autobiographical writings he called ‘My Twisted World.’

The hashtag #NotAllMen surfaced in response to the tragedy to explain that not all men are misogynists (women-hating), not all men blame women for sexual frustration, and not all men have oppressive tendencies. From this grew #YesAllWomen. #YesAllWomen tweeters believe the flaw in the #NotAllMen defense was that it is clear and obvious that not all men abuse, but instead of pointing this out, they should come together to realize that #YesAllWomen have been abused, belittled, or oppressed because of their gender at some point. The tweets point out ways in which all women have experienced gender-bias.

“In the capacity that I have in the classroom to discuss that, it felt incumbent upon me to have the conversation, make the students aware - first of the issue, but also the idiot male response and what I saw as a very powerful, empowering, and rather brilliant response on the part of women to reclaim this.”

-Mr. Douglas Dart, Language Arts

Yes No

71 12

Maybe 6

On Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown walked towards a Quick Trip convenience store in Ferguson, Mo. At the same time, the Ferguson police identified a suspect in a robbery of the convenience store who was walking the same way as Brown. The police arrived and confronted Brown. Brown would not walk away from this encounter alive.

According to St. Louis County Police Chief Joe Belmar, “Brown physically assaulted the officer, and during a struggle between the two, Brown reached for the officer’s gun. One shot was fired in the car followed by other gunshots outside of the car.”

Rioters packed the streets with signs saying, “Hands up, Don’t Shoot” and “Guns down for Mike Brown.” Police officers began to use tear gas to clear the immense crowds of protesters. Brown’s shooter Darren Wilson is being investigated by the St. Louis County Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The town of Ferguson had became a battleground against police brutality, and a hotbed for discussion of racial equality by law enforcement.

America entered the conversation on Twitter with #Ferguson, #IfTheyGunnedMeDown, and #NMOS14, calling for a national moment of silence for victims of police brutality. On Thursday, Aug. 13, #Ferguson reached its peak on Twitter, with 5,864 tweets per minute.

“I am armed because I’m a police officer. The reason that I’m armed is to not only protect myself from someone trying to cause extreme harm or death, I’m trying to protect other people who might be facing extreme harm or death.

[My gun] doesn’t make me uncomfortable.”

-Officer Jason Tait, Police Liaison

Yes No

26 53

Maybe 10

#OccupyCentral

#Ferguson

Do you believe all women have faced gender bias?

Should Ray Rice still be able to play in the NFL?

#RayRice

#ALSIceBucketChallenge

#YesAllWomen

This center spread is a discussion of the major current eventsrelated news that has boomed on social media since the end of last school year - May, 2014. The Royal Page hopes to explore the way in which news travels in a communal way over Twitter like never before.

Do you think police treat minorities unfairly?

Yes No

65 10

Maybe 14

The People’s Republic of China blocked Instagram on Sept. 29, 2014, because the communist government hoped to restrict their citizens from seeing live coverage of the #OccupyCentral movement in Hong Kong. A pro-democracy movement started by the Occupy Central with Love and Peace and Hong Kong Federation of Students (tweeted with #hkstudentboycott) organizations, tens of thousands of protesters have gathered around Hong Kong’s financial hub since Sept. 28 according to British Broadcasting Channel (BBC) News.

Hong Kong hopes to ensure universal suffrage and civil nomination independent from China, noted by BBC. Like in #Ferguson, police forces have resorted to using tear gas. #OccupyCentral is happening now, and has people asking if it could be the next Tiananmen Square controversy.

As more news is made, join the conversation. Tweet @theroyalpage

#TalkAboutIt

By Callan Showers, Isabella Weisman and Alex Felemovicius, Editor in Chief, Infographic Editor, and C-Spread Editor of the Royal Page

#

Heard it t

HAS

“My best friend in high school’s mother died of ALS , so for me it was personal. Even though it had the potential to be a silly Facebook trend, the fact it raised awareness and a lot of money for ALS made it worth it.”

The Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Ice Bucket Challenge was the largest social media phenomenon of summer 2014.

Participants dumped ice water on their heads to raise awareness for the disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. ALS is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and the effects of ice water was set to resemble some aspects of ALS. This challenge was used to encourage donations for research and the ALS Association.

It went viral on social media from July to Aug. 2014. The Ice Bucket Challenge spread worldwide within just one week. On July 15, it was reported that 100 tweets mentioned the #ALSIceBucketChallege; just one week later that number rose to 32,000. Students, parents, teachers, politicians, and celebrities all participated in the challenge.

As of Aug. 23, 2014, the ALS Association has received $62.5 million in donations. At the same time last year, the ALS Association had raised only raised $2.4 million in donations. According to the ALS foundation, 1.2 million new people donated to the cause.

This was merely because of the trending phenomenon of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Did you do the Ice Bucket Challenge?

Yes No

-Ms. Felicia Homberger, Langauge Arts

33 56

The polls were conducted during all lunchs on Oct. 1. 44 sophomores, 15 juniors, and 30 seniors were asked to answer the following questions. 37 were male and 52 were female. Polls by Molly Abbott Ladner.

#ALSIceBucketChallenge

#Ferg

#YesAllWomen

On May 23, 2014, Elliot Rodger, a 22-year-old University of Calif.

Santa Barbara student, killed two female and four male students at the Isla Vista, Calif. campus.

The killings took place near the Alpha Phi sorority house - Rodger’s primary target as, what he believed to be, the “hottest” sorority at the school.

