November edition Royal Page

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Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 Volume 30 Issue 2

inside the RP Homelessness at HHS - C-Spread McDonald, Chambers make smart choices - Sports Stukels ride off the beaten path - Feature Students talking faith - Opinion Enforcement of parking, attendance policies - News Students prepare to wow with Aladdin - Variety

runs in the family

By Harry Orenstein Staff Reporter

Ms. Janis Klecker is a former Olympian and her husband, Mr. Barney Klecker, is the record holder for the 50-mile ultra marathon in the U.S.

Photo provided by John Sherman

The Klecker family after a varsity race. From left to right: Mary, Bit, John, Janis, Barney, Sarah, and Joe.

So it makes sense that their children would follow in their fast-paced footsteps. Five Klecker children are on the HHS varsity cross-country teams. Mary Klecker, senior, and her sisters Sarah, junior, and Bit, seventh grade, lead the girls team while their brothers John, senior, and Joe, freshman, headline the boys team.

This season, Joe and John will be representing their school and their family at the state tournament thanks to their personal best performaces at the section 6AA finals at Gale Woods Farms on Oct. 26.

KLECKER continued on page 15

Joe John Klecker Sarah Klecker Ninth Klecker Senior Grade Junior

Bit Klecker Mary Seventh Klecker Grade Senior

Do HHS class rank, IB policies put students at disadvantage?

By Lisa Soumekh Staff Reporter

HHS offers several Advanced Placement classes but lacks International Baccalaureate offerings As the college application process begins, HHS seniors cannot provide their class rank or indicate that they have had the opportunity to take International Baccalaureate classes, both often used as indicators

by colleges to better understand students. HHS seniors do have the opportunity to indicate that they have taken College in the Schools (CIS) courses, Propel, honors courses, or any of the 16 AP classes offered at HHS to show colleges their academic abilities.

In 2009, the Hopkins School Board eliminated class rank and stated that HHS would continue to use the non-weighted grading system.

They believed that these were unfair ways to compare students and that class rank and weighted grades did not take into account a student’s individual academic ability or the variety of courses a student chooses.

“No two students take the same courses from the same teachers over their four years in high school. With the wide variety of course work offered at different levels (from Essential level courses to AP and CIS classes) at HHS, trying to rank students becomes meaningless because you are not comparing apples to apples,” said Ms. Jean Davidson, Guidance Counselor.

These decisions were also made because the school board believed that it discouraged kids from trying challenging classes with the fear CLASS RANK continued on page 2

the

RP Thursday Nov. 3, 2011 2 news Senior transcripts lack class rank and IB programs CLASS RANK continued from page 1 that it would ruin their GPA. “When making decisions, we always have to consider the effect on all students involved. We must realize that while weighted grading can enhance GPA when grades are high, it can also adversely effect GPA when grades are low,” said Ms. Sara Garcia, AP and Exceptional Learning Programs Coordinator.

In the area, Wayzata, Edina, and Minnetonka have also eliminated class rank within the past few years. According to the Hopkins School Board statement on class rank, all of these school districts have found the shift to be a positive one.

Colleges pay attention to whether a school ranks its students.

HHS sends a school profile with every transcript to a college explaining in detail what classes the school provides, what extracurriculars it offers, and how its grading scale and class rank work.

Since HHS eliminated class rank, “It hasn’t been affecting students’ admission to colleges. Colleges have determined how to evaluate students without using rank. They will just put more emphasis on the other information they request from students,” Davidson said.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program is also something that HHS does not offer. The program’s main focus is to prepare students for a globalizing world by emphasizing an international perspective on learning.

This program offers students a chance to earn an IB diploma through studying six courses in depth over the course of two years.

Students must take one course each in the languages, social sciences, experimental sciences, mathematics, and the arts in order to earn the diploma.

All students must also write an extended essay in a subject of their choice, take a “theory of knowledge” course where they learn

about different types of knowledge, and be involved in learning beyond the classroom. At the end of the program, students must take written exams and earn a satisfactory score in order to earn the diploma.

In the area, Minnetonka High School, St. Louis Park High School, and Southwest High School offer their students opportunities to earn an IB diploma or IB certificates in certain subjects.

HHS has not attempted to bring the program to the HHS. “It’s just a name. Our focus is on college readiness and the experiences students are having in our classrooms, ” Garcia said.

Implementing an IB program can be very expensive, costing around $10,000 per year. On top of that, teachers have to go through specific training and constant review throughout the year. “We prefer to drive funding at student achievement through innovative curriculum that’s just as rigorous,” Garcia said.

Compared to AP courses, IB is less flexible because once students decide to enroll in the IB program, they usually have to continue throughout high school. Students can earn IB certificates in certain subjects, but this is much less likely to occur. With AP, students can pick and choose what courses they want to try.

Students at HHS have mixed feelings about IB courses. “I’m okay that we don’t have IB, but I sometimes wonder whether I’m missing out on an opportunity to challenge myself,” said Mari Fromstein, senior.

On the contrary, some don’t care about the program. “I don’t think students would take IB classes. If it was between IB and AP, kids would choose AP. It’s more flexible,” said Allie Rosen, senior.

Davidson remains confident that the lack of IB courses should not have any effect on admission to college.

“Colleges are looking for strength of schedule when they consider an applicant,” Davidson said. “I believe it is easier to add rigor

to your schedule in an area of strength or interest in an AP program than an IB program because you can challenge yourself when ready instead of making that decision in 9th grade.”

At this point in time, HHS has not pursued the IB program, but the junior highs are beginning to show interest in the program.

Last year, the junior highs went through a rigor study and decided that they wanted to learn more about the IB program. In the next few months, staff from both WJH and NJH will be attending IB workshops to learn more about the program.

For now, HHS is more focused on creating challenges through AP, CIS, and honors courses that focus on college readiness. “It’s about what experiences you expose yourself to in order to make yourself college ready. Hopkins offers the total package,” Garcia said.

The AP & IB Programs: How They Compare Goals The Program

The Exams

Scores

Honors

To prepare students for college through college level courses.

Offers 37 independent courses in 22 different subject areas

To prepare students for a globalizing world.

100 courses available.

2 year program with 6 course requirement

Includes multiple choice Includes short and short answer answers, long answers, and essays Based only on exam performance

Based on work done in class and exam performance

AP Scholar awards or AP International Diploma

IB Diploma or Certificate in specific subject

November news briefs Homecoming events alter future regulations

By Mike Newcomer Staff Reporter After homecoming this year, the administration decided to modify the structure of the football games. New rules have been put in place to help avoid situations similar to homecoming.

Instead of having unmanageable amounts of students scattered, the administration made the decision that all students, eighth grade and under, have to have a parent accompany them. “If there are 2,000 students and 20 supervisors,

there are 100 students each person has to watch over.” said Dan Johnson, activities director.

They hired a professional security team, Avalon Security, to supplement the police officers and faculty members already supervising. “The best supervisors are our faculty because they know them from in the school, ” said Johnson. Most high schools in the metro area have additional help such as Avalon security on site at all or most home games.

“We want this event to be a

fun and safe Hopkins event for Hopkins students,” said Mrs. Anne Campbell, assistant principal. Students’ ID cards are now required to get into the football games. This ensures that only current students of Hopkins will be let into the home side.

The last home game of the year, October 14th against Wayzata, was the first time they new structure was tried out. “Our new system worked well and will remain in place next year,” Johnson said.

Johnson on medical leave for undetermined amount of time

By Lauren Reuteler Staff Reporter Principal Patty Johnson has taken a temporary medical leave and is currently away from the building.

The administration is finding alternate ways to keep the school running smoothly. “The biggest changes are daily conversations on direction, advice

and overall context,” said Mr. Adam McDonald, associate principal.

With Johnson absent in the office, McDonald and Ms. Anne Campbell, assistant principal, have had to step up and make some decisions of their own. “Although we have additional support from the district office and superintendent.” Mc-

Donald said.

“We have still been able to talk to [ Johnson] through her laptop and blackberry; it doesn’t feel as frantic,” McDonald said.

“Although [ Johnson] is within reach, she is certainly missed,” McDonald said.

It is currently unclear when Johnson will return to work.

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RP Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011

Enforcement of parking, attendance causes students to change behavior

By Caleb Hausman Staff Reporter

The administration has placed a focus on enforcement of parking and attendance policies at HHS. While students might feel that the enforcement is too strict or unfair, administrators believe the enforcement is operating successfully.

Currently, the ramification for three sweep passes is a detention. “Detention is working.

Being to class on time is a life skill. You have to be to work on time,” Ms. Anne Campbell, assistant principal, said.

In contrast to students’ perception that sweep passes are more commonly issued this year, administration, who deal with sweeps daily, have a starkly different view. “I think they’re down...better than last year... kids [are] showing up because they’re being held accountable,” said Mr. Robert Hubbard, Supervisory Para.

