February 2024 Issue by SPA Publications

The Rubicon Student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 Volume 49, Issue 1 - Feb. 9, 2024

FEATURE

8-9

COLLECTING, CROCHETING, AND CONJURING FUTURES. Niches may be specific and unique hobbies or activities that students divulge in but, they are by no means random. Often rooted in culture or family ties, students find a special connection to these practices. Whether hooking another loop, foretelling ones future, or searching for coin collectibles, these hobbies start with a passion and end with a token of achievement.

AI WIFI Students and faculty weigh in on the growing presence of AI in the school environment, how to use it, and why they use it. Read more in NEWS.

COLLECTING COMMUNITY Collector, Annika Kim, reflects on the role collecting has had on his life, claiming it to sooth the soul and bring people together. Read more in OPINION.

IN THIS ISSUE:

COVER DESIGN: Georgia Ross

HOUSING HISTORY Read about how historical racist housing practices have contributed to current disparities and how to get involved. Read more in IN DEPTH.

2-4 - News • 5-7 - Opinion • 8-9 - Feature • 10 - 12 In Depth

• 13-16 - Sports • 16-19 - A&E • 20 - Service Journalism

NEWS THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

Huss couches removed due to informality JUAN MIGUEL ADAMS THE RUBICON

Before winter break, many students began their day by shedding their backpacks and sinking into the familiar gray couches in Huss. Sophomore James England used the couches as a space for relaxation: “I usually go lay on the couches and work before school starts. For me, it was somewhere to rest.” Redleaf Commons is now rid of its couches and instead is filled with tables and chairs. The furniture change brought mixed emotions; some students miss the couches, while others are glad to bid them farewell.

“

I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT THEM BACK, INCLUDING ME.

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Juan Miguel Adams

COUCH CONNECTIONS. A group of students talk after school at the new tables and chairs in Red Leaf Commons. The Huss couches were removed after winter break to create a more formal space. “We did not do the work to keep [the couches there,” said senior Poppy Ploen. sophomore Sophie Nguyen

Sophomore Murray Goff thought the couch removal was due to a lack of decency in respecting the space. The space was littered with food wrappers, spilled drinks, jack-

ets and bags, and even sleeping students. “I am not sure exactly why they got removed, but they seemed like they were being misused and getting dirty,” Goff said. Jeff Radtke is responsible for monitoring surveillance cameras and overseeing security at the

Huss entrance, where he observed a lot of activity on the couches: “Wrappers left, drinks left, people would forget where they are at.” While some inappropriate activity in the area contributed to the replacement of couches with tables, the overarch-

ing reason was to create a more formal space. Dean of Students Stacy Tepp and US Principal Minnie Lee were involved in making the decision. “By having the couches there,” Tepp said, “it was almost like we were inviting students to act

informal.” Radtke believes the recent change to tables created a positive shift in students’ behavior. “It is substantially better with tables … people [are] just conducting themselves appropriately for the space [and] not leaving garbage ... treat-

ing Huss like a public space,” Radtke said. Senior Poppy Ploen agreed: “The Huss Center got gross and we did not do the work to keep [the couches] there,” she said. The natural inclination to act informally on the couches did not align with the administration’s vision for the entrance to the school. But, students embraced this informal space. England said, “It made me sad when they removed the couches. They were really comfy and connected the 10th-grade community.” Sophomore Sophie Nguyen wants to return to routine. “I feel like a lot of people want them back, including me,” Nguyen said. Despite the furniture change, students continue to connect in Huss. The couches may return, at some point, but likely not in Huss. “We [the administration council] are actually thinking of somewhere more informal where those couches can live,” Tepp said. “A few years ago they were in the world history commons, so that’s an option.” Re-introducing the couches is still a new idea and has not been finalized.

Quiz bowl builds community with expertise Quiz bowl took its sixwin versus six-loss record to the Jan. 25 meet at Roseville Area High School. The Spartans’ A team, on the edge of qualifying for the playoffs, lost their first round by 10 points to Hill Murray’s B team but bounced back with wins in rounds two and three. Quiz bowl members need to answer questions on topics of general knowledge, including but not limited to literature, history, science, math, social sciences, fine arts, geography, religion, mythology, and philosophy. For example, quiz bowlers Henry Choi,

Zain Kizilbash, Bridget Keel, William Hanna, and Lucille Brooks were asked

QUIZ BOWL QUESTION:

This play focuses on Nora Helmer, who realizes that her husband Torvland has treated her like a toy instead of an equal.

A Doll’s House

THE RUBICON

OLYMPIA WOLFF

With wide-ranging questions, a good quiz bowl team must possess diverse knowledge bases. “It’s hard to do it with

just STEM people, but we’re trying our best,” senior Bridget Keel said. The team’s experience plays a crucial role in balancing their concentration on STEM subjects. Keel emphasized the transitions the team has undergone. “I’ve been on the team since freshman year ever since our history and literature people left,” she reflected. Now a mentor to newer members like sophomore Lucille Brooks, Keel provides leadership to maintain the team’s competitive edge. “I’ve been doing quiz bowl for a month,” said Brooks, commenting on her time on the team. This new hobby has been

CORRECTIONS POLICY Corrections are printed at the bottom of News p. 2. Corrections will be published in the month following the error and, if the story is also published online, will update following the online corrections policy.

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Olympia Wolff

COMMUNITY SOUP. Quiz bowl connects students through a cheerful, competitive nature. The team has changed in recent years as the current members are generally STEM-focused. Senior Bridget Keel said that they aim to “try their best and have fun.”

a lot of fun for her, and she enjoys learning new things as well as spending time with the group during tournaments. “I like that sense of happiness after getting

a question right or just being silly about answers that are presented when they’re wrong,” Brooks said. Their goal is to “try their best and have fun,”

Keel said. The team’s next tournament is Feb. 24 at Burnsville High School.

IN DEPTH 6 - Google should be capitalized; SPORTS 9 - Naomi Kempcke was spelled incorrectly.

NEWS THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

AI at SPA

The top 12 most visited generative AI websites per month (percent)

AI platforms infiltrate learning environments GEORGIA ROSS

CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR

One percent. The term has come to mean a number of things, but most would be surprised to know that it’s the percent of on campus traffic to AI sites between October 2023 and January 2024. Despite being in its infancy, generative AI has already entered classrooms and curriculums, promising to revolutionize the way students learn. Information Technology System Specialist Chuck Andres believes that AI has many benefits and drawbacks. “It takes more effort than you think … and you get something back that you might not be exactly looking for,” he said.

“

TOOLS ARE TOOLS, NOT INHERENTLY GOOD OR BAD. YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO USE THEM. Information Technology System Specialist Chuck Andres

INFOGRAPHIC: Georgia Ross Orion Kim

AI USAGE. With the increased popularity of AI after the release of ChatGPT, other AI softwares such as the writing assistant Notion AI became more well known. This graph shows the distribution of AI programs used by SPA students.

Out of the 25 generative AI websites where the most traffic occurs at SPA, Notion AI (37.9%) and Chat GPT (27.4%) take the strong lead. Within the last few months, some teachers have begun to incorporate AI use into their classes. “I’ve actually built a few assignments where students are instructed to engage with AI,” US Science teacher Amy Stading said. Part of the learning includes a follow-up Google

Classroom discussion about appropriate use. Stading appreciates how quickly ChatGPT helps her generate examples of a phenomenon, organize her ideas, and fine-tune and proofread her work. “As an educator, one of my most important roles is to prepare students effectively for the world they will move through ... and rapidly evolving technology is part of that,” she said. Stading explores the software herself, reads up on it, and creates her own guidelines in class, hoping to equip her students with the skills needed to use AI tools responsibly. Secretary of the Student Technology Committee Lorenzo Good worries about the misinformation AI might spread: “I don’t think there are benefits,” he said. Good finds that AI platforms can often regurgitate information that users aren’t actually asking about and send them down the wrong path. “It can actually confuse you more … I think it’s better to use resources that are available like talking to your teacher,” Good said. Andres agrees that the software can be challenging to use. But at the same time, he acknowledges that AI can offer clear benefits. He sees the advantage and convenience of AI in specific scenarios, such as for a more introverted student who may prefer finding answers online rather than seeking out a teacher. “I am generally of the mind that tools are tools, not inherently good or bad. You have to figure out the best way to use them,” Andres said. While AI use is present, it remains uncommon compared to other websites used on school WiFi.

Namecoach launch promotes correct name pronunciation JOHANNA PIERACH THE RUBICON

Names are identity markers packed into a few syllables. This month SPA has launched a name program and audio database that will make correct pronunciation accessible. The software Namecoach was piloted a few years ago in the senior class by US Technology Coordinator Angie Kritta, working alongside Director of Instructional Technology Tami Brass. “We thought that was an appropriate group since their names are being pronounced at so many different things during their senior year,” Kritta said. Namecoach launched with faculty and staff this January alongside the senior class after trial and error. Starting at meetings on Jan. 8, US Counselor Josie Zuniga gave teachers the framing and

FROM THE WEB

steps to create and embed the audio file. The Namecoach program allows users to record their name, pronounce it, and attach it to an email signature. This technology ensures that the community can learn the correct pronunciation of everyone’s names through digital communication. “The Namecoach tool is pretty much all-comprehensive,” Kritta said, making it the preferred platform over the previ-

“

I HOPE THIS PROGRAM REMOVES ANY AWKWARDNESS OF HAVING YOUR NAME MISPRONOUNCED AT GRADUATION.

senior Dashiell Horstman

ously attempted Google Forms. “What better way for everybody to feel like they belong than having your name pronounced correctly?” she said. Senior Dashiell Horstman is optimistic about its potential. “It is a very streamlined process that’s easy to complete, and as someone with a name that is often mispronounced, I hope this program removes any awkwardness of having your name mispronounced at graduation,” they said. With its success, the program is set to roll out to grades K-11 this spring. Teachers will have access to these recordings in a spreadsheet, allowing them to learn the correct pronunciation of their students’ names before the first day of school. Beyond simply avoiding an awkward moment, there is a deeper aim toward communal educa-

tion on pronunciation through this technology. Kritta believes the program aligns with the school’s DEIB initiatives as, “There are a lot of students whose name they never hear pronounced correctly for years, and every year they have to reintroduce that to a teacher and hope the teacher remembers.” Sophomore Ali Manzoor regularly experiences mispronunciation of his name, and believes that technology such as Namecoach has great potential for emphasizing correct name pronunciation in the community. “I do understand when people cannot pronounce [my name] correctly. I try my best to correct them most of the time,” he said. “I believe that if [Namecoach] is used more it will benefit the student body.” According to Kritta, the rollout process for the student body will

RUBICONLINE

take place over the next few months and include an assembly announcement followed by an email link. “Details for Lower School are a little more complex because your name recording is associated with your email account,” she said. “So we have to work through that for Lower School … having parents help those kids.” Despite the potential

complications, the merits of the program strike Kritta as overwhelmingly worth while. “Namecoach is a huge step in making the SPA community more inclusive,” she said. “I think it’s a pretty amazing tool.” To hear Namecoach in action, click the purple icon at the bottom of email signatures. A new window will open with an audio clip of the user’s name.

Science Olympiad competes and dominates at UW River Falls Invitational

The Student Activity Comittee (SAC) plans to make winter dance magical as a fairytale LANI NGONETHONG

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Clara Ann Bagnoli

NAMECOACH IN ACTION. US Technology Coordinator Angie Kritta displays the Namecoach software that teachers began using this January. This software was tested out a few years ago by seniors. “Namecoach is a huge step in making the community more inclusive,” Kritta said.

The Winter Dance will be held Feb. 24 at the Swedish American Institute.

AMANDA HSU THE RUBICON

The Spartans finished eighth in the small school division and 22nd overall.

NEWS THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

Residents resist council-approved Summit Ave. reconstruction AMANDA HSU THE RUBICON

This December, Save Our Summit (SOS), hired legal representation to fight a recently approved Summit Avenue reconstruction plan. On Oct. 25, 2023, the Metropolitan Council voted to approve the Summit Ave. Regional Trail proposal, initially introduced in 2021, seeking to increase the safety of bikers and pedestrians along the street’s 5.4-mile stretch. Summit resident senior Henri Peltier disagrees with the decision: “I don’t believe [the design] should be acted on … [but] I do like where the heart of the proposal is.” Peltier argues that safety on Summit should be a priority, but there are many other viable solutions to solve the problem. The plan focuses on three main goals: recreational safety, tree coverage, and historic preservation. Implementing this proposal is estimated to take around 10 to 20 years, but construction could be delayed amidst the controversy and backlash caused. SOS, an organization created by residents to oppose the proposal, held another meeting on Dec.

