The Royal Page February Issue 2014

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ROYAL

THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONNECTION

Thursday, February 27, 2014 Volume 32 Issue 6

Tattoos leave a mark on HHS

By Kelsi Johnson Staff Reporter

Photo illustration by Maddie Malat

Once it’s there, it’s there forever.

“Tattoos are the new piercings here. Everybody used to want their nose pierced or their cartilage pierced, but now they want tattoos,” said Jamyria Olson, senior.

Recently, students have noticed an increase in tattoo culture at HHS. Students, including Gretchen Muus, Talia Johnson, and May Weiss, seniors, have not let the Minnesota legal age of 18 stop them from getting tattoos.

“I was visiting my sister in college, there was a tattoo parlor down the street, and we look alike so I could use her ID,” Muus said.

For Muus, getting a tattoo was something planned for only a few months. Muus’ tattoo says ‘Stay Gold.’

“I love my tattoo because it is unique. It has a special story attached to it, and everytime I look down at it I smile. I’m glad I got it when I was 16. I would never have gotten that impulsive

little tattoo as an 18 year old, but that just makes it all the more special because it reminds me of the carelessness and excitement of being young.

Which, coincidentally, is the central theme and context of ‘Stay Gold’,” Muus said.

Like Muus, Weiss and Johnson got their first tattoos without parental consent.

“I felt bad because I went behind my parents back to get it, and it’s never going to wash off,” Weiss said.

The motivation behind getting a tattoo is different for everyone.

For Weiss, her tattoo was a source of inspiration.

“I got an anchor because I thought it looked cool,” Weiss said.

“It reminds me to always keep going and to never let anything bring me down.”

Johnson was motivated to get a tattoo because of her religious beliefs.

“I have angel wings, which represent me overcoming some of the hardest struggles in my life, like I have a guardTattoos cont. on page 5

C-Spread, pg. 6-7 The environmental movement at HHS is growing. Students share their experiences with environmental organizing, political advocacy, and civil disobediance .

www.hopkinsrp.org

Free, reduced lunch levels playing field

By Brit Stein News Editor Nearly one out of three students at HHS receives free or reduced lunch, according to the Minnesota Department of Education, . For those students, free and reduced lunch is an opportunity to consume equal nutritional value.

“The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) levels the playing field for kids.

It gives all students an opportunity to access healthy food, despite their living condition,” said Barb Mechura, director of Student Nutrition Services.

The information about who receives free and reduced lunch is confidential, so students and administrators do not have access to it.

“I moved here from another country when I was in elementary school, and I was on the reduced lunch program through sixth grade. It was really nice in

helping out my family financially, but I was uncomfortable for people to know,” said a student who wished to remain anonymous and will be identified as Smith.

565 students receive free or reduced lunch at HHS. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch at HHS more than doubles the percentage of every other school in the Lake Conference.

“When you’re living in poverty, you are under a lot of stress.

One of the main concerns is how you will eat. When students come from families who worry about that, it becomes more difficult to obtain healthy foods,” Mechura said.

Thus, the federal government created the NSLP to provide support for families living under the median income line. According to the National Free and reduced lunch cont. on page 3

*This graph is a visual representation to display the proportion of students receiving free and reduced lunch at each school in the conference, as well as the statewide percentage. This does not represent parts of a single whole.

Infographic by Maddie Malat

Art teachers in favor of a transition from STEM to STEAM

By Joe Greene Front Page/News Editor With national attention on STEM education - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - the importance of art education has taken a back seat. Ms.Terry Chamberlin and Ms. Randi Rood, Art, are advocating for a shift from STEM to STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.

STEAM is a national movement based in La Jolla, CA. Its founders see a direct correlation between arts education, creativity, and innovation. They see innovation as necessary to create new industries in the future.

STEAM’s mission is “to have business leaders, arts professionals, educators and others work together to return arts to the national curriculum.”

Chamberlin has witnessed the importance of art fluctuat-

Students involved in Cantanti Five choir students take part in elite youth choir

Feature, pg. 9

ing through the years among parents and the educational system in general. According to Chamberlin, HHS administrators understand the importance of art for students and provide excellent facilities. However, the budget does not account for other expenses, such as the cost of metal and gas electricity for kilns. As a result, the school has had to charge art fees to students.

Most concerning to Cham-

berlin and Rood is the recent drop in enrollment in art classes.

Chamberlin believes that one reason for the drop could be an increase in required classes that students need in order to graduate. Another reason might be the drastic cuts in the art program at the junior high schools, causing incoming HHS students to have less incentive to take art in high school. The reason might also be parental pressure.

“It’s sad to see talented kids in art not continue to take classes when they’re so good at it.

They’ll tell me, ‘I just don’t have any room in my schedule.’ They are feeling pressure to use their elective space for languages and AP classes. A lot of that is parent driven,” said Chamberlin.

An advocate for STEAM education, Chamberlin sees art as taking all the other disciplines in school and integrating them.

“Creating art involves mathematics, several areas of science, physical learning with building things, as well as learning about different cultures of the world in the process. In addition to that, art takes soul. It’s an expression of being a living being,” Chamberlin said.

Rood also believes that without art, a whole dimension of education is lost.

STEM to STEAM cont. on page 2

Content on hopkinsrp.org

Kugmeh prepares for army

Video coverage of all hearto-gram groups performing on Valentine’s Day

Isaiah Kugmeh, junior, gears up for army in the weight Sports room

pg. 11

RPThursday, February 27, 2014

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Cell phones in class: a new tool?

By Claire Benton Staff Reporter When Mr. Jacques Youakim, mathematics, asked his fourth block AP Statistics students to raise their hands if they had ever used their smartphone during class, the majority of hands shot into the air.

“I expect phones to be off during a lesson, when I’m teaching to the class, or during exams. I will allow my students to have them out during work time if they need to log onto my Moodle. It’s okay to use them in class if it’s school related,” Youakim said.

Youakim allows students to access their smartphones during work time to benefit their learning. Online, students can watch lectures again and get practice activities.

According to the HHS Student Handbook: “All electronic devices, including cell phones, iPods, MP3 players, headphones and other devices capable of transmitting data or

images shall be turned off and kept out of sight during class time unless use is designated by the classroom teacher.”

Teachers have taken this policy into their own hands, with different policies from class to class.

Mr. John Unruh-Friesen, social studies and Technology Integration Specialist, also chooses to permit cell phone use to benefit his classes.

“My focus is on making sure that students are using [phones] at appropriate times, in appropriate ways, for appropriate situations. I like to find positive uses for the tool,” Unruh-Friesen said. “It provides immediacy.”

Unruh-Friesen notes that with technology, there is an “addictive quality.” He noticed a current phenomenon of students with phones “hidden” next to their laps, playing Flappy Bird while he is teaching.

“A lot of the time, one of the places I like phones to be

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BRIEFS

Orchestra worked with local musicians The HHS Orchestra collaborated with a singer/ songwriter musical duo for the Orchestra Spotlight Concert.

Bethany Valenti and Jenny Kapernick, known together as The Ericksons, worked with the Orchestra program since January. The two sisters performed in concert alongside the Orchestra students for a few songs.

Every year, the Orchestra works with local musicians on arrangements and performs the Spotlight Concert with them. Students performed multiple pieces arranged by Cody Bursh, former HHS student.

The Orchestra Spotlight concert took place in the HHS auditorium on Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Students go to school on Presidents’ Day On Monday, Feb. 17, HHS students came to school for the first time on Presidents’ Day. In school, the time set aside for advisory and TASC was used for first block classes to learn about presidents. Because Monday specifically was on Presidents’ day, school administration made it mandatory for teachers to teach about the presidents.

Due to the five days of school that were cancelled for extremely low temperatures, HHS made up for lost time by scheduling school on days that were originally given off. Also, two days that were scheduled as days off for conferences are now early releases.

Online registration extended On Feb. 10, students attending HHS in the 201415 school year registered for classes. The deadline was extended from Feb. 7 due to the power outage and early release.

After being given the coursebook in advisory, HHS students registered online through Infinite Campus by searching classes and enrolling.

1,654 students are enrolled for next school year.

The class of 2015 registered for high school courses one last time, fulfilling the amount of credits required for graduation.

Registration is now closed online. Students with questions or concerns about the 2014-15 school year are directed towards their assigned counselors.

Schedules will be available to students the second to last week in August.

Briefs by Ingrid Werner

is right up on their desks,” Unruh-Friesen said.

But not all teachers are as lenient on cell phone policy.

Ms. Jane Kleinman, Ms. Marit Lee-Dohse, and Ms. Kirsten Slinde, health, are known for keeping a ‘cellphone jail’ for phones misused in class.

Mr. Douglas Dart, language arts, joked with his Advisory about the running competition between several English teachers over who can “bag & tag” the most phones.