Rodger created his “War on Women” based off of his belief that women needed to be punished for “starving him of sex,” as he detailed in his writings, and for choosing who they had sex with. Rodger’s hatred of women was detailed in a YouTube video titled ‘Elliott Rodger’s Retribution’ and lengthy, autobiographical writings he called ‘My Twisted World.’

The hashtag #NotAllMen surfaced in response to the tragedy to explain that not all men are misogynists (women-hating), not all men blame women for sexual frustration, and not all men have oppressive tendencies. From this grew #YesAllWomen. #YesAllWomen tweeters believe the flaw in the #NotAllMen defense was that it is clear and obvious that not all men abuse, but instead of pointing this out, they should come together to realize that #YesAllWomen have been abused, belittled, or oppressed because of their gender at some point. The tweets point out ways in which all women have experienced gender-bias.

“In the capacity that I have in the classroom to discuss that, it felt incumbent upon me to have the conversation, make the students aware - first of the issue, but also the idiot male response and what I saw as a very powerful, empowering, and rather brilliant response on the part of women to reclaim this.”

-Mr. Douglas Dart, Language Arts

Do you believe all women have faced gender bias?

Yes No

71 12

Maybe 6

On Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014, 1 towards a Quick Trip convenien time, the Ferguson police ident nience store who was walking t and confronted Brown. Brown alive.

According to St. Louis Coun physically assaulted the officer, Brown reached for the officer’s lowed by other gunshots outsid Rioters packed the streets wi and “Guns down for Mike Brow to clear the immense crowds of son is being investigated by the Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The town of Ferguson had b tality, and a hotbed for discussio America entered the conversati GunnedMeDown, and #NMO silence for victims of police bru reached its peak on Twitter, wit

“I am armed becau that I’m armed is to no trying to cause extrem other people who mig [My gun] doesn’t mak -Officer J

#

HAS

Heard it t

“My best friend in high school’s mother died of ALS , so for me it was personal. Even though it had the potential to be a silly Facebook trend, the fact it raised awareness and a lot of money for ALS made it worth it.”

The Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Ice Bucket Challenge was the largest social media phenomenon of summer 2014.

Participants dumped ice water on their heads to raise awareness for the disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. ALS is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and the effects of ice water was set to resemble some aspects of ALS. This challenge was used to encourage donations for research and the ALS Association.

It went viral on social media from July to Aug. 2014. The Ice Bucket Challenge spread worldwide within just one week. On July 15, it was reported that 100 tweets mentioned the #ALSIceBucketChallege; just one week later that number rose to 32,000. Students, parents, teachers, politicians, and celebrities all participated in the challenge.

As of Aug. 23, 2014, the ALS Association has received $62.5 million in donations. At the same time last year, the ALS Association had raised only raised $2.4 million in donations. According to the ALS foundation, 1.2 million new people donated to the cause.

This was merely because of the trending phenomenon of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Did you do the Ice Bucket Challenge?

Yes No

-Ms. Felicia Homberger, Langauge Arts

33

56

The polls were conducted during all lunchs on Oct. 1. 44 sophomores, 15 juniors, and 30 seniors were asked to answer the following questions. 37 were male and 52 were female. Polls by Molly Abbott Ladner.

#ALSIceBucketChallenge

#Ferg

#YesAllWomen

On May 23, 2014, Elliot Rodger, a 22-year-old University of Calif.

Santa Barbara student, killed two female and four male students at the Isla Vista, Calif. campus.

The killings took place near the Alpha Phi sorority house - Rodger’s primary target as, what he believed to be, the “hottest” sorority at the school.

Rodger created his “War on Women” based off of his belief that women needed to be punished for “starving him of sex,” as he detailed in his writings, and for choosing who they had sex with. Rodger’s hatred of women was detailed in a YouTube video titled ‘Elliott Rodger’s Retribution’ and lengthy, autobiographical writings he called ‘My Twisted World.’

The hashtag #NotAllMen surfaced in response to the tragedy to explain that not all men are misogynists (women-hating), not all men blame women for sexual frustration, and not all men have oppressive tendencies. From this grew #YesAllWomen. #YesAllWomen tweeters believe the flaw in the #NotAllMen defense was that it is clear and obvious that not all men abuse, but instead of pointing this out, they should come together to realize that #YesAllWomen have been abused, belittled, or oppressed because of their gender at some point. The tweets point out ways in which all women have experienced gender-bias.

“In the capacity that I have in the classroom to discuss that, it felt incumbent upon me to have the conversation, make the students aware - first of the issue, but also the idiot male response and what I saw as a very powerful, empowering, and rather brilliant response on the part of women to reclaim this.”

-Mr. Douglas Dart, Language Arts

Do you believe all women have faced gender bias?

Yes No

71 12

Maybe 6

On Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014, 1 towards a Quick Trip convenien time, the Ferguson police ident nience store who was walking t and confronted Brown. Brown alive.

According to St. Louis Coun physically assaulted the officer, Brown reached for the officer’s lowed by other gunshots outsid Rioters packed the streets wi and “Guns down for Mike Brow to clear the immense crowds of son is being investigated by the Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The town of Ferguson had b tality, and a hotbed for discussio America entered the conversati GunnedMeDown, and #NMO silence for victims of police bru reached its peak on Twitter, wit

“I am armed becau that I’m armed is to no trying to cause extrem other people who mig [My gun] doesn’t mak -Officer J

through the

SHTAG “Trying to hide [the video] wasn’t a good choice. The fact that a commissioner would try to hide such a bad thing says that he only cares about making money instead of the welfare of those in the NFL and their family.”