22, 2023, to discuss new updates. They have raised $30,000 and hired legal representation to oppose the proposal, although any legal action might be futile since the plan has already been approved. Summit Avenue is long overdue for road repairs and updating underground utilities, so a new trail plan was proposed to be built alongside the main reason for reconstruction. The primary additions detailed in the proposal are elevating the bike lane onto the curb and adding a buffer

“

I DON’T BELIEVE [THE DESIGN] SHOULD BE ACTED ON ... [BUT] I DO LIKE WHERE THE HEART OF THE PROPOSAL IS.

senior Henri Peltier

between the street and the bike path. Sophomore Roman Farley is a Summit resident and supports the proposal. He believes people oppose the new design because of misinformation about the de-

signs or are only opposed to past designs. “It’s not as bad as people say it is … people are really worried about what it’s going to look like for the trees and the [street’s] beauty, but in reality, it’s just for safer bike lanes,” Farley said. Sophomore Echo Dayton has lived on Summit her whole life and voiced her frustration with the proposal. “[My whole time living here] I’ve never seen a biking accident … I think that they’re trying to defend against something that isn’t actually an issue,” she said. Farley disagrees and believes that any causalities that can be prevented should be: “There could be like 10 deaths from cyclist accidents, but that’s still 10 too many.” In the past seven years, 23 incidents involving pedestrians or bikes have been reported on Summit, and two cyclists have lost their lives, according to the St. Paul Bicycle Coalition website (SBC). “There is already a bike lane that exists on the street, which isn’t used enough in my opinion, for it to be expanded,” Peltier said. In contrast, Farley thinks there is much to gain from moving the

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Amanda Hsu

NEIGHBORHOOD CLASH. Incidents of bikers and pedestrians being hit by cars are among the city’s top considerations regarding this proposal. Initially proposed in 2021, backlash from neighbos pushed back the approval until October of 2023. “In reality, it’s just safer bike lanes,” said sophomore Roman Farley.

bike lanes. He explains, “By making these bike lanes safer, more cyclists will go down those roads.” Farley also believes a lot of false data about the number of bikers who use Summit has been spread by organizations against the proposal, like SOS. Aside from the arguments regarding the necessity of the design, Dayton outlined logistical issues the new plan causes. “There are too many points where driveways intersect with the planned bike lane,” Dayton said, “Who would have the right of way then?”

Losing parking space is another issue residents will face in the redesign. “Street parking is crucial to keep because the street is often full of parked cars on weekends and nights, so other streets nearby would be filled with those cars,” Peltier said. Less parking availability will also affect the numerous businesses along or near Summit. Another central point of contention is cutting down approximately 220 trees for construction, as many of the trees planted on Summit are mature, and the neighborhood already lost a significant number to the Emerald Ash Borer infestation a

few years ago. A few trees have been deemed to have historical importance and spared from the chopping block; however, a significant number is still estimated to be removed. However, Farley dispels the concerns over removing the large number of trees. “Any trees that will be lost is just from road repairs, which both sides want,” he said. Dayton and her family have attended SOS meetings and put an SOS sign on their lawn to show opposition to the bike path plan. There has yet to be a set date for construction

Low voter turnout a tenuous predictor of a Biden and Trump ballot in 2024 MCKINLEY GARNER THE RUBICON

Even though the 2024 presidential election is months away, the primaries are heating up, setting the stage for the November ballots. Presidential primaries are each party’s way of choosing their nomination for who they want to see on the ballot.

Iowa and New Hampshire nominate Trump A breakdown of each county’s preferred Republican candidate

“

[NIKKI HALEY] DOESN’T HAVE A CHANCE.

junior Nicholas McCarthy

The Republican primaries began with the Iowa caucus on Jan. 15 which attracted only 14.4% of the state’s registered voters, and both Democratic and Republican candidates battled for votes in their respective primaries in New Hamp-

INFOGRAPHIC: McKinley Garner

TRUMP AHEAD. Former President Donald Trump won 51% of the votes in the Iowa caucus, and 54% of the votes in New Hampshire. Following Trump’s early primary victories, several candidates dropped out of the presidential race. Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley captured 43% of votes in New Hampshire, though junior Nicholas McCarthy says “she doesn’t have a chance” of defeating Trump.

shire on Jan. 23. So far, former president Donald Trump and incumbent president Joe Biden have dominated their primary races. Trump won 51% of the

votes in the Iowa caucus. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took second with 21.2% of votes, and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley collected 19.1% of votes.

As a result of Trump’s victory, DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie dropped out of the race. However,

Haley opted to remain in the race for the New Hampshire primary. She received 43.3% of the votes, compared to Trump’s 54.4%. This loss was substantial, yet Haley stands out as a strong candidate for many independent voters and Republicans who have lost trust in Trump. Still, junior Nicholas McCarthy doesn’t think that base will be enough for Haley to beat Trump and win the Republican nomination. McCarthy believes Haley’s support from independent voters “won’t really make a difference,” claiming “she doesn’t have a chance.” As many Republican candidates dropped out of the race, it appears as though they were using the presidential debate platform to elevate their political careers. Chris Christie, for example, has been generally politically inactive since he ended his governorship of New Jersey in 2018, though he did also serve as a lobbyist until 2020.

Senior Nora Shaughnessy believes “[US politicians’ politics are] somewhat about their own personal beliefs and not addressing the real issues,” adding that “a lot of people, especially on the Republican side, want to address their own goals when running, and that could be anything.” For Democrats, Joe Biden drowns out most other Democratic candidates. Nevertheless, Minnesota House representative Dean Phillips has gained some traction, clinching 19.5% of the votes in New Hampshire. The next Republican primaries will take place on Feb. 8 in Nevada and the US Virgin Islands. Results were not yet available at press time. REGISTER NOW: to vote in the Minnesota primary and 2024 election.

EDITORIAL THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024 OUR MISSION We strive to capture the spirit of the community through its stories while inspiring deeper conversations. Above all, we stand for integrity in our pursuit to inform and engage our readers.

THE RUBICON St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave • St. Paul, MN 55105 rubicon.spa@gmail.com www.rubiconline.com @TheRubiconSPA

23-24 STAFF THE RUBICON CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Claire Kim CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITOR IN DEPTH EDITOR FEATURE EDITORS SPORTS EDITORS A&E EDITORS SERVICE JOURN. EDITOR

Orion Kim Georgia Ross Sonia Kharbanda Olympia Wolff Eliza Farley Johanna Pierach Annie Zhang Amanda Hsu Clara Ann Bagnoli Juan Miguel Adams Peter Ostrem Annika Kim McKinley Garner

RUBICONLINE DIRECTOR OF RUBICONLINE PRODUCTION MANAGER CREATIVE DESIGN MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITORS FEATURE EDITORS A&E EDITORS SPORTS EDITOR SPECIAL PROJECTS COPY EDITOR PHOTOJOURNALIST

Clara McKoy Eliana Mann Rita Li Mariam Malik Lani Ngonethong Greyson Sale Siri Pattison Lucy Thomas Zadie Martin Zimo Xie Andrew Lipinsky Nora McKoy Thomas Chen Davan Rosen Aarushi Bahadur Thomas Kovarik

STAFF WRITERS Lina Abid, Tamari Christopher, Sam Galarneault, Matti Halloran, Audrey Jansen, Soren Johnson, Gavin Leuthold, Peter Lipinsky, Murphy Miltner, Yassin Mokbel, Audrey Peltier, Nabeeha Qadri, Elizabeth Tuttle

CONTRIBUTORS Carys Hsuing, Violet Pitcher

ADVISER Kathryn Campbell, CJE PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANT

Meghan Joyce

MEMBERSHIPS

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

PUBLICATION AWARDS

2023 NSPA All-American, 2023 Pacemaker Finalist 2024 CSPA Crown Award Finalist, 2023 Silver Crown 2023 SNO Distinguished Site 2023 JEM All State Gold

INFOGRAPHIC: Orion Kim SOURCE: Ibid yearbook archives

CLUB CHAOS. While clubs stayed in the 10-15 range for over a decade, 2020 brought a substantial jump that cannot be accounted for, even with the addition of affinity groups beginning in 2012. Clubs more than doubled between 20202024, a time during which the application process for clubs changed.

92%

of the staff agree

Revamping clubs structure offers potential to strengthen community EDITORIAL THE RUBICON STAFF

them all at a shallow level. The current system also makes it easy for people to segregate, avoiding not just Earlier this year, white stickers reading “Math Team awkward social interactions, but robbing students of > Student Math Club” were stuck to walls, laptops, and the chance to make new connections across grade leveven foreheads around campus. The Math Team print- els and difference. The first month of school could include weekly ed these stickers in the design lab, hoping to bruise their rival club’s reputation. While the club leaders meetings that encourage visiting a number of clubs at were friends poking fun at each other, this math vs. the start of the year, but then students should regularmath example illustrates a larger problem with the ly attend one. The division of math team and math clubs does club structure overall. not stand alone. On the surface, a large number A large number of groups of clubs might appear impressive, at school have been foundbut it’s not. Currently, there are 54 ed even though there were clubs, affinity, and special interest WHAT DOES already similar pre-existing groups listed in the Student Hub: LEADERSHIP MEAN IF clubs. We used to just have around one X-Period offering PLAY: why couldn’t pickleball, for every seven students. ConsidEVERYONE LEADS A football, spikeball, and pinger leadership positions, and the pong (to name a few) integrate numbers get worse. Students who CLUB? HOW ENGAGED into that group? hold leader or co-leader status CAN CLUBS BE IF Combining clubs would adds up to a staggering 106: totalhelp enhance the value of leading more “leaders” than the entire THERE AREN’T MANY ership and participation. population of the senior class. The clubs system doesn’t While the creation of new afMEMBERS? translate to success. finity groups based on identities Oversaturation of clubs in the school should continue as (and leaders) doesn’t give stuis, it’s past time to revamp what dents the resume boost they think it does. According makes a club a club. to the Princeton Review, racking up leadership roles It needs to start with a better proposal process. Currently the administration only requests a form and compiling a participation laundry list holds less with 10 signatures, a supervisor, and a meeting space. value than pursuing a passion, regardless of a student’s If club founder hopefuls had to demonstrate how title in those groups. The lesson? In-school extracurtheir group was bringing something that doesn’t cur- riculars are an opportunity to expand on an interest rently exist to the offerings, find a faculty advisor who rather than add a superficial line on an application. was not already advising a club, recruit a minimum Colleges want to see that a student intends to make an of five committed members to attend every week, and impact on a community inside or outside of school. Invest the time. propose a plan for at least one annual community Under the current X-Period schedule, it can be hard event, (fewer) clubs would be approved with more vifor clubs to accomplish anything. Student-led clubs sion and purpose. gathered only four times during fall semester, when It continues with leadership. The current model devalues leadership; oversatu- in previous years they met weekly. As a result, clubs rating the club leader role discourages competition need to be strategic and prioritize making a difference, and proactivity. It also undermines the value of con- which can only be possible with a collective of dedicated students. tributing to a collective interest without a title. This semester, use clubs as an avenue to unite interClub leadership should be limited to one president. If the group is large or active, consider a president-elect ests, not compete with people who share similar pasposition a 9-11 grader would hold, offering presidents sions. Prioritize outreach, commitment, and making an impact. an opportunity to mentor. Looking to next year, reenvision clubs. Create a It extends to membership. Clubs require time and effort, but with the current competitive process. Add back meeting time. Require system, it’s easier to participate passively in multiple engagement. Then clubs will be, in reality, the rich ofclubs than to make a real difference in one. If a stu- fering they appear to be. dent feels pressure to join multiple groups, they’ll do

OPINIONS THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

TikTok as therapy? No thanks. MCKINLEY GARNER THE RUBICON

Parents and grandparents may annoyingly complain about “that darned phone,” but their fear that the digital age is bad for their children isn’t unjustified. Although social media has been celebrated for helping with mental health acceptance, its perpetuation of greater mental health problems and misinformation makes it more harmful than helpful. For example, calling the past the “good old days” might not be inaccurate: in recent years, people really have become more depressed. According to the National Institute of Health, depression rates nearly doubled in youth between 2009 and 2019. With only 5% of people using social

media in 2005 compared to the 90% that used it in 2019, according to the Pew Research Center, it is hard to ignore the correlation between greater social media use and problems with mental health. Plus, there are multiple mental health conditions that have frequently been linked to social media — body dysmorphia and low self-esteem, for example. Some social media proponents point to its role in making mental health easier to talk about. According to a 2021 study by Dr. Bernice A. Pescosolido et al., there was a significant decrease in mental health stigma in the U.S. from 1996 to 2018. The ease with which social media lets people share information and talk about their experiences undoubtedly helped with

ILLUSTRATION: Annika Kim

DIAGNOSIS DELUGE. TikTok mental health creators have undoubtedly helped to reduce the stigma around having mental health conditions. However, the resulting wave of self-diagnoses has been harmful for many others.

the greater acceptance of mental health disorders. However, behind this improved acceptance is an increased rate of self-diagnosis. According to a survey by Becker’s Hospital Review, 44% of American adults have either self-diagnosed themselves or others with mental health disorders. While some may ar-

gue that self-diagnosis is better than no diagnosis, this is a warped perspective. Most mental health self-checking tools are only correct 37% of the time on the first try, according to the medical journal The BMJ. This can be problematic for those who rely on those tools, since if they take an incorrect diagnosis at face

value, it leaves actual conditions unchecked, and thus unresolved. Self-diagnoses and amateur mental health content can provide a sense of community, as well as a cheap and accessible alternative for those who can’t access professional mental health services, but the potential harm isn’t worth it. Try to stay

away from online armchair psychologists and seek experienced help. If cost is an issue, it’s completely free to talk to the counselors at school, and they might be able to help find an affordable way to see an external professional as well.