Both Ms. Jennifer Heimlich and Ms. Maggie Temple, social studies, have never owned a cell phone.

“I don’t need one,” Heimlich said. “They have led people to be distracted. I used to see people reading books in the airport. Now I see them on their phones.”

Heimlich does not tolerate phones in class, and she communicates this clearly to her students.

“I tell them that I hate

them, that I’ve never had one.

If they have them out, I’ll take them,” Heimlich said.

Taylor Beckenbach, senior, is president of the club Keep the Drive, whose mission is to prevent accidents and save lives by informing students on the dangers of texting and driving.

Beckenbach said that using a phone during class against the teacher’s instructions is okay, but only if it does not take away from other student’s learning. Using a phone as a distraction, she said, is that person’s own choice. She equated this to using a phone while driving.

“If you’re on a road, and it’s just you out there, you’re only endangering yourself,” Beckenbach said.

Beckenbach admitted she has used her phone in class for reasons not class-related.

“Definitely I have used my phone in class, and I shouldn’t,” Beckenbach said. “It’s more of almost a nervous habit. People

find security in their phones.

When they’re bored, they’ll check it.”

Youakim also has used his cell phone during class in the past, although not for surfing social media or hitting up a friend.

Youakim said that the vast majority of students returned the respect he gave them in permitting the use of phones.

“I think, in general, most people want to be treated as responsible and respected human beings,” Youakim said.

More teachers are beginning to allow smartphones in class as constructive learning tools. Some students use their smartphones to access Moodle, where they can watch videos and take quizzes.

Photo by Roxanne Krietzman

Movement from STEM to STEAM STEM TO STEAM Continued from page 1 “Art makes more use of different learning capabilities than other subjects. It’s nonlinear, abstract and holistic.

It’s a whole different way of experiencing thought and learning. When you create something, it connects one’s inner world with their outer world. To me that’s spiritual,” Rood said.

Chamberlin is convinced that art education has a direct and practical impact on the job market, citing the way technology and art go together.

“In careers like animation, graphic design, and architecture. You need to be able to draw and put object in threedimensional figures. Kids are becoming disconnected from our three-dimensional world,” Chamberlin said.

Furthermore, Rood sees art education as fostering creative thinking, what she sees as a necessary asset in today’s job market.

“As technology has become so much more influential in recent years, it has become that much more important to be a creative thinker in the job force. I think Steve Jobs is a great example of applying creativity to the workforce,” Rood said.

Zack Erickson-Grabowski, senior, has integrated his skills gained from art class into his other classes.

“We use that creativity in all types of other disciplines, like science. If I wanted to design a robot, I would still need the skills I gained from drawing and painting design,” Grabowski said.

But Grabowski sees art as giving an added bonus.

“It calms you down and

makes you feel more relaxed and free. You don’t feel time pressure and stress. In Drawing and Painting 1, we did Still Art. It helped me focus in an art setting and in life in general,” Grabowski said.

“I learned how passionate I can be,” said Paul Thomas, senior. “ I can do it for hours, even outside of school. Art can give me a sense of calmness, particularly if I’m stressed out.”

For Nancy Xhunga, senior, Jewelry-making was a pivotal experience, both in creation and self-discovery.

“It challenged and exposed me to things I otherwise would never have been exposed to.

Ms. Chamberlin really helped me bring out my creative side.

I was amazed by how I could combine such unique, raw materials to make something beautiful,” Xhunga said.

As a final project, Xhunga created a silver ring, which she

wears as a reminder of her experience in the class.

“I’ll never forget when we judged each other’s rings and everyone had such positive and heartwarming things to say about my work,” Xhunga said.

Rood believes that parent involvement would be key to increased enrollment, and that begins with parents seeing the impact that art education can have on their child’s success.

Rood tells a story of a student that she taught in AP Drawing.

“It was very clear that she was going to business school.

She applied for a very selective scholarship to Carleton, and she got it. The University of Minnesota mentioned the girl’s art portfolio as the reason she got the scholarship,” Rood said. “That’s a real testament to what art can do for you and the impression it can leave on others.”

Junior highs switch back to alternating schedule

By Addie Lennon Staff Reporter Since 2011, both Hopkins junior highs have been operating on an alternating term schedule that many current HHS students have experienced. At the beginning of the 2014-15 school year, however, this scheduling will change.

Mr. Paul Winslow, Spanish, currently teaches at WJH and explains the benefits of the shift that will be occurring next year.

“Having classes consistently all year will be a good thing.

There are pros and cons with all schedules, but having it all year will build continuity. It allows for better student-teacher

relationships,” Winslow said.

The scheduling shift is occurring alongside the gradual adjustment into the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Students in IB are required to study individuals and societies, design, math, fine arts, science, health, literature and a foreign language. The classes will alternate every other day throughout the year to keep students connected to the various subject areas.

Mr. Kevin Kos teaches language arts at WJH and sees different benefits to an alternating day schedule.

“Alternating day helps to keep momentum up, and I think we’re able to cover

more material in class. The downside is the amount of material a student can miss. If someone misses one class before a weekend, they miss five days,” Kos said.

Hopkins junior highs previously used the alternate day scheduling similar to the one that will be in place next year.

Preston Dull, sophomore, experienced alternate day scheduling as a 7th grader and alternate quarter scheduling in 8th and 9th grade.

“I’d probably prefer every other day because you don’t forget stuff, and with alternating quarter you do. Math and english are especially difficult to take a break from,” Dull said.

IB combines all core classes to allow students to make connections among different classes, rather than isolating them.

“All subject areas relate in some way. [IB] will help kids to use their brains in a slightly different way,” Kos said.

Although Hopkins is only using the Middle Year program, the IB offers five different programs at age levels from 3 to 19.

St. Louis Park middle school recently implemented the IB program, and there are 20 other schools in the area that offer it as well. Slightly more than half of all IB schools are located in Minnesota.

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RP Thursday, February 27, 2014

Student talent displayed in POPS

Despite obstacles, band students still performed in the 42nd annual POPS

By Cybill Biehlmann Staff Reporter Band students in the 2014 Movies and POPScorn concert had to overcome more obstacles than years prior.

Nevertheless, they put on a memorable show.

All extracurricular activities were affected by the cancellations of school days, including the band program.

Cutting that time short put up a major hurdle for the performers.

Due to missing school days, some ensemble performers were not as prepared as they had intended to be, and

Mr. William Bell, Band Director, was forced to make a difficult decision. Since practice was cut short, Bell decided that the juniors of Wind Symphony would not participate in MacArthur Park, allowing only seniors from Wind Symphony and all of Symphonic Band to perform.

“MacArthur Park has become a tradition. It’s just the big emotional ending. I wanted all the seniors to have the opportunity to participate in the song,” Bell said.

MacArthur Park is a song played by all junior and senior band students since the first ever POPS.

Bell’s decision to remove some of the juniors from MacArthur Park was not the only decision the band program had to make this year at POPS. The senior men’s dance also faced obstacles this POPS concert.

The comedic dance performance put on by the senior men had a new set of rules, restricting the dancing. Nick Leeke, senior, helped choreograph this year’s dance performance, keeping in mind the new regulations.

“The restrictions are a result of the 2012 senior men.

They were, according to several parents, too vulgar in the

way they danced. I believe the restrictions were made for a good reason. It is a band concert after all,” Leeke said.

Although there were many restrictions on the senior dance this year, the senior band students were able to make it work and choreograph a creative dance for the new show.

“I thought it went super well. It was hard at first, but it was really fun and everyone was happy with it,” said Meg Jenny, senior.

Above: Justin Tran, senior, accompanies on the guitar as Kelvin Li, senior, sings “Follow You Down the Red Oak Tree” by James Vincent McMorrow.

Left: Peter Mahin, senior, and Shane Van Hoven, junior, bang on the drums in their own version of “Too Cool to Stool”

by Blast!

Right: Anna Lundin, senior, and Jeannine Erickson, junior, perform “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles.

Photos by Maddie Malat

Free, reduced lunch levels playing field FREE AND REDUCED Continued from page 1 Center for Education Statistics School Nutrition Association, the NSLP provides funding for free and reduced lunch to over 29 million children.

“The program makes sure that there is no situation where [a student] doesn’t have food,” Smith said.

The meals provided by schools through the NSLP must be consistent with dietary guidelines. The lunches provided at HHS contain no more than 30 percent of the recommended calories from fat and less than 10 percent from saturated fat.

Mechura explained that Hopkins’ lunches focus on a plant based diet that has a good source of whole grain and protein.

“If a family has enough money to go to Whole Foods, for example, and buy pesticide-free vegetables or all natural whole grains, continuing to have that at school as well is great. But, to come from a family that can't always afford to live like that, then the free lunch program becomes

that much more important to them,” Mechura said.

