September 2019 Issue

the

RUBICON

the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave Saint Paul, MN 55105 651-698-2451 Volume 47. Issue 1.

September 24, 2019

www.rubiconline.com

Officer shoots and kills man in Saint Paul

PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION: JOHN AUTEY / PIONEER PRESS Police cordon off the area where an officer involved shooting in Midway ended in death on Sept. 15.

QUINN CHRISTENSEN EDITOR IN CHIEF

A man was shot and killed by police in the Midway neighborhood Sept. 15.

US Technology Coordinator Chris White passed by the crime scene shortly after the shooting. His passenger? The Spanish exchange student his family is hosting.

“There was a little embarrassment,” White said, “and sadness that she had to see something like that.”

Police shootings in the Twin Cities have sparked protest since the murder of Philando Castile in July 2016.

In the first half of this month, two more officer involved shootings have made headlines. Last week, Brian Quinones was fatally shot in Richfield Sept. 7 following a police chase involving Quinones and five officers.

White admitted that it can be a jarring experience, driving by crime scene tape, sitting alongside someone who is completely unfamiliar with the cultural context surrounding the event.

“It’s a real eye-opener to us… someone comes and it’s like, ‘Whoa, people are getting shot in the street’,” White said.

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the police officer will be put on administrative leave.

The City of Saint Paul has not announced whether or not they will release the body camera video to the public.

Read more about officer-involved shootings on

EDITORIAL pg.4

THE RUBICON PHOTO: MAREN OSTREM SAFETY FIRST. Security officer Naomie Briseno unlocks the Huss door for junior Grace Krasny. The doors being locked all day is one of the new protocols rolled out this fall.

New protocols tighten Randolph Campus security MEAGAN MASSIE THE RUBICON

Allied Universal rolled out new security protocols for the Randolph Campus at the start of the school year. It’s difficult to miss the newly locked doors and second security desk. The security team locks the doors during quiet hours of the day.

Doors lock ten minutes after school starts and then until 3 pm. They are only accessible if you ring the doorbell and security lets you inside. SPA has decided to limit the access to certain parts of campus after school. For example, the history department classrooms will close at 3:30 p.m. There is a second security desk added in the Huss and Davern entrances that reach further into the pathway of people coming into SPA so that visitors will sign in.

“I’ve definitely noticed the new security desk in Davern and I think that it will do a good job at limiting unexpected visitors,” junior Jax Wittenberg said.

Students have felt different amounts of security in the school based on the increased security.

“I have felt safer, but I guess I have never flt unsafe at SPA, but it does feel more safe. I

HAVE FOUND “ WE THE NECESSITY TO BECOME LESS OF A POROUS CAMPUS. - Max Delgado

”

“I have not felt safer because if someone wanted to break in, then they would. I feel that security should have some type of protective equipment for defense of themselves and the students,” senior Brennan Keogh said.

The administration advisors made changes to the position of the security desks because the former SPA security had blind spots on campus. The security personnel will also be able to view people coming in better

to see if they need a badge or not. The security might seem new to the students because they suddenly appeared over the summer, but these changes have been in the making for several years.

“The complexity of both moving security offices and putting in a new visitor badge ID system, it’s pretty complicated stuff. There are a lot of different vendors that do this. There’s a lot of different options when campuses are thinking about adopting new security procedures,” Principal Max Delgado said.

Delgado has been working with many other administrative personnel such as Dr. Romans, Dean Thornberry, and Director of Operations and Security Mark Dickinson on these changes. They want to ensure that students have a seamless process of getting inside, while keeping people that aren’t supposed to be here, out.

Students will not have IDs that will let them in, instead there is a doorbell that students must ring and the security guards will let them in. In the future, administrators are thinking about getting students scannable badges to let them in, but the technology

at SPA is not there yet. Parents are required to present their school IDs when entering the school and if they do not have one, they can get one at the security desk when presenting a form of federal issued ID. Visitors will receive a lanyard with their photo and name at security when checking in.

Some seniors have found the new security system to be a little troublesome when they use senior privileges. With permission from their parents, seniors are allowed to leave campus during their free periods. If their free period is in the middle of the day, they will come back to locked doors. The doorbell leading into inside does not make a sound and often it is difficult for students to know whether the doors have unlocked or not.

“When coming back to school after going out to lunch, the issue is that the doorbell is louder than the sound of the door unlocking. It takes sometimes two to three minutes extra to be let inside which can make someone late for their next class,” senior Noah Rice said.

Story continued on

NEWS pg.2

CATCH UP WITH FALL TEAMS

DUE DELIVERS A QUICK BITE OF ITALY

TRAVEL BACK IN TIME AT THE RENFEST

Read mid-season profiles of the fall sports.

The new foccaceria on the corner of Randolph and Fairview lives up to the hype.

Oktoberfest theme will close out the season this weekend.

SPORTS pg. 14-15 ISSUE INDEX

would like to think that I’m in the middle of liberal St. Paul so I would like to think there aren’t going to be any school shootings,” sophomore Maura Hartfeldt said.

Although SPA has taken initiative to increase security, some students still do not feel completely safe regarding the security protocols.

1-3 ... News 4 ... Editorial 5-6 ... Opinions 7 ... Issues 8-9 ... In-Depth 10-11 ... Feature 12-13 ... A&E 14-15 ... Sports 16 ... Photo Story

A&E pg. 13

PHOTO STORY pg. 16 @TheRubiconSPA

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NEWS

THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019 SECURITY Story continued from

NEWS pg.2

The new security plan is the school’s way of taking proper preventive measures against school shootings and fatal threats. The administration feels this has been lacking.

“We have found the necessity to become less of a porous

campus. I think that a lot of schools comparable to ours are similar and have had security like this for a while,” Delgado said.

There have been small changes to security over the six years Delgado has worked as SPA. One of the changes has been the addition of numbers on all the doors leading out-

side. If there was an emergency, first responders would be able to find the door closest to the accident when the caller gave them a location.

There has been a national shift in school security policies ever since more and more school shootings have become prominent in the United States. Some schools such as

the Cypress Fairbanks school district in Houston, Texas have instituted clear backpacks and metal detectors to ensure that students bring only safe material to school every day.

Before the new security policy, people were able to flow in and out of SPA without the security team knowing. This change, creation of parent and

contractor badges, and the new locked doors means that security is able to monitor the community more closely. The new security plan was developed over several years, but the implementation was delayed until the end of the Schilling Center construction and Upper School renovation.

Lip sync sings (and dances) with school spirit “

I’M HOPING TO ONE-UP MYSELF THIS YEAR. Rylan Hefner

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Bobby Verhey Junior Rylan Hefner tap dances in the 2018 Homecoming lip sync to the song “Perfect Day” by Hoku. This year he is planning on performing “Vogue” by Madonna.

JENNY RIES

THE RUBICON

The lip sync during Homecoming offers a platform for bold students to show their school spirit through performance. This year’s battle will be held Sept. 26 during X-Period on the Huss stage.

Asked why he chose lip sync, junior Rylan Hefner said, “a lot of encouragement from seniors… and I had attended the lip sync the previous year, just to watch it, and I thought it just looked like a fun opportunity for a performance.”

Senior Ananya Narayan described doing the lip sync bat-

”

tle last year with junior Gavin Kimmel.

“I chose to participate in lip sync battle because it just looked like a lot of fun. I had seen people in grades above me do it, and I was excited to do it with a partner, because I didn’t think I was brave enough to do it alone, and I did it with a really good friend and it turned out to be really fun,” she said.

Hefner said that he “was nervous as all get-out, but it was incredibly fun.”

He chose to tap-dance as part of his performance: “It was the first time I had ever tap-danced in front of anyone, because I had just started tapping last summer, so I was really nervous about that,” he said.

Narayan also went outside of her comfort zone: “It was nerve-wracking at first because I had never done anything like that before. I usually either sing or act, and so this was kind of different for me. But it’s exciting because everyone was so supportive and encouraging.”

Both Hefner and Narayan performed well-known songs with fast tempos. Hefner performed “Perfect Day” by Hoku, while Narayan performed “It’s Raining Men” by The Weathergirls.

Narayan said, “[The song was] really fun and upbeat, and… the choreography that Gavin came up with was awesome to go with that song, and we had some fun props and costume pieces, as well.”

Hefner described “Perfect Day” as “It was a song that I had heard in my tap class that summer, and I figured, this sounds like a perfect song to tap-dance and lip sync to.”

Though both consider the lip sync battle to have been a

positive experience, Narayan will not be participating this year.

Still, she said that “The best part was being able to create something new and exciting with a friend of mine and being able to show it to my peers,” Narayan said.

Hefner said that he is “definitely planning on doing it again[this year].”

He said, “I just had such a fun time last year, and a lot of my friends are doing it again this year, and I’m hoping to maybe one-up myself this year.”

Hefner will perform to “Vogue” by Madonna. He chose the song because he remembered US Theater director Eric Severson playing it for the members of the Goods chorus ensemble in Every(man) last year, to illustrate the energy that he wanted the chorus to bring to the number. Hefner recalls loving the song.

Taylor intends to expand diversity efforts as new director MAREN OSTREM THE RUBICON

Hundreds of students, each with their own cultural identities, navigate the same environment together. Teachers help with this, but critical to understanding of this experience is the Director of Intercultural Life. She is in charge of making sure all students, faculty, and staff feel safe and supported, and provides leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Although new to SPA this year, Dr. Naomi Taylor has a long history in education, having worked as an elementary school teacher, an assistant professor, an education equity coordinator, and more.

“I like to always give credit to our past experiences. I always believed that we stand on the shoulders of the people who came before us,” Taylor said.

