March 2020 Issue

RUBICON

the

the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 Volume 47. Issue 6.

March 4, 2020

www.rubiconline.com

Quiz bowl qualifies for national tournament

Thornberry sends COVID-19 information, health suggestions

PHOTO: Asa Zirps Science Olympiad members regroup while eating in between competitions, knowing that they are well prepared.

QUINN CHRISTENSEN EDITOR IN CHIEF

Science Olympiad qualifies for state ASA ZIRPS

CONTRIBUTOR

The Science Olympiad team competed in the state qualifier tournament Feb. 2 at Eastview High School in Apple Valley.

The team placed sixth in the event and will move on to the state competition.

During the regional competition, the team hoped for the best but wasn’t sure how well they would perform.

Junior Maya Choi was optimistic from the get-go.

“We’re not entirely sure how we’re doing at the moment. We have a lot of really smart kids this year, so we’re gonna be fine,” Choi said.

Additionally, seniors Abdel Mokbel and Asher Sobotka placed first in the Machines event, Mokbel and senior Sameer Bijwadia placed first in Astronomy, and seniors Richard Chang and Nathan Sobotka placed second in the Chem Lab event.

In the months leading up to the event, the members of the club prepared extensively.

“People have built apparatuses, they’ve taken notes… they’ve taken practice tests, they’ve done practice problems,” team leader Chang said.

The team will need to prepare even more for the state tournament.

“There’s some additional content for some of the events… and there’s some new events that weren’t at the regional competition,” Chang said.

Cathleen Drilling, Science Alliance’s faculty advisor, was proud of the effort put in by student leaders.

“They have organized the teams, the paperwork, training younger students. They really do a lot,” Drilling said.

The state competition will be on Saturday, March 7, at Bethel University.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Kate Lockwood Quiz bowl team prepares for national tournament April 24-26 in Atlanta Georgia.

ELOISE DUNCAN THE RUBICON

The Quiz Bowl team qualified for nationals at their tournament on Feb. 15. They will be competing at both The 2020 High School National Championship Tournament and The 2020 Small School National Championship Tournament.

“This season has been really fun. We’ve faced a lot of the best teams. We were hoping to make league state, but then we faced all of the top teams on our last day, which was rough.

But, we made a big bounceback at this last tournament and made nationals, which I am really proud of the team for doing,” captain Noel Abraham said.

The team has had great success in the past years, making it to nationals each season.

However, they do not do a lot of hardcore preparation like many other teams, and instead focus on what things they continually get wrong and rely on the diverse knowledge and interests of the members for the rest.

RACIAL AWARENESS

Diversity effects all aspects of student life, from extracurriculars, to leadership positions.

“It’s great to have a diverse group of students with diverse interests because you can’t totally study for Quiz Bowl, it’s more about like what you know, which is really fun. We are a pretty laid-back team. We don’t do super hardcore preparation like some teams that drill and buy study packets. We practice during Thursday clubs, and we tend to play packets from past tournaments just to see the process and strategies for ringing in. Basically we play to make sure we are comfortable with the format. There are some things that we know that we frequently miss questions on, so we will study those a little bit,” coach Kate Lockwood said.

They never totally know how the season will go, due to changes in the other teams and within their own team, but they still are confident in their abilities to go far.

“This year was going to be a really tough year, we lost a lot of our veterans form the past few years, so it was kind of like making a new team almost. We weren’t even really expecting to make nationals at this point,

WINTER WRAP UP

Winter sports teams finish off the regular season and start postseason competition.

IN-DEPTH pg. 8-11 ISSUE INDEX

so we are really happy and excited about it,” Abraham said.

The Quiz Bowl National Championship is a way to show off all the hard work that the team has put in throughout the year, while being surrounded by people who share the same interests and challenge them to be their best.

“Nationals is just really a lot of fun. It’s a chance to just play Quiz Bowl for around 10 hours a day and hang out with other people who enjoy Quiz Bowl.

It’s a really fun time and a time to celebrate knowing a lot of stuff about a lot of things,” Lockwood said.

“It’s the highest level of quiz bowl, so I am looking forward to just competing at that level.

Seeing how smart other kids are and even beating some of these teams creates such a joy factor out of it,” Abraham said.

The 2020 Small School National Championship Tournament will be held Apr. 24-26 in Rosemont, Illinois, and The 2020 High School National Championship Tournament will be held May 22-24 in Atlanta, Georgia.

5-6... Opinions 1-3 ... News 4... Editorial 7 ... Issues 8-11... In-Depth 12-13 ... Sports 16-17... Photo Story 18-20 ...A&E 14-15 ... Feature

SPORTS pg. 12

Dean of Students Chantal Thornberry sent out an email to the US student body Feb. 28 addressing recent concerns about the COVID-19 virus.

“While influenza is a far greater risk for us at this point, I wanted to take a moment to provide you with some facts regarding COVID-19 and share a reminder about steps we should always take to keep ourselves healthy from viruses,” Thornberry wrote.

Thornberry encouraged students to stay home if they are feeling under the weather, naming it as a primary way to prevent illness in the community.

However, with the end of third quarter fast approaching, this can be difficult.

Sophomore Quinn Williams said, “We’re all having to finish different things in school, so that’s kind of hard.”

Senior Lori Li agreed, citing end of quarter workload as a factor preventing students from taking time off.

“I think that [Thornberry’s] suggestions would follow through if teachers gave less homework and then students wouldn’t feel like they would be missing out on anything if they’re sick and then they’d stay home,” she said.

But that, too, is difficult at the end of the quarter, although teachers do try to accommodate sick days.

“Anytime students are sick, especially when a large group of students are sick, teachers are really understanding about that… it’s sort of like the flu season, or anything else,” US science teacher Kate Lockwood said.

The coronavirus first appeared in China in December and has since spread, with cases now appearing in the U.S. On Feb. 26, President Trump appointed Vice President Mike Pence to lead the nation’s response to the virus.

ADOPT ME

The Animal Humane Society helps animals find a good home and loving family.

PHOTO STORY pg. 16-17 @TheRubiconSPA

2 Minnesota switches from caucus to primary NEWS

THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

LUCY BENSON

MANAGING EDITOR

For the first time since 1992, Minnesota will be holding a primary instead of a caucus.

The 2016 MN caucuses were so overwhelmed with voters and unable to accommodate the size of the turnout that Mark Dayton, the governor at the time, signed a bipartisan bill to switch to the Minnesota election process to primaries.

In a caucus, there is more involvement from voters, as they meet and discuss candidates and issues they care about as well as cast votes. At a primary, voters simply vote at their local polling place as they would in the presidential election.

US History teacher Jon Peterson, who led a trip to Iowa’s caucus this January, finds value in both the caucus and primary structures.

“Probably I should say that I prefer a primary. They are more democratic, they do allow more access to people,” Peterson said. “Caucuses are tougher because it’s a set time.

People that have to work, have to handle childcare, elder care, or people that have physical disabilities it can be tough for them to caucus.”

Students who traveled to Iowa with Peterson echoed his assessment.

“I believe the change to a primary is a good thing because the caucuses are slow and are not accessible to many people, especially people with physical disabilities,” junior Luka Shaker-Check said.

Senior Anjali Tadavarthy, who will vote in the Minnesota primary, also supported the primary format.

“After seeing the Iowa Cau-

INFOGRAPHIC: Evelyn Lillemoe SUPER TUESDAY. Minnesota is one of fourteen states that held their primary on Tuesday Mar. 3. “The change to a primary is a good thing because caucuses are slow and not accessible,” junior Luka Shaker-Check said. cus I am very glad that we have a primary. In the modern age of technology, it makes so much more sense to have a primary,” Tadavarthy said.

Sophomore Kishori Patel, however, liked some parts of the caucus.

“The enthusiasm I witnessed caucus goers share about their top choice and their dedication to informing others about that candidate showed me how important the social aspect of the caucus is for the people involved,” Patel said.

Peterson admits to being partial to caucusing, something he owes to his Iowan roots.

“I think there is a value in the caucuses...as far as people getting together and talking as neighbors and talking about

“

IN THE MODERN AGE OF TECHNOLOGY, IT MAKES... SENSE TO HAVE A PRIMARY.

”

Anjali Tadavarthy what they share in common, organizing, fundraising...it’s a very grassroots level thing,” Peterson said. “And admittedly, as a native Iowan I’m a little bit partial to it, maybe out of tradition more than out of clear thinking sometimes.”

While the candidates won’t be officially nominated until this summer, they will travel

from state to state to try and win voters at local caucuses or primaries. The votes cast at the caucuses and primaries will help determine how states’ delegates will vote at each party’s national convention in July.

Minnesota landed on a compromise this year, having a caucus on Feb. 25, a week before the primaries.

“I think splitting it between the caucus and the primary is good. You have the Super Tuesday primary where people can go and vote, they can vote throughout the day, that’s advantageous,” Peterson said.

“But Minnesota’s also keeping the caucuses...moving the caucuses a week earlier so they’re still having those things that are the fundraisers, the times

when people can get together and talk.”

Minnesota’s switch back to primaries is not uncommon, as it makes the election more accessible and has historically drawn a larger voter turnout, though not as much as the presidential election itself. While caucuses are organized by individual parties, primaries are organized by the government and voters must either chose a Republican or Democrat ballot to vote. This choice has created some controversy, as the information of party affiliation is not protected and may be publicly accessible.

While the Republican ballot will have only one candidate - the incumbent - as well as a write in category, the Democratic will have 15 names listed.

As for the expected results of MN’s primary, for Peterson it depends on Elizabeth Warren.

“Here’s what I think: If Warren seems viable, if it seems like Warren is back in this and has a good showing in Nevada and respectable showing in South Carolina, I think that Warren would take enough votes from [Bernie] Sanders for [Amy] Klobuchar to win but I think that if it looks like Warren is still low, then I think that Sanders might upset Klobuchar in Minnesota,” Peterson said.

Tadavarthy’s views agreed with Peterson’s predictions for the results of theprimary and she will exercise her vote in her first primary.

“It is important that the people get say in who will be in the general election. I will be voting in the primary process because I think it is crucial that the democrats select a competitive nominee to run against Trump,” Tadavarthy said.

The MN primary took place on Mar. 3.

Spring exchange travelers prepare for departure and reunion States. One group is traveling to Spain, and the other to Germany. They will stay with host families as they take in the cultures they’ve been immersed in.

SPANISH EXCHANGE

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: Michael Bagnoli, Mimi Longe Juniors Michael Bagnoli and Mimi Longe pose with their exchange students when they were st SPA in September. They will reunite over spring break in a suburb of Madrid.

ADRIENNE GAYLORD ILLUSTRATOR

Back in September, visitors from Spain and Germany came to sit in on classes and experi-

CORRECTIONS POLICY:

ence Minnesota. This spring break, students from St. Paul Academy are flying across the ocean to Europe to get a taste of life outside of the United

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, it will be corrected following the online corrections policy.

FEBRUARY:

The Spanish exchange students will be living in a suburb of Madrid. They have the opportunity to explore the differences between their own life and their host families.

“I’m excited to see the school and see how it’s different from our school here,” junior Mimi Longe said.

Students have mixed emotions leading up to the trip.

“I’m a little nervous cause my Spanish is… my Spanish is alright. I’ll be able to communicate,” junior Senai Assefa said.

Many students will be accompanied by their Spanish partners that visited SPA in the fall. Some of the pairs are already close, and are excited to see each other again.

“It’s definitely gonna be fun to see them again, and then all the other exchange students who I kind of met along the way,” Assefa said.

The company of the Spanish exchange students in the fall has prepared the students for what they might expect on the trip and how they plan to behave. “[My exchange student] was super sweet, and she was very organized, so she always knew what to do. She fit in perfectly,” Longe said.

GERMAN EXCHANGE

dents will be staying in Hamburg, Germany. Neither trip has a fully fleshed out itinerary yet, so students aren’t fully aware of what they’re headed into. Many are full of nervous excitement, especially those on their first trip.

“I’m expecting to be really wowed by it because Germany is a really cool country. I’m also expecting a little bit of nervousness because I’ve never been out of the country before,” senior Peter Findell said.

The students will explore Hamburg along with Berlin and any cities their host families might take them to. Many students were paired up with their partner due to shared interests, and the hope is that each student will be able to take full advantage of the trip.

The German exchange stu-

OPINIONS 4: Bothsides.org is no longer a site/link does not work. 5: Jeff Bezos donation is inaccurate in story; it should say $690,000.

ISSUES 7: Photo is Maggie Baxter SPORTS 14: Elijah Johnson’s quote should read “I listen to my favorite song, ‘Animal’ before every game.”

NEWS THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

Shortened quarter aims to relieve stress

“

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Evelyn Lillemoe Junior Julia Scott crosses of the old end date for quarter three, now that the quarter ends about a week earlier.

MEAGAN MASSIE THE RUBICON

Third quarter often feels like the longest time of the school year, and traditionally, that’s been true - until now. In the past, third quarter has been 46 days while fourth quarter was only 41. This schedule resulted in seniors only being present for a total of 24 days in fourth quarter, due to senior project.

Recently, the administration has decided that third quarter should be shorter and fourth quarter longer which results in fourth quarter starting the week before spring break. Principal Max Delgado has been on the forefront of making this decision.

“Ending the quarter the day before spring break means that invariably some extensions have to go into spring break and that can be especially difficult if a kid is sick a couple days before spring break and

MISSED THE BOOK CLUB?

is going to take a test. So, there was always this sort of pressure there and there was also this question about how the quarters are balanced,” Delgado said.