Thus, the NSLP ensures that students receive a high nutritional intake at school, even if they don’t have access to that at home. However, despite the high nutritional value, some students express concern that the amount of food is inadequate.

“I think that the school has good [lunch] variety and nutrition but the portions aren’t enough. I know that there are a lot of students in this school who receive free lunch, and I worry that if they don’t get enough at school and enough at home, they’ll be hungry,” said Graham Hutson, junior.

Portion sizes are a common complaint amongst students.

However, what students may not know is that the federal government regulates portion sizes, not the school. With this in mind, HHS has taken measures to ensure that students have enough food.

“There’s always a basket of free fruit [in the lunchroom] that any student is able to take from for lunch if they are still hungry, or they can grab a snack for later,” Mechura said.

When school is not in session, HHS works alongside the ICA food shelf to figure out how to give families and students access to food over the weekends and winter break.

“The ICA food shelf is a great resource for students in the community in need of assistance,” Mechura said.

With over 30 percent of HHS students relying on the school as the source for their meals, making the decision to close school is difficult.

“How students will eat breakfast and lunch is always a part of the conversation. We always take into account student nutrition,” said Ms. Patty Johnson, principal.

This school year, HHS and the Hopkins District have focused on providing additional fresh produce and whole grains to students.

“When I was on the reduced lunch program, I always felt that the school provided nutritious meals for me. I felt just like every other kid,” Smith said.

Currently, the Hopkins School District uses approximately two-thirds of its entitlement money to purchase

fresh produce. Since the beginning of the school year, and up until winter break, 36,000 pounds of locally grown food was served in the lunchroom.

“We’ve been really conscious of what we sell to students. We want it to be healthier options, especially if they might not have those at home,” Mechura said.

The federal government and the state of Minnesota subsidize the Hopkins School

District, allowing approximately $3.35 per meal for lunch. However, this figure includes paying for the cost of the lunch staff, fixed costs, food, and everything else.

The school plans lunches with a tight budget.

“Pennies really matter to us in this industry,” Mechura said. “If we can find the same product and quality for 28 cents instead of 29, we will serve that. Saving a penny on

400,000 meals is a lot of money. That one penny adds up.”

Smith also sees the importance of every penny.

“It frustrates me when I see students throwing away food.

There is a cost to that food and someone else might really need it,” Smith said.

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RPThursday, February 27, 2014

The college controversy Draft requirements: guys only?

By Christiaan van Lierop Staff Reporter

The staff editorial represents the viewpoint of the Royal Page.

Nearly half of the students at HHS will be required by law to register for the draft once they turn 18.

This registration is done through Selective Service, and once registered, a person will only be drafted into the military during a crisis.

It has been 41 years since a U.S. citizen was drafted into the military.

The fact that our country still requires 18-year-olds to register takes some people by surprise. Even more astounding, though, is the sexist nature of the requirement.

The Selective Service government website states, “If you are a man ages 18 through 25 and living in the U.S., then you must register with Selective Service. It’s the law. According to law, a man must register with Selective Service within 30 days of his 18th birthday.”

There is no reason why only males should be required to register.

Women have been excluded from registering because they have not been allowed to engage in combat. That changed last year

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when U.S. military leaders lifted the ban on women in combat. Former Pentagon Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at a press conference, “One of my priorities as Secretary of Defense has been to remove as many barriers as possible for talented and qualified people to be able to serve this country in uniform.”

Common sense tells us that if the military wants to have a large qualified pool of potential combatants, and they want that pool to include women, then women should be required to register as well as men.

Transgender individuals are being treated arbitrarily.

“Individuals who are born female and have a sex change are not required to register.

U.S. citizens or immigrants who are born male and have a sex change are still required to register,” according to the Selective Service website.

Men who fail to register are ineligible for financial aid or ever getting a federal job. Failure to register is a felony, punishable by up to five years in jail and/or a fine of $250,000.

This law is underpublicized; men hear of the requirement from older friends or relatives, when they apply for financial aid or if they happen to find themselves in a post

office reading the posters. Not many young men spend time in a post office.

There are several routes that can be taken with this law. It could be abolished altogether. Or both males and females could be required to register and it should be publicized better.

In April of 2013, the National Coalition for Men filed a case in California to get this law changed. It has not yet gone to court.

Perhaps men are not the only ones who should be working to get this law changed.

Throughout our country’s history, women have been motivated to fight for equality when it has benefited them. Fighting for the right to mandatory draft registration would not be like fighting for equal pay or access to college; there would be no tangible benefit for women. It would be fighting purely for the sake of equality.

There is no good reason this law has not been changed, only that it has not been fought. If women truly want to see equality, not just in cases where they are benefited, this fight should be waged.

Most addicting things at HHS

The elevator Chicken wild rice soup Answer keys That one sophomore girl Royal Page Top 10 ;) Chicken tenders Flappy Bird Yoga pants

DeAndre’s sweet moves

Deeply Royal

Like many HHS seniors, I will be moving on to college in the fall. My decision on where to go was not one I took lightly.

Often times, students make their decision based on their parents or their friends. I am not saying this is wrong, but it is, afterall, your education.

Many other times students apply to the schools that are the best for their major or area of study. They often don’t really consider their personality and what schools are going to fit them the best.

Parents also have a big say as to which colleges students apply to, as well as the finances and what the student and family can afford.

Obviously the most important factor in deciding where to go to school is the academics. However, there are two other major factors that must also be considered.

One of these factors is sizehow big of a school you want.

I will be attending The University of Minnesota Twin Cities next year, and I

have really thought about and look forward to enjoying the benefits of a large school with many opportunities.

Many seniors get focused on smaller schools because they’re intimidated and don’t think about the benefits of going to a larger school. However, they are missing out on the expansive possibilities of a larger community and school.

At a school like the University of Minnesota, there are many more majors to choose from, professors to learn from, and clubs to join. Not to mention the possibilities of networks and connections through a variety of fraternities and sororities and the larger student population.

Nick Leeke, senior, who will be attending Carleton College in fall, appreciates the quaintness of a small liberal arts school.

“I loved how they look at an applicant as a whole during the application process,” Leeke said.

This was one thing he got out of the interview - a sense of interest in him as a person.

Going to a smaller school does present appeals in that each student gets more atten-

tion from professors and the chance to work closer with them due to smaller class sizes.

The second main factor in colleges is the location and how far away they are from MN. The decision of where you attend college is not only where you go to school, but also where you are going to live for at least four years of your life. Students should really take time to consider what part of the country they are going to and the benefits of going far away for school.

For me, it is intimidating to think about going to college in another part of the country without any connections in the area, and I think that is part of the reason there are so many HHS seniors go to school in the Midwest.

Also, many people don’t get the chance to visit schools across the country and they don’t feel as comfortable deciding without going to visit the campus.

This being said, students should really take time to consider where they are attending school and the benefits of going there.

Studies show nicotine almost as addictive as Flappy Bird app

By Jacob Moore Staff Reporter My name is Jacob Moore, and I was addicted to Flappy Bird.

I discovered this new game on Twitter, when my news feed was full of only Flappy Bird tweets. Everyone was tweeting their scores, so I was curious to see what score I could get.

Since that day, my relationship with Flappy Bird has spun out of control.

After only two weeks of play, I was diagnosed with a severe case of FBA (Flappy Bird Addiction).

I knew my FBA was out of control when I started valuing Flappy Bird over school and sports. Some people choose the life of a student-athlete; I chose the life of a student-applete.

In a cry for help, I visited a Flappy Bird rehab facility in downtown Minneapolis. The doctor at this facility showed me a way out of my addiction with Flappy Bird, something I did not see as possible.

He gave me the idea of playing multiple apps, and not hyperfocusing on any one. This seemingly foolproof plan allowed me to not only ignore what the world had to offer because of Flappy Bird, but other games such as Clash of Clans and Candy Crush.

This new schedule maximized my success in life. It allowed me to spend enough time to achieve a score better than any of my friends in Flap-

Jacob Moore was addicted to Flappy Bird. Flappy Bird Anonymous is a rehab for people like him.

Photo by Roxy Krietzman

py Bird, while maximizing the size and efficiency of my clan, and beating 14 levels daily in Candy Crush.

I mean, I had to ignore the AP Calc lecture so I could increase my Flappy Bird score by two, and I guess I didn’t talk to anyone at lunch because I was playing Clash of Clans, but it’s worth it, right?

As a changed man, I have come to realize it is not worth it. Think about how much time you invest into an app that will truly have no affect on your life in the long run.

The use of phones in moderation can be effective, but the excessive use is taking Ameri-

cans away from the great experiences available in the real world.

According to CNN.com, iOS and Android users are on their phones for an average of two and a half hours a day, and nearly a third of that time is spent on pointless games such as Flappy Bird.