-Alex Holden, Senior

On Feb. 15, 2014, Ray Rice and then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, were both charged with assault after striking each other. Little did Rice know that seven months later, Thirty-Mile Zone (TMZ) would leak a video of the incident, taken from inside an elevator, which showed Rice knocking Palmer unconscious and dragging her out of the elevator. Rice and Palmer were both charged with assault, but Palmer’s charges were eventually dropped.

Based on the current domestic violence policy of the NFL, Rice was only supposed to be suspended for two weeks. After the video was leaked, though, the Baltimore Ravens chose to drop Rice from the team. As this news spread, people began tweeting with #RayRice in various contexts. The tweets include shaming Rice’s actions and supporting domestic violence. Two hashtags that evolved from the movement are #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft, which are posted by people who were involved in abusive relationships and want to tell their story.

It is believed that the NFL had the option to view the video prior to TMZ releasing it to the public and chose not to. Now, with more domestic violence cases surfacing involving other players including the Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson abusing his son, and the Carolina Panthers’ Greg Hardy and the San Francisco 49ers’ Ray McDonald abusing their significant others, Twitter trends include debates over how the policy should change and who is to blame for ignoring the Casino Hotel’s offer to show the NFL the video.

Should Ray Rice still be able to play in the NFL?

Yes No

26 53

Maybe 10

#RayRice

#OccupyCentral

guson

18-year-old Michael Brown walked nce store in Ferguson, Mo. At the same tified a suspect in a robbery of the convethe same way as Brown. The police arrived would not walk away from this encounter

nty Police Chief Joe Belmar, “Brown and during a struggle between the two, gun. One shot was fired in the car folde of the car.” ith signs saying, “Hands up, Don’t Shoot” wn.” Police officers began to use tear gas f protesters. Brown’s shooter Darren Wile St. Louis County Police and the Federal

became a battleground against police bruon of racial equality by law enforcement. ion on Twitter with #Ferguson, #IfTheyOS14, calling for a national moment of utality. On Thursday, Aug. 13, #Ferguson th 5,864 tweets per minute.

use I’m a police officer. The reason ot only protect myself from someone me harm or death, I’m trying to protect ght be facing extreme harm or death. ke me uncomfortable.”

Jason Tait, Police Liaison

This center spread is a discussion of the major current eventsrelated news that has boomed on social media since the end of last school year - May, 2014. The Royal Page hopes to explore the way in which news travels in a communal way over Twitter like never before.

Do you think police treat minorities unfairly?

Yes No

65 10

Maybe 14

The People’s Republic of China blocked Instagram on Sept. 29, 2014, because the communist government hoped to restrict their citizens from seeing live coverage of the #OccupyCentral movement in Hong Kong. A pro-democracy movement started by the Occupy Central with Love and Peace and Hong Kong Federation of Students (tweeted with #hkstudentboycott) organizations, tens of thousands of protesters have gathered around Hong Kong’s financial hub since Sept. 28 according to British Broadcasting Channel (BBC) News.

Hong Kong hopes to ensure universal suffrage and civil nomination independent from China, noted by BBC. Like in #Ferguson, police forces have resorted to using tear gas. #OccupyCentral is happening now, and has people asking if it could be the next Tiananmen Square controversy.

As more news is made, join the conversation. Tweet @theroyalpage

#TalkAboutIt

By Callan Showers, Isabella Weisman and Alex Felemovicius, Editor in Chief, Infographic Editor, and C-Spread Editor of the Royal Page

The Royal Page 2014-2015

Editors in Chief Nate Pasko Callan Showers

Front Page Editor Claire Benton

Design Editor in Chief Alex Felemovicius

RPWednesday, October 8, 2014

the

8 feature

Strifert spends summer at Oxford

By Rachel Hall Staff Reporter Rather than spending her summer lying by the pool and hanging out with friends, Margo Strifert, junior, spent her summer studying at the University of Oxford.

“I chose England because I want to be a writer, and they offer writing classes. Most really famous literature is from Oxford,” Strifert said.

Strifert found a program through Oxford called Summer Fuel, applied, and got accepted.

While Strifert’s main goal was

to improve and expand her writing skills, she took other classes that interested her, including creative writing and the culture of tea.

“When I signed up for the culture of tea, I thought it was just going to be us drinking tea, but I actually learned a lot. We

News Editor Brit Stein

Opinion Editors

Madeline Martodam Gannon Youakim

Feature Editors Danielle Fogelson Andrew Zhou

Sports Editor Hillary Donovan

Photo Editor Sam Ostenso

Infographic Editor

Isabella Weisman

Business Editors

Jacob Ungerman Brian Yu

Web Editors in Chief Bradley Kaplan Ellie Maag

Staff Reporters

Molly Abbott Ladner Imran Baksh Liam Bronstein Mariah Byron Will Cohen Morgan Downing Trianna Downing Justice Feldman Ellie Fromstein Lauren Goodman Anne Goodroad Isabel Hall Rachel Hall Ely Harel Croix JoliCoeur Nick Mandler Randy Marchione Madison Petty Lucy Pierro Ben Segelbaum Ian Tennant Isaac Teplinsky

Adviser

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

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A well-kept garden sits on the University of Oxford campus. Margo Strifert, junior, studied at Oxford for four and a half weeks this past summer.

Photo provided by Margo Strifert

learned about the art and history of tea, trade within civilizations, and how to drink it in different cultures,” Strifert said.

“I can definitely taste a good tea from a bad tea.”

After taking classes in London, Strifert looks at the U.S. school system differently.

