December 2022 Issue

STEM projects grow from curiosity

ORION KIM CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR

Although Advanced Topics and Advanced Science Research are two separate courses offered in the US Science depart ment, they share a some goals.

For one, students in both classes experiment with different aspects of science or engineering that pertain to real-world applications. Additional ly, students explore the realm of STEM in more depth than they ever have before.

With big discoveries and moments of failure, students overcome ad versity and keep moving forward.

ADVANCED TOPICS DUO WORKS TO INVENT SELFSUFFICIENT WATERING SYSTEM

Juniors Rishi Bhargava and Humza Murad hope their idea can bring new light in the age of sus tainability. The two are creating a self-watering planter that doesn’t need water.

“For existing self wa tering planters, you still have to refill them, which sort of undermines the concept,” Bhargava said.

The team wanted to take the idea to the next level.

“Rishi and I are creat ing a completely self wa tering planter that uses dehumidifying technolo gy to draw water from the air,” Murad said. “We used a peristaltic pump which uses pressure difference to move water from the dehumidifier reservoir to the plant reservoir.”

Similar to a basic planter, the design has two shells so that the wa

ter can seep into the soil.

“There’s also a soil moisture sensor inside the pot that’s connected to a pi portal which is hu man controlled,” Bharga va said.

Not only is the planter self watering, but it’s also completely self sufficient.

“We have light that’s provided by a UV strip. Essentially you can leave this anywhere you want for any amount of time and it will be able to sur vive without any human interaction.”

The process of build ing such a complicated project meant obstacles were inevitable.

“Our biggest challenge throughout the process

Henry

Junior Henry Choi’s project for Advanced Sci ence Research involves inhibiting a receptor pro tein in a cancer cell cru cial to its invasion.

Not unlike Murad and Bhargava, Choi had to overcome challenges.

“I don’t even know where to start,” he said. “At the beginning I had to redesign my project five times.”

Additionally, Choi had to reach out to the Uni versity of Minnesota for lab space.

“Our school has a bio safety level one lab which means I can’t bring a can cer cell in or it will proba bly just die,” he said.

While he can be in the lab, Choi is still awaiting final approval and isn’t allowed to handle the cells yet, but he hopes to be able to continue his research on a topic that is particularly meaningful to him.

BECCA RICHMAN RESEARCHES IMPACTS OF LIGHT

SOCIAL MEDIA ANONYMITY

In this 2 sides 1 issue, anonymity is addressed. Should we allow the anonymous spread of information, or do we need a face?

so far has been dealing with the pump. We 3D printed many versions, but the resistance would always be too much be cause the material was too hard,” Murad said.

The duo found a solu tion at a well-known online store: Amazon. Although they opted to venture on an easi er route by buying the pump online, it has given them an anecdote to hold onto as they continued their project.

“It taught us that we didn’t always need to over-complicate things,” Murad said.

The design is still in progress, but the two as piring engineers hope to bring this project to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May.

WORLD OF WEDDINGS

While the Western world of weddings is a dominating symbol, other cultures and reli gions have their own unique traditions.

“I always wanted to do something in cancer re search. My grandmother died from cancer before I was born. She seemed like a pretty cool person,” Choi said.

His ambitions for the project spread farther than the classroom.

“I want to be able to contribute to a field where a lot of people need help,” he said. “I hope to verify the viabil ity of the inhibition drug (cabozantinib) and see if it could get FDA ap proved for breast cancer research.”

Choi noted that the drug is approved for liver and kidney cancers.

Choi plans to continue his research through next year in the hopes of de veloping a deeper under standing of the science that may one day change cancer rates.

A: My project is on the impact of light intensity and color on variegation quantity of pearl and jade pothos.

A: I hope to find the ideal indoor light environment to promote variegation, an aesthetic trait that is highly valued by consumers.

A: One challenge I’ve been dealing with is that the blue light I am using failed halfway through my experimental phase so I am figuring out how to recreate that next semester.

TROJAN WOMEN REVIEW

The Greek tragedy tells the dramatic history of how Trojan women were killed and taken off as prizes after the fall of Troy.

HENRY CHOI’S ADVANCED SCIENCE RESEARCH PROJECT at U of M EXAMINES CANCER CELLS

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO A FIELD WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE NEED HELP.

Choi

“

Q: What is your ASR project?

Q: What do you hope to achieve?

Q: What are some challenges you’ve encountered?

AIR PLANTER. Juniors Humza Murad and Rishi Bhargava make some last minute adjust ments to their self-watering planter before class. “A lot of the process has been trial and error and learning from our mistakes,” Murad said.

RUBICON PHOTO: Orion Kim

ANATOMY OF A SELF-WATERING PLANTER

INFOGRAPHIC: Orion Kim

BUILDING BLOCKS. Rishi Bhargava and Humza Murad’s Advanced Topics project con sists of elements they bought at Amazon and 3D printed themselves in order to fulfill its function of being self-watering. “For existing self-watering planters, you still have to refill them,” Bhargava said.

Minnesota abortion clinics overwhelmed as states prohibit access

CATHERINE HOOLEY MANAGING EDITOR

Parenthood. Most clinics that offer abortion services are located in the Twin Cities and surrounding sub urbs.

Thirteen.

That is the number of states where abortion is fully banned.

Twenty-five.

The number of states where abortion is legal, with out future uncertainty is less than half of states.

Within these 25 states, nine do not allow the use of state funds for abortions in most cases.

As laws restricting abortion have been enforced around the U.S. after the overturn of Roe v Wade, the Minnesota Supreme Court has recognized the right to abortion under the Minnesota Constitution, making it an outlet for out-of-state patients.

Women in need seek help over state lines, leaving Minnesota clinics overwhelmed with patients.

“We have seen wait times increase for abortion, but there’s only so long that patients can wait for abortion care,” according to Emily Bisek, Vice President of Stra tegic Communications for Planned Parenthood North Central States. “Wait times fluctuate depending on the service and location. In Minnesota, it’s anywhere from a five to 10-day wait for an abortion appointment.”

Numbers matter as pregnancies advance.

“The wait list isn’t going to grow because people can’t wait that much longer for abortion care; they might just decide to go somewhere else,” Bisek said.

Clinics in Minnesota’s surrounding states, such as Wisconsin and South Dakota, have halted abortions after pre-Roe legislation and new mandates made the procedure illegal.

In states like North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa, abortions are illegal after 22 weeks as of right now, but bills going through legislation that restrict rights are expected to pass.

According Bisek, Planned Parenthood clinics have seen a 13% patient increase since the overturn and a 40% increase in second-trimester abortions. The rise in second-trimester abortions can most likely be ac credited to the additional travel that is necessary for some patients to get an abortion.

It also may have to do with the fact that there are fewer clinics available to perform abortions.

There are 18 Planned Parenthood clinics statewide, plus a few independent health centers. In total, there are nine clinics where abortions, either by surgery or medication, are carried out, four of which are Planned

WHERE I STAND

LIFE OR CHOICE?

Although out-of-state patients do make appoint ments harder to get, Minnesota patients still have the advantage of options.

“There are abortion appointments via telehealth available to patients in Minnesota. So even in Iowa and Nebraska, where abortion is legal, telehealth by mail programs is illegal. In order to get an abortion in Iowa and Nebraska, you have to be in person. Whereas, if a patient lives in Minnesota and has a Minnesota mailing address, they’re eligible to have the abortion pill mailed to their house,” Bisek said.

An important part of the Planned Parenthood initiative is increasing accessibility in Minnesota.

“One of the things that we are implementing is expanding the staff who provides medication abor tion. This summer, there was a case that came down and eliminated most of the abortion restrictions in Minnesota. One of the restrictions that was elimi nated was requiring that only physicians could pro vide abortion,” Bisek said. “So now we have more healthcare staff who can provide abortion care and that drastically helps with the coverage.”

Collecting information is key.

“We are looking into the data of our patients and our care to understand what is happening on the ground so that we can figure out the best strategies to provide care for patients,” she said.

The results of the November elections were cru cial for women’s health Minnesota. There is a prochoice majority in the Minnesota House and Senate and the state has re-elected a pro-choice governor, which points to rights remaining as they are.

HOW ARE WOMEN FROM OUT OF STATE PROTECTED in MN?

On Nov. 16 Tim Walz signed Executive Order 22-16 pro tecting access to reproductive healthcare and abortion for out of state patients. Those who seek treatment in Minnesota will not be subject to legal liability within Minnesota, or once they return home.