INSTEAD OF SOCIAL MEDIA, CHECK OUT THESE RESOURCES

MDLive

TrevorLifeline

988

online therapy provider maximum $108 out-of-pocket

The Trevor Project’s 24/7 hotline free to call or text

SAMHSA 24/7 hotline free to call or text

MDLive has a wide variety of licensed therapists to choose from on their website. They’re certified by the Hitrust Alliance, meaning they follow a high standard of data protection, so you can be confident that your private conversations stay private. For those with unusual schedules, it’s easy to request alternate appointment times with a button.

The Trevor Project is a nonprofit focused on LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention. Their hotline has options to call, text, or chat, depending on your preference. Their website is crafted with privacy in mind -- if you need to leave the website quickly, hit the “escape” key three times (or tap three times on mobile), and it will immediately shut.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration runs a nationwide hotline for treatment referrals and information. This option is not meant to be used all the time, but if you need help immediately, it’s a place to start. SAMHSA’s website also has resources to find local assistance with substance use or mental health.

Collecting soothes the soul and brings people together ANNIKA KIM

THE RUBICON

Binders holding pages of clear card-holders. Shelves lined with figurines and keychains. A board full of magnets from every country. While it may seem like a mundane task to outsiders, starting a collection is a pastime that can bring happiness, build organization skills, and reduce stress. As a bonus, collectors get a slew of items to spend time with on their desks or in their drawers. Collecting has a long and rich history over the years. Previous examples of popular collections included cabinets of curiosities, which were full of unusual items amassed by people in Renaissance Europe, or art patrons and collectors who paid artists to create paintings that have been kept and preserved for years. The activity has also existed as a hobby through generations, with collections passed on to children and grandchildren. As a diverse, long-term hobby, collecting can be as flexible as necessary to fit into a busy schedule, different from other pastimes that may require more time in a shorter frame to appreciate.

RUBICON PHOTO: Eliza Farley

EGG-CELLENT COLLECTION. Collections can be made up of anything, not just stereotypical items like stamps or figurines. These stuffed eggs are a cute example.

The hobby also has many benefits to one’s well-being and happiness. Starting a collection can help fuel curiosity and creativity, as looking forward to finding or obtaining new things can enhance the opportunities to think further than before. A collection of items can also contribute to stress reduction and bring joy through the process of finding objects or looking at

them, which often have aesthetic value to the collector. In addition, psychologist Carl Jung speculated that collecting originated from the ancient times of gathering and hunting, where keeping things would be beneficial to survival. As such a widespread passion shared by many, collecting has garnered its own communities for its respective objects. For example, stamp collecting, known as philately, has a plethora of ways to engage with other collectors, showcase collections, or trade stamps online and offline. Having a collection of shared interests with someone else can open the door for potential new friendships and interactions, as a collection can often be a sign of how passionate someone is about a subject. The benefits are far greater than collecting is given credit for, from the sense of community that the activity can bring to the enhancement of one’s mental health and happiness. Starting a collection is a fun hobby that can bring friends, both animate and inanimate, to one’s life. READ MORE IN FEATURE, PAGE 8

OPINIONS THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

Deaf, not disabled: it matters VIOLET PITCHER CONTRIBUTOR

In response to recent articles and interest in ASL and the Deaf community at SPA, I offer a few points to help prepare our community for future discussions, interactions, and initiatives. First, I would like to note that my experience through my parents’ work with South African Sign Language (SASL) has allowed me to meet many Deaf people and to learn about Deaf culture and sign language, giving me a perspective that is, unfortunately, rare among hearing people. These experiences have instilled in me a passion to continue learning sign language to communicate with Deaf people and appreciate their culture. When discussing sign language and the Deaf community, using correct and respectful language is important. For example, it is not appropriate to describe sign language as a system of gestures. Gestures are often spontaneous and improvisational and are used by hearing people to accompany speech. In contrast, the signs that comprise sign language are composed of specific hand shapes and positions, palm orientation, motions, facial expressions, and body movements, which combine in specific ways to communicate in a particular sign language. We completely miss the descriptive mark when we reduce any sign language to gestures, and we do a disservice to the beauty of the language. Furthermore, there are words that many people use to describe Deaf people, such as disabled, hearing impaired, or communicatively disordered, that describe them with respect to a hearing “norm.” It is important to note the difference in meaning between deaf and Deaf. “Deaf” (capital “D”) refers to people who are culturally Deaf and communicate primarily via sign language rather than lip reading, whereas “deaf” (lowercase “d”) is a medical term for hearing loss. Lowercase ‘d’ deafness is a spectrum describing how well one can hear; everything is from the hearing point of reference. As hearing people, it is disrespectful to use such language to encapsulate the Deaf experience. ASL has an interesting and difficult history that is just as complex as any spoken language. It is a natural and evolving language with syntax and other similar functional features. These naturally occurring signed languages have been around as long as there have been Deaf people. Deaf history also includes the dark age of oralism, where deaf students were forced to communicate via oral language by lip-reading and mimicking breathing patterns and mouth shapes to be

“seen as fit for the world.” Deaf students around the world have been subject to other abuses, such as having their hands tied to keep them from using sign language. However, in Deaf culture, people don’t see themselves as lacking just because they don’t experience the world exactly like hearing people do. After all, everyone has different human experiences that do not subtract but add to the quilt of culture and community. Deaf culture offers pride and a sense of belonging and identity. Though there are many deaf people who don’t have a loving support system, there are also many Deaf people who experience a supportive community where being Deaf is never seen as a disability or a hindrance to their human experience.

ASL HAS AN INTERESTING AND DIFFICULT HISTORY THAT IS JUST AS COMPLEX AS ANY SPOKEN LANGUAGE. sophomore Violet Pitcher

Standards at SPA should be inclusive, not exclusive, and are present to guide the best principles, qualities, and ways of being that we seek to develop in our community. Learning someone’s language and culture is one of the fundamental ways to get to know them. We want whatever ability, perspective, and identity you bring to the table to belong at school. Even though they should, it doesn’t always feel like they do, and this is why understanding, respecting, and encouraging vulnerability in safe spaces is so crucial. The first steps on this journey include using resources to learn about ASL, its history, and the Deaf community while also seeking to spread awareness about the Deaf experience. To do this, we cannot assume things or seek to understand only the hearing perspective. We must take the time to listen to the experiences of Deaf people on their terms. Their perspectives can be difficult to access, but there are people on social media platforms who are Deaf and want to educate hearing people: Sign Duo (@SignDuoChannel), Elizabeth Harris (@L1zHarris), and Kylee & TJ (@letsgo-byeee), among many others. As a member of the community, I believe that it is important to impart truth and educate with understanding rather than judgment because that is how we, as communities, grow and learn.

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FREE SPIRIT

Claudine Gay’s controversy pits free speech against morality ORION KIM

co-EDITOR IN CHIEF

After serving the shortest tenure of any Harvard University president — six months and two days — Claudine Gay resigned on Jan. 2 in what she described as a “wrenching but necessary decision.” Her resignation stemmed from two separate controversies, both involving issues driven by First Amendment freedoms. The first matter concerned student protests and disputes regarding antisemitic speech following the October 7th attacks on Israel, and the second pertained to a series of plagiarism accusations. Gay was harshly criticized after failing to address a letter by a coalition of students that deemed Israel entirely responsible for the Hamas attacks. Although she later issued a statement in which she condemned the acts as “terrorist atrocities,” the damage had already been done. On Dec. 5, Gay and two other female university presidents appeared in front of the House to address their untimely and frail responses to the Oct. 7 attacks. During the hearing, Gay was asked if calling for the genocide of Jews breached Harvard’s bullying and harassment policy. Her statement proved to be controversial. “It can be, depending on the context,” she said. Her response was technically driven and legally correct but was quickly met with calls for resignation. Gay later apologized in an article published by the Harvard Crimson but stood her ground with backing from Harvard. Additionally, she claimed on multiple social media platforms that her accusers were confusing freedom of expression with condemning verbal violence against students.

HER RESPONSE WAS TECHNICALLY DRIVEN AND LEGALLY CORRECT BUT WAS QUICKLY MET WITH CALLS FOR RESIGNATION. senior Orion Kim

Despite Gay’s questionable response, it’s hard to deny that the entire congressional hearing was a trap, attempting to force a misstep. Resentment toward Gay began long before her response, when renowned Harvard donor Bill Ackman led a campaign against her appointment. Originally, he claimed that Gay wasn’t qualified enough for the job, and only won the position because of diversity initiatives, since she was Black. After her weak responses following the attacks and in Congress, Ackman shifted tactics to demand a president that would strongly condemn antisemitic speech on campus. Additionally, multiple plagiarism accusations began to mount against Gay, including a Harvard Corporation investigation that found two separate instances of insufficient citations in both her 1997 doctoral dissertation and other published works. Facing immense pressure on multiple fronts, Gay decided to resign. The former Harvard president indeed made multiple missteps regarding the First Amendment. She made a poorly worded statement that misconstrued freedom of speech with a morally inclined response in the Dec. 5 hearing. She also committed multiple acts of plagiarism. However, she was put in an impossible position. During one of the most charged political climates of the decade, any statement could rile up individuals standing on either side of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Additionally, Gay was subject to another issue: racism. As a daughter of Haitian immigrants, she offered a unique perspective and served as an example of positive change in the sphere of collegiate diversity efforts. However, both powerful donors and political figures campaigned against her under the guise of disreputability and failure to condemn antisemitism. As she described in an opinion piece published in the New York Times, “[Those campaigning against me] recycled tired racial stereotypes about Black talent and temperament. They pushed a false narrative of indifference and incompetence.”

FEATURE THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

WHAT’S YOUR MESH BAG

CROCHETED CARDIGAN

NICHE?

LEMON BAG

1863 INDIAN HEAD PENNY

NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY COIN

Crocheting unravels stitches of happiness CLAIRE KIM

co-EDITOR IN CHIEF

For Knitwits co-president Jane Higgins, multitasking in class doesn’t mean playing computer games or subtly working on other assignments; all she needs is a ball of yarn, a crochet hook, and her stitching knowledge. Higgins, who learned how to crochet from both her lunch lady in second grade and her grandma, finds joy in the productivity and connections that come with crocheting. “I love making gifts for my friends and family, so it’s a really fun hobby that I can do while watching TV,” she said. Modern crocheting can create anything from stuffed animals to beanies to blankets. The art is believed to have originated from Chinese tambour embroidery and European shepherd’s knitting. Although the process was typically passed on orally, crocheting became popular in Europe in the 1800s

as patterns that could be followed were developed and shared. Crocheting is similar to knitting through its usage of yarn and stitches, but it only uses one loop/stitch at a time rather than a row. When looking at a finished product, knitted stitches have a “V” shape while crochet stitches look like knots. Higgins’ favorite project was a hat, but she’s currently working on making a tote bag. She mainly makes things her friends would like, although she tends to knit more than crochet. Junior Belle Weng learned to crochet when her mom, who enjoys handicrafts, signed her up for classes at a young age. The functionality of crocheting even as a form of art is one of her favorite aspects of the craft. “I like art in general, but I like art where you can create things that are usable,” she said. “So painting isn’t really my thing, but for crochet,

you get to use a product you make.” Weng particularly likes making clothes, including beanies, scarves, and cardigans. Many crocheters similarly enjoy making useful products like coasters, tea holders, dishcloths, and rugs. For new crocheters, Higgins emphasized the satisfaction of creating products after the initial struggle of learning. “It might seem a little difficult or confusing at first, but it’s rewarding once you commit,” she said. Weng also recommended using video tutorials and books to learn the basics of crocheting and to get past the difficulty of reading patterns, as there are differences between the American and British systems. While the materials remain the same, the UK and US terms refer to different stitches, which can make the patterns confusing to follow. “It’s great to have

ONE STITCH AT A TIME. Junior Belle Weng works on crocheting a mesh bag for her cucumbers. Some of Weng’s other creations include a cardigan, flowers, and beanies. Her most recent project was a pair of yellow flowers, intended to be given to a friend as celebration for her play’s debut. Weng chooses her next projects based on both her own, as well as friends’ and family’s interests: “[I] usually make things that make good gifts [such as] hats, scarves, or bags for my mom. Or I see a cool clothing pattern I want to try,” she said.