Raleigh Heath, junior, feels differently about the number of passes given out, in that, “teachers actually enforce [the sweep pass system] instead of being lax.”

Campbell’s ultimate goal

with the sweep passes is to bring the number of sweep passes issued during an individual block down. “My goal is to have no sweep passes. Maybe five or less per block.” The benefit of this, in Campbell’s view, is “halls that are quiet and learning taking place in each and every classroom.”

Even if it may appear novel to students, HHS is not the only school to use this type of a system to deal with the issue of student tardiness. According to their Student Handbook, Robbinsdale Armstrong High School uses “tardy passes,” and

“Students who accumulate an inordinate number of unexcused tardies will be disciplined by their administrator.” Also, “[Armstrong] administrators periodically walk the halls and gather students who are out of class without a pass to a central location. Consequences may include detention, suspension, or Saturday school.”

The other aspect of policy enforcement pertains to parking lot policies. As described in the HHS Student Handbook, parking without a pass will lead to a fine of $30, $50, then getting towed, based upon how many

times the issue has occurred.

Other possible overall parking policy violations can lead to a “verbal warning,” fine of $20, or getting parking pass taken away.

Again, Campbell sees the policies as effective. “I think it’s [parking policies] going well.

The parking lot seems orderly and calm. [The policies have] helped the climate of the parking lot.” Also, Campbell articulated how “safety is always the number one concern in the parking lot.”

Mr. Tim Swanson, Supervisory Para, has worked at HHS for 18 years and is the staff

member in charge of overseeing the parking lot. “I think he does a really nice job,” Campbell said.

On the whole, Campbell acknowledges that all of these policies are not flawless. “As an educator, we’re always looking for ways to make the climate of the school better.”

Regardless of issues facing the HHS administration such as those with tardiness and parking, Campbell holds the school in very high regard.

“It’s a great school with a lot of outstanding staff, students and facilities.”

1.

1.

2.

Photos by Caleb Hausman

1. Students who misplace their pass or have a non-visable permit may be fined for mistreating the parking policy. Permits should be clearly shown in the car. 2. Mr. Marcus Levesseur, Supervisory Para, fills out sweep passes for students after the fourth block bell. Detentions are given after every three sweep passes.

Career/college center creates new ways for students to plan Although the career center is no longer staffed, information is still available for students

By Josh Gallop Staff Reporter The career/college center at HHS has finally joined the rest of the school in the 21st century by becoming a technologicallybased resource.

In years past, the career/college center has been staffed with an almost full-time employee and a number of interns. It was packed full of materials including file cabinets filled with brochures, tests, and information.

District officials saw having a paid employee staffed in the career/college center as an un-

necessary cost. For the last few years, the center has been unstaffed. Without a staff member, there has been no one to supervise and organize volunteers to come in and help run the center, which has made operation far more difficult.

HHS was not alone in trying to cut costs; colleges stopped sending out brochures to save money, instead having all their information online.

The information in the career/ college center became more incorrect and outdated every year.

The main change the career center underwent this year

was having all of its incorrect information and tests cleaned out, updated, and switched over to electronic versions.

“So much of the information we had is now online and so much of our paper information was out of date,” said Mr. Dan Sterud, Guidance Counselor.

One place to get information the career center used to hold is on the “Hopkins High School Guidance” Facebook page. When a student “likes” the page, they are able to see a picture of every counselor and person involved in the guid-

ance office and any information regarding college visits, testing, and other pertinent announcements.

“The career center had not been being used as much as we would have liked,” Sterud said.

The realization that the school could be using the career center for other purposes was another factor in making the change.

The space where the career center was located has had a projector screen installed in it and is being used for meetings, group presentations, and TASC presentations.

The job of the former career

center’s staff member included speaking to classes, arranging college visits, arranging shadowing opportunities, and taking interest inventories to help students discover careers that may be of interest to them. “Some of the work has fallen to counselors and some of it’s just not done anymore,” said Ms. Jan Jodock, Guidance Counselor.

The career center had a large easel in it with the times and dates that college visits would take place along with other information. After the administration decided that the easel was ineffective, announce-

ments over the intercom were used. However, students did not feel that the announcements were successful, so the easel was used once again.

All the resources are still available to students, although a good amount of it is now found online. Even with the change in the way data is stored, the counselors are still gladly willing to help any student with career and college questions.“The focus of the career/college center hasn’t changed... just the way the information is given out has,” Sterud said.

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RP Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011

Students embrace religious diversity There are few things in the world that can polarize people more than religion.

That is why I am so impressed with the pride our students show in their faith and the respect they show for the faith of others. Several groups have been started here for students who wish to be a part of a religious community at school.

Agape is a bible study group for Christian students run by Dan Schmid and Ryan Davis, seniors. According to Schmid, Agape was previously “mostly just a hangout” for Christians.

This year, Schmid and Davis have centered Agape meetings around watching and discussing “The Truth Project” DVD series which focuses on “the importance of living the Christian worldview in daily life,” according to offical “The Truth Project” website.

Schmid hopes that Agape successfully brings in new students to the HHS Christian community, strengthens the HHS Christian community, and the personal faith of the members. “We want to give people information which will allow them to further evaluate their beliefs,” Schmid said.

Sarah Ungerman, senior, has taken over HHS’ Jewish Studies Club ( JEWSTUD).

Ungerman was part of a thriving Jewish Studies Club when she attended Saint Louis

Park High School and was disappointed to find that Jewish Studies Club at HHS was much less active, despite the higher number of Jewish students . Ungerman’s JEWSTUD involves weekly meetings where students discuss Jewish topics with Rabbi Aryeh Cohen and each other.

Ungerman wants JEWSTUD to be a place where Jews at HHS can come together and be a community no matter how observant or religious they are.

Muslims at HHS can be a part of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) led by Ikram Osman, senior. Osman said that MSA is a group where Muslim and non-Muslim students can come and talk about religious concepts and not be subject to the negativity that often follows Islam in America.

Osman’s goal for MSA is to attempt to combat the negativity surrounding Islam, especially in the eyes of non-Muslims.

For Muslims attending, Osman hopes that MSA helps them “gain confidence to claim their Islamic ways.”

It is great that our students are taking it upon themselves to form communities with their fellow students of faith. The only thing I see missing is an avenue for students of different faiths to discuss their beliefs with one another.

I am a Jewish kid, but I

Cartoon by Liena Hamza

have several close friends who are strong Christians, and I am always interested to hear what they believe and how their faiths affect their worldview. Just talking to some of my friends about this story after football one day spawned an incredibly interesting discussion about our own personal faiths. These are the conversations that I think we should have more of and would make our school a better place.

Creating an interfaith student group would allow students of different belief systems

to talk with and learn from one another. All too often in our country, religion serves to separate and alienate people.

An interfaith group would allow students to hear from people of different faiths and avoid falling into this separatist trap.

Schmid felt that while he would enjoy an interfaith group, he worried about whether the group could be conducted in a respectful manner from all sides.

Osman thought that it would take time for students to realize that there will be disagreements

and that those need to lead to respect, not hate, but felt that an interfaith group could work eventually. Ungerman, on the other hand, believed that our students would be able to participate in interfaith discussions respectfully with little trouble.

I understand Schmid wariness. Religion is a touchy subject and a subject which sparks passionate opinions by many.

However, I tend to agree with Osman and Ungerman.

While it might be a struggle at the start, I believe that the

students at HHS are mature enough to discuss difficult topics like religion with other students who don’t necessarily agree with them.

I believe the best way to avoid religious problems is to talk to one another and learn about each other’s faiths. An interfaith group among mature HHS students would be the best way to accomplish this goal.

Ryan Benjamin Levi is the Editor-in-Chief for the Royal Page

Learning to be more appreciative of the things I may not have Imagine you’re suffering from the drought and famine in a unstable country. One of your children has just starved to death, but there’s no time to mourn.

Depleted and traumatized, you set off on foot across the desert with your family, and after 15 exhausting days you finally reach what you believe is the safe haven of Kenya.

That’s the fate of thousands of Somali families daily that are escaping the epidemic famine sweeping through East Africa.

As a Somali, reading articles and watching documentaries of the current stage of my country is quite depressing.

Here, in America, I have the luxury of a warm roof over my head and the ability to attend school.

The average middle class family in America spends extensive amounts of time choosing the perfect college for their children, whereas across the globe, the average southern Somali family is deciding which route to safe haven would be the safest.

As the famine spreads across the horn of Africa, I begin to realize how I don’t find value in the things I take for granted. As Americans we’re aware of the misfortunes happening globally, so why aren’t we appreciative of the things we have? As a SomaliAmerican, I know it could have been me, so, why aren’t I appreciative of the things I have?