The Center of Excellence in Urban Teaching is where Taylor realized her love for helping schools become more inclusive and culturally educated. “We were working to help support teachers be more culturally relevant and help with their curriculum to be more effective teachers. I love that work,” she said.

Her passion only grew in her position as assistant professor at Hamline University.

“

HOW DO WE RECRUIT MORE DIVERSE STUDENTS, BUT ALSO FACULTY AND STAFF AND RETAIN THEM? Naomi Taylor

”

“That’s where I fell in love with the areas of social justice, and your cultural competency in regards to how do we bridge cultural commonalities and differences. And... to just research and understand how do we bridge theory and research into practice. What does that look like sound like feel like in the classroom,” Taylor said.

Although Taylor planned to pursue a career as a professor, she realized that she missed the K-12 environment, so she filled the position of education equity coordinator in Minneapolis Public Schools.

“I worked closely with the Office of Black Male Student Achievement,” she said. “This

work allowed me to face ... how have I been socialized to think about black males? How are we really supporting them... with all the things that were coming against them in society?”

Before Taylor came to SPA, she came to know Karen Dye, the previous Director of Intercultural Life, through having a daughter in the Lower and Middle School. “[Dye was] always checking in to see how Julia’s experiences were, our experiences as a family of color. I was really just impressed with just some of the work that she was doing in the direction that just gave me peace of mind as a parent, the direction that SPA is working towards inclusivity, creating safe and welcoming space, the affinity groups.”

Taylor’s daughter’s positive experiences at SPA inspired her and sparked her interest in joining the community as a faculty member.

“I remember one story she [Julia] was sharing with somebody else. She said how she loves her school. I have worked with thousands of children… where I just didn’t always hear that,” Taylor said.

When looking at her plan for this school year, Taylor is interested in continuing to in-

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Maren Ostrem Director of Intercultural Life Naomi Taylor has a long history in education, from being a classroom teacher to serving as a professor at Hamline University. “That’s where I fell in love with the areas of social justice...” she said. stitutionalize the Courageous Conversations protocol.

“It will engage us to talk about difference in any capacity. So if we’re talking about difference in, religion, sexuality, faith, gender, all those… it gives us a tool to be able to engage in those conversations, even when they’re uncomfortable. And to be really more effective.”

On top of that, Taylor is dedicated to the recruitment of a more diverse faculty and student body: “How do we recruit more diverse students,

but also faculty and staff and retain them?” she asked. “You can open up the door wide and have people come in, but then how do we, you know, really create that environment so that they stay want to stay and thrive?”

Taylor plans on reinforcing and expanding on the work that Dye began during her tenure, making herself a resource for all faculty, staff, and students.

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NEWS THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

Gas emissions force Minnesota energy use in a green direction Where do gas emissions come from?

SOURCE: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TOMMY STOLPESTAD THE RUBICON

Many people believe climate change is one of the most pressing global issues today.

The mass emission of greenhouse gases is devastating to the earth’s atmosphere and has led to an overall rise in global temperatures. According to the United Nations, there are only eleven years before irreversible

climate change can be stopped.

According to NASA, irreversible climate change would mean a rise in sea levels, stronger hurricanes, droughts, and heat waves, melting of the ice in the arctic, and other adverse effects on the environment.

Locally, Minnesota legislatures are looking for ways to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The city of Min-

neapolis intends on reducing baseline greenhouse gas emission by 30 percent by 2025. To do this, a large emphasis has been put on moving away from coal as a source of fuel due to its high output of greener gases. Focusing on using cleaner sources of energy as a state has allowed for progress to be made in lowering emissions.

Despite staying mostly on track with this goal, natural gas has remained to be a significant roadblock in the path towards less emission in the state. An article by the Star Tribune outlines how heating in new buildings around the metro continues to be fueled by natural gases, making goals to reduce emissions much more difficult to stay on track with. This is a tough problem to fix because most heating relies on natural gases to function.

While most of the factors affecting the state’s greenhouse gas emissions cannot be controlled by members of the Saint Paul Academy and Summit School community, Upper School Environmental Science teacher Rachel Yost-Dubrow, has a few ways that everyone can help out.

“The best things we as a school community can do to reduce our emissions are to eat

less meat, especially red meat, use public transportation or human-powered forms of transportation, and avoid airplane flights as much as possible,” Yost-Dubrow said.

All students and faculty members at SPA can make of commitments and it can seriously pay off in the long run if enough people focus on lowering personal emissions.

“These three factors are the biggest individual contributions Americans make in CO2 emissions on average annually. If we work to reduce these actions as a school community we could stop as much as 1,200 tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year,” Yost-Dubrow said.

With an enormous payoff, environmental science student, senior Tom Kuriscak, reiterated the difference the community can make by being more environmentally aware.

“The best thing we can do is try and use carpools or other forms of public transportation and just limit use of energy in general,” Kuriscak said.

Kuriscak also believes that educating the community is an important step in addressing the climate crisis.

“It is definitely important [to learn about climate change]

WAYS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASSES ACCORDING TO YOST-DUBROW 1. Eat less meat,

especially red meat 2. Use public transportation 3. Use human powered transportation methods 4. Avoid traveling by airplane because before taking the class, I wasn’t as well educated on the topic, but now I find it interesting and something more people should be informed on,” Kuriscak said.

read about how students protested climate change by participating in an international walkout Sept. 20 at

RUBICON online

Athletes gather to promote positive team culture HENRY BURKHARDT RUBICONLINE

Last Tuesday, Spartan student-athletes met in Huss for an assembly unlike any hosted by the athletics department (at least in recent years). What made this assembly unique?

It was the first time all of the school’s student-athletes gathered together to discuss, among other topics, positive team culture and Minnesota State High School League policy.

Director of Athletics Dawn Wickstrum coordinated planning of the assembly. Wickstrum said the goal was for athletes to be “educated in regard to our rules and regulations,” and to make sure everyone involved in team sports had a “clear idea of the school’s expectations.”

During the gathering, interim US Athletic Director Rick Johns took the podium to address the contract, which every student-athlete must sign. He restated parts of the contract and reminded students of the consequences for violations of this contract.

In addition to transparency in rules and regulations, the assembly focused on positive

team culture. Wickstrum stated the big idea behind this part of the assembly was “creating a supportive and positive culture in athletics at SPA.” Wickstrum hopes that building a more positive and community-focused culture in SPA athletics will help the entire program run smoothly.

“We envision a culture, a space in which [students] can share their experiences and concerns without fear,” she said.

Junior Isabel Toghramadjian, who runs cross-country and attended the meeting, shared a similar view about the value of positive team culture.

“I think that having a positive team culture is the best way to recruit new team members and to tighten the community. It makes everybody excited to come to practice […] and it creates an environment where everyone is comfortable being themselves,” she said.

To wrap up the assembly, US Dean of Students Chantal Thornberry presented the students with ideas for team bonding, including hosting team dinners and reaching out to all teammates.

Wickstrum hopes that this

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Henry Burkhardt Team captains on the Huss stage facing student athletes who will play on SPA teams this year.

“I think it was really powerful to have our captains up on the stage, in front of all of their peers” Director of Athletics Dawn Wickstrum said. assembly also provided students with a view of how vast and individually unique all the athletic programs are, and perhaps gave younger students inspiration for their future athletic careers at SPA.

“I think it was really powerful to have our captains up on the front of the stage, in front of all of their peers,” she said.

“My hope is that [other students] will say, ‘Hey, I might want to do this someday.’”

Toghramadjian said, “It was cool to see all of the captains up on the stage,” and added, “but I think that every single person on the team is responsible for creating a positive team culture.”

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EDITORIAL THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

New security effective, yet frustrating SALAH ABDULKARIM THE RUBICON

ILLUSTRATION: Adrienne Gaylord

‘SO SORRY.’ Brian Quinones was fatally shot by police on Sept. 7.

Don’t let police brutality dialogue die EDITORIAL

THE RUBICON STAFF

On Sept. 7, Brian Quinones was fatally shot by police following a car chase from Edina to Richfield. Quinones made a post on Facebook that read “so sorry” and turned on Facebook Live before exiting his car, appearing to be holding a knife, where multiple officers fired over 10 shots at him. Quinones’ live stream continued from where he left his phone inside the car for 97 minutes, while neighbors who had heard the gunshots quickly gathered around the scene.

The car chase, Facebook post reading “so sorry,” live stream, and alleged knife have all led to speculation that the events of Sept. 7 may have been a case of suicide by police, a situation in which someone purposefully provokes police officers so that they are forced to fire at them.

Despite the fact that there is no real evidence to support this

theory - saying that “so sorry” is absolutely a suicide note would be extrapolating at best - it is a possibility. However, if this was the case, it only further emphasizes the normalization of racial profiling and police brutality. If Quinones had planned on the chase ending in gunfire, the police certainly made it easy.

Politically, police brutality is often associated with a left-leaning point of view. It is imperative that this changes.

Regardless of party alignment, it is crucial that politicians and the general population alike make it a priority to fight racism and unlearn internalized white supremacy. Death - especially that of innocent individuals - should not be seen as a partisan issue.

Additionally, Quinones’s death cannot be treated as an isolated incident. In fact, there was another officer-involved shooting on Sept. 15 in the

Midway neighborhood.

IF QUINONES HAD PLANNED ON THE CHASE ENDING IN GUNFIRE, THE POLICE CERTAINLY MADE IT EASY. “Another black man has been killed by the police,” St. Paul NAACP president Fahrio Khalif told the Pioneer Press when he came out to talk to at the scene.

There is a tendency to let conversation surrounding social issues die once it is no longer “trendy,” or if the topic doesn’t directly affect a large swath of the SPA community.