Data from mn.gov

1-20 WEEKS

Women are legally allowed to have an abortion procedure up to 20 weeks into pregnancy

20+ WEEKS

After 20 weeks, abortions are only legal for medical emergencies or if the mother’s life is at stake

Personally, I am pro-life. I don’t think [abortion access] should be limited, but when it is after some time, I do not believe [abortion] is morally correct. The mother’s life is more important. If [sex] was not consented to...then [abortion] should be allowed. For legally something to be implemented against abortion, contraceptives must be thoroughly taught about and be free for all who want it. — Lily Malloy

I don’t have a full opinion because I am not educated on the topic enough, but from what I know I would say I lean more towards pro life. But my opinion depends case by case.

— Brody Rindelaub

I am pro-choice. As a man I feel that I should not... choose for women when, where, and why they have a baby considering the mental and physical strain. Also, with the lack of adequate health care and foster programs, having a baby today would be difficult for college/teenage women.

— Simon Assefa

I believe that since it’s a women’s body it should ultimately be their decision. Taking away abortion rights decreases the safety and the ability to choose what you want to do with your body.

— Aurelia Meza

HOW DOES MINNESOTA LEGISLATION PROTECT THE RIGHT TO MEDICAL ABORTION?

ILLUSTRATION: Hazel Waltenbaugh

New York City transparency law promotes salary equity

ANNIE BAI THE RUBICON

Recent pay transpar ency laws in New York City require employers to disclose salary rang es for each job opening they have whether it’s an online posting or printed on a bulletin board. As of Nov. 1, employees no longer have to secretly discuss and compare sal aries fearing punishment from their bosses.

Sophomore June Dal ton said, “I think that it’s very important for people who do the same job to make the same amount of money be cause otherwise it can just be really unfair based on race, gender and liter ally anything else.”

She said that is some ones goes above and be yond at that one job or if an employees does things they weren’t required to, more pay makes sense.

But if two employees are doing the exact same thing at the same level, “then it just isn’t fair,” Dalton said.

Businesses hiring workers are required to post the minimum and maximum salary range for any job; but within the first week of New York’s transparency laws,

workers began to see un realistically broad ranges from employers.

According to CNBC Make It, “Citigroup listed several jobs with a range of $0 to $2 million… a revised entry for a post for a client services offi cer listed the salary range between $61,710 and $155,290 as of Wednes day, before it was taken down.”

Although factors such as skill level and experi ence do affect salaries to a certain extent, it is dif ficult to consider a good faith range larger than $100,000 to be an accu rate representation of the range. To avoid this direct comparison, companies attempt to find loopholes around this law and in some cases, they choose to stop advertising their job openings altogether.

According to The Min nesota Department of La bor and Industry, “Under the Minnesota Wage Dis closure Protection law, you have the right to tell any person the amount of your own wages. Your employer cannot retal iate against you for dis closing your own wages.”

Part of the transpar ency law requires “good faith,” it represents how much a company is will ing to pay its employees depending on factors like the candidate’s industry knowledge, experience and technical and com munication skills.

Junior Arden Lillemoe said, “I think it reason able for employees... go ing above and beyond or have been working some where for a long time to have a higher wage.”

When asked what pay transparency looks like at SPA, the Director of Hu man Resources declined to comment.

Minnesota laws re garding wage disclosure are aimed at preventing existing gender and racial discrimination.

While there is no pay transparency law in the state or the Twin Cities, the MN Office of the Re visor includes the full text of protections for Equal Pay Sec. 181.66 and Wage Disclosure Sec. 181.172.

The first guarantees equal pay for equal work and outlines the process to bring forward a com

plaint if it is not being followed by an employ er. The wage disclosure simply states that an

employee can share how much money they make without fear of repercus sion or being fired by an employer.

Time’s Up states that “While on average, wom en in the United States are paid 82 cents for ev ery dollar paid to men, Latinx women earn 54 cents, Native American women earn 57 cents, Black women earn 62 cents, and AAPI women earn 90 cents on the dol lar of a white man.”

“This is something only fixable if we fix the system which is inherent ly racist and sexist,” Lil lemoe said. “That would not be something as easy as changing a policy, but it is possible for the sys tem to change over time with active effort. We can start by spreading aware ness of how the system treats nonwhite people [and other minorities],” Lillemoe said.

These transparency laws attempt to achieve pay equity by allowing employees to disclose their wages displaying a clear pay gap which lowers the risk of pay discrimination. In hopes of achieving pay equity, more states have begun to adopt similar laws.

Academic Program and Policies Committee focuses on culture of grades

GEORGIA ROSS THE RUBICON

Grading is viewed differently by everyone involved in the students’ lives, from administra tion to teachers, parents, and colleges.

The hot subject of grading seems rather ta boo; after asking four teachers for interviews about the grading envi ronment, three were con cerned about giving their perspectives and one nev er responded.

The system is always a controversial topic. What should grades represent? How should students feel when they get a bad grade?

These are questions before the Academic Pro gram and Policies Com mittee (APPC).

The group was created last year by former US Principal Theresa Collins in an effort to discuss ac ademic matters in the up per school with members of each department.

In short-term adjust ments, “The conversation

Tom Anderson

has been centered on when and how [teachers] report grades to students and their families, and how that intersects with the comments and par ent conferences,” said the leader of APPC, Academ ic Dean Tom Anderson.

But the group has also been tackling a “larger discussion of assessment and how [the way] we structure our assessments encourages the type of learning that we want our students to experi ence,” Dir. of Engineering Kate Lockwood said. She serves on the committee,

which is mostly com prised of faculty depart ment heads.

Grading plays a con siderable role in students’ lives. While grading may motivate some students to work hard, it also puts unnecessary stress on others.

“It makes you feel judged and that you didn’t try hard enough […] it makes you feel like you’re not good or smart enough,” sophomore Syd ney Zimmerman said.

APPC has been work ing to better define the relationship between feedback, grades, confer ences, communication, and comments.

“We’ve been working at understanding what the relationship is and maybe refining that or having that make more sense,” history teacher and member of APPC Andrea Moerer said.

Grades should be based more on “effort and the student’s ability to present their work,” Zimmerman said.

APPC is discussing

ways to give clear feed back about where stu dents are and how they can improve their grades without resulting in un due stress or frustration.

“I think that we all just want the students to know that we are active ly engaged in trying to make the student experi ence as positive and ben eficial as possible,” Moer er said.

The modern-day let ter grading system has roots tracing back to the 1700s. In fact, letter grad ing all started as a way to assess shoes produced in factories and determine whether or not they could be sold.

By putting themselves in the shoes of students, families and their peers, APPC hopes to walk away with conclusions

that make the process useful.

One of the earliest changes that came out of the committee was the shift of narrative com ments from January to October, right before par ent-teacher conferences.

Grade reporting will also be earlier this win ter, with semester grades released Dec. 22.

PAY GAP. New transparency laws aim to make salary dis crepancies more apparent by forcing companies to disclose information.

THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN CENTERED ON WHEN AND HOW [TEACHERS] REPORT GRADES TO STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES,

OUR MISSION

of the staff agree 100%

Eliana Mann Davan Rosen Alexandra Cardwell Mariam Malik Rita Li Siri Pattison Clara McKoy Zadie Martin Nelson Wodarz Ivy Raya Alison Mitchell Marius Morse

MEMBERSHIPS

EDITORIAL THE RUBICON STAFF

Race-fishing. Misusing AAVE. Wearing cultures as costumes. Actions like these taken to conform to a certain group become problematic when people believe the only way to be perceived as different is by fitting into a minority label. Ap propriating aspects of minority identities only glorifies the oppression they face and ignores the existence of privilege. But privilege is not inherently bad; being oppressed is not a trend or competition, and hiding privilege is counterproductive to allyship and enacting change.

The desire to be seen as unique or special can manifest in efforts to fit into certain minority groups. A study from Scientific American showed that majority groups tend to overestimate the size of minority groups because they stand out as being inherently different, leading to a greater recollection of them compared to that of the majority. Overestimating the size of minority groups also caused a decrease in support for them because of the fear of being overtaken. However, a stronger perception of minority groups can also be a reason that people want to be considered a minority in order to be seen as special or different. When people believe having a minority identity is directly linked to standing out, it is easy to jump to the conclusion that appropriating those minority aspects would bring more attention to them.

Oppression is not a competition: recognize privilege to create change HIDING

Connections made within a minority group can also imply sharing experiences of discrimination, receiving understanding without explanation, and being around similar individuals. This form of belonging, specific to minority groups, can be appeal ing because of the acceptance and similarities they offer. In the pyramid hierarchy of human needs, belonging is a central social need, making it an important motivation for human behavior. When minority groups have networks of connections, often cre ated by the commonality of understanding similar struggles, the acceptance and support offered within the group can seem ap pealing to outsiders even if they are not part of it. Even without the shared experience of discrimination, the desire to belong to a community can lead people to create reasons to be included in it, specifically through oppression.