The simplest explanation to that question is, I’ve never experienced hunger or seen death frequently like most southern Somali’s

in the mist of the famine.

Have you ever stopped to be thankful for the basic things in life that we don’t notice? There are nine million children who face starvation daily, and we complain about the healthy route our school cafeteria has taken. We don’t always think about these things, but we should.

I personally hate seeing people suffer, especially when the rest of the world finds no value in the things they are risking their life for. I’m no Mother Theresa, but I do believe that you don’t have to hit rock bottom to know how lucky you are compared to the rest of the world.

Look around you; at the front of the room you probably have a designated teacher who enlightens you on a specific subject every day. Beside you, there are multiple of students who you can use as resources. It seems like poverty and misfortune is increasing, while simultaneously appreciating what we have is decreasing.

It is easy for us to picture a young child walking several hours to get water from a mud hole, but when we get home the sprinklers are on and we waste unbelievable amounts of water in order to make our lawns the healthiest on the block.

That being said, we often do unnecessary little things that add up in the future. To begin, how many times have you thrown away a portion of your meal because you were too full to eat anymore?

Collectively, imagine how many children living in third world

countries would be satisfied with your leftovers. This practice is so commonly practised across the nation that ever since 1905, we, as Americans, began to be labeled as a ‘Throw-away society’.

And as we can all attest, restaurants’ massive portions fill our large plates, our stomachs, and then our dumpsters.

The guidance is all there and it’s simple. Actually appreciating what you have requires remarkable patience and bravery; because remember, your daily pleasures might be another person’s luxury.

Mona Abdulle Omar is the Opinion editor of the Royal Page

United States

World

40 % of all food produced is not eaten

Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger

Tap water on while brushing can waste 3 gal. of water

1.1 billion people have inadequate access to water

Mandatory education

18 percent of people illiterate

RP Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011

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opinion 5

TASC, Advisory benefit students In most cases, as students get older and further their education, they become more independent as they take control of their academic career. With this growing up, student-teacher connections may begin to dwindle.

In elementary school, teachers work from the first day to establish connections with their students by talking to each student individually at open house and even meeting their parents or guardians. Conversely, in high school and even junior high, students may not talk one-on-one with their teachers until after the first week.

Instead of one teacher interacting with the same group of students all day every day for a full school year as elementary school teachers do, a high school teacher may have close to 100 students that he or she works with on a daily basis.

In high school, students that take the extra time to talk to their teachers individually, build stronger relationships with their teachers. As school years progress, the responsibility of taking this time to make the student-teacher connection shifts to students, and therefore this connection is sometimes lost.

With that said, the addition of Monday Advisory and Thursday TASC (Teachers and Students Connecting) time at HHS are beneficial as they promote student-teacher relationships.

The designated time to build a bond and speak with a teacher allows students to create better connections with their teachers.

As most new programs usually do, TASC

and Advisory have their downsides. The dayto-day time changes in the schedule took adjusting for students and staff alike and are still sometimes confusing.

Although it is helpful to have a designated time to receive information, there isn’t always much to do in advisory. Furthermore, the seniors and even the juniors this year won’t get to know their advisory teachers as well, because there aren’t three years to do so. Even if three years are available, it is difficult to know a teacher well through ten minutes of announcement time.

TASC can be extremely helpful during a week with a heavy workload or after missing a day of school. Obviously, not all students will use the time as wisely as others, but TASC is what you make of it. It is another time where students must be responsible for getting assignments done or finding a teacher they need to talk to.

Although in elementary school, teachers sought after building connections with their students, this just isn’t the case in high school, as students must make the effort to create bonds with teachers. Therefore, in light of their shortcomings, Advisory and TASC are useful as the designated time encourages and allows students to talk to their teachers and build connections with them, something that shouldn’t be taken for granted by high school students.

Editorials are the opinion of the Royal Page editorial board

Farewell to our beloved bagels Dearly beloved bagels, milkshakes, cookies, full bags of chocolate pretzels, and any yummy food that once resided behind the glass windows at the Depot, The loss of your presence has brought sadness to us all. We will all miss that first sip and bite that lets us know it’s finally lunch time after a hard morning of work. I’ll never forget walking into school and waiting in the long, annoying line just to get my hands on one of the freshly baked everything Bruegger’s bagels.

It’s sad to see you leave but since HHS has taken our food choices in a healthier direction, I have come to terms that it is probably for the better. I’ll never forget you, I’ll cherish you in my stomach, and I promise that all the new food choices have large shoes to fill.

I love you old HHS unhealthy food, you will be greatly missed by all. Out with the old, and in with the new. Healthy options, welcome to HHS, we know you’re only here for the better.

We appreciate your attempt to make a healthier environment at our school.

Low calorie Vitamin Water to replace the chocolate milkshakes, smaller bags of chocolate pretzels (thank goodness they’re still around) to decrease the amount of calories, and whole wheat bagels replacing the high calorie Bruegger’s bagels.

Yet, these aren’t the only changes being made.

“We are making slow changes every year to make healthy improvements to the food we serve,” said Anne Ferreira, Extended Services Manager for the Royal Cuisine.

“We now have more health conscious options

that still taste good. We are making the food with a lot more herbs and not as much sugar and salt”, said Terry Tucker .

“We want to increase the amount of veggie exposure in every meal, like most choices in the lunch lines offer a side salad or veggie option. We are trying to get away from processed foods to decrease sugar and fat calories,” Ferreira said.

“I definitely miss some of the old food options, but understand the direction that the Royal Cuisine is taking the school, and know that it’s only for the better. I definitely support it,” Shoshanna Engelson, senior, said.

Another change that most of the student body is unaware of is that The Depot is now called the Royal Rock Cafe. This is because there was much confusion between The Depot and The Depot Coffee House. The HHS snack area used to be affiliated with The Depot Coffee House many years ago, but now they are their own business and need a new name to set them aside.

It might be a bummer to kiss our old fatty foods goodbye, but it’s somewhat rejuvenating to know that our new options are only trying to help us students make better choices. I know that because of the Royal Cuisine’s new changes I might be able to live a few years longer. Besides, I am definitely still going to wait in line at the Royal Rock Cafe every morning and get excited to have one of the new yummy whole wheat bagels.

Sarah Abigail Ungerman is the Sports editor for the Royal Page

Make college great, no matter where The hallways at HHS are buzzing. Not with killer bees, but with something much scarier. Seniors applying to college.

Seniors and even some juniors at HHS are thinking about their futures. Some wondering where they are going to apply, some wondering where they can get in.

Well, I have a message for all of these college bound scholars: it doesn’t matter where you go to college. Whether you’re going to the University of Minnesota, Normandale, Brandeis, or even an Ivy league school (for the lucky few who are accepted), it just doesn’t matter. They all offer enriching courses that will help you further your education and earn the much sought after college degree.

In actuality, Normandale might be better than the prestigious Brandeis University in the undergraduate years. “Why?” you might ask. Because of a four digit number: $4,441, that’s the tuition for a year at Normandale. Brandeis’ is a much heftier $38,994. You could spend eight years at Normandale and still not reach that one year’s tuition price tag at Brandeis.

Then, after you finish your undergraduate years at Normandale if you’ve worked hard enough, in-

T

volved yourself enough, and gotten good enough grades you can transfer to Brandeis University for the individualized classes tailored to your major that do matter.

Where you go to college is not as important as what you do there. It’s up to the individual to make the most out of their college experience. Taking chances and getting involved in things that interest you and maybe trying something you’ve never heard of before can make your college experience more worthwhile no matter where you go.

If you go to Harvard, sit in your dorm room all day, don’t get involved in anything, or don’t socialize to any extent, your experience at Harvard can be less fruitful and enriching than the experience of a heavily involved student at the University of Minnesota, further proving the point that it does not matter where you go to college.

As long as you are heavily involved and work hard enough it does not matter if you can get into the most prestigious universities. What matters is that where you go and what you do there can benefit you in the long run.

Charles Isaac Bank is a staff reporter for the Royal Page

:

op Things to be thankful 10 for this November

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The Minnesota Lynx (that’s our WNBA team) won the championship Some guy named Gaddafi died?

Andy Wicklund’s facial hair

Those relaxing college applications.

Aren’t they chill, seniors?

Sale on chicken at the grocery store Adidas

Mr. Yuoakim’s barber apparently died

The Vikings stopped pondering starting Ponder The iPhone 5...too soon?

Good health and a bountiful harvest

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RPThursday, Nov. 3, 2011

California cuisine brought to Minnesota

By Sonja Muus Web Czar

Photos by Sonja Muus

The decor and ambiance of Mill Valley Kitchen adds to the Southern Californian inspired restaurant. Above top: the furniture from the restaurant. Above left: the water with the restaurant’s logo. Above right: free range turkey avocado and tomato sandwhich off of the lunch menu.