Students have had some mixed feelings about the new quarter break up. Some students may feel stressed about being taught new material before going into a long break.

“I think it is kind of weird that we are going to start learning all new things before a long break,” 9th grader Andrew Gist said.

Since it’s a new schedule, some students are skeptical about whether or not it will benefit them.

“I don’t like it because often times there is a rise in stress and pressure at the end of the third quarter, and having break directly afterwards helps cool down and relax directly after it ends,” sophomore Levi Smetana said.

- People who are “antiracist” are people who actively work to supports the equality of races, and policies that support that equality.

- Race intersects with class, gender and body type injustices - “Antiracist power is the power of the people to resist racist policy.” - Ibram X. Kendi

”

Andrew Gist

The move also makes conferences earlier in March which gives students and parents the chance to communicate and motivate for the quarter ahead.

Although grades will not be out yet, it allows for parents to talk with their student about how they can work to improve or celebrate the work that they’ve done. According to Delgado, having conferences before spring break will hopefully allow students and parents to go into the vacation with communication and a clear plan for the next quarter.

“We had conferences after spring break which meant there wasn’t a lot of time to repair. It was mostly telling families ‘Hey this is where your kid is now that year’s almost over.’

We hope that by having conferences at the end of quarter three is that it looks forward to the next quarter which is a little bit longer and the work is ahead,” Delgado said.

The decision for change began during winter break last year. Delgado and department chairs decided that it would beneficial for seniors to have a week extra during fourth quarter to allow for a greater balance in grades and material. First and second quarter are both 34 days long.

Although students will be able to be better accommodated if they are absent the week before spring break, some students feel that they won’t be as motivated going into break.

“I don’t think that we’re going to get any work done during those days and everything we’re supposed to learn, we’re just going to forget,” senior Peter Michel said.

The change has been instituted as a trial run so it has the potential to reverse again next year, depending on how effective students and faculty members find the schedule change to be.

“I hope that students would feel like they’re not going into spring break with being wrapped up in something. And now, laying the foundation for the next quarter as opposed to this feeling of ‘Oh my gosh, it’s the week before spring break’ - I think that’s the thing we’re trying to avoid,” Delgado said.

Hopefully the change in schedule will alleviate some of the pressure on students between third and fourth quarter.

Third quarter ends Mar. 5.

Book club speaks on anti-racism

Insights from the author

- Being racist is potentially temporary, and doesn’t serve as a permanent identity for someone.

I THINK IT IS KIND OF WEIRD THAT WE ARE GOING TO START LEARNING ALL NEW THINGS BEFORE A LONG BREAK.

PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION: Facebook @Ibram X Kendi

How To Be Antiracist teaches everyone the importance of equity and how to create an anti-racist society SALAH ABDULKARIM THE RUBICON

During the Martin Luther King Jr. assembly, guest speaker Rose McGee recommended the book How To Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. On Feb. 29, the Office of Intercultural Life with the Intercultural Life

Parent Association worked together to host a book talk for students, families and faculty. At the book talk attendees had conversations regarding anti-racism and how we can improve the St. Paul Academy community.

In an interview with CBS News, Kendi shares the difference between not being racist and being anti-racist. “When we’re thinking about the history of the term “not racist,” we’re really thinking about eugenicists and Jim Crow segregationists...we are thinking of a term in which people are denying they are racist...but antiracist in contrast has a meaning of somebody who views the racial groups as equals, someone who is pressing for policies that creates racial equity,” Kendi said.

SPA’s Director of Intercultural Life, Dr. Naomi Taylor said, “the book shifts our mindset of how we think of racism... the book is positing that we are all racist and that all of our actions and our results are

common. We’re either working toward being anti-racist which means dismantling things that are causing barriers for folks or we are actually racist.”

EITHER “ WE’RE WORKING

TOWARD BEING ANTI RACIST...

OR WE ARE ACTUALLY RACIST.

”

Dr. Naomi Taylor In short, not being racist means one is refraining from singling out a group of people, or claiming that they don’t.

Whereas being anti-racist means refraining from singling out groups by providing an environment where all racial groups are viewed as equal.

3

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Annika Rock Students relax, eat snacks and watch one of the five movies screened Feb. 22.

Film Club marathon features movies with animal transformations ANNIKA ROCK RUBICONLINE

Film Club hosted their annual Movie Marathon Feb. 22 with a theme that prompted for light-hearted and amusing films everyone could enjoy.

Students flowed in and out of Driscoll all day watching parts of films and enjoying sugary snacks.

Before the annual day arrived, Film Club presidents Martha Slaven and Anajali Tadavarthy chose a theme for the day: movies that include people turning into animals.

“I created a preliminary list of movies based on the three themes I had come up with and then the presidents chose the options from each theme and [the rest of the club] voted on which movies we wanted to include in the movie marathon,” senior Aidan Lanz said.

Some students had seen many of the films shown while others had not. The movies shown were Moana, Hocus Pocus, The Emperor’s New Groove, Twilight and Black Swan.

“I’ve only seen two of the movies that they showed and I was really excited to see new movies,” sophomore Alice Duncan said.

Slaven said, “This year we had a really fun theme. Usually we do something serious for our film series and then we do something more fun for our marathon.”

Students were seen lying on comfy couches in Driscoll commons eating sugary and salty snacks while watching a light and enjoyable film.

“The turnout was much better than last year. We have had about five to ten students come to every film so far which is pretty good,” Tadavarthy said.

“I’m really happy with the amount of people who showed up and I’m glad that people feel like they can just casually drop in and out because I feel like people can get intimidated by having to stay here for ten hours like Anajali and I have to,” Slaven said.

The Film Club marathon is an annual event.

4

EDITORIAL THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

STAFF EDITORIAL

Why did our staff decide to talk about race?

EDITORIAL

THE RUBICON STAFF

The Rubicon staff decided that it’s time to take a closer look at how race affects student life. We chose to focus on race knowing that this is a very white school, with 25% of the upper school population identifed as a student of color.

We decided to isolate race because too often, when SPA students feel uncomfortable talking about race, they bring in topics that they feel more comfortable talking about, like gender, sexuality, or class.

Though these topics are all interconnected, changing the topic is a way to avoid talking about race. We want to face the topic head on.

Our process started months ago. After staff meetings on how we planned to cover race in this issue, our InDepth Editor put together a survey that we sent out to the entire 9-12 student body. In the survey

students could self-report both their identity and involvement through objective and subjective questions. Almost half of the student body responded, with 81% identifying as white, 8% identifying as multiracial, 7% identifying as Asian American, 3% identifying as African American, and 1% identifying as Latino. We used this information, along with research on the role of whiteness and white fragility in conversations about race, and by quoting experiences shared in interviews with students, faculty and Director of Intercultural Life Naomi Taylor.

We focus on race this issue fully aware that we are a mostly white staff. Only 14% of our print staff identifies as nonwhite. Because of this, we needed to regularly check our own biases and assumptions.

There may still be blind spots in our reporting. But we decided not to let the lack of ra-

cial diversity on our staff excuse us from having racial conversations; in fact, this is why we need to have the conversation in the first place.

WE FOCUS ON RACE THIS ISSUE FULLY AWARE THAT WE ARE A MOSTLY WHITE STAFF. We hope to use our privilege to lift up the voices of others and amplify conversations about race at SPA. We also understand that racism is most likely present in our publications as they are an extension of the school and the student body. This is why we decided to investigate the way we report on race and how we include diverse reporting in our publications.

We have worked to provide

information about how race plays into life at SPA. We hope readers will take that information and work to make SPA a place where all students feel welcomed, valued, and seen as their full selves.

To make this possible, all of us, especially white students and faculty, need to be thinking about race and learning how to be anti-racist.

For white students, learn how to talk about race. Identify where your own blind spots may get in the way of equity. This doesn’t mean pulling peers of color into these conversations, as many people of color often get forced into positions of educating their friends about race. It means actively searching for places people of color have chosen to talk about race. This can be books, plays, poetry, songs, YouTube videos, spoken word, movies, articles, speaker events, even Instagram or Twitter. There are a lot of

places people of color have chosen to talk about race on their own terms, and it is easy to find those resources.

Education is a first step, but don’t be passive. When you see acts of racism call them out.

Reflect on your own assumptions and biases. Don’t speak over people of color, but stand behind them and amplify their voices. Be an ally.

This process of learning about race and taking action against racism comes with setbacks and mistakes. If someone calls you out for saying or doing something wrong, don’t get defensive. Listen. Be willing to consider change.

Race and racism are complicated and multifaceted issues.

It can be overwhelming to dive into it, but it’s important to start the process and work to make our school, our community, and the world, a more unified place.

We’re in this together.

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

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

DIRECTOR OF RUBICONLINE PRODUCTION MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITORS FEATURE EDITORS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS AUREUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SPORTS EDITOR VIDEO EDITOR ADVISER PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANT

Melissa Nie Lynn Reynolds Bobby Verhey

CONTRIBUTOR Asa Zirps

Liv Larsen, Elizabeth Trevathan Lara Cayci, Tana Ososki Elle Chen, Annika Rock Lucia Granja, Zekiah Juliusson Sam Hanson Martha Sanchez, Will Schavee Henry Burkhardt

John Becker, Jonas Bray, Alexandra Cardwell, Maddy Fisher, Noa Gross, Catherine Hooley, Mimi Huelster, Lily Malloy, Johnna MelkJohnson, Aryun Nemani, Anna Nowakowski, Leni Nowakowski, Ivy Raya, Thomas Reinhart, Evelyn Sampsell-Jones, Tommy Verhey, Hazel Waltenbaugh, Colin Will

Kathryn Campbell, CJE Megan Erickson

STAFF WRITERS

OPINIONS THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

Unsolicited nudes should not be tolerated LIZZIE KRISTAL THE RUBICON

The sending and receiving of unsolicited nudes simply should not be tolerated. The practice appears to be neither universal or rare, and while consequences at school are beneficial, the social culture around nudes needs to change.

To be clear: any nude photo of a minor is considered child pornography.

The laws are different for those over 18; in Minnesota, a consensual sending of nudes is legal, but if it becomes unwanted by any party involved, it’s classified as harassment and punishable in court.

Minors cannot give consent when it comes to nudes.

With a rise in popularity of Snapchat, nudes have been integrated into teenage culture.

A study conducted by Southern Illinois University found that 24% of teenagers ages 1417 have been involved in the sending of nudes, and 43% of people above the age of 18 have received unsolicited nudes.

While sometimes the sending or exchanging of nudes is consensual, there’s a growing number of nudes being sent

when they aren’t wanted, especially from men. From the Journal of Sex Research, 16% of men have reported sending unsolicited nudes, while only 11% of women have.

People who send nudes are

TO BE CLEAR: ANY NUDE PHOTO OF A MINOR IS CONSIDERED CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. sending with a transactional mindset: they hope to receive one in return. But in reality, it’s rare to find an unsolicited nude that is returned. Most of the time it reflects a problem: a 2019 study by the Journal of Sex Research showed that men who sent unsolicited nudes had higher levels of narcissism and hostile sexism.

Sometimes people brag about sending or receiving nudes. Talking about nudes shouldn’t be brag-worthy.

The culture around sending nudes in hopes of receiving some is incredibly harmful, especially for teenagers when it

5

24%

happens with no consequence.

Is the conflict reported to a of teenagers school administration? Does have been the receiver confront the sender? Is the issue addressed at all? involved in Usually not. sending nudes While it is difficult to speak up about being harassed through a sexual of people over photo, the school policy 18 have received is clear: “Any photograph, unsolicited nudes image, or video made, used, or shared with the intent to or has the effect to harass, sexually harass, or embarrass another individual is also considered non-consensual and a prohibited use.”

Any violation of this can result in anything up to and of men have including expulsion and legal sent unsolicited action. nudes Senders of unsolicited nudes need to stop sending pictures.

As a receiver of unsolicited nudes, come forward. If no one says anything, the practice FLICKR CC PHOTO: Librarianboy won’t stop.

INFOGRAPHIC: Maren Ostrem — Information from Southern Whether reported or not, Illinois University and the Journal of Sex Research it’s important to change the Unsolicited nudes are often dismissed or not taken seriously culture.

Additionally, spread educa- which leads to normalization among students. tion on Minnesota’s laws for Unsolicited nudes are slow- should not be the case, and the minors; it’s illegal and pun- ly becoming more accepted as attitude and response to them ishable in court. Shift the talk normal and appropriate. That needs to shift. around nudes to cautionary.

43%

16%

Personal integrity is worth more than grades altered by cheating be more sensitive to the effects of them.

While it’s probable that students cheat because they care about their grades, it also shows that they don’t necessarily care about their classmates and others’ success, and will be ill prepared for college, where cheating won’t be tolerated.

When students cheat, others are at a disadvantage and feel frustrated that cheaters have a leg up on them. This is most prevalent when people share problems from tests with others that have not taken it yet.

People do this so often that many people probably don’t regret it and wouldn’t consider it a legitimate form of cheating, even though it is explicitly referenced in the academic honesty policy.

Even with continued reminders from teachers to refrain from talking about tests,

and reiterated policy from the Council for Community Conduct, students continue to use this form of academic dishonesty because it’s so difficult for teachers to catch, and other students often don’t report it.

It’s up for students to hold themselves and one another accountable for cheating. There should be a stigma around cheating to discourage students from doing it and actively discussing it. While students usually cheat because they didn’t have time to study, or had issues beyond their control, cheating cannot be the fallback.