Is claiming oppression a productive way of expressing empathy for an issue? No. Is it simply wanting to be included? Unlikely. While intersectionality, the over lapping of different identities, can imply facing oppression as part of multiple minority groups, it is equally important to acknowledge when privilege is held in some areas and not others. As described by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, who originally coined the term to describe the oppression of black women, “Inter sectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects.” While everyone has some sort of intersectional identity, there are always some areas where certain people have social advantag es. Putting visible and invisible diversity on the same level devalues the privilege held by people who can choose when and where to show their identity. Instead of glorifying the struggles that minority groups face, it is crucial to recognize that appropriating minority identities only makes privilege lose its meaning.

Acknowledging certain areas of privilege does not mean one’s own struggles are not valid. There are other forms of acceptance that are not limited to minority groups, and the first step is examining the reasons as to why someone would want to be oppressed. Instead of glorifying the hardships caused by oppression, consider whether the true appeal is the attention or the validation of others or something else. Support for one’s own struggles can be found in other communities with out actively creating reasons to be victimized. Additionally, privilege can be used productively to create change instead of being hidden. Take the opportunity to recognize spaces where privilege is held and use it to make progress in the places where it can make a difference.

EDITORIAL CARTOON: Ellie Putaski

Social media accounts should have a name/ identity clearly attached to them.

36% disagree or strongly disagree

agree or strongly agree

39%

LIKE / DISLIKE. In a poll sent Nov. 9 with 10% of students in grades 9-12 responding, most associated clear sources on media with credibility and anonymity with spreading misinformation.

Having a clear identity behind social media accounts makes them more credible.

Social media accounts should be completely anonymous.

Anonymity on social media facilitates the spread of misinformation.

17%

67% disagree or strongly disagree

agree or strongly agree

58%

agree or strongly agree

5% disagree or strongly disagree

2 SIDES, 1 ISSUE: SOCIAL MEDIA

47% disagree or strongly disagree

agree or strongly agree

28%

Pitfalls and perks of anonymity

MADDY FISHER EDITOR IN CHIEF

Misinformation, trolling and harassment have grown exponentially since the advent of the internet. Initially created for government researchers to share information, the internet has evolved far beyond what any of its architects imagined. Early versions of virtual commu nity were limited to discussion groups with specific topics and strict codes of conduct.

Now, social media has taken the place of these “newsgroups,” and discussion is everywhere; from comment sections to forums, anyone can share their opinion on anything. While this freedom has facilitated glo balized connection, it also has its consequences. Originally a medium for sharing and creating community, social media has become a facilitator of fear-mongering and hate.

Studies from Pew Research Center conducted in 2014, 2017 and 2021 show that online harassment (defined as offensive name-calling, purpose ful embarrassment, stalking, physical threats, harassment over a sustained period of time and sexual ha rassment) has steadily increased, with a significant increase in se verity between 2017 and 2021. Most of the participants cited social media as the most common venue of harassment.

This kind of harassment can have an incredible impact on mental health. A recent study funded by the National Institute of Health and con ducted by researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that victims of cyberbullying were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts and attempts than those who hadn’t been cyberbullied.

Misinformation has become likewise perva sive; reporters at the New York Times (assigned beats covering the trends and tactics associated with misinformation) claim that so-called “fake news” has gotten worse since the 2016 election.

So why has social media become such a hotbed of hate and lies?

The problem isn’t people’s opinions or the agendas they contribute to—the problem is anonymity. Research has consistently shown that anonymity lowers inhibitions and increases unethical behavior. Ac cording to a study conducted at Stanford University in 2014, controversial content is over three times more likely to be shared anonymously.

Without identities attached to accounts, users feel comfortable harassing others and spreading misinformation. It’s altogether too easy to create an anonymous account, and there are rarely consequences, whether legal or otherwise, for offensive behavior. Devices make everything impersonal; it’s easy to forget that there are real people behind the profiles.

It’s time for content platforms to stop allowing or, at the very least, mod erate anonymous comments. This won’t stop all harmful commenting, but it is a good first step—providers need to promote accountability.

PUBLICATIONS POLICIES

PUBLICATION INFO The Rubicon is published eight times a year. We distribute 750 copies of each issue to the Upper School which are available for free.

ADVERTISING The Rubicon does not accept advertisements.

ANONYMOUS SOURCES Although it is always preferable to use names when reporting, there are times when it is necessary to protect those we report

on. In the case of a student, the use of grade level as a name designation (i.e. Sophomore Student) will be the preferred method of anonymity.

BY LINES credit the individual who conducted interviews, drafted, revised and fact-checked an assigned story. Shared bylines are given to joint effort assignments, with reporters listed alphabetically by last name. Stories that include supplemental materials include a credit at the bottom that states

ELIZA FARLEY THE RUBICON

There’s a lot of fear-mongering about anony mous social media accounts out there—that they spread copious misinformation, that they’re dan gerous—and it isn’t entirely warranted. True, accountability online is im portant, but there are benefits of anonymity that people often overlook when they focus on a vocal minority of hateful individuals.

Anonymous accounts allow people to interact with the internet safely, without fear that their personal information is on full display to strangers. Frequently, people put personally identifiable information in their social media bios without thinking: their state, their high school, their graduat ing year. They share aspects of their lives because it helps their friends and family know which account to follow. But even if an account is private, this information is on full display. The old “stranger-danger” adage doesn’t stop being relevant on the internet—it’s safer to keep that information for people you know and trust in real life.

Also in the vein of safety, anonymous accounts allow people to engage in conversations online that could endan ger them if their family and friends found out about them. A study in the Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health found that many LGBTQ individuals use the internet to find resources about their identity and connect with a larger community. However, for LGBTQ people that live around people who aren’t supportive of them, using their real name when posting online about their identity can put them at serious risk. Anonymity in cases like these can mean the difference between safety and estrangement.

It’s also true that anonymity can keep people safe when they’re speaking up against oppression. Take Laurie Penny for example, a feminist writer on Facebook who had frequently been the victim of death and rape threats. The threats spilled over into her real life, and Penny had been forced to leave her home at least once because of them. When she created an account with a lesser-known name to try and protect herself, Facebook closed it for its ‘inauthentic name.’ Penny had to continue facing the harassment she tried so hard to avoid—but if she had been allowed to remain anonymous, her safety could have been retained.

People often worry about the dangers of being targeted by unknown strangers online. They’ll ask themselves, “How do I protect myself from anonymity?” However, a better question is, “How can I protect myself with anonymity?” When people have the option to keep their identities private, a whole new world opens up to them, safer and freer than ever before. Perhaps a nameless account, instead of a po tential aggressor, is just a future friend.

“Additional reporting by” followed by the name of the reporter.

EDITORIALS articulate the collective opinion of The Rubicon staff, while mini-editorials, opinions pieces, arts reviews, and columns belong to the author.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Opinions are welcomed as Letters to the Editor or Submitted Opinions and may be published in the print or

edition. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 400 words and Submitted Opinions should not exceed 650 words. Both may be edited for length and style. All pieces must be submitted and will be published with a full name.

UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS

During the post-critique process, staff members identify inaccuracies and report feedback from readers. The staff publishes corrections when an error is discovered during critique or reported

to a staff member. Corrections should be directed to the Editor in Chief or appropriate section editor.

IN PRINT: Corrections are printed at the bottom of News p. 2. Corrections will be printed in the month following the error and, if the story is also published online, will be corrected following the online corrections policy.

ILLUSTRATION: Eliza Farley

EMOJIS: Wikimedia Commons

What factors go into the decision? COLLEGE SEARCH

Process offers many pathways for making a choice

GEORGIA ROSS THE RUBICON

AS SOMEONE THAT’S BEEN SURROUNDED

BY ACADEMIC RIGOR

MY WHOLE LIFE, I’M KIND OF SICK OF IT.

Autumn Spaulding

The college search: an exciting yet some times stressful road most juniors and seniors journey on.

This opportunity comes with mixed feel ings: students feel expected to know where they want to live and what they want to do... with the rest of their life.

Focusing on which school characteristics students are drawn to can help clarify and narrow the search.

“A huge part of helping a student find col leges that really fit who they are starts with understanding who they are,” Director of College Counseling and Academic Planning Mary Hill said.

That’s why students are assigned a college counselor at the end of sophomore year. But this isn’t an assignment to start a college search; it’s about building a relationship with their college counselor.

According to Hill picking a college based on statistics is a misstep. Instead, “...explore characteristics of colleges that fit the learn ing environment [you] want,” she said.

Junior Audrey Senaratna said she is drawn to larger cities and people with a range of backgrounds. “Diversity is definitely some

50%

thing I want to be surrounded by when I go into the world by myself,” Senaratna said.

According to a poll sent to all current ju niors and seniors, the geographical location of a college is a top three consideration.