The summer months bring plenty of hustle and bustle to the Lake Calhoun area. Whether it’s jogging around the lake, or enjoying an ice cream cone at The Tin Fish, Lake Calhoun has many attractions for the public. This summer a new attraction was opened: Mill Valley Kitchen.

Located less than two miles away from the lake on Excelsior Blvd and France Ave., Mill Valley Kitchen is a new restaurant featuring Northern California inspired cuisine. The menu features everything from hummus and pita bread to grilled salmon. No matter what food item they are serving, Mill Valley Kitchen tries to serve it in the healthiest way possible.

The menu features organic brown rice and steamed edamame as sides, rather than the traditional fries and onion rings. The sandwiches are served on wheat toast along side a fresh salad.

Another unique aspect of Mill Valley Kitchen’s menu is the beverages. They offer various fruit infused tonic waters rather than traditional soda. One of the restaurant’s drink creations is the Elipse Elixir, a bubbly fruit drink infused with the flavors of accai, pomegranate, black tea, and cranberry.

The restaurant also caters to a variety of diets offering nearly 30 gluten free dishes and 15 vegetarian options.

Mill Valley Kitchen keeps their customers health conscious as well because the calories in each dish as well as the carbohydrate, protein, and fat contents are printed next to every item on the menu.

The food is priced moderately with some items being pretty expensive while others are reasonably priced. Their beverages and sides are $3 to $6, salads $6.50 to $9, main entrées $10-$24, and desserts $2.50 to $7.

Regardless of the food’s price, Mill Valley Kitchen has a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere. With a brown, white, and green color scheme, and lots of natural lighting the style of this restaurant is modern and clean cut, similar to that of Crave, Granite City, and BLVD Kitchen.

The kitchen is in plain view. Customers at Mill Valley Kitchen can easily see the chefs as they are preparing the food. The layout also includes a small outdoor patio, a lounge area, a large dining room, and even a private dining room that offers a secluded place to eat for larger parties at no extra cost.

Mill Valley Kitchen is open for brunch on the weekends from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., dinner Sun. through Thurs. 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and dinner Fri. and Sat. 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Customers looking for a sophisticated meal that is healthy without being too expensive would surely be satisfied with what Mill Valley Kitchen has to offer.

The forgotten, seldom told story of Halloween

By Tarina Gartner Business Manager Halloween began as more than just trick-or-treating, dressing up, and having fun. It was a serious day. People used to put out candy for dead spirits to keep them away.

There is no positive time about when or where Halloween began, but it is thought to have been originated with the Ancient Celtic Festival. People would have bonfires and wear assorted amounts of costumes to keep the ghosts away. The Celts, people of ancient Celtic, lived in what is now Ireland about 2,000 years ago.

Nov. 1 was the Celts new year marking the end of summer, end of the harvest season and the beginning of a dark, cold winter. The Celts believed that a dark cold winter was a time for deaths of humans.

Oct. 31 was called Samhain, which is when they got together with their costumes the Celts and had bonfires, because they believed that was the day that the death world and the living world came together as one world. The Celts

believed that the dead were there to ruin their crops and to cause trouble.

The Roman Empire took over the Celtic territory in 43 A.D., combingtwo festivals. These two festivals were the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain (ancient Celtic festival) and a day to honor Pomoha, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees.

The apple is Pomona’s symbol, which is where bobbing for apples on Halloween is believed to have come from. Halloween in America was most popular in Maryland and a few other southern colonies.

Halloween’s first traditions in America were “Play Parties,” which were events that celebrate harvest season, sharing stories of the dead, fortune telling, singing, dancing and other types of events. In the colonial Halloween festivities, ghost stories, and other types of mischief making were more commonly to be done.

In the early 19th century, one would be able to find annual autumn festivals commonly, however Halloween still hadn’t spread throughout America. Later in the 19 century, America had gotten

a lot of new immigrants due to the fact of the potato famine in Ireland. This potato famine chased a lot of Irish people to America.

With all of these immigrants, Halloween became better known and more wide spread in America. One of the Irish and English traditions was to go

door-to-door asking for food or money.

This is to be believed where trick-ortreating came from.

Not many people know exactly when, how, or why Halloween began.

The holiday is a big part of the western world and has turned into something that is more of a time of celebration.

100 HHS Students were polled on Oct. 19

Today, people participate in Haloween in many different ways, “last year I sat at home and watched the Halloween [Town] movie series on Disney Channel and handed candy out to the trickor-treaters,” said Danny Waggoner, sophomore.

variety 7

the

RPThursday, Nov. 3, 2011

A trip to the other side of a production

By Ursie Arhart Staff Reporter Sitting on the stage in the little theater, Mark Hauck, Hopkins Royal Productions Director, speaks to his cast. There’s a sense of authority as Hauck gives his spiel, but the cast is comfortable with him. The students filter in while Hauck answers questions and makes some announcements about the coming week.

The cast of Hopkins Royal Productions is in preparation for their show, Aladdin. The show is put on in the main auditorium on Nov. 4, 5, 11, and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and on Nov. 6 and 13 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door or on the HHS Theater website.

“There is no typical rehearsal,” Hauck said.

“There’s a difference between a practice and a rehearsal. To practice is to repeat, and to rehearse [is] to make new.”

During these rehearsals, Hauck focuses on what needs to be changed. He gets the actors to see through one another’s point of view in order to fully understand their character.

The cast usually starts out the rehearsal chatting for 10 to 15 minutes to catch up. During an important rehearsal, “[We] jump head into choreography,” said Maureen O’Malley, junior. Sometimes, they take it one scene at a time.

For Rory Hager-Tyler, junior and stage manager, a rehearsal starts with taking attendance and queuing the music. “[She is also usually] the first to be there and last to leave,” Hager-Tyler said.

Outside of theater rehearsal, “I spend a lot of time

just looking at the script,” Hauck said. He looks for critical steps that need to be taken along the way and what in the script triggers the next event. Hauck also researches the history of the plays he directs, and for Aladdin he tried to figure out, how the story became well-known in the 20 century.

“Most of my time, I actually spend in the theater,” Hager-Tyler said. To prepare for the show, HagerTyler makes lots of lists and posts long reminders to the actors so they know what they need to do. HagerTyler also goes over the script in order to be on top of everything during the run-throughs.

“For me, [preparation] kind of depends on the show,” O’Malley said. “[With Aladdin] it’s easy to watch the movie and learn the songs before actually learning specific lines... [it’s important to] make sure you’re a supportive member of the cast.”

According to the HHS website, Hauck wanted “to direct real high school students who really put on musicals– not just actors who play them.” “I tell my cast all the time, ‘we’re actors, not emoters’,” Hauck said. To him it really is about looking at the different point of views and making the script “fresh”.

“We see a lot of 23 year olds play teenagers, in shows like Glee,” Hauck said. That’s not as natural as actual high school students playing characters their age or close to. Hauck explained he has to externalize what he’s sees in the script and how he wants it to look on stage.

Even though many of the cast and crewmembers have previous background with theater, Hauck really stresses that the HHS cast carries experience of hard work. He doesn’t want any bad habits. “That’s my biggest concern,” Hauck said.

Photo by Ursie Arhart

Mark Hauck, director, watches Leon Hedstrom, sophomore, and John Zierden, junior, rehearse a scene on the magic carpet.

‘American Idol’ faces new competition

By Katie Cera Variety Editor As the fall television series are deep into the start of their seasons, one new television show, The X Factor, seems to be quite similar to an older already popular television series, American Idol. The two talent contests both have large followings.

“Many people want to see young talent,” said Tatiana Kindy, senior.

The two television shows both appear on Fox. The X Factor is in season currently, whereas, the American Idol season starts in every Jan. and ends in May. Originally starting in the U.K., The X Factor premiered in the United States this past September.

The two shows both grant a winner in the end of the series and give them prizes to launch the contestant’s careers, but it can be hard for viewers to tell the difference between the two talent competitions. The X Factor seems to be a lot more lenient in its entry rules than American Idol. The X Factor’s web site states that the show has a minimum age of 12 and no upper limit whereas “American Idol’s” web page states contestants have to age in range from 15 to 28 years of age to be on the show.

“I feel like American Idol didn’t give as much as an opportunity for the older contestants,” said Sydney Silverstein, sophomore.

The X Factor also allow contestants to compete in groups rather than individually. The sponsors bring up even more rivalries between the shows. According to each of the shows’ corresponding web sites, The X Factor is sponsored by Pepsi

while American Idol is sponsored by the soda company’s biggest competitor, Coca Cola.

The differences continue with the shows’ competition process. American Idol continues to narrow down the individuals through additional performances in Hollywood; on the other hand, The X Factor splits up the contestants into four groups each assigned to one of the judges, who then becomes their mentor.