So next time around, when your Twitter news feed blows up about a game such as Flappy Bird, don’t succumb to the activities of the masses. Rather, be present and listen to your AP calc lecture; it will get you a lot further than gaining a score of 42 in Flappy Bird.

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RPThursday, Febuary 27, 2014

Time for yearly One Act plays

By Samantha Ostenso Staff Reporter

There were four different One Acts this year, all realating to the theme of time. They range in topics from running out of time, to takeing a test, to treasuring the time a person has left.

One Acts are unlike any normal play. Actors have a lot less time to say what they need to say.

Typically, plays consist of several acts that tell a story over a number of hours. One Act plays are only one act long. This limitation pushes the actors creatively.

Asher Weisberg, sophomore, who participated in two of the One Acts, enjoys the time constraints that this type of play puts on an actor.

“In a One Act, you have to keep it very simple and concise, unlike a normal play which has exaggerated storylines,” Weisberg said.

Isabella Javidan, Dolan Cassidy, and Sally Bremer, seniors, decided to take on the

heavy task of directing the winter One Acts.

Javidan and Cassidy are co-directing one of the shows.

This is their first year directing.

“I wanted to direct because it gave me a different perspective , it was fun to see theater in a new way and I can bring that viewpoint into any shows I would do in the future,” Cassidy said.

Unlike Cassidy, Bremer is trying out acting as a future career.

“It’s been something I’ve been thinking about for a career path, and in the past I never had the chance to direct anything, so when I saw this come up I jumped at the opportunity,” Bremer said.

This year, the theme of the One Acts was time.

“I think this year’s theme

is very interesting because you wouldn’t normally have time as a theme.

Usually one acts are centered around death or loss, so its cool that our directors thought outside of the box for this years theme,” Weisberg said.

Although they are getting praise for their unusual idea, the directors didn’t think of it on purpose.

“It was almost by accident how we came up with our theme of time, we all had one acts in mind that had something to do with time so we just went with that as our theme,” Javidan said.

This year there were four small one acts: Tainted Love, This is a Test, AML, and 6:15 on the 104. All of these shows deal with time in some way, and savoring time left.

Photos by Maddie Malat

Students band together

By Madeline Martodam Staff Reporter Setting aside homework and typical high school commitments until later, Francisco Gonzalez, junior, tunes up his guitar three days a week after school and on the weekends.

Gonzalez is a member of Quincy, a band where practice is a top priority.

Inspired by bands such as Rage Against the Machine, The Black Keys, The Beatles, and Green Day, Quincy incorporates rock, classical, and alternative rock into their music.

Quincy was formed in April 2012, and began with three ninth graders from WJH with the desire to perform.

Quincy made its first debut at a ninth grade talent show and recently participated in Earth Jam, a concert featuring many local bands.

Francisco Gonzalez, Drew Kist, and Jack Martin, juniors, first practiced music by covering songs as well as writing their own. After attending a few of the band’s practices, close friend, Charlie Butwinick, junior, joined the band as well.

“It’s cool to be able to do something that you really like and have other people give you good feedback,” Butwinick said.

“I do it for Francisco and Charlie, because they are super passionate about it and that drives me to do better at playing the drums and practicing more,” Kist said.

The band members have come to the realization there are not many independent musical groups at HHS anymore. However, Doomtree, a band created by six former students from HHS following their high school career,

has taken off and is known as an indie hip hop collective from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“I feel like the more musically inclined people are seniors. There aren’t really a whole lot of musical collectives in the junior grade,” Butwinick said.

Although forming a band has not been extremely popular among other students in their grade, growing up in the Hopkins School District has helped develop the Quincy band members’ passion for music starting at an early age.

“Hopkins is a great community as there is a supportive crowd for music and musical programs,” Gonzalez said.

As the band prepares for their next concert, Buckfest 2014, they have said their mission is to attract all groups. It is a free concert that will take place on Saturday, March 8, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Depot Coffee House. HHS artists the Goofy Boys, Asher Weisberg, Dakota Schlaeger x Eli Cannons, and Denim Matriarch will be performing as well.

Gonzalez is a founding member of Quincy.

Photo provided by Kaylee Grunseth

Caught in the ‘trap’

By Lily Goldfarb Variety Editor In a time when new technologies are rapidly improving, music has not been immune to growth.

Many have been captured by a newer subgenre of Electronic Dance Music called trap. The term ‘trap’ references a place where drug deals would occur.

Because of this culture, popular trap music usually incorporates lyrics that reference dealing drugs, and the struggles that come along with that lifestyle.

Dakota Schlaeger, junior, has been producing trap music for five months.

“I think it’s both a culture and a hobby. The culture is more for the people who listen to it, and the hobby is more for the people who make it,” Schlaeger said.

Alex Goldberg, junior,

has also been producing trap music since last year. Trap music is created using a mix of electronic and hip hop. Producers can use sub-bass kick drums, layered synthesizers, and computer programs.

“I take samples from different kits and instruments, synthesizers, and I put it together,” Goldberg said.

According to the Ableton website, a basic package starts at $99 dollars, with more deluxe packages ranging up to $749. These packages include various amounts of different sounds and different effects.

Goldberg and Schlaeger use SoundCloud, a music sharing website, to showcase their songs.

Goldberg has about 50 steady followers on SoundCloud.

Schlaeger is a part of the GV Boys with Henry Tufford, sophomore.

“Our SoundCloud is all in Japanese because it’s cooler

and more unique. Uniqueness is important to trap music because or else its just basic,” Schlaeger said.

Some of the most mainstream trap hits are “H.A.M”

by Kanye West and “The Harlem Shake” by trap producer Baauer. Despite the popularity of these hits, Goldberg thinks that trap may be a passing fad.

“It’s not as underground as it used to be. It’s been getting more exposure recently. But it’s still pretty low key compared to other electronic sub genres that are out there. Like, dubstep is huge compared to trap. I think it already hit its peak to be honest,” Goldberg said.

Schlaeger, however, believes that trap music will be popular for the long haul.

“I think trap music is pretty big now, but I think it still has a long way to go, because you can do so much with it. It’s really diverse,” Schlaeger said.

Infographic by Kelsi Johnson Illustration by Maddie Malat

Tattoos leave a mark TATTOOS Continued from page 1 ian angel. Another is on my foot, and it says ‘Walk in His ways’ referring to God so that whenever I put on my shoes, I’m reminded that day to do my best and treat others the way I want to be treated. My last is a cross on my dominant hand so that whatever I do, I do it with good intentions,” Johnson said.

“I think teens will feel regret. When I found out Gretchen got a tattoo, I felt

deceived. I still feel deceived, but I’ve gotten used to it,” said Pam Muus, mother of Gretchen Muus.

Unlike Weiss, Johnson is more certain in her decision.

“I don’t regret them, even if I got them impulsively. My tattoos are my story. I want to be able to look back when I’m 80 and be like ‘woah’,” Johnson said.

Alex Luhring, hall para, got a tattoo when he was 18.

Now an adult, he still feels he made the right decision.

“The only thing I regret is

on my first tattoo, that I didn’t get it big enough,” Luhring said. Luhring has been tattooed four times, but only has three different tattoos.

Olson considered joining the National Guard like her older sister, but there is now a law that people cannot have a tattoo below the knee, which Olson has.

“You have to watch where you place them because if you get them in a certain area, you won’t be able to do certain things or go certain places with your life,” Olson said.

YEA!MN advocacy

The Environmental Connection This center-spread features student involvement in the environmental movement.

Several HHS students are passionate about environmental organizing, advocacy, education, and spreading awareness.

Lindbergh greenhouse The building will be small, no more than five feet by eight feet, and made out of local materials and natural insulation. It will have a durable “green roof ” to collect runoff from rain, and solar panels to provide it with energy and lighting. For Tessa Ruff and Sophia Showalter, seniors, it will be inspiring and beautiful.

As part of their independent study, Ruff and Showalter have created an alternative, environmentallyfriendly design for the toll booth in the Lindbergh Center parking lot.

“Because it’s such a small building, it’s not going to make a big difference on the environment but the purpose of it is that it’s a place where a lot of people will see it everyday,” Ruff said. “People will see it and be like, ‘Oh that’s so cool,’ or ‘Oh I’ve never thought of that,’ and then they will think about it and research it.

It’s a demonstration to the community of the different things they can do to their own homes.”

“We want to promote awareness on all levels. You can make little changes in all aspects of your life and how we live as a society and those aspects can be very beneficial,” Showalter said.

After receiving a grant from the Hopkins Education Foundation, Ruff and Showalter went to work researching environmental construction. They hired an architect to help design the building and make a cost estimate. They will then present the information to the Hopkins Education Foundation in hopes of receiving a second grant to begin construction.