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Claire Kim

someone who can teach you, but start with the basics like the stitch types,” she said. Easy beginner projects include granny squares, hats, flowers, and anything that starts with a circle like stuffed animals. Some popular

places to start learning crochet are the “Learn to Crochet” series from The Crochet Guild of Ameri-

ca and Bella Coco’s “Absolute Beginners Crochet Lessons” on YouTube.

Ready to try crochet? Watch Bella Coco’s “How to Crochet for Beginners, Ep.1” on YouTube.

Fratzke unearths hidden treasures in coins ELIZA FARLEY

ANATOMY OF A COIN

THE RUBICON

HEADS Inscription Field Relief

TAILS Edge Rim Denomination

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Annie Zhang

COLLECTION DETAILS. While many recently minted coins share inscriptions and denominations, rarer coins have unique differences that make them highly sought after.

What is worth both one dollar and $700? Sophomore Louis Fratzke, a longtime coin collector, has the answer in his collection — a rare silver dollar coin. Although coin collecting deals with fixed-value objects, rare coins can quickly become incredibly expensive on the secondary market. Fratzke may keep tabs on his collection’s price, but the real value comes from the joy of finding rarities and completing sets. Fratzke started collecting coins about 10 years ago when his grandfather introduced him to the hobby. “[Me and my grandfather] go down to the basement and sift through pennies,” Fratzke said. All that sifting helps coin collectors find coins that are unique in some way. For example, according to Numismatic News, there are differences between the 17 types of U.S. pennies: the coin’s minting date, material, and imprinted image. The most sought-after coins are usually made in small quantities, and they get more valuable the better preserved they are. Over time, Fratzke received many of the coins his grandfather had collected and started turning his grandfather’s hobby into his own. However, only working with spare pennies isn’t enough for dedicated collectors. So Fratzke started to go to coin shows, which are meetups for vendors and enthusiasts alike, and purchase unique coins.

He’s also sparingly participated in online bidding. Fratzke believes online bidding doesn’t replicate the in-person ambiance that going to shows can offer. Although Fratzke is usually one of the youngest at the coin shows he attends, he can see how the longtime collectors have formed a community over time. “A lot of the collectors are older, so they’ve been in the business for 40 to 50 years,” Fratzke said. “So they know a lot of each other, and they go around, and make a lot of big deals, usually.”

“

[IT’S COOL TO SEE] HOW THE COLLECTION AMASSES, HOW YOU GET CLOSER TO FILLING THIS ONE BOOK OR ONE PAGE. sophomore Louis Fratzke

Within his extensive collection, Fratzke has amassed a complete set of the silver Roosevelt dimes made between 1946 and 1964. He’s also incredibly proud of his collection of ancient coins. Filling collections doesn’t have to be a daunting task. “It can be surprising what you can find out there,” he said. “Even at school, I found ... a silver quarter on the floor by the vending machines.”

FEATURE THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

ROMAN EMPIRE COIN

TAROT CARDS

BAG OF CRYSTALS

HOME-BREWED COFFEE

Dalton unlocks crystal mysteries JUAN MIGUEL ADAMS THE RUBICON

Diving into the enchanting world of good luck crystals, tarot cards, and predicting the future, junior June Dalton is fascinated by the meanings behind crystals and narratives from tarot cards and small superstitions she has grown to trust. Dalton has stepped into the realm of supernatural exploration with her passion and curiosity.

“

IT’S A FUN THING FOR ME TO INDULGE IN BECAUSE I LOVE LEARNING ABOUT THE MEANING OF CRYSTALS. junior June Dalton

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Georgia Ross

CRYSTAL ALLURE. In addition to the type of crystal, shapes can also have a deeper meaning. For instance, pyramids are believed to manifest dreams and geodes can be a cleansing tool to the soul.

Dalton grew up in a household with Chinese roots, so at a young age, she was exposed to various superstitions. A superstition she believes involves sharing pears: she can eat a pear alone or share it with three people. But sharing it with only two people is consequential. “I mainly do it because there is an idiom where if you share a pear you will not see the person for a very long time,” Dalton said. Drawing from her parents’ experience, from when they first started dating and shared a pear, Dalton’s mom, an immigrant from China, got sent back, and they didn’t see each other for a year. As a result, she is cautious to share a pear with anyone, ensuring that

she doesn’t keep them away for a year. In the realm of crystals, each type is associated with a specific meaning or quality. For example, amethyst is believed to bring good luck while clear quartz will give balance in its ability to regulate the release of energy. In Dalton’s case, she typically wears bracelets or necklaces containing crystals. “They give me some confidence taking tests and so far have made me do well,” Dalton said. However, rather than using the crystal to guide her decisions, she considers them more as a charm, helping her with good fortune. Dalton said, “It’s like a fun thing to indulge in for me because I love learning about the meaning of crystals.” In addition to crystals, she also uses tarot cards a form of fortune telling where an individual will draw cards to gain insight into a situation. During a tarot reading, the cards are shuffled and drawn in a specific order. The reader then interprets the cards which involves understanding the relationship of the cards. “I never use them to tell me everything I need to know or do in my life,” she said. “But seeing how scarily accurate they can be interests me.” Dalton has used tarot cards not only for personal insight but also to bond with friends over the cosmic power of cards predicting outcomes. She takes pictures of the cards and sends them to friends conversing over what their fate reveals. Dalton’s journey in supernatural exploration, is not only a hobby but reflects a lot of her personal values in cultural heritage, personal beliefs, and the want for meaning beyond the ordinary.

Cultivating flair in beverages brings cheer OLYMPIA WOLFF THE RUBICON

The aroma of warm, comforting, homemade beverages accompany their creators as they look for a new kind of beverage to sip on. Whether it be chai, coffee, or cider, US Math teacher Nicole Koenig is embracing cold weather and using it as an opportunity to craft some hot beverages. For Koenig, chai tea is a family tradition passed down through generations. Her family’s recipe mixes a medley of spices from black peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom pods, to vanilla beans. “We mostly make it during the winter months because it’s so cold,” she said. “It doesn’t take too long… about an hour or a little more to boil and maybe ten minutes to cut up ginger.” After making it, Koenig recommends enjoying it with a good book in hand. SUBMITTED PHOTO: Alba Markowitz-Mulet “If I have time, I sip on BELOVED BREWING. Junior Alba Markowitz-Mulet pours it while reading,” she said. whole milk into her homemade coffee beverage, topping For junior Alba Marwith cocoa powder and cinnamon to replicate cold foam. kowitz-Mulet, her cup is

more than just a morning energizer. She often heads to Starbucks for a cappuccino or a shaken espresso with cold foam, a must-have finishing touch.

“

I LIKE TO MAKE CIDER BUT I DON’T ALWAYS FOLLOW THE SAME RECIPE. I ADD... CLOVES.

junior David Schumacher

“I don’t like how much they charge for cold foam, so a lot of the time, I’ll just make a drink at home,” she said. When crafting her home brews, she will replicate Starbucks cold foam using “some heavy

cream and putting some cinnamon and cocoa powder on the top,” which Markowitz-Mulet likes to enjoy summer mornings on her back porch. “Me and my carpool make lots of stops to get warm beverages at Starbucks, but someday maybe I’ll make some of my homemade drinks for us to have on our way to school,” she said. Junior David Schumacher likes to warm up in the winter with a cup of hot cider. “I like to make cider, but I don’t always follow the same recipe,” he said. “I [sometimes] add cinnamon, cloves, and brown sugar.”

Some even choose to put oranges in the drink for a burst of citrus, but Schumacher sticks to a more classic cinnamon and apple flavor combination. “One thing I do like to add that is a little bit out of the normal is nutmeg,” he said. Whether warming in winter or chilling in the summer, students and teachers alike craft brews with family and friends. While these specialty drinks may require some extra ingredients, Koenig offers some advice: “Try making it; it takes some effort but it’s well worth it at the end of the day.”

NICHE

TREASURES

UNVEILED

IN DE

THE RUBICON - F

SAFE AND

TIMELINE OF MN RACIAL HOUSING ISSUES

perceptions of safety in o

WELCOME IN. The sign outside this house announces that it has renounced its racial covenant. Even th been legally enforcable since the Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968, renouncing them allows homeow sages of institutionalized racism.

Housing disparity history se echoes through community SONIA KHARBANDA INFORMATION: nopedia.org, mappingprejudice.umn.edu, stpaul.gov INFOGRAPHIC: Orion Kim

HOW TO GET INVOLVED THINK CRITICALLY Ward advises students to think critically about their biases and how they consume information. “So if you hear a neighborhood’s dangerous, [think] ‘What does that actually mean?’ … be really critical about what you’re told, she said.

VOLUNTEER Endorf sees many opportunities for students to volunteer with projects to track and dismantle racist housing practices. “Whether that is helping out with projects like ‘Welcoming the Dear Neighbor?’ or doing independent research, anything that helps publicize how ingrained white supremacy is in this country is a great way to help out,” he said.

CHECK YOUR OWN HOUSE In 2019, Gov. Tim Walz approved a bill allowing Minnesotans to remove racial covenants from their property deeds. Consider searching your neighborhood on Mapping Prejudice’s interactive map of the covenants they have found so far, and if your house still contains a restrictive covenant, you can renounce it with the help of the Just Deeds project. Scan this QR code to visit Mapping Prejudice’s website

Scan this QR code to visit the Just Deeds website

THE RUBICON

Neighborhoods can shape world experiences unexpectedly, and in turn, residents have tremendous power to influence neighborhoods. In Minnesota, that give-and-take relationship has a grim past. Research projects like the University of Minnesota’s Mapping Prejudice, which students learned about during Community Day on Jan. 26, aim to track the lasting legacy of racist housing practices. “My biggest takeaway is that we have this narrative in Minnesota that … [we don’t have] that much bad history and we’ve fixed racism,” junior PJ Bohjanen said, referring to several websites and articles that have hailed the Twin Cities as one of the best places to live in the nation. “But seriously, we haven’t and this path is still affecting us today. We’ve got to come to terms with that at some point,” he said. One example of this lies in housing: according to the Minnesota Housing Agency’s 2022 Disparities Report, Minnesota’s homeownership disparity between white and BIPOC households is the fourth-largest in the nation. In 2022, 77.3% of white Minnesotans were homeowners, compared to 29.3% of Black Minnesotans. These disparities were caused by, and have persisted, due to housing practices like restrictive covenants and redlining. RACIAL COVENANTS IMPEDED FAIR HOUSING Racial covenants, first introduced in Minneapolis in 1910, are clauses added to property deeds to ensure that land was never sold to people from certain racial and ethnic groups— mainly Black Minnesotans, but sometimes also Jewish and Asian residents. This practice explicitly stated many white families’ belief that selling land to a Black person would lower the value of the property and harm the quality of the neighborhood. These covenants increased the number of entirely-white neighborhoods in Minneapolis while relegating Black families to certain areas. Although the Fair Housing Act outlawed racial covenants in 1968, the damage was already done. In 2019, researchers from the University of Minnesota published a study demonstrating that today, houses that used covenants have, on av-

erage, four to 15% higher pr nants. Housing covenants ha health disparities and disprop “[After Community Day] health side of racial covenan cause I feel like I learned a l air quality play a role in hea lined,” freshman Luka Cook

REDLINING SLASHE

In addition to restrictive co grew as a federal practice, sim the country and contributing sp [AFTER “W COMMUNITY sta DAY] th w I’M MORE gi INTERESTED er NOW IN THE w HEALTH SIDE pl OF RACIAL ea COVENANTS. ish

“

freshman Luka Cook

na th Ro ly students to recognize that th parity in Minnesota and acro by design,” senior Luca End tional, malicious, and insidio one example of the many wa favor affluent white people.” Overall, Ward sees homeo tional wealth acquisition, as p after buying. “That [wealth a … and the property you own said, “There’s a generational hood, but on the families mo

EPTH

FEBRUARY 2024

SOUND(?)

our community & beyond

HE RUBICON PHOTO: Sonia Kharbanda PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Orion Kim

hough racial covenants have not wners to condemn prevailing mes-

ends grim y

rices than houses without coveave also been linked to existing portionate access to green space. I’m more interested now in the nts and redlining and zoning belot about how food deserts and alth in zones that have been redsaid.