This is certainly the case con-

cerning police brutality. The response to gun control last year within our community was enormous, with a large number of SPA students participating in the national walkout calling for gun control.

Over the summer, metal straws became a trend, and the conversation turned towards environmental issues.

But, maybe because the focus is already on climate change, or maybe because talking about police brutality lost its spark once the outcry following the July 2016 shooting of Philando Castile faded, Quinones’ death has been met with utter silence within the SPA community.

This has to change. Conversation around important social issues should never fade when tangible progress has not been made. We are the ones who are sorry - and calling for a dialogue to resurge that never should have gone away in the first place.

This year St. Paul Academy has decided to implement a new security protocol in an attempt to keep students safe, however, it poses a big issue to students. This protocol requires “All external doors on the Randolph Campus will be locked except during peak drop-off and pickup hours (between 7:40-8:05 a.m. and 2:55-3:15 p.m.)” according to an email sent out in late August from SPA’s Head of School, Bryn Roberts. It is causing students to be late to class and it may pose bigger issues in the future.

While this sounds like a reasonable security measure it still has plenty of issues that need to be worked out as it is quite frankly confusing and a hassle to have to wait outside for security to buzz you in. In some cases, students have walked to the other side of the school to try to find someone that will let them in because security was not there to buzz them in. Others have waited anywhere from five to ten minutes just to get in depending on the time of day because nobody was there to let them in.

This is especially an issue for seniors who may be using their senior privileges to leave campus then return to attend classes, if they cannot enter in time causing them to be late to class. Teachers are always telling students to come to class on time but in this case it is not always in the students control.

Although waiting a few minutes for someone to open the door is simply a small issue now, this will be a much bigger issue in the snow and cold.

Many students get dropped off right when the school opens at 7 a.m. and have to wait outside because security is not always ready to buzz you in right away.

It would be terrible to wait outside for somebody to buzz you in while it’s super cold, windy and snowing. read the full story at

RUBICON online

THE RUBICON St. Paul Academy and Summit School • 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 • rubicon.spa@gmail.com • www.RubicOnline.com • @TheRubiconSPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITOR ISSUES EDITOR IN DEPTH EDITOR FEATURE EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SPORTS EDITORS PHOTO STORY EDITOR ILLUSTRATOR

Quinn Christensen Evelyn Lillemoe Lucy Benson Julia Baron, Charlie Johnson Maren Ostrem Meagan Massie Lizzie Kristal Sharee Roman Jenny Ries Salah Abdulkarim, Tommy Stolpestad Eloise Duncan Adrienne Gaylord

DIRECTOR OF RUBICONLINE CREATIVE DESIGN MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITORS FEATURE EDITORS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS SPA BOOK REVIEW SPORTS EDITOR PHOTOJOURNALIST

Melissa Nie Noah Raaum Lynn Reynolds Bobby Verhey Liv Larsen, Elizabeth Trevathan Tana Ososki, Lara Cayci Annika Rock, Elle Chen Lucia Granja, Zekiah Juliusson Sam Hanson Martha Sanchez, Will Schavee Henry Burkhardt

ADVISER

Kathryn Campbell PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANT

Megan Erickson

OPINIONS THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

Tuition and Fees

in thousands of dollars

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 1988-89 1998-99 2008-09 2018-19

Year

INFOGRAPHIC: Maren Ostrem College tutions have skyrocketed in the past 30 years.

Free college proposals fail to escape income gap JULIA BARON THE RUBICON

The purpose of a free college education, which has been at the forefront of democratic candidate debates, is to attempt

to eliminate a portion of the wealth gap in the U.S. Even with this intent, making all colleges and universities free might actually have the opposite effect.

Making public colleges and universities tuition free would ensure that low-income students would attend public schools, while middle and upper-income students would still make up a significant percentage of the student body at private colleges. This same thing happened with elementary, middle, and high schools with the introduction of private education.

Many parents who can afford to send their children to private schools, do, which creates a sizable income gap between public and private primary and secondary schools.

Public schools have less funding per pupil, and in many cases don’t have the resources available for all students to thrive.

For many parents, it’s easier to send their children to a private school then to attempt to fix some of the underlying problems in the public school system. According to The Council for American Private Education, 10 percent of students in the US attend private schools, with the average cost of private primary through secondary education being $10,740.

The idea of free or more affordable college has been a main selling point for many

Democratic candidates in the 2020 presidential election. Although the candidates have different ideas and plans to make it easier for lower-income families to send their children to college, they all agree that a college education should be more accessible and affordable.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE LESS FUNDING PER PUPIL AND IN MANY CASES DON’T HAVE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR ALL STUDENTS TO THRIVE. Plans for this resolution range from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’s plan to make all public colleges and universities free of cost and to forgive student debt, to California Senator Kamala Harris’s plan for debt-free college and a system to help students refinance the loans they accumulate, and many other plans that candidates are proposing.

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The public-private school gap in primary and secondary schools also has become, not only related to class, but also an issue related to race and segregation. According to Harvard’s Civil Rights Project on Private School Racial Enrolments and Segregation, white students comprise 78 percent of the enrollment at private schools, while black and Hispanic students attend private schools at half the rate of white and Asian students.

This same class and racial segregation would occur if public colleges and universities become tuition free, and private colleges continued to charge high tuition. The idea behind free college education is beneficial; to provide more students with a more accessible and affordable education, but just making public colleges tuition free for everyone is not the best answer. Instead of paying the entire cost of everyone’s tuition to attend a public school, academic and athletic scholarships and financial aid opportunities should be increased substantially and students that remain with debt after college should be given the support needed to refinance that debt.

Green trends won’t prevent climate crisis ELOISE DUNCAN THE RUBICON

“Green trends,” such as reusable straws and bags have become increasingly popular.

However, these ideas are insignificant on the larger scale of actions that need to be taken in order to majorly help the planet.

The largest environmental friendly movement that has happened in the past year is the anti-straw idea. Reusable straws are becoming more widely popular and accessible, along with recyclable bamboo straws and other replacements for single-use plastics.

Many places and companies have taken steps toward eliminating the usage of plastic straws. Seattle was one of the first major U.S cities to ban

AROUND 8.3 BILLION PLASTIC STRAWS HAVE BEEN FOUND AT BEACHES. plastic straws and utensils back in late June 2018. Starbucks has pledged to eliminate plastic straw usage by 2020, and steps have been taken towards that goal. They have created recyclable cups for iced drinks that do not need straws.

According to National Geographic, 500 million plastic straws are used every day, and around 8.3 billion plastic straws have been found at beaches. This number is large, but it is a very small percentage of plastic as a whole found pol-

luting the ocean. As stated by the same source, plastic straws are a small 0.025 percent of the 8 million tons of plastic that go into the ocean each year.

While limiting the usage of plastic straws is a positive step towards a healthier earth, it is not the only thing that needs to be done. It does encourage discussion and action about the elimination of all single-use plastic, but eliminating single-use plastic will not save the earth on its own. Larger action, in particular, action by large companies, needs to be taken. Burning fossil fuels and coal majorly contributes to the climate crisis, and reducing the burning of those fuels would slow down the increase in the world’s temperature. Plastic production and usage by large companies also needs to be

encouraged to stop. According to CBS News, Coca-Cola, Mars, Nestle, and Danone make 6 million tons of plastic every year.

Reusable straws are available at almost every Target, but hopping on this trend is not enough to save the planet. It is a step in the right direction, but buying a reusable straw will not be sufficient without going hand in hand with larger community and company action. Larger action will have a greater, more substantial impact on the climate crisis, and in order for more major action to be taken, people around the world need to rally for larger companies’ efforts to reverse the crisis humans face.

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

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published online, will be corrected following the online corrections policy.

EDITORIALS articulate the collective

UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS

MEMBERSHIPS

Fast Facts There are about 7.5 million plastic straws on U.S shorelines.

Somewhere between 437 million to 8.3 billion plastic straws are on shorelines world wide - Denise Hardesty and Chris Wilcox

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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

Columbia Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association MN High School Press Association Quill and Scroll Honor Society

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NSPA All-American, Pacemaker (Online) and Finalist (Print) CSPA Gold Medalist (Hybrid), Silver Crown Award (Hybrid), SNO Distinguished Site JEM All State Gold

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OPINIONS THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

Burnout afflicts gifted children TOMMY STOLPESTAD THE RUBICON

Gifted kids are put under too much outside pressure in today’s society. Students facing the pressure of being successful in the classroom is an age-old tale. St. Paul Academy’s strong competitive spirit, the pressure to get good grades and test scores, accepted into a good college, and eventually a high paying job creates a lot of stress for students navigating young adulthood. Oftentimes these pressures and expectations to succeed are amplified for gifted kids.

According to the National Association for Gifted Children, “Children are gifted when their ability is significantly above the norm for their age.”

When gifted kids are identified early, parents and teachers tend to give them high expectations. But with sky high expectations, it is easy for the kids to cave into all the pressure.

This is often referred to as a gifted kid burnout. This term explains how kids who are smart and talented end up being less successful and high achieving than previously thought. While internet memes have popularized the

THERE ARE CLEAR FLAWS WITH HOW CHILDREN WITH... GIFTS ARE BROUGHT UP. phrase, the gifted kid burnout is a topic with debated legitimacy. Discussion of the gifted kid burnout often results in a debate on whether or not people should feel sorry for these kids. If they have more natural talent than the vast majority of society, why should people feel bad if they don’t work as hard or aren’t as successful?

“Children with high expectations and idealism are often disappointed, and disillusionment seems to occur mainly among the most idealistic children,” the NAGC said.When high achieving kids cave in to not living up to their own expectations or the expectations of others, it leads to disappointment and a weaker sense of self-confidence.