The culture around cheating at SPA has to change to the point where it is no longer the norm, and where students would feel embarrassed or ashamed if they admitted to cheating.

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

style. All pieces must be submitted and will be published with a full name.

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

EDITORIALS articulate the collective

UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS

MEMBERSHIPS

ILLUSTRATION: Evelyn Lillemoe Cheating may seem easy, but it costs more than the potential bump to a grade.

JULIA BARON THE RUBICON

95% of high school students report that they have cheated in some way, while 58% have admitted plagiarizing, and 64% have cheated on a test,

according to a study done by the International Center for Academic Integrity. While it’s possible that these statistics are different at St. Paul Academy, it’s clear that cheating has become a normalized procedure

used by students The student awareness of cheating is disproportionately higher than the disciplinary action from cheating. Although there are different levels of cheating, all forms of cheating are academic dishonesty, and students should

POLICIES, MEMBERSHIPS AND AWARDS 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.

PUBLICATION INFO The Rubicon

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

ADVERTISING The Rubicon does not accept advertisements.

ANONYMOUS SOURCES Although

it is always preferable to use names when reporting, there are times when it is necessary to protect those we report on. In the case of a student, the use of grade level as a name designation (i.e. Sophomore Student) will be the preferred method of anonymity.

BY LINES credit the individual who

conducted interviews, drafted, revised and fact-checked an assigned story.

Shared bylines are given to joint effort assignments, with reporters listed alphabetically by last name. Stories that include supplemental materials include a credit at the bottom that states

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

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Opinions are welcomed as Letters to the Editor or Submitted Opinions and may be published in the print or edition. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 400 words and Submitted Opinions should not exceed 650 words.

Both may be edited for length and

During the post-critique process, staff members identify inaccuracies and report feedback from readers. The staff publishes corrections when an error is discovered during critique or reported to a staff member. Corrections should be directed to the Editor in Chief or appropriate section editor.

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

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

PUBLICATION AWARDS

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

6

OPINIONS IN THE HALLS

THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

Club events serve as core of community TOMMY STOLPESTAD THE RUBICON

Events organized by students are a valuable part of student life at Saint Paul Academy because they offer organizational skills, a stronger sense of community, and enjoyable and informative events for students to partake in.

While faculty designs curriculum around how well it prepares students for college, student organizations are one of the most underrated facets of student life that develop life skills. Whether it is clubs, affinity groups, or sports teams, students have a variety of options when it comes to getting involved in the community. But, regardless of group affiliation, students are able to participate in events for the community even when they don’t belong to a particular club or group.

Plus, students who organize events gain a valuable experience event planning.

A recent example of this was the Intercultural Club’s organization of the Martin Luther

King Jr. assembly where two local speakers were interviewed to inform students and faculty about equity and the values that MLK and other Civil Rights leaders taught.

Opinion Board abandoned, discussion must continue

EVENTS ORGANIZED BY STUDENTS... OFFER A STRONGER SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Evelyn Lillemoe CAS, Latinos Unidos, and Start Up held a bake sale on Feb. 27 with proceeds going to Christel House in Mexico City.

While this assembly happens annually, platforms like the Blue Sheet offer other opportunities where students can get involved and sharpen their organizational skills every day.

The Blue Sheet is read daily in advisory and it is a great resource to post quizzes, announce contests, or invite the student body to hear speakers, cheer on teams, or visit bakesales. Regardless of what the end message is, students are able to put their voice into the Blue Sheet and inform the community of what is happening, encouraging student in-

volvement.

Student organization helps strengthen bonds and relationships in the community.

Whether it is the Student Activities Club organizing Winter Week spirit, or even students making announcements before senior speeches, SPA gives students the ability to organize and promote games and events where students are able to enjoy themselves and take their mind off of school work. The organizational and leadership skills that these students gain from taking charge of these community events will help

MAREN OSTREM

tremendously further down the road.

On top of this, when students are proactive about organizing events, it allows for the school to use resources that might otherwise be overlooked. While the speakers at the MLK assembly were just one example, student groups have the power to reach out to organizations for the betterment of the community. Through field trips, setting up venues for a dances, and other events, students are able to simultaneously access valuable resources as well as develop organizational skills.

Cultural sensitivity vital during school trips Awareness of religious tradition is especially crucial. If entering a place of worship, make sure one is properly dressed, that one’s showing respect, and following any other guidelines written or not. Awareness of cultural difference’s existence is the first step towards being a respectful traveler.

RESPECT COMES IN FOLLOWING THE CUSTOMS OF OTHER CULTURES. ILLUSTRATION: Adrienne Gaylord Respecting cultural norms while on trips abroad is crucial. It helps the traveler become more educated, and receive the entire experience.

ADRIENNE GAYLORD ILLUSTRATOR

If someone visits another person’s house, most likely they would be expected to meet the expectations of the home’s basic rules. Maybe that means taking off their shoes before they come in. Maybe that means chewing with their mouth closed. Most environments come with social norms, and these standards don’t disappear when visiting another country, they simply change.

The Spanish and German exchanges are coming up, so this is an important time to remember how to be culturally sensitive and respectful while traveling to a new country. Behaving respectfully is incredibly important, especially in situations where students are not

only observing another culture but immersing themselves in it. The occasional passes given to tourists on cultural insensitivity are harder to pass out to someone sleeping in one’s own house.

Cultural insensitivity may fly completely over some travelers’ heads, but it’s necessary to pay attention to it. Small actions of disrespect add up to resentment towards the traveler and the SPA community.

Large actions can prove to have irredeemable consequences. Be respectful not only because of a fear of consequences though.

Be respectful because it is the right thing to do. Respect comes in following the customs of other cultures. Pay attention to traditional greetings, etiquette, and religious customs.

While on an exchange look to exchange partners for guidance. Many SPA language classes teach simple differences in how one behaves in a country speaking the respective language. Information comes from both language teachers and the instructors coming along on the trip. Listening to the instructions from the chaperones helps provide some structure, and what they say will often prove most crucial in keeping out of bad situations.

Look up some tips in your own time. Simply watching some videos online can save from a seriously regrettable situation.

The one vital resource that exchanges offer that no other form of travel supplies is the support of exchange students.

The most helpful person to ask about acting respectfully in these new environments is the person who lives in these environments every day. Exchange

partners are together for a majority of the time, and hosts know most every detail about how to keep their cool in every room they enter. Ask if there’s any unique traditions or etiquette at their school, in their home, anywhere.

A few things to pay attention to: Dressing appropriately. Different cultures have different views on what clothing means.

Especially in religious locations, make sure to be dressed in a manner that is appropriate.

Basic etiquette. Learn some basic phrases to be respectful.

Learn table manners and hand gestures, and what to do when entering someone’s home. Every culture has unique manners, so brush up on the little actions of respect.

It’s important to ask before taking photos of other people. While traveling it may be tempting to quickly snap a picture of someone in a visually compelling situation, but that can be objectifying. Even though one may be on vacation, the people around probably are not. Local citizens are not set pieces in Americans’ wwtravel.

Exchange trips are unique opportunities for exploration of another culture, so make sure to explore in the manner that leads to the most growth, with cultural sensitivity.

THE RUBICON

Activity on the Opinion Board has fizzled out over the past school year, and it’s important to examine why.

Last year, when I would walk from Schilling to the Thompson wing, I looked forward to running into a huddle of students crowded around the Opinion Board, discussing the latest posts. Now, the hallway in Old Main is empty, and the orange bulletin rarely has more than one post on it.

The Opinion Board is a crucial aspect of the SPA community that encouraged respectful discussion and critical thinking and gave students a place to express their thoughts and concerns from administrative decisions to policy changes in the White House.

The major change that has triggered this lack of discussion, was the increased processing of posts by Upper School Council. Now, posts are reviewed by USC before they are posted on the board.

While posts are rarely censored or taken down, students believe that there is more work involved -- it’s no longer as simple as just tacking a page to a board.

The Opinion Board was created to incorporate a wide range of opinions from all possible perspectives. We want to hear from everyone, because that’s how we can learn from each other.

This argument is not to say that students have to post on the board. The most important part of the Opinion Board is the experience of talking with people who have differing opinions from yourself. If you don’t feel comfortable posting on the board so the entire community can see, try to engage in respectful discussion in other situations. An example of this could be in a Harkness discussion, or just in casual conversation between peers.

It’s important that we try to see each opinion with a fresh perspective so we don’t assume we know the person’s argument before we even read it.

Even if the Opinion Board activity has decreased this year, the culture of respectful and thoughtful discussion must remain strong. The less judgment we have, the more we will be able to discuss a multitude of opinions.

7

ISSUES THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

Species loss takes a toll on environment How are species affected in Minnesota?

ENDANGERED Wood turtles are threatened globally by mining, railroads, hunting, logging, and human intrusion.

ENDANGERED Burrowing Owls are now rarely seen in MN. In the most recent count, there were 10 breeding pairs.

THREATENED There are 200 Canada Lynx left in MN.

ENDANGERED The Northern Cricket Frog has been steadily decreasing since the 1950’s due to habitat loss, pesticide contamination, and possibly other unknown factors.

MAREN OSTREM THE RUBICON

There have only been five mass extinctions. The world is currently living through its sixth one. The last mass extinction was 65 million years ago when dinosaurs went extinct.

Today’s extinction is almost entirely caused by humans.

“Most extinction events in the past have been caused by major changes to the atmosphere or ocean’s chemistry, tectonic plate movement, enormous volcanic eruptions, or things like asteroids and supernovas blasting the planet’s surface. But 7 billion humans is a heavy burden for the global ecosystem to bear. Just to house them, animals like the cheetah are able to live in less than 10 percent of the land area they occupied before human activity increased to modern levels,” Environmental Science student Ryan Strobel explained.

The causes of this extinction can be linked back to many sources. “If you look in Australia, the endangered species are most at risk right now due to habitat loss, specifically destruction from fires, whereas if you’re looking at an ocean environment they’re most at risk because the ocean is warming, and some of them are not best suited for higher ocean temperatures,” US science teacher Rachel Yost-Dubrow said.

Human population has doubled in the past 50 years, causing more habitat loss than ever before.

While the causes of extinction varies based on location or species, they all link back to climate change.

“Each of those [causes] is connected back to carbon emissions,” Yost-Dubrow said.

The New York Times reports that the Australian bushfires have taken the lives of about 1 billion animals, many of which were already endangered. According to The Guardian, the fires have destroyed 12.35 million acres of bush. Not only are the fires killing countless animals, but they are also destroying habitats and food necessary for survival.

A local example of habitat destruction threatening the lives of endangered species is in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The BWCA in Northern Minnesota is being threatened by deforestation and mining.

“Mining in the Boundary waters is a huge threat to the ecosystem. The mine that Twin Metals proposed could be detrimental to the BWCA because if it were to leak or cause pollution, the polluted water would flow throughout the BWCA. This would be a huge problem for the wildlife and the oil and pollution would kill fish, birds and other animals,” junior

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Erin Magnuson MAGNUSON’S NATURAL HABITAT. Junior Erin Magnuson paddles her canoe while enjoying the Boundary Waters on a trip with Camp Widjiwagan. “Mining in the Boundary Waters is a huge threat to the ecosystem,” Magnuson said.

Erin Magnuson said. Some endangered species that are threatened by pollution in the BWCA include moose, Canada lynx, and the gray wolf.

BWCA IS MY “THE SECOND HOME AND I KNOW I WOULD NOT BE THE ONLY ONE HEARTBROKEN IF... POLLUTION WERE TO DESTROY IT. Erin Magnuson

”

The effects of extinction on humans are as varied as the causes.

“There are a number of impacts, and you can weigh them based on different frameworks... We think about our intrinsic value in terms of like, ‘I just like it because it brings me joy’,” Yost-Dubrow said. This particular framework applies to the BWCA, as many people enjoy the area for its natural beauty and biodiversity.

Magnuson is among the many people who have enjoyed the area’s chains of lakes and rivers. “The BWCA is my second home and I know I would not be the only one heartbroken if such pollution were to destroy it,” Magnuson said.

Sometimes talking about the economic impact is necessary to get people to care.

“The other [framework] is [the species] provides monetary or measurable impact...The economic value that places get for having a lot of travel to the region for having biodiversity… the loss of any species is leading to lowered biodiversity, which in turn impacts each of those

things,” Yost-Dubrow said.

The loss of possible medicinal products is another major economic loss.

“At the current rate of extinction tropical plant species are facing, experts estimate that we’re losing access to a major potential drug almost every year due to some powerful medicinal plant species being wiped out before anybody discovered what it was capable of,” Strobel said. “A stable ecosystem can only really be maintained if all its interconnected components are there. And everything in an ecosystem is inexorably linked.”

According to a study in Science Magazine, decreasing the risk of extinction of all endangered species would cost the U.S. $4 billion a year.

There are many things to do to help save endangered species, and many aren’t easy.

“Literally everyone alive is relying on something that directly harms the ecosystem... All we can do, as individuals, is try to make as little an impact as possible, and face the consequent reductions to our own quality of life head on. Obviously, stuff like littering is directly harmful and easy to give up, but some sacrifices are way harder. Eating meat, for example, is ridiculously nutritionally inefficient, given how much corn and grain is necessary to raise a cow to adulthood,” Strobel said.