“The teachers here stand up in front of the class and talk at us, but the teachers there were talking to us,” Strifert said.

“Everyone really respected the teachers. We enjoyed hearing them talk and wanted to know what they had to say.”

Another major difference between HHS and Oxford is that classes are not regularly held in a classroom setting.

“There were very few times that I was sitting in a class. Most of the time I was out in the gardens or walking through town talking to people,” Strifert said.

Students from all over the world participated in the program, including people from the Dominican Republic, the U.S., Canada, Italy, and other European countries.

“My closest friend that I met was from Italy. I met so many different people and learned about so many different cultures. It gave me a different perspective on how things work here in America,” Strifert said.

Strifert’s main focuses were studying and discovering the University of Oxford. However, she became familiar with the area surrounding the university throughout her four and a half week stay.

“I wasn’t a tourist there. I lived [in Oxford] enough to know the area super well, and no one looked at me like a tourist,” Strifert said.

Although the European culture was a huge change, Strifert adjusted well and enjoyed it.

“Oxford is super beautiful,” Strifert said. “Everything is a garden there and is protected.

There is grass that you’re not allowed to walk on. Everything is pristine, and no one litters or is disrespectful to the environment or each other, and I think that is really important.”

Van Hoven’s view from 3,000 feet up Continued from page 1

Shane went through the first third of his flight training with an instructor in preparation for his first solo flight.

“You don’t know when it’s going to happen. All of a sudden, the instructor gets out of the airplane, stands on the tarmac, unhooks the leash, and says ‘Okay, now fly!’” Shane said.

On Sept. 7, 2013, Shane soloed his first flight, fulfilling a lifelong dream, making a memory that he will remember for the rest of his life.

“If you ask any pilot about their first solo, no matter how much flight time they’ve had, they can probably give you the date and tail number of the airplane that they soloed in because it was the biggest accomplishment of their life up to that point,” Shane said.

This was not only a thrilling accomplishment for Shane, but for his whole family.

“When he soloed for the first time, his dad, brother and

I met him at the airport,” said Jan Van Hoven, Shane’s mother.

“We just had a little celebration with the instructor.”

Shane recalls being very focused during his first solo flight.

“You’re just in the zone, focusing and then you realize halfway through that there is nobody there so it is completely up to you to figure it out. You’re so well prepared for it that any nerves you may have had at the beginning all go away,” Shane said. “It’s the most incredible feeling of ‘Look ma - no hands!’”

Although they completely support him, Shane’s parents admit to getting nervous while Shane flies.

“We can track his flights on Flightaware [a flight tracking software] and I sometimes think that’s a bad idea for me. If there is a glitch in the web app, I worry that it’s a glitch in his flight. It never is; I should know better and just wait for his text when he lands,” Jan said.

Shane’s family is confident in his flying abilities, as they

know he is well trained.

“Knowing that Shane is safer in an airplane than driving to school puts everything in perspective. I’m sure I would have more hesitation if Shane was passionate about race car driving,” Roger said.

Roger could tell that Shane was aware of his surroundings and was a knowledgeable pilot when he joined him on a flight to St. Cloud.

“Shane communicated very well about what was going to happen and briefed me on what safety rules I needed to know. I was a little anxious at first, but once we were in the air, it was obvious Shane was both very confident and competent,” Roger said.

Bondy was also impressed with Shane’s knowledge and persistence as a pilot right from the start.

“In my opinion he is one of the top pilots I have ever trained,” Bondy said. “He will be a tremendous addition to any avenue of aviation that he

Shane Van Hoven, senior, poses by his plane before a solo flight. He Photo provided by Shane Van Hoven began flight training in 2013.

chooses.”

Shane is not only competent when it comes to flying, he is passionate about it too.

“I am constantly reminded how lucky I am to have this privilege,” Shane said. “It is just

out of this world; I never want to see the day when flying isn’t a part of my life. [That] would be a very sad, sad day, because so many dreams are fueled by the promise of flight.”

Remembering, honoring life of Sadie Miller Continued from page 1 animals at a zoo. She also took classes outside and learned about the environment with hands on experience.

“She loved climbing trees.

She was tree climbing at three, and she was like 40 feet up in the air. One time she was out climbing a tree, and her hand got all sticky, and [she] wanted to know what it was,” said Paul Miller, Sadie’s father. “I said it’s sap, and she said she wanted to make it, so we ended up making maple syrup that year, and that’s the kind of kid that she

was.”

Paul will always remember his daughter’s adventurous spirit.

“She wanted to know about things and wanted to experience it,” Paul said.

From cuddling with cobras to rock climbing, Sadie took advantage of every opportunity she was given.

“She was an adrenaline junkie, and just didn’t have fear.

She was happy when she was doing adventurous things outside,” Maddy said.

Sadie was known for her big personality and her love

of life.

“When Sadie was upbeat she filled the room with energy and brightness. She had a lot of life and a lot of spunk in her,” Justina said.

Although Sadie is gone, she has left an outstanding impression on the many lives she has touched. She will always be remembered as the loving, outgoing person she was said to be.

“She was a handful, an eye full, and a heart full,” Maddy said. “She is going to be missed forever and she will be infinitely loved.”

feature 9

the

RPWednesday, October 8, 2014

Students gain new perspective in Israel

By Danielle Fogelson Feature Editor Julia Laden, senior, just spent her second summer in a row in Israel. While each trip contained many similarities, only her most recent one included running down 11 flights of stairs to a bomb shelter on her first night.