“I enjoy seeing the contestants progress and get to the next level,” Silverstein said.

Although American Idol has been around for 10 seasons, The X Factor is beating them at one thing. The X Factor’s prize of a five million dollar contract is currently the largest grand prize on American television which is compared to American Idols one million dollar contract, as stated on the corresponding web sites.

With all this said, The X Factor seems to benefit the contestant a lot more through the prizes and mentoring process, but American Idol has had higher ratings overall. The X Factor’s premiere on Sept. 21 had 12.4 million viewers while American Idols 2011 premier had an estimate of 26.05 million viewers according to the Neilson television ratings.

“Simon is honest and is ten times better than he was on American Idol,” Silverstein said. Silverstein watched American Idol until Cowel left the show and has now started watching The X Factor.

Only time will tell in the long run if the two will continue to battle it out. Even though both are on the same network as of now, the competition is on for the contestants and the ratings.

The unseen strug homeless teens in community

O

n any given night, there are 2,500 youth without a home in Minnesota. In the Minneapolis Western suburbs alone, it is estimated that anywhere between 65 and 150 teens are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

“A lot of youth who are homeless don’t see themselves as homeless, so it’s hard to count,” said Mary Revoy, Teens Alone Homeless Youth Case Manager.

“Everyone is always surprised when I say I was homeless,” said a sophomore who will be identified as Mark to protect his identity. While most HHS teens have a home to go to after school, homelessness is still a relevant issue at Hopkins.

“Couch-hopping” is a typical living situation for homeless teens. They will go from friend to friend, staying with them until they wear out their welcome. Sometimes teens receive temporary housing in a Twin Cities emergency shelter, such as The Bridge. However, many teens want to remain in the suburbs where their friends, jobs, and school are.

To combat homelessness, HHS works closely

41 North 12th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403 612.252.1200 -Provides services and support to homeless teens

Youth Link

with an organization called Teens Alone. Teens Alone serves students who are homeless, have run away from home, or were thrown out by their parents. The organization also works with teens and families in conflict to prevent young people from having issues with stable housing.

Mark experienced homelessness from 6th through 8th grade. His parents were both fired, which led to the family losing their home. Mark and his two older brothers decided to split up, each going their own way to find shelter.

He was able to stay at The Bridge off and on for two weeks at a time and occasionally received meals from them when he was living on the street.

“When you’re walking down the street, there’s always new people and weird things going on.” Mark said.

Mark was able to receive help from Teens Alone.

“Teens Alone gives you a place to talk and helps you with good education and warning you about the bad places to hang out,” he said. “On Christmas, [Teens Alone] gave me presents when no one else could.”

There are many reasons why teens become

homeless. “Sometimes out of frustration, parents will ‘kick out’ a student; but barring access to your home if your child is under 18 is not legal, and becomes a Child Protection issue,” said Ms. Lisa Ashley, HHS social worker.

Teens may also decide to leave on their own, even if they don’t have safe housing to go to. “In this situation, parents have the right to report the teen as a runaway to local police, who will return the teen to their home if the student is away from home without parent permission,” Ashley said.

Another reason that teens leave their homes is over crowding, simply too many people in one house.

Hopkins students can also lose their homes due to divorce or problems with stepparents.

An HHS senior, who also preferred to remain nameless, and has also dealt with homelessness, described what is missing for him that other students may take for granted. “You all have so much, like parents to get a legit answer from. You have parents who are involved in your life, and you can depend on. I’m by myself, it’s just me,” he said.

“I wasn’t raised to do good school work. I have a lot of other stuff going on,” the student said.

Helpful resources for homeless teens 1111 West 22nd Street Minneapolis, MN 55405 612.377.8800 -24 hour walk in counseling and 24 hour hotline -Provides emergency housing and counseling for homeless teens

The Bridge For Youth

915 Mainstreet Hop MN 55343

952.988.TEEN (83

-Walk in hours 4-6 Tuesday -Counseling and services fo youth -Teens Alone counselors ca school, home or anywhere

Teens Al

ggles of n our Photo Illustration By Mike Newcomer

The parents of homeless teens are often dealing with their own challenges. “We can’t entirely blame teen homelessness on the parents of the student.

Life gets tough for parents, too,” Revoy said.

Revoy explained that being successful in school is much more difficult when students are in an unstable home. Homelessness often results in absences at school because the student may be staying somewhere outside the district where there is no transportation to get them to school. Homeless students often don’t get proper nutrition or enough sleep which affects them in school.

“Even with regular attendance, the burden of the lack of stable shelter takes an emotional toll on students, who understandably become preoccupied with basic survival as a priority over schoolwork,” Ashley said. Many homeless teens have to work many hours at low-paying jobs just to buy food and clothing. In addition, there are few jobs for youth in today’s economy.

“It’s hard for teens to go to high school, work full time, and have a life,” Revoy said. Some students choose to move out and get their own apartment.

In that case, work becomes the main priority over

school.

“When I was homeless, I forgot about school, and my grades went to F’s,” Mark said. Additionally, he had little time to spend with friends.

Though there are limited shelters for homeless youth in the suburbs of Hennepin County, Teens Alone and some of its partners are working on a creative way to help through the Suburban Host Home Program. Similar to foster homes, this program will train adult volunteers in the suburbs to be host homes and then match homeless teens in the suburbs with the volunteers.

Teens would be able to stay with their host family for a maximum of one and a half years. The hope is that teens and their host families would build relationships that last. The Suburban Host Home Program is open to any families willing to open their home.

Revoy thinks that HHS has welcoming staff doing a lot to help with the issue of teen homelessness. She believes that the more comfortable students are with their school guidance counselors, the more students can receive help from Teens Alone and other organizations.

“Other resources include District implementation of the McKinney-Vento act, which assures transportation to school for homeless students who meet certain criteria.” HHS also has a grant from the Kopp Family Foundation which provides funds to students with emergency needs such as food, clothing, and medical.” Ashley said.

For the majority of students who are not homeless at HHS, Revoy recommends being aware of the struggles fellow classmates go through. “Be supportive of your friends and take interest in what’s happening in people’s lives. Knowing someone cares can make the difference,” Revoy said.

During 8th grade, Mark was able to move into an apartment with his mom. He urges homeless teens to remain hopeful. “Find someone to trust and rely on but don’t become too dependent on anyone. Stay your own person. If you’re homeless, don’t give up,” Mark said.

Naomi Borowsky is a staff reporter for the Royal Page

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2304 Jackson Street NE Minneapolis, MN 55418 612.493.3052 -24 hour crisis line -A program for teens who are on the run, thinking of running away, or are homeless

YMCA Point Northwest

1708 Oak Park Avenue N Minneapolis, MN 55441 612.522.1690 -Provides emergency shelter and short term housing for homeless youth

Avenues for Homeless Youth

10 feature The Royal Page 2011-2012

Editors in Chief Marlee Gotlieb Ryan Levi

Managing Editor Madeline Rauma

News Editor

Madeline Rauma

Opinion Editor Mona Omar

Feature Editors Maddy Braverman Lucy Orenstein

Variety Editor Katie Cera

Sports Editors Jason Showers Sarah Ungerman

Back Page Editor Lydia Wilson

Photo Editor

Mike Newcomer

Business Manager Tarina Gartner

Web Czars Jack Deutsch Sonja Muus

Staff Reporters Quinn Anderson Ursie Arhart Eli Badower Charlie Bank Sam Bumsted Will Burnton Naomi Borowsky Pat Gallagher Josh Gallop Zach Gunby Andrew Hall Meme Halpern Caleb Hausman Harry Orenstein Lisa Soumekh Casey Pasko Joel Ratner Lauren Reuteler

the

RP Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011

Stukels ride off the beaten path

By Maddy Braverman Feature Editor Nearly every weekend from May to Oct., Alysa Stukel, senior, and her sister Michelle Stukel, junior, drive a few hours away to a woodsy area and race dirt bikes. The Amateur Riders Motorcycle Association (ARMCA), sets up races on trails throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Riding dirt bikes runs in the Stukel family. Growing up, Alysa and Michelle’s father rode dirt bikes in Wyoming. When their parents got married, they began to race ATV’s.

“People who ride ATV’s aren’t as much fun, so we began to race dirt bikes,” Alysa said.

Alysa took her first dirt bike class at the YMCA. There, she learned how to get used to the clutch and the basics of riding a dirt bike. From then on, riding on trails almost every weekend was all the practice and training that Alysa needed.

Originally, Michelle was not interested in joining the family hobby. She would watch her dad race, and people would always ask her why she didn’t race.

“Finally my dad said I would race five races, and that if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have to do it anymore,” Michelle said. During her first race, Michelle came in second. “I was really excited and I liked it, so I kept racing.”