Buying sustainable products that aren’t contributing to habitat loss, growing native wildflowers and other plants to attract pollinators, decreasing plastic usage, avoiding large companies that are known polluters - these things may seem small, but if financially possible, can make a significant difference in the fight to save endangered species.

THREATENED There are currently 4,000 Canada Moose in MN as opposed to 8,000 in 2005.

ENDANGERED There are only 50-249 Whooping Cranes left in the world.

ENDANGERED The Hine’s emerald dragonfly was put on the Red List in 1995 due to water pollution.

R 8

IN DEPTH THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

IN DEPTH: An extended section that investigates the role race plays in student life, extracurriculars, leadership positions, and publications.

E THE RUBICON PHOTO: Kathryn Campbell

The Rubicon print staff stacks their hands together, demonstrating both unity and diversity.

9

IN DEPTH

STUDENT LIFE

THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

Life as a student includes academic rigor in the classroom and social interactions in the hallways. What’s often overlooked is how these experiences change for a student based on their race.

IN THE HALLS For senior Elijah Johnson who identifies as African American, he notices how people change their personality in an attempt to get to know him.

“I guess the big thing is that people see me and they feel like they have to act a certain way around me in order to get closer to me or attract my attention, but in reality just be yourself,” Johnson said.

Acting stereotypically in an attempt to get closer to Johnson, people use dialect to seem more like him.

“They start using ‘hood’ language or ‘gangster’ language, or whatever that is which is mainly just Southern dialects that people from the south use,” Johnson said.

While others attempt, however misguided, to connect with Johnson by changing their speech patterns, he recalls trying to change to what he thought he needed to be when he came to SPA. “In terms of trying to fit in, I think I have found a balance now, but I would say before in school, I also tried to change myself a lot in many ways just to fit in with the more white environment. Now it’s like the people around me know me so I don’t really have to change much from inside school and outside school,” Johnson said.

ELOISE DUNCAN THE RUBICON

navigate high stakes discussions.

Dr. Naomi Taylor, Director of Intercultural Life, sees the use and importance of using the compass during class discussions.

“Some classrooms are really doing well with modeling and using the Courageous Conversations about race protocol, referencing the compass, the quadrants, and the four agreements and conditions as a tool,” she said.

Courageous Conversations is mostly referenced in history, English, and world language classes, where Harkness discussions are a large part of the class curriculum.

WHAT I TRY TO DO IS ENGINEER THE CURRICULUM SO THAT IT RAISES QUESTIONS REGARDING RACE, RACIALISM, AND RACISM WITHOUT TRANSPARENTLY SAYING ‘OH, NOW WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A TALK ABOUT RACE’ SO THAT STUDENTS DON’T GET THEIR DEFENSES UP.

MATT HOVEN

WHITENESS IN THE CLASSROOM

The Diversity page on the SPA website states that “multicultural perspectives are woven throughout the K–12 curriculum in age-appropriate ways that spark students’ interest and deepen their understanding of individual, national, and global identity.”

Taylor recognizes the differences in curriculum for different age groups: “At the lower school they’re probably talking about race in terms of our differences... but they’re not having really hard conversations about that [in classes]. At the faculty and staff level, they’re definitely talking about race at a deeper level of personal interest, and also in terms of societal. I would say that at the middle school and upper school there are a lot of areas, whether it’s the affinity groups or different assemblies, that help us to build a talk about race. We’re looking at the opportunity to look at the curriculum in terms of finding strong touch points of talking about race so that we can build on that,” she said.

When do you use Courageous Conversations?

51% don’t use it

8% use it to talk about race outside of class

In what classes do you talk about race?

88% 83% 26%

WORLD LANGUAGE

ENGLISH

HISTORY

67%

64%

56%

40%

WITH FRIENDS

79%

ASSEMBLIES

How do you talk about race in school?

COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS

The Courageous Conversations compass, seen hanging on the wall in nearly every classroom, was created by the Pacific Educational Group for “effectively engaging, sustaining and deepening interracial dialogue.” It is meant to be used for topics mainly regarding race and racial biases, but many classrooms use it for many other topics, discussions, and homework activities, and some don’t use it at all. The Courageous Conversations compass includes four quadrants: moral, intellectual, emotional, and relational. It also features four agreements and six conditions, designed to help students

22% use it to talk about non-racial topics in class

48% use it to talk about race in class

CURRENT EVENTS

US English teacher Matt Hoven teaches American Literature and believes race is a central topic of most of the works studied. However, he does not try to explicitly bring Courageous Conversations into discussions. Instead, he works the topic of race into the curriculum and models the practices of Courageous Conversations in his class.

“What I try to do is engineer the curriculum so that it raises questions regarding race, racialism, and racism without transparently saying ‘oh, now we are going to have a talk about race’ so that students don’t get their defenses up. I try to model what is on the poster without calling out explicitly that I’m doing so,” Hoven said.

“I’ll set the example and encourage people in the room to challenge their readings and others readings, finding what other [interpretations] are out there that they might not be seeing. What I’m trying to do is live it without using an apparatus that is going to create unnecessary defense in some of my students.”

CURRICULAR EXPANSION

LITERARY

RACE IN LITERATURE

In Ward’s History of Race class this semester, she facilitates conversations focused on race almost daily.

“I teach history, so race is part of conversations all the time. I incorporate race into discussions by talking about whose voices are heard and whose aren’t and investigating why that is in history. Also just trying to tell an inclusive history from multiple perspectives, and seeing all the different players: not just the people who were in charge or the people who were making the decisions but also the people who the decisions were impacting,” she said.

HISTORICAL

Independent schools are historically rooted in white culture.

“There aren’t a ton of people of color in my classes, but I’m grateful for the people who are. There is definitely sometimes an overwhelming amount of white culture,” 9th grader Maya CoatesCush who identifies as multiracial said. Still, Coates-Cush said, “I feel equal to my student counterparts.”

White students are more comfortable within the culture, so conversations surrounding race can lead to discomfort, with white students trying to defend themselves or just not speaking at all so they won’t say something that could be taken as wrong.

“Sometimes conversations around race can be a little awkward because there aren’t very many students of color in the class, so I feel like the whole class is counting on them to say something,” sophomore Judah Thomas who identifies as white said.

US history teacher Mollie Ward said, “We have to be able, especially as white people, to be more tolerant of uncomfortable conversations. The students of color here and the faculty of color here are used to talking about race and used to thinking about race because they do that all the time. It’s the white people that are uncomfortable and that have to build their tolerance and stamina for these conversations because our first inclination is to deflect, to argue, or to retreat and be silent and feel guilty, and none of those things keep us engaged in conversation.”

When white students don’t talk about race, including the role whiteness plays in their learning, students of color are left to do the heavy lifting: “It is hard to walk into a classroom and almost always be the only student of color in the room,” junior Karla Garcia who identifies as Latina said.

INFOGRAPHIC: Lizzie Kristal Information from a poll sent to grades 9-12 with 45% responding.

10

SPRING SPORTS

IN DEPTH

20% of students who play a winter sport identify as non-white THE RUBICON - MARCH and 80% of students who play a2020 winter sport identify as white.

EVELYN LILLEMOE

CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR

SHAREE ROMAN

FINE ARTS

EXTRACURRICULAR

THE RUBICON

MUSIC GROUPS

20% of students who participate in a music group identify as non-white and 80% of students who participate in a music group identify as white.

THEATER

14% of students who participate in theater identify as non-white and 86% of students who participate in theater identify as white.

Information from a poll sent to grades 9 through 12 with 45% of students responding.

INFOGRAPHIC: Lizzie Kristal

Extracurriculars offer a shared experience. While white students are able to participate regularly without thinking about their race, students of color feel aware of their race.

ON STAGE Senior Ananya Narayan’s knows theater shaped her high school career. She delivered her senior speech about being cast as a witch in the 2019 musical Into the Woods. This year she earned a lead in Chicago.

“I’m excited to try new things with...Roxie because she is stereotypically portrayed as a helpless little girl. I am ready to add some strength to her character,” Narayan said.

Narayan has found herself in singing, acting, and cast bonding, but sometimes not roles.

“It colors the way I think about auditioning and how I’m presenting myself when I audition. It’s always in the back of my mind.

Do I look the way this role has typically been portrayed? Do I fit that? And I’ve kind of had to untrain myself and be like, No don’t think like that,” Narayan said.

Upper School Theater Director Eric Severson does not cast blind.

“You need to think about the character as a whole and who they are as a person or entity and how you, as a director, imagine that character on stage and in this particular production. You need to consider if there are any “script specific” references to things about a character’s appearance: race, gender identity, age, height, hair color, etc,” he said. “I also think about what it would/ could mean if any of those traits are altered. How does it change the message or narrative if you cast someone of a different race or gender identity in a role?”

While all students are encouraged to participate in theater regardless of race, age, and gender, casting choices are multifaceted.

PROBLEMATIC PROPS Narayan notices that her skin stands out more with the props than those who have fair skin.

“I’m one of the only not white kids, and...the microphones that we use are very white. You don’t necessarily see it on white people so it gets disguised, basically, but its very clear on any person’s face who is not white,” Narayan said.

Although stage microphones are small, the big white cord that stretches from behind the ear to the mouth doesn’t blend neatly with the color of every student’s skin.

“My mom actually brought it up to me,” Narayan said. “She goes, ‘SPA really can’t afford to get brown mics? Is that so difficult?’”

“This is harder than you might imagine,” Severson said. He has been researching options since fall, but finding the right fit for all students is difficult. “It surprised me to realize the limitations in the availability of different headset colors...we have found one we are confident will work and are fortunate enough that the company is going to let us borrow one for a week to do some testing with it in our space, with our system and with our students to see how it works with our current ones,” he said.

Despite these frustrations, Narayan has felt that people in theater are extremely inclusive.

“To be super honest, the theater group at SPA has basically become my family so I never feel out of place or super different even though I clearly am,” Narayan said.

ATHLETICS Senior Liam Will tends to feel comfortable because of his race while playing basketball. “[I don’t often think about my race during sports] because a lot of the people around me on my team and refs and whatnot are the same race as me,” he said.

In a poll sent to 9-12 graders, students that identified as white tend not to report issues in sports. They noted that athletic programs are a welcoming community, from players to coaches.

Students that identify as non-white noted issues: coaches and members of opposing teams have made inappropriate comments about race, including racial slurs. Additionally, many students that identified as non-white stated they have felt uncomfortable because the majority of teammates and officials are white. Read more about race in sports on page 13.

CLUBS AND GROUPS Clubs are designed to connect students with shared interests dedicated to common goals, but for everyone to feel welcome, race can’t be avoided in conversation. Yet, in the poll, many students stated they never spoke about race in clubs.

9th grader Evan McCarthy, who identifies as white, finds race is not a big topic in his club.

“I help to run games club. We do not have any discussion about race [or] acceptance but those discussions do not align well with our club’s audience,” McCarthy said.

Sophomore Elizabeth Trevathan identifies as white and is active in People for Environmental Protection. She notes that despite the connections between the climate justice and race, “We

ATHLETICS FALL SPORTS

19% of students who play a fall sport identify as non-white and 81% of students who play a fall sport identify as white.

WINTER SPORTS

13% of students who play a winter sport identify as non-white and 87% of students who play a winter sport identify as white.

SPRING SPORTS

20% of students who play a winter sport identify as non-white and 80% of students who play a winter sport identify as white.

don’t talk about race often, as it doesn’t directly relate to the issues we talk about… I do recognize that there are many issues that deal with race in its relation to climate change. Our group just doesn’t talk about it,” she said.

Not talking about race echoes colorblindness, avoiding conversation about race entirely and accepting white as the norm.

Affinity groups address race more explicitly by providing space MUSIC GROUPS for people of a specific minority identity to come together.

Junior Karla Garcia sees the affinity groups as far more than just a hobby or interest.

20% of students who participate in a attend music group identify as do not “Teachers and students that don’t affinity groups non-white and 80% of students who participate in a music group understand affinity groups are not just fun. They are a place identify asthat white. for students who feel isolated to be their authentic selves,” she said.

Senior Naomi Wilson views affinity groups as way to self-reflect.

THEATER “As a woman who identifies as mixed race, asexual and aromantic, I have been in numerous affinity groups, including HerSpace, Check Other, Common Ground, BBG (Black and Brown Girls), 14% of students who participate in theater identify as non-white andand Rainbow Connections.

Doing so in hastheater allowed me toasaccept 86% of students who participate identify white.my multi-faceted identity and make meaningful connections with those who understand my experiences,” Wilson said.

But affinity groups can create tension for those who may share an identity but also see them as exclusive.

Junior Aman Rahman, who identifies as Asian-American, said, “I feel that affinity groups are almost as problematic because they begin to make a clear cut divide in the minority population at SPA. It feels that they pick and choose which identities are involved with a group.”

There are 29 clubs and 8 affinity groups in 2019-20.

Talking about race is incredibly difficult, but an important topic to discuss. SPA prides itself on being a community that welcomes all racial identities, but it’s clear that there’s an unacknowledged bias that exists in extracurriculars and racial tension between different groups.

FINE ARTS

IN DEPTH

PUBLICATIONS

THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

When The Rubicon staffs collaborated to develop a mission statement in 2015, people were at the heart: “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 publications aim to present an accurate representation of the community. Evaluating the way reporting intersects with race involves a look at the people on staff and the people interviewed, but also at who is not present in these spaces.

Once students complete Writing for Publication, they are eligible to apply for a news staff. Registration doesn’t include race as a factor in course requests and the class fills every year with a waitlist. Classes tend to be majority white.