“We want the building to be an educational tool.

There are the AP environmental classes and we hope

that Mr. Sammler could use this building as a physical, tangible example of the things that students learn about in class such as studying the solar panels or the green roof,” Showalter said.

Ruff and Showalter, who are also the leaders of Earth Club, are hoping to find juniors who can carry on the project into next year.

“I definitely want to keep going with environmental advocacy and I want to always, at the college level, do things like the Earth Club projects and campaigns. I don’t know if I want to do it as a life career, but I am definitely always going to be an environmentalist,” Ruff said.

“The nice thing about being an environmentalist is that it doesn’t have to be your job. What you need to be an environmentalist is to go to community hearings and show interest: show community representatives what you believe in and make a change from local level,” Showalter said.

Ruff and Showalter hope to start construction of the building by the end of the school year.

Tessa Ruff and Sophia Showalter, seniors, provided this sketch of their greenhouse.

Elayna Shapiro, senior, protests at Power Shift.

Shapiro attended this environmental conference this fall with YEA!MN. Photo provided by Elayna Shapiro

Simply learning about environmental issues is not enough for five HHS seniors. Lindsey Lande, Sophia Showalter, Elayna Shapiro, Tessa Ruff, and Aurelia Rosko, seniors, have become true advocates of the environment through Youth Environmental Activists of Minnesota (YEA!MN).

“We incorporate education with activism,” Rosko said. “We have these massive systemic problems in our society, and what we need to do is figure out how to downscale it and find where we can make small changes within the community.”

YEA!MN is a program through the Will Steger Foundation that supports a network of high school environmental clubs working together across the Twin Cities Metro. Their mission is to connect Twin Cities Metro youth to facilitate shared skills and strategies and take coordinated action on environmental sustainability.

“We relate thes can do in our comm times it’s hard to na or how it makes a d YEA!MN mee Will Steger Found cussions, and do ot environment.

“It’s a lot of com of the most impo from it as a high sch it. You get to know states, schools, orga who want to educa rection,” Rosko said YEA!MN also as how pollution d come areas and wh “We put in all done in one meetin ally need people to year to represent H Having membe bounce ideas off of members.

“We always hav discuss what we a earth clubs and sc good, supportive e get anywhere else.”

The HHS mem the fall, and have b skills they learned t “It’s hard not to ing facts of everyt has done for me is find a job in enviro

A push for divest On Jan. 11, the Presbyterian churches of the Twin Cities, the Presbytery, passed a resolution to ask their national organization to divest its funds from the fossil fuel industry. Cody Kirk, senior, played a crucial role in this decision.

Fossil Fuel Divestment is a movement that is spreading across the country. Colleges, cities, states, individuals, and religious institutions are removing their funds that are currently invested in the fossil fuel industry with the idea that it is wrong to profit off of nonrenewable sources of energy.

Kirk and another youth member of his church had three minutes to make a statement to the Presbytery. After that, there was a pro and a con microphone, and people from each side alternated speaking.

“It only lasted for about five minutes even though it was expected to be a long debate,” Kirk said. “There were some solid con points, but you could feel the emotion in the room change, and it went from a noish feel, to what ended up being a resounding yes.”

In addition to divestment, Kirk has gotten involved with a variety of environmental initiatives through his church, St. Luke’s Presbyterian.

“I gave a serm ‘Come Walk Wi what the entirety rising up and co youth and our vi said. “Afterward ovation for us, an ing down some o After his serm group discussion about climate ch church.

“We had ove watch Bill McKi all watched the v cussion afterward Recently, Kir tion against the hosted a civil diso “We had som they trained us on ticipate in civil di and practiced,” K there are differen civil disobedienc advocacy so you to be part of civil

se issues to our lives and what we munities. It’s so global and somearrow it down to what you can do difference,” Lande said. ets every other Monday at the dation. They have workshops, disther activities to advocate for the

mmunity organizing. I think one ortant things you can take away hool student is the networking of w a lot of people all over: different anizations, and also older people ate us and lead us in the right did. discusses many social issues, such disproportionately affects low inhite privilege. l this effort but things can’t get ng or even in just one year. We reget involved and to be there next Hopkins,” Lande said. ers of clubs from other schools to f has been beneficial to the HHS

ve a time during the meetings to are doing in our own individual chools,” Rosko said. “It’s a really environment that you can’t really ” mbers also attended PowerShift in been working to incorporate the there into their activism work. o get bogged down by the depressthing and something YEA!MN helped me to realize that you can onmental activism,” Rosko said.

14% In favor

18% Against

68% Haven’t heard of it

The Royal Page polled 100 HHS students during fourth block on Feb. 17, 2014 to ask if they are in favor of, against, or haven’t heard of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Arrested for a cause

Ethan Buckner, 2009 HHS graduate, was recently arrested for the third time. In an act of civil disobedience, he was protesting the Keystone XL pipeline.

“This is a massive project that would bring the most toxic and dangerous oil on earth through America’s heartland,” Buckner said.

“There’s a common idea that protesters who break the law are troublemakers. Sometimes, that can be true, but when done right, protesters committing civil disobedience do so to shed light on an injustice and show who the real troublemakers are.”

Buckner’s interest in environmental activism began during his junior year at HHS when he read ‘Field Notes from a Catastrophe: A Frontline Report on Climate Change’ in AP Language and Composition.

“Reading this book opened my eyes to the idea that the fossil fuel economy poses an existential threat to communities and the environment,” Buckner said. “During my senior year, a few friends and I brought dozens of new members to Earth Club in an organizing effort to bring wind power to HHS.” After graduating from high school, Buckner took a gap year and led a delegation of 18 people to the United Nations Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“That was my first experience with mass collective action and civil disobedience. As

young people, we knew that the decisions being made by these negotiators, most of whom were older than 50, would impact our generation most,” Buckner said.

During the conference, Buckner was involved in several actions including hijacking a climate denier summit and protesting with over 100,000 people.

After the Copenhagen summit, Buckner decided to focus on local organizing around climate change solutions. He co-founded the Summer of Solutions Oakland, a program that empowers young people to build sustainable communities.

“I was not content to wait around for politicians to take action on environmental and social justice issues. Summer of Solutions Oakland projects ranged from urban farming and launching community solar projects to organizing a free summer camp and building a youth nonviolence center,” Buckner said.

During Buckner’s time at Vassar College, he organized campaigns to ban bottled water, divest from the fossil fuel industry, and shut down a local incinerator. During his junior year, Buckner traveled to Cairo, Egypt to interview young revolutionaries and learn about social movement strategy.

After five days in Cairo, Buckner was detained by military officers and accused of espionage.

“10 terrifying hours later, I was released and immediately flew to New York,” Buckner said.

Hurricane Sandy hit New York City during Buckner’s senior year of college. He joined a community-based recovery effort called Occupy Sandy.

“Never had climate impacts hit so close to home,” Buckner said. “That was some of the most powerful organizing I’ve ever been a part of.”

Buckner’s favorite part of his environmental activism has been using his passion to empower others.

“When people have those ‘aha’ moments and feel empowered to make a difference, that’s when I know I’m doing my job,” Buckner said.

“If I know that something is unjust, I have a choice: I either resist it and try and change it, or I do nothing and allow it to persist. We all face those choices every day. It is my hope that more and more of us can make the choice to act,” Buckner said.

Buckner advises HHS students to get involved in the environmental movement in whatever way they can.

“Don’t accept the world you see at face value. Every single person on this earth has the capacity to make an impact, and it all starts with making the choice to act,” Buckner said.

tment

mon to the church titled, ith Us.’ That was basically y of the sermon was about: oming to walk with the ision for the future,” Kirk ds, there was a standing nd there were tears streamof their faces.” mon, Kirk organized small ns and video showings hange for members of his

er 100 people show up to ibben’s ‘Do the Math’. We video and then had a disds,” Kirk said. rk’s church has taken acKeystone Pipeline. They obedience training. me volunteers come in and n how to successfully parisobedience. We took roles Kirk said. “We learned that nt roles in the process of ce like the legal work and don’t have to be arrested l disobedience.”

Ethan Buckner, HHS 2009 graduate, was arrested on Aug. 3, 2013 with 207 others sitting in at the Richmond Chevron Refinery. Buckner was recently arrested again, this time protesting the Keystone XL pipeline.