This report doesn’t necessarily fit where people ultimately go after commencement. For instance, 56.3% of juniors said the sec ond most enticing location for college is the West Coast; data in the admissions office shows only 20% of the Class of 2022 enrolled in West Coast schools.

On the matter of staying close to home? Only half of survey respondents would con sider attending a college in Minnesota. Yes, according to the College Counseling School Profile of 2022-23, more grads enrolled at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities than any other college between 2019 and 2022.

Another consideration is a school’s em phasis on academics.

“As someone that’s been surrounded by academic rigor my whole life, I’m kind of sick of it,” senior Autumn Spaulding said. Instead, Spaulding is seeking out colleges where people prioritize balancing school work and having fun.

Students interested in pursuing a partic ular area of study may find themselves seek ing out specialized programs that give them more opportunities in a field. For some, these programs, or lack thereof, could be a potential deciding factor.

“Something that deter[s] me from schools is a weak science program,” Senaratna said.

Spaulding has always found herself inter ested in fashion and business but only some times sought out specialized programs at the beginning of her college search. Eventually, she “...kind of realized there’s no point in pursuing a college that doesn’t have [fashion and business] as a program and doesn’t have connections.”

Hill said that it’s important to keep anx iety down and focus on the journey. Know ing there’s a road map, much of which gets drawn by students during their search, is a good place to start.

of juniors and seniors say they would consider attending a college in Minnesota.

YOU BETCHA!

I love living in MINNESOTA because I love our SEASONS. There are also some COLLEGES in MINNESOTA with really good ACADEMICS and student communities. As long as I’m NOT TOO CLOSE to home or SPA, I’d attend college in Minnesota.

Maya Sachs

Most of my FAMILY lives in Minnesota so it would be nice not having to take an AIRPLANE to go see them. The CAMPUSES on the INSIDE also look a lot different than they do on the OUTSIDE so I can feel like I am in a new place, even though I am not that far from HOME.

Lucas Grewe

I want to BRANCH OUT by going to college in a different town, but not necessarily OUTSIDE of the state. I’ve realized I don’t want to leave the state because I like Minnesota and I want to stay within a car ride from HOME. On top of that, the college I LIKE the most happen to be in Minnesota.

Maggie Fried

MINNESOTA = NICE?

50%

of juniors and seniors say they would not consider attending a college in Minnesota.

NOPE, I’M OUT!

I want to discover a location that is NEW and UNFAMILIAR to switch things up from what I am used to after living in MINNESOTA my entire life.

Clara McKoy

I want to ESCAPE Minnesota.

Cardwell

I need to GET OUT of Minnesota. It’s too COLD, and I don’t like it HERE.

Alexandra

Davan Rosen

DO YOUR

VALUES

COME INTO PLAY?

14.3%

SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT that fellow students share their beliefs and values.

WHAT WE LOOK AT MOST

63.4%

IMPORTANT

students share their beliefs and values.

Many considerations factor into the college search. But when it comes to top priorities, juniors and seniors share the same three:

21.4%

VERY IMPORTANT that fellow students share their beliefs and values.

OH THE PLACES WE’LL GO

Seniors are most drawn to colleges in the MIDWEST with 57.1% reporting themselves as interested.

Juniors are most drawn to colleges on the EAST COAST with 68.8% reporting themselves as interested.

TOO BIG? TOO SMALL? JUST RIGHT.

Juniors prefer small-sized colleges (under 5,000 students) the LEAST,

Seniors prefer small and mediumsized colleges (between 5,000 and 10,000 students) the MOST.

Juniors prefer medium-sized colleges the MOST.

Try not to get too influenced by your PARENTS in your decisions. Obviously, their opinions are VALUABLE, but this is the next four years of your FUTURE.

Where do you see yourself have the most FULFILLING college experience?

It’s STRESSFUL, But EXCITING. But STRESSFUL.

SOCIAL SCENE LOCATION ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Seniors prefer large-sized colleges (between 10,000 and 20,000 students) the LEAST.

Maggie Fried

Violet Benson

Get to know the process that

starts with a great partnership

MADDY FISHER EDITOR IN CHIEF

Whether it’s lasagna roll-ups or Taco Tuesday, a significant amount of thought and effort goes into the lunch program.

“The meal plan is a re ally big part of the overall function of the school,” John Cole, Director of Operations and Security said. “It’s analyzed and worked out really closely.

There’s a lot of work to ensure that every dent has the opportunity to eat quality food day.”

Cole oversees the tract with Taher, Inc. company that helps age the program.

The head chef on campus (Tom Schiller the Randolph campus and Erik Swedberg the Goodrich campus)

ONE.

of change off the fly like that.”

It’s about more than just meals

The lunch program is one part of a larger food service provided by Taher that includes everything from catering for special events or cookies at a meeting.

According to their web site, Taher serves over 34 million meals per year in schools, senior residences, summer camps and busi nesses.

On the Randolph and Goodrich campuses, they provide kitchen, server, and dish staffing and manage program lo gistics, including menu planning and service.

“Head chefs Tom and Eric are on the frontlines when it comes to order ing products and menu planning and things like that,” Cole said.

Both Cole and Interim Director of Finance Pam Dykstra emphasized the importance and quality of Taher’s work.

“The chefs and the em ployees that are in our kitchens every day pre paring and serving meals take a lot of pride in what they do,” Cole said.

“They’re a big part of the community.”

“They’ve been our food service provider for 20 plus years,” Dykstra add ed. “We occasionally get bids from other compa nies but we just are so happy with Taher. They have really worked at becoming a part of our community.”

Dykstra believes the col laboration between the school and the Taher staff

on site is responsible for an incredible program.

“I’ve been around the school off and on since 1994. I meet a lot with my peers from other schools across the coun try who use other food service companies,” Dyks tra said. “They come here and they experience what we’ve got and they’re al ways very impressed.”

STEP THREE. The lunch menu is usually posted on Veracross a month in advance. Schiller said, “I usually try to be ahead of the game on getting some of the things in. A few of us are here at 6:30, some come in at 7:00, some come in at 8:00. We have a production that we do everyday, they cut the fresh fruit, they cut the vegetables, they start prepping and all that.”

ILLUSTRATIONS: Orion Kim

STEP

The menu items and shipments depend on product availability. After the pandemic, many products became unavailable with inconsistent supply. Chef Tom Schiller said, “Ketchup right now is a hard commodity to get. Things like that kind

It

that puts lunch on the ta ble

to do every stu opportunity every con Inc. the man each Schiller at campus Swedberg at campus)

is expected to plan the menu around 30 days in advance.

To determine the amount and type of food ordered, staff track the popularity of each daily menu, observing every thing from the amount of leftovers to the frequency of students returning for seconds.

All of this data, as well as feedback from the school

community, information from previous years, and item availability, is com piled to help inform the meal planning process.

The objective is bal ance—to limit food waste while also providing enough food for each stu dent to eat a healthy and fulfilling meal.

The process is not with out its complexities. Ev ery year brings a new set of staff, students, and schedules, and it takes time to figure out the ad justments that must be made.

Accommodating di etary restrictions creates shifts in the process; some requests can be more expensive and less accessible.

“We have a growing number of students, fac ulty and staff that have di etary restrictions: wheth

er it’s halal, or vegan, or gluten free,” Cole said. “We want to make sure that every student and staff member has an op tion that fits within their eating plan.”

The delivery process adds another level of complexity to the lunch program.

Food deliveries from distributors Sysco or Bix arrive at school each week, and there’s a rota tion of products based on seasonal availability. Cer tain items can be difficult

to get, due to extreme weather or supply chain issues.

“It’s a matter of putting those menus together based on the produce that we have or that we’re ordering,” Cole said. “There are times when there’s produce [the dis tributors] can’t get, so the chefs have to make al ternative plans. Proteins are the tough ones in the planning and order ing because that’s where we’re seeing a lot of the delays in shipping.”

FAVORITE MEMORIES from

the Taher Staff

FOUR. Most of the food made is gone by the end of the day. “It’s amazing the amount of food kids eat. through a lot of fresh fruit which is nice, these guys are eating fresh produce fresh fruit. It does take a process but we’ve got it down pretty well, we’re a great staff. ”

It ensures that everyone’s needs are met

STEP TWO. Schiller schedules three shipments from SYSCO every week. “I use SYSCO as my biggest producer. We get our deliveries on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. SYSCO has pretty much everything.” Schiller said.

“ When the whole lunch room sang Happy Birthday to me. That was embarrassing but kind of nice.

- Tanya Anderson

“ Making food for everyone. When I see the kids eat food or salad, their faces are exciting for me.

- Yulimar Garcia

“ I look out for people who have different allergies eating preferences and things like that. I put a lot of work into that back here and I enjoy it. I enjoy seeing people happy and being able to eat like everybody else.