Director of Publications Kathryn Campbell said, “We want diverse perspectives in the publications and in the journalism room.

It’s my hope that any student who wants to be involved in publications will be, and we offer a number of ways to do that: everything from writing a letter to the editor or a guest piece, taking a class, joining a staff, freelancing or independent study… all the way up to a four year staff experience.”

This year’s news staff on The Rubicon and RubicOnline consists of a 30 person team. Within The Rubicon print staff, approximately 14% members identify as non-white, with 86% identifying as white.

About 31% of the RubicOnline staff identify as non-white, with 69% identifying as white. In addition, Rubicon and RubicOnline have a white publications advisor. This demographic breakdown inherently affects the perspectives that the student publications report from.

The Ibid yearbook staff 24% of the editors identify as non-white, with 76% identifying as white.

Their goal is to cover every student in the community at least of combined Rubicon print and three times every year.

To examine how the current RubicOnline staff identify as non-white print staff of The Rubicon is covering race, a starting point is e whit y as entif looking at a demographic breakid 69% down of students interviewed in this school year’s print edition of The Rubicon from September to present. In line with the demographic breakdown of the upper hite w on as n tify iden school, white students make up 31% a majority of those interviewed.

This indicates that students of

2O% tify

iden

86%

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RUBICON PRINT

INFOGRAPHIC: Lizzie Kristal

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JENNY RIES

THE RUBICON

color made up a small percentage of students interviewed, lower than the 25% “Upper School diversity” statistic on the SPA website.

Lucy Benson is the Managing Editor and tracks who is interviewed in each print edition.

“Our goal is to try to capture as many student voices as possible.

We keep a spreadsheet on who we’ve interviewed and how many times in order to try and talk to as many people as possible on diverse range of issues. Everyone has a story to tell and it is the goal to encapsulate that,” she said.

Print sports editor Salah Abdulkarim has been long associated with The Rubicon through both his and his two older sisters. “In my experience, having both my sisters being on Rubicon staff for 8 years combined as well as 2 years myself, The Rubicon has always emphasized student voice on events locally, state-wide, nationally and even internationally,” he said.

Understanding how race is covered means not looking solely at how students of color are covered, but also at how white students are covered. Recent The Rubicon and RubicOnline coverage of students’ variety of interests and involvement in activities from theater to athletics, making an effort to cover interests as opposed to racial demographic.

“Our work is not colorblind, and we work to avoid tokenism. We report on student experiences, and the goal is to tell a multi-faceted story about every student,” Campbell said. “If we have only talked to a student because of difference — whether it is gender, ability, race— we haven’t done our job. I hope we are always working to tell true stories of student life; if the student body feels we need to do something differently, we welcome that feedback.”

Director of RubicOnline Melissa Nie joined staff as an illustrator three years ago. She pointed out the importance of representation within the visuals accompanying stories.

“Visuals are one of the most important elements in a story-they’re often what catches a viewer’s eye and draws them into the article. As a result, it’s really important that our visuals are representative, including editorial cartoons. When an artist defaults to drawing white faces, that lack of representation does a disservice to students of color. Drawing with more diversity also helps the artist expand their own skills.”

Student journalists are in a different position than most students.

If the publications themselves embody the idea of “white fragility,” and allow race to be portrayed as ‘races other than white,’ then that will become the narrative of the community. When a journalist, and by extension a publication, shies away from personal discomfort, it allows its readers to do the same.

RUBICONLINE

LEADERSHIP

Leadership is a central value in a community that promises to educate people who will change the world, as the school mission challenges. Leaders are seen across the student body in various groups.

How are students choosing elected and selected leadership?

There are eight different winter sports offered at SPA. Each team elects 2-3 captains. This winter, that means that there are 22 captains across all winter sports. Of those captains, 18% identify as non white with the remaining 82% identifying as white. There are five different sports that have all white leadership.

Student elections select leaders who shape policy and experience for the student body. Student Activities Committee, Upper School Council, C3, and Technology Council have traditional leadership positions with a president leading or co-presidents. There are six presidents leading these groups, and five of them are white this year. For USC co-president Ananya Narayan, running for president meant more than just the title.

“I do believe that it was important for me to run for co-president because representation is incredibly necessary at SPA. I ran with the understanding that I was going to be a voice for people of color. But I don’t think that being a person of color has impacted my experience on USC,” Narayan said.

Club leadership comes from student creation of a club or from club members self-selecting a leader from veteran attendees. In the poll, 30 students reported that they were either president or co-president of their club, with 20% of those identified at students of color and 80% identifying as white.

Some leaders hold important roles in more than one organiza-

CHARLIE JOHNSON

tion. Senior Zach Dyar is a co president of C3, a lead debater, and a section leader in orchestra, as well as participating in basketball.

Dyar has found that holding all of these positions can get difficult.

“It can have a negative effect on me sometimes because I like go off the grid for a weekend and kind of disappear from friends and family,” he said. For director of intercultural life Dr. Naomi Taylor, more diverse leadership will have a positive impact.

I RAN WITH THE “I think that for UNDERSTANDING THAT all students, both stuI WAS GOING TO BE A VOICE dents of color and FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR. BUT I white students, it is DON’T THINK THAT BEING important to have A PERSON OF COLOR leaders and role modHAS IMPACTED MY els of color, and to recEXPERIENCE ON USC. ognize the strengths ANANYA NARAYAN they bring. Taylor said.

The process of election for these groups can become difficult at times for voters to determine the right candidate for them. When asked what goes into their vote for an election, junior Patrick Hooley finds it quite simple.

“It’s purely just their thoughts and ideas that they’re going to implement, no other factors really go into it for me.” Hooley said.

Elections for the 2020-2021 school year happen this spring.

THE RUBICON

12

SPORTS THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

As playoffs wrap up, seasons come to an end QUINN CHRISTENSEN EDITOR IN CHIEF

CHARLIE JOHNSON THE RUBICON

While most sports have celebrated state bids or grieved playoff elimination, at press time, boys basketball continues to play.

ALPINE SEASON ENDS IN STATE INDIVIDUALS The Spartans competed in sections Feb. 5, earning 7th for th girls and 8th for boys. Junior Isabelle Wolpert placed fourth in individuals, advancing to the state meet Feb. 12. Wolpert placed 12th at state, despite a recent injury.

Alpine’s postseason structure is unique: “So we don’t really have playoffs. We have one sections race, and each skier gets two runs. The top ten skiers go to state along with the top two teams” captain Julia Scott said.

BASKETBALL Spartan Boys Basketball finished in 3rd place in IMAC standings and they hope to ride out their success come section time.

“We just want to get as far as we can, and try to get to the section semis for sure,” captain Adam Holod said.

Girls basketball finished with a record of 12-14, with big wins against Minneapolis Edison and St. Croix Prep this season. Their season ended with an upset at home during sections on Feb. 27.

Captain Abby Hedberg said, “We started out the regular season strong, but conference play has definitely been a challenge.

However, we all try to keep a positive attitude and play our

FINISH STRONG. (TOP) Gabriella Thompson shields the ball from a player on the opposing team. RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Zekiah Juliusson. Geroge Peltier winds up a for a shot. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Milo Waltenbaugh. Isabelle Wolpert placed 12th in state.

PHOTO: SPA WEBSITE. United Hockey ended their season with a loss to South Saint Paul in the section final. IBID PHOTO: Alessandra Costalonga. (BOTTOM) Paige Indritz speeds through the course. PHOTO: IBID YEARBOOK. Swimmers ready on the starting block before launching into the pool. PHOTO: David Matenaer. Mason Brooks was state chamion for the third year in a row. IBID PHOTO: Ethan Hla. Griffin Thissen pushes off a defender and drives to the hoop. IBID PHOTO: Alessandra Costalonga. best no matter the circumstances.”

consecutive state championship of his SPA fencing career.

FENCING CELEBRATES STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

HOCKEY

The Men’s Fencing team ended the season with their seventh straight state champtionship. Overall, Men’s and Women’s fencers earned six Top 8 individual finishes.

Going into Feb. 22 contest, men’s epeee fencer Mason Brooks said, “I think that as a whole, we are pretty prepared and ready for state, and geared up for a good showing.”

Brooks won first place again this year, making it his third

United Hockey went on a run in sections, making it to the section final. They played section rival South St. Paul Feb. 13 but lost 2-0. Leading goal scorer Lucie Bond wants to return to state next year.

“I’m already super excited for next year, but it will be very hard to say goodbye to all the seniors on the team. I have loved playing with them,” she said.

Boys hockey hoped to make it past sections after recently

upsetting #2 ranked St. Paul Johnson 5-2 in the section quarter final on Feb. 21. They lost 2-3 in triple overtime at sections against South St. Paul on Feb. 26.

NORDIC SEASON ENDS WITH INDIVIDUAL ALL CONFERENCE HONORS Due to small numbers, Nordic ski wasn’t able to make it through their playoffs, but individual players performed well.

“Although we didn’t have enough skiers to place in conference or sections, five of our skiers received individual all conference honors, and one is

a middle schooler. The others were Lauren Dieperink, Maddy Breton, Anthony Chen, and I all got all conference,” Jonas Bray said.

TROJAN SWIM AND DIVE HOLDS CONFERENCE TITLE Trojan Swim and Dive finished at the top of of a competitive conference.

“The season has been good ...we won conference for the sixth year in a row,” captain Noah Rice said.

Rice ended his senior season with an 8th place 50 M Freestyle and 7th place 100M in addition to solid finishes in relays.

Students shoot for a perfect bracket as March Madness approaches

RUBICONLINE ARCHIVE PHOTO: Annie Bottern Auburn players talk during a Final Four press conference in the 2019 March Madness tournament.

MAREN OSTREM THE RUBICON

Die-hard college basketball fans and casual fans alike participate in March Madness by filling out brackets at the beginning of the tournament and competing to see whose bracket is the most accurate.

The first NCAA Division 1 bas-

ketball tournament, otherwise known as March Madness, was held in 1939, in which the Oregon Ducks beat Ohio State.

The original tournament only had 8 teams participating in it.

Now, there are 68 college teams that participate each year and the tournament dominates the month of March in the sports

community.

March Madness is competitive for the teams, but the real competition is in the fan-made brackets. People began filling out brackets in 1977, and ever since, it has been a global phenomenon. In 2018 alone, tens of millions of people filled out online brackets for March Madness according to the NCAA. Senior Richard Chang plays almost every year.

“For me, most of the time when I’ve played, I’ve played by myself. I’d send a picture of my bracket to other people but… there’s no money involved. I’ve played in a pool twice,” he said.

“I remember starting in fourth grade with one of my teachers who [my family] knew really well and he told me that I should do a competition with my family since I loved basketball so much… since then my family has always done March Madness Brackets,” junior Aman Rahman said.

Before the games begin, Selection Sunday takes place Mar. 15, where the order of the games will be decided. The tournament begins with what is known as the “First Four” playing in Dayton, Ohio, and participants begin to see if their brackets are accurate or not.

“

I WILL ALWAYS PICK THE GOPHERS TO WIN AT LEAST THE FIRST ROUND. Richard Chang

”

It’s nearly impossible to predict the exact bracket. In fact, mathematician Jeffrey Bergen calculated that the chances of guessing the perfect bracket are about 1 in 9.2 quintillions.

“Usually I will always select an Ivy League school to win at least the first champion. It just

feels like they do... I will always pick the Gophers to win at least the first round,” Chang said.

Konstan has a more random strategy, mostly based on his gut feeling. “I do the bracket just based off of how I’m feeling on that day. If I filled out two brackets on different days it would be completely different,” Konstan said.

As of now, it is hard to know ho will win. “I would say San Diego State since they are the only undefeated team right now. However, I know that’s not going to be true. So I’m going to go with Gonzaga,” Chang said.

“Right now, after research, some predictions that I’ve seen looks like the top three that I would say would be Kansas, Baylor, and Gonzaga,” Rahman said.

The tournament will begin Mar. 17 and end with the national championship Apr. 6

SPORTS THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

“

EVEN THOUGH I ENJOY THE SPORT VERY MUCH I FEEL THE LIKE THERE IS SOME PRESSURE DUE TO MY SKIN COLOR.

”

Simon Assefa

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Sharee Roman Senior Anja Trierweiler and 8th grader Claire Kim stand in their fencing gear. “The rest of the team speaks Chinese, and I don’t...it serves as a reminder that I don’t speak Chinese,” Senior Anja Trierweiler said.

Athletes of color feel the pressure of racial stereotypes SHAREE ROMAN THE RUBICON

Racial stereotypes follow athletes into their sports, establishing expectations for who should excel at which sports.

9th grader Simon Assefa feels that he is expected to succeed as a basketball player because of his race.

“Being Black, I feel the need

to live up to the hype of playing basketball. Even though I enjoy the sport very much, I feel like there is some pressure due to my skin color,” Assefa said.

Racism in sports often takes the form of using slurs and racist language towards individuals or more subtle microaggressions. According to research from the University of Central

Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics and Sport, acts of racism in American sports – such as the racial slurs hurled at the Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones during a game at the Boston Red Sox – soared from 11 in 2015 to 41 in 2018. Likely, that’s just the tip of the iceberg: there were 104 reported incidents of racism in

sports internationally in 2016 according to ESPN. Assefa has been a victim of such words.

“Sometimes players on other teams do use slurs against me or a person who is of color,” Assefa said.