“The night that we got to Jerusalem, our counselors sat us down and explained that there could be a threat. I went up to my hotel room and, right as I sat down on my balcony, the sirens went off,” Laden said.

Earlier that night, Laden was taught the necessary steps to take if a siren sounded. That night in Jerusalem, she had 90 seconds to reach the nearest bomb shelter. Other times, it meant crouching down next to an outdoor wall with her arms over her head.

This was the reality for Laden as she was in Israel at a time of war.

“The first thing our counselors told us anytime we got off the bus was what to do and where to go if we heard a siren.

That became the new normal for [the people on my trip],” Laden said.

Tension in Israel began this

past summer after three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and killed by Hamas, a terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. In a retaliatory measure, an Israeli man kidnapped and killed a Palestinian boy, which led to rioting throughout Israel.

After days of violent protests from both Jews and Palestinians, Hamas began to launch rockets into Israel.

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) implemented Operation Protective Edge in response to the situation. Israel achieved many of its objectives, but the operation caused significant damage to the Gaza Strip and a large number Palestinian casualties.

As violence increased, many teen-tour groups cancelled their scheduled trips to Israel. Michael Cera, senior, was informed that his JCC Maccabi Israel trip was canceled four days before he was planned to leave.

“The fighting had escalated, and they didn’t think it was safe enough to send us,” Cera said. “[We were told] that if they did send us, it would not be the right kind of Israel for us to see.”

Despite the danger, many teen tour groups did travel to Israel this summer. While it was not a typical summer, Michelle

Rich, Director of Teen Travel and Programs for United Youth Synagogues (USY), feels that being in Israel under these circumstances was a good educational tool for participants.

“They got to see a different Israel. They got to see how the country reacts when people’s children are fighting on the front lines,” Rich said. “They got to see the touristy stuff too, but they got a different flavor of the country understanding the situation that they were in.”

In order to keep their participants out of high risk areas, USY, along with other teen tour groups, was required to adjust their schedules throughout the summer.

“Itineraries were looked at, not just day to day, but hour to hour. Things were changed as recommendations or requirements were made,” Rich said.

Despite being moved to safer areas in Israel, participants were still affected. This was true for Izzy Miller, senior, as she had a personal connection with the war.

“One of the boys on my trip had a brother fighting in Gaza which was really hard for him. It made [the war] so real,” Miller said. “Knowing someone fighting in Gaza really touched

home, because even though Gaza was always close to us, it was hard to feel the effects of the war before.”

Polly Lehman, junior, also experienced the effects of the war when she visited Mount Herzl, which holds the cemetery for IDF soldiers who have died fighting for Israel. Lehman visited on the day of a burial and witnessed tens of thousands of Israelis attend the funeral of a soldier many of them did not know.

“Mount Herzl is a beautiful place because it keeps the memories of these soldiers alive, but at the same time, when you look at the graves, you see that so many of the soldiers were only 18 or 20,” Lehman said. “It was hard to understand the number [of IDF casualties from the war] until I looked in front of me and saw a burial right there, next to another grave that said 18 on it.

I finally understand why people say when a soldier dies, the whole country feels it.”

After returning home, Lehman felt it was important to continue working with Israeli Leadership Fellows, a program that teaches teens to advocate for Israel.

“I already had the facts, but now I can back them up

with my own personal stories,” Lehman said.

While it was an unconventional summer, Miller is grateful she experienced Israel at that time.

“If Israel is in a war, there is

no place I’d rather be,” Miller said.

“It’s my home. It’s my community, and it’s my family. Even if I couldn’t be fighting, it was still good to be there with them.”

Israeli soldiers mourn the loss of fellow soldiers at Mount Herzl. Over 60 soldiers were buried there this summer.

Photo provided by Izzy Miller

Seniors participate full time in PSEO program

By Liam Bronstein Staff Reporter Ida Ramic, senior, is taking digital photography, College Physics One, Freshman Composition, College Algebra, and Probability this semester.

That isn’t an average daily schedule for a high school senior.

Ramic has opted to take advantage of the Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program. The program is offered to tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders by Minnesota state universities and colleges.

The program gives students the opportunity to take college courses and earn credit for free while still in high school.

Ramic, unlike most PSEO participants, is a full time student in the PSEO program.

Spending her entire day at Normandale Community College instead of HHS has broadened her opportunities in the classroom.

“Classes were too long [at Hopkins] and in that time, not many things were done. In more than an hour class period, we maybe get a 20 minute lecture done.” Ramic said.

Taking on the responsibilities of a full-time college student was an easy choice for Ramic.

“I only needed three credits to graduate, and I felt like high school was a waste of my time,” Ramic said. “I also wanted to get a head start on my college classes and do something more challenging this year.”

Full time PSEO students who start their junior year have the opportunity to earn enough credits for an Associate’s degree.

With the state paying for the entirety of tuition costs, students earn college credit free of charge.

Sam Greenwald, senior, is taking two liberal arts classes at the University of Minnesota and hopes to continue to study similar topics in the future.

“I joined PSEO because I wanted to test out what I’m interested in studying in college, and I found that I’m really interested in the classes that I’ve chosen to take.” Greenwald said.

While hardly at the high school for their academic responsibilities, Ramic and Greenwald still participate in before and after school activities.

“I try to make it [PSEO] so it doesn’t affect my life outside

Bursch lays down law with police

By Madison Petty Staff Reporter While some teenagers spend their time running away from police officers, Nathan Bursch, junior, runs with them.

“We can pretty much do anything except a police chase, so if there’s a car chase they have to kick us out of the car wherever we are,” Bursch said. “They just point us in the right direction after that.”