There are some clear flaws with how children with unique gifts are brought up. Firstly, there is too much unnecessary pressure put onto talented kids.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Maren Ostrem BURNOUT. Gifted children struggle with anxiety and sress.

There is almost always enough pressure on these kids to start, and when outside voices and opinions are added in, it can prove too much for some kids to handle.

A clear example of this happens in sports. With athletes

who are talented enough to be recognized across the nation, the presence of social media can be a challenge. Thousands of people commenting on everything these kids do adds another level of pressure and expectations. With national

rankings that can yield unhealthy competition, it is not uncommon for these kids to burn out.

Similar to this, in the academic field class rankings can prove to be another problem for expectations of gifted kids.

For students with strong academic gifts, being ranked at the top of their respective class can mean the difference between getting into one school or another. These students who have been expected to be at the top of their class and get into elite schools all their life can collapse from failure to do so.

Gifted kids should not expect sympathy for failure.

However, those who have the most influence on these kids should put much less pressure on them. Whether it is the expectation to get a Division I scholarship and sign a professional contract or get into an Ivy League school, too much pressure will lead to collapse.

At SPA, these pressures are all too apparent. Luckily, it is not hard to decrease the pressure on yourselves or others. Firstly, students should not compare themselves to others because it puts unnecessary stress on them. Parents and peers with influence on kids who have sky high expectations should realize that gifted kids have the right to choose to do what they want and the added pressure only creates more obstacles towards pursuing their goals.

Alumni recognition lacks representation IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT NOTICE THE LACK OF RACIAL DIVERSITY IN THESE ALUMNI/AE.

Students walk by the Distinguisshed Alumni/ae Award in the hallway daily.

EVELYN LILLEMOE

CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR

Walking down the halls, it’s impossible to miss the striking black and white photos hung on a stark white wall by the college counseling office. The people in the photos watch students with piercing gazes and kind eyes. Since the construction has finished, St. Paul Academy has returned its pictures and plaques that were taken down during construction to the public eye. Hung in the hallway from the Davern entrance to the Upper School hangs photos and descriptions of alumni who have won the Distinguished Alumni/ae Award. This award is given to alumni/ae whose achievements

reflect major contributions to their chosen fields and/or communities. Anyone in the SPA community can nominate alumni/ae for the award and the recipients are chosen by the Advancement Department, a committee of alumni/ae and representatives of the Board of Trustees.

The alumni/ae who have been awarded the Distinguished Alumni/ae Award have a wide range of careers and accomplishments. Irving Harris started Head Start, a program that focuses on the comprehensive developement of children from low-income families. John Doar was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement.

Ann Bancroft was the first

woman to travel to the North and South Pole by non-motorized means. These are only a few of the award winners. But though there is a benefit to having these pictures up in the hallway, there are things that could improve.

It is impossible to not notice the lack of racial diversity in these alumni/ae, and this can feel like a reminder of SPA’s painfully white past and present. The vast majority of the pictures of alumni are white or white-passing. SPA should not try to hide that history, but rather present itself as an institution that is moving forward.

Forward in diversity, forward in acceptance and support of differences, racial or otherwise,

ILLUSTRATION: Evelyn Lillemoe forward in not non-racism but anti-racism.

For students of color at SPA currently, a way to get through that process is to find community and role models in older and graduated SPA students of color. Alumni/ae of color have similar experiences as current students of color and including more alumni/ae of color in the lives of SPA students could be extremely beneficial to students of color and could foster a more cohesive and happy community at SPA. Though it is understandable that SPA has gained more diversity more recently, hopefully this award will be given to more alumni/ ae of color in the future.

Since many people don’t have the the interest to read the information about the Distinguished Alumni/ae Award winners and it might be hard to relate to them because of their age or their race, SPA should bring alumni/ae into student lives in a relatable context. Being actively shown alumni/ ae’s work by going to an art exhibit, reading an article, or talking about the work recent alumni/ae are doing would give students more relatable role models. Alumni/ae could come speak about college, their career, their life after SPA. That would give SPA students confidence, a role model, and even bigger aspirations. These ideas don’t have to be the final answer, but if SPA really wants to commit to honoring alumni/ae and giving students role models, pictures of a lot of white people on a wall won’t cut it.

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ISSUES THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

Vaping epidemic raises health concerns

SHAREE ROMAN THE RUBICON

There have been six vaping related deaths, one of them being from Minnesota. The fruity flavor cartridges and vape smoke tricks lure young teens.

Companies advertise the juul as means to wean cigarette smokers from traditional tobacco products. Many people believe e-cigarettes or “vaping” are merely safer, non addictive alternatives to smoking cigarettes.

disease.

However, can the same be said about e-cigarettes made popular by today’s young adults and even WE WANT TO more among youth for a EXTEND THE variety of reasons?

Senior Helen Bartlett, a CONVERSATION member of Students Against Destructive Decisions, discusses ABOUT VAPING her opinion.

BEYOND WHAT “As SADD we are addressing the issue of vaping by foremost THE SCHOOL providing a safe space for students who want a community STARTED WITH that stands against vaping. SecTHE ASSEMBLY. ondly,” said Bartlett, “we want to extend the conversation about Helen Bartlett vaping beyond what the school started with the assembly. We Is that ad on the back of a are hoping to show a documenmagazine that says “Save Your tary and host discussions about Lungs, choose the Juul” true? the dangers and fears students Over the past few decades, it has have and also about the culture become common knowledge that vaping promotes and how that anyone who smokes or to mitigate it.”

As of August 27, health has smoked places themselves professionals who previousat higher risk of lung and heart ly thought the negative side

“

”

Dr. Steven Soutchenko talks about vape crisis

Q&A SHAREE ROMAN THE RUBICON

Steven Soutchenko is an emergency physician that works at St. Francis emergency department in Shakopee as well as Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis.

Q: Would you say as a doctor that vaping is still safer than cigarette smoking, if that’s what you were used to before?

VAPING EXPERT. Dr. Steven Soutchenko has dealt with vaping related cases in his emergency room.

A:Anytime you smoke

vape put any sort of a substance into your body,

effects of vaping equal, if not exceed, the side effects of smoking, can now confidently say that there are dangers associated with vaping. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 200 people in 25 states have been admitted to hospitals with pulmonary complications linked to vaping, ranging from intense coughing to a collapsed lung, linked to vaping.

Since June, out of the 215

particularly your lungs, which is a direct conduit into your bloodstream and your system. It is unsafe. But when you are vaping, you’re literally bypassing a lot of the filtering abilities of your body and directly injecting toxic chemicals into your lungs and your bloodstream. I known hundreds of physicians through my career and I no point ever heard any of them suggest that vaping was safer.

people hospitalized, one adult has died in Illinois. In Minnesota alone, 27 cases of severe lung injuries have been associated with vaping. Even though cases appear similar, it is not clear if these cases have a common cause or if they are different diseases with similar presentations, making ongoing investigation critical.

While many of these individuals had varying health status from young to old, healthy to ill, the only common factor is the vaping. Healthcare providers have not pinpointed which specific product or compound is connecting all these cases. Recently, on Sept. 6, experts found vitamin E acetate, a chemical used in skin creams and ingestants, in vape products. Although vitamin E is considered safe to ingest and apply topically, not much research has been done in how vitamin

A: It is in some way a

gateway to nicotine. It’s a gateway to THC. It’s only a small bridge to take in other substances. And vaping is addictive, right? So nicotine is addictive. The most addicting substance on earth is nicotine. Continuing Studies have shown that if kids teenagers do not start smoking nicotine before age of 19 then they’re much more likely to never smoke. So the fact that a lot of these Q: What is the message young kids are getting you would like to send hooked on nicotine bethe community about va- fore age of 19 leads them ping? down the road for smok-

E affects the system when inhaled. The vitamin E research and deaths brought to the surface serves as a wake up to potentially serious health risks related to the unknown.

Whether or not one would like to admit it, this topic is very much prevalent to the SPA community. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, rates of teen vaping are surging hitting an all time high with 27 percent of high school seniors reporting having vaped in the last 30 days. These numbers have doubled since 2017.

The percent increase between 11 and 27 percent is the sharpest increase seen in drug history for the last 43 years according to NIDA. During the vaping assembly on Monday, Dr. Janna Gewirtz O’Brien, pointed out how 60 percent of high schoolers end up using both e-cigs and traditional tobacco. Despite vaping companies mottos of “quit smoking cigs while you still can,’’ vaping appeals to more teenagers than adults. Teens are clearly attracted to the marketable technology and flavorings seen in vaping devices. However, it is urgent that teens understand the possible effects of vaping on overall health, the development of the teen brain, and the potential for addiction.

PHOTO: @BLUCIGSUSA ON INSTAGRAM PHOTOS: HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

ing for other drugs etc.

Q: What are the some of the side effects of vaping?

A:

It’s like a cardiac anxiousness, irritation, and in high doses can lead to an overdose... seizures and then now there have been causes of death not necessarily from vaping itself. If your vaping THC or marijuana, all the side effects of marijuana come along.

If you are vaping other substances, we honestly have no idea what their side effects are.

8

a

IN DE

mazon

THE RUBICON - S

The world’s prime source of convenience

Amazon’s monopoly conflicts with local businesses and sustainability THE RUBICON

“[SPA spends] an average of $6,000 a month at Amazon,” Director of Finance Chelsea Kimpton said.

Kimpton uses Amazon because the faculty are able to save time through mass ordering and receive products quickly and efficiently. Amazon is a multi-billion dollar company that has gained traction due to its convenience and low cost merchandise. Amazon offers a wide range of products that can be shipped virtually anywhere in the world at the click of a button. 95 million people shop at Amazon per year.