While Assefa experiences a pressure to play basketball because of his race and slurs are thrown at him, junior Anja Trierweiler, being a Chinese adoptee who cannot speak Chinese, often feels left out during fencing.

“The rest of my team speaks Chinese, and I don’t, and they tend to speak in Chinese during practices and it serves as a reminder that I don’t speak Chinese. So I’m normally just kind of standing there, staring at everyone else as they speak Chinese which is a language I should know. Because I am Chinese but I don’t know. So it’s just kind of awkward as I sit there my coach talks to me in Chinese,” Trierweiler said.

Aside from language, Trierweiler feels cut off due to her

13

body shape. “The sport itself has a lot of Asians because they tend to be pretty good at fencing because they have the body build which is small and light.

I am not that. And I’m quite clumsy. And it’s actually quite a thinking sport, so stereotypically I am cut off,” Trierweiler said.

While Trierweiler may not fit into the stereotypes which are reinforced by her teammates, 9th grader Carlos Andres Adams is an African American track athlete who feels like SPA has overcome the urge to exclude people of color from certain activities.

“I feel like I am pretty fast...

To be honest I feel like SPA is amazing at allowing athletes of different races to participate without any people questioning that,” Andres Adams said.

However, from his experience, he says this is not true for other schools.

“I feel like some of the schools might not have that. I one time was running against this white kid and this white kid said that the only reason you’re fast is because you are black. So I feel like that kind of was a little different from SPA where no one really cares if you’re black - if you’re fast your fast. It doesn’t really matter about race,” Andres Adams said.

Whether student athletes of color feel as though they are fitting or pushing back against the racial stereotypes in their sports, stereotyping can be uncomfortable and result in incomplete expectations.

There’s more to sports than championship runs. How are they funded?

MEAGAN MASSIE THE RUBICON

With star athletes at the forefront of athletics at St. Paul Academy, a lot goes on behind the scenes that allow for the success of SPA sports teams.

Athletic funds go to a variety of different sources throughout the programs at SPA such as access to safe equipment, facilities, uniforms, entry fees for competitions, and transportation. The funds are given on a need-based system and according to Dawn Wickstrum, the Director of Athletics, there is no favoritism among male and female sports.

“Typically their budgets are very similar and we offer the same opportunities. Being equitable is very important. For example, baseball and softball are both offered dome time in the spring when the weather is bad. We wouldn’t provide one team access and not the other,” Wickstrum said.

Currently, there is not a lack of money in the athletic department. The main issue that they’re running into is finding alternate training spaces. According to Head of School Bryn Roberts if the department were

to get a sizeable donation, they would get a new field house, since it would benefit the entire grounds of SPA.

EQUITABLE “ BEING IS VERY IMPORTANT...

WE WOULDN’T PROVIDE ONE TEAM ACCESS AND NOT THE OTHER.

”

Dawn Wickstrum “I think I’d like to see more funds go to the athletic facilities,” volleyball captain Audrey Egly said. “We have incredible coaches, jerseys, and materials, so obviously we are already so fortunate and can’t really complain.”

“But if there was extra money laying around,” Egly added, “I would like to see it put into facilities so our school can look as good as we want our programs to be. We have achieved that with Schilling so it’d be cool to do the same with sports.”

Parent involvement is a key part of the athletics experience.

Oftentimes, if there are extra jackets or warmup uniforms, they are paid for by the athlete’s family. These items are separate from what is actually required by participating in the sport.

“Overall, with the food we have before games, the special lifting coach we have for the weight room, and the space we have in the basketball court, I think the school has done a really nice job allowing the team, coaches, and parents to really shine and have a good experience with the sport of basketball,” basketball player Ivan Starchook said.

There have been times where students and families have requested certain things for their sports and the department has provided for them.

“The Alpine and Nordic Teams asked why they didn’t have tents for competitions. I reached out to the coaches to inquire about this and they shared that we used to have a tent, but no one wanted to haul it around because it was old and heavy. I responded by getting each team a SPA tent and they have worked out a

ILLUSTRATION: Adrienne Gaylord “If there was extra money laying around I would like to see it put into facilities so our school can look as good as we want our programs to be,” volleyball captain Audrey Egly said.

schedule on who would be responsible for carrying it to competitions,” Wickstrum said.

The department is always looking for feedback from student athletes. Wickstrum

encourages anyone who feels strongly about a particular aspect of the athletic funds to talk to her and share their opinions.

14

FEATURE THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

Can high risk speeches inspire change?

TOMMY STOLPESTAD THE RUBICON

When students look back at their experiences as a student at St. Paul Academy, one thing that often comes to mind is their senior speech. From the start of high school, students are exposed to speeches most weeks of the year and are given considerable time to think of the message they want to deliver to the community. Each speech generally has some takeaway whether directly stated or indirectly referred too. How do their call to actions affect the community after each assembly? By asking this question and speaking to senior Arie Walker and Sam Steinhacker, they can tell how they impact the community and how they wanted to impact the community.

On Jan. 30, Arie Walker outlined her experience as the only black girl in the senior class in her speech. Walker’s speech was reflection on her experience as a student at SPA that nobody else shares.

“Honestly, my speech wasn’t meant for a message. At the beginning of my speech I said, ‘Please listen. Listen not to reply, but listen to understand.’

What I meant by that was that my speech was my opportunity to share my experience at SPA,” Walker said. “Being the only black girl in the senior class has many challenges that many people don’t experience, yet these experiences are things I deal with every day at school.”

Despite a powerful speech, Walker believed it would still be difficult to spark a great

amount of change in the community from one speech.

“It’s really hard to spark change in a community with little representation. I know there were people who really understood my speech or felt moved, regardless of race. But nothing I said matters or will matter if there aren’t any students of color to be impacted and feel any changes in our community,” Walker said.

In her speech, Walker touched on a call to action for the school, and further elaborated on her plan later.

AIMED TO “ IMAKE MY

SPEECH AS TRUE TO MY OWN EXPERIENCE AS POSSIBLE.

”

Sam Steinhacker

“I talked a little bit about separating race and education in school. If I were to have any goals for SPA, specifically the curriculum, would be for faculty and teachers to try their best to not isolate students of color when talking or learning about race. There is nothing wrong with Harkness discussions and addressing racial adversities, I always encourage to actively engage in tough conversations,” Walker said.

“But those conversations cross the line when the weight of the conversation falls on the student of color and is then put in a position where they have

PLEASE LISTEN. LISTEN TO NOT REPLY, BUT LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND.

to forcefully facilitate the conversation.”

With plans for a call to action, Walker emphasized the unique platform speeches gave her and all seniors to spread their message into the community.

“What’s a better platform than givI AM ing a speech in front of an enA STRAIGHT, tire student WHITE, JEWISH MALE body and faculty? When AND I HAVE BEEN students are passionate PROGRAMMED BY about someRACISM. thing, senior speeches give them the opportunity to share their emotions and opinions. I feel all schools should SCREENSHOT: SPA Communications Video have an outlet like what we have here at SPA,” Walker said.

SENIOR SPEECHES. Seniors Arie Walker and Sam Steinhacker Earlier in the year on Oct. use the senior speech platform to deliver messages attempting 11, senior Sam Steinhacker to inspire change. gave a speech about white privilege and his personal experiSteinhacker aimed to deliv- both do the topic justice and ence with the topic. er a speech that would resonate resonate with people who have He gave speech to deliver a with the community and spark a similar background or beliefs message that he felt was an im- conversations among the stu- as me,” Steinhacker said. portant critique of society and dent body.

Regardless of message or our community.

“I hoped to remove the bar- reasoning behind the speech, “I had been thinking about rier of ignorance from the dis- seniors like Walker and Steinthe topic for a while and had cussion and deliver an ultima- hacker were two of many who begun to notice that it wasn’t tum of sorts. Either you come have made risks and given really being approached at away and begin the process of speeches on difficult topics. all by white students or, for thinking critically about the the most part, teachers. I also way you interact with race, or looked at my own experience you continue to live passively with thinking about it, and but do so with the knowledge how I had needed to come that your inaction is beneficial about it myself, and so I want- to the institution of racism. I ed to make that process less dif- aimed to make my speech as ficult for others,” Steinhacker true to my own experience as said. possible too, so that it could

Schubert attends medical mission trip to Philippines

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Mia Schubert Mia Schubert, whose father is a plastic surgeon and mother is a nurse, went to the Philippines.

MELISSA NIE

RUBICONLINE

Junior Mia Schubert spent the first part of February helping people in the Philippine province Northern Samar with medical aid. Her time there was part of a mission trip organized by the Foundation for Philippine Medical Missions (FPMM), a Minnesota-based group aiming to offer free med-

ical service to different communities across the Philippines.

There were three different teams that went on the trip, each with their own goals.

“We have a surgical team, an eye clinic and a dentistry unit going,” Schubert said. “[As for the] surgical team, we have three different types of surgeries going: OB-GYN, plastics and E&D surgeries.”

Schubert ventured into the different sections. “[The] eye clinic gives glasses like prescription lenses to people who need them, and [as for] dentistry, I didn’t really get a chance to look into them because they go on their own unit, but I’m pretty sure they hand out toothbrushes, toothpaste and offer oral advice to people who wouldn’t receive it otherwise,.” said Schubert Schubert learned about medical procedures and equipment, as well as cultural quirks.

“There’s just certain things you can’t do,” she said, “like certain hand gestures that would be really offensive in that culture that are fine in our culture.”

Some of the more memorable moments of the trip involved interactions with patients, especially children.

Schubert tells the story of meeting a girl without an ear who had come to seek their

help. It started off with a beach day.

“This little girl came up to us and I don’t know how, but she understood that we were there to do surgeries and help out,” Schubert said. “She was missing an ear, so she came up to some of us, and she asked, ‘Hey, can you help me out?

I don’t have an ear. I think I could really benefit from this surgery.’”

“

THE PERSONAL STORIES JUST HIT ME REALLY HARD.

”

Mia Schubert Unfortunately, Schubert’s team had to turn her down because they didn’t have the right equipment needed for her situation.

“We had to tell her, ‘We can’t help you—we don’t have those

kinds of tools, we don’t have those kinds of instruments, those kinds of surgeons here to help you out.’ It was just so heartbreaking because she didn’t have any parents. She was living with a bunch of other kids,” Schubert said. “You almost just want to take her home with you and just like find a way to help them.”

Another patient that Schubert met was a little boy with a cleft palate.

“His mother had had 11 children before him, and she could not afford to feed him.

So she just gave him to a woman on the street, and then that woman brought him to us to give him the surgery that he needed,” Schubert said. “The personal stories just hit me really hard.”

Schubert trip to the Philippines allowed her to gain experience working with patients of a different language and culture.

FEATURE Journaling benefits mind and body SALAH ABDULKARIM THE RUBICON

Many people regardless of age love to journal to relieve stress, observe daily changes, or it is something they just enjoy.

In fact many people who enjoy journaling do it spontaneously, it could be daily, weekly, or whenever they want.

For senior Annika Findlay, journaling was not something that started to track her moods or write down her thoughts, she simply wanted to use an item gifted to her.

“I had this little book because my grandma always had sent me like a journal. So I figured one day I would try to make use of it,” Findlay said.

It gradually transitioned to a notebook used to vent her thoughts out.

“I would just write down thoughts to kind of track how my mood was throughout months to see if there were like fluctuations or just kind of what was affecting them so that I could be more aware of what was happening in my own brain,” Findlay said.

An article written by the American Psychological Association (APA) shows that

expressive writing similar to Findlay’s is beneficial. The benefits observed included freed memory and less intrusive thoughts regarding stressful experiences.

While Findlay aimed to write down a few sentences every night, it never became a routine. The Intermountain Health Organization reported people are “more connected with their inner needs” if they journal.

“

[JOURNALING] HELPS ME UNDERSTAND MY OWN FEELINGS BETTER. Zelda Harmoning

”

“I would forget a lot and then sometimes I would feel guilty about how I had forgotten and it would cause me like a spiral and like basically not journal for like months,” Findlay said.

There was a time when Findlay used the journal everyday

not only to track her moods, but also the foods she ate.

“I was just having a lot of stomach aches and tracking that was helpful for me. It kind of helped me figure out what I had eaten that day to see if like maybe I was developing some kind of intolerance which was helpful because that way I didn’t have to go to a doctor and like spend money to do the same thing,” Findlay said.

Similar to Findlay, for sophomore Zelda Harmoning journaling provides an outlet for her emotions.

“I have a journal, I use it a lot when I travel with my family...I’ll usually rant a lot about them. There’s usually just a lot of emotions...it helps me understand my own feelings better,” Harmoning said.

Harmoning feels that journaling may be enjoyable for her, but it may not be right for everyone.

“I definitely don’t think it’s something you can force, it’s something you have to want to do. Otherwise, you’re not going to feel like it’s helpful,” Harmoning said.

Lastly, Harmoning shares how often she recommends

THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

15

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Salah Abdulkarim Sophomore Zelda Harmoning enjoys using a journal as an outlet for her emotions. journaling if you are interested in doing so.

“Don’t force yourself make it a habit, but you can just keep one and do it when you feel like it...I don’t use mine regularly, but when I feel like jotting down some thoughts it really feels good,” Harmoning said.

Whether someone journals on paper, an audio recording, or some other form, journaling has been proven to be beneficial to the mind and body.

Want a journal in your phone? Read about the new app Daylio.

Read the review at RUBICON online

FIRST PERSON FEATURE

Want to try snowboarding?