By Naomi Borowsky, Phoebe Cohen and Alex Felemovicius, Editor in Chief, Feature Editor, and C-Spread Editor of the Royal Page

Photo provided by Ethan Buckner

RPThursday,February 27, 2014

the

8feature

Silverstein gives children the gift of hearing

The Royal Page 2013-2014

Editors in Chief Naomi Borowsky Josh Gallop

Front Page Editor Joe Greene

C-Spread Editor Alex Felemovicius

News Editor Brit Stein

Opinion Editor Ryland Dorshow

Feature Editors Phoebe Cohen Callan Showers

Variety Editor Lily Goldfarb

Sports Editors Hillary Donovan Nate Pasko

Photo Editors

Roxanne Krietzman Maddie Malat

Business Editors

Kyle Makey Brian Yu

Web Editor in Chief Sam Hromatka

Staff Reporters

Claire Benton Cybill Biehlmann Danielle Fogelson Rachel Hall Kelsi Johnson Bradley Kaplan Peter Kramer Addie Lennon Josh Margolis Madeline Martodam Jacob Moore Erik A. Nelson Samantha Ostenso Madison Petty Lucy Pierro Ben Segelbaum Margo Strifert Lindsey Tradewell Christiaan van Lierop Ingrid Werner Andrew Zhou

Adviser

Mr. Kocur

By Danielle Fogelson Staff Reporter When Sydney Silverstein, senior, traveled to the Dominican Republic from January 23-28, 2013, she turned up the hearing aids of 220 children who had never heard before.

“After turning up the hearing aids, my heart just dropped because it’s unbelievable that these kids have never heard a sound before. To be the one to change that just makes you burst into tears of joy,” Silverstein said.

While Silverstein and her mother, Patti Silverstein, worked together to fit the hearing aids, Sydney was able to spend a lot of time interacting with children.

“There was this one little boy and when we turned up the hearing aid, he got the brightest smile on his face. He started crying, and that made me cry,” Sydney said. “He gave me a kiss and wanted to take a picture with me. I’ll never forget doing that.”

Starkey Hearing Foundation is part of a company that produces and fits children with hearing aids all around the world. In early January, Patti, who works for FedEx, was asked to represent her com-

pany on Starkey’s next mission trip, and was able to bring Sydney as a guest.

“It was important, I thought, to bring her on a trip like this to get a reality check of how great her life is, and what helping other people feels like,” Patti said.

The joy Sydney experienced from helping others was visible to Patti.

“They all just loved her.

When they could hear, she

Sydney Silverstein, senior, smiles with two children and adjusts one child’s hearing aid. Silverstein volunteered in the Dominican Republic.

Photos provided by Patti Silverstein from Jan. 23-28, 2013.

ProStart provides recipe for success

By Rachel Hall Staff Reporter For Meg Jenny, senior, Culinary Arts is not just another class she takes to fill her schedule. The skills she acquires from this class are put to a bigger use with a program called ProStart.

ProStart is a nationally recognized organization for students interested in the culinary or hospitality fields. The HHS team, consisting of five students (four competitors and one alternate), practices three times a week.

“Hopkins is one of the few schools that has a huge culinary program like this, so we are really lucky,” Jenny said.

The students’ work will ultimately be put forth for a competition held on March 4.

Jenny is preparing herself for

what she believes will be a very intense competition.

“We plan a meal. We have to make an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert in an hour. No electricity, two burners, and everything has to be made out of scratch,” Jenny said.

The team practices their meal every time they get together, hoping to decrease the time it takes, little by little, every practice.

“We are at one hour and twenty minutes right now, so we are getting there,” Jenny said.

The ProStart team also participates in events outside of school. Recently, they cooked and participated in a fundraiser at the Foshay Tower and are currently working with a chef from the Lafayette club.

The culinary program and

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would go ‘Yay!’ and she would give them a huge hug and a kiss no matter who they were, what they looked like, or how old they were. It didn’t matter. She was just so happy and thankful to help them,” Patti said.

Witnessing the disparities between life in America and the Dominican Republic was eye-opening for Sydney.

“It was a life changing trip.

I learned a lot about myself,

The HHS ProStart program’s dessert is a deconstructed apple pie with honey, cardamom yogurt, and wonton skins. They will present this dessert at their March 4 competition.

Photo provided by Meg Jenny

ProStart are preparing Jenny for her future, which she has already mapped out.

In the fall, Jenny will be attending University of Wisconsin-Stout where she will be a part of the Family and Consumer Science program with a double major in special education. After graduating from Stout, she plans to start her career by teaching at a high school and starting a program for kids with disabilities.

“What I am doing is kind of unique. I’ve seen kids get turned away from the culinary program because it’s too fast paced and if they have special needs or are autistic, it is hard for them to grasp the concepts,” Jenny said.

Jenny hopes to pursue using her skills to benefit those who are not as experienced with cooking.

“It’s such a skill that you need to have. Everyone needs to learn how to fry an egg and make a tomato sauce. It’s not like you need to know how to make filet mignon. Everyone should be able to know how to make cookies no matter who you are,” Jenny said.

For Jenny and the other members of ProStart, the program is their sport. Jenny is greatly influenced by her parents who both love to cook.

“It’s really fun to just go there and be creative and have a sport. And that’s the importance, to finally feel a part of something that is what you really genuinely enjoy,” Jenny said.

how grateful I am for my life, and how you have to really appreciate what you have,” Sydney said.

Sydney hopes to be either a fitness trainer or an audiologist when she is older. Currently, she volunteers at the Sholom Home, an assisted living facility for senior citizens, in St. Louis Park.

“I just love helping people and making the world a better place,” Sydney said. “It’s fulfill-

ing to make a difference and help people change their lives so they can be successful.”

During the summer of 2015, Sydney plans to participate in another mission trip to Africa, and hopes to go on many more in the future.

“You get to experience different cultures, travel to new places, and make a difference,” Sydney said. “There’s no better feeling than that.”

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RPThursday, February 27, 2014

Passionate students and staff engage in outside choirs

By Madison Petty Staff Reporter Five HHS students are not just choir students.

They are Cantanti Singers.

In addition to participating in choir at HHS, Ronnie Allen, Kelvin Li, Anna Boyd, Molly Senser, and Tom Tomlinson, seniors, also sing in the Angelica Cantanti Youth Choirs. Composed of high school students from all across Minnesota, the Cantanti Singers is the most advanced choir within the Angelica Cantanti program. Directed

by Mr. Philip Brown, director of Choral Activities, the Cantanti Singers rehearse outside of the HHS building for two hours every Sunday evening.

“The true joy and love for singing out of every single person in Angelica is remarkable and inspiring,” Brown said. “These are all singers who genuinely want to sing well and be around others who want to sing well.”

Aside from the Cantanti Singers’ passion for singing, these students build friendships, create memories, and develop lifelong skills that extend beyond a classroom.

“I have become friends with

By Margo Strifert Staff Reporter

Mr. Philip Brown, director of Choral Activities, leads his Cantanti Singers group. Five HHS seniors sing alongside students from all over Minnesota in the Cantanti Singers, the highest choir in the Angelic Cantanti Youth Choirs program.

Photo provided by Audrey Riddle

other people that love to sing from all over Minnesota,” Tomlinson said. “Everyone in Angelica is so close. We’re like a family.”

Cantanti Singers are more than classmates. Similarly, Brown’s relationships with his singers in Angelica extends

further than the classroom.

“He’s a teacher at HHS, but more of a friend at Angelica,” Li said. “He really understands and relates to us as singers, and having the laid back setting of Angelica helps too.”

The Cantanti Singers un-

derstand what it takes to be a part of a program, or rather a family, like Angelica Cantanti.

“You can tell just by being at a rehearsal that we joke around a lot, but we also know when it’s time to step up and rehearse,” Tomlinson said.

According to the Angelica Cantanti Youth Choirs’ website, the Cantanti Singers’ primary goal is to positively impact the world by sharing their hearts and minds with each other and their audience. With that sense of dedication and cama-

American Jews consider themselves to be Orthodox. This group generally adheres to the most traditional beliefs and practices from the Torah.

For Izzy Miller, junior, another Orthodox Jew at HHS, this includes wearing a dress to cover up most of her body.

Although her family isn’t very religious, she has taken it upon herself to be Modern Orthodox and do this for tzniut, a value which encompasses being modest in the way she dresses.

“Your inside is more important than your outside,” Miller said. “I’m showing my real self. I’m not flaunting my body, because I don’t want it to eclipse who I am as a person.”

She admits that she has heard a variety of reactions and questions from students and teachers alike about her religion and the way she dresses at school.

“It was something people had to get used to, but it was

also something I had to get used to,” Miller said. “It’s more about what I think. I’d rather have people view me for what’s inside rather than the outside.”

Oman and Miller believe that they have made many genuine connections with others around them because of the role religion plays in their lives.

“I have to go to synagogue every Friday night and Saturday morning, and [Saturday] is a day of rest, so I do not drive or do anything related to work,” Oman said.

This includes their involvement in the worldwide Orthodox Jewish youth group, the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), and other activities surrounding their religion. Recently, Miller studied abroad in Israel with others from HHS learning about Judaism and Israel.