ED ACCESS TO LOANS

ovenants, in the 1930s, redlining milarly segregating cities across g to disparities in access to green pace and wealth inequalities. When the federal government arted giving out home loans, hey started marking areas that were desirable … safer areas to ive loans out,” US history teachr Mollie Ward said. “In the areas where they said it wasn’t a good lace to give out loans, those aras got more and more impoverhed,” she said. Due to redlining, racial coveants, and infrastructure plans hat destroyed communities like ondo, Minnesota is increasingy segregated. “It is important for he reality of the vast housing disoss the country has always been dorf said. “It has been an intenous process … Covenants are just ays this country is engineered to ” ownership as essential to generaproperty values tend to increase accumulation] gets passed down n gets passed down to kids,” she effect not just on the neighboroving forward.”

OPINION EXCHANGE

Neighborhood knowledge impacts understanding ELIZA FARLEY THE RUBICON

Safety is nebulous. Feeling safe is essential to well-being, but ask people to define exactly what it means, and the answers will be unquantifiable. It boils down to feeling confident that nothing bad will happen, whether that means bodily harm, emotional pain, or financial ruin. Different people often have different benchlines for safety depending on how they’re used to living. A person who has always lived in a quiet suburb, for example, may be frightened by noises and other aspects of city life that a lifelong urbanite wouldn’t think twice about. However, recent trends in the United States of people’s perceptions of safety versus real crime data show that people in general are overly worried about their safety. According to a survey by SafeWise, fewer than 10% of Americans think crime is decreasing, even though it has been following a downward trend on a national level for the past 20 years. In Minnesota specifically, it’s true that violent crime has increased since 2019, but it peaked in 2021 and has been decreasing since then — yet a poll of Minnesotan voters by MPR in 2022 said a majority thought crime was still on the rise. These data point to a heightened sense of fear among the general public, which could be attributed to a number of things. Perhaps it’s the effectiveness of fear mongering in media, where trumping up frightening stories helps to keep people engaged. Or maybe it’s the prevalence of social media platforms like Nextdoor, where people sharing news about their neighborhood can quickly pick up a paranoid spin. Fear is a powerful

emotion, and in an age where more outlets than ever are fighting for your eyeballs — social media in particular — there’s pressure to manipulate that powerful feeling. Especially because fear is so primal, it can bring out unconscious biases. People may observe patterns that don’t exist, or rely on stereotypes, to determine what’s safe”and what’s not. This can mean associating poorer or more racially diverse neighborhoods with danger at a disproportionally high rate.

“

I DO NOT BELIEVE IN CREATING A BINARY BETWEEN ‘SAFE’ AND ‘UNSAFE’ NEIGHBORHOODS.

senior Carys Hardy

A poll of SPA students tried to determine how these biases showed up within the school community. It asked respondents to rank the safety of different neighborhoods in the Twin Cities. A majority said they believed the Highland neigborhood in St. Paul to be very safe, while the few students who ranked any neighborhoods as unsafe listed Downtown in Minneapolis, Hamline-Midway in St. Paul, and University, also in St. Paul. Looking at the crime data for those areas, their perceptions seem to line up with reality. The crime rates in the neighborhoods ranked as safe were often lower than the national average, while the opposite was true for those ranked as unsafe. However, multiple students clarified that they didn’t believe it was possible to objectively rank a neighborhood’s safety. “I do not believe in creating a binary be-

tween ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ neighborhoods,” senior Carys Hardy responded. Senior Reilly Ringness had a similar outlook. “I think almost all neighborhoods are somewhat safe as long as you know how to carry yourself,” he responded. Despite these clarifications, sophomore Ella England has noticed that there is an unjustified fear of Minneapolis from her peers who don’t live there. “I live in Minneapolis — many SPA students think Minneapolis is super unsafe and full of crime, and it’s not,” she responded. Even though Minneapolis’s crime rate may seem worrying, people who live there aren’t in constant danger. Christopher Uggen, professor of sociology and law at the University of Minnesota, clarified this point in a 2023 interview with Twin Cities Business. Uggen said that although there’s a rational side to people’s concerns about Minneapolis, when looking at communities day-to-day, the truth is that most people feel safe in their neighborhoods. So, when non-residents express irrational fear about danger in Minneapolis, their internal biases may be coming out. A complicated history of white flight to suburbs (where a notable subset of SPA students live), the frequent, incorrect association between Black people and violent crime (since Minneapolis, though majority white, has more racial diversity than many suburbs), and class dynamics can all contribute to their disproportionate perception. Ultimately, acknowledging internal biases and taking a look at real life — not what’s being shown, but what’s observed firsthand — can help bring perceptions of safety in line with reality.

How do different neighborhoods appeal to students? HIGHLAND The most frequently visited neighborhood is Highland, with 60% of students reporting that they spend “a lot” of time there. 60% of respondents said that from what they know about the neighborhood, Highland is a “very safe” area. It was not ranked “unsafe” to any degree.

DOWNTOWN Downtown is a well-established secondary hangout, with 70% of students reporting that they spend “some” time there. Downtown was ranked as “safe” by 50% of respondents. 30% ranked it as “somewhat unsafe,” and 10% as “unsafe.” 10% of respondents said they were “unsure.”

NORTH END & PAYNE-PHALEN The North End and Payne-Phalen neighborhoods were the least-visited, with 70% students reportedly spending “no” time there. Other less common hangouts included Camden, Dayton’s Bluff, and Hamline-Midway all with 60%. 60% of respondents said they were unsure about the safety of the North Endneighborhood, compared to 70% on Payne-Phalen. The remaining responses for both generally ranged from “safe” to “somewhat unsafe.”

INFORMATION: The Rubicon survey, “Perceptions of safety in Twin Cities neighborhoods.” Based on 10 responses from the Upper School student body.

IN DEPTH THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SAFETY DISCOMFORT According to Cognitive Dissonance Theory, discomfort within the classroom can lead to robust personal growth. When a student’s beliefs are challenged, they have the opportunity to examine their preconceived notions and explore alternate possibilities, expanding the scope of their learning.

SECURITY

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Orion Kim

LEARNING SAFELY. Feeling safe at school can mean different things for different people, but there are usually some common themes. Freedom from bullies, being comfortable sharing opinions, and knowing that things left in a common space won’t be stolen are all important to creating a safe school environment.

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs states that in order for one to achieve their full potential (self-actualization), there are levels of needs that must be met. The second level of these needs is safety and security, including physical and financial safety along with wellness. INFO: Verywell Mind, InnerDrive

Examining safety across educational institutions

Safe learning environments are essential, and so is healthy discomfort ANNIKA KIM

THE RUBICON

There are about 100,000 public schools and more than 13,000 public school districts in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). On the other hand, there are over 30,000 private schools nationwide, with public and private schools offering different environments for students and families funding their education. In terms of physical safety, one can find security measures such as cameras and staff in public and private schools. However, data from NCES shows that crime and violence happened half as often in private schools as in public schools. An evaluation done by the Institute of Educational Sciences on students in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program found that students who attended a private school on vouchers were 35 percent more likely to report their school as being safe, and the parents of these voucher-holders were 36 percent more likely consider their children in “very safe” schools. Private schools often have a smaller scale of the student population, contributing to the feeling of a tightknit community. Sophomore Taryn Karasti has been at the school

SAFETY BY THE NUMBERS 15% of public schools reported an incident of student bullying at least once a week from 20192020

since sixth grade, previously attending a public school. “At my public school, there were like 20 to 30 kids in class, so there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to help students one-on-one,” she said. A study published in the Journal of School Choice reported that private schools were less likely to experience safety problems than public schools based on school size and enrollment factors. The study found private school students to be less likely to experience bullying, violence, and theft, with an 18 percent point average difference in gang-related activity as well. In terms of her personal I DIDN’T experience, “[I] did get bullied a lot in public school; NECESSARILY FEEL UNSAFE, if you weren’t popular, you BUT I THINK I FELT got bullied,” said Karasti. “And it’s definitely a safer UNCOMFORTABLE. space in private schools.” She feels the students at SPA are better at resolving conflicts and working with the staff on problems than sophomore her experience at her pubZoe lic school. Huelster Before coming to SPA in seventh grade, Huelster

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87%

of Minnesota eighth graders reported feeling safe at school, a decrease from 92% in 2019

attended Hidden Rivers Middle School (formerly Ramsey Middle School) in the public school system. “I feel like [in] elementary school, I still felt really safe there, and it was relatively big. But when I moved to Ramsey it was just so big… I just remember there being a lot of fights. I didn’t necessarily feel unsafe, but I think I felt uncomfortable.” Huelster agreed that a smaller school environment helped her feel more at ease. “In a big environment, when you’re with a lot of people, it’s hard to know [those around you]... just being in a bigger crowd can feel overwhelming,” Huelster said. Huelster emphasized that a school’s environment concerning safety does not reflect the institution’s quality. However, she suspects she continues to hear about incidents from her friends in public schools because schools with a larger student body can be more prone to such events. The Minnesota Report Card is one resource provided by the Minnesota Department of Education for viewing district and school safety data. The data encompasses multiple aspects of “safety,” expanding out from simply a physical sense and evaluating engagement and graduation rates, along with the degree of attention teachers pay to students. Visit the Minnesota Department of Education website to learn more.

44%

2019 16% of public schools reported cyberbullying between 2019-20

41% of educators say that their sense of safety has decreased since the year 2019

20%

of parents say that their child has expressed concern over their safety in school

of parents reported being worried for their child’s safety at the start of the 2022 school year

INFORMATION: CBS News, Kare 11, Edweek, Institute of Education Sciences

SPORTS THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

points

Ethan Carter crosses 1 JOHANNA PIERACH THE RUBICON

It was a moment years in the making. On Jan. 20 senior boys’ basketball captain Ethan Carter reached the 1,000-point career milestone in a home game against Edison. The achievement came in the first half of the game when Carter got a rebound and made a quick putback layup. The point guard has been starting for the varsity team since his sophomore year, but his love for basketball began before high school. “I used to always be holding onto a basketball I was younger,” Carter said.

His dad introduced him to the sport, which they would watch together. Enrolling in basketball camps once he reached kindergarten, it was impossible to know whether Carter would reach this milestone. But he has always loved the game. “Since [I first began], my relationship with basketball has become much more competitive, that has made it more fun for me. But I will always have the same love for basketball” he said. Since starting on the varsity team, Carter’s primary goal has been 1,000 career points. It stuck with him to his senior year when he

honed in on reaching it. “Since this was really my only big personal goal, I really focused on it, and I was lucky enough to hit it pretty early in the season,” he said. “I was very excited to get the opportunity to score my 1,000 points at a home game, but I was also very nervous because I invited friends and family to watch … and even though I only had to score five points, there was still the thought of ‘What if I don’t hit it?’.” Upon making the thousandth point, Carter recalls a feeling of relief. “I was embraced by my team and I was extremely happy and grateful to be in that position. It feels

great to be recognized because it’s just great to see years of work pay off,” he said. Carter has a few words about pushing one’s scoring record into four digits. “If you are looking to score 1,000 points, I would recommend working on free throw shooting. I spent my whole freshman year and a lot of my sophomore year working on free throws,” he said. But he didn’t get there

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Annika Kim

1000 POINTS. Basketbal captain Ethan Carter crosses his thousandth point against Edison. Carter has been playing basketball his whole life and started varsity for the first time sophomore year. Carter said, “It’s great to see years of hard work pay off.”

alone. “The person that helped me the most [was] Coach Hoidal,” Carter said. “The people that help me the most with being the best version of myself on the court are Coach Keto and my co-captains Mikkel and Tysen.” Looking forward to what’s next, Carter has hopes for his team and their potential and hopes the most for a showing at the state tournament. “I think with the way the season is going we have a good chance of that happening,” he said. As of Feb 7. Carter has 16 games played with 18.2 average points per game and 291 points this season.

Scan this QR code to watch Ethan Carter’s 1000th point on the SPA athletics Instagram.

Double dubs for basketball teams at Target Center Spartan basketball took on Mounds Park Academy in a double-header game at the Target Cen-

ter in Downtown Minneapolis. The girls’ tip-off at 9:15 a.m. ended in a 24-23 overtime win. The

boys play began after a sort warm up . The game wasequally matched and ended in a 59-47 win.