Bursch participates in Police Explorers, a program through the Minnetonka Police Department.

“We train with police officers, and they teach us what they do every day,” Bursch said. “We also get the opportunity to meet and talk with them as we aspire

to be police officers someday.”

Open to young adults ages 15 to 20, the program is part of the Boy Scouts of America, Learning for Life division, teaching basic skills and providing experience in the field of law enforcement. They’re trained in areas such as first aid, report writing, search and arrest, traffic stops, domestic disturbances, crime scene searches, hostage negotiations, interrogations, and bomb threats.

“We get cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certified, and we go shooting at gun ranges from time to time,” Bursch said.

Bursch first became interested in Police Explorers after his mother read about the New Hope Police Explorers program.

His curiosity only increased after attending sophomore orientation last year, where the Police Explorers had set up a booth.

“This program teaches several skills that you can use for the rest of your life such as leadership, teamwork, responsibility, and professionalism. I promise you’ll learn something new and meet great friends in the process,” said Officer Jason Tait, Police Explorers advisor and HHS Police Liaison.

There are many requirements that have to be met to become a Police Explorer, including an application and interview. Furthermore, applicants must be residents of Minnetonka, have no criminal record, exhibit no drug or alcohol use, and fall within the age requirement.

Every year, the Police Explorers head down to Rochester, Minn. for a conference.

“Last year, we saw a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team demonstration, and they showed us how to stop a car with flash bangs and loud noises,” Bursch said. “I dropped my water bottle because of how fast and instantly the SWAT team could do that.”

Bursch is learning to apply his new experiences in his everyday life.

“I’ve learned to trust my instincts,” Bursch said. “At the beginning I was unsure about everything I did, but I’ve gained a lot more confidence in myself, which has helped me with everything I do.”

of school. I still come in before school for National Honors Society and Gay-Straight Alliance, and I’m taking AP ceramics fourth block.” Greenwald said.

Greenwald also participates in debate team after school.

Greenwald appreciates the benefits that being outside of the typical high school day gives him.

“It’s really nice. I can have lunch wherever I want to. It’s a lot of freedom but I still get the senior experience from being the high school for AP ceramics,” Greenwald said.

According to the Minnesota State College Association, PSEO students have higher rates of enrolling in a college or university after high school graduation. For Ramic and Greenwald, it’s no different.

They both have high hopes for next year and firmly believe that PSEO helps prepare them for it.

“It’s a good experience and it’s something new,” Ramic said. “I feel like I’ll learn a lot from it in the end.”

Check out the Academic Scholar of the month on hopkinsrp.org *The Academic Scholar was chosen by the administration

RPWednesday, October 8, 2014

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10 sports

Youth propels boys soccer’s successful start

By Croix JoliCoeur Staff Reporter The varsity boys soccer team has gotten its best start in years with only seven seniors on the team, compared to last year when they had 13 seniors.

Having an eighth and a ninth grader on the roster, the team has gained some youth, energy, and balance. Eddson Garcia, eighth grader at WJH, and Nico Shirley, ninth grader at WJH, have both earned a spot on the HHS varsity soccer team.

“I feel very privileged to be on the team, especially being one of the youngest players. I worked really hard to get the spot,” Shirley said.

Andrew Shirley, junior, and Nico’s older brother, is very confident in the talent of both his brother and Garcia. “[The younger players] will definitely help. It’s their first or second year, and they will have a lot of experience going into the future seasons,” Andrew said. “I feel our younger athletes have

more skillful attributes than physical attributes, and it’s helpful to have that balance between the older and stronger guys and the younger guys who have skill with the ball at their feet.”

The head coach Justin Hegre feels the team has a good mixture of ages and talents, and he trusts the players’ abilities to perform.

“We do have an eighth and ninth grader on the team this year, as well as several tenth graders,” Hegre said. “We also have juniors and seniors that have been at the varsity level for a while, so it's a pretty healthy mix of exciting new talent and veteran players,” The boys soccer team has a total of seven wins so far this season, compared to six wins last season.

“Our team chemistry is really nice. It’s a good environment.

We are all on the same page.

We are all together. No one is left out, and we are all involved.

We are all together fighting for a common goal,” Andrew said.

Nico and Garcia get along

and have a good time with their teammates despite their grade and age.

“I’m pretty good friends with most of the players, and they let me tag along with them, so I feel very accepted. [Eddson] fits in and tags along as well and has a good time,” Nico said.

It’s not only good chemistry that makes a winning team. A good team needs to have skill, and this year the boys seem to have a lot.

“The boys have worked extremely hard this year, and it's paying off so far. We have a difficult schedule and section, but our goals are high. This team has a lot of potential and skill.

I'm excited to see what they can accomplish,” Hegre said.

For Andrew, age doesn’t matter. It is all about the player’s ability to perform and the player’s ability to be a team player.

“For me, it’s about putting the best 11 players on the field no matter their age or how strong they are,” Andrew said.

Starting the season with seven wins has been a big sur-

prise for a lot of people, including Nico. “[This season] is definitely going better than I thought it would. I was not sure how our season would end up, but so far it is better than usual,” Nico said.

Hegre is happy with this season and believes the team has a very bright future.

“We have had a significant increase in the number of students that came out for soccer. Specifically, we have more freshmen in the program than we have ever had before which is a good sign for the future of hopkins soccer,” Hegre said.

The soccer team has also set goals for themselves so they can be the best that they can be.

“We've had several goals over the course of the season.

Our first goal was to start 4-0.