- Danora Loudermilk

Read more about Chef Tom’s ice and wood carving talents at

Wondrous World Weddings

A GLANCE AT SOME OF THE WAYS PEOPLE GET MARRIED

CLAIRE KIM THE RUBICON

White clothes, bouquet-tossing, cutting the cake: while these Western traditions may come to mind first when thinking of weddings, different cultures and religions have different ways of symbolizing marriage.

Even though weddings are all similar in that they form lifelong connections between people, they have histor ically been expressions of political alliances and social networks. However, the modern meaning of marriage is typically a celebration of love and unity and a way of con necting families after marriage.

Junior Melina Kannankutty, who attended an Indian wedding with her family, described the dress and cere monies as the main differences from a Western wedding. Most attendees wore colorful saris or lehengas: long, robelike dresses traditionally worn in India that wrap around the body and have different stitchings and patterns like butti motifs.

of the family that I hadn’t in a while by being brought together with the wedding,” he said.

Religious and cul tural beliefs can seem overly tradi tional or old-fash ioned for some attendees.

For junior Lucy Shaffer, the roles of the bride and groom felt outdat ed at a Christian wedding she attended with her aunt, even though they were a large part of the ceremony.

“This man wraps the bride’s and groom’s hands together with a ribbon and starts asking questions to the bride such as ‘Do you promise to give your all to your husband, to be faithful and honor your husband as the spiritual head and follow him as you follow Christ?’” she said. “I was opposed to the whole ‘woman giving up her life for her husband’ vows and promises thing.”

Although religious symbols were a major part of the wedding Shaffer attended, she described a less positive experience at the wedding because of her dis tance from the religion and its traditions.

Kannankutty also noticed the scale of the wedding to be much larger than Western weddings, as it had religious ceremonies known as pujas leading up to it which in volved the whole family.

“The thing that stood out to me was how many people were at the wedding,” she said. “I knew our family was big but it was easily upwards of 400 people and at most 100 were friends.”

Religion also played a large role in a Hindu and Jewish wedding sophomore Milan Mishra attended, where he de scribed religious aspects that transitioned into a conven tional wedding reception.

“In each part, there were small traditions for the re spective religions like tossing marigolds at the end of the Hindu wedding,” Mishra said.

Marigolds, symbolizing the sun and the ideal cou ple Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi in Hindu mythology, are commonly used in cere monies and as decorations at Hindu weddings.

“My favorite part about it was probably just seeing a side

While different cultures and religions use a va riety of symbols and traditions to represent mar riage, it’s clear that weddings are a way to celebrate connections between people.

“Indian weddings are truly celebrations of life and love,” Kannankutty said. “They are so colorful and family-oriented.”

Cultural symbols can be a way of expressing positive feelings towards marriage; for example, Chinese weddings are held on certain dates that are seen as lucky and the colors red and gold are used to represent good fortune.

Traditional Finnish weddings have a bride walk with an umbrel la over her to symbolize protec tion and a match to represent a continuous burning of love.

Weddings in all cultures share parallels as they estab lish a time of celebration, but with different focuses and meanings held by the communities involved.

PUJA AND PRAYER. This photo depicts a puja, a traditional religious ceremony performed prior to weddings that is often intended to be stow good luck on the married couple. Often times, fruit and flowers will be offered as gifts to various gods.

FULL TURN OUT. Melina Kannankutty poses for a group photo with some of the other wedding guests. Kannankutty estimates that over 400 people were in attendance.

IN EACH PART THERE WERE SMALL TRADITIONS FOR RESPECTIVE RELIGIONS LIKE TOSSING MARIGOLDS [...]

Milan Mishra

“

SUBMITTED PHOTOS: Melina Kannankutty

ILLUSTRATION: Orion Kim

ANIMAL HUMANE SOCIETY

Volunteers can work at an animal shelter and help pets find forever homes. Must be 16+. Apply online at https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/volunteer.

GREATER MINNESOTA CRISIS NURSERY

Volunteers can prepare food for and work with chil dren from families in need. Find more information at https://www.crisisnursery.org/volunteer/.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Volunteers can help build affordable homes. Must be 16+ to work on a construction site. See more options at https://www.tchabitat.org/volunteer.

Sophomores lend helping hands during holidays

ANNIE ZHANG THE RUBICON

The holiday breaks in late November and half of December provid ing sophomores with a chance to fulfill a portion of the 12 community ser vice hours that are a part of the grade level experi ence.

Sophomore Class Leadership Council com piles an annual list of volunteering opportu nities to make students’ lives easier. The list in cludes places like the In ternational Institute of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Natu ral Resources, Meals on Wheels -- and so much more.

With an extensive list, students can to choose

the opportunities that they connect the most to.

SoCLC leader Nich olas McCarthy plans to volunteer with both the Isles Ensemble orchestra and the Minnesota De partment of Natural Re sources.

“I volunteered at the Isles Ensemble because one of my parents plays in the Isles Ensemble. I am going to volunteer at the DNR because nature is cool,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy completed the service over Thanks giving Break, he said, be cause it allowed for free time without school or homework.

Sophomore Bora Mandic, who comes from a Turkish background, plans to teach non-native speakers English.

[VOLUNTEERING] DEFINITELY... SPREADS HAPPINESS, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE HOLIDAYS.

Scarlett Gibson

“I found out about [a] Turkish organiza tion from my mom and I thought it would be a cool experience to try out,” he said. “I chose to volunteer because I want ed to help out someone who is trying to come to the US from Turkey.”

Community service serves as a way for stu dents to try new things and participate in activ ities that they normally may not have the chance for.

“I’m applying to do some hours at the Hu mane Society,” sopho more Scarlett Gibson said. “I’m doing the Hu mane Society because I like animals and I don’t get lots of opportunities to work with them even though I want to.”

Besides helping out others, Gibson believes that volunteering holds the power to bring fami lies closer together.

“I think it’s definitely a great family activity and

its fun spreads happiness, especially around the holidays,” she said.

To volunteer at differ ent organizations is not difficult either.

According to McCar thy, “For the Isles Ensem ble, I talked to relatives. For the DNR, I went to their website and emailed the site manager at the Scientific Natural Area where I am going to vol unteer. [Plus,] on Nov. 19, the first day of Thanksgiv ing break, there was a vol unteering opportunity at a Scientific Nature cen ter [mentioned in]... an email from Dr. Moerer,” he said.

History teacher An drea Moerer is the facul ty advisor to SoCLC and communicates regularly with the class as new op

things you may not know about Ezra Straub

ALISON MITCHELL RUBICONLINE

ONE.

Ezra transferred to SPA as a fresh man. “[I transferred from] Yinghua Academy. It’s a Chinese immersion [school]...[in] Northeast Minneapo lis. It [SPA] has been a great commu nity. It’s been fun to win champion ships at the school and [to] make a lot of new friends.”

FOUR.

Ezra has a dream of playing in the NBA one day. “I’m gonna grow to 6’ 5” over the summer. I’m gonna dunk on people. And LeBron James is gonna call me and recruit me to the Lakers.”

TWO.

Ezra used to be a part of the debate team. “I had a prolific debate career with zero wins at my three tourna ments...I didn’t do it [debate] again because I wasn’t winning. I don’t like being [a] loser.”

FIVE.

Ezra is a soccer player. “I’ve played club since I was nine. It’s fun to play. I play, depending on who I’m play ing with, as [an] attacking center mid or left wing.”

portunities come up.

As high school stu dents take advantage of the holiday season, peo ple expect nonprofits to see a surge of volunteers.

“I think there’d be more people volunteer ing during the holidays because it’s an especially important time of the year for community work and giving gifts and joy to the people who don’t have a direct source to those things,” Gibson said.

Volunteering isn’t just for sophomores fulfilling their 12 hours; anyone interested in finding a good match for their ser vice interests can explore options at Hands On Twin Cities. (www.hand sontwincities.org)

THREE.

Ezra is in the Principles of Engineer ing class. “I’m building a Corvette with the Legos. We had two options, a firetruck or a Corvette. We chose the Corvette because me and my partner Natalie V. decided on this one.”

HAPPY HELPERS. Sophomores Ava Schluender, Mariam Malik, Sophia Bietz, and Adele Gjerde accompany their friend Scarlett Gibson (not pictured) to Feed My Starving Children. FMSC is a popular volunteering destination for students trying to get their hours in, not in small part because it’s easy to spend an afternoon with close friends there.

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Scarlett Gibson

PHOTO: Alison Mitchell

Places that earn a 10/10 from 10th graders for giving back to the community

[ON THE MEND]

Bouncing back after sports injury

HAZEL WALTENBAUGH THE RUBICON

Athletics come with an increased risk of injury and with 30 million children and adolescents participating in sports each year, more than 3.5 mil lion experience injury. Injuries are slightly more common during competition, where almost half of the injuries are due to sprains, and the other half are equally distributed between concussions, frac tions, contusions and a fourth category that includes cuts, tears and dislocations.