4 5 6

IBID PHOTOS: Sophia Bietz

1: AIM AND SHOOT. Clare Ryan Bradley prepares for a free throw. 2: BLOCK. Katy Devine leaps and blocks an opponent’s shot. 3: CELEBRATE. Ryan Bradley is embraced by team after getting the game winning point in OT. Ryan Bradley said, “It meant a lot to win a big game like that.”4: TRAVEL. Captain Tysen Hayes dribbles the ball away from MPA offense. 5: DEFENSE. Captain Ethan Carter jukes out a player on the opposing team. 6: WIND UP. Ben Siebon gears up for a pass. Siebon said, “I had a really good time [playing at Target Center]”.

SPORTS THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

Nguyen and Mishra prep for Junior Olympics OLYMPIA WOLFF THE RUBICON

Epee fencers Milan Mishra and Maik Nguyen are set to fence in the Junior Olympics this February, a national tournament attracting top-tier fencers from across the country. They are heading to Charlotte, North Carolina from Feb. 16-19 to compete in three events.

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MILAN AND I HAVE BEEN GOING TO ... LOCAL TOURNAMENTS AND PRACTICING TOGETHER.

senior Maik Nguyen “I’ve been fencing for ten years. The first Junior Olympics I went to was last year,” Mishra said. Newcomer Nguyen began fencing more recently. “I started my tenth-grade year, and I’ve enjoyed my time a lot,” Nguyen said. One thing about this tournament which will be different, especially for Nguyen, is the number of fencers from more competitive places like New York and the Bay Area. “In general Minnesota competition isn’t that hard,” Mishra said. Most high school tournaments in Minnesota average around 35 fencers in the men’s epee event. Out of the three weapons in fencing, epee relies more on distance and timing as the target area encompasses the entire body, not just the torso. To develop their skills,

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Milan Mishra

EN GUARDE. Junior Milan Mishra competes at the Junior Olympics last year. Mishra will be joined this year by teammate Maik Nguyen. “I’ve been fencing for ten years,” Mishra said.

Mishra and Nguyen have been practicing together and preparing for fresh competition. “Milan and I have been going to a bunch of local tournaments and practicing … together to prepare for the Junior Olympic qualifiers,” Nguyen said. Nguyen possesses nerves like the steel of his epee. “I don’t have high hopes for my ranking in the actual tournament. I’m just feeling excited.” Nguyen said. Mishra, on the other hand, feels some pressure as college coaches will be in attendance. Mishra highlighted the tournament’s significance because of its size and competition. “It’s a national tournament, and

each state sends the top 25% of qualifiers from the qualifier tournaments,” he said. Mishra and Nguyen will parry mostly college-level fencers, as the event hosts 300 participants spanning an age range of 15-22. The tournament spans three days, with different events scheduled each day–Cadet on Friday, Team on Saturday, and Juniors on Sunday. Nguyen recently placed within the top three of the Junior division, and Mishra clinched victory in the Cadet event, securing their spots in both events. “I’m not there to win. I’m there to have fun,” Nguyen said.

Sports fundraising policy: Moyer shows us the money (plan) CARYS HSIUNG CONTRIBUTOR

Bake sales, car washes and more: fundraising isn’t a stranger to SPA and is often carried out by student-led groups to donate to external organizations. However, it’s been historically enforced that sports teams aren’t able to fundraise for themselves, yet the reason behind this has never been uncovered. K-12 Director of Athletics Paul Moyer oversees all finances for the department and teams and briefed the programming behind this long standing policy. The policy exists to save students and their parents time.

He believes teams shouldn’t be able to fundraise for themselves so they can focus on being student athletes. “There’s enough rigor in the day for their academic and athletic pursuits, it’s just hard to be heavily involved in a co curricular activity and do well,” Moyer said. Teams often want to fundraise for gear, travel or community service reasons. Gear wise, SPA provides uniforms, but more personalized clothing can be bought through team stores, which are run by parents. “The line for personal equipment and team equipment varies with

institutions, but for the most part, it’s uniforms and equipment that stay with the institution,” he said. Travel is another area of interest for teams. For example getting the opportunity to play out of state in a tournament. While fundraising for travel is prohibited at this time, “The institution is now starting travel for different groups again, and we have to work out policies for athletics team fundraising for travel going forward,” Moyer said. As of now, community service is the only acceptable form of fund-

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THERE’S ENOUGH RIGOR IN THE DAY FOR ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC PURSUITS. K-12 Athletic Director Paul Moyer

raising and is popular among teams. Dig Pink, hosted by girls volleyball, is a well-known annual community service fundraising event with all proceeds going to The Side-Out Foundation to support breast cancer.

Boys hockey will also be hosting a Fighting Cancer game against Johnson on Feb. 17. While fundraising has its limits, there are ways to help close the cost divide for students who are financially in need. The athletics department works directly with families in need of financial aid for athletics to come up with a plan. One way the sports department does this is through external organizations. “We’ve had donations for gear that people have given us money for and specific programs that went to gear,” Moyer said. In the fall, we worked with the

admissions, financial aid and development office to support any student athletes.” Some teams are able to fundraise through booster clubs, which are run by the team captains’ parents. Boosters are an exclusive option for co-op teams that are not managed by SPA. Although it’s unclear what fundraising policies will look like in the future, currently the athletics department makes sure sports are accessible For more information about fundraising reach out to Moyer or US Athletics Director Randy Comfort.

STAYING HEALTHY IN THE WINTER: ATHLETES GIVE THEIR GO-TOs

ANNALISE ATKINSON: ALPINE SKIING “Making sure to keep a healthy diet.”

NATALIE WAIBEL: GIRLS BASKETBALL “I try not to let being an athlete define me and do a lot of conditioning.”

HUMZA MURAD: FENCING “I try and go to the gym and minimize my club soccer practices.”

LARON JOHNSON: BOYS BASKETBALL “I do push-ups in my room, eat lettuce and do jumping jacks.”

SPORTS THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

Crutching back into playing shape

PREVENTION EXERCISES Simple, daily moves can help strengthen muscle and reduce injury.

ANNIE ZHANG THE RUBICON

TOE RAISES sit or stand. Lift big toe while keeping other toes touching the floor. Lift four toes with big toe on the floor. Repeat 5-10 times.

PRONE PLANK lay on the floor or mat on your stomach. Raise your upper body and rest on your elbows. Then, roll toes under and up, engaging your core muscles to keep your body upright.

As junior Josh Holloway begins his school day, crutches in both hands, he spends extra time navigating through the glass doors of Huss in order to get to advisory. Upon arrival, Holloway has two options in getting comfortable for the 10 minutes of checkin: ask for assistance from those around him or lean a crutch against the table in order to take off his backpack. In the constant rotation of sports seasons, athletes are put to the ultimate test when unforeseeable injuries leave them benched for long periods of their seasons. As the intensity for every sports season amps up, the frequency of in-

juries in student athletes has also increased. According to Denise Mann, reporter for HealthDay, the most common injuries include strains and sprains in ankles and knees, as well as head injuries, such as concussions. These injuries most often occur in girls soccer, football, and boys wrestling. A hockey defenseman, Holloway faced an injury to his leg after a head-on collision during a game. As a result, his knee hyper-extended, leaving his season on pause for a week before seeking further medical aid. “There were three fractures in my knee: two smaller ones, and one on my growth plate,” he said. Facing severe injury,

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THE JOURNEY IS LONG AND HARD [AFTER INJURY]. ALWAYS THINK OF STEP ONE AND NOT THE END. sophomore Sona Jain

volleyball captain Nadia Degnan’s injury first occurred amidst an average volleyball practice, spanning across a few days before receiving a confirmed diagnosis. “During a warm up … I barely jumped and my leg gave out and twisted weirdly,” she said. “After multiple appointments, I

found out that I had torn my ACL and meniscus and sprained my MCL.” For soccer player Sona Jain, who suffered one of the worst injuries known to soccer players, an ACL tear, her recovery process has set her back a year. In order to get back onto the pitch for the fall 2024 soccer season, Jain has undergone extensive physical therapy, including strength and mobility training. “I always thought about what I need to accomplish first. [What I said to myself] during rehabilitation not only gave me a good mindset, but boosted my confidence,” Jain said. To those facing sports related injuries Jain offers a piece of advice: “The journey is long and hard.

Always think of step one and not the end because in an injury [like mine], the end will be in a year whether you move fast or slow in rehab,” she said. While the initial impact of their injuries have left these athlete out of commission, the recovery process paves the way to their triumphant return to the game. LATERAL LUNGES stand with feet just wider than shoulder width apart. Bend one knee and stretch the opposite leg. Return to center. Reverse.

ILLUSTRATION: Orion Kim

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Juan Miguel Adams

EMPTY STANDS. Recently athletic evens have been noticeably empty. Upper School Athletic Director Randy Comfort is working to fix this issue. Comfort said, “We spent a very long time building and launching a website and mobile app.”

Showing up to sporting events boosts community connection PETER OSTREM THE RUBICON

From the packed student section at volleyball’s annual Dig Pink game to the painfully empty bleachers at a cold and rainy baseball game in March, student turnout for sports game has its highs and lows. There are many reasons why students might not go to games, but the athletics department has launched a number of ways for students to stay informed about Spartan teams. US Athletic Director Randy Comfort believes that communication is a large part of getting students to go to athletic games. “We spent a very long time building and launching a website and mobile app that clearly communicates

the time, teams, and location of every game,” he said. Launched this fall, the Spartan Athletics website (spaathletics.org) offers a one-stop location for athletes, fans, and families to find game schedules, spirit store gear, season athlete registration, and game tickets. Although families must request tickets in advance, a new feature this year, they is still no-cost for home games. Only visiting team fans pay entry, a standard practice across peer independent schools: “We don’t [charge admission] to make money,” Comfort said. “We do it so we can improve the quality of the games.” Some of the funds from ticket sales were invested into a shot clock in Briggs Gymnasium in an effort to improve the game watching experience. While the department puts a lot of thought into

spotlighting every team’s sporting events, some garner better attendance than others. Soccer, basketball and volleyball on average get the most attendance. However, all sports are featured on the website and the Instagram @spaspartanthletics. What’s next to improve the athletics experience? Changes to the restrooms, concession stands, and sound and audio systems in Drake arena and Briggs gymnasium. “All of these projects will take some time,” Comfort said, “but they are part of long-term plans.” For athletes on the field, the track or the arena, fans showing up means the world. Hockey forward Lucas Schanno credits the fans for energizing the team. “The student section leads us to give a really solid performance,” Schanno said. Quotes compiled by: Sonia Kharbanda THE RUBICON PHOTOS: Sonia Kharbanda

AURELIA MEZA: GIRLS HOCKEY “Drink 80 oz of water a day and go for walks.”

ELEANOR MODY: NORDIC SKIING “I make sure to get enough sleep and stay hydrated.”

ETHAN PELTIER: BOYS HOCKEY “I eat well and wear a jacket when I am outside.”

SAM GALARNEUALT: TROJAN SWIM & DIVE “I make sure to stay warm outside and inside.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

BEST OF 2023

Staff picks for what to watch, listen to, read, and play Yes, Barbenheimer was an unmatched summer blockbuster team up, and no one has more top 10 hits than Taylor Swift, but here are the things we enjoyed that may or may not have been universally talked about... until now.

MUST WATCH MOVIES DOORS TO DISASTER. Susume tells the story of a 17 year old girl who gets tangled in the balance between chaos and order.

Official Movie Poster: CoMix Wave Films

BRUTAL HISTORY. It’s hard to pick out a problem with Killers of the Flower Moon. It hands an ugly and delicate story beautifully.

Official Movie Poster: Paramount Pictures

ANNIKA KIM

Directed by Makoto Shinkai, the filmmaker behind other anime classics like Your Name, Suzume is a stunningly animated Japanese fantasy film that brings together the more mature themes of loss and the preservation of memory to the animated screen. Suzume follows the story of a 17-year-old girl who gets tangled in the balance between chaos and order that comes with mysterious doors that open around the country linked to abandoned, forgotten places. She must close them before they cause the natural disasters they are linked to. It can be watched on Amazon Prime with Crunchyroll. Recommended for ages 16+ THE RUBICON

SELF EMPOWERMENT. Bottoms reaches a broader audience than a normal sapphic film by avoiding unnecessary stereotypes.

Official Movie Poster: Orion Pictures

PETER OSTREM

Killers of the Flower Moon (rated R) is a horrible watch. Every minute of this 3 1/2 hour long crime epic makes the viewer squirm with disgust. Adapted from the bestselling book by the same name, the film is based on a true story about white settlers brutally massacring and manipulating a small Native American community that is rich with oil. In truth, it’s hard to pick out a problem in this film. It handles an ugly and delicate story beautifully and every detail is flawless, from the performances and cinematography to the sound and set design. Killers of the Flower Moon can be streamed on Apple TV or purchased on YouTube or Amazon Prime.