Here’s where to go in Minnesota

Kristal wipes out, but learns to shred the slopes aggeration; it was really just a slant) and sat down to put the boots in the board. I didn’t really think this part through, so it was confusing to figure out how to secure it. After some experimenting, we eventually figured it out and I was feeling an adrenaline rush to stand up and slide gracefully down.

Sadly, that plan went awry very quickly.

Como Park Center Address: 1431 Lexington Pkwy N, St Paul Single Day Pass: $12 - $15

Afton Alps

Address: 6600 Peller Ave S, Hastings Single Day Pass: $45 - $60

Hyland Hills Ski Area Address: 8800 Chalet Rd, Bloomington Single Day Pass: $19 - $36

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Eloise Duncan Kristal falls down and gets up on the slope. This was the first time Kristal had gone snowboarding.

LIZZIE KRISTAL THE RUBICON

Skiing versus snowboarding is just a less popular dog versus cat war; I’m most definitely more into skiing than snowboarding. Whenever my mom managed to drag me skiing to Afton Alps as a kid, I would always think of the snowboarders as scary, annoying, and never people that I would be. That is until I would try snowboarding for the first time without a lesson. It’s just skiing but with one ski so I thought I’d be able to do it rather smoothly.

The morning of the adventure, I figured I should do some research. Thus, I watched a one and a half minute video on snowboarding for beginners.

Now, I was ready. My sister went through a snowboarding phase so we had a snowboard

and its corresponding boots already in the basement. I lugged those upstairs, grabbed snow pants, a jacket, gloves, a helmet and goggles, and I was ready to go.

My friend and I drove to Afton Alps and parked right next to the bunny hill with the magic carpet (a rubber strip that moves you up the hill when you stand on it) because we figured that’s where I’d be spending my time. If it was embarrassing enough to attempt snow boarding around experienced skiers and snow boarders, lessons for little kids were going on so I got to embarrass myself in front of kids and their instructors. Nice.

We got out of the car and put on the gear except for the board. We carried the board up the first hill (hill is an ex-

I WAS FEELING AN ADRENALINE RUSH TO... SLIDE GRACEFULLY DOWN. SADLY, THAT PLAN WENT AWRY VERY QUICKLY. Firstly, I couldn’t even stand up. When I tried, the board just slid forward and I would be sitting exactly where I started, just a few feet farther down the hill. While everyone was watching, after many awkward tries, I had to have my friend give me a hand up while holding my board in place. Finally, I was standing. Next, I attempted to do a maneuver I’d learned in my in-depth tutorial: the forward slide. That’s when I’d put my board perpendicular to the chair lifts and magic carpet and slowly slide down, then proceed to brake. My first try including my sliding forward

slightly, losing my balance, and then falling forward onto my knees. I gave up on that move and made the genius decision to just go for the full snowboarding move.

It was easier to stand up when I was on my knees, so I was soon back on my feet. Suddenly, I was sliding forward out of control in no particular direction. I couldn’t turn, couldn’t brake, and I freaked out so I just sat back down. I proceeded to scoot down the rest of the hill while sitting, thinking I’d need a fresh start. I reached the top of the hill again by mean of the magic carpet (which wasn’t a very smooth ride) and was more motivated than ever to accomplish snowboarding.

My next attempt involved me bruising my tailbone, and the one after that was pretty much identical. Finally though, I had a somewhat graceful slide down the hill. Could I turn?

No, so luckily nothing was in my way. Could I stop? No, so when I came to the end of the hill I simply sat down to brake.

Do I count this as successful?

Absolutely.

Overall, my snowboarding experience was extremely interesting. While I wouldn’t even consider myself good enough to be a beginner, I can officially say I’ve snowboarded which feels so good. I’m glad I motivated myself to get over the embarrassment and attempt the sport.

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PHOTO STORY THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

PHOTOS: Hazel Waltenbaugh SECOND CHANCE. The Animal Humane Society rescues pets that have nowhere else to go. Adopting animals from AHS gives an animal a second chance, and frees up a space for another animal in need. Last year, AHS found homes for 94% of their animals.

The dogs are let out of their cages multiple times a day, and volunteers bring them on multiple daily walks to ensure that their physical health is well maintained.

The Animal Humane Society has many different kinds of animals including cats, dogs, rabbits, and other small rodents. People can start the adoption process by viewing the AHS website to find pictures and short descriptions of the current animals.

Dog adoption support volunteer Paul holds one of the new puppies. Paul has been volunteering at the Humane Society for many years. “It’s important to give back,” he said.

The Animal Humane Society also offers humane investigations to follow up on reports of animal abuse and neglect.

The animals are kept in cages to decrease the chances of conflict with other animals, to contain the possible illnesses they can develop, and to ensure that visitors can easily see the different information for each of the animals.

PHOTO STORY THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

One pawprint away

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Animal Humane Society provides opportunity for animals in need JOHNNA MELK-JOHNSON HAZEL WALTENBAUGH STAFF WRITER

The Animal Humane Society is an organization that works in animal welfare to improve the way people care and provide for animals. The Animal Humane Society has shelters around the Twin Cities and throughout the country.

They help thousands of dogs, cats, and other animals find new homes.

“Their main goal is to provide a safe space for all animals while giving them a second chance at life no matter where they come from,” St. Paul Volunteering Manager Danielle O. said.

The Animal Humane Society relies on donations and volunteers to keep their organization running. People who are 16 or older are eligible to volunteer at any of the Animal Humane Societies. Volunteering activities include taking care of the animals, helping people find the right animal to adopt, exercising and playing with dogs, monitoring the health of the animals, and simply spending time with the animals so they have social interaction.

Students can get involved by contacting their local shelter or applying online at the Animal Humane Society Website.

Coordinators of the volunteers will then reach out to arrange

interview times and begin the training process. The Animal Humane Society requires volunteers to come in at least once every other week.

A popular volunteering position is Adoption Support.

They give information about the animals to people who are interested in adopting so the animals and people find their best fit. They also play with the animals and make occasional checkups to make sure they are comfortable and healthy in their temporary home.

“

THE HUMANE SOCIETY MEANS A LOT TO ME BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE I GOT MY CAT.

”

Maya Ketama “[My role is] to help people with the adoption phase and give them as much information as I can while making sure to not oversell the dogs. This is to make sure they find the perfect home and meet all the requirements of the family,” Dog Adoption Support Member Paul said.

People who aren’t 16 years or older who are interested in getting involved can attend summer programs to learn about caring for the animals

and how the organization works. They can also donate food and supplies for the animals and make tie blankets for new dogs and cats to sleep on.

“It gives you a sense of giving back,” Paul said. “I feel it’s important that people do things that help other people, or animals.” Besides providing temporary homes for animals that are up for adoption, the Animal Humane Society offers many pet services, such as surrendering & rehoming, pet training programs, veterinary care, and helplines to ask the experts questions.

The Animal Humane Society provides a memorable and meaningful experience for visitors and adopters.

“The Humane Society means a lot to me because that is where I got my cat,” 9th-grader Maya Ketema said.

“The Animal Humane Society Staff show support to all new families looking for their new animal and match them up with balanced benefits,” 9th-grader Raina Fawcett said.

Benefits from adopting at The Animal Humane Society include lower adoption fees, wide variety of breeds, and most importantly it gives the animals who need a second chance the opportunity to find great homes.

Most cats live in communal rooms that visitors can walk in to.

The Animal Humane Society rotates groups of cats between the communal rooms and regular cages.

“Applications are open online on our website. It walks you through the process of how you can get in contact with our coordinators,” St. Paul Volunteering Manager Danielle O. said.

The St. Paul Animal Humane Society by Como Park is open from 12 a.m. - 8 p.m. Mon-Fri, and 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. on Sat. and Sun.

LOGO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION: Animal Humane Society

The Animal Humane Society Walk for Animals May 2 rasises funds for animals without homes.

MORE INFORMATION AHS LOCATIONS: St. Paul: 1115 Beulah Lane Coon Rapids: 1411 Main St. NW Golden Valley: 845 Meadow Lane N Woodbury: 9785 Hudson Road

VOLUNTEERING: -16 years or older -Activities include: cat and dog adoption support, dog walking, animal training -If you are under 16, ways to get involved include: toy making, donating, fundraising

WEBSITE: animalhumanesociety.org

Student Volunteers must commit to three-hour shifts, three times per week, from June-August.

The Animal Humane Society keeps siblings of animals together for a sense of security, comfort, and companionship. This also saves space for other animals who might need a place.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

IN REVIEW

It’s nearly spring break. Check out staff suggestions for ways to recharge.

THINGS TO DO

Candyland offers a sugar rush SWEET TREATS LILY MALLOY

STAFF WRITER

At Candyland, a Minnesota candy store, customers can watch employees make their candy before they buy it. Candyland, whose slogan is “Famous since 1932,”has three locations: St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Stillwater. The Minneapolis store has glass jars to display the candies, and the simplistic design of the room draws the shopper’s attention to this large assortment of candies.

This design is reminiscent of the old fashioned candy shops in old movies.

There are a variety of candies to choose from at Candyland, including homemade chocolate, gummies, different types of popcorn, licorice, peanuts, and lollipops. Shoppers can watch as workers make popcorn and different assortments of chocolate. Most of the candies Candyland offers are relatively expensive. Shoppers can create any collection of chocolate for $18.99 per pound, or fill tins of

popcorn with a variety of types of popcorn. Each type of candy was priced individually by the pound, however, candy can be bought at any amount.

SHOPPERS CAN WATCH AS WORKERS MAKE POPCORN AND A VARIETY OF TYPES OF CHOCOLATE. Candyland offers caramel corn, cheese popcorn, chocolate popcorn and, for fans of the classic, regular popcorn.

The caramel corn is delicious.

It was crunchy at first but melted in my mouth, leaving a buttery stickiness.

The old fashioned sponge candy, was honeycomb toffee dipped in chocolate. It was brittle and a little messy, but very good.

In the homemade peanut butter cup, the smooth peanut butter was naturally sweet and fresh, although the peanut butter cup did not have an even

ratio of chocolate to peanut butter, with much more chocolate than peanut butter. Even so, the chocolate on the outside was also delicious. However, customers who do not like this kind of chocolate to peanut butter ratio may not enjoy this treat as much.

As for the butter toffee bars, at first, it was hard to bite into the thick toffee, but once I bit into it, it was delicious. It was much sweeter than many other butter toffee bars, but that was perfect for my sweet tooth.

Candyland also offerers delivery from Doordash, so customers can experience the sweet homemade candies for the comfort of their home.

Overall the old fashioned candy shop is very convenient and an enjoyable experience.

RATING: 4/5

PHOTO: Lily Malloy Candyland’s St. Paul location is chock full of delicious confections. From homemade caramel corn to melt-in-yourmouth peanut butter cups, there’s something for everyone.

Candyland Locations ST. PAUL 435 N Wabasha St St Paul, MN 55102 MINNEAPOLIS - 7th STREET 27 S 7th St #6 Minneapolis, MN 55402 MINNEAPOLIS - LASALLE Nicollet, 811 Lasalle Ave #104 Minneapolis, MN 55402 STILLWATER 212 Main St N Stillwater, MN 55082

Unlock attacking avatars in Brawl Stars GAME ON ARYUN NEMANI STAFF WRITER

Brawl Stars is a gaming app created by Supercell and downloadable for free on Apple and Android devices. Overall, the game is great for teens to play, but it can also be entertaining for adults and younger children.

The game is based on using a ‘brawler,’ which is an in-game avatar, to attack other brawlers and “bring their health down” so as to defeat them. There are many brawlers that players can choose from, each one with a distinctive attack, super, and health. A brawler’s attack is their main ‘damage dealer,’ which will have a specific range.

A brawler’s super is a special attack that a player must charge up by “dealing damage” to their opponents, and once it is used, the ‘charge meter’ resets.

New brawlers can be unlocked through the in-game shop, the trophy road, and brawl boxes. Players are granted rewards from the trophy

road, such as new brawlers, coins, tokens, brawl boxes, etc. as they gain trophies by winning matches. Brawl boxes are in-game loot chests that are available in the shop, or by brawl tokens, which are also obtainable by playing matches.

THERE IS ALWAYS NEW CONTENT TO EXPLORE AND TRAVERSE. Each brawler also has two ‘star powers,’ which are special abilities that enhance a particular aspect of a brawler in a game. Star powers are also available in the shop or brawl boxes once a brawler has reached its max level. The shop is an excellent aspect of the game because it gives players the option to spend their gems on various things like skins, coins, token doublers, and new brawlers.

Brawl Stars also has many different game modes, such as Gem Grab, a 3v3 mode where two teams fight to col-

lect ten gems, Bounty, where both teams try and collect the most stars by defeating opponents, Brawl Ball, where both teams fight to get two goals, Heist, where both teams fight to break open the enemy safe, Siege, where both teams fight to destroy the enemy, IKE, with the help of Siege bots, and Showdown, where ten players fight against each other to be the last one standing, as the poison gas pushes them toward the center of the arena.

There are also limited-time events like Hot Zone, Graveyard Shift, and Present Plunder, and there are ticketed events like Robo Rumble, Big Game, and Boss Fight. Finally, every month there is the Brawl Stars Championship mode where a player needs to get 15 wins in the 3v3 modes before they reach 4 losses, with rewards for each win.

Having different modes is the greatest aspect of Brawl Stars because each game mode offers its own objective, ensuring that players never get bored.