According to CDC data, high school boys football and soccer re port the most injuries, followed by girls soccer and volleyball.

Athletic trainer Anne Hutchins said that on this campus, “The number one thing you are going to see here is muscle strains, like hamstring or quadricep injuries, or ankle sprains.”

She said one of the most important ways to prevent injury is nu trition before and during the season. This includes hydration and protein intake, but also an overall balance of foods and nutrients.

“Part of that is sleep,” Hutchins said. “Sleep is becoming a huge hot topic with athletes, that they’re just not getting enough sleep for their bodies to recover.”

Three athletes tell their recovery stories below:

Anne Hutchins

[Losing a senior season: Maddy Fisher trades soccer for surgery

A few weeks after the start of the soccer sea son in September, senior Maddy Fisher tore her ACL.

“Somebody pushed me from behind and, on the foot that was plant ed, my knee twisted out wards,” Fisher said.

She tore her ACL (an terior cruciate ligament), meniscus and MCL (me dial collateral ligament).

With this injury, leg bones scrape across each other and move out of place. The ACL is the liga ment link between them and it keeps the knee sta ble.

Without the working musculature, walking -let alone the intensity of soccer play -- becomes im possible.

Fisher was out for the last two months, watch

ing from the bench as her high school team went to the state finals.

She will also miss the rest of her club season, spending those hours in physical therapy instead of playing on the field.

“I’ve played soccer for almost 15 years,” Fisher said. “Once you get to a certain age, in women’s sports especially, you just see it happen all the time.”

Fisher said she has seen around four play ers per year tear an ACL since she started high school.

After surgery, Fisher returned to school with a wheelchair, then crutch es, and is just beginning to embrace the recovery process. She has three to four hours of physical

Nathan Cohen upps ultrasound therapy after sustaining hematoma in soccer playoffs

The season ended with a second place finish, but boys varsity soccer captain Nathan Cohen spent a good amount of time during and after his season with the athletic trainer, working on re covery.

“I got hit in my leg pretty early on in the [state] final, like 30 sec onds in, and I’m not real

ly sure how it happened but I ended up with a he matoma,” he said.

A hematoma is usu ally caused by impact or stress on an area of tissue; in athletes, they are most commonly caused by a kick or fall.

“A ton of blood and fluid got trapped in my thigh,” Cohen said. He’s worked with Hutchins to

heal the hematoma and improve blood flow.

“You don’t want it to stay put and dry up,” Co hen said.

therapy every day to com plete on her own, as well as PT appointments once a week.

Eventually, the inten sity will increase and she will go up to four times a week until she has fully recovered.

The healing process is all about benchmarks, Fisher said: “Before I can return to running, before I can walk, I have to meet requirements like achiev ing a certain amount of symmetry between my legs. I’ve got to be able to do certain types of exer cises, my pain has to be at a certain level.”

On top of being ab sent from her athletic life, MRI appointments,

meeting with surgeons, going through surgery, and the physical therapy process have forced Fish er to miss several days of school.

“The administration has been super accom modating, and people in The Center for Teaching and Learning have been very helpful. They made plans for me to catch up, my teachers have let me skip some of my work. But it’s still pretty hard to come back to school after missing so much. With a full schedule, trying to catch up, I’m still work ing on that,” Fisher said.

KEEP IT MOVING.

Nathan Cohen moves an ultra sound wand across his thigh to keep blood flowing to the rest of his leg, while a hematoma heals.

“You don’t want it to stay put and dry up,” Cohen said. Ultrasound, ice, and

Natalie Vogenthaler pauses play over nerve pinch

Volleyball captain Na talie Vogenthaler, who is libero for the varsity vol leyball team, had to take time off during the sea son due to a nerve issue in her shoulder.

“I ran into another player and our shoul ders collided. A nerve in my shoulder, that

goes through my rib, got pinched, and so the mus cles around that nerve have been super irritat ed,” Vogenthaler said.

Vogenthaler was al lowed to continue play ing in her season as long as the pain was tolerable but ended up taking the majority of her season off,

sitting out from games, or only playing for short pe riods of time.

“I missed a lot of school for physical thera py,” she said.

Sometimes the pain caused Vogenthaler to miss school because the pain was too strong.

While the season is

over, the recovery will take the rest of the year.

“About six months of physical therapy, icing, and slowly easing my way back,” she said, is the plan.

GRIT.

Vogenthaler jumps up to serve during a varsity volleyball match before a pinched nerve took her away from the sport. “I’m still recovering... and slowly easing my way back into sports,” she said.

THE NUMBER ONE THING YOU ARE GOING TO SEE HERE IS MUSCLE STRAINS.

“

REST AND RECOVERY. Maddy Fisher sleeps after her knee surgery in October. “They kept me in the hospital for 6 hours after the surgery, because I had a hard time coming out of the anesthesia,” she said.

PHOTO: SPA SmugMug

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Maddy Fisher

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Nathan Cohen

ALI BROWNE RUBICONLINE

In 2019, representa tives from the Indepen dent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) made a visit to evaluate SPA and offer suggestions for future improvement. While it was obvious that the performing and fine arts programs were extraordi nary, and the state-of-theart facilities contributed to the academic rigor and prestige of the insti tution, one piece of feed back rang loud and clear: the athletic program was behind other private schools that the associa tion oversees.

“The school has had many competing proj ects and priorities over the past several years, all of which are import ant. It is the role of our

department to shine a spotlight on athletics and help to elevate the expe rience and celebrate the accomplishments of our student-athletes,” interim K-12 Athletic Director Rick Johns said.

This year, the athlet ic department has set their sights on changing the sports culture and programs through in ternal shifts within the department and looking outward to best support the student body’s en gagement with sports in small but meaningful ways. This has become particularly important after high turnover in de partment leadership and upper school administra tion. The department be lieves team spirit impacts school culture.

“School spirit is a warmth that brings syn ergy to the community,

and having that pride and sense that you are a part of something bigger than yourself helps us get through some long days together,” Johns said.

US Athletic Director Randy Comfort added, “People may play for trav el teams, but there is no greater pride than having an athletic achievement when you are represent ing your school. Among other things, athletics are truly an avenue to build community, and that is something we really want to get across this year.”

The athletic depart ment includes Comfort and Johns, MS Athletic Director Taylor Tvedt and administrative assis tant Hope Walcheski. Af ter the departure of K-12 Athletic Director Dawn Wickstrum this summer, Tvedt and Walcheski played a key role in the

SPIRIT IN THE HALL, FACES ON THE WALL

Athletics program hopes to increase visibility

organization and execu tion of coordinating fall sports.

“Many people have had doubts throughout my career that I was too young for an administra tive role, but when it was just Hope and I leading the department, I think people kind of realized that two young women can get the job done and do it well,” Tvedt said.

While they hold differ ent titles and have vary ing years of experience, the earliest change the department was in the way they view and in teract with one another: their own team dynamics model those they hope to foster on student teams.

“Before this year, ev eryone was separated into their own silos, and there wasn’t a lot of cross over in the department,” Johns said. “By empower ing and trying to elevate everybody by utilizing their talents, we have created this unified team where we function as equals, regardless of the titles we hold.”

The department con sistently meets to discuss what is and is not work ing, a practice they attri bute as a crucial part of their success. The depart ment’s ultimate vision? To bring athletic excel lence on par with the high expectations for ac ademic and co-curricular

programs, while creating an athletic experience that is the best it can be for students and families.

Simple yet impactful initiatives to increase vis ibility come from these conversations. One such change? The captain’s wall. Early this fall, the athletic and communi cations departments co ordinated a photo shoot for a display that show cases head shots of sports captains, rotating new photos each season. Next, they added the Spartan logo and signage to the lower stairwell show ing the locations of the weight room, administra tive offices, and gyms to bring more attention to athletic spaces.

“I think the captains’ wall specifically is an important way to honor the leaders of our sports,” cross country captain Becca Richman said. “Many teams don’t get a lot of recognition, and it’s a good way to highlight all sports equally.”

Positive responses to the captains wall fur thered the department’s drive. In addition to their efforts to send out infor mation about upcoming sports events to the facul ty every week and recog nize sports teams during community assemblies, Tvedt recently created an Instagram account @spas partanathletics where

From plaques to playing fields, captains shine bright

The beaming faces of varsity sports captains line the hallway that connects Huss to the upper school. The photos, emblazoned with names and titles, make captainship look effortlessly per fect.

More than visibility comes with be ing a captain: planning events, manag ing players, and communicating with administrators are just a few of the du ties captains have.

To select people who can handle the responsibility, hopefuls complete an indepth application. The athletic depart ment revamped the form this year to simplify the process, asking players to answer short-response questions as well as one of three paragraph prompts.