CLARA ANN BAGNOLI Directed by Emma Seligan THE RUBICON and released in August of 2023, Bottoms (rated R) cemented the year of Ayo Edebiri. Coming off of her show The Bear, she does a 180 into her character of Josie, the quirky, socially awkward lesbian teenager. While this movie has been described as the new Superbad, I argue it does a better job entering the world of teen years while avoiding unnecessary stereotypes and demonstrating the emotions of coming of age more. It also reaches a broader audience than a normal sapphic film as it focuses more on self-empowerment and the gratification of revenge. Bottoms is available with a Amazon Prime premium subscription.

PILGRIM RETURNS. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off brings back beloved characters and familiar plot points with an unexpected twist.

DOORS TO DISASTER. Susume tells the story of a 17 year old girl who gets tangled in the balance between chaos and order.

THE RUBICON

SERIES TO STREAM WORLD CUP CAPTAINS. Captains of the World brings the viewer back to the 2022 World Cup, documenting the story of all 32 teams.

Netflix: Official Site

ORION KIM

Captains of the World provides soccer fanatics with exclusive interviews, pitchside game footage, and heated half-time talks from the 2022 World Cup. The Netflix documentary curated by Ben and Gabe Turner covers all 32 teams and their captains. It’s packed with controversy, joy, devastation, and triumph. For a moment in time, half the world’s population stops to watch the final game of the tournament, but only a select few people truly understand what happens behind the scenes, until this documentary offers a unique view. Rated TV-MA. co-EDITOR IN CHIEF

Netflix: Official Site

ELIZA FARLEY

It a story that’s been told before — or is it? The main cast of the cult classic 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World reunite for a second go in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. The premise is familiar: indie bassist Scott Pilgrim wants to date resident cool girl Ramona Flowers, but to win her heart, he’ll have to fight off her seven evil exes. However, an unexpected story twist makes this show a worthwhile watch for even dedicated franchise fans. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is streaming on Netflix. Rated TV-MA. THE RUBICON

Netflix: Official Site

AMANDA HSU

Blue Eye Samurai is a Netflix animated series set in Japan’s Edo period, a time when the country closed its borders to foreigners. This eight-episode season follows the story of a mixed-race Samurai named Mizu who faces discrimination for being halfwhite, namely because of her blue eyes. She seeks revenge against four white men who illegally remained in Japan, one being her father. Creator and writing couple Micheal Green and Amber Noizumi beautifully weave historical elements with fast-paced action to create this powerful story of vengeance and the path to discovering one’s identity. Rated TV-MA THE RUBICON

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

BUILD A PLAYLIST FAMILY PHOTOS. 2 Pack is the latest album from up and coming artist maymay. It’s powerful lyrics and smooth musicality exhibit talents similar to the greats.

Fair Use: Apple Music

BEYOND BROADWAY. Snow Angel, the debut studio album by singer-songwriter Renee Rap, channels her experiences as a bisexual woman.

Album Cover: Interscope Records

MCKINLEY GARNER “2 Pack” is up and coming THE RUBICON artist maymay’s best and newest track on his melodic rap album of the same name. Released in early 2023, its powerful lyrics and even smoother musicality exhibit talents similar to the greats. His hit song “Hello” demonstrates his talents and style with fluid chill rap that warms the soul and the ears. Overall, this album shows his unique melodic abilities in conjunction with his powerful lyrics. Available on Spotify and Apple Music.

TURN THE PAGE

Album Cover: PinkPantheress UK

CLAIRE KIM

Following the release of viral singles including “Break It Off” and “Boy’s a Liar,” PinkPantheress returned in 2023 with Heaven Knows, a culmination of her bedroom pop and drum and bass styles. This album showcases greater sound diversity and song length than previous works, with songs including “Another Life (feat. Rema),” which features a darker sound with a fast tempo. It’s an album made for any alternative pop fan and even those who might not have enjoyed PinkPantheress’ music in the past. Heaven Knows is available on all major streaming platforms.

PRIVATE SCHOOL PODCAST. Rebecca Makkai takes on the topic of true crime and the ethics of reporting on the past in I Have Some Questions for You.

AWARD WINNING JOURNEY. National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward weaves the multigenre story of Anese and her enslavement in Let Us Descend.

Book Cover: Penguin Publishing

SONIA KHARBANDA Award-winning author and THE RUBICON journalist Dashka Slater has returned with another collection filled with poetry and vignettes. The city of Albany, California, found itself on the national stage in 2017, when a high school junior created a private Instagram account of racist memes targeting his Black classmates, with posts about lynching, slavery, the Ku Klux Klan, and more. When the account was discovered a few months later, tensions exploded over how to effectively discipline the account followers. Accountable can be read on Audible and Kindle and is available in the Randolph Campus Library.

POP PANTHERESS. Heaven Knows, features viral singles “Break it Off” and “Boy’s a Liar” and displays greater sound diversity than previous music.

JOHANNA PIERACH Snow Angel is the debut studio album from singer-songTHE RUBICON writer Reneé Rapp. On this impressive first album, Rapp shows off her strong post-Broadway vocals through twelve original songs. The standout is the title track “Snow Angel,” and two personal favorites are the sharp and witty “Tummy Hurts” and painfully reminiscent “I Hate Boston.” As a bisexual woman, she channels her experiences through music in an impactful way, and her age may give her a sense of relatability to a young adult audience. Snow Angel is available on all major streaming platforms.

SOCIAL MEDIA MENACE. Accountable, by award-winning author and journalist Dashka Slater, tells the story of a racist Instagram account created by a 17-year old and the high school peers who engaged with it.

Book Cover: MacMillan Publishers

KATHRYN CAMPBELL Bodie Kane, a true crime

co-EDITOR IN CHIEF

Book Cover: Simon & Schuster

GEORGIA ROSS

The two-time winner of

DIR. OF PUBLICATIONS podcaster, is invited back to

CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR the National Book Award

Granby, the private boarding high school she attended, to teach a course. One of her students decides to produce a podcast delving into the details of the murder of Bodie’s former roommate, Thalia. Highlights: Bodie’s unreliable narration, the ethical dilemmas that appear at every turn in the reporting, and the crime investigation turned into courtroom drama. More: the commentary on race and power dynamics that exist in a school filled with legacy attendees, faculty kids, and scholarship students, this book is a for mystery fans and fiction readers. It is stocked in the Randolph Campus Library.

Jesmyn Ward released her newest novel, Let Us Descend in October of 2023. The author mixes a unique combination of elements I’ve never read before: romance, fantasy/faith, a compelling historical fiction plot, and in some places, poetry. The protagonist Anese recalls her painful journey being enslaved, a short-lived romance, and other relationships along the way. The setting takes place on the rice fields of the Carolinas and moves to New Orleans. The novel can be found in audio book format on Audible (an Amazon company), in e-book form on Kindle, or checked out at the Randolph Campus library.

LET’S PLAY GAMES

FAIR USE: Epic Games

ORIGIN STORY. Battle Royale was available for a limited time in 2023, and while OG Fortnight cannot be enjoyed currently, the current season of series is still fun.

JUAN MIGUEL ADAMS

Where are we dropping? Fortnite brought back their original game— which included cosmetics, the map, and weapons—a global phenomenon in the gaming industry. The world awaited the new release of the game, and it did not miss. Throughout the school, students played, laughing and enjoying the joy the game brought. While OG Fortnite cannot be enjoyed right now, getting together with some friends and experiencing the current season of Fortnite is still fun. THE RUBICON

FAIR USE: New York Times

COLOR CODED. Connections is visually appealing; once a player correctly identifies the four terms in a category, it groups them in a colored bar.

OLYMPIA WOLFF

Connections, The New York Times’ latest puzzle game, is quickly rising in popularity. Players face a 4x4 grid filled with 16 words. Connections challenge players to uncover groups of four with a common thread, with past threads such as chemistry terms or pasta shapes. The game forces players to think outside the box, as atypical categories and words with double meanings challenge puzzlers to find the connections. It is free on the New York Times website and games app. THE RUBICON

FAIR USE: SoulGames Studio

HERO COMBOS. Souls has no defined storyline, giving players the ability to collect artifacts, runes, and weapons and create team combinations.

ANNIE ZHANG

Souls, released June 2023, is a mobile game in which players aim to maximize their heroes’ potential by obtaining artifacts, runes, and weapons. Because the game does not follow a defined storyline, players are free to explore the vast number of combat options. The art surrounding each character design is unique and every character’s abilities range widely, providing players with opportunities to create different team combinations while still hitting large damage numbers. Souls can be downloaded for mobile devices from both the App Store and Google Play. THE RUBICON

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

IBID PHOTOS: Sofia Rivera

1. DOOM GIRL. A detailed set and phenomenal cast offers a mix between an apocalyptic word and a game pitch meeting. 2. THE FROGS. The modern adaption of a classic comedy exudes energy while incorporating Greek mythology. 3. STILL HERE. A warm and heartfelt performance deserves applause for a successful premier of the one-act musical premiere.

One-Acts bring original works to Huss stage Technical elements shine in “DoomGirl,” a play about explaining art ELIZA FARLEY THE RUBICON

“DoomGirl,” written by Emma Johnson-Rivard (‘10) and directed by Eric Severson and assistant director Akie Kutsunai, aims to demonstrate how difficult art can be to explain. It does so by alternating between scenes from a fictional RPG and a conversation between video game designer Jesse Riley (Sunde Auberjonois) and a video game editor (Grace Medrano).

The RPG scenes feature the DoomGirl herself (Bri Rucker), a Cynic (Anneli Wilson), and an Optimist (Maddie Pierce) who antagonize and encourage the protagonist respectively, and a horde of faceless Shadows (Beatrix Rhone, Ella Barlow, Eva Johnson, Meili Windorski) who the DoomGirl seemingly must defeat. The set was well-made and creatively designed, with the barren desert landscape of the RPG bleeding into the mun-

dane editor’s office. A particularly fun set piece was the water cooler covered in red rocks and dusted with sand. The lighting was also fitting and innovative — whenever DoomGirl shot a Shadow, the stage blacked out, cleverly avoiding the moment of impact, which meshed nicely with the air of mystery surrounding the whole production. The sound design played well with the lighting, crafting an immersive sound- and colorscape.

THE PLAY’S STORY INTENDED TO MAKE THE AUDIENCE CONFUSED.

senior Eliza Farley

Largely, the actors brought the correct amount of emotion to their roles. Special props go out to Rucker, who made the nonspeaking

DoomGirl feel like a fully-realized character through expressive body language. The play’s story intended to make the audience confused by posing a number of unanswered questions, like who the DoomGirl really was and if any of the characters were telling the truth. However, it never convinces the audience that the creator of the game knows what the answers are. Only the RPG characters act with any kind of certainty.

Although the story is supposed to be difficult to explain, the fact that it’s also difficult to understand makes the point fall somewhat flat. Truly excellent art should be able to make the audience feel something that helps them understand it. Despite its narrative stumbles, “DoomGirl” featured well-picked set pieces, costumes, lights, sounds, and actors that brought a richly-imagined world to life.

“The Frogs” offers audience a whimsical, irreverent good time

Emotions and tunes fly high in musical premiere of “Still Here”

“The Frogs,” Aristophanes’s classic Greek comedy, received a modern tuneup from director Oliver Zhu. The result is a zany mash-up of modern memes and ancient humor, and it was sometimes difficult to tell which was which. The play tells the story of Dionysus (Adam Ebert) attempting to bring his favorite playwright back from the dead, along with the help of his servant Xanthias (Murray Goff). Along the way, identities are mistaken, flyswatters are engaged, and rap verses are slung in a no-holds-barred battle. A bare-bones set, consisting of only two doors, allowed the actors to fill the space with their exaggerated personalities. Ebert especially took advantage of this, acting with grand sweeping movements that helped further the physical humor. There were also creative props,

“Still Here” is the first one-act musical ever performed at SPA, written entirely by director Ellie Putaski. The story centers around Evelyn Park (Violet Pitcher), whose return to her hometown summons her childhood friend Charlie (Frances Matthews) out of nowhere — but no one but Evelyn can see or hear him, and his last 10 years of memories are a blank. The two embark on a journey to help people remember Charlie, and in the process, help Evelyn process her grief around her brother’s disappearance and her distress about the impermanence of memory. The show was sweet and charming, and Putaski’s songs fit the narrative tone well throughout. The set was innovative, featuring a functioning swing set (which was drilled into the

such as a Margaret Thatcher big head sign, that fit the show’s irreverent tone. However, although “The Frogs” may be a classic in the theatrical canon, its plot is not well known among the high school audience it was performed for. This, along with a few story beats that require previous knowledge of ancient Greek culture and mythology, as well as the lack of mics on actors, made for a confusing watching experience at times. Still, even during an unclear part, it was possible to laugh along with the antics and get swept up in the show’s general energy. Zhu’s adaptation of “The Frogs” was fun, high-energy, and unapologetically wacky, clearly made with a tome of mythology in one hand and a whoopee cushion in the other.

stage before the show) and string lights lit up throughout. The two leads played their comic lines well, and they had a pleasant chemistry that made their friendship seem authentic. In particular, Charlie’s frantic hand-waving to try and get strangers’ attentions garnered wellearned laughs. The story moved at an engaging clip, keeping the audience invested in Evelyn and Charlie’s journey. It stalled a little during what was meant to be the emotional climax — the leads’ back-and-forth became somewhat repetitive, losing some of its poignancy — but for the most part, “Still Here” was a truly delightful show with plenty of warmth to go around.