We knew that our schedule was going to be tough this year, so we decided, in order to keep up with our rivals, that we must win our first four non-conference matches. Goal accomplished,” Hegre said.

Andrew thinks the main difference between this year and last year is what drove the team and the belief in themselves.

“This year there seems to be belief in the team, versus last year where we were used to be-

ing that Lake Conference team that does not win games. This year we are tired of having that reputation, so we decided that this year was going to be different, and so far it has been,” Andrew said.

Nico Shirley, ninth grade, running up the field against Edina on 9/30.

Shirley has scored one goal so far this season.

Photo by Isaac Teplinsky

Dedication to skating pays off with varsity letter

By Ely Harel Staff Reporter HHS sponsors 30 varsity athletic teams, but three HHS students have been lettering in a different way. Winnie Brand, Grace Dosdall and Abigail Rhodes, juniors, letter in a nonHHS sport: Figure skating.

Dosdall and Rhodes both skate on synchronized skating teams with teams ranging from eight to 20 skaters. Brand fo-

cuses on individual skating and competes against other skaters in solo competitions.

The three of them have all been skating for years with the Minnetonka Skating Club.

Rhodes and Dosdall have both been skating since the second grade and Brand has been skating since the fifth grade.

Even though figure skating is not a HHS sport, the practices and lettering requirements

are tough. Skaters have practice every day, and most days practices are held at six in the morning.

Although skating requires a lot of work, Dosdall doesn’t mind the 6 a.m. practices.

“It’s a good stress reliever.

Practicing before school gets me ready for the day,” Dosdall said.

A varsity letter is a timehonored tradition that student athletes strive for.

“It’s kind of like an achievement you can get and show everybody with a jacket that you were good enough at skating to be able to letter,” Rhodes said.

Throughout the year, they each compete in individual or team competitions. To finish off the year, the club puts on a big show featuring all teams.

“The show is my favorite part of skating,” said Brand. “It’s not like a competition, it’s more

like getting to show off what we’ve learned.”

Brand understands the value of earning a varsity letter. As a member of the ultimate frisbee team, a team that cannot award letters, she knows what it is like to work hard and not be awarded a letter.

“I think all sports should be able to letter. We should be able to reach our goals and then get that as a reward,” Brand said.

Although none of the skaters are in it for the letter, they all agree that the recognition for their hard work means a lot.

Although Rhodes has yet to letter, she is excited about the opportunity.

“It would be really exciting because it would prove how hard I’ve worked to get it and all the tests that I’ve taken and hours that I’ve put in would finally pay off.” Rhodes said.

sports 11

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RPWednesday, October 8, 2014

Heimlich rows her way to Head of the Charles

By Trianna Downing Staff Reporter This year the Head of the Charles will be celebrating its 50th annual rowing regatta in Boston, Mass. Over ten thousand men and women from around the world will compete as representatives of their clubs and schools. One of these ten thousand is HHS’s own Lola Heimlich, junior.

On Oct. 18, Heimlich will be participating in the race with eight other hand picked girls from Twins Cities Youth Rowing (TCYR) to race against Women’s Varsity teams from around the world.

“I’m still shocked,” Heimlich said. “I couldn’t believe it. It feels too good to be true, as if it isn’t happening at all. I could cry, but I haven’t. Surprisingly, I’m holding it together.”

The road to success has included enduring countless milelong runs, weeks of conditioning and a strict diet, to prepare Heimlich for the Charles. “[All of TCYR] went

through the same intense process, but it is only the eight of us girls that get to go.” Heimlich said. “It was hard to push myself unlike ever before, but it wasn’t hard to find motivation. This is something I’ve really wanted to do.”

Varsity coach Rebecca Newman notes hard work and determination as two of Heimlich's strengths, but she has proved herself in all facets of the sport.

“She earned it,” Newman said. “Based on her races and stats, attendance, work ethic, and other qualities, I knew she’d be a good member of the team.

She’s engaged one hundred percent, both on and off the water.

She puts in all her effort and knows the commitment and the responsibilities of rowing.”

Rowing isn’t the only responsibility Heimlich is driven towards. She is also a dedicated student and hopes that rowing will help find scholarships for college.

“I hope this puts me through college, honestly. I’m not sure where I want to go, but I know

I want to go somewhere with a successful rowing team.” Heimlich said. “It isn’t a deal breaker, but it is one of the more important wants on my college list.”

Luckily for Heimlich, some of the top schools in the nation offer the highest ranked rowing teams. According to recent statistics from the National

Collegiate Athletic Association, Ohio State University is listed as number one for rowing in the nation, Stanford University is listed as number two, and Brown University as number three.

Heimlich manages the responsibilities of school, her future, rowing, and much more,

Lola Heimlich, left, junior, and her teamate rowing at Twin Cities Sweeps Regatta. Heimlich will compete at the Head of the Charles on Oct. 18 in Boston, Mass.

Photo provided by Lola Heimlich

Summer prep shows for cross country

By Nick Mandler Staff Reporter

Led by Joe Klecker, senior, the boys cross country team has placed first in their first three meets for a strong start to their season.

The team as a whole has some very large goals for the

season. Both Klecker and Owen Hoeft, junior, believe they have the potential to win state, and head coach Mr. Mike Harris also has high hopes for the team.

“We would like to contend for a top two seed at the section meet and advance the team or many individuals to the fall cross

From left to right; Owen Hoeft, junior, Seth Eliason, sophomore, and Joe Klecker, senior, running at the Bauman Rovn Meet. The boys cross country team has won three meets so far this season.

country state meet. We also wish to make running a lifelong activity for all team members in grades seven through 12,” Harris said. “Individually we want positive development and progress for each athlete, but it has to be fun and worth the time spent in preparation for races.