“I am charged with the task of utilizing the school’s resources to their fullest capacity - this includes financial resources, human resources and there’s a third component: our responsibility as a member of both local and global communities,” Kimpton said.

Recently, there has been controversial news on Amazon’s dominant present in the United States economy. Amazon could be becoming a monopoly.

“Amazon is becoming a monopolizing force, not only in the book selling business, but in retail (and in the tech industry) as well. Two weeks ago, they released Margaret Atwood’s then forthcoming title, Testament, in clear violation of an embargo contract every book vendor planning to carry the book was required to sign, including Amazon,” Manager of Red Balloon bookstore Joan Trygg said.

According to the American Booksellers Association, in 2016, Amazon did not pay $6584 million in Minnesota state tax.

“Small businesses are crucial

to a vital community, whether bookstores, restaurants, grocery stores, or any of the cool small places you see throughout the Twin Cities. “Shop local” isn’t just a catchphrase--it’s a way we can all participate in making our community lively, interesting, and growing,” Trygg said.

profit. Because of his own startup, he is very much in favor of small businesses, but they do have their limits when in competition with Amazon. Small businesses keep money within the community. Unique, family-run stores and antique shops who don’t sell their products online may be hurt by Amazon’s steadily increasing pop[THE] ularity. Many of these stores MONOPOLY are getting put out of business because they are simply just THAT AMAZON not as convenient. Not only is it efficient, but Amazon also alHAS FORMED lows disabled people and peoIN MULTIPLE ple living in rural areas to have the same access to products as FACETS OF others.

“The partial, or whole, THE MARKET monopoly that Amazon has HAS DAMAGED formed in multiple facets of the market has damaged small SMALL businesses. I, as a worker at a small business, as well as BUSINESSES. someone who advocates small Garrett Pauly businesses over MNCs, find Amazon ships and sells prod- this wildly alarming. Though I ucts from other companies would like to see some transithrough their website, taking tion away from the continuous billions of dollars a certain percentage from in each growth of MNCs such as Amcompany that sells through azon, the market, which has them. However, Amazon does consistently opted for speed give back to the community in over shopping local, has desome ways, and can even help cided differently. Though I as nonprofits get recognition and one consumer have no hope in funding. changing the trend of leaving “In the case of my nonprofit, small, local business for MNCs, Bee Kind MN, Inc., their Am- I hope to help others decide azonSmile program has actu- to shop local,” junior business ally helped me be successful club member Garrett Pauly. because it provides another Amazon’s carbon footprint income source for my orga- is large, especially when clients nization. When you shop on use Amazon Prime which AmazonSmile, which carries includes quick two-day everything that regular Ama- shipping.

The zon does, they donate to an enrolled nonprofit of your choice at no additional cost,” junior Niko Liepins said.

Liepins is a member of the business club at SPA and has 2007 2009 started his own non- 2005

“

shipping uses a lot of fuel, resulting in extra fuel emissions into the atmosphere. Each Amazon package is wrapped in a plastic shell and then encased in a cardboard box. Because of this event, over 100 million boxes and waste would be recycled, however most of the time this plastic wrapping is thrown in the trash causing landfill. Their shipping trucks run on diesel and can travel very far distances which can be very harmful to the environment in large quantities, but Amazon refuses to release the data of their carbon footprint, suggesting they’ll face massive criticism if they do. Large companies tend to have a negative impact on the environment because of their high demand for products and shipment.

According to Josue Velaquez-Martinez, a sustainable logistics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “When customers want to receive a product in one or two days, the carbon emissions increase substantially. If you are willing to wait a week, it’s like killing just 20 trees instead of 100 trees.” The carbon emissions decrease because when customers choose to wait the extra days for shipping, it gives

Amazon’s Annual ”Revenue

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2015

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Amazon’s Annual Revenue in billions of dollars

rime

the company a chance to consolidate the items into fewer trucks.

Amazon acquired Whole Foods in 2017. They bought $1.7 million in Kohl’s shares because of their expanding partnership with Amazon.

They have begun other initiatives to add to their company such as a potential healthcare system. Amazon’s current profit estimates reached $1 trillion.

“For those who have a new product, Amazon provides many retail opportunities. For those who are trying to start a brick-and-mortar store, it poses challenges. In the end, I view Amazon as a challenge to be more creative,” Liepins said.

INFOGRAPHIC DESIGN: Lizzie Kristal

MEAGAN MASSIE

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9

EPTH

SEPTEMBER 2019

Track Amazon’s history

SPA Thinks

How do you use Amazon?

MAREN OSTREM

A

THE RUBICON

mazon. Known for selling virtually everything, from cameras and computers to clothing and jewelry. However, what is now a global phenomenon started as an online bookstore with its headquarters in Jeff Bezos’ garage. Since 1994, Bezos has become the richest man in the world, with his estimated net worth being around $156 billion.

Initial Success

Amazon’s history depends on the landmarks that led to its eventual success. In 1994, Amazon opened as an online bookstore. The skeptics predicted it would be destroyed by established literary giants Borders and Barnes and Noble, but the opposite happened. As Borders shuttered its stores and filed for bankruptcy in 2016, Barnes and Noble’s attempts to catch up to Amazon have failed, losing over a billion dollars in the process. Encouraged by their own success, Amazon began selling CDs and DVDs in 1998, offering over 100,000 titles and allowing consumers to sample a few seconds of songs before purchasing it. The next year, Amazon patented a technology called 1-Click, which gave customers the option to purchase items with a single click of a mouse. The same year, CEO Jeff Bezos was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, the “king of cybercommerce.”

1994-2000

Growth and Expansion Throughout the 2000s, Amazon continued to take large leaps towards global domination. In 2002, Amazon took another step away from its book selling roots by offering 400 clothing brands on its online store. In 2005, Amazon Prime was launched, offering free two-day shipping for only $79 a year. According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, Amazon Prime has over 100 million members as of June 2019. In 2007, Amazon broke into the trending e-reader market, releasing the Kindle, which allows customers to download books, magazines, newspapers, and more. The next Amazon branded product that was the Amazon Echo in 2015. The Echo provided an AI platform named Alexa.

“My mom uses Amazon when she goes to Whole Foods because we have the Amazon Prime discount thing when you buy your groceries. Yeah, she uses that all the time.”

12 Aaron Lindeman “I use it to watch shows and look for clothes.”

9

Leni Nowakowski “I use it mostly to buy stuff that like I’ve lost or stuff that’s like cheaper on Amazon like stickers and stuff.”

9

2000-2019

Gracie Tilney-Kaemmer

What the Future Holds Beyond improving its own user interface and releasing its own products, Amazon has acquired many outside companies, including Audible, Zappos, Twitch, and Whole Foods, covering nearly every market possible.

Bezos is hardly done. According to the Microsoft Network, cashier-less stores, delivery drones, and AI home robots are only a few of the upcoming projects in store for Amazon consumers.

2019-Future

m e

usic

Lori Li

verything

“When I do [use Amazon], it’s usually to watch movies and TV shows...I’m watching Curb Your Enthusiasm which apparently you can only get on Amazon Prime.”

11 Lucie Bond

“Whenever I need something for school I use Amazon because it’s a lot faster than having to buy in the store and also I don’t have my driver’s license so it’s easier just to be able to do it.”

10

10

FEATURE THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

Q & A: Get to know the new teachers of SPA

Andrew Inchiosa, US English Teacher

Graefe and Piñero both attended St. Olaf College

JULIA BARON THE RUBICON

Christine Piñero US Spanish teacher

Inchiosa loves Milano cookies and salt and vinegar chips.

Klavon taught courses in writing, composition, fiction, and poetry

1. What is a daily item you wear or carry and why it's important to you?

Graefe: My bike helmet. I appreciate that I get to bike to work almost every day.

Bice: Everything on my body is from someone I love.

I have rings from my brother, sister, and best friend. All of my tattoos are family and friend based. My sister bought me the necklace I wear. I wear the Latvian flag because my best friend is from Latvia. Every time I see any of these things, they make me smile and brighten up my day because they remind me of all the love and happiness I have in my life.

Hancock: My phone, unfortunately. It helps me stay connected, but I really enjoy days I "forget" where I put it.

Inchiosa: I have a bright yellow watch that I wear most days. I've noticed that, when I'm feeling scatter-brained or overwhelmed, looking at my watch helps me to feel a little more grounded.

Piñero: A picture of my Grandmother in her 20's. I like to wonder what she was thinking at that moment in time.

Drilling: I wear my Apple watch every day. I'm kind of obsessed with closing my Activity rings.

Erickson: It's not one specific item I carry around with me, but I always have a book nearby, no matter where I go.

I have always been this way, even when I was in elementary school. I never want to be without something interesting to read.

Klavon: A notebook for any poem ideas that occur during the day.

FAST FACTS about the new teachers

Drilling lived in 7 different cities around the world.

Hancock's favorite fictional character is Harry Potter 2. What was high school like for you?

Bice: I went to an all-girls Catholic high school, which was exactly how it sounds. I loved school, but I was not a "cool" kid. I obsessed over boys, while taking so many things for granted. I had a wonderful family; I got to play soccer every day, and I had wonderful friends. I wish that I could do it over and pay attention to the good things in my life and not the bad.

Drilling: I was a pretty serious student in high school. I took nearly all of the science electives that I could (Genetics, Microbiology, Ecology, etc.). I also took a lot of AP classes and was super involved in Publications. I was busy, but also had a lot of fun and felt very prepared when I got to college.