After the deadline, all team mem bers are invited to read applications and vote; this informs who is ultimate ly selected by the team’s coaches and the Athletic Director.

It’s a rigorous process which seeks to select captains who are passionate about their sport and the players they represent.

“The level of responsibility given

to captains here is unique to my ex perience,” US Athletic Director Randy Comfort said.

From meeting with AD heads to set ting up team stores (online flash sales of team-branded merchandise), cap tains are involved with their sport’s de velopment from the ground up.

Simon Assefa ran captain’s practices with co-captains Ethan Carter and Ty sen Hayes before the season start.

Assefa said it’s important to commu nicate with Comfort and MS Athletic Director Taylor Tvedt “so that you have open gym space, so you don’t run into other teams who also want to practice.”

Captains must collaborate with each other to create an enjoyable and acces

sible practice that offers bonding and skill building: “We make sure we know what we’re going to do going into prac tice,” Assefa said.

Greta Magnuson, a captain for both girls hockey and the softball, adds that captains are often responsible for craft ing team culture.

“It’s really important to lean on your teammates and have a general understanding that everyone is doing their best,” Magnuson said.

Since both of the teams Magnuson captains are co-ops, trying to create a cohesive team identity is “really diffi cult,” she said.

With all this talk of responsibility and commitment, it might seem that being a captain is more trouble than it’s worth.

But Naomi Kempcke, a new girls basketball captain this year, said the po sition isn’t much of a shift: “I’ve always been a leader on the team, no matter if I was a captain or not,” she said.

There are 22 winter captains for eight sports.

she uses social media to engage students, faculty, parents, and alumni to boost attendance and cel ebrate accomplishments.

The department leads by example by simply showing up. With a team of four administrators, they have made an ef fort to have at least one representative present at conference games and post-season tournaments and encourage other fac ulty members and stu dents to do so as well. This has corresponded with faculty and students coming to events more frequently than in previ ous years.

With a bigger fan base, the hope is that players get to experience support from peers, teachers, ad ministrators, and parents in the fan sections, mak ing every little victory even sweeter.

“It feels amazing to have more people at our games, and it gives us more confidence to play well and represent our school,” soccer player Ma sumi Kouakou said.

As fall captain pho tos begin to come down from the display, the ath letics department looks to a winter season where they can learn from their successes during the fall sports season and con tinue to grow before the spring.

With additional reporting from Grace Medrano

CAPTAINS CORNER. In addition to rousing Spartan spirit at sporting events, the Athletic Department created the Spartan Team Leaders wall. Each season, athletic captains’ por traits are displayed to recognize the dedication athletes show for their sport.

PHOTO: Colton Werner

“IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LEAN ON YOUR TEAMMATES AND HAVE A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR BEST.”

Greta Magnuson

“I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A LEADER ON THE TEAM, NO MATTER IF I WAS A CAPTAIN OR NOT.”

Naomi Kempcke

ELIZA FARLEY THE RUBICON

THE LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY GIVEN TO CAPTAINS HERE IS UNIQUE TO MY EXPERIENCE.

Randy Comfort

“

The Trojan Women

play

ZHANG THE RUBICON

The Greek tragedy The Tro jan Women tells the dramatic history of how Trojan women were killed and taken as prizes after the fall of Troy.

US Theater Director Eric Severson adapted the script by adding soldier monologues of first-hand accounts from World War I, World War II, Vietnam, The War in Iraq and the current Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The play started with a powerful monologue from Poseidon (Oliver Zhu) and a heavenly song from the chorus echoing through the Huss Cen ter from the catwalks above, which gave the effect of angels singing. It was lovely to hear and signaled the post-Trojan War setting.

Hecuba (Alison Mitchell), queen of the royal Trojan fam ily, spent most of her time on stage in a demanding perfor mance that began when she called out for the other wom en, a moment that calls both the Trojan women and sol diers to the stage as Talthybius (Soren Miller) sets the conflict with an announcement that the Trojan women now belong to the Greeks. The delivery of

each line from Hecuba and Talthybius emanated a power ful presence that left the audi ence feeling a chilling tension.

Severson blocked the scenes in a series of tableaus, and during the performance, there are moments that could be a photograph. One such moment came when soldiers stood in line on a platform upstage, still and assertive, showing the full danger of Talthybius’ power as the Trojan women wept, fright ened, praying to the gods.

Monologues feature prom inently in the play, giving members of the ensemble cast moments in which to shine. In particular, Cassandra (Mag gie Fried), who is being sent to lie with the king, delivers a monologue showing her de spair, breaking down as she shares her inner feelings that no man will want her. Fried’s expressiveness in mood and movement, culminating with ripping flowers out of her hair, built empathy and elicited au dience concern.

But there is no relief. An dromache (Clea Gaïtus Sur) delivered her personal tragedy in this atrocity: her child will be killed so he cannot grow to avenge Troy. Andromache begs

THE ADAPTATION OF THE FIFTH CENTURY

sold off to new men. Wick de picts an almost sympathetic antagonist. While a key player, Helen’s scene consists of her trying to convince her hus band, Menelaus (Leo SampsellJones) that the Trojan War was not her fault.

soldiers,and the scared expres sions of the women, showed how inner dialogue could be expressed without words.

for mercy, knowing she can’t do anything to save Astyanax (Rafa Razavi). She held her son, hugging him goodbye.

One of the most visceral mo ments in the show came when Gaïtus Sur lets out an ear-split ting scream as she and Razavi are dragged off stage, Astyanax is slaughtered, and Andro mache enslaved. Gaïtus Sur’s projection expresses the agony of not only her pain but also of the other Trojan women’s pain.

For those familiar with the history, the delayed appear ance of Helen of Troy (Valerie Wick) reveals she is the cause of the Trojan War and the reason these women were now being

Wick used intense eye con tact and body language, placing her hands on Menelaus’s face to persuade him to her cause until Hecuba rose up against her, followed by the rest of the Trojan women, circling her, shouting insulting names until Hecuba yelled a final insult and shocked the audience with the crack of a slap to Helen’s face.

The rage-filled culmination of the scene came with one of the most memorable and chill ing lines from Hecuba to Hel en: “You are the most beautiful monster this world has ever seen.”

From the colors of lighting that set the mood to the deliv ery of each line from the ac tors, every detail of The Trojan Women elicited so many levels of emotion from the audience, who could be heard, at varying points, gasping or ominously silent.

Small details, like walking in a rhythmic unison from the

The modern adaptation with monologues from prima ry accounts of soldiers woven throughout made the play all the more mesmerizing.

Severson wrote in the pro gram that the mission of mod ern monologues is to remind the audience that war has not changed since the fifth century, when the play was written.

The lack of microphones left actors to project their voices so the entire auditorium could hear, which is impressive, but at times, it was difficult to hear some of the soldiers’ mono logues, especially if they were standing toward the back of the stage. In specific parts, the im portance of the modern mes sages from these soldiers was missed, as a result.

The Trojan Women perfor mance sent chills through Huss and left the audience speech less. While tragic, it was a tri umph.

RATING

THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES Theatre in the Round 245 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis www.theatreintheround.org

through DEC. 31

through DEC. 18 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Ordway Theater 345 Washington St., Saint Paul orway.org

through JAN. 7

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS

Old Log Theater 5185 Meadville St. Greenwood oldlog.com

through FEB. 4

FOOTLOOSE

Chanhassen Dinner Theaters 501 W. 78th St. Chanhassen chanhassendt.com

ANNIE

PHOTOS: SPA SmugMug

A LOSING BATTLE. Talthybius (Soren Miller) listens impas sively to Hecuba’s (Alison Mitchell) impassioned speech. Mitchell rarely left the stage during the two hour play.

AT ODDS. Helen of Troy (Valerie Wick) attempts to convince Menelaus (Leo Sampsell-Jones) of her innocence after being accused of starting the war.

LAST STAND. Cassandra (Maggie Fried) delivers an emotional monologue after learning that she is being sent to lie the king against her will. The Greek soldiers watch from the background.

BURN DOWN THE HOUSE. Hecuba (Alison Mitchell) delivers her final monologue amidst the ruins of the burning city. The other Trojan women lie in defeat, her only audience. She uttered her final line of grief: “The war begins, for me.”

Fall

depicts a tragic tale of love, loss and wars past and present

PLAY SENT A POWERFUL MODERN MESSAGE ABOUT WAR AND WOMEN.

There’s a “hole” lot of tasty doughnuts to try

Doughnuts. Crispy chewy circular desserts made with fried dough topped with icing and sprinkles; millions share their love for this popu lar breakfast and dessert item. Some of the most well-known doughnut chains are Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Tim Hortons. But are they re ally worth the hype or are local bakeries the place to go for the sweet treat?