We train to race and we want greatness from each athlete with a desire to do more than the year before.”

Hoeft estimates they ran about 600 miles together over the summer.

On top of of those 600 miles, the team went to Wyoming for training. The team trained with other cross country teams in the high altitudes of Wyoming.

Running in high altitudes is another thing this team has done to set them apart from the pack and make them even better.

Klecker believes this year’s team is different from past years.

Hoeft also agrees with Klecker

and says the work ethic of the team is very strong and firm, and the team does not need any outside influence to work hard.

“First we are just a lot faster, and our work ethic is better.

We have morning practices a couple times a week. In the past they have been optional and not many people have gone but this year the whole team has really come together and started working out twice a day,” Klecker said.

Harris believes the off season work has definitely helped this team, and they are one of the best teams to ever run at Hopkins.

“The 2014 boys team will rank as one of the best teams that has competed at HHS. The boys are currently ranked fourth in Minn. midway through the season. They are excited to take on and compete with the top ranked teams in the second half of the season,” Harris said.

Photos by Isabel Hall

GO FIGURE 5

Shut-outs by boys soccer

1999

Last time the football team beat Wayzata until 9/26

2

16

Volleyball team’s rank in the lake conference as of 10/1

Miles in a boys JV mountain biking race infographic by Isabella Weisman and Ben Segelbaum

as witnessed by her mother, Ms. Jennifer Heimlich, Social Studies.

“She works one hundred percent all the time with school and with rowing. She’s an all or nothing girl,” Ms. Heimlich said.

Ms. Heimlich says she’s seen rowing improve Lola’s everyday

skills. What Lola learns on the water is helping her with friendships and being comfortable with depending on others.

“Other than her physical strength, she has gained a real strength of determination and perseverance. She’s learned a lot of team building skills learning to help others and allow others to help her. She’s made really deep friendships with boys and girls.” Ms. Heimlich said. “I never thought this would happen with her, judging from what I had seen on her other sporting teams.”

Despite having a guaranteed spot in the Head of the Charles, Heimlich says she is not allowing herself to relax. In fact, she believes she needs to work even harder if she wants to win.

“Because I have worked really hard to get to the point where I’m at, it should be a breath of relief, and I shouldn’t be as worried as I once was.” Heimlich said. “But now I have to work even harder. I need to live up to the reputation of my team and of myself.”

St. Clair semifinalist for Aspire athlete

By Lauren Goodman Staff Reporter

With the HHS girl’s soccer team on a winning streak, it seems only fitting that one of their own, Rachael St. Clair, senior captain, has become a semifinalist for the Aspire Athlete Award.

The award is given to athletes excelling in athletics, academics, community involvement, and upstanding character and leadership qualities.

The coach of the team gives the award, and it is possible to nominate one player every week.

“It’s definitely an honor anytime you’re nominated for something like that. I think it’s cool that they recognize players who have been working hard,” St. Clair said.

Olivia Geiwitz, senior captain, knows St. Clair better than most and is supportive and happy for her becoming a semifinalist.

“Rachael and I have been friends for a while, and we have played soccer for five or six years together," Geiwitz said. “I think it’s great that she got nominated out of all the people. Just being recognized is an achievement by itself. She deserves the award because she always puts her best effort out and never gives up.

She’s just a good role model to look up to.”

St. Clair feels that it is the work of the whole team that is making them so successful this season.

“Our team is really good this year, and our entire team has been playing really well together. I think it just helps to have people up front who can score.

Ashley Akin and I have been helping with that, and our midfielders have been contributing a lot. I think it’s been the hard work of the team that helped me get that [award],” said St. Clair.

SPOTLIGHT ATHLETE TENNIS Pregame Routine : I always eat a protein bar and Goldfish. On away games I listen to music and take pre-match naps.

Favorite Professional Athlete: Rafael Nadal

JESSICA CROUSER, 12

Rachael St. Clair, senior, high-fiving her teamates before the start of a game. St. Clair was named a semifinalist for the Aspire Athlete award.

Photo provided by Jarrin Williams

RPWednesday, October 8, 2014

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12 backpage Right: The student section is filled to the brim during the homecoming game on Sept. 19, 2014. Seniors wore purple, juniors wore green, and sophomores wore orange.

“The student section was really live and electric that night, especially compared to other football games,” said Josh Laven, senior. “Everybody was excited to be there and watch our rival Skippers go down. If there was one game we were going to win, it was going to be homecoming.”

SUNK.

Royals sail away with 28-19 homecoming victory over the Skippers after 35-0 loss last season. As Harry Momoh, senior captain, said after winning the captain’s miniature bike race during the Homecoming Pepfest on Sept. 19, “We can’t lose, baby!”

Right: Jacob Moore, senior and number 84, kneels under the Friday night lights of the Sept.

19, 2014 homecoming football game.

“It’s a memory I will never forget, and it started our tradition of doing the hokeypokey after every win,” Moore said. “We’re creating a winning tradition for football, and it started that night.”

Top: Andy Aune, junior and number 17, celebrates with Sam Szuba, junior and number 54. Both Aune and Szuba are defensive players for the Royals.

Bottom: James Lange, defensive backs coach, appreciates his players’ winning effort. Defensive back Mannie Kugmeh, junior, intercepted a Skippers pass in the last minutes to clinch the Royals win.

Photos by Claire Benton

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