Erickson: Busy — I was part of several clubs and activities all the time, and I took the most advanced classes I could take. I was always doing something or planning to do something, and it helped me develop strong organizational skills. Spanish was my favorite class.

Piñero, Bice, and Erickson all love chocolate.

Evan Hancock, College Counselor 3. If you could live anywhere in the Cathleen Drilling, world, where would US Science teacher you live?

4. What is your Graefe: Bergen, Norway favorite movie?

Inchiosa: This is hard, too. I would pick Provence, in France.

Erickson: I love living in the Twin Cities, but I would live in Duluth if I didn't live here.

Piñero: Jotunheimen.

Bice: Either St. Paul or Portland.

Drilling: Not to sound braggy, but this is actually a really hard question for me. One place I'm interested in is Croatia. It's beautiful, there are lots of outdoorsy activities available, the weather is temperate, and it would be a great place to explore eastern Europe from.

Hancock: Italy.

Klavon: Oxford, UK.

Klavon: Lost In Translation Drilling: The Big Lebowski.

I really started enjoying this movie because my husband, Mr. Lakin, loves it and quotes it which makes it even funnier.

Piñero: Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Bice: Call Me by Your Name.

Hancock: Good Will Hunting.

Erickson: Ferris Bueller's Day off.

Inchiosa: I have lots of favorites. One is Broadcast News, a movie from the 80s.

Graefe: The Empire Strikes Back.

5. What is your favorite meal?

Piñero: One that I didn't cook.

Hancock: Pasta, though what kind varies. I really like the chicken penne pasta at La Grolla on Selby.

Klavon: Whatever I'm in the mood for, in large quantities.

Erickson: It's a toss-up between spicy curry over rice or penne with a really good marinara sauce.

Bice: Tacos.

FEATURE THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019 FIRST PERSON FEATURE

11

Rane Bice, US Math teacher Bice's favorite fictional character is Percy Jackson

THRILL. Kristal leaps from the edge cliff screaming with a mixture of fear and excitement.

Megan Erickson, US Publications Assistant

Christian Graefe, US Chemistry teacher

Erickson collects Starbucks mugs from all the cities she visits.

Evan Klavon, US English teacher

Don't look just leap

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Lizzie Kristal

Kristal finds thrills at quarries LIZZIE KRISTAL THE RUBICON

The final leap off the cliff was the hardest part, and now that I had taken it, I felt like I was frozen in time. The air grazed my face. My stomach leaped up to my head. The seconds long as I fell toward the water.

It was the moment I came to the Quarry for.

I’d heard a lot of buzz about the Quarry Nature Reserve, about an hour and a half northwest of the Twin Cities.

The quarry is a man made hole surrounded by stone that has been extracted. When it fills with water, it’s a great place for swimming and, depending on how high the water levels are, cliff-jumping. The park has 20 quarries, but only a few are used for swimming.

I gathered a group of three friends who had never gone before either to travel with me. Before leaving, I asked my sister who had gone multiple times what we should bring.

They suggested floaties or inner tubes and towels, but nothing of value other than car keys and a phone because we would have to leave our stuff on the cliffs unsupervised while swimming. We packed up the Subaru and got ready for the miniroad trip ahead.

It cost $5 to enter and park in a large lot with plenty of spaces. We gathered all of our stuff and inflated our floaties.

Then we started walking to the quarry. At the time, I didn’t know there were multiple, so we stopped at the first one that we saw, about a half mile walk from the car. It was a struggle carrying all the floaties and bags, but we made it to what ended up being quarry 2. It

was a little overwhelming. The rocks piled high around us, and the path around the quarry was narrow at times. It wasn’t too busy because there were still spots open around the quarry to sit. Other people’s stuff lined the ridge, while they were swimming and jumping off the cliffs, mostly 15-20 year olds.

While the parking lot seemed spacious, the shoreline was not so finding a spot was a challenge. In the end we camped our stuff next to a smaller cliff, about ten feet high. We decided this jump would be our first cliff, acting as a warm up for the biggest cliff in the quarry: three stories high and it had a line of people at the top waiting to jump down. That would be our grand finale, and my hands were shaking just thinking about it.

“

I WAS FEELING A COMBINATION OF FEAR, ELATION, PANIC, MOMENTUM, BUT MOSTLY LIBERATION. Lizzie Kristal

”

I was surprised at how different I felt standing at the top of the cliff versus looking straight at it; it felt much higher when I was about to leap off. The jump wasn’t very thrilling, but it was a good start to get used to the water temperature and the rocks. After we felt confident in our ability to conquer that, we prepared ourselves for the big cliff.

Figuring out how to reach

the top of the big cliff from the water was a challenge in itself.

The rocks were jagged and slippery towards the bottom. After a few tries, we managed to make it to the path that led the top where the line of people stood to jump. Against my better judgment, I looked down at the water from the edge. We got in the back of the line and watched the people in front of us either jump immediately, or tell the people behind them to go ahead. My breath fell short as I was inhaling fear and excitement. As we moved slowly toward the front of the line, I already knew I was going to back out. Once I reached the front with a friend, we made eye contact, then let the people behind us go. After what felt like five minutes of panic at the top, I decided it was time. I stepped to the point and promised myself I wouldn’t look down again. I took a breath... and jumped. Immediately, I internally screamed, for I was feeling a combination of fear, elation, panic, momentum, but mostly liberation flooded my senses: I’d finally set myself free. Time slowed as I fell and I looked out across the quarry, up to the sky, and down to the approaching surface of the water. The first thing to hit the water was my right foot, quickly followed by the plunge of the rest of my body into the water, and I swam to the surface for breath. The shock of the water left my foot stinging, but my joy overrode the pain: I’d finally jumped.

I turned back to watch my friend do the same.

A couple hours later, I left the quarries feeling satisfied with myself for conquering the big cliff.

12

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Adrienne Gaylord

ARTIST PROFILE

Strobel’s hooked on fish photography ADRIENNE GAYLORD ILLUSTRATOR

Senior Ryan Strobel is not a photographer. He is a fishtographer, and the only one at that. In 10th grade he took a photography class at school, and his love of the art form progressed from there. Now he’s got his own camera and a family of fish that need to be photographed.

“I just like looking at the crazy stuff that nature’s generated, I feel like not a lot of people pay attention to stuff like that. They’re like, ‘ew it’s a cricket’ but they don’t look at how complex its mouth is.

It’s just kind of crazy that it all came together in a way, and I think it’s neat to show that stuff up close. So it’s easier to appreciate,” Strobel said.

Strobel uses photography as a way to showcase his perspective on the world. Strobel seeks to challenge monotony, and bring a new sense of wonder to the known.

“I feel like a big part of my vision is that you can appreciate this stuff no matter where you are, because it’s always around you,” he said.

As an artist, Strobel has developed an aesthetic and recurring themes throughout his work. Much of his photography is of his fish in darkness.

“My pictures go for mystery and spookiness,” he said.

He has definitely been able to achieve this stylistic goal.

His collection features pictures of not only his fish, but other subjects in eerie composition.

According to Strobel his work would ideally be observed while the song “Creeping in my Soul” is playing. The element of fear he attempts to evoke is complemented by the neoclassical metal sounds of Cryoshell.

He has found his place in photography, and he’s really enjoying exploring it. He recently did a series where he searched for deceased insects, once again taking what we see by passing glance, and dissecting it through a magnifying glass.

JUST LIKE “ ILOOKING AT

CRAZY STUFF THAT NATURE’S GENERATED. Ryan Strobel

”

“I like zooming in really close on small things and getting a better look at things I like.” Also known as macro photography, this method complements his conceptual goals in illumination of the overlooked.

“I think videography is the future of photography, for me personally,” Strobel said. He has taken a few videos already of his fish, and he is interested in filming more.

Strobel believes that his

aquatic focus sets him apart from other artists. “Nobody else is taking pictures of fish.

I’m the only fishtographer in the world,” Strobel said, laughing.

Although at least 667 instagram posts tagged with #fishtography beg to question his statement, no one has publicly claimed his title. Strobel says that his fish have grabbed almost all of his photography interest. Around 65% of his photos are of his fish, making them his primary muse. The only other subject that can even come close to his fish are his shrimp. They are incredibly small, almost microscopic to the bare eye, yet when taking photos he can see them closer.

One couldn’t see it with their bare eye but they have ten tiny legs, five on either side, and small carapasses layering upon one another.

The story within Strobel’s photos is one of appreciation for the unappreciated, finding the fear in the unfeared, but what is the main underlying message?

“Come to my house and look at my fish,” Strobel said.

ZOOMING IN. “I like zooming in really close on small things and getting a better look at things I like,” senior Ryan Strobel said.

THROUGH A NEW LENS. “Nobody else is taking pictures of fish. I’m the only fishtographer in the world,” Strobel said.

NATURE. Strobel often photographs animals and nature.

SIGHT AND SOUND. According to Strobel, his work would ideally be observed while the song “Creeping in my Soul” by Cryoshell is playing.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: Ryan Strobel

Throwback music creates harmony between generations LIZZIE KRISTAL THE RUBICON

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Lizzie Kristal JAMMING. “[Throwback music is] always a classic to play when you aux because you know everyone in the car is going to love it, especially High School Musical,” ninth-grader Solvej Eversoll said.

You’re in the car and your friend hands you the aux. What do you play? How can you play something that everyone in the car will jam to when their music tastes are so diverse? You play “Toxic” by Britney Spears, of course. You know that the songs they listened to when they were younger are the best crowd pleasers.

“It just really takes me back to the time and place when I first heard about it and first liked the song and that’s fun because it takes you back to when you were younger,” senior Kathleen Bishop said.