LA BOULANGERIE French Bakery, 279 Ran dolph Ave, St Paul is a cute bakery that sold pastries and desserts aside from doughnuts. Everything was neatly displayed be hind glass panels, desserts on the left, pastries on the right, and doughnuts in the middle making it easy to order. I ordered a chocolate-sprinkled long john, a toasted cinnamon roll, and an apple fritter. Each was quite large; the bill totaled $8.50, which shows that La Boulange rie offers affordable pas tries. Both the long john and the roll had a similar bread-like base; instead of the usual doughnut style, they were more like pastries decorated with doughnut toppings. The apple fritter was extreme ly sweet but had a nice crunchy outer layer and

a soft inner filling. There are bits of apple mixed in that are similar to the chunks inside McDon ald’s apple pies.

DUCK AND DO NUTS, 382 West Market, Bloomington featured the most variety out of the shops visited. Aside from the common of ferings, they had savory doughnuts with bacon, and others topped with ice cream. The base dough was the most unique; it strays from the standard chewy doughnuts sold at Dunkin’ that have an ar tificial aftertaste. D&D’s batter made the dough nut crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, almost like a giant fun nel cake. It was also the only store that made the doughnuts completely fresh. Instead of selecting from the doughnuts for display, they use a menu. After ordering, there was a brief wait. When buy ing the half-dozen pack age, each doughnut had a generous amount of icing that would overflow and melt off the pastry.

THE DONUT TRAP, Blue, Lot 755 Prior Ave N, St Paul is located in a very remote and deserted area with graffiti on the walls. It’s not your typical bakery. No official sign referring to it is visible from the outside, mak

ing its existence (almost) a secret. In fact, the shop is a small vending ma chine located at the end of a hallway. There was a screen on the machine that displays a menu and once checkout started there was a minute to pay with a credit card. Af ter the payment was pro cessed, the pre-packaged doughnuts are moved to the bottom of the ma chine. A downside to this creative idea is that it is impractical to have freshly made doughnuts stored in a vending ma chine so these had the texture of a muffin or cupcake with icing on the top. Since there is no staff there to help an swer questions it’s hard to know what to get. The doughnuts themselves are very small consider ing the $4 price tag per pastry, each is $4.00 but the unique experience makes up for it.

MOJO MONKEY, 1169 7th St W, St Paul is only open Friday and Satur day, and like most dough nut shops, they close at 1 p.m. This adds a level of inconvenience for those who want a doughnut on any other day of the week. A small part of the front of the store is for customers but the majority of the location looks like a warehouse.

There are racks and boxes stacked high in dim light ing. Despite the stark, in dustrial vibe, Mojo Mon key sells out daily. Tip: use the online website to pre-order items and pick them up. I ordered a classic glazed doughnut that had a flaky glaze and

a bar with mocha cream and raspberry filling. Both were very sweet but had the classic doughnut texture and taste.

In terms of conve nience, the Donut Trap is a quick and easy option. For flavor variety, Duck and Donuts is the best

The cozy, creative way to learn about Indigeneity

Authenticity is diffi cult to find anywhere, particularly in the busi ness of bookstores, where stiff-smelling corporate giants often snuff out the smaller players in the game.

Plush chairs tucked into cozy corners serve as an invitation to readers: the perfect spot to sink into a good book.

The bookstore is small, but the wide range of genres and authors is enough to keep anyone browsing for a while.

choice. For doughnuts on a budget, La Bou langerie has reasonable prices. If I had to choose one doughnut from one shop, I would get a glazed doughnut from Duck and Donuts.

Native artistry, and with employees reporting such work constituting a high percentage of sales, it seems to fulfill that purpose.

BOOKSTORE STAFF

Enter Birchbark Books, a small, indepen dent Minneapolis book store that opened in 2000. The owner is award-win ning native author Lou ise Erdrich from the Tur tle Mountain Chippewa tribe. Birchbark Books serves as an outlet for the Indigenous literary scene, drawing visitors from not only the urban popula tion of the Twin Cities but from communities all over the United States and Canada.

Before entering, the bookstore’s unique flair is evident—bright, twin kling lights warmly wel come visitors. Upon step ping inside, well-loved wooden floors creak under customers’ steps as soft music fills the air.

As in most bookstores, titles are organized by genre. But at Birchbark Books, they are further split into “Native” and “Non-Native” authors. This distinct categori zation system provides convenient access to what many visitors seek: the work of talented Indige nous authors, journalists, and historians. Multilin gual books, including those in the Ojibwe and Dakota/Lakota languages, are available to all, even in children’s books.

Access to these mate rials is essential, as wellknown bookstore chains often overlook them. But unlike these chains, Birchbark Books doesn’t exist for money. The store aims to foster interest and conversation around

It’s crucial to support businesses that exist for such a noble purpose, and anyone would benefit from a visit to Birchbark Books. The experience is unique. Hand-written staff recommendations deck the shelves, provid ing excellent guidance to those who seek it, and the inventory extends beyond paperback litera ture.

Available for in-store purchase is an array of artwork from Native art ists, including beaded jewelry, cards, prints, and birchbark birdhouses.

A more extensive in ventory is available on line. Customers also have the option to order books from the site.

Authenticity is rare, and increasingly so. But one can find the quality in every corner of Birch bark Books.

OPEN BOOK. Birchbark Books offer a wide variety of literature from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors, journalists, and historians.

RUBICON PHOTO: Annie Bai

SWEET TREATS. Icing melts off Duck and Donut’s freshly made desserts.

ANNIE BAI

THE RUBICON

DELECTABLE DOUGHNUTS. Mouth-watering doughnuts from La Boulangerie are displayed in a glass case.

RUBICON PHOTO: Annie Bai

JOHANNA PIERACH

THE RUBICON

RUBICON

PHOTO: Johanna Pierach

Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon

The way of kings by Brandon Sanderson

POPs concert revives large finale

1 DEVOTED DIRECTOR. Almut Engelhardt conducts the orchestra during the 2014 con cert, which ended with a Rocky Horror Picture Show medley. 2 SING UP A STORM. Sawyer Johnson, Ben Atmore, Ethan Asis and Max Moen sing “I Want It That Way” by the Back street Boys during the 2018 concert. 3 READ BETWEEN THE LINES. Sinan Goral plays the theme from “The Godfather” on the keyboard during the 2010 concert. 4 COME TOGETH ER. Melanie Luikart plays a Beatles medley on the keyboard. The POPs Concert used to in clude a t-shirt design competition, the winner of which would be worn by the performers during the concert. The shirt pictured in this photo was designed by Rachel Ketz.

The POPs Concert took place Dec. 2-3, and the rocking-good-time-of-a-concert has been a tradition for decades, dating back more than 30 years in the school’s history. Most students have been in or attend ed the POPs Concert, but few know the story of how the winter concert got to be what it is today.

Director of Orchestras Almut Engelhardt, who has directed the concert all 30 years she’s taught at SPA has seen the POPs Concert go from small shows every six weeks to five-hour shows in the gym to the two-hour concert students know today.

Engelhardt said the dress code for POPs also changed.

“There used to be a t-shirt design contest, but we

stepped away from that because we wanted a more unified look,” she said.

2022 POPs Concert there was a new twist on the tradition: students wore colorful, plain shirts to create a peppy, rainbow effect on stage.

The choir, orchestra and jazz band take turns per forming and each concert ends with one big finale. The music is not classically-focused and features pop ular songs students know and love.

Senior Emma Goodman said, “While I am a big fan of classical music, I think there is a lot of great music in a variety of genres and I believe that the POPs Con cert helps to highlight that.”

When COVID-19 hit, the POPs Concert was tem porarily shut down. There was no concert in 2020. In 2021, the show came back, but not in full force. The orchestra took a turn playing; the choir took a turn

performing, then the jazz band played. There was no final number, and due to the restrictions implement ed, the POPs Concert didn’t hold the same power as it had in previous years.

Senior Parisa Ghavami said, “It was a bit of a mess with the masks, but it was still great.”

This year the hope was to return the POPs Concert to its former glory. All the music groups were on stage together with a big “Born to Be Wild” finale by Step penwolf.

“I think it’s time to get back to having a fun time after COVID,” Engelhardt said.

Ghavami agrees: “I think the POPs Concert really shows the big sense of community that we have at school, especially in the music community.”

The next music concert is the MS/US Choir Concert Dec. 15 at 6:30 p.m.

DANCE PARTY. Emily Gisser, Raina Fawcett, Sonja Henze, Ananya Narayan, Nina Smetana and Clea Gaitas Sur dance to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. This photo was taken in 2019, the last time a finale performance including the orchestra, jazz band and choir ended the show.

GRACE MEDRANO THE RUBICON

ARCHIVE PHOTOS: SPA SmugMug