Ms. Patty Johnson, Principal, is taking precautions to ensure that graduation will not

raderie, these students, as well as their director, would agree they all share an important quality; the love of the music.

“It’s something that everyone can understand, no matter what language it’s in,” Li said.

Growing up singing in church, Brown participated in his first school choir when he was a sophomore in high school. At that time, he never even considered becoming a choir director. All he knew was that he loved to sing.

“I love how a built-in part of who we are can create unison and harmony with other human beings doing the same thing, there is something very instinctive and special to that,” Brown said.

Now, almost finished with his thirteenth year as a choir director, Brown never stops enjoying watching his students accomplish great things musically.

“I am very blessed to teach and guide amazing young adults in all choirs,” Brown said. “That outlet of music and sense of community help make the choir program a vibrant and integral part of HHS and Angelica Cantanti.”

Junior Toastmasters Orthodox Jews value beliefs while at school offers speaking skills By Andrew Zhou Students speak up in worldwide club

Staff Reporter

By Margo Strifert Staff Reporter

David Oman, senior, will not be attending his graduation ceremony in June.

“I have worked very hard throughout my high school years to finally, one day, put on a cap and gown, and they have to put graduation on a Jewish holiday.

That’s just not right,” Oman said.

Oman is an Orthodox Jew, and graduation takes place on June 5 during Shavuot, a Jewish holiday.

In Jewish faith, Shavuot commemorates the day that God gave the Torah to the Jews at Mount Sinai. This year, it begins at sunset on June 3, and ends at nightfall on June 5.

Those who observe the holiday will spend time praying and studying biblical books, and work will not be permitted.

According to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, approximately 10 percent of

The worldwide club Toastmasters has one main goal: to improve public speaking.

The goal of HHS’s Junior Toastmasters club is to overcome the fear of standing up in front of the class or a large group of people to give a speech.

Toastmasters has benefitted many participants, and many have greatly enhanced their skills.

“I’ve seen really shy kids get up and give speeches, which they probably wouldn’t do in other settings,” said Ms. Jennifer Heimlich, Social Studies, one of the leaders of the group.

Junior Toastmasters is a ten week long program. At HHS, the students are in the middle of completing the program. Toastmaster members and leaders of the group, Heimlich and Jim Rhodes, an HHS father, are all enthusiastic about the club.

“It sounded like a really good opportunity. Public speaking is a skill that is applicable to whatever you do, and it’s definitely something that I thought I could improve in,” said Tim Bergeland, senior.

An element to the club is that instead of having one leader, a new member is chosen weekly to direct the

group, called the Toastmaster, and other members of the group are assigned another role, such as time leading and speech giving.

“We’ve worked on many different aspects of speaking and I have gotten the chance to speak in front of the club, which was a really good experience,” Bergeland said.

Toastmasters works to emphasize parts of public speaking that average students wouldn’t pick up on, benefitting not only the members, but the leaders as well.

“Part of what Toastmasters does is they have a real format that they follow and kind of a protocol for evaluating people’s speeches. They count how many times you use stalling words like um, like and huh. And we all do that, so that has been really good,” Heimlich said.

According to the Toastmasters website, the club is a part of an international communication development program 292,000 members strong and in 122 countries around the world. As the HHS club continues their work with Toastmasters, they will keep the international club’s vision in mind, “To give members the courage to change and improve their communication and leadership skills.”

conflict with any other holidays in the future.

“We sit down and go through the entire calendar for the next school year and set down dates to avoid,” Johnson said. “I would never consciously try to be disrespectful to anyone or their religion.”

Oman is frustrated that Orthodox Jews at HHS will miss their graduation ceremony, but he still believes HHS would be the last school to disrespect any religion. Miller hopes they will continue to embrace their beliefs at school in the future.

Both Miller and Oman agree that HHS has been, for the most part, a positive and supporting environment for their beliefs and practices.

“Before I take a test, I’ll talk to God,” Miller said. “When I go to my synagogue, He’s not only there, but He’s all around me, and, through dress and through the way I act, I try to connect with Him.”

Royal of the How does it feel to be the February Royal of the Month?

“At first I was surprised, because I never thought I would get that. But, I feel like there is something accomplished, and that I did something that has inspired other teachers to make Month me this kindthatof I’ve candidate.”

Mao Lee, senior

What’s your favorite class?

“The top one is art and then the second would be math.”

What class has pushed you the hardest?

“Writing and reading, I just struggle a lot with writing because it’s not my first language. My first language is Hmong, my second is Thai, and my third is English.”

Ms. Randi Rood, art, on Lee: “Mao is a wonderful and creative student/person. She has a positive attitude and is helpful and encouraging to others, she is a quiet leader. Her artwork is outstandingly unexpected, conceptually and technically strong, and undoubtedly Mao.”

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Kugmeh trains for army commitment

By Nate Pasko Sports Editor For most people, a workout in the Lindbergh Center is geared towards increased athletic performance or personal fitness.

For Isaiah Kugmeh, junior, a workout in the Lindbergh Center is part of his preparation for his future in the U.S. Army.

Isaiah gained his inspiration for joining the Army from an unusual source.

“When I was younger, I saw Batman on television, and I admired how he always helped people, no matter how dangerous it was. Since then, I’ve wanted to help people in need, and I believe that the Army is the most direct way I can achieve that goal,” said Isaiah.

Isaiah’s father, Emmanuel Kugmeh, affirms that Isaiah has dreamed of entering the Army since he was young.

“Though I was a little surprised when Isaiah first told me of his plans, I knew that the Army was something he had wanted since he was young.

I’ve been careful not to push him into this, so he’s always just wanted it for himself. I am very proud of him,” said Emmanuel.

To prepare for a career in the Army, Isaiah engages in intense physical workouts that include lifting weights, push-ups, situps, and running.

Isaiah’s hard work has

been paying off. He currently holds two Lindbergh Center weightlifting records for all weight classes: bench press, at 360 pounds, and squat, at 520 pounds.

Mr. Tommy Miller, strength and conditioning coach, provides a unique perspective on Isaiah’s training.

“I’m in the National Guard, so I understand the life that Isaiah wants. [The other strength coaches and I] give Isaiah tips and tricks from our years under the bar, but I know that Isaiah’s training for maximum strength is one thing, and his training for the Army mindset is quite another,” said Miller.

However, Isaiah’s preparation for his service is not limited to physical activity.

“I’m currently enrolled in the National Guard’s Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP), which is a series of monthly classroom sessions that teach me what I’ll need to know about the Army before my Basic Training. I also do independent research about other aspects of a soldier’s life,” Isaiah said.

Isaiah has a specific reason for entering the Army, as opposed to the other branches of service.

“Though I would have served in any of the branches, the Marine Corps doesn’t offer a special operations program that interests me, and the Navy’s elite

SEAL and DEVGRU (Naval Special Development Group) teams require too much swimming,” Isaiah said.

Isaiah is currently enlisted in the Army and plans to enter the armed forces full-time immediately following his senior year at HHS. “I’ll begin my Basic Training at Fort Benning in Georgia on June 2 of this year. I’ll return to HHS for my senior year, and

after graduation, I’ll finish up my initial training and become a full-time soldier,” Isaiah said.

Since Isaiah will have already gained an advantage over other Army hopefuls through his extensive mental and physical training and unusually early Basic Training, he has set a lofty goal for his career in the Army.

“I would like to be part of the elite Special Forces branch, which would take anywhere

from 44-86 weeks of additional training beyond Basic and Advanced Individual Training,” Isaiah said.

Once inside the Special Forces branch, Isaiah would still have a large amount of training in front of him to reach his ultimate goal.

“I would likely start in the Green Berets, but to achieve my ultimate goal of Delta Force, the most elite branch of service in

Left: Isaiah Kugmeh, junior, bench presses 315 pounds. Kugmeh has enrolled in the National Guard’s Recruit Sustainment Program.

Right: Kugmeh lifts 45 pounds during his abdominal exercises. Kugmeh lifts during lunch daily and after school three times a week.

Photos by Roxy Krietzman

the U.S. Armed Forces, I would have to attend the Selection Course that’s held just twice annually. If I passed the brutal physical tests, I would still have to undergo an intense psychological review,” Isaiah said.

Through his service in the National Guard, Miller has gained an understanding of the Special Forces lifestyle.

“I know a lot of [Special Forces] guys, and it’s not an easy life. However, Isaiah knows that’s the path he wants, and it’ll be hard to stop him,” Miller said.

Isaiah believes that there are many benefits to joining the Army.

“The Army will help me learn about my abilities as a person and will motivate me to achieve my full potential. I’ll also gain valuable life skills,” Isaiah said.

Isaiah’s father agrees with that sentiment.

“I think the Army will be a good thing for Isaiah. He has always seen himself as a leader, and he is making himself into a young man who sets a good example for children,” Emmanuel said.