The songs themselves aren’t necessarily what’s attractive about throwbacks. Instead, it’s the nostalgia they evoke. According to students, recognizable songs have the ability to trigger past memories, both negative and positive, and it re-

minds people of another time.

It’s a form of escapism from current stress.

“I like ‘Watch Me Whip.’ It reminds me of when I was in fifth grade. I liked fifth grade,” junior Eli Wovcha-Conrad said.

The most popular throwback songs also have the ability to bring people together since many people are familiar with them and can all dance to them together. “[Throwback music is] always a classic to play when you aux because you know everyone in the car is going to love it, especially High School Musical,” ninth-grader Solvej Eversoll said.

When feeling positive nostalgia, the mood of a group is immediately boosted. All it takes is one song to get people dancing and singing.

“I like to listen to [a throwback playlist] during volleyball practices because it makes a

really fun atmosphere,” Bishop said.

Sometimes the nostalgia one feels from a throwback song doesn’t come from their own life, but before their generation. When Generation Z plays music from decades before their lifetime, it creates an atmosphere that makes them feel like they’re living how their parents lived during that time.

According to Spotify’s data, 34% of their listeners listen to throwback music from their parents’ generation.

Music acts as a time machine. It can transport you to your childhood, teen years, or even a few generations before your own. All it takes is one tune to make you feel like you’re in a whole other world.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

RESTAURANT REVIEW

13

To new restaurant, praise is Due

AMBIANCE. “We hope to bring our version of Italian Piazza to Mac-Groveland neighborhood where we can help neighbors create memories,” Owner Eric Carrara said.

SANDWICHED. Due’s signature dish is their focaccia sandwich.

This is no ordinary sandwich - layered with your choice of house made Italian meats, Due truly brings an authentic experience.

CHARLIE JOHNSON THE RUBICON

The sun sets and the smell of fresh focaccia and cannolis waft to your nose. No, you’re not in Italy - you are on the corner of Randolph and Fairview, at Due. Pronounced “Doo-eh,” Due is a new restaurant specializing in focaccia sandwiches, just across the street from SPA. Eric Carrara, owner of Due, wants to create a distinct kind of restaurant that is separate from others in the community.

“Due is a casual craft cafe focused around the dining traditions of Italy,” Carrara said.

The first thing that jumps out as you enter the restaurant is the wonderful ambiance, transporting you straight to Italy. The restaurant is relatively small, with three medium sized tables indoors and four outdoor patio tables. Luckily I came at a time that wasn’t very busy, but there was only one table available. The dinner rush I imagine would be long and frustrating for those who wanted to enjoy the food at Due. The decor is distinctly modern with an Italian twist. There is lots of exposed brick and plants which contribute to this feeling. Being so new, Due’s temporary hours run from 5-10p.m. (Monday - Saturday) and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. (Sun).

Carrara hopes to bring the people of the Twin Cities together to enjoy a meal like they would in Italy.

“In Italy, families gather in the town square that is called a ‘piazza,’ jumping around from cafe, to gelateria, to focacceria, all while celebrating aperitivo

hour. (aperitivo: to open the pallet) They will mingle with neighbors, friends, and family until the wee hours. We hope to bring our version of Italian Piazza to Mac-Groveland neighborhood where we can help neighbors create memories.” Carrara said.

Due’s signature dish is their focaccia sandwich. This is no ordinary sandwich - layered with your choice of house made Italian meats, Due truly brings an authentic experience. The freshly made bread is light and airy, yet substantial enough to support the other ingredients in the sandwich.

I ordered the “carne,” which comes with salami, mortadella, prosciutto, pecorino crema, and an artichoke pate. I would recommend the carne for anyone who enjoys sandwiches with lots of meat. Though it may sound simple, Due thrives on making the simple, delicious. The sandwiches are presented wrapped in paper on a wooden plate. The presentation, though simple, gives the customer a lavish dining experience. Though delicious, I do have some criticisms - one being the price. One sandwich costs around $15. Though the sandwiches aren’t small, I find this price far too high, extreme even for the upper scale deli that it is.

Despite the price, I would definitely return to Due. The food was delicious and the experience was heightened by the ambiance. I would recommend Due to anyone who wants to try something new and support a local business.

DISPLAYED. Due’s temporary hours are from 5 to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

475 Fairview Avenue. Saint Paul, MN. Signature dish: focaccia sandwich with your choice of ingredients 5-10p.m. (Mon-Sat) 9a.m.-9p.m. (Sun)

WORKING. Senior Max Soll works at Due Focacceria.

“I make sandwiches, help maintain the deli area and help assemble and prepare the food,” he said.

THE RUBICON PHOTOS: Charlie Johnson

14

SPORTS THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

Tennis lobbies for better turnout LUCY BENSON

MANAGING EDITOR

THE RUBICON PHOTO: LUCY BENSON SERVE THE BALL. Varsity tennis player, Maya Choi, focuses on the ball in her match.

Cheers erupt as the player runs down the line, exchanging high fives and smiles with her teammates as she goes.

This routine comes after the players shake hands with their opponents at the beginning of a match. One of these players is 9th grader Ally Browne.

Though she is new to Girls Varsity Tennis year, Browne already feels welcomed by her new teammates.

“I think that already so far in the two, three weeks, that we’ve been practicing together, everyone’s been really supportive and nice to me,” Browne said.

Browne is not the only new player to the Spartans this year; senior Issy Weber is also an addition to the team.

“This is my first year playing but I really like it because you can be competitive but it’s not super serious,” Weber said. “I also really like playing with my friends.”

Browne knows she’s a competitive player looking to letter

this year, but the snapshot of the team she describes is one of a strong sense of community: “I’ve received so much support in these first few weeks, I’m really excited to see all the friends I make on the team throughout the season...the upperclassmen [are] always really nice,” Browne said.

“

WE WIN TOGETHER, WE LOSE TOGETHER. Ali Browne

”

The team’s sense of comradery and support extends to the coaches. One coach in particular, Jono Martin, watches out for the team.

“He understands all the pressure we put on ourselves,” Browne said. “They treat us like we’re equals,” she added, “like, we’ll all joke around with each other.”

Weber agreed: “The coaches are really nice.”

Browne and Weber want to see an increased fan turnout at matches.

“We’ve only had, other than parents, maybe two or three people come out,” Browne said.

“The captains have been trying to post things on the Instagram and encourage people to come out,” she said.

“We all want everyone to support each other in high school sports,” Browne said, “... we go to the soccer games, we go to other games, but nobody really watches the tennis team.”

“Not a lot of people come to girls tennis but...we’re doing really well this year,” Weber added. “People should come and support girls tennis.”

Players may compete in doubles matches or singles matches, but this fact doesn’t diminish their sense of team unity.

“What we’ve been doing recently is after like the [opposing] team leaves, of course, like huddling around and singing, I think ‘We are the Champions’,” Browne said. “We all scream it at the top of our lungs, and it’s kind of embarrassing but it just reinforces the fact that like we win together, we lose together.”

Cross Country prioritizes inclusivity ADRIENNE GAYLORD ILLUSTRATOR

This year the cross country team is going to beat all of their personal bests. It sounds like a bold statement, but this team is filled with so much positivity and enthusiasm that anything is possible.

The team is a co-ed with grades six through senior. They have a wide range of experience and ability, yet they all give strength to the team. Cross Country Coach Kellan Minter said, “One of the strengths is the positive atmosphere. I think people work really hard, because these workouts are really challenging, but people are cheering each other on all the time and very supportive.” The team got back on the track two weeks before school began, and they’ve been making progress since. A Cross Country Captain and Junior Micheal Moran said, “Some people joined a couple weeks ago and they’re

totally unrecognizable in just the way they run and with the vigor and energy that they have.” There are a lot of new runners this year that are both dampening the gender imbalance and supplying a lot of new energy and positivity. Members of the team are excited to get back to work; running fast and breaking times. Their practices this year have been more track based. They’re working on their cardio bases and getting into a sort of long-distance track mindset.

“Our culture around the cross country team is really inclusive,” Minter said.

The team really values their positive culture, and it’s really beneficial with the challenges cross country brings. As they run they’re smiling and joking together, pushing each other to get to their best.

“I feel like we have so many new people and so much enthusiasm. It’s just really incred-

ible to see, for me as someone who’s been here in times where we haven’t had that enthusiasm, it’s just incredible the difference it makes and how it flows to everyone,” Moran gushed. Members of the team got some major bonding time over the summer, when they went on a group camping trip.

As a unit they’re tight-knit, and Moran wants that to reflect even more in their running, “I think the biggest thing we have to work on is sticking together.”

Not only are they putting their cohesion as a team as a priority, but also their health. “One thing we’re trying to work on a little more is recovery and maintenance. To make sure people aren’t getting hurt,” Mr. Mintor emphasized.

The team has started this year off on the right foot.

They’re all more acquainted and can feel their strength as a team. Moran noted, “How much people adapt and trans-

JENNY RIES

3:30 to 5:30 at Highland Park Senior High School. So far, the girls have won their first meet on Friday Sept. 5 against Harding. This year, there are many newcomers to the team.

Junior Noor Christava, who is starting her second year as a swimmer on the team, said she is excited for “Just being a part of the team and meeting new girls, because there’s a lot of new people on the team.”

In addition, the members of girls swim and dive have goals to improve individually this year.

Sophomore Olivia Szaj, who

TEAM BONDING. Sparks teammates talk before jumping in the water for practice.

FINAL PUSH. Senior, Josh Meitz, focuses on the finish line in the final stretch. form in such a short amount of time is really incredible.” This year they predict they’re going to have more people going to

state, and more people making memories.

has been on the team for the past 4 years and joined diving last year, said “I know a lot of our team had wanted to PR (personal record) or get more dives, for example, I really want to get my reverse somersault.”