During the season, dirt bike racing plays a large role in the sisters’ lives. They both spend tons of time on the weekends racing, and have grown very close to the other people who dirt bike.

“I do all of my homework Fri. night, because I don’t want to have to sit in my camper in between races doing homework,” Alysa said.

There are two different types of dirt bike racing. One

is a competitive race to the finish, and the other is a race against the clock for points. When racing against the clock, riders have to scan their number at a checkpoint at a specific time, and arriving too late or even too early can cost a rider points.

In 2008, Alysa won the ARMCA District 23 Girls Championship. Throughout the season, Alysa had accumulated the highest amount of points in her Class.

Alysa’s close friend Rachel Crelly, senior, has seen Alysa and Michelle race on three separate occasions.

“My first time watching, I had so much fun, even though it was raining out,” Crelly said.

Races last around one hour to an hour and a half. The trails vary in shape and terrain: some go through very narrow parts of the woods, some have hill jumps, and others have mud pits.

“One racer got stuck in a mud pit, and I happened to be standing right behind them. I was covered in mud,” Crelly said.

Alysa and Michelle spend a lot of time together on the weekends, driving back and forth from races, and hanging out before, after, and during races. They even race against each other.

“I get really competitive and frustrated if I don’t do well,” said Michelle. “In the end, though, she is my sister and if she beats me, I can’t hold it against her.”

After high school, Alysa still plans to race her dirt bike, but maybe not as much. “[Dirt bike racing] defines who I am, and I sacrifice other things so that I don’t miss a race,” said Alysa.

“Every family has their thing, and dirt bike racing is their family’s thing. [The Stukel’s] basement is full of their gear bags, their garage is full of bikes, and their camper is out in the front yard,” Crelly said.

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

Advertising information available by mail, fax and phone Annual Subscriptions are available for $20.

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

page theROYAL

Photos provided by Michelle Stukel

Above: Alysa Stukel, senior, during her dirt bike race. Top right: Alysa dresses in uniform for her senior photo. Middle right: Michelle Stukel, junior, after completing a race. Bottom right: Michelle takes the lead in a race.

feature 11

RP Thursday, Nov. 3, 3011

the

Creating harmonies in Geoff three times a week

By Casey Pasko Staff Reporter Geoff, the eight-man a capella group, has been at HHS 10 years now. This year, the junior and senior guys are rumored to be a promising bunch.

“I just keep hearing they are supposed to be super great this year,” said Taylor Wind, junior. Bennett Jasmin and Alex Bonoff, seniors, are the only two returning Geoff members.

“I have had to get used to a whole new set of voices around me, which was very frustrating at first but really isn’t a problem anymore,” Jasmin said.

Philip Brown, choir director, works with Geoff and chooses the music they will sing, but for much of the practice time, the boys get together at 6:45 a.m. before school.

Three mornings a week they learn their parts, and spend a lot of time on their own perfecting the songs as well.

“My favorite part is actually getting up early and hanging with the guys. When you meet at 6:45 a.m. you get to see how people actually are,” said Alex Guggenberger, junior.

In these early morning rehearsals, all Geoff members work together to keep everything running smoothly.

“Practices are very group-oriented, if one person thinks we should do something a different way, everyone will listen and we’ll try it out,” Guggenberger said. “[Rehearsals are] one big communal effort,” said Will Phelps, junior.

This year, six spots were available in the group. The returning Geoff members sat in on rehearsals, viewing the guys who hoped to be a part of the a cappella ensemble.

“The audition process was slightly unnerving but I approached it with a sense of calm and figured I would either get in or I wouldn’t,” Phelps said.

During the audition, the Geoff hopefuls sang with the graduation members and the current members, to get a feel for how their voices would blend together.

“Because I was in it last year, each person trying out would sing with me and whoever sounded the best made Geoff. For parts that don’t have a returning member we would find which two people sound the best together and choose them,” Jasmin said.

Guggenberger got the music two to three weeks beforehand, and started practicing right away, which prepared him for his audition.

“The tryout was really fun and not stressful at all,” Guggenberger said.

The overall expectations new Geoff members have for this year are to make new friends who share their passion for music and just have a good time.

“As of right now, it’s looking like my expectations will be met. It’s a funny group of guys, we enjoy singing with each other and have pretty successful rehearsals,” said Griff Woodyard, senior.

“It takes a little while to get to know how everyone sings and their tendencies; starting over was tough but it is definitely coming along well,” Jasmin said.

Photo provided by Casey Pasko

From left to right: Ben Hoffman, Griff Woodyard, Will Phelps, Bennett Jasmin, Alex Guggenberger, Carl Meisner, Max Mobraten, Alex Bonoff make up the eight man a capella group. Above: Geoff performs at HHS choir concert earlier this fall. The group will perform several more times this year.

Cancer survivor coordinates fundraiser to find a cure

After beating cancer three times, Roozie Assadi helps give others hope for the same victory with Relay for Life

By Lucy Orenstein Feature Editor

Photo provided by Roozie Assadi

Above: Roozie Assadi, senior, with good friend Chris Fuguet, senior, during Relay for Life last June. The team, which both were apart of, called themselves “Roozie’s Runners.” Assadi is looking forward to the next Relay For Life.

Roozie Assadi, senior, has battled three different types of cancer: brain cancer, Lymphoma cancer, and MDS (pre-leukemia). “After I recovered, I put cancer behind me, but my sister wanted to do something about it.” Having cancer not only motivated Assadi to become involved with Relay for Life, but it also affected his sister.

“She formed a relay team in high school and is now involved in Colleges Against Cancer at the University of Minnesota,” Assadi said. “I’m her inspiration and she has become my inspiration.”

Each June, HHS students participate in the Relay For Life event to honor loved ones, spread the awareness of cancer, and to come one step closer to finding a cure. All money raised from this event goes directly to the American Cancer Society.

Relay for Life is a 24-hour event that is held at the HHS track.

Participants get together in teams of about 20 and camp out on the field. Throughout the night, team members take turns taking laps around the track.

Roozie Assadi, senior, is the Youth Team Coordinator for HHS. This is the first year he has been the coordinator and his actions are making a large impact on Relay for Life. “I’m always trying to organize people to fight against cancer,” Assadi said.

Chris Fuguet, senior and a member on Assadi’s relay team last summer, agrees. “He is currently trying to organize his ProPel class to make a relay team, and he made a Facebook group to make sure everyone knows about the relay,” Fuguet said.

Assadi attends monthly meetings to discuss the duties of each council member. “At the meeting last month the director assigned each council member a job. I was assigned to take emails of people who want to join my team or make a team and to publicize the event

at Hopkins,” Assadi said.

Assadi’s main goal is to make sure anybody who wants to be part of Relay for Life or thinks they do, knows about the event. “I try to get a variety of students involved. I focus on targeting clubs and sports teams especially,” Assadi said.

This past year, Assadi got the girls hockey team to participate.

Alli Rolandelli, senior on the girl’s hockey team, was happy to become involved. “My mom was sick with lung and brain cancer and also wanted to be a part of Relay for Life,” Rolandelli said.

The hockey team was very determined to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients and survivors. “I motivated my team to help impact the community and we raised 1800 dollars,” Rolandelli said.

The event itself is filled with countless activities throughout all hours of the night to keep people from falling asleep and to have fun. “There are frozen t-shirt contests, piggy-back races, a massage booth, a silent auction, and free food,” Assadi said.

One of the more emotional parts of the 24-hour event is the Luminaria Ceremony. “There are candles lit for each person who has or had cancer,” said Olivia Chase, senior who participated in Relay for Life last year on Rolandelli’s team.

Assadi explained that the luminary bags are set up in the bleachers to send a message. “The bags spell out ‘hope’ and in the morning, spell out ‘cure’.”

The whole event symbolizes a cancer patient’s journey. “It starts out in the darkest night with diagnosis and gradually gets lighter to symbolize survival,” Assadi said Relay for Life is run entirely by volunteers who really want to unite the community for a good cause. “We are a community getting together to fight back,” Assadi said. “I had cancer but cancer never had me.”

RP Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011

the

12 feature

Molding artists and getting inspired in AP

By Madeline Rauma News Editor

For seniors Marlee Krietzman and Miranda Hilgers, AP Ceramics not only offers extra art credits, but also provides them with a sense of artistic development and accomplishment.

For the two seniors, it is easy to find inspiration for their many pieces. “Different artists give me inspiration, like Warren Mackenzie,” Krietzman said. “The way he builds things is neat.”

Hilgers finds her inspiration from different aspects in nature.

“The textures and different forms in nature, like trees, give me ideas,” Hilgers said.

Having unique ideas for their pieces is beneficial in AP Ceramics because there is a larger workload than in the lower art levels. Although they have many different inspirations, there is still difficulty in making their products.