“It’s not hard to tell that Isaiah is different, in a good way, from other people. In our profession, dealing with a kid like Isaiah is really gratifying, because when you say ‘jump,’ he just asks ‘how high.’ He’s a special kid,” Miller said.

Teachers serve as coaches, mentors for student athletes

By Erik A. Nelson Staff Reporter Mr. Mike Harris, Science, head cross country, and assistant track and field coach, wakes up early in the morning to prepare for a full day of school during the running season.

“When I arrive at school, there are some sports-related things that occur throughout the day that are going to affect either a practice or a meet later in the day. There’s a dual duty at that point, so my mind is constantly working both ends,” said

Harris.

Many HHS teachers focus only on academics, but some spend additional time as sports coaches. There are 11 teachers who serve as head coaches of boys and girls sports. In order to coach at HHS, the only requirement is that teachers must take a course on coaching provided by the Minnesota State High School League.

“I chose to coach because I was an athlete in high school, and that’s what I really wanted to do. My coaches had a huge impact on me. I didn’t know that

I wanted to teach. But my experience with coaching is what brought me back into changing my original plans coming out of college, and I went back to school to become a teacher,” said Ms. Jane Kleinman, Health and alpine ski head coach.

Through coaching, teachers are exposed to students’ behavior outside the classroom environment.

“You get to see them in a different arena. If you’re a teacher all the time and you don’t have an extracurricular, you may not see some things. I think coach-

Athletic Achievements

Claire BentonSophomore

Erin O’NeilSenior

Maggie GrahamSenior

Benton was named to the Midwest Junior National Nordic Ski Team

O’Neil was named Let’s Play Hockey’s Minnesota Senior Goalie of the Year

Graham was named a finalist for the statewide Triple ‘A’ Competition

ing allows teachers to see the other sides of their students,” said Mr. Rick Rexroth, Social Studies and assistant football coach.

On the other side, students such as Kamali Chambers, senior, treat coaches differently in athletics than in the classroom.

“We never call them ‘Mr.’ or ‘Mrs.’ We always call them ‘coach.’ When you see them, it’s an instant student to teacher connection so you can talk to them about anything,” said Chambers.

Teachers prepare for both

classroom instruction and their agenda for practices and games while trying to spend time with family and friends.

“Coaching is like a prep class, and it takes a lot of prep time to get ready for your sport,” Kleinman said.

Kleinman also states that a crucial part of becoming a successful coach is time management.

“That can be a challenge because you have to set up substitutes and have lesson plans prepared,” Kleinman said.

Teachers inspire students

through relationships built on trust and mutual respect.

“You have to get to know the students’ wants and needs and start from there. As you do that, you’re listening to their goals and seeing how you can mesh the goals of the student with the goals of the team,” Harris said.

Chambers argues that there are many benefits to coaches who also teach.

“Listen and pay attention to what they say because they do give out great life lessons and it will be beneficial to you in the long-run,” Chambers said.

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Girls hockey ends with section loss

By Josh Margolis Staff Reporter With a regular season record of 21-4, the HHS girls hockey team was granted the top overall seed in their section. The feat was especially impressive since the seven-team section, 6AA, includes four of the top ten teams in the state, according to a Feb. 8 Star Tribune poll.

The top seed granted the Royals an automatic berth to the section semifinals, where they faced the Wayzata team ranked sixth in the state. In a game that was not decided until the final horn sounded, the Trojans escaped with a 2-1 victory and a berth in the section finals.

“I have no control over sections. I’m a big believer in controlling the controllables. I don’t have any control over that. I’m not at that level and don’t make those decisions, so we’ll play

whomever they tell us to play. It is what it is,” said Mr. Vincent Paolucci, Physical Education and Girls’ Hockey Coach.

Even with the loss, the Royal’s achievements this season led to several players being recognized for their performance.

Nina Rodgers, senior forward, was one of five finalists for Ms. Hockey, awarded to the state’s top senior player.

“Nina loves being at the rink.

She loves working on her game.

She’s passionate about the sport and her skills are off the charts,” Paolucci said. “She can pretty much be as good as she wants to be if she can take care of her weaknesses. If she continues to work like she has been, Nina is going to be a dynamic college player.”

In addition, goalie Erin O’Neil, senior, won Senior Goalie of the Year. O’Neil is

attending Boston University next school year on scholarship.

Of the finalists, O’Neil has the highest save percentage, at nearly 95 percent, as well as the most shutouts with seven.

“It’s awesome. It’s pretty cool for all of your efforts to accumulate at the end,” said O’Neil, senior goaltender.

Paolucci credits O’Neil’s work ethic and passion for the game for her success.

“She’s become much more serious of a player. She’s always loved the game, but her technique and passion to improve all aspects of goaltending really sets her apart,” Paolucci said. “On the other side, she’s one of the nicest and most mature kids we’ve ever had. I’ve seen the growth in her as a person. She’s a wonderful leader. Kids look up to her because of how nice she is.

She carries so much respect and

we’re just lucky to have her.”

Teammates of both Rodgers and O’Neil have taken note of not just their talents, but their leadership qualities as well.

“I think as teammates it shows how important they were to our team and our successes.

They both are amazing players, and it shows with the awards they’ve been getting. They’re leadership is amazing both on and off the ice. They both are deserving of the awards,” said Claire Smart, senior team manager.

As for the team’s graduating seniors, Paolucci believes their ceiling as players could lead to them becoming future Olympians.

“I think we have a couple kids who can play for Team USA. Grace Bizal and Erin and Nina all made their U-18 (18 and under) National Team. So do they

Corbin Boyd, junior, skates the puck up the ice. The girls lost to Wayzata in the Photo by Maddie Malat first round of sections.

have that potential? Yeah. A lot goes into it from now to that next step, but I think they’re in the mix,” Paolucci said.

“We didn’t quite get where we wanted to, but we accomplished a lot of our goals,” O’Neil said.

Intramural basketball offers opportunity

By Ben Segelbaum Staff Reporter

Top left: Team Slippery When Wet poses before a game. The team is made up of all senior boys.

Bottom Left: Zach’s Team sits on the court and waits for the game to start. The team is made up of all sophomore boys.

Right: Mohamed Yusuf, senior, looks to shoot the ball. Yusuf plays for The Pirates.

Photos by Roxy Krietzman

Spotlight Athlete

Go Figure 22

Free throws made by Siyani Chambers during the 2012 state tournament, a single game state tournament record Save percentage for goalie Erin O’Neil, which is the 4th best in the state

.948 Jimmy Copouls Senior Hockey Favorite memory: Beating Minnetonka on January 16 Lessons learned: How to be a team player

Mr. Joe Perkl, assistant athletics and activities director at HHS, was playing on the Sophomore basketball team behind Dan Coleman and Kris Humphries, when he realized that intramural basketball would be the only way for him to play.

“Intramural is a way to get people active and to have people enjoy the game,” said Perkl.

Perkl is confident in the program and the players.

“If you were to give the top intramural team a coach and have them practice five days a week, they could win a state title,” Perkl said.

Although a state title might not be up for grabs, the winner of intramural usually plays the teachers during the pepfest.

This year, however, the team on top only has bragging rights.

Intramural basketball consists of ten teams. The team names range from Slippery

19-2 Record of the girls basketball team as of Feb. 25 Infographic by Kyle Makey and Ben Segelbaum

When Wet, The Misfits, Zach’s Team, Vesuvius, Pippen Ain’t Easy, Do You Even Lift?, Paul and Pals, The Pirates, Team Green, and #MNBombteenz.

Mr. Douglas Dart, Language Arts, is the coordinator for Intramural Basketball. Dart sets up the schedule, figures out which teams will play each other, and sets the clock for the 25 minute games every half hour.

As a staff member, Dart also provides supervision.

Students like Mason Halpern, junior, go after school to the Lindbergh Center to play the game they love.

“It’s very important for us guys to participate in the league and to play other people in the school,” said Halpern.

Even though basketball may not be their top sport, many intramural participants are athletes in other sports, like lacrosse and football.

“I play because it’s fun, and it's something to do. I like being able to play against my peers in

a not so serious but still competitive atmosphere,” said Terrance Bowers, senior.

However, intramural sometimes poses a unique challenge for multisport athletes.

“Playing on a basketball team is much harder [than football] because I’m not really good. I have to really learn how to use my team instead of just catching a ball and running around people. I actually have to focus really hard when I’m playing intramural,” said Bowers.

There is a wide range of skill level inside the intramural program.

“My favorite part of intramural is getting to play people of all skill levels,” Halpern said.

Though intramural players may not have the same skill level as those on the school team, they enjoy themselves while showcasing the skills they do have.

“It’s all about getting out there and playing the game you love,” Perkl said.