Christava said that this season she is looking forward to “trying to improve my times.”

“The hardest thing about diving for me is working through mental blocks where I think I can’t do a dive even if physically I could,” Szaj said.

To balance out the hard work and welcome newcomers, the team has traditions to facil-

itate team bonding.

Christava said, “We do this thing called ‘spaghetti dinners,’ where after practice we go to someone’s house and we just carb-load, like pasta, spaghetti… we do it before meets.”

Szaj said, “One tradition we have is swim buddies, where an older swimmer or diver will get paired with a younger swimmer or diver and at every meet they get each other a little Gatorade or granola bar.”

Their next meet is on Sept.

14.

Girls swim and dive jumps into season with optimism THE RUBICON

THE RUBICON PHOTO: JENNY RIES

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: HENRY BURKHARDT

While many students find themselves asleep at 6 am on a weekday, members of girls diving are already awake, and working hard. St. Paul Academy and Summit School girls swim and dive began their season on August 12 with a full roster, and they are already putting in the hours to meet their goals this season. Divers meet for practice before school, from 6 am until 7:30.

For divers, dryland constitutes a half-hour abdominal workout. Swimmers practice from

SPORTS THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

15

Wolfpack boasts multi-sport athletes

THE RUBICON PHOTO: CHARLIE JOHNSON Sophomore Mac Brown focuses during an intense game.

Boys varsity soccer juggles injuries in pursuit of state CHARLIE JOHNSON THE RUBICON

For the boys soccer team there is one word that describes their goal as a team for the season, state. The team hopes to forget last season’s first round upset in sections against Minnehaha Academy which left them devastated after having such high expectations for their season. This year they hope to develop their team enough to be recognized as a top tier team in class A. After graduating 12 seniors last year the varsity team has had to find a way to come together and be successful. Sophomore Leo Larson has been on the varsity team for two years has a clear plan of how to get things done.

“The team is obviously going to have to work harder than other teams in games, practices, and off the field, but if we can figure out how to put more work in than other teams and come together to make the team better than we are expected to be, it could be a very successful year with a lot of upsets throughout the postseason,” Larson said.

Early season injuries have already changed the team’s plans.

Senior captain Peter Wilson is confident that his squad can get the job done.

“This is the first year where we have had to deal with the first choice keeper getting a season-ending injury, although Duncan Fleming has stepped up in a big way to be our goalkeeper,” Wilson said.

PHOTO: @SMBWOLFPACK EYES ON THE PRIZE.Tony Avila Tovalin protects the ball as he runs down the field.

QUINN CHRISTENSEN EDITOR IN CHIEF

What makes a team strong?

Hard work, a tight-knit community, and a healthy dose of self awareness - and the Wolfpack has all of the above.

“We’re all friends, it’s a big family. It’s just a big community,” sophomore Mason Brooks said. “Everyone knows each other and everyone makes an attempt to know each other and have that camaraderie.

When it comes, the winter months, we all know each other really well by then.”

The team does best when they’re not stressed and having fun, which is why Brooks says that the most important thing

for the team to remember is that “It’s high school football, and it’s fine if we don’t win, but at the same time, we need to compete and keep getting to know each other,” Brooks said.

FINE IF WE “IT’S DON’T WIN, BUT

AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED TO COMPETE.

”

Mason Brooks

The team is made up of a group of well-rounded athletes, with some athletes competing in a variety of sports across multiple seasons. Brooks fenc-

es during the winter.

“I’ve been [fencing] for eight years now,” he said.

In fact, he’s been fencing for much longer than he’s been playing football.

“I played a little fusion and flag football while I was in middle school,” Brooks said. “Coming into high school, I had the opportunity to play tackle football for the first time, so I really wanted to pick that up and start that.”

The team is hoping for a better turnout at games than last year, and so far, fans have delivered.

“We’ve only had one home game this year, but that was really good turnout. Last year it wasn’t good at all,” Brooks said.

Girls varsity soccer focuses on family values LUCY BENSON

MANAGING EDITOR

Things haven’t changed much for Mia Hofmann since her first year on the Girls Varsity Soccer team as a 9th grader, making practice feel familiar.

“We’re all really close and everyone trusts everyone,” Hofmann said.

An emphasis of the team is community bonding, with team sleepovers and even trips.

“We take a trip up to Dulu-

th for the beginning of the year for three days where we train and just do team bonding stuff, which I think really helps us get closer,” Hofmann said.

The team also values tradition.

“For home games, we have a walkout that we do and it’s like the same warm up that we do before every game and it’s been the same for many years,” Hofmann said.

Senior Pia Schultz shares

they have other traditions for away games.

“We have a new playlist this year, we sing songs on the bus on the way to games and we eat Laffy Taffies before away games,” Schultz said.

When the team struggles in a game, Hofmann explained that it is important for them to support each other.

“I think it’s important to remember that it’s just a game.

So just remember that one

mistake doesn’t define you and that in the end, we’re playing for something a lot more important than ourselves,” Hofmann said.

The turnout for the girls soccer team has primarily been the boys soccer team, leaving them hopeful for a greater turn out for future games.

“People should pop out to the game, it’s really fun,” Hofmann said.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Jane Lagos Sophomore Mia Hoffman dribbles the ball down the field.

“Absolute best” motto pushes girls varsity volleyball towards state CHARLIE JOHNSON THE RUBICON

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: ANNIKA ROCK Girls volleyball player celebrate after a sucessful play.

For the volleyball team there is one goal, to finish what they started and win their section.

They came close last year, losing to the #4 team in class AA Concordia Academy. The team has a bad taste in their mouth about last year and is ready to prove the doubters wrong and make a state run in 2019.

According to senior Sydney Therien the team is fully bought in and ready to win.

“The attitude and competitiveness of this team seems to be much more gung-ho this

season, meaning that we have a lot more fight in us than in the past,” Therien said.

HAVE A LOT “ WE MORE FIGHT IN US THAN IN THE PAST.

”

Sydney Therien

Like past years the volleyball team is quite talented.

“From seeing how we’ve practiced all summer, we’re clearly a very highly skilled team. What our coach has re-

iterated to us countless times is that we need to come out of the gate at 100%, or at our Absolute Best. Absolute Best is actually our team motto for this year,” Therien said.

When times are tough and you have to face adversity you look back on your values. Senior Arie Walker wants to make sure that her team stays mentally tough.

“Trust, family, respect, focus, and dedication. We have those as guidelines for our season to be positive and run smoothly,” Walker said.

16

PHOTO STORY THE RUBICON - SEPTEMBER 2019

Experience the Realm:

RenFest offers all ages fantasy fun

Senior Naomi Wilson attempts to stay upright while climbing on the Jacobson ladder.

Crowds walk by artisans, like Mistress Kathleen, a weaver who demonstrates her craft and may also sell items.

THE RUBICON PHOTOS: Sharee Roman TWIRL AND SWIRL. Belly dancers entertain festival-goers at one of the many free stage shows. “I like going to the Renaissance Festival... in costume and seeing everyone else’s costumes. I like that everyone is a kind of character, whether they work there or they’re just visiting. It kind of breaks down any social barriers so you can talk to anybody you want,” senior Martha Slaven said.

Go to play games, eat food, cheer performers SHAREE ROMAN

FAST FACT

Dancers swirl onstage and trapeze artists tumble from silks and twirl ropes. Fire dominates the stages, with Fandazi Fire Circus juggling and the Danger Committee throwing flaming knives in front of packed benches. Henna and face paint artworks adorn people’s bodies with lines of patrons waiting their turn.

“I like going to the Renaissance Festival...in costume and seeing everyone else’s costumes. I like that everyone is a kind of character, whether they work there or they’re just visiting. It kind of breaks down any social barriers so you can talk to anybody you want,” senior Martha Slaven said.

Located in Scotts Country, approximately 45 minutes from the Twin Cities, the Renaissance Festival runs weekends Aug. 17 -Sept. 29 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. With the admission fee and cost of games,

The Minnesota Renaissance Festival started in 1971.

THE RUBICON

food, and souvenirs, it is best to bring about $50 and a mix of small bills because tips are expected if you photograph characters, ranging from fairies and dragons to kings and queens, that roam the festival.

Walk through one section of the festival and pay $3-10 per game to pop balloons with axes, throw ninja stars, or launch tomatoes at a person howling insults. For those searching for more active games, climb the Jacobson ladder or scale the climbing wall, flip on bungee trampoline or fence with a friend in padded outfits.

“I found the general carefree atmosphere of the festival relaxing, and there were a number of activities, such as the activity that involved popping

balloons on your opponent’s helmet with a sabre sword, that were unique to the festival,” senior Naomi Wilson said.

The festival food is a highlight, and an entire pull out in the program is devoted to the stands. Unicorn desserts are featured this year, with both a sundae and a cake that tasted more like cotton candy and bubble gum than something frozen or baked. Traditions like turkey legs and beer cheese in bread bowls made for a hearty lunch.

Dress up or dress down, but visit the Renaissance Festival before it closes this weekend; the last week’s theme is Oktoberfest.

Costume rentals are available for those who want to wear something snazzy.

Tickets for adults cost $24.95 at the gate, and discount tickets are available through Groupon or online. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes. For more information check out the Minnesota Renaissance website at renaissancefest.com.

Dragon’s Fire Theater performs aerial and juggling acts using hoops, ropes, scarves, and fire.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Olivia Campbell Jousting contests in the center arena are one must-see at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. Its important to arrive early to get a bench on the hill and it still might be standing room only.