“Centering is the hardest part,” Krietzman said. When creating

becomes difficult, though, it is easy for the students to acquire help, even outside of the teaching staff. “My cousin, sister, and mom are all in this class,” Krietzman said.

In AP Ceramics, extra work is needed from the students to create their ideal product. Hours outside of allotted class time are required, which is needed considering that AP students must create 12-15 pieces based on one central idea. “All of the pieces in the concentration must have some personal connection to the student artist, and the ideas must tie in together,” said Ms. Terry Chamberlin, Art Teacher.

Inevitably, art is a subjective topic and a form of personal expression, so grading must be based on more technical aspects. “I grade based on technique and how well their pieces relate to the original idea,” Chamberlin said, “their products must meet the requirements and criteria for each assignment.”

It is evident that grading is harder when students reach AP level art classes. “Project points increase and the assignments are harder,”

Pottery by: Marlee Krietzman, senior

Hilgers said. “We have to put a lot of extra hours in for our pieces.”

Art not only provides students with time to express themselves, but it provides for an aesthetic outlet. “The students are able to do more “graduate school” work, and they can become more artistically aware,” Chamberlin said. “They truly are working as actual artists.”

Whether or not students are interested in an artistic career, life lessons are learned through the course. “[The students] learn terminology and problem solving skills,” Chamberlin said. “They achieve critical thinking and an awareness they would not get anywhere else.”

For Hilgers, throwing up to 50 pound pieces and building them is the hardest aspect. “I think the grading process is difficult because [Chamberlin] always thinks we can do better,” Hilgers said.

Conceptual skills and creative, lateral thinking are common occurrences in art, especially this ceramics course. “The messages the students show in their creations are not only artistic,” Chamberlin said, “but they also reflect their inner soul.”

Pottery by: Miranda Hilgers, senior

Far Left: Time spent- three days Inspiration- Jocye Michaud

Far left: Time spent- a week and half Inspiration-old broken down house

Left: Time spent-one week and a half Inspiration- ancient pottery

Left: Time spent- two and half weeks Inspiration- trunk of a tree and the rings around the inside

RPThursday, Nov. 3, 2011

the

sports13

Recruiting for more than pure talent

By Eli Badower Staff Reporter Outstanding HHS athletes Siyani Chambers, senior and varsity basketball player, and Andre McDonald, senior and varsity football player, have committed to Harvard and Vanderbilt, respectively.

Chambers and McDonald both chose schools best known for their academic prestige rather than their athletic success. McDonald chose Vanderbilt over Ohio State and Iowa while Chambers picked Harvard instead of Nebraska or Santa Clara.

McDonald feels very strongly about his decision to commit to Vanderbilt. “The coach has a plan for me to improve in the future, and I just really wanted a chance to be apart of that,” he said.

McDonald’s commitment is part of a very successful recruiting year for Vanderbilt. Traditionally, they have been at a recruiting disadvantage given their strict academic standards, yet this year, the school’s recruiting class ranks 25 in the nation, according to ESPN.com.

In fact, Vanderbilt’s academic rigor was one of the things that helped convince McDonald to commit. “The strength of the academics at Vanderbilt played the biggest role in my decision to commit; I want to be successful in life after football,” McDonald said. 84 percent of the students at the university were in the top 10 percent of their high school class, and the average ACT score is a 32.

Other prep football stars like McDonald have been wooed by Vanderbilt, despite the team’s 20-41 record and one bowl game appearance since 2006. Running back Brian Kimbrow, a senior from Memphis, Tenn., has committed to Vanderbilt over Auburn, Stanford, USC, and Nebraska. Kimbrow is ranked as a four-star prospect and the third best high school running back in the country by Rivals.com.

Vanderbilt uses strong academics, as well as the opportunity to play in the Southeastern

Conference (SEC), considered by many to be the best college football conference in the country, as recruiting tools. “Playing against the best players in the country in the SEC has always been a dream of mine. I want to see how I compare to the best,” McDonald said.

Like Vanderbilt, Harvard is known for topnotch academics. The average ACT score at Harvard is 33 out of 36, and 95 percent of the students were in the top 10 percent of their high school class. “I wanted the best balance between athletics and academics while making my decision,” Chambers said.

Harvard is a very prestigious school academically, but, according to a 2008 article in the New York Times, head coach Tommy Amaker has increased the aggressiveness of their recruiting by lowering academic standards for potential recruits. While the admission benchmarks for athletes are still high, the recently lowered standards have allowed Amaker’s staff to recruit more prospects than in previous years.

This has helped the basketball program, leading them to being within one win of making the NCAA tournament last year. They lost by one point to Princeton last year in the Ivy League Championship Game.

Chambers feels Harvard gives him the opportunity to play college basketball on the biggest stage. “Looking at how close they came to making it to the NCAA tournament last year, I believe that going to Harvard gives me the best chance of playing in the tournament,” said Chambers.

Both athletes have an idea for how they will try to juggle division-one athletics and classes.

“I am going down to Vanderbilt during the summer and taking some classes so I can get used to juggling football and academics,” said McDonald.

“I am going to be more organized, make a schedule, and take advantage of tutoring,” said Chambers.

Photo by Mike Newcomer

Photo by Mike Newcomer

McDonald races down the sideline.

Chambers crosses over an opponent.

Photo by Sarah Ungerman

McDonald and Chambers tout their NCAA apparel.

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14 sports

Homegrown athlete on biggest stage

By Andrew Hall Staff Reporter

He is a rare talent. Travis Boyd, freshman at the University of Minnesota, led the HHS varsity hockey team in scoring as an eighth grader, with 41 points in 25 games, and then as a ninth grader with 51 points. “Since mites he has been the one playing up with older kids getting better and nothing has changed since then,” said Tanner Holmquist, senior, friend, and former teammate of Boyd.

Boyd started playing hockey 15 years ago because of his older brother and role model, Brandon. After ninth grade, Boyd left Hopkins to join the USA National Development Team program in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “Coming here was a big step for him, leaving home and an environment that he was comfortable in for the opportunity to experience something different and perhaps challenging,” said Matt Curley, head coach of the USA team.

His first year, he played for the U-17 team and briefly with the U-18 team. “Once here, he had to make changes to his game to become a successful player, further growing as a hockey player and a person,” Curley said. In his first season with the U.S. team, Boyd scored 8 goals and had 10 assists and had 5 goals and had 13 assists the following year.

“Travis came to work every day with his lunch pail and hard hat; he was ready to go to work every day, whether it was on the ice, up in the weight room or in our team video session. He came to work and learn every day,” said Curley. “There comes a point in everyday where I say ‘hungriest dog runs the fastest,’” Boyd said.

He fittingly came across this piece of advice, which he considers his personal motto, in a hockey magazine.

Boyd is at a point in his career that many people dream of, but few actually reach. “I think the thing that sets me aside from everyone else is that I think I do want it more than anyone, and I will do whatever it takes to reach my goal,” Boyd said.

He gets his inspiration from his ultimate goal; to play in the NHL. Boyd was picked in the sixth round (177th overall) by the Washington Capitals in the NHL Draft this past summer.

Boyd is not only a great athlete. “He’s a great person on and off the ice. On the ice I’ve never seen anyone to dislike him in anyway and same with off the ice; he never seems to let things bother him and he’s always looking to have a good time,”

Photo provided by USA National Development Team

Boyd, playing for the U-17 National Development Team, prepares for a faceoff.

Holmquist said.

His USA coach described him as a great kid who his teammates enjoyed being around and playing with. “With accepting roles and his place both on and off the ice, I think he became someone his teammates could look up to,” Curley said.

“Travis has always been a leader as long as I’ve known him. He will never be the one to stay back in the shadows and follow what everyone else is doing. He’s the one leading the group and doing new

things or inspiring people,” Holmquist said.

In Boyd’s opinion, his greatest hockey accomplishment has been winning the U-18 world championships last spring in Germany, where he represented the USA. “It was an unbelievable experience,” Boyd said.

Curley emphasized the significant fact that Boyd is currently playing college hockey. “Few players get to play college hockey. Even fewer get to play for the Gophers,” Curley said.

Viewpoint: Girls soccer promotes great school spirit

By Jason Showers Sports Editor

Photo by Jack Deutsch

Students get rowdy at a girls soccer game.

I consider myself a devoted HHS athlete and fan. I have been a part of the football and baseball programs since my freshman year, and participated in intramural basketball for the first time last year (which, consequently, I would highly recommend to ballers of any skill level).

I have attended numerous boys and girls basketball games and witnessed four state championships. I have seen the varsity hockey team play their guts out on the ice time and time again. I have yelled cheers at the top of my lungs for the girls volleyball team.