UP NEXT: The Logic Pit, an original musical written by choir director Tim Kraack and directed by US theater director Eric Severson - May 17-19

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

OSCAR PREVIEW

In a year filled with (Barbie pink) snubs in actress and director categories, Oscar nominations spark controversy CLARA ANN BAGNOLI THE RUBICON

Lights, Camera, Oscars! Jimmy Kimmel is set to host the 96th Academy Awards this year, his fourth time as emcee. The bar is set extra high after a controversial performance from Jo Koy at the Golden Globes Jan. 7. While the Oscars have 24 categories, the most coveted awards include Best Picture, Actor/Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Director. The official nominations were announced Jan. 23 by the Academy. BEST PICTURE NOMINEES INCLUDE BLOCKBUSTERS The movies being considered for Best Picture are: Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, The Holdovers, Barbie, Poor Things, Past Lives, Anatomy of a Fall, American Fic-

tion, Maestro and The Zone of Interest. The clear competition comes down to the Barbenheimer teams. After a combined 14 awards taken home at the Critics Choice awards, Oppenheimer came out on top with 8 over Barbie’s 6. But Barbie broke box office records; in fact, Barbie was the highest-grossing film of 2023 in the U.S. and, worldwide and boasting the biggest opening weekend of the year. WILL OSCAR CURSE BREAK FOR COOPER? NOT LIKELY. The actors being considered for Best Actor in a Leading Role are: Bradley Cooper for his portrayal of Leonard Bernstein in Maestro, Colman Domingo for his portrayal of Bayard Rustin in Rustin, Paul Giamatti for his role of Paul Hunham in The Holdovers, Cillian Mur-

MOVIES BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER ... AND THE OSCARS ARE A TIME TO CELEBRATE THEM. senior Clara Ann Bagnoli

phy for his portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer, and Jeffery White for his portrayal of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in American Fiction. While conversation currently is favoring Giamatti, Murphy took home the Golden Globe for best actor after Bradley Cooper publicly campaigned for the award in hopes of breaking his “Oscar Curse.” The actresses being considered this year for Best Actress in a Leading Role are: Lily Gladstone for her portrayal of Mol-

lie Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon, Andra Hüller for her role of Sandra in Anatomy of a Fall, Carey Mulligan for her portrayal of Felicia Montealegre in Maestro, Annette Benning for her portrayal of Diana Nyad in Nyad, and Emma Stone for her role of Bella Baxter in Poor Things. Margot Robbie was controversially excluded for her role as Barbie in Barbie. While Killers of the Flower Moon is evoking mixed reviews with its long duration and raw portrayal of indigenous pain, the overarching feedback is that Gladstone provides beautiful and necessary on screen representation. Stone’s Bella is a favorite, in that the complex portrayal opened the conversation around what it means to be a woman as her character grappled with social ex-

pectations and growing self awareness. OF NOMINEES, NOLAN IS THE PREDICTABLE FAVORITE The Directors being considered this year for Best Director are: Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest, Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer, Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall, Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things and Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon. Christopher Nolan is currently leading with both Directorial awards from the Critics choice and the Golden Globes. The Oscars will be shown live on Mar. 10, streaming on Hulu+ starting at 6 p.m. ILLUSTRATION: Annika Kim

OSCAR OVATION. Regardless of controversy, 24 recipients will be crowned with the prestigious golden figure on Mar. 10.

AROUND TOWN

A winter day in Stillwater offers picturesque Minnesota at its finest

AMANDA HSU THE RUBICON

THE RUBICON PHOTOS: Amanda Hsu

1. WORKS OF ICE. The first stop was the annual World Snow Sculpting contest. 2. SWEET TREATS. Then, it was off to the downtown mainstay, Candyland candy store 3. MELTY GOODNESS. Dinner was ordered at Melt Pizza, a popular restaurant that serves Detriot-style pies.

If you’ve ever wanted to visit a place that perfectly captures the ambiance of Minnesota’s small-town life, downtown Stillwater is the place to go. This quaint town (home to around 20,000 people) encapsulates a perfect picturesque winter wonderland. The first thing that caught my eye while walking around was the annual Stillwater World Snow Sculpting contest stationed by the river. Global and U.S. artists craft beautifully carved statues made purely out of ice and snow, illuminated with colorful spotlights at night. Dancing fish and mythical beasts are just a few subjects the teams included in their compositions. Every year, the competition holds an opening ceremony, posts daily updates showing the carvers’ progress, and a closing ceremony where winners are announced. Everything is hand-sculpted, and the finished products add a magical feel to the town, even this year with the warm temperatures and their short-lived presentation on the walk. To warm up after walking around in the cold, stop in any of the many

bustling shops on Main Street. Stopping first in Candyland, we saw a variety of confections for sale. Once the door opens, you are immediately met with the warmth and smell of buttery popcorn, offering a comforting refuge from the freezing streets. Candyland offers brand-name candy, but most of the store’s most popular items, like their gourmet popcorn, are made in-store. Black Letter Books was the next stop, just a little down the street. This used bookstore sells many antique and classic novels. Its small square footage is tightly packed with tall bookcases, and every surface is covered in displays of books or postcards. Ladders are strategically placed to allow any shelf to be within reach. We ate dinner at Melt Pizza, located at 112 Main Street N. The restaurant has two stories, and the sheer number of people packed inside steamed up all the windows. After waiting 45 minutes for a table, we finally ordered three different kinds of pizza and waited another 20 minutes for them to arrive. As their name implies, Melt Pizza specializes in Detroit-style pizza alongside appetizers of wings and salads. Detroit-style

pizza uses a thick crust and is usually served in a rectangle or square. The outside of the crust is also coated in a layer of crispy cheese, and extra sauce is poured on top to offset the chewy crust. The menu offers many combinations of toppings ranging from more traditional pepperoni and cheese to a few more unconventional ones like spinach, hot honey, and grilled peppers. The pizzas come in either a small, which costs around $20, or a large, which costs around $30. Overall, the three kinds of pizza we ordered (Funkytown, The OG, Cheese) all tasted uniquely phenomenal and revived us after our fourhours of adventuring in negative temperatures. Downtown Stillwater is a must-visit for anyone wishing to support local businesses and experience the cozy feel of a Minnesota snowy day in the town.

Scan this QR code to view Amanda’s photo gallery of downtown Stillwater

SERVICE JOURNALISM THE RUBICON - FEBRUARY 2024

THE IMPACT

Avoid economic exploitation through intentional planning CLARA ANN BAGNOLI THE RUBICON

Hawaiians can no longer afford to live on their islands, Guatemala’s famous Lake Atitlan is polluted, and Venice is sinking. These are just three examples of the immeasurable damage that over-tourism can have on communities. International travel often involves visiting a famous destination, experiencing a new climate or to learning about a different culture. While travelers usually have good intentions of supporting the international communities they travel to, they often do more harm than good. But what solutions exist when multi-billion dollar corporations seem to have monopolized travel? To answer this question it’s important to understand how monopolization happens. Look to discussions about export economy from World History II, which occurred in colonial periods when a mother country would rely on exports from their colonies to produce goods such as spices, produce and textiles. Instead o f the profits going to the local economy and the producers of these goods, they went to the larger corporations in charge of the export in turn funding the mother country.

“

AT WHAT POINT DOES AN ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY DOMINATED PERSON’S PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE [AND LEISURE] BECOME EXPLOITATIVE? US history teacher Andrea Moerer

US history teacher Andrea Moerer teaches WHII and sees it as a reversal of the export economies in a sense. “Rather than taking [a countries] resources away, the colonizer is bringing their populations [to the country],” she said. The same goes for tourism: when a hotel or resort company builds internationally, the jobs in those

hotels pay much lower wages and enforce longer work hours, in contrast to employee rights in the U.S. Coastal countries, islands, and many African countries with active safari industries are hit the hardest by this exploitation as their main economy is dependent on tourism. Due to the influx of tourism, prices can be raised; however, while the businesses gain profits, they can continue to keep wages the same, causing locals to be unable to afford most places. “At what point does an economically and socially dominated person’s pursuit of knowledge [and leisure]

b e come exploitative?” Moerer said. Spanish Teacher Rolando Castellanos is an avid traveler and chooses to organize his travel around his family’s interest in history, culture and nature. In choosing what to see during his vacation, he researches what is important to the locals and their culture, ecosystem, and cuisine and seeks out those experiences. If Castellanos were to visit Mexico, he would stay either at an Airbnb or a Mexican-run hotel or hostel. For food he prefers family and locally-run restaurants. The same goes for souvenirs. “Buy from a local market rather than a tourist trap so you can support [locals] and learn what it is like to be there,” he said. For both international travel and vacations, stray away from larger corporations and opt to invest in the native business owners. It is important to consider why a location is a popular travel destination and how both travelers and the local community gain from the experience.

TAKE ACTION

OUR TRAVEL Cultural knowledge key to a meaningful travel experience CLAIRE KIM

co-EDITOR IN CHIEF

The average tourist in France would undoubtedly visit the famous Eiffel Tower and perhaps the beautiful island Mont Saint Michel. But when surrounded solely by other tourists, these travelers lose out on any real understanding of a local culture and its people. According to Forbes, 80% of tourists in France visited only 20% of its tourist sites, prompting the French government to redirect visitors to less popular destinations. Not only do major tourist sites fail to fully represent the daily lives of the local people, but the tourism industry often ex-

ploits their cultures as well. According to a paper by Morgan Glup, professor of Anthropology and Global Studies at the University of Nebraska, many local cultures are treated as consumable commodities and used to attract tourists through the “commodification of culture.” For example, the Native cultures of British Columbia are commonly marketed around pay-to-watch spiritual ceremonies, totem poles, and souvenirs with traditional bird styles. Not only are these portrayals often inaccurate and generalized, but they also fail to benefit local communities, who are seen as “obstacles to development” and are not compensated for their work. Senior Oliver Zhu, who visited Greece, Rome, and Turkey this summer, felt that the locations visited were tourist-oriented because they were predetermined through a cruise. However, his family also stayed in a small apartment in Rome, which allowed him to engage with the local culture in greater depth. “There were definitely other tourists but there were also local people. We didn’t feel out of place

or anything; we didn’t get stares,” he said. “I want to travel again because it [didn’t feel] intimidating.” Similarly, sophomore Lilly

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Oliver Zhu

GREEK GALLERY. Zhu visited both major and local landmarks on a trip to Greece: “We didn’t feel out of place,” he said.

Spurgeon was mostly around other American tourists when her family visited Dubai last spring. However, she experienced greater cultural differences when visiting less public places, including a mosque. “There [were] a lot different views of gender there … like you weren’t supposed to wear clothes that were too revealing in certain places,” she said. Partnership International, a trip planning organization, writes that cultural diversity is important because understanding other cultures helps to build trust, expand perspectives, and break down stereotypes. The first step of supporting cultural diversity is developing an understanding and appreciation for differences. “I think it’s important to engage with the culture and understand [how to] not just be super self-centered,” Spurgeon said. Conducting basic research on a culture’s customs and etiquette is a crucial part of respect. This might include learning a few words of the local language for a basic level of communication. One of the simplest ways to avoid corporate-dominated hot spots is staying in an Airbnb or hostel rather than a hotel. Experiencing a different culture through artistic means, such as music or literature, can also help visitors gain a deeper understanding of it while supporting local artists. “It’s so easy to view everything else as a threat,” Zhu said. “But in reality … it’s the beauty of human connection, even across language.”

World Nomads

Responsible Travel

World Nomad travel insurance invites clients to donate up to 20% of the policy price as part of the Footprints program, which funds a community development project in the area of travel. The company partners with NGOs and absorbs administration cost so that 100% of the donation goes directly to the project.

Responsible Travel focus on responsible tourism by working with global partners to minimize the harmful aspects of tourism, including reducing climate change through carbon emission regulation and protecting and restoring natural environments.