One great aspect of the

FAIR USE: supercell.com Brawl Stars employs ‘skill-based matchmaking’ in opponent pairings, so that every player is matched with opponents of a comparable skill level. game is ‘skill-based matchmakBrawl Stars is Supercell’s best ing,’ where a player always plays game overall, as well as one of with and against players who the best mobile games of all have the same number of tro- time. With fantastic gameplay phies with the same brawlers. and a complex game structure This way, all matches are fair different from those of other and everyone has a fair shot at supercell games, Brawl Stars winning. can attract new players while Supercell releases new constantly being improved updates to the game twice a and updated by Supercell. This month that introduce new game is full of many surprises brawlers, game modes, skins for even committed players, (which change appearance and and Supercell will add many animations of brawlers), and more things to it. balance changes (which fix bugs and improve or worsen brawlers). Because of these con- RATING: 5/5 stant updates, players never get bored of the game as there is always new content to explore.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

From numpties to queer romance,

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Rowell trilogy strays from conventional YA lit BOOK BINGE MIMI HUELSTER STAFF WRITER

Rainbow Rowell has done it again. Known for her successful young adults novels Eleanor & Park and Fangirl, as well as her adult work Attachments and Landline, Rowell has now carried her vibrant style of writing over into her next literary escapade with the creation of the Simon Snow series, including Carry On and Wayward Son. While Carry On and Wayward Son make up a standalone series, their stories are part of a much larger world of Rowell’s creation. Fangirl, Rowell’s third novel, centers around a college freshman with a passion for writing fanfiction, specifically about two fictional characters: Simon Snow and Baz GrimmPitch. After the widespread positive reception of Fangirl, Rowell released Carry On to her growing fan base, elaborating on the stories of Simon and Baz. Four years later, Wayward Son, the second installment of the series, was published.

At first glance, Carry On appears to be just another book in the paper tsunami of Harry Potter rip-offs: the protagonist, Simon Snow, is a gawky — yet at times suspiciously composed — teenage boy who has been catapulted into a world of magic he originally knew nothing about, tasked to save it from an omnipotent dark force, a sort of magical black hole called the Insidious Humdrum. One of his closest friends, Penny, is a know-it-all teenage girl who is constantly saving him from his

own stupidity, and he is sworn enemies, as well as roommates, with another boy, Baz, who is somehow involved with dark magic. Yet, as the story continues, Carry On begins to stray from the path J.K. Rowling set in stone for fantasy writers.

While Carry On does not shy away from serious, tender, or even solemn moments, Rowell’s playfulness in her writing shines brightly throughout the novel, bringing joy and laughter, as well as tears and contemplation, around every twist and turn.

[CARRY ON AND WAYWARD SON]’S STORIES ARE PART OF A MUCH LARGER WORLD OF ROWELL’S CREATION.

In Wayward Son, the second and latest installment of the series, the fun and at times predictable tone of Carry On is replaced with a deeper, more down-to-earth feel, even while maintaining a youthful tone, giving the reader a warm sense of nostalgia. Following the events of the previous book, Simon is clearly depressed, while Penny is — albeit a bit delusion — enthusiastic about the future, and Baz is just trying to keep up. In a spur of the moment move, Penny convinces them all to come with her on a road trip across America.

Along the way, the trio must deal with a variety of dilemmas, both personal, such as

Simon and Baz’s newly rocky relationship, and general, a cult of vampires.

While the Simon Snow series does stay comfortably close to the road map of the finale of Harry Potter — especially in Carry On, where, spoiler alert, good triumphs over looming evil — the “Chosen-One”’s love life takes a sharp turn into queerness, evident in the almost immediate break-up of Simon and his girlfriend, Agatha, in Carry On, and the developing enemies-to-lovers dynamic of Simon and Baz over the course of the two novels.

In a world where gay romance and representation is scarce in YA fiction and fantasy, much less the two combined, the addition of Simon and Baz’s personal character development and relationship is not only exciting, but needed.

Additionally, the fact that the queer relationship is between two of the main characters, and therefore brought front and center throughout the book, is a major leap from authors who use queer characters and dynamics solely to diversify their monotonous set of personas.

Not only does Wayward Son deal with and expand on the views and developments of the characters and their relationships, but it also expands their world. Their lives are different in America; magic is different in America. Who would’ve thought the Rocky Mountains are actually just a group of comatose dragons? They also experience and observe the political and social dynamics of magical people and creatures

COVER IMAGES: rainbowrowell.com in the United States, at some times reflective of the sociopolitical climate today. That said, Rowell attempts to still maintain a sense of wonder and unattainability of her magical world by avoiding the muddiness of politics, which can be useful, but would have meant the downfall of the series.

Although Carry On and Wayward Son live in their own fantasy world, full of spells and vampires, dragons and numpties, they provide a reflection and an escape, as well as representation for the lives many young adults lead.

Carry On and Wayward Son are written by Rainbow Rowell. The third book in the series, Any Way the Wind Blows, has been announced to be released at the end of 2020.

RATING: 4/5

MORE BY

RAINBOW ROWELL Loved Carry On? Pick up another of Rowell’s page-turners.

Fangirl follows shy Simon Snow fan Cath as she navigates family ties and her first year of college.

In Attachments, internet security officer Lincoln realizes that he might be falling for his coworker... via e-mail.

When Park and Eleanor first sit together on the bus, neither knows what’s to come. Will these two misfits be the perfect fit? Find out in Eleanor & Park.

After One Direction, Tomlinson walks a line of mediocrity in Walls LISTEN UP

FAIR USE: louistomlinson.com Louis Tomlinson’s new album does not feature any guest vocals, a fact that is echoed in his album cover where he sits alone in front of a black background.

ALEXANDRA CARDWELL STAFF WRITER

For the first time since leaving One Direction, arguably one of the most popular boy bands of the last decade, Louis Tomlinson released his debut solo album, Walls. Tomlinson is the final member of the band to release solo music, so this new album is a step in the right direction.

Walls is about Tomlinson’s life since leaving the band in Aug. 2015. In contrast to many of today’s pop albums, Walls features no collaborations with other artists, allowing Tomlinson’s first solo album to maintain a focus on him.

The style of Walls is similar to that of other One Direction albums, but with more depth and maturity in the tone and especially in the lyrics of each track. For example, the song “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart” features a lively, steady bass line throughout the entire track, similar to in some of One Direction’s songs. Another

track from the album is “Defenseless,” which also features a prominent bass line as well as upbeat drumming. A standout line from the track is “You just keep building up your fences / But I’ve never been so defenseless.” The vulnerability in this line, something uncommon among today’s popular male artists, shows Tomlinson’s emotional growth since leaving One Direction. The best track from Walls is “Habit,” because it features only guitar and drums and is the furthest from the infamous One Direction-type generic and artificial lyrics. “I always said that I’d mess up eventually / I told you that, so what did you expect from me?” is the opening line of “Habit.” These lyrics are not only relatable to many people, but also have a well-developed rhyme scheme, with twelve syllables in each line.

However, the album does have some weak points. “Always You” is by far the worst track on the album. Tomlinson

describes someone he just can’t get over: “I went to Tokyo to let it go / Drink after drink but I still felt alone / I should’ve known.”

WALLS IS A GOOD FIRST STEP FOR TOMLINSON. The last thing that the pop music industry needs is more songs about people traveling around the globe to forget about their significant, or former significant other. Not only is that topic cliche, but it is also not an accessible topic for the audience. “Always You” is basically a One Direction song, but with more mature themes and with only Tomlinson on the vocals. In a very close second is “Kill My Mind.” This track does not at all fit with the narrative of Walls. The instrumentals are different from all of the other songs, which are all somewhat cohesive. One of the first lines of this misplaced track

is “You’re a total distraction / While I’m waiting for your reaction.” Like every other aspect of the song, the rhyme scheme makes each approaching line too predictable, which makes the song too simple.

Overall, Walls is a good first step for Tomlinson. Although there are a few tracks that are misplaced, an overwhelming number of tracks fit perfectly together. The lively and original bass lines are a recurring theme in each track, and are all quite enjoyable.

Walls is for fans of pop music that are looking for more meaningful lyrics and a more relaxed vibe. Walls is a good album, however there is definitely room for improvement in the future.

RATING: 3/5

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - MARCH 2020

dealer Eric [John Catron]. They have invited Charlotte [Lynnette R. Freeman], a black upand-coming artist whose work they hope to purchase and add to the collection of art on their walls. Throughout the evening, their discussion shifts to race and Alex’s work with Black Lives Matter.

THE PLAY DELVES INTO THE INTERSECTION OF WHITE PRIVILEGE USING THE WORLD OF ART.

PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION: Caroline Yang ON THE SAME SIDE. Claudia Rankine’s The White Card uses uncomfortable humor and spotlights internalized prejudices to bring attention to white privilege.

The White Card challenges fragility and white privilege ON STAGE JULIA BARON THE RUBICON

Claudia Rankine’s The White Card, directed by Talvin Wicks, which will run at Penumbra Theater through Mar. 8, conveys the unconscious micro-aggressions and ignorance African Americans are routinely subjected to by white people.

The play is the perfect mix of nuanced discomfort and uncomfortable humor.

Nestled in a St. Paul neighborhood, the cozy Penumbra Theater seats a few hundred people, providing an intimate setting for the production.

The theater’s warm colors and red seats were a stark contrast to the monochromatic set that greets viewers. The white chairs, ottomans, tables,

glassware, and panels convey no warmth. Just as the lights dim, images of black artwork are projected onto the set and along the walls, enclosing the audience into the scene.

The show opens in the luxurious New York City apartment of white couple Charles [Bill McCallum] and Virginia [Michelle O’Neil], as they host a dinner with their son Alex [Jay Owen Eisenberg] and art

Although the couple is generally well-meaning with their remarks, they prove to be oblivious to their internalized race-based prejudices. Their repeated micro-aggressions make the audience cringe and sometimes even laugh at their ignorance. The play offers a look into Charlotte’s response to these comments through her immediate physical reactions to them, and then her suppression of those reactions, rather than addressing the couple’s ignorance directly.

The play’s second scene places the audience in Charlotte’s studio when, a year after the dinner, Charles arrives looking for answers to why Charlotte didn’t sell him work and for an explanation of why her work has changed so much in the past year. When he sees what she is currently working on —

photography that interrogates whiteness — he gets angry, expressing a sense of entitlement to power. As he expresses his reasons for wanting to support black art, a misguided white savior mentality appears.

In the end, when Charlotte challenges him to look inside himself to understand his privilege, he removes his shirt, still not understanding that privilege is not about white skin itself, but about the power it wielded in the past and continues to wield in the present.

When he consents to a photograph, with the phrase, “You can shoot me now,” there is nothing but silence and everything unsaid speaks so much louder than dialogue could.

Charlotte refuses to photograph him, instead showing him a different image, which brings him, and the audience, back to a truth that does not leave room for catharsis. In a final piece of art, the audience is left with a living sculpture of the two and an implied challenge to viewers to construct a different future.

Packed with intense and complicated dialogue, the play examines the buried motives behind Charles’ desire to acquire art from black artists, interrogating art depicting black death, and challenging white fragility and privilege.

RATING: 5/5

Generations of inequality documented in Parks and Shabazz photo exhibit GALLERY WALK

The exhibit is open through Apr. 19 at the Minnesota Museum of American Art. MADELINE FISHER STAFF WRITER

The featured exhibit at the Minnesota Museum of American Art, “A Choice of Weapons, Honor and Dignity: The Visions of Gordon Parks and Jamel Shabazz,” presents a stunning gallery of impactful photos that offer a personal view into inequality in the United States.

The gallery combines the work of photographers Gordon Parks and Jamel Shabazz.

Renowned for his captivating documentation of poverty and segregation in the United States, Parks’ career inspired Shabazz to also use photography to challenge traditional stereotypes surrounding diverse communities. A selection of their photos are displayed together in the gallery, along with quotes from both photographers and commentary from students at Gordon Parks High School.

The photos are thematically moving and artistically interesting. The explanations displayed around the gallery— typically related to the various stories behind the images— provide an interesting historical and personal aspect to the exhibit. Furthermore, the mixture of the two photographers’ styles serves to present a holistic story about the marginalized communities portrayed.

The effect of the gallery is both sobering and hopeful in its demonstration of inequality and the struggles and achievements of those affected by it.

However, the inclusion of the quotes from Gordon Parks High School students lessened the overall impact of the display.

THE MIXTURE OF THE TWO PHOTOGRAPHER’S STYLES SERVES TO PRESENT A HOLISTIC STORY. The perspectives of the students tended to be distracting, and frequently lacked meaningful insight. Often, the quotes were just a short description of the image and a brief analysis. While it was interesting to read alternative perspectives from younger generations, they could have been displayed in a way that detracted less from the images themselves.

Nevertheless, the exhibit is definitely worth visiting. All of Gordon Parks’ photos are poignant and the addition of a younger photographer creates an interesting contrast between time frames. The gallery represents a unique method of using media to portray and bring awareness to struggling communities.

RATING: 4/5

PHOTOS: Madeline Fisher CLOSE UP. Gordon Parks was assigned to cover Mohammad Ali in 1966, a boxer who came to be known as “the greatest of all time. A four year collaboration challenged viewers to make such of the struggle against racial inequality.

The featured exhibit at the Minnesota Museum of American Art, “A Choice of Weapons, Honor and Dignity: The Visions of Gordon Parks and Jamel Shabazz,” presents a gallery of photos that offer a personal view into inequality in the United States.