Yet this fall, for the first time, I attended a varsity girl’s soccer game…. and had one of the most entertaining high school sports experiences of my career.

There were approximately 40 students in attendance as well as a packed parent/family section; not football or basketball standards by any means,

but still a great turnout. I was party to rousing chants, hilarious jests at referees and players, and plenty of clapping and foot stomping. All in all, the student section represented quite a lively and fun bunch.

Girl’s soccer has garnered more popularity this year than in years past, according to Jenny Grahek, senior goalie who has been a member of the varsity team since her sophomore year. “This year, definitely, there have been the most fans that I have ever seen in my time on the team, and it has really helped us play well,” Grahek said.

If soccer games can be fun and student support can help the team win, why now for the sudden increase in attendance? Simply put, where five or six cheering students are found, more will gravitate. Teenagers love to be part of a group, and there are few better ways to accomplish that than adding your voice to a “Let’s go Royals!” cheer.

A few students started going to the soccer games to support friends who played, and it be-

came a growing trend; the small following became a large base of loyal fans. Students have fun in the stands, and players enjoy the fan support on the field. A nice symbiotic relationship has been established.

If such positivity has evolved around the girls soccer program, surely the same could happen around other teams that don’t get many fans. Possibly lacrosse, wrestling, softball, or track and field?

Attendance at lesser known sporting events adds a new dynamic to the student body and provide an opportunity to come together as a whole in a different setting. The less popular sports at HHS can benefit from more publicity, and, as an athlete, it is heartening to see friendly faces in the stands.

I advise students to get a group of friends together and attend a sporting event for a team they haven’t seen play before. Remember to bring the ski goggles and pom-poms. It spreads school spirit like a virus and can provide some great fun.

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Kleckers breed running excellence KLECKER continued from page 1

With five siblings participating in a competitive sport, rivalry and competition is definitely present within the family. “There’s lots of competition between us, usually healthy, but it can turn sour,” said John Klecker, senior.

The Kleckers compete against each other just like any family would, but there is also a great sense of cooperation. “There is a little competition between siblings, as there is competition between any runners, because we all want to be the fastest we can be. However, since we are on a team together, we have to cooperate,” said Sarah Klecker, junior.

The Kleckers have a huge advantage over most runners because both of their parents are American icons in long distance running. As veteran runners, they’ve gone through the same ups and downs and challenges of running as their kids face.

They can provide support and encouragement when their children need it.

Some may hold the perception that the Klecker children were pushed hard to be runners, but in reality, they were not forced. “I never pressured any of my kids to run. In fact, I never told them to

run,” said Ms. Klecker.

All of the Klecker children did other sports until they ended up running. “At the time I was really into soccer so I thought that running track would help me become a better soccer player.

Then I started cross country because I realized how much more I like running track than playing soccer,” Sarah said.

The dedication that Mr. and Ms. Klecker showed for running affected their children in a positive way. “They have seen my husband and I run all of their lives and I think we have set a good example,” Ms. Klecker said.

Some of the Klecker kids said they wouldn’t have joined cross-country if their parents weren’t runners. For example, when it was hard to get up and work out, their parents were encouraging. “When I started it took a lot of support from them to push me out the door on training runs my first few summers and winters of the offseason,” John said.

Besides running, the Klecker family enjoys an array of activities including skiing. For several years, the Kleckers made the 16 hour drive to

Spotlight Athletes

Name: Danielle

Name: Juan

Smith

Montero

Grade: 12

Grade: 12

Sport: Swimming

Sport: Soccer

Athletic Idol:

Athletic Idol:

Ryan Lochte

Lionel Messi

Quote: “I like

Quote: “Soccer is

swimming; it is

the biggest sport

challenging and

on Earth... except

rewarding.”

in America.”

Colorado once a year to spend a week skiing in the mountains.

While the family loves to have fun and participate in many types of outdoor activities, there

is a focus placed on training for running and its components like diet, sleep, and habits. “We spend lots of time together as a family but running is the biggest shared passion,” John said.

tudents Take the tage S

HH

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SS

1.

Clear Recognition

3.

4.

“I guess you could say we’re Coldplay-esque, but we’re not Coldplay at all,” said Billy Lewis, junior.

Juniors Sid Gopinath, Billy Lewis, Erik Maag, Benny Goins, and Will Phelps currently make up the band Clear Recognition.

As they kicked off rehearsal with their song “Waves”, I knew exactly what Lewis meant.

They were so Coldplay; the memorable rhythm was reminiscent of popular pop songs, while the lyrics resonated and held genuine personal meaning. But they were original.

Listening to “Waves”, the reason for Clear Recognition’s growing fan base became obvious.“The first time we per-

1. Will Phelps 2. Sid Gopinath

Lizzie

Fontaine

Last year, Lizzie Fontaine, senior, recorded and performed a series of shows with seniors Eli Fhima and Sam Wayne of Kids Like Us. “I think (performing) came with perfect timing. I didn’t make the choir I wanted to, and that presented itself. It’s what I like; I found what I like,” Fontaine said.

Fontaine has always

5. loved performing, and when she contributed her voice to Kids Like Us’ song July, she found acknowledgment from fans and fellow musicians.

“Lizzie always comes prepared and with ideas to make the music sound better. At the shows she’s full of raw energy, and I feed off her,” Fhima said.

Fontaine will also be joining Kids Like Us to record a mix-tape next winter.

Fontaine’s stage presence stems from a childhood impacted by acting, and musical fam-

our own style,” Gopinath said.

The current members’ main short-term goal is to release something new. “If you brought us to the studio, we’d start recording right now,” Goins said.

Members rely on each other to follow their practice routine, and also to contribute ideas.

“One comes to the band with an idea; a little riff or drum part. We create song demos, and as a band we all kind of expand on it,” Lewis said.

Clear Recognition made a name for themselves at the Depot after performing there for the first time on May 6, and continually playing live shows and events throughout the summer. “They have a good sound that works at the Depot...We like to have bands from Hopkins, and I think Clear Rec-

ognition has a good sound to do that,” said Reid Madden, junior, and board member of the Depot Coffee House.

Through their time on stage, an official Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and website, Clear Recognition has acquired several loyal fans such as Jimmy Paske, junior. “They are a great group of kids, and are amazing at writing and playing their own music.

They enjoy playing with each other too, which makes the experience even better,” Paske said.

Their mutual dedication to their music is an underlying cause of their success.

“We’re serious. We’re all aspiring to be big,” Lewis said, and fans agreed. “All around the band is very talented musically, and I see a very bright future for them,” Paske said.

3. Billy Lewis 4. Erik Maag 5. Benny Goins Drums / Percussion

INSTRUM EN T:

Lead Vocals & Keyboards

Lead Guitar & Vocals

AT HHS:

Con cert Ch oir & Geo ff

Chamber O rch estra

Chamber O rch estra

Wind Ensemble

Sy m p h ony String s

Cold play

Th e Killers

Wil co, Phis h

Das hboard Con fessional, Lydia

Modest Mouse

M USICA L I N FLU EN CES:

photos by Ursula Arhart

formed “Waves”, everyone started clapping, and we knew it’d be a good song,” Gopinath said.

It all started in ninth grade when Gopinath and Maag passed around a paper to their classmates that basically said, “Who wants to be in a band?”

Since then, the group has lost and gained members, and gone through a series of performance highs and lows.

In January 2011, (before Lewis and Goins joined the group), Clear Recognition released an EP (not a single, but not quite a full length album) entitled “Ashes”. “Our old EP stuff isn’t really representative of our sound. Now we’ve got it to the point where we have

2.

“Each one of us has totally different musical tastes,and it kinda creates a melting pot.”

-Billy Lewis ily and friends. “My uncle sings and plays the piano. I grew up listening to his music; he was a huge influence,” Fontaine said.

Though Fontaine naturally acquired her stage skills, choir at HHS has allowed her to improve her technical skills.

“Choir has helped me develop skills like sight reading and self realization,” Fontaine said.

Balancing any other academics she may have has come easily. “When you have an interest in music, it’s kind of always with you...When you

have free time, that’s what you do,” Fontaine said.

In her spare time, Fontaine finds an outlet in covering various artists, playing guitar and piano, and creating original lyrics. “A lot (of my lyrics) are based on reflections; portraying some type of story or lesson,” Fontaine said.

The confidence Fontaine has developed through performing and writing has determined her future. She has vis-

Bass Sy n th Keyboards Guitar & Backing Vocals

“ They are all so talented as individuals, and each person really brings a lot to the group.”

-Lisa Persson, junior

ited musical schools such as Berklee, and says she’s sure that she wants to pursue music. “I don’t care if I’m some big pop item, I just want to perform all the time.”

photos provided by Lizzie Fontaine & Bridget Bennett

By Lydia Wilson Back Page Editor